Bridging the Gap: The Journey from Health Science to Nursing School

Christina Alevras, EdD is an Assistant Professor of Biology at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, CT, where she is a UDL (Universal Design for Learning) Teaching Fellow. She has been teaching Anatomy and Physiology I and II, Human Biology, and Endocrinology, among other courses, at USJ since 2004. Professor Alevras’s background is in Neuroscience and her graduate work focused on Tinnitus. Her passion for teaching also inspired her to continue her education to earn a Doctorate in Education with a specialization in Adult Learning. Her current focus is on learning new, more effective means to communicate complex subject matter to students. Professor Alevras’s research centers on instructional design to improve the learner experience.

Marissa Kloss MS, RN, PED-BC is an experienced nurse educator who started her career as a registered nurse in the inpatient pediatric healthcare setting. With over 10 years of practice in general pediatric healthcare and a focus on educating children and families on diabetic care, she developed an interest in nursing education. She expanded her educator role in clinical instruction and simulation, working with and mentoring nursing students. After joining UbiSim as a Nurse Educator in 2021, she has taken on a role that includes designing simulations, consulting on new features and providing subject matter expertise for the UbiSim team. She is passionate about educating upcoming generations of nurses to feel better prepared for practice by using UbiSim's immersive VR platform to create realistic scenarios and enjoyable learning experiences.

Heather Robinson, PhD, hails from a family of educators in North Alabama. Her parents taught middle and high school, while her grandmothers cooked from scratch in school lunchrooms. After earning her PhD in American Literature at the University of North Texas, Heather now works for Labster, engaging in dynamic conversations with educators daily. As colleges adopt STEM simulations to address modern learners' needs, Heather finds joy in building relationships and contributing to positive student impacts across campuses.