Ruth Carrico, PhD, RN, FSHEA, CIC, of Louisville, KY, has been named the 2012 recipient of the prestigious Carole DeMille Achievement Award by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

The award, which was presented at APIC's 39th Annual Educational Conference & International Meeting, June 4-6 in San Antonio, is given annually to an infection preventionist  who best exemplifies the ideals of Carole DeMille, a pioneer in the field.

"Ruth is a passionate teacher and charismatic speaker who continuously shares her knowledge with others," said Michelle Farber, RN, CIC, APIC 2012 president. "Her work to educate, mentor, and support the infection prevention community is extraordinary. Her leadership will have a lasting impact on our profession, and we are honored to recognize her with APIC's highest award."

An infection preventionist for 20 years, Carrico is currently an associate professor at the School of Public Health and Information Sciences and joined the School of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Louisville in May.

Prior to teaching, she was director of the Infection Control department at University of Louisville Hospital. While there, she restructured the program so it had a transdisciplinary focus and included a broad-scoped liaison approach.