Health Sciences MLK Keynote Lecture
Health Equity, Power Dynamics, and the Future of Healthcare
January 19, 2026 (1 - 4 p.m. EST)
Speaker
Beverly Malone, Ph.D., RN, FAAN
President & CEO, National League for Nursing
School of Nursing Building 2
Room 2250
426 N Ingalls
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Also available through live stream.
Michigan Nursing and the University of Michigan’s seven health science schools and colleges invite you to participate in the 36th Annual Health Science MLK Lecture, an event dedicated to advancing the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through interdisciplinary approaches to health equity.
This year’s program, hosted by the U-M School of Nursing under the leadership of Dean Patricia Hurn, will feature keynote speaker Beverly Malone, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, a renowned healthcare leader, accomplished innovator, and nursing champion. Dr. Malone currently serves as president and CEO of the National League for Nursing is widely acclaimed for her work to advance the science of nursing education through enhanced stakeholder collaboration, increased diversity in nursing scholarship and evidence-based practice.
The event will take place on Monday, January 19, 2026, from 1 - 4 p.m. at the School of Nursing Building 2 in room 2250(426 N Ingalls, Ann Arbor, MI 48109). A livestream option will also be available for those who prefer to attend virtually.
1 - 1:15 p.m.: Welcome and Opening Remarks
1:15 - 2 p.m.: Keynote Address by Beverly Malone, Ph.D., RN, FAAN PhD
2 - 2:45 p.m.: Panel Discussion
2:45 - 4 p.m.: Event Reception
This annual event is more than just a lecture—it’s a platform for exploring how health science disciplines can contribute to the ongoing fight for equity and justice, inspired by Dr. King’s enduring legacy.
Under Dr. Beverly Malone’s leadership, the National League for Nursing (NLN) has advanced the science of nursing education through enhancing stakeholder collaboration, increasing diversity in nursing scholarship, and championing evidence-based practice. Dr. Malone’s distinguished career has blended policy, education, administration, and clinical practice, including as Federal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health under President Bill Clinton.
As a reviewer, she contributed to the groundbreaking IOM report, "The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health," and served on the Minority Health Federal Advisory Committee. Dr. Malone has been awarded more than 20 honorary doctorates. Presently, Dr. Malone serves as vice chair at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Board of Directors, co-leads the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Health Professional Education and Communication Working Group, and serves on NAM’s Steering Committee. She is also a member of ecoAmerica’s Leadership Circle Executive Committee.
In 2025, the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (SIGMA) honored Dr. Malone with the Nell J. Watts Lifetime Achievement in Nursing Award and the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) honored her with the NBNA Lifetime Achievement Award. The American Nurses Association (ANA) named Dr. Malone as their 2024 Hall of Fame Award recipient. The American Academy of Nursing honored Dr. Malone with their 2024 Mary Elizabeth Carnegie Leadership in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity (EDI) Award. The National Black Nurses Association recognized Dr. Malone as a 2024 inaugural Fellow in the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing (FADLN). In a remarkable recognition of her contributions to global health care, Dr. Malone was profiled by The Lancet (2024), one of the most prestigious and influential medical journals in the world. This honor underscores the significance of her work and places her among an elite group of leaders shaping the future of health care.
The year prior, Modern Healthcare, a leading publication in the health care field, honored Dr. Malone as one of the nation’s leading health care executives by naming her to the 2023 list of the Top 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives in Healthcare. The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) presented Dr. Malone with the prestigious 2023 HRH Princess Muna Al Hussein Award for her commitment to advancing the nursing profession and excellence in nursing professional practice across international borders, and Dr. Malone was listed in Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Influential People in Health Care for the fourth consecutive year (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023). That same year, she was honored by the American Nurses Association with the prestigious President's Award and was selected for the M. Louise Fitzpatrick Award for Transformative Leadership by Villanova University. Dr. Malone was also featured as one of 25 Outstanding Women during Women’s History Month by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.
Modern Healthcare also has honored her with a Top 25 Women Leaders' Luminary Award in 2021 and named her to the inaugural list of five Minority Healthcare Luminaries. She was previously honored on their list of Top 25 Women in Healthcare. The International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses (ISPN) honored her with the Living Legend Award.
In 2020, Dr. Malone was given the University of Cincinnati’s Linda Bates Parker Legend Award, named an Honorary Member of the Philippine Nurses Association of America, and presented with an Award of Distinction by the NLN Board of Governors. Also, she was bestowed the Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award by the National Center for Healthcare Leadership and conferred by the American Academy of Nursing with their Highest Nursing Honor, “Living Legend.”
The Alpha Omega Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau and the College of Nursing of Adelphi University, Long Island, honored Dr. Malone with the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. She was presented with a citation from the American Psychological Association for her outstanding leadership in advancing excellence in health care for the nation and global community, was named one of the Top 25 Minority Executives in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare, and accepted the Nursing Outlook Excellence in Research Award in 2018.
Dr. Malone was elected to two terms as president of the American Nurses Association (ANA) representing 180,000 nurses and served as the first African American general secretary of the United Kingdom (UK) Royal College of Nursing (RCN) representing 400,000 nurses. A member of the UK as well as US delegation to the World Health Assembly, she was also vice chair of the Brussels-based European Federation of Nurses Association. Furthermore, she has the distinguished honor of her portrait being displayed at the National Portrait Gallery in London.