2025 DNP Intensive Speakers
Katherine Dudding, PhD, RN, RNC-NIC, CNE
Dr. Katherine Dudding has 27 culminative years as an experienced neonatal nurse, clinical lead, educator, and researcher. She earned her PhD in Nursing from the University of Arizona with a substantive focus in Informatics and a minor in cognitive science focusing on artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Dr. Dudding is an Assistant Professor at the University of Alabama where she teaches Informatics. Her research focuses on increasing our understanding of neonates with pain. In particular, she studies neonate to nurse communication of pain for quicker pain relief to improve outcomes for neonates using a technology-based intervention.
She is an active member of NANN, ANN, and serves on the Editorial Board for Advances in Neonatal Care. Also, she is an active member with the American Medical Informatics Association where she was a past co-chair of the Nursing Informatics Workgroup Education Committee.
Kacie W. Duncan, PhD, RN, CCRN
Dr. Kacie Duncan is an assistant professor at the Capstone College of Nursing. She began her nursing career in the Medical Intensive Care Unit and it was here she developed her love for critical care. Dr. Duncan also has experience in Cardiac Intensive Care and rheumatology infusion therapies.
She completed her BSN at The University of Alabama, a Masters in Nursing Education from the University of North Alabama and a Ph.D. in Nursing Science in 2024 from the University of Alabama and University of Alabama in Huntsville’s Joint Nursing Science Doctoral Program.
Dr. Duncan’s main areas of research are focused on mental health across the lifespan. She has studied mental health in the college student population, faculty’s role in student mental health support, student anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic, and mental health training and evaluation. Dr. Duncan is a faculty affiliate with the Center for Substance Use Research and Related Conditions (CSURRC), and serves on the board of Family Counseling Service which serves the people of West Alabama’s mental, emotional and social well-being.
Duncan is a member of the American Nurses Association, Sigma Theta Tau, Phi Kappa Phi and the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. Kacie is also the Chair of the Gratitude Committee here at CCN. She is a certified critical care nurse by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses and has also been certified in mental health first aid by The National Council for Mental Wellbeing.
Eileen Meyer, DNP, MLS, CRNP, ACNP-BC
Dr. Eileen Meyer is a distinguished healthcare leader with a robust career dedicated to advancing the nurse practitioner profession. She earned her MSN from the UAB School of Nursing in 1997 and later her DNP in 2017. Dr. Meyer began her career as a nurse practitioner with Dr. Albert Pacifico at UAB in the Congenital and Acquired Cardiac Surgery department, quickly rising to lead nurse practitioner under Dr. James K. Kirklin. In 2015, she became the Assistant Director of Advanced Practice Providers at UAB Medicine. Her commitment to the field has been evident through her leadership in developing and expanding statewide procedural protocols, expanding Medicaid billing codes and reimbursement, expanding the FTE ratio through regulatory rule change, and successfully advocating for the passage of Alabama Act 2018-474, which removed barriers to practice for nurse practitioners. Dr. Meyer has been deeply involved with the Nurse Practitioner Alliance of Alabama (NPAA), serving as Vice President of Policy and Senior Policy Advisor from 2017 to 2023 before being elected President in 2023. Under her leadership, NPAA has significantly advanced healthcare policy and practice. Beyond her professional accomplishments, Dr. Meyer is dedicated to educating future nurses. She has been an Adjunct Clinical Instructor at the UAB School of Nursing in the DNP program, teaching the Health Policy and Politics course. She has also guest lectured nationwide, educating nurses and nurse practitioners on policy and political involvement. Dr. Meyer has received several state and national awards recognizing her contributions to practice and policy. Additionally, along with her husband, Dr. Bruce Burns, she has endowed nursing scholarships at both UAB and the University of Charleston in West Virginia, supporting pre-licensure nursing students. Dr. Meyer will earn a Master of Jurisprudence with an Emphasis on Health Law, Policy, and Management at Texas A&M School of Law in December of 2024. Her commitment to education, mentorship, and healthcare advocacy continues to impact the profession profoundly.
Mercy Ngosa Mumba, PhD, RN, FAAN
Dr. Mercy Mumba is an award-winning scientist and the Associate Dean of Global Initiatives and Community Partnerships at the University of Alabama, Capstone College of Nursing. Her work is widely funded by many United States federal agencies, totaling over $30 million in grant funding. She is the Sigma Liaison to the United Nations, the Founding Director of the Center for Substance Use Research, the President-Elect of the Southern Nursing Research Society, the section editor for the Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, and a member of the American Academy of Nursing Psychiatric, Mental Health, and Substance Use Expert Panel. She is the author of the award-winning book “A nurse’s step-by-step guide to transitioning to an academic role: Strategies to jumpstart your career in education and research”.
Dr. Kerri L Outlaw DNP, PMHNP-BC, CNS, RN’s
Dr. Outlaw is a native of Troy, AL. Dr. Outlaw has over 28 years of nursing experience and has worked in a variety of settings including Obstetrics, home health, hospice, outpatient surgery and the past Twelve years have been in Psychiatric/mental health both acute and outpatient care. Dr. Outlaw has over 18 years of service in Academia and is currently a fulltime Associate Professor, as the PMHNP Concentration Coordinator at University of Alabama, Capstone College of Nursing on their main campus in Tuscaloosa Alabama. She has been employed with UA since 2022. She is a member of American Nurses Association (ANA), Sigma Theta Tau, Alabama State Nurses Association (ASNA) and American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) and she is a licensed Nurse Practitioner in the states of Alabama. Dr. Outlaw completed her Bachelor of Science Nursing Degree of Nursing at Troy State University (Troy, Al); Master of Science Degree as a Clinical Nurse Specialist at Troy University (Troy, Al); Doctorate in Nursing Practice at Troy University (Troy, Al) post graduate certificate in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, Al). Dr. Outlaw and her husband of 34 years have 3 beautiful adult children and four grandchildren. Dr. Outlaw is active in her community and a current volunteer for Hospice. She serves as a medical professional annually in Honduras every June. She attends church at the Highlands in Montgomery Alabama.
Jessica L. Peck DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC, CNE, CNL, FAANP, FAAN
Jessica Peck DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC, CNE, CNL, FAANP, FAAN Clinical Professor, Louise Herrington School of Nursing, Baylor University Past President, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners Nurse Practitioner of the Year, Texas Nurse Practitioners Advocate of the Year, American Nurses Association Loretta Ford Distinguished Nurse Practitioner, National Association of Pediatric NPs Dr. Jessica Peck provides innovative, visionary, and award-winning nursing leadership. She is Distinguished Alumnus for both the University of Alabama and University of Texas Medical Branch. She holds the Lillian Wald Humanitarian Award from the National League for Nursing and has many policy and advocacy awards. She is a three-time Hall of Fame Inductee for nursing journal article of the year. Dr. Peck holds elite honorary designation of Fellow from both the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the American Academy of Nursing. Dr. Peck is an internationally recognized anti-trafficking advocate. As President of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, she created the Alliance for Children in Trafficking and served as founding chair. Dr. Peck served as consultant to the US Congress and worked with the US Department of Health and Human Services and an interprofessional team to create core competencies for health professionals caring for individuals exploited and abused through trafficking. She was instrumental in passage of House Bill 2059, mandating continuing education for all care providers in Texas. She is lead medical consultant for Unbound Houston and has helped educate more than 50,000 nurses through the CE she helped design with the Texas Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Peck has educated an additional 20,000 nurses through NAPNAP and has given more than 300 presentations to various audiences. Dr. Peck is currently a Clinical Professor at Baylor University in Dallas, Texas. She holds active credentials as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Certified Nurse Educator, and Clinical Nurse Leader. Dr. Peck is a frequently requested speaker on anti-trafficking and child health promotion. She is editing the first pediatric Covid-19 textbook in the world. She has published more than 50 clinical articles for peer-reviewed journals, is a regular contributor for parenting magazines and a frequent guest on radio, television, and other media. She is the author of Behind Closed Doors: A Guide for Parents and Teens to Navigate Through Life’s Toughest Issues, released by W Publishing and ranked #1 new release on Amazon. She is creator and host of the Dr. Nurse Mama Show, a daily live program aired on American Family Radio.
Denise Robertson, DNP, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, CNL
Dr. Denise Robertson is a highly accomplished leader in the nursing field, boasting nearly 30 years of experience. She holds an Executive DNP from The University of Alabama at Birmingham, as well as both an MSN and BSN from The University of Alabama, Capstone College of Nursing. Currently, Dr. Robertson serves as the Associate Chief Nurse at the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center, where she oversees nursing operations and coordinates care across Primary and Specialty Care services. Her commitment to nursing extends beyond her role at the VA. As the Mentor Community Manager for the American Nurses Association, she promotes the advancement of the profession through mentorship. Previously, she served as the President of the Alabama State Nurses Association (ASNA), District 2, and was honored with the ASNA Nursing Mentorship Award. Additionally, she has contributed to the nursing literature by co-authoring an article in The American Nurse Journal that emphasizes the significance of mentoring relationships in nursing.
Julee Briscoe Waldrop, DNP, FNP-C, CNE, EBP-C, NC-BC, FAANP, FAAN
Dr. Julee Waldrop is a Professor Emeritus at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing and a Clinical Associate at Duke University School of Nursing. She is the recent past editor-in-chief of The Journal for Nurse Practitioners. Along with her collaborator, Jayne Jennings Dunlap, she developed the Mountain Model, which seamlessly integrates EBP and QI with a foundation in research. This includes a new evidence-searching question (PPCO) as a more straightforward and unbiased alternative to the PICO question for clinical inquiry. She is retired from nurse practitioner practice, where her expertise was in mothers and newborns. She is the founder and President of Julee Briscoe Waldrop, LLC, where she consults DNP programs and programs undergoing accreditation. She advocates for health and wellness, spreading her message of the need for rest and teaching how to integrate brief rest practices into the lives of formal and informal caregivers. She holds a DNP from Duke University School of Nursing, an MS from the University of Illinois at Chicago, a BSN from Texas Woman’s University, and an AB from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The University of Alabama’s 
Each year, the Capstone College of Nursing Alumni Association recognizes a distinguished CCN graduate who has demonstrated continuous and exemplary contributions to the profession of nursing and/or healthcare as the recipient of CCN’s Distinguished Alumni Award.
When I was ready to seek doctoral education, as a nurse clinician, I knew the DNP was right for me. At the time, there were no DNP programs in Texas, so I began to look elsewhere, where I quickly found The University of Alabama. With nationally recognized and respected nursing scholars and a well-organized and leading-edge DNP program, I was quickly engaged. During my interview with the faculty who would become chair of my project, Dr. Marietta Stanton, she asked me “Are you willing to make the sacrifices that will be necessary to be successful in this program?” After a pause, I said “yes” and with no pause she said, “The faculty are willing to do the same.” I was sold.
Dr. Mercy Mumba, Assistant Professor at the Capstone College of Nursing, grew up in Zambia, where nursing was not a well-respected profession. After moving to the United States, Dr. Mumba earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas at Arlington. Only two years after graduating with her BSN, she entered a BSN to PhD program; and four years later she graduated with a PhD from UT Arlington’s College of Nursing and Health Innovation. A passionate researcher, Dr. Mumba has a number of funded grants, most of which concentrate on preventions and treatment of substance abuse disorders and their co-morbid psychiatric mental health conditions.
Capstone College of Nursing assistant professor, Dr. Megan Lippe, has been accepted into the sixth cohort of Cambia Health Foundation’s Sojourns® Scholar Leadership Program. The Sojourns Scholar Leadership Program’s purpose is to identify, cultivate and advance the next generation of palliative care leaders. Each Scholar receives funding over a two-year period to conduct a project that will essentially enhance the field of palliative care. Those Scholars also will be mentored in the design and implementation of a development plan that supports their growth as palliative care leaders.
Dr. Mercy Mumba, Assistant Professor at the Capstone College of Nursing, and her team have received notice of an award from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) at the NIH for their proposal entitled “A Mindfulness and Peer Mentoring Program to Improve Adherence to Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders.”