Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine asks all individuals involved in the development and presentation of Accredited Continuing Education activities to disclose all financial relationships with ineligible companies. This information is disclosed to all activity participants prior to the start of the educational activity. Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine has procedures to mitigate all relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies. In addition, faculty members are asked to disclose when any unapproved use of pharmaceuticals and devices is being discussed. 

In accordance with the Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education, all relevant financial relationships that faculty, planners, authors, and anyone who may be in control of content have with ineligible companies have been mitigated.

No faculty has any financial relationships to disclose. 

Faculty

Jacquelyn Buige Raco 

MSN M.Ed. RN CSSHS CSN 

Director of Nursing Education BU SHIELD 

With more than three decades of nursing experience—and over twenty years as a certified school nurse—Jacquelyn has built a career distinguished by depth, versatility, and leadership. Her professional journey includes pediatric bone marrow transplant nursing, district-level school health administration, university-level program direction and teaching, and serving as a nursing education and practice specialist for NASN. 

An accomplished author, conference speaker, and passionate advocate for school health, Jacquelyn has been recognized with numerous awards, including PA Southeast Region School Nurse of the Year, PA Southeast Region School Nurse Administrator of the Year, and PA School Nurse Administrator of the Year. 

Driven by a deep commitment to excellence in nursing practice, education, and leadership, she continues to champion the vital role of school nurses and advance student health nationwide. 

Dr. Molly Tracy  

MD, BA 

Child Neurologist and Epileptologist, Department of Neurology, Instructor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital 

Dr. Molly Tracy is a pediatric neurologist with an area of excellence in clinical expertise and innovation, specializing in pediatric epilepsy and electroencephalography (EEG). She has more than 15 years of experience caring for children with epilepsy and other neurologic and neurodevelopmental disorders. 

Dr. Tracy completed her medical degree in 2003, followed by residency training in Pediatrics and fellowships in Child Neurology and Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology. She currently practices at Boston Children’s Hospital in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, where she provides clinical care and teaches medical students, residents, and Clinical Neurophysiology Fellows. 

Her work with children with epilepsy extends beyond the clinical setting, with a particular interest in helping patients and families successfully navigate school and community environments. She is passionate about education, interdisciplinary collaboration, and supporting clinicians in providing evidence-based care for children with epilepsy.

Stephanie Faas  

MSN, RN, NCSN   

Western MA Regional School Nurse Consultant (Berkshire, Franklin)  

Stephanie is a nurse, school health advocate, and passionate supporter of school nurses and the important role they play in helping students thrive. She earned her BSN from the University of New Hampshire and her MSN in Public and Population Health from Worcester State University. Her nursing career began at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she cared for medically complex patients, and later led her to more than a decade of school nursing experience in both urban and rural communities. She also served for six years as a Nurse Leader in a regional school district, including navigating the unique challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2025, Stephanie became the Western Massachusetts Regional School Nurse Consultant for Berkshire and Franklin Counties. She loves supporting school nurses throughout Western Massachusetts and is especially passionate about building connections between schools, healthcare providers, and community partners. She believes that when school nurses have the support, resources, and partnerships they need, they are better able to care for students, address health disparities, and remove barriers to learning. Outside of nursing, Stephanie enjoys hiking, gardening, exploring the outdoors, and spending time with her two children and family.

Karen Robitaille  

MBA, MSN, RN, NCSN 

Director of School Health Services  

Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Dr. Meg Carlson 

DrPH, MSN, PPCNP-BC, RN 

Former Director of Indianapolis Public Schools 

NASN/CDC Coordinated Support System for Students with Epilepsy (CSSSE) School Nurse Navigator, Author 

Dr. Megan Carlson served as the Director of Health Services for Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) from 2020 to 2026. Dr. Carlson was responsible for supporting the district through the COVID pandemic and has spent the last several years ensuring all schools within IPS have full time healthcare staffing, growing the team from seven to over 40 nurses. She is a staunch advocate for school nursing, immunization access, and school health, raising awareness of the political and social determinants of health that impact students’ ability to succeed academically and beyond. 

Dr. Carlson’s leadership in immunization efforts has resulted in a more than 84% increase in vaccination rates across the 

district and the successful acquisition of grant funding to expand access to immunizations for IPS families. Beyond her work in immunizations, Dr. Carlson has been a prominent advocate for the role of school nurses, presenting at local, state, and national conferences. She is also the author of a nationally distributed toolkit supporting the transition of care for students with epilepsy. 

She has served on several pediatric, public and school health related boards and committees including the Indiana School Health Network, Covering Kids and Families of Indiana Public Policy Committee, the Indiana Public Health Association and the Healthy Schools Action Team. She served as the Indiana affiliate for the School-Based Health Alliance and was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar focused on secondary traumatic stress in teachers. Dr. Carlson served as the co-chair for the Commission on Improving the Status of Children in Indiana (CISC) Educational Outcomes Taskforce and was recently named a board member for the American School Health Association (ASHA) beginning in Jan 2027. 

Her work in school health has been recognized by several awards, including the 2025 Indiana School Nurse Administrator of the Year, the 2025 Immunization Champion by the Association of Immunization Managers (AIM), representing the state of Indiana, and a community service award from the Indiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Most recently she was awarded the 2026 Governor & Cheri Daniels School Health Award, for her extensive work promoting school health in Indiana. 

Dr. Carlson is also a cofounder of The Indiana Good Trouble Coalition, a 501(c)4 service organization of grassroots Hoosier health care and public health stakeholders who educate, empower, and facilitate political advocacy in the areas of patient-centered care, public, and health equity. Through this group she has contributed published op-eds, legislative testimony and advocacy in the name of Hoosier health.

Dr. Mary Thompson 

PhD, CPNP-RC, RN 

Lead Clinical & Population Health Analyst 

NASN/CDC CSSSE Advisor, Author 

Dr. Mary Thompson is an evidence-based practice (EBP) nurse consultant and pediatric nurse practitioner with over 30 years of experience in pediatric healthcare. Her EBP work includes identifying outcomes for adolescents with special health care needs who are transitioning to adult care and the development of a health and safety mode of care for the Department of Public Health and the Department of Early Education and Care in Massachusetts. Dr. Thompson is an advisor on the National Association of School Nurses and the Centers for Disease Control’s Epilepsy Coordinated Support System for Students with Epilepsy grant. She is the author of the School Nursing Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline: Students with Seizures and Epilepsy and the Mental Health Toolkit for School Nurses Caring for Students with Epilepsy. 

Amanda Mitchell 

MPH, BS 

Executive Director, Epilepsy Alliance Louisiana (EAL) 

NASN/CDC CSSSE Advisor 

Amanda Mitchell is the Executive Director of Epilepsy Alliance Louisiana (EAL). She is responsible for the leadership and strategic management of the organization. She works with stakeholders across multiple sectors to raise awareness of epilepsy and the development of 

strategies to improve the lives of those living with epilepsy in Louisiana. 

Amanda has developed several new programs and increased EAL’s organizational capacity to provide more comprehensive support for people living with epilepsy in Louisiana. 

Amanda earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Science from Southeastern Louisiana University and a Master of Public Health from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) School of Public Health. 

She is passionate about raising awareness of the public health impact of epilepsy and the promotion of programs and policies that will address the challenges, disparities, and inequalities in epilepsy. Amanda is inspired by the extraordinary strength and determination of people living with epilepsy and the dedication of their families and caregivers.

Jason Raether 

MSN, RN 

Whittier Middle School, Sioux Falls, SD 

NASN/CDC CSSSE Advisor 

Jason graduated from Augustana University in 2000 with his degree in Nursing.  He went on to receive his MSN in 2008.  During his time as a nurse he has worked in the Intensive Care Unit, Burn Unit, Coronary Care Unit, Pediatrics, Pediatric Intensive Care, Emergency Room, and served as adjunct faculty/faculty for South Dakota State University for 13 years where he was recognized as Teacher of The Year in 2004.  He currently works as a School Nurse in the Sioux Falls School District and is currently President Elect for the South Dakota School Nurses Association.  

Diagnosed with epilepsy in 2010, he uses his life story and his experience being a nurse to help educate others and their loved ones…and add a little humor too.  Jason can be seen helping groups such as Epilepsy Alliance America, Epilepsy Foundation of America, the Danny Did Foundation, SK Life Science, and the National School Nurses Association.  He can be seen/heard on What the Ef podcast and social media features with CURE Epilepsy and Empatica. 

Dr. Dawn Lambert 

PhD, MSN, RN, CSN 

Associate Professor, School Nurse Program Coordinator 

Wehrheim School of Nursing Millersville University  

Millersville, PA  

Dr. Dawn Lambert is an associate professor in the Wehrheim School of Nursing at Millersville University of Pennsylvania where she also coordinates the graduate school nurse certification program. As an experienced school nurse and school nurse educator, she is dedicated to educating current and future school nurses about many topics related to this specialty practice area. She is passionate about equipping school nurses to be leaders in the profession to promote the health of students and school communities. She has a special interest in adolescent mental health particularly as it relates to Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures (PNES). Drawing from personal experience as a parent of a child with PNES, Dr. Lambert has delivered presentations at local and state levels, focusing on the role of the school nurse in managing PNES and advocating for student health and well-being. 

Lesly Zapata 

MPH 

Senior Operations Manager BU SHIELD, [email protected]