Amy Ford joined the Augustana faculty in 2025 after 18 years teaching accounting at Western Illinois University. Amy specializes in managerial accounting and received a Certificate of Distinguished Performance for earning one of the top scores on the Certified Managerial Accountant (CMA) exam in 2011.

Amy teaches financial and managerial accounting courses. In 2024, she earned a perfect score on the Financial and Managerial Accounting Associate (FMAA) exam. Prior to teaching, she worked at a public accounting firm.

Erin Kempker

Director of the Center for Engaged Learning, Teaching, and Scholarship

• Email: erinkempker@augustana.edu
• Office: Olin 303

Dr. Erin Kempker comes to Augustana from Mississippi University for Women in Columbus, Miss., where she worked her way up from assistant professor to full professor. She also served as department chair of history, political science, and geography for six years. She  most recently served as interim director of the quality enhancement plan, a required component of the university’s accreditation reaffirmation process through Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges that focused on student success, high-impact learning, and career readiness. She has a history of securing grants to support institutional initiatives.

She earned her doctorate and master's in history at Purdue University and a bachelor's in social studies and secondary education at the University of Central Missouri.

Specializations: Center for Engaged Learning, Teaching and Scholarship

Diana Leal she/her

Financial Aid Counselor

• Phone: 309-794-7418
• Email: dianaleal@augustana.edu
• Office: Financial Aid Office, Seminary Room 123

Meet with Diana

Specializations: Financial aid

Nadia P. Schwartz

Associate Professor and Chair of Accounting, S. James Galley Endowed Chair in Accounting

• Phone: 309-794-7321
• Email: NadiaSchwartz@augustana.edu
• Office: Carlsson-Evald 320

Nadia Schwartz has been teaching at Augustana College since 2006. Prior to coming to Augustana, she taught at Bradley University, Illinois Central College, and Robert Morris College in Peoria, Illinois. She also has public accounting experience as an auditor with McGladrey&Pullen, LLP.

She originally is from Russia and obtained her undergraduate degree in accounting from Ryazan State Agricultural Academy in her homeland. She also received her master's degree in accountancy from Western Illinois University.

Her professional interests include the introductory accounting courses for business and non-business majors as well as research into the teaching and learning of accounting, and financial accounting.

She is a registered Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Illinois.

Specializations: Facilities

Specializations: Communication and marketing

Bob Manasco he/him

Part-Time Instructor of Mathematics and Computer Science

• Email: bobmanasco@augustana.edu
• Office: Olin 212

Bob Manasco has had a passion for computer science since the summer of his 6th grade year, when he wrote his first text-based game, Legends of Camelot!, during a summer program at the local community college. This early experience sparked a lifelong dedication to the field, and he has since built a successful career in software development, recently retiring after more than 25 years at Fortune 100 companies. He has also contracted IT development services for local educational organizations and the U.S. Army.

His academic interests include robotics, the Internet of Things, data visualization, machine learning, and software development. Bob enjoys sharing his extensive industry experience with students, helping them develop both technical expertise and problem-solving skills.

Outside of the classroom, Bob is an accomplished musician specializing in low reed instruments and is actively involved in community music and theatrical productions, where he combines his passion for creativity with his technical background.

Specializations: Robotics, Machine learning, Software development

Specializations: Facilities