Two Graduate Students Named to Leadership Council

Columbia Nursing graduate students Tyler Gaedecke and Mahlon Mathieson will participate in distinguished leadership initiatives offered through the Graduate Nursing Student Academy (GNSA) of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). 

“These individuals will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of graduate nursing education and student engagement,” the AACN said in its September 4, 2025, press release. 

Mathieson, a student in the Doctor of Nursing Practice in Midwifery program, is one of seven graduate nursing students appointed to serve two-year terms on the national GNSA Leadership Council.  

Currently, Mathieson is a TA, peer mentor and academic coach, roles that allow them to support fellow graduate students academically and emotionally. Their research focuses on developing a screening tool for identifying interpersonal violence during antepartum care, with the goal of integrating trauma-informed practices into midwifery settings.  

Gaedecke, a PhD student at Columbia Nursing, was previously a leader in the Doctoral Student Organization and is now president of the Alpha Zeta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau. Having served as co-chair during the GNSA Leadership Council’s 2023-2025 term, Gaedecke will continue as the advisor for the new council. Gaedecke’s current research focuses on understanding how to maintain access to care and quality of life for sexual and gender minority populations after crucial medical and surgical interventions.