June 26, 2003

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Duck-Hee Kang, Ph.D., and Mary Grace Umlauf, Ph.D., faculty members with the University of Alabama School of Nursing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), have been named Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing, an organization of distinguished leaders in nursing recognized for their outstanding contributions to the profession and health care.

Kang’s nomination highlighted her research and mentoring activities. Currently, she is mentoring the school’s first post-doctoral nursing student, who is from South Korea. Her former protégé, Larry Eustace, is now chair of the Division of Nursing at the University of Arkansas-Monticello. A study by Kang and Eustace, “Fetal alcohol syndrome: a growing concern of health care professionals,” was recently published in the Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Neonatal Nursing.

Umlauf’s nomination focused on her extensive work with nursing faculty in the Middle East. In May 2002, the mother of King Abdullah of Jordan, Princess Muna, presented Umlauf with an Excellence in Nursing Award for her work with faculty members at the Jordan University of Science and technology in Irbid, Jordan.

There are currently about 1300 Academy Fellows. Kang and Umlauf will be inducted at the organization’s annual meeting in San Diego in November.