School of Nursing and Health Sciences Advisory Board

John M. Denson ’89, Chair

John is Senior Client Partner in the Healthcare Services practice of Korn Ferry, the world’s leading organization consulting firm.  For over 20 years he has partnered with hospitals and health systems, academic medical centers, and other healthcare providers to recruit and retain top level executive leaders.  As a trusted advisor and partner, John helps healthcare organizations thrive in today’s competitive market for talent. 

John and his wife Erinn `89 are the parents of two Providence College graduates and one current student.

Amy B. Berning, RN

Amy Berning started her career as a registered nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven, CT after graduating from Boston College School of Nursing. She continued her career as a registered nurse in the NICU across the country at Denver Children’s Hospital, University of California at San Francisco, St. Peter’s Medical Center in Albany, NY and UPMC Magee Women’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA. She has worked as a clinical charge nurse and nurse manager and is an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant. She has devoted much of her adult life to volunteer work in her local schools and parish.

Amy and her husband, Dr. Richard Berning, are the parents of three Providence College graduates.

August Cervini ’90

Gus Cervini is Senior Vice President, Research Administration, at Boston Children’s Hospital. Gus directs the administrative infrastructure that supports a research enterprise consisting of about 1,500 investigators who generate about $310 million in annual expenditures. Prior to this role, he was Senior Director of Administration and Research in the Department of Medicine (DOM) at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.  He has also served as Chief of Staff at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Project Manager for Institutional Events at the Whitehead Institute, and as Media Coordinator for the American Psychiatric Association. Gus was selected as one of Boston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 (2003) for his role in the founding of the Broad Institute. He also served in the United States Army Reserve from 1986-2004 and received his MBA from Regis University. Gus currently resides in Providence, RI.

Timothy P. Flanigan, MD ’16Hon, ’18G

Timothy P. Flanigan, MD, is Professor of Medicine in the Infectious Diseases Division of The Miriam and Rhode Island Hospitals and Brown Medical School.  He received a BA from Dartmouth College and an MD from Cornell University Medical School.  In 1991, he joined Dr. Charles Carpenter to lead the HIV and AIDS program and was subsequently appointed Chief of Infectious Diseases in 1999 until stepping down in 2012.  He spearheaded the HIV Care Program at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections to develop improved treatments for HIV infection and has received NIH and CDC funding for over 30 years.  He received the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Community Health Leadership Award in 2000.  He also co-directs the new Lifespan Lyme Disease Clinic.

In 2016, Dr. Flanigan received an honorary degree from Providence College for his efforts in public health and service to the Diocese of Providence. In 2018, he completed a graduate degree in theology from PC, which he started while studying to become a deacon.

Father Hyacinth Grubb, O.P.

Fr. Hyacinth Grubb, O.P. was born in the small mountain town of Conifer, Colorado and studied Electrical Engineering at Columbia University before entering the Order of Preachers. He was ordained to the priesthood in May 2020.  Fr. Hyacinth currently serves as the Director of the Dominican Healthcare Ministry which is devoted to promoting the dignity of the human person and the healing ministry of Jesus Christ through pastoral care, education, ethical consultation, and prayer. As a ministry of the Dominican Province of Saint Joseph, collaborating with the Archdiocese of New York, the organization serves the healthcare community in New York City and beyond.

Ann Houston ’92

Ann Houston has worked in the Pharma and Biotech industry for nearly 30 years in scientific and leadership roles at Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Alexion, Inozyme, and Rallybio.  She is currently the SVP of External Research and Corporate Development at a Biotech start-up focused on rare and metabolic diseases. Ann received her graduate degree from Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT) with an MA in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry.  Ann currently is a member of the CT Executive Women in Bio Steering Committee, champions for greater diversity in the biotech industry and committed to empowering women leaders, a member of the Goodspeed Board of Trustees, and a Mystic Aquarium First Responder Volunteer.  She is a resident of Essex, CT.

Brother Ignatius Perkins O.P., Ph.D., RN

A leader in nursing education for more than forty years, Brother Ignatius Perkins O.P., Ph.D., RN has served as Chair of the schools of nursing at Spalding University, the College of Mount St. Joseph, Aquinas College, and as Dean of the College of Health and Natural Sciences at Spalding University. He also served as Executive Vice President of the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Boston, MA. A member of the Order of Preachers, Province of St. Joseph, he served as Director of Health Services and founded the Center for Assisted Living in Washington DC. He has also served as Director of Administration and Executive Director of the Dominican Friars Health Care Ministry of New York as well as in many leadership positions in his religious community, as adjunct faculty, and as a member of several professional nursing organizations.

Brother Perkins is currently a member of the Providence College faculty.

Shannon R. Sullivan ’00

Shannon R. Sullivan is President and Chief Operating Officer for Women & Infants Hospital in Providence, RI. Shannon previously served as Vice President of Operations for both Kent Hospital and Care New England after serving in various leadership and clinical roles within Care New England since 2003.  Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, a Care New England hospital, is one of the nation’s leading specialty hospitals for women and newborns. The major teaching affiliate of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, it is the 9th largest stand-alone obstetrical service in the country with approximately 8,500 deliveries per year.

Father Columba Thomas, O.P., MD

Father Columba Thomas, O.P., MD, is a Dominican friar and a physician specializing in Internal Medicine. He was ordained a priest in May 2023. Prior to entering religious life, he graduated from Yale School of Medicine, completed a Primary Care Residency and Chief Residency at Yale, and attained board certification in Internal Medicine. Recently, he edited The Art of Dying: A new, annotated translation (National Catholic Bioethics Center, 2021). Fr. Columba currently serves as postdoctoral fellow in bioethics at the Kennedy Institute of Ethics and the Pellegrino Center for Clinical Bioethics, and he is completing a master’s degree in Catholic Clinical Ethics co-sponsored by Georgetown University and the Catholic University of America.