Mount News Summer 2017

JUNE 23-24 25-28 26-29

New Student Orientation WISE Science Camp Kids Summer Art Camp

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IMPORTANT DATES

MOUNT NEWS MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY | SUMMER 2017

JULY 4 10-14 14-15 24-8/2

Independence Day (University Closed) Kids Summer Art Camp New Student Orientation Kids Theatreworks Summer Camp

IT’S OFFICIAL!

AUGUST 23-24 25 26

New Student Orientation Welcome Week Begins (Runs Through Sept. 3) Welcome Back Party

Inside the Inauguration of H. James Williams, Ph.D., the Mount’s Newest President

SEPTEMBER 4 22 29 29-30

TAKE THIS JOB AND LOVE IT

Labor Day (University Closed) MSJ 5K (4th Annual) Athletics Hall of Fame Ceremony Homecoming Weekend

Students Harness the Professional Power of a Mount Degree

THE LEGACY ENDURES

OCTOBER Mid-Semester Holiday (University Closed) Community Trick or Treat

NOVEMBER 22-26 30

Thanksgiving Recess (University Closed) Student Recital

DECEMBER 5 University Band Concert 7 University Singers Concert 16 Commencement 25-26 Christmas Break (University Closed) For complete calendar listings, visit msj.edu/calendar.

For MSJ Lions schedule, visit msjsports.com.

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Division of Institutional Advancement 5701 Delhi Road Cincinnati, OH 45233-1670

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Explore the History of the Mount From the Great Depression to World War II

MISSION STATEMENT Mount St. Joseph University is a Catholic academic community grounded in the spiritual values and vision of its founders, the Sisters of Charity. The University educates its students through interdisciplinary liberal arts and professional curricula emphasizing values, integrity, and social responsibility. Members of the Mount community embrace: excellence in academic endeavors; the integration of life and learning; respect and concern for all persons; diversity of cultures and beliefs; and service to others.

If you have received Mount News in error or wish to update your mailing preferences, please contact us at alumni@msj.edu or call 513-244-4871.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

CONTENTS

Dear Mount Alumni,

Around the Quad

It is truly an honor to serve and lead this great institution, especially as we approach our centennial anniversary in 2020. Words cannot adequately express the gratitude I feel toward the Mount Community for the well wishes and congratulations I received at the April 28 Presidential Inauguration ceremony and gala.

Faculty/Staff Report 22

However, it is not enough that we hope for, and talk about, the Mount’s continued success. If we are to lead students to new levels of personal and professional fulfillment, we must plan and act accordingly. To that end, I am pleased to announce a new initiative, Transformation 2025, which will serve as a roadmap for this great University. Focusing on key strategic dimensions—our visibility and brand, financial and physical infrastructure, faculty and staff engagement, and academic programs— Transformation 2025 will enhance and refine the Mount student experience, boost enrollments and fundraising, and improve the University’s outcomes to ensure that our graduates are well prepared for 21st-century careers and leadership.

Transformation 2025 will address critical challenges and opportunities, such as: • increasing activities and interactions for students, faculty, and staff— on and off campus—as well as enhancing support and facilities to accommodate their diverse needs and interests; • expanding the footprint of the campus as well as re-landscaping for easier, safer access to Bayley and Delhi Township to create a more vibrant campus experience, with outdoor classrooms, walking paths, biking trails, and enhanced activities and opportunities for employment, enrichment, and fun; • building a more robust Mount community by inviting the public onto campus to use our services and facilities, as well as facilitating engagement in community interactions off-campus, connecting students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, and local businesses; • leveraging our appeal by better identifying and branding our niches through marketing initiatives and social media outlets—looking for new ways to fulfill our mission, as well as sharing the amazing accomplishments of the Mount; and • exploring and capturing new markets, building innovative programs, and creating sustainable financial resources to attract and retain diverse faculty, staff, and student populations.

We must encourage innovation through open communication, transparency, and collaboration as well as further enrich our academic programs and content-delivery options. It is crucial that Mount students receive an education that serves them well in today’s highly competitive global workplace.

The next steps for Transformation 2025 are to establish our collective vision, create an action plan, and initiate action steps. Of course, we will include students, faculty, staff, alumni, the Board of Trustees, and Delhi and Greater Cincinnati communities in the discussions. Expect to read more about Transformation 2025 and how you can get involved in future issues of Mount News. I also encourage participation in our upcoming “Presidential Webcasts.” The next one is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Oct. 17.

Visit msj.edu/alumni for details on how to join us.

Now is the time to make your voices heard and to place a stake in the Mount’s future.

It’s our turn—and it’s our time!

Best regards, H. James Williams, Ph.D.

Lion’s Corner

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Alumni Updates 26 alumni profile 27 classnotes 30 passages 32

TAKE THIS JOB AND LOVE IT

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The Career & Experiential Education Center demonstrates the professional power of a Mount degree, offering services to students and alumni throughout the Greater Cincinnati area.

PUBLISHED BY Division of Institutional Advancement Mount St. Joseph University 5701 Delhi Road Cincinnati, OH 45233-1670 msj.edu

MOUNT EDITORIAL TEAM Raye Allen Jessica Baltzersen ’14 Jeannette Bryson Tara Byrd Kathleen Lundrigan Cardwell ’87 Jill Eichhorn Amanda Gratsch ‘15 Greg Goldschmidt ’07 Trevor Griffith Mark Osborne Zach Silka Kara Gebhart Uhl

THE LEGACY ENDURES

14

In the second part of our ongoing series, discover how the Mount endured and thrived even during one of the most harrowing times in history—marked by the Great Depression, World War II, a devastating flood, and a fire that nearly destroyed the Motherhouse.

DESIGNER Susie Jones Richmond ’97

MANAGING EDITOR Michael Schiavetta

CONTRIBUTING COPY EDITOR Arlene Werts All photos by Don Denney, Melanie Pace ’05, Karl Power ’00, and Marissa Wiseman ’18 unless otherwise noted.

Historical photos are courtesy of the Sisters of Charity. If you would like to contact a member of the editorial team, call 513-244-4330 or 800-654-9314. If you would like to submit a letter to the editor, please email alumni@msj.edu.

IT’S OFFICIAL!

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On April 28, the Mount officially installed H. James Williams, Ph.D., as its newest president. Catch up on the events that marked inauguration week, including an alumni symposium, installation ceremony, campus festivities, and evening gala.

Cover photo: Dr. Williams, photo by Don Denney.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION Mount St. Joseph University (“the University”) is committed to providing an educational and employment environment free from discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, or other minority or protected status. This commitment extends to the University’s administration of its admission, financial aid, employment, and academic policies, as well as the University’s athletic programs and other University-administered programs, services, and activities.

The University has designated the chief compliance and risk officer, 513-244-4393, Office of the President, as the individual responsible for responding to inquiries, addressing complaints and coordinating compliance with its responsibilities under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and other applicable federal and state civil rights laws. The University has designated the director of Learning Center & Disabilities Services, 513-244-4524, as the individual responsible for responding to inquiries, addressing complaints and coordinating compliance with its responsibilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

SUMMER 2017 • 1

AROUND THE QUAD

news

DIANA DAVIS NAMED UNIVERSITY PROVOST

STUDENTS PUT ON A GLASS ACT

NEW ORLEANS: DECADE OF DEDICATED STUDENTS

The Mount has partnered with nonprofit Neusole Glassworks to teach students the fundamentals of glassblowing. This art dates back to 16th century B.C., with glass vessel fragments found in Mesopotamia. Centuries later, the Roman Empire would perfect this technique to include glass windows in buildings as both functional and decorative.

This past Christmas marked the 10-year anniversary of Mount St. Joseph University students traveling to New Orleans and helping families displaced

by Hurricane Katrina.

“I had the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone to discover a completely new art form, and learned the patience it takes to perfect this craft,” says senior fine arts major Ashley Belanger ’17.

Neusole Glassworks also contributed to the inauguration celebration, having commissioned a beautiful glass paperweight for Dr. Williams from the Mount staff.

Diana Davis, Ph.D., has been named provost of the Mount, effective July 1, and will be responsible for all academic departments and curricula, including implementation of academic plans and policies. She will also oversee other Mount departments, including career services, student services, and the learning center, as well as serve on the President’s Cabinet. She was named interim provost last year.

Davis has served the Mount for 20 years as a chemistry professor and later as the dean of the School of Behavioral and Natural Sciences. She has been an active scholar, collaborating on projects funded by the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, where Mount undergraduates had the opportunity to participate in original research.

MOUNT WELCOMES ZACH SILKA AS V.P. OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Led by Campus Ministry Coordinator Charissa Qiu, 11 students spent the week working with the St. Bernard Project’s Opportunity Housing Program. As one of the deadliest natural disasters in U.S. history, Hurricane Katrina caused $150 billion in damages and the loss of nearly 2,000 lives. Communities in the area are still challenged by a lack of affordable housing and ruined properties.

“There is no time limit to recovery,” says sophomore Toria Black, who took part in the trip. “Being able to help the people who were hurt and help rebuild their city was a wonderful experience.”

Zachary Silka has joined the Mount as its new vice president of university communications. He will direct strategic communications efforts and serve on the President’s Cabinet.

EMISSION STATEMENT After a year-long assessment led by Buildings and Grounds Director Michael Dittmer, the Mount has begun converting the majority of the University’s lighting to light-emitting diode, more commonly known as LED. This project is a significant undertaking for the Mount and demonstrates its commitment to sustainability and energy efficiency. It is estimated that the project will reduce the university’s carbon footprint by nearly 3 million pounds of CO2e/ year (the equivalent of taking 246 cars off the road) while permanently saving 1,666,441 kWh/year (the energy used annually by 123 houses).

“I am so pleased to have this opportunity to work with Dr. Williams and the faculty and staff to develop the vision for our next strategic plan, Transformation 2025, and to make that vision a reality,” says Davis.

She received a Ph.D. in biochemistry and bachelor’s degree in biological science from Colorado State University.

2 • MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

IMMERSION THROUGH VIDEO New videos on the Mount’s website allow users to immerse themselves in 360-degree experiences on campus. Current offerings include: • a walk through the Mater Dei Chapel • cheering in the stands at a men’s basketball game • sitting in the dugout of a women’s softball game • watching Mount students in a state-of-the-art medical simulation lab • hanging out by the Tyler Davidson Foundation and singing along with students during Welcome Week.

“The Mount 360 videos give us a unique opportunity to show a complete view of our campus and student life to prospective students who might never step foot on our campus otherwise,” says Trevor Griffith, associate director of marketing and communications. To check out the 360 videos, visit msj.edu/mount360.

Silka comes to the Mount with 10 years of experience in the communications field. He was a staff writer and copy editor for the Toledo Blade before becoming the director of external relations for his alma mater, St. John’s Jesuit High School & Academy, where he worked with enrollment and advancement efforts.

Most recently, he served as senior director of communications for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo.

“I am honored to be chosen to lead the Mount’s newly elevated Division of University Communications,” Silka says. “I stand ready and prepared to strengthen the Mount’s outstanding reputation as a Catholic institution committed to the free pursuit of intellectual inquiry and guided by the tradition and mission of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati.”

SUMMER 2017 • 3

AROUND THE QUAD

news

POSITIVE REACTION

THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN

HONORING EXCELLENCE

Graphic design major Sarah Wenke ’17 won the People’s Choice Award from the Association of Independent Colleges & Universities of Ohio (AICUO) for her graphic design portrait of American artist Georgia O’Keeffe, who is recognized as the “Mother of American modernism.” The AICUO awards honor senior students from independent colleges throughout the state who were deemed finalists by a panel of Ohio artists and members of the art community.

The Women’s and Leadership Advocacy Awards Luncheon, sponsored by the Center for Ethical Leadership, MSJ Black Student Union, and Office of Diversity & Inclusion, celebrated its third year as an annual Women’s Day event on campus. The event recognizes Women’s History Month while honoring the accomplishments of women leaders and advocates throughout the Mount community.

“I was both honored and thankful to have a community of friends and family members who came together to vote for me,” says Wenke. “It’s uplifting to see the positive influence my art has had on the Mount community.”

This year’s winners included: • Student Leadership Award: Summer Hamilton • Professional Staff Leadership Award: Cristina Webb • Faculty Leadership Award: Kate Lassiter, Ph.D.

Mount St. Joseph University has earned the top spot in the “15 Best Value Small Colleges for a Chemistry Degree 2016-2017” by BestValueSchools.com. The University was recognized for its wide range of courses, including a biochemistry major, a combined program in chemistry and mathematics, and a natural science major with a concentration in chemistry.

“To complement their coursework, undergraduates also have the opportunity to work with high-tech equipment in on-campus labs as well as participate in co-op experiences with industrial and research corporations around Cincinnati,” cited the website.

“One of the strengths of our department is the variety of majors we offer and the personalized advising that our students receive,” says Associate Professor and Chemistry Department Chair Christa Currie, Ph.D. “Our department offers four different majors for our students. We have our traditional chemistry and biochemistry majors, which are accredited by the American Chemical Society. We also offer a dual degree in chemistry and mathematics, which is a great pathway for students interested in engineering.

Our newest degree in natural sciences is offered in both a day and evening/ online format and is appropriate for a wide variety of careers.”

For details, visit msj.edu/chemistry.

• Social Justice Award: Leandra McCrary (Student) and Tina Blakley (Staff).

ACADEMIC ADVISOR HEADED TO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE Torry Cornett, academic advisor in the Academic Advising Resource Center, was selected as a participant in the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (NACDA) N4A Professional Development Institute. Its mission is to create and maintain learning communities within the academic advising profession that create, foster, and share knowledge.

YOUNG LEARNERS GET TO BE HAPPY CAMPERS This summer, the Mount is offering art, theater, and science camps for children grades 1-8. “Art & Our World: Exploring Ideas” runs from June 26-30 and “Art & Stories: Imagination Creation” runs from July 10-14.

The Theatreworks camp runs from July 24-28, and features “Fun with Acting” and “Musical Theatre” tracks. It culminates with a performance for family and friends on July 28.

Exceptional young women interested in science are invited to take part in the Women in Science Experience (WISE) summer camp from June 25-28. Aimed at high schoolers, this program offers a glimpse into what it’s like to be a botanist, chemist, geologist, physicist, or mathematician.

All summer camps are taught by professional instructors. For details, please contact: • Velma Daily at (513) 244-4314 or velma.dailey@msj.edu (art camp) • Mary Mazuk at (513) 244-4828 or mary.mazuk@msj.edu (theater camp) • Christa Currie at (513) 244-4614 or christa.currie@msj.edu or Michael Bindis at (513) 244-1649 or michael.bindis@msj.edu (WISE).

4 • MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

“When I received the news that I was selected to participate, I was ecstatic,” says Cornett. “I believe the Professional Development Institute will align me with a learning community on a national level, enabling me to better serve the community and Mount St. Joseph University.”

SUNG HAE KIM, SC, TH.D., AWARDED ST. ELIZABETH SETON MEDAL Mount St. Joseph University honored Sung Hae Kim, SC, Th.D., with the St. Elizabeth Seton Medal at Mater Dei Chapel. She presented her lecture, “Elizabeth Seton’s Ecological Spirituality and Her Vision of Ecological Community,” at the annual ceremony.

NEWS BRIEFS: MAT Gets Healthy Outlook The Master of Athletic Training (MAT) program is expected to receive approval from the Commission on the Accreditation of Athletic Training Education by December 2017.

A 24-month (six-semester) full-time program, the MAT prepares students to earn the certified athletic trainer credential, allowing them to serve as licensed health care professionals. Athletic trainers collaborate with physicians in the prevention, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention, and rehabilitation of injuries and illnesses to optimize physical activity and well-being in all types of patients, not just athletes. For details, visit msj.edu/mat.

The Mount Receives Accolades, Grant to Prevent Gender-Based Violence The Ohio Department of Higher Education commended Mount St. Joseph University for achieving 100 percent of recommendations established as part of the Changing Campus Culture initiative, a statewide effort designed to end sexual violence on all Ohio college campuses. In addition, the Mount was awarded a Transforming Campus Climate grant to fund efforts addressing gender-based violence.

The St. Elizabeth Seton Medal is named in honor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, foundress of the Sisters of Charity, the congregation that established Mount St. Joseph University in 1920 and today continues to sponsor it. Recipients are selected for their contributions to an area of theology, including scripture, systematics, spirituality, ministry, and historical theology.

SUMMER 2017 • 5

TAKE THIS JOB AND LOVE IT The Career & Experiential Education Center demonstrates the professional power of a Mount degree, offering services to students and alumni throughout the Greater Cincinnati area.

By Jessica Baltzersen ’14

Every May, anticipation floods the capabilities to succeed in today’s campus of Mount St. Joseph University. global marketplace.

The spring semester nears an end “What really sets us apart from and, for seniors, career opportunities other universities are our student start knocking. While many college outcomes and student success rates,” students are anxious for this giant says Linda Pohlgeers, director of leap into the real world, Mount the Career Center. According to graduates have more than the 2016 Mount Graduate just a college degree and Employment Survey, 95.1 relevant course work percent of bachelor’s During the to decorate their degree holders and resume. In addition 98.1 percent of 2016-17 academic to exceptional graduate degree year, the Mount placed academics, they holders have a cooperative education graduate with job in hand upon professional graduation or and service learning experience already are seeking to students with 75 Greater in hand, giving pursue graduateCincinnati employers them a competitive level education for edge—all thanks to greater professional and 54 community a 37-year-old campus development. partners. institution.

“Expanding our Since 1980, the Career & reach has been our Experiential Education Center mantra,” adds Pohlgeers. “Our (originally the Career Planning goal is to expand our presence in & Placement office) has worked the community and to get the word diligently to cultivate a unique out on all of the great initiatives approach to ensure Mount students happening at the Mount.” During the are career ready. This is accomplished 2016-17 academic year, the Mount through its professional advancement placed cooperative education and programs that offer distinctive service learning students with 75 experiential learning and development Greater Cincinnati employers and 54 to help students identify which career community partners. path best matches their passion.

“With the employer and community According to a 2016 article by the partner relationships, students have a National Association of Colleges and wider range of opportunities, which Employers, “Career readiness and in turn enables us to showcase our collective institutional responsibility qualified students,” says Pohlgeers. for campus outcomes will generate “We want to be known in the Greater maximum lift when they are linked Cincinnati area.” together.” Through the Career PERSONAL TOUCH, Center, the Mount aligns its career PROFESSIONAL RESULTS services so students possess distinct The Career Center is located in professional experiences that, when the Seton Center, up a carpeted combined with its academic programs, ramp and down a hallway lined with equip them with the tools and photos of Mount alumni. In addition Located in Seton Center, the Theresa and Richard K. Davis Career Center helps students and alumni make the most of their Mount degree in the workplace.

6 • MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

SUMMER 2017 • 7

TAKE THIS JOB AND LOVE IT

Top: Students and staff engage in service learning at Bethany House to help families in need. Left: Career Center staff includes (top from left) Lori Bonomini, Cathy McDonald, Hannah Thompson, Keith Lanser, Yashica Gayle, (bottom from left) Kat Mapes, Linda Pohlgeers, and Manuel Foggie. Right: The Etiquette Dinner teaches students how to socialize and network in business and informal settings.

to the co-op and service learning opportunities available to students, the site is also a destination for Mount students to interact with Career Center staff to improve their career readiness as well as add a professional polish to resumes and interview techniques.

“The caring and personal attention that we provide to students is what makes us unique,” says Cathy McDonald, career and cooperative education coordinator. “I become familiar with the students and listen to their needs. I learn about their skills, values, limitations, career interests, and what’s going to make them successful.”

The Career Center customizes every student’s co-op experience by developing a position to suit their needs and career path. Each has a team of three to help shape these professional development experiences—an employer supervisor, co-op coordinator, and faculty coordinator.

In addition, Career Center services are available to Mount alumni free of charge for life. Staff members are on hand to review resumes, provide quality job search strategies, assist with LinkedIn profiles, and provide access to Mount Connect, a database tailored to the specific needs of job seekers.

Alumni are also encouraged to attend annual career fairs and career-related

events held on campus, regardless of their graduation year.

“Everyone is an individual and how their job aligns with their career path is important to us,” says Pohlgeers.

FROM SERVICE LEARNING TO SOLID CAREERS Last fall, Mount students in Elizabeth Bayfield’s Methods of Teaching Social Studies class helped 50 Brownie and Junior Girl Scouts take part in the “Badge in a Day” workshop. This service learning project offered the class an opportunity to plan an event and coordinate the necessary activities that helped the young girls earn merit badges.

“It was really neat seeing how excited all the girls got about this activity and how empowered they felt,” says junior Anne Schiller, who majors in inclusive early childhood education.

Through the Career Center, she has also tutored students with disabilities at WordPlay Cincy as well as students who struggle with reading at C.O. Harrison Elementary School.

“Service learning has really built my leadership skills and presents me to the community as a professional,” says Schiller. “I’m so much more prepared for my future as an educator.”

Service learning also impacts how students choose careers and build their self-awareness. According to a fall 2016 Mount survey: • 80 percent of service learning students stated that their experience “helped them to clarify their career plans”; • 92.3 percent of students stated that their service learning experience helped them become aware of their personal strengths and weaknesses; and • 92.6 percent agreed that service learning helped them to communicate in a “real-world” setting.

“Service learning is one of the best aspects of the Mount,” adds Schiller.

“It allows us to gain knowledge and experience about the field we are going into, while also serving our community.”

Students and alumni are encouraged to attend the Mount’s Career & Co-op Fair. The latest fair, held on March 8, included 60 employers as well as a “MSJ Career Fair Plus” app that helped connect companies and job seekers.

8 • MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

Student Noah Freppon is awarded gold level in the Talent Opportunity Program by Career Center staff member Hannah Thompson.

Service learning programs are a valuable way for students to cultivate skills in leadership, teamwork, communication, and problem solving.

AT YOUR SERVICE While co-ops provide students with work experience that directly relates to their career path, Keith Lanser, Career Center manager of service learning and civic engagement, notes that it’s equally “as important for all students to get outside of their comfort zone and to use their time and talents for the good of others—not necessarily only for their own personal benefit or to benefit a for-profit company.”

He adds, “In higher education, we should be in the business of making sure that students are both prepared for the workplace and prepared to be productive citizens.”

This is unequivocally the case at the Mount, where the University’s mission is centered on service. Since 1994, the Mount’s service learning students have completed more than 73,000 hours of community service, equal to approximately $1.35 million worth of service. The Mount was also awarded the 2008 Community Service Award by the Council of Aging of Southwestern Ohio for contributions and support to senior citizens. Furthermore, with recognition on the Corporation for National and Community Service’s Presidential Honor Roll five times (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2015), the school already has one of the most widely recognized service learning offices in the country.

The National Association of Colleges and Employers lists the most in-demand skills from employers across the country each year. Among these are leadership, teamwork, written and verbal communication skills, initiative, and problemsolving skills. Service learning not only prepares students for their career, but is a proactive way to develop these in-demand skills.

Additional civic engagement opportunities through the Career Center include two popular clubs on campus that provide volunteer opportunities for students and the campus community—the Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter and Impact Cincinnati. Furthermore, a new philanthropic program supported by the Cambridge Charitable Foundation and the Ohio Campus Compact’s Pay It Forward Grant gives students the opportunity to make financial investments in local nonprofit organizations. To date, the program has raised more than $16,000 to help local nonprofits.

Another civic engagement opportunity is an election engagement program that registers students to vote, educates them on issues, and gets them out to vote.

In fall 2016, the program registered 116 students to vote and was recognized by NASPA (Students Affairs Administrators in Higher Education), which designated Mount St. Joseph University as a “Voter Friendly Campus” for 2017–18 (a designation given to only 83 colleges and universities in the country).

SUMMER 2017 • 9

TAKE THIS JOB AND LOVE IT

STUDENTS ON TOP OF THEIR GAME Even in 2017, the question is still asked by some—is college worth it?

The return on investment for higher education remains a concern for students and parents, which is why the Mount introduced its Talent Opportunity Program (TOP) in 2014. The unique program is designed to work with every degree program, emphasizes professional development, and offers incentives for students to engage in specific learning experiences that prepare them for the global marketplace.

TOP includes three levels of participation—bronze, silver, and gold—with each level requiring more participation from students in various courses and careerbuilding exercises. For example, the bronze level requires students to take the course Foundations of Professionalism, participate in at least one leadership development opportunity or course, and attend a minimum of three TOP events such as the Etiquette and Networking Dinner. To earn gold level, students must complete seven events, three leadership opportunities, three single-credit professional development courses, and a professional work experience such as a co-op.

The tiered approach is a way of ensuring students are on track to secure their first job after graduation—and it seems to be working. To date, 100 percent of gold-level TOP students have secured full-time employment or graduate school admission upon earning their undergraduate degrees.

“TOP is one of our signature programs and is a great wraparound for all Career Center services,” says Pohlgeers. “It demonstrates not only the value of a college education but specifically how a degree from the Mount means that our students are career ready.”

At the Mount’s annual Co-op Recognition Dinner (above and opposite top right), students and employers are honored for their outstanding work with the Career Center.

CELEBRATING COOPERATIVE EDUCATION Through the Career Center’s co-op program, students are assigned a co-op coordinator who aligns with their specific major. By doing so, they are able to graduate with a bachelor’s degree plus up to five semesters of full-time work experience.

On April 4, co-op students, faculty, staff, Cincinnati employers, and the Career Center team gathered at the Mount for the 34th annual Co-op Recognition Dinner. Among the speakers was President H. James Williams, Ph.D., who spoke about his own co-op experiences in his undergraduate days at North Carolina Central University and the professional opportunities it provided him.

The event recognized eight graduating seniors nominated by employers and Mount community members for their exceptional co-op

work performance. Garrett Bascom, communication and new media studies major, was among the honorees.

Through the Mount’s co-op program, he worked as a communications assistant at the SC Ministry Foundation, a legislative intern at the Cincinnati Mayor’s office, and an intern at the Dearborn County (Indiana) Prosecutor’s office. Bascom plans to pursue a career in public office so he “could one day make a difference.”

He says, “College isn’t just about taking classes. It’s important that you’re setting yourself up for the future.”

Through the Career Center, Bascom says he learned important professional tactics like interview skills, effective resume writing, and how to create an online presence through LinkedIn. He also participated in campus events such as the Etiquette Dinner, an annual event that teaches students how to mingle and network with a “mocktail”

Students nominees for the 2017 Co-op of the Year included (left to right) Allison Lenos, Eric Machado, Traci Wagner, Garrett Bascom, Molly Brauch, Josh Zeller, Katie Taylor, John Copella.

10 • MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

hour as well as how to properly dine in both formal and informal settings.

“Co-op and the career center services helped me most definitely build the connections I was looking for,” says Bascom. These connections have led him to his current job as a legislative assistant in the Indiana Attorney General’s Office. Upon graduation, Bascom will work there full time while attending law school in the fall part time.

they provided.”

For more than 17 years, Wood Hudson Cancer Research Laboratory has hired Mount co-op students to work in its labs as well as help with communications and marketing efforts.

For biology major Mariah Dooley, working at the laboratory during the spring 2017 semester provided a good opportunity for professional development that complements classroom learning.

“They don’t treat you as a student AND THE WINNER IS… worker,” she says. “They treat you as At the Co-op Recognition Dinner, an employee.” biology major Kathleen Taylor was “Students learn modern laboratory named 2017 Mount Co-op skills and gain hands-on of the Year. With her experience in scientific sights set on becoming research,” says Julia a veterinarian, she Carter, Ph.D., “I found out asked the Career president of what type of work Center to connect Wood Hudson her with research I’m interested in. It also Cancer Research and laboratory gave me experience that Laboratory. “We work that were try to teach was unique. No one else prerequisites for them to think vet school. can say they did the like scientists After helping same things I did.” by having them improve her resume evaluate current — Kathleen Taylor, and refine her research papers, biology major interviewing technique, write reports on the Career Center sent her their projects, and give resumes to companies and, in presentations to their peers her sophomore year, Taylor was placed as well as at undergraduate research in her first co-op position at the Wood conferences.”

Hudson Cancer Research Laboratory.

Through the Career Center, “From then on, I was in and out of Taylor also served as a co-op at the Career Center,” she says. “I went the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital to lectures about how to dress for Medical Center in its Molecular success and attended the Etiquette Genetics Lab during the spring 2017 Dinners. I used a lot of the resources semester. She worked closely with

Top: Student Garrett Bascom, Bottom: Student Kathleen Taylor

SUMMER 2017 • 11

TAKE THIS JOB AND LOVE IT technicians who performed clinical genetics tests for patients and also worked on DNA sequencing projects.

“Co-ops are a great opportunity to get your hands dirty in a field that interests you,” says Taylor. “I found out what type of work I’m interested in. It also gave me experience that was unique. No one else can say they did the same things I did.”

This fall, Taylor plans to enter The Ohio State University’s veterinary program. Specializing in animal research is among her top choices thanks to the opportunities and experiences provided through the Mount’s co-op program.

LASTING PARTNERSHIPS Another winner at the Co-op Recognition Dinner was longtime Career Center partner Messer Construction, which was awarded Employer of the Year. Senior Project Accountant and Mount alumna Lori Rolfes ’05 accepted the award on behalf of the company. For more than 20 years, the commercial construction firm has hired Mount students in co-op positions for accounting, finance, marketing, and

business management positions. Its clients include Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, St. Elizabeth Healthcare, Procter & Gamble and Hamilton County.

“Our partnership with the Mount works well because we have the student’s best interests at heart and are able to communicate each other’s needs on a consistent basis,” says Rolfes.

“Students are hand-picked for me to interview based on Messer’s needs.”

Mount co-op students are especially beneficial to Messer, she adds, because it offers better ways to evaluate them for future employment upon graduation. “Messer believes in a philosophy of growth from within, so we like to hire high-achieving co-op students who are already familiar with our processes and culture,” says Rolfes.

Brandon Michael ’16 began his co-op work at Messer when he was a sophomore and now works as a fulltime tax accountant at the company.

During his co-op, he changed roles three times, resulting in broad experiences that helped him discover what aspect of the company he wanted to focus on.

“Thanks to the Career Center, working at Messer allowed me to explore different aspects of accounting before I ever learned about them in the classroom,” says Michael. “Being able to understand how the knowledge applied to the real world helped me get the most out of my education.”

ALUMNI JOB SEEKERS: Contact the Mount’s Career & Experiential Education Center and let us help you land your next job!

MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL Founded in 1852, Findlay Market is Ohio’s oldest continuously operated public market and one of Cincinnati’s most iconic and beloved establishments, welcoming more than one million visitors annually. The landmark location recently partnered with the Mount’s co-op and service learning program to help students as well as bring in experienced and dedicated workers.

“The career center is dedicated to comprehensive full-circle learning,” says Kelly Lanser, Findlay Market communications manager. “We don’t just want bodies to fill the jobs; we need reliable people who care about the community.”

Our Mount staff can help connect you with workforce-ready students prepared to demonstrate their professional skills, social responsibility, and leadership!

Findlay Market hires summer graphic design co-ops from the Mount who work to create postcards, posters, banners, and advertisements that promote events. In tandem, service-learning students work onsite as volunteers, ensuring that consumers have the best possible experience once they step foot in the market. Lanser emphasizes that when they hire a graphic design co-op student, the student is joining a professional team.

(513) 244-4888 career.center@msj.edu Also visit msj.edu/career-center.

“We created a culture where we value and help students grow in the workplace,” she says. “They’re providing real work and we rely on them.”

ALUMNI EMPLOYERS:

Employers like Findlay Market benefit from Mount students who help grow their organizations and infuse their businesses with young talent, technological savvy, fresh ideas, and innovation. In turn, students benefit by taking in more responsibility and working on projects that hone their leadership skills and offer on-the-job learning experiences tied directly to their majors.

Andrew Brunsman ’10 completed three service learning positions and one co-op during his time as a Mount student. Now he is the executive director of Be Concerned, which assists low-income families in Northern Kentucky with housing, food, clothing, and other necessities.

“My experiences through the Career Center helped me understand my calling to serve in the nonprofit sector,” says Brunsman. “I am proud to be a Mount alumnus, and credit my professional and personal achievements to my time working with the Mount’s Career Center team.”

Since 2013, Be Concerned has joined with the Mount as a community partner.

Julia Carter, Ph.D., president of Wood Hudson Cancer Research Laboratory, and student Mariah Dooley.

12 • MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

At Findlay Market (top): Jacob Glass, graphic design co-op; At Be Concerned (bottom, from left): Andrew Brunsman ’10, faculty member Lisa Crews, Ph.D., students Kara Marshall and Kat Vapes, faculty member Linda Wheeler-Jackson, and staff member Charissa Qiu.

“There are no other students quite like Mount students,” Brunsman says. “Their developed skill sets, professionalism, willingness to learn, commitment to the Mount’s mission, and ability to work with lowincome neighbors while treating them with dignity and respect makes them great partners and assets.”

At Messer Construction (from left): Accounting Manager Hana Bayou, Tax Accountant Brandon Michael ’16, Senior Project Accountant Lori Rolfes ’05, and Dean of the Mount’s School of Business Jamal Rashed, Ph.D.

SUMMER 2017 • 13

THE LEGACY ENDURES The 1930s were marked by the Great Depression, Cincinnati’s devastating 1937 flood, a fire that nearly destroyed the Motherhouse, and the onset of World War II. But in true Mount tradition, the college not only survived, but became a thriving haven.

By Kara Gebhart Uhl

Though founded in 1920, Mount St. Joseph University was already a remarkable academic institution by the 1930s. The Sisters of Charity secured many valuable accreditations to ensure the academic integrity and effectiveness of Mount programs. In 1932, the University joined the American Association of Colleges as the only women’s college in the Cincinnati area. By 1933, enrollment exceeded 250 students with 40 full-time faculty members. In 1937, the Motherhouse suffered a devastating fire that required multiple fire departments to extinguish.

Several factors played into the Mount’s ability to survive the to St. Mary Hospital, on Betts Street in Cincinnati.”

Great Depression—and find opportunities to grow. The Sisters Students whose families lived close to campus were sent home of Charity were actively involved in recruiting students, both in to make room in the dorms for children and Sisters from the the United States and around the world (the latter thanks to the flooded St. Joseph Orphanage. With no electricity available, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Immigration, approving the studying was done by candlelight. According to Sister Marie Mount “as an institution of learning for immigrant students, in Emmanuel Streit, SC, in “Of Past Presidents,” an article that first accordance with the Immigration Act of 1924”). By 1933, Mount appeared in the Summer 1976 edition of the Mountings alumnae enrollment exceeded 250, with 40 full-time faculty members. publication: “Mountees melted snow and passed it by bucket The Sisters also sought and secured many valuable through darkened corridors for bathing and washing.” accreditations to ensure the academic integrity and effectiveness Further disaster loomed. On Feb. 14, 1937, Sister Gabrielle of Mount programs. In 1932, the Cincinnati Chamber of Maher, SC, at the Motherhouse was awakened at 1:15 a.m.

Commerce News Bulletin remarked, “Unusual honor has come regarding a Western Union cablegram announcing the death of a to the College of Mount St. Joseph-on-the-Ohio, through Sister in China. She smelled smoke and sounded the alarm. admission to the American Association of Colleges, recently In a typed report, Sister Maria Corona, SC, then in session at the Netherland Plaza Hotel. Mount St. dean of the college, recounted the event: Joseph is the only college for women in this area, “The flames seemed to leap to the sky from holding membership in this exclusive association.” our old engine room. The main building was “Ours is the duty Then on Jan. 26, 1937, the worst flood in not far away and the dining room and the to accept what Cincinnati’s history crested the Ohio River chapel were directly in the path of the flames. we have— at 79.9 feet. The city’s power plant was shut The students, about 250 in number, were off. Oil fires broke out due to exploding all assembled in the gym, as it gave them to sacrifice today gas tanks. One newspaper report stated that protection from the freezing weather outside for the peace on Jan. 24 (which Cincinnatians referred and at the same time gave them a vantage of tomorrow.” to as “Black Sunday”) the water in Camp point of escape should this be necessary.

—May 1942, Seton Journal Washington was so deluged with oil it caught With the wind changing its course every few on fire. It was also on this day that the water taps minutes, it was difficult to know what direction ran dry. The Mount, situated high up on its hill, the fire would take. The Delhi Township Fire served as a welcome refuge for residents in nearby Price Department did heroic work until several companies Hill and neighboring suburbs, who collected water from the of the Cincinnati Fire Department arrived in response to college’s wells. Ninety-one-year-old Sister Benedicta Mahoney, a ten blow alarm.”

SC, author of We Are Many: A History of the Sisters of Charity By 5 a.m., the fire was under control; thankfully, no one of Cincinnati 1898 – 1971, recalls how postulants and novices was harmed. Students were sent to Seton High School, would help fill large containers with water, which were then temporary heating and lighting facilities were put in place, shipped as needed throughout the city. and classes resumed at the Mount the following day. “All “The Motherhouse well proved reliable, and buckets of kitchen facilities were out of operation for a few days, and water were carried from the pump just outside the east door Seton High School, the Good Samaritan Hospital, St. Joseph of the dining room to wherever needed,” she wrote. “The Infant Home, and other good neighbors supplied the entire well, too, provided a thousand gallons of water for Seton institution with food — a varied menu of mostly soup, High School, pumped out and delivered by the Delhi Fire sandwiches, and pie,” Sister Corona wrote. “I remember how Department; the same amount was sent to the Hospital and the girls reveled in the great variety of sandwiches and pie.”

1930

1935

1936

1937

1938

President Hoover, while journeying down the Ohio River, stops at Fernbank Dam, where Mount students greeted him and received special recognition.

First intercollegiate basketball game: Mount vs. Nazareth (Kentucky).

American Medical Association recognizes Mount’s progress in clinical technology.

Ohio River Flood and Motherhouse Fire.

Ohio Valley Student Peace Federation of the Catholic Association for International Peace holds its first meeting at the Mount.

14 • MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

1939 Regina Hall and Terrace opens (“The Soch”); first issue of Mountings, alumnae publication, is published.

SUMMER 2017 • 15

THE LEGACY ENDURES

Sister Benedicta says a temporary kitchen was put in place in the old infirmary, across the roadway. “It was one of the biggest things that affected everybody,” she says. “Five hundred meals had to be prepared.”

Restoration and renovations took several years, and included the conversion of the stone laundry building into a student lounge and art studio (Regina Hall, also called “The Soch”).

SACRIFICES AND CONTRIBUTIONS

By 1938, threat of war in Europe loomed. The student newspaper, The Mother Seton Journal, later called Seton Journal, began running a series of war editorials which, according to a University archive report, “triggered similar editorials in Catholic college newspapers all over the nation.”

That same year, the Mount sponsored a regional conference to begin the Ohio Valley Student Peace Federation, directed by the Catholic Association for International Peace. In January 1941, the Mount set into motion a national peace-prayer movement, “aiming to enlist American college students in a campaign of prayer for lasting peace.” More than 60 colleges responded.

At the same time, editorials in Seton Journal recognized the need for action.

From the October 1940 issue: “The United States, in applying sanctions against Germany in favor

of Great Britain, has chosen the only moral course: the material aiding of the forces opposing the destruction of all human rights by the godless demagogue, Hitler.”

By 1941, students at the Mount became fully involved in the war effort.

“As the United States draft machinery has called men into service, so national and state conventions have called Mount St. Joseph college students into active participation in varied fields of studies,” wrote the editors of Seton Journal in May 1941.

Even class discussions centered on the war, with home economics discussing “defense economy” and modeling patriotic fashions during a 1941 Fashion and Tea program.

Ethics classes examined solutions to international disorder.

Then came rationing. In May 1942, Seton Journal reported that the War Production Board banned more than 400 products. But despite any perceived hardship, there was understanding among the Mount community. “Ours is the duty to accept what we have—to sacrifice today for the peace of tomorrow,” the editors wrote.

Other war efforts at the Mount included scrap campaigns, victory gardens (with 75 percent student involvement), weekly war stamp sales, and a U.S.O. unit, which organized events like “tin cans for pennies,” with proceeds going to buy waffles for servicemen. Students also volunteered to work in the dining hall, allowing hired staff to leave the Mount for positions in defense factories.

Prom was abandoned and moneydemanding activities were rationed.

Alumnae also were involved, running their own war stamp drives, pausing production of Mountings to save paper, and turning annual homecoming events into more somber, service-oriented affairs.

Editorials in Seton Journal urged sacrifice, such as this one advertising a war bond drive in 1943: “We, at the Mount, have a tradition to uphold.

We have never failed the Mount in any

of its activities. We cannot now allow the Mount to fail the fighting men.

The challenge is there. That soldier is depending on us.”

Mount students, parents, and faculty came through. A war bond drive in 1944 collected $35,000. Results were sent to the United States Treasury Department, and dedicatory panels, with the name of the Mount inscribed, were placed in two trainer aircraft.

In 1942, the Mount adopted a trimester year, or Acceleration Program, “in response to the nation-wide demand for trained workers in medical technology, dietetics, nutrition, business, and other fields of research” (Seton Journal, May 1942) in order to graduate students faster.

Deep sadness accompanied the proud service. In “Of Past Presidents,” Sister Streit writes, “Tragic telegrams began to trickle in: brothers, sweethearts missing in action, wounded, dead, and Mother Mary Regina shared the heartaches of her Sisters and girls, offering what consolation she could in her warm, understanding way.” These years placed a great burden on Mother Mary Regina, who became an “incurable insomniac,” but “never carried her concerns to her dealings with others.”

World War II ended Sept. 2, 1945.

At the time, the Mount’s journalism department owned an Associated Press teletype machine. According to a University archival report, “On V-E Day, the A.P. wire clacked out news of the end of World War II, and the school paper delivered the story into hands of faculty and students, scooping the Cincinnati dailies!”

As women enrolled in the Mount in the years following the war (such as Juanita Wenke ’52, featured on page 18), great change was afoot, not only in class offerings and size, but in the campus itself.

LIFE IN 1930 From 1924 to 1931, Mount senior classes published annual yearbooks called Mountings, which included a highlight of events, activities, and memories throughout the academic year. (A separate alumni newsletter, also called Mountings, was published from 1939 to 1986.) Here is the diary documented by the senior class for September 1930: Sept. 16: Freshmen arrive confused, but valiant. Registration is quite

a complicated problem.

Sept. 17: Upperclassmen return and exchange vacation tidbits.

Sept. 18: Classes begin. Warm weather and study do not agree.

Sept. 19: Mass of the Holy Ghost. We pray for strength, guidance, and wisdom.

Sept. 20: The Den re-echoes with the merriment of the first Friday night party.

The freshmen take a new view of the situation.

Sept. 21: Cincinnati stores supply knick-knacks for the rooms. A few freshmen

get lost in the “big town.”

Sept. 22: A quiet Sunday at school. Jaunts over the campus to note all the changes.

Sept. 23: Blue Monday, but we welcome the new professors.

Sept. 24: The freshmen hold their first class meeting. A get-acquainted hike to

the Ledge, a weiner roast, and the initiation of freshmen to the

intricacies of the school songs.

Sept. 25: The Student Spiritual Council organizes for another year. The “oldest class”

elects its officers.

Sept. 26: Homesickness finally conquered—all emerge full-fledged resident

college students.

Sept. 27: Another party in the Den to brighten a rainy evening.

Sept. 28: The sun shines again. City-bound girls desert for the day, but return

to watch the boats go down the river after dusk.

Learn more about the Mount’s history through exclusive web content at msj.edu/mountnews.

Sept. 29: A day of rest, and, sad to say, study. Evidently, the professors

mean business.

1940

1941

1942

1942

1943

1944

Cincinnati Reds win the World Series.

National College Drive for Prayer for Peace.

Accelerated program begins; Sister Maria Corona begins discussion of new college facilities.

Cincinnati’s Office of Civil Defense established; Hamilton County divided into five civilian defense zones.

The Mount receives a Certificate of Meritorious Service from U.S.O.

Cincinnati’s fourth war loan drive begins with a goal to sell $22 million in bonds.

16 • MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

SUMMER 2017 • 17

THE LEGACY ENDURES

JUANITA WENKE: A PORTRAIT OF PASSION When Juanita Wenke ’52 enrolled at the Mount, she had the “nerve” to pursue art.

It was a subject she had only dabbled in as a high school student at Sacred Heart Academy. At the Mount, Wenke studied in Regina Hall, a stone structure that offered good lighting for painting upstairs. Among her instructors was Sister Augusta Zimmer, SC, who taught her several mediums, including print, calligraphy, sculpture, painting, and clay.

Because home was close, Wenke lived at the Mount during the week but went home every weekend. Her bed on campus was located in her tiny, fourth-floor dorm room; she and her roommates would often lie on their bunks and watch the Ohio River.

Life at the Mount in the postWWII years had its restrictions. Wenke remembers having to wear stockings as part of the dress code. In the Social Hall (commonly called “The Soch”), students played Bridge. “But if you didn’t smoke, you wouldn’t dare go in that room,” she says (adding that she didn’t smoke).

Telephone calls were limited to only 10 minutes per student. “Everybody stood in line for their turn to talk,” Wenke says, who mostly used her time to talk with her boyfriend.

The phone calls, it seemed, paid off. After graduating from the Mount, Wenke married her boyfriend, Daniel.

Together, the couple raised seven children across nearly 10 years. And though she never gave up painting, any thought she had of a career in art gave way to being a mother.

But then, she had a brush with tragedy.

“It wasn’t too long before my husband got ill and I had to work,” Wenke says. It was the early 1970s and she was suddenly thrust into the role of breadwinner for her entire family.

So, she again looked to the Mount.

Already equipped with an art degree, Wenke took classes in architectural drawing and printing to make herself more employable. She also pursued a teaching certificate.

18 • MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

In 1972, Wenke—who never thought she’d be a teacher—started teaching at C.O. Harrison Elementary School.

She recalls school administrators saying: “You can be our first art teacher.” She would go on to teach children art for 21 years. “Oh, I loved it,” Wenke adds.

CLUBBING IT

Following her Mount graduation, Wenke always maintained a special connection to her alma mater through “The Club.” It began as a small informal group of 1952 graduates and teachers who met every Friday night, rotating homes, and socialized. “We played bridge but that didn’t last too long because we talked too much,” she says.

Though The Club is no longer active (some do stay in touch over the phone and through occasional visits), in its heyday, their number could fill entire rooms. “We went through every stage of our lives together,” she says.

“Getting married, we’d have showers, have babies—all the parts of our lives.”

After retiring from teaching in 1993, Wenke traveled the United States with a friend, visiting New Mexico, Florida, and other parts of the country. Wenke took great care to paint it all.

Today, Wenke’s home is filled with her artwork. Her youngest grandchild, Sarah Wenke ’17, grew up playing with grandma’s paints and is an awardwinning Mount graduate with a degree in art and design (see page 4).

Of the Mount, Wenke’s granddaughter notes: “The University has such a community feeling. The art building felt like its own little world—I loved that.”

Wenke says she felt the same, more than 60 years ago, painting upstairs in a small stone house.

To see more of Juanita Wenke’s artwork, visit msj.edu/mountnews.

Does your family’s connection to the Mount span generations?

Let us know at alumni@msj.edu.

Board of Trustees Chair John J. Young and Sister Joan Cook, SC, don the chain of office upon H. James Williams, Ph.D., the Mount’s newest president.

IT’S OFFICIAL! On April 28, the Mount officially installed H. James Williams, Ph.D., as its newest president.

By Michael Schiavetta

“This is truly a day the Lord has made.”

With those words, Sister Joan Cook, SC, summed up an emotionally powerful inauguration ceremony that officially welcomed H. James Williams, Ph.D., as the Mount’s newest president. Joining her were students, faculty, staff, alumni, and representatives from government and academic organizations across the country.

“Dr. Williams is the newest participant in a courageous, creative history,” Sister Joan said. “May God bless you with wisdom, courage, and compassion as you lead the Mount to a proud future.”

Joining her onstage inside University Theatre on April 28 was Commissioner Chris Monzel of the Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners; Cheryl A. Sieve, vice president, Delhi Township Board of Trustees; C. Todd Jones, president and general counsel of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio; Gary Cates, senior vice chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education; John J. Young, chair of the Mount Board of Trustees; Andrew Brunsman ’10, president of the Mount Alumni Board; Diana J. Davis, Ph.D., mistress of ceremonies and acting provost; President Emerita Sister Jean Patrice Harrington, SC, (who received a standing ovation when introduced); and Pastor C.L. McGriff and Reverend James J. Walsh, Hon ’13, who delivered the invocation and benediction, respectively. A beautiful rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” was performed by Sophia Perry ’17.

Speakers noted the positive impact they anticipate throughout the Mount under the leadership of President Williams.

“Companies can’t get enough young talent,” said Monzel.

“Dr. Williams will better allow students to play key roles in business, the fabric of all of our communities.”

Cates, noting that only 43 percent of Ohioans have an associate’s degree or higher, acknowledged President Williams as a devoted scholar, leader, and administrator and—through increased access to higher education—“will drive to make Mount St. Joseph University and our region even better.”

As chair of the Mount’s Board of Trustees, Young recounted the search process that led President Williams to the Mount and reaffirmed his confidence in the University’s new leader. “Mount St. Joseph will continue to graduate exceptional leaders with Dr. Williams at the helm. We’re delighted to have him here.”

Speaking for graduates, Brunsman added: “You have the loyalty and prayers of Mount alumni as you lead the University into the future.”

The investiture was conducted by Young and Sister Joan.

The latter described the chain of office that would be placed upon President Williams, which contained various symbols of significance. She finally announced: “I hereby publicly declare you, Dr. H. James Williams … I’m very proud to say, president of Mount St. Joseph University.”

Following a standing ovation, President Williams noted how great it was to be associated with the Mount, which he referred to as a “living legend.”

He said, “Mount St. Joseph University isn’t this beautiful theater, the grounds, the buildings. Mount St. Joseph University is people. In fact, it’s persons. All of us … each of us.”

SUMMER 2017 • 19

IT’S OFFICIAL!

He thanked his wife, Carole, and family for their support, as well as acknowledged friends and colleagues in the audience.

“We have a responsibility to make sure we move Mount St. Joseph University further toward immortality,” President Williams said. “Until it’s our turn to transfer the reins to the group that follows us; it’s an awesome responsibility.”

Using growth spurts in children as an example, President Williams noted how the Mount is ready for its own sharp climb in stature and effectiveness. “We’re growing wiser and more astute,” he said. “It’s time for Mount St. Joseph to take another big leap forward … We have never been more needed than we are right now.”

He discussed his goal for Transformation 2025, a new strategic plan that will serve as a roadmap for the University and include input from key stakeholders. After praising the hard work and dedication of Mount students, faculty, and staff, President Williams addressed alumni: “You’ve always been our ace in the hole … our secret weapon. Now we need you to be more engaged than ever before.”

TOP MARKS

From top: President Williams addresses the crowd; Mount alumni throughout the decades represent their class years at the inauguration ceremony; attendees offer their blessing and support to the Mount’s new president; and President Williams and his family.

Response to the installation of President Williams has been overwhelmingly positive throughout the community.

“Dr. Williams embraces the character of the Mount and naturally exudes the values that we come to appreciate as being special about the Mount,” said Jason Niehaus, incoming Mount Board of Trustees chair and senior vice president of the Northern Region at TriHealth. “He has reinvigorated the spirit of the Mount and its commitment to excellence.”

20 • MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

As incoming board chair, Niehaus plans to help create the vision and strategy behind Transformation 2025, and to support President Williams in any way he can.

“I am very excited about the future of the Mount under Dr. Williams,” he said.

“I’ve already begun to see the light of the Mount shining brighter.”

Future Five Award recipient Melissa Hornsby Brogan ’01 added: “What jumped out to me right away when I read about Dr. Williams’ background was that he started in accounting. Having worked with CPAs for the last 15 years, I can say that accountants are among the most trustworthy professionals and critical thinkers. A leader with the knowledge of how to make an organization financially sound—now and in the future—makes him an important asset. And ever so much beyond accounting, Dr. Williams is extremely accomplished and proven as a collaborator and teacher.”

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Following the inauguration ceremony, the Mount Jubilee Annual Scholarship Benefit and Inauguration Gala was held at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Cincinnati (see page 29). In addition to featuring personal stories from student speakers about the value of scholarships, the event recognized the 2017 Future Five Award winners.

In addition, the April 28 inauguration was bookended by events the day before and after. On April 27, the Mount hosted the Presidential Alumni Symposium, “Navigating Your Journey,” that invited alumni to speak about their paths to

successful careers made possible in part by their college experiences. Moderated by Nick Jackson ’03, owner and founder of Nick Jackson Speaks, the event featured Lisa Sanger ’83 as the keynote speaker, as well as panelists Craig Hockenberry ’95, superintendent of the Three Rivers School District; Erika Lehman ’04, telesolutions consultant manager at LexisNexis; Nick Messinger ’08, assistant professor of pharmacy practice and administrative sciences at the University of Cincinnati; and Adison Nelson ’12, director of diversity and inclusion at the University of Cincinnati.

On the morning of April 29, despite heavy thunderstorms and lightning, Mount students performed service learning work to help needy communities in the Cincinnati region. One group traveled to Bethany House Services to help prepare and serve brunch and organize donations. Another traveled to a Habitat for Humanity training facility to help build wooden sheds.

Sophomore Riley Ferguson, incoming student president of the Mount’s Habitat for Humanity campus chapter, noted that this was her 10th time volunteering for the organization in the past eight months.

“Habitat for Humanity gives people dignity in building and lets them take pride in their new home,” she said. “I also like learning the stories of homeowners. It’s really powerful to know how this helps them.”

Brady Eagan ’17, who launched the Habitat for Humanity student chapter at the Mount when he was a freshman, estimated that he has performed more than 300 service hours for the organization since then. When it comes to

helping families, he added, “I like that this gives them the confidence and leverage in life to help them be successful.” Echoing President Williams’ comments during his inauguration speech, Brady noted the power of the Mount in supporting these communities.

“There is an intrinsic value in giving back that is wonderful,” he said.

From top: Mount faculty welcome their new president inside University Theatre; inauguration attendees wait to greet President Williams; President Emerita Sister Jean Patrice Harrington, SC, and President Williams; the Alumni Symposium welcomed back alumni who discussed how the Mount helped their careers; and President Williams and wife Carole visit students engaged in service learning at Bethany House and a Habitat for Humanity training facility.

SUMMER 2017 • 21

FACULTY & STAFF UPDATES

accomplishments

Fr. John Amankwah, Ph.D., associate professor of communications and new media studies, was honored as a Champion of Mercy by the Catholic Charities Of Southwestern Ohio for his work that exemplifies not only a caring response to needy children, but also in fulfillment of the Gospel message embodied in the charism of the founder of the Knights of Columbus, Father Michael Joseph McGivney.

Michael Bindis, Ph.D., assistant professor of education and co-director of the Women in Science Experience (WISE) Camp, presented “Become WISE at Mount St. Joseph University” at the annual Discover STEM Conference in Middletown, Ohio, sponsored by the Butler County Educational Service Center.

Congratulations to faculty members BC Charles-Liscombe, Tracy McDonough, Mark McCafferty, and Laura Saylor for being honored in the December 2016 issue of Ohio Magazine’s Excellence in Education.

Kristin Clephane, M.S.N., instructor of nursing, gave a presentation, “Upstream RISE-Cincinnati,” at Northern Kentucky University College of Health Professions in November 2016.

Lynda Crane., Ph.D., professor emerita of psychology, and Tracy McDonough, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology, published “Using oral history to foster empathy for and understanding of schizophrenia sufferers” on the Excellence in Teaching Blog.

R. A. Davis, Ph.D., professor emeritus of biology and geology, discussed the Grand Army of the Republic at the meeting of the Warren County Genealogical Society in Lebanon, Ohio, and the Wyoming Historical Society in Wheatland, Wyo., in November 2016.

Mary Kay Fleming, Ph.D., academic assessment coordinator and professor of psychology, and Ulli Brinksmeier, M.A., associate professor of music, presented “Core capstone as a high-impact practice: Integrating faculty development, curriculum, and assessment to maximize student learning” at the annual Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Assessment Institute in Indianapolis, Ind., on Oct. 17. Fleming was also part of an

Tim Lynch, Ph.D., professor of history, published “Trump voters’ faith in the power of the outsider” on History News Network, historynewsnetwork.org.

invited panel presentation sponsored by the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment on “Using intentionally-designed assignments to foster and assess student learning” at the same conference.

Tom Gooding, M.Ed., instructor and athletic trainer, co-published his master’s thesis research in the Journal of Athletic Training called “Intrinsic foot muscle activation during specific exercises: A T2 Time Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.”

Jim Green, Ph.D., associate professor of education, presented a paper titled “Russell Kirk on American Higher Education at the Start of the Cold War in 1945: A Prophetic Voice” in October at the 2016 Annual Conference of the Organization of Educational Historians held in Chicago, Ill. Terri Hurdle, Ed.D., director of diversity and inclusion, served as the keynote speaker/ workshop facilitator for Xavier University’s Student Org Conference with more than 200 student leaders attending the session.

The “Keys to Inclusive Programming” topic focused on strategies to help students and professional members develop events and activities that are intentionally inclusive, diverse, and innovative.

Nazneen Kane, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology, submitted an article entitled “’Priestesses Unto the Most High God’: Gender, Agency, and the Politics of LDS Women’s Temple Rites.”

Keith Lanser, M.A., Career Center manager of service learning and civic engagement, became board secretary of the English Language Learning Foundation in November.

Kate Lassiter, Ph.D., assistant professor of religious and pastoral studies, was honored at the Vatican from Nov. 2-7 in recognition of her service toward healing justice with formerly incarcerated people.

Craig Lloyd, M.F.A., associate professor of art, had work included in two recent exhibitions in December: “South West Ohio Plein Air Association Exhibition” at Anna Bier Gallery, St. Clair Memorial Hall, Greenville, Ohio; and “Small Wonders,” National Juried Painting Exhibition at the Maryland Federation of Art Gallery, Annapolis, Md.

22 • MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

BY THE BOOK Staff Spotlight Scott Lloyd was a student at Cincinnati Christian University (CCU) in 1992 when he stumbled into his future profession by chance.

“While taking classes in their seminary, CCU approached me and offered a job in the library,” he says. “My original goal was to finish seminary, pursue a Ph.D. in Theology, and teach. Once I started working, it really grew on me.”

For 24 years, Lloyd served in various roles in the CCU Library, first working as a part-time circulation desk manager, then the electronic services librarian, and eventually ascending to the role of director. In 2016, Lloyd decided he was ready for a new challenge after learning about a library director position at the Mount. A longtime resident of the Delhi community, he liked the idea of serving the hometown university where he and his wife had raised their children. In January, he started his new job as director of the Archbishop Alter Library.

“Libraries evolve with students’ educational needs,” says Lloyd, referring to recent improvements that foster collaborative learning such as a WPS Starbucks café located inside the library that serves as an unofficial meeting place as well as the group instructional space available in the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence classroom. More changes will be coming to the library, he adds, including a revamped website as well as more digitized photos and documents from the Mount’s archives.

“Alumni should feel free to visit our library,” he says. “There’s a lot of history here.”

Tracy McDonough, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology, and Lynda Crane, Ph.D., professor emerita of psychology, presented “Creating a ‘dialogue’ between narrators and the community: The Schizophrenia Oral History Project” at the annual meeting of the Oral History Association in Long Beach, Calif., in October 2016. The pair also received grants from The Cambridge Charitable Foundation and Interact for Health to continue their work on The Schizophrenia Oral History Project.

Elizabeth Murray, Ph.D., professor of biology, completed a book chapter entitled “The History and Use of the National Missing and Unidentified Person System (NamUs) in the Identification of Unknown Persons,” which will be published this year by Elsevier in an edited volume called New Perspectives in Forensic Human Skeletal Identification.

Meg Riestenberg, Ph.D., professor emerita, biology and geology, presented a talk to members of Oxbow Inc., a conservation group, on “Effects of Geology on Plant Distribution” in Adams County, Ohio, last fall.

Judy Singleton, Ph.D., M.S.W., associate professor in sociology and social work, and Beverly Massey, M.S.W., assistant professor and field coordinator in social work, presented a workshop titled, “Ohio Benefit Bank Community Partnership,” at the 2016 Ohio Hunger Dialogues Conference held in November at Xavier University.

John Trokan, D. Min., associate professor of religious studies, assisted with the planning and participated in the Charity Federation Formation Conference from Oct. 27-30 at St. Mary University in Leavenworth, Kan. The conference gathered the Sisters of Charity-sponsored colleges and universities to design and plan a common formation process for its heritage, mission, and values among administrators, faculty, and staff.

NEW HIRES

PROMOTIONS

Welcome to the following new faculty and staff members at the Mount:

Jennifer Morris, Ph.D. (School of Arts and Humanities) promoted to full professor

Andrew Hoelmer, Kirsten Lambert, and Brandon Raabe, admissions

Peter Robinson, Ph.D. (School of Arts and Humanities) promoted to full professor

LeRie Dover, buildings and grounds

J. W. Carter, II, Ph.D. (School of Behavioral and Natural Sciences) promoted to associate professor with tenure

Yashica Gayle, career and experiential education Angela Eddingfield, children’s center Jennie Cunningham, education Michelle Olmsted and Jackie Flynn, institutional advancement Adam Puckett, instructional services Scott Lloyd, library services Kerri Getz and Cindy Needham, nursing Mindy Howell, physician assistant studies Zach Silka and Debbie Sumpter, university communications

Brooke Gialopsos, Ph.D. (School of Behavioral and Natural Sciences) promoted to associate professor with tenure Nazneen Kane, Ph.D. (School of Behavioral and Natural Sciences) promoted to associate professor with tenure Andrew Rasmussen, Ph.D. (School of Behavioral and Natural Sciences) promoted to associate professor with tenure

GOOD BUSINESS Faculty Spotlight Acting Dean of the School of Business Anna Goldhahn, Ph.D., spent her childhood on a ranch in Montana, accumulated several college degrees, and worked for two decades in the business world before arriving at the Mount.

“I came to Ohio to earn a Ph.D. in Social Psychology at Miami University,” she says.

“I taught courses as a graduate student, and I imagined I would be a university professor because I love conducting research, but it didn’t turn out that way.”

Instead, Goldhahn met her husband and found a career in customer relationship management and marketing research. Although she missed being in the classroom, teaching business classes wasn’t in the original plan either.

“In fact, I didn’t take a single business course as an undergraduate at Carroll College in Helena, Montana,” Goldhahn says. “Business just didn’t seem relevant or interesting to me until I finished my Ph.D. and started working in business.

I thought my clients would be interested in my research and statistical expertise, but I quickly realized that what they actually wanted from me was business advice, and I was not qualified to offer it.”

So Goldhahn started working on her M.B.A., teaching as a graduate assistant at Xavier University where she met Jamal Rashed, Ph.D., dean of the Mount’s School of Business (currently on sabbatical). It was Rashed who recruited her to the Mount where she is continuing to expand its offerings in the Business Department.

“We will continue to evolve our M.B.A. and Master of Science in Organizational Leadership while maintaining our commitment to the mission of the Mount, and the values of the Sisters of Charity,” she says. “In the School of Business, we see business as completely compatible with our mission. For example, we engage in service to the community when we help real businesses solve their problems so they can grow and provide good jobs in areas that need them.”

SUMMER 2017 • 23

LION’S CORNER

athletics

HONORING ATHLETIC EXCELLENCE

LAST DOWN and since then the Lions have developed into a perennial contender in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. Under Huber, the Lions have amassed a 106-68 record, captured four conference championships, and made five NCAA Division III playoff appearances.

Mount News readers are invited to join students, faculty, staff, friends, and alumni on Sept. 29 for the 2017 Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony and dinner at the Fifth Third Bank Dining Hall at 6 p.m. The annual event honors coaches and athletes who symbolize excellence in Mount athletics and have played an important role in its history.

“I drove a tank for four years in the Army from ’79 to ’82 and I’ve coached football now for 33 years,” Huber told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “Those are the only two jobs I’ve ever had in my entire life .... I think that’s pretty cool.”

We also encourage you to join us for Homecoming on Sept. 30, which will include a tailgate sponsored by the MSJ Alumni Association as well as an opportunity to watch the Lions take on Hanover at Schueler Field.

“I can’t thank our players, coaches, alumni, and administration enough for allowing me to serve as the head coach of the Mount football program,” Huber says. “We have come so far in every facet of the program, and I am proud of the tremendous amount of success we have had.”

Off the field, the Lions have been involved with several community service projects under Huber’s leadership, including Habitat for Humanity, Pink Ribbon Girls, Samaritan’s Feet, and other outreach efforts in Greater Cincinnati and beyond.

For details, please contact Jeannette Bryson at jeannette.bryson@msj.edu.

In 2000, Huber was named the Mount’s third head football coach,

“We appreciate the many contributions coach Huber has made to the

A special coach has said farewell to nearly three decades of commitment and perseverance that created the successful foundation of the Mount’s football program.

Head Coach Rod Huber has retired from coaching to pursue other professional interests after 27 seasons with the Lions football team, including the past 17 seasons as head coach. He joined the Mount in 1990—the football program’s inaugural season—as defensive line coach under Head Coach John Pont.

BASEBALL EARNS SECOND PLACE IN HCAC TOURNAMENT The baseball team earned a spot in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) for the first time in nine seasons.

Unfortunately, their playoff hopes were cut short but the Lions still managed to finish with a 2-2 record and earn second place behind champion Earlham.

The Lions grew dramatically this season under the leadership of fourth-year Head Coach Jeff Newman. After the first two weeks, they had only a 3-4 record. Making the HCAC conference tournament seemed unlikely. However, from that point, the team only lost one series and saved some of their best baseball for the final stretch, closing the season with a sweep of perennial HCAC title contender Rose-Hulman.

24 • MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

Mount’s football program, our athletic department, and Mount St. Joseph University,” Athletic Director Steve Radcliffe says. “His teams’ achievements are surpassed only by his love of the game and commitment to the Mount football program.”

LIONS EARN AWARDS Student-athletes Jesse Purdy and Tyler Lindholz of the men’s lacrosse team won Honorable Mention and the Sportsmanship Award, respectively, from the Ohio River Lacrosse Conference. Purdy led the team with 30 assists on the season and 42 points. Tyler had eight causedturnovers and seven goals but unfortunately had his season cut short due to injury. Both students earned the awards because of their amazing determination and great leadership on and off the field.

Visit msjsports.com for the latest sports news and schedules.

MOUNT MADNESS: FOREVER 22 More than 1,000 people attended the Second Annual Mount Madness on Jan. 28 in the Harrington Center gymnasium. The event raised $5,000 to officially endow the Forever 22 Scholarship Fund, named in honor of Mount student Lauren Hill, who passed away in 2015 from brain cancer (see the fall 2015 issue of Mount News for the full story). In addition, Lions fans got to watch the men’s and women’s basketball teams take on the Manchester University Spartans.

To date, the Forever 22 Scholarship Fund has raised more than $53,000 since Lauren’s passing. In fall 2018, after criteria have been finalized, a Mount student will be its first recipient.

TRAVELING ABROAD: NOT JUST FOR KICKS

SPORTS BRIEF: Historic Hoops

Sometimes in sports, going out of bounds is a good thing.

Both the men’s and women’s soccer teams traveled overseas during spring break (March 13-18) to play against international opponents and gain global perspective. The men’s team traveled to Spain to compete against Spanish professional league teams, while the women traveled to Ireland, Germany, and The Netherlands to learn about different cultures and compete with local teams.

“Being able to experience the Spanish culture opened my eyes to a world that is much bigger than I ever realized,” says senior defender Zach Kuebler ’17. “Spending time with your team in a foreign environment where none of us speak the language is a true bonding experience as we were forced to rely on each other.”

Junior forward Morgan Knasel agrees. “It was amazing to see firsthand the different customs and traditions that people have in the countries we visited,” she said. “It was also kind of surprising how easily we could relate to them even though we are from such different parts of the world. Overall, I am really grateful that I got the opportunity to go and have this experience. I am even more grateful that I could share it with my teammates and best friends.”

For the first time in history, the men’s basketball team eclipsed the 20-win plateau. A hot five-game winning streak to start their season landed them on the d3hoops.com top25 poll—another team first. The Lions finished the season 20-7 overall. Standouts included junior guard Andrew Finley, who was named to the All-HCAC first team, junior guard Jordan Henry, junior guard Erik Edwards, and freshman forward Adam Goetz.

Men’s Lacrosse Relaunches After a year off, the men’s lacrosse team relaunched in full force this past spring. “Given where the program was last year, what the students have been able to do this year has been nothing short of remarkable,” says Head Coach Colin Smith. Established in 2007, the men’s lacrosse program competes in the Ohio River Lacrosse Conference and holds a 52-79 overall record.

Social Climber Sports Information Director Blake Watson announced that the @MSJ_Athletics Twitter feed has doubled its followers since last fall. The increase, notes Watson, was due to increased Twitter presence that featured profiles and interviews of Mount studentathletes. He adds, “We have also launched an official MSJ Athletics YouTube channel, and we will soon launch an MSJ Snapchat channel as well.”

SUMMER 2017 • 25

ALUMNI UPDATES

ALUMNI UPDATES

news

profile

THE POWER OF MATCHING GIFTS Dear Alumni and Friends of the Mount, While at the Mount Jubilee and Inauguration Gala, I had the pleasure of meeting Nathaniel Herdeman, a young man who grew up not far from the Mount’s campus. Currently enrolled in the athletic training program with future goals in medicine or physical therapy, Nathaniel is the recipient of an endowed scholarship. That means he can pursue his Mount studies without the worry of maintaining a full-time job to finance his education. Instead, he can participate in extracurricular and professional development activities beyond the classroom, enhancing his education along the way.

Listening to Nathaniel, I immediately noticed how humble and grateful he was for the opportunities he’s receiving at the Mount. His endowed scholarship, along with endowed scholarships for seven other students, is funded by the Austin E. Knowlton Foundation. We join Nathaniel in being thankful for the Knowlton Foundation’s financial support and its commitment to student success.

At the Mount, we too are committed—to providing the best possible education for our students—with the hope that they will also support their alma mater and future generations of students. It’s this cycle of giving that defines our community. By creating positive experiences that also ease financial burdens, students learn to appreciate the power of philanthropy and its ability to change lives for the better.

At some point in our lives, most of us have benefited from the generosity of others, most often resulting in mutual gratitude. The minimal investment for an endowed scholarship is $50,000. And, we’re eager and delighted to meet you half way. When you donate $25,000, we’ll match the rest. Together, we can give students like Nathaniel more opportunities to thrive during their Mount education.

Endowed scholarships are one of the most powerful ways to demonstrate that you believe Mount students are empowered to create a better world.

Please consider joining the more than 100 fellow alumni who have created such opportunities and change a life! Please call me at (513) 244-4611 and we can discuss how your gift could be tailored to provide this muchneeded support in perpetuity.

Sincerely, Raye Allen Vice President for Institutional Advancement raye.allen@msj.edu 513-244-4611

26 • MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

MOUNT EMPLOYEES INVEST IN A SHARED FUTURE Since it launched last fall, the Mount’s current employee giving campaign has raised more than $69,000. Titled “One Mount, One Goal, 100%,” it is steered by a committee that includes staff and faculty across various academic, athletic, and student services offices.

The fundraising initiative is already way ahead of the $46,000 raised in total during the 2015-16 academic year. In addition, to date 70 percent of Mount faculty and staff have donated to the University, up from the 41 percent during last year’s campaign.

+29%

+$23,000

PARTICIPATION

IN FUNDS RAISED

We’re proud of our community members who’ve demonstrated their commitment to the Mount.

Employee giving ensures that the University can continue to offer vital scholarships, high-tech facilities, and other educational resources to current and future generations of Mount students.

Mount News encourages our alumni to join in the fun! If you’d like to show your support, please visit msj.edu/give.

FROM EMERGENCY ROOM TO COURT ROOM Karen Carroll ’79 may be one of the few lawyers in Cincinnati who gets asked for free medical advice.

A former nurse, she left a career in health care to become a medical malpractice defense lawyer in 1987, but friends and colleagues still ask questions about their aches and pains.

In the courtroom, however, she now represents hospitals, nurses, physicians, and other health care providers in the defense of medical malpractice claims—something she feels strongly about, given her nursing background made possible through the Mount.

“I was a physical education major at Miami University,” Carroll recalls. “I had to take biology, anatomy, physiology, and other science classes. It turned out that I really enjoyed them and nursing was a good option for building on those classes.”

She transferred to Mount St. Joseph University in 1979 after learning of the University’s renowned health care programs.

“I got a great education at the Mount,” Carroll says. “My nursing classmates were very energetic and enthusiastic. My professors, both didactic and clinical, provided encouragement and individualized attention.”

During her time at the Mount, Carroll enjoyed many opportunities for great clinical learning experiences in Cincinnati. “And I learned that when you tell people you have a nursing degree from the Mount, you’re golden.”

the Rendigs medical malpractice defense team. In addition to defending hospitals, health care facilities, physicians, dentists, and nurses in medical malpractice and wrongful death claims, she advises clients on risk management issues and licensing matters.

Carroll also served as an adjunct professor at Xavier University After earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the teaching health care law and has been recognized as one of Mount, Carroll practiced intensive care nursing and enjoyed Ohio’s top lawyers in the medical malpractice defense field by the fast pace of acute care settings. “There was always several organizations. She is a member of the Cincinnati something new to learn,” she says. “My colleagues Bar Association, Kentucky Bar Association, and and I were an integral part of the ICU team, Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys. In working closely with the residents and addition, Carroll formerly served on the Joint attending physicians to get the patients “I learned that Committee of the Bar and Academy of through their acute health issues.” when you tell people Medicine, Cincinnati Board of Health, and Carroll served as assistant head nurse UC Law Alumni Board of Trustees. you have a nursing in the MICU/CCU at the University of Carroll credits her nursing education degree from the Mount, Cincinnati Medical Center. One of the at the Mount and her clinical nursing most enjoyable aspects of her position you’re golden.” experiences as providing the background was preparing new nurses in the ICU. At — Karen Carroll ’79 to better understand medical issues within the time, medical malpractice lawsuits were malpractice claims as well as how health care becoming more prevalent, and attracted her providers interact with patients and the hospital attention. “I really loved bedside nursing, but was environment.

These have proven to be invaluable looking for the next step,” she says. assets in defending her clients.

A logical and interesting move, Carroll decided, was to pursue a “Some plaintiffs’ attorneys believe that nurses or physicians are career in defending the profession she loved. not emotionally invested in patients,” says Carroll. “But they have She earned her J.D. from University of Cincinnati College of Law an emotional connection to people. They go to work every day in 1987. After working as a medical malpractice defense attorney making the effort to provide excellent care, so when they need for two decades, Carroll joined Rendigs, Fry, Kiely & Dennis LLP someone to help defend a case, I’m glad I can be there for them in 2007, where she is currently a partner and proud member of —and I have the Mount to thank for that.”

SUMMER 2017 • 27

ALUMNI UPDATES

ALUMNI DISPLAY ARTISTIC WORKS Earlier this year, the biennial Alumni Excellence Exhibition showcased works from five Mount graduates: Sheila Heinen ’81, Joell AngelChumbley ’92, Keith Kitz ’96, Adrian Vance Hawk ’07, and Cynthia Gregory ’08. Displayed in the Studio San Giuseppe within the Art Building, the showcase ran from Jan. 17 through Feb. 19 and was open to the Mount community and public. The exhibition received great feedback from those who were in attendance, and the Art Department is looking forward to its next alumni art exhibition.

ALUMNI UPDATES

THE MOUNT TAKES THE MOUND

Now pitching for the Reds—President Williams! At this year’s MSJ Alumni Night at the Reds on May 5, the Mount’s new president threw out the first pitch and enjoyed the game alongside students and alumni in the stands (the Reds defeated the Giants 13-3). In addition, MSJ Alumni Board Vice President John Lich V ’11 and Student Alumni Association President Emily Hertel delivered the game ball.

ALUMNI SHOW SUPPORT FOR PRESIDENT WILLIAMS At the April 28 presidential inauguration for H. James Williams, Ph.D., alumni from the classes of 1952 to 2015 participated in an alumni delegate procession. During the ceremony, Mount Alumni Board President Andy Brunsman ’10 presented the new president with a crystal clock to symbolize the history of the Mount as well as the future that lies ahead. Thank you to everybody who participated in the delegate procession.

CENTURY GIRL

RECOUNTING CLASSROOM TO CAREER PATHS On Feb. 3 and March 3, the Mount’s Psychology Department held a career panel for students that featured alumni from AmeriCorps, Humana, WLWT Channel 5, Cincinnati Insurance Group, and Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation.

The panel discussed their journeys from the classroom to the workforce. Graduates shared insights and lessons learned as Mount undergraduates, as well as tips on how to navigate varying career paths after earning a degree. Topics included the challenges for women working in male-dominated fields and the professional development that comes from service learning and co-op work.

Former Mount student Ellen Agnes (Barton) Brake turned 100 years old on March 25, 2017. Although she only attended the school during her freshman year, she has always considered herself a “Mountee.” More than 100 of Ellen’s friends joined the birthday bash. Pictured are a few who joined in the festivities, including her four daughters who graduated from the Mount: (back row, from left) Janet (Schnorr) Tosick ’66, Meg (Brake) Kerber ’66, Eileen Brake ’72, Cathy (Brake) Trotta ’77, Mag Chrapla ’68, Carla (Vermes) Leppert ’69, Jo Ellen Flynn ’77, Ellen Chrapla ’69, and Mary Ann (Brake) Plagge ’65; (front row, from left) Sheila (Plagge) Garnett ’91, and Ellen Agnes (Barton) Brake.

Special thanks to Ellen’s son, Dennis, for sending us this update!

28 • MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

A JOYOUS JUBILEE

doing right here.”

The Mount Jubilee and Inauguration Gala was held at the Renaissance Hotel Cincinnati on April 28. Amid a full-course dinner, dancing, and entertainment, attendees honored the 2017 award recipients, welcomed President H. James Williams, Ph.D., and his family, and heard from students about the amazing professional development and academic opportunities made possible through Mount scholarships.

Eckhoff described how choosing the Mount to pursue her degree was a great decision. “I knew I would be learning from the best of the best,” she said. “Because of you, I am able to attend an excellent school, stand out and be recognized as an individual, and express my talents in a way that would be difficult were I attending a larger public university.”

Later, President Williams addressed the audience, only hours after being installed as the Mount’s new leader.

“The Lord has given me so much, including the opportunity to lead the Mount St. Joseph community into a glorious future,” he said. “It is a challenge I accept with humbleness and fortitude.”

Ann Rasche Award

At the gala, the 2017 Jubilee Awardees were also honored.

•

Eileen Ennis Mechley ’62

Trustees Award •

The Austin E. Knowlton Foundation

Corporate Partner Award •

TriHealth

Future Five Awardees •

Melissa Hornsby Brogan ’01

•

Chris P. Chirumbolo ’99

•

Brandon Elliott ’05

•

Adrian Vance Hawk ’07

•

Eric Young ’97

Wolohan Masters Academy Honoree •

Donald B. Bush, Retired Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Top left: Event Co-Chairs Kathleen McMullen (left) and Robyn Ruede Caponi ‘72 with emcee Brad Johansen (middle). Top right: Student speakers Nathaniel Herdeman and Annalise Eckhoff. Bottom left: The Jubilee and Inauguration Gala took place inside Burnham Hall at the Renaissance Hotel Cincinnati. Bottom right: Future Five Awardees (from left) Chris P. Chirumbolo ’99, Melissa Hornsby Brogan ’01, Adrian Vance Hawk ’07, Brandon Elliott ’05, and Eric Young ’97.

Following dinner, students Nathaniel Herdeman and Annalise Eckhoff spoke of how the Mount and the support of its donors enabled them to pursue their professional goals.

“When I came to the Mount, right away I could tell there was something different,” said Herdeman. “I couldn’t wait to be part of this family.”

He added that he knows several classmates who are grateful for the scholarships made possible by generous gifts. To donors, he said, “Hopefully, one day I will be one of you and give back just like you are

SUMMER 2017 • 29

ALUMNI UPDATES

ALUMNI UPDATES

classnotes

classnotes

1940s Helen Lavey Wilson ’49 of Indianapolis, Ind., retired from the IRS and now volunteers at Christ the King Church.

1950s Patty Riordan Connelly ’59 of Cincinnati retired from teaching part time at St. Gertrude elementary school.

1960s Stella Del Rosario ’67 of Lima, Peru, has four children and nine grandchildren.

She enjoys visiting her family in Florida.

For her philanthropic efforts to support local nonprofits, Darlene Stricker ‘68 received the 2017 Voices of Giving Award from the Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council.

1970s Linda Kelly Merz ’71 of Naperville, Ill., and her husband decided to live full time in their RV and travel the country.

Jean Reilly ’71 of Wayne, Penn., retired in June 2016 after working 20 years as a certified school nurse. Jean is now enjoying her first grandchild, as well as traveling.

Susan Schehl Schiller ’71 of Cincinnati received the 2016 Women of Influence Award.

Award last November. She served as the president and past president of OONE for six years, and has recently retired from nursing.

Columbus. She lives with her husband in Columbus and enjoys gardening, traveling, and spending time with their 13 grandchildren.

Kevin Glenn ’08 of Atlanta, Ga., received a Master of Medical Science from Emory University’s Physical Assistant Program.

Denise Missler ’77 of Norwalk, Ohio, enjoys spending her time tutoring and being an accompanist for soloists, ensembles, choirs, recitals, and church services.

1990s

Christina Baitz-Brandewie ’79 of Wyoming, Ohio, had her “Honeycomb Exposed” bracelet featured in the January 2017 Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America Journal. She was one of the international award winners from the fifth Foldforming Competition in 2016.

Michael Pitman ’98 of Cincinnati was named the 2017 Salesian Guild Communicator of the Year for his work as a political reporter for the Journal-News.

Matt Smith ’08 and Joel Steinmetz ’08 founded Athletic Training Solutions by developing relationships with urgent care clinics in the Greater Cincinnati area. Both manage the company’s worker compensation claims and treat injured workers with rehabilitation.

1980s

Barbara Hallstein ’75 of Euless, Texas, has retired as an industrial hygienist and safety engineer worker.

C. Renae Phillips ’75 of Springboro, Ohio, won the Ohio Organization of Nurse Executives (OONE) Leader

Lori Rennekamp ’99 (pictured with colleagues) recently opened a store in downtown Batesville, Ind., called Bird in a Tree Boutique.

Myra Jackman Coddens ’80 of Grayslake, Ill., is an active member of the Quilts of Valor Foundation. In addition to assisting with creating the quilts for veterans, she is also the Quilts of Valor Foundation Certified Quilt Shop program coordinator.

Suezette Entis ’81 of Cincinnati retired as an ER nurse and enjoys needlepoint.

Mary Arnold Long ’81 (pictured) of Charleston, S.C., earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Otterbein University in April 2016.

Marilyn Parks Herring ’72 of Cincinnati retired this past June after 38 years of teaching at St. Ursuline Academy.

Paulette Corbett ’75 of Cincinnati volunteers at her local parish, while being involved in several environmental groups. In addition to her volunteer work, she cares for her elderly parents, babysits, and enjoys substitute teaching.

Karen Smith Menchen ’92 of Cincinnati welcomed a new grandson, Connor Joseph Menchen, in October.

Michael Lack ’87 of Batavia, Ohio, just started his own IT consultation company.

Catherine Soehner ’87 of Salt Lake City, Utah, co-authored Effective Difficult Conversations: A Step-byStep Guide, published through the American Library Association.

Mary Vail ’88 of Pataskala, Ohio, is the chief mission officer for Goodwill

30 • MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

2000s Jeremy Rosselot-Merritt ’01 of St. Paul, Minn., has entered a doctorate program in the Department of Writing Studies at the University of Minnesota.

Within the program, he serves as a graduate instructor teaching courses in technical and business writing as well as performing research on technical communication, usability, writing pedagogy, and other topics.

Megan Thompson ’03 of Lynchburg, Ohio, adopted a son, Samuel Robert Thompson.

Sara Calsin Barto ’04 of Delaware, Ohio, welcomed her first child, Ruby Nicole, in February.

Erin Shae Johns ’04 of Corning, N.Y., married Richard Grinstead this past October.

Ross Whitman Parthemore ’07 of Bellefontaine, Ohio, married this past summer.

Amber Mann ’09 of Lawrenceburg, Ind., married Eric McDaniel in May 2016.

Tim Mauntel ’09 completed his doctorate in human movement science with a concentration in biomechanics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in June 2016. He currently resides outside of Washington, D.C., with wife Lindsey, and his son, Charlie. Tim currently works for the Department of Defense at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. B.J. Beach ’10 of Beverly, Mass., works with Major League Lacrosse as a sponsorship fulfillment manager.

2010s Sara Hunter ’11 of Perrysburg, Ohio, married Anthony Hunter ’10 in September. The latter works at Marshall and Melhorn in Toledo, Ohio.

Sondra Presley ’11 of Cincinnati graduated with a master’s degree in library and information science from Kent State University in December.

Aaron Barber ’13 of Raleigh-Durham, N.C., is an industrial athletic trainer with ATI Worksite Solutions, and recently became certified as an onsite early intervention specialist.

Aaron Barton ’13 has been promoted to director of expansion for Prolink Staffing Services.

Rachel Dilts ’13 of Covington, Ky., is an athletic trainer and surgery scheduler at Beacon Orthopaedics. She got married October 2015.

Sierra Shotton Henline ’13 of Wilder, Ky., married Aaron Henline in October 2016. She is a student technology engagement manager at Mount St. Joseph University.

Shannon Long ’13 is a pediatric physical therapist in Long Beach, Ca. Kim McElhinny ’13 of Louisville, Ky., is employed by Baptist Health Sports Medicine as an athletic trainer for Oldham County High School. She is enrolled at Kent State University Ashtabula to become a physical therapy assistant.

Jordan Miller ’13 of South Lebanon, Ohio, works for Premier Health at Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Consultants as an athletic trainer.

Jessica Pykosz ’13 of Milford, Ohio, graduated this past July with her master’s degree and will be working for Mercy Health in Orthopedic Surgery.

Gina Carmosino, ATC, ’14 of Cleveland, Ohio, works as an assistant athletic trainer and instructor at Case Western Reserve University. She got married in July 2016.

John Mathis ’14 of Cincinnati is in his final year of University of Cincinnati’s physical therapy assistant program.

Jennifer Rotundo ’14 of Loveland, Ohio, was awarded the Paying it Forward full-tuition scholarship by the University of Phoenix. She was nominated by fellow grad Anthony Walsh ’10. She plans to use the scholarship to obtain a master’s degree in health administration/gerontology.

Joe Carney ’15 earned the U.S. Army’s Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year Award. He works as an air battle management systems operator for the Army National Guard in Cincinnati.

Joel Feist ’15 of Cincinnati is a physical therapist at Cold Spring Nursing & Rehab.

Alexandra Logan ’15 of Louisville, Ky., works for Children’s Orthopaedics of Louisville, where she concentrates

on casting and bracing. She recently graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University with her Master of Science in Athletic Training. Logan is studying to become a Certified Orthopedic Technician.

Abby Doench ’16 of Cincinnati welcomed her daughter, Nadia Avalyn Stevenson Doench, in December.

Mackenzie Money Fulcher ’16 of Cincinnati married David Fulcher in November 2016.

Taylor Ruder ’16 of Oxford, Ohio, works for St. Elizabeth Sport Healthcare in the sports medicine department. She provides athletic training services to Gray Middle School, Ockerman Middle School, Rector A. Jones Middle School, and other schools affiliated with St. Elizabeth Sports Medicine.

Jessica Volciak ’16 of Cincinnati started physical therapy course work at Slippery Rock University and applied for athletic trainer licensure in Pennsylvania. She is in the process of starting a studentrun pro-bono clinic for under-insured and under-served communities.

Mount News welcomes Classnotes from the alumni of our inaugural Saturday MBA program, which launched in fall 2014. We look forward to sharing your experiences with our readers, including news, promotions, and other professional updates.

TELL US A STORY Got married? New job? We want to hear from you! Share your personal and professional accomplishments with the entire Mount community in an upcoming issue of Mount News.

You can submit stories and photos online at msj.edu/classnotes.

SUMMER 2017 • 31

ALUMNI UPDATES

ALUMNI UPDATES

passages

one last thought

ALUMNI Mildred Meyer Bauer ’41 Elizabeth Daly Wagner ’46 Ruth Hildegard Finke King ’46 Mary Catherine

Rosnagle Pickering ’47 Celine Kahalley ’48 Jo Ann Lucille Coffman ’51 Lynette Feeney-Burns ’53 Delphine Zoski ’55 Rose Marita Arnold, SC, ’55 Constance Schnurr ’57 Imelda Marie Cooper ’57 Rosemary Clare Eagan, SC, ’60 Ruth Hunt, SC, ’60 Rosina Panning, SC, ’61 Rose Patrice Beck, SC, ’62 Sara Wolfer ’62 Joan Patrice Flynn, SC, ’65 Rose Martin Morand, SC, ’65 Nancy Lynn Meister Hacht ’68 Suzanne Halloran ’69 Bonita Plfum Dinnesen ’83 James B. Swinehart ’88

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR After reading your article in the fall 2016 issue titled “An Education That Runs in the Family,” I was reminded of my own family legacy at the Mount.

I attended the Mount as I worked toward my Master of Art in Education, earning that degree in 2003. I followed the footsteps of my maternal grandmother, Marjorie Conway Miller ’43. She attended both Mount St. Joseph Academy as well as the college.

My grandmother’s sisters all attended the Mount as well: Dorothy ’45, Eileen ’47, and Jeanne ’52, all attended Mount Saint Joseph Academy. It closed before Jeanne could graduate. All five of the Conway girls attended and graduated from Mount St. Joseph College (this included the youngest sister, Maureen ’58).

It is such a blessing to have all these strong women in my life and an honor to have also graduated from the same school they did.

-Kaitlin Habig Connelly ‘03

Passages listed are current as of press time.

I just read the fall 2016 issue of Mount News. How wonderful!

This is such an amazing publication!

I enjoyed reading every informative and uplifting article! The writing is superb and the photos provide such a nice visual of what is happening. You and the staff have done a truly excellent job!

Hello!

Take care and thanks again for such a great publication.

-Jay Johnson (former faculty member and chair of paralegal studies) Dear Editor, I wanted to express how much I enjoyed the fall 2016 issue of Mount News. The articles and photos were outstanding, and I especially liked the feature story about the history of the Mount. I also liked the group photo of the School of Education’s faculty on page 15. Very well done!

-Jim Green, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Graduate Education School of Education at Mount St. Joseph University

Please note letters to the editor are edited for length and clarity.

EXPANDED WEB EXCLUSIVES Can’t get enough Mount News? Visit msj.edu/mountnews for web exclusive material and digital editions of this and past issues.

CORRECTION In the fall 2016 story, “An Education That Runs in the Family,” we accidentally removed the first name of Kathryn Murray Westerling ’88 on page 11. The third paragraph in the second column should read: “Ann’s sister, Kathryn Murray Westerling ’88, attended the Mount in the early 1960s but left before finishing her degree and moved out of Cincinnati.” Mount News apologizes for the error and any confusion this caused.

32 • MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

The 98th Commencement of Mount St. Joseph University was held on Dec. 8, 2016, and May 13, 2017, in the Harrington Center. Speakers and honorary degree recipients included Maribeth S. Rahe, president and CEO of Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. (December) and Jim Scott, Cincinnati radio personality, and Wendy Lea, CEO of Cintrifuse (May).

SUMMER 2017 • 33

JUNE 23-24 25-28 26-29

New Student Orientation WISE Science Camp Kids Summer Art Camp

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION US POSTAGE PAID CINCINNATI OHIO PERMIT NO 7116

IMPORTANT DATES

MOUNT NEWS MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY | SUMMER 2017

JULY 4 10-14 14-15 24-8/2

Independence Day (University Closed) Kids Summer Art Camp New Student Orientation Kids Theatreworks Summer Camp

IT’S OFFICIAL!

AUGUST 23-24 25 26

New Student Orientation Welcome Week Begins (Runs Through Sept. 3) Welcome Back Party

Inside the Inauguration of H. James Williams, Ph.D., the Mount’s Newest President

SEPTEMBER 4 22 29 29-30

TAKE THIS JOB AND LOVE IT

Labor Day (University Closed) MSJ 5K (4th Annual) Athletics Hall of Fame Ceremony Homecoming Weekend

Students Harness the Professional Power of a Mount Degree

THE LEGACY ENDURES

OCTOBER Mid-Semester Holiday (University Closed) Community Trick or Treat

NOVEMBER 22-26 30

Thanksgiving Recess (University Closed) Student Recital

DECEMBER 5 University Band Concert 7 University Singers Concert 16 Commencement 25-26 Christmas Break (University Closed) For complete calendar listings, visit msj.edu/calendar.

For MSJ Lions schedule, visit msjsports.com.

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Division of Institutional Advancement 5701 Delhi Road Cincinnati, OH 45233-1670

13 25

Explore the History of the Mount From the Great Depression to World War II

MISSION STATEMENT Mount St. Joseph University is a Catholic academic community grounded in the spiritual values and vision of its founders, the Sisters of Charity. The University educates its students through interdisciplinary liberal arts and professional curricula emphasizing values, integrity, and social responsibility. Members of the Mount community embrace: excellence in academic endeavors; the integration of life and learning; respect and concern for all persons; diversity of cultures and beliefs; and service to others.

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