Leading with Excellence - New President Begins Journey at the College

Clarkson College welcomed Dr. James Hauschildt as the new President of the institution on July 20, 2020. He stands ready to offer leadership for Clarkson College by providing a vision along with strategic initiatives to carry out the Mission of the College. He will continue to maintain quality in all academic programs, ensure excellence in services to meet the needs of a diverse student body and represent the College in the community.

“I am extremely grateful and humbled at the opportunity to come work at such a respected institution,” says Dr. Hauschildt. “I am thankful to be able to work amongst fellow colleagues who are as excited about health care and education as I am.”

Dr. Hauschildt’s passion for health care and education are apparent through his years of experience in both fields. A native of St. Charles, Iowa, his nursing career began at Covenant Medical Center in Waterloo, Iowa, after he earned his diploma from the Allen School of Nursing and Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Northern Iowa in 1996. He continued his work as a clinical nurse as a Captain in the US Air Force from 1997 until 2001. His years in the profession provides him with insight into the increasingly complex role Clarkson College students are preparing to perform.

“I understand that the students we’re preparing will be providing an essential, critical service to the community, region, country and globe,” he says. “While the health care needs in these various regions differ, the underlying premise is that we will always need compassionate, knowledgeable, skilled, empathetic and caring people to take care of others’ health needs.”

Throughout his own health care career, Dr. Hauschildt had the opportunity to explore his calling to care for others and discovered a new passion in education. He returned to his alma mater, Allen College, to begin his career in higher education as an Assistant Professor in the Undergraduate Nursing program. During that time, he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from the University of Kansas as well as Master’s degrees in Nursing from the University of North Alabama and Business Management from Webster University.

In 2004, he completed his Doctor in Education from the University of Northern Iowa and went on to serve as President, Chief Academic Officer and Endowed Chair at St. Luke’s College in Kansas City, Missouri. Most recently, he was appointed President of Good Samaritan College in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was his hometown ties, as well as the culture of Clarkson College, however, that drew him and his family to Omaha.

“That is one of the primary reasons why I applied and elected to accept the offer to come work at the College—the Values and the culture,” he says. “We’re doing an amazing job recognizing and moving toward our Mission and living out our Values. That’s exciting for me, and it’s a culture that I really wanted to join.”

Dr. Hauschildt, his wife Kianna, and their children Lauren and Andrew now live in the historic Bemis Park Landmark Heritage District of Omaha, just a few minutes away from campus. By immersing himself in the community and gaining a deeper understanding of the College culture, Dr. Hauschildt hopes to be able to contribute to the institution’s goals as well as the Omaha community moving forward.

“At the College, there have been deliberate efforts to align our strategy with the culture and campus community including staff, students and alumni,” he says. “The fact that the community has input into that vision and strategy further supports the Values and Mission of the institution. You don’t see that degree of alignment too often, and it’s refreshing and exciting. I wanted to be part of a community like that, and I hope to further that goal and contribute in ways that make a difference for all of us.”

“As a College, we need to continue to innovate and stay aligned with the most recent practice and standards of care delivery, so that our graduates continue to be prepared and ready to enter the health care field—and our educational partnership with Nebraska Medicine ensures that.”

Leading with Excellence - New President Begins Journey at the College

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