When Scott Mihalovic was approached with the offer to be the first William Medland Chair of Educational Leadership, university officials didn’t know just how deep of an honor it would be to him.

Mihalovic has been at Viterbo for 10 years, overseeing the university’s educational leadership graduate and certificate programs. His connection with Viterbo, however, goes back much longer.

When William Medland came to Viterbo College in 1991, hired as the institution’s seventh president, he planned to stay for five years. By the time he stepped down as president in 2006, Viterbo had experienced 15 years of growth and transformation, going from a college undergoing financial difficulties to a financially secure, full-fledged university that had experienced 13 straight years of record enrollment.

Viterbo University biology, biochemistry, and neuroscience students are flush with opportunities to work with professors on research projects in a wide range of topics, from studying new microbial treatments for cancer to organic synthesis (creating new compounds made up of combinations of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and, last but not least, carbon atoms).

As the director of military student success at Viterbo University, Sam Morris’ duties are many. So are his lofty goals.

With a mental acuity for budgeting and money management, Kylie Krahn has always sought the best deals on purchases and to make smart financial decisions. So, she decided to apply the value principle of “buy one, get one” to her college education.

Viterbo’s resident expert in genetics and immunology, faculty member Chris Mayne is a favorite of students. He studies the genetics of the immune system and autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and lupus while helping the next generation of scientists and health care professionals succeed in the classroom and the laboratory.