On-Demand Webinars

Speakers

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. 

Speakers

Carol F. Durham, EdD, MSN, RN, ANEF, FAAN 
Professor Emeritus
University of North Carolina School of Nursing

Dr. Carol Durham is Professor Emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing. Over her 45-year tenure, she served as Director of the Education–Innovation–Simulation Learning Environment, overseeing skill acquisition and simulation-based learning across prelicensure and graduate nursing programs. She has also held multiple leadership roles within the School of Nursing, including Faculty Chair and the Inaugural Director of Interprofessional Education & Practice.

Dr. Durham is recognized as a national and international leader in the fields of quality and safety, simulation and interprofessional education. A past President of the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL), she collaborated with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing and other experts to establish simulation guidelines for nursing programs. As a member of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) project, Dr. Durham’s work has had a sustained impact on preparing faculty to integrate quality, safety, and evidence-based pedagogy into their teaching.

She is a contributor to the AACN Essentials Assessment Expert Working Group and chairs the AACN Essentials Scenario Working Group, leading national efforts to integrate simulation as a methodology for coaching students to meet the AACN Essentials.  

Dr. Durham continues to support prelicensure students in developing strong clinical reasoning and judgment skills through robust case-based learning and situated coaching/debriefing. She has an extensive record of publications and is frequently invited to present nationally and internationally on simulation and healthcare education.

Her contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including the 2023 Society for Simulation in Healthcare Director of the Year, INACSL’s 2018 “Spirit of Simulation” Leadership Excellence Award, the 2017 Presidentia l Citation from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, and the 2025 DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN), the National League for Nursing Academy of Nursing Education (ANEF), and the Society for Simulation in Healthcare Academy (FSSH). 

Jennifer T. Alderman, PhD, MSN, RN, CNL, CNE, CHSE, NEA-BC 
Clinical Professor & Interprofessional Education and Practice Director
UNC Chapel Hill School of Nursing

Dr. Jennifer T. Alderman is a Clinical Professor and Director of Interprofessional Education and Practice at the UNC Chapel Hill School of Nursing, where she has been a faculty member for over 15 years. As Interprofessional Education and Practice (IPEP) Director of the school, she works to ensure that IPE and simulation are integrated across programs and properly leveled across the curriculum. Dr. Alderman and colleagues have presented nationally and internationally about simulation outcomes, including the impact of virtual simulation on the clinical judgment in pre-licensure nursing students. She has published in the Journal of Interprofessional Care and the Journal of Nursing Care Quality, co-authored book chapters on simulation in Quality and Safety in Nursing: A Competency Approach to Improving Outcomes (3rd ed.), Clinical Simulation in Nursing: From Conceptualization to Evaluation (3rd ed.), Reflective Practice: Reimagining Ourselves, Reimagining Nursing (3rd ed.), and

The Nexus between Nursing and Patient Safety and has given over 25 presentations at national and international conferences over the past decade. Dr. Alderman is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, American Nurses Association, North Carolina Nurses Association, and a lifetime member of the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL). Dr. Alderman chaired INACSL's Membership Engagement Committee where she worked on webinars, national conference planning, and served as the inaugural season one host of the Let’s Talk Sim podcast.   

Leah Burt, PhD, APRN-FPA, ANP-BC, CHSE, FAANP
Clinical Assistant Professor  
Director, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program
Director of Simulation Assessment & Research, M. Christine Schwartz Experiential Learning & Simulation Laboratory
University of Illinois Chicago College of Nursing

Dr. Leah Burt is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Nursing, as well as Director of Simulation Research in the College of Nursing's M. Christine Schwartz Experiential Learning and Simulation Laboratory. After completing her PhD in Nursing Science with a focus on diagnostic reasoning, Dr. Burt engaged in postdoctoral training as a Fellow in Diagnostic Excellence through the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine as well as postdoctoral training in simulation education and research. She is a current Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation Faculty Scholar. A Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator, Dr. Burt’s scholarship blends expertise in educational design with mixed methodology research to discover evidence-based ways to assess and enhance learner competency through innovative simulation. Dr. Burt collaborates with nurse practitioner educators across the country and her leadership has been honored with the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine’s Emerging Leader Rising Star Award, the Barbara Berger Excellence in Teaching Award, and the DAISY Faculty Award for extraordinary educational contributions.

Mindi Anderson, PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC, CNE, CHSOS, CHSE-A, ANEF, FSSH, FAAN 
Associate Dean for Simulation and Immersive Learning
Professor
Director for Healthcare Simulation Program 
University of Central Florida

Dr. Mindi Anderson is an early pioneer in healthcare simulation education who is today one of the world’s foremost experts in the field. She is the inaugural and current program director of the Healthcare Simulation graduate program at the UCF College of Nursing. Anderson’s research, which includes virtual and game-based simulation, new simulation technologies, standardized patients, interprofessional education using simulation and use of simulation in preparing students for nursing practice, has been widely published and presented both nationally and internationally. Her findings over the last 14 years have advanced nursing science and helped to establish best practices in healthcare simulation education. In addition, Anderson is part of an interdisciplinary team at UCF that has been issued two patents on advances in simulation and training.

Speakers

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. 

Speakers

Mary Ann Siciliano McLaughlin, EdD, RN, ANEF
Clinical Associate Professor
Rutgers University

Dr. Siciliano McLaughlin is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Rutgers University - Camden School of Nursing. Dr. McLaughlin is an experienced nurse, educator, leader, author, clinical editor and consultant in nursing. She is passionate about developing and mentoring future and current professional nurses. She strives to positively contribute to the advancement of the nursing profession.  

Dr. McLaughlin’s areas of experience and expertise include cardiac nursing, medical surgical nursing, education, publishing, NCLEX, disease management, telehealth, nursing management, professional identity, leadership, and ethics.  

Dr. McLaughlin’s scholarship interests include publications and presentations related to cardiac nursing, medical surgical nursing, NCLEX, professionalism, and ethics. The main focus of her scholarship revolves around ethical practice in nursing. She has presented locally, nationally, and internationally relating to her scholarship on ethics and her model, the Siciliano-McLaughlin Model of Ethics. 

Nelda Godfrey, PhD, ACNS-BC, RN, FAAN, ANEF
Professor, Professional Practice, and Director, Nursing Career Success, Identity and Innovation  
Sinclair School of Nursing  
University of Missouri

Nelda Godfrey is Professor, Professional Practice, and Director, Nursing Career Success, Identity and Innovation at the Sinclair School of Nursing, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO. A thought leader in nursing innovation and nursing education, Dr. Godfrey writes often on new care delivery models that can be influenced by a stronger emphasis on the nurse within—researching and developing strategies to crea te the whole person experience in nursing practice going forward. Her work with the International Society for Professional Identity in Nursing is transforming the way nurses, health care professionals and society understand what it means to “think, act and feel like a nurse.” This work offers new language and new knowledge for the journey—helping nurses heal, flourish and expertly care for others.

Dr. Godfrey received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Missouri, her Masters in Nursing and credential as a Clinical Nurse Specialist from the University of Kansas Medical Center, and her PhD in Nursing with an emphasis in ethics from the University of Missouri. Scholarly accomplishments include seminal work in professional identity in nursing and implementing the AACN Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education.  Programmatic achievements include creating the KU Community College Nursing Program in which community college students dually enroll in their community college and KU simultaneously, allowing them to graduate with an associate degree in nursing and a bachelor of science in nursing at the same time. Dr. Godfrey serves on the American Nurses Association Ethics and Human Rights Advisory Board and was formerly one of two co-leads for the Missouri Action Coalition supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

M. Lindell Joseph, PhD, RN, FAAN, FAONL
Clinical Professor and Director of the DNP & MSN in Health Systems: Administration/Executive Leadership Programs at the University of Iowa College of Nursing    
University of Iowa College of Nursing  

Dr. Lindell Joseph is passionate about advancing nursing leadership and innovativeness through thought leadership, research methods, and extensive publications. She is the Editor-in-Chief of Nurse Leader, the official journal of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership, at the University of Iowa College of Nursing. From 2019-2024, Dr. Joseph served on the Advisory Council of the International Society for Professional Identity in Nursing. In that role, she co-led the development of th e Conceptual Model for Professional Identity in Nursing and chaired the Nurse as Leader Committee. An outcome of this committee is a position statement entitled “A Call for Dialogue to Advance the Concept of Nurses as Leaders within the Profession and the Public.” Dr. Joseph’s other areas of expertise are leadership effectiveness, innovativeness across academia and practice, and the General Effectiveness Multilevel Theory for Shared Governance. She has been called a proactive, “action-oriented theoretician.” Lastly, she recently co-edited the eighth edition of Leadership and Nursing Care Management.

Speakers

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.
 

Speakers

Dawn Mueller-Burke, PhD, CRNP, NNP-BC 
Assistant Professor/Neonatal Nurse Practitioner 
University of Maryland Baltimore 
University of Maryland Medical Center

Dr. Dawn Mueller-Burke is a nationally certified Neonatal Nurse Practitioner who has dedicated her career to caring for critically ill neonates and advancing nursing education across all levels. She earned her PhD in Nursing from the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) and completed postdoctoral training in developmental genetics at Johns Hopkins University, where her research focused on neonatal brain injury, hypothermia and stem cell treatment.

Now a leader in academic nursing and competency-based education (CBE), Dr. Mueller-Burke serves as an Assistant Professor and chairs UMSON’s Curricular Revisions Taskforce, leading the transformation of programs to align with the 2021 AACN Essentials. She previously directed the transition of all advanced practice master’s specialties to the doctoral level. A catalyst for CBE innovation, she has helped ignite initiatives across Maryland and serves nationally as a consultant, AACN Essentials Champion and Coach, co-lead of the AACN Curricular Workgroup, and member of the NONPF Curricular Leadership Committee, shaping the future of nursing education through collaboration and curricular excellence.

Jacquelyn McMillian-Bohler, PhD, APRN 
Assistant Clinical Professor 
Director, Institute for Educational Excellence 
Duke University

Dr. Jacquelyn McMillian-Bohler is an Assistant Professor and the Director for Educational Excellence at the Duke University School of Nursing. She received a BSN from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, an MSN in Nurse-Midwifery from Vanderbilt U niversity, and a PhD in Nursing Education from Villanova University. Grounded by her Masterful Educator Model, she mentors faculty and presents nationally on faculty development, fostering inclusive learning environments, and employing impactful teaching strategies. Her efforts extend to guiding nursing programs toward competency-based education and researching effective teaching practices and health equity. Beyond academia, she advances health equity through Cultural Intelligence workshops and a culturally concordant doula training initiative. 

Speakers

Susan M. Grant, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
Chief Clinical Officer
Symplr

Dr. Susan Grant is the chief clinical officer for Symplr, a leading provider of enterprise health care operations software. Prior to joining Symplr in February 2025, she served as executive vice president, chief experience officer and chief nurse executive at Wellstar Health System and has served as a chief nurse for five different U.S. health systems including The Dana Farber Cancer Institute, University of Washington Medical Center, Emory Healthcare and Beaumont Health. Her experience as a nurse executive has led to achievements including leading the nursing practice of over 10,000 nurses across all care settings and successful Magnet designation and redesignation of nine different hospitals. She has led through public health crises, including Ebola and COVID-19.

Dr. Grant currently serves on the Daisy Foundation Board of Directors, co-chair of the AACN/AONL Task Force on Academic Practice Partnerships, Vanderbilt University’s Dean’s Advisory Board, the JONA editorial board, and is immediate past chair of the Wellstar Medical College of Georgia Health board. Dr. Grant, a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing since 2010, is currently on the Academy’s Board of Directors and serves on the Academy’s Models of Care Task Force. She recently spearheaded the Academy’s Policy Dialogue on nursing’s role in virtual models of care. Dr. Grant is a Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellow, Johnson & Johnson Wharton Nurse Executive Fellow and Nurse Executive in Residence at Georgetown University. She received a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the Medical College of Georgia, master’s degree in nursing from the University of South Carolina, and Doctor of Nursing Practice from Vanderbilt University.

Angela Clark, PhD, RN, CNE, FAA N
Maxine Clark and Bob Fox President, Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing, BJC HealthCare

Dr. Angela Clark is the Maxine Clark and Bob Fox President at Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing and a Voluntary Research Professor of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. A nationally recognized nursing leader, she currently serves as co-chair of the AACN/AONL Academic-Practice Advisory, where she is committed to redefining how nursing education and health care institutions collaborate.

At Goldfarb, Dr. Clark is leading one of the most robust examples of this work through the BJC Full Ride Scholars Program. Since launching in May 2022, the program has become the largest of its kind in the nation, with 354 scholars to date—including a record 85 in the fall of 2025—and creating direct workforce pathways aligned with BJC HealthCare’s RN Career Ladder. Under her leadership, Goldfarb has experienced enrollment growth despite a highly competitive market, including a 43% increase in new students and a 73% increase in graduate program enrollment in 2025. Her leadership emphasizes reflexive academic-practice partnerships—dynamic collaborations that evolve in real time to meet the needs of students, employers, and communities.  

Nationally, Dr. Clark has been recognized as a Coldiron Fellow, an Apple Distinguished Educator, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She was named a 2025 “Rising Star” in Modern Healthcare’s Women Leaders recognition program and is an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow. Passionate about advancing health equity and stabilizing the nursing workforce, Dr. Clark continues to champion innovative solutions that expand access to nursing education and strengthen the profession for generations to come.

Elizabeth G. NeSmith, PhD, RN
Dean and Professor
Augusta University

Dr. Elizabeth NeSmith is Chair of the Department of Physiological and Technological Nursing and Associate Professor in the College of Nursing with adjunct status in the AU Graduate School. Dr. NeSmith has more than 30 years of experience in trauma, emergency, and disaster nursing, with nursing leadership roles in these areas at the local, regional, and national levels.  

Having obtained her Doctor of Philosophy degree with a focus on translational and interdisciplinary research, Dr. NeSmith’s federally funded grants have focused on the effects of lifetime chronic stress on the inflammatory response and how it impacts healing and vulnerability to complications following acute life-threatening injury. Dr. NeSmith’s research will lead to advances in tailoring individual treatments to prevent and improve acute outcomes of trauma. Dr. NeSmith is also very active at the state and national levels as an advocate for nursing research and faculty development. She was recently awarded more than $399K from the University System of Georgia to launch a research-based, interdisciplinary nursing faculty expansion program. In collaboration with her research team, Dr. NeSmith has multiple trauma-related publications and nationally presented abstracts and co-founded the Trauma Interdisciplinary Group for Research (TIGR). Together with her TIGR co-founder, Dr. Regina Medeiros, Dr. NeSmith developed and authored publications and national presentations which focus on the implementation of their PhD/DNP Operational Collaborative (P-DOC) Model of clinical and research collaboration among doctorally-prepared nurses. 

Mark Schreiber, MBA, RN
Vice President, Chief Nursing Officer
Wellstar MCG Health System

Mr. Mark Schreiber is the Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer of Wellstar MCG Health. Mark is responsible for strategic leadership and operational guidance for all aspects of nursing across the Medical Center and Health System, focusing on efficient and cost-effective operations, service excellence, patient safety and quality initiatives in partnership with the Vice President and Chief Medical Officer.

Mark is a nursing executive with more than 36 years’ experience in health care. He has worked as a transporter, patient care tech, registered nurse in the Emergency Department, and his role progressed to charge nurse, nurse manager, and Director of ED Clinical Operations. In 2016, Mark was promoted to Dir ector of Emergency and Critical Care Services, which encompassed multiple ICUs and an Intermediate Care area. In 2021, Mark led the development and implementation of MCG Health’s AirCare Helicopter Transport Program and MCG Health’s first-ever Adult Critical Care Transport Team. In November 2022, Mark assumed responsibilities for the Histocompatibility/Immunology Lab, Pathology Services, Radiology, Rehabilitation Services and Respiratory Therapy.  In September of 2023, with the alignment with Wellstar Health System, Mark became the VP and Chief Nursing Officer for Wellstar MCG Health, where he continues to serve in that role.  

Mark earned a BS degree in biology from Augusta College, a BSN from the Medical College of Georgia and an MBA in healthcare management from Western Governors University. Mark is certified as a Nurse Executive through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). In 2014, Mark was recognized as the CSRA Nurse Manager of the Year. In 2018, he was awarded the Patient and Family Centered Care Partnership Award and in 2022 he was awarded the Pat Sodomka Leadership Award. Mark, a Hodgkin’s Lymphoma survivor, has recently discovered a passion for fundraising for cancer research.  For 2024, Mark was named the regional Visionary of the Year for LLS when his team raised the highest amount during the fundraising campaign.  Mark now serves on the local LLS leadership team.

Speakers

Rachel L. Minahan, MA  
Chief Government Affairs and Policy Officer
American Association of Colleges of Nursing

Rachel Minahan joined the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) in June 2018, where she leads the Association’s advocacy and policy portfolio. In this role, she works closely with Members of Congress, the Administration, national coalitions, and AACN member institutions to advance health and health care through a nursing lens. She also serves as Executive Director of the Nursing Community Coalition, a 64-member organization representing a broad spectrum of nursing education, practice, research, and regulation.

Prior to AACN, Rachel spent more than a decade in government relations and policy, including eight years as a Legislative Director and Senior Legislative Assistant at Polsinelli and Wheat Government Relations. She began her career on Capitol Hill and as a field organizer in Iowa, experiences that grounded her deep commitment to public service and advocacy.

Rachel earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Interdisciplinary Studies in Communication, Legal Institutions, Economics, and Government from American University, and a Master of Arts in Global Security Studies from Johns Hopkins University. She has also served as an assistant adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s School of Nursing and Health Studies, where she taught courses on the foundations of health systems and policy. 

Josh Adams, PhD
Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs
American Association of Colleges of Nursing

Josh Adams is AACN's Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs. Josh is a policy and research professional with extensive experience in advocacy, regulatory affairs, and strategic communications. He specialize s in translating complex policy and research issues into clear, actionable insights that inform decision-making and drive organizational impact. With a background spanning nonprofit, association, and corporate sectors, Josh has led initiatives to advance policy priorities, strengthen stakeholder engagement, and develop evidence-based strategies that connect research to real-world outcomes.

Andrew Bryant 
Government Affairs Coordinator 
American Association of Colleges of Nursing 

Andrew Bryant joined the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) in January 2024, where he helps implement AACN’s federal advocacy and legislative strategy. In this role, he helps keep various stakeholder groups and coalitions appraised of the latest developments at the federal level, leads presentations to student groups, coordinates various aspects of AACN’s Hill Days, and drafts advocacy alerts, press releases, and letters on key federal priorities.  

Prior to AACN, Andrew worked for two years as a Policy Assistant at Faegre Drinker Biddle and Reath LLP, where he provided support to a team of government affairs professionals working in numerous issue areas, including healthcare, energy, manufacturing, and transportation. Andrew began his career in advocacy as a field organizer in Virginia, and he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

Amanda Rosensky 
Government Affairs and Policy Manager 
American Association of Colleges of Nursing

Amanda Rosensky joined the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) as the Government Affairs and Policy Manager in October 2025. Prior to joining AACN, Amanda was a Presidential Management Fellow and civil servant at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Ser vice, where she worked first as a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) policy specialist before moving to the Agency’s government affairs team where she liaised with Congress to ensure the success of the 16 federal nutrition programs. Amanda began her career as an AmeriCorps VISTA, serving at Wake Forest University to strengthen their community engagement. Amanda earned her Bachelor of Arts in Politics & International Affairs and History from Wake Forest University and has a Master of Public Policy from the University of Virginia.

Speakers

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 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. 

Speakers

Kathleen Ruccione, PhD
Professor, Program Director, SON PhD Program
Azusa Pacific University 
 

Dr. Kathleen Ruccione, PhD Program Director in the Department of Doctoral Programs at the Azusa Pacific University School of Nursing, has been a pediatric oncology nurse/health educator over the past 5 decades. At Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, she led the development of innovative programs and services, including the LIFE Survivorship & Transition Program and the HOPE Resource Center for Health Education. Dr. Ruccione received her nursing diploma from the Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing, and her BS and MPH degrees from California State University, Northridge. She completed her PhD in health behavior research at USC. Her dissertation research evaluated organ effects of transfusional iron overload and patient reported outcomes among a cohort of childhood cancer survivors. Her ongoing research interests are focused on biobehavioral issues that affect health and health-related quality of life after cancer treatment, and best practices in the empowerment/engagement of patients, families, and childhood cancer survivors through actionable and understandable health communication. Her recent research has focused on long-term relationships among nurses, health equity for deaf/hard-of-hearing adults, and the return of aggregate research results to study participants. Dr. Ruccione is committed to improving patient outcomes through excellence in the educational preparation of nurse scholars and expert clinicians.