SCHOLAR DIRECTORY

Pursuing her doctoral degree at the University of Texas at Austin, Ashley Henneghan, intends to secure a nurse faculty position and educate the nursing workforce, conduct research, and improve patient outcomes. Her nursing experience so far has focused on helping patients cope with their diseases while maintaining dignity and experiencing optimal quality of life. This experience combined with a drive to positively impact patients on a larger scale motivated Ashley to enter graduate studies in 2012. Her bachelor’s in nursing from Pennsylvania State University in addition to her recent master’s in nursing from the UT Austin has laid the foundation for her career goals and helped prepare her for the full scope of nursing practice, science, and education. Her research focus is on the late effects of cancer treatment, specifically understanding and improving cancer survivors’ cognitive function. Throughout her studies she has been working as a teaching assistant in nursing and is now a graduate research assistant. She is currently a Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse, president-elect for the Central Texas Oncology Nursing Society and a member of Sigma Theta Tau, the Hospice and Palliative Care Nurses Association, American Holistic Nursing Association, and the Southern Nursing Research Society.