Blake Nemelka

Blake has spent the last decade in higher education administration roles, particularly in the space of strategic enrollment management. He received his Ph.D. in Learning Design & Technology from Purdue University in 2018. Blake's research focuses on higher education administration, learning motivation, and college/career readiness. He published his first book, The Middle School Student's Guide to Academic Success, with Simon & Schuster and FranklinCovey in 2016. He also received a M.Ed. from #1 ranked Vanderbilt University and B.A. business degrees from Utah State University's Huntsman School of Business. Blake currently holds a Lecturer appointment for doctoral students in the College of Education at Purdue University.

In 2023, Blake joined HCA Healthcare, the nation's largest healthcare organization with 180+ hospitals and 290,000+ employees. Blake is the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Clinical Operations for HCA's Mountain Division, helping upskill current employees and recruit new employees through robust educational partnerships. He also helps manage the relationship between HCA Healthcare’s Mountain Division and their exclusive partnership with Galen College of Nursing.

Blake has worked in university administration roles at Western Governors University, the University of California Santa Barbara, Purdue University, Utah State University, and Utah Tech University. Blake resides in Salt Lake County, Utah where outside of work he spends time with his children, playing tennis, golfing, and binge-watching various tv series. Blake is a strong advocate for mental health – particularly depression – volunteering his time regularly in the Utah hospitals and prisons.