Brent Small named Frances Hill Fox Distinguished Professor

Brent J. Small, PhD, has been appointed the UNC School of Nursing Frances Hill Fox Distinguished Professor of Nursing, effective January 1, 2026.

The Frances Hill Fox Distinguished Professorship in Nursing was established for the School in 1991 by Frances Hill Fox, a physician and daughter of John Sprunt Hill and Annie Watts Hill, philanthropists known for donating The Carolina Inn and Hill Hall, Carolina’s music building, to the University. For 38 years, Fox served as a member of the UNC School of Nursing Advisory Board and was a charter board member of the UNC School of Nursing Foundation, Inc.

Fox’s aim in establishing the Professorship was to enable the UNC School of Nursing to recruit or retain a nursing faculty member with a record of outstanding accomplishments as a teacher and scholar who advances the science, education and practice of nursing and who contributes to the international stature and leadership of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing.

To receive an appointment as a named Distinguished Professor, a faculty member must be a full professor who has been nominated by their peers, recommended by their dean, and approved by UNC’s Board of Trustees.

Small joined Carolina Nursing in October 2023, bringing a distinguished record of research, leadership and mentorship. He previously spent much of his academic career at the University of South Florida, where he held several leadership roles, including academic chair of the School of Aging Studies. He earned his PhD from the University of Victoria in Canada and completed postdoctoral research at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.

Small serves as Senior Associate Dean for Research and Professor, and is a Full Member of the Cancer Outcomes Research Program at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. An internationally recognized scholar, his research focuses on cancer-related cognitive impairment and has been supported by the National Cancer Institute, National Institute for Nursing Research and National Institute on Aging. He has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications and is widely regarded for his expertise in longitudinal research and advanced statistical methods.

Since joining Carolina Nursing in 2023, Small has been instrumental in fostering an innovative and collaborative research environment that builds upon our strengths and promotes excellence in scholarship. As Senior Associate Dean for Research, he provides strategic leadership, mentorship and support to faculty and students pursuing impactful and meaningful research that advances nursing science and improves lives.

Small’s exceptional contributions to nursing science and his leadership in advancing research excellence make him richly deserving of this honor, said Valerie Howard, dean of the UNC School of Nursing. “We are proud to recognize this achievement and grateful for the impact he continues to make at Carolina Nursing and beyond.”