8 faculty receive promotions

The Board of Regents approved the promotion of eight School of Nursing faculty at a meeting in May. 

Four faculty members were promoted to associate professor with tenure.

Robin Austin, PhD, DNP, DC, RN, NI-BC, FAMIA, FNAP, FAAN, was promoted to associate professor. Her research capitalizes on her clinical background as a chiropractor and a nurse and integrates it with informatics methods to examine patients’ biopsychosocial, whole-person needs. Through her research and expertise in consumer and clinical informatics, she seeks to empower individuals to better care for themselves, using technology to advance person-centered care and achieve better health and wellbeing. 

Cynthia Bradley, PhD, RN, CNE, CHSE, ANEF, was promoted to associate professor. She serves as director of simulation and has expertise in integrating simulation throughout nursing curricula and preparing faculty to use evidence-based teaching methods. She leads the Big 10 Practice-Ready Nursing Initiative, a $1.3 million grant-funded project exploring the use of immersive virtual reality and structured clinical preceptorship to better prepare nursing students for the workforce.

Carrie Neerland, PhD, APRN, CNM, FACNM, was promoted to associate professor. Her research is centered around understanding and enhancing birthing individuals' experiences during pregnancy, labor, and birth. Her focus includes maternal confidence for physiologic birth, care practices that support natural childbirth, integration of midwifery care across birth settings, and reducing unnecessary interventions.

Dereck Salisbury, PhD, FAACVPR, was promoted to associate professor. As a clinical exercise physiologist, Salisbury is examining whether aerobic exercise paired with virtual-reality cognitive training can delay Alzheimer’s disease. He is implementing physical activity and exercise-focused programs in rural communities, as physical activity is a mitigating strategy for Alzheimer's disease, which is more prominent in rural communities.

Carol Flaten, DNP, RN, PHN, was promoted to clinical professor. She serves as assistant dean of Pre-licensure program and advances nursing education and prepares students for global health care challenges with a commitment to innovative education, curriculum development, integrating simulation into the pre-licensure curricula.

Misty Wilkie, PhD, RN, FAAN, was promoted to clinical professor. Her research and clinical interests include supporting minority nursing students with a focus on those from American Indian/Alaska Native/Indigenous backgrounds to improve health outcomes for the individuals and their communities. She serves as director of the Doctoral Education Pathway for American Indian/Alaska Native Nurses and the director of the Center for Indigenous People, Health and Nursing of Nursing America.

Stephanie Gingerich, DNP, RN, CPN, was promoted to clinical associate professor. She serves as DNP health innovation and leadership specialty coordinator with a scholarship focus on partnership approaches in health care.

Mary DeGrote Goering, PhD, RN-BC, was promoted to clinical associate professor. Her research examines how factors like nurse staffing ratios, nursing education levels, and work environments impact health care quality and patient safety outcomes in acute care settings