30 Years of Service: David Nowack

Professor of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry

previousnext

David Nowack is passionate about serving those around him!

As an award-winning teacher, Dave has served hundreds of Andrews students and the community has been consistently blessed by his care for others.

Dave’s time as an Andrews employee began as a math and science teacher at Andrews Academy. After teaching there, he pursued a PhD in nutritional biochemistry at Purdue and we are so glad that he returned to Andrews University about a decade later. He has taught biochemistry courses for two decades for the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry to students who have gone on to study medicine, dentistry and pharmacy.

Over the years, Dave has formed close relationships with many of his students, serving as a “life mentor” for them and maintaining close contact for years after they finished their studies at Andrews. This service was acknowledged in a physical way when a family whose children Dave had mentored worked with the Campus Arboretum to dedicate the beautiful sloping garden between Bell Hall and Johnson Gym to Dave and Judy Nowack for their love and mentorship to students in the sciences. The couple have provided a warm home, food, comfort and guidance for Andrews students for decades.

Dave worked to build up the department in a multitude of ways. He developed a biochemistry curriculum that received approval from the American Chemical Society as a partner for the ACS-approved chemistry curriculum. As chair of the department from 2009 to 2019, he worked tirelessly to build enrollment and recruited three new faculty members whom he mentored. He also envisioned and executed a major renovation project that updated the physical spaces for all the labs and fume hoods.

Always wanting the best for Andrews students, Dave worked tirelessly with administration and alumni to update an aging (once excellent) fleet of scientific instruments with modern ones. He served the STEM division of the College of Arts & Sciences by collaborating with other departments to develop compelling events like SciFest and STEM Boost, that connect Adventist academy teachers and students with Andrews in a practical way.

Thank you, Dave, for 30 years of exemplary service to Andrews, the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, and most importantly to the people you have touched in your time here.