Mercy Mumba, PhD, RN, FAAN ('16 PhD, Nursing; '10 BSN)

Tell us about yourself.
I was born and raised in Zambia, Africa. I moved to the United States to pursue an education. I enrolled at UTA in 2008 pursuing a bachelor of science in nursing and later a PhD in nursing from the College of Nursing and Health Innovation. I currently live in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where I’m an associate professor and the founding director of the Center for Substance Use Research and Related Conditions at The University of Alabama. I am married to my husband of 10 years, a financial analyst at Mercedes Benz.

Why did you choose to attend UTA?
I chose UTA because of its highly ranked college of nursing and the opportunity for multiple scholarships. As an international student, this was very important to me.

What initially interested you in studying nursing?
Growing up I thought I wanted to be a medical doctor. It wasn’t until after I moved to the United States that I started to seriously consider nursing as a profession. I was intrigued by the many career opportunities nursing offered and the ability to work with individuals affected by health inequities. I always had a passion for going back to Africa and improving health systems to promote patient and population outcomes. Nursing gave me the ability to give back in big and small ways.

Describe your UTA experience. How did UTA help prepare you for your career?
My UTA experience was wonderful. I enjoyed how challenging the coursework was as it adequately prepared for exceptional clinical practice and my career as a very productive early career scientist. UTA laid a strong foundation for me to be successful no matter where I went. I also really enjoyed the friendships I created while I was a student. To this day, those friendships are some of the closest friendships I have.

Did you receive a scholarship(s) while at UTA? How did it help you to achieve your goals?
I received multiple scholarships from UTA. I also received a graduate school fellowship and graduate assistantship. These scholarships and fellowships where instrumental in helping me achieve my educational goals. As an international student, tuition can be expensive; being able to graduate debt-free is a great blessing.

Describe your path to your current position. What have you learned along the way?
I pursued a PhD in nursing because I wanted to have a career focused on research. The educational preparation I received from UTA laid a strong foundation for me to jumpstart my career as an emerging nurse scientist. I have learned along the way that the training you receive in your doctoral preparation can have a large impact on how successful you become in your career. I’m honored to say that I was promoted from assistant professor to associate professor with tenure in under four years. I was also able to start my position as the director of a university-wide research center within five years of starting my position as an assistant professor.

What drew you to your research interests?
I first started researching substance use disorders among nurses. I was interested in understanding employment barriers and facilitators for nursing in recovery from substance use disorders. I was very empathetic as I understood the stresses of nursing as a profession and some factors that make nurses susceptible to substance use. I later expanded my work to the general population and developing and testing interventions to prevent and treat substance use disorders.

Can you share any defining moments in your career that inspired you to continue your work?
One of the defining moments of my career that inspired me to continue my work was when I first received my large federal grant. As a new scientist, there is a large emphasis on securing funding to support one’s programs of research. Although I was passionate about being a researcher addressing health inequalities and promoting health equity among individuals with substance use, I understood that I needed to obtain grant funding to have greater impact in the communities I serve. Receiving that first large federal grant gave me reassurance that I could have longevity in my chosen field.

What's one lesson you learned at UTA that has stayed with you still today?
When I started my PhD program, my advisor at the time, Dr. Susan Baxley, told me that successfully completing a PhD program was 30% intellectual ability and 70% perseverance. This has stuck with me both personally and professionally. When I face tough situations, I remind myself that 70% of my potential for success in any situation is linked to my perseverance and mindset.

What message do you have for the next generation of UTA graduates?
You are a Maverick. You have what it takes to be successful at anything you put your mind to. So go be great!