I am an Assistant Professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center’s School of Nursing, where I teach and mentor future nurse informaticists. I earned my Doctor of Nursing Practice in Executive Nurse Leadership from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2015, following an MSN in Nursing Informatics from the University of Maryland Baltimore, an MA in Information Management from Webster University, and a BSN from Seattle University.
My career has spanned over 30 years in both military and civilian healthcare systems. I’ve had the privilege of serving as Chief Nurse at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System and as Chief Information Officer at Joint Base San Antonio for the U.S. Army. I’m proud to bring this experience into the classroom and into my national leadership roles, including my service on the Board of Directors for the American Nursing Informatics Association.
My professional passions include improving healthcare through applied informatics, enhancing usability in clinical systems, leading quality improvement initiatives, and advancing digital health literacy. I’ve presented nationally on topics such as secure messaging, AI integration in healthcare, and 3D printing in clinical education. I’m honored to have received the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star for my service in Iraq, the ACORN Award from the University of Texas Health Science Center, and the 2024 MSN Informatics Faculty of the Year award from TTUHSC.
Beyond academia, I stay active in professional organizations like the American Nurses Association, HIMSS, and CHIME, and I love giving back by teaching robotics and 3D printing to students in my local rural community. Helping others grow, innovate, and lead in healthcare is what drives me every day.
Interests
- Interdisciplinary teamwork
- Nursing
- Nursing informatics
- Telemedicine