May 2018
Oluwamuyiwa Winifred Adebayo, PhD, joined our research faculty in 2018 as an assistant professor in the graduate program. Originally from Nigeria, Dr. Adebayo came to the United States nine years ago to begin her college education. She obtained her bachelor’s degree from South Carolina State University and a Ph.D. in nursing, with a focus on sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among youth, from the University of Miami. Her passion for the health of college students and the burden of STIs among them inspired her to pursue a career in nursing research. Her clinical experiences include emergency room and pediatric HIV nursing. Read More
January 2018
Andrea Yevchak Sillner, PhD, GCNS-BC, RN, is an assistant research professor in the College of Nursing. She is also affiliated with the Center for Health Organization and Transformation, housed in the College of Engineering. Dr. Sillner received her Ph.D. in nursing in 2013 from Penn State, where she focused on improving care and communication for older adults with dementia and delirium and their informal family caregivers. Before coming to Penn State, she was an assistant professor in the School of Nursing at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. Read More
July 2017
Jacqueline Mogle, Ph.D., is an assistant professor on the new clinical track. Dr. Mogle received her Ph.D. in experimental psychology from Syracuse University, where she was primarily trained in research methodology and cognitive aging. Her diverse background includes collaborations across Penn State; in addition to her roles in the College of Nursing, she is affiliated with the Center for Healthy Aging and the Population Research Institute. Read More
March 2017
Kimberly Van Haitsma, PhD, is associate professor of nursing; director of the Program for Person-Centered Living Systems of Care; and senior research scientist for the Polisher Research Institute, Madlyn and Leonard Abramson Center for Jewish Life. Dr. Van Haitsma, a clinical geropsychologist and applied researcher, focuses on questions seeking to understand the impact of contextual issues (physical environment, culture of care, staff interactions, interdisciplinary team processes, and psychotherapeutic approaches) on holistic aspects of quality of life and person-centered care provided to seniors residing in long-term care settings. Read More
November 2016
Associate Professor Marie Boltz, PhD, GNP-BC, FGSA, FAAN, joined the College of Nursing in 2016, arriving from the William F. Connell School of Nursing at Boston College. Dr. Boltz’s research focuses on geriatric organizational models that promote functional health in older adults, especially those with dementia. She has served as principal investigator (PI) for several studies that have tested system-level interventions to engage older adults, families, and staff in promoting functional recovery during the acute care and post-acute stay. These studies involved quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods, and used participatory processes with stakeholders. She was also PI for several health services studies focusing on the geriatric care environment and dissemination and uptake of evidence-based practice. Read More