Faculty Biographies

Mercy M. Popoola, Ph.D., RN, CNS, CFCN, FWACN
Dr. Mercy Popoola is program Chair of the Online Graduate Nursing Program at Herzing University, with over 27 years experience in traditional and online higher academic teaching environments. Dr. Popoola’s career as a critical care, telemetry, and holistic nurse has spanned over 28 years of nursing and healthcare practice in the United States and abroad. Dr. Popoola received her PhD in nursing with an emphasis on theory development from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado. Her professional experiences include teaching in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs, in M.B.A. programs, and in other health care programs; working with various health care and HMO companies; and serving as the director of various nursing and health care programs. Her clinical practice and research interests evolve around the management of chronic health problems from cost-effective, holistic, and caring perspectives. The recipient of several grants and teaching-scholarship academic awards, Dr. Popoola is the author of three books, 25 academic journal publications, more than 50 professional presentations and workshops. She has developed over 10 academic and continuing education programs and has been involved in the development and implementation of health care policy statements and nursing certification programs. As a health care consultant, Dr. Popoola has consulted with several local, national, and international organizations. She recently served as a consultant for the Department of Area Aging Agency. She has developed many online and traditional nursing, health care, and MBA courses for undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs.

Rebecca (Becky) Sisk, Ph.D., RN
Dr. Rebecca Sisk received her Ph.D. in Nursing Education Administration from the University of Texas at Austin. She earned her Master of Science with a concentration in Medical–Surgical Nursing from the University of Illinois at the Chicago College of Nursing; her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing; and her Diploma RN at Decatur Memorial School of Nursing. Dr. Sisk has extensive leadership background as a nursing director and head nurse, as well as extensive online and technological background as a course developer, Webmaster, and online faculty member. Dr. Sisk has taught in both the traditional and online academic teaching environment. Some of her online teaching repertoire includes teaching courses such as Evidence Based Practice, Research, Nursing Transitional, Teaching Strategies, Nursing Educator Role, Health Care Courses, and Assessment and Evaluation. As a grant and program director, Dr. Sisk has also authored over 10 peer-reviewed publications, presented more than 20 professional presentations, and attended many professional conferences.

Mary Jane Heaney Ph.D, RN, CHES
Dr. Mary Jane Heaney received her Ph.D. in Educational Evaluation, Research and Instructional Technology from Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan. Dr. Heaney has both traditional and online teaching experience in nursing and education, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Dr. Heaney’s online teaching repertoire includes among others, courses on ethics and legal views, leadership courses, health care technologies courses, nursing information technology, curriculum assessment and evaluation, and population-based courses. Dr. Heaney has experience as an evaluation consultant and has worked in various areas of assessment, evaluation, and curriculum development. She has been published in many academic journals and has presented on her areas of expertise. In addition, she has conducted multi-method needs assessments, as well as formative and summative evaluations. Dr. Heaney is a Certified, Health Education Specialist.

Larry Goins, Ed.D., M.S.N., RN, APRN-BC
Dr. Larry Goins receive his Ed.D. from Argosy University in Atlanta Georgia. A nursing practice veteran, he has been teaching and facilitating nursing education both online and on-ground for approximately 20 years. Dr. Goin’s experience in nursing education includes developing and facilitating distance and online nursing education and serving in the roles of faculty member, coordinator, assistant dean and dean of nursing. His practice background includes serving as a staff nurse, nursing supervisor, associate chief nurse, chief nurse, and CEO. His clinical passion is the rural practice environment where he uses nursing knowledge from every practice discipline and the concepts of community as a client to enable awesome lived experiences. Dr. Goins holds certification in Adult Health and Gerontological Nursing from the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Board Certified Clinical Specialist and also in Nursing Administration. He has been married to his nursing school sweetheart, Melanie, for 33 years. They have two adult children, and their “greatest passion is doting on” their two grandsons.

Cynthia A. Bostick, Ph.D., PMHCNS, BC
Dr. Cynthia Bostick received her Ph.D. in nursing from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver Colorado, her Master of Science with a concentration in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing (PMHCNS) from the University of Texas, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas. For many years, Dr. Bostick has taught in both traditional and online academic environments. She also serves as a coordinator of Faith Based counseling services for individuals and families. Dr. Bostick has experience in teaching courses such as advanced theory, leadership and management, advanced nursing research, and professional collaboration and writing for publication. She is the author of several publications and has attended many professional conferences and continuing education programs.

Juanita Emily Rass Ph.D., RN, FNP
Dr. Juanita E. Rass received her Ph.D. in nursing from Capella University, her Masters of Science in Nursing from Russell Sage College, her Masters of Business Administration from Long Island University, and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Maine. Dr. Rass is also a Family Nurse Practitioner. She has about ten years of teaching experience as a nursing faculty member at several nursing schools in the United States and aboard, such as the University of Prince Edward Island in Canada, the University of Guam, and the University of the Virgin Islands. Her research interests include holistic and complementary health, preventive health, and rural nursing. As a practicing family nurse practitioner she has practiced in a variety of clinics and hospitals throughout Alaska and Maine, primarily with the Native American and Alaskan Native populations. She is experienced in urgent care and emergency care management. She has extensive background in presentations and workshops. Her home state is Maine.

Patricia “Tricia” Jenkins Ph.D., RN
Dr. Jenkins began her professional life with a degree in English from Emory University; she decided that her next degree would need to be more flexible and people-oriented. She then went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Emory, as well as a master’s degree and a Doctorate in Nursing from the University of Tennessee, Memphis. Subsequently, she received another degree, Masters in Business Administration, from Tulane. She loves to teach and has experience teaching in both the traditional and online academic environments. She is currently the area chair for an online graduate nursing program in Florida and the director of biomedical research for an innovative company, Butterfly Effects, which is interested in the developmental issues of children on the autistic spectrum and children with developmental diagnoses. Dr. Jenkins is currently conducting research on the effects of environmental toxins and exploring biomedical interventions. She is also interested in energy studies, practices healing touch, and recently became a Da Dao Chan Gong instructor. She has developed and taught many online courses, produced a wealth of audiovisual media, received many honors and awards, been published in many academic journals, and presented her research in many professional conferences.

Laura J. Wallace Ph.D., RN CNM
Dr. Laura J. Wallace is a nurse-midwife with over 30 years of clinical practice in the obstetrical field in a variety of roles, including mother/baby and labor and delivery nurse and expert. Dr. Wallace received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Spalding College, Louisville, KY. She earned her Master of Science from the University of Minnesota and her Ph.D. in Adult Education from Capella University completely online. Dr. Wallace has both traditional and online teaching experience and has experience as a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) in various clinical settings, including both hospital-based and private practice. In her 24 years as a certified nurse-midwife, she has assisted in the labor and deliveries of over 1,500 pregnancies. Dr. Wallace has online teaching experience at the undergraduate and graduate levels and continues her practice as a certified nurse-midwife for a private obstetric and gynecological practice. A grant author, she has attended and presented at many professional conferences and continuing education programs.

Barbara Pate Ph.D., RN
Dr. Barbara Pate received her Ph.D. in Nursing and a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from the University of Arkansas for Medical Science. Dr. Pate is currently teaching administrative, epidemiologic, and research-based courses in an online master’s program. She has developed many online courses. Dr. Pate is a public health nurse who has 15 years of experience as a state health regional leader with broad responsibilities in human, financial, and performance management for 23 county health departments. Dr. Pate’s additional responsibilities include leading and managing epidemiological research studies and planning and implementing quality improvement initiatives. Dr. Pate has also served as a consultant for the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) meta-analytic study on physical activity and has published research on using technology for tracking disaster victims and improving behavioral health outcomes. She is the author of several peer-reviewed publications and has attended many professional conferences and seminars.