It is with sadness we report the passing of Michelle Denise Novak, an MVP Award-winning manager in Campus Dining for the last 11 years whose immense creativity ensured events at Panther Dining Hall were dazzling experiences for the eyes as well as the palette.
Ms. Novak passed away May 22 at her Melbourne home surrounded by her loving family. She was 65.
“Michelle was a creative engine for Campus Dining, an avid supporter of all things Florida Tech and a dear friend who I and so many others will remember for her passion,” said Campus Dining Director Evan Olsen.
Ms. Novak came to Florida Tech in May 2015 to serve as dining manager. It did not take long for her artistic flair and DIY spirit to bring decorative oomph to high-profile annual campus events such as the Thanksgiving feast and the president’s holiday reception.
Her design and decorative work on Campus Dining’s innovative Global Kitchen Series helped elevate that program – and Florida Tech dining – with a series of awards from the leading industry group, the National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS).
“Her dedication to excellence and unique creativity launched Campus Dining into the national spotlight winning a bronze, silver and back-to-back gold medals in NACUF’s annual Loyal E. Horton Dining awards,” Olsen said.
Ms. Novak also managed Panther Grocery, the small but mighty purveyor next to Panther Dining Hall. As with so much of her work, this, too, landed her recognition from NACUFS.
In January 2025, she was named Most Valuable Panther. It was an opportunity to appreciate her decorative masterstrokes but also to understand that not all the things Ms. Novak did for the benefit of others were splashed across the dining hall.
She quietly created and launched an employee development program called Empowering Women in Culinary that focused on the strategic development of Florida Tech’s female campus culinarians. Alongside digital training opportunities, it provided culinary classes to broaden skill sets including sushi rolling and the art of charcuterie led in part by other female industry leaders.
Destiny Lohse is assistant director for Campus Dining and a close friend of Ms. Novak’s, whom she called “a force of nature.”
“Things simply won’t be the same without her, and her contributions to our dining department and the university will not soon be forgotten,” Lohse said. “I am grateful to have shared time with her and to have witnessed her gifted nature, and I know many others feel the same. Her impact on the people and places she touched will continue to be felt for years to come.”
Her creativity did not stop once she left campus.
In a note on the family’s GoFundMe page, Ms. Novak’s husband, John, said her work at their home was an ongoing, glorious endeavor. And her Christmas decorations in front of her home? Their blazing glory and scope drew TV news crews.
“For more than 15 years she has been designing and expanding a backyard garden filled with ponds, patios, cactus plants, statues from around the world, and dozens of desert roses she has grown herself,” John Novak wrote, “She also loves decorating for the holidays, especially Christmas, when the house lights up with nearly 20 Christmas trees, thousands of lights, and countless decorations.”
Like so much of what Ms. Novak did, these decorations were ultimately about making others happy, bringing them a moment of wonder, John Novak said.
“She was able to make a difference in the lives of so many people it’s unreal. The last thing she would want any of us to do is be sad. Instead we ask everyone to remember her as the amazing woman she was and have a drink in her memory.”
