Alumni Notes

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Afaf I. Meleis, MS ’64, MA ’66, PhD ’68, was honored with the 2023 UCLA Award for Professional Achievement. Although formally retired in 2016, Meleis remains active as a speaker, mentor, consultant, and leader in nursing theory. She will receive the 2024 National Humanism in Medicine Medal from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation. 

Lucile Wood, MSN ’65, earned a degree in Nursing Service Administration. Now retired, she previously served as a director of nursing and made significant contributions to the field by authoring three foundational nursing textbooks. Wood also provided national consulting services, shaping nursing practices and leadership across the country. 

Kelly Guzman, MSN ’94, specializes in transition and activation planning for new healthcare facilities. She is the president and CEO of Yellow Brick Consulting, Inc., where she leads projects focused on the seamless opening and operational setup of new medical facilities. In 2023, Guzman was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. 

Brittany Wilson, BS ’96, is the president of Inventana Development Inc. She offers consultancy in product, process, and productivity improvement. 

Patricia Garduno, MSN ’98, is a family nurse practitioner. She works at VNA Central New Jersey, providing care to a primarily underserved population. 

Mady Stovall-Culverhouse, BSN ’02, MSN ’04, after initially specializing in neuro-oncology, has since transitioned to psychiatry. She serves as a faculty specialist at UT Health San Antonio, focusing on adults with serious mental illness. In 2020, she advanced her expertise by obtaining a PhD from Oregon Health & Science University. 

Rosie Saran Jadav, MS ’03, is a family nurse practitioner currently working as an administrative nurse practitioner at Kaiser Permanente, where she provides care for patients of all ages. 

Linda Kim, MSN ’03, PhD ’15, is a research scientist at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, focusing on health services and the healthcare workforce. 

Enza Esposito Nguyen, MSN ’04, specializes in oncology. She is employed as a medical science liaison at AstraZeneca, where she manages and leads breast cancer clinical trials and collaborates with MD Anderson Cancer Center and other institutions at the Texas Medical Center. She obtained her DNP in 2019. 

Julie Mathew, MSN ’06, is a certified family nurse practitioner. She specializes in college health, providing comprehensive care to adults, children, and geriatric patients. 

Kemi Reeves, MSN ’09, is a gerontological nurse practitioner. She works as a nurse practitioner at UCLA Health, focusing on dementia care. In 2024, Reeves received the Just Action Summit Health Justice Commitment Award from the UCLA Health Office of Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. She was also promoted to associate director of the UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program and director of nursing health care equity for the UCLA Health System. 

Lisa Diaz, MSN ’10, PhD ’24, was awarded the UCLA Graduate Summer Research Mentorship Program award, supporting her dedication to academic research and mentorship. She was selected to receive the 2024 Western Institute of Nursing’s Conference Scholarship Award. 

Laura Hellfeld, MSN ’11, works in the field of neurodiversity and disability. She is an independent nurse and sleep consultant through her own practice, Neurodivergent Nurse Consulting, focusing on supporting neurodivergent and disabled community members. Hellfeld is the author of Creating Safe Spaces for Autistic People; the founder of Autistic Revolution, an online magazine; and will soon publish a children’s book titled Gabby’s Glimmers. 

Eileen Fry-Bowers, PhD ’12, is dean and professor at the University of San Francisco’s School of Nursing and Health Professions. In 2024, she received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Rochester School of Nursing, where she completed her MS in 1997. 

Carly Morgan, MSN ’14, specializes in labor and delivery. She is an RNC-OB at UCLA Health, where she focuses on maternal-child health, providing skilled care and support to mothers and newborns during childbirth. 

Megan Guardiano, BS ’15, MSN ’23, PHN ’25, has been selected to receive the UCLA Graduate Research Mentorship award and the 2024 Empowering GI Professional Diversity Scholarship from the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates. 

Emily Downing-Mahli, MSN ’16, specializes in neuropalliative care. She is a nurse practitioner at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, focusing on palliative care for patients with serious neurological conditions. 

Megan Wesseln, MSN ’19, serves as a nursing professional development practitioner at UCLA Health, where she oversees student placements, preceptor development, and professional governance initiatives. She is also pursuing a post-master’s certificate in nursing education to further enhance her expertise in nursing education and mentorship. 

Julie Daniels McCurdy, MSN ’19, specializes in critical care. She is currently attending the University of New England to pursue her CNP and CRNA. 

Amy Phung, BSN ’19, works in liver and kidney transplant. She is a medical-surgical RN at Keck Medicine of USC. 

Yesenia Munoz, BS ’20, works in home health and is employed as a registered nurse at Bright Star. 

Felipe Gutierrez, PhD ’20, worked in inpatient hospital care. He is currently retired due to medical disability. Gutierrez worked as an advanced practice nurse with a focus on alcohol/substance use and de-escalation techniques. 

Melanie Altamirano-Cariaga, DNP ’20, has taken on a new role at UCLA Health Santa Monica Medical Center as the Stroke Team advanced practice provider supervisor. She is also the center’s first stroke nurse practitioner, pioneering specialized stroke care in this setting. 

Karima Gulwani, DNP ’22, is an adult-gerontology nurse practitioner and serves as a nurse practitioner at Eisner Health. She specializes in chronic disease management for low-income populations. 

Justin Paalisbo, MSN ’23, specializes in medsurg/pediatrics. He serves as a US Navy Nurse Corps Officer, working on active duty in the military. 

Lisa Seidl, BSN ’24, specializes in pediatric hematology, oncology, and bone marrow transplant intensive care. She is a bedside registered nurse at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, where she cares for pediatric patients. 

Lauren Rodriguez, MSN ’24, is specializing in operating room nursing. She will begin her career as a new grad nurse at UCLA Health as part of the new graduate program, where she will gain hands-on experience in perioperative care. 

Elaine Ahn, MSN ’24, specializes as a family nurse practitioner. As an advanced practice registered nurse, she focuses on providing family-centered care across all age groups. 

Zac Karman, MSN ’24, is a registered nurse specializing in emergency department nursing at Huntington Health. 

Jessica Reiten, MSN ’24, specializes in psychiatric nursing. She works as a registered nurse at Gateways Hospital and Mental Health Center, focusing on the acute involuntary adult psychiatric inpatient population. 

Mayumi Saiki, PhD Year 4, is a student in occupational and environmental health in nursing. She is employed as a nurse practitioner at PIH Health, specializing in employee health. 

Yuriko Matsuo, PhD ’25, was recently honored with selection as a Jonas Scholar for the 2024- 2026 cohort, recognizing her potential in advancing mental health research and practice. 

Marianne Gutierrez, PhD ’25, was recently selected as a Jonas Scholar for the 2024-2026 cohort, highlighting her commitment to advancing nursing leadership and research. 

Rey Paolo Ernesto J. Roca III, PhD ’25, has been honored with the 2024 Distinguished Teaching Award for Teaching Assistants by the UCLA Distinguished Teaching Award Selection Committee, recognizing his excellence in teaching and mentorship. 

Santino L. Estrera, DNP ’24, has been accepted to the Miller Postdoctoral Fellowship Program for Nurse Executives at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University. He also received funding from the Doctor of Nursing program’s travel award program to attend the 2024 OR Business Management Conference in Phoenix. 

Elizabeth Kohout, PhD ’25, was awarded the UCLA Graduate Summer Research Mentorship Program award, recognizing her commitment to academic research and mentorship at UCLA.

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