On-Demand Webinars

Speaker

Wanda Thruston, DNP, APRN, RN
Director of Access and Engagement
American Association of Colleges of Nursing

Dr. Wanda Thruston, Director of Access and Engagement at AACN, is a national and international leader in academic nursing and advancing fair and just access to health and well-being for all, with expertise in institutional transformation, leadership development, and systems-level strategy. A Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar Fellow, she brings decades of experience in clinical practice with under-resourced populations, health policy, and academic leadership.

At AACN, Dr. Thruston led the development and implementation of the Ecosystem of Excellence in Academic Nursing, a strategic framework designed to enhance institutional effectiveness and promote the success of students, staff, and faculty. She provides technical assistance, training, and consultation to HRSA-funded nursing schools and AACN member institutions—supporting strategies to expand access, strengthen student achievement, improve the institutional climate, and build academic environments where all individuals feel supported and prepared to succeed.

Previously, she served as Special Assistant to the Dean at Indiana University School of Nursing, where she led the development of the Diversity Strategic Plan and co-created a university-wide pathway for DEI faculty promotion. She also led a large-scale assessment of health and well-being for Indiana’s second-largest K–12 district to inform fair and effective resource allocation that meets the needs of all students. Dr. Thruston is committed to advancing environments where students, staff, and faculty thrive.

Speaker

Vivian Acevedo
Talent Acquisition Recruiter 
New York-Presbyterian Hospital

Vivian Acevedo is a Talent Acquisition Recruiter at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, where she supports nursing and clinical hiring across the organization. She is dedicated to helping emerging nurses present their strengths confidently and navigate the recruitment process with clarity. Vivian brings practical insight, a supportive approach, and a strong understanding of healthcare recruitment to help future nurses take meaningful steps toward their career goals.

Speaker

Wendy Garvin Mayo, DNP, APRN, ANP-BC
CEO
The Stress Blueprint

Dr. Wendy Garvin Mayo is a healthcare executive and nationally recognized expert in stress management, emotional intelligence, and nurse wellness. She is the founder of WenWell — Making Wellness the Standard of Care, a platform focused on embedding mental and emotional well-being into healthcare delivery, leadership development, and workforce strategy.

Dr. Garvin Mayo holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Quinnipiac University, a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Connecticut, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Saint Joseph. She is a board-certified Adult Nurse Practitioner (ANP-BC) and brings more than 20 years of experience across clinical practice, executive leadership, academia, research, and the pharmaceutical industry.

She applies a systems-level approach grounded in three essential conditions, capacity, safety, and connection, to support sustainable performance in high-demand healthcare environments. She serves as Chief Executive Officer of Collaborative Cancer Care and The Stress Blueprint, and is the Founder of the Connecticut Nurse Wellness Project, advancing integrated mental health, leadership capacity, and nurse wellness at scale. Dr. Garvin Mayo is the author of SHAPE Your Life: A 5-Step Blueprint for Sustainable Stress Management. Her work is grounded in a simple truth: when we protect capacity, safety, and connection, people and systems can function optimally.

Speakers

Evangeline Fangonil-Gagalang, PhD, MSN, RN
Associate Dean & Associate Professor
Azusa Pacific University

President
California Association of Colleges of Nursing

Precision Health & Genomics Work Group Co-Chair
American Nurses Association

Dr. Evangeline Fangonil-Gagalang is Associate Dean and Associate Professor at Azusa Pacific University in California, with over 25 years of nursing experience in medical-surgical and emergency care. She is President of the California Association of Colleges of Nursing and formerly chaired the Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Committee of the Association of California Nurse Leaders. Dr. Gagalang co-chairs the American Nurses Association's Precision Health and Genomics work group, helping to develop competencies for Precision Health and update the Genomics Nursing competencies. She was co-primary investigator on the All of Us research grant, a partnership with the NIH to gather 1 million health samples. In 2025, she received the Excellence in Nursing Education Award from the American Nurses Association - California, and authored a national study on nurses' capacity in Precision Health.

Speakers

Molly Kokenge, PhD, RN, CNL, CEN
Associate Dean for Strategic Partnerships and Practice
University of Nevada

Dr. Molly Kokenge is an Associate Professor and the inaugural Associate Dean for Strategic Partnerships and Practice at the University of Nevada, Reno’s Orvis School of Nursing (OSN). She leads initiatives that strengthen partnerships to advance OSN’s Mission of education, research, and practice. Dr. Kokenge oversees the OSN’s Faculty Practice Plan, a mission-driven program designed to address health equity through faculty-led care delivery and systems-focused practice initiatives. Drawing on her background in emergency nursing and systems leadership, Dr. Kokenge’s research examines health behavior engagement and adherence among populations historically marginalized from care, with a strong emphasis on policy-driven systemic change.

Loni Jones, MSN, RN, CNL
Student Coordinator
Renown Health

Loni Jones serves as a Student Coordinator and Adjunct Clinical Faculty at the Orvis School of Nursing, where she plays a key role in advancing student learning and clinical readiness. She oversees the day-to-day operations of the Gerald “Jerry” Smith Academic Practice Partnership, ensuring smooth coordination that supports student success and seamless transitions into professional nursing practice. With a strong foundation in nursing education and a clinical nurse leader's background, Loni brings a collaborative, systems-focused approach to her work. Her leadership fosters meaningful improvements across both acute care and academic environments, contributing to high-quality clinical experiences and impactful practice transformations.

Shannon Richard, PhD, RN, CHSE
Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Associate Professor 
University of Nevada

Dr. Shannon Richard is the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies at the Orvis School of Nursing, University of Nevada, Reno. She is an accomplished nurse educator and researcher with more than thirteen years of teaching experience across undergraduate, associate-to-baccalaureate, and accelerated nursing programs. She brings a dynamic, student-centered approach to nursing education grounded in civility, approachability, and continuous evaluation and refinement to support student success and professional development.

Her areas of expertise include pathophysiology, pharmacology, clinical development, simulation, and emergency and acute care nursing. Dr. Richard integrates innovative pedagogical strategies into both didactic and clinical settings, including conceptual learning frameworks, flipped classroom models, and advanced educational technologies to enhance engagement, clinical reasoning, and knowledge application.

Dr. Richard earned her PhD in Nursing Science from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and holds master’s, bachelor’s, and associate degrees in nursing. Her research focuses on health disparities affecting Hispanic/Latinx populations, gender-ethnic differences in disease processes, and the intersection of metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and psychological well-being. She has a particular interest in modifiable lifestyle factors and early electrocardiographic abnormalities as predictors of disease risk. She has held national certifications in emergency nursing, nursing education, and healthcare simulation. Her excellence in teaching has been widely recognized, including the F. Donald Tibbitts Distinguished Teaching Award, multiple Most Inspirational Faculty Awards from the Orvis School of Nursing, and the Sigma Nu Iota Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nurse Educator. Dr. Richard is deeply committed to optimizing the student experience, strengthening academic-practice partnerships, and advancing innovative nursing education to improve workforce readiness and health outcomes.

Charles Yingling, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN 
Dean and Professor 
University of Nevada

Dr. Charles Yingling is Dean and Professor of the Orvis School of Nursing at the University of Nevada, Reno, where he provides strategic leadership to advance and sustain academic–practice partnerships that strengthen nursing education, workforce development, and health system impact.

Dr. Yingling serves as a steward of the long-standing partnership between the Orvis School of Nursing and Renown Health, which was established prior to his tenure and later formalized as the Gerald “Jerry” Smith Academic–Practice Partnership. Building on this strong foundation, he has focused on strengthening the partnership’s structure, visibility, and outcomes, supporting its evolution into a nationally recognized model and its designation as a 2025 AACN Exemplary Academic–Practice Partnership. Under his leadership, the partnership has expanded its focus on sustainable workforce pipelines, transition-to-practice alignment, and practice-based scholarship. These efforts include advancing tuition-supported pathways, enhancing retention of new graduate nurses, supporting embedded nurse scientist roles, and developing systems-focused graduate practica that align academic preparation with health system priorities. His approach emphasizes shared governance, mutual investment, and measurable outcomes that benefit both academic and clinical partners.

Dr. Yingling’s scholarly and leadership interests center on academic–community–clinical partnerships, faculty practice integration, and the role of nursing leadership in improving access to care, particularly in rural and frontier settings. He is actively engaged in national nursing leadership and policy conversations focused on the future of nursing education and the nursing workforce.

Melodie Osborn, MBA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC
Chief Nurse Executive 
Renown Health

Melodie Osborn is Chief Nurse Executive at Renown Health, where she provides executive leadership for nursing practice across the organization and serves as the professional voice for more than 2,700 nurses. As a member of Renown’s executive leadership team, she is responsible for advancing patient-centered care by fostering high-quality, consistent nursing practice across acute, ambulatory, and community settings. In her role, Ms. Osborn is a key practice leader in Renown’s long-standing academic–practice partnership with the University of Nevada, Reno Orvis School of Nursing. She has played an integral role in sustaining and strengthening this partnership, helping to align nursing education, workforce development, and practice priorities to support the preparation and retention of nurses in Nevada. Her leadership emphasizes shared accountability, practice readiness, and the integration of nursing education with real-world clinical and system needs. Ms. Osborn began her career in critical care and cardiovascular services and previously served as Administrative Director for Critical Care and Cardiovascular Services at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center. She joined Renown Health in 2011 and has held progressive leadership roles supporting nursing excellence and professional development.

She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Nevada, Reno, and her Master of Business Administration in Health Care Administration from Columbia Southern University. Ms. Osborn served as President of the Nevada Organization for Nurse Leaders in 2015 and is currently active in the re-incorporation of the group.

She is deeply committed to advancing nursing leadership and partnering with academic colleagues to strengthen the nursing workforce and improve patient and community outcomes.

Erin VanKirk, DNP, RN, NE-BC 
Director of Nursing Education 
Renown Health

Dr. Erin VanKirk is Director of Nursing Education at Renown Health, where she leads strategic initiatives to strengthen clinical learning environments, advance simulation-enhanced education, and support workforce readiness in collaboration with academic partners. In this role, Dr. VanKirk drives training innovation for nurses and interprofessional learners and aligns educational programs with system priorities that support high-quality care and professional excellence. She has been instrumental in expanding Renown’s clinical training infrastructure, including implementation of the Helmsley Simulation Center, a state-of-the-art facility that enhances experiential learning and prepares clinicians for complex practice across diverse settings. This work directly supports the full scope of the academic–practice partnership between Renown Health and the Orvis School of Nursing, strengthening student preparation, transition-to-practice success, and ongoing professional development. Dr. VanKirk began her nursing career as a frontline clinician and has since built a career focused on education, mentorship, and transformational learning design. She holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and is board-certified in nursing leadership. Her professional interests include simulation-based pedagogy, competency-based progression, and creating supportive learning ecologies that connect academic preparation with real-world clinical expectations.

Committed to cultivating the next generation of nurses, Dr. VanKirk champions partnerships that bridge academic preparation with health system workforce needs and elevate the role of nursing education as a driver of clinical excellence and patient-centered outcomes.

Kristen Gurnea, MPH, CCRC, ACRP-PM 
Director of Clinical Research 
Renown Health

Kristen Gurnea is Director of Clinical Research at Renown Health, where she leads the health system’s clinical research infrastructure and works to expand access to innovative clinical trials that support patient care and evidence-generation. In this role, she oversees the design, implementation, and operational excellence of research activities while fostering collaboration among clinicians, academic partners, and research staff to improve health outcomes and build research capacity.

Ms. Gurnea’s leadership bridges frontline clinical learning, research workforce development, and academic–practice scholarship. She is a passionate advocate for integrating clinical research as a care option and for creating training pathways that align research with broader clinical and educational missions. Her work contributes directly to advancing mutually beneficial academic–practice partnerships by strengthening opportunities for students, clinicians, and learners to engage in research that informs practice and system improvement. She holds a Master of Public Health and is a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator and ACRP-PM (Association of Clinical Research Professionals – Program Manager), credentials that reflect her expertise in research operations, regulatory oversight, and strategic program growth. Her professional interests include expanding community-centered research, building research workforce pipelines, and supporting evidence-based innovation within health systems.

Alexa Colgrove Curtis, PhD, MPH, APRN, FAANP, FAAN 
Associate Dean for Research and Innovation & Endowed Professor 
University of Nevada

Dr. Alexa Colgrove Curtis is a nursing scholar with extensive experience in nursing education, research, clinical practice partnerships, and academic leadership. Her work prioritizes improving access to high-quality healthcare for underserved populations, with particular emphasis on rural communities, integrated behavioral health in primary care, the prevention and management of substance use disorders, and adolescent health. She has led and contributed to multiple funded workforce development initiatives aimed at expanded access to care and strengthening the pipeline of nursing practitioners prepared to serve underserved communities. Dr. Curtis is the co-editor of Nurse Practitioner Clinical Education: A Guide for Educators, Preceptors, and Clinical Partners. In her role as Administrative Lead of the Office of Research and Innovation at the Orvis School of Nursing, she focuses on developing clinical and community partnerships that support community-engaged scholarships, with particular attention to nursing care delivery and nurse-sensitive outcomes.