Board of Advisors

Dean’s Board of Advisors

The Dean’s Board of Advisors of Georgetown University School of Nursing (GUSON) provides high-level strategic guidance to the Dean and the school’s leadership team to achieve the school’s goals for national prominence in teaching, service, and research. As ambassadors for GUSON, the Board of Advisors seek to advance the school’s mission, strategic priorities, and trajectory as well as promote the school to potential and current students, employers, legislative leaders, governmental agencies, industry, and private foundations.

Members

Laura Babala

Ridgefield, CT

Laura has worked in the health care industry for over 25 years spanning work in health care policy, public health, disease management, quality improvement, strategic planning and marketing, and direct care. She has experience working in community mental health, urban public health, managed care, start-up entrepreneurial ventures, and the pharmaceutical industry. She frequently speaks about trauma and trauma-informed care to the legal industry, schools and communities as well as hosting training and retreats on healing trauma through embodiment for professionals as well as individuals who have experienced trauma. Laura has taught yoga at studios, in private sessions and through Liberation Prison Yoga. She serves on the Trauma Research Foundation Board of Directors. Laura considers herself a lifelong learner who started by earning a BA in Political Science and Russian from Michigan State University; a Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania; and a postgraduate certificate focused on attachment and advanced clinical skills from New York University.

Kerin Torpey Bashaw (NHS’87)

Napa, CA

Kerin is the senior vice president of the Department of Patient Safety and Risk Management for The Doctor’s Company, the nation’s largest physician-owned medical malpractice insurer, where she is responsible for setting strategy across the nation for a team of nearly 50 patient safety experts. She has more than 25 years of experience in executive positions at top healthcare systems, including Verity Health System, Alameda Health System, Stanford Cancer Center, Sanford Health Care, and Kaiser Permanente. She received her MPH from Yale. While at Georgetown, she was involved with Army Nursing and received an ROTC full academic scholarship. She resides in California with her husband Matthew.

Fran Buckley (NHS’78)

Raleigh, NC

Fran and her husband, Tim, have a long history as Georgetown volunteers and Fran is a long-time board member. She has also served on the University’s Board of Regents from 2001 – 2007 and was reappointed to the Regents in 2011. Fran holds an MBA from Loyola University in Chicago and worked at Arthur Andersen before becoming a homemaker. She has worked as a healthcare consultant and a labor and delivery nurse. Most recently, she serves as a managing member of Joyce Labs, Inc. which manufactures Dry+Goods, an athletic product utilized in MLB clubhouses and by more than 10 NFL training camps. Fran supports the Health Care & Management Policy Fund. She received the John Carroll Award in 2018. In addition to Anne (NHS’08) and Christina (NHS’12), who both graduated with degrees in Health Care and Management Policy, she has two sons, Tim Jr. and Kevin.

Richin Chhajlani

Bakersfield, CA

Richin Chhajlani currently works for Chevron Corporation in Bakersfield, California. He is the Senior Asset Manager where he is responsible for the oil production within California. Richin has been in the energy industry for the past 32 years and has worked across the globe in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. His experience expands to all aspects of the oil and gas industry especially Upstream Operations. Currently he is also focused on the overall market transition to “Green Energy.” Richin is a proactive Diversity and Inclusion officer within Chevron serving as the Executive Steering Committee Members for Asian Employee Network. Richin wishes to be an Advisory Board Member so he can serve as key ambassador for the school’s initiatives and priorities. One of Richin’s passions also is to help mentor students through career development and progression. Richin holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in petroleum engineering and an Executive MBA from Rice University along with an Advanced Leadership Associate qualification from Stanford University.

Varsha Duggar Chhajlani

Bakersfield, CA

Varsha Duggar Chhajlani has a Bachelor of Science degree from India and a Master of Business Administration in Finance and Management Information Systems from the University of New Orleans. She presently works at PNC as a Lead Accounting Expert and Business Analyst in the Bio Finance Control department where she is responsible for managing corporate planning and financial reporting systems. Prior to joining PNC, she held a Financial Analyst position at Chevron.

She is the proud parent of three daughters with one enrolled in the School of Nursing at Georgetown University and the other set to graduate in 2023 from Georgia Institute of Technology as a Chemical Engineer. Her youngest daughter is in the 8th grade attending school in Bakersfield. As an active member of her community she has served as the President and Treasurer of the Parent Teacher Association. She enjoys volunteering, especially supporting education initiatives, and also aspires to obtain a certification in personal training and nutrition.

Mary Ellen Conway (NHS’81)

Bethesda, MD

Mary Ellen Conway is the President of Capital Healthcare Group, LLC (CHG). Ms. Conway is a nurse with over 35 years of expertise in management throughout the healthcare continuum from acute care to alternate site and post acute. She is known for her special expertise in home health, hospice and home medical equipment as well as physician practice management. She has been a faculty member of both Georgetown University and Catholic University’s Schools of Nursing. She is a nationally recognized health care speaker and author. Her clients range from small, proprietary home health and medical equipment businesses, to large, integrated health care delivery systems. Ms. Conway has been qualified as a legal expert in home health and routinely provides expert testimony for defendants in home health cases. Most recently, she was the Chief Compliance Officer for a national medical supplies provider. While her consulting practice has her traveling nationwide, she continues to enjoy Georgetown basketball and attends as many games as her schedule allows. Her husband is a dentist who graduated from Georgetown with a bachelor’s in biology in 1980. She has three grown children and three Hoya siblings.

Jennifer Couvillon (NHS’96, MSN’97)

New Orleans, LA

Dr. Couvillon is currently the campus president of Chamberlain College’s New Orleans campus at Ochsner Health and LCMC Health. She brings more than 25 years of experience in clinical nursing and education to the position. Prior to joining Chamberlain, Dr. Couvillon served as assistant vice president of system nursing professional development at Ochsner Health and was an assistant professor of nursing at Louisiana State University School of Nursing. She is a critical care nurse and started her career in the cardiac intensive care unit at Georgetown University Hospital. She received her bachelor’s in nursing with a concentration in critical care nursing from Georgetown in 1996 and her master’s degree with a family nurse practitioner specialty in 1997. In 2002, Dr. Couvillon earned a doctor of philosophy degree in nursing education from Duquesne University. She has served as president of Sigma Theta Tau International, Epsilon Nu Chapter, the American Nurses Association New Orleans District Nursing Association and is board member of the LA State Board of Nursing and the NLN CNEA Commission.

Stephan Davis (MS’09)

Washington, DC

Dr. Stephan Davis, DNP, MHSA, FACHE, FNAP, FHFMA, FAAN is the inaugural Executive Director of Inclusive Leadership education for the department of health administration at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). He also serves as Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for VCU’s College of Health Professions. Dr. Davis, who earned his DNP in healthcare leadership and policy at Yale, is a fellow and national faculty member for the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). He is a past chair of the ACHE LGBTQ Healthcare Leaders Community and has served as an ACHE Regent-at-Large, a role created to foster diversity in the governance of ACHE. During 2022, he was inducted as a distinguished scholar and fellow of the National Academies of Practice and as a fellow of the Healthcare Financial Management Association. He was also a part of the 2022 class of new fellows of the American Academy of Nursing and has been appointed by the board of directors to a two-year term on the Academy’s Diversity and Inclusivity Committee.

Eileen Brennan Ferrell (NHS’75, MS’83)

Washington, DC

Eileen is co-chair of the School of Nursing Advisory Board. She retired in February 2023 as the Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. She has been the CNO here for ten years. After completing her nursing degree at Georgetown in 1975, Eileen was awarded a Robert Wood Johnson scholarship to pursue a master’s at Georgetown. During her leadership MedStar Georgetown University Hospital has achieved Magnet Recognition four times: 2004, 2008, 2013 and 2018. She was formerly the Director of Nurse Recruitment and Retention at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. She is actively involved in issues surrounding the shortage of nurses nationwide. Eileen is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, AONE, and other community organizations. She lives in Georgetown, DC, and her daughter Kate has also been a nurse at Georgetown University Hospital.

Danielle McCamey (MS’11, DNP’17)

Baltimore, MD

Dr. McCamey currently serves as the Assistant Dean for Clinical Practice & Relationships & Assistant Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and currently practices as an Acute Care NP in Surgical Critical Care. She received her BSN from UVA, and both her MS in Acute Care Advanced Practice and Doctor of Nursing Practice from Georgetown University. Her specialties range from perianesthesia to palliative, and critical care. She has served as Adjunct Faculty for Georgetown University and is a Fellow in the American College of CHEST Physicians. Dr. McCamey founded DNPs of Color, a nonprofit whose mission is “to serve Doctors of Nursing Practice of Color through networking, mentorship and advocacy to increase diversity in doctoral studies, clinical practice and leadership.” Dr. McCamey continues to be a member of many organizations, such as the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and American College of CHEST Physicians.

Andrea Morseburg (NHS’77)

Altadena, CA

Andrea currently serves as the Senior Consultant for the Western Region of Langley Innovations, a full-service strategic fundraising consulting firm based in Maryland. She graduated from Georgetown University with a Bachelor’s in Nursing in 1977 to pursue a career as a pediatric infectious disease specialty nurse at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center caring for patients with HIV/AIDS. She continued her career as administrator of one of the largest orthopedic practices in Pasadena, Risser Orthopedic Group. She then began a career in fundraising, including work as Chief Development Officer at Mattel Children’s Hospital-UCLA, Director of Principal & Planned Giving at Good Samaritan Hospital, Assistant Vice President-Western Region at National Jewish Health, and Major Gifts Officer at Claremont McKenna and Pomona Colleges working closely with both Presidents with campaigns ranging from $250 million-4 billion. She has extensive experience in leadership transitions, strategy and coaching as well as campaign feasibility studies.

Annmarie Muñana (NHS’86, MS’15)

Chicago, IL

Annemarie has served in many capacities at her current employer, Chamberlain University. She began as the manager of the Simulation Center facility, became a Dean of Faculty and eventually transitioned to her current position, Director, Accreditation and Professional Regulation. After graduating from Georgetown with a Bachelor’s in Nursing in 1986, she began her practice at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and finished there with a 15-year tenure as a leader and research clinician in HIV/AIDS. Annmarie concurrently earned her law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Previous career experiences include 6 years as director of research compliance at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and served as a nurse consultant at Old Irving Park Community Clinic, a free primary care clinic for the indigent. During this time, she returned to Georgetown and earned her Master of Nursing in nursing education. In 2021 she earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice in executive leadership at University of San Francisco. Recently, Annmarie was appointed to the American Nurses’ Association Center for Ethics and Human Rights Advisory Board.

Liz McGeady O’Brien (NHS’83)

Greenwich, CT

Liz served on the NHS Board 2008-2021. She has also been an AAP interviewer. After graduating from Georgetown in 1983, she earned her master’s degree in public administration from New York University in 1986. She initially specialized in neonatal intensive care, then continued her practice as a per diem nurse at Greenwich Hospital. She is married to Christopher O’Brien, who also served on the NHS Board in the past. Christopher is the President and Founder of O’Brien Capital Advisors, Inc., a financial services company. He also serves as the Founder and Partner of Endurance Partners, LLC., a long-term private equity firm. Chris also serves as the Chair of the Bucknell University Board of Trustees and was invested as a Knight of The Sovereign Military Order of Malta in 2017. Liz’s sister, Leona Yin, is also an NHS alumna from the class of 1985. Liz and Chris have two boys, Connor and Rory.

Frances “Francie” Penny Capuano (NHS’89)

Old Saybrook, CT

Dr. Penny is the Director of the Doctorate in Education in Nursing Education program and an Associate Professor at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU). She has been at SCSU since 2016. She also continues to hold the position of adjunct professor at Georgetown University, which she began in 2020. After her graduation from Georgetown with a Bachelor’s in nursing in 1989, Dr. Penny received her Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University in 1994. She completed her PhD at University of Connecticut where she was honored as a Jonas Nurse Leader Scholar and served there as an adjunct professor through 2016. In 2014, Dr. Penny was inducted into Sigma Theta Tau. Her clinical experience has focused on pediatrics, pediatric ICU, homecare, public health, maternal child health and lactation as an IBCLC. In addition to her clinical experience she has worked in health care consulting in Washington, DC as well as management in healthcare non-profits. Her research interests include lactation and breastfeeding as well as health disparities.

Leslie Robinson

Silver Spring, MD

Dr. Leslie Giddens Robinson is the principal of the healthcare consulting firm of LGR Associates, LLC., a firm which focuses primarily on developing programs for managed care organizations in ambulatory clinical operations, training, use of evidence-based guidelines to improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations enrolled in Medicaid and Medicare and transitions of care management. She has held executive level positions at United Healthcare in the business units that managed Medicare and Medicaid. Leslie is an active member and past president of the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN), and has been selected to participate on their planning committee for the annual meeting for the past two years. Dr. Robinson has been interested and continues to work with AAACN on fostering academic practice partnerships. Dr. Robinson earned her Master of Science in Nursing Administration from George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice – Leadership from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT. She is also a member of the National Black Nurses Association.

Colleen Scanlon (NHS’76, H’00)

Denver, CO

Colleen is co-chair of the Advisory Board and was a committee member on the NHS Board 2001-2021. She retired as the Executive Vice President & Chief Advocacy Officer of CommonSpirit Health (formerly Catholic Health Initiatives) where she directed the development and integration of a comprehensive advocacy program within the largest Catholic health care system in the country. Currently she is serving on several boards (e.g., Catholic Medical Mission Board) and engaged in various service projects. Colleen was the Director of the American Nurses Association Center for Ethics and Human Rights in Washington, DC and served as a Clinical Scholar in the Center for Clinical Bioethics at GUMC. She was Chair of the Catholic Health Association Board of Trustees. She has received several awards, including the Mara Mogensen Flaherty Award from the Oncology Nursing Society and the American Cancer Society Lane Adams Award. In addition, she is a recipient of Georgetown’s 2011 John Carroll Award and an honorary doctorate in 2000. Colleen earned an MS in Gerontology from the College of New Rochelle and a JD with a health law and policy certificate from Pace University School of Law.

Michelle Stephens (NHS’06)

San Francisco, CA

Dr. Michelle Stephens, PhD, CPNP, RN, is cofounder and chief nursing officer of Oath Care. Her experiences as a pediatric clinician, early childhood stress scientist, and mom deeply inform how she leads and builds in healthcare technology. Michelle earned her nursing degree from Georgetown University and began her career at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in their pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). She then took the opportunity to be a travel nurse at the University of Maryland Medical Center’s PICU. She continued working there per diem while completing her master’s degree as a pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP) at The Johns Hopkins University. She then worked at Pediatric Associates of Alexandria and taught pediatrics at Georgetown University. Aside from her continuing clinical work, as a Robert Wood Johnson Future of Nursing Scholar at UCSF, she investigated how stress affects a young child’s autonomic nervous system (ANS). She cut her postdoc short and left academia altogether to fully pursue building a tech startup to reimagine the way we deliver maternal and child health care.

Nina Whitman (NHS’90)

New York, NY

After Georgetown, Nina went on to work in Boston at the New England Medical Center as a nurse on adult medical/surgical floors where she began volunteering for a social service agency called Bridge Over Troubled Waters. The agency provides programs in prevention, intervention and education that support high risk, homeless and runaway teens. She then went on and obtained an MPH with a specialty in Population and Family Health from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. After receiving her MPH, she became the director of an inner-city primary care clinic in NYC. She has also worked with the national office of The March of Dimes and is an active member of the Central Park Conservancy’s Women’s Committee. In addition, she is actively involved in the Board of Directors of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a humanitarian organization that works with refugees around the world and within the U.S. She resides in NYC with her husband, Michael, and their two daughters. Her eldest daughter, Tatiana is a student at Cornell and Tess is a sophomore at McDonough School of Business.