The first episode of A More Merciful World, “Healing From the Heart,” brings together five extraordinary guests whose passions lie in the art and science of care. In conversation with Carlow President Kathy W. Humphrey, PhD, they share how compassion, purpose, and human connection define the healing professions, and how Carlow University continues to prepare leaders who serve from both skill and spirit. Meet the stars of Episode One and explore what it truly means to heal from the heart.
Rhonda Maneval, PhD, DEd, RN, ANEF, FAAN
Dr. Rhonda Maneval was a veteran nurse moving steadily toward hospital administration when a former professor called, asking if she could step in as an adjunct. “I was very flattered,” she said. “But I thought, where am I going to fit this in my schedule?”
She made it fit, and everything changed.
Standing on the unit with a group of nursing students, she felt something shift. “I realized that if I moved into teaching, I could influence the practice of thousands of nurses,” she said. “Taking care of one patient at a time is incredibly impactful, but I could multiply the good by becoming an educator.”
That moment showed her that teaching wasn’t a detour from patient care. It was patient care, but on a different scale. The joy she found in guiding and healing families expanded into guiding future nurses toward careers of skill, purpose, and compassion. “No matter where you are in nursing or the healthcare space, you have an opportunity to make a difference every day,” she said. “What we do is extraordinarily powerful, and we don’t realize it most of the time.”
Forty years into her nursing career, Rhonda says her “North Star” still drives her: a commitment to values, ethics, and transformative work that strengthens communities. “That’s one of the reasons I’m here at Carlow,” she said. “Our mission aligns with who I am and what I want to do with my life.”
Her dedication extends beyond the classroom. As her parents age into their mid-80s, Rhonda remains fiercely devoted to their wellbeing. It’s an extension of the same instinct she felt as a child, when she lingered after kindergarten to help classmates with their boots. “My heart was always there,” she said. “It’s the joy of helping others, and for many of us, it starts very young.”
Janice Nash, DNP, RN
During the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Janice Nash felt an instinct she couldn’t ignore: the pull back to the bedside. “I was ready to walk out the door and say, ‘I’m here 7A to 7P,’” she said. But every morning, she reminded herself that keeping Carlow’s nursing students on track would have an even broader impact. “I had to tell myself that helping them move forward was how I could help the most.”
That tension, between caring for patients directly and preparing the next generation to do the same, has informed Janice’s whole career. She came to nursing because she loved science and “wanted to help people,” but it was teaching that revealed her deeper calling. “I realized how much I loved guiding new nurses,” she said. “Helping them understand not just the how, but the why.”
Now more than twenty years into teaching at Carlow, Janice is continually reminded of the reach of that work. “I run into former students in hospitals, in grocery stores… everywhere,” she said. “They’ll tell me, ‘Don’t you remember? I failed that test, and you told me it was going to be OK.’ Those little interactions matter more than they know.”
Recently, when asked to estimate how many students she has supervised or taught over her career, the number surprised even her. “Fifty graduate every year… that’s about a thousand students I’ve touched in some way,” she said with a laugh. “No wonder I can’t remember every name instantly.” But the stories stay with her: the students who doubted themselves, the ones who came back years later to say thank you, and the many now leading with the same steady reassurance she once offered them.
“It’s the joy of helping others,” Janice said. “And sometimes we don’t realize the impact we’re having until years later.”
Kunal Bhanot, PT, PhD, FAAOMPT
Dr. Kunal Bhanot’s path to physical therapy didn’t begin with a childhood dream. It began with a story carried forward through his family. Growing up in India, access to healthcare education was limited, and physical therapy was still a young profession. Kunal had always been strongly encouraged to become a doctor; a hope passed down from his mother, who once dreamed of medical school herself. But it wasn’t until he visited a new spinal cord rehabilitation hospital that he discovered what healing could look like beyond medicine. He watched therapists standing in a warm-water pool, helping patients move again, sometimes for the first time in months.
“That day opened a whole new world to me. I didn’t know this profession existed, but I knew immediately it fit who I am.”
He went on to earn his physical therapy degree, then came to the United States for advanced training. Along the way, he realized that what drew him to PT was the belief that healing involves presence, dignity, and time. His career became rooted in rehabilitation, and eventually in teaching, where he could share not just clinical skills, but a philosophy of care. Today, he leads Carlow’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program, shaping practitioners who lead with empathy as much as expertise.
Kunal describes his professional path as guided by an invisible hand: “We make all the plans we want, but God takes us where we’re meant to go. I thought I was choosing a career, but this career was choosing me.”
Kenneth Smythe-Leistico, EdD, MSW, LSW
Ken Smythe-Leistico didn’t begin his academic journey expecting to work in social services. He originally majored in accounting, until he noticed a pattern: “People often came to me to talk through their problems, to see things from a different perspective. That’s when I realized this was where I was meant to be.”
A formative summer working with youth completing community service reshaped how he understood compassion. He went in expecting to teach or guide and instead learned the power of presence, dignity, and listening. The experience revealed how profoundly a small act of grace can alter a life’s direction. At Carlow, Ken helps students prepare to enter professions where empathy is a form of courage. He describes his work now as paying forward the same steadiness that others once offered him.
Outside of work, Ken is often in the kitchen: “Cooking is how I transition from work Ken to home Ken,” he said. “It’s where I process the day and reconnect with my family.” He often cooks alongside his daughter, experimenting, adjusting, and layering pieces until they become something whole, much like the work of helping others move toward healing.
Mickenna Ansell
Mickenna Ansell grew up in Mercer County, PA, where access to medical and therapeutic care wasn’t always guaranteed. She remembers families, people she knew and loved, having to choose between the electric bill and a prescription refill.
“I knew early on that I wanted to do something with underserved communities, even before I knew I wanted to go into psychology.”
A single eight-week psychology class in high school changed the direction of her life. It was the first time she learned about resilience, neuroplasticity, and how healing can be supported through care and community. She followed that thread through advocacy work, inpatient behavioral health settings, and into her doctoral program, where she found the perfect intersection of compassion and community practice.
Today, Mickenna works with children and families in settings where trust, encouragement, and belonging matter deeply. Her work is fueled by the same belief that shaped her early life: that everyone deserves a chance to feel seen, supported, and able to grow.
Outside of work and her doctoral studies, she decompresses through music, audiobooks, and creativity. She’s almost always joined by her two cats, Figaro and Repete, and her dog Molly. Her pets have been with her through years of classes, commutes, and study sessions.
“At this point they should probably receive honorary degrees,” she says. “They’ve been through every course I’ve taken.”
Carlow University is as bold and compassionate as the people who bring its mission to life. Join President Dr. Kathy Humphrey as she introduces you to inspiring students and faculty who are turning empathy into impact and compassion into change. In each episode, we’ll take you behind the scenes and into the stories of artists, educators, leaders, and athletes working every day to create a more just and merciful world.