Every VUSN graduate has exciting things happening in her or his life, both professionally and personally. Class Notes – printed twice a year in the Vanderbilt Nurse Magazine and available online on this page – is an opportunity for you to not only learn what other alumni are doing but also share news about your life. We would love to hear what you've been up to! Please contact us with any updates, or call 615-322-4836. And, when posting on social media please tag us! #VUSN

Look below for news from your classmates as of December 31, 2022. Items received since July 1, 2022 are shown in red font.

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Stephanie Abbu, MSN'12, was appointed a member of the VUSN Alumni Board in September 2022, and was interviewed for the Academy of Neonatal Nursing ANNTalks podcast, "Self Care Isn't Selfish," recorded in October 2021. She co-authored "Empowering Nurses: Creation of a Peer-reviewed Journal as a Catalyst for Innovative Nursing Research and Enhancing Evidence-based Nursing Practice," published in the July/August 2020 issue of The Journal of Nursing Administration . Stephanie co-presented "Creating PICO Questions, Searching and Synthesizing the Literature," and a poster, "Impact of the Novel Coronavirus Pandemic on NICU Length of Stay," at Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Nursing Virtual Research Day in October, and co-presented posters, "Implementing the Couplet Care Model When Not Every Baby is a 'Well Baby'," "Neonatal Staff Engagement Strategies," and "Nurses' Perceptions of Caring for the Substance Exposed Mother-infant Dyad," at that year's VUMC Nursing Research Day, where she presented a poster, "The Impact of NICU Graduate Reunions." She was published in the second issue of The Empowered Nurse: Peer-Reviewed Journal for Innovative VUMC Nursing Research November 2018 and is an editorial board member. Stephanie received the Graduate Student Nurse of the Year Award from the March of Dimes Tennessee Chapter in November 2017, and first place for a poster she co-presented at VUMC's Research Day in November 2016. Stephanie is manager of neonatal services at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.

Chance Allen, MSN'12, was moderator of "The Evolving Role of Nursing in Transgender Care," in March 2021, part of the VUSN Dore to Door Alumni Forum, and was featured in April on a Positive Sobriety Podcast episode, "Anxiety, Addiction and Recovery." He welcomed a baby in February 2020 and was highlighted in a June 2018 USA Today supplement featuring men in nursing. Chance is a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner at Healing Arts Psychiatry in Nashville and an instructor at VUSN.

Amy Alspaugh, MSN'12, received the Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health New Author Award at the American College of Nurse-Midwives annual meeting in May 2021, and is lead author of "Universal Health Care for the United States: A Primer for Health Care Providers," published in the Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health in June. She was interviewed on WNCN's My Carolina Today in Durham, North Carolina, in October 2015, to share information about breast cancer.

Whitney Anderson, MSN'12, is an assistant in medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center specializing in advanced heart failure (2020).

Wendy Johnson Araya, MSN'96, DNP'12, was featured in a March 2020 VUMC Voice article about Leap Day babies born at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, where she is a neonatal nurse practitioner. She co-authored "Assessing and Addressing Practitioner Burnout: Results from an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Health and Well-being Study," published in November 2019 in the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners . Wendy started working at Vanderbilt in 1984 as a licensed practical nurse in the newborn nursery.

Trish Baise, MSN'12, DNP'16, was promoted to chief executive officer of Mountain States' Franklin Woods Community and Woodridge Hospitals, as well as administrator of Overmountain Recovery, all in Johnson City, Tennessee, in December 2017. She has served on the board of the Tennessee Nurses Association.

Lauren Barlew, MSN'12, is a women's health nurse practitioner at OBGYN Centre of Excellence in Chattanooga, Tennessee (2020).

Tisha Barzyk, MSN'07, DNP'12, is a Nexus legal nurse consultant in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, specializing in the field of wound management and wound care cases, and a wound care consultant for Integumetrix (2018).

Leslie Binford, MSN'12, is a psychiatric nurse practitioner and founder of PsychMed Solutions in Nashville, specializing in medication management for the adult population (2018).   

Imma Bramlage, MSN'12, was featured on Nashville's WTVF NewsChannel 5 in December 2018 for her work with South Sudanese refugees in Uganda. 

Asa Briggs, MSN'12, was featured in the summer 2022 issue of Clemson World . He was a panelist in February 2021 for both the VUSN Alumni Board's annual MSN Know Your Value and for "Mental Health and Black America Today: Where Are We?" which is part of the VUSN Dore to Door Alumni Forum. He was elected to the Clemson University Alumni Association board of directors in June, and was a panelist for "Mental Health and Black America Today: Where Are We? (Part 2)," in July. Asa was featured in the "DNP Student Spotlight" on the Yale School of Nursing's website in May 2020, and in Vanderbilt News in August for his career path to become program director of rural psychiatric services for Prisma Health in Greenville, South Carolina. He was named to the external advisory council of Clemson University's Center for Research on Health Disparities in late 2020, where he offers counsel and seeks partnerships aimed at reducing population health disparities. Asa testified before the Council of the District of Columbia Committee on Health in support of the District of Columbia Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact Act of 2019, and is former adviser for President Barack Obama's My Brother's Keeper.

Taaka Cash, MSN'12, DNP'13, received the Thomas L. Christenbery Award for Diversity and Inclusion presented by the VUSN Alumni Association during the school's annual awards ceremony in October 2022. She opened Privy Oasis, psychiatric mental health care for children, adolescents, adults and geriatric people in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. 

Megan Childers, MSN'12, is a nurse practitioner at the Comprehensive Pain and Neurology Center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee (2020).

Carol Ann Moseley Claeys, MSN'12, is the founder of Strategic Health Care Advisors in Dickson, Tennessee, and volunteers in a rural church health and wellness ministry (2018). 

Colleen Clarke-Ariola, DNP'12, earned her director of nursing certification from the American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing and became a legal nurse consultant. She was promoted to senior vice president for patient care services at Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation in New Hyde Park, New York, in 2019. In 2016, she received the Queens Courier Power Women in Business Recognition Award, as well as the National Association for Directors of Nursing Administration in Long-term Care's Recognition for Excellence in Service and Dedication to the Long-term Continuum. Colleen is the co-chair of the New York State LeadingAge Doctors of Nursing Science Council.

Janeen Cook, MSN'12, is director of operations at VillageMD and executive clinical specialist at Syneos Health in Atlanta (2019).

Shawana Crawford, MSN'06, DNP'12, is a medical scientist with Gilead Sciences, studying liver disease (2017).

Melissa DeCapua, MSN'12, founded the blog, Modern Nurse , to "empower and inform nurses, create a dialogue among readers, and spread the word about the importance of the nursing voice" (2016). 

Lori Denmark, MSN'12, is a nurse practitioner at Saint Thomas Heart West in Nashville (2020).

Debbie Drake-Davis, MSN'04, DNP'12, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, passed away November 6, 2018. She was an adjunct instructor at VUSN. 

Katherine Abraham Evans, DNP'12, was a panelist for "COVID, Quarantining and Geriatrics: How Can We Help Elders Stay Safe and Strong This Winter?" in December 2020, part of the VUSN Dore to Door Alumni Forum, and received the Alumni Award for National Leadership presented by the VUSN Alumni Association during the school's annual awards ceremony in October 2019. She was named a fellow of the American Association for Nurse Practitioners in 2016, and delivered a talk about nursing's response to aging during VUSN Reunion Weekend's Patricia Meador Lecture and Continuing Education Program. Katherine was named president-elect of the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association in May 2015. She is chief nursing officer and senior vice president for clinical services at Novocardia Health in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Kate FitzPatrick, DNP'12, was listed by Becker's Hospital Review as one of "66 Chief Nursing Officers of Hospitals and Health Systems to Know," in February 2022, and was named associate dean for nursing health systems partnerships and innovation and professor at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia in August 2021. She was promoted to chief nurse executive officer at Jefferson Health in Philadelphia, in December 2020, where she had been senior vice president of nursing professional practice and clinical development. Kate was named chief nursing officer at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington in July 2015.  

Katherine Forsbach, MSN'12, is a family nurse practitioner at Tennessee Family Clinic in Savannah (2020).

Alicia Frasure, MSN'12, is president of the Northeast Tennessee Nurse Practitioners Association, and vice president of the Tennessee Nurse Foundation (2022). 

Andrea Fuller, DNP'12, is lieutenant colonel and assistant professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland (2016).  

Katherine Letzler Gee, MSN'12, is a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner in private practice in Nashville (2020).

Allie Gold, MSN'12, got married in May 2016. She is a women's health nurse practitioner at Physicians and Midwives Collaborative in Northern Virginia.

Carol Gray, DNP'12, joined volunteers from Emory University Medical Center Midtown in Atlanta to assist residents of Saint Croix with chronic kidney disease who were unable to receive dialysis due to damage from Hurricane Irma in 2017. Patients from the island were flown to Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia, where she provided vital care. Carol is a nurse practitioner at Emory Midtown.

Stacey Jackson Hall, MSN'12, and David Hall, BA'09, welcomed their second baby in January 2022. She is an advanced registered nurse practitioner at University of Florida in Gainesville.  

Lauren Hansen, MSN'12, DNP'15, opened Bloom Wellness and Aesthetics in November 2017, a boutique private practice in Nashville focusing on a comprehensive approach to women's wellness.

Lauren Gingles Harrison, MSN'11, PMC'12, was honored in May 2022 as one of 50 outstanding graduates of Belmont University School of Nursing in Nashville. She is a nurse practitioner at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's' Hospital at Vanderbilt.

Eileen Campbell Hart, MSN'12, was appointed to the Vanderbilt University Alumni Board in December 2014.  

Kimberly Waldrop Hill, PMC'12, is a pulmonary nurse practitioner at Saint Thomas Medical Group in Nashville, as well as adjunct faculty at VUSN and Belmont University in Nashville and South College in Knoxville, Tennessee (2017).

Tamika Hudson, MSN'12, was moderator of "Supporting Nursing Students of Color: Success Strategies from Academia to Practice," part of the VUSN Dore to Door Alumni Forum, and presented "Journey and Experiences in Academic Publishing as a WOC," to the VUSN DNP Diversity Affinity Group, both in February 2022. She co-authored, "Results of a National Survey: Ongoing Barriers to APRN Practice in the United States," published that month in Policy, Politics & Nursing Practice , and was nominated for the Nashville Cable ATHENA Award in March. She opened a diversity consulting firm called Equity Diagnostic in August and co-authored "Changes in Telehealth Experienced by Advanced Practice RNs during COVID-19," published in Computers, Informatics, Nursing in November. Tamika was appointed by Mayor John Cooper to the Healthy Nashville Leadership Council in March 2021 and, in April, to the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties' diversity committee. She is co-author of "Creating Collaborative Relationships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities: An Approach to Diversifying the Nursing Workforce," published that month in Nurse Educator . Tamika co-presented, "Connecting with Readers through Diversity, Inclusivity and Equity," at the International Association of Nursing Editors conference in August. She is author of "The Role of Social Determinates of Health in Discharge Practices," published in Nursing Clinics of North America , and was unanimously confirmed by the Nashville Metro Council to serve a five-year term on the Metropolitan Hospital Authority Board, both in September. She co-presented, "Identifying Barriers to APRN Practice: Results from a National Study," at the Tennessee Nurses Association conference in October. Tamika is co-recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Award, presented by VUSN and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in February 2020, for her work educating students, faculty and staff about the effects of poverty on health, received the VUSN Award for Faculty Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion in June, and was named assistant dean for student affairs in October. She published "Vulnerable Patient Populations: The Role of Nurse Resilience," in the winter issue of National Black Nurses Association News . Tamika welcomed a baby in May 2019 and was promoted to assistant professor at VUSN. She co-authored "Writing a Diversity and Inclusivity Statement: Guidelines for Nursing Programs and Faculty," published in Nurse Educator in November, and was featured in a WTVF-NewsChannel 5 story about VUSN's poverty simulation, which she co-leads. Tamika was inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society and earned her doctor of nursing practice from Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, in May 2018. Her project is titled, "Evaluation of Distress Tolerance and Treatment Retention in Women with Substance Abuse Disorders." She was interviewed by the VUMC Reporter that July for an article about VUSN hosting undergraduate students from Fisk and Vanderbilt universities and the Undergraduate Health Sciences Academy at Morehouse School of Medicine.

Sarah Jenkins, MSN'12, is a women's health nurse practitioner at Women Obstetrics and Gynecology in Nashville (2017).

Tracy Jensen, MSN'12, is director of aesthetic services and a women's health nurse practitioner at Maxwell Aesthetics in Nashville (2020).

Kalisha Bonds Johnson, MSN'12, joined Emory University in Atlanta in September 2021 as an assistant professor in the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. She is a fellow in the American Nurses Association Minority Fellowship Program and an instructor in the Oregon Health and Science University Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Research Center in Portland. She is pursuing her PhD at OHSU School of Nursing.

LaVonne Johnson, DNP'12, is a nurse practitioner with DaVita Medical Group in Colorado Springs, Colorado (2018).   

Ellie Kenemer, MSN'12, is a family psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner at the Nashville Center for Hope and Healing (2016).

Kelsey Kent, MSN'12, is a board member of the Tennessee Nursing Foundation (2022).

Jen Kiggans, MSN'12, was featured in Daily Press , The Epoch Times , The Smithfield Times and Suffolk News-Herald in summer 2022 in articles about her campaign to run for a seat in Congress, and was elected to the U.S Congress in November, representing Virginia's Second Congressional District. She was elected to the Virginia State Senate in November 2019.

Maggie Kuch, MSN'12, got married in September 2015. She is a certified nurse-midwife at Women and Infants Hospital's New England Medical Group Women's Care in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

Erin Kyle, MSN'12, DNP'14, was promoted to editor-in-chief of Guidelines for Perioperative Practice , a publication of the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses, in 2020, where she is a perioperative practice specialist.

Laurie Lackland, MSN'12, is an adult nurse practitioner with HouseCallsMobile in central California (2020).

Luisa Leal, MSN'12, DNP'14, opened a practice, New Horizon Clinic , in 2016 and moved to Smyrna, Tennessee, in January 2022. She and the clinic specialize in endocrinology and radiofrequency ablations.

Rene Love, MSN'98, DNP'10, PMC'12, presented at the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties conference in April 2022, and was inducted as a fellow by the American Academy of Nursing in October. She was named associate dean for academic affairs—graduate clinical education at the University of Florida College of Nursing in Gainesville, starting in February 2020. She received a grant from the Health Resources and Service Administration in October 2018, funding a partnership between the University of Arizona and MHC Healthcare, to increase the pool of psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner doctor of nursing practice graduates able to assist patients with opioid use disorder. Rene was named a fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners in 2015, and is a member-at-large of NONPF's board of directors.

Alana Ludwick, MSN'05, DNP'12, was named director of nursing at Peninsula College in Port Angeles, Washington, in 2016.  

Lisa Lunsford, DNP'12, published "Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Pediatric Pain in Mongolian Nurses," in Pain Management Nursing in June 2015.  

Matt Martin, MSN'12, DNP'14, became assistant vice president of quality and patient safety at HCA Healthcare—North Florida Division in Tallahassee in April 2022. He had been director of regulatory and accreditation services at HCA Healthcare–Clinical Operations Group in Nashville, and is an instructor at VUSN and a member of the Alumni Board.

Cathy Maxwell, PhD'12, co-authored "Developing and Pilot Testing a Frailty-focused Education and Communication Training Workshop," in PEC Innovation in December 2021, and recorded a series of on-air spots for Nashville Public Television's Aging Matters in February 2022, including "Preventing Frailty as We Age." She is co-author of "Perspectives on Aging and End of Life among Lower Socioeconomic Status (SES) Older Adults," published in the Journal of Applied Gerontology in April, and "Affordable Housing Specialists' Perceptions of Advance Care Planning among Low-income Older Adult Residents: A Qualitative Study," in the Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care Nursing in August. Cathy was appointed to a planning committee of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine in August 2022, to conduct a workshop that explores the needs of the older adult population and the preparation of the health workforce needed to meet these needs. She is co-author of "Development of a Planning for Aging and Frailty Questionnaire," published in Research in Gerontological Nursing in September, and was a paper session chair at the Gerontological Society of America annual scientific meeting in November. She is lead author of "Health and Wellness for Disadvantaged Older Adults: The AFRESH Pilot Study," published in the December issue of  PEC Innovation . Cathy co-authored "'This Is Me!' Perceptions of Older Adult Simulated Participants in an Aging and Injury Simulation Experience," in the January/March 2021 issue of the Journal of Trauma Nursing , was featured in March in an episode of Nashville Public Television's Aging Matters about staying active to avoid frailty, and received the VUSN Dean's Award for Recognition of Faculty Achievement in Media in June. She is co-author of "Immigrants and Dementia: Literature Update," published in the September/October issue of Geriatric Nursing , and "Advance Care Planning among African Americans: A Review and Synthesis of Theory Application," in Palliative Supportive Care in December. Cathy co-authored "The Administration of Moderate Sedation and the Role of the Radiology Nurse," published in January 2020 by the Journal of Radiology Nursing , and was featured that summer by WMC-5 in Memphis, 12 News in Flint, Michigan, and WJET/WFXP in Erie, Pennsylvania, in a story about steps to prevent frailty. She is lead author of "Receptivity of Hospitalized Older Adults and Family Caregivers to Prognostic Information about Aging, Injury and Frailty: A Qualitative Study," published in the International Journal of Nursing Studies in September, and of "Development and Testing of a Frailty-focused Communication (FCOM) Aid for Older Adults," published in the November/December issue of Geriatric Nursing . In December, Cathy was featured in an Aging Matters documentary on fall prevention, was a panelist for "COVID, Quarantining and Geriatrics: How Can We Help Elders Stay Safe and Strong This Winter?" part of the VUSN Dore to Door Alumni Forum, and co-authored "Moderate Sedation Education for Nurses in Interventional Radiology to Promote Patient Safety: Results of a National Survey," published in the Journal of Radiology Nursing . Cathy was named one of three Valere Potter Distinguished Dean's Faculty Fellows at Vanderbilt and received the VUSN Dean's Award for Faculty Achievement in Research Endeavors, both in June 2019. That summer, she spoke about frailty to the Tennessee Hospital Association and the Summer Geriatric Institute at Saint Louis University. Cathy co-presented a poster, "A Multi-modal Workshop to Teach Frailty-focused Communication," that received a blue ribbon at the Gotterer Health Professions Education Research Day at Vanderbilt University Medical Center that October. She was featured in a December interview in The Tennessee Tribune about the comprehensive handbook she wrote on aging called Aging & Injury. In 2018, Cathy was named a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She co-authored both "Home Health Nurses' Perspectives and Care Processes Related to Older Persons with Frailty and Depression: A Mixed Method Pilot Study," published in the Journal of Community Health Nursing , and "Biological Processes and Biomarkers Related to Frailty in Older Adults: A State-of-the-Science Literature Review," published in Biological Research for Nursing . She was a featured guest for NPT's Aging Matters program, which first aired that November. Cathy received the National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence Innovation Award in July 2017. She delivered a talk about frailty during the 2016 VUSN Reunion Weekend's Patricia Meador Lecture and Continuing Education Program, and received the American College of Surgeons 2016 Trauma Quality Improvement Program Best PI Abstract Award. Cathy is a former member of the VUSN Alumni Board.

Rachel McDowell, MSN'03, PMC'12, received the Patient Experience Award from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in November 2022.

Kathryn Braunlin McNabb, BS'10, MSN'12, presented "Brain Basics: Tools for Non-contrast Head CT Interpretation," at the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses annual conference in April 2021, and was promoted to assistant professor at VUSN in June. She presented "Cerebral Aneurysm Management," at the American Association of Nursing Practitioners conference in June 2019, and co-authored "Postintensive Care Syndrome," published in Critical Care Nursing Clinics in December. She is an assistant professor at VUSN. 

Ellie Menefee Millan, MSN'12, was interviewed by The Bulletin in September 2020, about children missing regular vaccinations during the COVID-10 pandemic. She is pediatric medical director of Mosaic Medical, a federally qualified health center serving Central Oregon.

Dana Nelson-Peterson, DNP'12, was a panelist for "Compassion Fatigue during COVID-19: How Nurses and NPs Can Stay Grounded," in November 2020, part of the VUSN Dore to Door Alumni Forum. She wrote "Witnessing Characteristics of a Care Exemplar," featured on the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation's website. She is vice president of nursing and associate chief nursing officer of Virginia Mason Hospital and Seattle Medical Center.

Joanna Nolte, MSN'12, received the Florida Gateway College 2020–21 Nursing and Health Sciences Faculty of the Year Award. She started RenewNow CE, an online continuing education company for nursing that is nationally accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and is a volunteer with Helping Hands, a clinic for the uninsured and homeless in Gainesville.

Ashley O'Barr, MSN'12, is a nurse practitioner at Children's Hospital at Erlanger Kennedy Outpatient Clinic in Chattanooga, Tennessee (2020).

Julie Omishakin, MSN'12, is a nurse practitioner at Neighborhood Health in Madison, Tennessee (2016).

Anna Prestwich, MSN'12, received the Patient Experience Award from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in November 2022, and an Excellence in Patient Experience Award from VUMC in October 2021.

Patsy Ramey, MSN'12, was inducted as a fellow of the American Epilepsy Society, presented five posters at its annual conference and published three articles in various epilepsy magazines. She works at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in neurology/epilepsy (2018). 

Mark Reinhardt, DNP'12, became professor and dean of the University of Lynchburg School of Nursing in Virginia in 2019, and delivered the keynote address at the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society induction in May 2018. He presented a poster about rural emergency department patients and alcohol abuse at the 2016 National Doctors of Nursing Practice Conference. Mark served as associate professor at Texas A&M University College of Nursing and Health Sciences in Corpus Christi, where he was also chair of the population health and health systems leadership department, and family nurse practitioner program coordinator. 

Imelda Reyes, DNP'12, presented at the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties conference in April 2022, and co-presented the VUSN DNP Know Your Value program in May. She joined the University of Nevada Las Vegas in September as associate dean of advanced education and professor in residence, and that month, was appointed a member of the VUSN Alumni Board. Imelda stars in a video on the Career Girls website about her experiences as nursing faculty and was named to the advisory committee of DNPs of Color in spring 2021. She co-authored "Alignment of Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Licensure, Accreditation, Certification and Education for Employers," published in The Journal for Nurse Practitioners in December. Imelda was named a fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners in June 2018. She had been pediatric acute specialty coordinator and doctor of nursing practice population health track coordinator at Emory University's Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing in Atlanta, and is an associate editor of Advances in Family Practice Nursing.

Caitlin Nicholl Rissler, BA'10, MSN'12, is owner and provider at Music City Peds in Brentwood, Tennessee (2020).

Meghan Rowland, MSN'12, is a nurse practitioner at East Nashville Family Medicine clinic (2016). 

Alice Sattler, MSN'12, presented "Red State Solutions for Transgender Healthcare Access: Provision in Low Resource Areas," in September 2017 at the Philadelphia Trans Health Conference.

Heather Sevcik, MSN'12, co-presented "A Tale of Two Births: Newborn Resuscitation and the Use of CPAP in the Out-of-hospital Setting," at the American College of Nurse-Midwives in May 2018. She is a certified nurse-midwife at Baby + Company in Nashville. 

Barb Shultz, MSN'12, was quoted in the "Questions & Answers" section of Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Nursing newsletter in September 2018, and received the VUMC Five Pillar Leader Award in August 2016. She is administrative director of surgical services at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital.

Laura Sidlinger, DNP'12, was named chair of the Kansas Community Mental Health Centers' Organization of Medical Directors and Psychiatric Staff in August 2017. She is director of medical sales at Valeo Behavioral Health Care in Topeka, which assists adults with severe and persistent mental illness, treatment resistant depression, and opioid use disorder. She is in school for a Master's of clinical psychology degree.

Emily Partin Sitomer, MSN'12, is a nurse practitioner at Cool Springs Internal Medicine and Pediatrics in Franklin, Tennessee (2016). 

Emily Cote Skotte, MSN'12, DNP'22, received the Patient Experience Award from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in November 2022, and an Excellence in Patient Experience Award from VUMC in October 2021. She is co-author of "Optimization of Patient Scheduling in a Hematology Outpatient Setting," published in The Journal for Nurse Practitioners that November/December.

Panayiota Smeathers, MSN'12, joined the Deaconess Clinic gastroenterology department in Evansville, Indiana, in July 2015 as an advanced practice registered nurse.  

Randy Smith, MSN'12, completed his doctor of nursing practice at the University of South Alabama in Mobile in December 2019.

Joshua Squiers, MSN'01, PhD'12, is director of the acute care nurse practitioner program and assistant professor at the Oregon Health and Science University School of Nursing in Portland, and assistant professor of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine in the OHSU School of Medicine (2020).

Joseph Sweat, MSN'12, is owner and clinic director at Revital Health and Wellness Clinic in Smyrna, Tennessee (2020).

Lisa Taylor, MSN'12, DNP'14, received the 2018 State Award for Nurse Practitioner Excellence for New Mexico from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. She is a family nurse practitioner in primary care and diabetes management at the U.S. Veterans Administration and an assistant professor at the University of New Mexico College of Nursing, both in Albuquerque.

Ferrol Thomas, MSN'12, became vice president of clinical education at HCA Healthcare's Tristar Division in Nashville in January 2022.

Joshua Thornsberry, MSN'12, was moderator of the VUSN Alumni Board's MSN Know Your Value program on "Salary and Contract Negotiation for New NPs," in April 2022. His image appeared on materials used to promote the American Association of Nurse Practitioners' election campaign in the spring, and he presented, "Untreated Sleep Apnea: The Heart of the Matter," at AANP in June. He was moderator for "Transition to APRN Practice," hosted by the VUSN Alumni Board Mentoring Committee in August 2021. He is an adult nurse practitioner at Wellstar Health System–Cardiovascular Medicine Department in Atlanta, an adjunct instructor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, and former president of the VUSN Alumni Board.

Sheila Umayam, MSN'12, DNP'14 , received a scholarship from the American Academy of Pediatrics' Section on Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics to attend the 2022 Developmental-behavioral Pediatrics Course, An Intensive Clinical Update for Primary and Sub-specialty Care. She passed the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board's primary care pediatric mental health specialist examination, thereby becoming a pediatric mental health specialist. Sheila was featured in the Kennedy Krieger Institute Potential Magazine in an August 2021 story about one of her patients at the Center for Autism and Related Disorders in Baltimore, where she is a pediatric nurse practitioner. She got married in October 2016 and went on a medical mission trip to Colombia that year. Sheila was nominated for the Excellence in Clinical Care by a Nurse Practitioner Award.

Mia Wallin, MSN'12, is a pediatric nurse practitioner at Saint Thomas Community Health Center in New Orleans, where she also provides adolescent care in a school clinic (2016).

Sarah Sexton Walters, MSN'12, received an Excellence in Patient Experience Award from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in October 2021, where she is a nurse practitioner in the pediatric otolaryngology—head and neck surgery division.

Brian Widmar, PhD'12, was inducted as a fellow of the Society of Critical Care Medicine in March 2022. He was featured by NP Schools for an interview, "An Expert's Bona Fide Guide: Life as an Acute Care NP," in spring 2021, and was named a Visionary Leader by the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing in April. He was appointed assistant dean for academics, advanced nursing practice, at VUSN in August 2019, and presented at the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses National Teaching Institute meeting in May 2018. Brian is a member-at-large of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties board of directors.

Brandi Wilkerson, MSN'12, joined the Carthage Pediatric Clinic in New York in August 2016, as a pediatric nurse practitioner. 

Ty Williams, MSN'03, DNP'12, co-presented, "DNP Project Matching Strategies," at the National Organization of Nursing Practitioner Faculties conference in April 2022, and is lead author of "Linking Process Improvement with DNP Projects: Strategies to Advance Clinical Leadership Initiatives," published in Nurse Leader in May. He is co-author of "Identifying Mental Health Issues Associated with Infertility," published in the November issue of The Journal for Nurse Practitioners . Ty wrote the chapter, "Herbal Supplements: Precautions and Safe Use," for the book, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Part II: Herbal Supplements and Vitamins , published by Elsevier in March 2021. He received the DAISY Award for Recognition of Small Group Facilitator at the DNP Level from VUSN in June, which he also received in 2019. He is co-author of "Supporting Student Success: A Meaningful and Efficient Teaching Strategy to Document Practice Hours," published in Nurse Educator in July 2020. Ty is an assistant professor at VUSN and a member of the Alumni Board.

Katrina Anderson Wu, MSN'12, is director of the nurse-midwifery program at Bethel University in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Carol Ziegler, MSN'06, DNP'12, was a panelist for "Supporting Nursing Students of Color: Success Strategies from Academia to Practice," part of the VUSN Dore to Door Alumni Forum, and for "Climate Change and Social Justice," presented by the Vanderbilt Global Health and Environmental Justice Club, both in February 2022. She spoke at the Tennessee Interfaith Power and Light webinar, "Climate Change and Children's Health," in April and received the VUSN Tradition Meets Innovation Award for Faculty in May. Carol was a panelist for "Hot in Here: Nashville's Urban Heat Island, Impacts and Mitigation Efforts," hosted by Cumberland River Compact in July, and for "Climate and Health Equity," in August, part of the VUSN Dore to Door Alumni Forum . In August, she was interviewed by Nashville's NewsChannel 5 for "Are Infectious Diseases Linked to Climate Hazards?" and, in October, she spoke about trends in public health and climate change at an event hosted by the Lancet Countdown U.S. Policy Brief authors and the American Public Health Association. In November, she was a panelist for "Decarbonization Opportunities with FutureVU Sustainability and Vanderbilt University Medical Center," at the Impact Tennessee Symposium hosted by U.S. Green Building Council—Tennessee, and was interviewed by Nashville Public Radio's This is Nashville about solar energy. Carol was a panelist for a discussion around the documentary, Unbreathable: The Fight for Healthy Air, hosted by the Tennessee Asthma Coalition in honor of Air Quality Awareness Week in May 2021. She received the VUSN Dean's Award for Faculty Achievement in Social Justice that same month. She was welcomed by The Vanderbilt Hustler as a head of house in Vanderbilt's undergraduate residential program and, in September, was invited to chair the new Planetary and Global Health Committee of the American Nurse Association's Innovation Advisory Committee, expected to launch in 2022. Carol was a speaker for the VUMC Discover podcast, "Climate Is Us: Why Climate Change Is Healthcare's Lane," in October, and, in December, gave the keynote for "Environmental Health and Justice: The Challenges Our Population is Facing," presented by the Shade Tree Clinic in Nashville. Carol was promoted to professor at VUSN in January 2020 and appointed to the Vanderbilt University Sustainability Advisory Council that February. She was selected to create and teach one of Vanderbilt's new interdisciplinary courses that spring, "Planetary Health, Policy and Social Justice," which was open to students from across campus. She received a Southeastern Conference faculty travel grant to collaborate with the University of Tennessee on climate change and inter-professional education, and was quoted in NP Schools for "Tennessee NPs: The Fight for Full Practice Authority." In April, Carol was quoted in the Clarksville Leaf Chronicle about the effects of air quality on health and, in May, she presented at the Nursing Summit on Environmental Health hosted by the Alliance of Nurses of Healthy Environments. She received the VUSN Tradition Meets Innovation Award for Faculty in June. In 2018, Carol was featured by the Vanderbilt Center for Teaching in its Junior Teaching Spotlight, and was on the faculty of "Climate Change and Human Health: Impacts and Adaptation Strategies," an interprofessional series taught by five instructors at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Vanderbilt. Carol opened Thrive Holistic Care and is the Vanderbilt representative for the Lancet Commission on Climate and Health, as well as a professor at VUSN and co-director of the Climate, Energy and Health Equity Lab at the Wond'ry.