Felissa R. Lashley, Ph D, RN, FABMGG, is former dean and professor at the College of Nursing at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Prior to that, she was a dean and professor at the Southern Illinois University—Edwardsville and a clinical professor of pediatrics at the School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University—Springfield. She is the first nurse to be certified as a Ph D medical geneticist by the American Board of Medical Genetics, and is a founding fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics. She began her practice of genetic evaluation and counseling in 1973.