Current opportunities to join our faculty. Learn more
Current opportunities to join our faculty. Learn more
DNP: The Pennsylvania State University
MSN: The Pennsylvania State University
BSN: The University of Toledo
Diploma of Nursing: The Red Cross College of Nursing
Education
Select Honors and Awards
Recent Publications
Alio, A. P., Sibley, C., Ouedraogo, H. S., Wallace, S. E., Wakefield, S., Humes, D. L., Fields. S. D., & Keefer, M. C., (2020). House Ball Community Leaders’ Perceptions of HIV and HIV Vaccine Research. Int. J of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS, 9(1), 136-145. https://doi.org/10.21106/ijma.331
Watson, C.C.; Wilton, L.; Lucas, J.P.; Bryant, L.; Victorianne, G.D.; Aradhya, K.; Fields, S. D.; Wheeler, D.P.; HPTN Black Caucus., (2020). Development of a Black Caucus within the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN): Representing the Perspectives of Black Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM). Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 17(3), 871. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17030871
Wheeler, D. P., Fields S. D., Magnus, M., Hightow-Weidman, L., Shoptaw, S., et. al., (2019). Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Initiation and Adherence among Black Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM) in Three U.S. Cities: Results from the HPTN 073 Study. Journal of the International AIDS Society 22 (2), https://doi.org/10.1002/jia2.25223.
Hightow-Weidman, L., Magnus, M., Beauchamp, G., Hurt, C. B., Shoptaw, S., Emel, L., Piwowar-Manning, E., Mayer, K. H., Nelson, L. E., Wilton, L., Watkins, P., Whitfield, D., Fields, S. D., & Wheeler, D. (2019). Incidence and Correlates of STIs among Black Men who have Sex with Men Participating in the HPTN 073 PrEP Study. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 69(9), 1597-1604, https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciy1141
Tankimovich, M. (2013). Barriers to and interventions for improved tuberculosis detection and treatment among homeless and immigrant populations: A literature review. Journal of Community Health Nursing, 30(2), 83-95. doi: 10.1080/07370016.2013.778723.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23659221/
Champagne-Langabeer, T., Revere, L., Tankimovich, M., Yu, E., Spears, R., Swails, J. (2019) Integrating
Diverse Disciplines and Technology to Enhance Interprofessional Competency in Healthcare
Delivery. Healthcare
https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare7020075
Tankimovich, M., Swails, J., Hamburger, M., (2020). Medical and FNP I Students’ Perceptions of
Teamwork before/after a Standardized Patient Pilot Simulation. National League for Nursing
Nurse Education Perspectives, 41(3):171-173. doi: 10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000000503.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31107393/
Tankimovich, M., (2021). Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Students and Diagnostic Readiness Tests
(DRTs): Performances and Perceptions. National League for Nursing.
Nurse Education Perspectives Nursing February 16, 2021 – Volume Publish Ahead of Print –
Issue -doi: 10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000000785
BSN, MSN, & DNP, University of Iowa
Advance care planning, Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment (POLST), Iowa Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment (IPOST)
Dr. Peterson has been an adult & gerontological primary care nurse practitioner since 2008, with clinical practice experience in long term care, community care, home care and primary care. This includes providing geriatric and primary care to the Meskwaki Nation community (Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa and their employees). She has teaching experience in undergraduate and graduate nursing including master’s and doctorate level, as well as serving as a geriatric nurse practitioner preceptor to numerous students including family medicine residents. Her teaching experience includes lecture, on-line, clinical practicums and simulation; with emphasis on utilizing active learning strategies in the classroom. As an enrolled member of the Menominee Nation of Wisconsin and a first-generation college student, she strives to be a supportive resource for underrepresented students in higher education. Her clinical research interest includes advance care planning. Dr. Peterson is a Respecting ChoicesR first steps and advanced steps facilitator. Her DNP project involved advance care planning conversations and completion of an Iowa Physician Order for Scope of Treatment (IPOST) when applicable, with nursing home residents in a mid-size town when the medical orders were first available statewide in Iowa. The results of her project found residents and especially family members found this approach very valuable, but more education was needed for the healthcare staff. With social work partners, Dr. Mercedes Bern-Klug PhD, MSW, MA and Jane Dohrmann MSW, LISW, ACHP-SW, this work continued via several presentations and webinars including a Hartford Foundation Change AGEnts Initiative grant project, and working with the National POLST (Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment) Paradigm (as it was known at the time). This team, with the addition of Kandyce Powell, MSN, RN wrote the Nursing Home and Hospice chapters of the POLST Care Continuum toolkit available online (https://polst.org/toolkit/?pro=1).
Penn State Harrisburg
Program: DNP
Advisor: Miyamoto/ Wolgast
BIO:
Dr. Exten received her Master of Public Health (MPH) from Emory University and her PhD in Epidemiology from The Ohio State University. She is an infectious disease epidemiologist, with a focus on health disparities affecting sexual and gender minority (LGBTQ+) populations. Her program of research is focused specifically on disparities related to sexual health (e.g. HIV and sexually transmitted infections) and substance use. She has extensive experience in survey data collection, the application of advanced statistical methods, and working with high-risk populations. She is passionate about the examination of diseases in their entirety, including biological, sociological and epidemiological factors.
EDUCATION:
PhD – The Ohio State University (Epidemiology)
MPH – Emory University (Epidemiology)
BS – East Tennessee State University (Biology and Psychology)
REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS:
Education
Interests
Committees
Courses Taught
Education
Research Overview: I am interested in how stress, age, gender, and hormones affect immunity, inflammation, and health; also, the feasibility of different biomarkers (e.g., from blood, saliva, wound fluid) for predicting health outcomes.
Research Interests:
i) Effects of stress, age, sex & hormones on inflammation and wound healing (human, animal)
iii) Inflammation and mental health (e.g., depression, bipolar, PMDD) (human)
Biological transitions as a period of vulnerability for
physical and mental health problems, specifically:
DNP, University of Maryland
MSN, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Primary Care Track, Drexel University
BSN, Pennsylvania State University
Undergraduate instruction in Nursing, including Health Assessment, Pharmacology, Senior Clinical, Medical-Surgical Nursing, various electives (alternative medicine, substance abuse, business), Research Methods, Professional Development.
Practice: http://www.altmedresearch.us
Scholarly Writing: http://nightingale-project.blogspot.com/
Research Interests
Clinical Interests
Acute care, critical care and cardiovascular disease. My clinical practice is at WellSpan Cardiology in Chambersburg, PA.
Education
Honors
Research Interests:
Education
PhD, Nursing (Focus: Aging), University of Iowa
MSN, Adult and Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Program, University of Iowa
BSN, Nursing, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan
Funded Projects:
Honors and Awards
| Dates | Honor, Organization |
| 2021 | Alzheimer’s Association Interdisciplinary Summer Research Institute. |
| 2019 | Distinguished Educator in Gerontological Nursing Award, National Hartford Center for Geriatric Nursing Excellence (NHCGNE). |
| 2018-2020 | Selected Faculty for the Distinguished Honors Faculty Program, Pennsylvania State University. |
| 2015 | Developing Behavioral Interventions Scholarship, Johns Hopkins Summer Research Institute. |
| 2013 | Myrtle Aydelotte Doctoral Education Fund in Nursing Award, University of Iowa |
| 2013 | Graduate College Summer Fellowship, University of Iowa |
| 2013 | Hartford Center for Geriatric Nursing Excellence Travel Award, University of Iowa |
| 2013 | Etta Rasmussen Professional Development Award, University of Iowa |
| 2012 | International Programs Graduate Student Travel Award, University of Iowa |
| 2010- 2011 | Interdisciplinary Fellowship of Aging, Center on Aging, University of Iowa |
| 2008 | Inducted Member of the Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), Gamma Chapter, University of Iowa. |
Selected Publications
Jao, Y.-L., Liu, W., Habib, C. Habib, Jyotsana, P., Holmes, S., & Galik, E. (2021). Function-focused person-environment fit for long-term care residents with dementia: Impact on apathy. Gerontologist. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnaa111
Liao, Y.-J. Parajuli, J., Jao, Y.-L., Kitko, L., & Berish, D. (2021). Non-pharmacological Interventions for Pain in People with Dementia: A Systematic Review Systematic Review on Pain in Dementia. International Journal of Nursing Studies. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2021.104082
Woods, D., Yuan, F., Jao, Y.-L., & Zhao, X. (2021). Social Robots for Older Adults with Dementia: A Narrative Review on Challenges and Future Directions. Social Robotics, 411–420. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-90525-5_35
Parajuli, J., Berish, D. E., Jao, Y.-L., Liao, Y.-J., Johnson, L. A., & Walsh, A. (2021). Prevalence and Health Outcomes in Individuals with Comorbid Cancer and Dementia: Longitudinal Analysis. Aging and Health, DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2021.2003298
Parajuli, J., Berish, D, & Valenti, K. G., Jao, Y.-L. (2020). Prevalence and predictors of depressive symptoms in older adults with cancer. Aging and Mental Health.
Parajuli, J., Aluem, T., Jao, Y-L., Hupcey, J. (2020). Barriers to Palliative and Hospice Care Utilization in Older Adults with Cancer: A Systematic Review. Journal of Geriatric Oncology,11 (1), 8-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jgo.2019.09.017
Resnick, B., Kolanowski, A., Van Haitsma, K., Galik, E., Boltz, M., Zhu, S., Ellis, J., Behrens L., Eshragi, K., Viviano, N., & Jao, Y-L. (2020). Reliability and Validity Testing of the Assessment of the Environment for Person-Centered Management of BPSD and Assessment of Policies for Person-Centered Management of BPSD Measures. Journal of Housing for the Elderly. https://doi.org/10.1080/02763893.2019.1683670
Liu, W., Jao, Y.-L., & Williams, K. (2019). Factors Influencing the Pace of Food Intake for Nursing Home Residents with Dementia: Resident Characteristics, Staff Assistance and Environmental Stimulation. Nursing Open.6 (3), 772-782.
Jao, Y.-L., Liu, W., & Williams, K., Chaudhury, H., & Parajuli, J. (2019). Association between environmental stimulation and apathy in nursing home residents with dementia, International Psychogeriatrics, 31 (8), 1109-1120. doi:10.1017/S1041610219000589.
Parajuli, J., Berish, D, & Jao, Y-L. (2019). Chronic Conditions and Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults: The Mediating Role of Functional Limitations, Aging and Mental Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2019.1693971
Jao, Y.-L., Mogle, J., Williams, K., McDermott, C., & Behrens, L. (2018). Real-time observation of apathy in long-term care residents with dementia: Reliability of the Person-Environment Apathy Rating Scale. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 4 (44), 23-28. doi:10.3928/00989134-20180131-02
Williams, K., & Jao, -L. (2018). Supporting elders with cognitive changes and caregivers across community and long-term care settings. In M. Rizzo, & S. Anderson (Eds.). The Wiley Handbook of the Aging Mind and Brain. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell.
Jao, Y.-L., Epps, F., McDermott, C., Rose, K., & Specht J. (2017). Effects of support groups for individuals with early-stage dementia and mild cognitive impairment: An integrative review. Research in Gerontological Nursing, 10 (1), 35-51.
Williams, K., Perkhounkova, Y., Jao, Y.-L., Bossen, A., Chung, S. J., Starykowicz, A., & Turk, M. (2017). Person-centered communication for nursing home residents with dementia: Four communication analysis methods. Western Journal of Nursing Research. doi:1177/0193945917697226
Jao, Y.-L., Loken, E., MacAndrew, M., Van Haitsma, K., & Kolanowski, A. (2017). Association between social interaction and affect in nursing home residents with dementia. Aging and Mental Health. doi: 1080/13607863.2017.1304526
Liu, W., Jao, Y.-L., & Williams, K. (2017). The association of eating performance and environmental stimulation among older adults with dementia in nursing homes: A secondary analysis. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 71, 70-79.
Kolanowski, A., Boltz, M., Galik, E., Gitlin, L., Kales, H., Resnick, B., VanHaitsma, K., Knehans, A., Sutterlin, J. E., Sefcik, J. S., Liu, W., Petrovsky, D. V., Massimo, L., Gilmore-Bykovskyi, A., MacAndrew, M., Brewster, G., Nalls, V., Jao, Y.-L., Duffort, N., & Scerpella, D. (2017). Determinants of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia: A scoping review of the evidence. Nursing Outlook. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2017.06.006.
Williams, K., Shaw, C., Lee, A., Dinneen, E., Kim, S., Turk, M., Jao, Y.-L., & Liu, W. (2017). Voicing ageism in nursing home dementia care. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 43(9), 16-20. doi: 10.3928/00989134-20170523-02
Jao, Y.-L., Williams, K. M., Mogle, J., Behrens, L., & McDermott, C. (2017). Assessing apathy in long-term care residents with dementia: Who should be the rater? Dementia: The International Journal of Social Research and Practice. doi: 10.1177/1471301217745104
Jao, Y.-L., Algase, D., Specht, J., & Williams, K. (2015). The association between characteristics of care environments and apathy in residents with dementia in long-term care facilities. The Gerontologist, 55 (Suppl 1), S27-S39. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnu166
Jao, Y.-L., Algase, D., Specht, J., & Williams, K. (2016). Developing the Person-Environment Apathy Rating for persons with dementia. Aging and Mental Health, 20 (8), 861-870. doi:1080/13607863.2015.1043618
Jao, Y.-L., Gardner, S., & Carr, L. (2016). Measuring weight-bearing activities in patients with previous diabetic foot ulcers. Journal of Wound Ostomy and Continence Nursing, 44 (1), 34-40.
Burgener, S., Jao, Y.-L., Anderson, J. G., & Bossen, A. (2015). Mechanism of action for non-pharmacological therapies for persons with dementia: Implications for practice and research. Research in Gerontological Nursing, 8 (5), 240-259. doi: 10.3928/19404921-20150429-02.
Gardner, S., Haleem, A., Jao, -L., Hillis, S., Femino, J., Phisitkul, P., Heilmann, K. P., Lehman, S. M., & Franciscus, C. L. (2014). Cultures of diabetic foot ulcers are not predictive of outcomes. Diabetes Care, 7(10), 2693-2701.
For more information about our projects, please visit https://remindlab.psu.edu/.
Education: Columbia University, Ed.D., Nursing Education; Ed.M., Nursing Education; M.S., Adult Nurse Practitioner; B.S., Nursing; The Pennsylvania State University, National Research Service Award Post-Doctoral Fellowship
Research Interests: Palliative and end-of-life care, family caregivers, heart failure, age-friendly health care, qualitative research
Awards/Honors:
she/her/hers
Twitter – @jcandresearch
Facebook – @jcandresearch
Instagram – @jcandresearch
Dr. Wardecker received her Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Michigan in 2016 and subsequently began training as an NIA-funded T32 Postdoctoral Fellow in the Center for Healthy Aging at Penn State. As an Assistant Professor of Nursing with multidisciplinary training in Psychology, Public Health, and Biobehavioral Health, she pulls from theoretical frameworks in these fields to investigate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) older adults’ psychological and physical health outcomes.
Ph.D. – University of Michigan (Psychology)
B.S. – The Pennsylvania State University (Psychology)
