Robert Ivany
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On July 1, 2004, Dr. Robert Ivany became the eighth president of the University of Saint Thomas.
Prior to his retirement from the Army with the rank of Major General, Robery Ivany had presided over one of the nation's most respected institutions for the education of strategic leaders: the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pa. There for three years, he instituted programs to develop the next generation of military and civilian leaders from the United States and 42 foreign countries to meet the challenges of cultural change, organizational transformation and a drastically altered national security environment.
Serving as the commandant of the War College, capped Robert Ivany's 34 year career in the Army. During his various commands as an armored cavalry officer, he led soldiers in the United States, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Germany and Vietnam where he was wounded in action and decorated for valor.
He assisted several nations in the transformation of their armed forces. In 1990, Robert Ivany was the first senior military officer invited to Hungary to contribute to the democratization of their defense establishment. He lived in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait with his family, advising military and civilian leaders on the modernization of their military forces following Desert Storm. In Kuwait, he headed the American effort with a team of 45 advisors managing a $1.2 billion program to improve their education, training and logistics.
He also served in a number of unique positions including the Army Aide to the President of the United States from 1984 to 1986 and an assistant professor of history and football coach at West Point. As the Commanding General of the Military District of Washington, he directed a diverse organization of 5500 civilian and military employees based on seven installations in three states and the District of Columbia.
After completing his Army service in October 2003, he joined the faculty of the Graduate School of Business, Columbia University as an adjunct professor in Executive Education. He worked with senior executives in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States in leader development, strategic planning and cultural change.
Robery Ivany has spoken on the topic of leadership development to varied audiences such as the Cleveland City Club, the 2002 Peter F. Drucker Conference for Nonprofit Management, the Union League of Philadelphia, the First Friday Club of Cleveland, the Atlanta Rotary, the Northeast Regional United Way Conference, Quanex Corporation, CenterPoint Energy, Walt Disney Resorts, Houston Junior Achievement and the Houston Partnership Board.
He has been interested in the leadership challenges facing military and civilian leaders for several years. His article .Soldiers and Legislators: A Common Mission. appeared in Parameters in 1990 and received the General Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence in Military Writing. He is presently conducting research on the leadership attributes of 20 generals and admirals who have transitioned to corporate leadership.
In addition to earning a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Military Academy, he received a Ph.D. in History from the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
He also belongs to the Leader to Leader Institute, the Army Football Club, and Mental Health Association. Robert Ivany has received the Ellis Island Medal of Freedom, the Humanitarian Medal from the Chapel of the Four Chaplains Assoc., the Director.s Award from the US Secret Service, the Admiral Thomas J. Hamilton Award for Leadership, and together with his spouse, the Aaron and Hur Award from the U.S. Army Chaplaincy. He was named a distinguished graduate of St Ignatius H.S., Cleveland, Ohio, and has earned numerous military awards.
