Rita D’Aoust, PhD, ACNP, ANP-BC, CNE, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN
Johns Hopkins University
Director, Dual DNP/PhD Program
Dr. Rita F. D'Aoust is an Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and holds a joint appointment in the School of Medicine, Department of General Internal Medicine. She is the program director for the dual Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs.
Dr. D'Aoust has long made her mark where the business of education and health care intersect. She has led advances in curriculum and classroom technology that match an understanding of ways to construct learning with the philosophy of education and a mastery of financial issues in higher education. Dr. D’Aoust is a nationally recognized leader in education program development, evaluation and administration. She brings multiple PI grant expertise, especially in the areas of program evaluation, academic-service collaborations and quality improvement initiatives in acute care, community settings and integrating geriatrics in primary care. At Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, she led the development and transition for an online program for Doctors of Nursing Practice Advanced Practice (nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists). She led the development of a required advanced diagnostic and clinical procedures courses for nurse practitioners, the migration of the DNP Advanced Practice to online education with onsite immersions. In particular, she served as the PI on two grants to develop an NP competency and development model, leading a national consortium to replicate this model across 5 schools. This work has gained national recognition. Dr. D’Aoust works as a co-investigator with Dr. Cynda Rushton to develop and implement resiliency and well-being in nursing education for faculty, student, and nurse residency programs.
Dr. D’Aoust led the first research collaboration with the American Association of Nurse Practitioners with an external partner to examine the impact of NP full practice authority. She also brings an understanding of the nursing workforce. She serves on the Vizient national nurse residency program strategic committee, Maryland Organization of Nurse Executives, and Maryland Higher Education Commission Nurse Support Advisor Board, and as a consultant for Pennsylvania Independence Blue Cross Foundation, as well as the Maryland Nursing Workforce Center to establish a veteran to nursing program. She serves on the Johns Hopkins Hospital Models of Care Coordination and Virtual Nursing Model as a core research investigator.
Dr. D’Aoust has held extensive publication, grant funding, and consultant roles. She has received numerous awards and was inducted as a Fellow in the American Association of Nurse Practitioners in 2011, in the National Academies of Practice in 2012, and in the American Academy of Nursing in 2017.
Dr. D’Aoust earned her Bachelor’s of Science and Master’s of Science degrees and two post master’s certificates in Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and Adult Nurse Practitioner from the University of Rochester School of Nursing. She earned her PhD from the University of Rochester Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development. She completed a mini-fellowship in geriatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles. She is a Certified Nurse Educator and a board certified adult nurse practitioner, and she serves medically underserved communities.
Katherine Doyon, PhD, MEd, RN, CHPN
Boise State University
Assistant Professor
As a Nurse Scientist, Dr. Doyon has made a significant impact advancing palliative nursing science. As a principal investigator, her research has been funded through several mechanisms including NIH, the Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation and organization grants. She is the principal investigator on an inaugural Virtual Reality grant in collaboration with the University of Utah, building a VR experience to improve health professional students’ awareness of the impact of social determinants health on the patient experience. In addition, she is a recent Cambia Sojourns Scholar, the first in the state of Idaho.
Her work as a Cambia fellow includes developing a training program for community health workers to increase awareness of palliative care in Idaho and to improve skills in incorporating cultural humility into all interactions with patients. She currently is the PI for five funded projects using a community engaged approach. Dr. Doyon shares a core leader role for the community engagement core for a MW-CTR-D (NIH P-20) collaborating with interdisciplinary investigators within the Boise State University community, University of Idaho, and Idaho State to create statewide community informed health priorities and collaborations between clinicians and academia for research across the state. She has shown leadership skills as a former co-chair of Hospice and Palliative Nursing Association (HPNA) emerging scholar special interest group and has been a member of the HPNA research advisory council for four years. To maintain a high standard for Hospice and Palliative Nursing, she is a member of the national certification and credentialing committee for certified hospice and palliative nurses. Kate is a mentor to several early career hospice and palliative care interprofessional health profession students, many of which have won awards for their work and presented their data at national conferences. Dr. Doyon is either first or senior author for numerous publications and conference presentations and is an editor for a special series in Health Equity and Palliative Care in the journal Healthcare. She is a reviewer for the American Assembly of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, the premier conference in her field, as well as an invited reviewer for several high impact journals. As an example of her impact, Dr. Doyon is frequently an invited speaker for both community organizations and workshops in Idaho and at universities and healthcare organizations nationally.
Trudy Gaillard, PhD, RN, FAN, FAHA
Florida International University
Associate Professor
Dr. Gaillard is a health disparities nurse researcher with extensive experience working with multi-disciplinary teams to address health equity and disparities and improve health outcomes in historically marginalized and vulnerable populations. Her substantive, sustained, and outstanding contribution to nursing research has three primary interrelating health disparities emphases: 1) glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity of African Americans at high risk for type 2 diabetes 2) cardiometabolic syndrome 3) and healthy aging. Dr. Gaillard has over 70 peer-reviewed manuscripts in these areas. She is a member of the inaugural class of the UsAgainstAlzheimer’s Fellowship on Brain Health Equity, which seeks to increase the number of Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino nursing professionals trained in understanding the importance of Brain Health in these communities.
Dr. Gaillard has received funding from the National Institute on Aging to explore whether including younger trusted family members in discussions about healthy aging can increase research participation of ethnically diverse older adults. As a nurse scientist, nurse advocate, and nurse leader she has utilized these skills to provide evidence-based knowledge to drive innovative care models and healthy outcomes for individuals of color.
Dr. Gaillard is a Fellow of the Florida International University Population Health Initiative that will explore societal-level factors that impact physical and mental health outcomes and/or develop interventions that have a population-wide impact, addressing such areas as cardiometabolic-renal disease, brain health, substance abuse, violence preventions. Dr. Gaillard will engage the Nichole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences in collaborating in these efforts.
Dr. Gaillard received her BSN from Rutgers the State University of New Jersey, MS in Health Science from New Jersey City State University, MS in nursing from Johns Hopkins University, and PhD in exercise science from the Ohio State University.
Phyllis Hansell, EdD, RN, FNAP, FAAN
Seton Hall University
Professor and Dean of the College of Nursing 1999-2014
Dr. Phyllis Shanley Hansell is a professor at the College of Nursing, Seton Hall University. From 1999-2014, Dr. Hansell served as the Dean of the College of Nursing, where she previously served three terms as Chairperson of the Graduate Nursing Department and as Director of Nursing Research. She earned a Diploma in Nursing from the Mount Sinai Hospital School of Nursing, along with earning a Masters and Doctoral Degrees in Nursing from Columbia University.
Her nursing career has spanned more than three decades, beginning in East Harlem, where she focused on the care of women and children. Her research focus has been on the care of children and families, beginning first with childhood cancer and then transitioning to children and women with HIV/AIDS. As a researcher, she has focused her scholarship on children and families with life threatening illness. Her research has been funded at the R01 level by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute for Nursing Research. In the area of program development, Dr. Hansell led the development of the CNL/MSN Program, DNP and PhD Program. Overall, Dr. Hansell’s grant funding procurement exceeds $10,000,000.
Her work has been widely published in peer reviewed journals and university press books. Currently, she serves as associate editor for Sage Open Nursing, as a peer reviewer for Sigma Theta Tau International, Nursing Research, The Journal of Nursing Measurement, The Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, and the Western Journal of Nursing Research and is on the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of Inter-Professional Practice.
Dr. Hansell is enthusiastic about knowledge development, theory guided practice, and research. As a professor, she is currently teaching in these areas in the Graduate Program at Seton Hall University. Prior to achieving the rank of Full Professor at Seton Hall University, Dr. Hansell served as Director of Nursing Research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she developed a model that linked Quality Improvement to Research Utilization the precursor of Evidence Based Practice.
Dr. Hansell is a member of the Alpha Zeta and Gamma Nu Chapters of Sigma Theta Tau International, a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, and a Fellow and Distinguished Practitioner of the National Academies of Practice. At Seton Hall University in 2012, she was named Woman of the Year and previously, in 2002, she received the University’s highest honor: the Bishop Bernard Mc Quaid Medal for Distinguished University Service.
Within the profession and the community, Dr. Hansell serves as a Trustee for the Partners for Health and as Commissioner and Vice Chairperson for the Children’s Catastrophic Illness Relief Fund in the New Jersey Governor’s Office. Currently, she is President of the Mount Sinai Hospital School of Nursing Alumnae and former president of the Nursing Education Alumni Association, Columbia University.
In her personal life, Dr. Hansell resides in Montclair, New Jersey and is the wife of Robert and the mother of two sons. Her family also includes three pets: Serena, a Newfoundland dog and two Maine Coon cats named Willem and Trixie.
Rana Najjar, PhD, RN, CPNP
Oregon Health & Science University
Associate Professor
Rana Halabi Najjar, PhD, RN, CPNP (she, her, هي) is an associate professor at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) School of Nursing, teaching in undergraduate and graduate programs. Dr. Najjar’s research and scholarship focus on bias, discrimination, and equitable and inclusive practices in healthcare education. She is a 2022 AACN Diversity Institute Leadership Fellow and has served on the Western Institute of Nursing Diversity Equity and Inclusion committee since its inception.
Dr. Najjar was the Project Manager and the Monmouth Campus Faculty Coordinator for the second OHSU HRSA-funded Nursing Workforce Diversity grant, Advancing Health Equity through Student Empowerment & Professional Success (HealthE STEPS) 2.0. As part of the HealthE STEPS, Dr. Najjar implemented several statewide strategies to enhance students' experience in the nursing program and assisted students in applying and getting into advanced practice graduate programs. Currently, Dr. Najjar is the principal investigator for a mixed-methods study examining applicants’ experiences during the admission process. This work will elucidate the impact of bias experienced by applicants, including their decision to matriculate and their initial experience in the nursing program.
Dr. Najjar has developed an online platform to engage educators interested in Trauma-Informed Educational Practice (TIEP) and is leading a collaborative at OHSU to design, implement, and evaluate faculty/staff training on TIEP. She has published and presented at regional, national, and international conferences on nursing education, workforce diversity, bias, and TIEP at regional, national, and international conferences. Dr. Najjar has led book clubs and other initiatives with various nursing academic institutions to raise awareness of the impact of inequities on nursing education and build a community of trauma-informed educators.
Regina Owen, DNP, PMHNP-BC, MEd-HPE
Uniformed Services University
PMHNP Program Director and Associate Professor
Dr. Regina Owen, DNP, PMHNP-BC, is a highly respected Associate Professor in the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program at the Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing. With over 22 years of dedicated service in the Air Force, Dr. Owen has cultivated a unique blend of clinical expertise, educational leadership, and a passion for nursing that distinguishes her in her field.
Throughout her career, Dr. Owen has held a variety of pivotal roles, including Medical Director, Mental Health Element Leader, and Chief of the Disaster Mental Health Team. These positions have allowed her to develop a comprehensive understanding of military mental health issues, curriculum development, and the well-being of military families. Her scholarship is notable; she has contributed extensively to the field through numerous publications and presentations on behavioral health and health professions education at national conferences, sharing her insights and research findings with fellow professionals.
In her clinical practice, Dr. Owen specializes in child and adolescent mental health, primary care mental health, and innovative interventions such as canine-assisted therapy. Her hands-on experience in behavioral health clinics not only enhances her clinical acumen but also enriches her teaching and mentorship. This practical approach enables her students to gain valuable insights into the complexities of mental health care.
Dr. Owen is recognized as a leader and mentor within her academic community. She has served as the Deputy Program Director and Simulation Coordinator, helping to shape the training experiences for future nurse practitioners. Currently, she is a member of the GSN Student Wellness Advisory Board fostering a supportive educational environment is evident in her interactions with both students and colleagues.
Her extensive military experience includes deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. As Officer in Charge of the Deployed Warrior Behavioral Health Services at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Dr. Owen demonstrated her capacity to lead in high-pressure situations, providing essential mental health support to service members facing the challenges of deployment.
Dr. Owen's academic credentials are impressive. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Northern Arizona University, followed by a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas. She holds a Doctorate in Nursing Practice from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and has recently completed a Master of Education in Health Professions Education. This combination of nursing and education equips her to effectively train the next generation of healthcare providers.
Outside of her professional responsibilities, Dr. Owen leads an active and fulfilling personal life. She enjoys trail running and mountain biking, and she is committed to volunteering with her church youth group. A dedicated mother, she cherishes time spent with her daughter, engaging in activities such as serving as a facility dog handler at Walter Reed, renovating furniture, and dancing.
Through her multifaceted career, Dr. Regina Owen exemplifies the qualities of a dedicated healthcare provider and educator. Her contributions to nursing and mental health care continue to make a lasting impact on the lives of her students, colleagues, and the communities she serves.
Mona Pearl Treyball, PhD, RN, CNS, CCRN-K, FAAN
University of Colorado
Professor & Specialty Director, Veteran and Military Health Care Academic Programs
Mona Pearl Treyball, PhD, RN, CNS, CCRN-K, FAAN, Colonel (Retired), United States Air Force (USAF) Nurse Corps, joined the CU College of Nursing faculty in August 2014 as a full professor dedicated to developing academic programs in Veteran and Military Health Care. Dr. Pearl Treyball received her Bachelor of Arts in dance therapy from New York University, her Master of Science in nursing from Pace University, and her Doctor of Philosophy in public policy and public administration from Auburn University. She also received a Master of Science from National Defense University Industrial College of the Armed Forces in national resource strategy.
Dr. Pearl Treyball entered the USAF in 1992 and served as both an active duty and reserve officer, attaining the rank of Colonel. After starting her career as a surgical trauma/transplant staff nurse and becoming a flight nurse and flight instructor, Col. Pearl Treyball served as the deputy commander of the Mobile Aeromedical Staging Facility during Operations JOINT ENDEAVOR and JOINT GUARD in Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina. During Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM, Col. Pearl Treyball was on an alert aeromedical evacuation crew to care for wounded and later deployed to care for returning combat casualties at Malcolm Grow Medical Center (Andrews AFB, MD). Col. Pearl Treyball served in many roles to include Squadron Commander, Inspector General Health Services, and Special Assistant and Medical Advisor to the Secretary of the Air Force. As Director of the Medical Directorate, serving under the Chief of the Air Force Reserve, Headquarters US Air Force, she managed over $2B in programmed reserve medical assets supporting 63 units and 70,000+ reservists and families. She also conducted liaison activities with DoD agencies, all Services and Components, General Officers, the Secretary of the Air Force, major commands, and staff in the Offices of the Assistant Secretaries of Defense for Health Affairs, Reserve Affairs, and Force Management Policy by providing legislative expertise related to health benefits, medical professionals, and execution of medical programs. She was awarded the Legion of Merit upon her retirement in 2014.
As a civilian, Dr. Pearl Treyball was Assistant Dean for Academic Outreach and Associate Professor at George Mason University, College of Health and Human Services. She has had previous appointments at Auburn University-Montgomery, Old Dominion University, and the University of New Mexico. Dr. Pearl Treyball is an international speaker and has authored over 50 publications. Her research revolves around Service members, Veterans, Military/Veteran families related to deployment exposures, suicide prevention, and complementary therapies.
Julie Zadinsky, PhD, RN
Augusta University
Professor and Director, Center for Nursing Research, and Director, PhD in Nursing Program
Dr. Julie Zadinsky is Professor, Director of the Center for Nursing Research, and PhD Program Director in the College of Nursing at Augusta University (AU) in Augusta, GA. She received a BSN from Texas Christian University, MSN and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) certificate from the University of California at San Francisco, PhD in Nursing from the Medical College of Georgia, and Masters in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. She completed a post-doctoral medical research fellowship at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. She also maintains her certification as an Institutional Review Board Professional (CIP). Dr. Zadinsky worked as a PNP in civilian and military institutions and held research leadership positions in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps before retiring after 30 years of service. Her last assignments in the Army were serving as CEO of the Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine, Pacific, in Japan and as Director, Army Human Research Protections Office, in the Office of the Army Surgeon General. Dr. Zadinsky has focused on health promotion research, especially in maternal child health and pediatrics. She also has had DoD funding for her research on the development of a readiness training program and a post-operative care unit staffing system. At AU, she was Project Coordinator for the PhD program development portion of a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Future of Nursing grant and Project Director for a University System of Georgia PhD program modernization grant. She also served as co-lead on a PCORI grant focused on the role of APRNs in increasing access to care for rural patients. She has served as Major Advisor and Chair of the PhD Advisory Committee for 19 PhD students at AU.