SAU recognizes innovative, service-focused alumni

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For The Catholic Messenger

DAVENPORT — The St. Ambrose University College of Health and Human Services, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the College of Business honored six alumni for their outstanding accomplishments and professional contributions.
The university celebrated the honorees in a virtual presentation Sept. 25, during SAU’s Homecoming 2020. Most of the events were virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

College of Health and Human Services

• John Bowser, ’02, PhD, received the Distinguished Alumnus Award. He is a public health researcher and evaluator at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and an adjunct faculty member in the St. Ambrose Master of Public Health (MPH) program. He is described as a dedicated alumnus who encourages students to pursue a career in public health. Furthermore, he is an expert and contributor helping to inform SAU’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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• Anabel Flaherty, ’62, ’77, MSEd, received the Distinguished Alumna Award. Her career, spanning 61 years, began with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from St. Ambrose College (now SAU). She later earned two master’s degrees. Flaherty became the second licensed nurse practitioner in the state of Iowa and focused on psychiatric nursing. She had a long career at Vera French Mental Health Center and culminated her career in private practice.
College of Arts and Sciences

• Rosalind Wilcox, ’88, MFA, received the Distinguished Alumna Award. She chairs the Fine Arts Department at Coahoma Community College in Clarksdale, Mississippi. She maintains close ties with SAU, which featured her work, “Finding God in the Dark – A Retrospective Exhibition,” in the university’s Catich and Morrissey galleries last spring. At that time, Wilcox met with art students on campus and gave a vocal performance.

• Dylan Parker, ’10 received the Emerging Leader Award. Since graduating from SAU with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, Parker has been devoted to his community. He serves as 5th Ward Alderman in Rock Island, Illinois. Parker formerly worked at MCH Kenworth Quad Cities, where he also participated in union organizing. At SAU, he organized the Food Not Bombs activist group and was a member of GreenLife.
College of Business

• Ryan Weber, ’98 received the Distinguished Alumnus Award. He is an Audit Partner at RSM US LLP, the fifth-largest accounting firm in the world. He is the Office Managing Partner of the firm’s Davenport practice and leads its campus recruiting efforts at his alma mater. He launched his career with RSM in Davenport, then relocated to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he led the firm’s healthcare industry audit practice for the southeast U.S. region. He returned to the Quad Cities in 2014. Weber works closely with SAU students and serves on the board of several nonprofit and community organizations.

• Dick Kleine, ’13 DBA, received the Distinguished Alumnus Award. Kleine completed a 38-year high-impact career with Deere & Company, retiring as vice president, quality, in 1998. Throughout his career and in retirement, Kleine has served numerous Quad City organizations as a board member and sponsors recognition programs for many nonprofits.


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