Alumni Association Board

Executive Board
Karen Hogan, ND '83 President Nancy Wagner, DNP '09 President-Elect Joanne Thanavaro, ND '04 Operations Director Susan Glodstein, DNP '19 Secretary Mary Alice Dombrowski, ND '04, MSN '00 Engagement Director

Pat Beam, DNP '15
Patricia Hosang Beam is a Professional Development Specialist and a member of the University Hospitals System educator team with expertise in pediatric nursing and located at UH/Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital. With more than 45 years of clinical experience, Dr. Beam has published and presented on topics related to guiding and developing the nurse at the bedside. Her research includes the influence of emotional intelligence and self-awareness on the bedside nurse’s perception of clinical leadership, as well as evaluating RN education programs in a pediatric setting. As a member of the Society of Pediatric Nurses, she participated in the development of the core curriculum for pediatric nurse residencies. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society, the Association of Nursing Professional Development, and the National League of Nursing.

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Latina Brooks, PhD '02, MSN '98, BSN '95, BA '93
Latina Brooks is an assistant professor and director of the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program and the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program in the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). In addition to program administration, teaching and research, Brooks has been a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) specializing in primary care for women for over 20 years. She has provided primary care services for women of all ages, with a particular interest in African American women, the medically underserved and women with cognitive and functional disabilities.

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Freida Chavez, NUR '13
Dr. Freida Chavez, DNP, RN, FAAN, is a distinguished global health nursing leader with expertise in health systems leadership, academia, and board governance. As the Inaugural Director of the Global Affairs Office, Bloomberg Nursing, University of Toronto, she forged global partnerships, across continents including Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East, and South America. Her impactful work encompasses collaborative projects, extensive publications, and presentations. A pioneer in curricular reform, she developed innovative interprofessional courses in Global Health and Primary Health Care (PHC) and integrates global health in the curriculum applying critical pedagogy. Collaborating with government, academia, and service providers, she led a Brazil-Canada project on Nursing Leadership and Capacity Building in PHC. She co-leads a Family Medicine course PHC Collaborative Practice in the global health context. Dr. Chavez authored the WHO's publication on Interprofessional Collaborative Practice in PHC and contributed policy insights at the 64th United Nations World Health Assembly.

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Erika Cheung, BSN '12
Erika Cheung, MSN, RN, CPN, is the emergency preparedness manager at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Case Western Reserve University and a Master of Science in Nursing with a focus in Health Care Policy from Chamberlain University. Erika also has a strong passion for global health and obtained a Diploma in Tropical Nursing from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. As a bedside pediatric nurse, Erika worked at several hospitals across the U.S. prior to joining CHLA in 2015. In 2017, Erika took on additional duties as the nurse champion for CHLA’s special pathogens program while still working night shift full time. Her enthusiasm for conducting meaningful educational sessions and developing sustainable processes has bolstered CHLA’s preparedness and response efforts for children infected with novel high-consequence pathogens. Now as the manager, she uses this same model to increase the overall disaster readiness at the organization and empower staff to stay prepared.

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Christina Burrell Clark, MSN '08, BSN '04
My name is Christina Clark, a native Clevelander, wife, mother of 2 beautiful children and dedicated Acute Care Nurse Practitioner since 2008. Since graduation, I’ve held a number of roles as a Nurse Practitioner across multiple specialties and various clinical settings. My clinical acumen has equipped me with the knowledge and skill set to precept both undergraduate and graduate nursing students for the entirety of my career as a nurse.

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Elizabeth Click, DNP '19, ND '87
Elizabeth Click is the Medical Director, and an Associate Professor, at Case Western Reserve University.  She created and directs the university’s faculty/staff wellness program and provides strategic support for the implementation of population health initiatives. Her professional pursuits focus on wellness and behavior change efforts for individuals and groups within corporate and academic organizations. Dr. Click received her DNP from CWRU and has a B.A. from the College of Wooster. She is a Certified Wellness Practitioner.  Prior to joining the CWRU faculty, Dr. Click managed the wellness training program at The Progressive Corporation in Cleveland, Ohio.

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Lauren Currie, MSN '86
Graduated in 1981 from Duke University with BSN. Received MSN from FPB in 1986. Worked all over the country focusing on oncology, administration positions, and hospice and palliative care. Various clinical positions held that focused on oncology care at Duke, Metro Health Medical Center, University of Kentucky, Bellevue Medical Center in Bellevue Washington. Accomplishments include being the Director of Nursing at Boone Hospital in Columbia, Missouri, part of the Barnes Jewish Christian system, where I started their Palliative Care program and managed the Oncology program including the Institutional Review Board, the inpatient unit, and Radiation Oncology. Opened the Palliative Care Unit at Summa Health System in Akron. Worked as the Resource nurse for a team at Hospice of the Western Reserve. My last position was with the Cleveland Clinic in the Palliative Care Department where I developed/grew the outpatient Palliative Care services at Hillcrest and the Palliative Medicine at home program. Retired in 2020.

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Mary Alice Dombrowski, ND '04, MSN '00
I was born and raised in Michigan but have lived in Cleveland, OH for 25 years. After graduating with a liberal arts degree from Boston College, I enjoyed working for a few years as a research assistant. Working alongside some brilliant and dedicated nurses, I decided to become a nurse. I went back to school and pursued advance degrees at CWRU, FPB SON. Over the years, I have been fortunate to work with and learn from great clinicians and researchers; and feel each experience has led me to the next. Although I am a family nurse practitioner, I have worked primarily in Pediatrics. I spent 10 years in private practice and then joined RBC Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology in 2010. I have a strong interest in integrative health and wellness which I hope to continue to incorporate into my clinical practice and research endeavors. Finally, I am married and have three wonderful children; my most challenging and rewarding experience yet!

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Paula Forsythe, MSN '82, BSN '84
I received my BSN and MSN from FPB. I practiced as an Advanced Practice Nurse for Neonatal Services at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, UHCMC, for 31 years, most of the time serving as the Division’s CNS. I practiced in an academic setting that expected, valued and celebrated educational achievements, continued learning and interprofessional relationships. I was active in the development, implementation and charter formation of the UHCMC APN Council and the APN Clinical Promotion Program and served as the Chair of both entities for several years. I served in the role of FPB Adjunct Faculty. More recently I have worked PRN for UHCMC as a Document Writer and wrote the pediatric documents of evidence for Magnet Certification.

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Kathleen Frato, MSN '93
Currently retired after working 35 years at Cleveland Medical Center. Last position was Staff Development Coordinator for PeriAnesthesia Units (Adult and Pediatric) at UH Cleveland Medical Center; also included the Ambulatory Surgical Units at Westlake, Mentor and Lyndhurst. Nurse Manager position from 1984 to 2008 iorvarious Operative Services Units including the Outpatient OR, PACU, ASU and Preadmission Testing.  Co-investigator of research project at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center "Interruptions in Preanesthesia Nursing Workflow: A Pilot Study of Pediatric Patient Safety." Received grant funding of $9,978.90 from the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses; project completed. Presented as a Poster Presentation at the ASPAN at National Conference twice.  Podium presentation of project at ASPAN National Conference. Article published in the April 2017 JOPAN.  Podium Presentations: "Interruptions in preanesthesia nursing workflow: A pilot study of pediatric patient safety" presented at the evidenced based practice seminar for the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses National Conference, April 2014, Las Vegas, Nevada and "Implementation of a New Graduate Nurse Program in the Perianesthesia Unit" presented May 3, 2017 at the ASPAN 36th Annual National Conference.

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Susan Glodstein, DNP '18
Susan Glodstein is a board certified Adult Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, board certified Adult Psychiatric-Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist, and the Coordinator of the Family Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program and a Clinical Associate Professor at Binghamton University in the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Prior to this she was faculty at The George Washington University and Stony Brook University School of Nursing, where she served as the Director of the PMHNP program and the Director of Nursing Continuing Professional Development. Dr. Glodstein has been a psychiatric nurse, working with individuals throughout the life lifespan for over 30 years which helps to inform her faculty position and practice. Dr. Glodstein maintains a private practice specializing in psychotherapy and medication management. Her clinical practice interests include mental wellness, mindfulness, and teen and young adult mental health issues. Dr. Glodstein completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice at Case Western Reserve University, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing in 2018 with a research focus on suicide prevention and education for teens and young adults. She is also certified as a 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline volunteer.

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Julia Rose Golden, BSN '09
I serve as the Nurse Practitioner for the Akron Children’s Hospital Hemostasis & Thrombosis Center. Prior to this role, I worked as a provider for the inpatient Hem/Onc/BMT team. My nursing career has taken me to multiple cities working at Lurie Children’s in Chicago, Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland and at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. I received a BSN from Case Western Reserve University and  MSN from the University of Pennsylvania. My professional interests include process and quality improvement, transition from pediatric to adult care, as well as clinical and educational outreach. I am a mother to three young children and live in Shaker Heights Ohio where my husband and I are currently renovating our 1934 home.

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Heidi Ann Goodwin, MSN '08
I have been a nurse for 26 years and a nurse practitioner and midwife for almost 13 years. I am a nurse leader currently practicing in the area of surgical breast oncology with my own practice at University Hospitals of Cleveland. I specialize in breast, both malignant and benign and I run the high risk breast clinic for the hospital system. I manage a group of advanced practice providers and maintain active membership on several hospitals committees. Most recently I was chosen to be a part of the 2021 Nurse Leader Fellowship program at University Hospitals. I was born, raised and reside in Mentor, a Cleveland suburb. I have three children and three step children. My son lives in Jacksonville and works in politics, my elder daughter is a junior in nursing school and my youngest is a senior in high school and will be attending Kent State in the fall. My husband work in IT at Progessive and my two special needs stepsons live nearby, one who works at Walmart. I am honored to be returning to CWRU to serve on the alumni board.

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Esther Gravis, DNP '18
Esther Gravis has been a pediatric nurse for over 17 years. While working at the bedside she challenged herself to cross-train in other units and became a certified pediatric nurse. Esther continued to work at the bedside while pursuing a doctorate in nursing at Case Western Reserve University. For the last 14 years, she has taught pediatrics, medical-surgical, and simulation. Her work includes preparing new nurse faculty for the work of being nursing educators and working on new simulation experiences for students. Esther finds joy in working with nursing students and faculty to improve the learning process. Her goal is to find new and innovative ways to improve the learning experience for nursing students. Outside of teaching she enjoys picking berries, gardening, kickboxing, and playing boardgames with her family.

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Karen Hogan, ND '83
Karen Hogan has been the Director of Behavioral Health Services at the Cleveland Clinic, Chief Nursing Officer for Generations Behavioral Health Hospital (Youngstown), Director of Nursing for the Mercy Health Behavioral Health Institute, and Head Nurse Manager for Psychiatry at University Hospitals Case Medical Center (Cleveland). Karen earned the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at Case Western Reserve University, as well as a MSN, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry and Biology. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, Board Certified as a Nurse Executive, has completed  certification for Women in Healthcare Leadership from Weatherhead School of Management at CWRU, as well as certification in Lean-Six Sigma through Kent State University. She has been on the clinical faculty of Case Western Reserve University, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, as well as University of Akron and Kent State University Schools of Nursing. As a subject matter expert in Psychiatric Nursing, Karen is specifically focused on Trauma-Informed Care and Workplace Violence.

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Marie Ilse, BSN '09
I was lucky and fortunate to attend FPB and earned my BSN in 2009. Here, I learned the fundamentals and skills to be the backbone of my nursing career. I also made lifelong friendships. At CWRU, I met my husband Trevor (a Chemical Engineer who graduated in 2008) Following graduation, I worked as a telemetry RN in NY and SC. In 2013, I graduated with my MSN-FNP from The George Washington University. I started my FNP career at Minuteclinic in CVS. I worked for them in  SC,  TX, and  FL, (we moved frequently for my husband's engineering career). Throughout these moves, I became involved in CWRU's Alumni Associations. In 2014, we welcomed Mark Harvey to our family and then in 2017, Cecilia Carol. In 2019, Trevor's career took us to Caen, France for 2 years. We lived there during the pandemic, and I started my journey in Telehealth. It was quite the experience living abroad during the pandemic with 2 small children but it strengthened our bond as a family and emblazoned my passion for accessible health care. My husband and I had a conversation about where we wanted to settle down as our kids were getting older. We chose to move back to Cleveland because we fell in love with the area during our time there, have many friends still in the area, and wanted to get involved at CWRU. After a year working for a start up company, I started working for Cleveland Clinic's Express Care Online.  I am honored to join the alumni board and am eager to share my passion for the school.

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Lauren Kusi, MSN '20
Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Lauren Kusi, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC is currently a psychiatric nurse practitioner. Lauren attended Cleveland public schools until sixth grade. Then she attended the Andrew School in Willoughby, Ohio where she graduated in June of 2000. She completed her bachelor’s degree at Hondros College of Nursing in Independence, Ohio. In 2018, Lauren decided to attend Francis Bolton school of nursing at Case Western Reserve University to pursue her master’s degree in nursing. While pursuing her master’s degree and working full-time at Northcoast Behavioral health hospital she was awarded a Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) grant. She also received the Joan German scholarship through Northeast Ohio Nurse Practitioner (NEONP). She graduated with her masters in January of 2020. Recently, Lauren has become certified by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) to write letters for surgery. Lauren is also an influential member in the nursing community. She has taught clinicals, mentored, and precepted for nursing students on all levels of nursing. Currently, Lauren is an active member with Ohio Association of Advanced Practice Nurses (OAAPN) and International Association of Forensic Nursing (IAFN). She has been nominated for the 2022 APP provider of the year award and rising star award, and was awarded the 2022 Medical staff excellence award by MetroHealth.

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Colleen Leners, DNP '12
Colleen Leners is the Director of Policy at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing AACN) in Washington, D.C.  AACN serves as the voice of academic nursing, encompassing education, research, and practice. Leners was selected as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellow in the office of Senator John Thune (R-SD) of the Senate Finance Committee. Colleen serves on the board of Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research (FNINER), Case Western Reserve Alumni Board and many committees for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).  She has maintained an active family nurse practitioner practice for over 26 years and has served our  country in the United States Army Nurse Corps. She has many notable achievements both civilian and military and was inducted as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and my of Nurse Practitioners. Leners was awarded the Bronze Star for her service overseas. She received her DNP in Leadership from Case Western Reserve University, MSN FNP from University of San Diego and her BSN from California State University Dominguez Hills.

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Germaine Cheryl Nelson, DNP '17
Germaine C. Nelson, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, CPXP, CEN is a graduate of The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing Case Western Reserve University and is core faculty of the Marian K. Shaughnessy Nursing Leadership Academy. An all-encompassing subject matter expert and award-winning transformative nursing and healthcare leader with 20+ years' in emergency services and clinical care of 9/11 responders.

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Ruth O'Brien, MSN '66
Retired as Professor Emerita from University of Colorado College of Nursing, Anschutz Medical Campus in 2010. Previously taught nursing at University of Rochester (1981-1988), Pennsylvania State University (1978 - 1981), and FPB Bolton School of Nursing (1966-1973).

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Abeer Omar, PhD '13
Abeer has had a diverse teaching experience since 1997. She got her BSN and Master’s degree in nursing from Alexandria University, Egypt. In 2013, Abeer gained her Ph.D. in nursing from the FPB School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University and started a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Windsor, Canada. While working on getting an RN license in Canada, she held many research positions at different Canadian universities. In addition, Abeer utilized her teaching skills to help master and Ph.D. students understand biostatistics and analyze their data. In 2019, Abeer was thrilled to join Trent University. Dr. Omar’s research focuses primarily on women’s health, activity restriction and rehabilitation. However, the scope of research interest was broadened to include health services research and nursing best practices. Dr. Omar has earned multiple awards and has been recognized by the Council of Ontario universities. Shortly after Abeer joined Trent University, she received two awards in 2020 (Excellence of teaching and mentorship). In 2022, Abeer received the Dean’s award for excellence in teaching, a commendation letter from the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) for Programs in Nursing (COUPN), and was recognized by the COU in the nursing week.

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Mary Ostendorf, MSN ’75, BSN ‘62
More info to come!

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George Peraza-Smith, DNP ‘12
George Peraza-Smith is a Program Dean and Professor for Post-Licensure Nursing – DNP, MSN, A-GPCNP, RN-BSN programs at West Coast University and a practicing nurse practitioner gerontologist with Good Samarian Healthcare Clinic New Port Richey. George is a Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and has been a practicing nurse practitioner for over 26, years specializing in geropsychiatry, long-term, and primary care. George is currently serving as the Gerontological Advanced Nurses Association (GAPNA) President-elect. He is the immediate past President of the Gerontology Nursing Certification Commission (GNCC). George has held academic leadership positions as professor, program director, department chair, & associate dean. He has served on the FPB Alumni Association Board continuously since 2012 as director, treasurer, by-laws chairperson, and committee member.

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Mary Quinn, DNP '17
Mary E. Quinn, DNP, RN is currently Senior Director, Nursing Quality and Improvement Initiatives within the Institute of Nursing Excellence and Innovation, at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in New York, NY.  She has been at NYP since 1999 and has held leadership positions as Manager, Internal Audit; Director of Quality & Safety; and Director of Nursing Quality.  Prior to NYP, she held several positions at Bellevue Hospital Center, New York, NY spanning an 18 year period transitioning from Staff Nurse, to Head Nurse, and a Director within Materials Management. Her education includes a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (1981) and a Master of Science in Nursing Administration (1991) at Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing, New York. In May 2017, she earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nursing Leadership from CWRU-FPB. Her professional memberships include the ANA, AONL, NY-AONL, NAHQ and Sigma Theta Tau. She is passionate about the nurse’s role as it relates to quality and patient safety and has been a lecturer for various schools of nursing programs on the nurse leader’s role related to the quality and safety.  She also mentors students in their scholarly projects at NYP.  She is designated as an Adjunct Associate Faculty at CWRU-FPB. She is proud to be a founding member the Marian K. Shaughnessy Nurse Leadership Academy Founder's Circle. Quinn has been selected as a Director for the FPB Alumni Association Board of Directors beginning January 2023.

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Ramona Sowers, DNP '09
Experienced Family Nurse Practitioner with a demonstrated history of working in the government administration industry. Strong healthcare services professional skilled in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Emergency Medicine, Patient Advocacy, Pediatrics, and Medicine.

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Courtney Donahue Stathis, DNP '19
Courtney Stathis is an assistant professor of nursing for City University of New York. She teaches pediatric nursing and is currently enrolled in a research fellowship. She also practices as a family nurse practitioner at NY Presbyterian with the stroke team, where she responds to acute stroke codes and follows the patients throughout their hospital stay.

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Susan Stocker, MSN '92
Susan worked in a variety of health care settings prior to becoming a member of the nursing faculty at Kent State University Ashtabula. She received the University's Distinguished Teaching award. Susan was named the fifth Dean of the Ashtabula campus in 2003. Over her tenure, she also served as the Interim Dean of the Kent State College of Nursing, and the Interim Dean of the Regional College. Susan is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Distinguished Alumni award from Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing. Susan retired from Kent State in 2022. To honor her leadership and service the University has named the main hall on the campus Susan J.
Stocker Hall.

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Joanne Thanavaro, ND '04
Joanne Thanavaro is a Professor and Associate Dean of Graduate Education at Saint Louis University, Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing.  She also serves as the director of the Advanced Practice programs and DNP programs at Saint Louis University. She received her MSN in Cardiovascular Nursing Research at St. Louis University, her post-master’s certificate as an Adult Nurse Practitioner at the University of Missouri and her post-master’s certificate as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner at Southern Indiana University. Her doctorate in nursing is from Case Western Reserve University. Thanavaro is a Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and is actively engaged in clinical practice and is the founder of the health resource NP run clinic at Saint Louis University. She has published widely and spoken locally and nationally on topics related to advanced nursing practice with a focus on cardiovascular care.  Her text “Clinical Decision Making for Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioners” was released in 2016.

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Nancy Wagner, DNP '09
Nancy Wagner is the director and professor of the Youngstown State University Centofanti School of Nursing, where she has been on the faculty for more than 25 years and has led the school since 2013. She is an alumna of the University of Cincinnati, Indiana University and earned her DNP at Frances Payne Bolton in 2009. Prior to teaching, her professional career began at Cincinnati Children's Hospital where she cared for children with cystic fibrosis and their families. Some of Nancy's professional highlights include creation of the John and Dorothy Masternick Nursing Simulation lab, accompanying students and faculty to Mexico for a mission and organizing a study abroad trip to Israel where the students experienced care of patients at Galilee Medical Center, a hospital near the Lebanese border. Her research focused on scenario simulation, under-served students and incarcerated mothers and babies. She is a member of various community organizations and has been recognized for her leadership. Most recently she was awarded the FPB Alumni Award for Excellence.