Nursing and Health SciencesFaculty & Staff

Vicki Ashker

Vicki Ashker's research interests include interfaith, diversity, and understanding how social justice and faith interrelate. Other research interests are the science of nursing practice and teaching strategies. Publications in Nephrology Nursing Journal and the Journal of the American Nephrology Nurses' Association. Quantitative methodology, analysis, computer-assisted data analysis. Vicki was awarded the 2007 Nightingale Award in Excellence in Nursing Administration. This award is state recognized.

Quality and safety improvement process with data driven support in intensive care units and progressive care units, multi-discipline team approach. community service: Vice-Chairman, Board of Directors, Islamic House of Wisdom, Executive Board Member, National American Arab Nurse Association; State of Michigan, Diversity Council. Ms. Ashker enjoys instructing both administrative/management, theory, and clinical applications.

She enjoys teaching students that higher level learning can be fun.

Diane M. Burgermeister

Dr. Diane Burgermeister has been a faculty member since 2005. She is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse who specializes in psychiatric mental health nursing. She is also certified as an adult psychoanalyst. She received her doctoral degree in 2003 from Wayne State University and in 2005 completed post-doctoral studies at the University of Michigan in Health Promotion, Risk Reduction. She was awarded a National Institute of Nursing Research grant to pursue these studies which resulted in a paper widely read worldwide titled, "Childhood Adversity: A Review of Measurement Instruments", and was published by the Journal of Nursing Measurement.

In 2009 she was a member of the task force that helped to develop the Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) at Madonna University and helped write the grant that resulted in an award titled, "Impacting Health Disparities by Developing Consortium Model for D.N.P. Programs in Partnership with Health Systems", funded by the Health Resources Service Administration.

Dr. Burgermeister teaches courses in mental health and research methods on the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels in the College of Nursing and Health. She enjoys collaborating with students and faculty on research projects and has been active on many University and Department committees.

Janice Cecil

Janice Cecil is a full-time faculty member in the College of Nursing and Health. She joined the faculty in 2014. Janice is the course facilitator for Health Assessment and Health Promotion. She also team teaches in Holistic Care of Women and Families. Janice maintains clinical practice as a Clinical Nurse Specialist. Her clinical interests include quality and safety. Jan’s teaching interests include active teaching strategies such as simulation as well as mentoring students to ensure their progression through the undergraduate nursing program.

Tracey E. Chan, PhD, ANP-BC

Tracey is an adult nurse practitioner and joined Madonna's full-time faculty in 2012.   She received her BSN from Oakland University, MSN-Adult NP from Madonna University and PhD in Nursing from Duquesne University.

Her research interests include competency-based education, clinical readiness, nurse practitioner practice, telehealth, chronic disease management and weight loss.  She teaches predominantly in the adult gerontology primary care NP program.  Clinically she has practiced at a nurse managed clinic in the city of Detroit providing primary care. 

She is on the board of the Kappa Iota chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International and an active member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties.

Patricia A. Clark

Dr. Patricia Clark is an Associate Professor in the College of Nursing and Health. She joined the full-time faculty of Madonna University in 2014. She completed her doctoral degree in 2008 at Oakland University and her M.S.N. in 1996 at Wayne State University. She teaches in the undergraduate nursing program as well as the acute care nurse practitioner tract of the graduate nursing program. Her area of interest includes the care of critically ill adults. She is actively involved in community service with the Health & Wellness committee at her church. Dr. Clark is a member of the following professional organizations: Michigan Certified Nurse Practitioner (MICNP), Michigan Clinical Nurse Specialist (MICNS), American Association of Critical Care Nurses, and Sigma Theta Tau, International.

Jaclyn Fontaine

Jaclyn Fontaine is a full-time faculty member in the College of Nursing and Health. She joined the faculty in 2013. Jaclyn is the course facilitator for the Introduction to Professional Nursing course and Holistic Care of Women and Families nursing course. She also teaches clinical and facilitates Academic Service-Learning in the surrounding community. Jaclyn also serves as an undergraduate coordinator.  

Jaclyn's interests include striving for active and effective classroom and clinical strategies for nursing students. She is also passionate about Academic Service-Learning, where nursing students engage in service with community partners. Jaclyn earned a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) certificate from the National League for Nursing, which exemplifies excellence in nursing education. 

Rebecca Gibbs

Dr. Rebecca Gibbs is an Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing and Health. She has been a full-time faculty member of the University since 2012.

Her Ph.D. studies were completed at Wayne State University in 2014. Wayne State University was also where she received her M.S.N. degree in 2003. She is a B.S.N. graduate of Madonna’s nursing program in 2000. She practiced as an Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist for 10 years in the acute care setting.

Her dissertation research focused on oncology patients and falls in the hospital setting, using quantitative methods. She received the American Cancer Society Doctoral Degree Scholarship in Cancer Nursing awarded in the amount of $15,000.00 for her dissertation research.

Angela Gogolowski

Angela is a full time faculty member in the College of Nursing and Health. She joined the faculty in 2019. Prior to that she functioned as the Simulation Lab Coordinator and Facilitator. Angela works as a nurse in Labor and Delivery as well.

Teaching interests include incorporating active teaching strategies such as simulation, and the use of simulation to improve student learning/clinical practice. Research interests include the use of simulation in education, health disparities, and psychosocial determinates of health. 

Angela is a member of The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses professional organization, and the American Nurses Association. She also serves as a board member of the Kappa Iota chapter of Sigma Theta Tau.

Claude W. Lauderbach Jr

Claude (Bud) Lauderbach has been a nurse for over forty years and a healthcare executive for more than thirty years with experience in nursing, acute care, ambulatory, behavioral, home health and hospice care settings, physician hospital organizations, and population-based health management. He joined the Madonna University College of Nursing and Health faculty in 2017 where he serves as Assistant Professor and Program Director for MSN Administration, MSN/MBA, and MSN Leadership degree programs. 

In addition to his full-time faculty work, Dr. Lauderbach works on a part-time basis as a family nurse practitioner at Campus Health Center, Wayne State University. He is also active in international health care consulting with Global Health Services Network, Famington, Michigan. 

Erin Sexton

Erin Micale is a faculty member in the Undergraduate Nursing Department. She received her Bachelors of Science in Nursing with honors, as well as her Masters of Science in Nursing at Grand Valley State University. While there, she completed research in smoking cessation education, and addressing nurses grief following the death of a patient. She was also the Vice President of the Graduate Student Organization and received the Dean's Award of Excellence for Service and Commitment to the Community for her volunteer work and nursing work in Africa. Throughout her nursing career, she has specialized in Psychiatric Mental-Health Nursing as well as Medical-Surgical Nursing. 

Professor Micale has been teaching at Madonna University for 5 years doing both lectures and clinical. In her spare time, she volunteers for Gilda's Club, a hospice agency, and continues mission nursing in other countries. She is currently getting her Doctorate of Nursing Practice at Yale University where she is focusing on Nursing Leadership and is working to help implement practices to reduce patient to nurse violence and sexual harassment. She is passionate about improving the health, safety, and satisfaction of nurses; and educating students to be more effective and empowered in their role as a nurse. 

Janice Marchildon

Linda J. Nikpour

Linda Nikpour is an Assistant Professor in the Health Sciences Program and she has joined the faculty of Madonna University in 2016. She is the course facilitator for Professional Role Development, Internship in Health Sciences 1, Quality and Clinical Transformation, and Safety across Healthcare Settings.

Her research interests are healthcare data analytics working with Big Data for Population Health. She is board-certified in Nursing Informatics and certified as an Associate within The Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS).

Jennifer Reynolds

Kathleen Rittenhouse

Roxanne Roth

Dr. Roxanne Roth is an Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing and Health. Dr. Roth joined Madonna’s full time faculty in 2016. She completed her DNP work at Madonna University in 2016 with a focus on communicating with comfort among advance practice nurses.

Prior to joining the Madonna University nursing faculty, she held leadership and clinical positions in the field of hospice and palliative care, outpatient services and oncology. Her recent experience includes system design and implementation of education, research and innovation strategies. Her research and practice interests include advanced illness management, communication skills at end of life, population health, global health, and nursing education.

Kinjal K. Talati

Dr. Kinjal Talati is the Department Chair for ABSN Program at Madonna University. She is a Madonna alumna and has been with Madonna for  over 5 years. Dr. Talati is a dual certified Nurse Practitioner in the area of Acute Care and Family Practice. She currently works in the Intensive Care Unit.

Dr. Talati's teaching philosophy, and beliefs instills the mission and the vision of Madonna University. Her passion for teaching values engagement, respect, humility, and commitment to serving others. 

Laura Van Horn

Gina Riggi

Gina Riggi has been with Madonna since 2017 and works in the College of Nursing & Health.  When not at Madonna, she is happiest spending time with her family, baking and gardening. 

Linda Smith

My career in academia has spanned over 20 years, working in the areas of undergraduate admission, academic advising, retention and teaching college courses. My current position is in the Office of Undergraduate Retention, which includes assisting students with registration and academic advising.

As a Nursing Retention Specialist I assist new and current pre-nursing and nursing students by formulating plans to outline their academic path, monitoring academic progress, recommending opportunities for personal growth and academic development, and providing referrals to necessary resources.