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CIPES Faculty Interprofessional Leadership Fellows Program
The application process for each cohort of IPL Fellows opens during the Spring semester.
2019 Fellows at T3
See below for outline of the program.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Faculty Interprofessional Leadership (IPL) Fellows program is designed to develop faculty members’ interprofessional education (IPE) and leadership capacity. IPL Fellows will learn from and work with academic and practice leaders within the university as well as across the nation. As an interprofessional team, fellows will also design and execute a project to advance IPE efforts at UAB.
The eighth cohort of IPL Fellows will begin their 12-month program in August 2025.
BENEFITS TO THE FELLOW
Participate in a 3-day Interprofessional Leadership and Us (IPLUS)© interprofessional faculty development program during Fall semester.
● This will include innovative interprofessional teaching methods, including distance activities developed to support virtual teamwork.● Develop and implement an interprofessional education project in collaboration with an interprofessional team of fellows.● Build expertise as a change agent to advance interprofessional education.● Gain knowledge, skills and strategies for facilitating and coaching faculty or IPE teams.● Leverage coaching and resources for educational project design and scholarship development.● Join a community of scholars striving to advance IPE across UAB.● Access a national network of peers and leaders.
EXPECTATIONS OF THE FELLOWS
● Attend and fully participate in our IPLUS© faculty development program, September 24-26, 2025● Participate in CTL Workshops, August 2025 - April 2026● Design and present an IPE workshop within the CTL IPE Team in Healthcare series in the 2026 spring semester● Join an interprofessional team of fellows to develop, implement, and evaluate an IPE project.● Submit an abstract for an educational meeting● Submit a final report of the project by June 30 each year
How to apply:
Application will consist of a letter of interest, letter of support from department chair, and CV in a single PDF.
Email application PDF to Shelly Camp, scamp6@uab.edu
For more information contact, Shelly Camp, scamp6@uab.edu, 205-996-4584
ELIGIBILITY & SELECTION
● Minimum requirements:To be considered as an IPL Fellow, an applicant MUST:- Be a full time UAB Faculty member
- Be able to attend the OIPC IPLUS© faculty development program, September 24-26, 2025
- Commit to attending CTL IPE workshops from August 2025 through April 2026
- Commit to working with a project team for the duration of the fellowship
- Commit to developing and presenting a new CTL IP Teams in Healthcare workshop in spring 2026
- Commit to presenting (or contributing to a presentation or poster) at an IP Educational meeting
● Priority will be given to applicants who:- Demonstrate significant interest in increasing the reach of IPE at UAB
- Have a background or experience in IPE activities or initiatives
- Add to the diversity of disciplines represented in the IPL Fellows cohort
- Review by CIPES selection committee.
- Approval and endorsement by applicant’s department chair.
IPL Fellowship Timeline
June 13, 2025 Application Due July 11, 2025 Selectees Notified July 25, 2025 IP Symposium (Selectees Introduced) August 1, 2025 Fellowship Start Date September - December Attend CTL - IP Teams in Healthcare Workshops September 24-26, 2025 IPLUS© Train the Trainer Program January - April 2026 Fellows Provide CTL - IP Teams in Healthcare Workshops June 30, 2026 Final Report Due
CIPES Fellows
2018
• Curry Bordelon, DNP, MBA, NNP-BC, CPNP-AC, CNE, Department of Nursing Family, Community & Health Systems, School of Nursing
• Lynn S. Nichols, PhD, RN, BC, SANE, Department of Nursing Family, Community & Health Systems, School of Nursing
• Lisa McCormick, DrPH, MPH, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health
• Laurel Hitchcock, PhD, MPH, MSW, LICSW, PIP, Department of Social Work, College of Arts and Sciences
2019
• Shauntice Allen, PhD, MA, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health
• David House, DNP, CRNP, ENP-C, FNP-BC, CNS, Department of Nursing Family, Community & Health Systems, School of Nursing
• William Somerall, Jr., MD, Med, Department of Nursing Acute, Chronic & Continuing Care, School of Nursing
• Tera Webb, MS, CLS(ASCP)CM, Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, School of Health Professions
2020
• Ashleigh Allgood, MPH, MBA, Department of Health Services Administration, School of Health Professions
• Nancy Borkowski, DBA, CPA, FACHE, FHFMA, Department of Health Services Administration, School of Health Professions
• Laura Forbes, PhD, MHA, MCHES, HS-BCP Department of Community Health and Human Services, School of Education and Human Sciences
• Melanie G. Hallman, DNP, CRNP, FNP-BC, ACNP-BC, ENP-C, FAEN, Department of Family, Community and Health Systems, School of Nursing
• Wei Li, PhD, Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, School of Health Professions
2021
• Jennie Alspach, DNP, MSN, CRNP, FNP-BC, Department of Nursing Acute, Chronic & Continuing Care, School of Nursing
• Rachael Bruce, MSN, MPH, CRNP, FNP-BC, Department of Family, Community and Health Systems, School of Nursing
• David James, DNP, MSHQS, CCNS, NPD-BC, LSSGB Department of Interprofessional Practice and Training, UAB Health System
• Carolyn Kezar, MD, FACP, Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, UAB Heersink School of Medicine
• Loretta Lee, PhD, FNP-BC, Department of Nursing Acute, Chronic & Continuing Care, School of Nursing
• April Love, MSN, RN, RN-OB, NE, Department of Family, Community and Health Systems, School of Nursing
• Valley McCurry, PhD, MBA, OTR/L, Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health Professions
• Kelley Swatzell, DrPH, MBA, Department of Health Care Organization and Policy, School of Public Health
2022
• Amy Brady, MAEd, CNMT, Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, School of Health Professions
• William Brooks, PhD. Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, Heersink School of Medicine.
• Kala Dixon, PhD, MS, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Heersink School of Medicine
• April Love, MSN, RN, RNC-OB, CNE, Department of Family, Community and Health Systems in the School of Nursing
• Cori O’Neal, DNP, CRNP, AGNP-C, Department Chair Acute, Chronic & Continuing Care in the School of Nursing
2023
• Steven Howard, PhD, Department of Health Services Administration in the School of Health Professions
• Sabrina Kopf, DNP, ACNP-BC, CRNP. Department of Acute, Chronic & Continuing Care in the School of Nursing
• Elizabeth McAlister, Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care, Heersink School of Medicine
• Emily Simmons, MSN, RN, CNL, FGNLA, Department of Interprofessional Practice and Training. UAB Hospital
2024
• Rebekah Day, MSN, AGACNP-BC, Department of Acute, Chronic & Continuing Care in the School of Nursing
• Yookyong Lee PhD. Department of Social Work in the College of Arts and Sciences
• Carrie Beth Littleton, DNP, MSN, RN, CNE, CHSE, Department of Acute, Chronic & Continuing Care in the School of Nursing
• Amy Logan OD FAAO, Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences in the School of Optometry -
CIPES Faculty Fellows - 2024
2024 Faculty Interprofessional Leadership Fellows
Rebekah Day, MSN, AGACNP-BC
Ms. Day is an Instructor in the School of Nursing, Department of Acute, Chronic & Continuing Care.
She is an Adult Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. Since 2022 she has been part of the Simulation team in the School of Nursing managing interprofessional simulations for both graduate and undergraduate learners. Ms. Day has worked in collaboration with the Office of Interprofessional Simulation (OIPS) to provide Critical Care simulation training.
SCHOLARS@UAB PROFILE
Yookyong Lee, PhD
Dr. Lee is an Associate Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Social Work.
Dr. Lee is incorporating cultural competency, trauma informed practice and service learning into her teaching to better prepare students to work in interprofessional teams, who are caring for diverse patient populations. She has been involved with interprofessional programs at UAB since 2018 where she has acted as a facilitator for several small group activities.
SCHOLARS@UAB PROFILE
Carrie Beth Littleton, DNP, MSN, RN, CNE, CHSE
Dr. Littleton is an Instructor in the School of Nursing, Department of Acute, Chronic & Continuing Care, and the Co-Director of the BSN Program.
Dr. Littleton received interprofessional training at Harvard University and has collaborated to provide training for several professions at UAB including, Nursing, Dentistry, Physician Assistant and Pharmacy. Additionally, She has formed a collaborative partnership with the health system's office of Interprofessional Practice and Training.
SCHOLARS@UAB PROFILE
Amy Logan, OD, FAAO
Dr. Logan is an Assistant Professor in the School of Optometry, Department of Optometry and Vision Science.
Dr. Logan has longstanding experience in IPE and currently chairs the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice Special Interest Group providing leadership and guidance to all schools and colleges of Optometry in the United States.
FILE
SCHOLARS@UAB PROFILE -
CIPES Faculty Fellows - 2023
2023 Faculty Interprofessional Leadership Fellows
Steven Howard, PhD
Dr. Howard is an Associate Professor in the School of Health Professions, Department of Health Services Administration. He is the director of the Masters of Science in Healthcare Administration program at UAB.
He has over 11 years experience teaching in online, traditional face-to-face and hybrid environments. Steven's goal is to provide curricular innovations to students "where they are" in their career path (busy working professionals, first-generation, traditional residential students. etc.)
SCHOLARS@UAB PROFILE
Sabrina Kopf, DNP, ACNP-BC, CRNP
Dr. Kopf is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing, Department of Acute, Chronic & Continuing Care.
As a Gerontological Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, and a former transplant Nurse Practitioner she has a wealth of experience of patient care by interprofessional teams. Sabrina bridges the transition between IP Education and IP Practice and brings experience from both areas to the team
SCHOLARS@UAB PROFILE
Elizabeth McAlister, MS, C-TAGME
Ms. McAlister is The Education Administrator for the Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care in the Heersink School of Medicine.
Elizabeth works with multiple interprofessional groups across the hospital and clinics to improve the educational components of learner's rotations throughout their training.
Emily Simmons, MSN, RN, CNL, FGNLA
Ms. Simmons is the Director of Program Development in the UAB Health System's Department of Interprofessional Practice and Training.
Emily manages educational and quality improvement activities related to vulnerable patient populations. Working closely with the Geriatric, Diabetes, Wound Scholar, Emergency Department and age-friendly programs she will bring a wealth of IP practice experience to this year's team.
SCHOLARS@UAB PROFILE -
CIPES Faculty Fellows - 2022
2022 Faculty Interprofessional Leadership Fellows
Amy Brady, MAEd, CNMT
Amy Brady is an Assistant Professor in the School of Health Professions, Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences (Nuclear Medicine). She is the director of the Nuclear Medicine Imaging program at UAB.
Her goal is to better prepare students for real-world clinical situations.
SCHOLARS@UAB PROFILE
William Brooks, PhD
Dr. Brooks is Assistant Dean for Preclinical Education and a Professor in the Heersink School of Medicine, Department of Cell, Developmental & Integrative Biology.
He is the founder of the MD-DPT interprofessional patient communication activity and the "Come Roll With Me" event where community members with mobility issues work with Medicine and Physical Therapy students to highlight health equity issues.
SCHOLARS@UAB PROFILE
Kala Dixon, PhD, MS
Dr. Dixon is The Director of Interprofessional and Continuing Education in the Department of Family and Community Medicine in the Heersink School of Medicine. She obtained her Doctorate of Interprofessional Healthcare Studies from the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science.
As an interprofessional educator, she has been involved in curriculum design and delivery to ensure students are equipped with the knowledge and skills to work in teams that improve patient outcomes.
Cori O'Neal, DNP, CRNP, AGNP-BC
Dr. Johnson is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing, Department of Acute Chronic and Continuing Care. She is the Specialty Track Coordinator for the Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner program and practices in the UAB PATH clinic, specializing in treating patients with uncontrolled diabetes.
Within the PATH clinic, she has trained interprofessional teams to clarify their roles and responsibilities and improve team communications. Dr. Johnson is bringing this experience to the classroom to prepare the Gerontology Nurse Practitioners for their future clinical roles.
SCHOLARS@UAB PROFILE
April Love, MSN, RN, RNC-OB, CNE
Ms. Love is an Instructor in the School of Nursing and a member of the UAB Healthcare Educators Academy. She works with faculty from Social Work and Physical Therapy to provide Interprofessional experiences and simulations for pre-professional students and has completed the Simulation as a Teaching Tool Instructor Course offered by the Center for Medical Simulation in partnership with SimUAB®.
SCHOLARS@UAB PROFILE -
CIPES Faculty Fellows - 2021
Jennie Alspach, DNP, MSN, CRNP, FNP-BC
Dr. Jennie Alspach is an Instructor in the School of Nursing with a background as a Family Nurse Practitioner and broad work experience at the Senior Health Center, Emergency Department, Medical-Surgical, Spinal Cord and Brain Injury unit. She became interested in education and worked as an Mrs. Jennie Alspach has a background as a Family Nurse Practitioner and broad work experience at the Senior Health Center, Emergency Department, Medical-Surgical, Spinal Cord and Brain Injury unit. She became interested in education and worked as an Adjunct Clinical Instructor teaching in the undergraduate program before joining the UAB SON as full-time faculty.
SCHOLARS@UAB PROFILE
Rachael Bruce, MSN, MPH, CRNP, FNP-C
Ms. Bruce is an Instructor in the School of Nursing, teaching in the pre-licensure programs. Her clinical practice is in the Interprofessional PATH (Providing Access To Healthcare) Clinic. In 2020 she was a member of the team that won the Dean's Award in Innovation in Clinical Instruction for the creation of a virtual mass casualty incident simulation.
SCHOLARS@UAB PROFILE
David James, DNP, MSHQS, RN, CCNS, NPD-BC, LSSGB
Dr. David James is a certified Clinical Nurse Specialist. In addition to his nursing degrees, he has obtained his Master’s in Healthcare Quality & Safety degree from UAB’s School of Health Professionals.
He currently works within UAB’s Department of Inter-professional Practice & Training (DIPT) where he collaborates with stakeholders across the organization to improve the care of vulnerable patients.
He also serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor at UAB School of Nursing, teaching primarily in the DNP program.
Carolyn Kezar, MD, FACP
Dr. Kezar is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care, Department of Medicine in the School of Medicine. She is also an Associate Scientist in the Center for Palliative and Supportive Care. As part of the Palliative Medicine Education Core her interests are in medical education along with provider and physician interprofessional training in clinical settings.
SCHOLARS@UAB_PROFILE
Loretta Lee, PhD, FNP-BC
Dr. Lee is an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing. Since joining the faculty in 2005 she has been involved in curriculum design, development and implementation. Dr. Lee teaches in the doctorate and masters programs at the School of Nursing. She especially enjoys the opportunity to impact nursing education and practice, and scientific discovery that will improve the health of individuals living with chronic diseases.
SCHOLARS@UAB PROFILE
Valley McCurry, PhD, MBA, OTR/L
Dr. McCurry is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy in the School of Health Professions. Before joining the faculty Dr. McCurry was in clinical practice for several years. She has been involved with Interprofessional Education at UAB since 2013 acting as a group activity facilitator and interviewer. Dr. McCurry is a member of the team transitioning the Occupational Therapy program from a Master's to a Doctoral Level program.
SCHOLARS@UAB PROFILE
Kelley Swatzell, DrPH
Dr. Swatzell is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Care Organization & Policy in the UAB School of Public Health. Dr. Swatzell currently serves as the Assistant Dean for Accreditation and is part of the team in the Office of Student and Academic Affairs. Her background and experience in IPE activities and initiatives includes facilitating interprofessional education, simulation, and student service opportunities among Public Health, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing, and Social Work.
SCHOLARS@UAB PROFILE -
CIPES Faculty Fellows - 2020
Ashleigh Allgood, MPH, MBA
Ms.. Allgood is an Instructor in the Department of Health Services Administration in the School of Health Professions.
Ms. Allgood teaches and serves as the operations director for two graduate programs in the School of Health Professions: Master of Science in Healthcare Quality and Safety (HQS) and Master of Science in Healthcare Simulation (HS). Within the courses she teaches for the HQS and HS programs, she actively promotes interprofessional education through case-based activities, simulation, and team projects.
SCHOLARS@UAB PROFILE
Nancy Borkowski, DBA, CPA, FACHE, FHFMA
Dr. Borkowski is a Professor in the Department of Health Services Administration in the School of Health Professions.
Dr. Borkowski teaches and studies health care organizational behavior and strategy. She has written four textbooks and has published numerous papers. teaches undergraduates in health care management, graduate students in health services administration master’s program, and doctoral students in the PhD and Executive DSc programs. In her teaching and scholarship, Dr. Borkowski has collaborated across campus with individuals from multiple schools, including Nursing, Business, Public Health, Medicine, and others. She actively collaborates with colleagues across the country and the World.
SCHOLARS@UAB PROFILEMelanie G. Hallman, DNP, CRNP, FNP-BC, ACNP-BC, ENP-C, FAEN
Dr. Hallman is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Community and Health Systems in the School of Nursing. Prior to entering the nursing profession, she worked in prehospital emergency services where she gained invaluable experience working in diverse interdisciplinary teams. This impacted her appreciation of the team approach to patient care and its importance to achieving quality outcomes. Dr. Hallman is Co-coordinator of the Emergency Nurse Practitioner subspecialty and incorporates interdisciplinary education and emergency team dynamics into coursework and simulation experiences for her students
SCHOLARS@UAB_PROFILE
Wei Li, PhD
Dr. Li is an Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences in the School of Health Professions
Dr. Li has a primary appointment in the MS in Physician Assistant Studies program. He has many years of teaching experience, and has completed many training programs offered through the Center for Teaching and Learning.
SCHOLARS@UAB_PROFILE -
CIPES Faculty Fellows - 2019
Shauntice Allen PhD, MA
Dr. Allen is an Assistant Professor in the department of Environmental Health Sciences in the School of Public Health Dr. Allen teaches and conducts community-based research focused on the social determinants of health. She leads the community engagement activities of UAB's Center for Clinical and Translational Science where she works interprofessionally with medicine, nursing, public health, business and members of the greater Birmingham community.
David House, DNP, CRNP, ENP-C, FNP-BC, CEN, CNS
Dr. House is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing. He is dual board certified as an Emergency and Family Nurse Practitioner teaching Emergency Nurse Practitioner and Leadership courses. Dr. House has extensive experience and is an active member of the American Academy of Emergency Nurse Practitioners and Emergency Nurses Association. He is currently working with a team exploring telehealth strategies for rural emergency departments.
SCHOLARS@UAB PROFILE
William Somerall, MD, MEd
Dr. Somerall is a full-time assistant professor in the School of Nursing with over 30 years of experience in gynecology/obstetrics. Dr. Somerall has been actively engaged in interprofessional activities that demonstrate a strong commitment to the advancement of interprofessional education and practice at UAB. With a focus on bringing innovation and creative teaching strategies into the classroom, Dr. Somerall has been involved in numerous interprofessional events supporting the CIPES Office of Interprofessional Curriculum.
SCHOLARS@UAB PROFILE
Tera Webb, MS, CLS(ASCP)CM, CPHQ
Ms. Webb is an assistant professor in the Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences
School of Health Professions and a seasoned interprofessional educator. She has a strong interest in using team science to improve quality and safety in healthcare. Over the last four years Ms. Webb has worked across the university to develop innovative collaborative learning opportunities that bring together students of professions such as clinical laboratory science, genetic counseling, nuclear medicine, nursing, physicians assistants and others. -
CIPES Faculty Fellows - 2018
Curry Bordelon, DNP, MBA, NNP-BC, CPNP-AC, CNE
Dr. Bordelon is a dual certified Neonatal and Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner teaching Neonatal Nurse Practitioner and Leadership courses. He has extensive leadership experience as a nurse practitioner manager for three Neonatal Intensive Care Units. Dr Bordelon is an active member of the Education Committee for the Academy of Neonatal Nursing and is an item writer for national board certification exams.
SCHOLARS@UAB PROFILE
Lynn Stover Nichols, PhD, RN, BC, SANE
Dr. Lynn Nichols specializes in maternal-child health, and has extensive experience with curriculum development, program evaluation, strategic planning and online instruction. She is committed to the utilization of high-impact practices to foster student engagement. She is interested in leadership development of faculty, team building in faculty work groups and facilitating the professional development of faculty.
SCHOLARS@UAB PROFILE
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Lisa McCormick, DrPH, MPH
Dr. McCormick is the Associate Dean for Public Health Practice for the UAB School of Public Health. In addition, Dr. McCormick is the Director of the Deep South Biosafety and Infectious Disease Response Worker Training Program, the Lead Evaluator for the Region IV Public Health Training Center, and an Investigator with the Southeast AIDS Education and Training Center. She has worked with both state and local public health departments across the southeastern United States
SCHOLARS@UAB PROFILE
Laurel Hitchcock, PhD, MPH, MSW, LICSW, PIP
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Laurel Iverson Hitchcock is an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is interested in social work education, technology and social media, social welfare history and public health social work. She writes a blog titled Teaching & Learning in Social Work.
SCHOLARS@UAB PROFILE