Whitewater Times

Maranatha Baptist University has appointed Dr. Sarah Urban as the new Dean of the School of Nursing. The decision was recently approved by the university's Board of Trustees. Dr. Urban, who joined the faculty in fall 2024, holds a PhD and is a Certified Nurse Educator.

Dr. Urban's interest in nursing began with her desire to help people, which she realized could be fulfilled through this profession during her college clinical experiences. She went on to earn a master's degree in nursing education and later pursued doctoral studies.

With 15 years of experience in various nursing roles, Dr. Urban stated, “Nursing is a unique ministry that makes a difference in the lives of patients not only physically but also psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually.” She added that teaching is an integral part of nursing: “Being in nursing education, to me, is an opportunity...as an educator, I’m touching the nurses who touch even more people’s lives.”

Elizabeth Stille will continue as Director of Clinical and Lab Experiences while maintaining her teaching responsibilities full-time at Maranatha since 2017.

Dr. Urban expressed enthusiasm for the new leadership structure within the School of Nursing: “The new leadership structure...will further enable us to meet the needs of both students and faculty." She emphasized building on the program’s foundation to prepare practice-ready Christian nurse leaders.

Dr. Tom Graham, Vice President of Academic Affairs at MBU, endorsed Dr. Urban’s appointment: “Dr. Urban is a seasoned nurse educator and academic administrator...We look forward to seeing Dr. Urban’s leadership impact the next generation of MBU nursing students.”