Dr. Darlene Del Prato is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Nursing Department for the College of Health Sciences at the State University of New York (SUNY) Polytechnic Institute in Utica, NY. She also serves as Coordinator of the online graduate programs in Nursing Education and Transformational Leadership.

Dr. Del Prato has over 30 years of teaching, leadership, and administrative experience in associate, baccalaureate, and graduate nursing education. She is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the NY State Council of Deans of Baccalaureate and Higher Programs, the Center for Nursing Research (CNR) of the Foundation of NY State Nurses, and the governing board for The Central NY Nurse’s Collaborative to Advance Research and Evidence-based Practice (CNY-NCARE). Dr. Del Prato's scholarly work focuses on advancing nurses’ professional formation as evidence-based clinicians, educators, leaders, and emerging scholars. Her areas of expertise include evidence-based practice; adult cognitive development and self-authorship; curriculum development; student retention; faculty development and mentoring; civility and moral courage; and program evaluation and accreditation. She has published chapters in several books and peer-reviewed manuscripts in academic journals. She has presented at local, state, national, and international conferences.

Dr. Felesia Bowen an Associate Professor and the Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Programs at MUSC College of Nursing. Dr. Bowen earned her BSN from Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama, MS from Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, DNP from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, NJ and PhD from Columbia University, New York, NY.

Dr. Bowen began her nursing career as an Army Nurse where she served on active duty, and in the reserves, and New Jersey National Guard units for 15 years. She is a veteran of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. During her tenure in the military she earned several military honors and awards including the Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Southwest Asia Ribbon, three bronze stars, and the Liberation of Kuwait Medal. Dr. Bowen’s clinical work and research focus on improving health conditions for underserved children and families. She is a nationally certified pediatric nurse practitioner and continues to maintain an active clinical practice. Dr. Bowen is a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholar alumna and a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.

Michele Summers is a Family Nurse Practitioner who holds certification and membership through the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. She is also board certified in Gerontological Nursing through ANCC. She serves on the board for the Zeta Iota Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International, and maintains active memberships with the American Nurses Association, Rural Nursing Organization, King International Nursing Group, American Academy of Home Care Medicine, Nurse Practitioners Association of New York State, and the Professional Nurse Association of South Central New York.

Dr. Summers has over twenty-five years of experience in the education field and a lifelong passion for health promotion. While at Binghamton University, she earned her BS in Nursing in 2009 and was honored with the prestigious SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence; MS in Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and a Certificate in Nursing Education in 2014. In 2018, she obtained her PhD in Nursing. As a RN case manager, she worked in home care and represented the Lourdes Hospital Nursing Research Committee during their Magnet re-designation. As an FNP, she worked in private family practice in Ithaca, NY. She is currently a Clinical Associate Professor with the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences of Binghamton University and sole proprietor of a private practice house call business in northern Broome County. Her research interests are house call delivery models in rural areas.

Dr. Lee Anne Xippolitos has held multiple nursing leadership positions in her career. In 2019, she stepped down as Dean of Stony Brook University School of Nursing and awarded a Toll Professorship at the University. Her role as Toll Professor involves directing International Programs for the School of Nursing, specifically maintaining, and developing the School’s relationship with Cheju Halla University in South Korea. Currently, she reports directly to the current Dean at the School of Nursing. Dr. Xippolitos received her AS degree in Nursing from Farmingdale College. Her BS and MS degrees were from Stony Brook University, School of Nursing; while her PhD in Nursing was from Adelphi University. She is a licensed Clinical Nurse Specialist, as well as a Nurse Practitioner in psychiatric mental health nursing. She also holds certifications as a Nurse Executive, Advanced; as well as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner through the American Nurses Credentialing Board. She is a member of the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) and the New York Organization of Nurse Executives. She also served on the AONE’s International Committee. She is a charter member and past president of Kappa Gamma Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau, International, the international honor society for nursing. During Dr. Xippolitos’ tenure as Dean, she was responsible for more than 1,400 student nurses who were receiving their undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees. She was the primary driver and proponent for opening the first PhD program in nursing at the University.

Stony Brook University’s School of Nursing continues to grow in broadening its international program offerings to their students. Dr. Xippolitos has worked with the Center for International Studies where she brought several groups of Stony Brook Nursing and Anthropology students to Tanzania to enrich their education by learning about other cultures. In addition, she has hosted ten Knowledge Exchange Programs with Cheju Halla University in South Korea. These exchanges have brought over 75 South Korean nursing and EMT students to our country to learn about the American healthcare system. Likewise, Dr. Xippolitos spoke about American healthcare as well as present at Cheju Halla University’s International Symposium on Problem Based learning. Dr. Xippolitos is a nursing leader who has enjoyed the opportunities that nursing has afforded her and looks forward to continuing her work at the University.

Dr. Dickinson is a Reader in Nursing Education and Head of the Department of Mental Health Nursing at the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care at King’s College London. He held lectureships at several universities prior to commencing at King’s in 2016. In 2018, he received the prestigious endowed Talbott Visiting Professor of Nursing at the University of Virginia.

Dr. Dickinson is a Fellow of the European Academy of Nursing Science, the UK Higher Education Academy, and the American Academy of Nursing. Dr. Dickinson’s research is primarily concerned with diversity and inclusion in health care and education taking a contemporary and historical perspective with the aim of improving the delivery of nursing care and education. His unique contributions overlap nursing, nursing home, and nursing education. Dr. Dickinson’s particular focus is on older LGBTQ people living in nursing homes and developing innovative and inclusive nursing education. Having worked in these unique areas of research for ten years, he has a strong national and international interdisciplinary reputation. Dr. Dickinson earned a Bachelor of Science in Clinical Nursing from Bournemouth University, UK. He earned a Master of Science in Nursing with Education from the University of Bradford, UK, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing from the University of Manchester, UK.

Dr. Grealish is a Lecturer in Mental Health at the University of Limerick and a Visiting Lecturer at King’s College London. She is a qualified general nurse, mental health nurse, cognitive behavior therapist (CBT), and Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) practitioner with a specialization in young people’s mental health. In 2014, she completed her PhD in Psychology at the Division of Psychology and Mental Health, University of Manchester, with her dissertation entitled, “The Development of the Youth Empowerment Scale.” Annmarie has extensive experience in clinical practice, research and education in the area of mental health. She worked in a number of clinical settings, including acute in-patient care, primary and secondary care, and specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in NHS Lothian. She also conducted research funded by the Scottish Executive in 2001 evaluating and implementing Telehealth in CAMHS while working as a CBT and IPT practitioner. She moved into academia in 2003 and held lectureships at the University of Salford and King’s College London before commencing at University of Limerick in January 2019.

Her research focuses on empowerment, psychosis, trauma, psychological therapies and early interventions for young people with mental health issues. Annmarie is currently working on the development of school-based youth peer mentoring intervention to improve mental health and is a co-applicant on PETT Trial (https://www.inspirewellbeing.org/workplaces/pett-study) which is comparing a new treatment called Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories (RTM) with TF-CBT for military veterans with PTSD. She continues to provide supervision and training in cognitive behavioral therapy and is currently supervising Master of Science and internationally funded PhD students.

Dr. Agus Setiawan is currently Dean & Associate Professor, Faculty of Nursing at the Universitas Indonesia, in Indonesia. He is a community health nurse with specializations in community-based intervention, child health, access to health care, human resource for health, and health inequalities. Being both academician and public health practitioner, he has a blend of experiences in generating evidence and translating it into programs and policies. He has several publications in both national and international journals. His skills include module and health workers mentoring, curriculum development, research proposal development, and operational research. He completed his nursing baccalaureate at the University of Indonesia and both his Master and Doctorate at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia.

He is President, The Association of Indonesian Nurse Education Center (AINEC), Chairman, Deans Forum State Nursing Higher Education Institution, President, Sigma Theta Tau Indonesia Chapter, and Advisory Board, The Indonesian Community Health Nurses Association.

Dr. Pajarillo taught as an adjunct faculty in different schools in New York, even while pursuing his doctoral degree. He began as a full time faculty while concurrently serving as Associate Dean for Faculty Services before his current role at Adelphi University. He has practiced clinical nursing for over 25 years in various settings including, but not limited to, trauma, comprehensive psychiatric emergency, HIV and AIDS, gerontology, home care, and various specializations in psychiatry (adolescent, children, eating disorders, dual diagnosis and mobile crisis). Administratively, he had been nurse manager, transplant and teaching coordinator, supervisor, director, compliance officer, deputy executive director and chief nurse executive.

He obtained his baccalaureate in nursing and Master in Public Administration at the State University of the Philippines in Manila; Master of Science in Nursing Informatics at Excelsior College, and his PhD at Long Island University, both in NY. He has held certifications in Healthcare Quality, Nurse Executive, Advanced, Psychiatric and Mental Health and Nursing Informatics.

The focus of his scholarship is on nursing informatics. He developed a conceptual framework on nursing information behavior, with elements and processes involved in the structure. This is extremely useful in educating nurses and students how to navigate the intricacies and large volume of data and information in order to render safe and quality patient care. Corollary to this framework are the technological tools, programs and applications that facilitate the work of nurses, and the re-envisioning of nursing and the role of nurses as these evolve with the rapid deluge of patient care technologies. He has published and presented his research in national and international journals and conferences, respectively.

Dr. Pajarillo was the inaugural Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Nursing Practice Applications and Reviews of Research (JNPARR) when he transformed this from a trade magazine into a peer-reviewed, scholarly journal in 2013, beginning with Volumes 3 and 4. To date, JNPARR continues to carry the vision, format and rigor that Dr. Pajarillo envisioned the journal to be. It is now on its 10^th volume.

He is a Fellow of the National League for Nursing, American Nursing Education; the New York Academy of Medicine; the Royal Society of Medicine; and the Viret Faculty Development Program.

Dr. Santelli has earned degrees in nursing from Keuka College, Syracuse University, and Widener University where her dissertation research was “A Psychometric Analysis of an Instrument that Tests Genetic Knowledge of Advanced Practice Nurses in Genetics.” She is currently the Executive Director of The American Nurses Association – New York. Previously she was chair of nursing at Nazareth College for five years. Prior to that she had been a member of the nursing faculty at Keuka College for 17 years and held the position of Associate Vice President for Academic Programs at Keuka College.

She was the Executive Director of the Genetic Nurses Credentialing Commission and facilitated the transfer of genetic nurse credentials to the American Nurses Credentialing Center and then back to the Nurse Portfolio Credentialing Commission. She is a member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society; a Margretta Madden Styles Credentialing Scholar; the 2007 recipient of the Keuka College Alumni Association’s Professional Achievement Award; and the recipient of the International Society of Nurses in Genetics Research Grant, Founders Award for Service in 2011 and President’s Award in 2018. Dr. Santelli has been a member of ISONG since 1999 and is an alumna of the 1998 Summer Genetics Institute.

Dr. Christine Boev is the Chair, Undergraduate Nursing, at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY. Her program of research examines the relationship between nursing work environment and patient outcomes in critical care. She maintains an active clinical practice in pediatric cardiac intensive care and speaks nationally on congenital heart defects. In her role at St. John Fisher College, she serves as the subject expert and resource related to the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX). She obtained her B.S. Nursing from Decker School of Nursing, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY; Master of Science in Nursing, Georgia College and State University, Millegeville, GA; and her PhD, Health Practice Research, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY. She has published and presented her research locally, nationally and internationally.

A highly motivated nurse, Dr. Amanda Brown always has a passion for clinical research to improve patient outcomes and nursing satisfaction. Her unique experiences as a clinical nurse leader (CNL) and registered nurse scientist afforded her the opportunity to experience first-hand the gaps in the understanding of clinical research at the bedside from the nurses’ perspectives. It became evident to her that to empower frontline staff to implement evidence-based practice and research, the nurses need to have a clear understanding of the different research and evidence-based paradigms and methods available. Her drive to improve patient care and outcomes through research and evidence-based practice motivated her transition to becoming more involved in nursing education. Amanda adapts curricula that offer clarity, experiential and problem-based learning, while also being hands-on, meaningful, and purposeful to the nurse. She considers these essential in bridging the gap between knowledge and actual nursing practice.

Olga Kagan, PhD, RN, has expertise in nursing informatics, administration, healthcare innovation, research, policy, and education. She was a nurse in the former Soviet Union prior to moving to the United States in 1996. After receiving her Bachelor’s degree from Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing in 2000, she worked as a critical care nurse in both cardiothoracic ICU and recovery rooms in New York City. She also worked as a Clinical Nurse Coordinator at the World Trade Center Worker & Volunteer Medical Screening & Monitoring Program of Mt. Sinai Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health. She holds a Master’s degree in nursing informatics and administration and a Ph.D. degree with a focus on policy from Molloy College in Rockville Center, NY. Dr. Kagan is presently a nurse consultant, working with individuals, groups, communities and start-up companies in public and private sectors. She is also the Founder of Food Allergy Nursing Interest Professional Group (FANI) on LinkedIn. She teaches graduate nursing students at both City University of New York, School of Professional Studies and Molloy College. She is a textbook contributor and publishes her research in scientific journals. She is a recipient of several honors and awards for her contributions to improving the health and welfare of populations with various healthcare needs. She was recognized for her work with elected officials on legislative initiatives on Capitol Hill and in Nassau County in improving the health and welfare of vulnerable individuals. Dr. Kagan mentors nurses and serves on boards of several professional organizations and start-up companies. She is a member of the advisory board of the Molloy College Center for Research and Evaluation. She is a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, member of HIMSS-NY nursing committee, Eastern Nursing Research Society (ENRS), the Society of Nurse Scientists, Innovators, Entrepreneurs & Leaders (SONSIEL), Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI). Dr. Kagan frequently serves as abstract reviewer for professional conferences, as a judge for science project competitions, and as a coach for healthcare innovation events.

Dr. Deborah Merriam focused her nursing practice on the care of families and newborns and is a member of various nursing organizations, including the American Nursing Association, American Nursing Association-New York, National League for Nursing, New York League for Nursing (past-President), and the Professional Nursing Association of Western New York. Deborah earned her Doctorate in Nursing Science in Nursing Education and Leadership at The Sage Colleges. She has a passion for quality and excellence in nursing education. Her areas of interest in nursing research include using social media to enhance the community of learning, best practices in online teaching, and systems thinking in nursing education and practice. She was the principal investigator on a research study using the Hybrid Model of Concept Analysis to explore RN-BSN educators’ definition and application of systems thinking in interprofessional practice and improved patient outcomes. Her professional achievements include research presentations and multiple publications related to innovative educational technology and systems thinking. She is also a peer reviewer for Nursing Education Perspectives.

Dr. Mizgala is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at Utica College. He earned his BSN from Chamberlain College in St. Louis, MO and DNP from Rush University in Chicago, IL. While at Rush University his capstone research project focus was “Preventing heart failure 30-Day readmissions on an in-patient medical-surgical unit by utilizing an interventional checklist”. Dr. Mizgala is a member of several professional organizations and continues to serve as a mentor and preceptor to colleagues and nursing students. He is a nationally-certified family nurse practitioner and maintains an active clinical practice in several areas of medicine. Dr. Mizgala continues to be active in his community in a volunteer capacity for several organizations and school systems. His scholarly work focuses on advancing nurses’ professional knowledge as evidence-based clinicians, leaders, and emerging scholars. His areas of expertise include evidence-based practice implementation, curriculum development, student retention, and mentoring. He considers his role in the advancement of the Journal of the American Nurses Association of New York (JANANY) integral because of the professional experiences he contributes.

Dr. Pearline Okumakpeyi is an Associate Professor in the Nursing Department at New York City College of Technology (CUNY). In addition to having been a full-time faculty member in the Department of Nursing for over three decades, she has served as a clinical consultant for Regents College External Degree Program, State University of New York (SUNY), adjunct faculty at Borough of Manhattan Community College, Interfaith School of Nursing and Lehman College. Dr. Okumakpeyi has taught internationally at the Federal College of Education (Technical) Akoka as a Senior Nursing Officer (Education) in Lagos, Nigeria. The most rewarding aspect of her teaching career has been observing her novice students progress to alumni and expert nursing practitioners. She has a strong focus on curriculum development and serves as chairperson for the nursing department's Associate Degree curriculum committee. She serves as a mentor to students both informally and formally, and has been recognized for her mentoring initiatives by Sigma Theta Tau and the Nursing Association for the Counties of Long Island (NACLI).

She advocates for communities to mitigate the determinants affecting health outcomes among many members of the New York population. She has been honored for her work in the community by Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, NY State Attorney General Leticia James, State Senator Kevin Parker, and the Nassau County Legislature. She has published in the area of spirituality in nursing, breast cancer survivorship, and most recently presented on Nursing in the time of COVID. Dr. Okumakpeyi is a board member of NACLI, has dual membership in the Mu Upsilon and Psi Tau chapters of Sigma Theta Tau, and a member of New York Academy of Medicine, ANA New York and Chi Eta Phi Nursing Sorority Inc, Omega Chi Chapter, where she serves in elected and appointed positions on the local, regional and national levels.