UAH Senior Development Officer Dr. Helen Lien receives 2025 Lamplighter Award from Alabama League for Nursing

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (DEC 23, 2025) – Dr. Helen Lien appreciates the vital work of the dedicated professionals in the College of Nursing at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), and the feeling is mutual. Lien, the college's senior development officer, received the 2025 Lamplighter Award from the Alabama League for Nursing (ALN) after being nominated by Dr. Karen Frith, dean of the college. UAH is a part of The University of Alabama System.

"It is a tremendous honor to be recognized by the Alabama League for Nursing," Lien said. "Receiving the 2025 Lamplighter is exceptionally meaningful because the nomination comes from a nursing professional and educator, and a servant leader whom I admire deeply, Dr. Karen Frith. Dr. Frith has shown, time and time again, that she cares deeply for those entrusted to her charge – the students, faculty, staff and our community."

ALN established the Lamplighter Award Program "to recognize outstanding individuals who demonstrate exemplary performance in the nursing profession." The program also reaches into the broader community to include "individuals who have made a substantial contribution to the cause of securing a better society."

Lien has been with UAH for more than four years, first as university-wide annual giving officer and major gifts officer, and now senior development officer for Nursing and the Department of Athletics. She holds a bachelor's degree in biochemistry and a master's and Ph.D. in biomedical engineering. She taught for a while, then worked with the advancement team at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology before joining UAH.

Long before Lien arrived at UAH, she was already the strongest kind of nursing supporter.

"Four out of five maternal deaths are preventable, and I was almost one of them. Early on in my pregnancy with my daughter Lana, I learned that there was a very good chance one of us would die. On the day Lana was born, her heart stopped, and mine almost did. The only reason we're alive is because we had a highly skilled nurse who never left our side. She identified the signs of early distress in me and in Lana and intervened before it was too late. That's the power of nursing education. Nurses save lives."

The nursing program and profession are difficult for good reasons, Lien notes, but UAH gives its students the training and support they need to succeed.

"The Simulation & Learning Innovation Center is a state-of-the-art mock hospital that provides students a safe learning environment where hands-on simulation experience bridges classroom lectures to real-world clinicals. To help prepare our students and combat nurse burnout, the college has added a Serenity Room for student self-care and continues its E2 program focused on holistic learning. Combined, their collective efforts have built a truly prestigious program – earning a 100% first-time NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) pass rate for two consecutive years."

Lien embodies ALN's ideals as she supports the programming, the collaborations and the fundraising efforts that fuel UAH Nursing's growth.

"Partnerships like what we have between the UAH College of Nursing and the Office of Development showcase the true might that institutions of higher education can bring to their communities when we work together. Through our relationship with the region's corporate and nonprofit networks, we can identify opportunities to work together and really understand what is needed on the academic side to help a community grow and thrive."

She cites a prime example in the college's ongoing efforts to address regional health disparities.

"A conversation with Geeks and Nerds founder and CEO Dr. Jonn Kim led to the college hosting its first Health Equity Summit where leaders from government, corporate, nonprofit and academic sectors met to discuss five areas where Alabama experiences deep and costly health inequities. This led to a broader community conversation, the Health Equity Symposium, where over 100 interested individuals from multiple sectors in our community and state gathered to address cognitive health, veterans care, and cancer prevention and support."

That summit in May 2024 and the symposium in October 2024 led to an innovative outreach program: Neighborhood Nursing, a new multi-agency initiative bringing onsite health screenings plus primary preventive care to rural and underserved communities. Lien introduced the program during SHINE 2025, the second annual Symposium for Health Innovation and Neighborhood Engagement on Oct. 21. SHINE evolved from the initial Health Equity Symposium; that's why it's the second of the planned annual series.

In late January 2026, Neighborhood Nursing will begin its initial community screenings, which will also provide training opportunities for nursing students. Lien and the whole college are eager to see the program in action.

"The College of Nursing inspires me with their dedication to advance the science and innovation of nursing education without overshadowing the humanistic aspect of health care," she said. "The individual patient and our community always remain at the center of their work and how they educate our future nurse leaders. We are so fortunate to have an exceptional nursing program right here in our community."