Dr. Caleb Ediger Named Butler’s New Associate Dean of Nursing

Dr. Caleb Ediger has been named the new associate dean of Nursing and Allied Health at Butler Community College. He replaces Dr. Beth Eagleton, who retired from the position this past summer after joining Butler in Fall 2018.  

Born and raised in Harper, Ediger graduated from Chaparral High School and attended Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia where he graduated in December 2003 with his Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Ten years later, he earned his Master of Science in Nursing with an emphasis in Health Care System from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona, and a few years later obtained his Doctor of Nursing Practice in Organizational Leadership from the University of Kansas.  

 Ediger’s dissertation focused on new nursing graduates coping with incivility in their first-year practice. As a nurse for more than 15 years, Ediger has worked in intensive care, medical-surgical and recovery room atmospheres as well as in nursing administration. He also taught for a period of time at Wichita State University and Newman University. 

“Combining his educational background with his nursing and administrative experience, Ediger is an exceptional addition to the Butler family,” said Christy Streeter, dean of Health, Education & Public Service. “His background really lends well to the great work that we do in nursing, and I know that he can lead us through our concept-based curriculum development well because of his vast experience and education.” 

Knowing Butler’s nursing reputation, including its students’ most recent 94% pass rate compared to the state average of 84%, along with his desire to return to the academic environment, brought Ediger to Butler.   

For Ediger, being effective in the nursing department starts with his roots in administrative experience and his understanding of college-level processes while integrating his extensive experience in the field.  

“It’s learning the Butler ways, looking at processes and bringing change if needed, as well as helping develop faculty and staff,” Ediger said.