Nice to Meet You: Dr. Amber Pyatt

Founding Director of Nursing, Associate Professor of Nursing

Last year, MBU announced the intent to begin the process of developing the University’s Bachelor of Science in nursing program.

Fast forward to the summer of 2016: Dr. Amber Pyatt joined the MBU faculty as Founding Director of Nursing. Building a strong nursing program consumes much of Pyatt’s attention these days, but she still manages to make time for adventures with friends and family — accompanied by the sounds of country tunes.

1. Don’t Touch This
   Sometimes simple meals like grilled cheese sandwiches make for the most joyful memories. Rather than going out for lavish meals, Pyatt is most content with spending her evenings at the table with her husband and two children, Kaden and Kyler — as well as one on the way in May 2017. When eating with Pyatt, it’s likely to notice her foods distinctly separate on the plate, as foods touching is one of her most notable pet peeves.
2. The Best of the Best Fans of Baseball
   Pyatt does not miss a single Cardinals baseball game. Without cable television, she makes sure to purchase the Major League Baseball (MLB) application to make sure she can keep track of the Red Birds’ every play. Even before living in Cardinal Nation, her family took annual trips to St. Louis to attend a game. She has already cheered them on at four games this year while wearing her favorite Yadier Molina jersey.
3. That Disney Magic
   Disney World is at the top of most childhood bucket lists. This summer, Pyatt’s family was able to make a first-time check mark off that list. The family of four got to spend a busy, yet fun few days together at the magical theme parks after accepting her position at MBU. Her husband, Robbie, would finish the summer at his previous job in Kansas before the move to St. Louis, so Disney became a final fun getaway before their time apart.
4. Still We Rise
   Chosen to participate in the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City was a cheerleading dream come true for Pyatt as a high school student in Van Buren, Mo. The trip was set for 2001, which ended up being even more memorable and emotional due to landing in the aftermath of Sept. 11. Pyatt recalled the city as being dirty and covered in soot from the wreckage of the terrorist attacks. Her cheering also continued into college, where she was able to perform in London’s New Year’s Day Parade.
5. Country Fan Girl
   As an avid country music fan, look for Pyatt among the crowds next summer at St. Louis’ Country Megaticket concert series with her husband. Her keepsake book is filled with autographs and photos from her country celebrity encounters — including meeting Carrie Underwood four times out of the 10 times she has seen the megastar in concert.
6. Learning for Life
   Pyatt grew up knowing she wanted to get her doctorate, and her path turned into a passion for teaching nursing. She found her calling to become a labor and delivery nurse after the birth of her oldest, and began to pursue a BSN a few months after from Newman University in Wichita, Kansas. From there, she received her MSN in administration and education from the University of Cincinnati, Ohio before completing her DNP from American Sentinel University in Colorado earlier this year, where she received the Award for Academic Excellence for maintaining a 4.0 GPA.

This story was originally featured in MBU Magazine | Winter 2016.

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