All graduate nursing students are automatically members and are encouraged to be active participants. Click here to view GNSA Bylaws (PDF). Meeting minutes and additional information about GNSA are available to graduate students. Please email GNSA with your comments or suggestions. We are your organization.
List of 2022-2023 Advisors and Officers
President: Allison Ferro, RN, PhD Student
Allison is in her fourth year of the PhD program and is studying the relationships between managerial coaching and role ambiguity and the effects on quality and safety competencies. She has been enjoyed being a part of GNSA during her PhD journey and is delighted to culminate as the president during her final year at UT. She has 14 years of leadership experience as a nurse in the Army Nurse Corps, serving in a variety of clinical and leadership positions around the globe. She is a wife and a mom of 3 and is
excited to serve the graduate student nurses this year!
Vice President: Katelyn Leggio
Profile coming soon!
Financial Director: Brad Litzkow
Profile coming soon!
Secretary: Emily West, RN, PhD Student
Before entering the AE-PhD program, Emily was as a French translator and project manager for fourteen years. She is interested in researching self-management interventions to preserve cognitive function in patients with multiple chronic conditions. She is excited to advocate for graduate nursing students at UT and provide support and encouragement for their professional journeys.
GSA Representative: Catherine Anne Cleary, RN, PMHNP student
Profile coming soon!
Senate of College Councils General Assembly Rep.: Megan Matthews
Megan is in her foundation year of the AE-MSN, Alternate Entry Master of Science in Nursing, program
to respond to a national and local call for nurses to assume leadership positions in diverse healthcare
settings. She is excited to begin this journey and join the Graduate Nursing Student Association (GNSA)
as the Senate Representative for the 2022-2023 school year. She is a mom and thrilled to serve the
graduate student nurses this year!
Event Coordinator: Kaitlyn Rody
Kaitlyn is a first-year AE-MSN student in the Leadership in Diverse Settings (LeaDS) concentration. She
graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in
psychology. She has five years of experience as a certified nursing assistant and has worked in home
health, assisted living, and a pediatric hospital unit. She married her high school sweetheart with whom
she has been together thirteen years and married for four. She is excited to serve her fellow nursing
graduate students and plan fun, relaxing events for students to de-stress!
Event Coordinator: Kathryn Githens
Profile coming soon!
AE-MSN Representative: Ashley Felt (LeaDS)
Ashley earned her Masters degree in Accounting and MBA from the University of Louisville and Indiana
University respectively. Before entering the AEMSN program in the LeaDS track she had a variety of
roles within the accounting and finance industry with a focus on process improvements and technology.
As a foundation year student she is excited for the journey ahead as well as supporting other graduate
nursing students at UT.
AE-MSN Representative: Nicholas Corcoran (AG CNS)
AE-MSN Representative: Meagan Hefley (PCPNP)
Profile coming soon!
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Laura Murphy