Mount Magazine spring 2021

Mount MOUNT ST. MARY’S UNIVERSITY

Gracelyn McDermott Choose Hope Spes Nostra

MAGAZINE

SPRING 2021

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“I see hope everywhere.

I see it in you. You are the hope that there is going to be a different tomorrow.”

GRACELYN MCDERMOTT, C’93 CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Dear Alumni, Parents & Friends,

BY MANY MEASURES, THE 2020-21 ACADEMIC YEAR HAS BEEN DIFFICULT.

The uncertainty of operating a university during a global pandemic is undeniably stressful and challenging. However, I choose to focus on all that we have accomplished this year as we succeeded in having students living, learning and flourishing on campus throughout the academic year.

First and foremost, students have shown charity to the Mount community by following our risk reduction measures that were instrumental in controlling COVID-19 on campus as well as being of service to each other through delivery of meals to those in quarantine and conducting contact tracing.

Guided by our excellent faculty, students persevered in the classroom, whether they were on campus or remote, without significant changes in dean’s list accomplishments and with numerous students securing prestigious fellowships, scholarships and internships. Our student-athletes excelled despite postponed games due to coronavirus cases, matchups that were often played without fans and countless COVID-19 tests. Three of our teams—men’s and women’s basketball and women’s bowling—went to their respective Division I NCAA Tournament, and the campus and local communities rallied in support of the teams. Check out the article on page 26 about the thrill of March Madness.

Due to the generosity of 10,548 alumni and friends, we closed the Forward!

Together as One campaign, raising $33.9 million in support of the university community’s shared goal to educate the next generation of ethical leaders in the Catholic intellectual tradition. The campaign built on the lasting values of a strong, Catholic liberal arts education by making a commitment to enrich the mind, body and spirit of Mount students through increased collaborative learning and cocurricular areas, improved lab space and other enhancements in academic facilities; new athletic and recreation facilities; and projects at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary and the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. See page 15 for details.

I am blessed to be led and advised by an accomplished and wise Board of Trustees, led by Gracelyn McDermott, C’93, who gives generously of her time and talent to the university. Get to know our board chair by reading the article on page 22.

When McDermott, the second woman and first Black person to serve as chair, attended the Mount in the early 1990s, there were far fewer students of color on campus. Over the last decade there has been a progression from 17% to 43% of BIPOC students. This rapid change has greatly enriched the university, but sadly has also brought some racial tension.

To meet this challenge head on, we have advanced social justice through continual progress in making the university a welcoming home for all and accelerated our work through the efforts of more than 100 faculty, students, staff and local community members who served on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force last fall. Learn about the resulting initiatives on page 10. We are deeply committed to improving and sustaining our culture of dignity and mutual respect. When we truly embody the Catholic vision of the person, inclusion naturally follows.

TIMOTHY E. TRAINOR, PH.D. President 4

MOUNT MAGAZINE SPRING 2021

Mount Magazine

Spring 2021 PRESIDENT Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D. VP UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT Robert J. 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 Rev. Msgr. Andrew Baker, S.T.D. Donna Klinger Nicole Patterson ALUMNI NEWS TEAM Kim Johnson, MBA’18 Emily Myers, C’13, MBA’15 PHOTOGRAPHY Mike Miller, Ph.D. Michael Miville of MM Visuals DESIGN Laura C. Moyer SPECIAL THANK YOU Jessica J. Boyer, C’16 PRINTING HBP Inc. 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

The Office of University Marketing & 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

With her daughter Amanda

Gracelyn McDermott, C'93 page 22

Contents Features

Mount Magazine

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MOVING MOUNTAINS Next Steps in Forward! Together as One

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EXPANSION OF COAD SCIENCE BUILDING New Classrooms, Laboratories & More

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INSIDE THE LOMBARDI LAB Student Success Through Research Experiences

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MOUNT NEWS 6 Sheetz Named Executive Vice President 7 Restoration of Our Blessed Mother 8 Father S. Matthew Gray, S’11 9 New Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis 10 Courageous Conversation, Meaningful Action 11 Frederick Non-Degree Pathway

CHOOSE HOPE Spes Nostra

ALUMNI NEWS

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DOUBLE THE MARCH MADNESS Men & Women Win NEC Championships

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CLASS NOTES

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TRACING TRAILS Semester of Service & History of Indigenous People

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MOUNT LOVE STORIES

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OUR LADY OF KIBEHO New Mosaic on Campus

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IN MEMORIAM

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ON THE ROAD WITH ROACH A Tribute to Father Michael Roach

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New!

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Mount News

Kraig Sheetz Named Executive Vice President KRAIG SHEETZ, PH.D., has been tapped to serve as executive vice president of Mount St. Mary’s University.

Since becoming dean of the university’s School of Natural Science and Mathematics in 2018, Sheetz has overseen tremendous growth in the school with the introduction of neuroscience and data science undergraduate majors and an interdisciplinary Master of Science degree and post-master's certificate in applied behavior analysis.

The school has also received major grants to broaden undergraduate research opportunities and provide transfer pathways for community college students in STEM programs. In addition, Sheetz has introduced a dean’s speaker series and encouraged student success, leading to four prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships in the past two years and numerous National Security scholars.

As executive vice president, Sheetz will advance the strategic direction of the Mount while stewarding its resources in support of its mission and Catholic identity.

This position will be responsible for leading major initiatives of the strategic plan and providing leadership

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and direction to the information technology, human resources, assessment and institutional research efforts.

“Kraig has the strategic vision, leadership and collaborative skills to help the Mount move forward in this time of change in higher education and our society,” said President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D. “I know that he will do an excellent job in helping to guide the Mount into the future.”

Sheetz began his career in the military as a tactical intelligence officer but then transitioned to higher education and ultimately held leadership positions at the United States Military Academy, including vice dean of operations at West Point and senior advisor to the National Military Academy of Afghanistan. He taught in the Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering at West Point and continues to teach physics at the Mount.

He has research interests in ultra-short pulse laser design and development of femtosecond laser-based nonlinear microscopy systems. He is a coauthor of "A Pragmatic Guide to Multiphoton Microscope Design" and has been published in the Journal of Applied Physics.

Sheetz holds a Bachelor of Science in geophysics from Millersville University, a Master of Science in geophysics from New Mexico Tech, a Master of Science in applied physics from the Naval Postgraduate School and a doctorate in applied physics from the Colorado School of Mines.

Department of Science Chair and Professor of Biochemistry Christine Seitz McCauslin, Ph.D., is serving as interim dean of the School of Natural Science and Mathematics.

See her shine!

Come visit in person or visit nsgrotto.org to learn more about the special dedication ceremony.

Thank You for Giving

DUE TO YOUR GENEROUS financial contributions and continued prayers for this effort, our Blessed Mother’s statue will continue to be a bright golden presence and shining beacon of hope. Since 1964, our beautiful statue of Mary has been set above our beloved mountain home, overlooking pilgrims, students and families with her motherly heart. Due to your generosity, we raised enough funds to reguild Our Lady’s statue and restore her to her former glory.

We truly thank you for all your support.

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joining. I took the leap in 2015 when I commissioned as a first lieutenant for the South Carolina Air National Guard and I have loved that ministry ever since!”

In 2011, Gray earned a Master of Divinity and a Master of Systematic Theology from Mount St. Mary’s Seminary. He received a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, in 2007, and a Bachelor of Arts in French from the University of South Carolina in 2005.

Gray is currently director of vocations for the Diocese of Charleston, South Carolina, while serving as Air Force staff chaplain to the 169th Fighter Wing at McEntire Joint National Guard Base in Richland County, South Carolina. As of May, he was on deployment with his unit in the Middle East. He also serves as chaplain at The Citadel Military College and Charleston’s diocesan scout chaplain.

“I am looking forward to being the Military Archdiocese vicar of vocations because of my love for what I do in the military and because of the love of what I am: a Catholic priest,” Gray said. “To be able to share my love for the priesthood and for our military members is a perfect fit!”

The 41-year-old has completed training and certification in sexual assault prevention, domestic violence, youth protection, suicide intervention, conflict transformation and de-escalation, and counseling. He’s also acquired military credentials including a secret security clearance and completion of basic chaplain training. He’s the recipient of the St. George Award, Bronze Pelican Award and Jerusalem Cross. Gray has also earned the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal in 2015 and the U.S. Air Force Achievement Medal in 2019.

Father S. Matthew Gray, S’11, Named Vocations Director of the Archdiocese for the Military Services FATHER S. MATTHEW GRAY, CH, CAPT, USFA, S’11, was named vocations director of the Archdiocese for the Military Services (AMS), USA, and will replace Rev. Aidan (Arthur H.) Logan, O.C.S.O., who served in the role for seven years. The Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, J.C.D., archbishop for the military services announced Gray’s appointment, which will likely begin in August.

“While at the Mount, I continued to discern my calling as a military chaplain,” Gray said. “I remember the military vocation director coming each year and setting up shop in the kitchen/recreation room. I admired him for his courage in being both a priest and a military officer. It wasn’t until after my ordination in 2011 that I decided to seriously consider

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“I’m really looking forward to this new opportunity to be able to minister to young men in discernment of this very special calling,” Gray said. “0.5% of the population now serves in the military. Of that percentage, 25% are Catholic, and only 8% of the military chaplains are priests. In today’s world it is a rare thing to be a priest—but more so to be a military priest,” he added.

In his new role as AMS vocations director, Gray will guide young men who are interested in the priesthood and military chaplaincy as well as mentor prospective new priest-chaplains through the process of discernment and formation.

“It’s an honor to be able to serve our military members. A priest, or any chaplain, is like St. Paul on a missionary journey.

We meet our servicemen and women where they are in the environment they find themselves in—whether a combat zone at a forward operating base, an airbase, on a ship or back safe at home. We are a visible sign of the holy bringing spiritual support while protecting their right to practice their faith,” Gray said. “They are so welcoming of our presence among them because we live like them; experience the same difficulties as them; and yet we still bring them hope.”

Learn more!

Visit milarch.org for information.

Director for New Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis Focuses on: Servant Leadership, Compassion and Community THE MOUNT WELCOMES GRIFFIN ROOKER, BCBA, PH.D., director of graduate studies in applied behavior analysis and assistant professor, to create, shape and lead the new Master of Science in applied behavior analysis (MSABA)—an interdisciplinary degree between the School of Education and the Department of Psychology in the School of Natural Science and Mathematics.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Rooker as the founding director of the new applied behavior analysis program,” said Dean of the School of Education Barbara Marinak, Ph.D. “Under his leadership we are confident the program advances both the university’s mission and our Catholic identity by preparing graduates to serve vulnerable children and young adults with dignity and professionalism.”

Rooker has more than two decades of experience working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Before he arrived at the Mount, he was an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a research scientist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, where he conducted NIH-funded research focused on self-injurious behavior amongst individuals with IDD. He has published dozens of scholarly articles and is associate editor for the peer-reviewed Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. He’s won several awards, including the 2017 and 2018 “Contribution of the Year” from the Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

He first encountered applied behavior analysis while working at the New England Center for Children in Massachusetts where he provided residential care to individuals who engage in severe problem behaviors including aggression and self-injury. “It was really powerful to be able to work one-on-one with those individuals who are definitely the most underserved in our society and see their behavior change, to see these people get better on a day-to-day basis,” he said. “It’s really disturbing to watch someone hurt themselves, but it’s really powerful to watch them learn to use language instead of engaging in these severe behaviors.” Rooker reasoned it was good to positively affect one person’s life,

but better to positively affect lots of people’s lives.

Initially, that’s how he ended up in research, completing his master's at Northeastern University and doctorate at the University of Florida.

His path of research and training complemented his mentoring and teaching—and that’s when he began looking for a position that would allow him to do the greatest good. He believes the new MSABA program is centered on the ideas of servant leadership and compassionate care.

“Underneath all of this is a desire to help other people,” he stated. “We’re looking for individuals to serve their local communities and provide care—and we can train them.”

Applied behavior analysts assess and treat behavioral, communication, developmental and learning disorders/ disabilities. Behavior analysts work in several settings including providing care in schools, clinics, homes, hospitals and everyday workplaces. According to the most recent report of the U.S. Employment Demand for Behavior Analysts, annual demand for board certified behavior analysts has increased about 800% from 2010 to 2017.

The Mount’s MSABA is unique because it offers highly desirable opportunities for students to learn from a range of professors with diverse experiences in applied behavior analysis—from translational researchers in behavioral science to educators who are experienced in classroom management—with the goal to improve communities and serve those in need.

Want to learn more?

Visit msmary.edu/aba or email Dr. Rooker at g.w.rooker@msmary.edu.

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Photo captured before the pandemic.

Courageous Conversation, Meaningful Action FOLLOWING THE EVENTS OF THE SUMMER OF 2020 that made more people across the country cognizant of social injustice and racism issues, many Mount St. Mary’s students returned to campus ready to work toward equity and inclusion and engage in sometimes uncomfortable dialogue. Throughout this year, students of all races and ethnic backgrounds have come together for prayer vigils, discussions, lectures and other events as we seek a better Mount.

Over the last decade the Mount has welcomed an increasing number of Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) students, with the percentage growing from 17% to 43%.

While these shifting demographics have brought diverse culture and ideas, the change has not been without challenges the university continues to work to eliminate.

Principles of Catholic social teaching are at the core of the 213-year-old Mount St. Mary’s, especially in the university community’s commitment to improve and sustain a culture of dignity and respect for everyone. “All of us are called to

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live out the Mount value of inclusion: the Mount must harness the energy created by diversity of thought and engendered by a richly diverse staff, faculty and student body to ensure that all feel welcome and included,” states the university’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) webpage. “A diverse, equitable and inclusive Mount culture benefits our students…not only during their time here, but also after they leave the Mount as they will be prepared for success in an increasingly multicultural world. Diversity, equity and inclusion is about who we are and what we do.”

Vice President for Equity and Success Paula WhetselRibeau, Ph.D., came to the Mount nine years ago to lead the university’s DEI efforts and can point to many successful initiatives that have improved the college experience for BIPOC students.

“This difficult but rewarding work to which we are fully committed is a marathon rather than a sprint,” she explained. “A lot of our efforts center on stereotypes, unconscious bias and microaggressions. For example, when Caucasian community members emotionally hurt BIPOC students, it causes even more pain to respond that their intent or behavior was well meaning. Regardless of intent, the impact is what matters.”

Whetsel-Ribeau leads the Mount Inclusive Excellence Committee, which draws members from across the university. The committee developed a five-year DEI plan and implemented initiatives, including a periodic social justice teach-in, student support groups for men and women of color, assessment of DEI content in the curriculum, integrated learning and living communities, a campus climate survey and professional development for faculty, staff and administrators.

Advice from Lecturers TAMIKA TREMAGLIO, C’92 GREATER WASHINGTON MANAGING PRINCIPAL AT DELOITTE Center for Campus Diversity Speaker Series

Students gather at an SGA organized campus vigil.

President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D., in the fall of 2020 marshalled more than 100 faculty, students, administrators and staff to serve on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force’s 10 working groups in order to address racism on campus and in the surrounding communities. The resulting 59 actions will be implemented over the next year, with some well underway. The initiatives, outlined in the Courageous Dialogue, Meaningful Action Operations Plan, include piloting of a mandatory DEI training course, continuing progress in hiring faculty members who reflect the demographics of the Mount's student body and reconciling that enslaved people were gifted to the university in the pre-Civil War era. The initiatives help raise awareness of the student complaint process, bring speakers to campus and make enhancements of DEI in the curriculum by initially focusing on summer orientation and the first-year symposium course.

“We will continue our activities and conversations to move together toward effective changes both here and in our wider community,” Whetsel-Ribeau said.

“When university demographics at all levels reflect the society in which we live, students graduate with role models, mentors and first-hand experiences that prepare them for successful futures.”

More information

“The best lessons you’ll learn come from failure.

Those rough spots are what make us more complete and allow us to grow.”

GRACELYN MCDERMOTT, C’93 VICE PRESIDENT FOR SALES, MARKETING AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AT KAISER PERMANENTE Center for Campus Diversity Speaker Series "Every opportunity you see where you can show up as a leader, that you can be an influencer for good, do it.

Don’t wait to be asked. Don’t wait for that special moment or that invitation, just practice it. Show up all the time."

GARY STEELE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN FOOTBALL PLAYER AT WEST POINT Inaugural St. Peter Claver Lecture “You already know the right thing to do. You just need to be ramrod straight and mentally clear and do it.”

Learn more about the Mount's DEI initiatives at msmary.edu/dei.

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Frederick Campus OFFERS NEW NON-DEGREE PATHWAY FOR WORKING PROFESSIONALS, VISITING UNDERGRADUATES AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

MOUNT ST. MARY’S UNIVERSIT Y’S FREDERICK CAMPUS offers a new non-degree pathway for individuals interested in taking a few courses or pursuing a certificate in specialty areas. While non-degree students may enter any time of the year, summer is the most popular point of entry as students may take courses across two five-week sessions. Summer courses are an excellent opportunity for current university students looking to get ahead or catch up, high school students seeking college credits and working professionals looking to gain or refresh their knowledge and skillset. Beginning this summer, all adult focused courses will be offered both in-person and online so students can learn from anywhere.

“We offer working professionals options for upskilling,” said Jennifer Staiger, Ph.D., associate provost for Graduate, Professional and Continuing Education. “Whether they’re looking for something specific like crisis communication or a course on social media marketing, our courses meet the needs of business professionals looking to advance their career or take the next step.” Popular courses include Principles of Marketing, Culturally Diverse Workforce, Wellness and Thriving, and Business Law.

“This past summer I was able to take summer courses at the Mount and it was a really great experience. The classes I enrolled in fulfilled credit requirements that I needed and were interesting subjects! The professors are passionate about the work and make the classes enjoyable and enriching!”

GRACE MAZELESKI, who took psychology and American Horror to complete general education requirements for her undergraduate degree at Furman University.

Individuals looking to earn post-baccalaureate certificates can choose from data science, project management, quality assurance and regulatory science, risk management and cybersecurity, technology facilitation, instructional leadership and more. Certificate programs are typically five courses and can be completed in less than a year—a great option for those looking to obtain an industry certification, boost a résumé or change their career.

Summer courses at the Mount also serve as an attractive option for high school students. Juniors and seniors in high school who are eager to earn college credits enroll in courses such as introduction to psychology, foundations of writing, nutrition and lifestyle, calculus, or introduction to computer science. High school students navigating challenges of the pandemic and looking for additional learning opportunities can find them at the Mount. Summer is a great time to get back on track or plan for a new future.

Many of these non-degree professional development certificate programs and foundational high school courses are offered year-round in convenient five- or eightweek sessions that meet once a week.

More information For information on course offerings, pricing, registration and more visit msmary.edu/summer.

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“I felt that after completing the coursework I was able to stay up to date on current regulatory guidelines and remain prepared for possible future compliancerelated changes. The statistics course also reinforced the key role statistics plays in continuous improvement projects that can easily be applied to any workplace.”

JACOB WEILAND, who earned a certificate in quality assurance and regulatory science.

We are Made of Legends Add your favorite Mount memory to the mosaic!

JOIN US IN CREATING the Legends of the Mount Mosaic.

The mural’s primary image includes Coach Jim Phelan, Coach Jim Deegan, basketball alumnus Fred Carter, C'69, track & field alumnus Peter Rono, C'92, and women’s basketball alumna Coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis, C'92.

Comprised of a collection of photographs and stories from alumni, athletes, students, parents, faculty and the Mount community, these special Mount moments will be the centerpiece of the new Rooney Athletic Performance Center—a 26,500 square-foot addition to the Knott ARCC. Your Mount photo and story will also be shared at an interative kiosk within the performance center.

Share your story!

Submit your photo and story to be featured on the Legends of the Mount Mosaic at legendsofthemount.com.

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Because of You

We Moved Mountains

Thanks to your generosity, we raised $33.9 million from 10,548 donors.

Because of you, this is what we can do…

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The Future of Forward!

Together as One

WE MOVED MOUNTAINS! Mount St. Mary’s University concluded the Forward! Together as One capital campaign which raised $33.9 million from 10,548 donors in support of the university's mission to educate the next generation of ethical leaders to lead lives of significance in service to God and others. Because of the Mount community and friends of the university, we surpassed our original goal to raise $30 million.

The campaign emphasized the enduring values of the Mount's Catholic liberal arts tradition with a commitment to enrich the mind, body and spirit of our students. Future projects include increased collaborative learning and cocurricular space, improved lab space and enhancements to academic, athletic and recreational facilities, and plans for Mount St. Mary's Seminary and the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes.

By Nicole Patterson

MA JOR PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE CAMPAIGN INCLUDE:

Mind

KNOTT ACADEMIC CENTER RENOVATION AND EXPANSION Knott Academic Center renovation and expansion are being funded by a state grant and generous donations from the Bolte Family Foundation and Raphael Della Ratta, C’92. The project includes construction of an approximately 15,000 square-foot addition and renovation of the 49,074 square-foot existing building. The upgrade includes enhancing the learning environment and building new classrooms, a Bloomberg Classroom Laboratory and faculty offices.

COAD SCIENCE BUILDING EXPANSION Enhancements to the School of Natural Science and Mathematics, funded by a state grant and a lead donation from George B. Delaplaine Jr. as well as generous support from others, include a 10,000 square foot addition to the Coad Science Building, featuring new classrooms, laboratories, "classatories," offices and collaborative spaces.

"We are blessed by the generosity of our donors who support the university’s strategic growth to educate the next generation of Mount students in the Catholic intellectual tradition.”

PRESIDENT TIMOTHY E. TRAINOR, PH.D.

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“These much needed resources will keep Mount St. Mary’s as one of the preeminent Catholic universities.”

RICHARD P. MILLER, C'74, FORWARD! CAMPAIGN CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR OF THE MOUNT ST. MARY’S BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Body ROONEY ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE CENTER A transformative gift to athletics from John J. and Patrick J. Rooney, both C’60, and their spouses JoAnn and Sandy, is substantially funding the Rooney Athletic Performance Center that will promote growth and enhanced performance for the university’s NCAA Division I athletic program as well as increased intramural sport and recreation opportunities for all students.

PALMIERI ACTIVITIES CENTER The Palmieri Activities Center, built in 2019, provides space for concerts and other large-scale activities such as bingo, as well as student club and organization meetings. The rollup doors allowed mid-size events to be held in the PAC in academic year 2020-21 as the pandemic restricted use of indoor space.

Spirit THE WAY A new pathway between Mount St. Mary’s Seminary and the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, to be known as The Way, will allow thousands of people to enjoy a more prayerful journey from the seminary to the National Shrine Grotto. The pathway will offer places for reflection with benches and memorials dedicated to saints.

SEMINARY IMPROVEMENTS Mount St. Mary’s Seminary has been upgraded with a new HVAC system, water heaters, showers, installation of glass in offices and classroom doors for security and transparency, and major repairs to the front porch of McSweeny Hall. The seminary will continue to raise funds needed for additional repairs and upgrades to the historic building, including new windows, and improved lighting and AV equipment in St. Bernard's Chapel.

When the economy went into recession due to the global pandemic, Vice President for University Advancement Robert J. Brennan, C'85, expected that economic conditions would delay completion of the Forward! campaign. However, the Mount community and friends of the university continued to support the campaign, allowing it to close in 2020. Thank you for giving your time, talent and treasure to continue making the Mount a special place.

Stay connected!

Visit msmary.edu/philanthropyatwork to learn more about the projects.

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Coming in 2023!

Expansion of Coad Science Building

By Donna Klinger

MOUNT ST. MARY'S UNIVERSITY will break ground next summer on a 10,000 square foot, $4.1 million addition to the Coad Science Building that will include new classrooms, laboratories, “classatories,” offices and collaborative meeting space to enhance the student learning environment. The university plans to complete the work by the fall of 2023.

The project is being funded by a $2 million grant from the State of Maryland and $2.1 million in donations from the university’s recently completed Forward!

Together as One campaign. The capital grant was included in the state’s recently enacted Fiscal 2022 capital budget.

“The university is grateful to both the state of Maryland and our benefactors for making this expansion possible,” said Mount St. Mary’s President Timothy E.

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Helping Mount STEM Programs Grow “The addition to Coad will provide a state-of-the-art learning environment for the Mount’s STEM programs, enabling programmatic expansion consistent with STEM profession demands and helping the university continue to attract and retain outstanding faculty and students.”

PRESIDENT TIMOTHY E. TRAINOR, PH.D.

Thank you to the listed individuals and organizations for their support of the sciences at the Mount.

Michelle and Bill Beierschmitt, Ph.D., C’80 Maria and Xavier DeCaire, C’73 George B. Delaplaine Jr. Penny and Bob Diegelmann, M.D., C'65 Elizabeth Dougherty, in memory of Patrick Dougherty, C'61 Stephen Fletcher, M.D., C'63 Kirsten and Robert Greenwell, M.D., C'80 Anne, C'00, and Kevin, C'99, Kalis Cynthia Kratz, M.D., C'99 Mary Beth and Frank Merolla, D.D.S., C'63 Anne and Jim Millett, C’66

Trainor, Ph.D. “The addition to Coad will provide a stateof-the-art learning environment for the Mount’s STEM programs, enabling programmatic expansion consistent with STEM profession demands and helping the university continue to attract and retain outstanding faculty and students.”

Trish, C'84, and D.J., C'84, Monagle

A lead donation from George B. Delaplaine Jr. is funding the collaborative space, to be called the Delaplaine Family Academic Commons, which will serve as a focal point for faculty and student engagement. Top-level donors to the expansion project are the Page Family Foundation; Trish and D.J. Monagle, both C’84; Paula and Fred Neuer, M.D., C’67; and Christina Lee and Mark Sobus, J.D., Ph.D., C’89.

Karen and Tony Rose, C'74

Built in 1964, Coad is a three-story 50,100 square foot building serving the School of Natural Science and Mathematics, which has outgrown the space.

The university is experiencing pressing needs for additional academic space on campus due to overall student enrollment growth, an increase in STEM majors and the addition of new programs in data science and neuroscience.

Aloha Tremonti, in memory of John Tremonti, C'59

The Coad addition will be configured for modern teaching methods and pedagogy and offer improvements in quality, efficiency and functionality. The new classroom and lab spaces will be technology-rich, multi-use, flexible and configurable for a variety of instructional formats and class sizes. Specific goals for the building addition include a design that promotes spontaneous interaction; is flexible and adaptable; and provides natural light.

Pfizer Incorporated

Paula and Fred Neuer, M.D., C'67 Barbara and Donald Novicki, M.D., C'63 Archer O'Brien, C'16 Bernice and Salvatore Romano, Ph.D., C'63 Sophany and Joseph Rosenwald, D.D.S., C'80 Faith Ryan, in memory of John Ryan, C'59 Lori and Kraig Sheetz, Ph.D. Robin Shine, C'78 Christina Lee, DVM, and Mark Sobus, J.D., Ph.D., C'89 Tom Williams, C'56 Christopher Zukowski, D.O., C'76 Johnson & Johnson, Inc. New York Life Foundation Page Family Foundation

The university is in the process of seeking bids for design of the addition from architectural firms that specialize in STEM facilities.

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Inside the Lombardi Lab

By Donna Klinger

Patrick Lombardi, Ph.D.

THE SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS (SNSM) is committed to ensuring that students are prepared not only to enter practice careers but also to advance into research careers and doctoral-level studies.

Lombardi says that the work of students in the Summer Research Internship Award program that SNSM has invested in was essential for his group to generate the materials and collect the data necessary for this grant application.

This focus on student success is especially evident in the Lombardi Lab. When Assistant Professor of Chemistry Patrick Lombardi, Ph.D., heard that his lab had received a $433,784 National Institutes of Health grant, he immediately shared the good news with students who have conducted research in his lab and whose work helped win the award. Lombardi’s successful grant proposal, to better understand how the cell’s DNA repair machinery is recruited to sites of DNA damage, included important preliminary data collected from a research group of Mount undergraduate students.

“In my three years at the Mount, I’ve noticed the tremendous positive effect that working in the laboratory over the summer has on our undergraduate researchers,” he observes. “By immersing themselves in the laboratory, students are able to master the experimental techniques that are necessary for their projects and become independent researchers. Given their proficiency in the laboratory, these students are then able to continue with their research during the academic year and can accumulate a significant body of work during their undergraduate careers. The laboratory skills and records of accomplishment garnered by these students make them strong candidates for external fellowships that enhance their scientific training even further.”

The grant provides students increased summer research opportunities to travel to scientific conferences to present their work and learn from others, and access to experimental approaches with state-of-the art laboratory equipment.

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In the lab with (left to right) Hannah Orland, Lauren Gray, Patrick Lombardi and Walter Tate.

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Funds from the NIH grant will support six undergraduate

researchers working full time in the laboratory for nineweek periods during each of the next three summers and fund equipment use costs at collaborators’ laboratories at Johns Hopkins University. Funds will also pay for reagents necessary to perform the proposed experiments and purchase additional cell growth and protein purification equipment to increase research capacity.

“I’m very grateful to the 20 students who have been part of our research group over these last three years,” Lombardi adds. “In August 2017, our laboratory, Coad 123, was an empty room with a wooden crate of unboxed research equipment. Through their hard work and determination, the students transformed that empty space into a functioning biochemistry laboratory.

Eleven of the 20 students are graduating seniors this year, and it’s hard for me to imagine the Mount without them. While it will be difficult to see these lab members leave the group, I’m very excited for all the wonderful accomplishments that lie ahead in their futures.”

Of the seven student researchers who are in the first group of grant-sponsored summer researchers in summer 2021, six are new to the Lombardi Lab. Two of the undergraduates who have conducted research in the lab throughout this year have external fellowships this summer: sophomore Rita Anoh, who will be participating in the Caltech WAVE Fellows program in the laboratory of Douglas Rees, Ph.D., and junior Elaina Perry, who was awarded a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NSF REU) fellowship to study biomedical engineering at the State University of New York at Binghamton.

“Joining the research group early in their undergraduate careers gives the students ample time to become proficient in the molecular biology, protein biochemistry, and biophysical assays their research regularly requires,” Lombardi says. “Furthermore, the research experience these students accumulate during their years in the laboratory makes them better candidates for external fellowships during the summer.”

Several of the student researchers have racked up accomplishments in their undergraduate years. Anoh, who began working in the Lombardi Lab as a Summer Research Internship Award scholar last summer and continued throughout this year, recently was awarded a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, the preeminent undergraduate scholarship for students intending to pursue research careers in the fields of natural science, mathematics and engineering. Senior Julia Baer received a Goldwater Scholarship last year and was awarded an NSF REU fellowship to work at the University of Connecticut Avery Point in the summer of 2019. Senior Dhane Schmelyun spent the summer of 2019 working in the laboratory of David Ginty, Ph.D., C’84, at Harvard Medical School.

The graduating seniors provide evidence of Lombardi’s belief that early undergraduate research experience puts students on the path to success.

What's next?

LAUREN GRAY, C'21 Accepted a position as an analytical investigator at Minerals Technologies.

She interned at the company in summer 2020 and winter 2020-21.

EMMANUELLA OSEI-ASANTE, C'21 Accepted a position as a research technician in the laboratory of David Ginty, Ph.D., C’84, Harvard Medical School.

KATE BURKE, C'21 Accepted a position as an ORISE fellow with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research Viral Disease Branch.

DHANE SCHMELYUN, C'21 Will pursue a doctorate in the chemistry-biology interface program at Johns Hopkins University.

JULIA BAER, C'21 Will pursue a doctorate in ocean sciences at the University of California Santa Cruz.

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Choose Hope Spes Nostra

By Nicole Patterson

In celebration of Black History Month, the Center for Student Diversity hosted a question-and-answer session with the Mount’s Chair of the Board of Trustees Gracelyn A. McDermott, C’93.

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STUDENTS, FACULTY, ADMINISTRATORS AND FRIENDS gathered in Knott Auditorium and on Zoom to hear sophomore Asia Yates interview McDermott about the alumna’s professional achievements, experience as a first-generation Afro-Caribbean woman, confidence in her faith, hope for the future and pride in becoming a citizen of the United States.

Mary Kane, C'84, Chair Emerita, President Trainor and Gracelyn McDermott, C'93

“Mr. Leon Dixon came up with the idea and invited Mrs. McDermott to participate in this event,” said Assistant Director of the Center for Student Diversity Areli Aguilar-Hill. “We both agreed that as the first Black woman in such an important position at the Mount, students would benefit tremendously from hearing her story.”

Assistant Dean and Director of the Center for Student Diversity Leon Dixon welcomed the group and spoke about the importance of understanding other cultures and the plight of marginalized and oppressed individuals—discussing the power of radical hospitality and Christ’s message and mission of unity.

Gracelyn with roommates Damia Arends, C'93, and Diana Matula, C'93.

Gracelyn at graduation with Provost Jack Campbell

Gracelyn with her daughter Amanda

“I want tonight to be a springboard to conversations that we all should have with one another— conversations about bringing people together, conversations about what the future looks like,” he added before President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D., introduced McDermott.

McDermott majored in international studies and Spanish at the Mount before she earned an MBA from Johns Hopkins University. She has a long list of professional achievements in sales, operations and information technology leadership in the healthcare environment and is currently vice president for sales, marketing and business development within the mid-Atlantic division of Kaiser Permanente, a healthcare company.

“There’s nobody more committed to the success of the students than she is,” Trainor said. “She is the second woman and first Black person to serve as chair of the Mount’s Board of Trustees, and she gives generously of her time and talent to the university, including participation in the inaugural alumni of color panel dinner in 2019 and leading the webinar for alumni on healthcare.”

Yates, a student-athlete and ROTC cadet, began her interview with McDermott by saying: “This is truly inspirational to be able to interview you. You’re not only someone that I look up to for the position that you have, but for the path you’ve taken. You’re an inspiration to those of us who are also young Black women—and you show us exactly the great lengths that we can go.”

Starting with a smile and joke, McDermott asserted she often begins speaking engagements while walking onstage to Alicia Keys’ song “Girl on Fire.”

She shared her experience that in the early 1990s the Mount’s campus was about 10% students of color.

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"It’s important that the vision and the intentionality behind what we do at the Mount is making sure we’re giving our students the tools to be resilient as they leave the institution, but also to give back."

Gracelyn A. McDermott, C’93

“By minorities, that wasn’t just African American. It was also Asian, Indian. Back then when we talked about diversity, it was more international,” she explained. At that time, the Mount didn’t have an African American or Black Student Union, rather the Organization for Students for Cultural Awareness (OSCA) which any student and seminarian could join.

wonder how much education does it take for people to finally figure it out. We can’t be the teachers; we can’t be the only ones who are constantly trying to educate. We need allies. Enough is enough. I’m done talking, it’s your turn now to share and show how you create an inclusive environment because it’s not all on our shoulders.”

After applying to and being accepted at three Maryland colleges, McDermott, a first-generation student, said the Mount stood out. “I got scholarships to all three of them, but out of the three, my mother only got a call from one of them— and that was Mount St. Mary’s.” The invitation to come visit and the personal connection made the difference.

McDermott shared how she struggled to prove herself over and over and over again. “Every single time, every new position, every new job, every new boss. I don’t get the benefit of the doubt. Some day that may change.”

Yates asked McDermott to talk about her personal experiences during her time at the Mount.

“Coming to the Mount, in terms of my attitude and thought process, it’s also important for me to share with you that for at least two-and-a-half years at the Mount, I was not an African American student; I was a Caribbean or Afro-Caribbean student,” she explained. “I actually just celebrated my anniversary a few days ago. On February 14, 1992, I became a full-fledged citizen of the United States.”

Stating that she was used to being a minority by the time she started college, McDermott shared instances of racism and ignorance when students asked her what sport she played and why she was at the Mount. “I’m here for the same exact reason you are: to get an education,” she would respond. “Back then, if you were an African American or Black student or minority student, you were expected to play a sport. The fact that you didn’t made you an outlier,” she said. “After a while I got over it. It worked out well in the end.”

When people are either ignorant or curious, McDermott said she assumes good intent. “It’s difficult because 30 years later we’re still educating people, still trying,” she lamented. “You 2 4

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Her advice to students is to get a sponsor, not a mentor. “It’s less about mentorship and more about sponsorship. A sponsor is someone who is going to advocate for you when you’re not in the room. They’re the ones who are going to…talk about your capabilities. If you have sponsors who do that for you, you don’t have to necessarily prove yourself.”

McDermott also encouraged students to “practice leadership.”

“Every opportunity you see where you can show up as a leader, that you can be an influencer for good, do it. Don’t wait to be asked. Don’t wait for that special moment or that invitation, just practice it," she continued. "Show up all the time. You don’t know who’s watching. You want to be in a position so when that door opens, you can walk right through it.”

For her final question, Yates asked: “With the recent events that have taken place in our country and even on our campus, where do you see signs of hope?”

McDermott replied: “I see it everywhere. I see it in you.” She spoke about her daughter’s activism in their local community.

“When I get an opportunity to interact with Mount students, and I talk about what’s going on, that’s the hope. You are the hope that there is going to be a different tomorrow.” On a final note, she recommended her favorite book that she was introduced to at the Mount titled Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl.

Four Questions for Gracelyn WHAT ROLE HAS FAITH PL AYED IN YOUR LIFE? Growing up, God was definitely at the forefront of our family and everything we did. I was baptized in the Anglican Church. I’m originally from Barbados, and then we came to the United States and we went to a Methodist church and then I think we might have been in a Lutheran church and then the Evangelical church for probably 10 years. I think that’s part of the reason my mom was so comfortable with Mount St. Mary’s— because she could sense it was a place where I could be closer to God. One of my best friends from high school used to joke that I was one of the only people she knew who had read the Bible cover to cover. When you’re in an Evangelical church, the Bible is front and center. I always liked Paul and when I came to the Mount I enjoyed the theology class on the four gospels.

I converted because my husband is Catholic. The aspect of Catholicism that touches me is charity, giving back and serving the broader community.

AS A YOUNG WOMAN, WHO DID YOU WANT TO BECOME? Following up on an audience question about her five-year plan for the Mount, McDermott said: “I think the Mount is in a unique position where we can blend the academics with the character building that’s founded on Christian beliefs and morality. We need a major culture shift, and it needs to happen within the next five years. It’s important that the vision and the intentionality behind what we do at the Mount is making sure we’re giving our students the tools to be resilient as they leave the institution, but also to give back.”

After the event, Yates commented, “What resonated with me is when we talked about what it means to be a leader. We have to go beyond just the surface; we have to be willing to influence those around us and be the difference.”

“I was blown away by Chair McDermott’s words,” said Erik Menijivar, C’21, president of Mount Students for Life and of the Student Organization of Latinos. “She made it clear that we, the student body, are the hope for this university and for change in our broken world. As a first-generation student and as a Latino, I relate to how I was raised being told to prove yourself repeatedly. I was elated when she talked about the need for cultural shift that spreads Christian values. I never heard a person in authority at a university speak like that. This university is blessed to have her.”

I wanted to be a writer and write stories. When I was little, I was obsessed with reading—that’s probably why I loved the Mount because of all the reading we had to do. I soaked it all up. I was an avid reader and would go to the library and check out a dozen books at a time. I wrote short stories.

The one my family still talks about is called “The Day it Happened.” It started off an ordinary day, the sun was shining, everything was normal and we were playing foursquare. The story kept building and building and finally at the end of the story… “And then it happened.”

HOW CAN THE MOUNT’S CORE CURRICULUM WORK TO INFORM A MORE INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT? I think the Mount can help students develop a sense of self. That’s what the core curriculum, which I really liked, is all about; it teaches you how to think and then utilizes that thought process to make decisions and to make choices. It reminds me of freshman seminar, which was all about choices. I took to that very deeply; I still remember that stuff. I love the branding campaign Live Significantly. I feel it captures the essence of what we’re trying to accomplish, trying to get people to think for themselves, to make decisions based on a centered approach—be it God, spirituality, whatever it becomes for that individual person—and then share that with the broader world.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU, EXCITES YOU, AND WORRIES YOU ABOUT THE FUTURE WE FACE? What’s exciting is the conversations we’ve been able to have— conversations we never would have been able to have years ago. There is willingness, based on the leadership, to jump into those conversations and make it student-centered. This is about the student. That excites me.

I wasn’t kidding when I answered Asia about what gives me hope. This generation has the passion to truly make the world a better place. If we can keep the fire in their bellies there will be change. This generation is going to be the generation to spark the change in the world for the better.

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Double the March Madness

By Donna Klinger

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IN A YEAR WITH STOPS AND STARTS in the schedule and other challenges due to COVID-19, the Mount St. Mary’s University men’s and women’s basketball teams both punched their tickets to the NCAA Division I Tournament by winning the Northeast Conference (NEC) Championship.

This is the first time that both teams went to the Big Dance in the same year since 1995. The Mount is the only team in the NEC to ever achieve this feat. The campus community and Frederick County community recognized the special nature of this achievement, especially during a pandemic. Local businesses displayed posters declaring their support for the teams, and restaurants featured the games on their television screens. Physically distanced and masked, students filled Knott Arena to 10% capacity to watch the men’s and women’s games. The pep band and cheerleaders contributed to the spirited atmosphere.

Both Mount teams exited the tournament after their first game.

The men, competing in the tournament for the sixth time in program history and the first time since 2017, lost a close and exciting First Four game to Texas Southern University on March 18. The men’s team is now 2-6 all-time in NCAA Tournament games and 2-2 in First Four games.

The women Mountaineers, competing in the Division I Tournament for the third time in program history, this time as a No. 15 seed, faced off on March 22 against the University of Maryland, a No. 2 seed. The Mount women hung tough with the Terrapins in the first quarter, but Maryland pulled away in the second quarter. The Mount finished the season with a 17-7 record.

The men’s and women’s teams were coached by Dan Engelstad and Maria Marchesano, respectively. Engelstad signed a threeyear contract extension, while Marchesano accepted a position as head coach at Purdue University Fort Wayne. The Mount promoted Antoine White, who served as associate head coach, to head coach.

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Tracing Trails Semester of Service offers Research on History of Indigenous People ByNicole Patterson

MOUNT ST. MARY’S UNIVERSITY is continuing on a path of discovery this spring as Director of Outdoor Adventures Chris Duffy and Associate Professor of History Michelle Patterson, Ph.D., work to maintain and uncover the history of the hiking trails on Mary’s Mountain. This semester, Patterson is teaching a service learning course where students are studying the history of the trails and researching the indigenous people who lived there. At the end of the semester, students will make suggestions to President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D., to rename one of the trails—currently known as Indian Lookout—to give credence and credit to the native owners and their stories.

In the winter of 2019, Duffy and Coach Jay Phillips, C'05, MT'08, director of cross country and track & field, began exploring the university’s mountain property. “We found several old paths on the mountain that may have been trails, roads or game paths a long time ago,” Duffy explained. The two used GPS and other digital mapping tools to document some existing paths along the mountain. “Jay and I both dreamed of how great it would be if we could put together a trail network for the students, faculty and staff of the university. We decided it would have to be a long-term project.”

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Duffy had documented many possible paths and determined they were on the Mount’s property. He put together a plan for how to link the trails and work to improve them. “When we were quarantined, I was looking for meaningful work and decided I would spend my days working on these trails,” he said. “My thought was that this could be a silver lining to the horrible tragedy we’re enduring—and the paths could be something for students to enjoy once they return to campus.”

In the summer of 2020, with help from his daughter, Zoe, and Phillips, Duffy established and marked three new paths. In July, while preparing handouts for new student orientation, he printed a trail map to provide to new students titled Indian Lookout Trail.

“In light of the significant increase in social and intellectual awareness concerning our nation’s history that’s happening at this time, it struck me: Is this place name, this trail name, Indian Lookout, appropriate? Respectful?” He began researching the name and consulting with faculty and alumni. Duffy reached out to Patterson; he believed her service learning class would be a great way to further research on this issue while providing students with meaningful work.

Patterson joined the Mount in 2006, specializing in 20th century U.S. Women’s History and Native Americans, teaching courses in Native American history, women’s history and the American history courses in the Mount’s core curriculum. She’s published books and articles on the study of Native American music by women in the first half of the 20th century such as Natalie Curtis Burlin: A Life in Native and African American Music and co-authored Travels with Frances Densmore: Her Life, Work, and Legacy in Native American Studies. Patterson has also been published in The Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, American Indian Quarterly, The Journal of the West, and American Indian Culture and Research Journal.

Her service learning class is full—and fully engaged.

“Right now we are learning about the Native people who were on this land prior to colonization,” said Kaylee RodriquezTorres, C’22. “We have had amazing guest speakers come in and tell us more information which has been very helpful to progress toward our goal of figuring out who was here and learning about their culture, traditions and ways of living.”

Patterson is hopeful that by the end of the semester students will have fulfilled the requirements of a global encounters class and a whole lot more. “They’re going to try and see the world from someone else’s point of view. They’re going to look at the history of where we live with a different perspective.”

She’s challenging students to read texts like All Indians Do Not Live in Teepees (or Casinos) by Catherine C. Robbins and discuss reparations and rightful owners of remains and artifacts.

“Here’s a way students can use their minds for service. Maybe they can learn that there are opportunities to find meaning in your work and help others. I try to give students real-world expectations and real-world assignments.”

Jessica J. Boyer, C’16, director of the Phillips Library, created a Native American Research Guide with different historical databases and primary sources including information on the tribes and the Mount’s resources specifically on those tribes and those regions. Boyer originally helped Duffy locate the few materials in the archives and references to the trail name in The Story of the Mount.

Coach Jay Phillips, C'05, MT'08

“It’s important for the Mount to honor the Native Americans who were here because we need to learn the importance of honoring history from its original roots,” Rodriguez-Torres said. “We cannot erase this history because that means erasing tradition, culture, oppression and genocide—which are real factors the Native Americans encountered by the colonization.”

She is hopeful her class will find a name that better represents and respects those who lived on this land.

Meanwhile, Duffy continues to maintain the trails. On March 13, Outdoor Adventures and the Office of Social Justice hosted a Trail Work day where students, faculty, administrators and seminarians were invited to help make trail improvements, including improving resistance to erosion. Volunteers enjoyed a physical workout complete with a free lunch and great views.

“What do we know of the history and what should we do with that knowledge?” Patterson asks. Visit msmary.edu/news for an update on this story.

Photo captured before the pandemic.

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Our Lady of Kibeho

By Nicole Patterson

A dedication and blessing ceremony was held in early May.

THE MOUNT UNVEILED a new mosaic on campus inspired by Our Lady of Kibeho, the only Vaticanapproved Marian apparition to take place on the continent of Africa. The mosaic was made possible by a gift from the Mount’s Board of Trustees member Janice Obuchowski, her husband Albert (Bert) Halprin, and their children, one of whom is a Mount graduate of the Class of 2016, Juliet Halprin. The mosaic is located on the northeast side of Bradley Hall and incorporates a wayside marker including the story of and excerpts from the prayer to Our Lady of Kibeho.

The story of Our Lady of Kibeho began when the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared in Kibeho, Rwanda, during the 1980s, and identified herself as Nyina wa Jambo (Kinyarwanda for “Mother of the Word”) to three high school girls: Alphonsine Mumureke, Anathalie Mukamazimpaka and Marie-Claire Mukangango. The apparitions communicated an apocalyptic vision of Rwanda falling into bloody violence and hatred, potentially foretelling the 1994 Rwandan genocide. In 2021, the local bishop of the Catholic Church officially recognized the visions of the three schoolchildren as authentic, with approval of the Universal Catholic Church.

President Trainor with Mount Board of Trustee member Janice Obuchowski and her daughter Juliet Halprin, C'16

Pope John Paul II, during his visit to Rwanda, encouraged the faithful to turn to the Virgin as “a simple and sure guide” to conversion and acceptance of the sorrow all face in life. He asked for prayer and greater commitment against local political and ethnic divisions.

“I read about Our Lady of Kibeho and her call for prayer, repentance and reconciliation,” said Obuchowski.

“Devotion to her as Our Lady of Sorrows, who suffered alongside her divine child is significant, especially to all parents.” Obuchowski and her family have visited Africa on several occasions, including trips to Tanzania and Kenya. The family concluded that Our Lady of Kibeho should be represented at the Mount, where Our

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Lady is honored in multiple statues and paintings as a patroness of many countries and continents, especially at the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes site. “We are a universal Church so honoring Our Lady of Kibeho and, in a particular way, faith in and from the African continent is a great treasure to the world,” Obuchowski added.

The Mount’s leadership and community responded to the suggestion positively. The mosaic of Our Lady is located where many students and campus visitors walk. The Halprin/Obuchowski family believes the essence of what makes the Mount so extraordinary is that it provides the opportunity to reach out to all community members while simultaneously recognizing that “God the Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the Blessed Mother are with us through the educational journey.”

On the topic of reconciliation, Obuchowski is happy the gift is also from her Jewish husband, Bert. The son of his teacher at New Rochelle High School in New York was one of three civil rights workers murdered by the KKK in 1964. So, Bert dropped out of college to do community organizing work in Mississippi for two years in the 1960s.

“Catholicism is my faith, and it’s our school’s great heritage. We want the Mount’s diverse student body to be communicating and finding ways to care about each other by turning to the Blessed Virgin. If we come together out of love, we can honestly listen to one another. Mount students are blessed to be here and meant to grow in grace. Our Lady of Kibeho sought repentance and a return to faith, warning of tragedy.

She teaches that grace can transcend sorrowful experiences, yielding joyful reconciliation. She made known that her message was not only for Rwanda or Africa—but for the entire world,” Obuchowski said.

Our Lady’s message was clear: “Let me help you, let me give you a hand to lead you through this suffering.

Let me give you a prayer to hold on to so that you can work through the suffering of this world.” Our community seeks to understand and love everyone in order to make the Mount, our country and the world we all share a more welcoming place for all God’s children.

One very important goal is for everyone to experience the grace of welcome. That was the message of reconciliation in Rwanda.

Seminary Rector and Vice President Rev. Msgr.

Andrew R. Baker, S.T.D., summarizes, “Our Lady has appeared in various places around the world to let us know that we are all her children. Everyone belongs to their mother. This new mosaic of Our Lady of Kibeho lets us know that Mary is the mother of every Mountie.”

Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Word, Mother of all those who believe in Him and who welcome Him into their life, we are here before You to contemplate You. We believe that You are amongst us, like a mother in the midst of her children, even though we do not see You with our bodily eyes…

Grant us always the light and the strength necessary to accept, with all seriousness, Your call to us to be converted, to repent, and to live according to your Son’s Gospel. Teach us how to pray with sincerity, and to love one another as He loved us…

Holy Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, teach us to understand the value of the cross in our lives… and, when our pilgrimage on this earth comes to an end, may we live eternally with You in the kingdom of Heaven.

Amen.

EXCERPTS FROM THE PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF KIBEHO

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“In my years at the Mount, I’ve taught two archbishops and seven bishops, but my great delight has been teaching hundreds of Parish Priests, the great unheralded workers for the Kingdom.”

FATHER ROACH

On the Road with Roach

visits to various historically significant sites in and around the Baltimore area. No one knows the official name of the course. It is a boring title, anyway. The course is simply and affectionately known as “On the Road with Roach.”

Father Roach’s personal road began in his native Baltimore. He grew up the second son of a doctor and nurse in the post-World War II era. He graduated from Loyola College with a bachelor’s degree in history and eventually earned a Master of Arts in history from The Catholic University of America, a member of the first class to graduate under the endowed chair in American Church History.

He received his formation at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore and was ordained a priest in 1971 by Cardinal Lawrence Shehan. He was hired as an adjunct professor of Church History back in 1978 and has taught multiple generations of future priests.

By Rev. Msgr. Andrew Baker, S.T.D.

Msgr. James Farmer, Archdiocese of Baltimore, S’80, who has known Fr. Roach since their days together at Loyola College, pays the historian a high compliment saying that “he is an extremely good human being.” Not only that but, as Msgr.

Philip Halfacre, Diocese of Peoria, S’91, recalls, seminarians took his courses just to be with a fine priest. “Being with him was formative for us apart from the concrete things he taught,” Msgr. Halfacre said.

FOR 42 YEARS, Father Michael Roach, a priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, has been teaching Church History at the Seminary. One of his most popular courses—“Research Seminar: History of the Church in the USA”—involves some

Some of his students remember his classes being very engaging and even entertaining. “He was the most interesting professor we had,” Msgr. Edward O’Connor, Diocese of Allentown, S’81, said. “The worst sin a historian can commit,” Fr. Roach once admitted to a seminarian, “is to be boring.”

His classes are never boring.

A Tribute to Father Michael Roach

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With his class in the Elder Cemetery

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With seminarians

One of Fr. Roach’s greatest qualities is his dry sense of humor.

After traveling in an airplane to concelebrate the First Mass of a newly ordained Mountie, Fr. Roach observed, “the airplane seats get smaller every year.” His humor finds its way into the classroom and casual conversation. Fr. Roach likes to quote Jacques Kelly, a journalist from the Baltimore Sun, when he begins a conference. “Just make it up,” Kelly says. After a class or conference, the audience knows that not only has it not been made up but that they have been taken on a trip through history that is very real.

Over the last several years Fr. Roach has given a talk to the new seminarians during orientation week on the history of the Mount. Fr. Roach tells them that the reason he was chosen to provide reflections on the Mount’s illustrious history is not because of his own knowledge and skill but because he is “the only game in town. Everybody else is dead!”

As he recounts the history of the Mount, Fr. Roach somehow weaves comments by St. Clement of Alexandria, the opinion of St. John Henry Newman, and the legend of the Indian Ottawanta to fill out his story. He is able to provide context and background for Fr. Dubois arrival, the challenges of the Civil War years and the string of Seminary rectors through the 20th century. At a certain point Fr. Roach speaks of people and events he knows. The seminarians suddenly realize that not only does he know Church History, he has lived it.

When Father Roach speaks of history you get the sense that he might even know some of these people. From the insights he provides, you begin to wonder whether you know them. He has a way about tying facts together that provide a robust view of history. Who would have known that one of the “local kids”

who accidently burned down the Church on the Hill (which stood where the Grotto bell tower now stands) on the 4th of July with an errant Roman candle, later became a Monsignor in Pittsburgh? Only Fr. Roach.

Even though he is a top-notch Church historian, he has never lost his love and contact with parish life. Fr. Roach served for several years as an assistant pastor until he became pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Baltimore in 1981. Since 1996, he has been pastor of St. Bartholomew Parish in Manchester, Maryland. Many seminarians have been mentored by him in his role as pastor.

Fr. Tyler Kline, Archdiocese of Baltimore, S’19, was struggling with his vocation as a seminarian and had the opportunity to serve one summer in Fr. Roach’s parish. “It was that experience,” Fr. Kline says, “that made me stay.” His pastor’s heart is always worn on his sleeve. Even as a Seminary professor and formator, Fr. Roach is first a pastor. He has the envious ability to laugh at himself and, at the same time, constantly say, “God’s in charge.”

When the seminarians take the course called “On the Road with Roach,” they follow more than the historical paths of early Catholicism in the United States. They also follow the road of a priest who has lived much of recent Catholic history and who provides footsteps in which they can stand in order to be good, zealous and holy priests.

The Seminary is grateful to all those who work to accomplish our mission of priestly formation but especially those priests who, like Fr. Roach, forge ahead in the life of a priest, leaving seminarians the road to follow.

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Alumni News NAA President’s Letter DEAR MOUNT ALUMNI, It has been one of the greatest honors and privileges of my life to serve as your National Alumni Association (NAA) president. I cannot believe the time has come to write my final letter to you; these four years have flown by so quickly.

My appreciation of the Mount has grown even stronger. I’ve met so many wonderful people who have become part of my Mount family. Mounties are a special breed and I’m fortunate to call myself one!

When I took the oath to become your NAA president, one of my primary goals was to increase the presence of our alumni association. Four years later, I am pleased with the reach the NAA has with fellow alumni. For example, we just had the most successful One Mount One Day in our history and more voters turned out this past election than in the previous four. The NAA chartered additional alumni chapters and increased the number of chapter events throughout the regions (prior to COVID-19). When COVID-19 hit, we offered alumni webinars and have seen an increase in our attendees to our NAA meetings.

I am thrilled to announce our new leadership, which you can learn more about on the following page. I am confident that they will continue my legacy by growing the engagement of our fellow alumni with the association and the Mount.

I am happy that Susan Janowiak, C'81, will succeed me as president of the NAA. Sue brings 25 years of NAA experience and was executive vice president of the NAA for the past four years. Sue’s passion for the Mount will continue to engage our alumni.

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ALUMNI NEWS SPRING 2021

Though we were unable to see each other in person for the past two reunions due to the pandemic, I look forward to seeing many of you at the combined reunion weekend 2020 and 2021 in October. Registration opens in early July. Please make sure to let the Mount know you are coming! Also, don’t forget to book your rooms at one of the local area hotels. This will be my 35th reunion, and I already have my room booked!

I couldn’t close my final letter without again addressing the success of this year’s One Mount One Day! Alumni, parents, friends, faculty, staff, administration and students raised more than $333,000 for the university. Thank you to all who participated and made this year’s giving day such a recordbreaking success.

Thank you again for welcoming me as your NAA president four short years ago and supporting me throughout my two terms.

This is not goodbye. I love the Mount too much, so you can count on seeing me at various alumni and university events.

Go Mount!

Sincerely,

ED CARUSO, C'86 National Alumni Association President

Welcome!

Meet your

New NAA Council

President: Susan Janowiak, C’81 I am proud and humbled to be writing to you for the first time as president of the Mount’s National Alumni Association. I came to the Mount in 1977 as a studentathlete and was lucky enough to have successful basketball and track careers, for which I was inducted into the hall of fame. However, I graduated with much more than an athletic career; I acquired a world-class education that led me to a successful 36-year career of service with the Environmental Protection Agency, lifelong friendships and a strong commitment to the Mount.

I originally ran for a position on the National Alumni Association to give back to the Mount. Alumni associations are critical to the schools they support.

I have represented the Mount in its past and present and want to play a stronger role in its future. Now that I have been

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT: FRANK MCSHALLEY, C’85

VICE PRESIDENT: CHARLOTTE BARRY, C’15, MBA’20

SEMINARY VICE PRESIDENT: REV. DOUG KENNEY, C’95, S’99

Want to get involved?

retired for nearly four years, I have more time to dedicate to bringing the Mount community together.

Life goes in many different directions, but as alumni we share a passion for the Mount. As president, I want to support and enhance the connections that alumni developed with their peers and with the university itself. I look forward to hearing ideas and needs from the many Mount alumni throughout the country and abroad. I’d like to increase alumni involvement and opportunities for alumni to meet one another, network, share memories and promote the Mount to a new generation of graduates.

We are a diverse and vibrant community.

I am proud of who we are—and I am excited for the future. I invite you to join me as we continue to strengthen relationships and build the Mount family.

COUNCIL MEMBERS: TIM BUCK, C’87** JACK CAUSA, C’76** MICHAEL CONNOLLY, C’75** LYNN MILLER DEAN, C’88** JASON EPPS, C’05* CHRISSY GAUL, C’96* MARIE GRANEY, C’08** DICK HART, C’65* ROBERT A. HERB, C’78* KATHERINE MARSHALL, C’77** JOANNE WEED MCSHALLEY, C’83* LARRY ORENDORFF, C’65* REV. COLLIN POSTON, S’03** ROB WEED, C’93* * Term ends 2023 ** Term ends 2025

Visit msmary.edu/naa to learn more about the association and find your regional chapter.

SPRING 2021 MOUNT MAGAZINE

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Let's Meet the Recipients of the Rev. Carl J. Fives

Scholarship

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The Rev. Carl J. Fives Scholarship was established by the National Alumni Association and in memory of longtime Alumni Chaplain Rev. Carl J. Fives, C’38, S’42, H’99. The scholarship is awarded to rising seniors in the university and two fourth-year seminarians based on academic excellence, financial need and service to the Mount community.

One of the six scholarships is awarded to a Mount legacy student. This year seven scholarships were awarded, as a full scholarship was split between two students who graduated early.

Breanna Rorrer, C’21

Roberto Sanchez, C’21

Julianna Spicer, C’21

I am thankful to receive the Father Fives Scholarship. I am very appreciative for any financial assistance—as I’m paying for college on my own. I am also honored to represent this scholarship for the Mount. Attending the Mount has been such a great experience. The people I’ve met have become lifelong friends; everyone is so personable and willing to help you chase your dream. It means a lot to know I have a support system. I’m so grateful for my Mount experience!

I am honored to receive the Father Fives Scholarship. It shows the faith people have in me and the work I will continue to do. One day I hope to replenish this foundation to help future Mount students.

Receiving this award means so much to me because it means that my voice was heard at the Mount and that people know who I am and have faith in me. All my experiences at the Mount have been more than tremendous! The Mount has given me so many opportunities for self-growth and growth in my education. I could not thank the community enough for what they have done for me thus far!

CLASS NOTES SPRING 2021

The Mount has become a second home to me. I have been given the opportunity to become a resident assistant and was offered a full-time position at CohnReznick through the Career Center. I met great faculty and friends who helped form the person I have become. Go Mount!

Matenyeh Kaba, C’21 Being awarded the Father Carl Fives Scholarship means a great deal as it financially aides me in completing my college career. As I reflect on my time at the Mount, I am easily reminded of the great experiences and skills I have gained here. The supportive and close-knit community has helped me grow as an individual and in my faith. This scholarship and the various other opportunities I have sought have been made possible through the encouragement of my family, peers and Mount faculty.

Brianna Gallager, C’21* It is an honor to be one of this year’s recipients of the Reverend Carl J. Fives Scholarship. My experience at the Mount has been life changing and given me endless opportunities and lifelong friendships. The Mount is more than just a school; it is also a place for people to come to find themselves, connect with others, grow and learn in numerous ways. I have had the incredible privilege of being a Division I athlete, joining various clubs, receiving work study, attending CRUX and AMP trips and studying abroad. The Mount means more to me than I could put into words. I am extremely grateful. *Mount legacy recipient

Adrianna Hyland, C’21 I feel honored that the Mount chose to recognize me with this award. I've worked hard over the past three years, and this scholarship showed me that all of that hard work is paying off. The Mount has truly been a second home to me. It has allowed me to reach new academic heights through the Honors Program and has broadened my horizons with my study abroad experience in Prague. The Mount has allowed me to become a better version of myself.

Emmanuella Osei-Asante, C’21 I am immensely grateful to the National Alumni Association for awarding me the Rev. Carl J. Fives Scholarship. Over the past few years as a member of the Mount community, there have been various instances that have helped reinforce my love for this university. Receiving this scholarship is one of them. The rigor of the curriculum and the support of the faculty have always inspired me to seek opportunities, such as this, that not only acknowledge my academic merits but also encourage them.

SPRING 2021 CLASS NOTES

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CLASS OF 1979

Join us for

Reunion Weekend 2021 Save the Date October 1-3, 2021 Class years ending in 0, 1, 5 and 6 will celebrate their milestones.

CLA SS OF 196 9

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ALUMNI NEWS SPRING 2021

C L A S S O F 19 89

Mark your calendar!

Featured Events FRIDAY Bruté Medal presentation and golden jubilee banquet

CLASS OF 2014

CLASS OF 1964

CLASS OF 1994

SATURDAY Town Hall with President Trainor

ALL WEEKEND Friends, food and drinks, socials, entertainment and much more!

CLASS OF 1999

CLASS OF 1974

CLASS OF 1969

CLASS OF 2004

CLASS OF 2009

Stay informed Online registration opens in July. If you want to join your reunion planning committee, please contact the Office of Alumni Engagement at 301-447-5362 or alumni@msmary.edu.

Visit msmary.edu/reunion for FAQs, updates and hotel accommodations.

CL AS S OF 19 84

Revisit 2019 reunion photos at flickr.com/photos/msmu/albums 39

Class Notes Amanda (Hanson) Matheny, C’11

See what your fellow alumni are doing!

Stories are listed by class year, in ascending order to most recent and alphabetically by last name.

Births AMANDA (HANSON) MATHENY, C’11 Amanda (Hanson) Matheny, C’11, celebrated the birth of her son Landon Kyle Matheny born October 9, 2020.

Colleen (Crann) Healy, C’15, and Thomas Healy, C’15

COLLEEN (CRANN) HEALY, C’15, AND THOMAS HEALY, C’15 Colleen (Crann) Healy, C’15, and Thomas Healy, C’15, welcomed their son Noah Thomas Healy on March 14, 2021. He weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces and measured 21 inches long SAMANTHA MANSON, C’16, AND ANDREW CLOW, C’15 Samantha Manson, C’16, and Andrew Clow, C’15, welcomed their daughter Liliana Grace Clow on September 9, 2020.

Accomplishments

Samantha Manson, C’16, and Andrew Clow, C’15

Submit your news!

Share your news with the alumni community by sending it to themagazine@msmary.edu.

The Mount reserves the right to refuse or revise submissions for style and length. Information about future events is not included.

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CLASS NOTES SPRING 2021

WILLIAM ARIANO, C’71 William Ariano, C’71, retired as president and CEO of Baltimore Community Lending, ending a career in community organizing, community development, mortgage financing and multi-family affordable housing finance. Ariano and his wife Bonnie moved to Victor, Idaho, in the shadow of the Grand Tetons. They have a son and daughter-in-law living in London, England, and another son, and grandson, in Victor.

FRANK RYAN, C’73 Frank Ryan, C’73, a retired Marine Reserve colonel, was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2016 and serves the 101st legislative district. In 2014, he walked 2,806 miles across America to raise awareness of the needs of children with emotional and behavioral issues and for children with developmental disabilities. He wrote a book about it titled Life Lessons Learned: Amazing Stories of my Walk Across America for Children to help raise funds for the Sisters of the Good Shepherd and their mission. His military service includes earning three Legions of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal and the U.S. Army Commendation Medal.

MARY ARNOLD CORY, C’81, AND MICHAEL CORY, C’81 Mary Arnold Cory, C’81, and Michael Cory, C’81, have worked tirelessly, quietly feeding people in need before the pandemic began. They spent days and weeks organizing, picking up food and distributing it to families in need through the Pantry Pride organization in Marco Island, Florida. Submitted by former roommate and friend of 40 years, David Rizzo, C’82.

TIMOTHY GUY, PH.D., C’87 Timothy Guy, Ph.D., C’87, was appointed principal of Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, Virginia. Guy received his Master of Education in administration and supervision from the University of Virginia and his doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from Virginia Tech. He taught math at Archbishop Carroll High School, George Mason High School and Blyth Templeton Academy.

Michael Cory, C'81, and Mary Arnold Cory, C'81

WILLIAM F. FRITTS, MBA’91 William F. Fritz, MBA'91, was voted “Best Accountant” by HeraldMail Media readers for the second year in a row. Fritts joined SEK, CPAs & Advisors in 1996 and was admitted as a member of the firm in 2001.

BRIAN W. ROSENBERG, C'99 Brian W. Rosenberg, C'99, was promoted from senior manager to principal of Brown Schultz Sheridan & Fritz. He serves as a member of the West Shore YMCA board of managers and chair of St. Theresa Parish’s finance council.

JULIE QUIRUS FALCONE, C’00 Julie Quirus Falcone, C’00, published her first book titled Dear Loved Ones: An Honest Guide to Helping the Special Needs Family You Love. She is married to Nick Falcone, C’99, and they have four children.

ANGEL S. ROJAS GAONA, C'15 Angel S. Rojas Gaona, C'15, was awarded and accepted a full scholarship for doctoral studies in chemistry at the George Washington University. He currently works as a scientific program manager in the Division of Pre-Clinical Innovation at the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, one of the institutes and centers at the U.S. National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. One of the responsibilities of the scientists in the branch he manages is investigation of potential therapeutics for COVID-19.

William F. Fritts, MBA'91

Brian W. Rosenberg, C'99

Julie Quirus Falcone, C’00

ARIEL VELAZQUEZ, C’15 Ariel Velazquez, C’15, was hired by Team Tobati as the general coordinator of Colegio Privado Reinaldo Macchi, a private high school, in Tobatí, Paraguay. Team Tobati is the same nonprofit organization, based in the United States, that provided his high school education and helped fund his scholarship for the Mount together with members of the Class of 1964.

JOSEPH THEIS, C’17 Joseph Theis, C’17, graduated from The Catholic University, Columbus School of Law in 2020. New Degree Press recently published his collection of horror stories titled Salem Avenue that examines the city as a source of horror, focusing on paranoia, isolation and urban decay.

Joseph Theis, C’17

SPRING 2021 CLASS NOTES

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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

Mount Love Stories CAROLINE (BUTLER) BYRNE, C'16, AND DAN BYRNE, C'16 "Dan and I met when we both attended the SEEK2013 FOCUS conference. The following semester we had philosophy with Dr. Josh Hochschild where we battled for the better grade.

We became great friends and dated for two years before Dan proposed to me by making a video for me that premiered in the Laughlin auditorium with friends and family right before we graduated in 2016. We got married Divine Mercy Sunday, one of our favorite feast days in 2017. We now have a sweet little girl who we hope is a future Mountie!"

KATHERINE (FLANIGAN) REMANIAK, C'18, AND JOSEPH REMANIAK, C’18 "My husband Joe and I first met in our freshmen year Veritas class in 2014. During our sophomore year, he lived in the dorm room directly below me in McCaffrey Hall. Joe would throw a tennis ball against the ceiling to annoy me into talking to him and the rest is history! Joe was a member of the Mount's ROTC program. In May of 2018, we graduated, and he commissioned into the U.S. Army. We were married the following October in the IC Chapel by Mount St. Mary's Seminary Alum, Father Jay Horning. This past year, Joe returned home safely from a 10-month deployment and we welcomed our first baby in July!"

Share the love!

Email your photo and love story to themagazine@msmary.edu for a chance to be featured!

SUZANNE KNIPFING AND BRIAN SMITH, C'70 "I arrived at the Mount in the fall of 1968 as a junior, after having spent six years in a religious seminary run by The Passionist Fathers. On campus, through Campus Ministry, I met my future wife, Suzanne Knipfing, who was a sophomore at St. Joe’s. Not only did Campus Ministry introduce the two of us, it also introduced, in my case, or strengthened, in Suzanne’s case, many friendships that continue today. Our first date was February 14, 1969 (that’s right, Valentine’s Day). We were married at her parish church in Westbury, New York, on June 5, 1971, six days after she graduated from St. Joe’s. June 5 this year will be our 50th anniversary!”

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In Memoriam OCTOBER 27, 2020 – APRIL 15, 2021

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.

“I HAVE FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7

Michael Kevin McReal, C’06 September 19, 1958 – January 12, 2021

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CLASS NOTES SPRING 2021

Michael (Mike) McReal, C’06, was born in Portland, Oregon, to Jerry and Patricia McReal. He served in the U.S. Navy for more than 20 years, specializing in saturation diving and salvage. McReal was awarded two Navy Achievement Medals, the Good Conduct Award and the National Defense Service Medal. He achieved the rank of Chief Petty Officer before his retirement from active duty.

At the time of his passing, the magna cum laude alumnus served as the Mount’s ROTC coordinator. McReal

loved his family, his country and his alma mater. He was a model of kindness, service and loyalty—representing victory over adversity. McReal’s life was rooted in family, service, sobriety and community.

He is survived by two sons, Ian and Thomas, his mother, Patricia, of San Juan Capistrano, California, and his longterm partner Susan Collins of Thurmont, Maryland. He was preceded in death by his father, Jerry, and infant daughter, Francesca.

McReal’s memorial service and celebration of life was held at the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception. He lies in honor at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Frederick, Maryland.

Michael Joseph Allman, C’62

John F. Bailey Sr., C’59 December 4, 2020

Bernard J. Devlin, C’68 January 22, 2021

George W. "Bud" Black, C'59 March 15, 2021

Geoffrey R. Zurgable, C’69 December 21, 2020

MICHAEL JOSEPH ALLMAN, C’62, was born in Washington, D.C., to Francis Charles Allman and Mary Cecelia Wahler, the oldest of seven in a large Catholic family. He played baseball for Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., before attending the Mount, where he earned a degree in economics.

Dr. James R. Tompkins, C’59 February 5, 2021

Dr. Anthony J. Becker Jr., C’70 May 9, 2017

Dr. George R. Bailey, C'60 March 19, 2021

Ronald E. Bombolis, C’70 October 24, 2020

Richard F. Bastian, C’60 November 8, 2020

Chauncey E. Burke, C’70 February 17, 2020

Allman enjoyed a career in the NFL, which spanned 35 years. He joined the Washington Football Team in 1965 as a college football scout. He later became the director of player personnel and attended three Super Bowls with the team in 1972, 1982 and 1983. After 19 years, he accepted an offer from the Seattle Seahawks where he drafted 13 pro bowl players. Allman had the pleasure of working closely with NFL coaches like Otto Graham, Vince Lombardi, George Allen, Tom Flores and more.

Dr. Joseph T. Morris, C’60 August 28, 2017

Steve H. Graham, C’71 September 28, 2019

Daniel Murray, C’60 October 16, 2020

Ronald F. Heiser, C’71 January 2, 2021

Eugene J. Sullivan, C’60 February 16, 2021

Lawrence W. Muschamp, C’71 March 18, 2021

John M. O'Connell, C’61 November 23, 2020

Rudy P. Peko, C’71 November 13, 2015

Emmett J. Sullivan Sr., C’61 February 14, 2021

Ralph F. Roarty, C’76 February 14, 2021

Michael J. Allman, C’62 December 1, 2020

Robert J. O'Toole, C’77 January 13, 2021

Thomas F. Crane, C’62 May 2, 2020

Edward C. Bender, C’79 October 11, 2020

Deaths listed in order by class year.

Dr. Wayne J. Matzelle, C'62 January 17, 2021

Michael Fumai, C’79 December 27, 2020

Dr. Cornelius "Neil" J. White, C’47 December 17, 2020

Michael F. Fissell, C’64 December 26, 2020

Sheila Henderson Sorrells, C’81 January 7, 2021

Francis X. Maloney, C’52 January 25, 2021

Richard T. Gitto, C’64 June 13, 2018

Jeffrey J. Goss, C’82 November 25, 2020

William R. Muller, C’54 April 6, 2021

John B. Hogan, C’64 November 21, 2020

Dr. Sean L. McCagh, C’83 January 30, 2021

Richard C. DuLaney, C’55 December 14, 2020

Dr. Jerrold C. Neeff, C'64 December 15, 2020

Greg M. Holden, C’85 April 9, 2021

Harry J. Jordan, C’55 June 16, 2019

Robert Seamon, C’64 January 26, 2020

Edward G. Sacco III, C’87 October 3, 2020

William A. Borowski Jr., C’56 November 15, 2020

Ronald G. Simmons, C’64 October 18, 2019

Amy Kropka Dunne, C’01 December 13, 2020

Hugo R. Duhn, C’58 December 28, 2020

Wendell L. Shank, C’65 February 2, 2021

Michael Kevin McReal, C'06 January 12, 2021

Joseph P. Kernan, C’58 March 28, 2020

James J. Connor, C’66 January 23, 2021

Sydney L. Jeter, C’12 December 16, 2020

Robert E. Post, C’58 December 7, 2020

Joseph T. DePetris, C’68 March 2, 2021

December 22, 1938 – December 1, 2020

He wed Ann Barnes; they were married for 53 years and had four children: Maureen, Theresa, Michael and Patrick.

After a long battle with cancer, he is now at peace and reunited with his wife and daughter Theresa.

SPRING 2021 CLASS NOTES

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#MountProud

May 23 to July 25 3,800 miles 14 states Support Executive Vice President Kraig Sheetz, Ph.D., as he cycles across America.

He will visit with alumni, vlog his travels and raise funds to support the School of Natural Science and Mathematics.

Learn more at msmary.edu/tour.

Team Sheetz!

To donate by mile or state, visit msmary.edu/tour Watch him ride, visit msmary.edu/tour To meet Kraig, call 301-447-5916 or email development@msmary.edu 4 6

CLASS NOTES SPRING 2021

By Kim Johnson, MBA'18

Join the

1808 Legacy Society Live Significantly

LONGTIME MOUNT ST. MARY’S UNIVERSITY DONOR JOHN MCKEE, C’65, shared that his giving to the Mount is rooted in gratitude. “A college education was possible for me while I pursued my passion for athletic competition,” he recalls. Recruited by the late track coach, Jim Deegan, and with help of what John refers to as creative financing (scholarships), John packed his bags and left Connecticut for Emmitsburg, Maryland.

Losing his parents at a very young age, John lacked stability and a strong sense of family. He found that classmates and teammates at the Mount became family.

Like many alums, John stays connected to them and to the Mount to this day. In the years since his graduation, John learned more about the Mount’s rich history and her contribution to the American Catholic Church. “I could not be prouder to be associated with this fine institution and the people who represent her so well,” he says.

As we know, there are many ways to fund donations. As a financial advisor for more than 35 years, McKee was aware of the tax benefits allowing taxpayers to make gifts from Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) directly to qualified charities, minimizing impact on taxable income. McKee has made multiple gifts to the university through his IRA accounts. As he says it “made great sense to donate funds directly to a charity and not have to pay taxes on the gift.” For many retirees over 70 ½ years of age, the federal government requires those with an IRA to have a minimum annual distribution. The age is 72 if you reached the age of 70 ½ after December 31, 2019.

John McKee, C’65

This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, tax, legal or accounting advice. Please consult your legal or tax professionals for specific information regarding your individual situation.

Learn more Office of Development 301-447-5916 development@msmary.edu

Making gifts from an IRA may seem difficult, but the Mount has simplified the process. Thanks to our partnership with FreeWill, you can make your qualified charitable distribution (QCD) quickly and hassle-free by beginning the required forms online. You can also choose to print out blank forms to complete by hand, or transact the gift over the phone with your financial custodian. Some companies now allow fully online submissions. Visit msmary.edu/qcd for more information and to access the forms. As you decide your giving priorities, please consider the Mount in your giving decisions.

SPRING 2021 MOUNT MAGAZINE

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NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

GETTYSBURG, PA PERMIT NO. 28

16300 OLD EMMITSBURG ROAD EMMITSBURG, MD 21727

CLAS S OF '93

Join us for Reunion Weekend October 1 – 3, 2021

Revisit 2019 reunion photos at flickr.com/photos/msmu/albums

Class years ending in 0, 1, 5 and 6 will celebrate their milestones.

For more posts like these and to keep up-to-date with campus, find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.