Ann L. Cupp Curley, PhD, RN, is retired from her position as the Nurse Research Specialist at Capital Health in Trenton, New Jersey, where she was responsible for promoting and guiding the development of nursing research and evidence-based practice. She has an extensive background in nursing education at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels, and more than 10 years’ experience in community and public health nursing. Dr. Curley has been principal or co-principal investigator of many research projects and served as an advisor on many DNP project committees. She received a BSN from Boston College, an MSN in community health/clinical nurse specialist track from the University of Pennsylvania, and a PhD in urban planning and policy development from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

Barbara A. Niedz, PhD, RN, CPHQ has been a nurse for 50+ years and has held leadership positions in New Jersey hospitals and managed care organizations as well as holding an extensive academic background. Dr. Niedz has taught at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. She is presently a Senior Contributing faculty member at Walden College of Nursing in the doctoral program on a part-time basis and a full-time Assistant Professor in the Advanced Practice Division at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Her roles provide support to students as they craft their capstone DNP project using quality improvement methods and tools, and particularly managing data to demonstrate a change in practice. All three of Dr. Niedz' nursing degrees, BSN, MS, and PhD are from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. She has held CPHQ certification in quality improvement since 1992 and provides consulting in quality and research methods through Quality Outcomes, LLC.

Alyssa Erikson, PhD, MSN, RN, CNE currently serves as Chair and Professor in the Department of Nursing at California State University Monterey Bay. She has taught in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs for the past 15 years. She holds the position of Campus Faculty Director for the Shiley Haynes Institute for Palliative Care and works toward improving community awareness and access to palliative care services and education. Her research and publications are in the areas of bereavement care and palliative care training for healthcare providers. Dr. Erikson received her BSN from California State University Chico and her MSN and PhD from University of California San Francisco.