SCHOLAR DIRECTORY

Freddy Laguerre is a Miami native from Florida. He currently works in one of the cardiac institutes in south Florida and his passion is the cardiovascular system. He graduated from Broward College with highest honors with his Associates of Arts degree then continued his education at Florida International University where he graduated with his Bachelors of Science in Nursing Magna Cum Laude. Quickly after he knew he wanted to pursue higher education in the field of nursing so he pursued his dreams, attending FIU’s specialized BSN-DNP graduate nursing track. With a special curiosity in mental health he decided to extensively research Down syndrome and the occurrence of early onset Dementia for his capstone project. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said it best when he quoted “It is not enough to take steps which may someday lead to a goal; each step must be itself a goal and a step likewise. Similarly, Mr. Laguerre is on the pursuit of his dreams, with each goal accomplished precisely.

Kimberly Landrum, Ph.D., R.N is a graduate of Texas Woman’s University, Houston, Texas. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International, and a lifetime member of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States. She has been involved with organizations that provide such services as medical care and clean water in Central America, disaster response in the U.S., and local support for veterans. Civilian nursing practice has been in the perioperative field, as a staff nurse, manager, educator, and travel nurse. As an officer in the Army Nurse Corp. Reserves, she served as a Platoon Leader, Battle Focused Instructor, and HIV Educator. She served on active duty during Operation Desert Storm. These experiences gave Kimberly insight into the military way of life, and the core concepts of honor, duty, mission completion, and camaraderie, which are fundamental for unit cohesion and individual achievement. She received a Diploma in Nursing from Mt. Carmel School of Nursing, and a BSN from Capital University, Columbus, Ohio. She received a MS in Nursing from Texas Woman’s University, Denton, Texas. As a nurse, veteran, and scholar, Kimberly is interested in the impact of community organizations on the health of veterans and families, and committed to helping nurses and communities understand the unique lifeways of those who have served in the military through translational research. She also has an interest in helping community organizations that serve veterans conduct research into the impact of their programs.
Dr. Landrum teaches at Anna Vaughn College of Nursing, Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Michelle Lardner is the Deputy Chief Information Officer and Chief of Clinical Informatics at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. In her role, she oversees the clinical informatics department and the electronic health record at the hospital. Previously, she served as the Director of Nursing Informatics at Virginia Hospital Center, informatics nurse specialist at Sibley Memorial Hospital, Chief of E-Health at the former National Naval Medical Center and a system coordinator at Epic Systems. She served in the US Navy Nurse Corps and has completed wartime and humanitarian deployments aboard the USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy. Ms. Lardner received her BSN from the University of Illinois and MS from the University of Maryland. She is also a Faculty Associate at the University of Maryland, providing assistance to the graduate nursing informatics program. She is currently pursuing her DNP at the University of Maryland with interests in applying evidenced based practice using health information technology and using patient portals to engage and empower patients.

I am a pediatric nurse specializing in simulation pedagogy and developing multiple simulation scenarios for health sciences including IPE and pediatric focus. I have over 10 years’ experience in education and simulation with 5 years experience in development and evaluation of simulation offerings. I have received faculty spirit awards and preceptor awards for education. I have also received awards for research abstracts and posters at scientific meetings. My current research has focused on exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis of research tools in the educational setting for pediatrics and simulation. I am currently the Executive Director of Simulation for the University Of Utah College Of Nursing responsible for development and operations of all simulation offerings.

Rene Lavoie began her nursing career in 1993 as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), returning to school for an Associate Degree, followed with a BSN. She is now pursuing her Doctor of Nursing Practice, Family Nurse Practitioner, at Loyola University New Orleans. Rene has spent her 20-year nursing career in the Cardiac Intermediate Care (CICU) working with step-down patients. During her career she has worn many hats, including – Staff Nurse, Preceptor, Charge Nurse, Project Manager, Committee member, Performance Improvement Coordinator, and Interim Unit Director. Her plans to further continue her education were halted temporarily when her daughter became seriously ill with Celiac disease and Overlap Syndrome, beginning a long journey of recovery for both Rene and her child, After an 8-year struggle, her daughter is in full remission and Rene has returned to school to pursue her dream of becoming an Advanced Practice Nurse. Rene is a member of Preventive Cardiovascular Nursing Association, a student member of the Louisiana Nurse Practitioner Association, is certified as Cardiac Vascular Board Certification (CVBC) from ANCC, and is a former member Content Expert Panelist, serving 8 years for the of the national board certification exam at ANCC.

My family immigrated in the United States from the Philippines when I was still in high school. Growing up in a poor area in Manila, I realized early on that I wanted to become a nurse to care for those in need. I took advantage of the college scholarship I received after high school by obtaining an associate degree in nursing. I worked as an RN for fifteen years before I decided to become a nurse practitioner (NP). After receiving my MSN from ASU, I worked as an NP in private practice for two years then as a primary care provider at Vandenberg AFB before going to the VA, where I spent the first two years working in a substance dependence treatment program. I currently work as an NP at the ASPIRE center which is a Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program through the VA for homeless veterans who have been diagnosed with PTSD and TBI. I function as the only medical provider for the veterans who have other medical co-morbidities including chronic pain problems. Because of PTSD, many of the veterans who come to ASPIRE center have histories of substance dependence which contribute to a challenging chronic pain management. This is the reason for my interest in getting involved in a research that promotes and encourages self care as an alternative to pain management. I hope that by my involvement in this research, I will be able to help veterans manage their chronic pain by means of self-care and non-pharmaceutical interventions.