Nursing professor and alumna Katie Clark honored with national leadership award

Associate Professor Katie Clark ’10 MAN, ’14 DNP has been awarded the 2025 Barbara A. Holland Scholar-Administrator Award from the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities. 

The award is presented annually to a bold, mid-career scholar-administrator whose leadership and intellectual voice illuminates the transformative power of urban and metropolitan higher education. 

“Barbara Holland championed a vision of higher education leadership that was intellectually rigorous, publicly engaged, and community-accountable. Dr. Katie Clark lives out that vision every day,” said Augsburg President Paul Pribbenow.

At Augsburg, Clark teaches graduate nursing courses and serves as executive director of the Augsburg Health Commons, a network of health-focused drop-in centers that foster community connections and advance health for all. Clark’s leadership has expanded involvement in the Health Commons beyond nursing students to include students and faculty from multiple disciplines. With five sites include downtown Minneapolis, the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, north Minneapolis, and the east side of St. Paul, the Health Commons has welcomed more than 150,000 visits and engaged over 3,000 students to date. 

“I am deeply humbled to think that the work I do every day as an administrator, educator, and community-engaged scholar makes me worthy of such recognition,” said Clark. “I am grateful for everyone who supports the work of the Health Commons, our team, our partners, our students—and most importantly, the community members whose wisdom and courage teach me the most profound lessons every day. I am inspired by Dr. Holland’s idea of what is possible when we center justice in both the scholarship we pursue and the institutions we shape.”

As chair of the Nursing Department and chief nursing administrator at Augsburg, Clark has led curriculum revisions to align with new American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials, reflecting the department’s mission to advance health equity and inclusivity. She is a 2025 Fellow of the AACN’s Elevating Leaders in Academic Nursing program, serves as a volunteer to help AACN develop the new Ecosystem of Excellence in Academic Nursing Toolkit, and was selected by the Minnesota Association of Registered Nurses as their 2025 fellow to the National American Nurses’ Advocacy Institute. She also serves on multiple university committees and received Augsburg’s 2021 Distinguished Contributions to Service Award. 

In announcing her award, CUMU noted that Clark is a resource for nursing programs and university leaders across the country seeking models for integrating community engagement into their programs. Her leadership has influenced healthcare institutions, public policy, and the development of emerging nurses.

Learn more about Katie Clark, the Augsburg Health Commons, and the Barbara A. Holland Scholar-Administrator Award.