Sentinel U® Advisory Council

The Best Minds in Nursing Simulation Thought Leadership

To further advance the field of healthcare education and technology innovations, Sentinel U® has brought together eight independent experts from nursing, academia, research and development, who will help guide Sentinel U as we continue to develop industry-leading and effective virtual nursing simulation programs.

Led by Dr. Laura Gonzalez, Vice President of clinical learning resources at Sentinel U, the Council will meet at least three times each year to provide valuable thought leadership on current popular topics such as the state of the nursing profession and the future of simulation integration. Members will provide valuable feedback and recommendations on the company’s newest simulations and products.

Meet The Experts

Michelle L. Aebersold, Ph.D., RN, CHSE, FAAN

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A clinical professor at the University of Michigan School of Nursing. Dr. Aebersold is an XR (Extended Reality) Faculty Innovator in Residence through the University of Michigan XR Initiative at the Center for Academic Innovation and developed the Simulation Model to Improve Learner and Health Outcomes (SMILHO).

K. David Bodily, M.S., RN, CHSE

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Bodily is program director for ReNEW and RN-BSN at the University of Wyoming’s Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing. Bodily provides simulation consultation across the country, including serving as a manuscript reviewer for the journal Clinical Simulation in Learning. He received the 2020 Wyoming Nurses Association’s “Inspiring Our Future Nurses Award.”

Salam Daher, Ph.D.

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Dr. Daher is an assistant professor in Informatics at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on using computer graphics and virtual and augmented reality to improve training, especially in healthcare simulation. Dr. Daher developed a new class of augmented reality patient simulations called Physical-Virtual Patients (PVP) while completing her doctorate.

Tammye Erdmann, M.S., BSN, BScIt, CHSE

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Erdmann is director of Clinical Learning Services at St. Luke’s Health System in Boise, Idaho. With a focus on curriculum design and simulation, she helps lead St. Luke’s simulation team develop alternative modalities to meet the needs of learners during the pandemic. Erdmann is co-author of a study on The Power of Simulation in Supporting Healthcare Team Performance.

Martina Harris, Ed.D., RN

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Dr. Harris is director of the Registered Nursing Program at Chattanooga State Community College and assistant dean of Nursing and Allied Health programs. In addition, Dr. Harris has served as an officer of the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL). She was appointed to the Tennessee Board of Nursing in 2020.

Amber Kool, DNP, RN

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Dr. Kool is the director of Curriculum and Instruction for Arizona College of Nursing. To earn her Doctor of Nursing Practice in Educational Leadership, Dr. Kool completed a capstone project on “Virtual Simulation: Impact on Clinical Judgment.” She is passionate about educating nursing students and finding innovative ways to assist faculty with learning strategies.

Debi Martoccio, DNP, RN

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Dr. Martoccio is the vice president and COO of AdventHealth Connerton. The specialty hospital is one of just a few long-term acute care facilities in Florida with an operating room and Intensive Care Unit. Prior to her work in hospital administration, Dr. Martoccio is credited with establishing the Nursing Research Residency Program at the University of South Florida College of Nursing.

Benjamin A. Smallheer, PhD, RN, ACNP-BC, FNP-BC, CCRN, CNE

Benjamin Smallheer is an Associate Professor at the Duke University School of Nursing where he serves as the Lead Faculty of the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program. He is a board-certified Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP) and Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and maintains an active clinical practice in critical care medicine. His academic career has been dedicated to improving the educational experience of nursing students. He continues to advance the use of simulation and alternative teaching strategies that create learning environments which allow students to transition from the role of a bedside nurse to one of an advanced practice provider.