Faculty Research

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College of Nursing faculty members serve the dual mission of disciplinary research and professional teaching.

All graduate faculty listed may serve as graduate student advisory committee members. Per the College of Nursing Performance Standards, DNP projects are chaired by a DNP faculty member and Ph.D. dissertations are chaired by a Ph.D. faculty member. DNP and Ph.D. faculty may co-chair project or dissertation committees.

Faculty Member	Research Interests
Alham Abuatiq, Ph.D., M.S.N., RN	E-Learning in nursing Digital clinical experiences Stress perception in critical care Techno stress Critical care
Robin Arends, DNP, CNP, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC, CNE, FAANP	Chronic disease management/prevention/health promotion Complementary medicine Telehealth Long-term care Advocacy/legislation, advanced practice issues, leadership Mental health Military health Palliative care Interprofessional activities Critical care
Robin Brown, Ph.D., RN	Organizational change Stress and coping Rural health Health promotion Nursing education
Dannica Callies, DNP, CNP	Rural healthcare Self-care Primary prevention and health promotion Nursing education including continuing education for the APRN Leadership Telemedicine
Cynthia Elverson, Ph.D., RN	Maternal/child population topics such as: pain stress attachment
Karin Emery, Ph.D., RN	Administration and leadership Biobehavioral research Diabetes Self and family management Chronic illness
Kay Foland, Ph.D., PMHNP-BC, PMHCNS-BC, CNP, RN (committee member only)	Gerontology/older adult in LTC facilities and the community Psychosocial issues/interventions with dementia and depression Qualitative methodology Mental health interventions, esp. related to smoking behaviors Educational research in nursing
Theresa Garren-Grubbs, DNP, RN, CMSRN, CNL	Rural health Advanced care planning Leadership Quality improvement
Lori Hendrickx, Ed.D., RN, CCRN	Rural health Nursing education Emergency and critical care
Mary Isaacson, Ph.D., RN, CHPN®	American Indian palliative care Rural/frontier palliative care American Indian childhood obesity CBPR approach Hermeneutic phenomenology Cultural humility/diversity
Mary Anne Krogh, Ph.D., CRNA, FAAN	Psychometrics Testing theory Innovative item types High stakes examinations Item response/latent trait theory
Heidi Mennenga, Ph.D., RN	Student outcomes Team-based learning Simulation Undergraduate curriculum
Sarah Mollman, Ph.D., RN, CNE	Educational research Palliative and end-of-life care Oncology
Christina Plemmons, Ph.D., RN-BC, CNE	Nursing education Clinical academic partnerships Clinical self-efficacy Clinical teamwork Quantitative methods
Brandi Pravecek, DNP, CNP, FNP-BC	Palliative and end of life care Rural health Underserved and homeless populations Geriatrics
Danielle Schievelbein, Ph.D., RN	Chronic Disease Management Rural Nursing/Health Nursing Education Simulation
Tom Stenvig, Ph.D., RN, MPH, NEA-BC, FAAN	Provider immunization practices Refugee health American Indian health Survey research Theory of planned behavior Health belief model
Brandon Varilek, Ph.D., RN, PCCN, CCTC	Hermeneutic phenomenology Chronic disease management (cystic fibrosis and ESRD) Kidney transplantation American Indian/Native American health Palliative/end-of-life care
Jo Voss, Ph.D., RN, CNS	Nursing education research Anxiety and stress management Complementary therapies Critical care clinical research

Updated October 2021