2023-2025 Board of Directors

Sandra Bibb, DNSc, RN, FFNMRCSI, FAAN, is Owner and Cultural Competence Consultant, Sandra C. Garmon Bibb Consulting, providing education, consultation, and support to groups and organizations focused on increasing self-awareness of cultural views and perspectives; developing positive attitudes towards cultural differences; and creating organizational environments that demonstrate the ability to communicate and interact with individuals, regardless of cultural background.

Dr. Bibb served in the United States Navy as an active-duty nurse and retired at the rank of Captain (0-6) in 2004, after serving three decades in the Armed Forces. While on active duty she established and served in a number of leadership roles where she led interprofessional healthcare teams in the design and delivery of population-based, culturally appropriate care.

After retiring from the Navy Dr. Bibb served in several roles at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland from July 2004 to July 2014, to include faculty, Research Director, Department Chair, and Associate Dean. In 2014 she was selected to serve as Dean and Professor, College of Health Professions at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. In January 2020 Dr. Bibb left Wichita State University and established Sandra C. Garmon Bibb Consulting in August 2020. 

Dr. Bibb also served as a Cultural Competence Consultant from 2007 to 2014, and as a Nurse Scientist Consultant at Quorum IRB from 2012 to 2019. She has over 30 years of experience in senior and executive leadership positions in military, academic, and community settings, and has served on numerous national and international review committees, boards, and task forces.

Dr. Bibb was elected to the Sigma Theta Tau International Board of Directors and served as Director-at-Large from 2015 to 2019. She was elected to the position of President-elect on the Sigma Board for the 2021-2023 biennium and was installed as Sigma’s 35th President for the 2023-2025 biennium. She is a Fellow of the Faculty on Nursing and Midwifery, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland. A Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, she is recognized for her research initiatives and published works related to population health; access to care; and health and healthcare disparities.

Liz Westcott, DCM, MSc, DipMan, RNT, RN, is a nurse of 45 years and a senior academic and leader with over 33 years of experience working within higher education, of which 14 years were at faculty executive level. Liz is currently working at Oxford Brookes University, UK, in the NMC Test of Competence Centre and also as an Executive Coach and a Company Director. Liz has extensive experience of academic and research staff management, leadership, financial management, management of NHS contracts, strategic planning, working collaboratively with a wide range of extremal stakeholders, project management, and strategic planning. She has been a coach for over 12 years. Liz is a previous Europe Regional Coordinator for Sigma and is a Past President of Phi Mu Chapter in England.

In clinical practice, Liz had a career in neuroscience nursing working at The National Hospital for Nervous Diseases and Great Ormond Street London and the Radcliffe Infirmary Oxford, rising to the role of Senior Nurse in neurosurgery. Liz became the first Lecturer Practitioner for neurology and neurosurgery in the United Kingdom and introduced a teaching programme for Neurosurgery which is still the basis for teaching staff and students in the unit 30 years later. The research Liz undertook investigating safe competency and staffing levels in Neurosurgery was used by a number of neuroscience units in the UK to inform their future safe staffing levels. Having moved to Oxford Brookes University as a Senior Lecturer, Liz gained her Doctorate in 2015. As Head of Nursing for 13 years until 2018, Liz additionally line managed the staff teams in Midwifery, Occupational Therapy, Paramedic Science, Physiotherapy, Social Work, Advanced Practice, Critical Care. Liz has also become one of the first individual members of the Florence Nightingale Foundation in 2021.

Gloria Chan, DNP, CRNA, FAAN, is a staff CRNA at Staten Island University Hospital, adjunct faculty at Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies, in the Acute Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) - Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) DNP program and healthcare consultant. 

Gloria is an established nurse leader with extensive experience within Sigma on the local, national, and international level. She previously served as a United Nations Youth Representative for the Nightingale Initiative for Global Health (NIGH), working to educate nurses around the world about UN initiatives. Currently she serves on a work group for the World Health Organization Global Alliance for Surgical, Obstetric, Trauma and Anesthesia care (G4 Alliance Midwifery and Nursing), which is dedicated to nursing advocacy for the surgical patient. 

One of her primary goals has always been to support and guide early careerist nurses. She has spoken at conferences around the world regarding global nursing leadership, mentorship and professional organizational involvement, and has been recognized for this work as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. 
 
Gloria earned her DNP and MSN in Nurse Anesthesia from Rutgers University and her BS from New York University. 

Nancy Rollins Gantz, a DNP candidate, maintains an enthusiasm and endless energy for being a consistent mentor, motivator for leadership team growth, and point-of-care staff coupled with an emphasis on quality outcome services and patient safety values. While working internationally, Dr. Gantz developed the CAPPS™ International model, Cultural Appreciation through Professional Practice and Synergy.

Dr. Gantz has published on numerous topics; presented and consulted/lived in over 45 countries; held adjunct professor at numerous universities; and participation in international and national editorial boards. Dr. Gantz has been an active Sigma member since 1990; a former Middle Manager Board Member of The American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE/AONL); and has held numerous national and regional positions with the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). Dr. Gantz is past president of the Beta Psi Chapter of Sigma in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Gantz has a never-ending passion for Sigma, the staff, and its membership as she currently holds the position of Secretary on Sigma’s International Board of Directors.

She has received several honors and awards, including the American Organization of Nurse Leaders PRISM Award for leadership in cultural diversity; the Lloydena Grimes Award for Nursing Excellence from Linfield University-Good Samaritan School of Nursing; and, most recently, the International Leaders in Achievement. Dr. Gantz is a Wharton Fellow through the completion of the Johnson & Johnson Wharton Program for Nurse Executives, The Wharton Business School. She is the editor and author of the book 101 Global Leadership Lessons for Nurses: Shared Legacies from Leaders and their Mentors, published by Sigma and she is completing her second book on international mentoring called Mentoring in Nursing through Narrative Stories Across the World that will be published by Springer in 2023. Dr. Gantz recently received her certification as a Global Nursing Consultants through International Council of Nurses and CGFNS. She also holds a CNEn and was inducted as a fellow in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (FRCSI) and as a fellow in the American Organization of Nurse Leaders (FAONL).

Kathleen Bradley, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, is the Senior Nursing Consultant at Stanford Health Care in Palo Alto, California. She has more than 30 years of experience in nursing leadership, from frontline leader to associate chief nursing officer, encompassing community healthcare settings to large academic healthcare systems. Kathleen is a nursing innovator in the use of technology in healthcare, partnering with Apple to earn the Apple Distinguished School designation, a first for a Healthcare setting, at the Center for Professional Excellence and Inquiry at Stanford Children’s Health. 

Dr. Bradley is active in nursing organizations, serving on boards or committees, and volunteers as a peer reviewer for different nursing journals. Kathleen was active in the Quality Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) community, serving on the Practice taskforce since its inception in 2012.  Kathleen has been a Magnet Appraiser since 2012 and is honored to have a front-row view of global nursing excellence.  She is active in Sigma, having served in various local roles and as President of two chapters, including leading the work to establish the first stand-alone practice chapter at Stanford. At the Sigma 47th Biennial Convention, Dr. Bradley showcased the development and achievements of the Sigma-Stanford Alpha Alpha Lambda at-Large Chapter. 

Dr. Bradley is Board Certified as a Nursing Executive Advanced by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.  She has earned her Bachelor in Nursing Science at the University of Rhode Island, a Master of Science in Nursing, and Doctor of Nursing Practice in Advanced Leadership in Healthcare at Regis University, Denver, Colorado.

Professor Debra Anderson, PhD, MNS, GDNS(ED), BA, RN, is Dean of the Faculty of Health. She joined the University of Technology Sydney in late 2019 as Associate Dean Research where she was responsible for leading the faculty's research function with a focus on developing and executing the strategic vision that builds internal capability and grows the faculty's profile nationally and internationally. She is Director and Founder of the Women’s Wellness Research Program, a program for midlife women who want to focus on wellness in midlife with particular attention to managing menopause and other midlife concerns and developing healthy eating and exercise habits. Her previous positions were Head of School, Nursing and Midwifery at Griffith University; Director of Research at the School of Nursing, Queensland University of Technology; and the Research Leader of the Chronic Conditions research group at the Institute of Health and Biomedical Research. She has a PhD in Social and Preventive Medicine and over 30 years’ experience in education and research, with an extensive record of providing leadership in major administrative, research, and managerial roles in the area of global women’s health.

Diana Baptiste, DNP, RN, CNE, FPNCA, FAAN, is an Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. A registered nurse for over two decades, Diana Baptiste specializes in cardiovascular care and prevention. She earned her DNP and Post-Master’s Certificate in Nursing Education from the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in 2013. Her sustained research and scholarship focuses on cardiovascular health across the care continuum for underserved populations, grounded in responding to social justice issues influencing health outcomes. She has published peer-reviewed papers in areas of cardiovascular disease, nursing education, and cultural humility. Her work in identifying cardiovascular disease risks among ethnic minority populations has been nationally recognized through American Heart Association’s EPIǀLifestyle council.

Over the years, she has built a strong team-based approach to leadership, and service through Sigma. In 2018, as a Sigma chapter president, she led the amendment of Nu Beta at-Large Chapter, the first in the history of Sigma to incorporate a school of nursing and an entire health system, influencing a new model for Sigma chapter leadership, globally. Since then, she has served as Regional 12 Coordinator, and as a member of the Leadership Succession Committee. Dr. Baptiste also demonstrates influential leadership in several professional organizations and is a Fellow of the American Academy (FAAN) of Nursing, and the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (FPCNA). 

Diana Baptiste is a certified nurse educator whose teaching is grounded in cutting-edge, evidence-based instructional methods with a strong commitment to health equity in practice, research, and academic service. She has been recognized through awards for her commitment to advocacy, mentorship, and the ability to build bridges between academic and clinical partners evidenced by her track record of innovative leadership and impactful scholarship influencing clinical practice, education, and policy internationally. She is an exemplary integrated scholar who is committed to transforming patient care as well as supporting nurses of the future.

Thomas Kearns, Thomas Kearns, EdD, FFNMRCSI, MEd, BNS, RNT, RGN, RPN, is a Professor of Nursing and the former Executive Director (Executive Dean) of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, at the RCSI, University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin Ireland. He was appointed to this post in April 2014 and retired in April 2023. He was responsible for leading and delivering on the strategic intent and operational activity of the faculty. In May 2023 Thomas was appointed Co-Director of the Global Innovation and Leadership Academy which hosts the Faculty’s WHO collaboration, including the Candidate WHO Collaborating Centre.

Thomas has worked in professional regulation, nursing, and health policy at a national, EU, and global level and in higher education. Thomas’ doctorate is in the area of continuing professional development and the maintenance of professional competence.

From August 2017 to September 2018 Thomas worked as interim CEO of the International Council of Nurses in Geneva. Thomas is a member of the Board of the International Network of Health Workforce Education. The faculty of nursing, through an MoU, is the academic partner for the European Council of Nurse Regulators (ENC), a relationship that supports evidence and research-based regulation and professional standards and guidance in Europe.

Thomas developed a Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Advancement across the RCSI Hospital Group. He developed and was founding director of a European Centre of Research Excellence (CPD) a Centre with 22 European partners. 

In April 2021 Thomas was appointed Trustee of the Florence Nightingale International Museum. He led the RCSI application for the university to be incorporated into the Irish chapter of Sigma (Omega Epsilon at-Large Chapter), and he is a Board member of the Sigma International Foundation. Thomas was recently appointed to the WHO Europe Steering Committee to establish a roadmap for Nursing in Europe. He is also a member of the Pan European Coalition for Mental Health of the WHO Europe Office.

Jennifer Saylor, PhD, APRN, ACNS-BC, is an accomplished nursing professional currently serving as the Associate Dean for Faculty and Student Affairs and a tenured Associate Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Delaware. With a wealth of experience and expertise, Dr. Saylor has dedicated over 20 years to nursing education, making significant contributions to the field. As the Director of the UD ACHIEVE Program, she effectively leads a team of Fellows, overseeing strategic initiatives, and ensuring the delivery of high-quality faculty development programming. Her academic journey includes earning a PhD from the University of Maryland in Baltimore, with a focus on cardiovascular health and symptom science.

Throughout her career, Dr. Saylor has been a passionate advocate for excellence in nursing education, practice, and leadership. She has been a proud Sigma member since 2000 and an active member of the Charter Review Task Force, which reviews chapter charter and chapter charter amendment applications for almost 10 years. Notably, she served on the International Governance Committee from 2017 to 2023, chairing the committee for the last four years. Her commitment to service extends to the Beta Xi Chapter and the Tri-State Consortium at the regional level. Dr. Saylor is also a leader in the Delaware Nursing Workforce Coalition to increase diversity and nurses in the State of Delaware.

A sought-after speaker, Dr. Saylor has presented at numerous conferences locally, nationally, and internationally. Her topics range from college students with type 1 diabetes to leadership, mentoring, simulation, and transitioning in the nursing profession. Her impact is further recognized through accolades such as Delaware Today's Top Nurses Nursing Excellence Award in the Academic Educator category and nominations in service and leading the profession categories. In the realm of research, Dr. Saylor's recent work centers on workforce development and increasing diversity in the nursing profession. Her projects, supported by internal and external funding, delve into sleep patterns and diabetes management among young adults, contributing valuable insights to the field. Acknowledging her scholarly achievements, Dr. Saylor received the prestigious J. Warren Perry Award from the Journal of Allied Health for a top manuscript.

Dr. Saylor actively collaborates with faculty across campus to enhance student outcomes through high-impact practices. As a key member of the Delaware Nursing Workforce Coalition, she works towards increasing diversity and the number of nurses in the State of Delaware. Utilizing a team-based approach, Dr. Saylor co-creates faculty development programs that foster supportive communities, allowing faculty to achieve excellence while maintaining work-life balance. She also contributes to building peer mentoring networks and pathways for career development. In recognition of her outstanding contributions, Dr. Saylor was awarded the university-wide Faculty Excellence award in Undergraduate Advising and Mentoring. Her unwavering dedication as a member and servant leader continues to shape the future of nursing education and practice.

Elizabeth Weathers, PhD, RN, RGN, PGCTLHE, FAAN, boasts a diverse, culturally rich career with experience in clinical practice, academia, and the medical device industry across Europe, Asia, and the US. She has over 17 years’ experience in healthcare and 12 years’ experience managing all facets of clinical research and development. Elizabeth is an Associate Professor of General Nursing at University College Dublin (UCD), Ireland and serves as Expert Reviewer for the European Commission COST funding organization. Elizabeth was formerly the Director of Medical and Clinical Affairs at AccuVein, where she led the company’s clinical development strategy and was responsible for overseeing clinical research, scientific communications, and clinical input into product development. Elizabeth is the founder of a medical writing and clinical research consultancy company called ECNE Research. 
 
Elizabeth holds a BSc in Nursing, a PhD in Medicine and Health, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning from UCC, Ireland. She also holds an Accreditation in Logotherapy from the Viktor Frankl Institute of Ireland.
 
In 2019, she was elected to Sigma's International Governance Committee and in 2021, she was elected to serve a 4-year term as Director on Sigma's International Board of Directors. Elizabeth is one of the first five nurses from Ireland inducted into the American Academy of Nursing in recognition of her contribution to nursing and public health. She is the Founding Past President of the first Irish chapter of Sigma.
 
Elizabeth’s journey, working across three continents, has equipped her with an understanding of the cultural nuances that exist across global healthcare systems and practice. She is committed to improving healthcare by effecting change for patients and highlighting the valuable contribution of nurses globally.

Jennifer Graber, EdD, APRN, PMHCNS-BC, PMHNP, is an Associate Professor, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Practice Initiatives in the School of Nursing at the University of Delaware, and a Faculty Fellow for the UDAchieve program on mentoring out of the Provost Office at the University of Delaware. She has worked for over 25 years as an advanced psychiatric nurse and as a nurse educator of psychiatric nursing at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. She has dedicated over two decades of her career to higher education, achieving Associate Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Delaware. She is actively involved with curriculum design, accreditation, and transformation at the undergraduate and graduate levels. 

Dr. Jennifer Graber is a passionate member since 2006 and volunteer leader for Sigma and served in appointed and elected positions at the chapter, regional, and international levels.  She has held several board positions within her local chapter and has been an instrumental member of the Tri-State Consortium, which is the longest standing regional event held within Sigma. Dr. Graber still serves her local chapter as the Finance Chair and is an active member of the Tri-State Planning Committee.

An award-winning Associate Professor and advanced practice psychiatric nurse, Dr. Graber has been recognized by the state of Delaware as a Top Nurse in Academic Education, Service and Volunteerism, and Behavioral Health for the last several years. She was also recognized in 2023 by the International Society of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing with the Nursing Educator Award. Her decades of experience leading and mentoring nurses allows her to advance the education of diverse student populations through personalized, evidence-based programs while also incorporating mental well-being.