Mount Mercy University
12/18/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/18/2025 12:01
St. Ambrose University announces key leadership appointments to strengthen its integration with Mount Mercy University
St. Ambrose University has announced the addition of four senior leaders, along with an expanded leadership role for a longtime academic administrator. The appointments are part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen mission integration, enhance shared operations, and support its collaboration with Mount Mercy University. These appointments underscore St. Ambrose's commitment to delivering a mission-driven student experience grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition.
Amelia Blanton Hibner, PhD, has been named Chief Mission Integration Officer, beginning Feb. 1, 2026. In this role, Blanton Hibner will guide mission integration across both universities, ensuring that Catholic identity, values, and formation remain central as institutional collaboration continues to evolve. She currently serves as Dean of Mission Integration at Visitation Academy of St. Louis, where she leads mission-centered strategic planning, multi-year formation programs for faculty and staff, and extensive partnerships with academic and campus ministry leaders.
Adam Kurth has joined St. Ambrose as Chief Information Officer. Kurth brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in information technology, finance, and organizational planning, most recently as Chief Financial Officer and Director of Technology & Innovation for the Iowa City Community School District. His experience includes major advancements in cybersecurity, enterprise systems modernization, instructional technology, and data governance. As CIO, Kurth will support the alignment of shared systems and digital infrastructure across St. Ambrose and Mount Mercy, helping build a seamless student and employee experience.
Karla Hurley has been named Executive Director of Strategy and Project Management. Hurley, who joined the university in November, brings over two decades of experience in strategic leadership and organizational integration across higher education and the nonprofit sector, including the University of Iowa where she led enterprise strategy and digital transformation. She will lead efforts at St. Ambrose to strengthen institutional planning, unify performance measures, and coordinate cross-campus initiatives that ensure sustained momentum and accountability in the months and years ahead.
Donna Gardner Liljegren, EdD, has joined St. Ambrose as Associate Vice President for Online Learning. With more than 30 years of experience as a faculty member and administrator, Dr. Liljegren has a proven record of expanding access and improving student outcomes through high-quality online programs. She previously led AU Online at Aurora University, growing the program from $3.4 million to more than $27 million in revenue. Her leadership at St. Ambrose will support the continued growth, quality, and consistency of online learning across collaborative academic offerings.
Longtime St. Ambrose leader Pat Archer, PhD, associate provost, will assume oversight of the Accessibility Resource Center, the Academic and Career Planning Center, and the Student Success Center on the St. Ambrose campus. In partnership with Mount Mercy Provost Tom Castle, PhD, Archer will also begin coordinating parallel functions at Mount Mercy to lay the groundwork for future alignment of student-success services across both institutions.
This work represents an important step toward strengthening academic support services for key student populations including first-generation students, adult learners, student-athletes, and graduate students. President Amy Novak, EdD, emphasized the importance of the new leadership team in supporting the university's future direction.
"Each of these leaders brings not only deep expertise, but a passion for the mission of Catholic higher education," Novak said. "Their collective talent will help us enhance student learning, align shared systems, and build a more connected and mission-centered future. I am profoundly grateful for the wisdom and vision they bring to St. Ambrose and Mount Mercy at this pivotal moments."
Amelia Blanton Hibner, PhD, has been named Chief Mission Integration Officer, beginning Feb. 1, 2026. In this role, Blanton Hibner will guide mission integration across both universities, ensuring that Catholic identity, values, and formation remain central as institutional collaboration continues to evolve. She currently serves as Dean of Mission Integration at Visitation Academy of St. Louis, where she leads mission-centered strategic planning, multi-year formation programs for faculty and staff, and extensive partnerships with academic and campus ministry leaders.
Adam Kurth has joined St. Ambrose as Chief Information Officer. Kurth brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in information technology, finance, and organizational planning, most recently as Chief Financial Officer and Director of Technology & Innovation for the Iowa City Community School District. His experience includes major advancements in cybersecurity, enterprise systems modernization, instructional technology, and data governance. As CIO, Kurth will support the alignment of shared systems and digital infrastructure across St. Ambrose and Mount Mercy, helping build a seamless student and employee experience.
Karla Hurley has been named Executive Director of Strategy and Project Management. Hurley, who joined the university in November, brings over two decades of experience in strategic leadership and organizational integration across higher education and the nonprofit sector, including the University of Iowa where she led enterprise strategy and digital transformation. She will lead efforts at St. Ambrose to strengthen institutional planning, unify performance measures, and coordinate cross-campus initiatives that ensure sustained momentum and accountability in the months and years ahead.
Donna Gardner Liljegren, EdD, has joined St. Ambrose as Associate Vice President for Online Learning. With more than 30 years of experience as a faculty member and administrator, Dr. Liljegren has a proven record of expanding access and improving student outcomes through high-quality online programs. She previously led AU Online at Aurora University, growing the program from $3.4 million to more than $27 million in revenue. Her leadership at St. Ambrose will support the continued growth, quality, and consistency of online learning across collaborative academic offerings.
Longtime St. Ambrose leader Pat Archer, PhD, associate provost, will assume oversight of the Accessibility Resource Center, the Academic and Career Planning Center, and the Student Success Center on the St. Ambrose campus. In partnership with Mount Mercy Provost Tom Castle, PhD, Archer will also begin coordinating parallel functions at Mount Mercy to lay the groundwork for future alignment of student-success services across both institutions.
This work represents an important step toward strengthening academic support services for key student populations including first-generation students, adult learners, student-athletes, and graduate students. President Amy Novak, EdD, emphasized the importance of the new leadership team in supporting the university's future direction.
"Each of these leaders brings not only deep expertise, but a passion for the mission of Catholic higher education," Novak said. "Their collective talent will help us enhance student learning, align shared systems, and build a more connected and mission-centered future. I am profoundly grateful for the wisdom and vision they bring to St. Ambrose and Mount Mercy at this pivotal moments."
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