Faculty Research Portfolio

Oakland University School of Nursing Research Portfolio Faculty Summaries

M. GOSHA BAUMANN 
Visiting Assistant Professor

KELLY BERISHAJ, DNP, RN, ACNS-BC, AFN-C, SANE-A, DF-AFN  
Special Instructor
Forensic Nursing Program Director

Research Area Interests:

• Forensic Nursing Education
• Sexual Violence
• Intimate Partner Violence
• Strangulation 

Dr. Kelly Berishaj’s teaching, service, practice, and scholarship focus is in the specialty of forensic nursing. Dr. Berishaj has been a faculty member in the School of Nursing at Oakland University since 2007 and was instrumental in the development and implementation of the graduate forensic nursing program. Currently, she is the Forensic Nursing Program Director and a faculty mentor to graduate students.

ANDREA C. BITTINGER, DNP, CRNA
Adjunct Instructor
Clinical Coordinator, Oakland University-Beaumont Nurse Anesthesia Graduate Program

Research Area Interests:

• Emotional Intelligence

Andrea Bittinger completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) through Oakland University in 2018. Her research topic was Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Occupational Stress Levels Among Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists.

Dr. Bittinger received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Oakland University (OU) in Rochester, Michigan in 1989. While at OU, she met her husband Scott and they married in 1990. Dr. Bittinger worked for 5 years in the Intensive Care Unit at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan before attending the Oakland University – Beaumont Graduate Program of Nurse Anesthesia for her Masters of Science in Nursing degree. She graduated with her anesthesia specialty in 1996 and has worked as a staff Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) at Beaumont – Royal Oak since then. She joined the faculty of the Oakland University – Beaumont Graduate Program of Nurse Anesthesia in 2003, serving as the Admissions Coordinator. Over the years, she has also served as faculty of record for 4 different courses, taught ten lecture topics in nurse anesthesia, shared the role of Clinical Coordinator and has become very active with promoting the profession of nursing and nurse anesthesia to middle and high school students.

Prior to returning to Oakland University for her DNP, Dr. Bittinger became the first CRNA In the United States to become certified in Emotional Intelligence (EI) through Multi-Health Systems. Her interest in the topic of EI led her to identify a knowledge gap regarding EI and the CRNA community. Her DNP project will serve as a springboard for additional exploration about EI and CRNAs. In addition, she plans to use her experience in admissions and EI to help nursing and anesthesia programs improve their admissions processes.

REBECCA BONI, PhD, MSN, RN, ACCNS-AG, OCN
Assistant Professor

Research Area Interests:

• Professional quality of life in nurses, nursing workforce issues, chemotherapy and oncology nursing practice

Dr. Rebecca Boni is an adult-gerontological clinical nurse specialist who primarily specializes in acute oncology care. She has clinical experience with oncology, medical surgical, hematology, and stem cell transplant populations. She earned her PhD at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2019), her MSN with clinical nurse specialist and nursing education concentrations from Michigan State University (2013), and BSN from Michigan State University (2005). Her interest areas include oncology nurses’ professional quality of life, nursing workforce issues, and chemotherapy safety and education. She is currently working on a mixed methods study related to Michigan Clinical Nurse Specialists’ roles, experiences, and professional quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CARRIE BUCH, PhD, RN  
Associate Dean
Associate Professor

Research Area Interests:

• Program Assessment and Evaluation

Dr. Carrie Buch has been faculty in the SON since August 2000 and has been serving as the Associate Dean since August 2018. As Associate Dean, her focus is on managing the operations of the school and the programs. She has a significant role in program assessment and evaluation as well as faculty development and student success initiatives.

PATRICIA CAMERON, PhD, RN  
Associate Professor

Research Area Interests:

• Use of Technology with Self-care
• Infusion Nursing
• Palliative/Hospice Nursing

Dr. Cameron received her Ph.D. from Wayne State University, a Masters in Community Health at University of Michigan, and her Bachelors of Nursing from Oakland University. Dr. Cameron is also certified as a Hospice and Palliative Registered Nurse. Her research has included remote patient and caregiver central line flushing, the use of electronic tablets with home-based hospice caregivers and dyspnea assessment and treatment.

TERESA CHAHINE, RN, MSN, PHHNP-BC  
Full Time Adjunct Instructor

Research Area Interests:

• Suicide Prevention
• Crisis Management 
• Resilience 
• Mentorship in Nursing Education

Teresa Chahine is a native of Havana, Cuba and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. She recalls the struggles in youth with English as a second language, childhood losses and feeling caught between two cultures but not quite one or the other. She now calls OU home. She received her Bachelor's and Master's degree in Nursing from Wayne State University in Detroit. She holds a full-time faculty position at Oakland University's School of Nursing, and teaches theoretical content in psychiatric and community health nursing in the undergraduate programs. In addition, she coordinates psychiatric mental health clinical experiences across all undergraduate tracks. 

Teresa Chahine co-leads a $2 million HRSA Nursing Workforce Diversity Grant for Oakland University with the goal of increasing nursing progression and graduation rates as well as retention in practice for students who are from diverse and/or disadvantaged backgrounds-specifically individuals from racial and ethnic minorities underrepresented among nurses.  She is a  recipient of the Shadow of Influence Award for Henry Ford Health System. She has been recognized as a 2020 Nightingale nominee, and two time nominee of the Daisy Award.

MICHELE CHILDS, DNP, APRIN, FNP-BC, CWOCN  
Visiting Instructor

Research Area Interests:

•  Adolescent Depression
• Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Care

Dr. Childs has over 28 years of nursing experience which includes over 18 years as clinical specialist. Over 4 years in higher education for Schools of Nursing in both clinical and didactic capacities.

NICOLE CLARK, DNP, FNP-BC  
Full Time Adjunct Instructor
Family Nurse Practitioner Lead

Research Area Interests:

• Simulation in Nursing Education
• Quality Improvement in Primary Care Practice
• Collegiate Health

Dr. Nicole Clark is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse with certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Her previous clinical experience includes neurosurgery, cardiology, and primary care.  Dr. Clark teaches in the graduate and undergraduate programs within the School of Nursing. In addition to her clinical practice at Graham Health Center and her faculty role in the School of Nursing (SON), Dr. Clark is also the Lead FNP faculty over the FNP track.

CHRISTOPHER LANCE COLEMAN, PhD, MS, MPH, FAAN, PMHCNS-BC  
Dean
Professor

Research Interest:

• Health Equity,  Health Disparities, Health Promotion
• Research Methods
• Quantitative, Qualitative, Behavioral Clinical Trials

Dr. Coleman’s research focuses on understanding factors that influence health-promoting behaviors of HIV infected middle-aged and older African American men and HIV risk factors among vulnerable populations. Additionally, he has also investigated symptom management strategies used by HIV infected populations. He has served as PI and Co-I on NIH grants, foundations, and intramural funding. Dr. Coleman’s program of research, which has focused on behavioral clinical trials and studies in  international settings has collectively made a substantial and significant contribution towards reducing the transmission of HIV/AIDS to the general public in particular African American MSM and women. His work has been published in leading peer review journals to multidisciplinary audiences and presented regionally and nationally.  To learn more about Dean Coleman, please click here.

KAREN S. DUNN, PhD, RN, FGSA  
Professor

Research Area Interests:

• Holistic Self-care Practices 
• Aging and Spirituality 
• Chronic Pain 
• Stress and Coping 
• End-of-Life Care 

Dr. Karen S. Dunn is a Professor. Her program of research is in promoting wellness among older adult populations through the effective use of holistic self-care practices with an emphasis on spirituality, end-of-life care, and pain management. 

BRENDA DZIERZAWSKI, MSN, RN, SANE-A  
Visiting Instructor
Forensic Nursing Program Clinical Coordinator

Research Area Interests:

• Forensic Nursing, Strangulation, Augmented Reality

Professor Brenda Dzierzawski is the Forensic Nursing Clinical Coordinator and full-time Visiting Faculty at Oakland University (OU). In 2003, her nursing career began in critical care with a cardiovascular focus. She became a Certified Critical Care Nurse (CCRN) in 2010 and remained in that setting until 2019. After completing her MSN in Forensic Nursing at OU, she moved to a role in Risk Management. She also spent her time there focusing on legal aspects of patient care and investigating medical malpractice claims. In 2021, she became contractual as a Forensic Nurse Examiner for Turning Point of Macomb County and obtained her SANE-A certification in 2022. She is a member of the International Association of Forensic Nurses and the Michigan Society of Healthcare Risk Management. She dedicates her time to education and the advancement of the science of forensic nursing while working toward her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.

OLGA EHRLICH, PhD, RN, CHPN  
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

Research Area Interests:

• Poorly controlled cancer pain, pain in persons with advanced cancers, primary palliative care professional and undergraduate nursing education

Dr. Ehrlich received her BSN from Arizona State University, her PhD from University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and was a post-doctoral research fellow at the Phyllis F. Cantor Center in Nursing and Patient Care at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA. Prior to becoming a nurse, Dr. Ehrlich was a homebirth midwife. Her clinical career included working as a nurses’ aide, surgical technician, and Med-Surg ICU nurse before finding that her passion was palliative and hospice care, her board specialty. Dr. Ehrlich’s program of research has focused on the intersections of perception, behavior, and social processes used by persons with end-stage cancers, their informal caregivers, and their nurses when managing pain, in order to identify and test interventions for poorly controlled cancer pain. She has taught students at all levels of nursing, developed and piloted a generalist palliative care curriculum for undergraduate students, presented her research and workshops on teaching palliative care at national symposia, and served as a manuscript and poster reviewer for journals and conferences. She is a member of Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA), serves on the HPNA Research Committee, and is a regional co-chair for the ELNEC Faculty support initiative. Dr. Ehrlich enjoys collaborative research with nurses and multidisciplinary scientists and practitioners, as well as engaging with students as they develop their authentic professional nursing personas. She currently serves as co-chair for the Oakland University Essentials/Competency-Based Education Faculty Work Group and recently self-published a manual to help instructors of baccalaureate programs incorporate hospice/palliative/supportive care content into their courses. 

PRISCILLA EVERETT, PMHNP-BC  
Visiting Instructor

Research Area Interests:

• Tardive Dyskinesia
• Gut health

ELLEN GAJEWSKI, PhD, MSN, RN, CNE, ACNS-BC, CHSE  
Assistant Professor

Research Area Interests:

• English as Second Language Students
• Simulation in Nursing Education
• Nursing Education
• Medical/Surgical Nursing

Dr. Gajewski has been teaching at Oakland University since 2010, implementing innovative teaching strategies in her classrooms, including a flipped classroom, team-based learning, simulation, and piloting the use of an academic electronic health record. She also works with the clinical instructors at the junior level and has presented workshops for all of the clinical instructors in the undergraduate program.

RAJI GEORGE, DNP, FNP-BC  
Full Time Adjunct Instructor

Research Area Interests: 

• Medication Management in Elderly

Dr. George is a Full time Adjunct Nursing instructor at Oakland University. She originally obtained her Bachelor of science degree in Nursing(BSN) from India in 2001. She attended Wayne State University(2015-2018) and graduated with her Doctor of Nursing Practice(DNP) in 2018. She is a  Board certified Family Nurse practitioner who is qualified to practice in both primary care and psychiatric settings. She diagnoses, treats and prescribes medications to adults and children for all primary care and mental health conditions. While working as a Family Nurse Practitioner, she returned to pursue a Postdoctoral certificate in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner(PMHNP) from Saginaw Valley State University(SVSU) and graduated in August, 2021. 

TONI L. GLOVER, PhD, GNP-BC, ACHPN  
Associate Professor
Ascension Providence Rochester Endowed Professor

Research Area Interests:

• Geriatric Palliative Care
• Care of Older Adults
• Communication Skills for Serious Illness
• Primary Palliative Care Nursing Education

Dr. Glover is a researcher, an educator, and a geriatric nurse practitioner. Her research focuses on the care of older adults, palliative care, communication skills for serious illness, and pain. Dr. Glover has over 50 peer reviewed publications in journals such as the Western Journal of Nursing Research, Journal of Nursing Education, American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, the Clinical Journal of Pain, and Arthritis & Rheumatism. She is dedicated to sharing primary palliative care knowledge and skills with nursing students and was awarded $218,373 for a two-year project entitled, The Michigan ELNEC Initiative, funded by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund. The goal is to facilitate nursing students’ acquisition of primary palliative care knowledge and skills through partnership and collaboration between the Oakland University School of Nursing faculty and Michigan community college nursing programs.

In 2023, Dr. Glover was recognized as a Distinguished Educator in Gerontological Nursing by the National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence. In 2022, Dr. Glover received national recognition for her work to advance palliative care education with the ELNEC Award of Excellence. In 2020, Dr. Glover was honored with the Nightingale Award from the School of Nursing and the Faculty Award in Research from Oakland University. Dr. Glover serves the community as the Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital Endowed Professor, working with nursing leaders and practice partners to enhance opportunities for research and education. Dr. Glover is a member of the Ascension Ethics Committee, the American Nurses Association, the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association, and Sigma Theta Tau – the international honor society for nursing.

MARY GOLINSKI, PhD, CRNA, FAANA  
Associate Professor

Research Area Interests:

• Anesthesia Outcomes based on: anesthesia methods, pharmacologic agents, technology, safety and quality processes, education modalities, identifying and preventing anesthesia related healthcare disparities

Dr. Mary Golinski is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), a Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology,  and a nationally recognized professor, researcher and speaker.  Her focused area of scientific inquiry includes anesthesia-related outcomes based on anesthesia techniques, pharmacologic agents, technology, safety and quality processes, acute pain management techniques, preventing chronic postsurgical pain, and identifying anesthesia related healthcare disparities. She has been published numerous times herself and collaborated extensively with graduate nurse anesthesia students, adding evidence-based knowledge that has served to improve anesthesia-related outcomes.

CLAUDIA GROBBEL, DNP, RN, CNL
Associate Professor
Clinical Nurse Leader Program Coordinator

Research Area Interests:

• Caring Science as it Relates to Quality Outcomes
• Quality and Safety Education in Nursing Research (QSEN) with Leadership Simulation
• The use of robots in designing caring relationships.
• Leadership in Nursing Practice

Dr. Grobbel came to the university after spending over 20 years in clinical practice including both inpatient  and outpatient leadership positions. Her passion for teaching arose from her years of working with nurses across various practice areas such as cardiac care, nursing leadership, health policy and administration. She currently teaches leadership and policy courses across all programs. Her area of research focuses on quality and safety as it relates to caring practices in providing excellence in patient care. In addition, she is the designer of the Caring Studio, a series of experiential workshops that exposes nursing students to the value of maintaining caring practice skills beyond technical competency in delivering care.

CHENIECE HARRIS, DNP, RN  
Full Time Adjunct Instructor

Research Area Interests:

• Educating nursing staff on the benefits of Vitamin D therapy for patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Dr. Harris is a Full-time Adjunct Instructor for Oakland University. She has also served as a Clinical Instructor for the past nine years. Her educational background includes a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (2009), from Oakland University, a Master of Science in Nursing, Specializing in Education (2013), and a Doctor of Nursing Practice (2020) degree from Walden University. Cheniece’s nursing expertise is centered on the Adult Medical/Surgical field and teaching through simulation based activities. She has held a position with Ascension Health System for eleven years. Dr. Harris has held various positions at Oakland University such as the Director of Nursing for the Licensed Practical Nurse Program, Visiting Instructor, and Program Coordinator for the Patient Care Technician Program with Pontiac High School. In addition, Cheniece is a Legal Nurse Consultant and is affiliated with professional organizations such as the National League of Nursing and Sigma Theta Tau International, Phi Nu Chapter.

MEGHAN HARRIS, PhD, RN  
Associate Professor
Project Director, Nurse Faculty Loan Program

Research Area Interests:

• Telehealth
• Patient Safety
• Informatics
• Simulation

Dr. Harris has clinical expertise in pediatric nursing while her research area has evolved from pediatric simulation in nursing education to patient safety and telehealth. Her recent work is focused on efforts to fund and implement telehealth in both simulation and clinical practice for nursing students in an interdisciplinary context. Dr. Harris is engaged in building community partner relationships in an effort to increase clinical opportunities for students and scholarly opportunities for faculty while increasing the depth and breadth of health care services to underserved populations. 

DEANA HAYS, DNP, RN, FNP-BC
Assistant Professor
Undergraduate Program Director

Research Area Interests:

• Quality and Safety 
• Just Culture
• Competency Based Education

Dr. Deana Hays has been a faculty member at Oakland University since 2008 and was previously the Director of the Nurse Practitioner Program for Oakland University from 2011-2014 and the Interim Associate Dean from 2014-2017. She maintains her clinical practice at a large cardiology practice in Southeast Michigan. She teaches in both the undergraduate and graduate nursing programs. She enjoys teaching pharmacology and approaches to improving patient safety and outcomes. She has a special interest in Just Culture and competency based education which are important factors in patient quality and safety.

KIMBERLY HOLKA, DNP, MSN, MSA, RN, CNE, PHNA-BC  
Special Instructor
RN-BSN Program Coordinator

Research Area Interests:

• Emergency and Disaster Preparedness
• Forensic Nursing: Vicarious Traumatization Specific to the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner
• Public Health: Vulnerable Populations (Hispanic, Homeless)

Dr. Kimberly Holka is an Advanced Public Health Nurse and is a certified Nurse Educator through the National League of Nursing. She has been an instructor since 2006 and was an influential part in creating a new model for the RN-BSN Degree Completion track and the development of the Masters in Forensic Nursing program. She is a Disaster Health Service RN, on the Disaster Action Team, and is a Government Liaison member of the American Red Cross. In addition, Dr. Holka is a member of the Macomb County Health Department Medical Reserve Corps. Dr. Holka received her Basic and Advanced Disaster Life Support Certifications in 2019. Holka was recognized in 2019 by UPCEA and won the National Adelle F. Robertson Emerging Professional Continuing Educator Award. 

ANNE HRANCHOOK, DNP, CRNA  
Associate Professor
Assistant Director OU-Beaumont Graduate Program of Nurse Anesthesia

Research Area Interests:

• Quality and Safety in anesthesia
• Implementation and use of technology in the practice

Dr. Anne Hranchook became a faculty member at Oakland University in 2011 after nearly 20 years of practice at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, where she worked as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesiologist and educator. Dr. Hranchook enjoys teaching doctoral nursing students advanced physiology, physics, chemistry and evidence-based practice. Her teaching focuses on evidence based strategies that support administrative decision making to ensure the highest quality of care, promote optimal patient outcomes and create a culture of critical thinking and accountability. Her research interests include quality and safety in the delivery of patient care and the implementation and use of technology in practice.

ZORICA KAURIC-KLEIN, PhD, RN  
Associate Professor

Research Area Interests:

• Hypertension
• Chronic Kidney Disease
• Hemodialysis
• Interventions to Promote Adherence with Self-Care Behaviors
• Health Promotion Behaviors to Decrease Cardiovascular Risk

Dr. Kauric-Klein has been a faculty member since Fall 2017.  Her program of research focuses on decreasing cardiovascular risk in the chronic kidney disease population with a special interest in blood pressure control in this population. She has conducted studies investigating the effect of self-regulation on blood pressure control in patients on chronic hemodialysis. She has also investigated the effect of sodium knowledge on blood pressure control in the chronic kidney disease population. Based on the findings from these studies, she has published several manuscripts in peer reviewed journals and has presented at several local and national conferences. Currently, she is conducting a study that was funded by the American Nephrology Nurses’ Association to investigate the effect of a chair yoga intervention on physical and psychological outcomes in patients on chronic hemodialysis.

ERIN KENNEDY, DNP, RN
Assistant Professor

Research Area Interests:

• Validation of a screening tool for paternal postnatal mood disorders, depression/distress/anxiety 
• Factors that affect the behaviors and feelings of individuals within a family 
• Optimizing the experience of the family during childbearing and childrearing

Dr. Erin Kennedy holds a DNP from Wayne State University. Her doctoral studies focused on the importance of the implementation of an evidence-based practice tool, a care bundle. She went on to pilot the implementation of the SSKIN bundle, which is used to prevent pressure injuries in the acute care hospital setting. Her clinical practice experience includes emergency medicine and maternal-infant health. She is currently collecting data to assess the prevalence of postnatal depression, anxiety, and/or distress among new American fathers across numerous screening instruments with the hopes to establish the effectiveness of a postpartum screening tool in men. Dr. Kennedy teaches in the traditional BSN, ASD, RN-BSN, and MSN graduate programs.

PATRICK KENNEDY, DNP, RN, ACNPC-AG  
Full Time Adjunct Instructor
MSN Adult Gerontological Acute Care NP Lead Faculty

Research Area Interests:

• Virtual assessments using the Respiratory Distress Observation Scale (RDOS)
• Research – Registered Nurses’ working conditions during COVID-19

Dr. Patrick Kennedy received his Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Wayne State University.  He is a Full-time Adjunct faculty member and the MSN Adult Gerontological Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program Lead Faculty at Oakland University School of Nursing in Rochester, Michigan. He teaches across the curriculum in both the undergraduate basic BSN/ASD tracks, as well as the graduate level.  Dr. Kennedy is an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and maintains his clinical practice as a critical-care APRN for Ascension Health System. His clinical expertise is in critical care medicine and his research interests include quality improvement and improving symptom management at the end of life. He is actively working on a study determining the accuracy of nursing assessments of pain and dyspnea via telehealth.

PEG (MARGARET) KENNEDY, MSN, RN, FNP-BC  
Assistant Professor of Practice
Student Retention and Success Coach

Research Area Interests:

• Impacts of adverse childhood experiences and toxic stress (ACEs) on physical and psychological health
• Protective factors and resilience in trauma-exposed youth and young adults
• Child and adolescent health
• Sexual and gender minority health
• Trauma-informed approaches to health care and education

Professor Kennedy is a board-certified family nurse practitioner specializing in pediatric nursing and child and adolescent health. As a nurse educator, she teaches courses related to nursing care of children and families, human trafficking, human sexuality, advanced health assessment, child maltreatment, and trauma-informed care for the healthcare professions. Her research interests include childhood adversity, the impacts of childhood trauma across the lifespan, resilience in trauma-exposed youth, and trauma-informed approaches to health care and education.

SUHA AL-OBALLI KRIDLI, PhD, RN  
Professor

Research Area Interests:

• Middle Eastern Health Beliefs and Practices 
• Women’s Health
• Health Promotion
• Disease Prevention

Dr. Kridli is an active researcher in the area of health beliefs and practices of the Middle Eastern population with a focus on health promotion and disease prevention. She has been funded for her efforts in conducting research in areas related to reducing falls in older Arab Americans, Improving health behaviors of Arab American Youth, improving wellness and health promotion in Chaldean Americans, investigating the epidemiology of Diabetes and its risk factors of Chaldean Americans and more.  Dr. Kridli is especially interested in the international aspect of nursing such as conducting international research in Jordan and Qatar, and serving on international Ph.D. dissertations. Dr. Kridli teaches research at the graduate and undergraduate levels, as well as diversity and vulnerable populations courses.

JULIE KRUSE, PhD, RN  
Professor
Project Director, HRSA Nursing Workforce Diversity ASPIRE Program

Research Area Interests:

• Assessment and Evaluation Processes
• Cultural Development
• International Health and Social Development
• Implicit Bias
• Mentorship & Preceptorship in Nursing Education
• Nursing Workforce Diversity
• Nursing Student Retention
• Population Health Nursing
• Sense of Belonging & Social Support: The Impact on Mental Health
• Underserved Populations

Dr. Kruse has participated in five HRSA funded grant projects over the past 16 years related to diversifying the nursing workforce.  She is the current Project Director for a newly funded (July 2021) 4-year $2,195,252 HRSA Nursing Workforce Diversity (NWD) grant project (#D1942040) entitled ASPIRE (Achieving Success through Professionalism, Integrity, Resilience, and Engagement). The purpose of this grant is to increase nursing progression and graduation rates and retention in practice for students who are from diverse and/or disadvantaged backgrounds--specifically those from racial and ethnic minorities underrepresented among RNs. 

Dr. Kruse has over 16 years of experience as a nurse educator and has dedicated her career to working with underserved populations. She currently serves as an inaugural member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)  Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership Network and is the Chairperson of the American Public Health Association’s (APHA) Public Health Nursing Section. 

Dr. Kruse has disseminated research and scholarly activities at 44 local, state, national, or international organizational conferences or events (20 by invitation). She was the principal or co-investigator for over 8.5 million dollars in grant funding.

LINDA MCDONALD, DNAP, CRNA  
Adjunct Instructor
Director OU-Beaumont Graduate Program of Nurse Anesthesia

Research Area Interests:

• Nurse Anesthesia practice, student stress, teaching and learning, team-based learning, systematic review

CARLY MILLER, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC   
Instructor of Practice (Adjunct)
Assistant Director of Nurse Practitioner Programs

Dr. Miller is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) with certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She is currently a full time visiting faculty member at Oakland University, teaching in undergraduate basic BSN/ASD tracks and graduate FNP/AGNP Nurse Practitioner programs. In addition to her teaching, she maintains clinical practice as a Nurse Practitioner within the Department of Athletic Performance at Oakland University. Under a duel clinical-leadership role, she has implemented an in-house clinic offering primary care services, specifically tailored to meet the diverse health needs of Oakland University intercollegiate student-athletes. Ms. Miller has clinical expertise in primary care and internal medicine, sports medicine and orthopedics, and pediatric critical care nursing.

RENEE MIROVSKY, DNP, MSN, RN, ANP-BC  
Full Time Adjunct Instructor

Research Area Interests:

• Gerontology 
• Nurse Practitioner Practice in Primary Care

Dr. Renee Mirovsky became a faculty member at Oakland University in 2010, where she has taught primarily in the Nurse Practitioner program.  She has worked as an Adult Nurse Practitioner in internal medicine, neurology, and neurosurgery. Dr. Mirovsky’s areas of practice interests are gerontology and health promotion.

KELLY MORROW, PhD, RN  
Visiting Instructor

Kelly Morrow has been teaching fundamentals of nursing (theory & lab) in the basic nursing track in the School of Nursing since September, 2023. She has been teaching in academia nursing since 2012 with experience including Coordinator & Theory Lead for Complex & Chronic Care of Adults, Simulation Concierge, Clinical teaching across all levels of Adult Medical/Surgical including traditional & DEU clinical models, and final preceptorships. Continues to teach Introduction to Caring Theory and Scholarly Inquiry of Nursing as adjunct professor in Nevada State University’s progressive, caring-science-based RN-BSN program.

KATIE MYSEN, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC  
Full Time Adjunct Instructor

Research Area Interests:

• Nursing Informatics
• Nursing Education
• Global Health
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Dr. Mysen is a Full-Time Adjunct Instructor in the School of Nursing at Oakland University. She earned a BSN and MSN from Michigan State University and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Oakland University. Dr Mysen has extensive experience in clinical nursing practice and academia including teaching in traditional, hybrid and online environments in both undergraduate and graduate programs. She is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She maintains an active clinical practice as a Nurse Practitioner in her own private practice in Oxford, MI. She also has experience in global health, participating in several mission trips to areas such as Nicaragua and Honduras. Dr Mysen is an active member of numerous professional nursing and community service organizations and has contributed to several media outlets and podcasts as a content expert. For her contributions to the care of and service to the elderly community, Dr Mysen was named the Valley Area Agency on Aging Partner of the Year in 2020.

SARAH NEWTON, PhD, RN
Associate Professor

Research Area Interests:

• Adult Liver Transplantation
• Undergraduate Nursing Education Outcomes
• Writing for the Discipline of Nursing

Dr. Newton has been a faculty member at Oakland University since 1997. Her clinical nursing specialty is adult liver transplantation and her scholarship focuses on the lived experience of being a liver transplant recipient and return to work post-transplant. In addition, she also writes about nursing education, specifically undergraduate program outcomes and pedagogy.

AMANDA NOVAK  
Visiting Instructor

RACHEL OLSON   
Special Lecturer
Simulation Coordinator

JULIA PAUL, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, CCRN, CWS, NP  
Associate Professor

Research Area Interests:

• Chronic Wounds
• Itch
• Wound Care
• Medical-Surgical Nursing
• Plastic and Reconstructive Surgical Nursing
• Interprofessional Practice

Dr. Julia Paul is a Nurse Practitioner and has been practicing in the area of wound care/ plastic surgery for the last 25 years at Beaumont Hospital-Royal Oak. She maintains certification in medical-surgical nursing, critical care nursing, and wound care. Her research focus is on itch related to chronic wounds. Dr. Paul has participated in the National Institute of Nursing Research's Summer Genetics Institute and Oakland University's PI Academy. She has received funding from Sigma Theta Tau, Oakland University's Faculty Research Award, and the School of Nursing's pilot funding. In addition, Dr. Paul is a co-founder and continuing co-chair of the Research Focus and Support Group in the School of Nursing, which aims to strengthen and support research initiatives among faculty.

RON PISCOTTY, PhD, RN, NI-BC, CNE, FAMIA  
Associate Professor

Research Area Interests:

• Nursing and Healthcare Informatics
• Impact of technology on nursing practice, leadership, education, and research
• Clinical Decision Support
• Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
• Quality Improvement

Dr. Piscotty completed his BSN at Wayne State University and his masters and PhD in nursing systems with a focus in nursing and healthcare informatics at the University of Michigan. Dr. Piscotty has successfully obtained both internal and external funding for his research. Dr. Piscotty’s research focus examines the impact of technology on nursing practice, leadership, education, and research. Dr. Piscotty has a strong history of publications in peer reviewed journals and conferences. Dr. Piscotty has received several awards for his work including the Junior Researcher Award from the Midwest Nursing Research Society, SIGMA: Theta Psi Chapter Award for Innovation in Nursing, and an AACN and Johnson and Johnson Minority Nurse Faculty Scholar award. 

Dr. Piscotty was honored and recognized for his impact in healthcare informatics being named a Fellow of the American Medical Informatics Association. Dr. Piscotty is board certified in nursing education from the NLN and informatics nursing from the ANCC. Dr. Piscotty has served the nursing profession through leadership and participation in several national organizations including: The Alliance for Nursing Informatics, SIGMA, The American Medical Informatics Association, Summer Institute for Nursing Informatics, and serves as a reviewer for the Journal of Nursing Education and Computers, Informatics, Nursing. Dr. Piscotty identifies as Gay, Disabled, and Native American and is a Member of The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

LAURA PITTIGLIO, PhD, RN  
Associate Professor
PhD in Nursing Program Director

Research Area Interests:

• The Impact of Learned Helplessness on Sexual Risk Taking Behaviors Among Adolescent and Young African American Females
• Sexual Risk Taking Behaviors in Adolescent and Young Adult African American Women
• HIV Infected Mother's Coping Strategies
• Simulation and Patient Outcomes
• The use of simulation to improve LBTQ+ Health Care Competencies

Dr. Laura Pittligio has been a faculty member at Oakland University since 1999. Her research interests include coping mechanisms of African American mothers who are living with HIV/AIDS and sexual risk-taking behaviors that put young African American women in jeopardy of contracting HIV. As a certified HIV Test Counselor, Dr. Pittiglio implemented a free HIV and syphilis screening program on campus. Additionally, she continues to examine the impact of simulation on student outcomes.

LYNDA POLY-DROULARD, ED.D., MSN, M.ED, RN, CNE  
Assistant Professor of Practice

Research Area Interests:

• Caring Science in Patient Care
• Nursing Education and Civility in Nursing Practice and Education

Dr. Poly-Droulard has been a faculty member since 2002 and is a Certified Nurse Educator through the National League for Nursing. Her research focuses on caring science in patient care/nursing education and holistic admissions at the university level.

LAURA RODGERS, DNAP, CRNA, CHSE
Full Time Adjunct Instructor
Simulation Coordinator OU-Beaumont Graduate Program of Nurse Anesthesia

Research Area Interests:

• Simulation’s use in educating student registered nurse anesthetists
• Non-traditional simulation (Screen based, Hardware based, virtual reality based)
• Trigger Films and their use in educating student registered nurse anesthetists

Dr. Rodgers DNAP, CRNA, CHSE serves as the Simulation Coordinator for the Oakland University-Beaumont Graduate Program of Nurse Anesthesia. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing and earned her Master of Science in Nursing from the Oakland University-Beaumont Graduate Program of Nurse Anesthesia. She completed her Doctorate of Nurse Anesthesia Practice at the University of Michigan-Flint. In 2018, Dr. Rodgers obtained her Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator® (CHSE®) certification, which is a certification for educators focused on healthcare simulation. With 20 years of nurse anesthesia clinical practice she coordinates the simulation activities for students at the graduate level. Dr. Rodgers has served on the Michigan Association of Nurse Anesthetists, (MANA) Board as the Director of District II for the past 3 years.

LORI SHANNON, DNAP, CRNA  
Full Time Adjunct Instructor
Simulation and Clinical Coordinator OU-Beaumont Graduate Program of Nurse Anesthesia

Research Area Interests:

• Cardiac Anesthesia
• Quality Improvement in patient care receiving anesthesia
• Anesthesia-based Simulation Education

Dr. Lori Shannon became an Oakland University faculty member in 2021.  She has worked in anesthesia for 27 years at Corewell East - Royal Oak (formally Beaumont Hospital) as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, Education Coordinator and Co-Assistant Chief of the CRNA Department for NorthStar Anesthesia Services.  Her research interests include cardiac anesthesia, vascular anesthesia, onboarding processes for new CRNAs, quality improvement of anesthesia patient care and the use of Simulation education for nursing anesthesia students.

KATHLEEN SPENCER, DNP, RN, ACNS-BC, CNE, NPRSS  
Special Instructor

Research Area Interests:

• Substance Use Disorder
• Collegiate Recovery Communities
• Nursing and the Humanities, Patient Narratives
• Pedagogy
• Use of Imaginative Literature in Teaching in Health Care

Dr. Kathleen Spencer has been a faculty member at Oakland University since 2011 and is a board-certified Clinical Nurse Specialist in adult health, a Certified Nurse Educator, and a certified Recovery  Support Specialist.   She spent the majority of her clinical nursing career in the areas of plastic and reconstructive surgical nursing and perioperative nursing, and her current interest is care of persons with Substance Use Disorder. She serves on the Honors College Council and teaches “Literature in Medicine” for Honors College.  In the SON, she teaches NRS 4026 (Capstone) and NRS 3022 (Informatics).   Dr. Spencer is the faculty mentor for Grizz Recovery,  Oakland University’s community which supports students in recovery from substance use disorders, and their allies. In addition, she is also working on expanding the Collegiate Recovery Program at OU and is active in training the campus community in narcan administration.  With backgrounds in journalism and creative writing, she is committed to enhancing students’ written and verbal communication skills. Her research interests include the use of the humanities in teaching nursing and enhancing nurse empathy towards marginalized patients such as the homeless and substance abusers.

CAROLYN TIEPPO, DNP, RN, CPNP-PC, PSN  
Special Instructor
Director Nurse Practitioner and Post-Master's Doctor of Nursing Practice Programs

Research Area Interests:

• Treatment adherence
• Transitions in practice
• Learning strategies in NP education
• Telehealth/technology in care delivery

Dr. Carolyn Tieppo came to Oakland University in 2012 with several years of experience in higher education.  She is currently the Director of the Nurse Practitioner Program in the School of Nursing. In 2017 she was appointed as the Director of Undergraduate Program in the School of Nursing and served in this role for 3 years. Her contributions to the University have included service on the Professional Licensure and Certification Compliance Committee, the Bachelor of Integrative Studies Council and currently serving on the Telehealth Task Force.  Tieppo's clinical background includes pediatric community mental health, school health, pediatric acute care, and pediatric primary care. She maintains clinical practice as an Advanced Practice Provider/Nurse Practitioner in the care of vulnerable and at-risk populations, and has a focus on disease prevention and treatment adherence, an area of her research. In her professional community, Dr. Tieppo shares her expertise at local and state conferences and serves as a reviewer for the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and Journal of Professional Nursing.  Dr. Tieppo is active in her professional community including the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Michigan Council of Nurse Practitioners, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, and National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties.  Locally she serves on the Detroit Head Start Advisory Board, the Schoolcraft College Nursing Advisory Board and is currently the Faculty Adviser for the Oakland University Student Chapter of the Michigan Council of Nurse Practitioners.

NICOLE WEST 
Visiting Instructor

IRYNA WOLBERG  
Visiting Instructor