Leadership

Meet the dedicated leaders and experts guiding NextGenU.org’s global mission to make free, accredited education in health sciences accessible to everyone.

Board of Directors

Leslie J “Sam” Helgerson, Ph.D.

Chair

Program Director of the Masters in Strategic Leadership and the Masters in Organizational Leadership at Bethel University Center for Adult and Professional Studies and Graduate School (CAPS-GS) and the former Dean of the Business/Leadership programs. He is the President/Owner of Great Ridge Group, which focuses on writing, consulting, mentoring, media, photography, and speaking practices. He received his Ph.D. in Adult and Post-Secondary Education and an MA in Organizational Leadership.

Eric J. Nystrom, J.D.

Retired Partner at Fox Rothschild LLP and former trial attorney with extensive experience in complex commercial litigation. He represented clients in diverse industries including banking, construction, and manufacturing, and litigated cases in federal, state, and international forums. Mr. Nystrom holds a J.D. with high distinction from the University of Iowa College of Law and a B.A. magna cum laude from Iowa State University.

Brad Lynch, M. Ed.

Treasurer

Consultant at Waypoint, Inc., a firm specializing in tax litigation support, corporate risk mitigation and investigations, due diligence, litigation support, financial investigations and forensic accounting for business . He is a retired FBI agent with 23 years of experience who is skilled in fraud detection. Mr. Lynch speaks French and Arabic fluently and holds a bachelor's degree in economics and French and a master's degree in education from Radford University.

Regina Beard, Ed.D, MSN, RN

Secretary

Regina Beard, Ed.D., RN, exemplifies distinguished leadership in healthcare education and administration, with a substantial background in nursing and medicine. Her academic journey, marked by an Ed.D. in Adult Education from Auburn University and an MSN from Troy University, complements her vast experience in academic administration and board participation. Dr. Beard's strategic contributions to interprofessional education and healthcare research align with NextGenU.org's vision of accessible, quality education for health professionals globally. Her role enriches the board's expertise in advancing healthcare education, making her an invaluable member of the NextGenU.org team.

George Lundberg, MD

Editor-at-Large for Medscape, with more than 30 years of combined experience as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the American Medical Association, the 10 AMA specialty journals, AM News, Medscape, The Medscape Journal of Medicine, eMedicine from WebMD, and MedPage Today from Everyday Health. In addition to his work with Medscape, he serves as Editor-in-Chief at Cancer Commons, as President and Chair of the Board of Directors of The Lundberg Institute, and as a clinical professor of pathology at Northwestern University. The Industry Standard dubbed Dr. Lundberg "Online Healthcare's Medicine Man" in 2000.

Marilyn Winkleby, Ph.D., MPH

Professor of Medicine Emerita at the Stanford Prevention Research Center. Dr. Winkleby has published over 200 articles in scientific journals and is known for her community partnerships. Her research and work have contributed to preparing over 700 underserved high school students for careers in health and science. Dr. Winkleby received the highest honor the U. S. government bestows for her work, the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring.

Laura Miller, BA

Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Mary Rutan Health Center in Ohio. She is a creative administrator with a successful performance record and more than 30 years of experience in numerous aspects of marketing and public relations management.

Robert Quinn, MBA, MSc

Creative problem solver and business development enthusiast, with extensive experience in working with nonprofits and providing risk advice. He is a Risk Advisory Partner at Ernst & Young, with more that 37 years of professional services experience assisting large, global clients. Now retired, he spends time engaging in volunteering and other philanthropic activities.

Executive Leadership Team

Miriam Chickering, MBA, RN, BSN, NE-BC

Chief Executive Officer

Miriam Chickering builds globally scaled education solutions in healthcare and science education. An executive with over ten years of experience, she and her teams create synergy and opportunity for learners everywhere. Ms. Chickering, a transformative leader, specializes in team building, strategic partnerships, nourishing volunteer networks, and managing costs. Ms. Chickering indulges her curiosity and love of learning by bringing experts together for innovation and collaboration. She enjoys participating in think tanks, recently, on K-12 education, which resulted in STEPS, a project in primary STEM curriculum funded by IDRC and occurring now across four school systems and three countries providing materials to 10,000 primary school students.

Dr. Eduardo Bianco, MD, MSc, BIR

Director: Addiction Training for Health Professionals (ATHP)

Dr. Bianco, a cardiologist and expert on Tobacco Control Policies and Tobacco Cessation Treatment with a Masters in Addiction, directs the ATHP. For over 25 years, he has significantly contributed to the development of Uruguay's and Latin America's tobacco treatment. Dr. Bianco was the Regional Coordinator for the Americas of the Framework Convention Alliance (now, Global Alliance for Tobacco Control), and a PAHO and WHO consultant which underscores his commitment to global addiction training. His regional and global contributions and leadership roles have equipped him to enhance ATHP's mission. Dr. Bianco aims to support developing countries in building capacities for tobacco and alcohol control, expand ATHP's training to address various addictions, and reduce global educational disparities through innovative initiatives.

Dr. Kirsten Johnson, MD, MPH

Director: Humanitarian U

Dr. Johnson has worked in emergency and disaster medicine, disaster risk reduction, humanitarian response, coordination and health sector capacity building throughout the world. Her research has focused on genocide, child combatants, sexual gender-based violence and conflict-related health, mental health and psychosocial support. She has published works across the emergency management cycle in fragile, conflict-affected and vulnerable settings including Humanitarian U’s Assessment of the Impact of eLearning on Humanitarian Aid work (2019), UNFPA’s State of the World Population Report (2015), Global Humanitarian Medicine and Disaster Relief in Auerbach’s Wilderness Medicine (2015) and Médecins Sans Frontiers book on Professionalizing Humanitarian Action (2012).

Dr. Valeria Reynolds, MD, MPH

Director: Public Health U

Dr. Valeria Reynolds is a Preventive Medicine and Public Health Physician who serves as Hospital Epidemiologist at Hospital Virgen de la Luz in Cuenca, Spain. She leads innovative initiatives across the Castilla-La Mancha Health Service to strengthen quality assurance, patient safety, and comprehensive vaccination programs for vulnerable groups. A Bolivian physician with a Master’s in Public Health, she is pursuing a Ph.D. in Health, Social, and Physical Activity Research. As Academic Director at NextGenU.org’s Public Health U, she applies her expertise in instructional design to expand equitable, evidence-based medical education worldwide, advancing sustainable and inclusive public health solutions.

Dr. E. Anne Peterson, MD, MPH

Advisor for Public Health U

Dr. Peterson advises Public Health U at NextGenU.org, focusing on advancing public health education. She has served in key roles, including Assistant Administrator at USAID, State Health Commissioner for Virginia, and Vice-Dean at Ponce Health Sciences University, leading health policy, emergency response, and curriculum development. At World Vision International and Americares, she expanded health programs across 32 countries, emphasizing chronic diseases and mental health. In her advisory role, she contributed to updates for the Ph.D. in Global Health and the launch of a Master of Education for Health Professionals, supporting global public health education.