WINTER 2019
SAINT MARY’S
MA G A Z I N E
Father James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D. Saint Mary’s 14th President
WINTER 2019
CONtENts VO L UM E 2 Q&A with Father Burns 8 Inauguration 14 First students chosen for 3+2 Mayo Clinic Physician Assistant program
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N UMB E R
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VICE PRESIDENT, ADVANCEMENT AND COMMUNICATION Audrey Kintzi, MS, ACFRE EDITOR Deb Nahrgang Phone: 507-457-6966 Fax: 507-457-6967 dnahrgan@smumn.edu
16 Chicago joins Saint Mary’s in Celebration of Excellence
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Carissa Hahn ’13 Donny Nadeau ’85 Deb Nahrgang
20 Saint Mary’s dedicates new baseball clubhouse
PHOTOGRAPHERS Bob Conover Deb Nahrgang Tom Roster Kevin Schmidt
22 Honoring current, former athletes 24 Young Alumni Weekend 25 Pope Francis approves beatification of Saint Mary’s alumnus 28 Planting seeds of service 30 Sinn uses technology to make classroom come alive 32 News and Views 40 Campaign update 42 Alumni 50 Class Notes 55 Letters
DESIGN Maria Beyerstedt PRODUCTION Pat Beech Courteney Jacob ’19 PRINTED BY The John Roberts Company Saint Mary’s Magazine is published by Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota for its alumni, parents, and friends. ADDRESS CHANGES Saint Mary’s Magazine Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota 700 Terrace Heights #21 Winona, MN 55987-1399 ON THE WEB smumn.edu/magazine ABOUT SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota awakens, nurtures, and empowers learners to ethical lives of leadership and service. At Saint Mary’s, students find in every classroom — whether in person or online — a relationshipdriven, person-centered education. Through intense inquiry, students discover the truths in the world and the character within. Founded in 1912 and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota enrolls 5,600 students at its residential undergraduate college in Winona and its Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs, based in Minneapolis with programs offered in Rochester, other locations in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and fully online. As a Lasallian Catholic university welcoming all students, Saint Mary’s offers respected and affordable programs in a variety of areas leading to bachelor’s, bachelor’s completion, master’s, certificate, specialist, and doctoral degrees. Learn more at smumn.edu.
Full of faith and incredibly thankful
CAMPUS RESOURCES ADMISSION
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” It’s always amazed me that alumni who haven’t returned to Saint Mary’s in 4050 years still faithfully donate to their alma mater. Even though they may never directly see the exciting renovations or walk through the new buildings, they nevertheless generously support Saint Mary’s in its work. It’s natural and right, as a Catholic university, to believe that these gifts are made because of the religious definition of faith. Often we give thanks for these gifts in earnest prayer. But also significantly, a second definition of faith is “a trust or confidence in someone or something.” At Saint Mary’s, that “someone” stands for the faculty and staff who care for their students like family, those who put in long hours and go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure students have the best experience possible and are equipped to meet life’s many challenges. “Someone” also stands for the De La Salle Christian Brothers whose values and charism continue to guide and shape our university. And “someone” also must represent our leadership. In 2018, we welcomed a new leader, Father James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D., who is guiding our university ever forward in its reach, effectiveness, and reputation. Read more about the man behind the vision in this edition.
The argument could be made that every step we make truly requires faith because we can’t always predict the future, despite careful planning and good intentions. At Saint Mary’s, there’s no question that we are making great strides to stay ahead in today’s ever-evolving and highly competitive higher education environment. Some of our large steps this past year have included collaborating with Mayo Clinic on its new Physician Assistant Program; building a new residence hall and baseball clubhouse; concluding a $73 million capital campaign; starting a new Master of Public Health Program; and investigating how Saint Mary’s can begin a nursing program. Yet, with each leap, Saint Mary’s remains, at its core, the same. Our students still get valuable experiences with internships and co-op programs; they get the education they need to excel in their careers and their personal lives; and they learn to give back (like what you’ll read about with our community garden) in service of others. As Pope Francis said, “An authentic faith, which is never comfortable or completely personal, always involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values, to leave this earth somehow better than we found it.” From this vantage point, I believe that at Saint Mary’s, we are full of faith, and we are incredibly thankful for everyone who faithfully walks beside us in our mission.
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Deb Nahrgang Saint Mary’s Magazine Editor
Likewise, the word “something” in this definition could represent Saint Mary’s University itself: a university that has always stood for more than a degree.
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Q&A WITH FATHER JAMES P. BURNS irst impressions are important. For Father James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D., Saint Mary’s 14th president, those first impressions include a warm smile and a dose of infectious energy. Father Burns hit the ground running this past July, and he hasn’t slowed his pace. With a jam-packed calendar filled with meetings, speaking engagements, and travel, the first few months as a university president can’t help but be a blur.
an example of endurance and persistence, but also a sense of being very prudent, and maintaining a sense of balance. They demonstrated how important their faith was and their relationship to Christ was very evident. That was really something that stood out to all of us, how they were really women of their Catholic faith and women who were leaders in their own way, though very quiet, and not needing a lot of attention — in fact, shying away from any form of attention — yet very strong.
After taking time to get to know faculty, staff, benefactors and alumni, Father Burns is now leading the university into a strategic planning process, one that will set the university’s course for planned growth and further set it on a path of distinction.
You first studied accounting before entering the priesthood. What was it about this area that interested you?
Although his most recent position was at Boston College, Father Burns is a Minnesota native so he’s no stranger to winter weather (or Twin Cities traffic). He’s especially glad “to come home” to that familiar feeling of “Minnesota nice.” An avid reader, horseback rider, and experimental cook, Father Burns can’t turn down chocolate or flavorful food. An educator at heart, he’s passionate about character and virtue in education and the formation of the whole student in mind, heart, and spirit. Foremost in his mind is developing a plan to take Saint Mary’s, a place which he has already grown to love, to the next level — and to share our forward trajectory with academic partners and important constituents.
Tell us a little bit about your family background. I grew up on the west end of Saint Paul with two older sisters, two older brothers, and two younger brothers. One of my older brothers has since passed away and my mother passed away a few years ago. I lived on the west end through most of high school and then my parents moved to Inver Grove Heights, and we were there for a couple of years. Then we moved to where their current home is, where my father lives now, which is Falcon Heights. Most of my siblings live in the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities, Vadnais Heights, Little Canada, Arden Hills, Stillwater, and now me down in Winona. Tell us about the values your parents instilled in you. My parents instilled in us the values of hard work, persistence, faith, and of not being afraid to take on challenges. I would say my mom’s mother and my dad’s mother, who we knew very well, especially made an impact on us. They were widowed early on in their marriages and each had to raise seven kids on their own, practically. So, they really gave us 2 III smumn.edu/magazine WINTER 2019
Initially, I started out thinking about chemical engineering, but after a semester or two of the courses necessary to provide the base for chemical engineering, I realized the natural sciences were not my forte. Though I was interested in them and I think they’re wonderful, they’re not my forte. And so then in looking for a major, my mother and father were very encouraging to look into majors that would lead to positions that would be sought after in terms of employment. I was at St. Thomas in the business school, and accounting just seemed to be it. It’s what my dad did. One of my older brothers was in accounting. One of my older sisters was in accounting. A younger brother was in finance, and so it just seemed to make a lot of sense and they all had jobs after or even before they graduated from college and the same was true for me. I had several internships in accounting and was hired by a pharmaceutical company as an accountant before I even graduated. In the first six months, I had done very well and moved to a more senior position, but I realized this was not what I had imagined myself doing. I found that accounting was very helpful. I’m very glad to have had that background, but it wasn’t necessarily what I really felt compelled to do, so I began looking at different options. Why did you ultimately decide to become a priest, study psychology, and how did your career begin in higher education? I had always thought about attending seminary back in first grade when the nuns and teachers asked us if any of us wanted to become a priest. I remember raising my hand in first grade. But law also interested me, so I set out to prepare materials for both law school and the seminary. The seminary quickly responded to my inquiry, I think before I even got an application out there to any law school, so I looked at that as a kind of sign or an indication that this might be something that I should really pursue. It had been with me all those years in the back of my mind. So I went into the seminary for four years, was ordained, and then worked in several parishes over the course of the next six years, three years as an assistant priest or parochial vicar and three years as a pastor. Then I was offered
the opportunity by Archbishop Harry Flynn, then the ordinary of St. Paul and Minneapolis, to pursue an advanced degree. I had already received my master’s when I was an assistant priest. I had graduated from the counseling psychology master’s program at the University of St. Thomas, and there ended up being an opportunity at St. Thomas; the dean, Dr. Skip Nolan, had wanted a priest in psychology in the graduate school. I thought this would be a way to bring my ministry to a different area of the university. I filled out the applications and got accepted at Northeastern University, which is where my Ph.D. is from. You went on to become dean of the Woods College of Advancing Studies and Summer Session at Boston College. When you look at your time at Boston College, what are some highlights of your career? Some highlights of my career have been the opportunity to work with a fantastic group of committed educators — among them the president of the university, Father William P. Leahy SJ, who is really the reason that I came to Boston College at all. During what was a turning point in my career, he suggested looking at something at Boston College to learn about and develop my skills related to higher education administration. So you see similarities between the people and the students at Boston College and Saint Mary’s? It’s funny; they call it “Boston College nice” and I can’t help but think of “Minnesota nice.” There’s really a similar feel. The motto for Boston College is “Ever to excel” and I saw people really striving for that excellence, and that’s inspiring. It really took the whole university to transform the identity and the culture of the Woods College. I would say that at Saint Mary’s, it’s that Minnesota nice. In some ways you could just bring some of the same people back and forth across the campuses. The students at both universities are very engaged. I’m especially grateful for our role in working with international students and first-generation students. It’s inspiring to hear their stories and what they’ve gone through. All of our students have their own stories, and they are interested to tell their story and share how Saint Mary’s has been an integral part of their story. WINTER 2019 smumn.edu/magazine III 3
Q&A WITH FATHER JAMES P. BURNS What attracted you to Saint Mary’s University? The fact that the university is on the cusp of so much transformation and has already initiated so many excellent programs, opportunities, and outreach in the communities it is involved with. To lead that forward is pretty amazing. It’s hard not to be impressed with the Science and Learning Center and all that that has to offer and will offer for generations to come, partnered with our plans to more fully develop our natural and human sciences with business and technology. There’s a commitment to the enduring and persisting questions that are on the minds of students. How do they actually utilize their education and not just see it as “job training,” but as an education that embraces and enhances themselves around such core principles as the virtues, ethics, justice, and character. What does it mean to be a courageous moral leader today? Civility, hospitality, etc. are all characteristics that I think most people on all the campuses would agree with in one way or another. But it’s about how we incorporate that more fully into our dialogue and into the curriculum along with culture, faith, and reason. What’s first on your agenda? We need to ask ourselves many questions. How can we become even better known for quality health and sciences programs? Quality business and technology, the humanities and education? How do we understand the emergence of nursing? And how can we build on the heritage of the College of Saint Teresa? How can we strengthen our education and then look to new areas of growth like environmental science and sustainability, or environmental engineering, or global engagement? These are all areas we need to look more deeply into and consider. We’re really ripe for it. I think we need to determine how best to be one university with expanded locations, especially now with Rochester coming online as a full part of Saint Mary’s. What could the future of that site hold, and how do we harness the collaborations that exist with Mayo Clinic and other medical facilities in the area? What do we do to enhance our space and relationships on the Twin Cities Campus and with the city of Minneapolis? Do we expand our presence in the Twin Cities, and if we do, what would that look like? Last but not least is the impact of online education and how that fits in with the direction of the university. In all our programs online, blended, on-ground, I think we have to make academic excellence and rigor in education key hallmarks of who we are at Saint Mary’s. I’ve seen nothing but good results by focusing on that at Boston College. This is a time and space for us to think more deeply about academic excellence and rigor and how we encourage our faculty in different and various ways around 4 III smumn.edu/magazine WINTER 2019
translational research — research that has an impact in our communities, and the research we engage today that will have an impact tomorrow. Research that brings together our various departments and schools, interdisciplinary research to keep us out of our silos to create conversations and solutions to some of the more pressing needs of our local community and more broadly. We need to really take seriously the role of a liberal arts education tied to practical outcomes as we’ve done with our new integrated general education program. We also need to take very seriously and live more fully our Catholic and Lasallian heritage. Lasallian derives its import from the Catholic faith. We have the distinct and unique privilege of having the Lasallian charism, so how does that help us to be more clear about who we are, and the kinds of approaches we take to educating our students, but also the kinds of individuals that leave our halls and our doors and go out into the world imbued with that responsibility? How do you see others playing a role in the development of the strategic plan? As people look at their areas and look at their responsibilities across the university, no matter who they are or whatever role they play — whether it’s facilities and grounds, academic infrastructure, technology, faculty and teaching, marketing and communications, advancement, whatever the area is — the question we should always be approaching is: What is going to make this university more effective because of my role, and how am I going to portray this in the most excellent way so someone coming onto campus and meeting me in my role would immediately sense, “Clearly, this is a really effective and welcoming unit or individual, or team, or department”? We should exude excellence. And that’s less of a conceit and more creating a hospitable environment where people sense the attention to detail and excellence is directed to them. So what are our next levels? It’s going to look different in different areas of the university. We will draw from the experience and heritage of the De La Salle Christian Brothers, and we will utilize the knowledge and skills of the members of our Board of Trustees. How do we challenge ourselves to never become complacent with where we’re at? It’s very exciting and energizing and invigorating. Next, we need to know how we actually find the resources to move the whole university to the next level. We will be working very closely with our advancement group and communication and marketing to get the message out about the next phase of Saint Mary’s, the next horizon that we are set to move toward, a bright horizon that is inspiring, that will bring us all together. These are going to be substantive changes, and I can’t say exactly what it’s going to look like because it’s going to take a collaborative and cooperative effort throughout the university — from all different areas, and not just our academic areas.
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Q&A WITH FATHER JAMES P. BURNS We’re all going to have to be in this, putting our best creativethinking caps on and determining how we want to move forward, so when people say “Saint Mary’s,” everyone knows what this university is about. What do you hope Saint Mary’s is known for? First and foremost, I would hope people would say it is, regardless of what location or program, a place of integrity and care; it’s a place of character building, and our students are of strong character and virtues. It’s a place of hospitality. We would want people to look to Saint Mary’s and say, “This is where things are happening, and it’s an exciting place to be and it’s a good place to be.” It has a Christian ethic and ethos that permeates all aspects of campus. And then, from there, we need to determine, what is Saint Mary’s going to be known for into the future, into this new millennium? Is it that we’re going to continue to be known for high-quality teacher preparation education? Are we going to make a stand in natural and human sciences? Is it going to be certain areas in business and technology? The reality is we can’t be everything to everyone and with so many other colleges and universities around, clearly students are being well served in a variety of disciplines. We don’t have to do it all but we do need to do what we do with a real sense of heightened excellence. Did Brother William give you any advice? He said to get to know the people and that in doing so I was going to really love the people here. He said. “They’re really committed, hardworking, and dedicated. Let them share with you their stories and what keeps them here and keeps them passionate about Saint Mary’s. That will tell you a lot about the university. Bring your enthusiasm and engagement, and you’ll find people are really eager to engage with you and help move the university forward.” A lot of people have said I’ve got big shoes to fill. In this case, the shoes of two long-serving administrators, both of them De La Salle Christian Brothers, Brother William and Brother Louis. So it’s natural for people to look at the legacy of those two men in particular and ask how I’m going to fill their shoes. It’s impossible to fill their shoes. Instead, why not stand on the shoulders of the Christian Brothers and especially these two Christian Brothers, who offer a perspective and a love for this university that is not only undeniable but also hard to find among other universities and other school presidents. They’ve chartered some great waters for us to move forward in. How would you describe yourself as a leader or how do you hope others view you as a leader? I would say dedicated, dialogic, deliberative, and decisive. And in that I would say open to suggestions and collaboration, educationally entrepreneurial, inspired by my Catholic faith, energetic, pastoral, and strategic. 6 III smumn.edu/magazine WINTER 2019
FAVORITES Favorite music? It depends on the mood or the setting. I enjoy classical, opera, but also popular rock music, depending on what it is. I enjoy music from the ’40s, ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. When I have a chance to cook, I like to put on big band music or smooth jazz. What do you like to cook? I prepare all kinds of different things: Italian food, German, French, Middle Eastern, Moroccan, Greek, Indian. Favorite food? I like really well-prepared food, and I like a lot of different flavors and textures. It’s hard to say one favorite. There are two standards, foods that would be go-tos in terms of when we were asked as kids, what we wanted for our birthdays. My mother was a fantastic cook. She taught herself and had a natural knack for cooking. She was a seamstress as well, incredibly gifted in many areas. Two of my favorite foods are roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy with carrots or green beans, and a more exotic food I really enjoy is Lebanese cuisine. Favorite books? I tend to read a lot of turn-of-the-century novels, Edith Wharton, George Eliot, and also classics like Tolstoy. I also like Flannery O’Connor and Evelyn Waugh. Most recently, I’ve been reading Lasallian literature to get a deeper sense of the charism but also the life of Saint John Baptist de La Salle and his followers. Favorite sports? I enjoy attending a variety of sporting events.
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INAUGURATION 1,500 join Saint Mary’s in welcoming Father James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D. As a sign of faith, inauguration events on Oct. 5 began fittingly with Mass, and Saint Thomas More Chapel was filled with celebrants in song and praise. As a sign of hope, a crowd of approximately 1,500 gathered on the Winona Campus to congratulate Father James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D., as he was inaugurated as Saint Mary’s University’s 14th president. And as a sign of knowledge, Father Burns spoke of what sets an education at Saint Mary’s apart from the competition: “If we are open and unafraid about forming our students and ourselves, not only in intellect, but in heart and soul as well, we will be living into that which truly sets our schools apart. “In fact, we could even say that just helping our students is not enough, just educating their minds is not enough, and even just forming them generally is not enough,” he added. “All of these are only part of our educational effort. Rather more deeply it is about forming them in a particular way, helping them to perceive, to know, to act and to do the good in the right way at the right time for the right reason.”
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A special Inauguration Mass was held in Saint Thomas More Chapel. Below, left to right: Former presidents Brother Louis DeThomasis, FSC, Ph.D., left, and Brother William Mann, FSC, D.Min., right, congratulate Father Burns; Father Burns; the inauguration stage.
Oct. 5 was a day filled with pomp and circumstance, a day that showcased Saint Mary’s University for its strong educational reputation and its welcoming atmosphere, all while introducing its new leader. The Concert Band and the Concert Choir performed specially commissioned music, and international students and friends led off the convocation by marching in with the flags of our international students’ native countries. A sea of students filled the bleachers. Two former presidents, Brother William Mann, FSC, D.Min., and Brother Louis DeThomasis, FSC, Ph.D., sat beside Father Burns on stage, each no doubt reflecting back to their inaugurations in 2008 and 1984 respectively. Special greetings were made by U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (as read by Brother Robert Smith ’76, Ph.D., chief academic officer and vice president for the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs, who served as emcee); Brother Gustavo Ramirez Barba, general councilor for Lasallian Higher Education for the De La Salle
Christian Brothers; Dr. Susan Skinner, principal of BenildeSt. Margaret’s School in St. Louis Park, Minn., and a member of the Midwest District’s Lasallian Mission Council; Winona Mayor Mark Peterson; and Dr. Paul Cerkvenik, president of the Minnesota Private College Council. “Saint Mary’s commitment to developing well-rounded graduates is guided by its core ethical values of respect, justice, citizenship, and responsibility for self and others,” said Sen. Klobuchar. “When I think of Saint Mary’s positive impact in the community, I am reminded of a quote from our late friend Senator Paul Wellstone: ‘Education and democracy have the same goal: the fullest possible development of human capabilities.’ That is the incredible work you are doing every day — you are helping to shape and change the lives of the young people in your care.” Dr. Skinner welcomed Father Burns into the Lasallian family. “Father Burns, the Lasallian high schools share your passion and vision for what it means to be a Lasallian community of WINTER 2019 smumn.edu/magazine III 9
INAUGURATION
The gymnasium was filled with faculty, staff, students, community and De La Salle Christian Brother guests, and friends and colleagues of Father Burns. Below, left to right: The commissioning of the president; Dinyar Mehta M’18; Presidential bios on display.
faith. We share your desire to provide young people, young in age or young at heart, with an educational experience that exudes faith, illuminates hope, and honors the pursuit of knowledge in service of love.”
Rochester programs, staff, and students; Heidi Ledermann ’19, representing undergraduate College students; Dinyar Mehta M’18, representing SGPP students; and Matthew Bilski ’07, representing alumni.
Mayor Peterson told the audience, “ … this campus and its people have long been a treasured part of this community. Your faculty and staff are valuable contributors to our vitality. They live, volunteer, and donate their time and energy to Winona. Your students bring their talents as well; they volunteer on cleanups, they contribute to the food shelf with their community garden, they student-teach in our schools, they intern with our businesses, and they enhance our reputation for being the safest college town in America.”
Each shared a glimpse into the Saint Mary’s they know.
Internal welcomes were made by Ned Kirk, D.M.A., representing the undergraduate College; Teresa Taylor, Ed.D., representing the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs; Scott Walker ’91, C’96, M’98, representing
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“We’ve heard you talk about Minnesota nice, and I’m sure you are already finding that we have that in abundance,” Dr. Kirk said. “On this campus, that translates to faculty and staff who go above and beyond to help their students be successful.” Dr. Taylor continued, “Saint Mary’s has been a pioneer in graduate education, and we continue to have one of the largest graduate programs in the state. Our faculty … have often chosen to ‘give back’ by sharing their knowledge in the classroom.”
Brother William passes the presidential medallion to Father Burns. Below, left to right: A flag ceremony started the inauguration convocation; Flags represented the countries of Saint Mary’s students; Father Burns receives the presidential mace.
Walker told inauguration goers that Saint Mary’s is investigating how we might expand programming to support Rochester as the city continues to position itself as a global destination for health and wellness. “Father, we welcome your forward thinking as we form collaborations in Rochester, and all of our surrounding areas, and as we discover how to best serve these communities,” he said. Ledermann based her presentation on the word, “opportunity.” “That’s what Saint Mary’s is known for, giving students an opportunity to stand out in a crowd and to be known. I’ve always felt like faculty and staff here know me by name, care about my thoughts and ideas, and want to help me excel in everything I do.”
Mehta, who also served on the presidential search committee, told Father Burns, “With your skills, ability, and deep experience honed over years of service in academia, you have a proven track record of growing enrollment, promoting online education, and securing gifts for projects and programs — all of which, the board has astutely pointed out, are critical to Saint Mary’s present and future.” And Bilski announced that Saint Mary’s 43,000 living alumni are truly scattered throughout the world. “Some have immigrated from other countries to come to Saint Mary’s, while others have grown up in the shadows of the Winona bluffs,” he said. “New alumni will be joining us at a graduation next week; others graduated more than 70 years ago. Some — our online degree alumni — may have never even set foot on a Saint Mary’s campus. The common bond that we all share transcends geography, field of study, and background, our Saint Mary’s Experience.”
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Father Burns processes to a standing ovation. Below, left to right: Father Burns with members of his religious order; Heidi Ledermann ‘19; student attendees; Father Burns talks with alumnus Don Regan ’51.
He furthered, “Throughout your presidency, keep in mind that you never know when you’ll run into another Saint Mary’s alum, because we’re everywhere, and we’re proud.” Brother Larry Schatz, FSC, Visitor of the Midwest District of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and a university trustee, introduced Father Burns, highlighting his academic and administrative accomplishments at Boston College and beyond. He added — with a smile — that Father Burns is a good cook, enjoys riding horses, and loves watching hockey … and football. Father Burns laid out a future in which Saint Mary’s must define what sets it apart from the competition. Staying true to the university’s Lasallian Catholic charism is one way that Saint Mary’s is preparing its students to effect change in the world, for the better.
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“… as critical as it is to acknowledge what we have accomplished and what we can do or what we will build; as important as it is to be aware of and involved in disruptive education and adaptation while looking for the next great transformation, this cannot be enough,” Father Burns said. “For we will have to be mindful that many others are seeking to do the same. “That is why I believe over and above all of this, what is most critical for us to focus on is our distinctive difference; what we uniquely have to offer,” he said. “That is none other than our Lasallian and Catholic identity. An identity that has embedded in it the key import of virtue, ethics, and character education. “The university is a singular and privileged place of dialogue and encounter that as a result requires much of those who are involved in its efforts. Being such a place, it allows us to
INAUGURATION
Well-wishers join Father Burns at the inauguration reception. Below, left to right: Posing for photos; Father Burns joins students and staff for a service cleanup project as part of the weekend festivities; The weekend also included a tailgate celebration for students.
uniquely address so many of the daily challenges we face in this world.” Mary Ann (Wera) Remick CST’64, chair of the Board of Trustees, led the investiture of Father Burns, ending with her heartfelt wishes for the new president. “May God bless you with the strength, the courage, the conviction, and wisdom you will need as you carry out the duties of your office. While you will undoubtedly find frequent challenges, may you also find daily joys, knowing that the work is not only yours but all of ours, and ultimately knowing that the work belongs to God.”
Activities hosted a soccer tailgater, complete with inflatables, food, and music, all held at the soccer field. Watch the recording from the ceremony here: https://smumn.edu/InaugurationVideo Inauguration day event photos can be found here: https://smumn.edu/InaugurationPics Event photos are posted here: https://smumn.edu/InaugurationEventPics Watch a recap video here: https://smumn.edu/InaugurationRecap
As part of a full weekend of celebratory events, Father Burns met students and staff early the following morning for service cleanup work on campus and on Highway 14. Later in the afternoon the Kabara Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies hosted an artisan fair on the plaza. Additionally, Student
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First students chosen for 3+2 Mayo Clinic Physician Assistant program More than 90 students interested in becoming a physician assistant (PA) applied this past fall for a new 3+2 PA Program, a collaborative effort between Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences. Of these students, 30 underwent a competitive review in January. A total of 18 select students will spend the next three years studying at Saint Mary’s University’s Winona Campus (another six will study at the University of
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Minnesota Rochester, which is also offering this program) followed by two years with Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences, with most graduate courses being held at Saint Mary’s Cascade Meadow facility in Rochester. Those two years will include substantial clinical learning experiences at Mayo Clinic in Rochester and throughout Mayo Clinic Health System. At the completion of this program, students will receive a bachelor’s degree from Saint Mary’s University (or
the University of Minnesota Rochester) and a Master of Health Sciences degree in PA Studies from Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences. The application to Saint Mary’s is a competitive process that includes a personal interview, an essay, and evaluation of these characteristics. Applications are now being accepted for fall 2020. • Academic potential — Candidates must have a cumulative high school GPA of 3.5 or higher; an ACT composite score of 24 or higher or SAT equivalent of 1170 or higher; and meet admission requirements of Saint Mary’s University and Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences. • Commitment to health care and familiarity with the PA role — The ideal candidate will have volunteered in the healthcare field and will understand the role and responsibilities of the PA. • Character — Preference will be given to candidates who demonstrate leadership, commitment, maturity, resilience, compassion, and service. “We believe this program will be highly advantageous for students who plan to become PAs and who wish to potentially work at Mayo Clinic, which for many will be their ultimate career destination,” said the Rev. James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D., president of Saint Mary’s. “These students will receive the attention, preparation, and skills they need to be successful, receiving high quality instruction from knowledgeable professors at Saint Mary’s and from Mayo Clinic educators, who are among the best in the nation. Further, our program seeks to align our students with our mission to develop highly competent professionals who are ethically prepared and morally sound in judgement.”
The ultimate goal with this program is to create a pipeline of talented PAs who will work for Mayo Clinic locations throughout the Midwest, responding to a national need. Forthcoming PA students will train at the No. 1 ranked hospital in the nation, ranked No. 1 in more specialties than any other hospital. “Being a PA is an extremely rewarding career,” said Dr. Michael Huckabee, director of Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences PA Program. “The beauty of this profession is that PAs can move from specialty to specialty. Within my career, I’ve worked in rural family medicine, emergency room medicine, and pediatrics. This opens so many ways for PAs to have a direct and meaningful impact on the quality of their patients’ lives.” Dr. Huckabee is excited to welcome the first class this fall. “Mayo Clinic is grateful for such an extraordinary first pool of applicants for the inaugural 3+2 PA Program,” he said. “Applicant transcripts, reference letters and personal essays reveal considerable diversity, high intellect, strong leadership, resilience, and devotion to caring for others. It’s our honor to consider such fine men and women for our first class.” For more information on how to apply for fall of 2020, go to smumn.edu/PAprogram or smumn.edu/PAmayo.
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Celebration of Excellence
Chicago joins Saint Mary’s in Celebration of Excellence The ties between Winona and Chicago were reinforced with Saint Mary’s pride during the 2018 Celebration of Excellence on Oct. 20, attended by more than 200. As Skip Cassato ’75, Celebration of Excellence event chair, wrote, “At one time hundreds of Chicago-area parents waved goodbye as their students boarded the train — the ‘Saint Mary’s Special’ — for Winona each fall. “A part of us never left Terrace Heights,” he added. “If I were to ask you to picture a faculty member who made a difference in your life, it only takes a split second for a name and a face to come to mind, often many faces (even if we sometimes have trouble recalling the names). “We cannot merely remember the past without looking to the future,” Cassato said. “The power of Chicago alumni must never be underestimated as our heritage strengthens the foundation of our university.”
The Mullins family The Mullins family, honored with the Presidential Award for Outstanding Merit that evening, is just one example of a Chicago/Saint Mary’s success story — as well as the powerful ties between Chicago and Winona.
From humble beginnings, the Mullins family has grown their liquid condiment food business, based in Chicago, into a successful world-renowned enterprise. Mullins Food Products manufactures and packages sauces, dressings, and condiments for the most well-known and widely respected companies in the world. Living out a closely held family value of “paying it forward,” instilled in their children by Jack and Joan Mullins, the family has shared their success with Saint Mary’s in countless ways. Seven of the 11 Mullins children attended Saint Mary’s, and with extended family, the Mullins family has become one of the university’s largest and most active legacy families. Family members have been involved in alumni association events including Christmas events, Chicago conventions and golf outings, Bogie Bashes, Summer Bashes, and the centennial event at Millennium Park. They’ve contributed their time, talent, and treasure to many university initiatives including athletics and scholarships. And, most recently, they named the Mullins Family Legacy Conference Room in the Toner Student Center in honor of their parents, Jack and Joan.
The Mullins family gathers for a family photo.
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Audrey Kintzi, vice president for Advancement and Communication joins Father James Burns in congratulating the Mullins Family on their Presidential Award for Outstanding Merit.
Accepting the award on behalf of her successful family, Jeanne (Mullins) Gannon ’77 said, “The education that we received at Saint Mary’s has certainly served all of us well. Upon graduation each of us found employment in the Chicago area. Though our parents owned a family business, rule No. 1 was that you needed to work elsewhere before you could seek employment at Mullins Food Products.” Gannon described her parents as calculated risk-takers who encouraged their children to do the same. “The 11 of us followed suit with our ability to recognize that investing in people and embracing technology would allow us to positively impact the business, and put it on a trajectory for even greater success. Doing so allowed us to remain relevant and competitive in an industry that was becoming increasingly dependent on technology, data, and automation,” she said. Gannon told COE attendees about how Saint Mary’s plans to make an even greater contribution to the business community. “Businesses are changing and evolving at a record pace, and education has to address and prepare students for this world that they will be entering,” she said. “Saint Mary’s recognizes this challenge, and will be meeting it with the renovation of the Adducci Science Center’s
Hoffman and Brother Charles halls to create business facilities that will offer the latest technology for students and faculty. The completion of this revitalized new learning space will create a dynamic, hands-on environment and provide Saint Mary’s business students with the resources they need to compete in a global workplace.”
Business Excellence Dr. Shelly McCallum-Ferguson of Saint Mary’s Business Department discussed the many ways Saint Mary’s is unrelenting in its pursuit of excellence in the area of business. “Our business students, in keeping with our university’s mission, graduate with a strong ethical foundation and the understanding that principles don’t need to be sacrificed for profit,” she said. “Our Kabara Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies takes the student experience to the next level. Our students learn from the best, working in partnership with mentors who are industry experts. Kabara events this past year have included Startup Weekend, 1 Million Cups events, elevator pitch competitions, a student entrepreneurial showcase in Rochester, and an Arts and Entrepreneurship panel discussion with regional arts organizers, as well as an artisan fair. WINTER 2019 smumn.edu/magazine III 17
Celebration of Excellence “Graduates of our new Business Intelligence and Data Analytics program on the undergraduate campus are landing jobs in world-renowned businesses including IBM, Fastenal, Piper Jaffray, the Boston Bruins, the Minnesota Wild, and the Chicago White Sox,” she added. Dr. McCallum-Ferguson explained how the Adducci Science Center’s Hoffman and Brother Charles halls are being reimagined to include a digital teaming space, a sales training suite, a trading floor and data analytics lab, a computational lab, innovative classrooms, and a makerspace — an inspiring environment in which students receive pragmatic, hands-on experiential learning. “In these facilities, our students will take entrepreneurial ideas from conceptualization through design, invention, and research — to execution,” she said.
The Rev. James Burns, IVD, Ph.D. For many attendees, the event was their introduction to the university’s 14th president, Father James Burns, who detailed his vision for enhancing Saint Mary’s signature programs. “Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is poised to become a regionally dominant university that is nationally prominent and known as an innovative hub for Science, Technology, pre-Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM),” he said. “It will be recognized in this for excellence, rigor, and adaptability. Propelled by its Catholic roots and Lasallian heritage, it will seek to honor the liberal arts and humanities tradition with an eye to creativity and industry alignment. This vision will propel the Saint Mary’s experience — which is known for personal care and attention to the student body — enabling these students to be successful in preparing for active, ethically
Trustee Jennifer Baryl ’86, Todd Baryl, Gail and Thomas ’58 Baryl, and Tom Baryl.
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guided, virtuous leadership within the local community and beyond, and to be men and women of strong moral character who serve together and by association. “This is all ours for the taking,” Father Burns added. “It is possible because Saint Mary’s has been blessed by incredibly generous benefactors who have shared our vision and partnered with us to carry Saint Mary’s to the next level. Let us imagine together where we can take Saint Mary’s.” Thank you to Celebration of Excellence event sponsors, for their financial support to advance innovation at Saint Mary’s University Michael J. ’73 and Sally (Weldon) ’74 Cannon Dr. Samuel J. Cascio ’48 Victor C. ’75 and Nancy (Lorenz) ’76 Cassato Robert M. ’76 and Kim (Febel) CST’76 Figliulo Monica (Purcell) ’76 and Richard Greenwood Dr. Henry J. ’75 and Mila Handler Francis M. Howard ’76 Patrick A. Salvi ’75 Dr. Robert W. ’76 and Dr. Ann (O’Connor) ’77 Trauscht Stephen M. and Margaret S. Tyler The Celebration of Excellence Committee Skip Cassato ’75, Jim Dolan ’79, Mike Cannon ’73, Anne (Lock) Dolan ’79, Sally Cannon ’74, Lori (Nelson) Quinn ’80, Frank Howard ’76, Virginia McGann ’81, Bill Figel ’76, Joe Sweeney ’81, Bob Trauscht ’76, Joe Hettinger ’87, Ann (O’Connor) Trauscht ’77, Audrey P. Kintzi, Janet Rapp ’78, Adam Stasica ’07, M’11, M’17. To further Saint Mary’s business initiative, contact Audrey P. Kintzi, vice president for Advancement and Communication, at akintzi@smumn.edu or 507-457-1486.
Students including Julia Boeve ’19 presented their research.
Bo Rettig ’77 and his wife Debra met with Nancy Wiltgen ’75 (Advancement and Communication) and Father James Burns.
View photos from the event at: smumn.edu/COEPics.
Skip Cassato ’75
Angela Steger ’76, Saint Mary’s Trustee, and Karen (Minucciana) O’Malley ’76.
View a video recap from the event at: smumn.edu/COERecap.
Bill Craggs ’86, Mark Martinez ’86, Brian Murphy ’86, Chris Sheerin ’85, Brian Wrenn ’87, Sean Collins ’86, Tom Mullins ’86, Chris Cribari ’86, Bill Vonderheide ’86, Terry Raser ’86, and Larry Bud Gannon ’87.
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Saint Mary’s dedicates new baseball clubhouse As the Cardinal men’s baseball team entered their new clubhouse for the first time, selfies were taken; high-fives were given; and exclamations of excitement filled the air. A special ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Jan. 14, as Saint Mary’s unveiled its new $704,000 baseball clubhouse to the team for the first time. The 2,500-squarefoot facility was made possible by a generous lead gift from alumnus Marc Weisenburger ’75.
John Heim ’19, left, and Coach Nick Winecke ’07, M’12, right, pose with lead benefactor Marc Weisenburger ’75. Inset: Legendary coach Max Molock talks with his players including a young Marc Weisenburger ’75.
Father James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D., president of Saint Mary’s, told the team, “The recipe for success starts with great people and great facilities, and we celebrate both this evening.”
The players walked around their new locker room and players’ lounge with big-screen TVs and couches — as well as the coaches’ space, bathrooms/shower facilities, and laundry and storage areas — all impressively branded with Cardinal Pride.
Weisenburger, of Plymouth, Minn., made the lead gift in honor of his experiences at Saint Mary’s, both in school and on the field — particularly under the guidance of Hall of Fame Coach Max Molock. The clubhouse was named “Pudge’s Place” after Weisenburger’s nickname from his playing days as a catcher with the Saint Mary’s baseball team from 1971 to 1975.
A large mural at the main entryway off Gostomski Fieldhouse reads, “Respect the Past, Represent the Future.” Black and white photos in the mural depict some of the familiar faces in Saint Mary’s baseball, and current action photos highlight the growth of the program. The theme is particularly fitting as it’s because of the generosity of past baseball players that the facility — which so visibly supports the future of Cardinal athletics — was able to be constructed.
Weisenburger said he was inspired by the way benefactors have supported previous Saint Mary’s initiatives. “In thinking about how I could help define success for Saint Mary’s baseball, I wanted to try and determine what I could do to make a difference,” he said. “I am honored that my nickname is on this clubhouse, and I am proud to be forever connected to Saint Mary’s baseball … and all that it stands for.”
The clubhouse locker room.
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Each locker was sponsored by a benefactor.
Baseball players got their first look at the locker room. Inset: Father James Burns helps Marc Weisenburger ’75 cut the ribbon on Pudge’s Place.
Coach Nick Winecke ’07 said that Weisenburger’s generosity inspired many other alumni players to give back. Of the 46 lockers to be located in Pudge’s Place, 39 have already been sponsored. The cost to sponsor a locker was set at $2,000, but several alumni, Winecke said, have made gifts over the requested sponsorship amount — further proof that Saint Mary’s alumni cherish their experiences and want to help future student-athletes have the same great experience. “I want all of you to know that it is because of all of those that came before you that you are able to have these benefits today,” Winecke told his team. “When you leave this place after four years, I want you to remember it’s because of generous alumni that we have been able to do special projects like this.” Saint Mary’s athletic director Brian Sisson echoed Winecke’s assessment. “This facility will have the most profound impact on current, past, and future Cardinal student-athletes for generations to come,” he said. “We want to thank each and every student-athlete and coach from the start of Saint Mary’s
A special tribute to Max Molock.
Marc Weisenburger ’75 addresses the Cardinal Baseball Team.
baseball to current day — this place is for all of you. We are not here today without you laying the foundation.” Senior pitcher John Heim also expressed his gratitude. “This is a great day for Cardinal baseball. This is a day where our program, coaches, and players get rewarded for all their hard work and dedication. Every single one of the players is beyond appreciative of this wonderful clubhouse.” A public open house for the clubhouse will be held April 27, and more details will be announced soon. View photos of the dedication at: smumn.edu/clubhousededication. Photos of the clubhouse can be found here: smumn.edu/clubhousepics. Check out a video recap of the dedication at: smumn.edu/ClubhouseRecap.
The lounge of Pudge’s Place.
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Honoring current, former athletes
Saint Mary’s Sports Hall of Fame inductees Angie Wright ’00 and Roger Pytlewski ’66.
It was a weekend of celebrating athletics at Saint Mary’s. During Cardinal ‘M’ Club Weekend Sept. 7-9, current and former athletes came together to reminisce about teammates, coaches, and competitions — and to congratulate current Cardinal athletes on their impressive accomplishments. Attendees were reminded during the Cardinal ‘M’ Club awards ceremony, that the only place success comes before hard work is in the dictionary. A highlight of the weekend included honoring two alumniathletes for their many accomplishments. This year’s Saint Mary’s Sports Hall of Fame inductees were Roger Pytlewski ’66 and Angie Wright ’00.
Roger Pytlewski ’66 – Men’s Basketball
A four-year letterwinner, Pytlewski was a rebounding machine during his time at Saint Mary’s, ranking second alltime with 598 defensive rebounds, while his 825 career boards are No. 3 in program history. Pytlewski, who closed out his collegiate career at Saint Mary’s as a member of the program’s 1,000-point club — finishing with 1,003 career points — averaged 10.0 points-per-game and 8.3 rebounds-per-game in 100 games. Pytlewski put together his best season at Saint Mary’s as a senior, when he averaged a double-double of 12.0 ppg and 13.0 rpg. His 326 total rebounds during that campaign rank No. 2 in single-season program history. The team captain as a senior, Pytlewski also closed out his collegiate career ranking in the top 10 in program history with 100 games played (8th) and 227 offensive rebounds (9th).
Angie Wright ’00 – Fastpitch Softball
A four-year letterwinner, Wright was a key cog in the Cardinals’ run to the program’s (and the school’s) first-ever national championship in 2000. Wright — who played in a program-record 169 career games, including starts in all 135 contests during her sophomore, junior, and senior seasons — closed out her Cardinal career hitting .392, while ranking in the top five in program history in 13 career offensive categories. An honorable-mention All-MIAC pick in 1997, Wright enjoyed her most productive season as a Cardinal in 1998 — hitting .430, with career-highs in runs (43), hits (52), doubles (15), triples (5), home runs (5), and RBIs (34). The then-sophomore outfielder earned First-Team All-MIAC and Second-Team NFCA All-Region accolades. Wright would go on to earn NFCA Third-Team All-Region honors in 1999, and honorable-mention All-MIAC in 2000 as well as a 2000 CoSIDA Second-Team Academic All-American. She’s 22 III smumn.edu/magazine WINTER 2019
making her second appearance as a Saint Mary’s Sports Hall of Famer, having also been recognized with the 2000 national championship team in 2005. During the awards ceremony, Saint Mary’s also recognized its 2017-18 postseason award-winners as well as unveiled the 2017-18 Outstanding Male and Female Athletes, Griffin Rades (Shawano, Wis.) and Becca Dup (Albert Lea, Minn.), and the Outstanding Male and Female Scholar Athletes, Jay Heinle (York, Pa.) and Emily Loof (Colorado Springs, Colo.). Dup, a standout on the Saint Mary’s track and field team, hauled in her first collegiate All-American honor in her final meet of the season — placing ninth at the NCAA Division III Outdoor National Championships. Rades, meanwhile, made his collegiate debut at the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championships, breaking six school records and earning a pair of B Final titles. Loof and Heinle were selected Saint Mary’s Outstanding Female and Male Scholar Athletes for the third year in a row.
Outstanding Female Athlete: Becca Dup
Dup put together one of the greatest track and field seasons in Cardinal program history, culminated by three 2018 NCAA Division III National Championship appearances — including a ninth-place, All-American performance in the triple jump at the outdoor national championships. Dup — the MIAC triple jump champion both indoors and out, and the MIAC champion in the indoor long jump — earned the MIAC Outstanding Field Athlete title and Outstanding Performance of the Meet honors at the conference indoor championships. She added All-Region honors in both jump events to her postseason résumé. On the soccer field, Dup led the team in both assists and points, while finishing second in goals.
Outstanding Male Athlete: Griffin Rades
Rades made the most of his first MIAC Championships as a member of the Cardinal men’s swimming and diving team, breaking six school records —including the 19-year-old 200 freestyle mark. Rades earned a spot in the A Final in the 400 IM, whittling more than 8 seconds off the previous school mark, to place fourth overall. Rades also won the B Final in the 200 breaststroke, while finishing first in the 200 IM B Final. Leading off the Cardinals’ 800 freestyle relay, Rades posted yet
another school record, swimming the first 200 yards in 1:46.96 — besting the 19-year-old record held by Saint Mary’s Hall of Famer Rick Loeffelholz ’98.
Outstanding Female Scholar Athlete: Emily Loof
A literature/public relations major with a 3.97 grade-pointaverage, Loof has been a mainstay on the Saint Mary’s women’s soccer team. She appeared in 18 games for the Cardinals in 2017, leading the team in goals with seven, while finishing second with 16 points. In addition to being a threetime Outstanding Female Scholar Athlete, she is a three-time Academic All-MIAC selection.
Outstanding Male Scholar Athlete: Jay Heinle
A biology major with a 3.91 GPA, Heinle enjoyed a stellar senior campaign as a member of the Saint Mary’s men’s hockey team in 2017-18, recording five goals and adding nine assists for 14 points. The two-time team captain also earned Academic All-MIAC accolades for the third straight season, while earning his second AHCA All-American Scholar honor. Check out the photo gallery at smumn.edu/MClubPics
Father Burns with Outstanding Male Scholar Athlete Jay Heinle, Outstanding Male Athlete Griffin Rades, and Outstanding Female Athlete Becca Dup.
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From left, back: Sara Dethloff ’18, Alex Nuy ’18, Drew Derouin ’18; front: Katie Homan ’18, Sarah Munns ’18, Tara Longseth ’18, and Claire Tack ’18.
Kalleigh May ’18, Cecelia Kuka ’18, and Tori Johnston ’18.
Cha Viraktola Prak ’15 and Zachary Algren ’15 and their guests Yarann Duvath and Danielle Caple.
Young Alumni Weekend Coinciding with Cardinal ‘M’ Club weekend, another event that attracts alumni back to their alma mater is Young Alumni Weekend. This year we had 100 young alumni (those who have graduated within the past 10 years) come back to campus. We welcomed them back warmly Sept. 7-8 as they reconnected with each other and with Saint Mary’s. Advancement and Communication worked closely with the Office of Student Activities to plan events for both young alumni and current students. Through this collaboration, new events were 24 III smumn.edu/magazine WINTER 2019
added to the weekend including a performance by comedian Preacher Lawson on Friday night and a performance on Saturday night by the a cappella ensemble, Tonic Sol-fa. A party was also held at the local Island City Brewing Co. on Friday night for young alumni. Make plans to join us next fall, Sept. 6-7! View more photos at smumn.edu/YAWPics.
Blessed Brother James Miller, FSC ’66, M’74
Pope Francis approves beatification of Saint Mary’s alumnus Pope Francis has recognized the martyrdom of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota alumnus Brother James Miller, FSC ’66, M’74. The Vatican announced Nov. 8 that Pope Francis approved a decree recognizing Brother James died as a martyr on Feb. 13, 1982, in Huehuetenango, Guatemala. The dedicated De La Salle Christian Brother and Saint Mary’s alumnus died serving and protecting the youth he served. Brother James was only 37 when he was approached by three men who shot and killed him as he was mending a wall outside of a school where he worked in Guatemala. He was approached by three men, who shot him several times before fleeing, and they were never brought to justice. It is suspected that Brother James was killed because he and the other Brothers fought to keep their young students from being forced into the military.
Background A native of Stevens Point, Wis., Brother James received his undergraduate degree in 1966 and his graduate degree in 1974 from Saint Mary’s. His classmate, Brother Stephen Markham ’66, remembers the Brother James he knew. “As college students, we would not have considered notable sanctity as one of James’ trademarks,”
he said. “He was not the first in chapel and definitely was not the last to leave. Gentle, quiet, solitude or pious would not describe our memories of him. “While here at Saint Mary’s, I remember Brother James to be very jovial and hardworking and a man who found joy in most everything he did, especially when accomplishing some manual task. He was a hands-on kind of guy. “Notable about James, however, was an authentic and wholesome simplicity,” he added. “He was very practical and down to earth. He was most known for his love for farming. He could create, fix or repair most any machine or structure. The students at Cretin High School affectionately called him ‘Brother Fixit.’ Large or small, simple or complicated, it seemed there was no job or task beneath his dignity or beyond his capabilities.” Brother James taught at Cretin High School, now CretinDerham Hall, in Saint Paul, Minn., for several years before going to Nicaragua and eventually Guatemala, where he taught job and leadership skills to the young indigenous people. At the Casa Indigena school in Guatemala, Brother James taught English, religion, and Guatemalan art to secondaryWINTER 2019 smumn.edu/magazine III 25
BROTHER JAMES MILLER’S JOURNEY/TIMELINE TO BEATIFICATION AND EVENTUALLY CANONIZATION Feb. 13, 1982
Sept. 14, 1994
Feb. 6, 1996
July 9, 2010
Brother James was killed in Huehuetenango, Guatemala.
Guatemalan bishops begin the process for canonization and complete first investigation.
The Vatican undertakes the second investigation.
Cause for beatification receives Decree of Validity in Rome; Brother James recognized as a Servant of God.
level students. Aware of the oppression of the indigenous people of Guatemala and their need to be trained in job skills and leadership skills, he helped begin an experimental farm where students learned agricultural methods and improvements. More importantly, he prepared native leaders for rural areas who would work for collective development in their villages. Brother Stephen remembers a conversation with Brother James in December 1981, just weeks before Brother James’ death: “I visited with him while he was in the hospital recovering from surgery. At that time several missionaries and many others were being killed in Guatemala. James wanted to return to Guatemala … and I questioned the wisdom of his doing so. I asked him if he thought it was wise to go back at this time? He responded without hesitation, ‘You can’t worry about that, there is too much to be done, if it happens, it happens.’ It is where he believed he belonged and where he wanted to be.”
A bust of Brother James is located outside of Residencia Santiago Miller.
After Brother James was killed, Brother Stephen was told that his body was transported from Huehuetenango to Guatemala City, by students, parents, and friends who carried the coffin on their shoulders the entire 4 miles to the local airfield.
Students, parents, and friends carried Brother James’ coffin on their shoulders 4 miles to the local airfield in Guatemala.
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March 20, 2018
Oct. 2, 2018
Nov. 8, 2018
Nine theologians of the Theology Commission of the Congregation for Causes of Canonization voted unanimously to recommend the recognition of the martyrdom of Brother James.
15 Cardinals approve the Positio.
Pope Francis officially recognizes Brother James’s martyrdom, clearing the way for beatification. He will be beatified next fall in Guatemala.
*As a martyr, Brother James must have one miracle posthumously attributed to him to reach the next level toward official sainthood, which is canonization. A recognized martyr does not require a miracle to be attributed to them in order to be beatified.
Beatification Brother James will be the first De La Salle Christian Brother from the United States to be beatified. The cause of beatification was undertaken by the Diocese of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, and received the Decree of Validity in Rome in 2010 when Brother James was designated a Servant of God and a martyr for the faith. The recognition of the martyrdom of Brother James clears the way for his beatification. He will be beatified next fall in Guatemala. As a martyr, Brother James must have one miracle attributed to him posthumously to reach the next and final step toward official sainthood, which is canonization. Father James Burns, president of Saint Mary’s, said, “Though we continue to mourn his death, we honor his life and celebrate his mission to improve the lives of so many. The Saint Mary’s community and the De La Salle Christian Brother community unite in celebration as one of our very own will be recognized in this way for his life of devoted and inspirational service, especially to the poor and marginalized.”
Brother James (top row, third from right) and the other De La Salle Christian Brothers in his class at Saint Mary’s. Inset: Brother James Miller was often known as “Brother Fix-It.”
For videos, images, and additional background about Brother James, go to smumn.edu/ brotherjames.
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Planting seeds of service The SMUMN Community Garden at Saint Mary’s saw bountiful growth in its first year.
campus, and in our community, all while learning about vegetables, the land, and about ourselves in the process.”
There was the expected growth of corn, potatoes, beans, peas, turnips, carrots, kale, beets, eggplants, tomatoes, onions, basil, hops, squash, beans, and asparagus.
Dr. Black said the garden exemplifies the “3Ps: projectbased, problem-based, and place-based or place-conscious educational opportunities.” “The problem is food scarcity,” he said. “The project is the garden, and, in the process, we have all established a special connection with and awareness of this place we call Saint Mary’s. And in the garden specifically, we’ve developed an intimate relationship with the soil and everything that’s in it.”
And — the student gardeners are quick to point out — there was a steady growth of weeds. But some of the most important growth has come at a personal level: the increased camaraderie among student gardeners; the discovery of the meditative quality of communing with the land; the attainment of gardening and cooking skills; and a deep sense of service and fulfillment that comes from feeding the hungry. Garden organizers are hoping for continued growth in coming seasons — including additional educational opportunities, more collaborations in the community, a hoop house greenhouse, cooking classes, and more gardeners. The seed for beginning a community garden was planted by Chris Kendall ’79, M’95, former vice president of Student Life, just prior to the demolition of the Ek Family Village in summer of 2017, which made way for the 120-by-80-foot plot. Dr. Kyle Black, associate professor in the Department of English and World Languages (and gardener extraordinaire), connected with Kendall’s dream before he retired last year. His proposal, “Learning the Land Through Labor and Life Connections,” was a project he developed through CELT and the Faculty Learning Leadership program in 2016-2017. With support from the university’s maintenance department (and folks like former executive vice president and chief operating officer Dr. John Pyle D’02), their work came together with perfect timing and like-minded hopes for the university. “The idea is that the garden serves as a learning laboratory for students, staff, and community members,” Dr. Black said. “We’re addressing a need in this community by donating our vegetables to the Winona Food Shelf, but we’re also addressing a need within our own Saint Mary’s community to raise awareness of food scarcity and healthy dietary practices. Ideally, the garden could contribute to and improve the offerings currently provided by the cafeteria and get students more involved in the decisions behind what we provide and where it originates. “Eventually, we’d like to spread the idea that if students need vegetables, in exchange they can lend a hand in the garden to feel like they’ve contributed,” Dr. Black said. “We want to address needs of hunger that exist in our country, on our 28 III smumn.edu/magazine WINTER 2019
By the end of the season, 626 pounds of vegetables were donated to Winona Volunteer Services. Annika Blesener ’20, a secondary education-social studies major from North St. Paul and Andrew Sandoz ’20, a business intelligence and data analytics and finance double major from Appleton, Wis., are two garden club members who worked in the garden all summer and even beyond. They, along with Dr. Black’s honors students, started seeds in their residence hall windows last year. “My whole window was eggplant trays and some pepper and kale,” Sandoz said. “They started as eggplant seeds in my room and now we’re picking eggplants. That blows my mind. I didn’t think they’d grow that well. My gardening skills aren’t that good. It’s amazing seeing the whole thing grow to fruition.” Blesener said the activity also taught her about failure. “Some of my seedlings didn’t make it,” she said, making a sad face. Blesener started the garden club a year and a half ago on campus because she saw the success of the garden planted Harvesting vegetables are, from left: Patrick Rosemark ’19, Daniel Velazquez ’19, Angela Soto ’19, Dr. Kyle Black, Andrew Sandoz ’20, and Annika Blesener ’20.
Annika Blesener’s favorite parts of gardening are harvesting and eating the harvest.
Along with harvesting comes eating; both students are equally excited about adding more vegetables to their diets. “If you grow something on your own, it tastes better than what you buy in a store,” Sandoz said, admitting that as a freshman, he consumed Ramen by the economy sized boxes. Now, he’s looking forward to grilling vegetables. Blesner said by adding vegetables to omelets and stir fries, she just feels healthier. Dr. Black didn’t want to wait to grill his bounty. He pulled vegetables from the garden, brushed off the dirt and offered the students a taste. “I’ve always heard God made dirt, so dirt don’t hurt,” he said with smile.
and cared for by the Christian Brothers. “I wanted to learn more about the restoring powers that nature offers,” she said. “But I also wanted to know more about food and how it gets to our plates.” Both students learned about companion cropping with corn, beans, and squash. (Corn stalks provide support for the beans and the squash spreads across ground to control weeds.) Blesener also learned about composting. And they all learned that weeding wasn’t really so bad. “Dr. Black was always saying how therapeutic it is to weed. I didn’t believe him in the beginning, but it’s kind of nice to come here and weed,” Sandoz said. “It’s very peaceful in the morning.” Blesener called weeding meditational. “You’re finding peace in yourself through the peace of your surroundings,” she said. “Weeding takes time but it’s totally worth it.” But the best part of gardening, in their minds, is the harvest and knowing how much their work is helping others. “It has been very eye-opening,” Sandoz said, “When we saw that we had 89 pounds of vegetables on this big scale, we realized that’s a big amount of food. I had no idea how substantial that was.” “I felt like we really gave back,” Blesner said. “We are living the Lasallian mission. We are serving others.”
“With a little bit of work, food can be free,” he stressed to the students. Other possible plans to expand the garden include an inter-cultural awareness component. “We are working on establishing a relationship with Hmong farmers (through Project FINE) in the area,” Dr. Black said. “With this, we hope to bring in community members with a profound cultural and social background in gardening in order to not only share knowledge of how other folks might grow food, but also how to prepare it and share meals and moments together.” He also hopes to involve Montessori school children and to invite the university’s education students to use the garden with their student-teaching projects. “The earlier we can get them interested, the better,” he said, adding he hopes to someday have a Saint Mary’s booth at the local farmer’s market. By selling produce and donating profits, there’s an opportunity to teach students about social entrepreneurship, he explained. For example, Dr. Black said, through Hops for Hope they’ll sell the garden hops to local breweries and donate profits to charitable organizations. “A main goal of the project is to raise awareness at Saint Mary’s of where our food comes from and have more students engaging in this process, with the big hope of having the broader university community mindful of food resourcing,” he said. “Just like our vegetables, this project is growing bigger.” WINTER 2019 smumn.edu/magazine III 29
Sinn uses technology to make classroom come alive Riley Sinn’s YouTube videos have gone viral. It isn’t necessarily his video topics — which range from “Stages of the Demographic Transition Model” to “The Underlying Causes of World War I” — that are garnering all the attention. Instead, students are logging in to watch Sinn make classroom material come alive. By using an equal measure of creativity and technology, Sinn, a 2014 secondary education alumnus of Saint Mary’s, is finding new ways to engage his students. 30 III smumn.edu/magazine WINTER 2019
Currently in his fifth year of teaching social studies at Lourdes High School in Rochester, Sinn said that when he was a high school student, he always learned best through hands-on learning and by interacting with the content, rather than via a lecture format. What he’s found is that his students feel the same way. Using their input, Sinn has now completed more than 180 flipped classroom videos, which he has posted on his YouTube Channel (smumn.edu/RileySinnVideos) within the areas of world history, economics, advanced placement human geography, and sociology.
Right now, in history alone, Sinn has posted more than 15 hours of online material, which combines charts, graphics, and photos, with his high-energy presentations.
“Whatever will engage students a little bit more,” he said. “If I can make them a little more interested in the subject, I can effectively teach them better.”
The idea started out in PowerPoint format and grew to its current state with student input to make the content be more animated, full of graphics, shorter, and fun. But he said, they’re always a work in progress.
As another learning technique, Sinn incorporates escape rooms into his curriculum. Students come in, pick teams, and review the rules. The goal is to get into a lockbox by the end of the class period. Using all resources available to them, including the internet and their phones, they are taken through a series of clues, riddles, and puzzles. Some clues are hidden in the room. He even uses black lights to further the mystery.
“As I got feedback, they’ve gotten a lot more advanced,” he said. “I’m in them. They all have guided notes, so students can be taking notes. They’re actively part of it, like they’re in class. The one I finished today is the most ambitious one. We’re analyzing the ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ movie, and it’s tied to AP geography concepts.” The goal, he said is to make classroom content more relatable to his students. In the end, the videos help students review for tests, get them more interested in the material, help students who are struggling to understand the concepts, and assist when students are out sick so they don’t fall behind. “If they miss something, or they miss a class, they can catch up,” he said. Sinn is making a flipped classroom video for every lesson and tries to get the videos and guided notes out before the class, but says viewing is always optional. “I’m surprised at how many watch them,” he said. In fact, the YouTube channel hosted by “Mr. Sinn” has nearly hit over 2 million minutes watched, and students (and teachers) from nearly every country, including Thailand, South Africa, and India, are using and commenting. His most-viewed video reached 55,000 viewers and he’s gotten more than 400,000 views altogether.
“When they get into it, it’s a big deal,” Sinn said. “They may have to take a quiz, but the answers from the quiz are used in QR code to get into a locked online website that connects them to something else in the room where something else is hidden. It’s all customized by lesson. “They have to think outside the box and utilize teamwork and luck,” Sinn said. “You can see students thinking. It gets to be an intense competition. They’re a lot of fun. Some students have submitted it for memorable moments in the yearbook.” Sinn credits Saint Mary’s for planting the seed for his creative teaching methods, and where he learned to focus on adapting teaching styles to facilitate student learning. “Saint Mary’s helped me a lot,” he said. “Especially my classes with Dr. David Jackson and Dr. Melissa Luedtke. I also use a lot from my classes with Dr. Wes Miller in sociology; the way he engaged us helps me a lot in guiding my students to engage. A lot of the ideas I started with in the Saint Mary’s Education Department, I now use in my own classroom. “Making learning more hands-on, all of that goes back to the ideas and discussions that happened at Saint Mary’s and within the Education Department that focused on putting students first and getting creativity flowing.”
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Saint Mary’s welcomes new faces in leadership Saint Mary’s is realigning leadership to be even more responsive to emerging priorities. Father Hugo Montero joined the university as the assistant vice president for mission and ministry/director of Hispanic ministry, and Andrew Dirksen came on board as the chief of staff on Jan. 28. Additionally, in early fall, Saint Mary’s welcomed a new athletic director, Brian Sisson. FATHER HUGO MONTERO Father Hugo earned a doctoral degree in Industrial Psychology from the Pontifical University of Ecuador in 1986. A former Fulbright scholar, he then completed postdoctoral studies in the U.S., spending a semester as a guest professor at the University of Minnesota. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis in 1992 and served as a parochial vicar in both Minneapolis and Saint Paul from 1992 to 1995. He ministered as the pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Saint Paul from 1995 to 2001 (the first Hispanic parish of the Archdiocese). After his nine years of parish work, Father Hugo studied in Rome at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in the Urbe, where he obtained a Ph.D. in Social Christian Ethics. His doctoral research inspired him to publish “Mi Voz si Cuenta” (My Voice Does Count),” a book raising public awareness of the consequences of emigration. He then served as a priest professor at the University of Saint Thomas from 2002 to 2015, where he taught theology and justice and peace studies, directed a Hispanic students and faculty outreach program, started an institute for Hispanic leaders, worked in campus ministry, and took on additional responsibilities of a priest faculty. Most recently, Father Hugo spent 2015 to 2018 in Ecuador, where he directed the theology 32 III smumn.edu/magazine WINTER 2019
department and campus ministry at the Salesian Polytechnic University of Quito, the second largest university in the country with 35,000 students. ANDREW DIRKSEN With over 10 years of professional experience in Catholic higher education, Andrew Dirksen brings an extensive range of administrative skills to the chief of staff position. After graduating from the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Dirksen worked at Saint Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark, N.J., as a teacher and residence hall director. Returning to Catholic higher education, Dirksen served in a variety of administrative roles at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University, including assistant director of the Intercultural and International Student Services Office, director of Student Activities and Leadership Development, and as the director of the McKeown Center for residential life. During Dirksen’s time in the Student Development division, he was certified as an Intercultural Development Inventory trainer and presenter. He has developed initiatives to increase intercultural awareness and competencies within Catholic higher education. While pursuing his Master of Arts in Systematic Theology from Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary, Dirksen was shaped by the graduate school’s mission of calling forth the gifts of faith communities through collaborative ministry and education. Since 2016, Dirksen has served as director of graduate admission for the School of Theology and Seminary. During this time, he worked with the school’s leadership team to identify, articulate, and advance the school’s enrollment management strategies and branding initiatives.
Father Hugo Montero
Andrew Dirkson
BRIAN SISSON Brian Sisson comes to Saint Mary’s after spending the past four years as Lewis University’s associate director of athletics and director of external relations, overseeing all athletic fundraising, alumni outreach, marketing, and promotions for the Flyers Athletic Department. During his four years at Lewis Brian Sisson University, Sisson spearheaded the Flyers’ fundraising efforts and helped bring in over $2.3 million for the Athletic Department. He launched the Flyer Friends and Family Fundraising Campaign that has brought in over $260,000 — which was the most successful athletics fundraiser in school history.
VIDEO LIBRARY EXPANDS There’s a new way to stay current on all things Saint Mary’s! Subscribe to the Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota YouTube channel, and catch new and exciting videos that showcase both the graduate and undergraduate programs. With a full-time videographer, a drone, and a lot of exciting programming and events, the Office of Advancement and Communication has new capabilities and is eager to show them off. We’re building a robust video library about:
• Recruitment • Students • Programs • Events and speakers • How-tos • Alumni
Check us out at www.youtube.com/smumn
Sisson rebranded and relaunched the Flyer Athletics Fund, which increased annual donors by 75 percent, while also putting his stamp on the annual Lewis Athletics Golf Outing, which now annually attracts more than 200 participants. Corporate partnership income was also on the rise during Sisson’s tenure (a 94 percent increase) and was highlighted by a five-year partnership with Loyola University Health Care Systems, as well as a three-year deal with Adidas for department-wide apparel. Sisson assisted in re-launching the Lewis Athletics Hall of Fame after a seven-year hiatus and created the inaugural Flyer Red Dinner signature fundraising event in 2017 with more than 300 attendees. Sisson also handled all promotional activities for each of Lewis’ home events. His most successful one came during the 20172018 school year, as Lewis earned the NACMA Bronze 20152016 “Best Of” Award for Best Single Day Attendance/Game Day Entertainment for the inaugural Christian Brothers Bash, which was a promotion for men’s basketball. A native of Wheaton, Ill., Sisson spent two years serving as Benedictine University’s assistant director of athletics for advancement from 2012-2014, and served as the promotions and ticket manager for Loyola University from 2007-2012.
McCLURE NAMED DISTRICT LASALLIAN EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR Dr. Jack McClure, program director of the Ed.D. in Leadership, was named the Midwest District’s Lasallian Educator of the Year, awarded at the Heuther Conference in Minneapolis on Nov. 17, 2018. The award recipients were selected by their ministries and recognized for their exceptional work in touching the hearts and minds of their students, leaving a lasting impression that makes a difference in the world.
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New recording space dedicated in memory of alumnus On Nov. 9, Saint Mary’s dedicated its new recording space, Studio ‘S’ — named for Bob Scurio ’57, a longtime benefactor and supporter of Saint Mary’s Music Department. The studio, located in the lower level of Saint Yon’s Hall, engages students through an active learning environment, filled with state-of-the art digital tools for audio production and sound creation. Throughout his life, Scurio supported his alma mater, and in his death, he made sure his love of music would live on in future student musicians.
Scurio’s memories of touring and making big band music with the Marinotes — back in the 1950s — were some of the happiest memories of his life. Scurio founded the group, and he often reflected back to that time period. Once a former movie theatre and a projector room (and most recently a storage area), the space has been completely transformed to a performance area and recording studio. Scurio’s legacy — and his lifelong love of music — will live on in the students who are eagerly using this new facility. See more photos from the dedication at smumn.edu/StudioPics.
Bob Scurio’s son, Paul, center, met his father’s classmates and friends, Dan Drury ’58, left, and Elmer Pierre ’58, right, at the dedication of Studio ‘S’.
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PROGRESS ON BROTHER WILLIAM HALL Brother William Hall is progressing on schedule. The $6.9 million residence hall, being funded entirely through philanthropic gifts, will house 112 first-year students on the Winona Campus, beginning in fall 2019. The residence hall is attached to Bishops Hall (formerly Pines Hall) and will stand as a lasting tribute to Saint Mary’s 13th president.
New trustees announced Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota announced its new and returning members of the Board of Trustees.
Region of North America, Chicago; and
Completing their service on the board were:
Marcy Van Fossen, Ph.D., Winona.
In fall 2018, the university welcomed:
Elected in February 2018 were:
Mike Dougherty ’76, J.D., president, Dougherty, Molenda, Solfest, Hills, & Bauer P.A., Burnsville, Minn.;
Jennifer Baryl ’86, a chief development, strategy and volunteer officer, PAWS, Chicago; Brother Jack Curran, FSC, vice president for mission, Manhattan College, Riverdale, N.Y.; Amy (Moulton) Johnson ’93, J.D., attorney of counsel, HeplerBroom, LLC, Chicago; Brother Thomas Johnson, FSC, director of the Novitiate, Lasallian
Mike Laak ’77, J.D., senior legal counsel, Medtronic, Inc., Maple Grove, Ill.; Greg Stevens ’74, senior vice president – wealth management, UBS Financial Services, Inc., Roseville, Minn.; and Angela Steger ’76, retired financial representative, Rabjohns Financial Group, Northfield, Ill.
Brother Nick Gonzalez, FSC, president, Cathedral High School, El Paso, Texas; and Walter E. Smithe, III ’81, president, Walter E. Smithe Furniture, Chicago. The Saint Mary’s community thanks these individuals for their dedicated service.
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Speakers to address Cardinal Virtues Saint Mary’s is hosting Cardinal Virtues presentations throughout the 2018-2019 academic year. These speakers and topics were chosen to create thoughtprovoking dialogue as Saint Mary’s cultivates in its learners virtues that will guide them throughout their educational journeys and as they enter the world as leaders in their professions and communities.
CARDINAL CONVERSATIONS Additionally, as part of our ongoing Cardinal Conversation series, the public is also invited to the following presentation this fall: n UNIVERSITY ETHICS AND VIRTUE The Rev. James Keenan, SJ, S.T.D., Boston College Sept. 12, 2019 – several locations
Upcoming Presentations
Cardinal Virtues
n FORTITUDE/COURAGE Peter Kreeft, Ph.D., Professor, Boston College March 28 – Cascade Meadow, Rochester March 29 – Winona Campus
Prudence (Practical Wisdom) is an intellectual aptitude that enables us to make judgments that are consonant with our proper end as human beings.
n TEMPERANCE - GIFTS/FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Eleonore Stump, Ph.D., Professor, Saint Louis University April 25 – Winona Campus
Temperance, in a general sense, denotes a kind of moderation common to every moral virtue and is directed to the good. Courage (Fortitude) moderates those desires that prevent us from undertaking more daunting, difficult tasks — even allowing us to endure pain and discomfort when necessary in pursuit of truth and good. Catherine Pakaluk, Ph.D., assistant professor of economics at The Catholic University of America, was the inaugural Cardinal Virtue speaker Dec. 12, 2018 at the Twin Cities Campus. She spoke on “Justice, Dynamism, and Social Order.” The second speaker Feb. 21, 2019, was Candace Vogler, Ph.D., the David B. and Clara E. Stern professor of philosophy and professor in the College at The University of Chicago, speaking on “Practical Wisdom.”
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Justice is a sustained or constant willingness to extend to each person what he or she deserves in relation to what is truly good for that individual, and having both community and individual elements related to it. For up-to-date information and to view prior speakers, go to www.smumn.edu/ about/offices/president/ cardinal-virtuepresentations.
CHAPEL RESTORATION Conservationists from the Midwest Art Conservation Center spent five days cleaning and restoring a portion of the Chapel of Saint Mary of the Angels on the former College of Saint Teresa Campus. The chapel, now owned by Saint Mary’s, is used for weddings and special community events. Saint Mary’s extends its gratitude to Bob Kierlin and Mary Burrichter (Saint Mary’s trustee), who made the restoration of this treasured and beautiful facility possible.
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Hendrickson Institute to welcome Cokie Roberts April 16 Emmy-Award-Winning broadcaster, political commentator, author, and humanitarian Cokie Roberts will serve as this year’s keynote speaker at Saint Mary’s University’s Hendrickson Forum April 16 at the Twin Cities Campus. Roberts will be presenting, “Weaving the Social Safety Net at Home and Around the World.” The renowned journalist and New York Times bestselling author will share touching, first-hand stories of the issues she’s encountered through her work on several nonprofit boards. She’ll shed light on innovative humanitarian programs that are being championed by businesses and the U.S. government, and inspire us all in our role as global citizens. Once a year, Saint Mary’s Hendrickson Institute welcomes an internationally recognized speaker to the Twin Cities Campus to engage Saint Mary’s faculty, staff, alumni, and students, and the local business community in conversation. From global migration to microfinance, world-altering events to the new world order, the Hendrickson Forum is a venue for thought-provoking information. Also at the forum, a local leader receives the Hendrickson Institute Medal for Ethical Leadership and speaks briefly about their professional experiences. Roberts is a Morning Edition commentator on NPR, and she previously served as the congressional correspondent for more than 10 years. In addition to her work for NPR, Roberts is a political commentator for ABC News, providing analysis for all network news programming. From 1996-2002 she and Sam Donaldson co-anchored the weekly ABC interview program This Week. In her more than 40 years in broadcasting, she has won countless awards, including three Emmys. She has been inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame, and was cited by the American Women in Radio and Television as one of the 50 greatest women in the history of broadcasting. In addition to her appearances on the airwaves, Roberts, along with her husband, Steven V. Roberts, writes a weekly column syndicated in newspapers around the country by Universal Uclick. The couple also wrote From this Day Forward, an account of their more than 40-year marriage
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and other marriages in American history. The book immediately went onto The New York Times bestseller list, following Roberts’ No. 1 bestseller, We Are Our Mothers’ Daughters, an account of women’s roles and relationships throughout American history. Roberts’ histories of women in America’s founding era — Founding Mothers, published in 2004 and Ladies of Liberty in 2008, also became instant bestsellers. Her most recent book, Capital Dames: The Civil War and the Women of Washington, 1848-1868, was published in 2015. Cokie Roberts holds more than 20 honorary degrees, serves on the boards of several non-profit institutions and on the President’s Commission on Service and Civic Participation. The Library of Congress named her a “Living Legend,” one of the very few Americans to have attained that honor. She is the mother of two and grandmother of six.
Save the Date for the 2019 Hendrickson Forum
SAINT MARY’S INTRODUCES MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Tuesday, April 16, 2019 — 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Saint Mary’s University Center 2540 Park Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55404
Saint Mary’s is adding a new Master of Public Health program to its roster of advanced degrees. The recently accredited program is designed to focus on understanding persistent and emerging public health issues. Students will learn to address health disparity in all communities and advocate for systemic solutions.
Cost: $50 General Admission $25 Alumni, Faculty, Staff $10 Students
Saint Mary’s recognizes the urgent need to create a robust public health workforce to handle pressing public health issues, including those resulting from rising obesity and the opioid epidemic, growing gun violence, increasing suicide rates, and emerging zoonosis diseases.
Includes Luncheon Valet Parking $5 Register: smumn.edu/HendricksonRegistration
Offered online and on the university’s Minneapolis campus, this affordable and convenient program welcomes students from a variety of backgrounds. Those interested in creating a new career in the field, as well as professionals seeking to advance theirs, will find this program valuable.
Questions? Contact Lisa Sanderson at lsanders@ smumn.edu or 612-238-4507 About the Hendrickson Institute The Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership is a center for excellence at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota for the formation of ethical leadership skills in our students and our community. By providing a forum for the exploration of ethical issues, the institute supports the university’s mission to “awaken, nurture, and empower learners to ethical lives of service and leadership.” Through intense inquiry on issues of ethical leadership and by fostering personal relationships, the institute is a resource for our students and our communities to explore, examine, and discover the truths in the world around us and the character within each of us.
“Saint Mary’s Master of Public Health program positions graduates to meaningfully contribute to the nation’s public health systems,” said Dr. Farhiya Farah, Master of Public Health program director. “This degree offers hands-on training designed to match realworld conditions through developing, evaluating, and implementing effective and equity-oriented public health programs.” Learners in the program will gain real-world knowledge from experienced course-contracted faculty who have created a curriculum that will focus on understanding persistent and emerging public health issues and will include substantial discussion and research about health equity and social determinants of health. The 42-credit program can be completed in as little as two years.
Hendrickson Forum Sponsors
Upon earning their degrees, students will be prepared to build on a strong foundation in public health knowledge; learn translation of evidence into practice, policy, and public health improvements; apply their knowledge into practice; and work in a variety of positions within government, healthcare, industry, and non-profit agencies.
For information on sponsorship opportunities for the 2019 Hendrickson Forum, please contact Senior Development Director Annette Roth at aroth@smumn.edu or 612-728-5199.
For more information about how Saint Mary’s is addressing public health issues, visit smumn.edu/ mphsolution. Learn more about this innovative program by visiting smumn.edu/mph, or call 877-437-2788 to speak with an enrollment counselor.
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Saint Mary’s Discover, Inspire, Lead campaign exceeds goal with record $73 million
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota recently completed the school’s most ambitious capital campaign. The Discover, Inspire, Lead campaign, which concluded Dec. 31, 2018, raised a record $73 million for Saint Mary’s — far exceeding its $57 million goal. The original $57 million goal was significantly higher than any past capital campaign for Saint Mary’s. The university’s most recent capital campaign raised $30 million more than a decade ago. “Over 9,000 people made gifts to the campaign,” said Audrey Kintzi, vice president for Advancement and Communication. “That kind of broad-based support is to be celebrated. It’s heartwarming to see the pride of our Saint Mary’s family to want to be associated with this campaign and what we’re doing.” At the center of the campaign was the Science and Learning Center, a $19.7-million-dollar state-ofthe-art facility completed in 2017. Another major highlight includes the growth in the First Generation Initiative (FGI) endowment, which started with less than $500,000 and now is close to $5 million. The FGI
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endowment ensures funds to support First Generation Initiative students at Saint Mary’s. Altogether, the campaign supported many initiatives, including athletics, scholarships, business programs, the facilities and programs at the Twin Cities Campus, Lasallian formation, and the Saint Mary’s Fund. These are in addition to the aforementioned key strategic campaign priorities. Kintzi emphasized Saint Mary’s is blessed to have an extraordinary group of benefactors, friends, and alumni who believe in Saint Mary’s educational vision and have been inspired to partner with the university. “Their generous support will benefit current students and future generations of students,” she said. “What we’ve been able to accomplish is a testament to their generosity and their deep faith in our mission to awaken, nurture, and empower students to ethical lives of service and leadership. I am humbled and deeply grateful for everyone who chose to be a part of this extraordinary campaign.” Father James P. Burns, president of Saint Mary’s University, shares Kintzi’s gratitude. “The generosity of our benefactors, friends, and alumni has furthered the university’s abilities to meet the needs of our
students, as well as the demands of a challenging higher education environment,” he said. “As we look to advance Saint Mary’s signature strengths, many of which had their foundations laid by the Christian Brothers, we do so with an eye to further our academic reputation. “For all of this,” Father Burns said, “we are forever grateful to the many partnerships that this campaign has cultivated and strengthened.”
THE NUMBERS THAT MATTER Public Campaign Timeline:
May 12, 2017 to Dec. 31, 2018
Total amount raised
$73 million
Total number of gifts
47,000
Total number of donors
9,400
First-time donors
3,986
Total number of gifts of $1 million or more
15
Total invested in facilities
$37,354,793
Total invested in financial aid and student programs
$35,814,385
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AlUMnI
A growing energy around Saint Mary’s It is truly an exciting time to be an alumnus of Saint Mary’s University. Having just completed our capital campaign in spectacular fashion to the tune of $73 million, the energy around campus continues to build as we look toward the future of Saint Mary’s. I think the most physical sign of that “building for the future” is the beautiful new Science and Learning Center. If you haven’t had a chance, I encourage you to make a trip to Winona and get a tour first-hand. I can honestly say the facilities rival my work environment and I’m envious!
MATT BILSKI ’07, PRESIDENT, SAINT MARY’S ALUMNI BOARD
Certainly, the induction of Father Burns as the 14th president of Saint Mary’s University was another spectacular event highlighting the passion around Saint Mary’s. With over 1,500 attendees throughout the weekend of festivities, it was the single largest event at Saint Mary’s since the centennial celebration. The energy and excitement from everyone made the events such a joy to attend. I’m always in awe of the Saint Mary’s staff at these events. The time and effort that they dedicate, beyond their regular duties, for these events shows me just how dedicated they are to Saint Mary’s University, and how proud we as alumni should be as well. If you have not had a chance to meet or interact with Father Burns yet, I encourage you to check out our upcoming alumni events. Father has been making a point to attend alumni events around the country, and he would love to get an opportunity to meet with you. His passion and enthusiasm for the future of Saint Mary’s are contagious! All of us, no matter our specific educational or career path, made a choice to come to Saint Mary’s University. Our time here has provided experiences, education, careers, friendships, and relationships that changed each of our lives. For the alumni association, our goals are about engaging with you, our Saint Mary’s alumni. We want to provide alumni with fun and relevant events to give you opportunities to reconnect with old friends and reminisce about old times, as well as make new connections and learn about the changes and momentum that Saint Mary’s has today. In that spirit we have made a couple of significant changes this past year to our committee structure. We have created two committees specifically around engagement – one for undergraduate alumni, and one for graduate school alumni. Increasing our engagement and interaction with our alumni is our No. 1 priority, and our hope is that some focused programming on these two distinct groups will provide the opportunity to expand our alumni network out to new levels of engagement. Saint Mary’s has a lot of excitement to share, and they want to share it with all 40,000-plus alumni around the world. All alumni should be proud of what lies ahead for Saint Mary’s!
UPCOMING ALUMNI EVENTS
As alumni, we can be the biggest and most vocal advocates for Saint Mary’s University and the exciting changes taking place on the Twin Cities and Winona campuses. I hope that in the coming months you find some time to join us for an event. Come see what’s changed on campus, come meet fellow alumni, come to volunteer at a service event, or just come to say ‘Hi.’ We’ll be glad to see you and welcome you “home” with open arms!
April 2019
May 2019
11 — SGPP Workshop – Interviewing (Minneapolis) 13 — Men’s/Women’s Soccer Alumni Game/Event (Winona) 16 — Hendrickson Forum (Minneapolis) 27 — Benefactor Recognition Event (Winona)
11 — Commencement (Winona) 22 — First Generation Initiative S.O.A.R. Breakfast (Minneapolis)
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June 2019 3 — Men’s Baseball/Hockey Golf Outing (Twin Cities) 21-23 — Reunion Weekend 2019 (Winona)
Ann Merchlewitz M’95, then interim president, congratulates alumni award recipients including, from left: Dr. Bobbie (Smith) Gostout CST’78, ’83; Ania McNamara ’11; Judy (Mullins) Lucas ’83; and Sarah (Bellingham) Laitinen ’07.
More photos from Reunion Weekend at smumn.edu/ ReunionPics
REUNION WEEKEND: A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL June 22-24, more than 400 undergraduate College alumni and their families returned to the Winona Campus for Reunion Weekend. Alumni of all ages gathered to greet old friends, reminisce, and reconnect with Saint Mary’s. Friday featured golf, tours, class events, and a special reunion dinner for the Class of 1968, while Saturday’s highlights included a run through the bluffs, the family picnic, an all-class dinner, and the awards presentation.
This year’s alumni award recipients included: • Dr. Bobbie (Smith) Gostout CST’78, ’83 Distinguished Alumna Award • Sarah (Bellingham) Laitinen ’07 Lasallian Service Award • Judy (Mullins) Lucas ’83 Alumni Appreciation Award • Ania McNamara ’11 Outstanding Young Alumna Award
Alumni enjoyed reconnecting with friends, faculty, and staff who shaped their Saint Mary’s experiences. Thank you to all who attended or helped make Reunion Weekend a success. Make plans to join us for the next Reunion Weekend, June 21-23, 2019! More photos from the weekend and a recap video at: smumn.edu/ReunionPics smumn.edu/ReunionRecap WINTER 2019 smumn.edu/magazine III 43
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REUNION WEEKEND 1. The Class of 2008 having fun; 2. The annual picnic is one of the most popular events; 3. Carole (Bach) CST’70 and Stephen ’68 Arends; 4. Richard May ’68; 5. Nothing is better than watermelon on a hot day; 6. The Class of 1983 posed for pictures; 7. The 50th anniversary class of 1968; 8. A veterans ceremony on campus; 9. Steve ’82 and Jane (Blackburn) Jansen ’83, left, and Ken ’59 and Kitty (Merrick) CST’59 Jansen, right, with Dr. H. Patrick ’54 and Joan Costello.
More photos from Reunion Weekend at smumn.edu/ ReunionPics
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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF WOMEN AT SAINT MARY’S Save the date! 50 years ago undergraduate women first enrolled at Saint Mary’s — and we believe that’s worth celebrating. Come back to campus Oct. 4-6 to commemorate this transformative event in university history. Those first pioneer women came onboard in 1969, and their arrival would forever change the face of Saint Mary’s. Although few in numbers at first, by 1974-75, 45 percent of applicants were women. In more recent years, women have slightly outnumbered men at the undergraduate campus. All women who have studied at the Winona undergraduate college are invited to get together this fall in celebration. Programs, gatherings, and events are being developed. Keep up to date online at smumn.edu/ women50. Reservations are now being accepted at the following local hotels: • AmericInn, 507-474-7700 • Express Suites Riverport, 507-452-0606 • Holiday Inn Express, 507-474-1700
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1. CHICAGO GOLF OUTING
Alumni gathered at Carriage Greens Golf Course in Darien, Ill., for the 2018 Chicago Golf Outing. Enjoying the day were, from left: John Calhoun ’74, John Michels ’73, Matt Marron ’83, Tony Piscitiello, AFSC ’69, M’82 (Advancement and Communication), and Mike Cannon ’73.
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2. ALUMNI SERVICE TRIP TO NAIROBI
From Aug. 5-12, 12 alumni and friends participated in the second Alumni Service Trip to Nairobi, Kenya. Alumni and friends pictured are, from left: Kassondra Burtis ’12, Anthony Hulula ’06, Michael Marumbu ’08, Patrice Henning ’84, Brother Stephen Gichuru, FSC, Joseph Muema ’15, Gideon Ogollu ’19, Tao Peng M’11, Hylineo Muma ’18, Abbey Smith M’17, Diane Blocher, Amy (Mike) Conniff ’93, M’03, Thomas Holmes ’63, Lilian Nthenya ’17, Melissa (Kerner) Swenson ’91, Peggy Calhoun M’95, Nancy Holmes, Michele Mahoney ’94, and Mary Modelski ’89.
3. MINNESOTA UNITED ALUMNI GAME – TWIN CITIES
About 200 students and alumni attended the first-ever Minnesota United Saint Mary’s Game Sept. 22 at TCF Stadium in Minneapolis. Each participant received a commemorative Saint Mary’s/Minnesota United scarf. Wearing theirs proudly are Elliut Fonseca ’17 and Emily (Blaser) Fonseca ’16.
4. ALUMNI LEGACY DINNER
Over 60 attended the annual Alumni Legacy Dinner, which occurs during Family Weekend and brings together alumni from Saint Mary’s and the College of Saint Teresa who have current students attending Saint Mary’s. Members of the Skemp/Steingraeber families gathered Sept. 29 including, from left: Jean Skemp, Robert Skemp ’79, Carolyn (Skemp) Steingraeber CST’81, Mark Steingraeber, Robert Skemp ’49, Emilie Steingraeber ’20, Robert Steingraeber ’13, and Caitlin McGuire ’13.
5. LASALLIAN DAY OF SERVICE
More than 100 Saint Mary’s alumni and friends gathered in New York City, Phoenix, Milwaukee, Winona, Chicago, and the Twin Cities for Lasallian Day of Service on Oct. 27. Alumni provided volunteer service to the following charitable/non-profit organizations: Hunger Task Force, Feed My Starving Children, Hesed House, Habitat for Humanity, The Bowery Mission, Second Harvest Heartland, Open Arms of Minnesota, Bridging, The Bridge Teen Center, and UMom New Day Center in the Phoenix area. Working at The Bowery Mission in New York City were, from left: William McShane ’64, Cherech Allam M’17, Anthony Piscitiello ’00, M’14, Pauline Cimaszewski ’86, Andy Vila, Richard McGee ’74, and Ian Wildenborg ’05.
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6. VETERANS DAY CEREMONY
Saint Mary’s celebrates and honors Veterans Day each year at the Veterans Memorial on the Winona Campus. This was the 10th year we have held this ceremony, during which Saint Mary’s alumni who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country in World War II and the Vietnam War are honored. On Nov. 12, faculty and staff were given poppies by guest speaker Dr. John Forrette ’74, which were donated from the IX(B) Squadron of the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom.
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7. TWIN CITIES ALUMNI CHRISTMAS EVENT
A total of 80 Saint Mary’s alumni and friends attended the annual Twin Cities Christmas gathering at the Minneapolis Club on Nov. 30 including, from left: Andrew Albrecht, Rachel (Miller) Albrecht ’05, Pam Trainor ’05, and Ryan Pajak ’04, M’10.
8. SANTA AT SAINT MARY’S EVENT
The family of Kary Hall ’20 (a current M.A. in Organizational Leadership student) posed with Santa at the Christmas event on the Twin Cities Campus on Dec. 1. The event included presents, crafts, holiday treats, and a reading of the classic story “The Night Before Christmas.”
9. WINONA ALUMNI CHRISTMAS GATHERING
Father James P. Burns, president, meets with, from left: Mary Jo Wiltgen, Marlene Kohner, Gayle Goetzman, Carole Gardner, Peggy Carroll, and Mary Wieczorek at the Winona Alumni and Friends Christmas Gathering on Dec. 8.
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CLASS NOTES 1960s Michael Dooley ’66, Chesterfield, Mo., was selected as one of four charter inductees to the ISCEBS (International Society of Employee Benefit Specialists) Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame recognizes Certified Employee Benefit Specialist graduates who have shared their time and talents to further the education and professional expertise of those working in the employee benefits field and championed the CEBS designation. Each person in this exceptional group has played a unique role in the growth and development of CEBS and the Society through ongoing support and contributions to the profession. Each of the winners were recognized in August at the 2018 Symposium in Boston, Mass., and profiled on the society website at www.iscebs.org. A donation will be made by the ISCEBS to the recipients’ charity of choice and Dooley has selected the Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota scholarship in the name of his and his wife Claudia’s parents. Edward Kurhajetz ’68, Milwaukee, Wis., has a few inspiring hobbies. He is a recruiter for the Senior Olympics, for both men and women over 50. He also is part of the Badgerland Striders, Wisconsin’s largest and most established running club. Tony, AFSC ’69, M’82 and Kathy (Ordahl) CST’70 Piscitiello, Winona, welcomed their first granddaughter into their family. Piper Juliana Marie Piscitiello, daughter of Dan
’05 and Stephanie Piscitiello was born on July 24, 2018. Piper has many aunts, uncles, and cousins who are alumni of Saint Mary’s.
1970s Eliot Kapitan ’70, Springfield, Ill., retired in 2017 after 30 years in the office for worship and the Catechumenate, for the Diocese of Springfield. Thomas Persoon ’70, Coralville, Iowa, retired from the University of Iowa Hospitals in August 2017 after 45 years of service. Charles Newling ’71, Briggsville, Wis., went on to receive a graduate degree from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale then worked from 1975 through 1989 as a civilian wildlife biologist and wetland researcher for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In 1989, he left federal service and co-founded two businesses, the Wetland Training Institute, Inc., which provides professional short courses for consultants and agency staff (www.wetlandtraining. com) and Wetland Science Applications, Inc., a consulting firm helping clients stay in compliance with wetland laws and regulations. He is still fully active in both businesses. He was awarded the R. Harold Jones Lifetime Achievement Award by the Society of Wetland Scientists Professional Certification Program. Peter Kranz ’72, Longmeadow, Mass., has participated for the past 17 years in the 40-mile New York City Five Boroughs Bicycle Tour.
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Marilyn (Lueck) Noel ’75, Dubuque, Iowa, was selected to the Beckman Catholic High School Hall of Fame as a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award for Exemplary Service to the Beckman Community. She is now retired after 29 years as the guidance counselor at Beckman Catholic High School and after a total of 43 years in Catholic education. John Colwell ’78, Shoreview, Minn., was inducted into the Hill-Murray High School Athletic Hall of Fame. The Rev. Paul Wolf ’79, Hutchinson, Minn., was reassigned from Holy Redeemer Parish in Marshall to St. Anastasia in Hutchison and Steward.
1980s Marc Bona ’87, Akron, Ohio, published a novel, The Game Changer. A portion of book sales are going to two charities, Good Samaritan Hunger Center in Akron and Shoes and Clothes for Kids in Cleveland. (Published by Luminare Press, 2018.)
1990s Matthew O’Shea ’91 was appointed chair of the Chicago City Council’s Aviation Committee. He is the current alderman of Chicago’s 19th Ward. Stephen Coyne ’93, Chicago, and his wife started a notfor-profit called Step Up & Give Back (stepupgiveback. org). He participates in competitive stair climbs across the country. He does a lot of the climbs in full Chicago Police uniform/gear. He also plays the bagpipes at many of the events. They
raise additional money for first responders, military, and others in need. He also lost approximately 55 pounds and has been sober over seven years. Their 14-year-old son does a lot of the climbs as well. Dr. Amy Donnan M’94, Bemidji, Minn., specializes in children’s psychology at Sanford Health Behavioral Health Center in Bemidji, Minn. Brian Knetl ’94, Homewood, Ill., was awarded the Aspen Presidential Fellowship for Community College Excellence, a leadership program aimed at preparing the next generation of community college presidents. Emily (Kronebusch) Arens ’95, Vining, Minn., is the new seventh- and eighth-grade English teacher at Parkers Prairie Public Schools. Peggy Calhoun, ACFRE, M’95, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., joined the firm of Jerold Panas, Linzy & Partners as senior partner. Jeff McGonigal C’96, Anoka, Minn., retired from the Anoka-Hennepin School District after 35 years working and teaching in the same district. He started as a substitute teacher and is leaving as the associate superintendent. Martin Momsen ’97, M’00, Winona, a teacher at Houston High School in Houston, Minn., was selected as a 2018 Lead Science Communication Fellow and sailed aboard Exploration Vessel Nautilus during its 2018 expedition.
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2000-2010 Rob Danneker ’00, M’01, Minneapolis, is the new principal at Hutchison High School. Susan Hagerty M’00, Coon Rapids, Minn., was inducted into the Kasson-Mantorville High School Hall of Fame. Peter Roback M’00, C’02, D’12, Inver Grove Heights, Minn., became the new principal of Rosemount High School. Curtis Slater M’00, C’02, Andover, Minn., principal of Wyoming Elementary in Forest Lake Area Schools, and a member of the Minnesota Elementary School Principals’ Association, was named Minnesota’s 2018 National Distinguished Principal. Bonnie Bina M’01, Alexandria, Minn., completed her master’s degree in human services, with honors, from Capella University. She and her husband Bruce Bina M’01 celebrated 38 years of marriage. Katie Boller Gosewisch ’01, St. Michael, Minn., was named the first executive director of WeCAB in May 2018. Angela Kalthoff M’01, Delano, Minn., is the new kindergarten through third grade gifted/ talented coordinator/teacher with the Delano Public Schools. Kristine Schaefer C’01, New Brighton, Minn., will be sharing the assistant superintendent position in the South Washington County School District. Laurie Klippenes M’02, South Haven, Minn., is the eighth-
grade mathematics teacher with Annandale Middle School. Maureen (Hayes) Morrison ’02, Oswego, Ill., was promoted to director of front-of-the-house operations at Paramount Theatre, Aurora. Eric Nelson C’02, S’05, Egan, Minn., is the assistant principal with CambridgeIsanti High School. Renee Oakland M’02, Mankato, Minn., retired from teaching at Gibbon Fairfax Winthrop Schools. Lynn Grewing C’03, St. Cloud, Minn., will retire after serving 17 years (the longestserving principal) with Cathedral High School. Heather Loeschke M’04, Cannon Falls, Minn., was named the 2018 Minnesota History Teacher of the Year, an award presented annually by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to K-12 American history education. Christopher Lundeen ’04, Grey Eagle, Minn., has started a new Minnesota apparel company, Clean Lakes MN, which supports protecting Minnesota’s lakes, rivers, and streams. Read more about his family business at cleanlakesmn.com.
Excellence in Teaching Award. The award pays tribute to area educators from kindergarten teachers to college professors for their achievement and dedication to the field of education. Dave Ammentorp ’06, Minneapolis, Minn., is a technical support representative for PeopleNet. Matt Regis ’06, M’07, Hastings, Minn., was promoted to the rank of sergeant with the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office on Aug. 3, 2018. Dr. Leslie Bleskachek D’07, River Falls, Minn., works for the Hudson School District as a school-to-career coordinator. Heidi Smith M’07, Pelican Rapids, Minn., is the new art teacher for Barnesville Schools for students in grades seven through 12. Amy Starzecki C’07, C’08, C’14, Hermantown, Minn., is the district administrator of the Superior School District as of July 1, 2018. Joy Turner M’07, Buffalo, Minn., has a new position as dean of students at Annandale High School. John Droubie C’08, Cambridge, Minn., is the director at Riverside Academy, part of the Cambridge-Isanti Schools.
Emily Cassellius M’05, Winona, is the principal at Goodview Elementary School.
Shane McBroom C’08, Chatfield, Minn., is the principal at Chatfield Elementary School.
Amanda (Emerson) Goughenour ’05, St. Charles, Mo., was among 109 St. Louis-area educators to receive an Emerson
Alex Gorgone ’09, Orlando, Fla., made a long-awaited career shift into themed entertainment design. He has designed for a number of
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high-profile clients including MGM, Guitar Center, New Balance, and the Atlanta Falcons. Ryah Hofbauer M’09, Hudson, Wis., is a sixth-grade science and language arts teacher at Hudson Middle School. Pam Samec M’09, Esko, Minn., is a second-grade teacher with the Hermantown School District. Laurie Palm M’10, Hudson, Wis., is the gifted and talented teacher at River Crest Elementary School.
2011-2018 Alex Conover ’11, Minneapolis, started a new position as social media manager at Duke Cannon Supply Company. Emily Elston M’11, Windom, Minn., is the Annandale Middle School sixth-grade social studies teacher. Ryan Finke M’11, Mound, Minn., returned to Richfield Middle School as assistant principal after serving there in an administrative position for three years. Scott Antolak M’12, Minneapolis, joined Mid Minnesota Federal Credit Union as a business lender in the Brainerd Lakes Area. Gretchen Kleinsasser C’14, S’15, Minneapolis, is the principal at La Academia Eastern Carver County Schools. Brother Matthew Kotek, FSC ’13, Memphis, Tenn., professed his first vows with the De La Salle Christian Brothers in July 2018. He is teaching Spanish at Christian
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CLASS NOTES Brothers High School in Memphis.
sales representative at Thermo Fisher Scientific.
Clinton Nienhaus ’13, Winnebago, Minn., was featured in the Duluth News Tribune in their 20 Under 40 awards. He is the head naturalist with the Friends of Sax-Zim Bog and education manager at Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory. He also volunteers at several other businesses. Read more in the article, published Sept. 20, 2018.
Brett Menton ’16, Monrovia, Calif., plays hockey for Svegs IK as a forward. Svegs IK is a Swedish sports club located in Sveg, Sweden.
Teresa Schulte-Hunt C’13, Gary, S.D., has a new teaching position with Yellow Medicine East in Granite Falls, Minn. Cody Sprague ’13, M’17, McGregor, Minn., is a marketing specialist with Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits. Patricia Nguyen ’14, Cincinnati, Ohio, is a senior operations coordinator with OneSight. Dr. Matthew Traxler ’14, Wichita, Kan., graduated from medical school and is entering his first year at the University of Kansas School of MedicineWichita Family Medicine Residency Program at Via Christi Hospitals. Abbie (Zuzek) Budin ’15, Concord, Minn., is the elementary music teacher in the Kasson-Mantorville Elementary School. Matt Detloff M’15, Crystal, Minn., is a teacher at Maple Grove Senior High. Ashley (Walz) Lardy ’15, Alexandria, Minn., has a new position as a social worker with Douglas County Health and Social Services. Brittany Friedrich ’16, Rice, Minn., has a new position as a
Janet Rowles M’16, Minneapolis, published “The Tell Me More Gesture: How & Why to Welcome Conflict.” “Conflict is an essential and unavoidable part of experiencing life to its fullest.” With this sentiment, she has created a guide to navigating conflict in a new way that does not urge readers to suppress or minimize their emotions or the emotions of others in conflict with them, even when those emotions are perceived to be negative or messy. Alexandra Thiel ’16, Burr Ridge, Ill., works for Advocate Christ Medical Center as a patient care information associate in the Neuro Intensive Care Unit. Ellen Hinck ’17, M’18, Rochester, Minn., is the sixthand seventh-grade language arts teacher with New Triton School District. Suwana Kirkland ’17, Minneapolis, is head of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office recruitment unit and encourages women to bring their strengths to the law enforcement profession. The state’s first-ever women’s academy on law enforcement was held earlier this year and was started as a class project by Kirkland while she was studying at Saint Mary’s. Lexie Wilde C’17, Bemidji, Minn., is the Bemidji School District director of special education.
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Morgan Knutson M’18, Lanesboro, Minn., is the new high school science teacher with Hayfield School District.
John and Erica (Ruther) Ray C’05, M’06, Rawling, Md., a daughter, Tessa Mae, on May 17, 2018. She joins Emma, 4.
Alex Nuehring ’18, Rochester, Minn., took over the reins as the editor of the Plainview News.
Dustin ’06 and Ashley (Davis) ’07 Kresen, Lino Lakes, Minn., a son, Jay Ernest, on July 15, 2018. He joins big brother Brooks.
Austin O’Hare ’18, Rushford, Minn., will be teaching middle/ high school Science during the 2018-19 school year for Grand Meadow School District. Mandy Sailor ’18, Ramsey, Minn., is a nursing lab assistant at the University of Northwestern in St. Paul. Stephanie Schmidt ’18, Plainview, Minn., is the new sixth-grade teacher at St. Felix.
Weddings Gene Hamilton ’82, Chicago, to Veronica Robledo, on March 10, 2018. The ceremony was in San Antonio, Texas, at the McNay Museum of Art. Joanna Pace ’11 to Andrew Kilpatrick ’11, Eagan, Minn., on June 16, 2018. Saint Mary’s alumni in attendance were Rachel (Sievers) Siefert ’11, Steve ’00 and Sami (Traxler) Mino ’11, Nick Sweeney ’11, Mike Berg ’11, Sam Kehoe ’11, Patrick Howard ’11, Steve Lochen ’11, M’13, Robby McGuire ’12, Regina Quandt ’12, Kenzie Ferguson ’11, and Steve ’11 and Katy (Gannon) ’11 Kimlicka.
Births John ’03 and Alexa (Brazionis) ’03 Skonieczny, Minneapolis, a son, Jacob Lyndon, on June 24, 2018.
Megan and Anthony Freeman ’08, a daughter, Jane Elizabeth, on Sept. 1, 2018. Kyle and Lindsay (Dickson) Henning ’08, Minneapolis, a son, Arnold James, on Dec. 15, 2018. Neal and Maria (Sullivan) Jaworski ’09, Eagan, Minn., a daughter, Olivia Christine, on July 15, 2018. Caitlin McGuire ’13 and Bob Steingraeber ’13, Inver Grove Heights, Minn., a daughter, Natalie Jane, on Nov. 14, 2018.
Deaths Dr. John N. Dempsey ’44, Wayzata, Minn., on Dec. 19, 2017. Paul A. Jardina Jr. ’48, Indianapolis, Ind., on July 13, 2018. Joseph J. Elston ’51, Beverly Hills, Mich., on April 8, 2018. Fred N. McNeill ’51, Covington, Wash., on June 8, 2018. Brother Stephen W. Eibert, FSC ’53, Memphis, Tenn., on June 2, 2018. Donald J. Gallagher ’54, La Crosse, Wis., on May 2, 2018. Hon. C. Bernard Carey ’56, Naples, Fla., on June 1, 2018.
Stephanie and Dan ’05 Joseph P. Shrake ’56, Oak Piscitiello, a daughter, Piper Juliana Marie, on July 24, 2018. Park, Minn., on May 12, 2018.
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Joseph F. Hofmeister ’58, Cincinnati, Ohio, on April 22, 2018.
Saying goodbye
Brother Charles Kelly, FSC ’59, Chicago, on Aug. 3, 2018.
Saint Mary’s said goodbye to two longtime faculty members this past year.
Gerald J. Gabel ’61, Palatine, Ill., on April 22, 2018.
Dr. Michael Sommerville once pursued a law career, but decided his true calling was to teach. He first arrived at Saint Mary’s as a novice and then a De La Salle Christian Brother, and although he left the order, he stayed on at Saint Mary’s for a total of 38 years, where he helped to create the criminal justice major and taught in the Political Science and Business Departments. To his many students, he was known as “Doc.”
Msgr. Donald P. Schmitz ’61, Rochester, Minn., on May 4, 2018. Jean P. Turgeon ’65, Bloomington, Minn., on April 27, 2018. Harold J. Bradtke ’66, Pickerington, Ohio, on Feb. 7, 2018. Andrew G. Hartle ’66, Mesa, Ariz., on May 23, 2018. Thomas R. Johnson ’66, St. Paul, Minn., on July 3, 2018. Dr. Richard J. Blint ’67, Clinton Township, Mich., on July 26, 2018. Robert M. O’Connell ’67, Midlothian, Va., on March 20, 2018. Richard J. Hilgenbrink Jr. ’68, Bridgeton, Mo., on June 19, 2018. Dr. Charles J. Palenik ’69, Indianapolis, Ind., on Aug. 31, 2018.
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In 1980 he married Patricia Miller, who taught corporate finance and accounting at Saint Mary’s. One of the highlights of Mike and Pat’s teaching at Saint Mary’s was the opportunity to teach a semester abroad in Florence, Italy, in the international program. Dr. Sommerville was known for expecting his students to perform to the highest of their abilities and he stayed in touch with many former students. Mike and Pat retired in the spring of 2008 and moved to Ocala, Fla. They came home every year, and Mike especially enjoyed participating in the ‘M’ Club golf outing with former students and friends.
Dr. Larry Dieterman taught in the Chemistry Department at Saint Mary’s from 1963-1999, but his 37-year career was just one of his many ties to the university. For starters, Larry’s wife, the late Shirley Dieterman, was the daughter of legendary Saint Mary’s baseball coach, Max Molock. Additionally, Shirley worked as a lab tech in the Chemistry Department at Saint Mary’s from 1989-2004. Dr. Dieterman taught organic chemistry, biochemistry, and physical chemistry before retiring, but he continued to teach part-time at several other schools beyond his retirement.
John H. Tregner ’71, Villa Park, Ill., on May 4, 2018. Timothy H. Geraghty ’74, Oakland, Calif., on Jan. 4, 2017.
Larry and Shirley were married for 57 years. She died June 25, 2017. He died Sept. 12, 2018.
Rory A. Neill ’74, Oak Brook, Ill., on Oct. 14, 2018.
Survivors include sons Daniel Dieterman ’83, Dr. Douglas Dieterman ’92, and Scott Dieterman ’84; two grandchildren, Felicia Dieterman ’17, and Tyler Dieterman ’08; and a daughter-in-law, Eve (Kendrick) Dieterman ’85.
James P. Butz ’76, Elk Grove Village, Ill., on June 5, 2018.
Dr. Larry Dieterman
He died on July 28, 2018.
His passion was teaching. According to his obituary, he turned down offers to conduct research for private industry early in his career because he felt he could make more of a difference teaching. It continued, “He loved the small Catholic university of Saint Mary’s College that offered him the flexibility to be present for his students as well as his family. During summers in the 1970s and ’80s, he also conducted grant-funded research projects on the ecology of the Mississippi River.”
Stephen M. Murray ’71, West Salem, Wis., on July 5, 2018.
Dr. Michael Sommerville
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CLASS NOTES Roger A. Nadolny ’82, Phoenix, Ariz., on Aug. 15, 2018. Donald F. Ivansek ’83, Riverside, Ill., on Aug. 20, 2018. Mark T. Steveken ’85, Glendale, Ariz., on May 27, 2018. Paul R. Tomashek ’86, Maple Grove, Minn., on Sept. 30, 2018. Joseph G. Dufresne ’87, Minnetonka, Minn., on May 19, 2018. Angela (Hoffmeister) Finley ’91, Estherville, Iowa, on Oct. 12, 2018.
Lynn (Sontag CST’69) Palenik, on the death of her husband, Dr. Charles Palenik ’69, on Aug. 31, 2018.
M’13, on the death of their husband and father, Don (Hollywood) Ivansek ’83, on Aug. 20, 2018.
Michael Geraghty ’70, Colleen (Geraghty ’77) and Robert Langford ’77, on the death of their brother and brother-in-law, Timothy Geraghty ’74, on Jan. 4, 2017.
Ellen Steveken ’91, on the death of her brother, Mark Steveken, on May 27, 2018.
John ’71, William ’75, Louis ’76 and Loretta (Jedlicka CST’76), Joseph ’77, Jerome ’78, Ronald ’81, and Walter ’87 Jungbauer Sr., on the death of their sister, Ruth Jungbauer, on Aug. 19, 2018. Several of Ruth’s nieces and nephews also attended or are attending Saint Mary’s.
Tara E. Biever M’04, Kellogg, Minn., on Oct. 30, 2017.
Jim Hoey ’74, on the death of his father, Edward Hoey, on July 6, 2018.
Deacon Frank E. Giglio M’05, Mount Laurel, N.J., on June 3, 2018.
Martin Mulvihill ’76, on death of his father, Martin Mulvihill, on Aug. 31, 2018.
Faculty/Staff
Jeanne (Hartle) Hamlin ’77 and Cathy (Hartle) Larsen M’93, on the death of their brother, Andrew Hartle ’66, on May 23, 2018.
Dr. Michael D. Sommerville, Ocala, Fla., former professor of business, on July 28, 2018. Dr. Larry Dieterman, Winona, former professor of chemistry, on Sept. 12, 2018.
Sympathies
Brian ’81, Laura ’82, and Scott Carey ’84, on the death of their father, the Hon. C. Bernard Carey Jr. ’56, on June 1, 2018.
John Sullivan ’50, on the death of his wife, Mary Joan, on Oct. 3, 2018.
Brian Jardina ’82, on the death of his father, Paul Jardina ’48, on July 13, 2018.
Bernard Rysavy ’55, on the death of his wife of 63 years, Suzanne, on Oct. 2, 2018.
Daniel ’83 and Eve (Kendrick) Dieterman ’85, Scott ’84, Douglas ’92, Tyler ’08, and Felicia ’17 Dieterman, on the death of their father and grandfather, Larry Dieterman, former Saint Mary’s professor, on Sept. 12, 2018.
Howard ’56, Joshua M’18, Charles ’82, and Mark ’84 Tomashek, Ann (Tomashek) Johnston ’85, and Kay Tomashek-Poe ’88, on the death of their son, father, and brother, Paul Tomashek ’86, on Sept. 30, 2018.
Patricia (Begg) Ivansek ’85 and Ann (Ivansek) Falasz ’12,
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Ben ’96, Jesse ’98, M’03 and Sarah (Tureson) ’97, M’03, and Dan ’00 Murray, on the death of their father and father-in-law, Stephen Murray ’71, on July 5, 2018.
Recognizing those from the 1950s I read your latest Saint Mary’s Magazine (2018) cover to cover, and I really enjoyed all your coverage. I was looking for Class Notes, but the 1950s were a no-show. We are not all dead! While at SMC, now SMU, I took loads of pics. The last 10 years I looked over those shots and thought I would share them. So sent photos to former classmates so they could enjoy them. I sent approximately 10-15 shots out. I was please to receive a reply from each of them. (In some cases I received a note from their wives because of their husbands’ death).
SUMMER 2018
LETTERS
SAINT M
L e av i n g Hi s Ma r k
ARY’S MA G A
Z I NE
As presid ent of Sa int Mary’ the univ s, Brothe ersity le r William ave its m ark in th helped e educat ional wor ld.
That type of joy could never be beaten. My wife did die in 2015 but all 7 of our children are alive and well, and 12 grandchildren. Keep up the good work. — Jack Schodowski ’51 P.S. Glad to see an SMU graduate is CEO at Guest House. I’m not sure if it’s the Minnesota location or the one near me at Lake Orion, Mich. I’m active at that location. I’ll look into it on my next visit there.
Looking back
Identifying Alpha Phi Omegas in photo Greetings from the Land of Enchantment! In response to your request for information: The small black and white picture must have been taken about 1957. Standing in a row against the left side of the picture against the wall are Paul Nelson ’57, Norman Boneck ’58, and Len O’Brien ’58, all three were seminarians at Kelly Hall. There are a few others who are vaguely familiar but I can’t put names on them for sure. Hope that is helpful. — Fr. Tom Mayefske ’58 50 years of service Fifty-two alumni attended Alpha Phi omega (APo) Fraternity’s 50th reunion, held July 21-23, 2017, on the Winona Campus. APo was a national service fraternity at Saint Mary’s from 1967 to 2003. APo is working to establish an endowed scholarship. APo alumni are invited to learn more at www. mysmumn.org/aposcholarship. If you have more information about these photos, contact Saint Mary’s Magazine editor, Deb Nahrgang. Mail comments to Saint Mary’s Magazine, Saint Mary’s University, 700 terrace heights #36, Winona, Mn 55987. or, send email to: dnahrgan@smumn.edu.
WINTER 2019 smumn.edu/magazine III 55
What’s
with you?
Alumni — send us your news! Saint Mary’s Magazine and our alumni class news website welcome contributions to the Alumni Class Notes sections. We want your personal and professional news items. Photos, news clippings, etc., are also welcome, as well as tips about fellow alums who might make good feature story subjects. Photos will be displayed online only. Mail or fax this form, or submit your news online or by email. SEND TO: SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY 700 Terrace Heights #21 Winona, MN 55987-1399 Fax: 507-457-6967 Contact us online: mysmumn.org Email: alumni@smumn.edu
Class Year
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Email Address City, State, ZIP Home phone Business name Business address City, State, ZIP Business phone Your title Years in this position What’s new? n Check here if your son or daughter would like to receive Saint Mary’s admission materials. A representative will contact you for more details.
56 III smumn.edu/magazine WINTER 2019
April 13 New student orientation and registration 18–22 Easter recess
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MINIMUM SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS: Your legal name, class year, and email address; spouse’s legal name, class year, and email address (if applicable); home address; and home phone number. Other useful information includes your business title, company name, address, phone number, and e-mail address.
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SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: Alumni Class Notes are printed in the Saint Mary’s Magazine and/or online so that Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota alumni can share news of significant events in their lives. We welcome items about personal and professional achievements, as well as life milestones such as weddings, births, adoptions, and deaths. We do not print news of engagements or pregnancies. We also do not print notices of non-legal commitment ceremonies. Photos and news clippings are welcome, but cannot be returned. Announcements will run in the magazine and/or online. Photos will only appear online due to space constraints.
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Commencement ceremony in Winona
SCHOOLS OF GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS April 19 28
University holiday, Twin Cities Campus closed Term 2 ends
May 6 Summer semester begins 24–27 University holiday, Twin Cities Campus closed
June 1
Commencement ceremonies in Minneapolis
LookiNg bAck
Those pioneering women In recognition of our upcoming 50th anniversary of women at Saint Mary’s, we thought we’d show some of the first women featured in the 1970 yearbook. In the photo above, the caption read, “Keep to the right, men, and let the lady by!” Right, Kathy Speltz ’73 and Karen (Wisniewski) Lewison ’73 check out the library. If you have more information about these photos, or your own photos from the early days of Saint Mary’s going co-ed, please contact Saint Mary’s Magazine editor, Deb Nahrgang. Mail comments to Saint Mary’s Magazine, Saint Mary’s University, 700 Terrace Heights #36, Winona, MN 55987. Or, send email to: dnahrgan@smumn.edu.
WINONA CAMPUS 700 TERRACE HEIGHTS #21 WINONA, MN 55987-1399 USA
INSIDE THIS ISSUE n Q&A
with Father Burns
n Inauguration n First
students chosen for 3+2 Mayo Clinic Physician Assistant program
n Chicago
joins Saint Mary’s in Celebration of Excellence
n Saint
Mary’s dedicates new baseball clubhouse
…and more!