St. Catherine University, a women’s undergraduate and co-ed graduate higher education institution in St. Paul, Minnesota, recently launched a new academic unit: the School of Liberal Arts, Business, and Leadership. The new school combines the academic programs currently offered under the School of Business and the School of Humanities, Arts, and Sciences.
“Our vision for this new school is to foster collaboration across traditional disciplines, creating vibrant programs that respond to market needs. We will deliver educational experiences that align our mission – to educate women to lead and influence – with an ever-changing social and economic landscape,” said Denise Baird, provost and senior vice president at St. Catherine University. “By linking business, leadership, and the liberal arts, we prepare graduates to bring a human-centered, inclusive leadership perspective to every industry and community they serve.”
Leading the formation of this new school will be its inaugural dean, Aimee Zellers. She comes to her new role from Carlow University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she has been serving as associate provost and associate professor of philosophy. Since joining the Carlow faculty in 2013, Dr. Zellers has served in several leadership roles, including chair of the art, communication, and English department; co-chair of the University Faculty Assembly; and the Michele R. Atkins Endowed chair for Ethics Across the Curriculum. In her scholarly work, she focuses on ethics in emerging health technologies, as well as ethics pedagogy.
“Leadership has been a throughline in my career, and equity and justice have always been central to both my work and who I am. That is why, with deep respect for St. Catherine University’s mission and a strong sense of alignment with its Catholic identity, I was truly excited to be considered for this role,” said Dr. Zellers. “The opportunity to lead a newly integrated school that brings together the liberal arts, business, and leadership is especially meaningful to me because it reflects the kind of interdisciplinary, mission-driven work that has shaped my own path as a faculty member and academic leader.”
Dr. Zellers is a graduate of Clarion University of Pennsylvania, where she double-majored in philosophy and history. She holds a master’s degree in philosophy and a Ph.D. in health care ethics from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.