Joe Bormann Hired to Lead the University of Dubuque's Bold Investment in Innovation with the Chlapaty Center for Innovation

DUBUQUE, Iowa - Throughout his career, Joe Bormann, MA, has been driven by the simple belief that students learn best by doing. He has brought that mindset to the University of Dubuque as the inaugural director of the Chlapaty Center for Innovation.

"What drew me to the University of Dubuque was its willingness to think boldly about the future. The University's investment in innovation, its strong support from alumni and industry partners, and its commitment to experiential learning create a remarkable opportunity to build something that will benefit students for generations," Bormann said. "The opportunity to lead the Chlapaty Center for Innovation represents far more than opening a new building. It is an opportunity to help cultivate a culture of innovation that reaches across UD and throughout the region."

Scheduled to open fall 2027, the Chlapaty Center for Innovation is an 87,000-square-foot, five-story building designed for students from all academic disciplines to work alongside faculty, entrepreneurs, alumni, and industry partners to solve real-world problems. Anticipated spaces include metalworking and woodworking, 2D and 3D print and cut, textile areas, a culinary suite, a recording studio, a rooftop garden, and more. Bormann envisions a transformative space where curiosity is encouraged, creativity is celebrated, and learning extends well beyond the classroom walls.

"My hope is that the Chlapaty Center for Innovation becomes a place where innovation is accessible, entrepreneurship is encouraged, and students are empowered to explore, create, and lead. If we can inspire students to ask better questions, take thoughtful risks, and develop solutions that strengthen our communities, then we will have accomplished something truly meaningful," Bormann said.

Construction on the Chlapaty Center for Innovation began earlier this summer. It will be located along McCormick Street on campus where Smith Hall once stood. A ceremonial groundbreaking was held in October 2025 after the University's Momentum Campaign was announced.

"Joe is exactly the right person for directing the Chlapaty Center for Innovation. He has a wealth of experience that he will bring to UD and to our students who will 'learn by doing' in these spaces. We are excited he's joining us," said Travis Frampton, PhD, president of UD.

Joseph (C'68, DHL'98) and Linda (HON'23) Chlapaty donated a $35 million legacy gift to help ensure UD continues to prepare students for meaningful careers while serving as a catalyst for innovation in the tri-state area and beyond as the college of the future.

"I believe the Chlapaty Center for Innovation has the potential to become one of the defining experiences of a University of Dubuque education - not because of the building itself, but because of the people, partnerships, and possibilities it brings together," Bormann said.

The center will also include laboratories and specialized spaces that will support UD's new four-year engineering program that will launch in fall 2027.

"Five years from now, I hope to watch the first graduating class from the University's engineering program walk across the commencement stage ready to make an immediate impact in our region and beyond," Bormann said. "More importantly, I hope employers recognize University of Dubuque graduates as professionals who know how to think critically, collaborate effectively, communicate clearly, and turn ideas into action."

For over 20 years, Bormann has worked across secondary and higher education, teaching construction, engineering, manufacturing, welding, woodworking, robotics, and design while building programs that connect classroom learning with authentic, real-world experiences. Along the way, he has taught concurrent enrollment engineering and welding courses, developed Project Lead The Way engineering programs, led nationally recognized robotics teams, secured industry partnerships, and helped students discover careers they may never have imagined for themselves.

He served as director of the Huff Family Innovation Center at the University of Wisconsin - Platteville in Platteville, Wisconsin, where he worked alongside faculty, students, entrepreneurs, and industry partners to expand experiential learning and strengthen connections between education and industry. Most recently, Bormann returned to Bellevue Community School District in Bellevue, Iowa, where he taught career and technical education.

"Regardless of the setting, my passion has remained the same: creating environments where curiosity becomes confidence, ideas become reality, and students discover what they're capable of achieving," he said.

Bormann holds a master of arts in educational leadership and a bachelor of arts in industrial technology from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He has also completed graduate coursework in STEM education through Loras College in Dubuque and additional engineering coursework through Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.

Bormann and his wife, Jessica, live in Bellevue with their three children. Their oldest son, Jacob, recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Platteville with a degree in construction management and now serves as an assistant project manager with Portzen Construction. Their middle child, Nicholas, is a junior and their youngest, Anna, is a freshman at Bellevue Community School District.

"As a family, we're excited to become part of the University of Dubuque community and look forward to the opportunities this next chapter will bring," Bormann said.