Education
Ph.D Nursing, University of California Los Angeles, 2015
Biography
My journey began in 2015 at California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI) where I taught in the undergraduate, graduate and ADN/RN to BSN tracks. In 2025, I was appointed Chair of the Nursing Department and began serving as representative and advocate for student success and cultivation of fellow colleagues. In the earlier years at CSUCI, my leadership roles included course lead instructor for Introduction to Professional Nursing Practice, and Evidence-Based Nursing Practice, and Director for the ADN/RN to BSN Program in Extended University. I have had the pleasure of seeing hundreds of students pass my courses, graduate, and begin their nursing career.
My interest in teaching and research was formulated early in my career, shortly after earning an Associate Degree in Nursing at Dutchess Community College in New York in 2003. I decided to pursue higher education and received a Bachelor of Science Degree at State University of New York. My quest for Nursing Education continued while attending California State University Los Angeles where I graduated with a Master’s Degree and an emphasis in Nursing Education, and was selected as a scholar for the Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program. Finally, I graduated with a PhD in 2015 from University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), School of Nursing upon completion of my dissertation study titled Influences of Perceived Environment, Partner Support, and Attitudinal Familism on Physical Activity among Mexican American Women.
At CSUCI, I have conducted two main research projects examining the clinical experiences of students in the Dedicated Education Unit at several hospitals. During this time, an interdisciplinary team of students from Health Science, Psychology, and Nursing collaborated in my work to perform data entry, data cleaning, data analysis, review of the literature, scholarly writing, and dissemination of findings through conference presentations and publication.
My service extends beyond Nursing at CSUCI to the Southern California region where I currently serve as Research Chair for the Gamma Tau at-Large (GTaL) Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. Our GTaL Chapter includes students and faculty from CSUCI, CSU Northridge and UCLA.
From 2005 to 2025, my nursing practice included caring for acute patients with primarily cardiac and neurological conditions in the Medical-Surgical and Definitive Observation Units where my greatest satisfaction has been seeing patients return to quality lives after making lifestyle behavioral changes and receiving medical interventions.
My drive for teaching, service, and research stems from a lifelong passion for nursing education and ultimately improved patient outcomes. My goal in academia is to guide and support faculty in using best teaching practices to facilitate student learning so eventually they too can become successful in the nursing profession. Besides my professional life, I enjoy nature, sightseeing, and healthful living.
Representative Courses Taught
- NRS 300 Introduction to Professional Nursing Practice
- NRS 301 Introduction to Professional Nursing Practice Lab
- NRS 350 Evidence-Based Nursing Practice
- NRS 508 Evidence-based Practice and Quality Improvement
- NRS 540 Culminating Experience
Scholarship
Keywords
Dedicated Education Unit