Speakers

Jean Watson, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, FAAN, LL
Founder –Director
Watson Caring Science Institute

Dr. Jean Watson is known around the world for her Theory of Human Caring and advancement of Caring Science as disciplinary context for Nursing’s future. She is the Founder of the Non-profit, Watson Caring Science Institute and Distinguished Professor  Dean Emerita University of Colorado Denver. She is the author, co-author, or editor of over 30 books on Caring Science and Unitary Caring. Her latest book is titled Metaphysics of Unitary Caring Science. A Cosmology of Love, (2025 pub. by Springer).  Her work is used globally, promoting academic and clinical partnerships toward theory-guided caring science curriculum and professional Caritas Practice, Research, and Leadership. Watson is the recipient of numerous national and international awards and honors including 15 Honorary Doctorates; she is designated as a Living Legend by the American Academy of Nursing, its highest honor.  View full bio.

Sara Horton-Deutsch, PhD, RN, FAAN, ANEF, SGAHN
University of San Francisco
Director of USF/Kaiser Permanente Partnership and Faculty Associate
Watson Caring Science Institute

Dr. Horton-Deutsch has led in academic and practice settings for over 30 years as an advanced practice psychiatric/mental health nurse, teacher/practitioner, consultant, program director, caring science endowed chair, coach, and academic/practice partnership director. In 2022, she was inducted into the Global American Holistic Nursing. She has contributed to evidence-informed knowledge development throughout her academic and practice career to ensure compassionate, safe, an d quality care. As a reflective leader, she focuses on inward development to positively influence change. She has co-authored several books on Reflective Practice, Caring Science, and Caritas Coaching. She is a Caritas Coach & Leader, Reiki Practitioner, and Healing Circle Facilitator. Through her journey, she has learned the necessity of connecting to one’s inner sources of wisdom, power, and healing, as well as the arts and humanities that once defined the discipline of nursing. She is passionate about facilitating critical, deep, and authentic connections that support regeneration, renewal, and the profession’s evolution. Her latest books, Visionary Leadership in Healthcare (2022) and Reflective Practice: Reimagining Ourselves, Reimagining Nursing (2024), were published through SIGMA, the former winning an AJN 1st place book of the year award in Leadership. She is currently a champion for the ANCC Essentials within the USF School of Nursing and Health Professions. She is co-director of the Caritas Leadership Program for the Watson Caring Science Institute.

Danny G. Willis, DNS, RN, PMHCNS-BC, FAAN
Dean and Professor
University of Rhode Island College of Nursing

Dr. Danny G. Willis serves as Dean of the University of Rhode Island College of Nursing. He Caritas® Leader Faculty. In his 20-year academic career, he has served as Dean at Saint Louis University Valentine School of Nursing, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing, and Department Chair at Boston College, Connell School of Nursing. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and has chaired the Expert Panel on Theory-Guided Practice and is a member of the Expert Panel on Violence. His program of research and scholarship primarily focuses on wellbeing and healing in the aftermath of traumatic experiences. His work has been recognized with many awards, including the Eastern Nursing Research Society "Rising Star" Award, American Psychiatric Nurses Association Nancy Valentine "Leadership" Award, and R-level research funding as Principal Investigator from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He has mentored undergraduate, masters, and PhD students from nursing, social work, child and human development, and counseling psychology. Dr. Willis has published widely in nursing and other health- related journals on qualitative research methods, foundations of the discipline, child maltreatment, the aftermath of hate crime, school children being bullied, child witness to violence, mental health, sleep, and healing. He has served as chair of the American Psychiatric Nursing Association (APNA) Research Council and currently co-chairs the Eastern Nursing Research Society (ENRS) Qualitative Research Interest Group. His publication explicating a central unifying focus for the discipline of nursing ‘facilitating humanization, meaning, choice, quality of life, and healing in living and dying,” published in Advances in Nursing Science, garnered national and international recognition for its relevance to nursing. Dr. Willis enthusiastically shares his work nationally and internationally with invited papers and presentations in the United States, Chile, Colombia, Ireland, England, Portugal, and Japan. 

Speakers

Patricia Morton, PhD, RN, ACNP-BC, FAAN
Editor of the Journal of Professional Nursing
Dean Emeritus
University of Utah

Patricia Gonce Morton is Dean Emeritus, University of Utah College of Nursing. She served as Dean, Professor and held the Louis Peery Endowed Presidential Chair at the University of Utah College of Nursing. Prior to her deanship at the University of Utah, Dr. Morton served in various administrative positions at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. An educator and scholar who is known for her work in critical care nursing and nursing education, Dr. Morton has authored multiple editions of three textbooks, numerous book chapters, and over 60 journal articles. She has served on the editorial board of eight nursing journals and for seven years was the editor of the journal AACN Clinical Issues: Advanced Practice in Acute and Critical Care sponsored by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. Currently, Dr. Morton has been the editor of the Journal of Professional Nursing sponsored by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing since 2013. Dr. Morton is a certified acute care nurse practitioner. In recognition of her contributions to nursing and healthcare, Dr. Morton was inducted as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing in 1999.

Speakers

Rebecca Dodmead, MSN, RN
Administrative Nursing Supervisor
Ohio State University James Cancer Hospital

Rebecca Domead is a dedicated nurse with over 17 years of experience in various healthcare settings. Rebecca's journey in nursing has taken her through the fast-paced environment of the Emergency Room, Med-Surg, Telemetry, ICU, Hospital Clinical Education. With a passion for teaching and mentoring, she has also served as an Adjunct Clinical Instructor. Currently, Rebecca serves as an Administrative Nursing Supervisor at Ohio State University James Cancer Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Rebecca holds a Master's degree in Nursing Education and is part of the inaugural class of the 2025 Doctor of Nursing Education program at The Ohio State University.

Recently, Rebecca pursued additional education in Biomedical Visualization from the University of Glasgow, where she gained va luable insights into the intersection of healthcare and technology. She also completed a Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Certificate program from Massachusetts Institute of Technology XPRO. With her diverse background, advanced education, and unwavering dedication to understanding the intersection of healthcare and technology, Rebecca continues to make significant contributions to the field of nursing and healthcare education.

Speakers

Rebecca Dodmead, MSN, RN
Administrative Nursing Supervisor
Ohio State University James Cancer Hospital

Rebecca Domead is a dedicated nurse with over 17 years of experience in various healthcare settings. Rebecca's journey in nursing has taken her through the fast-paced environment of the Emergency Room, Med-Surg, Telemetry, ICU, Hospital Clinical Education. With a passion for teaching and mentoring, she has also served as an Adjunct Clinical Instructor. Currently, Rebecca serves as an Administrative Nursing Supervisor at Ohio State University James Cancer Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Rebecca holds a Master's degree in Nursing Education and is part of the inaugural class of the 2025 Doctor of Nursing Education program at The Ohio State University.

Recently, Rebecca pursued additional education in Biomedical Visualization from the University of Glasgow, where she gained va luable insights into the intersection of healthcare and technology. She also completed a Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Certificate program from Massachusetts Institute of Technology XPRO. With her diverse background, advanced education, and unwavering dedication to understanding the intersection of healthcare and technology, Rebecca continues to make significant contributions to the field of nursing and healthcare education.

Speakers

Joanne O. Dunderdale, DNP, RN
Assistant Professor
Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing
Loyola University Chicago

Joanne O. Duunderdale is an Assistant Professor teaching in simulation education at the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, Loyola University Chicago for the past 10 years. She teaches every aspect of simulation in undergraduate nursing education including: medical-surgical I & II, mental health, community, maternal/child, women's & older adult health, pediatrics, leadership and intra- and inter-professional simulation. Dr. Dunderdale has extensive experience creating simulation scenarios, facilitating simulation activities, and leading debriefing sessions. Her research interests are in simulation, transition to practice and Ignatian Pedagogy application in nursing sim ulation education. Dr. Dunderdale has over 30 years experience as a registered nurse and currently maintains a clinical practice in the emergency nursing setting.

Carol T. Kostovich, PhD, RN, CHSE
Associate Professor
Assistant Dean of Innovative Educational Strategies& Simulation
Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing
Loyola University Chicago

Dr. Carol Kostovich is an Associate Professor and Assistant Dean of Innovative Educational Strategies and Simulation in the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, Loyola University Chicago. In addition to teaching courses at the undergraduate and graduate level, she oversees nursing simulation within the pre-licensure and graduate programs. Dr. Kostovich has over 25 years of teaching experience in higher education. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in nursing and a post-graduate cert ificate in Educational Research Methodology. Dr. Kostovich's research focuses on the phenomenon of nursing presence, creating psychologically safe spaces for students and patients and designing, implementing and evaluating innovative approaches to teaching. She is a certified healthcare simulation educator.