Provost Jan Handler plans to retire in June after a remarkable career, including five years as Mount Mercy University provost and 26 years as an administrator and professor of education. Her calm, steady academic leadership is a gleaming example of the difference one person can make in their community by excelling in a chosen field.

Under Handler’s leadership, Mount Mercy has strengthened its traditional academic programs and launched numerous new programs, including online bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and the university’s first-ever doctoral programs. She has encouraged thousands of alumni to push their academic limits and supported countless faculty members in scholarship, teaching, advising, and administration. ■