Dr. Bautista is the Program Director for both the Doctor of Education in Healthcare Education & Leadership and the Doctor of Education in Interprofessional Leadership. She has 15 years of diverse experience in higher education, during which she has held multiple roles such as course instructor, program administrator, instructional designer, and faculty developer. Her expertise includes course and curriculum design and assessment. Prior to her career in higher education, she worked in health promotion and wellness across non-profit, government, and research sectors.
Dr. Bautista earned her Bachelor of Science in Community Health from the University of Texas – El Paso, her Master of Art in Health Education from the University of Nebraska Omaha, and her Doctorate in Interdisciplinary Leadership from Creighton University. She is also a Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach, through the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching. She has spoken at local and national events on topics related to leadership and well-being, addressing a variety of audiences, including higher education administrators, healthcare providers, K-12 educational leaders, and non-profit executives.
Outside of the College, Dr. Bautista enjoys spending time with her family, cheering on her children at their sporting events, baking, and practicing yoga.
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. – Eleanor Roosevelt
Deans Award for Graduate Faculty Excellence, Creighton University, Spring 2023.
Oltman, G. & Bautista, V. (2024, June 17, 2024). Stay or Go? Thinking about your Place in Higher Education. Academic Leader.
Bautista, V. & Oltman, G. (2023). Building a School Leader’s Personal Well Being Plan. In Supporting Leaders for School Improvement Through Self-Care and Well Being. Information Age Publishing.
Bautista, V. & Oltman, G. (2023, June 19). Five Campus Hot Spots: Why higher education institutions need to adapt to reduce burnout. Academic Leader.
Oltman, G. & Bautista, V. (2023, January 9, 2023). Follow Me: A leadership philosophy framework for leaders in higher education. Academic Leader.
Oltman, G. & Bautista, V. (Aug 2021). What’s Your Leadership Story? A School’s Leader’s Guide to Aligning How You Lead with Who You Are. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Press.
White, N., Bautista, V., Lenz, T., & Cosimano, A. (2020). Using the SMART-EST Goals in Lifestyle Medicine Prescription. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827620905775
Bautista, V. & Oltman, G. (August 2024). Beyond the Syllabus: Prioritizing Well-being for Health Profession Educators. Health Professions Educators Conference. Virtual. (Invited).
Bautista, V., Cosimano, A., & Katusin, C. (July 2024). Connecting Online Graduate Students to Omaha through Academic Service-Learning. 2022 Innovation Summit for Health Professionals Education. Creighton University. Virtual. Omaha, NE.
Bautista, V. & Oltman, G. (October 2023). Discover Your “Why”: Four Steps to Create Your Nursing Leadership Philosophy. The Nebraska Collaborative of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. University of Nebraska Medical Center. Omaha, NE. (Invited).
Oltman, G. & Bautista, V. (October 2023). Why We Stay or Go: An Honest Conversation about Well-Being for Campus Leaders. Leadership in Higher Education Conference. Orlando, FL.
Bautista, V. & Oltman, G. (July 2023). Hot Spots on Campus: How Our Leaders Can Recognize and Calm the Fires. National Conference of Academic Deans. University of Central Arkansas. Conway, Arkansas. (Invited).
Bautista, V. & Oltman, G. (April 2022). Closing the Book on Burnout. Omaha Public Library Staff Development Day. Omaha, NE. (Invited)
Oltman, G., & Bautista, V. (March 2022). The Curse of the High Achieving Leaders: Overcoming the Need to Be Everything to Everyone. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) – 2022 Annual Conference. Chicago, IL.
Bautista, V. & Oltman, G. (January 2022). The Curse of the High Achiever: Breaking Up with Burnout. Virtual Breakout Session. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) Virtual Leadership Summit, Alexandria, VA.
Bautista, V. & Oltman, G. (October 2019). Addressing Personal Well-Being: What Academic Leaders Need to Know. A session at the Leadership in Higher Education Conference, St. Louis, MO. (Invited).
Oltman, G. & Bautista V. (October 2018). Why Do I Lead the Way I Do? Creating a Leadership Philosophy. Leadership in Higher Education Conference. Minneapolis, MN. (Invited).