Alumni Profile: Amber Vlasnik
2005 Young Alumni Award Recipient 

Amber Vlasnik is the Director of the Women’s Center at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.

Named after the world-famous Wright brothers, Wright State University enrolls nearly 20,000 students and offers more than 100 undergraduate and 50 Ph.D., graduate and professional degrees. The university’s Women’s Center serves women on campus and in the surrounding area through facilitating connections, providing resources and advocating for equitable experiences and opportunities for all people. The center—with Amber at the helm—actively seeks to create an environment in which women are supported, encouraged and less isolated than what has been documented historically.

As a Women’s Center Director, Amber is responsible for the daily operations, financial decisions, programs, strategic planning and communications of the Women’s Center. She also assesses the needs of women on campus, makes recommendations to appropriate administrators and campus leaders and represents the center on multiple university and community committees.  Amber also teaches in the university's Women's Studies Program.

“It’s a job with very wide scope, and I find that I draw on my strong liberal arts education to understand diverse people and situations,” says Amber. “The communication and critical thinking skills that I learned at SNC are always being used.” 

At St. Norbert, Amber double-majored in International Studies and Spanish and minored in Peace and Justice Studies. She draws from these areas in her work, whether it is speaking Spanish with an exchange student, collaborating with her university's international office, or lecturing about women using an international perspective.

After completing her education at St. Norbert College, Amber began her career as the manager of the Women’s Center at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. While working full-time, Amber also completed a M.A. in Liberal Arts with concentrations in Gender, Law and Higher Education from Louisiana State University. She is currently working on her doctorate in Higher Education and Student Affairs at The Ohio State University.