Dr. Rebecca Neiduski was announced as the 18th president of Wartburg College on Monday, March 21.
President Neiduski comes to Wartburg from Elon University where she served as the dean of the School of Health Sciences. As the academic and financial leader of the School of Health Sciences, she led efforts to establish the first undergraduate majors in the School of Health Sciences and an accelerated pathways program that dovetails undergraduate and graduate curricula; helped execute Elon’s most recent strategic plan and served as co-chair of one of the plan’s working groups; and advanced diversity, equity and inclusion efforts within the School of Health Sciences by championing the establishment of committees who engage students, faculty, and staff in monthly educational events, empowering structural change in hiring and admissions processes, and building curricular and co-curricular opportunities dedicated to advancing health equity.
Prior to her work at Elon, President Neiduski was the chair and program director for the Department of Occupational Therapy and a professor of occupational therapy at Concordia University Wisconsin from 2013 to 2017 and an associate professor of occupational therapy with tenure at Maryville University from 2002 to 2013.
A certified hand therapist and international expert in flexor tendon rehabilitation, President Neiduski has offered many lectures, courses and keynote addresses on best practices for this complex diagnosis, simultaneously authoring multiple peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. She also is known for her commitment to global health equity, including both sustainable humanitarian work and education of health care providers around the world. She has been honored with both the Nathalie Barr Lectureship Award and the Paul Brand Award for Professional Excellence from the American Society of Hand Therapists.
President Neiduski also sits on the board of directors for the Guatemala Healing Hands Foundation, where she has provided leadership and substantive contributions through education; provision of specialized surgery and therapy; and community outreach. The organization completes significant fundraising every 18 months so that its highly specialized team of surgeons, therapists, anesthesiologists, nurses and volunteers can provide comprehensive training and education to health care providers and students; screen more than 200 children with traumatic injuries and congenital limb differences who would otherwise not have access to specialized surgeries; and provide training for and maintain connection with local therapists who provide post-operative care.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts in movement and sport science from Purdue University, a Master of Science in occupational therapy from Washington University in St. Louis and a Doctor of Philosophy in education from Saint Louis University.
In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, outdoor activities and traveling.
