Catherine Kacalek

Catherine Kacalek serves as an Assistant Professor of Nursing at George Fox University's College of Nursing, bringing nearly 30 years of acute care experience from Providence Willamette Falls Hospital and extensive clinical teaching across Portland-area hospitals since joining the faculty in 2016.

Her academic credentials include:

• BS in Nursing, University of Washington (1996)
• MSN in Nursing, Oregon Health & Science University
• EdD in progress at George Fox University (anticipated 2025)

Her research centers on nursing education innovation, particularly medical-surgical nursing pedagogy and quantitative analysis of nursing admissions processes, informed by her gerontology specialization during graduate studies and current EdD dissertation work. As a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE), she implements active learning strategies to bridge theoretical knowledge with clinical practice.

Kacalek teaches medical-surgical nursing courses and supervises clinical rotations while maintaining her acute care expertise through ongoing hospital engagements in the Portland metropolitan area.