By Laura Gasque
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Family, Community and Health Systems Loretta T. Lee, PhD, CRNP, FNP-BC, CNE, FNAP, FADLN, ANEF (MSN 1991, PhD 2012), alumna Tearsanee Davis, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, PMHNP, FAANP (DNP 2010), and PhD student Sarah Zollner, DNP, RN, AFN-C, have been named Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing. They join the more than 140 other FAANs affiliated with the School.
“It is a privilege to celebrate these remarkable nurse leaders whose vision, dedication and accomplishments represent the very best of our profession,” said Debra J. Barksdale, PhD, FNP-BC, FAANP, ANEF, FADLN, FAAN, American Academy of Nursing President. “Through evidence-based innovation, leadership and scholarship, they have improved outcomes, shaped policy and practice, strengthened nursing education and care delivery, and advanced scalable solutions that promote healthy lives for all people. Their accomplishments demonstrate the depth and reach that define Fellowship in the Academy.”
These nurse leaders will be inducted into the Academy’s 2026 Class of Fellows during its conference in October.
Loretta T. Lee, PhD, CRNP, FNP-BC, CNE, FNAP, FADLN, ANEF (MSN 1991, PhD 2012)
Lee is Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Family, Community and Health Systems. Throughout her career, Lee has focused on advancing health equity by preparing nurses to influence public policy, strengthening the nursing workforce, mentoring future nurse leaders and translating scholarship into meaningful systems change. She has been committed to preparing nurses not only to provide exceptional care, but also to lead, advocate and influence the policies that shape the future of healthcare.
Lee recently completed her term as Chair of the National Black Nurses Association Health Policy Committee and now serves as Immediate Past Chair and senior faculty for the NBNA Eddie Bernice Johnson Health Equity Policy Scholars Institute. As Co-Director of the NBNA Mini Nurse Academy, Lee helped lead a national initiative introducing elementary school students to nursing careers. Lee also serves as an Associate Editor for Ethnicity & Health and as a team leader and program evaluator for the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation.
Lee's contributions have been recognized through numerous national and state honors, including the NBNA Nurse Educator of the Year and the Alabama State Nurses Association’s Cindajo Overton Outstanding Nurse Educator Award. In 2021, Lee was selected as one of the School’s 70 Visionary Leaders. She also is a Distinguished Fellow of the National Academies of Practice, the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing and the National League for Nursing Academy of Nursing Education.
Tearsanee Davis, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC, FAANP (DNP 2010)
Davis serves as Director of Clinical Programs and Strategy for the Center for Telehealth at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where she provides clinical oversight and represents the center before professional organizations nationwide. A board-certified family nurse practitioner with almost 30 years of nursing experience, she has practiced across a range of settings, from private practice and community health to emergency medicine and academia and is widely recognized as an expert in telehealth and rural access to care.
The Mississippi Rural Health Association named Davis its first-ever nurse practitioner Rural Health Fellow, a role in which she helped shape legislative policy across the state. In 2020, she was inducted as a Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and received the organization's Nurse Practitioner State Award for Excellence for Mississippi. The following year, the UAB School of Nursing named her one of its 70 Visionary Leaders.
Sarah Zollner, DNP, RN, AFN-C
Zollner is pursuing a PhD in Nursing at the UAB School of Nursing as a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Fellow. She is a Nurse Consultant in the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Nursing Services, where she represents nursing and leads strategic initiatives addressing emerging priorities in clinical practice, policy and innovation. Her expertise includes medical forensics, nurse safety, artificial intelligence, innovation and project management.
Sarah has advanced nursing nationally by establishing the VA's first Forensic Nursing Advisory Committee, Forensic Field Advisory Board, and AI and Innovation Collaborative for nurses. She has provided congressional briefings on forensic nursing and sexual assault care, contributed technical expertise to proposed legislation, and helps shape VA enterprise artificial intelligence strategy and governance. She represents the VA and nursing through national and interagency collaborations that advance healthcare, public safety and government initiatives in the United States and internationally. She has authored influential white papers that have informed national policy and program development. Her work is dedicated to improving care for vulnerable populations while advancing the nursing workforce.