Dr. Miller named College of Nursing assistant dean

Connie Miller, Ph.D., associate professor in the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing, has been chosen as assistant dean for the Omaha Division effective today.

Connie Miller, Ph.D.

The position of assistant dean is the first for the Omaha Division and aligns Omaha with the college’s four other locations in Lincoln, Kearney, Scottsbluff and Norfolk, said Juliann Sebastian, Ph.D., dean of the UNMC College of Nursing.

Dr. Sebastian said the college conducted a national search to fill the position. Dr. Miller held the post on an interim basis during the search.

The search committee looked for someone to lead a highly collaborative environment with a strong team-oriented culture to foster innovations in teaching, research, and practice, Dr. Sebastian said.

“We needed the right leader with a strong vision and excellent communication and leadership skills to lead us toward these goals. I know how committed Dr. Miller is to creating a sense of community and cohesiveness and to developing new approaches to foster collaboration within our college and other UNMC colleges,” Dr. Sebastian said. “She is a scholar, a dedicated advocate for interprofessional education, and a champion of focusing on quality and safety in nursing and health professions education.”

Dr. Miller received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, Kan., and her master’s and doctoral degrees in nursing from UNMC. She has extensive experience in adult critical care, having cared for patients in coronary, surgical, and medical intensive care units. She also has served as educational coordinator for critical care staff.

She has taught undergraduate nursing education and served as a research advisor and committee member for masters and doctoral students. As director of the learning resource center, Dr. Miller was involved in using simulation and developing learner-centered teaching strategies for clinical practice. She is actively involved in the Interprofessional Education Committee at UNMC and serves on the UNMC Teaching Academy Advisory Council.

Her research areas of interest are learning outcomes of simulation, integrating quality and safety concepts into nursing education, and learning outcomes of learner-centered teaching strategies for clinical practice