With the appointment of a new dean and two new vice provosts, Concordia has welcomed a new set of skills and expertise to its academic leadership roster.
Three individuals who possess a demonstrated commitment to Concordia’s Lutheran mission began their new roles this year: Diane Ames, DNP, as dean of the School of Nursing; Brooke Johnson, as vice provost of academic operations; and Dan Sem, PhD, as vice provost for research and innovation.
Ames, who earned her doctorate from CUW in 2010, began her teaching career at Concordia in 2012 and rose to co-director of CUW’s graduate nursing programs in 2014. She served as interim dean before she was selected in January to serve as the official head of Concordia’s nursing programs on both the Mequon and Ann Arbor campuses. Prior to Concordia, Ames spent most of her career as a nurse and family nurse practitioner with Aurora Health Care.
Johnson joined the CUWAA team in April from Concordia University Chicago, where she served as registrar. As vice provost of academic operations, a brand-new position for Concordia, Johnson oversees CUWAA’s registrar operations and library services, and will assume oversight of the Office of Institutional Effectiveness once Tamara Ferry, PhD, retires. Her efforts focus on improving and streamlining operational processes that support academic functions to ensure students receive prompt and accurate service.
Sem, who previously served as dean of business for CUWAA, now oversees the university’s grant funding and research efforts, as well as its innovation, startup, and tech transfer efforts. The newly created vice provost role, which Sem assumed April 1, will see Sem create and implement a vision for alternative revenue sources for the university. The role leverages Sem’s extensive expertise as a successful entrepreneur and researcher in the biomedical field.
Editor’s note: This story first appeared in the spring 2022 issue of Hearts Together, a Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor Special Magazine edition. The fall/winter issue hit mailboxes in early October. View a PDF version of the magazine here. If you are not on our mailing list, but are interested in receiving a free copy, email Jennifer.Hackmann@cuaa.edu.
— This story is written by Kali Thiel, director of university communications for Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor. She may be reached at kali.thiel@cuw.edu or 262-243-2149.
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