Professors to Know in Nursing

Current nursing students are entering a profession with a history of intelligent, dedicated, and pioneering women. From Florence Nightingale, who established the concept of modern medicine as we know it, to many current registered nurses, nurse practitioners and nursing professors who are blazing new trails in education and patient care.

By getting to know some of the brightest nursing professors and researchers in the U.S., students can learn more about the profession and their own possible career paths as a nurse.

Nursing Professors You Should Know

Ann Marie P. Mauro, PhD, RN, CNL, CNE, FAHA, FAAN

Focus: Cardiovascular Health, Critical Care Nursing, Population Health, Innovative Educational Strategies, Simulation, Interprofessional Education

Licensing/Certifications: Certified Nurse Educator, Clinical Nurse Leader

Notable Contributions to Nursing: Responsible for educational innovations have increased diversity and inclusion in academic and work settings. Launched the Center for Clinical Learning, which provides simulation-based experiences.

Awards:

AACN Excellence and Innovation in Teaching Award – 2018
New Jersey League for Nursing’s Nurse Recognition Award – 2018
March of Dimes Nurse of the Year Academic Educator Award – 2017

Current University: Joan Hansen Grabe Dean and Professor, Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing, Hunter College (CUNY). Dr. Mauro was previously Dean of the Unterberg School of Nursing and Health Studies at Monmouth University and has since moved to Hunter College.

Website: Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing – Message From the Dean

Ashley Franklin, PhD, RN

Focus: Healthcare Simulation Research and Teaching, Nursing Education Research, Expert Modeling, Quantitative Methods

Licensing/Certifications: Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator, Certified Nurse Educator

Notable Contribution to Nursing: Developed evidence-based teaching practices in healthcare simulation.

Awards:

American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Excellence – 2019
Faculty Marshall – 2016
Joyce Griffin-Sobel Research Award, National League for Nursing – 2015

Current University: Associate Professor at Texas Christian University – Harris College of Nursing and Health Sciences; holds the W. F. “Tex” & Pauline Rankin Endowed Professorship (awarded 2022), per her TCU faculty CV.

Website: Dr. Franklin – TCU Faculty CV

Christine Mullins, RN, DNP, APRN, FNP-C

Focus: All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, Care Provider Knowledge and Administration of Vaccines, Interprofessional Education, Simulation in Graduate Education

Licensing/Certifications: Family Nurse Practitioner

Notable Contributions to Nursing: Funded by ETSU College of Nursing Research to create a digital clinical application.

Awards: AACN Novice Faculty Excellence in Clinical Teaching Award – 2019

Current University: Associate Professor and Family Nurse Practitioner Program Coordinator, Department of Nursing, The University of Virginia’s College at Wise (UVA Wise). Dr. Mullins was previously an Assistant Professor at East Tennessee State University College of Nursing and has since moved to UVA Wise.

Website: Dr. Mullins – UVA Wise Faculty Directory

Jaime Hannans, PhD, RN, CNE

Focus: Medical-Surgical, Gerontology, Critical Care

Licensing/Certifications: Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Basic Cardiac Life Support (BLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), National League of Nursing Certified Nurse Educator (CNE), VoiceThread Certified Educator (VCE), Humanized, Connected Online Teaching and Learning, CSUC, Creative Commons Certified Educator

Notable Contribution to Nursing: Innovative teaching and learning practices, including digital badges, open educational resources, open courses, digital storytelling, and extended reality. Affordable learning solutions, enabling students to take classes without textbooks or course materials.

Awards:

AACN Excellence and Innovation in Teaching Award – 2019
Co-Recipient of the Ventura County Leadership Academy Educational Leader of the Year- 2019
California State University Faculty Innovation and Leadership Award – 2018

Current University: Associate Professor at California State University Channel Islands, Camarillo, California

Website: Dr. Hannans – CSU Channel Islands Faculty Biography, Dr. Hannans Personal Website

Jane M. Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN

Focus: Mental Health Nursing, End of Life Care, Workforce Development

Licensing/Certifications: Registered Nurse

Notable Contributions to Nursing: Represented AACN on the Expert Panel that developed the Core Competencies for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice.

Awards:

University of Maryland Medical Center Nursing Colleague Award – 2019
AACN Sister Bernadette Armiger Award – 2018
Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association’s Leading the Way Award – 2013

Current University: Dean Emerita of the University of Maryland School of Nursing. Dr. Kirschling served as the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of UMSON from January 2013 through the 2022–23 academic year and has since retired with emerita status. The school’s current Bill and Joanne Conway Dean is Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD, NNP, FNAP, FAAN.

Website: Dr. Kirschling – University of Maryland Faculty Profile

Jennifer Wilbeck, DNP, ACNP-BC, FNP-BC, ENP-C, FAAN, FAANP

Focus: Acute Care, Simulation in Nurse Practitioner Education, Curriculum Development

Licensing/Certifications: Family and Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Emergency Nurse Practitioner

Notable Contribution to Nursing: Was the founding Board Chair for the American Academy of Emergency Nurse Practitioners – the first national specialty professional organization for ENP practice.

Awards: American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Certified Nurse Awards – 2020

Current Position: Professor of Nursing, Academic Director of Emergency Nurse Practitioner Specialty at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing

Website: Dr. Wilbeck – Vanderbilt University School of Nursing (VUSN) News

Linda S. Edelman, PhD, MPhil, RN

Focus: Research, Gerontology

Licensing/Certifications: PhD in Nursing, Certificate in Gerontology

Notable Contributions to Nursing: Researches injuries in older adults in rural areas and the triage of injured adults in rural and urban areas to trauma care.

Awards:

Amy Berman Leadership in Gerontological Nursing International Award. Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honorary Society – 2019
Distinguished Educator in Gerontological Nursing. National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence – 2019

Current Position: Retired from the University of Utah College of Nursing, where she most recently served as Associate Professor and Director of the Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence and the Utah Geriatric Education Consortium.

Website: University of Utah College of Nursing – Retirement Recognition

Mary Jo Kreitzer, PhD, RN, FAAN

Focus: Spirituality and Healing, Mindfulness, Chronic Illness, Integrative Therapies and Healing Practices

Licensing/Certifications: Registered Nurse

Notable Contribution to Nursing: Founder and director of the Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality and Healing at the University of Minnesota. Coauthor of “Integrative Nursing,” a practical guide for nurses to apply holistic learning in the health care system.

Awards: Women’s Health Leadership Trust’s Health and Wellness Innovation Award – 2016

Current University: Director of the Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality and Healing (CSH) and Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing. She was named the inaugural holder of the Mary Jo Kreitzer Chair in Health and Wellbeing Leadership, the Bakken Center’s first endowed chair.

Website: Dr. Kreitzer – University of Minnesota Faculty Profile

Mary Koithan, PhD, RN, APRN, BC

Focus: Integrative Therapeutics, Integrative Nursing, Systems of Care for Diverse Populations, Whole-Systems Healing, Research Methodologies, Chronically Ill Populations

Licensing/Certifications: Certified Clinical Nurse Specialist-Home Health Nursing and Nursing Case Management

Notable Contribution to Nursing: Recently published “Integrative Nursing,” a practical guide for nurses to apply holistic learning in the health care system, with coauthor Mary Jo Kreitzer, PhD, R.N., FAAN.

Awards:

AACN Lectureship Award for Diversity, Inclusion, and Sustainability in Nursing Education – 2019
Edith Sayre Auslander Established Visionary Award – 2019

Current University: Former Dean of the College of Nursing, Washington State University Health Sciences. Anne Mason was named interim dean of the college in September 2025.

Website: Dr. Koithan – WSU College of Nursing Leadership Transition (2025)

Pamela DeGuzman, PhD, MBA, RN, CNL

Focus: Evidence-Based Practice in Clinical Practice, Effect of Geography on Vulnerable Population’s Health

Licensing/Certifications: Clinical Nurse Leader

Notable Contributions to Nursing: Works to expand the types and number of clinical sites that prepare students for CNL practice.

Awards: AACN CNL Educator Award – 2019

Current University: Associate Professor at the University of Virginia School of Nursing

Website: Dr. DeGuzman – UVA Environmental Institute Faculty Listing