Dr. Dillinger joined the Olivet School of Nursing in 2016 as an assistant professor. During her time at ONU she has taught Intro to Nursing, Fundamentals, Pharmacology and OB classes. She has served as the Program Director for both the BSN and ABSN tracks since 2021.
Prior to her time at ONU, she worked as a registered nurse in ER, long-term care, and as an OB nurse. She also held management positions at Sprint PCS, Hyatt Regency Chicago, and Hyatt Corporate. Dr. Dillinger earned her A.A.S., in 2009 from Joliet Junior College; her B.S.N., in 2013 from Purdue University; her M.S.N., in 2016 from Olivet Nazarene University; and her Ph.D. in 2022 from Capella University, focusing on “Repeating Accelerated Baccalaureate Nursing Courses: A Qualitative Study of Stories of Persistence.”
Cathy and her husband Frank have been married for 21 years. Frank is a K-8 technology teacher and a U.S. Veteran. They live in Bourbonnais with their dog Hazel Mae. They have two adult children, Vicki and Christopher, and grandchildren Tyler, Abby and Sophia. Their son Christopher serves in the U.S. Army and is currently stationed at Ft. Hood and granddaughter Sophia just graduated Navy bootcamp.
Cathy loves crocheting, reading and frequently visiting Kentucky.
