Undergraduate Commencement Speaker Edward Rogalski, PhD (Hon. '08)

President Emeritus Ed Rogalski, PhD (Hon. '08) never left the St. Ambrose University family following his 2007 retirement from a 39-year career at the school, the last 20 as University president.

Over the past year, he discovered the St. Ambrose family kept him in its heart as well.

The campus community mourned with Rogalski when his beloved wife, Bobbi, died in June. His St. Ambrose friends also reached out as he recovered from an eight-hour surgery for an aortic aneurysm last fall.

"It was a great outpouring of support and good will," Rogalski said of the campus community's reaction, particularly to his wife's passing. "There were extraordinary acts of kindness that made my burden less burdensome. When you have the love and support of a community like that, it buoys you up."

Although he continues to recover from his fall surgery, the former president will take the stage on May 21 to speak to 401 graduates at the Spring 2022 Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony, beginning at 1 p.m. at the TaxSlayer Center in Moline, Illinois.

The ceremony will follow a morning hooding and commencement ceremony at the Moline arena for graduates earning their St. Ambrose doctoral and master's degrees.

In the midst of a most difficult 18 months, Rogalski said he was heartened when the invitation to speak to a fresh class of Ambrosians was extended by President Amy Novak, EdD.

"You don't get those requests very often," he said. "It is an honor and I consider it a privilege to be able to do it."

Rogalski maintained an office in the Advancement Department at Alumni House on Brady Street in Davenport throughout the 14-year tenure of Sister Joan Lescinski, CSJ, PhD, who followed him as St. Ambrose president and retired in August.
He cheered every success, and helped when and where he could.

"The quality of the institution has continued to grow," he said. "In reputation – locally and regionally – Ambrose is a much more formidable organization today than it was when I left. And, now, I'm hearing many nice things about Dr. Novak and how she has been received in the community."

Novak has heard much the same about Rogalski, whose profile in the Quad Cities community has been enhanced in retirement by his active and willing volunteerism. He served as the 2008 campaign chair for the United Way of the Quad Cities and most recently led the campaign to build a $24 million YMCA in downtown Davenport.

"The respect Dr. Rogalski has earned and continues to receive among Quad Cities civic and business leaders serves this University quite well," Novak said. "He continues to represent the best of St. Ambrose, and I am excited to have him share with the graduating Class of 2022 his passion for a University he made better throughout his career."