At hospitals, clinics and care facilities across Wisconsin, nurses are often the steady presence patients remember.
They are the reassuring voice, the careful listener and the compassionate hand during moments that matter most. On Wednesday, April 22, 2026, that calling—and Concordia’s commitment to it—was celebrated as the university community gathered in the Chapel Courtyard to break ground on a new nursing wing addition.
At Concordia University Wisconsin, preparing students for those moments is more than academic training. It is part of a larger calling.
Faculty, students, healthcare partners, donors, and community members came together for the 3:30 p.m. event, marking the beginning of a project that reflects both a growing need and a shared mission.
Rooted in mission, looking ahead
“It is a gift to be here with you today,” said President Erik Ankerberg as he opened the ceremony. “Moments like this remind us who we are as Concordia—a community shaped by faith, committed to learning, and called to serve.”
As he reflected on the significance of the project, Ankerberg emphasized that the moment was about more than construction.
“We’re not just starting a construction project,” he said. “We’re continuing a mission that has guided Concordia for generations: preparing students in mind, body, and spirit for lives of service to Christ in the Church and the world.”
That mission is especially evident in the field of nursing.
“Nursing is a calling that meets people in moments of need, uncertainty and hope,” Ankerberg said. “It requires knowledge and precision, but also humility, presence and care.”
The new addition, he noted, will expand opportunities for hands-on learning while continuing to form graduates who understand their work as service—to patients, communities, and ultimately, to Christ.
A calling lived out
Dean of the School of Nursing Dr. Jessica Leiberg echoed that message, grounding the moment in both faith and purpose.
“Days like this remind us of a simple and enduring truth: God is good, and He provides,” Leiberg said. “He provides vision. He provides people. And He provides the means to carry that vision forward in ways that bless others.”
For Leiberg, the groundbreaking represents more than a new facility—it reflects the continuation of a calling lived out daily by students and graduates.
“Nursing, at its heart, is not just a profession. It is a calling,” she said. “It is a response to the needs of others in their most vulnerable moments.”
She highlighted how Concordia prepares students not only with technical knowledge, but with compassion, resilience, and purpose—forming caregivers who serve the whole person.
“There is a truth we all recognize: the health of a community is only as strong as the nurses who serve it,” Leiberg said.
Responding to a growing need
Across Wisconsin and the nation, healthcare systems continue to face critical staffing shortages. Hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities and community health organizations are all feeling the strain.
Concordia’s investment in a new nursing wing addition is a proactive response to that need—one affirmed by healthcare partners who see the impact of Concordia graduates firsthand.
Amy Leppla, a 2007 alumna of Concordia’s School of Nursing and chief nursing officer at the Orthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin, spoke to that impact during the ceremony.
“We currently partner with the Concordia nursing program and have had many of their nursing students over the years,” Leppla said. “Concordia is not just a school we recognize. It’s one we actively seek out. We prioritize hiring Concordia students and new graduates because they come prepared, they are compassionate and have a calling to serve.
“I can say with confidence and a smidge of bias, that Concordia graduates stand out,” she added. “And that’s why today matters.”
For Leppla, the new facility represents more than physical expansion.
“This new addition is more than just a building—it represents continued investment in the future of nursing,” she said. “As healthcare continues to evolve, the need for well-prepared, compassionate nurses has never been greater. Spaces like this will help ensure students are ready to meet that challenge.”
The project includes approximately 26,000 square feet of new construction and 11,650 square feet of renovated space. Construction is expected to continue through summer 2027, with the facility opening for the fall 2027 semester.
The expansion will allow Concordia to prepare more students to enter the field as skilled, confident, and compassionate caregivers.
A space designed for real-world care
Inside the new wing addition, students will encounter learning environments designed to mirror real clinical settings.
Advanced hospital simulation and virtual reality suites will allow students to practice responding to complex, high-pressure situations before caring for real patients. These scenarios may include stabilizing a patient in cardiac distress, navigating difficult conversations, or assisting with the delivery of a newborn.
The facility will also include collaborative learning environments where students can reflect, debrief, and grow alongside peers and faculty mentors, recognizing that formation happens both in action and in reflection.
Voices of faith and formation
The ceremony also included a student perspective from nursing student Luke Eggemeyer, who reflected on the impact of Concordia’s program and the calling to serve others through nursing.
“This expansion is an investment,” Eggemeyer said. “It’s an investment in the student nurses who will go on to make a difference in hospitals, clinics and the world. The new building will be a place where faith and practice continue to come together.
“As a nursing student, I am excited to be part of something that reflects both a commitment to healthcare and a commitment to faith,” he added.
A hymn—written years ago for Concordia nursing by a music professor—was sung, connecting the moment to the School of Nursing’s deep roots and enduring mission.
Pastor Jonathon Bakker offered a blessing and prayer, asking for God’s guidance over the project, the students who will learn within it, and the patients they will one day serve.
Together, these moments underscored what makes Concordia distinct: the integration of faith and learning in every aspect of the student experience.
Building on a strong foundation
Concordia’s School of Nursing has prepared nurses for more than four decades. In 2025 alone, the university awarded 388 healthcare-related degrees, including 68 bachelor’s degrees in nursing.
Graduates serve patients and families in hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, leadership roles, research settings, and community organizations throughout Wisconsin and beyond.
The new nursing wing addition builds on that legacy while looking ahead, expanding Concordia’s ability to prepare the next generation of nurses who combine clinical excellence with compassionate, Christ-centered care.
Continuing the celebration
Following the groundbreaking ceremony, guests were invited to continue the celebration at the School of Nursing Open House.
Held from 4 to 6 p.m., the open house welcomed attendees into Concordia’s nursing facilities, where they explored simulation and skills labs, met faculty and staff, and experienced firsthand how students are prepared to meet the demands of today’s healthcare environment.
Together, the groundbreaking and open house offered a glimpse into both the future and present of nursing education at Concordia, highlighting a community committed to preparing nurses who are ready to serve, lead, and care for others in moments that matter most.
Want in?
Rooted in a mission of Christ-centered service, the School of Nursing at Concordia University Wisconsin prepares both new and experienced nurses for meaningful careers in a rapidly changing healthcare landscape. Through flexible online and hybrid pathways—including MSN, MSN-DE, DNP and post-master’s certificates—Concordia equips nurse leaders who combine clinical excellence with compassion, integrity and a commitment to whole-person care.