Faculty
Ann Graber Hershberger, professor of nursing and program coordinator of the MS in Nursing and Leadership, has worked in family health, community health, international health, and nursing education since 1976. Ann and her husband Jim, a pastor, have spent 10 years in church-sponsored service in Central America. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Virginia; her dissertation was a case study of relationships between Nicaraguan non-governmental health organizations, communities served, donor agencies, and the Ministry of Health. She spent the 1999-2000 academic year in Nicaragua researching the project. During the fall semester of 2008 she was on sabbatical and completed a research study on the experiences of families in Guatemala and West Bank, Palestine who have hosted EMU cross-cultural students over the last decade. She has been on the board of MCC (Mennonite Central Committee) since 1997, and is currently the chair of MCC US.
Priscilla Simmons is the academic director and major professor for the ADCP RN-to-BS track in Lancaster, Pa. She earned her EdD from Teacher’s College at Columbia University, an MSN from Columbia University, an MS Ed from Temple University and her BS from Messiah College. She is an experienced medical-surgical nurse. Her research has focused on effectiveness of the nursing school environment and the development of caring ability among nursing students.
Arlene Wiens professor of nursing at EMU. In addition to teaching at EMU, Arlene has served on several state nursing committees. Her clinical experiences were in rehabilitation, psychiatric, critical care, step-down units and nursing management. Research interests include educational mobility for RNs, transition into practice and historical analysis of nursing supply and demand. She earned her MSN from the University of Pennsylvania and her PhD from the University of Virginia.
Melody Cash is an associate professor and department chair in EMU’s nursing department. After earning her undergraduate degree in nursing at EMU in 1989, she received her MS in Medical/Surgical Nursing from the University of Virginia. In August of 2010, Melody earned her PhD. in Instructional Technology from the University of Virginia Curry School of Education.
Don Tyson is an associate professor and department chair in EMU’s nursing department. He has been teaching at EMU since for over a decade. He also works at Rockingham Memorial Hospital in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit on a prn basis. He has previous experience in a variety of clinical and administrative nursing roles related to critical care, post-anesthesia care, and quality improvement. He graduated from Goshen College in 1979 and from the University of Virginia in 1986. He is currently a doctoral student at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. While a student at George Mason, he has focused his research and internships on issues related to the uninsured as well as critical thinking and learning style issues of international nursing students.
Staff
Laura Esch Laura Esch serves as administrative coordinator for EMU’s graduate nursing program. Before coming to EMU in August of 2005, Laura supervised an adult home that promotes independence for adults with physical and mental disabilities. She and her husband Chad have two boys.