Olivet Nazarene University recently announced the appointment of Catherine “Cathy” Dillinger, Ph.D. to the position of Associate Dean of the School of Nursing. The transition comes with the departure of Tiffany Greer, Ph.D., who has led the department since 2020.
The Associate Dean for the School of Nursing provides leadership and vision for all levels of nursing education, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Dr. Dillinger will officially begin her new duties in January 2026.
Dr. Dillinger joined the Olivet School of Nursing in 2016 as an assistant professor. During her time at Olivet, she has taught courses including Introduction to Nursing, Fundamentals of Nursing, Pharmacology and obstetrics (OB) classes. She has served as the program director for both the bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) and the accelerated bachelor of science in nursing (ABSN) tracks since 2021.
Prior to her time at Olivet, she worked as a registered nurse in emergency room, 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 AAS in 2009 from Joliet Junior College; her BSN in 2013 from Purdue University; her MSN 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.
For more information about the School of Nursing, visit Olivet.edu/Academics
