GNSA Selects Student Teams for the 2024 GNSA Digital Innovators Program

The Graduate Nursing Student Academy (GNSA) is pleased to announce the next cohort of the Digital Innovators Program, which was developed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) in collaboration with Apple Education (or Apple Distinguished Educators). The cohort consists of 15 graduate student teams from schools of nursing across the nation.

This groundbreaking program advances AACN’s mission strategic goal of being to serve as the driving force for innovation and excellence in academic nursing. Through this initiative, the GNSA is able to provide opportunities for graduate nursing students who are interested in teaching and becoming faculty members to gain skills and tools that leverage technology in the classroom or other teaching environments.

Those selected to participate in this highly interactive team-based program will enjoy sessions that highlight connectedness, creativity, collaboration, and real-world problem solving.

Following a competitive application process, the teams include 30 students representing 16 different institutions, 11 PhD students, 14 DNP students, two DNE students, and 3 RN to MSN students. The selected students are expected to also demonstrate cross-program collaboration among some of the various teams.

The selected student teams include:

• Kathleen Gunter, PhD student and Kate McConathy, PhD student at The University of Alabama Capstone College

• May Riley, DNP student and Recarlyn Dimaandal, DNP student at San Jose State University

• Megan Wayne, PhD student and Meagan Bennett, DNP student at Francis Marion University

• Annakay Rhule, DNP student and Laila Huq, DNP student at Palm Beach Atlantic University

• Jayme Weber, PhD student and Katie Messner, DNP student at University of Nebraska Medical Center

• Elizabeth Dunn, PhD student and Alexandria Carey, PhD student at University of Florida

• YoungHo Kim, DNP student and Mandy Truong, DNP student at Johns Hopkins University

• Amy Malcolm, PhD student at Augusta University and Natica Smith, RN to MSN student at Chamberlain University

• Sarah Eidt, RN to MSN student and Mike Walker, RN to MSN student at University of Michigan

• Kimberly Walsh, PhD student and Wendy Post, PhD student at George Washington University

• Shannon Cotton, PhD student and Mahkameh Rasouli, PhD student at University of California, Irvine

• Shannon Manfredo, DNP student and Rachel Sandora, DNP student at Herzing University

• Laura Smith, DNE student and Robert Patton, DNE student at The Ohio State University

• Britt Cole, DNP student and Mandi Smith, DNP student at Indiana Wesleyan University

• Katsiaryna Sikorskaya, DNP student and Iwona Zarzecka, DNP student at Rutgers, The State University

An Apple Distinguished Educator, Dr. Karen Groller serves as the program facilitator and is an Associate Professor in the Helen S. Breidegam School of Nursing and Public Health at Moravian University. Dr. Groller is also a 2019 Apple Distinguished Educator. The teams participating in the program will work on developing a final digital showcase which will be presented on July 22 at 2:00 pm (ET). All are welcome to attend this virtual event. More information will be shared closer to the date. Visit the website to learn more about the program and view the team members.