Patti Allard, PhD, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CNE, LMFT

Dr. Allard, PhD, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CNE, LMFT, is an assistant clinical professor and lead instructor for campus based and accelerated online Capstone Transition to Professional Nursing at The University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing and Health Innovation. For the past 5 years she has collaborated with the Smart Hospital at UTA to deliver high fidelity simulation as a key component of clinical preparation and transition to practice. Prior to moving to an academic role at UTA, Dr. Allard held leadership and management positions in the service sector including over 20 years as Director of Education and Research, Magnet Program director and Pathways to Excellent coordinator.

Dr. Allard received a BSN from University of Texas Arlington RN to BSN program and a BS in Healthcare Administration from The University of Michigan. She also has a MSN from Capella University in Nursing education, a MS and PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy from Texas Woman’s University.​

Dr. Allard’s interests include transition to practice preparation for newly graduated nurses, medical family therapy and prevention of obesity. She has published several articles in professional journals, is a chapter author and has presented at local and national conferences. Dr Allard is a Registered nurse, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and is board certified in Nursing Professional Development with the American Nurse Credentialin.

Meagan Rogers, PhD, MSN, BSN

Meagan Rogers is the Associate Chair for Undergraduate Nursing in the College of Nursing and Health Innovation at the University of Texas at Arlington. She earned a BSN from Texas Christian University, MSN at Walden University, and a PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Texas at Arlington. Her research interests include transition to practice, disparities in educational persistence and attainment, and the use of predictive analytics to target interventions for at-risk students.

Rosemary Samia, MSN, RN, CNS, CHSE

Rosemary Samia, MSN, RN, CNS, CHSE, is the director of the Center for Clinical Education & Research at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Her clinical background includes 15 years in medical-surgical nursing before transitioning to teaching with simulation in the academic setting in 2014. In 2020, she completed the National League for Nursing’s year-long Leadership Development Program for Simulation Educators. Rosemary facilitates a local networking group for simulation educators in the greater Boston area and assists with the development and organization of regional simulation symposiums. She serves on the advisory board for safeMedicate, a virtual environment for simulated medication administration. In 2020, Rosemary was recognized by Sigma Theta Alpha for Excellence in Nursing Practice and was the recipient of the Maureen Oh Eigartaigh award.

Christopher Garrison PhD, RN, CNE, CHSE

Christopher Garrison, PhD, RN, CNE, CHSE, is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing at the Pennsylvania State University and the Director of the Simulation Laboratory at the University Park campus. His clinical background includes experiences in medical-surgical, cardiology, home health, and as an adult/gerontological nurse practitioner. He is a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) and a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE). Christopher holds an Associate’s degree from Northern Virginia Community College, a BS degree from the Pennsylvania State University, an MSN from George Mason University, and a PhD from Nova Southeastern University in Nursing Education. He teaches in classroom, simulation, and clinical settings across the curriculum in the BSN program at Penn State. In 2020, Christopher received the Janet A. Williamson Excellence in Teaching Award from the Penn State College of Nursing. He has 13 years of experience in designing and delivering simulation-based learning. His research interests include evaluating the effectiveness of simulation and virtual simulation as an educational strategy. Christopher has presented at national and international conferences on simulation and other nursing education topics.

Jennifer Roye, MSN, RN, CHSE, CNE

Jennifer Roye, MSN, RN, CHSE, CNE is The Assistant Dean for Simulation and Technology and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing and Health Innovation. She is lead faculty for the Fundamental Telehealth Skills course in the Health Informatics Certificate Program. Mrs. Roye received her MSN from UTA in 2003 and is currently enrolled at The University of Alabama in the EdD Instructional Leadership program. She practiced as a CPNP in private practice for 10 years and as an RN in the Emergency Department at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Ft. Worth, Texas for 16 years. Her areas of research interest include simulation, telehealth, student engagement, enhancing online education, and moral distress in the undergraduate nursing student population.

Desiree Diaz, PhD, RN-BC, CNE, CHSE-A, ANEF

Desiree Díaz,Ph.D.is an associate professor at the College of Nursing at the University of Central Florida. Her research is focused on using simulation to train health care providers to improve the care of underserved patient populations, including correctional health care and limited English proficient patients. Dexiree is one of only 28 advanced simulation-certified faculty worldwide. In her career she has been honored numerous times for research excellence and is recipient of the 2017 Excellence in Academia Award from the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation & Learning.