People Group Archives: Aging & Vulnerable Populations

The first in his community to earn a PhD, David Asakitogum was originally educated as a nurse at the Bolgatanga Nursing Training College in his native Ghana. 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 pregnancy, prevention […]

Jenna M. Wheeler, PhD, RN, CBC, is a postdoctoral scholar at UCF’s College of Nursing under the mentorship of Professor and Associate Dean of Research Carmen Giurgescu. As a practicing registered nurse with 13 years of experience in the neonatal intensive care unit, Wheeler has witnessed firsthand the effect of preterm birth on families, especially […]

Dr. Dahee Kim is a postdoctoral scholar working with Professor Ladda Thiamwong. Her research interests include diversity and intersectionality in aging and older families; community-based prevention/intervention programs, stress-coping strategies, resilience, health literacy, emotional wellbeing, measurement development and the life course perspective. Education Selected Awards & Honors Selected Professional Activities

Nurse, researcher and educator Michael Joseph “MJ” Diño, who works under Professor Ladda Thiamwong in the EMBRACE Lab, specializes in health informatics, educational technologies, robotics, human-computer interaction, mixed reality, artificial intelligence and academic integrity. He is an Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE) and the first Asian to win the Nurse in the Limelight Innovator Award given […]

Dr. Kailei Yan is a postdoctoral scholar working with 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

Dr. Abigail Tice is a postdoctoral scholar in the UCF College of Nursing on Dr. Ladda Thiamwong’s research team. Tice focuses her work on healthy aging and working with older adults in the community. She is interested in finding lifestyle-based therapeutic modalities to correct circadian misalignment in older adults. Education Selected Awards & Honors

Darcy Vetro Ravndal is a public health nurse practitioner with an extensive background in program development and education. She is deeply committed to advocating for quality, accessible healthcare for all children and adolescents. Ravndal served as the primary clinician at the Edgewater High School Student Health Center for 10 years and has been instrumental in […]

Susan Dyess is an experienced academician with solution-oriented leadership skills and meaningful results arising from community-based participatory action research initiatives. Skilled in organizational administration, curricular revision, resource utilization and program accreditation, she is committed to transformational impact by promoting collegial and student success. Education Selected Editorial Activities Selected Professional Activities

Lisa Linville has held administrative, legal and clinical roles in health care systems for more than 25 years and has taught in graduate nursing programs for more than 15 years. Her legal experience includes medical malpractice, health care law and ethics and healthcare regulatory law. Linville has been an active member of the American Bar […]

Janet Lopez is a nurse scientist who is dedicated to addressing health inequities through a comprehensive approach. She focuses on developing innovative strategies to improve health outcomes for underserved communities. After completing her post-doctoral fellowship at the Veterans Rural Health Resource Center (VRHRC) in Gainesville, Florida, she concentrated on promoting health equity among rural Veterans […]