Meet the CO-OP Staff

Sarah Shannon has served as dean of the Montana State University College of Nursing since 2017. Previously, she served for one year as senior associate dean for academic affairs of Oregon Health & Sciences University and as faculty for 25 years at University of Washington School of Nursing with an adjunct appointment in the School of Medicine Department of Bioethics and Humanities. While in Seattle, Shannon was a clinical ethics consultant at several organizations. She received her B.S. in nursing from University of Arizona and an M. S. and Ph.D. in nursing science from the University of Washington.

Laura is an MSU alumna with a B.S. in Nursing as well as a Master's in Public Health and PhD in Nursing from Oregon Health & Science University. Laura's first job at the College of Nursing was as an instructor for the CO-OP. 

Twila is a member of the Oglala Lakota Tribe and alumna of Montana State University. She holds a B.S. in Psychology, Minor in Native American Studies, and M.Ed. in Adult & Higher Education. She's currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Education at MSU. She has taught the following courses: Native American seciton of First Year Seminar and Indigenous Knowledge Exhange (IKÉ) Aotearoa. This oncoming Fall 2025, She will teach NASX 205D: Native Americans in Contemporary Society.

Melissa is a first-generation college student and grew up in a rural community in Nebraska. She completed her B.A. in English and B.S. in Biological Sciences and studied Behavioral Ecology in graduate school at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. She is currently completing her Master of Public Administration degree at the University of Montana. She
has worked with students at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln and the University of California - Santa Barbara. Before joining CO-OP, she worked as a pre-nursing Academic Advisor at MSU.

Kelly is a former CO-OP graduate; an IHS scholar and a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.  She is the Billings Academic Nurse Mentor on the Billings campus.  

Charlene Ramirez, an enrolled member of the Blackfeet tribe, is a seasoned registered nurse with two decades of experience. She holds both a Doctorate in Nursing Practice and a Master’s in Nursing with a focus on nursing education. Currently, she serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor at the Billings campus and acts as a CO-OP Academic Advisor. In addition to her academic role, Charlene continues her hands-on work as a labor and delivery nurse at St. Vincent Hospital. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys spending quality time with her two grandchildren and their parents, who live with her.

Cathlyn Mendius is the Academic Nurse Mentor on the Kalispell Site. She received her BSN from MSU in 2008.  After receiving it she worked as a nurse at Kalispell Regional in the labor and delivery department, the NICU and the mother/baby clinic. Since she loves being a floor nurse, she continues to work PRN at the hospital as well. Cathlyn has now lived in Kalispell for 17 years and has raised two children with her husband.