Other Events
Oct
21
Other Events
Oct
29
Women in Leadership | Dr. Amy Novak
Event details
You're invited to the monthly Women in Leadership speaker event at our CRST International Graduate Center on Tuesday, October 29.
We will host Dr. Amy Novak, President of St. Ambrose University.
This event will take place in-person at our graduate center, located at 1650 Matterhorn Dr. NE, Cedar Rapids. Arrive at 11:30 AM for a provided lunch and networking. The presentation begins at noon with time for questions to follow.
RSVP by October 24 to attend!
Women in Leadership is a monthly discussion and networking event series, featuring women leaders willing to share their experiences in education, nursing, business, and leadership. Anyone can attend and enjoy meeting local professionals as they recant their leadership stories.
Amy C. Novak, EdD, became the 14th president of St. Ambrose University on August 7, 2021, accepting her charge with a focus on inclusivity and collaboration under the invitational theme, "Come To The Table."
At St. Ambrose, Dr. Novak also has prioritized finding new and innovative models of teaching and learning as we enter a new era of work. She is partnering with community leaders to address employer needs, and celebrating the University's historic commitment to Catholicity, social justice, and service. Under her leadership, the university launched a new strategic plan, Agile Ambrose, designed to prepare the university to meet the evolving needs of learners across their lifespan.
From business collaborations that have led to piloted classroom experiences using XR technologies, to the launch of the Nano Nagle Online School of Nursing to support place-bound learners across America, to securing grants to support work-based learning initiatives, Novak's efforts have helped the university ensure that learning remains relentlessly relevant while honoring the importance of cultivating skills embedded within the traditional liberal arts disciplines.
The university’s recent enrollment growth and success in retention is a testimony to the development of an agile culture on the campus that embraces change and best practices in student learning and engagement. In January of 2024, the university opened Higgins Hall for Innovation and Human-Centered Design, a learning laboratory for creating a person-centered delivery model for higher education.
Dr. Novak has convened business and community leaders from across the Midwest to participate in the St. Ambrose University Innovation Summit. The initial summit, sought input on how St. Ambrose best can prepare its students to meet business, industry and nonprofit needs in a new age of human work. The most recent summit, built on the key takeaways from the previous summit, highlighted growth mindset around learning that is developed in the classroom and built for the workplace.
Dr. Novak earned a Doctor of Education degree in Interdisciplinary Leadership from Creighton University in 2014, a Master of Science in Social and Applied Economics from Wright State University in 1997, and a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Notre Dame in 1993.
Dr. Novak is a passionate advocate for students, and speaks frequently on issues of innovation, workforce development, leadership, and faith. She serves as the president of the NAIA council of presidents, and is active in national, regional and local associations. She and her husband Ken are parents to eight children and delight in welcoming nearly 3000 other students to the St. Ambrose table.
