BSN@Home advisors are committed to student success. Our expert advisors provide guidance to students at their home campus as they progress through the nursing program. Advisors are available to meet with you in person, by phone or by web conferencing.
Contact an Advisor
College of Nursing & Health Sciences
105 Garfield Avenue
Eau Claire, WI 54702-4004
Catherine (Kitty) Kenney, MSN, DNP, RN
(Pre-admission advising)
kromricc@uwec.edu
715-836-3638
Catherine obtained her Master’s in Nursing Administration in 2010 and her Doctorate in Nursing Practice in 2013 at UW Eau Claire. She is currently a Clinical Associate Professor and the Post-Licensure Admissions Coordinator for the College of Nursing at UW- Eau Claire. Catherine currently teaches in the BSN@Home program teaching the online course “NSG 447-Nursing Leadership and Management”. She started her nursing career working on a general medical floor before transitioning to the ICU, CCU, and ER units. Catherine was also the assistant manager of the PACU unit as she moved into more administrative work. She has also been a Director of Nursing at a Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center and the Nursing Manager of a Family Clinic. Outside of the university, Catherine is a member of the Wisconsin Organization of Nursing Leaders and is active on their Professional Development Committee. She is also kept very busy with her 5 children and 6 grandchildren.
Gail Hanson Brenner, PhD, RN, CNE
(Admitted student advising)
brennegm@uwec.edu
715-836-5006
Gail Hanson Brenner is the Lead BSN Completion Advisor and a Clinical Assistant Professor at UW-Eau Claire. She is a graduate of the BSN@Home program back when it was known as the Collaborative Nursing Program. Like many students in this program, she transferred from a 4-year school as a pre-nursing student to a 2-year program and earned her associate degree in nursing from Rochester Community College. After moving back to Eau Claire and securing a full-time position at Luther Hospital, she began the BSN Completion program at UWEC and graduated in 2000. She continued to work full-time and raised three children as she continued her education at UWEC to earn a master of science in nursing with an emphasis in nursing education. Gail has taught in this program since starting at UWEC in 2005; she has taught the introductory bridge course and the leadership course in this program along with acute care clinical and the foundations theory course in the traditional undergraduate program. She is an active member of the Wisconsin Nurses Association and the American Nurses Association and the Faculty Advisor for the Eau Claire Student Nurses Association. Gail lives in Eau Claire with her teenage daughter and helps care for her elderly parents who still live on the family farm. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family, shopping at small businesses/restaurants, and visiting wineries.
Nursing and Health Studies
2420 Nicolet Drive
Green Bay, WI 54311-7001
Nicole Micolichek, MA
micolicn@uwgb.edu
920-465-5037
Nicole Micolichek is an advisor for Nursing and Health Studies at UW-Green Bay and has been working in higher education and focusing on student success and experiences for 10 years. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from St. Norbert College, and her Master of Arts in Student Affairs Administration from Michigan State University. She has experience in advising, advocacy, conduct, orientation, student housing, and student life. Her priority is to support students from the time they are interested in the Nursing and Health studies programs until they graduate.
Ruth Pearson
pearsonr@uwgb.edu
920-465-2818
I have worked in higher education for 13 years, with the last 7 years advising BSN@Home students. I will work together with you to develop an individualized academic plan, helping you reach your academic goals. I want to help you succeed through the completion of your BSN. Healthcare workers, specifically Registered Nurses, have never been as needed as now and you are impacting the communities where you live and the patients you serve forever. It is an honor to be on this journey with you!
School of Nursing
Signe Skott Cooper Hall
701 Highland Avenue
Madison, WI 53705
Leigh Arora
bsn.at.home@nursing.wisc.edu
(608) 264-6402
Leigh Arora is an Academic Advising Manager in the School of Nursing. She works with pre-nursing students in the traditional BSN program and is the Program Coordinator for BSN@Home. Leigh has been an advisor at UW Madison since 2015, working in the School of Business, the Center for Educational Opportunity, and now in the School of Nursing. She has also been a lecturer in the School of Business teaching Marketing Strategy and Marketing Communications. Leigh earned a BBA in Management from Morehead State University and an MBA in Marketing Research from the University of Cincinnati and has also taken extensive coursework in mathematics and education. Leigh moved to Madison in 1999 and enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
College of Nursing
Cunningham Hall
P.O. Box 413
Milwaukee, WI 53201
Hillary Vara, M.S.
hmvara@uwm.edu
262-595-2653
I am an Academic Advisor within the College of Nursing for the UW-Milwaukee/UW-Parkside Nursing Consortia. I also work with RN-BSN students who live in the Racine, Kenosha and surrounding areas. As a first-generation college student, I have a deep-rooted passion for helping students by supplying information and guidance to them to enrich their collegiate journey. I am an animal lover with three dogs (Ruby, Lucy and Brody) and two cats (Tilly and Ziggy). I enjoy spending time with my family as well as being outdoors for a hike or down by the beautiful Milwaukee Lakefront.
Sylvia Forbes, MSN, RN
forbes@uwm.edu
414-229-4662
Sylvia Forbes is a program manager at UW-Milwaukee College of Nursing and serves as the program coordinator of the UW System BSN@Home Program. For the past 14 years, she has advised RN students at UW-Milwaukee. Sylvia’s nursing career is expansive. She has practiced as a staff nurse, nurse clinician, clinical nurse specialist, health educator and outreach specialist. Community involvement is a passion as evidenced in her affiliations with the American Heart Association, National Kidney Foundation and the Milwaukee Chapter, National Black Nurses Association. Ms. Forbes is a member of the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Eta Nu Chapter). She holds a Bachelor of Science in nursing degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Master of Science in nursing degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In her leisure time, Sylvia enjoys singing in a choir, the arts, and traveling.
UW-Oshkosh College of Nursing
800 Algoma Blvd.
Oshkosh, WI 54942
Terri Blakeslee PhD, RN
blakeslt@uwosh.edu
920-424-3017
Terese Blakeslee holds a PhD in nursing from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. She is an assistant professor, assistant director, and faculty advisor for BSN@Home at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Her research interests are mental health and prevention of bullying. She has been a registered nurse for 26 years including OB/GYN and pediatric acute care, Maternal Child Public Health, and school nursing. Terese has taught courses online since 2008. Currently, Terese teaches Community Health Nursing for BSN@Home, and Orientation to the Clinical Major, and Clinical Nursing Synthesis at UW Oshkosh.
School of Health Care Professions
Room D124 Science Building
2001 Fourth Avenue
Stevens Point, WI 54481
Tiffany Koeshall, M.S.Ed.
tkoeshal@uwsp.edu
715-346-2603
Tiffany Koeshall is an academic adviser and recruitment specialist in the School of Health Sciences and Wellness at University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point. The main academic programs Tiffany works with at UW-Stevens Point are RN-BSN completion, pre-nursing pathway, health science and wellness including pre-physical therapy, pre-athletic training, pre-occupational therapy and clinical laboratory sciences. Many RN-BSN completion students are in the central Wisconsin area, but UW-Stevens Point School of Health Sciences and Wellness serves students around the country. BSN@home is a great opportunity for BSN completion for working nurses, don’t hesitate to reach out with questions!
