Team Biographies
The following Community College of Philadelphia Nursing faculty members created 'A Mentor's Toolkit' using their diverse background as nurse educators and mentors
Barbara McLaughlin PhD, CNE
is currently Professor and Head of the Department of Nursing at the Community College of Philadelphia. Barbara has been an associate degree nurse educator for over 30 years. Barbara is a Certified Nurse Educator and a Fellow in the Academy of Nurse Educators. Since joining the full time faculty at Community College of Philadelphia, Barbara has participated in several grants including the W.K. Kellogg Foundation funded Community College-Nursing Home Partnership to integrate gerontology into curricula and a Helene Fuld Health Trust grant related to refocusing associate degree nursing education into community based settings. Most recently she has participated in grants from The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Hearst Foundations disseminating teaching strategies and evolving knowledge related to the care of older adults through activities related to Advancing Care Excellence for Seniors (ACES). Barbara served an integral role in evaluating activities provided to at risk students as part of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Workforce Diversity Grant, 2016-2017, and making revisions to optimize student success.
Carol Moriarity, DPM, APRN, NP-C, PMHRN-BC
Carol is an advance practice nurse with a special interest in psychiatric and geriatric nursing. She has served as a classroom educator and clinical instructor across the nursing spectrum at various educational levels. Carol is a member of the nursing faculty at the Community College of Philadelphia where she also promotes student success by serving as a mentor and coach. Over the course of her career, she has presented on varied topics including psychiatric, educational, medical-surgical, and End-of-Life care at multiple conferences. Carol has developed several simulation scenarios and online seminars and served as a coordinator/editor for several evidenced-based student conferences. Carol has made a significant impact in enhancing leadership skills with nursing students as both a mentor and a coach.
Jean Byrd RN, MSN, CNE
has degrees from The College of New Jersey, and Villanova University. Jean has a background in critical care nursing and is a certified in simulation. Jean is currently pursuing a doctorate of nursing practice from West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Jean has participated in a 5 year HRSA technology grant with Drexel University, and contributed to the book Human Simulation for Nursing and Health Professions. She has also worked on multiple projects for the National League of Nursing and Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. She has been an advocate for student nurses as a coach and a mentor, and has been instrumental in bringing alternate therapies for stress reduction to nursing students.
Tamika Curry RN, MSN
is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nursing at the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP). She is currently a PhD student in the College of Education, Urban Education Department at Temple University. Her current research aims to study the perspectives of school nurses working in an urban school district, while examining the social determinants that create barriers to effective school nursing practice. Her research interests include examining health disparities in minority populations, public health nursing in urban communities, and equity in higher education. In her role as full time faculty, she currently advocates for clients through community partnerships under the 19130 Zip Code Wellness Project at the Community College of Philadelphia. Tamika was also instrumental in the development of the Advancing Care Excellence for Seniors (ACES) framework. In her role as a faculty mentor Tamika guided students in developing long term goals, and leadership skills.
Laureen Tavolaro-Ryley RN, MSN, PMHCNS-BC
is the Independence Foundation Chair in Community Health Nursing at Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Designated as a Center of Excellence School by the National League for Nursing (NLN), CCP serves a diverse group of students across all domains. As the Project Director of a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Workforce Diversity Grant, 2016-2017, Ms. Tavolaro-Ryley has implemented innovative strategies to increase retention of disadvantaged and minority nursing students, and guide this population in career development. She is also the Project Director for the 19130 Zip Code Project focusing on health promotion and disease prevention strategies with vulnerable populations in an urban Philadelphia setting. Through the utilization of a trauma informed care model, and addressing mental health issues in these vulnerable populations, Ms. Tavolaro-Ryley has provided nursing students with opportunities to prioritize mental health needs in the community.
Lisa Johnson PhD
is the Curriculum Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Nursing at Community College of Philadelphia. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Sociology at West Chester University and her masters and doctorate degrees in Nursing at Widener University. She has 17 years’ experience as a pediatric nurse, specializing in mental health and pediatric hematology/oncology and over 10 years’ experience teaching undergraduate nursing students. In addition, Lisa coaches and mentors nursing students, contributing to an increase in retention of first semester nursing students and improved NCLEX pass rates. Through her mentorship and coaching skills, Lisa has helped students problem solve barriers to their success and to constructively use their resources to promote positive outcomes.