This week, Patrick J. Borchers, Creighton University professor of law and former vice president for Academic Affairs, was named director of the Werner Institute, effective July 1. The Werner Institute, a division of the school of law, was established to be a leader in conflict resolution and negotiation.
When it was established in 2005 by the Werner family, Borchers played an active role in ensuring that the interdisciplinary program got off to a good start. The Werner Institute offers programs leading to master’s degrees and graduate certifications that are both campus and online based.
“Here at Werner, we are really looking forward to working with [Borchers]. He was the initial creator of the Werner Institute and we have always worked very closely. It’s a gift for us that he had decided to be in the position,” said current director of the Werner Institute, Jaqueline Font. Font will be stepping down as director in order to be a full time faculty member and pursue research and writing, among other scholarly activities.
As the director, Borchers will be in charge of running the institute in terms of managing the internal affairs as well as being the external face of the institute. In taking on this new position, Borchers will be teaching more in the law school.
“There’s a great team of people in place now in the Werner Institute and I’m looking forward to working with them to make the Institute even stronger,” Borchers said. “It also allows me to be located in the Law School and teach basic law courses like Civil Procedure. Although I always taught at least one course a year as V.P., I really missed the day-to-day interaction with students and my faculty colleagues.”
“One thing I really came to believe as V.P. is that the future of U.S. higher education is in interdisciplinary learning,” Borchers said. “The Werner Institute is a good model for that. It draws on multiple disciplines — law, psychology, economics, sociology, just to name a few.”
Borchers added that in his time as vice president for Academic Affairs, he worked closely with faculty and administrators in every school and college, and this interaction will help him with the interdisciplinary nature of the Werner Institute. With over 20 years of experience in academic leadership, Borchers will continue to build relationships and bring his insights to the Werner Institute.
“We are all very excited to see this transition and to take the Werner Institute to the next level,” Font said. “We have no doubt that the Werner Institute will continue to thrive under [Borchers’] leadership.
Since Borchers has been instrumental in establishing the Werner Institute and is already committed to its mission, Font said she expects a smooth transition in July.