It is my pleasure to announce the appointment of Dr. Karen Frith as Dean of the College of Nursing, effective immediately.
Dr. Frith earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Auburn University, a Master of Science in Nursing with a specialty in Nursing Administration from the University of North Carolina in Greensboro, and a Ph.D. in Nursing with a concentration in Nursing Education from Georgia State University. Ahead of her time, her doctoral dissertation was an experiment testing the effectiveness of student engagement in online courses. She is board certified as Nurse Executive, Advanced, by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and certified as a Nurse Educator by the National League for Nursing. Dr. Frith worked in critical care for 10 years before moving into an academic role. She has enjoyed 29 years of teaching in universities with 22 years of administrative experience. Since joining the UAH College of Nursing in 2007 as an Associate Professor, she has been promoted to Professor and has served as the Interim Dean, Associate Dean for Graduate Programs, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs, and the Coordinator for the Ph.D. and DNP programs at UAH. Dr. Frith was instrumental in the implementation of both doctoral programs at UAH.
During her academic career, Dr. Frith has maintained an active program of research and has a notable publication record with over 60 peer-reviewed journal articles, 15 book chapters, and two books to her credit. Her scholarship focuses on two areas: Informatics to improve patient outcomes and educational technology to improve outcomes in higher education. Dr. Frith writes the Emerging Technologies column for Nursing Education Perspectives and serves on the Editorial Board for the same journal.
Dr. Frith is eager to build on the successes in the college by strengthening academic programs, accelerating the research productivity of faculty, and creating meaningful outreach for better health and healthcare through community and professional service. She is ready to provide diligent attention to standards from the Alabama Board of Nursing and to accreditation standards (CCNE and SACSCOC). Dr. Frith is committed to enhancing inclusivity and encouraging the contributions of all faculty, staff, and students.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Frith on her appointment as Dean.
Robert G. Lindquist
Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
