Nursing Education Conference

Nicole Beeson, DNP ’23, MSN ’21, MBA, BSN ’11, RN, CENP, is a senior nurse executive with more than 25 years of experience leading clinical excellence, workforce transformation, and high-reliability practice across complex health care systems. She has served in a variety of executive leadership roles spanning operations, nursing practice, quality and safety, and care delivery innovation, with a focus on developing leaders, strengthening workforce resilience, and integrating technology to improve outcomes and clinician well-being. Nicole is deeply committed to advancing the academic-practice partnership and believes leadership presence, psychological safety, and well-being are essential protective factors for the future of nursing. She earned her BSN, MSN, and DNP from the University of Maryland School of Nursing and is a proud alumna who serves on the School’s Board of Advisors and is committed to developing nurse leaders equipped for today’s complex health care environment. 

Susan Bindon, DNP ’11, MS ’96, RN, NPD-BC, CNE, ANEF, FAAN, is a professor,  the associate dean for faculty development, and director of the Institute for Educators at the University of Maryland School of Nursing.  She has experience teaching in classroom, clinical, and online settings. She manages statewide faculty development grants to prepare clinical nursing faculty and to build competence around competency-based education. She is past president of the Association for Nursing Professional Development and was co-editor of the Journal for Nurses in Professional Development. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and of the Academy of Nursing Education. She was recognized by the University System of Maryland’s Board of Regents with an Excellence in Teaching Award and received the 2025 Outstanding Mentoring award from the Maryland Nurses Association.  

Cheryl A. Fisher, EdD, MSN, RN, is an associate professor and co-director of the Master of Science in Nursing’s (MSN) Nursing Informatics specialty and of the Nursing Informatics graduate certificate program at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. She teaches the capstone courses for students in the MSN specialty. She has a research background focused on teaching with technology, translating evidence into health care practices, and evaluating the integration of technology into practice. She recently directed the revision of the Nursing Informatics specialty to align with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s competency-based education recommendations, to include basic and responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI). She was recently awarded a large grant to lead nurse educators in the use of AI tools to facilitate their teaching practice; she is also leading the development of a textbook for nurse educators on the use of AI. Prior to her time at the School of Nursing, Fisher worked at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center as a member of the nursing executive team. 

Hannah Murphy Buc, PhD, RN, is an assistant professor and the assistant dean for professional practice and direct entry nursing at the Berkley School of Nursing at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. She has clinical, teaching, and research expertise in the care of vulnerable populations receiving palliative care. In her work with students, colleagues, and patients, Murphy Buc seeks opportunities to build a more just and equitable health care system in which people, rather than profits, are the driving motivation for excellence in clinical care. She uses her skills as a restorative practices facilitator to build inclusive community and to create a sense of belonging and support where conflict and harm can be managed in reparative ways – seeking to move in a direction of social, racial, economic, individual, and institutional healing. 

Charlotte A. Seckman, PhD ’08, RN, NI-BC, CNE, FAAN, is an associate professor and co-director of the Master of Science in Nursing’s Nursing Informatics specialty and of the Nursing Informatics graduate certificate program at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. Board certified in nursing informatics and nursing education, she has more than 25 years of experience integrating technology across government, private, and academic health care settings. Her research portfolio spans the development and evaluation of artificial intelligence (AI) platforms and virtual teaching assistants; the design, implementation, and optimization of electronic health record systems; and the creation of personalized decision support tools to improve clinical outcomes. Additional areas of scholarship include protocol mapping, educational technologies, building community in online learning environments, and expanding the development and evaluation of nursing informatics competencies. Seckman has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and has delivered over 200 lectures, speeches, and workshops on various nursing informatics topics to include generative AI in education and clinical research practice.

Committee Chair:
Susan L. Bindon, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, CNE, CNE-cl, FAAN
Associate Professor and Director, Institute for Educators
Associate Dean for Faculty Development
University of Maryland School of Nursing

Committee Members: 

Carissa Bragdon, DNP, ACNP, CNE
Assistant Professor, Institute for Educators/NCLEX Success Program
University of Maryland School of Nursing

Lynn Marie Bullock, DNP, RN, NEA-BC 
Assistant Professor, Partnerships, Professional Education, and Practice
Director, Office of Professional Education
University of Maryland School of Nursing 

Brittany Corbin, BSN, RN, PCCN, CNE-cl
Senior Professional Development and Education Support Specialist
Institute for Educators
Nurse Planner 
University of Maryland School of Nursing 

Michael Mendelson, BSN, RN
Graduate Teaching Assistant
Institute for Educators
University of Maryland School of Nursing

Sonia Smith, BS
Manager, Professional Development and Education
Partnerships, Professional Education, and Practice
University of Maryland School of Nursing

Enjoli Sonnier, MBA, MS
Associate Director, Events
Office of Communications
University of Maryland School of Nursing

Marleen Thornton, PhD, RN
Associate Professor, Institute for Educators
University of Maryland School of Nursing