Albany Technical College’s Associate of Science in Nursing program will hold a pinning ceremony for the 2018 senior class on Tuesday, August 7, 2018, at 6 p.m. at the Albany Civic Center, 100 W Oglethorpe Blvd, Albany, Georgia.

Guest speaker for the ceremony will be Dr. Bianca Kierce, a published author, clinical researcher, speaker, and educator with more than 10 years of nursing experience. Currently, Dr. Kierce practices at Phoebe Cardiology as a nurse practitioner with dual inpatient and outpatient responsibility. She also serves as an adjunct didactic and clinical faculty member in the ASN program at Albany Technical College.

Dr. Kierce began her nursing career at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, and then after 2 years, accepted a position at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital as a Float Nurse affording her the opportunity to work on 13 different specialty units. In 2014, she obtained a Dual Master’s of Science in Nursing in Adult-Gerontology and Women’s Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a Post-Master’s Certificate as a Family Nurse Practitioner from the University of Massachusetts at Boston.

In April of 2018, she completed her Doctorate of Nursing Practice, in addition to a teaching certificate from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, graduating Summa Cum Laude. The nursing program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham is ranked number eight in the country.