UK Nursing's Dr. Ellen Hahn receives prestigious 2021 Faye Glenn Abdellah Leadership Award
The University of Kentucky College of Nursing’s Dr. Ellen Hahn was recently awarded the 2021 Faye Glenn Abdellah Leadership Award from the Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research (FNINR) for her landmark research efforts to promote lung health and healthy environments.
Ellen Hahn, PhD, RN, FAAN, is a professor in the Colleges of Nursing and Public Health at UK and director of the BREATHE (Bridging Research Efforts and Advocacy Toward Healthy Environments) research group. She also serves as director of UK-CARES (Center for Appalachian Research in Environmental Sciences) and holds the Marcia A. Dake Endowed Professorship in the College of Nursing.
The Faye Glenn Abdellah award is presented each year to an organization or individual with a sustained or lasting impact on nursing science either through advocacy, institutional leadership, or individual research.
In her acceptance speech, Dr. Hahn said she was humbled to be recognized for her research to improve population health.
“In the spirit of Faye Glenn Abdellah, who forever shifted our practice from disease-centered to a patient and family-centered approach, my work promises to not wait for the world to change, but to work with the world to change it,” said Dr. Hahn. “I am deeply humbled to receive the 2021 Faye Glenn Abdellah Leadership Award. It is indeed a badge of honor. Thank you.”
Throughout her career, Dr. Hahn has focused on community-engaged research and outreach to reduce lung cancer risks related to exposure of tobacco and radon.
In 2004, she led the effort to successfully implement a smoke-free ordinance in the heart of tobacco country, for the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government. Since that time, she has helped other communities and organizations across Kentucky and the nation implement smoke-free policies, leading to positive health outcomes.
While Dr. Hahn is proud of the progress that’s been made, she recognizes the need for continued change and remains committed to improving health outcomes through her research and outreach efforts.
She says, “We still have a lot of work to do in Kentucky, but there are people who have courage and who value health and want to leave a better legacy for their children.”
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Watch Dr. Hahn’s Faye Glenn Abdellah Award acceptance speech.
