Professional News

Three UK Faculty to be Inducted as Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing

Camille Burnett, PhD, Lovoria Williams, PhD, and Sharon Lock, PhD, have been selected for the 2020 class of American Academy of Nursing fellows.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 27, 2020) — The American Academy of Nursing has selected three University of Kentucky College of Nursing faculty members, Camille Burnett, Lovoria Williams and Sharon Lock, to be inducted into its 2020 class of Academy Fellows.   

The inductees will be recognized for their significant contributions to health and health care at the Academy’s annual Transforming Health, Driving Policy Conference, taking place virtually Oct. 29-31, 2020.

“I am proud the Academy is recognizing the exemplary work of Dr. Burnett, Dr. Williams and Dr. Lock, as being amongst the nation's foremost health care thought leaders," said Janie Heath, Dean of the UK College of Nursing.  "Each of these women is leaders in their fields, offering a rich variety of expertise across areas including public health, women’s health, health care in underserved minority populations and more.  They represent the best-of-the-best in nursing and carry on the rich tradition of excellence at UK’s College of Nursing.”

“I am honored to welcome this exceptional class to the American Academy of Nursing. Their work, across many fields of expertise, exemplifies the power of nursing knowledge in creating meaningful change,” said Academy President Eileen Sullivan-Marx, PhD, RN, FAAN. “As a policy organization, we strive to improve health and achieve health equity through nursing leadership, innovation, and science. Growing the Academy’s Fellowship bolsters our collective strength and further enables us to meet our policy priorities. Now, more than ever, our collaboration is critical and I am excited to congratulate this dynamic class of Fellows during the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife.”

The 2020 class includes a total of 230 inductees from 38 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territory of Guam, as well as 13 countries. The Academy is currently comprised of more than 2,700 nursing leaders who are experts in policy, research, administration, practice, and academia that champion health and wellness, locally and globally.

Camille Burnett PhD, MPA, APHN-BC, RN, BScN, DSW Burnett is an associate professor at UK’s College of Nursing, with an appointment as a strategic advisor for Community Engagement and Academic Partnerships with the Office of the Provost, and a researcher at both the Center for Health Equity Transformation and the Center for Clinical and Translational Science. She is being honored for her work with advancing health equity policy, community engagement and research on intimate partner violence against women and children. More on Dr. Burnett

Lovoria Williams Ph.D., FNP-BC, FAANP Williams is an associate professor at UK’s College of Nursing and leads several research initiatives.  She is being honored for her work with innovative community-based research that has guided the development of more culturally-informed, effective interventions and policies that impact racial/ethnic minority and medically underserved populations.  More on Dr. Williams

Sharon Lock Ph.D., APRN, FNAP, FAANP Lock is a UK College of Nursing professor, assistant dean of faculty practice ad director of the Wilmore Faculty Practice. She is being honored for work with advancing DNP education and championing faculty practice to advance accessible and affordable primary care services for vulnerable, rural and urban populations. More on Dr. Lock

About the Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing The American Academy of Nursing's approximately 2,700 fellows are nursing leaders in education, management, practice and research. Fellows represent association executives; university presidents, chancellors and deans; elected officials; state and federal political appointees; hospital chief executives and vice presidents for nursing; nurse consultants; and researchers and entrepreneurs.

Invitation to fellowship is more than recognition of one's accomplishments within the nursing profession. Academy fellows also have a responsibility to contribute their time and energies to the Academy, and to engage with other health leaders outside the Academy in transforming America's health system by:

  • Enhancing the quality of health and nursing;
  • Promoting healthy aging and human development across the life continuum;
  • Reducing health disparities and inequalities;
  • Shaping healthy behaviors and environments;
  • Integrating mental and physical health; and
  • Strengthening the nursing and health delivery system, nationally and internationally.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.