Speakers

George Tarwater, DNP, RN, CHSE
Clinical Assistant Professor
University of Kansas School of Nursing

Dr. George Tarwater is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Kansas School of Nursing. He brings extensive experience in undergraduate nursing education, clinical instruction, and healthcare simulation, with a particular focus on active learning, simulation design, and faculty development.

Dr. Tarwater holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Educational Leadership, a Master of Science in Nurse Education, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. He is a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator and an active member of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, and the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning, where he serves on the INCLUDE Committee. His scholarly and teaching interests include the use of scaffolded, multimodal simulation strategies to enhance learner outcomes, managing cognitive load in complex simulation experiences, and supporting novice clinical faculty development. Dr. Tarwater has presented nationally and internationally on simulation-based education and faculty self-efficacy and is key personnel on an AACN-funded grant focused on simulation-supported transition-to-practice initiatives. With a background in pediatric and adult critical care nursing, Dr. Tarwater integrates clinical expertise with evidence-based educational strategies to advance nursing education and support the preparation of practice-ready graduates.  
 

Megan Turner, MSN, RN, CHSE
Clinical Instructor
University of Kansas School of Nursing

Megan Turner is a clinical instructor at the University of Kansas School of Nursing. With over 10 years of experience as a registered nurse, she has cared fo r adult patients across the acute care spectrum, including within inpatient rehabilitation and hospice, medical-surgical, progressive care, and intensive care settings. As a nurse educator she has developed and facilitated numerous lab and simulation experiences, including multi-patient simulation experiences, for both undergraduate nursing students and novice nurses.

In addition to her interests in experiential learning, Ms. Turner is passionate about incorporating education related to lifestyle considerations into nursing education. She also has experience as an affiliate faculty with the Kansas City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, where she facilitated simulation experiences for new graduate nurses within the Post-Baccalaureate Registered Nurse Residency Program. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing at the University of Kansas, focused on how undergraduate nursing students transfer learning from multi-patient simulation experiences to clinical practice as novice nurses. 

Speakers

Fara Bowler, DNP, APRN
Associate Professor, Assistant Dean of Clinical Simulation Science Sr. Director of Clinical Partnerships and Placements
University of Colorado Anschutz 

Dr. Fara Bowler is an Associate Professor at the University of Colorado College of Nursing, where she serves as Assistant Dean of Clinical Simulation Science and Senior Director of Clinical Partnership and Placements. A recognized leader in clinical and simulation-based education, she has advanced academic-clinical integration through her dual leadership roles. She is serving her second elected term on the INACSL Board of Directors, where she champions international member engagement through the International Community of Practice, and was an author of the 2021 INACSL Standards of Best Practice: Simulation?. Dr. Bowler has also contributed as a member of the Standards Committee, served as liaison to the Governance and Financial Oversight Committees, and was an early collaborator in developing INACSL’s innovative Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice Endorsement™.

Ashley Franklin, PhD, RN
Polly & Tex Rankin Endowed Professor of Nursing  
Texas Christian University

Dr. Ashley Franklin serves INACSL as the Immediate Past President and liaison to the Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice Endorsement™ Committee. Her experience as a simulation leader at Texas Christian University includes curriculum, faculty development, program evaluation, and competency assessment in formative simulation. Dr. Franklin is a past author of the Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice®.

Speakers

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

Joanne O. Dunderdale 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 simulation 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 certificate 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.

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 simulation 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 certificate in Educational Research Methodology. Dr. Kostovich's research focuses on the phenomenon of n ursing 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.

Speakers

Michael Ackerman, PhD, RN, FCCM, FNAP, FAANP, FAAN
Director, Center for Healthcare Innovation and Leadership
The Ohio State University

Michael Ackerman is currently the Director of the Master in Healthcare Innovation Program and Professor of Clinical Nursing, and the Director of the Center for Healthcare Innovation and Leadership at the Ohio State University College of Nursing. He also maintains a clinical practice as an acute care nurse practitioner at St Joseph’s Neighborhood in Rochester, NY. He is also the Owner of Ackerman Consultants.Dr. Ackerman has held just about every position a nurse could hold in academia and clinical practice, from candy striper to senior director. His entire career has been dedicated to critical care, with numerous publications as well as invitations to speak nationally and internationally. His research and writing have focused on a variety of clinical topics, including sepsis, airway management, hemodynamics, innovation, and leadership. His innovative work has led to many disruptions in clinical practice and health system change. He has been recognized for his various contributions with various fellowships, including Fellow in Critical Care Medicine, Fellow in the National Academy of Practice, Fellow in the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, and The American Academy of Nursing.

Stephanie Justice, DNP, RN, CHSE
Assistant Clinical Professor
The Ohio State University

Dr. Stephanie Justice is an Assistant Clinical Professor at The Ohio State University College of Nursing. She worked in the simulation lab for several years and served as the Graduate Simulation Coordinator. She helped to plan and currently works in the XR lab, teaches courses, and is part of the Center for Healthcare Innovation and Leadership. She is a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE), virtual reality educator, and moulage artist. She volunteers with the Central American Medical Associati on (CAMO), co-chairs Champions in Higher Education for XR (CHEX), and is a faculty advisor for Buck-I-SERV alternative break trips to Antigua, Guatemala, and Akokwa, Ghana. Dr. Justice participated in the National League for Nursing (NLN) Sim Leaders program in 2022. Dr. Justice is working on several grants, including the Disrupting Nursing Education Using Extended Reality (XR), Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning grant sponsored by the American Nurses Foundation Reimagining Nursing Initiative.