Dr. Nicole Orian grew up in Valentine, Nebraska, and graduated from Union College in 2004 with degrees in Nursing and Business. Following graduation, she began her clinical practice in the Trauma Surgical Intensive Care Unit and was overjoyed a few years later to accept an invitation to join the Union College Nursing faculty, teaching at her alma mater. Dr. Orian served Union College for 14 years as a member of the nursing faculty, including seven years as Chair of the Division of Nursing. During this time, she completed a Master of Science in Nursing at Nebraska Wesleyan University (2009) and a Doctor of Nursing Practice with an emphasis in Health Systems Executive Leadership at the University of Pittsburgh (2016). Throughout her tenure as a nursing professor, Dr. Orian taught a wide range of didactic and clinical courses and was deeply involved in student recruitment, faculty support, curriculum development, and systematic program evaluation. She also provided leadership and vision for the strategic, operational, and financial direction of the nursing program. In 2021, Dr. Orian began teaching remotely for the Kettering College Division of Nursing and soon transitioned into the role of Chair of Graduate Nursing, where she led the development of the Master of Science in Nursing–Nursing Leadership program. The program proudly graduated its first cohort in December 2025. Dr. Orian resides in Lincoln, Nebraska, where she is an active member of the College View Seventh-day Adventist Church and serves as a board member for College View Academy. When asked what she is most proud of, she will undoubtedly say her family—her husband, Matthew, and her children, Jacob, Hailey, and Madison. Dr. Orian has dedicated her life to serving others as a wife, mother, friend, educator, and nurse.