Mount Magazine spring 2020

Mount MOUNT ST. MARY’S UNIVERSITY

The Mount's Meaningful Spaces

MAGAZINE

SPRING 2020

Springtime in Antioch Acts 11:19-26

Silent green cells glide through stem.

Leaves unfold small green hands.

Sun calls to applause.

We stir within a city within, turn slowly around ourselves, a silent westerly movement.

Like red blood cells through arteries, wings, corridors, toward the heart.

SR. ANNE M. HIGGINS Digging for God: Praying with Poetry

Mount Magazine

Spring 2020

Dear Alumni, Parents & Friends, Our mountain home has never looked more beautiful than it has this spring, partly due to the work of our essential workers and also because the air is clearer. You can see more of the surrounding rolling hills and farmland than usual. More stars are visible, and they shine brightly. Our squirrel community is bolder, and even birds appear to be singing more loudly.

Many in our Mount community miss campus and are eagerly awaiting the day they can return to Mary’s mountain. In this issue of Mount Magazine, we prompt you to remember some of the special spaces on campus and their meaning to you as sons and daughters of the Mount. Alumni, coaches and students share their reflections on these sites, offering stories of adventure, faith, love and hope.

It is especially poignant to be sharing these stories at such a stressful and uncertain time. I hope the gorgeous photography and engaging stories will remind you of your days at the Mount and encourage you to be a part of the university’s future which includes new majors in neuroscience and data science, an esports program and an NCAA Division I water polo program.

Despite the challenges of the past several months, the Mount has continued to export its goodness in multiple ways as detailed in the article titled Together as One on page 12. I have been so impressed by the way the Mount community has banded together for our students, faculty and the communities of Emmitsburg and Frederick. This issue of the magazine also includes inspiring profiles of Tom Harrington, C’78, who has had a major role in ensuring that our country’s cyberspace is secure, and Dr. William Heath, a retired English professor who influenced his successor as faculty liaison to the award-winning Lighted Corners literary magazine as well as countless other alumni.

As I have said before, it is providential that the challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic had their roots during Lent. Lent is a time of reflection on our flaws, some of which have been exposed by the coronavirus, and also of hope in God’s enduring promises of love and forgiveness. I am confident that Our Lord’s grace and the support of the Mount community will see us through this time.

PRESIDENT Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D. VP UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT Robert Brennan, C’85 VP ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT, MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Jack Chielli MANAGING EDITOR Donna Klinger EDITOR Nicole Patterson COPY EDITOR Joe Paciella, C’03, MBA’11 WRITERS Thomas Bligh, Ph.D., C'94 Peter Dorsey, Ph.D. Donna Klinger Joe Paciella, C’03, MBA’11 Nicole Patterson ALUMNI NEWS TEAM Kim Johnson, MBA’18 Emily Myers, C’13, MBA’15 CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Donna Klinger Michael Miller, Ph.D. Michael Miville of MM Visuals Rev. Martin Moran Kiyan Sheraz, C’19 DESIGN Laura C. Moyer SPECIAL THANKS Sr. Anne M. Higgins Jessica J. Whitmore, C’16 STAY CONNECTED Mount Magazine Mount St. Mary’s University 16300 Old Emmitsburg Road Emmitsburg, MD 21727 301-447-5366 themagazine@msmary.edu msmary.edu/magazine Change of address? Email advancementservices@msmary.edu

TIMOTHY E. TRAINOR, PH.D. President

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MOUNT MAGAZINE SPRING 2020

The Office of University Marketing and Communications publishes Mount Magazine two times a year for alumni, parents and friends of Mount St. Mary’s University. Opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the author and do not specifically represent opinions of the magazine staff or the university. Reader responses and alumni contributions are welcome. The Mount reserves the right to refuse or revise comments or contributions for style and length.

Cover Story

Contents Features 12

TOGETHER AS ONE Transition to Remote Instruction

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SOCIOLOGY IN THE PANDEMIC An Interview with Kim Hansen, Ph.D.

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INTEGRITY, LEADERSHIP & TEAMWORK Life Lessons with Thomas Harrington, C'78

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HEATH RETURNS TO POETRY "Leaving Seville" & "Night Moves in Ohio"

The Mount's Meaningful Spaces page 24

The Mount's Meaningful Spaces A SPECIAL PLACE MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE CHAPEL CHAPEL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION KEATING HALL BELL TOWER

Mount Magazine Departments 06

MOUNT NEWS

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ALUMNI NEWS

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CLASS NOTES

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STAY CONNECTED

MEMORIAL GYM ECHO FIELD THE MOUNT NATIONAL SHRINE GROTTO SACRED SPACES & TIMELESS PLACES THE OTT HOUSE

SPRING 2020 MOUNT MAGAZINE

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Mount News Mount Adopts Common App & Test Optional L AST FALL, MOUNT ST. MARY’S UNIVERSIT Y began offering students the opportunity to apply using the Common Application, which brought considerable interest and attention to the Mount from prospective students. Complementing these efforts, the Mount implemented the Slate customer relationship management system, which allows counselors to more efficiently and effectively communicate and develop relationships with prospective students.

Beginning this year, the Mount also adopted test-optional admissions for freshman applicants. This policy allows students to choose whether to include SAT and ACT scores in their application, especially for those who may feel their scores don’t fully reflect their academic abilities.

Studies of the many colleges and universities that have adopted this policy show that students who are accepted without test scores are as academically successful in college as those undergraduates who provide their scores.

“This decision aligns admissions practices with the university’s mission and history as a Catholic liberal arts institution, as well as removes barriers to access and promotes equity,” said President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D. “We believe that standardized test scores do not accurately represent many students, especially those from historically underserved and underrepresented populations.”

All freshman applicants (except for homeschool and international applicants) are eligible for admission and scholarships without submitting their scores, but may do so if they believe their scores add to their overall academic story.

Learn more!

Visit msmary.edu/dei to read about diversity, equity and inclusion at the Mount.

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MOUNT NEWS SPRING 2020

Erin Jaskot, MBA'20

Men’s and Women’s Cross Country earns

NCAA Public Recognition Award

OUTPACING THE COMPETITION IS SOMETHING the Mount’s men’s and women’s cross country teams strive to do on a regular basis. Recently, they also accomplished that feat in the classroom, when the NCAA and the Division I Committee on Academics announced they were recipients of the NCAA Public Recognition Award. Designed to highlight team academic success, the award goes to those with an NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate in the top 10% of all programs in a sport.* “We are very proud of the academic accomplishments of our men’s and women’s cross country student-athletes. It’s a testament to their hard work in the classroom, in addition to the support they have received from our faculty, coaches, academic support staff and the Mount community. By achieving the highest levels of academic success as a team, these young men and women truly embody what it means to be a successful student-athlete,” said Director of Athletics Lynne

Robinson, C’79, MBA’83, who was recently recognized by Sports Business Journal as the seventh longest tenured female athletic director at an NCAA Division I university.

The Northeast Conference (NEC) also recognized individual cross country members for their academic success. In all, the program had 15 of its student-athletes earn a place on the NEC’s Academic Honor Roll for a GPA of 3.2 or higher. It also had three student-athletes – Nathaniel Bald, C’21, (economics) Nicholas Hildebrand, C’23, (cybersecurity), and Adria Pirozzi, C’21, (biochemistry) – named to the Commissioners Honor Roll for earning a GPA of 3.75 or higher for fall 2019.

“When we talk about our core values—selflessness, focus, endurance, resilience, integrity, excellence and courage—they matter ‘off the course’ as much as they matter in practice and on race day. The idea is to form the human person, so that whatever they do, they do it with these values,” said Director of Cross Country, Track & Field Jay Phillips, C’05, MT’08.

Three members of the women’s cross country team who earned places on the Academic Honor Roll also proved their abilities on the course. Erin Jaskot, MBA’20, won the Lebanon Valley Last Chance Run Fast Invitational and earned All-NEC honors; Maddie Kole, C’20, was selected twice as an NEC Women's Athlete of the Week, also earning All-NEC honors; and Theresa Long, C’23, was named an NEC Women's Cross Country Rookie of the Week.

“We’ve been steadily moving in the right direction,” Phillips said. “Coach FitzSimons has the men and women rolling and it’s a joy to watch them compete and continue to grow.” *Based on NCAA Academic Progress Rate data released in May 2019.

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MICHAEL UNRUH, ED.D., joined Mount St. Mary’s University this fall as director of the Palmieri Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE) within the Richard J. Bolte, Sr. School of Business. In his first several months at the Mount, he focused on meeting with students, developing programs to promote entrepreneurial awareness and reaching out to entrepreneurs who may be willing to share their real-world experiences with students.

The Palmieri Center, created in 2017 with a $1 million donation from alumni Paul Palmieri, C’92, and Diane Loiello Palmieri, C’83, is an innovative resource that provides skill building, mentorship and real-world experiences vital to the development of creative critical thinking.

“Mr. Palmieri is committed to seeing as many Mount students as possible, from within all academic programs across campus, engaged in extracurricular learning experiences centered on entrepreneurship while at the Mount,” Unruh said. “I’ve been impressed by the number of entrepreneurial students bringing interest and ideas to the Center.”

Michael Unruh

Named Director of Palmieri Center for Entrepreneurship

Serve Selflessly Share your experiences, be a guest speaker, mentor students and more by contacting Michael Unruh at 301-447-5517 or pce@msmary.edu.

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MOUNT NEWS SPRING 2020

Unruh, an entrepreneur in the construction industry in the 1980s and early 1990s, launched his first business when he was a graduate student in counseling psychology at James Madison University in the early 1980s. He earned a doctoral degree in higher education leadership and policy at the University of Delaware before joining Shippensburg University, where he started the Charles H. Diller, Jr. Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the Small Business Development Center.

“We are thrilled that Dr. Unruh has become part of the Mount community,” said Michael Driscoll, Ed.D., dean of the Richard J. Bolte, Sr. School of Business. ”Mount students across all majors are benefitting from numerous entrepreneurship resources and presentations.”

Helping students develop an “entrepreneurial mindset” is the primary goal of PCE, according to Unruh. “There is not the expectation that all, or even many, students will launch a new enterprise while in college or shortly after graduation. Assuring that graduates have the entrepreneurial awareness that will enable them to capitalize on an opportunity in the future is critical in today’s rapidly changing economy,” Unruh said. “In a sense, our goal is to create programming that helps prepare students for opportunities that do not yet exist.”

A relatively new major in entrepreneurship, managed under the Palmieri Center, offers students a unique, interdisciplinary approach that broadens their understanding of the environment of modern business development, management and organizational leadership. The entrepreneurship major does not singularly focus on new business start-ups but strives for the holistic awakening of an entrepreneurial spirit that promotes success in a wide range of life pursuits.

Unruh is working with the Office of Alumni Engagement to identify and connect with alumni entrepreneurs who can bring real-world experiences to campus to broaden students’ exposure and understanding of entrepreneurship. Informal discussions with students, panel presentations, student competition mentors and judges, and guest speakers in the formal classroom setting are some areas where experienced entrepreneurs can bring real value to Mount students, Unruh said.

Pastors & Stewards:

New Online Courses Provide Seminarians and Parish Professionals Tools Beyond Their Pastoral Studies MOUNT ST. MARY’S SEMINARY AND UNIVERSIT Y developed a series of online learning modules for the formation of Catholic seminarians on leadership and financial responsibilities called Pastors & Stewards. Designed for priests, pastoral associates, deacons and those involved in collaborative ministry, Pastors & Stewards provides seminarians and lay parish professionals with the tools they need to effectively run operations that extend beyond their pastoral studies.

“Through this program, Mount St. Mary’s is able to remediate the financial and administrative challenges that parish priests often face, ensuring they are well-prepared for the vocation to which God has called them,” explained Mount St. Mary’s Vice President and Seminary Rector, Msgr. Andrew Baker, S.T.D. Catholic parishes include many aspects of small business— requiring competency in human resources, financial management, strategic planning and ethical leadership. Mount St. Mary’s Seminary has been developing these skills in its seminarians for several years and surveyed vocation directors and parish priests across the nation to ensure comprehensive course materials were practical before launching the first modules of Pastors & Stewards in February 2019 in an effort to serve the greater Catholic community.

“Pastors and Stewards is a timely joint project between Mount St. Mary’s University and Mount St. Mary’s Seminary to help future and current parish leaders become responsible, competent and ethical stewards of their local churches,” said Project Director of Pastors & Stewards and Director of Pastoral Formation, Rev. John Trigilio Jr., Ph.D. Six online courses are currently available on an individual or packaged subscription basis: Parish Leadership, Parish Financials I & II, Human Resources and Strategic Planning I & II. Three more courses, Virtuous Uses of Technology I & II and Personal Finance, are forthcoming.

Topics include: communication style, decision-making, creating a parish budget, fidelity to the mission of the parish, hiring and firing, performance reviews and ethical practices, collecting and analyzing data, financial accountability and identifying stakeholders.

“Two centers in the School of Education are pleased to collaborate with the seminary on the revision and creation of Pastors & Stewards,” said Dean of the School of Education Barbara Marinak, Ph.D., who also contributed to the modules. “Professor Elizabeth Monahan and Dr. Stacey Brown-Hobbs produced the content for

the latest modules in Strategic Planning. Laura Corbin Frazier, Ed.D., the director of the Center for Instructional Design and Delivery (CIDD), facilitates the design and production of all the modules.”

The Pastors & Stewards program is funded, in part, by the Lilly Endowment’s Association Theological School Initiative to Address Economic Challenges Facing Future Ministers. The Lilly Endowment is a private philanthropic organization, centered on commitment to community, education and religion was formally established in 1937 and has made grants totaling more than $9.9 billion to 9,792 charitable organizations with assets totaling $11.7 billion in 2017, according to the organization's website. Mount St. Mary’s matched the Lilly Endowment’s $125,000 grant.

Michael Bovino, S’20, from the Archdiocese of Hartford, participated in the Human Resources module. “I found it to be very helpful information and realize it will be a valuable reference,” he said. “I’m grateful to know that various modules are available and I am certain that I will reference and access all the modules in the near future when I am a priest.”

“The modules are intended to be useful to all stakeholders of a parish,” said CIDD's Frazier, who facilitates the design process from original content to finished product. “The pastor is the main focus, though the modules are also useful in the preparation for seminarians who may one day find themselves leading parish, school or health facilities. Similar lay administrators may find the content useful as they support parish operations.”

By working together, the seminary and university found both their mission statements aligned. Mount St. Mary’s Seminary is a school of faith, discipleship and learning that prepares men for the Catholic ministerial priesthood, striving to be a spiritual place that fosters a way of life and provides an atmosphere for excellent priestly formation in all its aspects: human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral. Mount St. Mary’s University graduates ethical leaders who are inspired by a passion for learning and lead lives of significance in service to God and others.

Sign up now!

Registration for Pastors & Stewards is available at msmary.gosignmeup.com.

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Advancing Careers & Changing Lives

Here are three success stories of working adults whose Mount degrees helped support their career advancement in business, education and public service.

“Personal integrity combined with using just and moral judgment, in business and my personal life, was a large factor in my success—much of which I owe to the strong Catholic values reinforced during my time at the Mount in the undergraduate and graduate programs.”

RICHARD FOLIO, C’88, MBA’98 EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AT MIDWEST RAILCAR CORPORATION Tell us about yourself, your current career and how you got to where you are today.

I was previously the chief operating officer (COO) of a bank leasing company. In 2003, I became an entrepreneur after leaving the bank and served as owner, chief financial officer (CFO) and COO of Midwest Railcar Corporation (an operating railcar leasing company). In 2006, my business partner and I sold the company to a large Japanese trading company and I have continued to serve in the role of CFO and COO since 2006.

I got to where I am today through a combination of being well educated in the discipline of business and finance and working hard and persevering. Additionally, personal integrity combined with using just and moral judgment, in business and my personal life, was a large factor in my success—much of which I owe to the strong Catholic values that were reinforced during my time at the Mount in the undergraduate and graduate programs.

What were your personal and academic goals when starting your academic program at the Mount?

I wanted to expand my knowledge in the disciplines of finance and business administration through the well-rounded curriculum the Mount offers while also having the opportunity to network with other MBA students from diverse business backgrounds. Furthermore, the requirement of writing a thesis to complete my MBA program allowed me to incorporate the important research project and presentation that I needed to achieve a significant investment approval from my employer. This was a real life case study that the Mount’s MBA program offered to benefit me through personal and professional achievement.

Learn more!

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Did your experience help you achieve or realign your goals?

My experience helped me achieve my goals as I expanded my knowledge in the discipline of finance and business administration. My experience allowed me to not only succeed with the bank I was working for at that time, but the Mount’s MBA program also provided valuable professional skills I needed to succeed as an entrepreneur.

How do you apply the knowledge gained in your academic studies at the Mount to your current career?

As the CFO of a $1 billion asset company, finance is a very important discipline to the success of Midwest Railcar Corporation. The expanded knowledge I gained from the Mount’s MBA program with a concentration in finance was invaluable to my career and has also allowed me to become a leader of our organization while also being involved in other organizations whether by participating as a board member and/or as a finance committee member.

Did earning a degree open new opportunities or help you negotiate a different salary/job title?

Yes. Soon after receiving my MBA, I was promoted to senior vice president at the bank; I was able to negotiate a raise of nearly 20% as well as stock options.

Why would you recommend Mount St. Mary’s University?

I would recommend Mount St. Mary’s University for any individual considering a master’s degree in business administration. The Mount’s faculty is very knowledgeable and experienced on the challenging curriculum that is applicable to the real world. Furthermore, being an ethical leader is very important in the advancement of a professional career in business, and the Mount did a great job incorporating the teaching of ethical leadership in the MBA program.

Visit frederick.msmary.edu to learn more about our 20 graduate degree and certificate programs and six adult undergraduate degree options.

“It’s interesting how everything has come full circle.”

JENNIFER CHI, C’08, MBA’10 ECONOMIST AT THE BUREAU OF L ABOR STATISTICS Jennifer Chi, C’08, MBA’10, could not have predicted a successful career as an economist when she started at the Mount.

She was sure she wanted to earn a college degree but unsure what she wanted to study.

“The Mount’s core curriculum required me to take some sort of social science course so I picked economics,” she says. “I loved the course because the subject came to me so easily; that’s how I picked my majors.” She pursued her strengths and double majored in business with a finance concentration, and economics. Chi then challenged herself to exceed her goal.

She earned an MBA and was quickly offered employment at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a unit of the U.S. Department of Labor and the principal fact-finding agency for the U.S. government in the field of labor economics and statistics that serves as a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System.

The knowledge and skills she learned at the Mount are applicable in her career. She spends her days working in employment projections on the Occupational Outlook Handbook and Career publication. “We referenced BLS data frequently within my economics and business courses,” she says.

“Now, I work on publishing the data and content that I used to do research about in college.” In fact, her work is used to offer insights and information about fastest growing, highest paid and new jobs in the market—an invaluable resource to schools, businesses and students.

Chi credits the core curriculum for her success because it allowed her to explore many subjects and expand her knowledge base—and because of it, she’s a wellrounded graduate. “It’s interesting how everything has come full circle,” she says.

“The Mount provided the foundation for my style of instruction, my classroom management and my desire to reach all students no matter their learning style.”

JENNIFER K ARN, C’97, MED'05 TEACHES ENGLISH L ANGUAGE ARTS AT ST. MARY CATHOLIC SCHOOL IN HAGERSTOWN, MARYL AND “Looking back, it’s crazy to think how far technology has advanced in the classroom,” says Jennifer Karn, C’97, MED'05, 2019 Teacher of the Year for Archdiocese of Baltimore Schools.

Karn has also transformed herself, both inside and outside the classroom, since her ideation as an education major at Mount St. Mary’s University.

While pursuing her bachelor’s degree and spending time student teaching, she quickly identified her passion for instructing middle school students.

It didn’t take her long to discover the possibilities interactive technologies could provide—and the strength and speed at which technological advancements took a front-row seat in her classroom.

With a deep curiosity and enthusiasm for education, Karn desired to learn how to use the newest teaching tools.

She wanted to harness their power to enrich her students’ educational experiences. That seamless integration from tools and technologies to hands and minds was exactly what she wanted to explore further.

“Getting my master’s degree with a concentration in instructional technology was a perfect fit for me,” she says—and she knew where to go. As a Mount alumna, Karn knew the Mount’s master’s program would provide a rigorous and comprehensive education to grow her teaching career.

At a time when SMART boards were being introduced to the market and Web 2.0 tools were on the horizon, she says learning those basics prepared her for waves of continuous technological advances. “The Mount

gave me the confidence to try new things in my teaching. The Mount taught me to reflect on and celebrate what worked and tweak what did not.”

As Karn celebrated those professional achievements, she also celebrated a joyful personal milestone. Karn and her husband David welcomed their firstborn son into the family. “Noah was born in February during my last class—the research one,” she remembers. She says her professor and peers were accommodating when she needed to miss class for her delivery or step out of class to nurse him.

“Knowing I had the support of my professor and the Mount made that experience so much easier. Graduating in May and having a three-month old at the ceremony was absolutely priceless.

Post-graduation, she says earning her master’s degree has helped move her up the pay scale and allowed her to take on additional roles and responsibilities as the local administrator for Power School for St. Mary and the moderator of the National Junior High Society where she serves on the school’s testing committee and PBIS committee. She is also proud to have taught writing as an adjunct at Howard Community College.

Today, with more than 22 years of experience in education, Karn has taught English Language Arts to sixth, seventh and eighth graders with the Archdiocese of Baltimore. “I don’t know how I lived without Google Classroom!” she exclaims, looking at students using Chromebooks. In her classroom, students are excited to learn and engage with all the possibilities in their futures and they’re prepared to integrate—no matter how quickly the technology evolves. Spoken with the comfort and ease of an ode long remembered, she smiles and adds: “I know my education from the Mount was instrumental in that.”

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Garth Patterson, Ph.D., Kraig Sheetz, Ph.D., and Nick Hutchings, M.F.A., model sample faceshields they printed for a local nursing home.

Together as One

By Donna Klinger Since Mount St. Mary’s University announced a transition to remote instruction on March 11, the Mount community has pulled together to ensure the university and its students successfully emerge from this challenging and uncertain time brought about by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The Mount has been blessed by the commitment and actions of faculty and students, administrators and staff, the arts and sciences, and alumni and parents as well as friends of the university. Helen Keller’s words, “Alone we can do little; together we can do so much,” are proving to be especially true as the Mount continues to move ever forward together as one.

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FACULT Y AND STUDENTS The faculty and staff of the School of Education’s Center for Instructional Design and Delivery (CIDD) and IT team put Emmitsburg, Frederick and Seminary faculty through a technology boot camp in preparation for the start of remote learning. They offered their expertise on Canvas, a learning management system, and Zoom, a video conferencing platform used to create virtual classrooms.

“I have been inspired by the enthusiasm of long-time faculty like Susann Samples and Carol Hinds as well as faculty who teach science lab-based or art courses such as Dana Ward, Danny Miles and Nick Hutchings,” said President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D., several days after classes resumed remotely on March 18.

Some faculty have offered live classes on Zoom at their BC (before coronavirus) class time, while others recorded lectures and hosted discussion boards, but all were available to students during office hours. Associate Professor of Philosophy Michael Miller, Ph.D., took a particularly creative approach to his video lectures, including a 360-degree video about Aristotle while walking around campus, a 'Socratic dialogue' with himself and use of a green screen to shrink himself to 3 inches tall like Ant Man in the movies.

“There have been numerous emails sent to us that provide guidance, instruction and encouragement to transition to online courses,” said Katie Shugars, C’20, a criminal justice major. “I’m hopeful that we will get through all of this together, as we will have a story to tell for future generations to come.”

ADMINISTRATORS AND STAFF In support of student success, the Mount also rapidly transitioned its academic support services online. From peer tutoring to the Writing Center and from Learning Services to academic support for student-athletes, services traditionally offered face-to-face on campus moved online. The Career Center presented workshops and held individual sessions with students through Zoom. Counseling Services remained committed to student well-being and resilience by offering remote services. The Center for Student Engagement and Success held Tools for Academic Success workshops, and coaches worked with students. The Information Technology Support Center extended weekend and evening hours.

Recognizing the importance of feeding the spirit as well as the mind, the Center for Campus Ministry provided remote offerings, including livestreamed daily rosaries and Bible studies and Masses via Zoom. In addition, students and staff engaged in a Resilience in Hope Virtual Retreat through a blog.

Campus Ministry even held its traditional Milk and Cereal Night during finals week, albeit via Zoom.

Student Life offerings also moved online with Lisa Martin, assistant director of campus recreation and fitness coordinator, posting regular workouts on the @mountfitness_ wellness Instagram account. The esports program’s Discord server provided a place for students to hang out and interact via text, voice and video as well as play games. Campus Recreation hosted popular virtual trivia game nights and held a pet picture contest that attracted nearly 200 entries.

It’s the kind of thing we want our students to witness so they too can develop the habits of mind to solve ill-defined problems.”

As of May 1, the Mount printed and assembled 55 face shields and provided them to Hartman for delivery to St. Joseph’s Place.

Sheetz, Patterson and Hutchings are working to obtain more materials and supplies necessary to complete another 60-70 face shields as quickly as possible.

ALUMNI AND FRIENDS Alumni and friends of the Mount, as well as staff and students, came together on One Mount One Day, the university’s annual day of giving on April 16, to show their support for the university and its students. This event represented the Mount’s most successful day of giving since this program was launched in 2016. More than 1,100 donors gave a total of $258,277. About half of the giving came in support of the university’s Good Samaritan Fund. The university is devoting limited funds from the Good Samaritan Fund and funds from the federal CARES Act Emergency Financial Grants to Students to help students in need to both weather this crisis and complete their education at the Mount over the coming year(s).

“We surpassed last year’s day of giving dollar total by 70 percent at a time when there are many worthy organizations seeking donor support. We also far exceeded our goal for people who generously gave with more than 1,000 community members supporting the university,” said Trainor. “I’m proud to lead this wonderful and caring community.”

ARTS AND SCIENCES Associate Professor of Chemistry Garth Patterson, Ph.D., and Associate Professor of Visual and Performing Arts Nick Hutchings, M.F.A., used 3-D printers they obtained through grants for research, problem solving and creativity in their classrooms. Since April they have mobilized these printers to make face shields for St. Joseph’s Place, formerly St. Catherine’s Nursing Center, a 106-bed skilled nursing facility in Emmitsburg that requested 125 face shields to protect their staff and residents from the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Local businessman Bill Hartman connected St. Joseph’s with the Mount.

“The artist and scientist have been absolutely marvelous,” Hartman exclaimed. “I’m not sure which of the two went as far as getting transparencies and making holes and actually putting together full units, but I was immensely impressed!”

Kraig Sheetz, Ph.D., using Zoom technology to teach a physics class.

Both professors volunteered their time in addition to teaching full course loads remotely. There were challenges along the way, but Dean of the School of Natural Science and Mathematics Kraig Sheetz, Ph.D., Patterson and Hutchings worked together, overcoming design challenges and broken printer parts as well as creatively using materials, in service of the end users.

“We talk all the time about how real problems in life are interdisciplinary,” Sheetz said. “Here we saw just one intersection of arts and science and that is the passion for using maker spaces to bring creativity to our disciplines.

Michael Miller, Ph.D., gets creative while teaching a philosophy course.

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Sociology in the Pandemic

An Interview with Kim Hansen, Ph.D.

By Peter Dorsey, Ph.D.

DURING A ROUTINE EMAIL EXCHANGE about course enrollments, Associate Professor of Sociology Kim Hansen, Ph.D., let out some steam about the response to the COVID-19 crisis when he said, “If more Americans had taken sociology they would have enough scientific literacy to understand why social isolation is necessary, enough insight into the human condition to reflect on why it is onerous, and a stronger sense of solidarity to discipline themselves for the greater good of their communities.” Hansen more bluntly asked, “Has the time come for a resurgence of sociology?" I decided to inquire further, and this interview is the result.

Born a U.S. citizen in Norway, Hansen came to America at age 18 with aspirations of becoming a pilot. He discovered that aviation was less interesting than he expected, but he became fascinated by life in the United States. His undergraduate liberal arts education at the University of North Dakota equipped him to learn more about American society and how it differs from where he grew up. After completing bachelor’s degrees in sociology and psychology, Hansen earned his master’s degree and his doctorate in sociology from the University of California, San Diego. He is the author of Military Chaplains and Religious Diversity (2012).

Like Mount students and faculty members, Hansen is teaching and learning at home.

Conducting classes from his basement, he’s sheltering in place with his wife, Yulia, and their two energetic sons, Anton and Daniel, who battle over Legos and remind him of their presence by stomping on the floor above him.

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PD: How would more sociology help with this pandemic?

KH: In its purest form sociology is about the relationship between individuals and society. The American sociologist C. Wright Mills tried to capture that in a term he called the “sociological imagination,” which helps us see the connections between “personal troubles” at the individual level and “public issues” at the societal level. This pandemic is a terrible illustration, as we experience a society-wide crisis, but also see how the behavior of individuals shapes the world we live in, from scientists racing to develop a vaccine, to heads of state, to ordinary folks doing social isolation.

Sociology provides a basic insight into people and how society impacts them. Inequality is a major theme. We have all seen how privileged people can continue working online and keep our jobs, while others lose theirs. Some Americans can better afford to stay home or go without a paycheck longer than others. Some are more vulnerable because of age or underlying health problems. Not everyone has access to medical insurance, and others have to go to work. We’re seeing a massive wave of appreciation for grocery store cashiers and stock persons but that certainly hasn’t been reflected in their wages. Maybe that will change?

Hopefully this pandemic will help us to think about our need for equality.

It’s also becoming more and more apparent that in the United States racial minorities are suffering and dying from COVID-19 at alarmingly disproportionate rates. That partly has to do with the Great Migration of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North during the 20th century, where redlining and discrimination locked them into the deindustrializing inner cities. Poverty and urban crowding are good for viruses, while living in polluted cities is bad for people’s underlying health.

PD: What role does science play?

KH: Sociology can discover things because it is a science. Like natural sciences, sociologists generate and test theories by checking them against empirical observations, often statistically. Sure, the things sociologists study aren’t natural forces and objects like gravity, gophers and asteroids. But social forces and social objects are just as real as natural ones. Conformity and table manners are as real as face masks. Viruses are natural, but virology is completely social!

Studying sociology gives you insight into the basic processes and terminology of science, which is really helpful for navigating the barrage of information coming at us about the pandemic. Understanding exponential growth helps you understand what’s meant by “flatten the curve,” while insight into statistical controls and statistical significance will help you follow efforts to test treatments and develop a vaccine.

If you’ve studied scientific method as part of sociology, you can strike a better balance between being worried enough and too worried, between paralyzing fear and happy-golucky ignorance.

PD: What does sociology tell us about the social isolation we are experiencing?

KH: We’re being told that the more individuals isolate themselves the sooner society can return to normal. That’s a stark, sociological demand. The founder of the discipline, Émile Durkheim, proved statistically that social isolation and the lack of personal attachments are harmful. Again and again, sociology has discovered that humans are social creatures. We need other people to thrive. That’s why we suffer so much during this time of physical isolation – it simply isn’t healthy. This sociological insight explains why we’re so miserable confined to our homes and why we work so hard to try to recreate community online.

PD: What major lessons have we learned?

KH: When you look at the big, historical changes and trends, such as technological revolutions and urbanization and how they impact individuals, you see some really interesting ironies.

For example, it looks as if one reason we have outbreaks of new infectious diseases such as COVID-19 is that human populations grow and encroach on the habitats of disease-carrying animals.

That means that changes in human settlement patterns in China can make people who live on the other side of the world die in hospital beds without being able to have their families nearby.

We’re taking classes online and can’t gather for proper funerals because a city far away disrupted bat habitats.

This all highlights globalization, which is basically a technologydriven evolution in transportation and communication. The same airliners that allow us to study abroad and travel to other climates for vacation also spread viruses across the globe in days. The same cargo ships that lowered the price of consumer goods so we could have a high material standard of living also makes us vulnerable to shortages of basic medical equipment.

We live in a society where people own multiple cars and their hospitals are running out of 75-cent face masks! The same computer revolution that bound global economies so close together that financial disruption spreads from nation to nation in seconds also allows us to recreate a sense of community by having online church services and chatting live with relatives on other continents.

PD: Do you think the pandemic will change our lives permanently?

KH: That’s something I wonder about frequently in between working on my online classes. Will we return to normal? Or is this a kind of “etch-a-sketch” moment after which we realize that we have to live differently? I can imagine both small, individual changes that might come about, as well as big society-wide ones because I have been privileged to study sociology. We’ll need to address specific questions like “How does America, a world leader in medical science, fall prey to a lack of basic medical supplies?” We may see a more diversified domestic economy and more emphasis on national self-sufficiency. On a micro-level, the

handshake may be dead, and I wonder what we’ll replace it with.

I vote for jazz hands!

It is a bad societal situation, but it sparks the imagination of the sociologist. People think back to the flu pandemic 100 years ago or the Great Depression. Personally, I catch myself thinking about the Civil War. The death toll took everyone by surprise then too, and people were horrified thinking about relatives dying alone and not being able to give them proper funerals. After that war, there was a strong desire to return to life as normal and that was true of the 1918 flu pandemic too. So maybe the handshake will survive? Maybe we’ll revalue human touch and meeting people after this?

The pandemic is also reflecting political divisions in American society and exposing conflicts over values that are at least partly shaped by social class. We’ve got some Americans persuaded that the scientists and governors are exaggerating and that it’s worth risking lives to restart the economy sooner, while others discipline themselves and stay home. Each side mocks the other without thinking much about how differently we’re all affected by this. Both sides are grappling with the same deeply sociological problems: how does this global event impact me and how will my actions impact others? I think we should be more understanding of each other, and sociology offers us tools to achieve that.

PD: How are you adjusting to the new normal at Mount St. Mary’s?

KH: I got lucky. Sociology is a discipline that can be easily taught online. I had already taught online during the last two summers and in support of our undergraduates studying abroad. So I had used [our digital learning platform] Canvas before, and that made the transition easier. I learned a few new features, but didn’t start from scratch. I also saw the transition coming and brainstormed before the reality materialized. It takes a lot of work to go online, but it is doable. For the sake of continuity, I changed as little as I could. For example, the class that had lots of student presentations now has students recording presentations and posting them online before discussing. For another class, I record videos myself so students can watch them and take quizzes on their own time.

Listening to the buffalo stampede my sons sometimes make upstairs made me realize I wouldn’t be the only one with distractions at home and that live video services would be strained when the whole USA turned to online learning basically at the same time, so I decided not to do much of my online teaching “live.” I know some students are feeling lonely and miss the community you get from a live class, but others have to compete for screen time with parents working from home and younger siblings whose schools also moved to remote learning, so it’s a trade-off. I can tell the students really miss each other from how active the discussion boards are, and I’m moved by the quality of work they’re able to produce while worrying about sick family members and other problems. For some, my classes will productively take their minds off the pandemic, while for others they’ll cause more stress. But in the longer run, having a liberal arts education provides useful perspectives on how to endure the pandemic and how to make sense of it when it’s over. And it will end. We are strong and we will get through this together.

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Integrity, Leadership & Teamwork Life Lessons with Thomas Harrington, C’78

By Nicole Patterson THROUGH HIGH-RANKING POSITIONS AT THE FBI, Citi and other organizations, Thomas Harrington, C’78, has played a major role in ensuring our nation’s cyberspace is secure. He achieved his life of significance through talent, teamwork and technology— in that order. He explains: “You have to get good people, good foundations and good ethics. Then the technology is just a tool they use to execute your strategy.”

Mount Magazine (MM): The Mount’s mission is to graduate ethical leaders who are inspired by a passion for learning and lead lives of significance in service to God and others. Can you share an example of the personal values you hold close and how they helped guide your leadership during a difficult time?

Harrington is retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) where he served as associate deputy director and Citi where he served as managing director and chief information security officer.

He now serves as a senior advisor at McKinsey & Co., a senior fellow at the University of Pennsylvania and as a member of the board of advisors at two security software and information companies: Securonix and Cyware. He also serves as a senior advisor with Aveshka, a cybersecurity consulting firm where he will be supporting his information technology colleagues at the FBI. He gives all the credit to his wife, Marla.

They have two daughters and a son who work at the FBI and with the Department of Defense.

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Thomas Harrington (TH): I’m at a point in my life when people begin to ask these kinds of questions. It’s never really that simple; it’s complex. Integrity in our thoughts, words and deeds must all be aligned with our core values, our purpose, our beliefs and our behaviors. The values I hopefully displayed in my professional and personal life centered on faith, family and community. Our core FBI, Citi and Harrington family values were about respect for the dignity of each individual, accountability in our actions and our teamwork to move forward our mission. We are always stronger as a team.

MM: What advice would you give to current students about responsibility to ethical and moral codes of conduct and why they matter?

TH: Our values and virtues deeply reflect who we are and help create trust and support. I think students have to constantly think about preparing themselves for the next set of challenges.

Life is a leadership laboratory. We used to say in the FBI, we expect every single employee to demonstrate leadership.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re the director or at an entrylevel position, you’re going to have opportunities every day to demonstrate leadership—choices that you make and that reflect on all of us, fortunately or unfortunately, and you need to be humble in that process. It’s more challenging to find humble

“Life is a leadership laboratory.”

THOMAS HARRINGTON, C’78

leaders today. I am a firm believer in the idea of teamwork.

The strength of the wolf is in the pack. It’s about the team; individuals don’t win games.

If I had any successes at the FBI and at Citi, it was around the fact that I was trying to anticipate, if not structure, what the future was going to be. It’s important to be ready for the next set of problems even though it might be weeks or months in advance; it’s important to have some time to think about and work on those issues. The outcomes are important

in so many places. It’s no longer just on your hard drive on your phone. It’s in the cloud. It’s virtually everywhere and the things that you do today, 20 years from now may not be judged the same way so it becomes fairly challenging. That’s the problem.

Something could be acceptable today that’s not acceptable in 15 or 20 years from now and you may be in a position where you’re really trying to do some good and you’ve got competitors or adversaries who want to challenge that.

MM: What are two outcomes you want for your life?

MM: Help people understand the importance of security in digital spaces. What are some examples of how integrity and character play a very real role in the field?

TH: Change is going to happen. Students have to be lifelong learners. I actually gave a lecture a few years back about how technology changed the FBI. Technology is always going to be advancing.

Every single person can make a difference. I go back to my idea of teamwork. At the presentation I gave to Mount Council, I talked about talent, teamwork and technology—and in that order. You have to get good people, good foundations and good ethics. Get good people, people you like, and put them together on a team that’s able to function like a team. I’ve had a lot of opportunities to teach and coach others on how you build those teams. Then the technology is just a tool they use to execute your strategy.

MM: How do we keep our digital landscape from becoming a digital wasteland?

TH: There’s no going back. This technology is here. We’re going to use it. I think the challenge today, especially with young people, is to understand that this stuff is going to live for a long, long time. In Europe, for example, they have this idea that there has to be a way to be forgotten, if you want to be forgotten. I think that’s a challenge. I’m not sure anyone’s figured out how to be totally effective at that eraser piece because the information is

TH: My first priority is obviously my family. I want my kids to be happy and make good choices and enjoy what they’re doing.

I’d also like to know that during my time on this earth that I did some good where I could.

MM: Can you please share a memorable story about your time at the Mount? What’s a specific location or space at the Mount that is meaningful for you? What memories are tied to it?

TH: I honestly don’t have one memorable story; it’s a stream of things. I was part of the Knights of Columbus and remember going to some older gentleman’s home on the Mason-Dixon line and helping him clean up his yard, repair his windows. Going to basketball games was a lot of fun. I played intramurals and I was on the soccer team for four years, which was phenomenal.

I had an internship at the Treasury Department, which, you know, thinking back paid huge dividends. Terri Gelles got me involved in that. I think Tom O’Connor and Theresa Whalen were the other two who were also in the Treasury with me at the time.

I also remember Mass Sunday mornings in Pangborn Chapel with Father Fives. He was great. I think about Father Malloy. I lived next door to him for one year. Father Delaney married my wife and me. Those were all great experiences.

I think when I look back, the Mount was the right school for me.

It was small enough that I could participate in a lot of things and feel part of the community and feel camaraderie and team spirit at the Mount.

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MM: What questions do you think we should be asking about ethics, technology and humanity?

TH: If I made anything of my career it’s been asking questions, right? That is the key. You look at being intelligence led, it’s about the boss asking good questions because then good answers come from those questions or then people have to build good answers over time because the question isn’t going away.

I really believe in high performance teams. They all have a common roadmap; they all have communications. I think what I found from my time at the Mount, for example, my ability to be on a team, whether it was on a sports team like the soccer or intramural team or in the business department in the accounting program, I think all helped set me up for success down the road. Obviously you need a college degree to become an FBI agent so it met the first requirement there, but the ideas of critical, ethical, innovative thinking were all part of my training. I think of Father Fives in the ethics program, Father Delaney with his sociology teachings and questions. I didn’t realize then how much I was learning—but it created a passion for everything I was trying to do.

MM: How is the Mount uniquely positioned to make a difference in the fields of cybersecurity, data science and intelligence studies?

TH: I think the Mount has to expand into this space. You’re in the backyard of the National Security Agency, the DOD and the entire U.S. government. When I went to the Mount, back in the ‘70s, most of the students were the sons and daughters of government employees here in D.C. or Baltimore. It was a great school; it was a feeder school for careers in the government. The federal, state and local governments need ethical, committed leaders who want to make a positive difference.

There are two million unfilled cybersecurity jobs around the world right now. It’s a global issue—it’s not just here in the United States. Technology is going to be a foundational component in whatever you have to deal with and you have 1 8

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to know to begin to manage it. You’ve also got to adopt this technology at the Mount to include the education of folks that don’t actually, physically, show up at your place.

I’m a big endorser of the Mount’s forensic accounting program.

I think it’s phenomenal; there are only seven other schools in the country that have a program like that. I’m excited about the Mount getting more involved.

MM: Ten years ago you were on the front cover of Mount Magazine. Can you share some of life’s lessons with us since then?

TH: I started at the Mount dreaming about becoming an FBI agent, wanting to protect mom and pop investments. Then when I got into the organized crime program, it was about how to protect the merchant and some others, who were being extorted or having their products stolen when they’re living in the fear of these organized crime groups. Of course there was counterterrorism after 9/11, and now it’s about stopping these fanatics who are looking to expand the caliphate and put us all under their type of rule and whatnot.

It was my privilege and honor to work with so many outstanding people. I am humbled to have stood on the shoulders of so many outstanding American patriots in the roles I held at the FBI and I know I had angels on my shoulder helping me—including my dad, mom and grandparents. They all taught us through their example. *Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited and condensed.

Learn More!

Click here to read his interview from 2010.

Heath Returns to Poetry

By Thomas Bligh, Ph.D., C'94

IN 2007, WHEN WILLIAM HEATH, PH.D., RETIRED FROM THE MOUNT as professor emeritus after a teaching career that spanned over 25 years, he had published an award-winning novel about the Civil Rights movement, “The Children Bob Moses Led” (1995) and a well-received collection of poetry, “The Walking Man” (1994). Heath might have chosen to rest upon his laurels. That’s not what happened. “I’ve been working harder,” Heath says from his living room, where I sit a few feet away and record our conversation. Heath is my former professor and mentor, and though I graduated from the Mount in 1994, I’m still learning from him.

Around the time Heath announced his retirement, I was finishing my doctorate at Florida State University. I applied for his job and several months later moved into Heath’s old office in the Knott Academic Center—the same cinderblock nook where he’d helped me improve my stories and poems and where he’d advised me about graduate school and the possibility of a literary life after college. In 2007 I began teaching writing and literature at the Mount. I also assumed the daunting task of advising Lighted Corners, a publication Heath had successfully steered since 1981, growing it from a staple-bound pamphlet of a few dozen pages to a full-color glossy magazine that regularly earned accolades for its high-quality poetry, fiction, art and photography.

“If ever we needed to know more about the world, it’s now. I try to write poems that take you to other parts of the world.”

WILLIAM HEATH, PH.D.

Heath served as Libman Professor of Humanities at Hood College for a year, then taught for a few years in Hood’s honors and graduate programs.

And he wrote. And he published. In “retirement” Heath’s productivity soared. He published two more novels, “Blacksnake's Path: The True Adventures of William Wells” (2008) about an eighteenth-century frontiersman, and “Devil Dancer” (2013), a mystery set in Kentucky’s Bluegrass area. In 2016, he published a collection of interviews with the fiction writer Robert Stone. Then Heath returned to his scholarly roots and wrote “William Wells and the Struggle for the Old Northwest" (2017), which won two Spur awards from the Western Writers of America for best historical nonfiction book and best first nonfiction book. Heath continues to publish SPRING 2020 FEATURE

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Bligh and Heath at Heath's home office in Frederick, Maryland

his scholarship. “I still have my iron in the fire with literary criticism. The people accessing my work are from all over the world—Sri Lanka, China, the Pacific Islands, and Europe,” Heath says. His essay about Nathaniel Hawthorne, “The Irreverent Imagination,” has been downloaded over 1,500 times, according to ResearchGate.

The occasion of this interview is Heath’s latest two books of poetry, “Leaving Seville” and “Night Moves in Ohio.” Both books are short enough to read in an hour or so, and rich enough that you’ll want to return to reread your favorites. So why did Heath return to poetry after so many varied detours? “About three years ago I started writing poetry again. I’m such a meticulous researcher for novels it takes me about 10 years to write each one.

I may not have another 10 years, so poetry seemed to me to be a nice alternative. I’ve been brooding about a lot of these stories.

The poems in “Night Moves in Ohio” are narrative poems. I pay attention to the poetic line, with a line length that usually varies by only a couple syllables as I go down the page. The poems don’t rhyme—there’s alliteration and assonance and consonance and all the tricks of the trade, so if you listen with your ear you’ll see that the words are playing off each other a little more richly than they do in prose.”

“Steel Valley Elegy,” the first poem in “Night Moves in Ohio,” shares affinities with Walt Whitman’s “I Hear America Singing,” a celebration of work and workers. This is no accident, Heath says.

“American poetry swings between the two great nineteenthcentury poets, Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson. Whitman is the poet of the long line and large claims. Dickinson is the short line and sort of cryptic utterances. Any good poet who knows that tradition tries to work between the two. The Whitman tradition goes on to William Carlos Williams and Philip Levin and other people who write about the nitty-gritty side of American life.” The poem evokes a bygone era of blue-collar jobs in the steel and coal industries, hazardous yet lucrative work.

“I grew up in a suburb of Youngstown, Ohio, a prosperous steel town. A large immigrant community in Youngstown worked the mills. They made pretty good money in the 1950s and early 1960s.

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That was a lure to the mafia of both Cleveland and Pittsburgh, who tried to get these workers to gamble. The most popular game was called 'the bug.' The mafias started a gang war over who would control the money in the Steel Valley. When I was growing up there were about 75 gangland bombings and several people killed.” This is one of several poems that draws from Heath’s own experiences, though he’s quick to point out that not every poem in the book is autobiographical. “My Czech girlfriend and I used to spread a blanket on her backyard in the evening and when you look down on that brutal steel mill it’s really beautiful. The sparks are flying and you see the molten steel moving through the mill and there’s a kind of music when you’re that far away and the clanging of the machines and you’re watching this magical show.

But earlier the poem makes it clear that I know what’s happening on the ground. You do get nostalgic when you write about your past but you try not to be sentimental about what was going on and not kid yourself.”

“Ironically, the only time I saw a gangland hit was up in Shaker Heights, in Cleveland, when I was with my cousin. A mafia guy had been gunned down in the morning as he went out to his car.

My cousin and I walked down the street and up the driveway.

The police had gone by then. We saw a big pool of blood on the pavement and a chalk outline of the body. A woman came out of the house—I assume it was his wife—and hooked up a garden hose and hosed his blood down the drain. That was always a lasting image for me of the mafia world.” Heath turned this episode into a poem, “A Hit in Shaker Heights.”

The poems of “Night Moves in Ohio” share stories of family legends, youthful mischief, intense sports competitions and the trials of friendship. Some poems depict a world of childhood semiinnocence and teenage rites of passage. Heath’s love of history and sly humor shine through, particularly in the episodes he witnessed firsthand. In “Assassinating Nixon” young Professor Heath, decked out in hippie attire, is flagged by Secret Service as a potential threat to the president.

One of the strangest poems concerns the Green Man, a legendary figure in western Pennsylvania. According to Heath, “Going to

see the Green Man was sort of the equivalent of couples going to see horror films. It’s a grisly and deplorable situation because this is a real man with a real disability because he was electrocuted.

I don’t mean it to be a fun and games poem because there’s a negative side to it.”

The poems in “Leaving Seville” also mine Heath’s past, including his stint as a Fulbright scholar—a formative moment in his career.

“The experience of living in Spain for two years was an influence on me without question,” he says. “Here’s a totally different world. I hope what distinguishes the poems in “Leaving Seville” is they’re not tourist poems—I lived in the culture for a couple years and I hope the poems have an insider knack to them. They give you a picture of what life was like in Seville during those two years. It was tumultuous. I was in the middle of a coup. I went down to the University of Seville to teach my class and this huge building was completely dark. I went back to my local bar and said “Que pasa?” and the bartender said “Adiós democracia.” I go back to my apartment in the heart of the old city and turned on the TV at 9 o’clock, when the Spanish news normally comes on and instead of the news, there was a Bob Hope pirate movie.

It’s hard to explain how horrifying that was—it meant the news media was controlled by the coup. It was going to be very hard to learn whether we were all going to be shot at dawn. There was no knowing just what was going on. After midnight they regained control of the media and the king came on—this was a couple years after Franco had died—the new democracy was on fragile footing and the king decided to side with democracy.”

Heath recreates this experience in “The Uncouth Coup.” Heath has ambitions to publish a four-part poetry manuscript that includes the poems from these two chapbooks as well other batches of poems, thematically arranged.

Heath recommends the Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Maryland, to Mount alumni who want to write. “Take a class and get feedback on your stuff. Subscribe to Poets & Writers so you know what the markets are and where you can send your stuff. You have to be reading as well as writing. You want to find writers you admire who, if you read them a lot, will help you take a step forward.”

Each fall semester I attempt to help my students do this in Introduction to Creative Writing. Dr. Heath to the rescue: “There has to be some central anecdote or unifying image to make these things cohere. Usually there’s something distinctive at the heart of the poem that I hope people will remember, so it doesn’t just sound like ‘When I was a kid I had cereal and put the milk on.’ Your memory is interesting—you don’t remember everything, you remember some things. There’s usually a reason why you’re remembering something. Those particular memories have something they can cohere around. I go through the normal poetic revision process of tightening it and sharpening it. I think poetry is written in reverie but it’s revised in lucidity. There’s two different states to be a poet. You must get into a sort of rapture to write a poem, you get all enthused and the lines run down the page. But then you have to sort of sober up and come back with your knife.”

As our interview winds down, I’m reminded of William Heath’s kindness, how generous he is with his time. When I was a student, I’d stop by his office to chat, oblivious to his scheduled office hours. Without complaint, Heath would put down his newspaper or book and help me fix my writing and plan my future. Recently I was asked to select this year’s winners of the William Heath Award for Outstanding Achievement in Creative Writing—a lovely surprise for the student who receives it at the Mount's Academic Awards Ceremony. An even better prize, I think, would be for the student to have the chance to take a class with William Heath, something I did (according to my undergraduate transcript) five times.

Learn More!

To learn more about William Heath or to purchase his books, please visit www.williamheathbooks.com

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Commencement Speaker Named HEATH TARBERT, PH.D., C'98, will be returning to his mountain home as the speaker for our 212th commencement exercises.* Tarbert, a public servant who currently serves as chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, will be honored with a Doctorate of Humane Letters in recognition of his distinguished leadership.

“I know his story of success, built on the life lessons he learned, in part, at the Mount, will serve as a beacon of inspiration to our graduates who are where he was 22 years ago,” said President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D. Before being named to his current position in 2019, Tarbert was assistant secretary for international markets and subsequently acting undersecretary for international affairs at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Earlier in his career, he was a law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, associate counsel to the president and U.S. executive director of World Bank Group.

“The Mount taught me that our lives are largely the product of our choices, which must be aligned with our faith and values in order for us to live lives of significance,” Tarbert told Mount Magazine in 2018.

Tarbert’s brilliance was evident at a young age. An accounting, international business and economics major at the Mount, he won the Bishop Edward P. Allen Memorial Prize for the highest scholastic average after four years. He was awarded the Edward T. Hogan Memorial Prize for Pre-Law Studies and the Msgr.

Bernard J. Bradley Memorial Prizes for Accounting and Business Administration. As an alumnus, he was recognized in 2010 with the Distinguished Young Alumni Award and in 2013 was inducted into the Academic Circle of Excellence Alumni Hall of Fame. *It will be our pleasure to welcome Dr. Tarbert back to campus once a rescheduled date and time for the 212th Commencement Exercises is known.

Watch now!

Read his letter to the Class of 2020 in advance of his commencement address here.

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MOUNT NEWS SPRING 2020

Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner, President Trainor, Frederick City Mayor Michael O'Connor

Mount Opens Office in Downtown Frederick ON DECEMBER 18, 2019, President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D., signed a lease for Mount St. Mary’s University to become the newest tenant in ROOT, a business incubator in downtown Frederick, Maryland. The Mount’s outreach and student support staff will occupy the space and extend academic programming and partnership development.

“This is part of a great partnership, and we look forward to a long-term standing relationship,” said Frederick County Executive Jan H. Gardner. She expressed her pleasure over the county’s expanded relationship with the Mount through ROOT and noted the amenities the Mount is bringing to northern Frederick County.

ROOT, a collaboration of public and private organizations that seeks to energize innovation and jumpstart new businesses in the county, is located at 118 North Market Street. ROOT is home to the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce, the Frederick County Office of Economic Development and the Frederick Innovative Technology Center Inc. Hood College also has an office in the building.

The Mount is excited to build relationships with Frederick organizations and have a presence in the heart of the city as the university celebrates the 20th anniversary of its campus on Spectrum Drive.

“We take seriously the education and training of county residents and meeting workforce needs,” said President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D., who listed several of the Mount’s partnerships with the Chamber of Commerce and Frederick employers such as Leidos, AstraZeneca and Frederick County Public Schools. He thanked Jennifer Staiger, Ph.D., associate provost of the Division of Graduate, Professional and Continuing Education and her team at the Frederick campus for their work in developing these partnerships and the Mount’s inclusion in ROOT.

A Memorable Stay at the Mount

BOOK YOUR EVENT Weddings Classmate & family reunions Admissions & athletic events Long weekends Four guestrooms reserved individually

FOR YOUR COMFORT Recently renovated

We welcome you to the Alumni House!

The Alumni House offers inviting accommodations in a comfortable and relaxed setting.

Full kitchen with complimentary tea & coffee Living room, sunroom & office Complimentary WiFi Queen-sized beds Conveniently located on campus

LEARN MORE

For more information on rates and availability and to make your reservation today, visit: msmary.edu/alumnihouse Reservations can be made up to a year in advance.

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On Mary’s Mountain: A Special Place

THE MOUNT IS A SPECIAL PLACE.

Bathed in the light of sunshine, the natural beauty of Mary’s mountain is a recollection of the divine. Our hope and our history are writ large throughout these meaningful spaces.

Each one deserves a closer look.

We asked fellow Mounties to share a special memory they made here on Mary’s mountain. As you read, you’ll discover our treasure is measured in answered prayers, lifelong friendships and personal bests.

No matter when you first stepped foot on campus or when you last visited, Mount memories stick.

No matter how time and life have changed, those magnetic moments are a manifestation of us— permeated by grace.

Your mountain home always has a place in your heart. May you rest in the place of love.

SHARE YOUR STORY

Email your Mount memory to themagazine@msmary.edu for a chance to be included in an upcoming issue.

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MEANINGFUL SPACES SPRING 2020

Mary, Queen of Peace Chapel

Student making stained glass window, 1995

PANGBORN CHAPEL IS A QUIET AND WELCOMING PLACE

I can go to be with the Lord. I frequently attend the 9:30 p.m. daily Mass and often go at miscellaneous times of the day for an escape from my busy schedule. The chapel is simple yet beautiful. There are four themed stained-glass windows that fill the room with vibrant colors. Facing the alter, you see statues of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus on the cross. I love the verse on the back wall, as well: “Remain in me and I will remain in you.” -John 15:4 Kate Burke, C’21

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Chapel of the Immaculate Conception 2 6

MEANINGFUL SPACES SPRING 2020

“THE IC CHAPEL is more than just a place of

worship for me. It holds memories I will share forever and those memories include many people I love.

I’ve given hundreds of tours to recruits, parents and families during my six years at the Mount. I’ve passed by and entered the IC Chapel on all of those occasions, but now entering the Chapel means more to me than most can understand.

I was blessed to get married in the Chapel on December 14, 2018. Our former team chaplain, Fr. William Lee Brokaw, married my husband Kyle and me—which made the day even more exceptional. Our current chaplain, Deacon Robert Froeschl, helped Fr. Lee by serving at the ceremony. As I entered the Chapel to walk down the aisle, I saw my team, some of their parents and assistants in the back pews.

When you enter the Chapel, you can’t help but be in awe of the magnificence of the sacred space; a recruit tour or visit to main campus will never be the same for me.”

Lauren Skellchock Head Coach Women’s Lacrosse

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Keating Hall

KEATING HALL is the Seminary’s multipurpose building. It includes classrooms, offices, many residence rooms, a small kitchen and lounge, a conference room and even a laundry room. It was the first building I visited and where I had my interview before becoming rector. I was impressed by its versatility and modern look.

For me, Keating Hall represents the multifaceted work of a seminary because it combines spaces for various aspects of life and not just for academics. It provides the seminarians with space for many activities and helps provide a true home for them.

Rev. Msgr. Andrew R. Baker, S.T.D., Rector/Vice President

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MOUNT NEWS SPRING 2020

Bell Tower OUR VISIT TO THE SPACE WAS SURREAL;

the room was small and at its center sat the ever-dependable bell that tolled for countless generations of Mounties before us.

A few weeks ago, I received a call from Bob Brennan asking me if I would share a Mount St. Mary’s “sacred space” story.

Bob’s question took me back to my spring semester junior year when a few adventurous classmates, David Lloyd, C'92, David Scudder, C'92, Michael Courtney, C'92, and I visited a location on campus we heard about for nearly three years. David’s father, John Bailey Lloyd, C’54, was known for climbing anything and everything on campus; his nickname was Tarzan. We were all very close to Mr. Lloyd and each time we visited their family home in Beach Haven, New Jersey, Mr. Lloyd would recount stories of the amazing view of College Lane from the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception’s bell tower. He would always say that when he was there in the '50s he signed his name on one of the walls and he wondered if his mark was still there.

Naturally, seeking an answer to Mr. Lloyd’s question was added to our long list of things we needed to do before graduation.

So on the night of April 29, 1999, like a scene from “Dead Poets Society,” we stealthily made our journey into the chapel and up the very narrow staircase to the tower. Our visit to the space was surreal; the room was small and at its center sat the ever-dependable bell that tolled for countless generations of Mounties before us. One of the more memorable characteristics of the tower was exactly what Mr. Lloyd described as “the most impressive view looking down College Lane, over the ARCC, and out beyond Old Frederick Road.” At night, the lights from College Lane presented a perfectly straight line, serving almost as a beacon to the beyond. I remember thinking that there is something really special about this room and its view. That thought stayed with me long after graduation.

Over 23 years passed when one day in June 2013, I received a call from my good friend and classmate Paul Palmieri, C’92.

Paul called to let me know that lightning had struck the bell tower at the Chapel and there was much damage from the fire.

He said the strangest thing about the fire is that only one wall survived and that wall has a few names on it; you, Scudder, Courtney, David Lloyd, and believe it or not, Mr. Lloyd. Upon hearing this, I immediately thought back to my studies at the Mount and in particular of the religious historian Mircea Eliade and his work “The Sacred and the Profane.” In this manuscript, Eliade put forth the concept of hierophany, which is the physical manifestation of the sacred. This is loosely translated as the divine finding ways to manifest itself tangibly through human experience.

Photo by: Rev. Martin Moran

Jeremy Ellermeyer, C’92

Tom Powell and then Board Chair John Coyne. To commemorate the wall’s survival, the two presented me with one of the original slates that had fallen from the tower roof during the fire. John said that he too was amazed that the wall had survived and he borrowed a phrase used by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus to describe the wall as a “Phoenix rising from the ashes.”

Today, the slate from the tower hangs on my office wall as a reminder that standing directly below the Blessed Mother’s outstretched arms is a most sacred space. Every time I look at the slate, I think of the fire that literally destroyed the entire tower, but for the wall where we had written our names. It is hard for me to fathom there was not some divine reason why the wall was spared. To this day, the view from the tower remains forever etched in my mind because I know it is the same view the Blessed Mother beholds as she maintains her ever-vigilant protection over our beloved campus. For me, lightning striking the chapel and the lone wall surviving the horrific blaze that ensued has endeared the bell tower as being among the most sacred spaces on campus.

In the context of Eliade, one might conclude that the event served as my very own hierophany.

About a year after the fire, I was invited to serve on the Mount’s Board of Trustees and had my first meeting with then President SPRING 2020 MEANINGFUL SPACES

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Memorial Gym

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Mount Proud!

MEMORIAL GYM is a place that evokes wonderful memories for all those who experienced this special place—as a student, student-athlete, spectator and throughout numerous practices, games or intramurals. Memorial Gym has forged a distinctive place in our hearts and in our collective memory.

For close to four decades, Memorial Gym was not just my father’s office, it was our home. Amidst the changing world from the 1950s to the 1980s, Memorial Gym and Mount basketball were a constant in our lives.

Known as one of the best venues for a home court advantage in all of college basketball, anyone who ever attended a basketball game at Memorial Gym can probably still remember their experience.

I am sure they remember the raucous crowds packed into the gym; the rivalry games with Loyola, the Mason-Dixon Conference and NCAA Tournament games, the thrilling victories, the fans storming the court—especially after the 1981 NCAA Regional game.

If I listen carefully, I can still hear the echoes of the cheers and chants, as well as the song, “Oh when the saints, come marching in….” So many memories of a very special place and time.

Lynne Robinson, C’79, MBA’83

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Echo Field ECHO FIELD EMBODIES so many of the

pillars that make the Mount a special place: tradition, community, service and faith among many others. I got chills before every pre-game prayer echoed through the mountain as Mary watched over us and the chapel bells rang. Our lady of victory, pray for us!

It was a privilege to play on the same field as many great men and women who came before us, and gather with our families and the Mount community on those perfect Mount fall Saturdays, striving to become the best rugby players and young men we could.

Sean Hartig, C’16

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The Mount UNEXPECTED AND ORDINARY

As a freshman, I never would have expected to graduate magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication and history. I also would never have expected to graduate in my living room. Indeed, the life of a college student is outlined by calendars and syllabi, but for the last three months, the COVID-19 pandemic has erased the calendars and revised the syllabi for college students around the world. For those members of the class of 2020, like myself, COVID-19 even forced us to trade our graduation gowns for facemasks.

Before we got sent home, the last semester of my undergraduate career had already started out rocky. In January, I was filled with anxiety about whether I would be accepted into graduate school and spent many days not feeling present in the moment.

In February, I missed more than a week of classes because of a nasty case of the flu. I had only recently caught up with my work when we got the announcement in March that we had to leave campus. Like many of my fellow seniors, I felt robbed of the traditional senior year, not only because of the pandemic, but because of circumstances unique to me that prevented me from having the final semester I envisioned.

I cannot emphasize enough what a fantastic job President Trainor, professors, administrators and staff did while helping the student body transition to distance learning. Everyone’s flexibility and understanding were apparent in every Zoom class, email and social media post. However, I would be lying if I said that distance learning was easy. During online learning, my Dad’s job was jeopardized, I mourned the loss of a traditional senior year and graduation, and I suddenly had to mentally transition from being at the most independent point of my life so far, to being at the most dependent because of factors I could not possibly control.

Though it is difficult to articulate a silver lining amid worldwide hardships, finishing my last semester of college from afar allowed me to appreciate many ordinary things I had taken for granted.

The mornings I would have spent grabbing coffee from Patriot were replaced with chatting with my mom over coffee at my kitchen table. Afternoon workouts at the ARCC were replaced with walking my dog around my neighborhood. Dinner dates with my boyfriend were replaced with exchanging letters through snail mail. Nights at Ott’s were replaced with Facetiming friends. Saturday adventures were replaced with tennis matches with my dad. Finally, my walk across the stage and handshake from President Trainor were replaced with a bonfire and sharing a bottle of champagne with my parents. Yes, there were many things I couldn’t do while finishing my senior year at home, but I was able to enjoy many moments that wouldn’t have been possible if I didn’t finish my senior year at home.

Distance learning also made me realize that my favorite Mount moments were the unexpected ones. Without a doubt, the month I spend studying abroad in Salzburg, Austria, was the most meaningful experience of my college career, and yet this trip was filled with instances where I had to adapt to my circumstances and let go of control. I also never expected to meet some of my closest friends on my freshman Mountward Bound retreat or during my late-night shifts at the Writing Center. On the whole, my time as a Mount student was defined by unexpected, ordinary moments like grabbing lunch with a friend in Patriot and talking for two hours or deciding to take a finals week study break by hiking up to Indian Lookout.

Even as a recent Mount alumna, I can look back on my four years and see that I fell in love with the Mount because of these unexpected and ordinary moments. Though not what I imagined, I still was able to experience these moments from about 180 miles away. I know I speak for many Mount students when I say that watching and re-watching the television show “The Office” got me through many difficult and stressful moments. It is only fitting then that the closing line of the show summarizes how I feel about my last semester and the totality of my extraordinary four years at Mount St. Mary’s University: “There’s a lot of beauty in ordinary things. Isn’t that kind of the point?”

Kelley Northam, C’20 SPRING 2020 MEANINGFUL SPACES

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The National Shrine Grotto A SANCTUARY FOR THE SOUL

When I mention the grotto to those who have walked its statured paths, prayed at the glass chapel, felt the coolness of the spring water, sat in Mother Teresa’s Garden, been to confession among the trees, touched the very stone from Lourdes, France, knelt at the Calvary scene, meditated on the Rosary walk, their spirits are once again comforted.

Their faces brighten.

Their speech acknowledges the Glory of Our Blessed Mother.

Their eyes look down upon the valley, the campus and the seminary.

And they know: “The Golden Lady” Our Blessed Mother is The source of strength, the center of creative thought, the means to deeper understanding, the counselor of mercy, the guide in all worthwhile endeavors, and most of all: The Grotto of Our Blessed Mother is a haven for rejuvenating each visitor into a pilgrim who finds the body, mind and soul replenished and renewed during their time on “Mary’s Mountain.”

Charlene Balistrere Mother of Jeffrey Balistrere, C’96

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Sacred Spaces and Timeless Places The view from Mary's mountain

Bradley Hall being built, 1917

ARCC Construction, 1987

Bradley Hall, 1994

St. John's Well

Students outside the Coad Science Building, 1980s

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DuBois Tower, 1950s

Senior Ball decorations in Flynn Hall, 1922

National Shrine Grotto Cave

Year for Priests Garden

Cogan Student Union, 1962

Phillips Library The College Library in DuBois Hall, 1928

Peace Plaza, 2019

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The Ott House I TRIED TO GET A JOB AT THE OTT HOUSE numerous

times but apparently college kids had previously proved ‘unreliable.’ Luckily, I persisted and Bobby and Susie took a chance on me.

Bud Ott, the family patriarch, reminded me a lot of my father. He spent all day at his painting business and each night at the bar clearing tables, washing glasses and saying hello to the regulars.

His work ethic and loyalty to his family have been ingrained in me ever since.

His children, Bobby and Susie, are just as special. They took the lead in running the family restaurant and created an environment of family, fun and enjoyment. My memories of working there and our adventures after the bar closed, are some of my fondest at the Mount. Bobby and Susie are the best and their devotion and loyalty to hard work and family afforded this kid some of my life’s best lessons that are still with me today. For that I will be forever grateful!”

Dennis Maguire, C’82

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Happily Ever After

Get Married at the Mount!

“After Noah proposed at our five-year reunion, we knew we couldn’t have our wedding anywhere but our mountain home.

Our guests continually tell us it was one of the most personal and meaningful weddings they’ve ever attended.”

LAUREN SAVAGE, C’12

Ceremony in the IC Chapel

Learn more at msmary.edu/weddings Questions? Contact Jamie Everett at everett@msmary.edu

Wedding Venues Catering Packages On-Campus Lodging Options & Parking *Guidelines apply 39

Alumni News NAA President’s Letter DEAR MOUNT ALUMNI, These are certainly unprecedented times, but I hope this letter finds you safe and healthy. While these may be unique circumstances to most of us, Mount St. Mary’s has certainly seen a lot during its 212-year history! I am still in awe of the support and compassion our Mount community displayed during this year’s One Mount One Day when our Mount family raised more than $250,000 for our students. It remains true: the Mount is a special place.

As your National Alumni Association (NAA) president, I have worked to grow the connections our alumni have with the Mount, whether through participating with your chapter, engaging with your classmates or attending virtual events. I encourage you all to get involved! During the COVID-19 crisis, we remain focused on strengthening these alumni connections. We’ve had to postpone and cancel many of our favorite alumni events and traditions, but we are looking at ways to engage virtually. We held our first remote National Alumni Association meeting, launched a webinar series and offered virtual happy hours.

The Mount is so much more than just a place. The Mount is a community because of graduates like you—our best ambassadors. With 100% of our graduates employed or in graduate school within one year of graduation and a ranking in the top 10 percent of colleges and universities nationwide, in terms of the long-term earnings for a four-year college degree, our current and prospective students look to our success.

Mount students contribute more than 23,000 hours of direct service to our local, domestic and international community each year. Part of the Mount’s mission statement is to lead a life of significance, and the NAA is proud to offer more community service events throughout our chapters. I have witnessed our alumni embark on their own personal service initiatives ranging from donating food to their local community foodbank or thanking and honoring our country’s frontline workers. If you are participating in any of these service activities in your area, please tag the Mount’s alumni pages on social media so we can share your story.

Even though we cannot physically be together, our Mount pride remains strong.

Thank you to all our Mount alumni on the front lines during this pandemic. If you are feeling isolated, I encourage you to reach out and engage with your classmates and alumni association as we continue to enhance our virtual offerings.

Be well,

ED CARUSO, C'86 National Alumni Association President P.S.: If you missed One Mount One Day, you can still lift up our students by making a gift before June 30 to be included with this year's day of giving.

Visit msmary.edu/give to make your gift.

Alumni Awards

President Trainor, Charlotte Barry, C'15, Sarah George, C'13, and Ed Caruso, C'86

Distinguished Young Alumni Award SARAH C. GEORGE, C’13 The Distinguished Young Alumni Award recognizes a young alumnus/a, who, through hard work, perseverance and education has reached a high level of achievement in his or her chosen profession. The award also honors graduates who have brought honor and distinction to their alma mater by their success, interest and support of the Mount through the National Alumni Association.

Sarah George, C’13, has a degree in philosophy with a minor in English from Mount St. Mary’s University. After graduating in the fall semester of academic year 2012-13, she worked as a staff assistant in Washington, D.C., for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. She spent 2014 as an AmeriCorps volunteer with the Glenmary Home Missioners in Lewis County, Kentucky.

After learning Glenmary would close its volunteer site in Kentucky, George decided to start a nonprofit to purchase its property and begin a new volunteer program in its place.

While working for her family’s company in suburban Baltimore, George founded Emmaus Farm in 2015 and purchased the property in 2016.

She continues to serve as the executive director of Emmaus Farm, a retreat center that hosts volunteers for a week of service, Appalachian cultural immersion and retreat with an emphasis on Catholic social teaching.

George serves on many committees and boards including her local parish council and ministerial association, and the Catholic Committee of Appalachia.

Alumni Sponsored Scholarship: Baltimore Chapter Paul F. Herb Memorial Scholarship Recipients The Paul F. Herb Memorial Scholarship recognizes rising sophomores through seniors who are from the Baltimore Chapter area. This award is based on academic achievement, campus activities and financial need.

Athletic Hall of Fame Photographed from left to right: JEFFREY A. KOENIG, C’02 Baseball LANDY P. THOMPSON, C’06 Basketball KATELYN (CATANESE) GILL, C’09 Women’s Lacrosse

VICTORIA OLUAJAYI, C’21 “I am so thankful because this scholarship will allow me to further my education by lessening the financial burden on my family. The Mount is a home away from home to me because of my friends. It is a place of opportunities where I shine in ways I never have before.”

MATENYEH KABA, C’21 “As a junior, I have experienced many moments that embody the Mount’s community of support and faith. However, being awarded the Baltimore Chapter Scholarship means an extra great deal as it not only acknowledges my academic achievements, but it also demonstrates the faith the Mount has in her students and their future.”

MATTHEW D. WARNER, C’06 Men’s Lacrosse LOWELL E. BROOKS, C’78 Track and Field Joseph M. Lynch, C’33

JOSEPH M. LYNCH, C’33 (DEC) Football, Basketball & Baseball

Alumni of Color Panel LaRian Finney, C’88, Elana Gilmore, C’97, and Landy Thompson, C’06, shared their success stories with students at the Alumni of Color Panel during Winter Homecoming. Thompson, a basketball standout, was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame.

KAITLYN COFFEY, C’21 "The Baltimore Chapter Scholarship means a lot to me for it will be helping me financially to continue my education in computer science at the Mount. By receiving this scholarship, it has made me realize all the hard work I put toward my academics and knowing it was all worth the stress. The Mount has given me many opportunities that have allowed me to strive toward my future career plans. Ultimately, the Mount has guided me to become a professional, confident woman."

BROOKE DOTSON, C’21 “The Mount has been a place of great opportunity for me.

Opportunities that I, along with many other students, thought they wouldn’t have the chance to pursue.

The Mount has helped to guide me through many struggles, a big one being who I wanted to be and where I wanted to go. The faculty here have always aided me toward the right direction, and for that I am forever grateful.”

Fred Carter, C'69, with family and friends at Philadelphia's Boat House Row

Pride of the Mount FRED CARTER, C’69 Awarded the Pride of the Mount at Philadelphia's Boat House Row event on November 9, 2019.

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Class Notes

See what your fellow alumni are doing! Stories are listed by class year, in ascending order to most recent and alphabetically by last name.

Career & Life Accomplishments JOHN “JACK” ELLIS, C’71 Jack Ellis, C'71, began volunteer work shortly after he moved to Warwick in 1974.

He is a past Grand Knight for the Warwick Valley Knights of Columbus Council and currently serves as council treasurer. He has served as a leader or participant on numerous council committees and projects over the years. Ellis has served as a trustee of the Warwick Historical Society for the past five years and chairs the Building and Grounds Committee, which is responsible for care and maintenance of 12 iconic properties owned by the society.

John “Jack” Ellis, C’71

He is a tenor in the Warwick Chorale and a lay lector, Eucharist minister and adult choir member for Sunday Masses and funeral services at Church of St. Stephen, the First Martyr. Ellis currently serves as Atlantic regional president for the National Association of Retired Postal Inspectors and is past president of the New York Chapter. He has also served as a member of the President’s Council at the Mount.

Ellis received an Outstanding Community Service Award on October 23, 2019, at the annual Warwick Valley Rotary Club. Ellis and the Youth Leadership Team of the Chosen Taekwondo Academy were named Warwick’s 2019-20 Outstanding Community Service Award winners, selected for their volunteer contributions to the local community.

Paul Pometto II, C’74

PAUL POMETTO II, C’74 Paul Pometto II, C’74, recently retired from the U.S. Foreign Service and moved to California. He published his first book titled "Crossing the Sahara." Though retired and living in San Diego, he continues to travel widely, with only 47 more countries to go. He recently returned from a trip with RoadScholar.org to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

CARL CASSANI, C’81 Carl Cassani, C’81, was featured in U.S. Lacrosse magazine for his efforts with Herndon Reston Youth Lacrosse club. Cassani organized a fall ball program utilizing USL’s athletic development model which features small-sided games to increase participation and make it fun for players. He has coached youth lacrosse for 20 years.

RAYBURN “BUD” THOMPSON, C’81 Rayburn “Bud” Thompson, C’81, is the CEO of Techulon. Located in Blacksburg, Virginia, the company was awarded $785,000 in non-dilutive funding to develop a new class of antimicrobial that kills drug-resistant bacteria by targeting specific genes that are critical to the bacteria’s survival.

Carl Cassani, C’81 4 2

The CARB-X award supports preclinical hit-to-lead development of Techulon’s drug candidates targeting Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, two superbugs that have been identified by the World Health Organization as ‘priority pathogens’ posing the greatest threat to global health by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as ‘serious threats’ to human health. CARB-X is a consortium led by Boston University and funded by a global partnership.

BOB DEEGAN, C’82 Bob Deegan, C’82, is senior vice president and CFO of Array Information Technology.

He was named Top 10 CFOs to Watch in 2020 by WashingtonExec. Deegan has been instrumental in leading the company through one of the more difficult transitions in the federal IT industry, graduating from small business status. This was accomplished in addition to executing a management buyout of the founding owner.

BOB GLASS, C’83 Bob Glass, C’83, was named vice president of underwriting and marketing at Brethren Mutual. Glass brings more than 30 years of insurance experience to his position and joined Brethren Mutual in 2017.

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1985 HONOR LAURIE COTTER This annual lunch tradition honors the memory of Laurie Cotter who passed away one month before her graduation. Several years later, her father began taking a couple of her roommates who lived in the D.C. area out to lunch every Christmas. Over 25 years the lunch has grown to include friends from Baltimore, Richmond and New Jersey.

“Mr. Cotter is such an inspiration to all of us. We just love him and his family,” said Peggy Tripp, C’85, at the recent lunch. “Laurie is never forgotten and is always in our hearts.”

Bob Glass, C’83

Honoring Laurie Cotter Left to right: Marianne Hillig Noone, C’85, Jean Anne Furey Walsh, C’85, Therese Mullaney Draddy, C’85, Tom Cotter, Mary Hopkins Finn, C’85, Kerry Nolan Pellicane, C’85, Lisa Schell Knauf, C’85, and Peggy Nolan Tripp, C’85.

DAVID GINTY, PH.D., C'84 Harvard University and Deerfield Management announced the selection of a first project for funding under the Lab1636 R&D alliance that aims to advance promising innovations from labs across the university toward the clinical development of novel therapeutics. The project arises from the lab of David Ginty, Ph.D., C'84, the Edward R. and Anne G. Lefler Professor of Neurobiology in the Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator.

ELIZABETH DILUCHIO ALBANO, C’91 Elizabeth Diluchio Albano, C'91, was elected as Artisans’ Bank’s 12th president and chief executive officer and a member of the board. She previously held the position of executive vice president and chief financial officer at Artisans’ Bank where she has been employed for 29 years.

WILLIAM F. FRITTS, C’91 William F. Fritts, C’91, was voted #1 Accountant in the tri-state area by HeraldMail Media readers as part of the newspaper’s annual Best of the Best Awards for 2019 where readers nominate and vote for their favorite business and business professionals.

Elizabeth DiLuchio Albano, C’91

Fritts joined SEK, CPAs & Advisors in 1996 and was admitted as a member of the firm in 2001. He was a guest speaker on various tax topics and an instructor of numerous undergraduate and graduate-level business classes at Shenandoah University and Shepherd University.

DAN SMITH, C’91 Consumer Bankers Association named Dan Smith, C'91, as executive vice president and head of regulatory affairs. Smith started on March 1, 2020. He has more than two decades of regulatory and legal experience, most recently as senior vice president and executive director of the American Bankers Association’s Card Policy Council.

William F. Fritts, C’91 43

Before joining ABA, Smith worked at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as the first assistant director for the Bureau’s Office of Financial Institutions and Business Liaison. He also worked as director for industry and state regulations at Freddie Mac and represented Fortune 500 companies as vice president at Dehart and Darr Associates.

Alison Banziger, C’92

ALISON BANZIGER, C’92 Alison Banziger, C’92, is CEO and Founder of xScion, a technology consulting firm that helps companies modernize their IT and business operations. For the fifth consecutive year, since 2016, xScion has been named a Best Place to Work in Virginia. The annual award, created by Virginia Business and Best Companies Group, selects winners based on employee feedback, workplace policies, benefits, philosophy and demographics.

DAVID NICOSIA, C’94, MBA’00 The Marc R. Mills Memorial Fund (The Mills Fund), founded by David Nicosia, C’94, MBA’00, in 2014 works to bridge the gap between community and philanthropic endeavors by contributing to a broad range of local and regional nonprofits, primarily in the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut.

David Nicosia, C’94, MBA’00

Apple Red

e is reluctant to go on an upcoming trip with her Nana because thinks the trip will be boring. Halie’s thought soon dissolves en Nana and her VW, Smiley, magically transport Halie and her er brother, Bobby, over the mountain to an Apple Red Caboose. na and her grandchildren climb abroad and as soon as they put on ir Imagination Hats, they are whisk back into history to the Civil War in Gettysburg, PA.

Harold Underdown – Independent children’s book editor

his book was great because it showed how your imagination can take u anywhere; even if it started with just a flying car and a caboose.”

Caboose Adventures with Nana

Apple Red caboose

u’ve got fun and believable characters, and an interesting adventure hat also manages to put across some real historical information.”

SCOTT SZELIGA, C’97 Scott Szeliga, C’97, accepted a new leadership role at the Baltimore CohnReznick office. Szeliga was named managing partner of the Baltimore office. With more than 20 years of experience, Szeliga has been a leader in the Baltimore marketplace and around the country, lending his significant expertise in the areas of new market tax credits, renewable energy and multi-family housing.

Jason, 6th Grade, Shalom Christian Academy

Illustrated by Valentina Talijan

www.jastrikebooks.com

J.A. Strike Written by J.A. Strike

JUDY STRIKE, MBA’05 Judy Strike, MBA’05, published her first children’s book titled “Apple Red Caboose,” which is available on Amazon and Ingram Spark. Strike is a retired employee of the Mount where she worked as a coordinator of athletic business operations.

Judy Strike, MBA’05

LAUREN NEIGHBORS, C’08 Lauren Neighbors, C’08, an alumna of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, was recognized by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) as a 2019 Triangle’s Finest honoree. Selected as one of five, she is leading a fundraising campaign on behalf of the CFF with a goal of raising $15,000. Neighbors was a recipient of the Mount’s Kuderer’s Fellowship for academic achievement.

Bennett Myers, C’09

BENNETT MYERS, C’09 Bennett Myers, C’09, was named Carroll Hospital’s “Physician of the Year.” Myers practices in the emergency department. In an interview with the Baltimore Sun, he discussed how his time at the Mount helped him develop the leadership skills to be a doctor and lead in times of a pandemic.

MAGDALYN “MAGGIE” FIORE, C’17 Maggie Fiore, C’17, was recently published on The Doctor Weighs In, a medical site that offers cutting-edge information about healthcare. Her piece explores the purpose of the field of medicine and the relevance of the Hippocratic Oath to today’s medical ethics.

Fiore maintains a blog and has recently launched her own business in academic editing. Her work can be found at magdalynfiore.com.

CHRISTIAN WILSON, C’19 Christian Wilson, C’19, was accepted to the Doctor of Chiropractic program at Palmer College of Chiropractic’s Florida Campus, located in Port Orange, Florida.

Magdalyn “Maggie” Fiore, C’17 4 4

CLASS NOTES SPRING 2020

Mountie Gatherings BEACH PARTY REUNION Members of the Class of 1961 have enjoyed annual reunions for a number of years, sharing the births of their children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, triumphs and tragedies. Since 1973, the group met regularly and gathered in Brigantine and Beach Haven, New Jersey, before settling in Lewes, Delaware. The event has grown from one day at the beach to a weekend.

Top photo: Frank Clarke, C’61, Don Quinn, C’61, Gene Harcsar, C’61, Luke Fanno, C’61, Jack Burdian, C’ 61, Jack Walsh, C’61, Tom Gaffney, C’61, and Dick Christopher, C’61.

Middle photo: Kay Quinn, Ann Castaldi, Dixie Richards, Janet O’Brien, Peg Healy, Taphy Harcsar, Karol Toaldo.

Bottom photo: Ron Cooney, C’61, Eileen Cooney, Kay Crist, Luke Fannon, C’61, Jack Burdian, C’61, Tom Courtney, C’61, Joe Healy, C’61, Dick Christopher, 61, Kay Quinn, Taphy Harcsar, C’61, Karol Toaldo, Rich Toaldo, C’61, Gene Harcsar, C’61.

FANTASY FOOTBALL LEAGUE Members of the Mount alumni fantasy football league enjoying another great draft celebration…14 years and counting! Front row: Matt Donato, C’02, Mathew Lynch, C’01.

Middle row: Benjamin Acquesta, C’02 (last year’s champion), Sean McMullen, C’02, Kenny Sheridan, C’02. Back row: Scott Starcher, Aaron Miller, J. DeWitt Bauer, C’03, Justin Scaduto, C’02 (live from Florida on iPad), Kirk Puepke, Christopher Stack, C’02, and Pete English, C’02.

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Weddings

CHRISTINE (PACE) HOLLOWELL, C’07, AND TOM HALLOWELL Christine (Pace) Hollowell, C’07, and Tom Hallowell were married September 21, 2019, and welcomed their twin boys, Jackson and Benjamin.

ASHLEY (WOODRUFF) MORRISSEY, C’17, AND PATRICK MORRISSEY, C’17 Ashley (Woodruff) Morrissey, C’17, and Patrick Morrissey, C’17, were married at the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception on September 7, 2019.

MADELINE STROSS, C’14, AND ERIC ROHRBACH, C’13 Madeline Stross, C’14, and Eric Rohrbach, C’13, were married on August 24, 2019, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

LINDSAY (MANSER) MCCARTHY, C’16, MBA’19, AND DEVIN MCCARTHY, C’16 Lindsay (Manser) McCarthy, C’16, MBA’19, and Devin McCarthy, C’16, were married on August 3, 2019, at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Elkridge, Maryland.

BRIDGETTE NITZA-BUWALA, C’15, AND ANDREW SCHALLER, C’15 Bridgette Nitza-Buwala,C’15, and Andrew Schaller, C’15, were married at the courthouse on December 31, 2018, and had a wedding on June 22, 2019. The bride is a current MBA student and her husband is an MAT graduate. Attendees

MEGAN (SHUSTER) HOFMEISTER, C’15, AND KIRK HOFMEISTER, C’15 Megan (Shuster) Hofmeister, C’15, and Kirk Hofmeister, C’15, were married on November 23, 2019. Back row: Jim Bonner

Left to Right: Ricky Kelley, C’17, Connor Gruber, C’16, Colin Gbolie, C’16, Devin McCarthy, C'16, Lindsay McCarthy C'16, MBA '19, Jeffrey Ladnier, C’16, Maranda Buckley, MBA’19, Zachary Kenworthy, C’16, MBA’19

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included: Tyler Curp, C’16, Maeve Dewey, C’16, Benjamin McNamee, C’15, Joey Naylor, C’15, Michelle Rose, C’15, Maggie Rosenbaum, C’15, Nick Schreiber, C’15, and Matthew Waller, C’15.

(Mount rugby coach), Steven O’Neil, C’88, Jay Myles (Mount rugby director), Peter Sherwin, C’15, Matthew Drumgoole, C’14, Tim Steffens, C’16, Jack Bonner, C’17, John Looney, C’15, Mitch Mills, C’15, and Tom Hofmeister, C’88. Middle row: Larissa Traub, C’15, Vlad Leskovetc, C’14, Rachel Craig, C’16, Craig Sakowski, C’15, Nick Cline, C’15, and Heather Juhring, C’15. Front row: Karalee Watts, C’15, Ashley Leskovetc, C’15, Megan (Shuster) Hofmeister, C’15, Kirk Hofmeister, C’15, Kayla Sakowski, C’14, and Sara Crue, C’15.

Engagements REBECCA SCHISLER, C’17, AND ANTHONY ADAMS, C’16 Rebecca Schisler, C’17, and Anthony Adams, C’16, became engaged on May 11, 2019. Adams is currently employed at Morgan Stanley in Baltimore and works as an equity product controller. Schisler attends law school at the Catholic University of America.

ANN (CZAPSKI) COUGHLIN, C’12, AND CHRIS COUGHLIN, C’13 Ann (Czapski) Coughlin, C’12, and Chris Coughlin, C’13, were married in Frederick, Maryland, in May 2018. Alumni photographed: Jack McMullen, C’55, Dolores (Nevy) McMullen, Saint Josephs College, C’55, Billy Walsh, C’80, Mary Ann (McMullen) Snyder, C’84, Beth (McMullen) Czapski, C’85, Jimmy McMullen, C’95, Tom Mahony, C’12, Erin (McKavitt) Mahony, C’12, Lauren Savage-Miller, C’12, Noah Miller, C’12, Derek LaHouse, C’13, John D’Agostino, C’13, Greg Cusick, C’13, Zach Eick, C’13, Hayden Duffy, C’13, Taylor Place, C’13, Carly (Landini) Place, C’13, Greg Colucci, C’13, Heather (Cooper) Colucci, C’13, Drew Hull, C’13, Kelly Davis, C’13, Bob Hallahan, C’13, Rob Dogal, C’13, Dan Bassett, C’13, Kate Wellington, C’14, Rachel Teti, C’15, Jack Czapski, C’20.

AMANDA M. ATWOOD, ESQ., C’13, AND JACK MCGOWAN, C’13 Amanda M. Atwood, Esq., C’13, and Jack McGowan, C’13, became engaged on December 25, 2019. The couple met in August 2009 during move-in day their freshman year.

SARAH BOMBERGER, C’18, AND BRANDON WORTKOTTER, C’18, MBA’20 Sarah Bomberger, C’18, and Brandon Wortkotter, C'18, MBA'20, became engaged on July 13, 2019.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! HENRY KRETSCHMAIER, C’55, AND ROSELYN KRETSCHMAIER Henry Kretschmaier, C’55, and his wife Roselyn celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on September 5, 2019. Alumni photographed: Henry Kretschmaier, C’55, Michelle Kretschmaier-Hussey, C’83, Joseph Hussey, C’83, Michon Kretschmaier, C’86, Alexis Hussey, C’14, Jake Dant, C’14.

ALEXANDRA “ALEX” KRALL, C’19, AND AIDAN MCCORMICK, C’18 Alexandra “Alex” Krall, C’19, and Aidan McCormick, C’18, became engaged in April 2019. Krall owns Alex Krall Photography and McCormick attends dental school at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry in Richmond, Virginia.

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You make the Mount a Special Place Be a Friend to future Mounties Connections made at the Mount are life-changing. Year after year you come back to your mountain home to celebrate friendships that are strong and run deep. Your gift of any amount provides students with the opportunity to make long-lasting bonds for the rest of their lives.

Give today and share in a student’s success.

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GIVE BY MAIL 16300 Old Emmitsburg Road Emmitsburg, MD 21727 GIVE BY PHONE 301-447-5362 GIVE ONLINE msmary.edu/give

Births

CHLOE MAURA COHEN Amy Daugherty Cohen, C’95, and Jesse Cohen celebrated the birth of their daughter Chloe Maura Cohen on November 3, 2019.

ORLAGH GENEVIEVE BREEDEN Erin (Gibson) Breeden, C’11, and Chad Breeden celebrated the birth of Orlagh Genevieve Breeden on August 23, 2019.

LUKE CHENET WINTER Paige (Chenet) Winter, C’10, and Josh Winter, C’12, welcomed their second son, Luke Chenet Winter, on June 19, 2019.

ISIDORE MCGINLEY Stephen McGinley, C’10, and his wife Casey-Mae, C’08, welcomed Isidore Joseph on February 28. He weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces and measured 20 inches long. He joins his siblings, Raphael, Miriam and Augustine. Stephen is a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy.

He and Casey-Mae own Good Soil Farm, LLC, a Catholic regenerative agriculture CSA farm in Emmitsburg.

LUCAS JAMES MCCARTHY Emily (Yates) McCarthy, C’15, and Andrew McCarthy, C’16, celebrated the birth of their son Lucas James McCarthy on January 21, 2019.

LUCY KATHRYN MOORE Jennie and Brett Moore, C’11, welcomed Lucy Kathryn Moore on March 1, 2019. She weighed 9 pounds, 1 ounce and was 21 inches long. She loves her big sister Finley, age 2.

Want to get connected?

Flip to page 52 to learn about ways to connect with alumni.

Submit your news!

Email us at themagazine@msmary.edu to share your news with the alumni community.

The Mount reserves the right to refuse or revise submissions for style and length.

Information about future events are not included.

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In Memoriam SEPTEMBER 1, 2019 - FEBRUARY 29, 2020

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace, Amen.

May their souls and all the souls of the faithfully departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

GEORGE GELLES, C’64, was born on February 12, 1942, to Mildred Laco and Charles Gelles. George and his wife, Terri, enjoyed 54 joyful years of marriage.

Gelles was a proud member, and president, of the class of 1964. He also enjoyed a long career at the Mount where he served in many professional roles, including assistant dean of students, dean of students and director of auxiliary affairs. After retirement, his service continued in various elected positions with the National Alumni Council and the President’s Council.

George R. Gelles, C’64 February 12, 1942 – October 10, 2019

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In 2014, Gelles received the Bruté Medal for his outstanding and meritorious service to the church, state, nation and our fellow citizens. The Bruté Medal is the highest honor awarded by the National Alumni Association to a Mountaineer. The George Gelles, C’64, Endowed Memorial Scholarship was established by his family and friends as a way to showcase his love for his alma mater, establish a legacy at the Mount and invest in the lives of future Mount students.

Most recently, Gelles had worked as an on-site coordinator for student travel with World Strides. He served on many governing and advisory boards, including St. John’s Catholic Prep in Frederick, Maryland, Elm Street Neighborhood Council in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, United Way, Maryland, Special Olympics and Manos Unidas Hispanic American Center. Gelles enjoyed working in service of others and he was very active within his parish, St. Francis Xavier, in Gettysburg. He also worked with Habitat for Humanity, was an honorary member of the Knights of Columbus and previously served the U.S. National Guard.

A loving father and husband, George is survived by his wife, Terri; three children, Greg, Christine, C’92, and Amy; seven grandchildren, including Kayleigh, C’09, and three great grandchildren. He is buried in Mount St. Mary's Cemetery, St. Francis Grove.

A full listing of deceased alumni is available online at msmary.edu/alumni.

Deaths listed in order by class year.

Andrew J. Pfaff, C’47 March 11, 2019

George Gelles, C’64 October 10, 2019

James R. Eisenhauer, C’49 April 23, 2019

John P. Deegan, C’65 December 31, 2018

John J. Bastible, C’49 September 10, 2019

Dr. Michael Moro, C’65 February 23, 2020

Robert J. Kornhass Sr., C’50 October 17, 2019

Joseph W. Sheehan, C’66 October 6, 2019

John H. Wisda, C’50 October 29, 2017

Timothy D. Einstein, C’66 October 26, 2019

Dr. George J. Pepper, C’51 December 1, 2019

Rowland Savage, C’67 August 8, 2019

Lawrence B. “Herk” Dawes, C’53 December 10, 2018

Edward R. Zapke, C’67 October 7, 2019

Rear Admiral Thomas "Tibby" F. Brown III, C'54 May 14, 2020

David M. Wixted, C’69 August 22, 2019

Thomas Owens Keech, C’55 April 20, 2019 Ronald Czarnecki, C’55 July 10, 2019 Joel E. Cannilla Sr., C’56 September 5, 2019 Thomas H. Williams, C’56 October 2, 2019 Dr. Charles R. Driscoll, C’56 January 14, 2020 Robert P. Hanson, C’57 July 17, 2019 Michael J. Prendergast, C’58 May 27, 2019 William C. Boarman, C’59 February 20, 2020 William G. Hessler, C’59 November 5, 2019 Dr. John J. Ryan Jr., C’59 November 14, 2019 John A. Grasso, C’62 June 15, 2019 Alfred J. Ryan, C’62 December 4, 2018 Rev. Msgr. Thomas J. McIntyre, C’63 December 6, 2019 Thomas F. Marshall, C’63 January 12, 2020 Edward Sypulski, C’64 August 3, 2010

Albert W. Ramer, C’70 October 24, 2019 Jeffrey J. Bond, C’72 October 24, 2019 Elaine T. Dolan, C’77 August 22, 2019 Steven T. Schmiedel, C’79 October 6, 2019 Mark Mahoney, C’81 December 12, 2019 Jamison (Barrett) Steward-Marsh, C’83 December 11, 2019 Ellen (Laura) Powers, C’83 July 2, 2019 Kathleen C. (Roche) Bell, C’88 February 10, 2020 Norine Bastian-Pastore, C’91 September 16, 2019 Steven M. English Jr., C’99 January 26, 2020 John S. Cahaney, C’07 December 8, 2019 ERRORS AND OMISSIONS Sue Helder Goliber, Ph.D., was professor emerita, not professor emeritus. Thank you to Bill O’Toole, C’66, professor emeritus of mathematics and computer science, for bringing this to our attention.

We regret the error.

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Athletics Visit mountathletics.com to celebrate our graduating seniors.

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Virtual Events

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For an updated list of virtual events, please visit calendar.msmary.edu/alumni.html

MISS YOUR FELLOW ALUMNI AND TEAMMATES? Email alumni@msmary.edu to schedule a virtual class or team event.

Reunion Weekend

FIND YOUR FELLOW ALUMNI Use the Alumni Directory or call 301-447-5362.

ATHLETICS @MountAthletics @MountAthletics @MountAthletics UNIVERSITY @MSMUniversity @mountstmarysu @MSMU @Mount St. Mary’s University @MSMU @MSMU @Mount St. Mary’s University 5 2

ALUMNI NEWS SPRING 2020

RESCHEDULED: JUNE 4-6, 2021 Classes that end in years 0, 1, 5 and 6. We look forward to celebrating together!

SHARE YOUR STORY IDEA Send an emai tol themagazine@msmary.edu.

PURCHASE MOUNT GEAR Shop the bookstore on campus or online at msmu.bncollege.com.

How the CARES Act makes it easier to support

Mount students THE 212-YEAR HISTORY of the Mount is blessed to include many stories of those who have given of their treasures to ensure the future. The gifts for scholarships, endowments, buildings, athletic teams, support of the seminary and National Shrine Grotto are all thanks to our many donors. The amounts vary, but no matter the size, each gift has made an impact.

In response to COVID-19, Congress passed the CARES Act, which include changes to charitable giving that could impact your 2020 tax filings. The changes made will be accessible to nearly everyone who makes a gift to Mount St. Mary’s University, Seminary or National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes.

The CARES Act made it easier to give to the Mount in 2020.

60% of AGI Limit Waived & Corporate Limit Increased Prior to the CARES Act, deductions for cash donations were limited to 60% of the taxpayer’s Annual Gross Income (AGI). For the 2020 tax year, individuals can deduct any cash contributions made to qualified organizations up to 100% of their AGI. Additionally, corporate taxpayers can now deduct up to 25% (previously 10%) of their taxable income for any cash contributions made to qualified charitable organizations.

The CARES Act only applies to gifts of cash. Donor Advised Funds do not qualify. $300 Above-the-Line Deduction for Cash Donations The CARES Act also recognizes that every little bit helps. Even taxpayers who take standard deductions will receive an “above-the-line” deduction of up to $300 for cash donations.

Required Minimum Distribution from Retirement Plans Suspended While the CARES Act has suspended required minimum distributions from retirement plans like IRAs, an IRA charitable rollover is still an excellent way to make a gift. Many donors over the age of 70 ½ use this vehicle to make a gift. By doing so, your tax liability may be reduced.

Your Legacy This extended time at home is a good opportunity to review files and update important financial documents. If you are reviewing your estate plans, consider including Mount St. Mary’s University, Seminary or the National Shrine Grotto. If you have already included the Mount in your plan, please let us know so we may thank you.

Learn more The Office of University Advancement welcomes the opportunity to discuss these and other ways you can make a postive and lasting impact.

Please call us at 301-447-7432.

Please note: This information is not intended financial advice. We advise you to work with your financial, tax or legal advisors to determine a charitable giving strategy that fits your situation.

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Reunion 2021: June 4-6

For Updates and to Learn More msmary.edu/reunion