Stepping into the Next Level of Excellence, St. Catherine University Magazine Fall 2020

UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE

FALL 2020

Stepping into PHOTO/REBECCA SLATER ’10, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

the Next Level of Excellence Katie Reeves ’24

WELCOME BACK, STUDENTS! This fall, we welcomed students back to virtual, in-person, and hybrid format classes while implementing health and safety best practices to keep our entire community thriving.

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT BETH HALLORAN VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS TOCCARA STARK MAOL’09, EdD EDITOR KAYLA FORBES MBA’17 DESIGNER EMILY MCDANIEL

CONTRIBUTORS RUTH HAAG BROMBACH ’60 CORINNE BURRELL BETH RIEDEL CARNEY ’82 KARA DEMARIE MLIS’16 KATE ELDRIDGE TRACIE FAUTH ’23 NATALIE HAMILTON MANDY IVERSON PRAGYA KARMACHARYA ’21 SARA KEIS JESSICA KRUECKEBERG LINDSAY MADRYGA MICHELLE MULLOWNEY ’17 MOLLY ORTH

LINDSEY FREY PALMQUIST MARY PATTOCK ’66 JON SCHULTZ ANDY STEINER ANITA THOMAS, PhD ALLYSSA VAN GUILDER ’14, MBA’22 SARAH VOIGT ELISABETH WULF ’21 PHOTOGRAPHER REBECCA SLATER ’10

ADDRESS CHANGES 651-690-6666 alumni@stkate.edu mag.stkate.edu @st.kates @stkate @stkates @St. Catherine University

CORRECTION TO SPRING 2020 ISSUE The Traveling Scholars 12-day literary journey through England, titled “Journeys in Learning: On Site in England with Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, and Virginia Woolf,” was led and created by professor emerita of English, Geri Chavis, PhD and Alumni Relations chapter manager Kelly Povo ’09.

UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE

FALL 2020

FE AT U R E S

3 6

22 PHOTO/REBECCA SLATER ’10, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

St. Catherine University Magazine is published three times a year by the Office of Marketing and Communications.

No part of this publication may be reprinted without permission.

St. Catherine University was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1905.

Learn more: stkate.edu/ourhistory

Stepping Boldly into the Future St. Catherine University launches LEAD & INFLUENCE: The Campaign for the Next Level of Excellence.

BY SARA KEIS

Portraits of Growth Four graduates reflect on their time at St. Kate’s and the transformative experiences that have changed their perspectives.

BY LINDSEY FREY PALMQUIST

2

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Minnesota Center for Diversity in Economics aims to change the world — one student at a time.

BY ANDY STEINER

14

THE CLARION CALL: ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY’S ACADEMIC MASTER PLAN

16

VOLUNTEER IMPACT REPORT

ABOUT THE COVER

18

INTEGRATED LEARNING SERIES

20

KATIES IN ACTION

29

AROUND CAMPUS

34

BOOKMARK

36

CLASS NOTES

41

IN MEMORY

44

KATIE DIARY

More Than Money

Katie Reeves ’24 is a first-year student and a St.Catherine of Alexandria Scholarship recipient.

Reeves plays golf for St. Kate’s Wildcats and is considering studying dietetics.

PHOTO/REBECCA SLATER ’10, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

From the President LEAD & INFLUENCE.

Educating women to take on these two transformational pursuits is our mission, but also so much more. The foresight of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet established an institution to meet the needs of the time by giving women access to an education in an era when empowering women with knowledge was discouraged.

The Sisters understood the impact for both the individual and the community when you power women to build lives of meaning — the magnitude of preparing women to lead and influence, transforming the world in result. The clarity and visionary thinking that set the mission as our promise to our students and the world has become the integral fabric of our institution and community. It is the work all of us do every day because it is so critical to the health and vitality of our world.

This is also why it is central to the name of our largest comprehensive campaign to date: LEAD & INFLUENCE: The Campaign for the Next Level of Excellence. (See page 3 for details.) The LEAD & INFLUENCE campaign ensures that a St. Catherine education remains relevant and accessible to students while attracting and retaining future Katies and the talented faculty who provide the level of excellence for which St. Catherine University is known. It also invests in the facility upgrades and resources our students need to develop the career-ready skills that prepare them for careers, graduate school, and any avenue they choose to transform the world.

This campaign is the next level of excellence for our students and institution, driving a new level of leadership and inf luence by our graduates.

2

ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY • FALL 2020

This year has revealed several challenges in our world: a global pandemic, national economic crisis, racial disparities and injustice, and deep divisions in our country. The world needs Katies; it is demanding them. We are in need of the intelligent, talented, altruistic students who choose St. Catherine University for their education — an education grounded in the liberal arts and Catholic intellectual tradition that form a level of excellence only to be found here, as you will read about in this issue (“Portraits of Growth”, page 6; “Katies in Action,” page 20; “More Than Money,” page 22).

I am excited to be on this journey to further the St. Catherine legacy and the vitality of our beloved University. And I am glad to have you join me in this work, as you are essential to this campaign. As a graduate, donor, student, parent, or supporter, you are an integral part of our St. Catherine community.

The success of this campaign relies on all of us — to share the campaign and our St. Kate’s story with others, participate through a gift or volunteering, and celebrate our success. Together, we will continue to live our mission and elevate St. Catherine to the next level of excellence.

ReBecca Koenig Roloff ’76

Stepping Boldly into the Future PHOTOS/REBECCA SLATER ’10, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

St. Catherine University launches LEAD & INFLUENCE: The Campaign for the Next Level of Excellence.

BY SARA KEIS

O

ne of the points of pride you often hear student ambassadors highlight on tours of campus is the bold and defiant nature of the Sisters of the St. Joseph in their commitment to ensure St. Catherine University became a premier institution of higher education for women that thrived for centuries.

More than a century into this legacy, we could not be more proud of living into this vision the Sisters set for us. And now is the time to take this vision and our mission — to educate women to lead and influence — to the next level. As our society continues to strive for equality for women, St. Catherine University is leading the way in preparing women to take on this challenge, and many others, to transform our world into a more just place.

The Next Level of Excellence To live our mission every day, it is necessary for us to take action and ensure that the upcoming generations of Katies have the same opportunities and access to a

stkate.edu

3

high-quality education as those who have come before.

LEAD & INFLUENCE: The Campaign for the Next Level of Excellence is a $130 million effort designed around four key priorities that support students, advance the work of faculty, and preserve the campus — fueling our mission as we embark on our campaign.

SUPPORT AND CONNECT EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS St. Kate’s cultivates leaders who own their education and know their potential to create change because they are equipped with the insight and power to influence.

They seek solutions that create a more socially just world while recognizing the underlying causes, working to mitigate their impact, and bringing about more comprehensive change.

To foster the development of more Katie leaders, the campaign will: • Increase need-based financial aid to allow the University to attract, support, and graduate the best students, regardless of their financial means.

• Create an Office of Scholarly Engagement that promotes student success through the extension of high-impact programs and practices, such as interdisciplinary honors seminars, collaborative undergraduate research, service learning, and global studies.

• Deepen and expand career development programming and services to meet the needs of all Katies at any career stage.

•

Create opportunities for faculty-led, innovative curricular and co-curricular experiences for students that teach complex problem-solving and career skills.

Establish a Center for Innovation and Inclusive Excellence focused on launching new programs that foster cutting-edge learning techniques and increasing diversity and inclusion throughout the University.

Read more about how the University is strengthening faculty and academic success in: “The Integrated Learning Series: Liberal Arts in Action” (page 18), “More Than Money” (page 22), and “Bookmark” (page 34).

PRESERVE AND RENEW THE CAMPUS From the leafy quad to the historic chapel, St. Kate’s has one of the most beautiful campuses in the nation, and its preservation will ensure it stays lively, strong, and relevant for generations to come.

To honor St. Kate’s history while creating a campus of the future, the campaign will: • Create science and technology spaces that provide opportunities for students to engage in relevant, cutting-edge educational experiences in Mendel.

• Restore and update Our Lady of Victory Chapel.

ADVANCE THE KATIE FUND

Read more about how the University is supporting and connecting our exceptional students in: “Portraits of Growth” (page 6), “The Clarion Call: Academic Master Plan” (page 14), and “Katies in Action” (page 20).

Gifts to the Katie Fund make a critical difference in the University’s ability to fulfill its mission. Flowing directly to the areas of greatest need and most immediate opportunities, including emergency needs such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Katie Fund’s f lexibility boosts excellence across the University while meeting students’ urgent needs.

STRENGTHEN FACULTY AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS

Join the Campaign

St. Kate’s faculty are instrumental in creating and delivering an educational experience that continues the University’s legacy of excellence. It is vital that they have the support and resources necessary to prepare the next generation of leaders — factors that also impact the University’s ability to recruit new faculty members.

Today’s Katies are learning to discern wisely, live and lead justly, and shape a better world. With your support, they will join a legacy of influential and visionary women.

To help cultivate a learning environment that attracts and retains a committed team of faculty, the campaign will: • Provide resources for professional development that further promote innovation and excellence while allowing for interdisciplinary collaboration.

4

•

ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY • FALL 2020

Whether you’re interested in making a gift, a pledge and/or an estate commitment, you can help ensure that generations of Katies will continue to have access to a St. Catherine education that allows them to transform the world and power lives of meaning.

To learn more or make a gift, visit stkate.edu/campaign. To connect with a member of our team email giving@stkate.edu or call 651-690-6093.

Campaign Cabinet HONORARY Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Paul Province Archbishop Hebda Kay ’56 and Rick Bendel Ruth Haag Brombach ’60 GHR Foundation Marialice P. Harwood Harriet Hentges ’62 Chris Hilger James J. Hill Center Joan Kelly ’46 † Reatha Clark King Marjorie Mathison Hance ’70 Betty McCollum ’87 Larry McGough Anne Ward Miller ’63 Mary Alice Muellerleile ’60 Anita M. Pampusch ’60 Karen and Mark Rauenhorst Lois ’63 and John Rogers

Lead Gifts Bao Vang ’91 Pam Wheelock ’81 Sunny Wicka ’55 LEADERSHIP Margaret Arola Ford ’82, co-chair Joanne Jirik Mullen ’83, co-chair Teresa Rolling Radzinski ’86, co-chair Mary Hurrle Bennett ’78 Catherine Clifford Brennan ’70 Mary Broderick Colleen Curran ’75 Comfort Dudzai Dondo ’15 Sara Hietpas Gavin ’77 Marilyn Grochala Gorham ’76 Bridget Manahan ’78 Jean Delaney Nelson ’80 Judi Druke Teske ’66

St. Catherine University is honored by and deeply appreciative of the generosity of these donors: • Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet • GHR Foundation • James J. Hill Center • Joan Kelly ’46 † • Teresa Rolling Radzinski ’86 and Michael Radzinski • Lois Gross Rogers ’63 and John E. Rogers • ReBecca Koenig Roloff ’76 and Mark H. Roloff MAT’88 • Judi Druke Teske ’66 • Brenda Grandstrand Woodson ’80

Thank You

“

To lead and influence is to bring life, new ideas, and creativity. It’s a tall order that goes beyond what other universities might say. It’s about achieving life and career goals, but even more so, it’s about wisdom and using it to impact others.

—SUSAN HAMES, CSJ, ’68, PROVINCE LEADER, SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH OF CARONDELET

We are deeply appreciative of those who have joined the campaign already and made a gift.

Campaign Progress With your help, we can realize our vision to lead and influence. We are well on our way to our goal of $130 million, with $94,500,000 raised to date.

*Lead gifts and campaign progress are current as of September 17, 2020. stkate.edu

5

PHOTO/REBECCA SLATER ’10, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY • FALL 2020

6

Portraits of Growth Four graduates reflect on their time at St. Kate’s and the transformative experiences that have changed their perspectives.

BY LINDSEY FREY PALMQUIST

T

here’s a finality to your senior year of college that creates a sense of reverence for every moment. It’s the last class of the semester, the end-of-term paper, the final club meeting. But in 2020, the onset of the pandemic cut short many of those moments for our seniors. We spoke with four 2020 graduates to hear their reflections on this transformative time in their lives. Three of the students were featured in a “Portraits of Growth” series four years ago, highlighting their first-year experiences, and one student transferred to St. Kate’s three years ago. Each conversation highlighted the challenges they faced, the strengths they uncovered, how they’ve embraced their power and leadership abilities, the dreams they hold for the future, and a sense of gratitude for the community that’s supported them along the way.

Alma Silver ’20

Age: 21 Major: Communications River Falls, Wisc.

CLAIMING INNER STRENGTH

PHOTO/JAELYN MILTZ ’20

Disability advocacy has become the central element of my personal and professional aspirations. At St. Kate’s, I served as a student senator for six semesters and led The Wheel as editor-in-chief for a year. I won a top paper award at the 2019 Undergraduate Communications Research Conference at the University of St. Thomas for my original research analyzing the representation of people with disabilities within mainstream media.

I currently work as a program development specialist coordinating disability and neurodiversity efforts in the Abigail Quigley McCarthy Center for Women and am completing a Disability Advocacy Certif icate program through the American Association for People with Disabilities.

PT

PASSION, MEET PROFESSION

SE

In so many beautiful and subtle ways, St. Kate’s became home to me. I went from telling people to “look past” my disability and see the “real me,” to unapologetically claiming my identity as a disabled woman. I developed a fierce passion for advocacy initiatives surrounding disability and neurodiversity inclusiveness. More than I ever thought possible, I learned to speak and act with conviction, and I no longer feel comfortable removing myself from my disabled identity or taking a passive stance during difficult conversations.

These experiences have grown my leadership skills and challenged me to create impactful change within my EM community. In addition to pursuing a BE R 20 career in disability services and access 16 consulting, I now plan to mentor others and continue my journalistic endeavors by interviewing diverse people with disabilities and sharing their stories to uproot prevailing misrepresentations.

ADVICE FOR NEW KATIES Embrace the unknowns and see the beauty in all the growth and change that naturally unfolds — especially during these formative years. Pursuing a degree at St. Kate’s means engaging in conversations that aren’t always easy, yet lead to essential growth and perspective shifts. Now more than ever, it’s the time to ask difficult questions and rewrite the narrative of what is expected.

Claim your voice and weave your story into the rich tapestry of St. Kate’s history.

FINDING HOPE IN THE FUTURE I believe that our most prevailing hope lies in the act of breaking our silence. Against the tide of systemic failings, our individual voices, stories, outrage, experiences of injustice, and our visions for change will endure as the most powerful and unifying force.

stkate.edu

7

ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY • FALL 2020

PHOTO/REBECCA SLATER ’10, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

8

Tumelo Khupe ’20 Age: 24 Major: Music Theater St. Paul and Botswana

PREPARED FOR THE WORLD’S STAGE

PASSION, MEET PROFESSION During my time at St. Kate’s, I am proud to have performed at the Kennedy Center and Jacob’s Pillow.

I also toured with the Women’s Choir and performed in campus productions. I received the University’s “Outstanding Theater Artist” award in 2019 and was on the dean’s list for 2020. I also took classes at Macalester, and I was awarded Best Choreography and Leadership in the department there.

PHOTO/JAELYN MILTZ ’20

Be okay with feeling out of your comfort zone — that’s where all the growth happens. Spend time reflecting on the challenges you’ve overcome so far. Acknowledge your victories and celebrate yourself along the way.

PT

ADVICE FOR NEW KATIES

Early in my senior year, I wanted to be a more active member of the community.

I applied for and was accepted to the LEAD (Leadership, Encouragement, Assistance, and Development) Team, which helps people recognize their EM value and gives them the tools to be their BE R 20 16 best selves.

On the LEAD Team, I discovered my innate leadership capabilities, and since then, I’ve come to realize that every member of society has a role and leads in one way or another. I will continue to build on these skills in the future, and I want to teach those I meet that each person is a leader.

SE

St. Kate’s helped to build me into the woman I am today and gave me the tools I need for the workplace and society. This world can be harsh, and what we learn, especially in The Reflective Woman and Global Search for Justice (GSJ) classes, shows us the ways we can tackle world issues.

I felt my transformation arrive during GSJ. I learned I have some privilege — I have a voice and can use it through my performance art to take a stand. I’m now more focused on making an impact with my creative work and performances and using my art to provoke thought and evoke change.

FINDING HOPE IN THE FUTURE Because of COVID-19, I was not able to proceed with an incredible internship opportunity at Park Square Theater, so in terms of career, things seem uncertain.

But as I look toward the future, I am excited to see what surprises and new opportunities may arise from this challenging time.

stkate.edu

9

ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY • FALL 2020

PHOTO/REBECCA SLATER ’10, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

10

Jaelyn Miltz ’20 Age: 22 Major: Nursing Monticello, Minn.

EXPERIENCING GROWTH

PHOTO/RYAN JOHNSON ’19

Keep your dorm room clean and things will feel less stressful. Join as many activities or groups as possible, meet new people, and develop amazing friendships.

Cherish each moment because those years go by quickly.

PT

ADVICE FOR NEW KATIES

enjoyed volunteering at Feed My Starving Children with that group.

My campus job in safety and security shaped my leadership experience in ways I never would have predicted.

I also worked in hospice care, interned EM in the operating room at St. Joseph’s, and BE R 20 16 I had a preceptorship (the nursing version of residency) in the ICU at Regions Hospital. I’d like to work in the ICU as an RN eventually.

SE

St. Kate’s pushed me to grow as a person and as a woman. It’s pushed me to think about the human experience — not only mine, but everyone else’s. It’s such an accepting and loving place to be. People there believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself, and that’s helped me recognize my own strength and power.

I look back on 18-year-old me and think about how much more open-minded I’ve become. I still have plenty of space to learn and grow, and I don’t think there’s ever a final destination in terms of human experience. We can only see this tiny droplet of water on the leaf of the world. I’ll never be done exploring and growing.

FINDING HOPE IN THE FUTURE While I was sad my preceptorship was cut short due to COVID-19, the pandemic has offered a chance for me to learn about my own adaptability. These experiences completely reaffirmed why I went into nursing and what I’m meant to do. I’m excited to see how I apply them throughout my life.

PASSION, MEET PROFESSION I chose nursing because I’ve always wanted to serve others, but the volunteer work I did at St. Kate’s really opened my eyes to more ways of serving. I helped immigrants learn English at Neighborhood House, provided foot care for homeless people at the Dorothy Day Center, and served dinner at People Serving People.

I was also on the Student Leadership Council and vice president of the Student Nurses Association, and I

stkate.edu

11

ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY • FALL 2020

PHOTO/COURTESY OF HANNAH CARROLL-KINDER ’20

12

Hannah Carroll-Kinder ’20 Age: 24 Major: Business Minneapolis, Minn.

EXPLORING NEW PATHWAYS Two years into the nursing track at a big school, I realized I didn’t actually want to be a nurse. My mom, Jennifer Carroll ’17, had graduated from St. Kate’s and told me it was amazing, so I applied and was accepted.

I still loved healthcare, but I was more interested in a business degree. St. Kate’s transfer counselor told me about the healthcare business major, and everything fell into place. With her help, I was able to better align my major with my personality.

Overall, St. Kate’s helped me find myself and gain a more global perspective. I spent a year studying abroad in Australia, and I grew so much during that time. I couldn’t have done that if St. Kate’s didn’t value those experiences and if my counselor hadn’t worked so hard to make it happen.

ADVICE FOR NEW KATIES Take the time to meet with a really well-known professor in the field you’re interested in to see if it’s a good fit for you.

PASSION, MEET PROFESSION St. Kate’s gave me more personal development and guidance from counselors and professors than my previous school. I created strong relationships with my professors, enjoyed greater participation in discussions, and worked closely with them to develop

my skills. I took advantage of résumé-building workshops and career fairs through the career center.

I knew in the first month of classes that I wanted an internship at 3M. St. Kate’s business department has strong connections at 3M, and my professors encouraged me to apply for an internship. My sales classes were very applicable to the internship duties there, including roleplaying sales calls and creating presentations.

Mary Jacobs MAOL’10, the director of the Center for Sales Innovation, helped me prepare for my interviews, and her support was incredibly helpful in securing that internship.

FINDING HOPE IN THE FUTURE My internship led to a job offer at 3M, and I spent the summer doing virtual training in Minnesota due to the pandemic. I missed that sense of community that’s created while learning together in person, but I’m excited for the future. This fall, I moved out to San Francisco’s East Bay to take over my new territory as a 3M wound care sales representative.

Editor’s note: As we are heading to print, Hannah let us know that due to unforeseen challenges with COVID-19 she decided to decline the 3M job and is looking for sales positions in Minnesota near her family. She says she is very excited for what the future holds.

stkate.edu

13

The Clarion Call: St. Catherine University’s Academic Master Plan

BY ANITA THOMAS, PhD, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND PROVOST

CLARION CALL: A strongly expressed demand or request for action.

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet followed a clarion call — a gospel call to love God and neighbor without distinction and a wholehearted response to do all of which women are capable.

In 1905, they established the College of St. Catherine (now St. Catherine University) to educate and empower women as a part of that calling. And to this day, St. Kate’s responds to this clarion call — now resounding globally — to educate women to lead and influence by powering lives of meaning.

The importance of postsecondary education has never been clearer: to produce global citizens engaged in meaningful careers. The COVID-19 pandemic, accompanying economic crisis, and racial unrest have highlighted the importance of leadership: leaders who are f lexible and can work through a crisis, leaders who can understand and work within systems, and leaders who have global awareness and cultural fluency.

Students today need to develop critical inquiry and thinking skills in order to address these complex problems from multiple perspectives with creative solutions — as well as work on and lead collaborative interdisciplinary teams, translate science and research for lay audiences, and engage others in change.

Oftentimes, employers are looking for graduates who have 21st-century or soft skills, including good communication (oral and written), collaboration and teamwork, the ability to show initiative, and others.

At St. Catherine University, it is our responsibility and commitment to provide curricular and cocurricular activities that prepare students to meet these needs, be responsive to the times, and be the leaders our society is seeking. The University’s

14

ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY • FALL 2020

strategic plan, Setting Our Sails, outlines initiatives and objectives to meet this charge while strengthening academic excellence and outcomes for students across all degree levels.

To this end, when I arrived as provost, I established a steering committee to develop the Academic Master Plan and related initiatives to provide a path for students to develop the skills and outcomes that guide them to be informed global citizens, influential leaders, and in-demand with employers. The plan sets intentional curricular and co-curricular programs and activities for all students that promote cultural fluency through the expansion of interdisciplinary programs, develops the Katie Compass pathways, and establishes the Office of Scholarly Engagement. Lastly, the plan embraces the Sisters’ call with the needs of today’s world and sets forth a renewed clarion call to the next generation of Katie leaders and influencers.

Interdisciplinary Programs The first initiative of the Academic Master Plan creates interdisciplinary opportunities that offer students a distinctive approach to develop critical thinking, purposeful knowledge, and intellectual breadth. This includes several components to enhance and expand interdisciplinary offerings, such as the option for students to pair liberal arts and professional training and create pathways between degree levels.

The plan also expands opportunities for dual degrees at the graduate level (i.e. public health and social work), and post-graduate interdisciplinary certificates.

EN

D E V E LO P M

PROFESSIONAL ADVISING

EN

T

ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE

MEANINGFUL LIFE

CA

RE

HIGHIMPACT PRACTICE

EN ER D E V E LO P M

NT

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

R D E V E LO P M E

EER

D E V E LO P M

REE

R CA

EER

CA

T

R CA

THE KATIE COMPASS (LEFT) ILLUSTRATES THE PATHWAY STUDENTS WILL FOLLOW THROUGH THEIR ST. CATHERINE EDUCATION.

T

Katie Compass The second initiative is the development of the Katie Compass, pairing students’ academic offerings with a path to guide their involvement in co-curricular and high-impact practices. The compass is composed of two parts: the path and the guides.

To identify their paths, students will pair their academic major or program with at least one highimpact practice, such as collaborative research, honors studies, global experiences, service learning, internships, or leadership programs.

As a complement, their guides ensure they have the necessary support for academic success and career readiness. This includes enhanced academic- and faculty-advising support structures and resources, augmented mentorship programs, and a robust preprofessional advising program for students pursuing advanced degrees in fields such as healthcare (pre-med) or law.

Office of Scholarly Engagement The third major initiative is the development of the Office of Scholarly Engagement, which will coordinate, improve access to, and increase participation in high-impact practices by infusing them throughout the student learning experience.

High-impact practices are teaching and learning methods that have proven to be beneficial for college students from various backgrounds. These methods also help promote academic excellence and career readiness. St. Catherine University already offers many high-impact practices including service learning, internships, and mentoring.

The Office of Scholarly Engagement will promote student success and increase accessibility for all students by focusing on experiences that provide access to diverse ideas and people. Additionally, the Office will help identify barriers to participation in these experiences and implement strategies to make them inclusive for all students.

CULTURAL FLUENCY AND THE FUTURE In addition to these three initiatives, the Academic Master Plan relies on the intentional development of cultural fluency to help graduates lead, influence, and develop global awareness. St. Kate’s will further facilitate cultural fluency by developing and maintaining a high-quality learning experience necessary for the careers of the future and citizenship in a diverse world.

Our work with students, guided by principles of Catholic Social Teaching, helps them understand and value principles of social justice and social responsibility. This experience includes strategy development to embed the core curriculum with course content that emphasizes knowledge of diverse groups and cultures as well as the development of cognitive complexity (especially as it relates to the discipline).

We also will work to close the opportunity gap between students of color and white students, and increase opportunities for intergroup dialogues in curricular and co-curricular student engagement.

The Academic Master Plan strategically improves our students’ educational experiences and strengthens the academic excellence for which St. Kate’s is known.

stkate.edu

15

Volunteer Impact Report Alumni donate time and talent to strengthen the St. Kate’s community We cannot thank you, our volunteers, enough for donating your time and talent to the University.

In 2019–2020, Alumni Relations reimagined the alumni volunteer program, welcoming more volunteers into reinvigorated opportunities that proved to be rewarding to both the volunteer and the St. Kate’s community.

For some, volunteering is simply a way to give back to their alma mater for what they received. “For me St. Kate’s was more than a university. It was a community that believed in me and supported me in every aspect,” says Dulce Ocampo ’18. “It feels good to know that my volunteer time is going to a good cause and creating positive long-term change for others.”

For others, like Mary Giannini ’90, it is an opportunity to direct energy toward supporting a younger Katie

HOURS SPENT VOLUNTEERING

Whatever the motivation may be, the alumni community gives an energy to St. Kate’s that reminds us all that Katies are a special sort of people with unyielding talent, ambition, and heart. For every hour given, every task completed, and every goal accomplished, we thank you.

280 240 200 VOLUNTEERS

Flexible volunteer opportunities are available to fit almost any commitment level. There are one-time, short-term, and long-term positions.

who is on a similar path. “During my first The Reflective Woman (TRW) interview session, the student and I realized we were both transfer students, from low income families, entering a private college, and at first felt that many of the students who attended were in a different social class than we were and were somehow ‘better.’ I hope that sharing my experiences helped her to feel more confident about herself and be proud of who she is and where she comes from.”

160 120 80 40 0

16

ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY • FALL 2020

.75–1

1.5

2

3–5 6–15 TIME IN HOURS

16–25

26–30+

Get involved today in a one-time, short-term, or long-term opportunity.

Visit stkate.edu/volunteer.

2019–2020 Alumni Volunteers MOST POPULAR VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES*

1. TRW Interviews 2. Class Leader 3. Volunteer Speaker 4. Event Volunteer 5. Reunion

49 58

143

*Alumni volunteered in 50+ different ways.

193 VOLUNTEER FREQUENCY

154

I am so grateful for all the University has done for me, and I want to continue that cycle to help other women thrive, because when we as a society support women, everyone benefits. It feels good to know that your time or money is going to a good cause and creating positive long-term change for others. ­—­DULCE OCAMPO ’18

Giving back to St. Kate’s is my way of supporting the principles and values that were present when I was a student. I am not able to contribute very much financially, but I can give my valuable time and energy, both of which are returned to me twofold.

—ELLEN WHITTED ’93 St. Kate’s most frequent alumni volunteer in FY20

TOTAL ALUMNI VOLUNTEERS

727

UNIQUE ALUMNI VOLUNTEERS

482

TOTAL STUDENTS IMPACTED

800+

ALUMNI HOURS CONTRIBUTED

2,319

MOST ACTIVE GRADUATION YEAR

2019

with 31 volunteers

ALUMNI VOLUNTEER GRADUATION YEARS

1949–2019 stkate.edu

17

The Integrated Learning Series: Liberal Arts in Action

BY ELISABETH WULF ’21 It may seem impossible that two courses as seemingly disparate as statistical analysis and ceramics could have anything in common. But at St. Catherine University, the Integrated Learning Series provides the opportunity for creative and critical conversation across various interdisciplinary fields by creating connections across campus through a central theme.

As each academic year begins, the stage is set for the series with a multifaceted theme like “change.” It may take its inspiration from a book, such as Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower during the 2018–19 academic year, or social justice issues as the summer 2020 series on facing systemic racism did.

Tarshia Stanley, PhD, dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Sciences (left), makes it her mission to bring the liberal arts to life through the series in a way that reflects the University’s values.

“My vision is that students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the community know that St. Kate’s is their partner and ambassador in facilitating lifelong learning,” says Stanley. “The Integrated Learning Series is the place we continue to meet our constituents and empower them to be ethical, equitable, and intellectual citizens and leaders. It is the best of a liberal arts pedagogy at work.”

She explains that the series intends to tell a story about St. Kate’s identity, mission, and communal purpose. With each activity, speaker, performance, exhibition, and classroom conversation, a page is added to the narrative.

The academic year is filled with opportunities for individuals to cross paths with different dimensions of the University’s theme, including library exhibitions, artist workshops, theater performances, and alumni activities. Faculty might incorporate the theme into

18

ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY • FALL 2020

“

It is the best of a liberal arts pedagogy at work.

–TARSHIA STANLEY, PhD Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Sciences

their syllabi in ways that engage students with their subject in a local and global real-world context.

Important questions raised inside the classroom are interwoven with varied perspectives expressed outside the classroom, when campus organizations hold events centered around the theme.

The greater St. Kate’s community is invited to continue the dialogue during campuswide presentations, lectures, and guest speakers. During a summer 2020 Integrated Learning Series event, “At the Confluence of the Liberal Arts and Social Justice — Race in the Machine,” St. Kate’s professors and experts from around the nation were invited to share their perspectives on addressing racism.

The Integrated Learning Series brings the liberal arts to life, stitching together different fields of knowledge through experience. The fall 2020 semester will continue the theme “change” with a focus on the election and historical suffrage movements, weaving together the liberal arts, St. Kate’s values, and our present day through connected learning experiences for the entire community.

Learn more at stkate.edu/integrated-learning-series.

SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR BIGGEST DAY OF GIVING! stkate.edu/gokatiegive

Amanda Ramirez ’20 Rachael Yates ’13, MPH’20

PHOTO/REBECCA SLATER ’10, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

PHOTO/REBECCA SLATER ’10, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

“ 20

ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY • FALL 2020

St. Kate’s is the place where I explored and discovered who I was without the other voices [from my past] telling me what I was supposed to be.

–COMFORT DONDO ’15

Katies in Action

Comfort Dondo’s “Big, Audacious Vision”

BY MARY PATTOCK ’66

A man brought an African woman to Minnesota.

He married her, then abused her. To keep her silent and under his control, he tried to sabotage her efforts to obtain a green card, putting her at risk for deportation and losing her two children.

Comfort Dondo ’15 1 got her an attorney; the woman won her case and is now a citizen.

In suburban St. Paul, an abuser walked out on his African-born wife and their children. He took everything with him, leaving them not even beds to sleep on.

Dondo got them beds and bedding.

These are just two of the 1,200 women Dondo has helped through Phumulani, the nonprofit she founded in 2017 to help African-immigrant and refugee women of the Twin Cities, who have survived domestic and sexual abuse. Phumulani’s help is culturally specific: Dondo recruits volunteers who know a survivor’s language, culture, and religious values. They help survivors learn to talk about a subject so taboo they may not have words for it, and they help source legal, medical, and other community services. Dondo is currently looking to purchase a multi-family unit “where women can start over and get back their lives.”

Growing up in a small township in Zimbabwe, Dondo chose St. Catherine University because she was inspired by its mission to teach women to lead and influence. “I wanted to go somewhere I would be taught that as a woman. My culture did not provide that for girls.”

A childhood victim of sexual assault, Dondo found St. Kate’s to be “a home away from home,” and was particularly inspired by the support of social workers in its Access and Success student-parent program.

Dondo says, “St. Kate’s is the place where I explored and discovered who I was without the other voices [from my past] telling me what I was supposed to be.”

1

Comfort Dondo ’15 is a member of the leadership cabinet for LEAD & INFLUENCE: The Campaign for the Next Level of Excellence.

After graduating with a degree in social work, Dondo worked for the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence for a couple of years. Frustrated by gaps she observed between policymakers and “social workers on the ground,” she decided to pursue her master’s in public policy at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute.

“I wanted to understand policy — how it’s made and how I can create change in the policy space.”

She founded Phumulani as one of her master’s capstone projects.

Today, she is a candidate for a doctorate in leadership at St. Mary’s University in Minneapolis.

Dondo now shares her story to help others. “I’m not a survivor anymore. I’m a conqueror. When you are in the survivor space, you are still in survival mode.

I found healing, and now I am healing others, so I say I am a conqueror.

“I survived childhood sexual assault, but I didn’t talk about it until I was 25, after a lot of trauma-induced behaviors [that included] going back into the cycle of abuse and marrying a man who was abusive to me. I think the healing part of my story is the most powerful,” she says.

“I don’t focus on what did not work in the past … but on what I did learn from that experience. I’m very much an optimist. If not, I would have given up a long time ago.”

Dondo wants Phumulani — which means “lover of peace” in Zulu — to grow. Now in its third year, it has an office in Minneapolis and is supported by the Bush Foundation, Women’s Foundation, HRK Foundation, and private donations.

In February, Dondo met with African First Ladies at the Timeless Women’s Conference in Rwanda, where she received invitations to speak in Malawi and Tanzania, and was chosen to lead the 2021 conference in Malawi. Phumulani currently has a presence in Uganda, and Dondo hopes to have the organization welcomed into more African countries. “That’s my big, audacious vision for this year,” she says.

stkate.edu

21

PHOTO/REBECCA SLATER ’10, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY • FALL 2020

22

Under-representation within Minnesota economics students1

More Than Money Minnesota Center for Diversity in Economics aims to change the world — one student at a time.

31%

WOMEN 60% of all U.S. undergraduates are women

BY ANDY STEINER

12%

T

here’s no way around it: economics is a maledominated f ield. But if Kristine West, PhD, associate professor of economics at St. Catherine University, has anything to do with it, things are going to start changing. Soon.

West (left), who earned a doctorate after a career teaching high-school economics, says the gender gap and lack of diversity in her program “was really apparent.”

And when she took a closer look at working economists, economics professors, and students signed up for courses or majoring in economics — she was shocked.

“Even though 60 percent of all U.S. undergraduates are women,” West says, “on average, only about 30 percent of economics undergraduates are women. Men are 2-to-1 overrepresented in economics, and that’s just at the undergraduate level. It gets worse through graduate programs.”

For women of color, the gap is even wider. West adds, “In 2019, just 4 percent of economics PhDs were awarded to African-American women.1 That’s a really shocking statistic.”

West believes the gender gap can be chalked up to outdated thinking that has inf luenced the field of economics for decades.

PEOPLE OF COLOR

4%

WOMEN OF COLOR

1

Calculations based on 2015–2017 IPEDS data for four-year colleges and universities

stkate.edu

23

“The dominant thinking in economics has been, ‘There’s no need for diversity. Competition is efficient and if competition leads to an all white or all male field, so be it,’” she says. “But when you think like that, you’re missing perspectives. You’re missing out on new ideas, and you’re missing out on good, sharp questions that challenge assumptions. And many of these assumptions are wrong.”

St. Kate’s economics department doesn’t look like departments at other schools. As would be expected at a woman-centered university, the majority of the student body identifies as female. But what really sets the program apart is its all-female faculty.

“That’s an anomaly,” West says. “It’s super unusual, and it’s a great asset for our students. We really are the leaders in that area.”

Also setting St. Kate’s economics department apart from those at other universities is the foundational work of two long-time faculty members: professor emeritus Nasrin Jewell, PhD (below left), and professor Deep Shikha, PhD (below right). “Together, they worked to build a department that values diverse voices and supports women — especially women of color,” West says.

While it felt rewarding to be part of an all-female economics faculty that teaches an ethnically diverse group of female students, West knew she needed to do something bigger if she wanted to influence real change in her field.

An idea came to her. With its international reputation and history as a leader in women’s education, St. Catherine University was the ideal place to launch the Minnesota Center for Diversity in Economics (MCDE), a new initiative aimed at diversifying economics through education, outreach, and activism.

West had a sabbatical coming up, and she decided to devote that time to researching the economics gender gap and setting a timetable for establishing MCDE. “I felt like MCDE needed to be here at St. Kate’s,” she recalls. “I wanted to connect us to the national conversation about representation in economics, but I also wanted to think about what that national network was missing and define exactly how we could contribute to that conversation. St. Kate’s has so much to offer, and I felt like the time was right for us to step up and get this done.”

When Tarshia Stanley, PhD, dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Sciences, learned about West’s idea, she enthusiastically supported it and was excited to see what West and her colleagues could achieve.

“The MCDE is a perfect match for St. Kate’s,” Stanley says. “When we think about the University’s call to educate women to lead and influence, it is exactly what the MCDE is engaged in — not just at St. Kate’s, but in the field of economics in general. They are dedicated to making sure there is a steady flow of women into the field, and that’s so aligned with everything we do at the University.”

BIRTH OF A CENTER In fall of 2018, West emerged from her sabbatical year fired up about MCDE and the possibilities it presented for real change.

Thanks to special funding provided by a U.S. Department of Education Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) grant, MCDE was able to hire Libby Kula ’19 (economics and math) as a part-time program

24

ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY • FALL 2020

LEFT: (L-R) MAAKWE CUMANZALA ’19, KHADIDJA NGOM (MACALESTER COLLEGE), AND KRISTINE WEST, PhD, PRESENTING THEIR RESEARCH AT SCHOLARS AT THE CAPITOL, THROUGH THE COLLABORATIVE UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PROGRAM. JANUARY 2019. BELOW: LIBBY KULA ’19, WHO HELPED LAUNCH THE MCDE, IS NOW PURSUING HER PhD IN APPLIED ECONOMICS. PHOTO/COURTESY OF THE MINNESOTA PRIVATE COLLEGE COUNCIL

coordinator. With Kula’s help, West and her economics colleagues were able to give MCDE clearer definition, creating a visual identity and the tagline “More Voices, More Possibilities.”

Thanks to insights from Kula and other students, West’s founding concept of MCDE grew.

“Initially I was going to give the center a name that was more focused on women and economics,” West says, “But it was really the students here at St. Kate’s who urged me not to focus too narrowly on gender. Our students know that St. Kate’s strength clearly is promoting women, but also the intersectional approach of promoting diversity in women, and defining identity and diversity more broadly than, ‘We need more women.’ Our name had to reflect that.”

In order to promote true diversity in the field of economics, West believes that MCDE has to spread its influence wide, reaching beyond the St. Kate’s campus to middle and high school students and their teachers.

With that goal in mind, West initiated a partnership with the Minnesota Council on Economic Education (MCEE), a nonprofit that supports a statewide network of seven independent centers studying economic education. While the other centers are geographically focused on doing outreach in their communities, MCDE has a broader reach; the partnership helps them build

connections with an established network of high school teachers around the state.

Kula helped write a memorandum of understanding for collaborations with MCEE that made the case for how MCDE’s mission sets it apart from the state’s other centers of economic education.

“The point made was that we’d go into high schools to prepare teachers to teach economics and to encourage more young women of color to enter the field,” Kula says.

“We explained that we’d also work directly with students to explore different career paths and research areas within economics.”

stkate.edu

25

PHOTO/REBECCA SLATER ’10, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

When women and people of color are excluded from economic decisions and policymaking, that leads to bad policies.

–CAROLINE KRAFFT, PhD

The focus on diversifying the field of economics is about far more than optics, Dean Stanley says. Economics runs the world’s nations, and until a more diverse range of scholars can add their voices to the debate, key economic decisions will continue to be made by and for a select few.

“This is about bringing in a very diverse understanding and ability to answer the world’s problems,” Stanley says.

“We’re not at our best when we don’t have a variety of people from a variety of backgrounds working to tackle the major challenges.”

Caroline Krafft (above), associate professor of economics, says that building a broad, diverse base in the field of economics will take time, but the end result will be worth all efforts.

“We want to make sure economic decisions are made with the best information available,” she says. “When women and people of color are excluded from economic decisions and policymaking, that leads to bad policies.

It’s important to have a good variety of perspectives.”

SPREAD THE MESSAGE One way to draw a more diverse mix of people to study economics is to let more young people know what economics has to offer.

“We’re really interested in getting more girls and young women, and more people in the community who really represent the community, to be aware of economics as a field while they are in high school and middle school,” West says. “That way, the pipeline of students arriving at college is full of people interested in economics and thinking about what it has to offer.”

26

ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY • FALL 2020

West says that MCDE takes this targeted inf lux of students seriously, conducting outreach to teachers and students before they get to college. The Center’s partnership with MCEE paves the way for St. Kate’s faculty and students to visit schools around the state, spread the gospel of economics, and make the case for why a young person should consider giving the field a try.

Maakwe Cumanzala ’19 (economics and mathematics) , an MCDE board member, has visited with diverse groups of teens and shared the benefits of studying economics at a number of Minnesota schools.

“Students of color and girls don’t always see economics as an option, and many don’t understand the tools they gain by studying economics,” Cumanzala says. “It’s my job to let them know.”

Cumanzala attended the 2020 Sadie T.M. Conference for Economics and Related Fields, an event to connect Black women in quantitative disciplines. She returned with an idea for the MCDE: She appreciated the mentorship program she experienced with the Sadie Collective, and she envisioned a similar program for St. Kate’s economics students.

In March, in response to the COVID-19 crisis, MCDE piloted a virtual mentorship program designed to allow first- and second-year students to remain connected with mentors in the Economics and Political Science Department.

The MCDE team brainstormed how to expand the virtual model to reach the weakest points along the economics education and career pipeline. They were awarded a $14,000 grant from the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota to kick off the new mentorship program, which they dubbed Cross- Generational Femxle Economists Mentorship (C-FEM).

Rather than pairing just two female or gendernonbinary economists, each C-FEM mentorship team

PHOTO/COURTESY OF FARDOWSA ABDINOOR

PHOTO/REBECCA SLATER ’10, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

ABOVE: LIBBY KULA ’19 DISCUSSING HER RESEARCH WITH ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF THEOLOGY, COLLEEN CARPENTER, PhD, DURING SUMMER SCHOLARS 2018. RIGHT: FARDOWSA ABDINOOR IS THE PROGRAM COORDINATOR FOR MCDE.

will include a high school student, a St. Kate’s introductory economics student, an upper-level St. Kate’s economics major, and an alumna who is a professional working in economics.

Drawing on their teams for support, high-school-aged participants will explore different economics topics and career paths through webinars and earn a certificate for each subject they master. The program is launching with St. Kate’s students and alumnae; the St. Kate’s students will benefit from mentoring young students into this pipeline and by building an identity as economists.

Fardowsa Abdinoor, MCDE program coordinator, joined the team in spring 2020. She appreciates the Center’s commitment to helping young women see the range of possibilities provided by economic study.

“I am passionate about the work we do at the MCDE,” she says. “I want girls to know that economics is not only about banking and financing, but also includes different areas of economic study, such as developmental, health, environmental, and others.”

The efforts to spread the word about economics aren’t limited to high schools. The MCDE is also spearheading events and presentations designed to spark interest in economics among non-economics majors at St. Kate’s as well.

“What we’re actually hoping to do with MCDE outreach is attract more people — nursing majors, public health majors, science majors — and give them an opportunity to see how economics affects their fields,” West explains.

She hopes that these activities and events will help illustrate that economics can be more than a bunch of white men in ties sitting around a boardroom table.

“One of the arguments for why econ is not attracting as many women is because they don’t know the breadth of things that economics actually applies to,” West says.

“We just have to help make the case, to say things like, ‘Did you know that economics can help you understand the economics of the environment?’ or ‘Did you know that public health has an economics component, and that taking economics courses will make you a better public health major?’”

Economics powers nearly everything in society, West continues. If women want to help make the world a better place, more of them need to get in on the action.

A PERFECT MATCH Interested parties can learn more about C-FEM here: stkate.edu/MCDE

Katies often take a circuitous route to economics.

Rather than selecting the major for its earning potential, West says, they tend to find it through other

stkate.edu

27

MAAKWE CUMANZALA ’19 RECEIVING THE OUTSTANDING YOUNG PROFESSIONAL AWARD AT THE 2020 SADIE T.M. CONFERENCE FOR ECONOMICS AND RELATED FIELDS. FEBRUARY 2020, WASHINGTON, D.C.

degree programs, including public policy, women and international development, or environmental studies.

Those programs require economics courses, and that’s when students learn how the field can be an engine that drives social change.

Take Cumanzala, for example. From her native Zimbabwe, she came to St. Kate’s planning to major in mathematics, but a first-year economics course titled “The Economics of Social Issues” swiftly turned her into a double major.

“I’ve always had a passion for solving the inequities I saw while growing up,” Cumanzala says, “but I didn’t know what tools I needed.” The course, which offered an economic perspective on current domestic and global social problems, inspired her and demonstrated how she can make a difference.

“That class really opened my eyes because we were talking about different inequalities in the world and how economics plays a role in them,” she says. “I thought, ‘This is the subject I should be studying.’”

Professor Krafft says she’s seen many students follow a similar path. “We have a lot of students who initially get interested in economics from a social-justice perspective. Economics helps you tackle tough issues.”

It may be that women are particularly interested in using economics for social change — or it may just be a good match with the St. Kate’s mindset.

“There’s interesting research showing that women and men tend to gravitate toward different questions within economics,” West says. “Women tend to gravitate toward questions about education, health, and public policy.

28

ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY • FALL 2020

Questions that use economics for the greater good. Men tend to focus on finances.”

An economics major carries a particular appeal for many Katies. “Economics is a practical set of skills that doesn’t prepare you for just one career,” Krafft says. “For example, you can work in government or become a corporate responsibility officer for a major corporation, ensuring your supply chain is free of child labor.”

Cumanzala, for her part, is heading to graduate school.

She plans to earn her PhD in economics, and she credits her time at St. Kate’s for helping her reach that decision.

“The University’s mission is ‘educating women to lead and inf luence,’” Cumanzala says. “I personally believe that economics is the language of power. What better way to educate women to lead and inf luence than to teach them the language of power? I plan to access some of that power.”

Economics is the language of power.

What better way to educate women to lead and influence than to teach them the language of power?

–MAAKWE CUMANZALA ’19

Around Campus ACADEMIC YEAR OPENS WITH A FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP St. Catherine University continued its traditional opening celebration this year, with a modern twist.

Instead of gathering in person, students, faculty, and staff crossed virtual channels to convene online.

This year’s theme, “leadership,” offered a pause in today’s chaotic life to look back and look ahead. “As a central tenet of our mission, leadership has been part of a St. Catherine education since our founding,” said ReBecca Koenig Roloff ’76, president of St. Catherine University. “This year, we are called to lead more than ever as we navigate a health pandemic, economic crisis, natural disasters, racism, and racial disparities.”

In that spirit, St. Kate’s celebrated the leadership of two women: Sister Mary Madonna Ashton, CSJ, ’44 (top right) and Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm (bottom right). The University conferred honorary degrees to Ashton and Malcolm. Both women have devoted their careers to pursuing health equity with wisdom and justice. Each shared her own reflections and advice for this year’s class.

“The most important thing is that students be themselves, enjoy what they’re doing, and do it the best they can,” advised Sr. Mary Madonna. “There’s no road map to what will make you famous, important, or intelligent. Good things will come your way — take advantage of them.”

Commissioner Malcolm, a veteran healthcare executive and nationally recognized expert on health policy,

is serving her second appointment as the Minnesota health commissioner. She noted, “This is a time when we all have to stay committed to being open to learning new things, to follow the facts, and be humble enough to change course when we learn something new.

“If we can learn the lessons that we’re seeing now, that the things we took for granted we can’t take for granted, we can build a more just, connected, humane, caring, and sustainable world. All of this can lead us to a brighter, healthier, more resilient future,” said Malcolm.

That future relies on the leaders who will graduate from St. Catherine University. Despite the many changes the community has faced over the past six months, according to Anita Thomas, PhD, executive vice president and provost, “One thing remains the same: We will still be the St. Catherine community, and we’ll still produce great leaders that will lead and influence change.”

stkate.edu

29

TWO MORE KATIES NAMED 2021–22 FULBRIGHT FINALISTS St. Catherine University congratulates two students who were named Fulbright finalists this year.

Addison Cross ’20 (left), was awarded a 2021–22 Fulbright grant to conduct research in El Salvador.

Cross, an international relations and Spanish major, has worked in El Salvador before and plans to use her time as a grantee to research the community-level relationship between international aid programs and an individual’s likelihood to migrate.

Erin Nelsen ’20 (right), received a Fulbright grant to attend Aberystwyth University in Wales. With this yearlong Master of Arts program, Nelsen — a doublemajor in international relations and women and international development — will study international relations with a concentration in feminist security.

The highly prestigious Fulbright program has been setting the standard for competitive scholarships since 1946. Since 1953, more than 45 Katies have received this fellowship. Thousands of students around the globe compete for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program every year — only one in five applicants receive the award.

30

ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY • FALL 2020

ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR NAMED EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL OF INDOEUROPEAN STUDIES Emily Blanchard West, PhD, associate professor of classics and history, has been named editor-in-chief of the Journal of Indo-European Studies. West’s title appears on the masthead of the Fall/Winter 2020 issue.

This peer-reviewed journal is dedicated entirely to understanding the exchange and synthesis of information relating to the origin and evolution of the Indo-European language family and to the anthropology, archaeology, mythology, and general cultural history of Indo-European-speaking peoples.

“Being asked to edit a long-standing journal with a stellar reputation and a global reach is one of the highest recognitions of scholarship and expertise,” says Tarshia Stanley, PhD, dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Sciences.

West teaches a range of courses from classics, English, fine arts, and history. She also leads a Hindu mythology class to Nepal every two years through the Upper Midwest Association for Intercultural Education (UMAIE). To West, this editorship solidifies her feelings about St. Kate’s, where she is able to teach across multiple departments simultaneously, because there is no one-way approach to Indo-European studies.

“It takes a really special place where there are so many areas you can teach in,” West says.

KATIES RANK AMONG TOP FIVE IN MIDWEST ECONOMICS ASSOCIATION RESEARCH PAPER CONTEST Two St. Catherine University economics students made Katie history when they were ranked among the top five submissions in the 2020 Midwest Economics Association (MEA) research paper contest. This is the first time St. Kate’s students were recognized by the MEA’s competition, which is usually dominated

by Big Ten schools.

Isabel Pastoor ’20 (left) and Elizabeth Kula ’19 (right) received honorable mentions for papers that they first composed in fall 2019 for their Econometrics class taught by Professor Kristine West, PhD. Pastoor, who double-majored in economics and women and international development, researched the role household predictors play in a mother’s decision for her daughter to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM) in Senegal. She took a microeconomic approach to the issue by incorporating household power dynamics using quantitative tools. She dug deeper to investigate why this tradition continues and questioned why the focus was on the characteristics of the infants undergoing FGM when it truly relies on family members making decisions in the household.

Pastoor hopes to conduct more applied research in

graduate school, exploring women’s rights with an emphasis on reproductive health.

Kula, who graduated with a double-major in economics and mathematics, helped launch the Minnesota Center for Diversity in Economics at St. Kate’s. Her submission studied the effect unemployment has on the decision to enter the illegal ivory trade. Kula used her data analysis skills to look at ending elephant poaching, but doing so in a way that does not eliminate people’s money-making opportunities. Kula appreciated the clarity she gained from this experience as she pursues a career as an academic economist. She is currently pursuing her PhD in applied economics at the University of Minnesota, aiming to conduct further research on endangered species and biodiversity conservation.

While MEA canceled its annual conference due to COVID-19, Pastoor and Kula were able to present their papers through a webinar.

For more St. Kate’s news and to read full announcements, visit stkate.edu/news. stkate.edu

31

MARY CLAIRE FRANCOIS ’23 (INSET) CO-FOUNDED THE NONPROFIT THE REAL MINNEAPOLIS, WHICH FOCUSES ON COMMUNITY PROJECTS LIKE THIS SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS YOUTH GARDEN.

FEAST OF ST. CATHERINE CELEBRATION Join us November 23 for a virtual gathering to honor our namesake saint.

Watch for details at stkate.edu/feast.

GEORGE FLOYD LEGACY SCHOLARSHIP: INVESTING IN THE FUTURE With a deep and long commitment to social justice, St. Catherine University responds to the call to create a scholarship honoring the life of George Floyd. We will create the George Floyd Legacy Scholarship.

This significant and prestigious scholarship will be awarded to a Black American student pursuing a degree that prepares them for a career to lead and promote social justice, specifically related to racism.

To learn more or contribute, contact Institutional Advancement at giving@stkate.edu or 651-690-6093.

Gifts to the George Floyd Legacy Scholarship also count toward LEAD & INFLUENCE: The Campaign for the Next Level of Excellence.

32

ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY • FALL 2020

STUDENT FOUNDS NONPROFIT TO SUPPORT SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS COMMUNITY Mary Claire Francois ’23, a student-athlete and sophomore studying pre-nursing at St. Catherine University, is exemplifying St. Kate’s values of social justice and community by effecting positive change in her South Minneapolis neighborhood.

After witnessing the destruction following George Floyd’s death in May 2020, Francois and two fellow South Minneapolis residents founded the nonprofit organization The Real Minneapolis. Its mission is to lift up their community through a variety of sociallyconscious projects, many which are focused on engaging youth. “These kids are our future, and that is where a lot of my passion for youth involvement in The Real Minneapolis comes from,” Francois says.

Hope Beyond Rubble is one such project that employs young community members to place flower installations near burnt buildings along Lake Street and Chicago Avenue. Francois says, “It helps to bring some new life and hope to the area.” Another project is the South Minneapolis Youth Garden, a vegetable and flower garden that youth workers plant and tend, which also functions as a place of solace for the community.

It has been a huge undertaking, but as Francois reflects on the experience, “the payoff of seeing my community happy and smiling is absolutely fulfilling.”

Learn more about The Real Minneapolis at realmpls.org.

Are you receiving all of St. Kate’s emails and publications? Update your contact information and preferences: stkate.edu/alumni or 651-690-6666

ST. KATE’S 2020–21 BOOK EVENTS ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY AWARDED $1.3M TRIO GRANT FROM THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

ST. KATE’S READS November 9, 2020 Alumni are welcome to gather virtually for an in-depth book discussion with St. Kate’s history professor Jane Lamm Carroll, PhD, on her newly released book.

Daybreak Woman: An Anglo-Dakota Life

By Jane Lamm Carroll, PhD

March 1, 2021

St. Catherine University has been awarded a $1.3 million competitive grant over five years from the United States Department of Education to establish a TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) program.

The program provides support to students with high academic abilities, but who may experience challenges due to disabilities and neurodiverse traits; students who are the first generation of their families to attend college; and students with financial need.

This program will connect them with the high-impact curricular and cocurricular services they need to successfully complete their degrees at St. Kate’s.

Save the Date: spring St. Kate’s Reads event

The 140 undergraduate students selected through an application process to participate in the program will be connected with the tools they need to overcome these challenges. Anchored in a responsive advising model, St. Kate’s SSS project engages students as partners in mapping their academic journey and accessing the high-impact curricular and cocurricular services that students benefit from as they pursue their degrees.

Our 2021 Myser lecturer, Christiana Zenner, associate professor of theology, science, and ethics at Fordham University and author, will share her work in fresh water ethics with the St. Kate’s community. Watch for event details at stkate.edu/myser.

For more than 50 years, this competitive grant awards funds to institutions of higher education to create TRIO SSS projects. The project at St. Catherine University will be housed in Academic Advising.

WORDPLAY Spring 2021

CONVERSATION WITH BOOKS February 6, 2021 An annual favorite, this event brings together a panel of faculty and alumni to discuss the best of new fiction and nonfiction. Watch for the booklist release in early winter.

MYSER LECTURE April 2021

Just Water: Theology, Ethics, and Fresh Water Crises

By Christiana Zenner

The Loft Literary Center and St. Kate’s present the third annual community book festival. Authors, readers, and writers from across disciplines and genres gather to swap stories with readers of all tastes.

Stay updated on the latest book events at stkate.edu/books.

stkate.edu

33

Bookmark

A look at faculty-published books

BY KAYLA FORBES MBA’17 AND PRAGYA KARMACHARYA ’21 Faculty are the sails of a University ship, capturing ideas and innovating in ways that actively move students and the University forward.

When faculty members pursue their chosen expertise to its fullest through research, innovations, and interdisciplinary collaboration, they are optimized to educate students through rigorous coursework. Every year, faculty publish dozens of books and articles. Below are just few from the last few years that we thought you’d find interesting.

34

ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY • FALL 2020

Voicing Girlhood in Popular Music: Performance, Authority, Authenticity (2016)

Working Towards Racial Equity in First-Year Composition: Six Perspectives (2018)

Edited by Jacqueline Warwick and Allison Adrian, PhD, Associate Professor, Music and Women’s Studies

By Renee DeLong, Taiyon J. Coleman, PhD, Associate Professor, English, Kathleen Sheerin DeVore, Shannon Gibney, Michael Kuhne, Valerie Déus

While girls’ voices are more prominent than ever in popular music culture, the specific sonic character of the young female voice is routinely denied authority.

Nevertheless, girls raise their voices and make themselves heard. This volume unravels the complexities bound up in music and girlhood.

The Role of the Physical Therapist Assistant: Regulations and Responsibilities (2nd edition 2017)

By Holly M. Clynch, PT, DPT’09, MAOL’02, Professor, Physical Therapist Assistant

This textbook explores the physical therapist assistant role and the rules and regulations that govern the position. It also lays out how to smoothly transition from clinical or school work to a professional setting.

Life Balance: Science and Stories of Everyday Living (2016)

By Kathleen Matuska, PhD, MPH, OTR/L FAOTA, Professor, Occupational Therapy

Five scientists who study life balance were asked, “What are the five things we can agree on about life balance?”

They all agreed without hesitation. This book delves into each of the five characteristics backed up and supported by research.

Parenting as Spiritual Practice and Source for Theology: Mothering Matters (2017)

By Claire Bischoff, Assistant Professor, Theology, Elizabeth O’Donnell Gandolfo, Annie Hardison-Moody

With the use of both narrative and theology, intergenerational and intercultural mother-scholars investigate questions around religion, motherhood, pastoral care, theology, and general ways to fuel spiritual parenting. This book uses both practical and systemic theory to explore the experiences of motherhood by those in both privileged and underprivileged communities.

This book explores some of the challenges for students and teachers within writing classrooms at historically white-dominated educational institutions. It focuses on the ideas that equality and identity along with institutional (historical and contemporary), social, and political positions are the root of successful writing pedagogy, curricular development, and student success in the college composition classroom.

Professional Autonomy in Video Relay Service Interpreting: Perceptions of American Sign Language-English Interpreters (2019)

By Erica Alley, PhD, Assistant Professor, ASL and Interpreting

American Sign Language-English interpreters working in the video relay service (VRS) industry often exercise professional autonomy, even under the constraints of the VRS service. VRS is a federally funded service driven by for-profit companies supporting telecommunications for deaf individuals. This book explores ways the capitalist atmosphere of the VRS industry influences interpreters’ use of professional autonomy.

Our Dog Red: A Small Token of Remembrance (2019)

By Edward Sellner, PhD, Faculty Emeritus, Theology

A father and son lose their beloved dog Red on Good Friday, and the death leads them to reflect on their Christian beliefs. At this time, Sellner begins to explore a new field called animal theology. This is a memoir written to aid in healing and grief after the loss of a pet, exploring the concept of a pet’s soul and an afterlife for animals.

Five Practices for Equity-Focused School Leadership (2021)

By Sharon I. Radd, EdD, Associate Professor, Organizational Leadership, Gretchen G. Generett, Mark A. Gooden, George Theoharis

This comprehensive guide details five leadership meta-practices to increase educational equity and eliminate marginalization based on race, dis/ability, socioeconomics, language, sex, gender, sexual identity, and religion in preK-12 schools. Practical and accessible, it provides leaders with principles, tools, and activities for engaging the entire school community in transformative systemic change.

stkate.edu

35

Class Notes 1950 KATHERINE HUGHES BEIERS ’55 ran the New York City Marathon on November 3, 2019. She placed third in the 80+ age group, and she was the oldest woman to run the race. She has also placed in the Boston Marathon 14 times.

ANITA GERMAIN, CSJ, ’59 published a book, Because He Believed, about her nephew who had a double-lung transplant.

Sister Anita works as a holistic health therapist.

LYNN VOLKENANT ’78, MAED’95, EdD, graduated from the University of St. Thomas with a doctorate degree in education in May 2020.

1970

COLLEEN HAAS ’83, PhD, received the 2019 Foundational Studies Teaching Award in recognition of teaching excellence within the Indiana State University liberal arts core requirements program.

In 2016, she was selected for the Faculty Award for CommunityBased Learning and Scholarship for bringing African music study to students and the community.

Haas is faculty in the African and African-American studies program at Indiana State University.

SUSAN JESKA ’74, EdD, MBA, BAN, RN, FAAN, was inducted into the American Academy of Nursing in Washington, DC, on October 26, 2019. She is currently vice president of the Center for Clinician Advancement at UnitedHealth Group.

1980

KATHERINE HUGHES BEIERS ’55 SUSAN JESKA ’74, EdD, MBA, BAN, RN, FAAN MARY BENNETT ’78 was recently included on the Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisors list.

36

ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY • FALL 2020

COLLEEN HAAS ’83

SOME MEMBERS FROM THE CLASS OF 1980 GATHERED VIRTUALLY.

FROM TOP (L-R): RUTH HAAG BROMBACH ’60, NANCY JAMIESON ’80, BETH RIEDEL CARNEY ’82, JEAN ZIEGEWEID ROKKE ’80, BETSY POLAKOWSKI ’80, PATTY OPPEGARD DUEBER ’80, ANNE DUXBURY RENAKER ’80, GINNY STEINHAGEN ’80, MARY JO DEPAUW ROWLEY ’80, BARBARA MORTINSON BAUMGARTEN ’80, AND LISA BARTH POLACHEK ’80

SUZANNE HEIDELBERG ANDERSON ’83, PEGGY KEMP KRATZ ’83, TERESA ROLFES SCHULTZ ’84, AND LENNIE HEALEY SCHULTZ ’82 gathered together to cheer on the Wildcats swimming and diving team in February as they placed first at the MIAC championship.

ANNE K. MCKEIG ’89, a University trustee, was the recipient of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare’s 2020 Child Welfare Leadership Award. McKeig, an associate justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court, began her career as an assistant Hennepin County attorney in 1992 in the Child Protection Division. In 2008, Governor Pawlenty appointed her to the 4th Judicial District bench.

Throughout her career, she played a pivotal role in developing protocols and programs for child protection and Indian child welfare.

1990 AMY POLSKI LARSON ’91, MAED’05 took the position of chief development officer for the College of Pharmacy at the University of Minnesota in July.

2000 WILLIAM LE VOIR-BARRY ’02, chief technology officer for IBM’s Esports and Video Games, spoke at Glase ToJoy conference in Vienna in November.

SUZANNE HEIDELBERG ANDERSON ’83, PEGGY KEMP KRATZ ’83, TERESA ROLFES SCHULTZ ’84, AND LENNIE HEALEY SCHULTZ ’82 CATHERINE ADAMS ’85 was named principal of River Middle School in the Napa Valley Unified School District.

ANNE K. MCKEIG ’89

stkate.edu

37

ABIGAIL BURROWS WHITE ’03 was awarded a 2020 Leadership Award from the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) Nurses Association on May 14, 2020. She has been an active duty Navy Nurse Corps officer for 16 years, currently serving as the clinical nurse specialist of the Emergency Department at WRNMMC.

ANGELIQUE HOWE BASKIN ’04 was promoted to the position of customer support manager and officer at First National Bank and Trust in Beloit, Wis.

REBECCA MCDONALD ’07, founder and director of BFRESH Productions, will be working with the City of Minneapolis to reimagine their public access television. BFRESH began this work in July 2020.

MICHELLE SIEBEN DOREE ’08 married Brian Doree on September 21, 2019, at Christ Episcopal Church in Woodbury, Minn.

ANGELIQUE HOWE BASKIN ’04

ABIGAIL BURROWS WHITE ’03

MELINDA REEDER ’05 was named the new principal of Bethlehem Academy in Faribault, Minn. in July 2020.

LAWRENCE RICHARDSON ’05 was named the lead pastor of Linden Hills United Church of Christ in Minneapolis in a near-unanimous vote in October 2019.

SARA AGONSTINELLI ’06, EdD, graduated with her doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Montana in May 2020.

38

ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY • FALL 2020

MICHELLE SIEBEN DOREE ’08

LINDSAY VERGIN BROWN ’08 accepted the position of vice president of sales and marketing for Beyond Clean in October 2019.

Beyond Clean is a healthcare education, consulting, and media company.

LAURA NELSON ’09, JD, was promoted to partner at Stinson, LLP. Nelson also serves as a board member of Gilda’s Club Twin Cities and a member of the Health Law Section Governing Council of the Minnesota State Bar Association.

KATRINA SANDE OTT ’09 and Ryan Ott welcomed their first child, Nolan, on January 30, 2020.

JACQUELINE SAWYER-KULESZA ’11, MBA’18 married Jordan Kulesza on November 23, 2019, at Our Lady of Victory Chapel.

MICHELLE PICKLE BROWN MAOT’12 and Jeff Brown welcomed their second child, Lucas Richard, in November 2019.

2010 JULIE HULL ’10 was named the principal of Scandia Elementary School in Forest Lake, Minn. in July 2020.

LINDSAY VERGIN BROWN ’08 LINDSAY BUTTERFIELD WHIPPLE ’09 and Christopher Whipple welcomed their second child, Patrick James, on October 25, 2019.

REBECCA ZENEFSKI SLATER ’10 and Mitchell Slater welcomed baby Maeve Elizabeth, on March 7, 2020.

LUCAS RICHARD

KYLIE WHITE ’14 was a finalist in the Star Tribune’s cookie contest in December 2019 for her recipe for smoky blue cheese and cherry biscuits.

PATRICK JAMES

MAEVE ELIZABETH

stkate.edu

39

MARGARET FISCHER HERRIGES MSW’17 married Daniel Herriges on January 18, 2020, at Our Lady of Victory Chapel.

RUBY BAYLISS ’17, a doctoral student at the Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health, won the student poster competition at the 2019 Field of Dreams Conference held by the Math Alliance, The National Alliance for Doctoral Studies in the Mathematical Sciences. Bayliss’ poster explored her research on the relationship between counties with low socioeconomic status and access to clean drinking water within the United States.

BRITT RHODES DSW’17 published an article in the Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work in 2019 titled, “Trauma-Informed Contemplative Pedagogy: Implications for Undergraduate Course Revision.” Rhodes is the director of the social work program at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.

ELIZABETH CAMBER GIBBONS DPT’19 married Patrick Gibbons on September 21, 2019, at the Church of Saint Mark in St. Paul.

KAITLYN SKOG FEATHERSTONE ’19 married Andrew Featherstone on February 15, 2020, in Vassa, Minn.

ROBYN ROHR ’17 was named as the head softball coach at Brevard College in North Carolina. Rohr most recently served as assistant coach for Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount, Minn.

SUBMIT A CLASS NOTE CONTACT US Online: stkate.edu/alumni Phone: 651-690-6666 Email: alumni@stkate.edu RUBY BAYLISS ’17

40

ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY • FALL 2020

facebook.com/katiealumni @StKatesAlums

DETAIL ON EXTERIOR OF OUR LADY OF VICTORY CHAPEL OF SAINT CATHERINE OF ALEXANDRIA (LEFT) AND SAINT THERESE OF LISIEUX.

In Memory w Our deepest sympathy to the families of the following staff member and graduates of St. Catherine University: Terry Devitt (Hoffman, Thein), former development office foundation relations, 2000–2001 w January 15, 2020 Gertrude Mack ’40 w April 3, 2020 Virginia McConville Welle ’42 w July 9, 2020 Maureen Lenaghan Bassing ’43 w November 30, 2019 Lauretta Newcombe Cochran ’43 w March 8, 2020 Ruth Brings Kremer ’44 w June 16, 2020 Katherine Dahleen Erickson ’45 w January 7, 2020 Helen Reidy O’Brien ’45 w January 10, 2020 Betty Lou Smith Roy ’45 w January 15, 2020 Evelyn McGinty Jacques ’46 w May 4, 2020 Gloria Krautkremer Barry ’47 w June 17, 2020 Margaret Caven Flintrop ’48 w January 10, 2020 Mary Gleason Abeln ’48 w January 19, 2020 Jeanne Hannon Larson ’48 w May 15, 2020 Rachael Jansen Schwendig ’48 w March 6, 2020 Lois Kovarik Brown ’48 w January 18, 2020 Mary Kral Senescall ’48 w December 26, 2019 Virginia Malthouse Chesla ’48 w May 3, 2020 Phyllis Menzner Kass ’48 w November 6, 2019 Mary O’Brien Reeves ’49 w April 13, 2020 Kathleen Sullivan Puff ’49 w April 16, 2020 Mary Louise Wright ’49 w February 14, 2020 Helen Flynn Isensee Swore Blatz ’50 w December 3, 2019

stkate.edu

41

Clare Hermes Eldredge ’50 w February 29, 2020 Patricia Manley ’50 w December 13, 2019 Bernice Rousseau Fisher ’50 w January 23, 2019 Dorothy Dubuque Rakoczy ’51 w January 28, 2020 Carol Schiefelbein Aitken ’51 w June 25, 2020 Terese Steman Miller ’51 w February 19, 2020 Mary L. Kosec ’52 w January 20, 2020 Jeanette Buczynski Kissinger ’53 w December 20, 2019 Ofelia Flores Murphy ’53 w December 30, 2019 Rosann Hoffmann Yurcek ’53 w December 21, 2019 Marianne Porter Gowen ’53 w April 17, 2020 Janet Walsh Peichel ’53 w April 28, 2020 Cerila Matias Rapadas ’54 w May 28, 2020 Marilyn Branchaud Beddor ’55 w February 14, 2020 Joan Paquin Anderson ’55 w April 30, 2020 Mary Lu Rachac Plante ’55 w April 20, 2020 Paula Y. Gallagher ’56 w December 24, 2019 Agnes (Agnes Pierre) Iten, CSJ, ’56 w January 6, 2020 Kathleen King Dehning ’56 w March 21, 2020 Mary Louise (John Gregory) Matt, CSJ, ’56 w February 14, 2020 Mary Colleen Moran Hansen ’56 w December 21, 2019 Ruth Bettendorf Meuwissen ’57 w July 2, 2020 Barbara Black Delaney ’57 w May 26, 2020 Rita F. Plotnik ’57 w December 23, 2019 Mary Ronzani ’57 w March 31, 2020 Mary Catherine Scheinost ’57 w March 18, 2020 Lorraine Kuchinka Dudley ’58 w January 7, 2020 Margaret Skaife Roloff ’58 w January 21, 2020 Judith Hadrath Wilson ’59 w November 17, 2019 Sonja Mauch Arnold ’59 w June 22, 2020 Kathleen Brandes Shearon ’60 w March 22, 2020 Catherine Kugler Weyrens ’60 w February 14, 2020 Mary Kathleen Gorman Grendahl ’61 w March 25, 2020 Marguerite Huntley Sweeney ’62 w January 26, 2020

42

ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY • FALL 2020

Bonnie Hyland Umeh ’62 w November 26, 2019 Elizabeth Keller Geiger ’62 w November 24, 2018 Carol Jo Laughlin Smith ’62 w April 14, 2020 Patricia Ostmoe ’62, PhD w March 30, 2020 Patricia Diebel Roark ’63 w November 16, 2019 Annette Auer Schumacher ’64 w July 10, 2019 Ann Gerth Garofalo ’64 w June 13, 2020 Mary Kaldahl Sweere ’64 w February 7, 2020 HelenAnne McCarthy ’64 w June 14, 2020 Virginia Clare Carlson Paradise ’67 w September 16, 2019 Teresa McNulty Forsgren ’67 w December 11, 2019 Mary Kathryn McConnell Muller ’69 w May 13, 2020 Jeanne Margaret Thill ’71 w December 13, 2019 Marie Shawn Carruth, OSB, ’72 w March 26, 2020 Karen J. Theis ’72 w May 1, 2020 Robbin Bahr Miller ’77 w April 29, 2020 Bridget A. Votel ’78 w May 3, 2020 Mirriam Nolan Thell ’82 w November 5, 2019 Katherine Thelemann Guettler ’84 w December 2, 2019 Ann Margaret Ruehling ’85 w January 28, 2020 CariAnn Jernberg Lynch ’91 w February 9, 2020 Janet Struck Brewster ’92 w March 25, 2020 Linda James Gagliardi ’93 w November 10, 2019 Anne Catherine Wheaton ’04 w April 1, 2020 Gary C. Brummond MLIS’06 w December 2, 2019 Mary Joellen Parent Johnson MAOL’06 w February 4, 2020 Judith Schlick Pryor MAT’07 w May 4, 2020

Would you like to make a memorial or tribute gift?

Please contact 651-690-6976 | giving@stkate.edu Contact us to share news of a death 651-690-6666 | inmemory@stkate.edu

CATHERINE McNAMEE, CSJ

PHOTO/REBECCA SLATER ’10, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

Catherine McNamee, CSJ, the eighth president to serve the College of St. Catherine, passed away on August 30.

“Sr. Catherine was a leader in the truest sense of the word,” said ReBecca Koenig Roloff ’76, president of St. Catherine University. “Her curiosity and drive to learn and share what she knew ultimately helped elevate both the local and national visibility of St. Catherine. She gave us the gift of servant leadership in action.”

As president of St. Catherine from 1979 to 1984, Sr. Catherine supported initiatives to meet the evolving needs of women. Through her insightful leadership, new directions advancing the mission were launched, including the weekend and evening college programs, opportunities for non-traditional adult students, implementing the Un Primer Paso program, recruiting Hispanic students and fostering a more diverse student body, advancing graduate programs for both women and men, and laying the groundwork for a merger with St. Mary’s Junior College.

Sr. Catherine continued to contribute to the advancement of St. Catherine University following her presidency, serving as professor of Multicultural Perspectives from 2006 to 2008; as an active, contributing, and highly respected member of the Board of Trustees from 2013 to 2019; and as Trustee Emerita beginning in 2019.

In 2012, the Catherine T. McNamee International Student Scholarship was established in her honor.

International students who are selected for this scholarship exemplify her spirit of bold leadership and unwavering commitment to social justice within the global community.

Sr. Catherine also held leadership roles and board positions for national and international institutions, including the National Catholic Educational Association, the International Federation of Catholic Universities, the International Organization of Catholic Education, the Inter-American Confederation of Catholic Education, the U.S. Catholic China Bureau, and several other academic institutions.

stkate.edu

43

ABOVE LEFT: ANNE JOACHIM MOORE, CSJ, ’37, ’47, MAT’01, EdD (1916–2010) PRESIDENT OF ST. MARY’S JUNIOR COLLEGE, BREAKS GROUND CIRCA 1976 FOR THE EDUCATION BUILDING. ABOVE RIGHT: AN ICONIC VIEW OF OLD MAIN, WHICH HOUSED CLASSROOMS, OFFICES, STUDENT RESIDENCES, AND RESOURCES.

Katie Diary

Minneapolis Campus Enters Its Next Phase

BY MICHELLE MULLOWNEY ’17 For more than a century, St. Catherine University’s Minneapolis campus has been a nexus of healing, education, and community. Through its iterations as a hospital, a school of nursing, college, and finally the official Minneapolis arm of the University, this piece of land has been integral to the work of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and St. Catherine University for women’s educational access and healthcare career programs. Now, it enters its next phase of caring for the dear neighbor, led by Fairview Health Services.

In 1887, Archbishop John Ireland invited the order to assume direction of St. Mary’s Hospital. The CSJs and other faculty and staff developed healthcare programming at the adjacent St. Mary’s Hospital School of Nursing, which became St. Mary’s Junior College in 1964. In 1986, the hospital merged with Fairview Health Services; the junior college became the College of St. Catherine’s Minneapolis campus. The Sisters gifted the campus to the University in 2017, and in 2019 Fairview Health Services purchased the land from the University.

The generosity of the Sisters, renowned for their forward thinking, is an investment in St. Catherine students, faculty, staff, and women leaders of today and tomorrow.

44

ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY • FALL 2020

Just as St. Kate’s healthcare history is interwoven with that of Fairview, memories of decades of CSJs, students, faculty, staff, and patients in this space live on with the new ownership of our longstanding partner, and the commitment to education, healing, and well-being of our communities shared by Fairview and St. Catherine University.

The last of the Minneapolis academic programs and offices completed the move to the St. Paul campus in summer 2020, and we now join in reflection with the students, alumni, faculty, staff, and Sisters who were fortunate enough to study, live, work, and teach in its classrooms, offices, and halls. The beautiful simplicity of the stained-glass windows, the iconic stone steps outside the entrance, and the park where seasonal changes mirrored the passage of each semester are all hallmarks through decades of healthcare education and community work. For the legacy they have built and their enduring gift, which positions the University for a strong, prosperous future, we are deeply grateful to the CSJs.

Read more about the Minneapolis campus’ history and celebration at stkate.edu/minneapolis.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: STUDENTS LEAVE THE EDUCATION BUILDING ON A WINTER DAY; STAINED-GLASS WINDOW DETAIL, OLD MAIN; NURSING CLASS OF 1912, ST. MARY’S SCHOOL OF NURSING; ANNE JOACHIM MOORE, CSJ, SIGNS THE MERGER OF THE JUNIOR COLLEGE TO BECOME THE ST. MARY’S CAMPUS OF THE COLLEGE OF ST. CATHERINE, WITH ST. CATHERINE PRESIDENT ANITA PAMPUSCH ’60, PHD, SECOND FROM RIGHT; THE STATUE OF THE VIRGIN MARY IN THE GARDEN BETWEEN ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY AND ST. MARY’S HOSPITAL SERVED AS A SPACE OF QUIET REFLECTION FOR DECADES; THE EDUCATION BUILDING, LEFT, AND OLD MAIN, RIGHT. PHOTOS/REBECCA SLATER ’10, BY REBECCA STUDIOS AND UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

stkate.edu

45

Marketing and Communications 4122 St. Catherine University 2004 Randolph Avenue St. Paul, MN 55105-1750 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID TWIN CITIES, MN PERMIT NO. 822