Whitnie Willis
Assistant Clinical Professor
Whitnie Willis is an Assistant Clinical Professor at Auburn University College of Nursing. She teaches Evidence-Based Practice, Wellness in Aging (interdisciplinary), and Writing for the Professional Nurse. Her scholarship focuses on the ethical integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in undergraduate nursing and on advancing age-friendly, gerontology-informed teaching. Through a joint faculty appointment, she partners with a community hospital and campus colleagues to translate evidence into practical strategies that promote academic integrity and improve student success. She earned an Associate Degree in Nursing from Houston Community College, BSN and MSN in Nursing Education degrees from The University of Texas at Arlington, and is pursuing a PhD in Nursing at Auburn University. Whitnie is a proud member of the Alabama State Nurses Association, the Gerontological Society of America, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, and the Southern Nursing Research Society.
Licenses
- Registered Nurse
Research Areas
- Geriatrics, Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD), ADRD Caregiving, Well-being & Resiliency, Mindful-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Artificial Intelligence
Interests
- Policy and Politics in Health Care
- Evidence Based Practice
- Wellness
- Study Abroad
Teaching Areas
- Gerontology
- Evidence Based Practice
- Undergraduate Nursing
- Ethnogeriatrics
- Geriatrics
Grants
- Award for Excellence in Writing Across the Curriculum Writing Across the Curriculum $20,000.00 Whitnie Willis, Andrea L. Smith, Morgan A. Yordy & Caralise W. Hunt
- The Daniel F. Breeden Endowed Grant Program Mindful Nursing: Cultivating Well-being and Resilience Through Education $2,000.00 Whitnie Willis
Presentations
- Whitnie Willis & Judith C. Quick (2025, December). Talk Nerdy to Me: Empowering Nursing Faculty to Use AI. Podium session presented at American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Transform 2025, Anaheim, California.
- Whitnie Willis & Judith C. Quick (2025, December). AI-Based Academic Support for Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Pilot Study. Poster session presented at American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Faculty Leadership Network (FLN) Program, Anaheim, California.
- Whitnie Willis (2025, December). Therapeutic Communication with the Older Adult - An Unfolding Case Study Poster session presented at AI in Teaching and Learning Showcase - Auburn University Biggio Center , Auburn, Alabama.
- Whitnie Willis (2025, September). Revolutionizing Evidence-Based Practice: Integrating an AI TA to Enhance Student Learning. Poster session presented at National League for Nursing Education Summit, Orlando, Florida.
- Whitnie Willis, Judith C. Quick, Amy M. Curtis & Carlie Hunt (2025, August). Go Golden: Catalyzing Intergenerational Wellness through Strategic Collaboration in Geriatric Nursing Education. Podium session presented at Outreach & Engaged Scholarship Symposium, Auburn, Alabama.
- Whitnie Willis (2025, June). Internationalizing Geriatric Nursing Education: A Global Response to Aging and Workforce Strategies. Podium session presented at International Perspectives on University Teaching and Learning Symposium, Orlando, Florida.
- Whitnie Willis & Amy M. Curtis (2025, April). Innovating for Impact: Transformative Education Strategies in Gerontology. Podium session presented at Southern Geriatric Society Annual Meeting & Conference, Birmingham, Alabama.
- Whitnie Willis (2025, April). AI Teaching Assistant. Poster session presented at AI in Teaching and Learning Showcase - Auburn University Biggio Center , Auburn, Alabama.
- Whitnie Willis, Demi Dees, Carley Fields, Lainey Fussell, Avery Pearson, Avery Owens, Maddie Oxley, Sruti Sanghani & Gracelyn Williams (2025, March). Empowering Nursing Students Through Research. Poster session presented at The National Consortium for Nursing Academic Coaches, Auburn, Alabama.
- Whitnie Willis & Julia Cox-Pearson (2025, March). The DEU Experience: Creating a Culture of Belonging, Wellness, and Interdisciplinary Collaboration. Podium session presented at The National Consortium for Nursing Academic Coaches, Auburn, Alabama.
- Whitnie Willis & Cheri Place-Chaffin (2020, September). Global Pandemic Ignites Changes in Alabama Nursing. Podium session presented at Alabama State Nurses Association, Montgomery, Alabama.