Reba Umberger, PhD, MS, RN, CCRN-K
Associate Professor
About Reba Umberger
Dr. Umberger joined the Loewenberg College of Nursing in 2021 as an Associate Professor. Her career for over 30 years has been specialized in critical care as: a bedside nurse; a research nurse, coordinator, and administrator; and a nurse scientist. Her program of research focuses on improving long-term outcomes in survivors of sepsis and their informal caregivers.
She received a Master of Science degree in Epidemiology and a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Science from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She completed a pre-doctoral fellowship in genetics with the National Institute of Nursing Research. Her dissertation examined the influence of exaggerated inflammatory cytokines, cytokine polymorphisms, and environmental factors on the development of secondary infections in patients admitted to the ICU with sepsis. She received funding for this work from the International Society of Nurses in Genetics. She has completed several funded projects and authored/co-authored many peer-reviewed articles and book chapters.
She is a member of several professional organizations including American Association of Critical Care Nurses, American Association of Nurses, Sigma Theta Tau International (Beta Theta at Large chapter and Gamma Chi chapter (past president)), Society of Critical Care Medicine (Thrive Patient and Family Support Committee) and Southern Nursing Research Society. She has served on grant and research review panels, as a peer reviewer for several journals, and currently serves on the editorial review panel for Biological Research for Nursing.
Dr. Umberger has taught and mentored PhD, MSN, BSN, and nursing honor’s students in research. She has taught epidemiology, nursing inquiry, quantitative research, a state of the science writing course, pathophysiology, and directed PhD studies. She will be teaching in the LCON PhD and graduate programs.
Dr. Umberger enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, and gardening. She has a heart for others and enjoys helping others achieve their goals.