Dr. Carolyn J. Godfrey is a professor of nursing at St. Louis Community College at Forest Park (MO), where she has spent the past 21 years teaching maternal–newborn nursing. With a career that began in labor and delivery, she went on to earn her PhD in Nursing Education and has since been recognized with awards such as Teacher of the Year, the Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award, and the March of Dimes Nurse of the Year Heroes Award. Dr. Godfrey is passionate about the art of scholarship in nursing education, mentoring both students and new faculty. She is also the founder of OB Clarity with Dr. Godfrey, where she shares her expertise and encouragement through teaching, mentoring, and a podcast created to support nursing student success.

Joseph Wright, MSN, RN, CMSRN, is a nurse educator at Tulsa Community College. He helped establish the first official American Association for Men in Nursing chapter in Oklahoma and encourages his students to engage in scholarship and advocacy. 

Jeffrey Williams, DNP, APRN, CCNS, CCRN, CNE, has been an RN for 32 years and an APRN for 24 years. He teaches in the undergraduate nursing program and the DNP program at Texas Woman's University, in Dallas, Texas. 

Alphonzo Baker Sr, DNP, MSN, RN, PAPA, FASPAN, is an experienced nurse leader with over 27 years of experience in psychiatry, critical care, surgical, and peri-anesthesia nursing. He is the current president of the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. In 2024, he was inducted as a Fellow of the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses (FASPAN).

Dr. Chris Martin, PhD, MSN, RN, is an assistant clinical professor and teaches pharmacology and professional practices courses again in the undergraduate nursing program at Auburn University.  Mr. Clay Young, MSN, RN, FNP-C, is an assistant clinical professor and teaches primarily senior-level nursing courses, including critical care and leadership, at Auburn University. 

Chad O'Lynn, PhD, RN, ANEF, is the Director of Institutional Assessment and Accreditation at Chamberlain College of Nursing.  His nursing career spans nearly four decades. He has worked in various adult health clinical roles and settings, including the past 25 years in nursing education. His research has explored rural nursing and the Dedicated Education Unit but has focused primarily on the experiences and needs of men in nursing. He has published his research in numerous research journals and edited and authored two books on men in nursing, earning the American Publishers Award for Professional and Scholarship Excellence. He has been a long-standing member of the American Association of Men in Nursing serving in various committee and Board positions and serves as a reviewer for three peer-reviewed nursing journals.

Mark Hand, PhD, RN, CNE, is a clinical professor at East Carolina University. He received the 2023 NC Nurses Association Education Nurse of the Year. He has published in multiple nursing journals and presented at several local, national, and international nursing conferences. His research interests include LGBTQ+ health education, men as nursing faculty, and nursing student success. He is the current treasurer of the NLN and an editorial board member for Nursing Education Perspectives. 

Normajean Colby, PhD, RN, CNE, CPN, is certified as pediatric nurse and a nurse educator. She has held various leadership positions in multiple professional organizations, including the Eta Beta Chapter of STTI. She currently is a full-time nurse educator at Widener University in Philadelphia, PA, teaching undergraduate and graduate students. Her research and teaching interests include interprofessional education, perspectives of men in nursing, the transition of new-to-practice nurses, and the long-term effects of pediatric patients treated for oncological disorders.  

Steven Palazzo, PhD, MN, RN, CNE, ANEF, is a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) with over 20 years of nursing experience. He enjoys all things curricula, including developing, implementing, and evaluating new programs. His career has led him to practice critical care, teach in nursing education, and conduct multiple research studies. In 2023, Dr. Palazzo was admitted as a fellow into the Academy of Nursing Education and is a member of the editorial board of Nursing Education Perspectives.

Joy Kieffer, PhD, RN, CCTN, NEA-BC, is a clinical education specialist at Carteret Health Care, in North Carolina. She has worked in intensive care, specializing in organ transplant care, and as an administrator in academic and clinical nursing. She has taught in undergraduate and graduate education and shared her expertise on research at conventions and symposiums. Her passion is helping the next generation of nurses excel academically and clinically through evidence-based practice. 

Stephanie Gedzyk-Nieman, DNP, RNC-MNN, is the interim assistant dean of the ABSN program at the Duke University School of Nursing. She is certified in maternal-newborn nursing and maintains a clinical practice. She is a faculty advisor to the Duke Chapter of the American Association of Men in Nursing. Her scholarly work focuses on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in nursing education and practice. She has multiple publications and presentations at national and international conferences.

Vernon Langford, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, is a home-based primary care family nurse practitioner in Florida. He is a long-standing member of Sigma who encourages future nursing leaders and promotes scholarship. He works to increase diversity and inclusion within the nursing profession. He lectures at conferences nationwide about high-quality nursing care, burnout, self-care, evidence-based guidelines, APRN advocacy, and social determinants of health.

Welcome to the Nursing Scholarly Fireside Podcast! The purpose of this podcast is to share conversations I’ve had with fellow nursing colleagues on their experiences engaging in scholarship. I hope these conversations inspire you to engage in scholarly activities and incorporate scholarship into your professional practice.