Current PhD Students and Research Areas
View our current PhD students
Bsn to Phd
Jerry Armah
Ailiya Bai
Keliy Fordham, BSN, RN
Hometown: Sarasota, Florida
Area of Research: Machine Learning, Necrotizing Enterocolitis, and Preterm Infants
Faculty Mentor: Leslie Parker, PhD, APRN, NNP-BC, FAAN
Affiliations: UF Shand’s Child’s Hospital, Florida Nurses Association, National Association of Neonatal Nurses.
Honors/Awards: Predoctoral Fellow in the CTS Team TL1 Predoctoral Training Program, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society, Melissa and Marc Inglese Research Award.
Scholarships: Ruth Hay and Hans Schrader Nursing Scholarship/Fellowship Fund and the Walter and Louise Sutcliffe Scholarship Fund.
Jenisha Giri, BSN, RN
Hometown: Kathmandu, Nepal
Area of Research: Breast Cancer
Faculty Mentor: Debra Lyon, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, FNAP, FAAN
Honors/Awards: UF College of Nursing Graduate Assistantship Award, Grinter Fellowship
Simone Jackson, BSN, RN
Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Area of Research: Alternative therapies for pain control
Faculty Mentor: Staja Booker, PhD, RN
Affiliations: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
Honors and Awards: Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation Nursing Scholarship
Shawna Landon
Rigan Louis, FNP
Hometown: Léogâne, Haiti
Area of Research: Infectious disease, health promotion, vulnerable populations
Affiliations: International Association of Clinical Research Nursing
Honors and Awards: Latin American/Caribbean (LAC) Award; College of Nursing Endowed Scholarship Award
Janet Northcote, BSN, RN, CCRN
Hometown: Miami, Florida
Area of Research: AI technology for predictive translational research in the NICU
Faculty Mentor: Leslie Parker, PhD, ARNP, NNP-BC, FAAN and Marion Bendixen, PhD, MSN, RN, IBCLC
Affiliations: Standing Treasurer for the Alpha Theta Chapter at UF, American Association of Critical Care Nurses
Honors and Awards: DeLuca Nursing Scholarship, Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society
Camila Riano Rojas
Tatum Scarboro
MSN to PhD
Rachael Ajiboye
Faculty Mentor: Diana Wilkie, PhD, RN, FAAN
Kholod Al Hassan
Faculty Mentor: Diana Wilkie, PhD, RN, FAAN and Laurie Duckworth, PhD, APRN, FNP-C , FAAN
Amal Almutairi
Khadeeja Alnefaie
Faculty mentor: Jennifer Dungan, PhD, MSN
Sami Alotebe
Mohammed Alrashidi
Hometown: Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
Area of Research: Cardiovascular Care
Faculty Mentor: Jennifer Dungan, PhD, MSN
Affiliations: University of Tabuk
Honors/Awards: Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission
Shuruq Alsayed, BSN, MSN-FNP, RN
Hometown: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Area of Research: Mental health and well-being, psychosocial and psychiatric; autism
Affiliations: Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, The American Association of Nurse Practitioners
Honors and Awards: Highest Mark New Graduate Development Program, Princess Nourah Bint Abdul Rahman University Saudi Arabia Cultural Mission
Sarah Alzahid AGACNP, RN-BC
Hometown: Khobar, Saudi Arabia
Area of Research: Advanced nursing practice workforce
Affiliations: Sigma Theta Tau Chapter Rho, Emergency Nurses Associations, Michigan Council of Nurse Practitioners
Honors/Awards: Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University – College of Nursing
Margaret Ayorinde
Abrar Gharawi
Ahmed Hakami
Renee Motew, MSN, CRNA
Blessing Okorie
Faculty Mentor: Leslie Parker, PhD, ARNP, NNP-BC, FAAN
Jennifer Pruitt, MSN, RN, CNM, ARNP
Hometown: Gainesville, Florida
Area of Research: Neonatal hypoglycemia, preterm infants and glucose gel
Faculty Mentor: Leslie Parker, PhD, ARNP, NNP-BC, FAAN
Affiliations: UF Health Shands, Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
Honors and Awards: Research Fellowship – UF Health, North Florida Doctoral Consortium Scholarship, Brightest Students to Faculty
Aisha Rabie
Magali Rezende de Carvalho, MSN, APRN, CWOCN
Hometown: Itauna, Brazil
Area of Research: Complex wounds
Faculty Mentor: Debra Lyon, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, FNAP, FAAN
Affiliations: Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society; Wound, Ostomy & Continence Nurses Society; Northeast Florida Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners
Honors and Awards: UF College of Nursing Graduate Assistantship Award, F. Eugene Tubbs Critical Burn Nursing Scholarship, Walter and Louise Sutcliffe Scholarship Foundation
John Stephen, MSN, NE-BC
Hometown: Gainesville, Florida
Area of Research: Sickle Cell pain and related systems issues
Faculty Mentor: Diana Wilkie, PhD, RN, FAAN
Affiliations: Florida Organization of Nurse Executives
Honors/Awards: Arlene P. McKitrick Scholarship
Alya Sumait, MSN, RN
Hometown: Saudi Arabia
Area of Research: Leadership and management
Hyehwan Yang
Faculty Mentor: Ragnhildur Bjarnadottir, PhD, MPH