Thomas Nowak

Vice President for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean 

Thomas Nowak earned his Ph.D. in English Language & Literature from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, specializing in Renaissance and 17th-Century Literature, Medieval Literature, Composition, and Rhetorical Theory. His doctoral research focused on early modern religious and political discourse, culminating in his dissertation, “The English Gunpowder Plot Sermons, 1605–1651.”

Vice President for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean at Dominican University has served in multiple roles during his 30+ years at the institution. He remains a member of the English faculty (Associate Professor rank) and was Department Chair from August 1995 through December 2005.

In 2006, Thom was appointed Director of the Arts & Sciences Division. In the fall of 2007, he was asked to serve as Interim Academic Dean for a semester and was subsequently offered the role on a permanent basis in the spring of 2008.

Beyond his administrative leadership, Thom served as Director of the University’s Honors Program from 1994 to 2001 and completed three separate year-long terms as Director of the University’s Writing Center. He has also chaired multiple faculty committees, including Academic Standards, Faculty Affairs, and Rank & Tenure.

Thom has played a key role in institutional accreditation efforts, serving as a writer for two Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) accreditation reports and co-chairing three others. As Academic Dean, he has overseen self-study reports and site visits for seven professional program reaccreditations, primarily in health-related fields.

At SUNY at Stony Brook, Thom held a full Teaching Fellowship for four years and taught various levels of composition courses under the mentorship of Peter Elbow and tutored in the University’s Writing Center. During this period, he also adjunct taught at Hofstra University and SUNY College at Old Westbury. Thom did his undergraduate work at the State University of New York at Binghamton where he earned his B.A. in Rhetoric and Literature and a Minor Certificate in Medieval Studies.

Thom currently resides in Orange County, New York, with his wife and children, Ruth and Max, along with their many pets—including three cats, a dog, two fish tanks, and a snake.