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Alumni Advisory Council

The Alumni Advisory Council primarily serves the College of Nursing to support its vision:

To be nationally recognized as leaders in health, addressing the needs of diverse populations.

Members:

Educate others about and actively advocate for the school and its academic programs, community service and outreach, and research.
Increase public relations and visibility of Auburn Nursing.
Build a communication network among alumni about events including alumni activities, alumni-student initiatives, and school events where volunteers are needed.
Attend two yearly meetings (spring semester and fall semester)
Serve as a link between the school and alumni.
Nominate alumni for school as well as university awards, among them the College of Nursing’s Distinguished Alumna/us Award and the Auburn Alumni Association Black Alumni Achievement Award.
Offer recommendations and/or make introductions for the lecture series, continuing education, and lifelong learning.
Actively support alumni engagement
Help build philanthropic gifts to the College of Nursing.

Distinguished Alumni

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI

2023 Karen Harris Frith

2022 Jody White '02

2021 Capt. Ron Fancher '97

2021 Brooke Bailey '99

2020 Dr. Terri Allison '85

2019 Dr. Caralise Hunt '91

2018 Amy F. Brandon '05

2017 Annie Vosel '81

2016 Dr. Jan McAlister '91

2015 Dr. Susan Holmes '81

2014 Joel Shumaker '05

2013 Claudia Henderson '83

2012 Candace Mangum '99

2011 Dr. Angela Green '86

2010 Laura Moore '83

2009 Nancy Meisler '81

Nominate a Distinguished Alumni

Featured Alumni

Outstanding Alumna Award

Each year, the College of Nursing honors one distinguished alumna who is a role model for how we hope our graduates will lead their lives. The 2023 Outstanding Alumna, Karen Harris Frith, who through her actions and behavior in her career and in her community, is an exceptionally worthy recipient of the College of Nursing’s highest honor.

Since graduating with an undergraduate degree in nursing from Auburn in 1984, Frith received a master’s degree in nursing administration in 1988 from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and a Ph.D. in nursing with an education concentration from Georgia State University in 2001. She has several certifications in nurse executive advanced – board certified, nurse educator, and mental health first aid.

After her bachelor’s degree, Frith worked as a staff nurse at East Alabama Medical Center and at North Carolina Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem. She became an assistant unit manager following her master’s degree.

After starting as an assistant professor at Georgia College and State University, she progressed quickly to become a full professor at the University of Alabama at Huntsville. Following a stint as associate dean of undergraduate programs, she served as associate dean for graduate programs, and now serves as the Dean and Professor at Huntsville.

According to Frith, undergraduate nursing program has seen big changes. “When I was in the nursing program, we had film strips and videos in our learning lab. Today, nursing programs teach students using high-fidelity simulations and virtual reality. This ship to computer-based technology has given nurse educators the tools to connect classroom content to nursing practice,” she said.

Frith has received several external and internal grants for her research, totaling $2 million. She has more than 70 articles in refereed journals and 17 book chapters, two books, made more than 55 presentations, invited and refereed, supervised more than 40 student research projects, and has served on several university councils and committees, and on several advisory Boards. All these while also being an active member of several professional organizations and a reviewer for 14 journals.

She has received several awards — The American Journal of Nursing’s Book of the Year for Applied Clinical Informatics in Nursing, Prose Award winner for a book chapter in Gender in the Genomic Era, and the Alabama Lamplighter Award from the Alabama League for Nursing, to name a few.

Her nominator expresses how fortunate and privileged she is to work with Dr. Frith for several years at the UAH College of Nursing.

“She is a wonderful leader and has made significant contributions to the nursing professional throughout her career. She is an organized and effective leader, and a champion for excellence in nursing. Her passion for the profession is evident in her work ethic, achievements and her desire to serve her community.

“She is truly an Auburn woman. She exemplifies the Auburn spirit and lives out the Auburn creed in her daily life.”

“Auburn University College of Nursing instilled in me the duty to serve patients and families armed with intelligence and excellent clinical skills,” said Frith. “From the start of my nursing career, I understood my role and as I advanced in my education and experience, I kept the Auburn spirit with me."

Congratulations to Karen Harris Frith, AUCON’s 2023 Outstanding Alumna!

Black Alumni Achievement Award

In April 2023, the Auburn Alumni Association recognized Beaonica Snead Fields for outstanding achievements in her professional life, for her personal integrity and stature, and for her service to the university. Fields’ pursuit of a nursing career began when she completed a healthcare internship in high school. The internship experience inspired her passion for assisting others and delivering high-quality care to those in need.

Since graduating from Auburn’s nursing program in 2010, Fields has gathered over 12 years of nursing experience. The Birmingham native began her nursing career in the Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (RNICU) at UAB Hospital, while also serving on the Comfort Care Team and the March of Dimes Committee. Since 2015, she has served as a certified registered nurse anesthetist at Huntsville Hospital for Women and Children.

While she worked at the RNICU, she received a master’s degree in nursing (MSN) with a concentration in nurse anesthesia from UAB in 2015, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from the University of Alabama in 2021. Her doctoral research focused on implementing cultural competency training for nurse anesthetists to improve culturally competent care.

Reflecting on her own childhood experience of undergoing a surgical procedure, she vividly remembers the nurse anesthetist who provided comforting reassurance, alleviating her fears and concerns. The encounter kindled a desire to provide the same compassionate care to others and aspire to become a nurse anesthetist after completing nursing school.

While at Auburn, she had another opportunity to participate in INROADS internship program through the UAB Hospital. “Besides helping me gain valuable experience, the internship fostered my ability to grow and develop as a student,” she said. She started the internship by working as a unit secretary and patient care tech every summer until she was accepted into Auburn University Nursing School. She completed her senior preceptorship with UAB RNICU.

According to Fields, her Auburn degree has helped her network and gain lifelong connections to advance her nursing career. “It prepared me with the ability to succeed and to face and overcome challenges. By having a strong nursing foundation, I gained effective clinical, critical care and communication skills that helped me excel in my career. One of the high points of my career was getting accepted into nurse anesthesia school and graduating with honors.

“I am immensely proud of my Auburn degree and the achievements it has enabled me to accomplish in my career. I cherish memories from my time at Auburn University — the lifelong friendships I formed, the wonderful experiences shared with my sorority sisters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and a solid foundation for professional success.”

Poet Maya Angelou’s words, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel,” serve as a guiding principle in her life, and a constant reminder to create meaningful connections with her patients, treating them with respect, kindness, and compassion. “I strive to create a supportive and caring environment for each patient I encounter. I am deeply driven to provide exceptional care and make a positive impact in the lives of those entrusted to my services.”

AUCON applauds Beaonica Snead Fields for her triumphs and celebrates her achievements. We wish her the very best in her career.

War Eagle!

Past Recipients of the Outstanding Black Alumni Award

2023 Beaonica Snead Fields

2022 Lalah Hasbrouck

2021 Latricia "Vonnie" Stone

2020 Col. Simona Black

2019 Keith Mathews '09 (BSN), '14 (MS)

2018 Sharon Gess '94

2017 Christopher Martin '12

2016 George O. Sneed Jr. '96

Black Alumni Weekend