Credentials: PhD, MSN, RN
Email: halghzaw@tnstate.edu
Office: Health Sciences Building, Rm. 424

Bio: Dr. Alghzawi earned his PhD in Nursing and a Teaching Certificate in Nursing & Health Profession from the University of Maryland at Baltimore (UMB). He is currently working as an associate professor in the nursing department at Tennessee State University. Broadly, his work focuses on understanding the smoking cessation process among people with severe mental illnesses.

Dr. Alghzawi’s primary goal as faculty is to provide an environment where students can be critical thinkers. He motivates students through various methods, cutting-edge research, and clinically relevant examples to make the content as applicable as possible. Both of these concepts are employed in his courses through the principles of active participation in class and in preparation prior to the lecture, student interaction, and effective communication.

Education:

Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (Ph.D.), University of Maryland
Post Graduate Teaching Certificate in Nursing, University of Maryland

Email: tbarnett01@tnstate.edu

Email: bbatts1@tnstate.edu

Credentials: DHA, MPH, RRT-NPS, ACUE
Office: Health Sciences Building, Rm. 316

Bio:
Dr. Brenda K. Batts is a distinguished leader in respiratory therapy, bringing over 30 years of clinical and academic expertise to her role at Tennessee State University. Since joining TSU in 2015, she has served as Clinical Director and Assistant Professor, eventually stepping into her current role as Program Director.
Academic & Programmatic Leadership
Dr. Batts is a specialist in the operational excellence of respiratory education. Her expertise ensures that programs not only meet but exceed rigorous national standards. She is highly skilled in:
Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC): Navigating complex regulatory requirements to maintain program excellence.
Outcomes Assessment: Recognized as a High Performer for Outcomes Assessment (2024-2025) by the Division of Academic Affairs for her work in advancing institutional assessment practices.
Graduate Credentialing: Strategizing student success to ensure high pass rates on national board exams.
Program Sustainability: Developing long-term growth models for cardiorespiratory departments to thrive in changing healthcare landscapes.
Research & Clinical Impact
As a seasoned researcher, Dr. Batts has dedicated her career to advancing cardiorespiratory medicine across the lifespan. Her work focuses on evidence-based outcomes in:
Neonatal & Pediatric Care: Specialized interventions for newborn and adolescent pulmonary health.
Adult Respiratory Care: Managing complex cardiorespiratory pathologies in adult populations.
Community & Professional Recognition
A firm believer in the power of collaboration, Dr. Batts has established strategic partnerships with key community organizations. Her career is marked by prestigious honors, including:
Certificate as High Performer for Outcomes Assessment (Institutional Effectiveness & Accreditation)
American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) National Pediatric Fellow Award
American Lung Association Volunteer of the Year
Tennessee State University Faculty Community Service Award

Education & Professional Credentials

Doctor of Health Administration (DHA)
Virginia University of Lynchburg, Advanced doctoral training in healthcare administration, leadership, and organizational management, preparing her to lead complex healthcare education programs and initiatives.
Master of Public Health (MPH)
University of Alabama at Birmingham, with specialized focus on Maternal and Child Health, Health Policy, and Global Healthcare systems and practices.
Bachelor’s Degree in Cardiopulmonary Science
Georgia State University, providing foundational knowledge in cardiopulmonary physiology, pathophysiology, and clinical practice management.
Professional Certifications
Certified Registered Respiratory Therapist, Neonatal Pediatric Specialist (RRT-NPS) with additional certifications in Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), Basic Life Support (BLS), Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS).

Email: ccampbell6@tnstate.edu

Credentials : DNP, FNP-c, PMHNP-BC
Administrative Responsibilities : MSN Program Director

Office: Health Sciences Building, Rm. 457

Bio: Dr. Shaquita Bonds joined Tennessee State University School of Nursing as an Associate Professor in 2021. She is certified as a Nurse Practitioner and has over 15 years of health care experience. She teaches in the graduate and undergraduate program. Her research interests include mental health in minorities and health disparities in underserved populations.

Education:

Bachelor of Science in Nursing, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Doctor of Nursing Practice/Family Nurse Practitioner, East Tennessee State University
Post-Graduate APRN Certificate Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, East Tennessee State University

Email: ccampbell6@tnstate.edu

Office: Health Sciences Building, Rm. 426

Bio: Ms. Campbell has been a nurse for more than 40 years; she has 40 + years of teaching experience. Ms. Campbell specialty includes Gerontology and Psych/Mental Health.

Education:

Doctor of Nursing Practice, American Sentinel/Post University
Post Master Certificate, Tennessee State University
Master of Science in Nursing, Vanderbilt University
Master of Arts in Aging Studies, University of South Florida
Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Florida A&M

Email: thamer@tnstate.edu
Administrative Responsibilities: Administrative Assistant III

Office: Health Sciences Building, Rm. 454

Bio: Ms. Hamer is a native of Nashville, TN, and she is currently working in the School of Nursing as an Administrative Assistant III. Her role is to provide administrative, and secretarial support to Program Director, Associate Director, faculty, staff, and students. Ms. Hamer previously worked for Tennessee State University in the Hospitality and Tourism Department as an Office Manager. Ms. Hamer’s leisure time is spent fishing, sewing, cooking, traveling and spending time with her many grandchildren.

Education:

Associates Degree in Accounting, Draughons Junior College

Email: thamer@tnstate.edu
Credentials: DNP, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, IBCLC

Office: Health Sciences Building, Rm. 449

Bio: Courtney Harris has been a nurse for twenty years. During that time, she has worked in a busy, high acuity NICU, a women’s health unit at a small community hospital, and the busiest postpartum unit in the state of Tennessee. She is also a board-certified lactation consultant and has worked in that role in both in the inpatient and outpatient setting. She completed her Master’s degree in 2022 and has successfully certified as a family nurse practitioner. Her real passion, though, is educating the next generation of registered nurses.

Education:

Doctor of Nursing Practice, Belmont University
Master of Science in Nursing, Middle Tennessee State University
Bachelor of Science in Nursing, University of Virginia
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, University of Virginia

Email: kharri91@tnstate.edu

ahunt11@tnstate.edu

Email: pleveque@tnstate.edu

Email: nmorton5@tnstate.edu
Credentials: MSN, FNP-BC

Office: Health Sciences Building, Rm. 238

Bio: Ms. Morton is board certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner and has 30 years of experience working in a variety of specialties including stepdown units, Med/Surg, transplant and psychiatry to name a few. She has spent 9 of those years as a board-certified family nurse practitioner. She practiced in pain management, primary care, urgent care, Alzheimer’s research and telehealth mental health care.

Education:

Doctor of Nursing Practice Student, University of Alabama Birmingham
Master of Science in Nursing, Austin Peay State University
Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Rhode Island College

rmoses4@tnstate.edu

Email: chines3@tnstate.edu
Credentials: DNP, RN, CNE 

Administrative Responsibilities:  Executive Director

Office:  Health Sciences Building, Rm. 460 

Bio:   

Dr. Courtney Nyange, Professor, is an academic nurse educator who specializes in nursing leadership and has a clinical background in neonatal nursing. Dr. Nyange is an international nursing scholar, a U.S. Fulbright Scholar Alumna (Tanzania, 2020-2021) and a Peace Corps/Global Health Service Partnership (GHSP) Alumna (Tanzania, 2014-2015). Dr. Nyange is currently serving as the Executive Director of the School of Nursing and Respiratory Care at Tennessee State University. In 2023, Dr. Nyange was recognized as a Tennessee Rising Star Nurse Leader 40 under 40 and was selected to participate in Leadership Tennessee Next (Class VIII) in 2024. In 2025, Dr. Nyange received the Tennessee Nurses Association Nursing Excellence Award, Clinical Practice.

Dr. Nyange is active in community and professional leadership, serving on the board of the Nashville Freedom School, the Director of Practice for the Tennessee Nurses Association (2023-2025), and holding membership in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the Wilson County Branch of the NAACP, the Tennessee Nurses Association, the Association of Black Nursing Faculty, and DNPs of Color (DOCs). Dr. Nyange earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Fisk University, her Master of Science in Nursing from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, and her Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Minnesota School of Nursing.

As a Black academic nursing education leader, Dr. Nyange is committed to dismantling systemic barriers that impede the diversification of the nursing profession. Dr. Nyange’s scholarly agenda focuses on examining factors influencing the recruitment and retention of underrepresented nursing students and developing innovative strategies to cultivate a diverse and inclusive nursing workforce. Ultimately, Dr. Nyange aims to contribute to the creation of a healthcare system that is equitable, accessible, and responsive to the needs of diverse populations.

Education:   

Doctor of Nursing Practice, University of Minnesota School of Nursing  
Master of Science in Nursing, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing 
Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Fisk University 

Email: botto@tnstate.edu

Remembering Marida Pace-Newbern
Email: mpacenew@tnstate.edu
Credentials : DNP, MSN-Ed, RN

Bio: Dr. Marida Pace-Newbern was a Registered Nurse with over 19 years of experience specializing in Obstetrics/Gynecology and Nursery. Her combination of clinical education and teaching experience provided a strong academic foundation for the kind of holistic approach that she felt is critical for nursing students to succeed in their future professional endeavors. Furthermore, she strongly believed in cultural and ethnic differences in nursing so that nurses truly reflect the various populations they serve. Her scholarly focus was on identifying strategies that impact nursing school success for ethnic minorities and socio-disadvantaged nursing students.

Education:

Doctor of Nursing Practice, Executive Leadership, Union University
Master of Science in Nursing, Nursing Education, Austin Peay State University
Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Austin Peay State University
Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Austin Peay State University

Email: tricha74@tnstate.edu
Credentials: DNP, RN

Administrative Responsibilities: Data Manager, Assessment Coordinator, Retention Specialist

Office: Health Sciences Building, Rm. 453

Bio: Dr. Trenna Richardson joined TSU in the Fall of 2023. She has been a registered nurse for over 30 years and has taught nursing for over 16 years. She served in college leadership positions as an Interim Dean of Nursing and Director of Health Sciences. In 2022, she was the recipient of the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development Excellence Award. She is an active member of the American Nurse Association, Tennessee Nurse Association, and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society. She was born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She has been married for 30 years to her husband, Tony, and has five children. She loves to read, write, and vacation at the beach.

Education:

Doctor of Nursing Practice: Educational Leadership, Post University
Master of Science in Nursing, University of Tennessee Health Sciences
Bachelor of Science in Nursing, University of Texas at Arlington
Associate of Science in Nursing, Texarkana Community College

Email: atechane@tnstate.edu
Credentials: DNP, MSN, RN

Office: Health Sciences Building, Rm. 416

Bio: Dr. Addisalem Techane is a Registered Nurse. Her nursing career began 9 years ago in a medical-surgical unit, she worked diligently to care for vulnerable patient populations and found a love for mentoring and teaching new nurses. Addisalem believes that delivering nursing care to a person is an honor and teaching future nurses of tomorrow is a blessing. She is excited to apply this principle to her teaching role to help shape the next generation of Tennessee State University nurses.

Education:

Doctor of Nursing Practice, Walden University
Master of Science in Nursing, Walden University
Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Tennessee State University
Bachelor of Science in Administrative Service Management and Information Science, Addis Ababa University

Email: wtimmons@tnstate.edu
Credentials: PhD

Administrative Responsibilities: Office Manager

Office: Health Sciences Building 462

Bio: Wendy Timmons joined Tennessee State University’s School of Nursing and Respiratory Care in August 2025. She is an active member of the Coalition of Feminists in German Studies, curating the Personal News section of the quarterly newsletter. The newsletter for the School of Nursing and Respiratory Care is produced by Wendy once per semester. During her studies at Vanderbilt, Wendy was a Mellon Fellow at the Center for Digital Humanities, AY 20-21, and a Graduate Student Assistant for Special Collections and University Archives from the summer of 2022 until May 2025. She has taught many German language and culture courses over the past decade. In her free time, Wendy likes to crochet, play video games, and go for walks.

Education:

PhD, German Studies and Comparative Media Analysis and Practice, Vanderbilt University (May 2025)
MS, Information Sciences, University of Tennessee – Knoxville (in progress, expected graduation May 2029)
MA, German Languages and Literatures, University of Maryland – College Park (August 2018)
BA, German Studies, Studio Fine Arts minor, Montclair State University (May 2015)