Faculty

Cynthia Armstrong Persily, PhD, RN, FAAN

Professor and Chairperson, Charleston Division
School of Nursing, and Associate Dean
Academic Affairs, Southern Region Programs
Executive Director, West Virginia Nursing Leadership Institute
Deputy Director, West Virginia Rural Health Research Center

Certification:

• Fellow, American Academy of Nursing
• Fellow, Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nursing Fellows Program (alumni)

Location:

Education

• PhD, Nursing, and Health and Social Policy, University of Pennsylvania
• MSN, Perinatal Nursing, University of Pennsylvania
• BSN, East Stroudsburg University

Clinical Areas of Specialization:

• Leadership Development
• Nursing Workforce Issues

Research Areas of Interest:

• Leadership Development
• Environmental Health Issues
• Nursing Workforce Issues

Nancy Atkins, RNC, WHNP-BC

Lecturer

Margaret (Peggy) Burkhardt, PhD, FNP

Associate Professor, Emeritus

Certification:

• AHN, BD - Advanced Holistic Nurse
• HSMI - Holistic Stress Management Instructor

Location:

Education

• PhD, University of Miami
• MSN, University of Rochester
• MA, (Theology) - University of Dayton
• BSN, Georgetown University

Clinical Areas of Specialization:

• Family

Research Areas of Interest:

• Spirituality and healing
• Stress management
• Health and nature
• Environment
• Self-care for nurses

Kristina M. Childers, MSN, FNP-BC

Senior Lecturer

Certification:

• ANCC - Family Nurse Practitioner

Location:

Education

• MSN, Marshall University
• BSN, Marshall University

Clinical Areas of Specialization:

• Family Practice

Research Areas of Interest:

• Diabetes
• Mental Health

Jarena Kelly,DNP, FNP-BC

Lecturer

Certification:

• AACC-Family Nurse Practitioner

Location:

Education

• MSN, West Virginia University, Charleston Division
• BSN - West Virginia University, Charleston Division
• ADN - University of Charleston
• BA - Marshall University

Clinical Areas of Specialization:

• Adults

Research Areas of Interest:

• Chronic Kidney Disease

Barbara Koster, MSN, ANP-BC

Lecturer

Certification:

• Adult Nurse Practitioner

Location:

Education

• MSN, West Virginia University
• BSN - Alderson Broaddus College

Clinical Areas of Practice:

• Urgent Care
• Rural Primary Care

Robert David Lane, DNP, MPH, MSW

Clinical Assistant Professor

Certification:

• APRN, BC - Adult/Gerontologic/Family Nurse Practitioner
  

  Family Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
  Clinical Nurse Specialist, Adult Psych/Mental Health

• DCC - Diplomate, Comprehensive Care
• Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker

Location:

Education

• DNP/MSN, University of Tennesee, Memphis
• MPH/MSW, University of California, Berkeley
• BA/BSN, University of California, Los Angeles

Clinical Areas of Specialization:

• Primary Care and Psychiatric Management across the Lifespan

Research Areas of Interest:

• Enhancing adaption in late life
• Functional and cognitive impact of drug burden
• Black boxes and rational prescribing
• Innovations in bariatric treatment

Evelyn Martin, MSN, FNP-BC

Lecturer

Certification:

• ANCC Family Nurse Practitioner

Location:

Education

• MSN - Marshall University
• BSN - West Virginia University
• ASN - St. Mry's/Marshall University

Clinical Areas of Specialization:

• Family Practice
• Urlology
• Hospice

Research Areas of Interest:

• Men's Sexual Health

Alvita Nathaniel, PhD, FNP-BC, FAANP

Associate Professor
Coordinator, Family Nurse Practitioner Track

Certification:

• ANCC Family Nurse Practitioner
• Fellow; American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
• Fellow; Grounded Theory Institute
• Fellow; WVU Health Sciences Center Academy for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Location:

Education

• PhD, West Virginia University
• MSN, West Virginia University
• BSN, Alderson-Broaddus College

Clinical Areas of Specialization:

• Family

Research Areas of Interest:

• Ethics
• Moral Reckoning
• Grounded Theory
• Advanced Practice Nurses' Practice Patterns
• Quality of Life

Barbara L. Nunley, PhD, GCNS-BC

Associate Professor

Certification:

• GCNS-BC - Clinical Specialist in Gerontological Nursing

Location:

Education

• PhD (Nursing), University of Kentucky
• MS, (Administration Nursing) - Ohio State University
• BSN, West Virginia University

Clinical Areas of Specialization:

• WV Geriatric Education Center
• Education to caregivers of frail elderly
• Southern Region Coalition - promoting geriatric nursing content Southern Region BSN programs
• Geriatric Nursing Education Consortium - The John A. Harford Institute

Research Areas of Interest:

• Maintaining and promoting health of caregivers of frail elders

Crystal Sheaves, MSN, FNP-BC

Senior Lecturer
Coordinator, RN-BSN program

Certification:

• ANCC - Family Nurse Practitioner

Location:

Education

• MSN, West Virginia University
• BSN, Mountain State University

Clinical Areas of Specialization:

• Family

Marilyn E. Smith, PhD, PMHNP-BC

Clinical Associate Professor

Certification:

• ANCC - PMHNP-BC

Location:

Education

• PhD, University of Tennessee (Knoxville, TN)

Clinical Areas of Specialization:

• Adult Psychiatric
• Mental Health Nursing

Research Areas of Interest:

• Intimate Partner Violence
• Sexual Assault
• Loss of an Adult Child

Sheila Stephens, DNP, RN, MBA, AOCN

Clinical Assistant Professor
Co-Coordinator of DNP Track

Certification:

• AOCN - Advance Oncology Certified Nurse

Location:

Education

• DNP, University of Kentucky
• MBA, Morehead State University
• MSN, Bellarmine University
• ADN, Ashland Community College
• BSW, Morehead State University

Clinical Areas of Specialization:

• Care of the Patient with Cancer
• Palliative Care
• End-of-Life

Research Areas of Interest:

• Survivorship Issues for People Living with Cancer
• Quality of Life