Ann Preston, PhD, retired professor of Communications, passed away early in the morning on February 20. Preston was an admired and respected member of the St. Ambrose community. She came to St. Ambrose on August 15, 2001, as a full professor in the Department of Communications until her retirement on May 25, 2021. She served for many years as Department Chair of the Communications Department and continued to serve as an adjunct faculty member until this month.
Ann Preston, PhD
Ann Preston, PhD, retired professor of Communications, passed away early in the morning on February 20. Preston was an admired and respected member of the St. Ambrose community. Students, staff, and faculty will greatly miss her passion for teaching and leadership for change.
Preston was known for combining experiential learning and service learning in her classroom, creating opportunities for students to expand their ways of thinking while helping others. One such example is when her students created a communications campaign for The Place 2b, a drop-in center for homeless, displaced, and at-risk teens. Preston was excited that her students were "learning how to put themselves in someone else's shoes" and that her class could learn and develop skills while fostering social change.
She was a favorite professor among many communications undergraduate students and even allowed some students to affectionately call her "Annie P." She was respected for her engaging classes, caring nature, and high standards to which she held her students. One of her past students fondly shared their memories of often arriving unannounced at Preston's office to seek advice, "and no matter what, she listened deeply and gave the best advice she could." St. Ambrose students, staff, and faculty will greatly miss her passion for teaching and leadership for change.
Service information is unavailable at this time but will be shared when it becomes available.
Please keep the Preston family in your thoughts and prayers.
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