Kelly Ayala DNP’18, uses her passion for innovation to improve the health care landscape for both patients and providers.
Meet a Badger Nurse
Where are they now? Alumni Feature: Grace Long ’19
Grace Long ’19 talks about her career post-graduation, why she loves UW-Madison, and the challenges facing nurses today.
Where Are They Now? Q&A with Sirirothnak Seng ’20
Sirirothnak Seng ’20 talks about why she loved the ABSN program and the journey to her current position in the cardiovascular ICU at Keck Medicine of the University of Southern California, working with patients who have had heart and lung transplants.
Mary Jane Esser ’68
Joining the Army Nurse Corps started as a means to an end for Mary Jane Esser, but it quickly became one of the most invaluable and memorable experiences of her life.
A Journey of Perseverance
UW–Madison School of Nursing Alumna, Riley Hilliard ’20, talks about her dedication, struggles, and journey to becoming a Badger nurse.
Andrew O’Donnell ’11, DNP’14
Andrew O’Donnell is currently working on the front lines of COVID-19 as the interim co-manager of the Trauma Life Support Center at UW Health, supporting a staff of 120 employees, including 90 ICU nurses.
Looking at Health Through a Different Lens
Under the advisement of Lisa Bratzke ’88, MS’92, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, FAHA, Nicole Thomas is using her PhD program to develop research in the burgeoning field of epigenetics and the intergenerational transmission of trauma.
Amy Hermes ’10
“For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to help people,” says Amy Hermes, a 2010 graduate of the UW–Madison School of Nursing’s rigorous BSN@Home program. Now in her 34th year at Stoughton Hospital, and her third as chief nursing officer (CNO) and vice president of patient services, Hermes’ appetite for learning has not slowed down.
Phuoc Hong Nhan ’20
Phuoc Hong Nhan started his undergraduate career as a math major but found himself at the School of Nursing. “I always knew I wanted to help people. When I did my internship as an EMT, I got to be at the bedside…. It just felt right to me.”
Melanie Krause ’06, PhD’10
One of the first seven nursing students to join the School of Nursing’s early-entry PhD program, Melanie Krause has made a career in long-term health care systems. In her current role, she is responsible for providing comprehensive services throughout the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General.