Three UK Nursing Faculty Honored as Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing
Three UK College of Nursing faculty were honored as Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) on Saturday, October 29th, in a ceremony in Washington, DC. Dr. Ana Maria Linares (DNS, RN, IBCLC), Dr. Gia Mudd-Martin (PhD, MPH, RN, FAHA), and Dr. Kim Tharp-Barrie (DNP, RN, SANE, FNAP) were inducted to this prestigious group. Fellows are nursing leaders in education, management, practice, and research and represent nurses in higher education, hospital administration, state and federal government, and entrepreneurship.
Dr. Ana Maria Linares joined the faculty at the UK College of Nursing in 2009 and achieved the Terry Jo Curtis 2016 Award by the US Breastfeeding Consultants Association (USLCA), and the Minority Health Researcher of the Year by the Southern Nursing Research Society (SNRS). Both awards are delivered to relevant, national researchers working with vulnerable populations. As a Fulbright Scholar in 2019, Dr. Linares also implemented a novel program to address determinants of iron deficiency anemia in Peruvian children and its association with infant feeding practices. Her primary scientific focus has been to establish the unique cultural determinants of health associated with Exclusive Breastfeeding (EBF) in Hispanics. She has developed and tested a novel, tailored, culturally, and linguistically appropriate home-visiting intervention that included professional/peer lactation counseling.
Dr. Gia Mudd-Martin is an associate professor and the Dr. E. Vernon Smith, Bertice Henry Smith, and Bertice Harold Smith Professor in Nursing Research at the UK College of Nursing. She is also Director of the Community Engagement and Research Core of the UK Center for Clinical and Translational Science, Co-Lead of the Community Engagement Core of the UK Superfund Research Center, and Co-Director of the College of Nursing RICH Heart Program. Dr. Mudd-Martin is a renowned health equities researcher whose work is guided by principles of community-based participatory research. Her research funded by NIH/NINR focuses on the development and testing of sustainable cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes risk reduction interventions that are designed in partnership with Latino/Latina and rural communities. She has received multiple awards in recognition of her work including, among others, the Kentucky Nurse Association Researcher of the Year award, special recognition from the University of Kentucky Center of Clinical and Translational Science for mentorship and community engagement, University recognition for Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentorship, and the College of Nursing Excellence in Research and Scholarship Award.
Dr. Kim Tharp-Barrie is an adjunct clinical professor at the UK College of Nursing and a nurse executive with 38 years of multi-site experience in acute and ambulatory not-for-profit health systems. She currently serves as the Senior Vice President, Chief Nursing officer, at Norton Healthcare, Louisville, Kentucky where she has created a National League of Nursing-award winning care environment. Dr. Tharp-Barrie also leads The Norton Healthcare Institute for Education and Development, an integration of the former Norton University and Norton Healthcare Institute for Nursing. The Institute provides professional development, classes, and educational experiences to help employees grow their skills and advance their careers. She is a certified and licensed Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) and partners with the community to educate on Human Trafficking. Dr. Tharp-Barrie provides didactic instruction and advisement for content expertise with finance, leadership and health policy for graduate students throughout the Commonwealth.
