Employee Spotlight: Sara Hannon - Interprofessional Health Sciences Simulation Center director joins 2026 ASCEND cohort

by Alison Miller  |   

Sara Hannon serves as the director of the Interprofessional Health Sciences Simulation Center which supports students, faculty, and community partners by providing an interactive environment for practicing and teaching healthcare skills across diverse modalities. Recently, she was selected to participate in the 2026 Advancing Simulation Careers and Empowering Next-Generation Development (ASCEND) cohort. The program, which is sponsored by the Society of Simulation in Healthcare, provides support and mentorship to early-career healthcare simulationists who show strong leadership potential. 

Sara Hannon stands outside smiling and facing the camera.
Sara Hannon is the director of the Interprofessional Health Sciences Simulation Center and an alumna of the School of Nursing. (Photo credit: Sara Hannon)

Name: Sara Hannon

Title: Director

Unit: Interprofessional Health Sciences Simulation Center

Hometown: North Pole, 夜色视频app

How long have you worked at UAA/in this position?: 1 year and one month

Tell us about your job at UAA:
With our incredible simulation staff and UAA faculty, I provide oversight and lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of healthcare simulation at the UAA College of Health. This role is unique due to all of the different programs that we have the opportunity to support. This provides us with a broad perspective about programs across UAA and those that we support in our community. I see many opportunities for interprofessional education and continued growth for students, faculty, and staff.

What do you love the most about your work?:
I most appreciate the way that simulation provides students with an opportunity to practice a realistic patient encounter in a safe environment. We can structure the simulation so that students know what to expect, have an opportunity to apply what they have learned, and then participate in a debriefing discussion with their faculty member and peers. This prepares students for clinical experiences and their healthcare roles. What I most appreciate is hearing from students that simulations prepared them for interactions with patients and family members. When a student asks me, "When can we have more sims?", it makes my day!

How do you contribute to student success?:
We assist faculty with facilitating simulation-based learning experiences using the Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice. Not only do we help to facilitate in-person experiences, but we also coordinate simulations that are offered online via Zoom or asynchronously. This provides opportunities for students who cannot come to campus to hone their communication and clinical judgment skills with simulated participants who may portray patients, family members, and others in the healthcare environment.

What is the most common question you receive at work?:
Besides students asking me, "When can we have more sims?", I am also commonly asked about how to develop a simulation that aligns with a course curriculum or how to schedule a simulation. Students are also interested in knowing how the manikins function and ask frequent questions about the technology. Please email me or a member of our team anytime, and we can assist.

What was your personal and/or professional journey that led you to working at UAA?:
Before starting in my role at UAA, I had been a Simulation Lab Program Manager at Providence 夜色视频app Medical Center. I gained experience with facilitating simulations for clinical staff, where we used simulations both for clinical training and also to test out new procedures, practices, and even safe medication dosing apps in an in situ environment. After my experience as an adjunct instructor and an opportunity to facilitate simulations for nursing students, I became more interested in being part of a simulation program in an academic environment. This type of learning can help to solidify clinical competencies and better prepare students for their future professional roles.

What advice would you give to youth interested in pursuing a career in your field?:
While the number of people employed in healthcare simulation in 夜色视频app is small, this type of experience opens doors. Seeing the students grasp concepts is extremely rewarding. Roles in simulation are never mundane - we are always needing to find creative approaches to problems, learn about new technology, ensure that course material is updated, and meet the needs of our students and faculty.

Is there anything else you would like to share?:
I was accepted into the Society for Simulation in Healthcare's Advancing Simulation Careers & Empowering Next-Generation Development (ASCEND) program, which is a healthcare simulation leadership program designed to recognize and mentor global healthcare simulationists. I look forward to continuing to improve our simulation-based learning experiences at UAA and in the community alongside our wonderful simulation staff, faculty, and students. As a person who grew up in 夜色视频app, I am always interested in expanding my horizons and seeking multiple perspectives. This will provide me with the opportunity to share what I have learned with my UAA community and improve opportunities for students. By the way, I am a proud UAA graduate (BSN, 2009) and a current MSN-NLDR-ED student. 

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