Meet Our Faculty Micro-Course Authors
Dr. Tony Anno, DNP, AGACNP-BC - An Overview of Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices (CIEDs) for Healthcare Providers
Dr. Tony Anno is a core faculty member in the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner MSN specialization at Walden University. Dr. Anno received a master’s in nursing science from Washburn University and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Walden University. He has been working with cardiac devices for the past 30 years, 11 of them as a nurse practitioner. Dr. Anno has certifications from the International Board of Heart Rhythm Examiners as a Cardiac Device Specialist and Electrophysiology Specialist and is a fellow at the Heart Rhythm Society.
Dr. Karen Barbee - Understanding and Addressing Racial Trauma in School Settings
Dr. Karen Barbee is a licensed clinical mental health counselor supervisor (LCMHC-S) and the owner and clinical director of Renaissance Wellness Services LLC, a mental health and substance abuse agency in North Carolina. She is also a contributing faculty member for Walden’s MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. Dr. Barbee serves as chair of her county’s board of health and is a board member on her local chamber of commerce. Dr. Barbee works as an educator and speaker for organizations that promote racial equity through education and outreach in North Carolina.
Cheryl Cullen - How to Make Telehealth Safe & Ethical
Dr. Cheryl Cullen is a senior contributing faculty member in Walden University’s College of Management and Human Potential. Dr. Cullen is a nurse who has found a niche teaching economics, finance, healthcare reimbursement, and healthcare management for the last 10 years at Walden. As a registered nurse, Dr. Cullen worked at the bedside in CCU and labor and delivery, then as a nurse manager, director of education, and operations . Dr. Cullen worked in Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) for six years and was pleased to see Medicare approve telehealth for all Medicare patients in 2020. The change has had a positive impact on the care of all patients, including older adults. Dr. Cullen believes that as telehealth continues to grow, informed patients are just as important as informed providers.
Julie Frese, PhD - Embracing Change and Navigating Through Uncertain Territory
Dr. Julie Frese has taught learners at all levels in public and private settings and has served at the university level as director of assessment and director of teaching and learning. She is a contributing faculty member in Walden's Richard W. Riley College of Education and Human Sciences and serves as chair and methodologist on doctoral committees. In addition, Dr. Frese is a peer reviewer serving on panels to evaluate online courses, mostly at the post-secondary level. She is a peer mentor for teams of administrators and teachers in the Assessment Academy of The Higher Learning Commission.
Dr. J. Richard Horne - Solving Problems with Cause and Effect Diagrams
Dr. J. Richard Horne has been a Contributing Faculty member at Walden University for about 5 years. He has been teaching online graduate and under-graduate business course for over 10 years primarily in operations management, project management and quality management. He retired from the Federal government after 35 years of service with both the Navy and Marine Corps. His last position was a a Lean/Six Sigma Master Black Belt with the Marine Corps Logistics Command in Albany, GA. He also retired from the Army Reserve after 32 years serving half that time in intelligence positions and the other half in logistics and maintenance positions.
Jeanna Jacobsen, Ph.D - Building Cultural Competence in Gender Diversity
Dr. Jeanna Jacobsen is a Social Work contributing faculty at Walden University. They are a queer identified therapist with over 17 years of clinical social work experience. Dr. Jacobsen's scholarship has focused on intersecting identities, specifically related to sexuality, gender, and spirituality. They have published and presented on diversity and identity in online education and enhancing mental health professional competence when serving LGBTQ+ clients. Past volunteer for organizations such as the Trevor Project, Utah Pride Center, and the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
Dr. Boyd Johnson - Managing Virtual Cross-Cultural Teams
Dr. Boyd Johnson has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in anthropology, a master’s in theology, and a PhD in International Studies. He’s done work and research in more than 70 countries and has traveled to over 100 nations and all seven continents. He’s lived in six countries, where he’s learned firsthand about cultural differences. He worked for an international development organization for 16 years and has taught at the university level for 25 years. In addition, Dr. Johnson is the co-founder and senior partner of a cross-cultural educational consulting/publishing company with staff throughout Europe. He also has a wide background in qualitative research methods in intercultural/international contexts. From 2012 to 2019, he conducted a research project on cultural intelligence in four Eastern European countries (Ukraine, Moldova, Slovenia, and Serbia). His current research is on cultural norms and virtual global teams.
Dr. Deanna Johnson, DNP, AGACNP-BC - An Overview of Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices (CIEDs) for Healthcare Providers
Dr. Deanna Johnson serves as the academic coordinator as well as a faculty member in the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner MSN specialization at Walden University. Dr. Johnson received her MSN with a focus as an acute care nurse practitioner in 2014 and her doctorate in 2019. She has been practicing as an acute care nurse practitioner for seven years in the surgical ICU.
Lisa M. Kangas, PhD - Be a Better Leader: Appreciative Inquiry
Lisa Kangas is a senior core faculty member in the College of Management and Human Potential at Walden University. She has more than 15 years of leadership, teaching, and consulting experience in higher education and more than 20 years of business experience. As an educator, mentor, and advocate for lifelong learning, she is passionate about creating appreciative leadership and generating positive change by applying it to individuals and teams within organizations, communities, and society.
Dr. Ann Kriebel-Gasparro, DrNP, FNP-BC, GNP-BC - Resilience and Self-Care in Nursing
Dr. Ann Kriebel-Gasparro is a certified family and gerontological nurse practitioner. Her doctoral dissertation was a mixed methods study on the evaluation of nurse practitioners’ knowledge of depression versus bipolar disorder and screening behaviors for identifying bipolar disorder in their practices. The published research study is available in Lesson 5.
Reena Lichtenfeld, Ed.D. - Go Gig or Go Home
For over twenty-five years, Reena Lichtenfeld, Ed.D., has been a noteworthy leader in the higher education leadership space. Her experience spans from small private institutions, a large public state institution, a prestigious private university, and right here with Walden University. The variety of experiences has prepared and positioned her well for current work she does now as a full-time consultant with Ruffalo Noel-Levitz, the leading higher education consulting firm in the U.S., and as a contributing faculty member with Walden in the Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership. Dr. Lichtenfeld’s doctorate was earned from Walden University and she has both a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina. She is also DISC certified, holds a graduate certificate in digital marketing, is an Accountability with Care® expert, and holds a certificate in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace.
Dr. Terri Lyon - Making a Difference With Mental Health Activism
Dr. Terri Lyon is a faculty member in Walden University’s College of Management and Human Potential. She is the author of Make a Difference With Mental Health Activism and What’s on Your Sign? How to Focus Your Passion and Change the World. On her website, Life at the Intersection, she provides resources for activists at all levels—from those just getting started to experienced activists who want to be more motivated and productive.
Virginia G. Moore, PhD - Critical Thinking for Ethical Practice in Nursing
Dr. Virginia G. Moore received her PhD in Nursing Education from Capella University. She is the academic program coordinator for the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner MSN specialization in the College of Nursing at Walden University. She has professional experience in administration, inpatient and outpatient psychiatric clinic settings, emergency rooms, and primary care-mental health integration teams. She has conducted research in education and psychiatric/mental health. Dr. Moore has served as a subject matter expert and has given presentations on topics including nursing education, psychiatric and substance use disorders, telehealth, and primary care-mental health integration. She has experience with evidence-based practice mentorship and is an authority on telepsychiatry.
Denise Newman - Teaching Students With Autism in the General Education Classroom
Dr. Denise Newman is an educator, consultant, and educational advocate for students with autism and other disabilities. She has spent her career educating other educators and administrators on how to best educate students with autism.
Beth Nastachowski - AMPlify your Professional Writing
Beth Nastachowski previously taught writing both as a writing instructor and contributing faculty member for Walden University. She has also served as a subject matter expert for Walden’s writing courses. In addition to her academic writing experience, Beth has taught workshops on professional writing for businesses, helping workers to improve their communication skills across many different forms of writing in the workplace.
Sarah Prince - AMPlify your Professional Writing
Sarah Prince has been working with student and college level writers since 2002 and has been a writing instructor at Walden University since 2011. She currently teaches and has worked as a subject matter expert for writing courses and doctoral workshops for Walden’s Academic Skills Center and School of Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Studies. Sarah earned her BA at Presbyterian College and her MA and PhD from Emory University. Working with a range of student and professional writers has cemented Sarah’s passion for helping individuals develop their unique academic and professional voices.
Dr. Ora Robinson - Critical Thinking for Nurses: Medication Administration Safety
Dr. Ora Robinson is a National League for Nursing (NLN) Certified Nurse Educator (CNE®) with 31 years of experience in nursing education. She is a past recipient of the Young Publisher Award from the Association of Black Nursing Faculty. She is an alumna of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and a master’s in community mental health. She later earned a PhD in Human Services from Capella University. She is a published author and sought-after speaker for various professional organizations in the United States and abroad.
Pete Ross, Ph.D - Effective Classroom Management: A Step-By-Step Strategy
Dr. Peter Ross is a school psychologist, behavior specialist, and a contributing faculty member at Walden University’s Riley School of Education and Professional Licensure. He has worked in both the private practice and public-school settings, specializing in child and adolescent development and behavior problems. Dr. Ross has worked closely with public school administrators and teachers regarding effective classroom management and behavioral interventions. Dr. Ross is credited for developing the BOSS classroom management program that has been used across the US and international locations. He is a frequent presenter and author of behavior management topics.
Diane Rullo, PhD - The Next Step in Mental Health: New Disorders in ICD 11 & DSM-5-TR
Dr. Diane Rullo is a core faculty member in the Barbara Solomon School of Social Work at Walden University. She has been teaching graduate-level social workers for 27 years. Dr. Rullo has been practicing as a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), and Master’s Level Certified Addiction Professional (MCAP) for 42 years and has been in private practice since 1992. Dr. Rullo earned her MSW and PhD in Social Work from Fordham University. She also holds a master’s degree in counseling specializing in group work and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Montclair State University.
Gina Solano, PhD - Integrating Digital Badges in the School or Workplace
Dr. Gina Solano is a university professor of educational technology at The State University of New York Oneonta who teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in educational technology, research, and teaching methods. She is also a contributing faculty member at Walden University who focuses on educational technology and design at the doctoral level. Dr. Solano teaches courses on research, digital media, educational technology, STEM, multimedia, online learning, and instructional design. She has researched and presented on a variety of technology topics at national and international conferences on virtual reality, digital badges, digital storytelling, digital design, augmented reality, geospatial technologies, and much more. She holds a PhD in Educational Technology, M.Ed. in ESL Education, and BA in English Teaching. She has directed several service-learning programs, community outreach, and international student trips. Dr. Solano’s research focuses on professional development in technology for educators, innovative technologies, and social justice.
Dr. Alan Seidman - Strategies for Publishing Your Work in a Scholarly Journal
Dr. Alan Seidman is founding editor of the Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, a scholarly, refereed SAGE publication. Now in its 23rd year of publication, it has been the only journal devoted exclusively to college student retention issues. Dr. Seidman is professor emeritus at Walden University and executive director of the Center for the Study of College Student Retention (www.cscsr.org). The center provides retention resources to individuals and educational institutions. He is the recipient of the State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service and the Walden University Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership Extraordinary Faculty award.
Sydney Shaw, Ed.D. - Practices for Cultivating Increased Well-Being and Happiness
Dr. Sidney Shaw has been a mental health counselor since 2002, working with adults, adolescents, and families. His clinical experience includes working in rural community mental health in Alaska, school counseling, adventure-based counseling, medical clinic settings for native peoples, and private practice. He has conducted trainings and presentations at national, regional, state, and local levels and was selected as the keynote speaker for a state counseling association annual conference. He is a published author in numerous peer-reviewed journals and also published a professional video on cultural humility in counseling. Dr. Shaw has been a core faculty member in Walden’s MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program since 2014.
Anne Shiell - Upskilling PowerPoint: Simple Steps for Enhancing Your Presentation Design
Anne Shiell has more than 10 years of experience in higher education, teaching writing in the classroom, online, and using education technology. She currently teaches in Walden University’s School of Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Studies. Previously, she worked in leadership roles in Walden’s Writing Center, most recently as the resource manager of student and faculty webinars and a project lead for interactive e-learning modules. During her time at the Writing Center, she co-founded the podcast “WriteCast: A Casual Conversation for Serious Writers” and produced 70 episodes. Shiell holds a BA in English from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, and an MA in English from the University of Minnesota Duluth, where she taught composition courses as a faculty member in the Department of Writing Studies.
Mariangelly Sierra, M.S., LCMHCA, NCC - Becoming a Culturally Responsive Counseling Professional
Mariangelly Sierra is a Contributing Faculty member of Walden University’s School of Counseling. Mariangelly possesses over four years of experience teaching and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students. She is a National Certified Counselor and a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate in private practice. Her current clinical focus is on supporting the Latinx and LGBTQIA+ communities. In the past, she has worked with non-US citizens on the Texas-Mexico border and refugee families’ survivors of trauma from countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. Mariangelly enjoys presenting at various conferences on topics related to multicultural counseling awareness and development and mentoring students via Counselors for Social Justice (CSJ). Her research interests include multicultural competence in counseling and counselor education and supervision, social justice, and advocacy related to Latinx, LGBTQIA+, and other minority populations.
Dr. Shannan L. Simms, PhD - Shift Happens: Leading through Change and Disruption
Dr. Shannan L. Simms is an organizational psychologist with a focus on innovation and thought leadership in driving modern change and transformation as organizations look at the future of work. She has 20+ years of management consulting experience across industries, partnering with leaders at all organizational levels—C-suite to front line—to navigate the messy realities of organizational change, disruption, and transformation. She is passionate about supporting aspiring leaders, new managers, or transitioning managers to develop the skills and confidence to connect people to results in pragmatic ways. Dr. Simms holds a doctorate in organizational development and leadership, a master’s in psychology, and both coaching and project management certifications. In addition to her consulting practice, she serves as a contributing faculty member in Walden University’s College of Management and Human Potential, educating future scholar-practitioners in the industrial and organizational psychology and behavioral health leadership graduate programs.
Dr. Carolyn Sipes, PhD, CNS, APRN, PMP, RN-BC, NEA-BC, FAAN - Telehealth and Telenursing
A core nursing faculty member at Walden University with more than 37 years of clinical, research, academic, and informatics experience, Dr. Carolyn Sipes has implemented many enterprise projects both nationally and internationally, including managing projects in the United Kingdom with the National Health Service and in the United Arab Emirates with Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. She has assumed various management roles as a consultant, developed proprietary informatics competency skill assessments for electronic health records (EHRs), and published the textbooks Project Management for the Advanced Practice Nurse and Application of Nursing Informatics: Competencies, Skills, Decision-Making, as well as numerous other peer-reviewed publications, books, and book chapters presented both nationally and internationally. This background has been foundational to the development of numerous telehealth and telenursing webinars, which she has presented internationally over the past four years.
Brittany Stahnke - Recognizing and Understanding Obsessive Doubting: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Dr. Brittany Stahnke is a professor of social work at Newman University and a contributing faculty member at Walden University. She is the author of The Doubting Disease, a book on the realities of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Her research is in areas of mental health, marriage, and aging. When she is not teaching, mentoring, or conducting research, she can be found reading or writing. Dr. Stahnke enjoys what she does and believes that everyone should. It is her life’s work to guide students on their individual paths in the diverse field of helping professions.
Veronica Wanzer, Ph.D - Self-Care and Compassion for the Clinician
Veronica M. Wanzer, Ph.D, LCPC, also known as Dr. V, a native New Yorker, has served as a counselor and clinical supervisor in Maryland for ten+ years. Dr. V graduated with a doctoral degree in Counselor Education and Supervision from Walden University. Her dissertation focused on counselor competence with gender diverse clients. Immediately following graduation, she continued her journey as a counselor educator teaching in both Online and traditional Master’s-level counseling programs across the country, engaging with counseling students worldwide! Dr. V’s research interests include issues of social justice, counselor competence, and counselor professional identity. To disseminate this work, Dr. V presents at various counseling and interdisciplinary conferences on a yearly basis, including the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities (SAIGE) national conferences. She is currently engaged in various innovative research, social change projects, and publication efforts focused on social change and counseling at an international level. She published her first peer-reviewed article in the Journal of LGBTQ Issues in Counseling.
