By Laura Gasque
A University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing faculty member and an alumnus have been selected for induction into the National League for Nursing Academy of Nursing Education. Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Family, Community and Health Systems Loretta T. Lee, PhD, CRNP, FNP-BC, CNE, FNAP, FADLN (MSN 1991, PhD 2012), and alumnus Larry Z. Slater, PhD, MAc, RN-BC, CNE, FAAN (BSN 2008, PhD 2011), will be inducted at the 2025 NLN Education Summit in September.
The NLN Academy of Nursing Education Fellows are recognized for their expertise in nursing education and serve as role models and resources for new educators and for those who aspire to become nurse educators.
Lee's work focuses on health promotion and health care policy advocacy, driving initiatives that directly confront and dismantle health gaps among groups facing social and economic disadvantages. During her academic career, she has held leadership roles as Nurse Practitioner Specialty Track Coordinator for the Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner track in the MSN Program and as Director of the Adult Advanced Practice specialty tracks. Lee also is an associate editor for the international journal, Ethnicity and Health and the chair of the National Black Nurses Association Inc. Health Policy Committee. In 2020, she was recognized as NBNA Nurse Educator of the Year, and more recently, she participated in the National League for Nursing’s year-long LEAD program. Lee also is co-principal investigator on an NBNA grant to support the creation of NBNA Mini Nurse Academy, an early experiential nursing program for students in third through sixth grade designed to grow the nursing workforce.
In 2024, Lee was named a Distinguished Fellow of the National Academies of Practice and a Distinguished Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing Fellow by the NBNA. As Vice Chair for the Department of Family, Community and Health Systems, her focus is on preparing new faculty to become expert nurse educators while advancing the School’s mission of preparing practice-ready health care providers.
“I am deeply honored to be named a NLN ANE Fellow,” Lee said. “This recognition is a testament to the students who have inspired me, the mentors who have guided me and the unwavering support of the UAB School of Nursing. My passion lies in educating the next generation of nurse leaders, and I am committed to continuing this vital work, ensuring our students are prepared to innovate and lead in an ever-evolving health care landscape.”
Slater is Dean and Professor at the Quinnipiac University School of Nursing in Hamden, Connecticut and is a two-time graduate of the UAB School of Nursing, earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2008 and a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing in 2011. Slater also completed his post-doctoral training at UAB, focusing on the psychosocial aspects of aging with HIV.
As Dean, his focus is on preparing undergraduate and graduate students to become successful nursing leaders in health care while advancing the school’s research and scholarship initiatives by working closely with faculty, staff and students. He has extensive expertise in the design and implementation of active, learner-driven strategies in nursing education, curriculum development, improvement and assessment with a focus on technology-enhanced education, program outcomes assessment and accreditation, and faculty/staff governance in academia.
Slater is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and serves on the UAB School of Nursing National Advisory Council.
“It is a great honor to be recognized as a Fellow by the Academy of Nursing Education for my longstanding commitment to the development of our next generation of nurses, advanced practice nurses and nurse leaders,” Slater said. “My career in nursing education has been most rewarding, and I look forward to continuing my focus on innovation and inclusivity in nursing education in the years to come.”