Dr. Matt Nowakowski, vice provost for faculties and academic affairs, shared that he will be retiring at the end of this semester to devote more time to writing, wildlife photography, and travel with his family. His last day will be Dec.16. In his 16 years at Saint Mary’s, Dr. Nowakowski made a number of contributions to help advance our academic mission. He co-founded the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program and served on numerous DBA and Ed.D. dissertation committees. He was named the 2020 Distinguished Lasallian Educator at Saint Mary’s and attended and completed the Buttimer Institute of Lasallian Studies program.
“Dr. Nowakowski has willingly taken on several leadership roles as needed, including most recently agreeing to serve as vice provost, a position he has held before,” said Dr. Matthew Gerlach, interim provost and dean of faculties. “The amount of change and the pace at which we are implementing that change to benefit student learning and student success has been tremendous. Dr. Nowakowski is a calm presence and has a deep sense of mission and expertise across academic affairs. His institutional knowledge and commitment to our Lasallian Catholic mission is evident in his work and leadership. We are grateful for his many years of service.”
Dr. Nowakowski stated, ” ‘Together and by association’ has been more than a slogan to me. Serving the Lasallian Catholic mission through teaching and administrative roles for the past 16 years has been an absolute privilege.”
A review of the best way to transition due to Dr. Nowakowski’s retirement news is already underway, and plans will be communicated soon. In the meantime, if you have questions, please contact Dr. Gerlach (provost@smumn.edu or 507-457-8716).
