Cynthia Terry Johnson MSN, RN | Assistant Professor
Cynthia Johnson (BS ’00) is from Las Vegas, Nevada, and specializes in pediatric nursing, childhood growth and development, and pathophysiology. Her research interests include the health and safety of children and families and nursing education. After 13 years as clinical adjunct faculty, she became an assistant professor at BYU College of Nursing in 2022.
Christine Kunz Platt PhD, DNP, FNP-C | Assistant Professor
Dr. Christine Platt (MS ’14) has experience working in intensive care, cancer research, and with families with chronic illnesses. Her research reflects her commitment to improving the health of children at high risk for poor health outcomes. She joined BYU College of Nursing in 2023 and currently teaches health policy and finance. She also enjoys mentoring students in different research methodologies.
Cori Palmer Reynolds MSN, APRN, FNP-C | Assistant Teaching Professor
Cori Reynolds (BS ’97, MS ’14) is a family nurse practitioner with a background in women’s health, pediatrics, and family practice. Cori joined BYU College of Nursing in 2022. She teaches care of women and newborns, population and global health, student wellness, and a research and writing class. Her scholarly areas of focus are women’s health and nursing education. Cori is currently pursuing a doctor of nursing practice degree at the University of Utah. She is always amazed at how much she is inspired by and learns from the students she teaches.
Carly Au Peterson MSN, APRN, NNP-BC | Assistant Teaching Professor
Carly Peterson (BS ’99) was born and raised in Belmont, California. She has experience in medical-surgical and neonatal intensive care and in laser hair and tattoo removal. Carly has been a neonatal nurse practitioner since 2021. Her teaching specialties include pediatric nursing, stress management, global health, simulation, and end-of-life care. She returned to BYU in 2020 as a pediatric lab RN, later became an adjunct faculty member, and accepted a new position as assistant professor in July 2022.
Adrianna Watson PhD, CCRN, TCRN | Assistant Professor
Dr. Adrianna Watson accepted the position of Assistant Professor at BYU College of Nursing in the fall semester of 2024. She has 5 years of teaching experience at BYU and more than 15 years of experience at the bedside in acute and critical adult patient care as a floor nurse, charge nurse, and nurse leader. Her clinical specialties include critical care, trauma, and nursing leadership. She teaches nursing ethics and intermediate and advanced nursing skills in the Nursing Learning Center.
Sarah Spendlove Caswell MSN, RN, AGACNP-BC | Assistant Teaching Professor
Sarah Spendlove Caswell (BS ’01) followed her passion for ICU nursing after graduating from BYU, working as an RN in a multispecialty intensive care unit in Washington, DC. She continued as an ICU nurse in Los Angeles and later became an adult-gerontologic acute care nurse practitioner in 2015. Sarah continued her ICU work as a nurse practitioner in California before moving to Utah in 2019 and working for the neurosurgery team at the University of Utah Hospital. Sarah felt guided to teach at BYU and joined the College of Nursing in November 2022.
Linda J. Orchard MSN, RN, CHSE | Associate Teaching Professor
Linda Orchard has more than three decades of nursing experience in hospital care, home health, hospice, and education. Having previously served as an educator at BYU–Idaho, Linda joined BYU College of Nursing in 2022. She brings a wealth of experience to her role and is currently focused on developing progressive skill courses in the college’s Nursing Learning Center.