UNA’s Summer Commencement Set for July 31
Jul. 28, 2026
Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@una.edu, 256.765.4392
FLORENCE, AL – Summer commencement at the University of North Alabama is set for Friday, July 31, with two ceremonies at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in Norton Auditorium. Dr. Melissa DeFoor, Associate Professor of Nursing and the 2026 Phi Kappa Phi Eleanor Gaunder Excellence in Teaching Award recipient, will serve as the speaker for both ceremonies.
Dr. DeFoor has been a registered nurse for 16 years, with a background in maternal-child nursing, and has served as a faculty member for eight years. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Nursing Education from UNA. She completed her PhD in Nursing Science through the University of Alabama in Huntsville and University of Alabama’s joint PhD program.
She teaches undergraduate and graduate nursing courses and is dedicated to preparing nurses through innovative teaching, simulation, and community engagement. Dr. DeFoor’s scholarship focuses on maternal health, simulation, and innovative nursing education strategies. She has co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications related to nursing education and women’s health. She is also a co-author of Maternal & Child Health Nursing: Care of the Childbearing & Childrearing Family, 10th Edition. Further, she is the co-director of Tiny Cubs, a community baby shower initiative that provides perinatal education and resources to expectant families while creating meaningful service-learning opportunities for nursing students.
Approximately 300 students are expected to participate in the commencement ceremonies across UNA’s four academic Colleges.
About The University of North Alabama
The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; the Spencer College of Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I and United Athletic conference. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: www.una.edu and www.una.edu/unaworks/.