Nursing Faculty and Staff
Prisca Anuforo, DNP
Prisca Anuforo is the Executive Director of the School of Nursing at Kean University. Prisca is an experienced administrator who has chaired two different associate degree programs prior to coming to Kean University. At Kean, she served as the RN-BSN Coordinator prior to becoming the Executive Director of the School of Nursing. She received her BSN and MSN in Transcultural Nursing Administration from Kean University and her DNP in Nursing Leadership from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She is nationally certified as a Transcultural Nurse Leader (CTN-A). Dr. Anuforo has been engaged in nursing practice and education for over 30 years. She has taught students at all levels of their education, including students in AS, RN to BSN, undergraduate and graduate nursing programs as well as mentoring DNP and Advanced Practice Nurse students. Dr. Anuforo’s research interests include holistic nursing education and practice, women’s right and health issues, widowhood, transcultural nursing, and interprofessional education and practice. She is a member of the New Jersey State Nurses Association, Nigerian Nurses Association in North America, Transcultural Nursing Society, and Sigma Theta Tau International, Lambda Iota Chapter. She is the current faculty Liaison for Lambda Iota Chapter. She is also a member of American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the National League of Nursing, and the Organization of Nurse Leaders. She is on the NLN Admission Committee and was recently recommended to serve on the Board of Commissioners for the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).
Christopher Doran, DNP
Dr. Christopher "Cricket" Doran, a medical-surgical nurse and geriatric nurse leader, specializes in neurodegenerative disorders, nursing leadership, and spiritual health. He received his BA in psychology from William Paterson University where he then worked as an activity director overseeing psycho-social programming for geriatrics and those affected by neurodegenerative disorders. He later received his ADN from Bergen Community College and worked his way up to nursing management in the Assisted Living and Dementia care setting. When he went back for his BSN, he worked on the medical-surgical unit at HMH at Palisades Medical Center where he served as the medical-surgical representative for the Professional Practice Council. Dr. Doran ultimately received the prestigious 2023 Magnet®/ Pathway to Excellence Award in New Knowledge and Innovation at Palisades Medical Center for his work in the council helping enhance outcomes from a floor nursing perspective and for educating nurses about helping those affected with dementia. During his time with HMH, he was a nursing preceptor (training newly graduated nurses) and a charge nurse during the second wave of COVID. He received his MSN in nursing education and his DNP, with distinction, from Chamberlain University. He has been seen on webinars, the Alzheimer's Speaks radio show, and at colleges in northern New Jersey talking about spiritual health and caring for those with various neurodegenerative disorders. He currently is on the education committee for The American Association for Men in Nursing while also being a member of the National League for Nursing. He was inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing when he received President’s Honors in his BSN program. Dr. Doran's research interests are focused on spiritual health and its impact on people, healthcare providers, and the community at large.
Dr. Ifesonye Emefieh
Dr. Ifesonye Emefieh is an Assistant Professor and RN to BSN Program Coordinator of Nursing at Kean University, New Jersey. She is a certified Nurse Educator and Critical Care Nurse. She earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice Emphasis Educational Leadership at the Grand Canyon University, Phoenix Arizona. Her translation of research into Evidence-based practice was on sleep improvement in the Intensive Care unit based on the Clinical Practice Guidelines of Society of Critical Care Medicine’s Pain, Agitation, Delirium, Immobility and Sleep Disruption (PADIS). She has disseminated her work in a podium presentation at the End of Year Faculty Research 2025 at Kean University May 2025 and at Poster presentations at the Reinkemeyer Research Day February 2025 and Atlantic Health Research Conference June 2023. She is currently developing a new project on Sleep and Delirium in the Intensive Care Unit.
Elsie A. Rivera, Ph.D., DNP, APN, FNP-C
Dr. Elsie Rivera is an assistant professor and Graduate Program Coordinator in the Department of Nursing. A board-certified advanced practice nurse, she brings more than 35 years of clinical experience in maternal-child health and family practice, with a subspecialty in dermatology. She earned her BSN, MSN, and DNP from Rutgers University–Newark School of Nursing and her Ph.D. in Nursing from Duquesne University. Her research focuses on transcultural nursing, caregiving for family members with dementia in the Puerto Rican community, and community-engaged initiatives, including skin cancer awareness among men. Dr. Rivera serves as president of Kean’s Lambda Iota Chapter of the Sigma Honor Society of Nursing and as president for Essex and Union Counties in the New Jersey State Nurses Association. She is also a member of the Advisory Board for the Center of Excellence for Latino Health at Clara Maass Medical Center and the Board of Trustees of FOCUS, Hispanic Center for Community Development. Her professional affiliations include the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, Sigma Theta Tau, the Transcultural Nursing Society, and the New Jersey State Nurses Association. Most recently, she was appointed to the New Jersey Latino and Hispanic Heritage Commission.
Thejaswi Balla, DNP, MSN, BSN, RN
Dr. Thejaswi Balla is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Nursing at Kean University. She is a nurse educator with more than a decade of clinical experience in the United States, India, and Trinidad and Tobago, including acute and critical care, simulation, and clinical education.
Dr. Balla earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Rutgers University–Camden, her Master of Science in Nursing from Regis College, and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Nursing Education and Research in Bangalore, India.
Her teaching philosophy emphasizes connecting theory to practice while developing clinical judgment, confidence, and compassionate, person-centered care. Her scholarly interests include hypertension, cardiovascular health, evidence-based practice, and nursing education. Her DNP project focused on physical activity and the DASH diet for hypertension management. She also participated in a Yoga Nidra study involving BSN students, published in the Indian Nursing Council Journal. Dr. Balla is a member of Sigma Theta Tau.
Josephine Opara, DNP, MSN-NI, RN, QCP
Dr. Josephine Opara is a dedicated nursing educator and healthcare professional with a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) specializing in Nursing Informatics, and a bachelor's degree in Nursing. My background integrates clinical nursing, nursing education, and Information technology. Passionate about fostering an engaging learning environment that promotes critical thinking skills and clinical reasoning. Dr. Opara is committed to preparing nurses to deliver safe, evidence-based patient care in an increasingly technology-driven healthcare environment. As a Sim lab coordinator, Dr. Opara supports students in developing clinical judgment and technology competency while helping them become knowledgeable, competent professionals who can contribute to the evolving healthcare system.
My teaching philosophy centers on creating a student-centered learning environment that combines evidence-based knowledge, technology, and compassionate patient care.
Jessica Hooper
Clinical Placement Coordinator
Jesenia Cipolla
Professional Services Specialist