Aquinas College Announces New Member to Board of Directors
Posted on Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Aquinas College is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Diane Fladeland to its Board of Directors. Her extensive experience in higher education, together with her lifelong service to the Church, will strengthen the College’s mission of academic excellence rooted in the Catholic and Dominican tradition.
Dr. Fladeland joins the Aquinas Board following a distinguished career spanning more than 40 years in Catholic higher education. She most recently served as Vice President of Academic Affairs at the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, a position she held from 2000 until her retirement in 2026. Prior to this role, she served as Assistant Vice President beginning in 1997 and as a member of the nursing faculty at the University of Mary since 1985.
Dr. Fladeland earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Mercy College of Detroit, a master’s degree as an Adult Nurse Practitioner from the University of Portland, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education, Policy, and Administration from the University of Minnesota. She previously taught nursing for 10 years at Jamestown College and for 40 years at the University of Mary.
Her leadership extends beyond the university through board service with Catholic Charities of North Dakota and the Bismarck Mandan Symphony. She has also served for more than 17 years as a peer reviewer with the Higher Learning Commission, contributing to the accreditation of colleges and universities nationwide.
Dr. Fladeland and her husband, Michael, have four children and eleven grandchildren. Longtime parishioners of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Bismarck, North Dakota, they remain deeply engaged in their faith and community.
“We are honored to welcome Dr. Fladeland to the Aquinas College Board of Directors,” said Mother Anna Grace, O.P., Chair of the Board of Directors. “Her deep commitment to Catholic education, combined with her breadth of professional experience, will be invaluable as we continue to advance the mission of Aquinas College.”
