Meet Our Students:
Alexa Andersen, MA, BSN, RN, RYT
I’m a lifelong Spartan & truly bleed green-&-white! In 2008, I married my MSU college sweetheart at the MSU Alumni Chapel; we also had our reception at the MSU Union, & Sparty even came wearing a tuxedo! I earned my first BA in Psychology back in 2007 & then my BSN in 2020; I also earned my MA degree from Bowling Green State University down in Ohio (go Falcons!). I live with a handful of chronic, invisible illnesses that greatly impact my life, which has fully informed my PhD-program research (my focus is on how emerging adults with invisible disabilities experience stigma & how this stigma affects their mental health); I love serving as a disability advocate & hope to make this a more widely-known issue in nursing – both for those patients we serve, as well as for nursing students/nurses alike who live with such challenges! In addition to working with students & the disability community, I’m also very interested in work with gender-related issues, the LGBTQ+ community, & social justice issues in general.
Lauren Beam, MSN, RN
I am currently a first-year PhD student and full-time fixed term faculty in the MSU BSN program. My research focuses on emergency nursing and health system operations. My dissertation focuses on the direct bedding process in the emergency department. I am originally from Louisville, Kentucky and now live in the Plymouth area with my daughter, fiancé, and dog Goose. In my free time I enjoy reading, trying new foods, and traveling.
Orawee Changrueang, MSN, RN
I earned a Bachelor of Nursing Science in 2014 from Khon Kaen University, Thailand. I worked as a registered nurse in a medical ICU for seven years, primarily caring for heart patients. In 2021, I completed a master's in Adult Nursing, which led me to pursue a PhD. My research focuses on physical activity motivation in patients with advanced-stage heart failure and kidney disease in palliative care. Concerns about risks, such as injury or health deterioration, often lead to sedentary behavior and reduced motivation. By addressing knowledge gaps and promoting healthy behaviors, I aim to develop tailored interventioned that improve adherence to physical activity and patient outcomes.
Callie Harris, MSN, RN, CMSRN
I'm from the Lansing area, where I live with my spouse in a house full of fur babies. I'm a long-time Spartan! I obtained my BSN from MSU way back in 2010, and I taught undergraduate clinicals here just before moving on to the PhD program in 2020. My research and service focus is on preventive health and health equity among sexual and gender minority people. In my free time, I enjoy watching soccer, crafting, and doing home renovation projects.
Teresa Ng, BSN, RN
I enjoy playing with my bunnies and spending time with my fiancé. I am a third-year PhD student, and my research focuses on promoting resilience against suicidal ideations among high school adolescents. After graduating, I hope to pursue post-doctoral training at a research-intensive institution.
Kornkanya Pengpala, MSN, RN
I'm originally from Bangkok, Thailand. I like to try new things such as travel, hiking, learning, and visiting museums. My research interest focuses on home-based care to improve physical function in adult post-intensive care unit patients who experienced mechanical ventilation during their ICU stay.
Esra'a Sawalmeh, MSc, BSN, RN
I am a PhD student, a wife, and the mother of Ryan and Adam, the kidest kids ever. I am also working as a research assistant. I have a bachelor's degree in nursing from Hashemite Univeristy and a master's degree from Jordan University of Science and Technology. My research interest focuses on materal and neonate health.
Jutamas Suwannawat, MSN, RN
I am originally from Thailand and hold a Bachelor of Nursing Science and a Master of Nursing Science in Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing from the Faculty of Nursing at Prince of Songkla University, Thailand. Currently, I am pursuing a PhD in nursing, with my research focusing on promoting resilience to reduce depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and perceived stress among emerging adults. In my free time, I enjoy listening to music, reading books, and staying active through running and hiking.
Hesam Varpaei, MSc, BSN, RN
My research interests are cognitive impairment and sleep in patients with cardiovascular diseases. I am particularly interested in acute cognitive dysfunction after surgery, known as 'postoperative delirium.' I have published several manuscripts focusing on the prediction of postoperative delirium in different populations. Also, I am interested in the postoperative sleep of patients who experienced postoperative delirium compared to those who did not. I have also had opportunities to be involved in various research projects focused on postoperative delirium. In my PhD dissertation, I am focusing on cognitive impairment in heart failure patients and how sleep can contribute to its development. Currently, we know that sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, can be risk factors for cognitive impairment in other populations. I hope that my research will lead to interventions that improve sleep quality in heart failure patients, thereby preventing or at least mitigating cognitive impairment in this group. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my amazing advisors, Drs. Lorraine Robbins, Stuart Quan, Mathew Reeves, Pallav Deka, and Fabrice Mowbray, for their support and valuable contributions to my PhD program.
Alli Walsh, BSN, RN
I am a current BSN to PhD student here at MSU. I work as both a research assistant in the college and as an RN on an adolescent psychiatric floor. My research interest focuses on the promotion of mental health among early adolescents aged 11 to 13 years old. Specifically, I am interested in the role of social media in early adolescent depression and ways to mitigate its harmful effect. In my free time, I enjoy reading and being outside. I am also a horror movie enthusiast!
Recent Graduates:
- Dr. Wachira (Kellen) Suriyawong (Fall 2023)
- Dr. Mohammed Alanazi (Fall 2023)
- Dr. Lauren Pageau (Fall 2023)
- Dr. Muna Alali (Summer 2023)
- Dr. Eakachai Kantawong (Fall 2022)
- Dr. Karla Palmer (Fall 2022)
- Dr. Patty West (Fall 2021)