Meet the Nursing Students' Association of New York State's (NSANYS)
Giselle Melendez, EdD, RN, Presidential Advisor
Giselle Melendez, EdD, RN, NE-BC is the Nurse Leader for the Pediatric Unit and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and has served as the Presidential Advisor for NSANYS for the last 18 years. While in nursing school, Dr. Melendez served as the Breakthrough to Nursing Director and President for NSANYS. Dr. Melendez received her Doctoral degree from Teachers College, Columbia University and a Masters and Bachelors Degree from Molloy College. Her nursing career has been in Maternal Child and Pediatrics. Dr. Melendez is certified as a Nurse Executive. She currently serves as the President for the Epsilon Kappa Chapter of Sigma at Molloy University. She enjoys being a mentor to nursing students in leadership roles. Dr. Melendez has served as the Presidential Advisor for NSANYS for the past 14 years. She enjoys being a mentor to nursing students in leadership roles.
Joanne Lapidus-Graham EdD, RN, CPNP, CNE, ANA-NY Consultant
Joanne Lapidus-Graham, EdD, RN, CPNP, CNE is a nursing professor at Farmingdale State College since 1990 and is a lead faculty for the health promotion/patient education course. Her other specialties have included pediatrics and maternal/child nursing. Dr. Graham completed her undergraduate degree at Adelphi University, graduate degree in nursing education at NYU, a post master’s certificate as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at Molloy University, and a Doctorate in education at the University of Phoenix. Her dissertation focused on student participation in professional nursing organizations and the development of leadership after graduation. Dr. Graham was elected over 9 years ago to the first board of ANA-NY, first serving two terms as a Director, and 2 terms as Vice-President and was appointed in October 2018 as the ANA Consultant to NSANYS. She currently serves as the Chair of the Nursing Education Committee for ANA-NY. Dr. Graham’s other professional services have included faculty counselor to the Chi Gamma Chapter of Sigma at Farmingdale State College, Vice President, former committee member who formed the chapter, and currently as the president- elect. She also is the Faculty Advisor to the FSC Student Nurses Association for 32 years. Her past offices include: President (4 years) and Board of Directors (4 years) for the Nurses Association of the Counties of Long Island (NACLI), Chair of the Parent/Child Clinical Practice Unit, and Council on Nursing Education of NYSNA. Dr. Graham’s involvement in professional nursing organizations and giving back to the nursing profession has been her lifelong passion. She believes that our student leaders are the future nurse leaders of the profession!
Kelly Siciliano, MSN, RN, MEDSURG-BC, Alumnus CCRN, Faculty Advisor
Kelly Siciliano, MSN, RN, MEDSURG-BC, Alumnus CCRN is a Clinical Professional Development Educator at Northwell Health – Long Island Jewish Medical Center (LIJMC) for the Float Team, and a medicine-telemetry patient care unit. She is also Adjunct Faculty at Adelphi University, teaching the clinical component of the Fundamentals and Medical-Surgical Nursing courses with the College of Nursing & Public Health. Her nursing career background includes medical-surgical nursing, critical care nursing, school nursing, and nursing education. Kelly completed her Master of Science in Nursing Education at Stony Brook University in 2021, and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Molloy University in 2014. Her Master of Science thesis focused on the transition of newly graduated nursing students into their first registered professional nursing role. Kelly holds American Nurse Credentialing Center (ANCC) national board certification in Medical-Surgical Nursing, and status as Alumnus CCRN with the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). Kelly also was awarded and has been nominated for the prestigious DAISY Foundation Award, respectively in 2019 and 2022. She currently serves as the Vice President of Epsilon Kappa, the Molloy University chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International, in addition to serving on their Induction Committee. Past officer roles held include Secretary and Governance Committee Member of Epsilon Kappa from 2014-2020, the 2012-2013 President of the Nursing Student’s Association of New York State (NSANYS), and Co-Editor (2011-2012), Co-Vice President (2012-2013), and Co-President (2013-2014) of the Molloy Nursing Student Association (MNSA). She also currently participates in the LIJMC Magnet Champion Committee, along with past involvement in the LIJMC Research/Evidence-Based Practice Fellowship and Council, CNO Cabinet, and Mentorship Program. Kelly looks forward to working with NSANYS and hopes to inspire other nursing students and nurses in their careers.
