Mount Mary Magazine Spring 2023

Isabelle Cherney, Ph.D.

MOUNT MARY UNIVERSITY

STUDENT DESIGNER FASHION SHOW

FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023

MOUNT MARY UNIVERSITY

BERGSTROM HALL | ALUMNAE DINING ROOM SHOWS: 1 P.M. | 5 P.M. | 7:30 P.M.

CREO is an annual celebration of creativity from the Mount Mary University School of Arts & Design. Learn more about the school’s programs in Fashion, Studio Arts & Graphic Design, Interior Architecture and Design at mtmary.edu/artsdesign

Also please join us for ART + DESIGN SENIOR EXHIBITIONS

MAY 2023 | MOUNT MARY UNIVERSITY | MARIAN GALLERY FREE ADMISSION | OPEN DAILY

Thank you to our sponsors Garment

Donna Ricco ’81

design pictured above by Jennifer Becker ‘23

To access this information on the web, simply activate your phone camera and hold it over one of the QR codes above. The link to the web page will appear. Click on the link and you will be taken directly to the web page!

FROM PRESIDENT

Isabelle Cherney, Ph.D., Mount Mary University

From the 2020 social encyclical, “Fratelli Tutti”

Dear Mount Mary Alumnae and Friends,

Education is and always has been transformative. It holds the key to individual futures and our collective destiny. As president, this is a profound responsibility and honor to shape the vision to confidently move us into the future.

This quote by Pope Francis sets into perspective the importance of the events here at Mount Mary this spring. My first academic year comes to its end this month, and I’ve been welcomed into this community in so many ways.

The inauguration was an official ceremony that formalized this relationship and it was a milestone event for me in my personal and professional life to publicly acknowledge this connection. Having the Mass take place at Christ King parish, my husband’s family church for generations, was certainly significant. Being surrounded by my Mount Mary family, city and state leaders and the School Sisters of Notre Dame represented a confluence of wisdom in my life. Truly, the experience has touched my soul.

Over the past few months, in preparing for the inauguration and contemplating the legacy I wish to impart during my time here, I have carefully composed a mission statement that is declarative and affirming of Pope Francis’ vision: At Mount Mary, we are one community shaping tomorrow’s game-changers.

There is deep intentionality in every one of these words, and this issue of our magazine is dedicated to exploring the impact of this statement in its fullness; the myriad facets of our community and the hallmarks of our distinctive education. We will pay tribute to the legacymakers of the past and look forward, toward the leaders of the future.

One community, explained

For starters, it’s important to define the parameters that set and shape what happens within this place. It’s no different when we are defining the people and places that comprise the sphere of Mount Mary, and how they relate to our work in shaping tomorrow’s game-changers.

We all belong to many different communities, some we actively seek, some we actively create and others that we simply fall into. Our families, friends, colleagues and those we interact with are our communities. We need to exist within these spheres to grow and thrive.

At Mount Mary, we have many communities embedded into and connected to our community, a community centered around educating our students. It consists of supportive faculty and staff; a community of Milwaukee professionals who

ONE COMMUNITY SHAPING TOMORROW’S GAME-CHANGERS

“What are needed are new pathways for self-expression and participation in society. Education serves these by making it possible for each human being to shape his or her own future.”

– POPE FRANCIS

offer internships and jobs; a community of financially supportive alumnae and friends; the School Sisters of Notre Dame who consistently pray for all of us; and a community of parents, significant others, spouses, siblings, children and friends.

Our community also has a global reach! During my inauguration speech, I announced the establishment of an institute that will further expand our scope in breadth, depth and focus.

We will become a destination and thought partner around children and women’s rights, around women’s health and wellness, and around women in STREAM fields. The Institute for the Advancement of Women and Children will have three main strategic goals:

out of high school. No matter their background, their race or faith, we welcome them into our MMU community.

I often say if one of us is successful, we are all successful. As a larger community, we share the same mission and vision as guided by our School Sisters of Notre Dame. We are united in diversity.

Legacy inspires shared purpose

Our coming together with the specific intention of providing educational opportunity continues to breathe life into Mount Mary.

WOMEN’S & CHILDREN’S RIGHTS WOMEN’S HEALTH & WELLNESS WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY

By forming international partnerships, we will extend our social justice mission and expand our academics to focus upon building economic empowerment, ending violence against women, and improving health and wellness for women and children.

As we extend our health and wellness offerings into the community, we will contribute research that addresses cycles that lead to economic disparity.

It has always been this way. Our forebearers, often with few resources except their determination and prayers, ventured forth to educate women, believing then, as we do now, that education is the great equalizer. Education changes lives; it makes it possible for low-income students to get higher-paying jobs, feeding not only their families, but also lifting them and their neighborhood out of poverty. It builds stronger cities and more resilient communities. Learner by learner, education transforms the world.

Through varied academic offerings and corporate partnerships, we will meet the needs of women to equip them with the skills necessary to excel in expanding emerging technologies – artificial intelligence, data science, robotics and gaming, to name a few. We will introduce young women at an early age to these skills through youth summer camps.

There is much more information to come as we build upon these three foundational pillars – and we welcome your involvement and support. Watch for a formal announcement about my plan very soon.

Our students themselves come to us with diverse perspectives and life experiences. With 65% of our undergraduate students identifying themselves as ethnic minorities, our student population nearly mimics the ethnic demographics of the city of Milwaukee. Our students are Black, Hispanic, Asian, white or multiracial. Almost half of our students are the first in their families to work on a degree. Some students are commuters, some live on campus. Some are adult learners, some are fresh

I feel so very blessed to serve this diverse, vibrant, dynamic, innovating and talented community of learners. Let us follow in the footsteps of the SSNDs and our foundresses, Blessed Theresa and Mother Caroline, with an unwavering commitment to our mission of serving and educating the marginalized with faith, courage and grace, so that we can become the stewards of the next 110 great years of this university.

We will – as one community – ensure that Mount Mary’s best days lie ahead. n

Turn to page 4 to learn how Mount Mary faculty and staff work to shape educational experiences.

Turn to page 10 to meet the game-changers of the past and present.

At Mount Mary, we are one community shaping tomorrow’s game-changers.

There is deep intentionality in every word, and this issue of our magazine is dedicated to exploring the full impact of this statement.

Creating

educational experiences that truly prepare students for the future

When Kristen Carioti, Ph.D., started teaching personal finance two years ago, she recognized a disconnect between the academic resources available and the reality of her students’ lives.

“The books out there didn’t speak to my students; they lacked inclusivity and behavioral finance material,” she said, which were necessary in order to examine how they approach financial issues.

That year, she didn’t use a textbook. The next year, she wrote a textbook of her own.

“Conventional personal finance literature focuses on building wealth, which is of course very important,” she said. “But our students approach the topic through the lens of financial freedom – moving to a safer neighborhood, starting their own business or buying health insurance for children.

Julie Tatlock, Ph.D., associate professor of history

“When you have financial freedom, you get to make decisions about your finances, versus your finances making decisions for you. You have done things in the right order.”

Our students are defining that freedom for themselves, and our faculty is empowering them to do so. This is but a single example of the active process happening all over campus, as this community shapes tomorrow’s game-changers, one lesson at a time.

Addressing universal questions

An education that transforms lives and ultimately the world has been the vision for Mount Mary since the beginning, shaped by the mission of the School Sisters of Notre Dame – and this ideal stretches even further back into history.

The SSND order is modeled after St. Augustine, a fourth-century saint whose writings on the pursuit of knowledge and community were centered on the oneness of God, said theology professor Donald Rappé.

“In theology and philosophy, we search for the big questions of meaning; this search for meaning is predicated on the idea of the one-ness of truth, and the big questions we live with,” he said. “The avenues of truth lead to God.”

In 1972, Ellen Lorenz, SSND, developed the current core curriculum with its foundational course, “Search for Meaning.” It has been the basis of the university’s core curriculum for nearly five decades.

Lorenz saw how every discipline contributes to that search from its own perspective, said Joan Penzenstadler, SSND, a longtime friend, colleague and former vice president for mission and identity.

“Sister Ellen was thoroughly committed to the Catholic intellectual tradition which sees the relatedness of all the avenues that lead us to truth,” Penzenstadler said. “She saw education as a cohesive whole.”

Diverse material reflects diverse student population

With an eye toward inclusivity, the faculty has made “deliberate choices” to adjust the curriculum to make it meaningful for all, Rappé said.

“The demography around the table is so different then it was in previous decades,” Rappé said.

For example, the injustice of the Holocaust is now studied within a greater context of oppression through books such as “Plantations and Death Camps: Religion, Ideology and Human Dignity,” by Beverly Eileen Mitchell, who draws parallels between the indignities inflicted upon those victimized during the slave era and the Nazi era.

The challenges we face are global, the game we are supposed to be changing is global.

“Everything is changing,” Rappé said, as faculty build meaningful educational experiences. Students study decolonized readings of the Bible, meaning, they approach Scripture from a non-Western perspective.

“The challenges we face are global, the game we are supposed to be changing is global,” said associate professor of history Julie Tatlock, Ph.D. “By listening to unrepresented voices, we empower them to be part of solutions.”

Rewriting the status quo

Tatlock recently served as a lead author for a history textbook, “World Civilization,” a free, cloud-based book published by Rice University and funded through the Gates Foundation. The purpose, Tatlock said, is to “highlight particular parts of world history that have not always been mainstream.”

Tatlock wrote the first section of the series on the ancient world. Instead of focusing primarily on Greece and Rome, it also covers Chinese, African, Indian and South American history. It is, she said, “more representative of a variety of peoples who contributed great things to humanity.”

Including voices in history is one way of moving representation forward; changing systems is another route to reshape community. Kristin Whyte, an associate professor of education, is engaged in multiple research projects around early childhood education and advocacy,

to ensure that children of color and teachers of color have the same access to opportunities.

In one project, she compared two districts’ interpretation of the concept of readiness. “What does it mean to have children ready for school versus having a school that is ready for all children?”

“I’m curious, what does that mean for teachers, administrators in a district and ultimately student experiences?”

When faculty bring new answers – and new questions – into the classroom, they form the world view of their students.

“I directly bring to my students the things that I’m seeing out in the field,” Whyte said.

Our community really cares that we were doing this... these experiences knit our community together.

Theresa

Utschig, campus ministry director, on the spring break trip to the Mexican border to learn about immigration issues.

As an academic, President Isabelle Cherney, Ph.D., has researched and published extensively on the topic of how gender affects career pathways. Her most recent piece of research, titled, “The STEM Paradox: Factors Affecting Diversity in STEM Fields,” was published earlier this year.

“If women do not develop spatial reasoning or are not exposed to math and geometry,

Building experiences outside the classroom

An education is more than academics. Extracurricular experiences shape the world view of students as individuals and enrich the community as a whole. During spring break in March, five students and two staff members took an immigration service learning trip sponsored by Mount Mary’s campus ministry to San Antonio, Tex., to learn about the problems faced by people who have immigrated to the United States.

OPPOSITE PAGE

Left: Students on Mount Mary’s study abroad program were able to witness history and watch the funeral services for Pope Benedict XVI at St. Peter’s Square in Rome.

Right: Associate professor Kristin Whyte said that student learning is enriched when faculty members engage in research that examines and addresses the status quo.

THIS PAGE

Upper left: Summer Leadership Academy is one of a number of outreach initiatives that introduce high schoolers to the Mount Mary environment. Bottom: By holding a number of fundraisers this spring, students raised both funds and support for their campus ministry trip to San Antonio, Tex., where they learned about the problems faced by people who have immigrated to the United States.

“We went to be there in holy witness,” said director Theresa Utschig.

Through this firsthand experience, they learned about some of the reasons for migration, the journeys immigrants make, and the resources that are available to immigrants once they reach the United States. They toured the Mexican-American border in McAllen, Texas in order to get an idea of what people encounter when they arrive at the border.

Throughout their work, they focused on serving with compassion and treating those they encountered with dignity.

women can be at a disadvantage – entrance tests for medical and dental fields, for example – and they may be dissuaded from entering fields such as computer science, physics or engineering.”

As president of an all-women’s institution, she is in a place where her knowledge can be applied in ways that are truly transformational. She foresees growing implementation of STREAM (science, technology, reflection, engineering, arts and math) practices in every corner of campus.

“Here, we have the ability to digitally expose students to what we know really works,” she said.

“We hoped to in some way alleviate the emotional and mental stress and anxiety of those whom we meet by offering love, hope and encouragement,” Utschig said. Along the way they stayed with some of the School Sisters of Notre Dame and learned about their own international experience, some of it at the border. All winter, the students engaged in extensive fundraising prior to the trip and the Mount Mary community responded generously. They were twice blessed – once as part of an all-campus Mass and again at 6:30 a.m. on the morning of their departure, by the SSNDs at Trinity Woods, just before they pulled out of the parking lot. “Our community really cares that we were doing this,” Utschig said. “These experiences knit our community together.”

The Mount Mary spirit continues to imbue communal experiences, even when they take place away from campus, said Rappé, who co-led his 11th study abroad trip to Rome with Mount Mary students studying theology and philosophy.

Continued on page 34

The game-changers of tommorrow

We place our future in their hands

Although Mount Mary certainly has touched all who have entered into this place, a Mount Mary education was never meant to be confined to four walls.

Like the light of learning ceremonies that mark the beginning and end of the student experience, the spirit is ignited, illuminated and passed along. As light shines forth, darkness retreats.

“The responsibility for creating change in a divided world rests in the hands of individuals,” said President Isabelle Cherney, Ph.D. “The individuals who carry the spirit of Mount Mary with them are the game-changers of tomorrow.”

And while some might think that modern terms such as disruption, advocacy and innovation are newly minted ideas for the future, they reach back to the very core of our identity.

A model for the future

A strong community lifts up the whole, and also honors the keepers of the flame who lead by example.

Each year on Founders Day, we celebrate the community members who embody and advance the SSND values based on their role at Mount Mary: Students, faculty

members and employees. The two student awards are named after Mother Caroline and Mother Theresa, two of our most notable leaders of the past.

Additionally, the Alumnae Relations office honors friends of Mount Mary and alumnae who have made notable contributions to the university and within their profession (see page 11). Just a few years ago, the Tower Award was added to recognize another future gamechanger, a young alum who is making a difference.

This year’s Tower Award recipient, Emma Daisy Gertel ’08, developed her passion for arts and advocacy at Mount Mary, where she created her own studentdesigned major in community arts and cultural development. Now a well-regarded public muralist, Gertel has become a creative director for Artist Uprising, supporting artists and creatives with businesses, in order to break down barriers that have limited the reach of art.

“Our mission lives through her exuberant art work and her personal commitment to spreading beauty and advancing human dignity,” wrote the Mount Mary faculty members who nominated her, Melody Todd and Joanne Poehlman, SSND.

Extending our reach

When we think of the future leaders of tomorrow, students and alumnae are the obvious ones to carry the mantle. But whether an individual seeks a degree or not, there are opportunities to connect and inspire. Enrichment opportunities like the Summer Leadership Academy and Fashion Academy acquaint high schoolers with Mount Mary’s professional and leadership programs. Over the last five years, the Summer Leadership Academy has grown into a five-day residential experience with over 80 students.

“We see a lot of growth among these young ladies in a short amount of time,” said Keri Schroeder, executive director of the Leadership Institute and corporate relations. “We prepare them to be more aware of community, sisterhood and interconnectivity.”

I believe that I am here in this world to help others, to make their lives more rewarding, and help them understand what our purpose is in life and how to express it.

Ana Sofia Ocampo Hernandez, 2023 Mother Caroline student awardee

Approximately 10 percent of the attendees eventually enroll here for college. For these students, the Summer Leadership Academy offers a support program and opportunities to serve as peer mentors to the girls.

Mount Mary’s dual credit program with four local high schools also introduces younger students to our academic offerings by providing in-class or on-campus instruction to high schoolers that allows them to earn college credit. As part of the partnership, students visit campus. As a result, approximately 7-10 students enroll each year.

There are still more individuals among the leaders of tomorrow, including the international SSNDs who attend classes and return to their home countries, filled with spirit and learning. With the addition of Trinity Woods, a new generation of game-changers are being touched by Mount Mary, namely, the children growing up right here on campus. Their lives are forever transformed.

“Trinity Woods is a living embodiment of our mission,” said Vice President for Student Affairs Keri Alioto. “Education is a driver to success, and everyone who lives at Trinity Woods is engaged and learning from and with people different than themselves.”

Developing next-level leadership

As Mount Mary continues to build a culture of helping students recognize meaning and develop their capacity for critical thinking, Vice President for Mission and Justice Andrea Stapleton is ready to challenge them to take their game-changing skills a step further.

“I would like to support and build their sense of service, justice and community organizing,” she said. “I’d like them to get involved in whatever level of change-making matters to them.”

The desire to volunteer at a pantry, for example, doesn’t need to stop there. A national speaker on the topic of Pope Francis’ writings on Catholic social teaching, Stapleton wants our students to harness their motivation to improve our community and know how to take it a step further, to legislatively advocate for people with food insecurity.

“They can deepen the connection between service and justice,” she said.

Our students don’t generally have “idealistic, utopian visions of how things are going to be, but are realistic and understand both the need and the work involved in making change,” she said.

“Our students are very connected; these are justice issues that touch their world,” Stapleton said. “They are developing their skills as leaders to take back into the world.

“They understand their work as change-makers.” n

We need to not be afraid to love one another with the fiercest compassion.

Mary Parlier, 2023 Blessed Theresa of Jesus Gerhardinger student awardee

Why we stand strong

Our future rests on a well-built foundation

They didn’t know at the time…

That’s the common refrain Vice President for Alumnae and Donor Relations Pam Owens hears time and again as she meets with alumnae.

They didn’t know at the time the lasting impression Mount Mary had made on them.

“They always talk about the values they may not have appreciated as a student,” she said, adding that there’s also another common theme:

“I continue to be amazed, even nine years into my time at Mount Mary, that as we meet more alums, they are doing absolutely amazing things,” she said. “I find their work is always centered on our mission, and I’m proud and grateful for the impact they are having.”

Each year, Mount Mary alumnae honor exemplary alumnae and friends with the Madonna, Tower and President’s awards. The three categories of the Madonna award recognize alums who have achieved professional excellence, engaged in volunteerism and, in the spirit of giving back, made significant contributions to Mount Mary.

“Our alumnae helped develop awards, because they want to highlight the impact of a Mount Mary education on the women who follow them,”said Owens.

The Tower and President’s awards are new, to acknowledge the accomplishments of younger alumnae in earlier stages of their careers, and significant friends of the institution that have made an extraordinary impact, respectively.

Farewell to

faculty

Share your thoughts

This issue of the Mount Mary Magazine has been dedicated to the idea of one community shaping tomorrow’s game-changers. What does this statement mean to you? If you have a memorable Mount Mary moment or you would like to tell us about a friend, colleague or faculty member who has made an impact on your life, please drop a note to mmumarketing@mtmary.edu.

Just as alumnae have taken mission along with them, members of the faculty have dedicated their careers to making it so, embedding the mission into the curriculum, from professional development to scholarship and classroom delivery (see page 4).

Longtime faculty members who have made significant contributions to Mount Mary are retiring at the end of the academic year:

Laurel End ’11 professor, psychology

Susan LaCroix occupational therapy (retired in 2022)

Jane Olson, ’82 professor, occupational therapy

Sherrie Serros professor, mathematics

Melody Todd assistant professor, art therapy

This year, a number of notable faculty members are retiring, individuals who “recognize the connection between their scholarship and what they are delivering to students in the classroom,” said Vice President for Academic Affairs Karen Friedlen.

Occupational therapy professor Jane Olson, for example, has served various leadership roles within the department for 40 years, all the while balancing the changing profession, accreditation standards along with the needs of the workforce.

“Jane’s foresight and advocacy for the program have been notable,” Friedlen said. “She is constantly looking inside and outside and working to integrate the two in a way that is uniquely framed within our mission and student demographics.”

As these faculty members retire, Friedlen said the next generation of faculty are carefully vetted to make sure their values align with the community. In this academic year, Mount Mary welcomed 11 new faculty members, half of whom identify as BIPOC, many with a strong focus on technology, all with a firm sense of social justice.

As the years pass, students become alumnae and professionals, and faculty members build up unique legacies within their departments. Time goes on and while things change, Mount Mary values endure. Just ask Pam Owens, who sees this phenomenon among alumnae time and again: “No matter what they do, they do it with heart and soul, for higher reasons than a paycheck,” she said. n

A lumnae HONOR THEIR BEST

The 2022 Awards Celebration took place Saturday, April 22, 2023, recognizing four outstanding alums for their commitments to their work, and their support of Mount Mary and their communities. Additionally, the 53-year tradition of the Starving Artists’ Show was recognized for its remarkable achievements and contributions.

2022 MADONNA MEDAL for Professional Excellence

Margaret “Peggy” Kelsey ’86

Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Compliance Officer, WEC Energy Group

Following in her grandmother’s footsteps, Peggy joined the Mount Mary community as a legacy student. She earned her B.A. in history, a J.D. from Georgetown Law and eventually an MBA from UW-Milwaukee. She served on Mount Mary’s Board of Trustees during the mid-2000s. A strong believer in the importance of representation and diversity, Peggy never shies away from challenging the status quo as a way to create space and opportunity for young female professionals to have a seat at the table.

2022 MADONNA MEDAL for Outstanding Community Service

Bonnie (Behnke) Penno ’72

Spanning decades, Bonnie has worked tirelessly to not only better her community, but communities across the globe. Whether learning carpentry skills on-the-job as part of Habitat for Humanity, earning the title of master gardener while establishing a community farm in Iowa City or offering educational support to youth across the border in Mexico, Bonnie has embodied the spirit of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. Through Philanthropic Education Organization, Bonnie has aided many in earning degrees and scholarships.

2022 MADONNA MEDAL for Service to the University

Marilyn Kesler, SSND, ’63

Following the completion of her B.A. in secondary education and history, Sister Marilyn worked as an educator and returned to Mount Mary in 1981, she was named director of residence life and began teaching as an adjunct in the education department. Serving as provincial leader for the School Sisters of Notre Dame’s Milwaukee Province, Sister Marilyn was a driving force behind many new developments across campus such as Gerhardinger Center and the Bloechl fitness center, and served as an advisor to the leadership team and Board of Trustees.

2022 TOWER AWARD

Emma Daisy Gertel ’08

As a celebrated muralist, artist and connector, Emma Daisy’s work can be found across the country, including the recently opened Fiddleheads Coffee Shop in Wauwatosa as well as Bayshore Mall in Glendale. She has served as an educator and advocate for the arts, and celebrates the many diverse ways in which creativity can be expressed. Read more about her on page 8.

2022 PRESIDENT’S AWARD OF DISTINCTION Mount Mary Starving Artists’ Show

The Starving Artists’ Show provided innumerable opportunities for alums, community members and supporters from across the country to gather on the beautiful campus. Initiated by a group of determined alums in 1968, the Starving Artists’ Show has raised nearly $2.5 million in support of Mount Mary students over 53 years, has welcomed upwards of 5,000 patrons annually and familiarized many with Mount Mary. With many volunteers remaining involved since the beginning, Mount Mary is proud to celebrate not only the success of the shows from year to year, but also the unbreakable bond among friends, classmates and families.

Commitment to the environment rooted in faith

By Vice President for Mission and Justice Andrea Stapleton, Ph.D.

Commitment to the environment is a top priority for everyone from schoolchildren to world leaders. For Catholics, care for the Earth is more than good habit-building, but also a spiritual practice.

In 2015 Catholics and non-Catholics warmly received Pope Francis’ encyclical, “Laudato Si,” in which he urged all people who share our common home, Earth, to adopt a change of heart and committed action to care for our planet.

This encyclical took an interdisciplinary approach to environmental concerns while grounded in theological principles and Catholic spirituality. He appealed to Saint Francis of Assisi, patron saint of ecology, opening with words from the Canticle of the Creatures: “Praise be to you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruit with colored flowers and herbs.”

Praise, thanks and urgency

The document concludes with two prayers written by Pope Francis, “A Prayer for our Earth” and “A Christian Prayer in Union with Creation.” From beginning to end, Francis grounds his work in words of praise and thanks for God the creator.

Care for creation is not a new principle of Catholic teaching, but is rooted in the earliest books of the Bible with the story of creation. Stewardship of creation has taken shape theologically and has inspired numerous spiritual practices over the centuries. Now it is deemed a moral imperative in response to the urgent problems that people around the globe are experiencing due to the climate crisis.

Many Catholic organizations have responded to this principle of Catholic social teaching. Organizations like the Catholic Climate Covenant and Laudato Si movement have become resources for education and support for Catholic churches and institutions. These organizations serve to mobilize institutions, churches and individuals to work together to improve the environment and to inspire the change of heart called for by the Pope. Catholic campuses are eager participants in this, especially since the environment is a top concern of college students.

Our response to the call

Mount Mary is joining other universities in responding to Pope Francis’ call to conversion and action through prayer, education, action and reflection.

In 2019, Mount Mary faculty and staff established the Sustainability Committee, consisting of staff, faculty and students. It is led by Carol Julin, registrar’s assistant for advising technology. The Mount Mary land manager, Colin Goyette, is very involved in the group as well. The sustainability group meets regularly to set strategic priorities and plan opportunities for the Mount Mary community. We have a Laudato Si liaison to ensure that our efforts connect our community to the spirituality of environmental consciousness. Our efforts are often accompanied by educational opportunities, outdoor prayer and activities that offer eco-spirituality and nature immersion.

Most of our activities build awareness of environmental issues. In spring of 2022, we hosted monthly sustainability challenges, which raised awareness while also offering some fun and community building. This spring we will have a campus-wide environmental service day and a workshop on the Laudato Si movement.

Campus makes improvements

We have a compost area on campus where we can leave trimmings for a partner company to pick up and reuse into garden-grade compost. We are avoiding thousands of gallons of gasoline on removal and have almost planted 200 seedlings through our waste diversion. We are thus reducing landfill while creating fertile composts that can be used in gardens and prairie restoration.

We have plans to begin units of prairie on campus. This will deter pests from inhabiting our buildings, reducing pest control costs (and many panicked students)! Prairie grass root systems will hold soil in place to prevent runoff into the Menomonee River basin. Our campus forest is being managed by our wonderful land management staff to increase biodiversity of plants and animals. We have cut back on the use of herbicides to restore soils back to their former strength and to simulate the native environments that once thrived on our campus.

We utilize indoor and outdoor recycling, which reduces landfill while increasing mindfulness towards Earthhealthy habits. We utilize refillable water stations to reduce single-use plastics and encourage people to bring reusable containers to events.

We are living out our call to care for our common home; every act showing care for our human family and all of God’s creations around the planet. n

Mount Mary community volunteers participating in a campus-wide spring cleanup.

For the Reception

For the evening reception, Shoua Xiong ’ 20 designed a tailored top with long satin skirt and matching suit jacket with ruffled peplum. Designers first created the garments in white muslin before they cut the final fabric.

“I wanted her to be able to wear these pieces over and over again.”

Alumnae rise to the challenge of designing dresses for the inauguration

One of the first questions Isabelle Cherney asked the fashion department when she came to Mount Mary was if someone from the program could design a dress for her inauguration day.

Executive Fellow Donna Ricco, Fashion Department Chair Ashley Brooks and Associate Professor Elena Pitts met with Cherney to get some details about her design style and created a design competition for students and recent alumnae. Five finalists shared sketches and mood boards with their ideas.

When the time came to select a dress, Cherney chose two.

She would start the day in a classic sheath dress and matching jacket designed by Gigi Wagener ’22 and change into an evening dress with a long, flowing skirt and jacket designed by Shoua Xiong ’20 for the reception.

Both designers knew that with all eyes on Cherney, the dresses would need to communicate her signature style: Classic, timeless and practical.

During the process, neither of them saw the other’s design, which gave each of them the creative freedom to pursue their own vision.

“I based the dress on what she liked to wear,” said Xiong, who specializes in eveningwear and dresses. The top consists of a simple boatneck collar and three-quarter sleeves in black suiting material, paired with an elegant satin skirt in Cherney’s signature color, cobalt blue. Since her graduation, Xiong has been teaching flat pattern-making at Mount Mary and working in bridal alterations at Eva’s Bridal. She is also starting her own clothing line, Shoua Xiong, LLC.

Wagener drew inspiration from the vintage dresses worn by her mother and aunt in the 1960s, one of which her sister still wears to this day. She graduated with a post-baccalaureate certificate in May and said that Dr. Cherney is her first custom client.

“This is Dr. Cherney’s day, and I want this dress to represent the lady she is,” Wagener said.

Having the right look contributes to a special day, said Ricco, who created her own designer brand of dresses for many years.

“It means a lot to have Dr. Cherney reach out to fashion students to design a unique, made-to-measure dress for this important occasion,” Ricco said. “It’s a terrific opportunity for any designer and I’m so proud of Shoua and Gigi for stepping up to the challenge!” n

For the M ass

Gigi Wagener ’ 22 titled her sheath dress and matching jacket ensemble “New Beginning,” to mark the occasion for President Cherney. The garments are both silk dupioni with crystal buttons for trim.

“That silhouette can take you anywhere.”

Worlds come

During the week preceding the inauguration of Isabelle Cherney, Ph.D., the Mount Mary campus was filled with the sights and sounds of celebration.

The bell rang from the high tower and an Alpine horn sounded deep and resounding notes. A bagpiper accompanied a procession of academic leaders. Campus celebrated with an international flourish, paying tribute to Cherney’s Swiss heritage.

Cherney, the 13th president of Mount Mary University, assumed her duties in July 2022, upon the retirement of former president Christine Pharr, Ph.D. The formal inauguration took place on March 31, 2023, with a Mass at Christ King Parish, followed by the ceremony and reception on campus.

The event was livestreamed to allow family and friends across the globe to witness the event. At the same time, the event was a homecoming of sorts, as Cherney’s family connection to Mount Mary and the neighborhood is deep. Her husband, Mike, is a Milwaukee native who grew up only one block away from campus. He and many of their nieces and nephews have been educated by the School Sisters of Notre Dame. Her sister-in-law graduated from Mount Mary with her undergraduate degree and one of her nieces earned a master’s degree from MMU.

In her speech, she detailed some of her accomplishments to date, such as initiatives to make summer school more attractive (see page 24) and a drastic reduction in part-time tuition. She announced her vision for an institute for women and children (see page 3) and upheld her commitment to social mobility and investing in STREAM (science, technology, reflection, engineering, art and math) programming.

For various portions of the festivities, Cherney wore garments created by two recent alumnae, a visible reminder of her support for learning and creativity (see page 14-15). During her speech she connected Mount Mary’s past with her commitment to the future.

“If we want to follow in the footsteps of our foundresses, Blessed Teresa and Mother Caroline, and the SSNDs with faith, with an unwavering commitment to our mission to serve and educate the marginalized, and with courage and grace, then we will be the stewards of the next 110 great years of this university and we will ensure that Mount Mary’s best days are ahead,” she said.

Read more about Cherney and her inauguration week at magazine.mtmary.edu.

OPPOSITE PAGE

(1) Accompanied by her husband, Mike, President Isabelle Cherney, Ph.D., enters Christ King church for the pre-inauguration Mass. She is wearing a dress designed by Gigi Wagener '22. His matching tie was a gift from the fashion faculty.

(2) School Sisters of Notre Dame Provincial Leader Debra M. Sciano welcomes Cherney to the Mount Mary during the inauguration.

(3) Former presidents Christine Pharr, Ph.D. (left) and Eileen Schwalbach, Ph.D. (right) participate in a blessing at Mass.

(4) Students congratulate Cherney at the evening reception.

THIS PAGE

(5 & 6) In informal conversations and during her inaugural address, Cherney reiterates her support for STREAM (science, technology, reflection, engineering, art and math) programming.

(7) Cherney poses with her granddaughter, Eloise. Cherney's evening gown was designed for the reception by Shoua Xiong, '20.

(8) On the afternoon of Cherney's inauguration, a bagpiper played in the arches and the bell rang in the Notre Dame tower.

DREAM BIG! Be the scientist who cures cancer or goes to the moon. Lean in boldly, lean into the charism with deep faith and high courage. The path is done by walking. Be open to possibilities with trust, hope and love for the mission.

The inauguration of Isabelle Cherney, Ph.D.

OF LEADERSHIP

1971 18-year-olds allowed to vote

Aug. 8, 1974

1970 s

1961 815 students enroll

President Nixon resigns over Watergate

1978

1,100 students enroll

Nov. 22, 1963

Assasination of John F. Kennedy

1960 s

May 19, 1953

Dec. 19, 1964 Bergstrom Hall opens 1965 College launches first four-year fashion design and merchandising program

April 2020 Mount Mary achieves federal status as a Hispanic Serving Institution

2021

Four-year, on-campus BSN program and new Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision begin in fall 2021

2021

Mount Mary is awarded $7.8 million in federal grants

2022 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges ranks Mount Mary #1 in the Midwest for graduating diverse and low-income students

1987–1995

Ruth Hollenbach, SSND, Ph.D.

• Simplifies governance of the college to a two-tiered structure of Corporate members and Board of Trustees

• Initiates the annual Teaching Excellence Award

Construction begins on Fidelis and Kostka Halls

1950 s

1940-49 Enrollment increases 42% to 605 students

1954 560 students enroll

1957 Milwaukee Braves win World Series

1979–1987

Ellen Lorenz, SSND, Ed.D.

• Accomplishes major curriculum changes

• Initiates all-college symposiums hosting speakers of national and international reputations

• Raises endowment and initiated strategic planning

Dec. 1, 1941

1940 s

1933 Wisconsin votes for repeal of Prohibition

1930 s

Pearl Harbor is bombed

1945 US atomic bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima

1935 Roosevelt begins the “New Deal”

Aug. 26, 1920 19th Amendment ratified guaranteeing women the right to vote

1920 s

Oct. 28, 1913

St. Mary’s College founded in Prairie du Chien, Wis.

1910 s

Sept. 16, 1929

1946 Wisconsin’s centennial year is celebrated

Sept. 1, 1939 World War II begins

Mount Mary College opens in Milwaukee

Oct. 29, 1929

2010-2020 Graduate programs expand, including the M.S. in counseling (2010), post-professional occupational therapy doctorate (OTD) program (2014), and M.S. in food science (2019)

2010 s

March 13, 2013

Papacy of Pope Francis begins

Feb. 24, 2013

Mount Mary announces name to change to university on July 1, 2013

2017 Nursing 1-2-1 program partnership with Milwaukee Area Technical College begins

1969–1979

Mary Nora Barber, SSND, Ph.D.

• Put the college on solid financial base and tripled endowment funds

• Initiates Campus P.M. which permitted students to earn degrees by attending evening classes only

June 28, 1914

Great Depression begins

World War I begins

July 1, 1919 Prohibition begins

June 11, 2002

Ground broken for Gerhardinger Center

Bloechl Recreation Center opens 2000 s

1954 –1968

2006

1990

1,452 students enroll

Aug. 2, 1990

1990 s

Oct. 9, 1981

The Gulf War begins 1998 Mount Mary launches

Women’s Leadership Institute

1929–1954

Patrick and Beatrice Haggerty Library is dedicated

1980 s

Sept. 1982

Mount Mary begins first graduate program: dietetics

1985

1,278 students enroll

1913–1922

John Francis Schuh, SSND, Ph.D.

Edward A. Fitzpatrick Ph.D., Litt.D., LL.D.

• Member of Mount Mary’s first freshman class in 1929

• Strengthens curriculum, raises scholastic standards and receives increased academic accreditation

• Installed as the nation’s first lay president for a private women’s college

• Builds strong academic base and brought the college national recognition

1922–1929

Mother Mary Seraphia Minges, SSND

Mother Mary Angela Schott, SSND

THREADS OF ART & FASHION

STUDENT & ALUMNAE DESIGNERS FEATURED AS CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS

The summer before her senior year, Maka Muhidin ’22 (known also as Mako Shahdid), traveled to Kenya to the UN refugee complex in Dadaab, Kenya, where she was born and lived until the age of six.

When she returned to finish her final year in Mount Mary’s fashion design program, the sights and the colors of that experience infused her work. The earth tones reflected the landscape and a tiered skirt was inspired by the huts where people lived. She titled her senior collection “Homecoming.”

The concept of home is a common inspiration among artists of all types and it’s a creative prompt that fashion instructor Elena Pitts uses with her design students in creating materials that reflect their personal or cultural heritage.

In fact, Christina Brungardt, the Gabriele Haberland Director at the Madison Museum

of Contemporary Art (MMoCA) was planning an exhibit of internationally acclaimed contemporary artist on this topic when she saw a TV news story featuring the designs of Muhidin and other student designers. She reached out to Mount Mary and a creative partnership was born. This winter, MMoCA mounted a monthlong pop-up exhibit of Mount Mary fashion design work that accompanied the museum’s larger exhibit, “Home.”

Asma Dasan ’22, Anastasia Gouchtchina ’20, Muhidin and Shoua Xiong ’20 were represented by their junior and senior collections and preparatory materials.

Current students May Martinez-Gonzalez, Ro Storrs, Kailey Stout and Leann Monika Wolf shared their process books, presentation folders and sketches.

“The Mount Mary designers found inspiration in the places and people that define home for them, resulting

in creations that not only transport viewers, but also promote greater understanding of belonging, origins and even displacement,” said Brungardt.

Current students who are in the early stages of finding their creative identities spent the fall semester producing the designs that were on display.

I’d never thought about what home meant to me, but being biracial I’ve struggled with identity,” said Storrs, whose designs included denim fabric, jewel tones, crystal embellishments and tarot motifs. “This has been my chance to explore what home means to me and what makes me feel safe.”

Stout found inspiration in the orange bricks of Poland and the flowing waterfalls of Croatia, while Wolf drew upon her family bonds and fishing excursions with her father to create designs with plenty of pockets. Martinez-Gonzalez said that for her idea of home, she incorporated her heritage from the perspective of the colorful Chicano murals and culture of Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood.

“It’s a different version of what it means to be Mexican in a more modern time,” she said. “I fell in love with the boldness with a feminine touch.”

In late January, Mount Mary fashion students were invited to Madison for a private tour of the exhibit. They were accompanied by a television reporter for another feature about the exhibit.

By seeing their work on display, they realized the impact of their vision, and how inspiration can be both universal and deeply personal all at the same time.

“I see my name on a plaque and it’s hard to believe it’s me,” said Storrs. n

OPPOSITE PAGE

Lower left: Maka Muhidin ‘22 titled her senior collection “Homecoming” after a trip to the United Nations refugee complex in Dadaab, Kenya, where she was born and lived until the age of six.

Lower center: Asma Desan ‘22 named her collection after her grandmother, Yusra, whose name means “with hardship comes ease.” Her collection draws upon themes of her family’s homeland of Palestine.

Lower right: Shoua Xiong ‘20 exhibited garments from her junior collection as well as handmade silver jewelry inspired by her Hmong heritage.

Fashion design students May MartinezGonzalez (left) and Ro Storrs (right) were able to see their design plans on display at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art in Madison, Wis.

STUDENTS TOOK THEIR FAMILY HISTORIES DEEPLY TO HEART. THEY WENT THROUGH ALL THE EMOTIONS AND EXPRESSED THEM THROUGH THEIR DESIGN LINES. IT’S STUNNING. – Assistant Fashion Professor Elena Pitts

NEW!

CONVENIENT, EASY, INFORMATIVE: INTRODUCING MOUNT MARY UNIVERSITY’S NEW GIFT PLANNING WEBSITE

Donors now have online tools available from the Mount Mary website to help navigate ways to maximize tax benefits, satisfy your required minimum distribution (RMD), handle complex assets and streamline giving.

The Crescendo GiftLegacy Pro System includes tools for managing donor-advised funds (DAFs), IRA rollover gifts, stock gifts and beneficiary designation gifts. In addition, the new website includes motivating donor stories, regularly updated articles and e-newsletters, engaging videos, an online will planner, personal gift illustrations, gift calculators and more.

Is a planned gift for you?

The goal of planned giving is to help you plan your estate and charitable giving in a way that benefits you, your family and charity. There are several ways you can make these planned gifts to charity and enjoy tax and income benefits.

I keep in mind this quote, ‘Always give without remembering and always receive without forgetting,’ by Brian Tracy. It reminds me to never forget those who have helped along the way. Later in life, it has become the catalyst for my desire to give back to Mount Mary University, knowing it will complete the cycle.

–Wendy Allstrom-Reid ’89

For example, everyone knows you can name a spouse, child or other family member as a beneficiary. You may not know that you can name a charitable organization like Mount Mary University as a beneficiary to help further our mission. A gift of life insurance is a wonderful way to support Mount Mary students and higher education at a significant level, but at a fraction of the cost of other gifts. When you talk with your attorney, ask about a payable on death designation. A payable on death designation, or POD, is one of the easiest things you can do in your planning. You can use it for your checking, savings, investment and retirement accounts. By completing a simple form

for each account, you can choose who receives the account when you pass away. It only takes a few moments to complete and can be updated as life changes.

The IRA rollover gift is a simple and easy way to provide for your favorite charity while not increasing your taxable income. Simply contact your IRA custodian and request that an amount be transferred to Mount Mary University. Mount Mary receives a nice gift and you avoid any additional tax and may satisfy your RMD for the year.

A charitable bequest costs nothing today, but allows you to live every day knowing you have helped others and reduced possible estate taxes. With the help of an advisor, you can include language in your will or trust expressing your specific philanthropic goals, such as a gift to be made to Mount Mary University as part of your estate plan.

A bequest may be made in several ways:

• Gift of a dollar amount

• Gift of a percentage of your estate

• Gift of a specific asset

• Gift of the residue of your estate

One benefit of a charitable bequest is that it enables you to help others enjoy the benefits of a Mount Mary education long after you are gone. And, a charitable bequest can help you save estate taxes by providing your estate with a charitable deduction for the value of the gift, whether it cash, stocks, IRA, other retirement account or life insurance policy. With careful planning, your family can also avoid paying income taxes on the assets they receive from your estate.

If you have questions, thanks to GiftLegacy Pro System, we will have the answers at your fingertips when you visit mtmarylegacy.org. We look forward to helping you plan for your future and create your legacy at Mount Mary. n

Special thanks to two members of Mount Mary’s Fidelis Society who helped underwrite this online tool. Because they value charitable gift planning and want to help other alums do the same, Mount Mary is able to make this tool available to you. The Fidelis Society is Mount Mary’s legacy society recognizing individuals who have designated Mount Mary for charitable support through wills, estate plans, insurance plans, trusts or other planned gifts.

Donors may access this helpful planning tool from the giving page at mtmary.edu/give or by visiting mtmarylegacy.org

Website financial planning tools

CAMPUS NEWS

BUSINESS SCHOOL ADDS HR CONCENTR ATION & SHORTENS P ATHW AY TO MBA

This fall, Mount Mary University’s School of Business will offer undergraduate and MBA students the ability to specialize in human resources management, and has shortened the timeline for undergraduate business students to earn their MBA.

HR is one of the fastest-growing fields in the United States, according to the national Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Mount Mary’s human resources courses will address key HR areas such as staffing, training and development, compensation, benefits and labor-management relations. Coursework is designed around standards set by SHRM, which will prepare students for the association’s professional certification.

The 4+1 initiative is available for students majoring in business administration and human resources; it is part of campuswide efforts to streamline the pathways for students interested in advanced degrees. Students can earn an undergraduate degree and MBA in just five years.

“The re-imagining of Mount Mary’s pathway to an MBA is structured to help students find their way to advanced contemporary practice and prepared for current business and employment dynamics,” said School of Business Dean Bob Schwartz, MID.

Read how MBA student Shanita Rowsey is investing in herself through her degree at mtmary.edu/blog

magazine.mtmary.edu

Grace Scholars build professional relationships

The Grace Scholars Program hosted its first career networking event in November. Nine Grace Scholar alumnae shared and engaged with our current Grace Scholar students. Current scholars had an opportunity to practice their networking skills while learning about the various career paths of the alumnae. Scholars left the event with a better understanding of post-college opportunities and made connections for future internships and jobs.

Welcome new board members

The Corporate Board of Mount Mary has approved the addition of Margaret Callahan, Ph.D., Karen Davidson ’81, Ann (Klonecki) Tesmer ’94, ’01 and May yer Thao to the Mount Mary Board of Trustees.

Margaret Callahan is provost and chief academic officer at Loyola University Chicago. She is also a professor of nursing.

Karen Davidson, a director in Harley-Davidson’s marketing department, maintains Harley-Davidson’s distinctive reputation and legacy as she works on new initiatives for the company.

For a complete list or to learn more about Mount Mary’s Board of Trustees, visit mtmary.edu/trustees

Ann Tesmer is the senior vice president for clinical operations at Froedtert Health. She graduated with a degree in occupational therapy in 1994 and OT/ Professional Entry in 2001. She is responsible for the planning, development and oversight of the day-today operations of clinical services across 36 locations.

May yer Thao is president and CEO of the Hmong American Partnership (HAP) and its subsidiary, the Hmong National Development, Inc.

Donation benefits Summer Leadership Academy

Every year, Potawatomi Hotel & Casino’s charitable foundation, Heart of Canal Street, chooses 150 not-for-profit organizations who applied for a grant to partake in a random drawing – and MMU’s name was the first to be drawn. Congratulations to the Summer Leadership Academy on winning $25,000 through the 2022 Heart of Canal Street random drawing!

MMU LEADERS RECOGNIZED FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE

23 most notable leaders in higher education, according to the Milwaukee Biz Times. The three were recognized in the Jan. 23 edition of the magazine.

H OT DEAL ON SUMMER TUITION HOUSING

This summer, Mount Mary University has halved the cost of tuition, and is offering degree-seeking undergrad students the ability to live in the residence hall for free.

Undergraduate per-credit summer tuition has been reduced almost 50 percent, from $570 to $300 per credit hour. This new initiative not only makes summer classes more affordable, but it also reduces the time to completion. A variety of in-person, remote and hybrid classes are offered. Many of these classes are intended to fill core curriculum requirements.

While both graduate and undergraduate classes are offered, the housing incentive applies only to undergraduate students.

To view a listing of summer classes, visit mtmary.edu/summer.

Vice President for Academic Affairs Karen Friedlen, Ph.D., Dean Cheryl Bailey, Ph.D. of the School of Natural & Health Sciences and Education, and Dean Bob Schwartz, MID of the Schools of Art & Design and Business, are among the city’s

KAREN FRIEDLEN BOB SCHWARTZ CHERYL BAILEY

Sarah Neubauer of Potawatomi Hotel and Casino (right) presented Mount Mary's Summer Leadership Academy with a $25,000 check from the annual Heart of Canal Street fundraising event. Pictured here are Women's Leadership Program Manager Alexandra Hoslet, Grants Manager Cassie Jeffery and President Isabelle Cherney, Ph.D.

Accreditation extended for interior design and architecture program

The Council for Interior Design (CIDA) has extended the accreditation of Mount Mary’s Interior Architecture and Design program through 2028.

The degree and program meet the CIDA’s professional standards and have been awarded accreditation for six years. The announcement represents 42 years of continued accreditation by this national accrediting board. “Mount Mary University’s emphasis on social justice, inclusion, exposure to multi-cultural norms and acceptance is significantly unique and affords the interior design program a rarely equaled opportunity to educate future designers not only with competent design skills, but also with an advanced understanding of the world for which they will design,” states the report.

The report also points out the professional experience of the faculty, as many are or have been practitioners in the field, as well as the program’s extensive network of alumnae and professional ties in Milwaukee and Chicago.

Seven students have been awarded Gilman scholarships to study abroad, including four who participated in the faculty-led trip to Rome in January.

The four Gilman recipients traveling to Rome are Cynthia Perkins, Ana Sofia Ocampo Hernandez, Kayla Mims and Anastasha Parry.

The three other Gilman recipients include Serena Gruenwald, Winla Vang and Chantel Gates. Gruenwald and Vang have not confirmed destinations, while Gates will be studying in Panama in summer 2023.

Awardees range in their majors, including art therapy, social work, nursing and UX design.

The Gilman scholarship is extremely competitive, with more than 4,000 students having applied for the nearly 1,500 awards, said Director of International Studies Nan Metzger. This year, Mount Mary students were awarded a combined $25,000.

Students who receive federal Gilman scholarships have the ability to engage in study abroad opportunities such as the faculty-led trip to Rome (pictured here) or other types of programs.

GREAT NEWS from the HLC

The Higher Learning Commission’s Institutional Actions Council has reviewed Mount Mary’s accreditation and according to Dr. Cherney, Mount Mary passed with flying colors.

Mount Mary has retained its accreditation status since 1926. The renewal occurs on a 10-year cycle and requires the institution to meet five main criteria and be engaged in continuous improvement. A self-study was submitted in spring 2022 and a peer review team visited Mount Mary in late October for a comprehensive evaluation.

ACHIEVEMENTS ACCOLADES

This section highlights recent noteworthy accomplishments and awards of the Mount Mary University faculty, staff and students.

Recognizing lifelong learners

This fall, students in the limnology class taught by Colleen Conway, Ph.D., included three SSNDs, ranging in age from their late 70s to 91. (Quick FYI: Limnology is the study of the biological, chemical and physical features of lakes and other bodies of fresh water.)

This science class included Mariel Kreuziger, SSND, Karen Walther, SSND, and Pat Caswell, SSND.

FACULTY AND STAFF

Cheryl Bailey, Ph.D., dean for the School of Natural & Health Sciences and Education and Wendy Weaver, Ph.D., dean for the School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies, co-wrote chapter 12 of the Resource Handbook for Academic Deans, “Building Reciprocal Relationships for Careers and Lifelong Learning.” It is available on Amazon.

Chris Belkofer, Ph.D., Art Therapy, submitted a revised and updated chapter for the second edition of the textbook, “Art Therapy Trauma and Neuroscience.”

Kathleen Boyle, Ph.D., Sciences, was awarded the Teaching Excellence Award for full time faculty in Aug. 2022. In September, she presented a poster presentation, “Building Scientific Identity and Microbiology Research Skills of Undergraduate Women in Chemistry and Biochemistry,” at AAAS-S-STEM Symposium in Washington D.C. In October, she attended the HHMI IE (Howard Hughes Medical Institute Inclusive Excellence) meeting in St. Paul, Minn.

Kristen Carioti, Ph.D., Business, completed a semester sabbatical in fall 2022 and finished drafting her personal finance first edition textbook with SAGE Publishing. The textbook will be marketed and promoted in summer and fall 2023, and available for adoption in January 2024. Carioti will use the draft version of the book for the first time while teaching students personal finance in summer 2023.

Kara Coleman, MBA, Business, was selected to receive the Wisconsin Institute of CPAs Diversity & Inclusion Impact Award. She will be honored at the group’s member recognition banquet and annual meeting in May. Kara’s achievement is a direct result of her contribution and dedication to the accounting profession. In addition, Coleman facilitated a workshop on economic justice and abolitionist approaches to business at Carthage College.

Real-time counseling research wins accolades

Workers with disabilities have been disproportionately impacted by the employment challenges that have accompanied the pandemic.

In late 2021, graduate counseling faculty members Terri Jashinsky, Ph.D., (top) and Carrie King, Ph.D., (bottom) and their students, Noel Kwiat, Brittney Henry and Alexis Lockett Glover, worked through the constantly changing environment of the pandemic to review the literature and publish an article in the highly visible journal of the National Career Development Association.

The article focused on the unique issues this population faced, including the intersectionality of disability, race and economic disadvantage, and provided suggestions for supporting people with disabilities in career-related activities, both during the COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic.

The association named this work the outstanding article of the year. “Statistics and situations were changing so quickly, and yet we knew we wanted to include pieces that focused on the future and next steps beyond the pandemic,” Jashinsky said.

“This is a major accomplishment for any academic; I can hardly explain how meaningful this is for students to have this honor before finishing their master’s program.”

Colleen Conway, Ph.D., Sciences, presented a poster presentation, “Mount Mary University Jewel Scholars Program to Support Academic and Professional STEM Advancement for Low-Income, Academically Talented Female Undergraduates” at AAAS-SSTEM Symposium in Washington D.C. in September 2022.

Jeremy Edison, Ph.D., Mathematics, gave a talk titled “Reflections on a Math Anxiety Workshop” at the fall conference of the Mathematical Association of America Section NExT (New Experiences in Teaching).

Laurel End ‘11, Ph.D., Psychology, and Jeremy Edison, Ph.D., Mathematics, presented a workshop for faculty and staff June 6, 8 and 10 called “Reframing Mathematical Mindsets.”

Julie Hunley, Ph.D., Occupational Therapy, submitted an article for publication, “Pre- and Post-

Founders Day

Each year, Mount Mary commemorates the courageous university founders by recognizing community members at Founders Day, held Feb. 23, 2023. Turn to page 8 to read about the students honored at this year’s Founders Day. Here’s what nominators had to say about this year’s Heritage Award winners:

Administrator Award:

Nan Metzger, director of international studies

“Nan is always teaching students about different perspectives. She goes the extra mile to provide students with the support and resources they need to study abroad. Nan also teaches in the English and Psychology departments. Through her innovative pedagogical methods and true to the SSND spirit and the mission of Mount Mary, she makes sure that everyone’s voice is heard in discussion.

Faculty Award:

Jason Meyler, Ph.D., associate professor of spanish and chair of the world languages department

“Jason embodies the joy that we are asked as Christians to embrace and share with others, and this makes him an excellent colleague, professor, mentor, leader and overall embodiment of SSND and Mount Mary values. His perspective also lends great insight about university initiatives, and his input adds value to group conversations and strategic directions for Mount Mary.”

Staff Award:

Heidi Walter, social work administrative assistant

“Heidi is a noticeably hard worker who doesn’t rest until she helps a student solve a problem. Whether it is in her supplying direction, securing resources, answering questions, or just being the presence a student needs when navigating a difficult day or an educational path, Heidi is a light that shines for all around her.

Louise Kessler, Ph.D., Biology, was invited to speak at St. Josephs Roman Catholic Primary School in Glasgow, Scotland, to approximately 60 11-year-olds as part of their lesson in genetics, through a teams call.

Melinda Kiltz ‘99, MSW, Social Work, completed her supplemental materials digital content work for the eighth edition of “The Social Work Experience: A Case-Based Approach to Social Work and Social Welfare.” Additionally, she co-presented “Navigating the Political Landscape in Social Work Courses” at the Wisconsin Council on Social Work Education conference in October 2022 in Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

Amy Lauer, Ph.D., Psychology, was quoted in Trail Runner Magazine, Women’s Running Magazine, and Outside Magazine in an article exploring the relationship between music, running and the brain. Lauer presented a virtual poster about Flip, the Microsoft video discussion tool, at the Society for the Teaching of Psychology’s Annual Conference on Teaching in October 2022.

Heather Leigh ‘18, DAT, Art Therapy, submitted an abstract for her chapter on expressive arts therapies in “Singing the Unsung: Women’s Contributions to Adlerian Psychology.” She also facilitated a half-day, art-based workshop titled, “Using Creativity to Honor and Support Grieving,” for the Adler Academy of Minnesota’s annual conference in Chanhassen, Minn.

Claire A. Lockard, Ph.D., Philosophy, was a co-presenter of “Deepening Students’ Question-Asking: Templates to Scaffold Skill Building” at the American Association of Philosophy Teachers 23rd Biennial International WorkshopConference in July 2022. She presented a paper, titled “Charitably Curious and Curiously Charitable: Bringing the Politics of Curiosity into Conversation with the Politics of Interpretive Charity” at the Midwest Society for Women in Philosophy 2022 Conference in September 2022. She delivered “Charitable Interpretations: Some Problems with Offering Authors the Benefit of the Doubt,” at Harper College in Shaumburg, Ill., in December 2022.

IN ACTION FASHION

The fashion department has held two “Hidden Treasures” events to provide an in-depth look at some of the university’s archival treasures. A November event showcased the evening gowns worn by Milwaukee chanteuse Hildegarde, and a March event featured the work of sportswear designer Bonnie Cashin. Garments from the historic Fashion Archive collection were on display and curator Amanda Cacich (right) provided historical perspective on their importance. Guests also learned how these collections are being digitized, and how imaging technology makes these cultural treasures accessible to a global audience.

View the digital archives at magazine.mtmary.edu.

Nan Metzger, International Studies, was recognized by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs for her participation in the recent selection panels for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program.

Andrya Soprych, Ph.D., Social Work, submitted an abstract for consideration for a special edition of Advances in Social Work related to gun violence. The abstract was accepted, and the full article is due April 30, 2023.

Vanessa Varela Morales ‘19, MA, Education, facilitated two multilingual skills workshops in fall of 2022.

Kay Seno, MBA, and Genevieve Szeklinski ‘00, M. Arch., developed and delivered an all-day workshop, “ACT 195 Analyzed,” to the interior design community about the details of the new interior design modified scope law. The event was hosted by the MMU Interior Architecture & Design program with three statewide satellite hubs at UW-Stevens Point, UW-Stout and Fox Valley Technical College.

Kelly Stapelman ‘99, OTD, Occupational Therapy, participated in a three-anda-half day program by the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Community Engaged Scholars Immersion Program in July 2022.

Andrea Stapleton, Ph.D., Mission and Justice, delivered a presentation on the practical applications of “a better kind of politics,” for leaders of Catholic colleges and universities, based upon the chapter, “On Social Friendship,” from Pope Francis’ “Fratelli Tutti.” The presentation was held at the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities Mission Officers Conference in Washington, D.C., in February 2023.

Julie Tatlock, Ph.D., History, was a senior contributing author of “World History, Volume 2.” This text is available to students free of cost on OpenStax and will be available for print in fall 2023.

Theresa Utschig, Campus Ministry, displayed "Awake!" an exhibit of spiritual art painting on recycled wood at the Milwaukee Catholic Home in November 2022.

Julie Tatlock, Ph.D., received tenure and was promoted to associate professor of history

Kristen Whyte, Ph.D., received tenure and was promoted to associate professor of education

Jennifer Kontny, Ph.D., received tenure and was promoted to associate professor of English

The Board of Trustees approved these three faculty promotions:

Tonya Vlasik, J.D., Human Resources, has been accepted to join the spring ’23 board cohort of Forward 48, a highly selective networking group. She was chosen based on high professional performance and her commitment to the growth of her community.

Kristin Whyte, Ph.D., Education, co-authored an article titled, “Understanding Kindergarten Readiness,” online in October 2022 in the Elementary School Journal.

STUDENTS

Five Mount Mary students, Michelle Herrera Carmona, Sadasia JeffersonEpps, Mariana Batalla Romero, Paris Throne and Danielle Weary were selected to take part in a nine-month program with Engaging Communities to Change Health Outcomes (ECCHO), a civic engagement training program where participants work together as a cohort to design and implement a communitybased project that meets the health needs of their community.

Melissa Nguyen ’22 and faculty member Laurel End ’11, Ph.D., presented a poster, “Reducing Math Anxiety during the Covid-19 Pandemic,” at the Association for Psychological Science Conference in May 2022.

Artwork by Des Rodriguez was featured in the 11th edition of Voices and Visions Literary Journal, Smith College.

Senior Giselle Martin Gomez was profiled in the winter Wisconsin Achievers newsletter of the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.

Clinical mental health counseling students Maggie Rauh, Kory Scherer and John Weber were awarded a $5,000 Qualified Treatment Trainee (QTT) Graduate Student Award. The QTT grants program is funded by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Care and Treatment Services.

Nia Taylor ’22 presented “Psychology is Science” with professor Laurel End ’11, Ph.D., to high schoolers as part of the STEM pathways session during the Summer Leadership Academy in June.

Student Journalists city awards

In March, the Milwaukee Press Club announced the winners of the 2022 Excellence in Journalism awards. Congratulations to these students who won the following awards:

BEST BLO G: Jeana Prudhomme, “Respect Your Mother: Stories of Allyship for Women & Nature”

BEST SHORT HARD FEATURE STOR Y: Sam Dahm, “ The Glass Pantry is Paving the Way for Sustainable Shopping ”

BEST ORIGINAL PODCAS T: Katlyn Garcia, Elizabeth Swiger, Kayla Vega, Anastasha Parry, Giselle Martin Gomez, “ The Underground”

4+1= HIGH PAYING HR CAREER

EARN A BBA IN BUSINESS/HR & AN MBA/HR IN 5 YEARS

HUMAN RESOURCES

New this fall! MTMARY.EDU

Grants in Action

Renovated lounge now a refreshing refuge for busy students

In a campus-wide effort to increase a sense of belonging, Mount Mary University is reconceiving and renovating student spaces.

Students who commute to campus need a relaxing place where they can study, socialize or just have a few moments to themselves. Likewise, students who live on campus need a place to hang out and maybe watch a movie at the end of the day.

While the Caroline Student Lounge has always been bright and spacious, the space has been refreshed through a redesign funded in part through Mount Mary’s “Proyecto Descubrir,” or Project Discover grant. Proyecto Descubrir is a five-year, $4.7 million grant that is based on building a sense of community through a number of projects all designed to increase retention and completion for Hispanic and low-income students.

Student voices drove the conception of the new space. Students asked for warm colors, nature-themed décor, and multicultural art. They wanted a clean yet warmly decorated space that recognizes the diverse backgrounds on the Mount Mary campus.

The student lounge also now provides requested amenities such as a large TV/computer with sound system, furniture that is easy to move so students can frequently reconfigure it to serve their needs, roomy lockers for backpacks and coats, and, of course, lots of charging stations for electronic devices.

A generous donor also provided funds for a refrigerator/ freezer so that students can store packed lunches, dispense cold water and ice, and a microwave to heat their food. To walk into the room today is to be immersed in the space – a bubbling fountain provides the soothing sounds of falling water, a striking painting of a mother and child hangs above the immense fireplace, and tables and booths provide intimate spaces for sinking down and settling in. These federal funds along with private donations are also converting the Ewens Center, a meeting space in Caroline Hall, into the Center for Culture, Identity and Belonging for student groups. This project is led by Vice President of Mission and Justice Andrea Stapleton, Ph.D., with input from the campus Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council, and is scheduled to be completed later this summer.

THANK YOU!

Both projects were managed by VJS Construction. Thanks to Barbara Beix ‘71 for her support of the Caroline Student Lounge. Thanks to the Class of 1970 alums in honor of their 50th reunion, and to the Opus Prize Foundation for their gifts to the Center for Culture, Identity and Belonging. This project was funded in part by the Title III HSI STEM award # P031C210115 project titled “Proyecto Descubrir (Project Discover) – Academic and student support as a foundation for full inclusion of Hispanic and low-income women in the STEM workforce,” Program Director Cheryl Bailey, Ph.D.

the heart sellers Alumna shares immigrant experience

Celine Wong ’66 was a part of the Hart Celler movement showcased at the Milwaukee Rep’s production of “The Heart Sellers.” Celine’s is one of the stories told in an interactive display in the lobby of the theater. This feature gives an insight through the stories of the Asian immigrant experience in the 1970s when the landmark Hart-Celler Act granted thousands of professional workers a new path to citizenship. Celine shares some of her perspectives enacted throughout the play.

1960-1969

1966 Celine Wong was a part of the world premiere production of “The Heart Sellers.” Celine was able to have one of her stories be told through the production.

1984-1989

1984 Carrie Bath-Scheel is now celebrating her retirement after many years of service as the department chair of occupational therapy at Concordia University.

1988 Anne Bannon was featured in the Milwaukee Business Journal’s “People on the Move” section for her professional accomplishments in the banking industry.

2000-2009

2002 Lynn Vogeltanz was welcomed into the 2022 American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) College of Fellows.

2003 Tracy Milkowski was recognized as one of the 2022 Women of Distinction by Milwaukee Magazine.

Be part of our creative conversations. Like and follow us

2009 & 2011 Shakita LaGrant was named as one of the Milwaukee Biz Times’ notable Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) executives.

2010-2020

2012 Abby Janiszewski, owner of Strike Bridal Shop, will be moving her flagship store to the former Central Standard Craft Distillery 320 E. Clybourn Street, Milwaukee, as she continues to expand her offerings. The original storefront at 326 W. Florida Street in Milwaukee will soon house a second business, Rare Bridal, which will focus on plus-sized brides.

Instagram (@mountmaryuniversity)

2014 Laura Bavlnka was featured in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel as the owner of Bavlnka Atelier, showcasing her talents in naturally dyeing textiles, elaborate alterations, jewelry creations and upcoming clothing collections.

2017 Carly Seefeldt received the 30 under 30 award from the National Kitchen and Bath Association.

2019 Kate Peterson will appear regularly on Fox 6 News’ “Real Milwaukee” segment as a contributor on healthy food choices.

2021-Present

2020 Quinn Clark began a new role as the community reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

2020 Anastasiya Gouchtchina was a featured designer whose work was showcased at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art’s exhibit entitled “Fashion Focus | Home.”

2020 Shoua Xiong was a featured designer whose work was showcased at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art’s exhibit, “Fashion Focus | Home.” Xiong also designed a dress for the inauguration of Mount Mary President Isabelle Cherney, Ph.D., in March 2023.

2021 Alaina Bernarde and other industry professionals reimagined the inside of the Grand Avenue Club as part of the Design for a Difference initiative in October 2022.

2021 Savannah Turner was a part of two fashion shows as the fashion designer for her brand, Savi Couture, held in New York for Bovtiqve Fashion Week (BVFW) Fashion Week.

Turning dreams into reality

Since graduating two years ago, Savannah Turner ’21 has been a part of two fashion shows as the designer of her own brand, Savi Couture.

Her first show was held in the Foley art gallery in Manhattan, New York, where she also had the opportunity to talk about her designs.

Her second show was a gala-themed event held at Saint Mary’s Cathedral, also located in Manhattan. She showed 10 garments and talked about her journey of becoming a fashion designer and her plans for the future.

Both shows were hosted by Bovtiqve Fashion Week (BVFW), a partnership of independent fashion designers, boutique owners, merchandisers, producers, influencers and models.

2022 Catherine Starosta received the Emerging Professional of the Year award from the Wisconsin chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers.

2022 Asma Dasan was a featured designer whose work was showcased at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art’s exhibit, “Fashion Focus | Home.”

2022 Lauren Kahle, MBA, welcomed her second child, a son, Tate William, on December 15. Although she missed her graduation she had plenty to celebrate that day.

2022 Maka Muhidin was a featured designer whose work was showcased at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art’s exhibit, “Fashion Focus | Home.”

2022 Gigi Wagener designed a dress for the inauguration of Mount Mary President Isabelle Cherney, Ph.D., in March 2023.

TRADITION of CHANGE INSPIRES

FORWARD-FACING VISION FOR OUR ALUMNAE

By Pam Owens

As I reflect on the amazing history of our School Sisters of Notre Dame, the more I appreciate the many leaps of faith taken to move their impactful and much-needed mission forward.

Today’s efforts mirror those of Mother Theresa and Mother Caroline, as the journey into the future continues. So many of our alums have been innovators, have challenged the norms and not stood for stagnation. We draw inspiration from them as we continue to navigate the “new normal.”

The university administration charged the alumnae and donor relations staff to begin developing a plan for the future, a plan that would build upon the strengths and dedication of the alums from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s and be of interest and value to our diverse alums from the more recent decades as well. With the vision of creating a more inclusive and accessible alum community for all, the formal governing board of the Alumnae Association (consisting of an executive committee, as well as chairs for events and other types of engagement) was officially disbanded as we entered 2023.

A preliminary meeting was held with the executive committee of the association to begin discussing the challenges and opportunities of a new structure. On February 18, nearly 60 alums gathered in-person and on Zoom to get a glimpse into the reimagined structure, the future goals and the ever-evolving needs of our alums.

The events you have all come to know and love will remain in place and grow even stronger. The reunion, holiday luncheon and annual awards celebration will still be our cornerstone events, held throughout the year as a chance to gather in celebration as community.

You’ll begin to see new opportunities, too! Professional development offerings will increase, with continuing education and career readiness being top-of-mind for many recent graduates. Professional development is about connecting Mount Mary alumnae and students (soon-tobe alums) to networks of like-minded, industry-specific individuals who can support one another in myriad ways.

We also plan to highlight our alums, their experiences and successes by inviting them to participate in panels, in the classroom, with student organizations and more to be the shining examples of Mount Mary alums truly transforming the world. Students are hungry for support through mentorship, coaching and friendship. Our alums are the best examples of what a Mount Mary education can prepare them for.

As many alums have expressed the importance of relationship-building with fellow alums, a variety of social events will provide opportunities to spend time with classmates or fellow alums while exploring new things and simply enjoying the special bond of the sisterhood of Mount Mary alumnae.

We look forward to the evolution into a more broad and robust Alumnae Network led by an alumnae advisory council. There will be opportunities for more conversation and input as we create the new structure and goals for the future. Watch the monthly e-newsletters for more information on how to be involved.

This is truly an exciting time. Working together and being open to new ideas, new people and new activities, we hope to bring an even deeper sense of commitment and connection to every alum, to one another and to the mission of Mount Mary for generations to come.

Pam Owens is the vice president for alumnae and donor relations. Watch the monthly e-newsletters for more information on how to become involved.

Continued from page 7

In January, this feeling was especially apparent among Catholics and non-Catholics alike after the group had a papal visit with Pope Francis.

“He represented the values that we try to represent here –peace, reconciliation and the reminder of our imperative to act justly,” Rappé said. “They all seemed to pick up on the spiritual reasons that we would include a papal audience in their Rome experience.”

Shaping the values that carry students forward

In examining the president’s theme, “One community shaping tomorrow’s game-changers,” the act of shaping is the action verb that turns ideas into reality. This is the nexus, where the ideal and the practical come together to take form.

The faculty and entire support community in every corner of the institution serve this purpose by continually finetuning their approach to creating meaningful and relevant student experiences.

For Carioti, this translates into moving students into a position of financial freedom.

“Our mission is to educate women to transform the world, but it’s really hard to do that when students are living paycheck to paycheck,” said Carioti. “Every paycheck should make you less dependent on your next one –and we need to teach that mindset to students.”

This is a community united in purpose: To examine, question, create and improve. Propelled by the spirit of St. Augustine, united in vision with the SSNDs –this community shapes game-changers to transform the world. n

Continued from page 36

where he identifies with person who is cast out, saying that we care for Him when we care for them.

Pope Francis calls us to unity in his encyclical, “Fratelli Tutti:”

“At a time when various forms of fundamentalist intolerance are damaging relationships between individuals, groups and peoples, let us be committed to living and teaching the value of respect for others, a love capable of welcoming differences, and the priority of the dignity of every human being over his or her ideas, opinions, practices and even sins.”

Universities, he says, have a special role in facilitating unity.

We, in this community at Mount Mary University, with the presence and spirit of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, are blessed with the educational ministry to help transform – and unify – our world. While we minister to many different people in our community, we can feel the warmth of compassion as we walk in the hallways and in our classrooms. We see the care our students give to one another, the openness towards each other when they listen and ask questions to learn more about one another, the solidarity they experience when they share their diverse stories and enter into one another’s lives.

Unity in diversity is visible and present in our community. We are blessed to live in response to this call and to follow this mission of the Sisters, to unify by extending Christ’s loving compassion for all. This is but one way we, together, help transform the world toward greater unity. n

IN MEMORIAM

1948 Georgene Stoppel Meagher on November 7, 2022

1949 Dorothy Christ Dickoff on December 8, 2022

1951 Jacqueline Kehoe King on June 24, 2022

1952 Patricia O’Leary Hanlon on December 5, 2022

1953 Alice Hauber Hafner on October 28, 2022

1955 Lois Bacigalupo Beauchamp in February, 2022

1955 Patricia Flood Larkin on September 30, 2022

1955 Judith Stemper Ohl (no date listed)

1957 Vivian Woyak Longoni in June, 2022

1958 Margaret Latz Boyle on September 6, 2022

1958 Elizabeth Foley in May, 2022

1958 Gwendolyn Petretti Lavin on February 7, 2023

1959 Frances Finkler on January 8, 2023

1959 Joyce Geyer Heier on October 27, 2020

1962 Janice Daniel Grant on February 26, 2023

1963 Mary Margaret Wenten Baldwin on September 6, 2022

1965 Patricia Ohte Laun on August 31, 2022

1967 Roberta Linke Bernhardt on October 19, 2022

1969 Shirley Bruder Delahunt on December 15, 2022

1969 Patricia Beltran Taylor on November 5, 2022

1971 Kathleen DeGrace Neuberger on November 26, 2022

1981 Carole Paasch Homan on July 20, 2022

1981 Vera Mladenovic on October 9, 2022

1982 Elizabeth Nixdorf on November 16, 2022

1984 Sharon McClellan Weeks on October 27, 2022

2000 Charlene Tillman-Piery on September 9, 2022

2005 Monica Novak Roben on November 10, 2016

Retired Employee: Laury M. Ellis on 6/30/2022

The following is a list of deaths reported to us as of March 10, 2023. Please contact the Office of Alumnae Relations at (414) 930-3025 or mmu-alumnae@mtmary.edu to notify us of the passing of an alum.

REFLECTION

the world! And while all who attend school here are not Catholic, and are, in fact, diverse in very many ways, it is because we are Catholic that we serve all students with care, compassion and respect. With this at the heart of all we do, we empower our students to do the same for others

Jesus as unifier

By Vice President for Mission and Justice Andrea Stapleton, Ph.D.

These times are characterized by cultural division, with political discourse fueling tension among people, creating conflict in communities and even within families. Many people are saddened by this. Many wonder what we can do to restore unity among us.

This is a challenge and an opportunity. For Christians, it is an opportunity to respond to our gospel call to build unity through compassion.

As a university sponsored by the School Sisters of Notre Dame, we are guided by some fundamental principles of the sisters. One is unity. The SSND constitution calls upon the sisters to “proclaim the good news as School Sisters of Notre Dame, directing our entire lives toward that oneness for which Jesus Christ was sent.”

Thus, they lead their educational institutions by the principle that the world can be changed through the transformation of persons.

We at Mount Mary are guided by this principle, that we serve to transform persons to change

What an opportune time for Christians to reflect on Christ as the unifier. Fully human and fully divine, Christ unites us to God and to each other in solidarity as one human family. During Jesus’ life and ministry, he modeled and taught unity through compassion, primarily in loving people who have been cast off as sinners or outcasts, even those whom the leaders of his faith rejected.

The parable of the Good Samaritan is but one of Jesus’ teachings on unity through compassion. Each character in the parable belonged to a different identity group. This was Jesus’ way of showing the harm in “othering” people, as we say in our time. He made this point to show us that compassion overcomes disunity and that everyone is worthy of care and love. He illustrates this in other parables, in which people are cast out of society because they are judged as sinners, even though, he points out, no one is without sin.

His stories point to the tendency for people to alienate others by joining in a common judgment against them. But Jesus admonishes those casting judgments and then ministers to, befriends and accompanies the outcast. Jesus consistently adheres to teaching of his own Jewish faith, to care for those who are marginalized.

Unity in practice

He models unity and solidarity with the outcast when he explicitly calls for care for the “least” among us,

Continued on page 34

It is because we are Catholic that we serve all students with care, compassion and respect.

SIMPLE. EASY. IMPACTFUL.

A GIFT TO MOUNT MARY REAPS MULTIPLE REWARDS

If you are like many individuals, your IRA has increased in value over the years, and you have more income than you may need.

If you are over 70½, you may roll over up to $100,000 from your IRA to charity without increasing your taxable income or paying any additional tax.

Tax-free charitable rollover gifts could be $100, $1000 or any amount up to $100,000.

The gift may satisfy your required minimum distribution for this year.

OTHER WAYS TO GIVE