• Ph.D.  Major: Nursing Minor: Physiology and Pharmacology of Aging, Older Adults and Cardiovascular Drug Therapy, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, Missouri
• M.S.  Nursing, Texas Woman's University, Dallas, Texas
• B.S.  Nursing, Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, Illinois

Professional Positions

• Illinois Wesleyan University, School of Nursing, Bloomington, IL
  Assistant Professor, 2002-present
  Visiting Instructor and Visiting Assistant Professor, 1995-2002

Scholarly Activities

Presentations

• “Maintaining Order and Aging Well: Keys to Successful Self-Management of Medications?” A session within 8th World Congress Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory: The Science of Self-Care and It’s Implication for Nursing Research, Ulm, Germany. 2004
  

• “Theory Guided research: Generating enthusiasm in undergraduate nursing students”, A session within 8th World Congress Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory: The Science of Self-Care and It’s Implication for Nursing Research, Ulm, Germany. 2004
  

• “Successful Medication Management” one of three sessions within “Eldercare: Challenges and Opportunities” sponsored by Methodist Medical Center, Holiday Inn-Brandywine, Peoria, Illinois. 2003
  

• “Medication Management Practices and the Older Adult” ,National Conference of Gerontological Nurse Practitioners, West Palm Beach, Florida. Awarded 2ND place in paper presentation. 2003
  

• “Successful Medication Management Processes as Perceived by Community-Dwelling Older Adults”, Sigma Theta Tau International State of the Science Congress, Washington, D.C. 2002

Grants and Research

• “Successful Medication Management as Perceived by Retirement Community-dwelling Older Adults and Non-retirement Community-dwelling
  

• Older Adults: Toward a Practice Theory”, (Illinois Wesleyan University-Artistic and Scholarly Development Grant $5000) Four Investigators. 2003
  

• “Successful Medication Self-Management as Perceived by Community-dwelling Older Adults: A Continuation Study.”(Illinois Wesleyan University-Artistic and Scholarly Development Grant $5352) Four Investigators. 2004

Service

University

• University Internship Committee, 2003-2005
  

• Summer Health Professional Program, 2002

School of Nursing

• Student Affairs Committee, 2002-2005, Chair, 2003-2005
  

• Faculty Advisor for two internships in Critical Care, 2002-2003
  

• Nursing Research Honors Project Advisor to Ann Steele entitled On vs. Off: Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery from a Patient’s Perspective, 2002

Professional Organizations

• American Heart Association
  

• Sigma Theta Tau International, Theta Pi

Community Involvement

• Central Illinois Down Syndrome Association
  

• Illinois Heart and Lung Foundation Board Member