Dr. Ortelli joined Galen in 2008 and served as the College’s first Vice President for Academic Affairs (2008–2014). While in this role, her work included providing leadership for the development, implementation, and evaluation of the College’s nursing programs, establishing a common curriculum and college-wide committee structure, and creating a faculty rank and promotion system. Dr. Ortelli has also led the faculty in the development of a prelicensure BSN program and the initial development of the MSN program. In her current role, she assumes responsibly for program and curriculum development, ensuring curricular and program quality, and leading nursing education innovation efforts by collaborating with healthcare partners and industry experts. 

Prior to joining Galen, Dr. Ortelli worked for the National League for Nursing, where she assumed primary responsibility for the creation of the Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) credential. She has presented at regional and national conferences, is published in peer-reviewed journals and nursing education texts, and served as a co-author of the seminal work, The Scope of Practice for Academic Nurse Educators (NLN, 2005). 

Dr. Ortelli obtained a PhD in Nursing from Nova Southeastern University, a Master’s of Science (MS) Degree in Nursing from Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree from The Ohio State University. She is past-president of the New Jersey League for Nursing, currently serves as Coordinator for the Nursing Resource Column that appears in AJN, is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society in Nursing, and was inducted into the Academy of Nurse Educator Fellows in 2012 and the American Academy of Nursing (2021).