Amy C. Novak

Amy C. Novak, EdD, became the 14th president of St. Ambrose University on August 7, 2021, and was inaugurated on Oct. 1, 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.

Within a week of her inauguration, Dr. Novak announced plans to renovate the University's second oldest building into the Higgins Hall for Innovation and Human-Centered Design. The newly renovated facility will debut in the fall of 2023 as a learning lab for creating a person-centered delivery model for higher education, healthcare and across the workplace.

In April, Novak will convene business and community leaders from across the Midwest for the first St. Ambrose University Innovation Summit: Building the Next-Generation Workforce, seeking input on how St. Ambrose best can prepare its students to meet business, industry and nonprofit needs in a new age of human work.

Dr. Novak previously served as president of Dakota Wesleyan University in her native Mitchell, South Dakota, from 2013 through May 2021. During her tenure, Dakota Wesleyan experienced record enrollment growth, surpassed all previous university fundraising records, made significant updates to the campus' infrastructure, formed a variety of partnerships with businesses in the region, bolstered spiritual engagement on the campus, and launched a variety of innovative academic programs and initiatives.

The unprecedented success led to DWU being profiled-along with three other U.S. colleges and universities-in the 2019 book Pivot: A Vision for the New University.

Dr. Novak rose to the rank of president only 10 years after entering the field of higher education by joining the Dakota Wesleyan staff as a grant administrator. Prior to her appointment as president, she served as DWU provost from 2007 to 2013 and vice president for enrollment management from 2004 to 2007. She previously worked in a variety of roles while traveling with her husband, Ken, while he served 10 years in the U.S. Air Force.

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.

The Novaks are parents to eight children who range in age from 13 to 26.