People Group Archives: Faculty

Marissa “Mari” Mackiewicz is an assistant professor at UCF’s College of Nursing and a nurse scientist whose work focuses on ensuring all older adults have access to healthcare. Her research interests include substance use disorders and unmet oral health needs in older adult populations. Prior to joining UCF, Mackiewicz held post-doctoral positions at the University […]

Kworweinski Lafontant is a certified strength coach and certified exercise physiologist and personal trainer who works as a graduate research assistant in the Healthy Aging Lab at UCF’s College of Nursing. Previously, as a master’s student, he served as research coordinator for the Physique & Performance Enhancement Lab at the University of South Florida. Lafontant […]

Jethro Raphael Suarez is a biomedical engineering researcher in the Healthy Aging Lab at UCF’s College of Nursing. His research focuses on the static balance performance and physical activity levels of older adults. Additionally, he applies his engineering expertise to develop cost-effective rehabilitative assistive devices designed to enhance mobility and improve quality of life for […]

David Asakitogum was originally educated as a nurse at the Bolgatanga Nursing Training College in his native Ghana and is the first in his community to earn a Ph.D. Over the next 15 years, he served as a nurse clinician and nurse educator in five rural districts in Ghana, advocating for prevention of malaria in […]

Jenna M. Wheeler is an assistant professor at UCF’s College of Nursing. As a practicing registered nurse with nearly 15 years of experience in the neonatal intensive care unit, she has witnessed firsthand the effect of preterm birth on families. Wheeler’s research focuses on the mother-father relationship and mental health during pregnancy utilizing a mixed […]

Nurse, researcher, and educator Michael Joseph “MJ” Dino specializes in health informatics, gerotechnology, educational technologies, robotics, human-computer interaction (HCI), extended reality (XR), artificial intelligence (AI), and academic integrity. He is part of the Delphi Group, which pioneered the new definition of Nursing and Nurses at the International Council of Nurses, and past president of the […]

Kailei Yan is a postdoctoral scholar working with Endowed Professor Victoria Loerzel. Her research interests include symptom management among cancer populations, behavioral studies and technology-based interventions. Education Selected Awards & Honors Selected Professional Activities

A broadly experienced clinician, researcher, educator and leader, Kristine Gauthier serves as a clinical professor and assistant dean for clinical affairs at UCF’s College of Nursing. She has previously served in similar roles at universities in Florida and Colorado. Prior to her academic career, Gauthier practiced for more than a decade as a pediatric nurse […]

Lecturer Caroline M. Griffin’s nursing career began in the rural Andes of Ecuador, where she volunteered for two years with the Peace Corps. Afterward, she worked as bedside nurse in a wide variety of inpatient and outpatient settings in the U.S. As a family nurse practitioner, she has provided care mainly to underserved populations in […]

Instructor Sarah Mundy-Russell has been a nurse since 2016 in emergency department, mental health, NICU, ICU and PCU roles. In 2022 she earned her MSN-APRN and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner certification. A Daytona Beach native, Mundy-Russell volunteers in her free time as a horse handler with the therapeutic riding program at at Easterseals Edgar’s Farm […]