UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE
FALL 2023
“ all people So Earth and
thrive
”
From the St. Catherine University Sustainability Mission
PHOTO/TARA SLOANE
MOLLIE PIERSON ’25
A NEW ACADEMIC YEAR
As is tradition, students, faculty, staff, and community gathered on August 28 to officially begin 2023–24.
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT BETH HALLORAN VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI RELATIONS BETH RIEDEL CARNEY ’82 DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS SARAH VOIGT EDITOR MICHELLE MULLOWNEY ’17
CONTRIBUTORS RUTH HAAG BROMBACH ’60 BETHANY CATLIN-JOHNSON KARA DeMARIE MLIS’16 LINDSEY FREY PALMQUIST KENDALL GRAHAM LEAH KEITH ’24 MELISSA NEILL MOLLY ORTH AMY SHAW / ARCHIVES AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS TEAM
DESIGN DIRECTION HEATHER LONGMORE DESIGNER KAT BRAZ/THE ESC PLAN PHOTOGRAPHERS REBECCA ZENEFSKI SLATER ’10 TARA SLOANE RACHEL STOCKER
@st.kates @st_kates @stkates @St. Catherine University ADDRESS CHANGES 651-690-6666 ALUMNI@STKATE.EDU mag.stkate.edu
UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
FALL 2023
FEATURES for Our Common Home 6 Care St. Catherine University launches a new
Sustainability Committee and formally signs onto the Laudato Si’ Action Platform. BY LINDSEY FREY PALMQUIST
16 St. Catherine University’s Full Reaccreditation: Proof of the Power to Live the Mission
St. Kate’s 10-year reaffirmation from the Higher Learning Commission is an official, future-facing recognition of institutional excellence. BY MELISSA NEILL PHOTO/REBECCA ZENEFSKI SLATER ’10
St. Catherine University was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1905. Learn more: stkate.edu/ourhistory
Students, faculty, staff, CSJs, and community partners all across the University are doing essential work in sustainability initiatives, such as the St. Kate’s/CSJ Food Access Hub (FAH) collaboration with the CSJ Community Gardens. Read more on page 6. Pictured left to right: FAH/Gardens organizers Rin Kilde ’23, Jennifer Tacheny, Mollie Pierson ’25, and Zach Ludwig. PHOTO/TARA SLOANE
St. Catherine University Magazine is published three times a year by the Office of Communications. No part of this publication may be reprinted without permission.
ABOUT THE COVER
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FROM THE PRESIDENT
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CAMPAIGN UPDATE
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KATIES IN ACTION
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BOOKMARK
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AROUND CAMPUS
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CLASS NOTES
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IN MEMORY
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KATIE DIARY
PHOTO/REBECCA ZENEFSKI SLATER ’10
IN SEPTEMBER, THE O’SHAUGHNESSY PRESENTED “THE [UNCERTAIN] FOUR SEASONS.” THE PERFORMANCE REIMAGINED VIVALDI’S FAMOUS CONCERTOS AS IMPACTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE, AND FEATURED TOPICAL POETRY READINGS BY FOUR ST. KATE’S STUDENTS.
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PHOTO/REBECCA ZENEFSKI SLATER ’10
From the President
PHOTO/REBECCA ZENEFSKI SLATER ’10
Over 50 years ago when I accompanied a friend on her first campus visit to St. Kate’s, I was as struck by the beautiful campus as I was by the presence of women in leadership roles. The grounds are a highlight for alumni whenever they visit, for families watching the ducks at Dew Drop Pond, and for Katies studying under the leafy boughs of trees in the quad. The care of our cherished natural surroundings — the ancestral land of the Dakota people — is a stewardship that we undertake together with our employees, students, alumni, and neighbors. Today at St. Kate’s, sustainability takes many shapes and forms, from enrolling in the Laudato Si’ Action Platform to restoring native wildlife (read more on page 6). Katies are responding to the challenges of climate change as a call to social justice, creating student support and educational opportunities. All of these steps bear a clear connection to our mission and our founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. This mission of educating women to lead and influence was in mind in August when we received the wonderful news that the Higher Learning Commission has reaffirmed St. Kate’s accreditation through 2033 (page 16). This was the culmination of years of preparation, data collection, and ultimately a comprehensive report on our University and the people who carry forward our work every day. It is a mission that we know will continue well into the future as we approach the conclusion of LEAD & INFLUENCE: The
Campaign for the Next Level of Excellence (page 4). We look forward to celebrating the success of this campaign in November. As I read these stories, they seem to me a poignant landscape for a new era of St. Catherine leadership. This past summer, I shared my plans to retire in August 2024 with the St. Kate’s community (more on page 24). I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished together, and prouder still of the accomplishments I know St. Kate’s will achieve with the good work already done by faculty, staff, alumni, students, donors, and volunteers. Each brick on the St. Kate’s campus was placed here for the benefit of educating women. From one generation to the next, together we have nurtured the garden of ideas flourishing on this campus — through changes to the higher education landscape, changing awareness of our impact on our natural world, even changes in perceptions of what women are truly capable of doing. It is a beautiful, unending journey that we continue so our daughters and granddaughters may do the same for future generations. I begin my last year as president filled with gratitude and humbled by the inspiration our Katie community brings to this world, finding solutions to problems that may seem insurmountable. Katies always find a way, don’t they? In their hands, the health of our planet will mirror their future success, and grow better and brighter with each passing year. ReBecca Koenig Roloff ’76
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Celebrating the Impact of Your Generosity At the culmination of this seminal campaign, we honor the progress made together and look ahead to the future.
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n November 1, we concluded LE A D & INFLUENCE: The Campaign for the Next Level of Excellence with a record number of St. Catherine University alumni, faculty, staff, students, and community members. Thanks to these donors and volunteers, the impact of LEAD & INFLUENCE will resonate for generations to come. An institutional commitment to empowering women to lead and influence resounds through each of the four campaign pillars: Our Students, Our Faculty, Our Place, and the Katie Fund. In supporting these priorities, our community members bolster this mission and demonstrate the transformative power of a St. Kate’s education. Donor generosity is evident all across campus, where renovations to Our Lady of Victory Chapel and Mendel are underway. Sunlight shines through the newly replaced Chapel windows, illuminating a space that has been integral to life at St. Kate’s for almost a century. Restoration of the front steps, pews, roof, ceiling, electrical systems, and tower infrastructure are also in progress, investments that will protect the Chapel from wear and tear and allow it to stand tall for many more years to come. These projects will be complete in time
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for the Chapel’s 100th anniversary in fall 2024 — another milestone we look forward to celebrating (stay tuned for details!). In Mendel, our commitment to educating leaders in STEM takes shape with updates to classrooms and technology. The building has housed science education for women for over 95 years — nearly ten decades that have seen innumerable developments in science and technology. These renovations, which include refreshed labs and collaborative student spaces, will expand the impact of a STEM education at St. Kate’s. Investment in our faculty and our students is always a priority as we strive for academic excellence. We are grateful to donors like the GHR Foundation, which recently renewed its Legacy Grant and Academic Excellence Grant, bringing an additional $11 million to St. Kate’s health education over the next five years. Thanks to gifts like this, we can continue to fund innovations in the Henrietta Schmoll School of Health Sciences and the School of Nursing, supporting our faculty and preparing our students to make their own impact when they graduate. Seasons change, but women's leadership and
N OV E M B E R
THANKS TO DONOR SUPPORT OF OUR LADY OF VICTORY CHAPEL AND MENDEL, RENOVATIONS TO BOTH ARE UNDERWAY.
Join us for the reveal of the final number raised toward our goal of $130 million!
transformative education remains as important as ever. While the work continues, we hope you’ll join us in celebrating the conclusion of this important chapter and all the progress we’ve made together thus far. We invite you to gather with us on November 27 at The O’Shaughnessy, where we will share the impact of donors’ participation and express our gratitude for everyone who has helped make LEAD & INFLUENCE: The Campaign for the Next Level of Excellence a success.
Donors, volunteers, alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends are all invited. We look forward to celebrating with you, and to continuing to build on the inclusive excellence that is the foundation of St. Catherine University. Thank you.
Learn more about the Next Level of Excellence at stkate.edu/campaign.
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PHOTO/TARA SLOANE
Care for Our Common Home St. Catherine University launches a new Sustainability Committee and formally signs onto the Laudato Si’ Action Platform. BY LINDSEY FREY PALMQUIST
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fter the worst summer on record for wildfires, high temperatures, and other catastrophic events, there’s no question that wide-scale global initiatives are necessary for the improvement of our common home. With the world set to breach 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming within the next five years, our livelihoods depend on it. Beyond the obvious environmental impacts of higher temperatures, climate change is a social justice issue. Vulnerable populations, including women, low-income, and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities, are disproportionately affected by extreme weather, environmental degradation, and the growing scarcity of resources. Health risks also increase for these groups when exposed to natural disasters, environmental hazards, and barriers in disaster-recovery efforts, which can intensify and broaden existing inequities. The intersection of environmental, economic, and social justice issues was a key component in Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical letter, “Laudato Si’: On the Care of Our Common Home.” Translated as “praise be to you,” Laudato Si’ calls for greater care for our planet and its people, providing a moral framework for individuals, governments, organizations, and the global community to take urgent ecological action and
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CAMPUS MINISTER ZACH LUDWIG HEADS THE UNIVERSITY’S SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, WHICH CENTRALIZES CROSS-CAMPUS INITIATIVES SUPPORTING THE LAUDATO SI’ ACTION PLATFORM.
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address climate change. Tools, guides, and support to develop actionable plans were made available under the Dicaster y for Promoting Integral Human Development’s Laudato Si’ Action Platform a year after the encyclical was published. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (CSJs) formally committed to a seven-year Laudato Si’ Action Plan during their 2019 Congregational Chapter. Sustainability and education actions outlined in the plan include practices such as conservation, ethical food sourcing, sustainable building and renovations, legislative advocacy, and partnership with educational institutions. Even prior to the Laudato Si' commitment in 2019, the CSJs had long been stalwart pioneers for food justice and sustainability in the St. Kate's community. For over 20 years, they have tended the CSJ Community Gardens, nurturing food justice work while centering student leadership in initiatives such as the St. Kate's/CSJ Food Access Hub (FAH).
ACTIVISM LEADS TO CROSS-CAMPUS COLLABORATION
In a spring 2022 special edition of The Wheel, sociology and economics major Mollie Pierson ’25 published an open letter to President ReBecca Koenig Roloff ’76 on behalf of the student body. Pierson called for a reevaluation of the University's commitments to sustainability and climate justice, which are areas of
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MOLLIE PIERSON ’25 STOCKS SHELVES AT THE ST. KATE’S/ CSJ FOOD ACCESS HUB. PIERSON HELPED ESTABLISH THE UNIVERSITY-WIDE SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE.
importance to her in her role as an intern for the FAH through Community Work and Learning's Community Leaders program. Pierson cited the important relationship between the University’s identity as a women’s college and minorityserving institution and the disproportionate impact of climate change on those communities. She referenced St. Kate’s founding principles in Catholic Social Teaching and Pope Francis’ encyclical with the CSJs’ own Laudato Si’ Action Plan as an example to follow. She also credited existing sustainability efforts on campus, citing several student-led initiatives as well as the Food Access Hub, curriculum-embedded sustainability teachings, and the sustainability leadership of the fashion design and merchandising program. Soon after the letter was published, President Roloff met with Pierson and other University leaders to discuss the issues expressed by the student body. They also reviewed the sustainability actions already taking place on campus, and sought a way to centralize them and create accountability for St. Kate’s collective impact. Following the conversation, President Roloff launched the formation of a Sustainability Committee and invited
PHOTO/TARA SLOANE
For more information on the ongoing sustainability initiatives at St. Kate’s and to view the full Laudato Si’ Action Plan, visit the University’s new sustainability website.
stkate.edu/sustainability
Pierson to serve as student body representative. “I’ve been very grateful to President Roloff for her openness to be told there are issues and her willingness to fix them,” says Pierson. “We realized there was an immediate need to cultivate cross-campus collaboration, set goals, and build on and strengthen the projects already happening.” The committee has four structured initiatives to educate and inspire participation from students, staff, and faculty: » Model campuswide sustainability practices. » Further integrate sustainability and social justice teachings within academic and experiential learning opportunities. » C ont i nuou s l y i mpr o v e t he institution’s resource management and reduce its environmental impact. » Seek collaboration and partnership with local, national, and global sustainability initiatives.
In spring 2023, Pierson published an update in The Wheel. She summarized her meetings with University leadership, the Sustainability Committee’s establishment, and the plan to join the CSJs’ Congregational Laudato Si’ Action Plan. To assist them, the Sustainability Committee sought the wisdom of Patty Johnson, CSJ, Congregational Leadership team member, United Nations representative for the CSJs, and steering committee member of the Laudato Si’ Action Plan. Johnson led them through the submission process, and in June 2023, St. Kate’s became the first CSJ-founded university to sign the Action Platform and publicly join the international member community.
BUILDING A MORE SUSTAINABLE FOOD CHAIN
Sustainability Committee leader Zach Ludwig is campus minister at the Center for Spirituality and Social Justice. The committee role bridged Ludwig’s academic interests in the encyclical Laudato Si’ with his comanagement position at the Food Access Hub. Located just off-campus at the CSJ Carondelet Center, the FAH is a ministry of CSJ Young Adult Spirituality and Engagement that addresses food insecurity, nutrition, and personal wellness needs. It serves St. Kate’s community members through a full food ecosystem, including the CSJ Community Gardens, nutrition and cooking classes, and a bimonthly food shelf open to the entire St. Kate’s community. “It’s doing so much more than responding to the issue of food insecurity for college students,” says Ludwig. “It’s creating community around food access in all its forms — from growing it in the garden to cooking it at home. It empowers students and creates a symbiotic relationship between them and their food.” As part of her work in the FAH with Ludwig, Pierson is seeking to expand food waste-reduction initiatives. Along with community partnerships that supply rescued produce to the FAH food shelf, Pierson has partnered with Sodexo, St. Kate’s food services and facilities management partner, to significantly increase food recovery opportunities in the dining room. “At our food shelf, about 20–25% of ou r fo o d i s re sc ue d , wh ich i s significant,” says Pierson. “Food waste contributes to greater food insecurity and creates a large carbon footprint that we can combat through food recovery efforts.” But more food recover y requires additional capacity for food storage, preservation, and serving.
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MIKAYLA ROPER ’26, FASHION MERCHANDISING STUDENT, PRESENTS DURING THE "BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE WORLD" COURSE.
CREATING THE SUSTAINABILITY STUDIES MINOR
During a 2007 international textiles and apparel conference, a roundtable conversation focusing on environmental sustainability was a major “aha!” moment for Anupama Pasricha, PhD, interim dean of the School of Business, professor and former department chair of fashion design and merchandising, and member of St. Kate’s Sustainability Committee. “That’s when the sustainability lens really impacted my worldview of people, planet, and profits,” says Pasricha. “I began to talk to my colleagues and look at our courses to find ways to reshape the curriculum.” The following year, the fashion program began incorporating environmental and social sustainability into several of its courses. By 2011, it was a component in the majority of all department courses. And within 10 years, Pasricha and colleague Jackie Parr collaborated across the University to translate the program’s teachings into an interdisciplinary curriculum, which was granted full approval to launch as an official sustainability studies minor in fall 2021.
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PHOTOS/TARA SLOANE
With Sodexo’s partnership and oversight from the FAH team, Pierson is submitting a grant proposal through Second Harvest Heartland for a dedicated food-rescue refrigerator and reusable containers. Pierson estimates these storage additions would allow the recovery of 1,200–1,600 meals per year from the dining room’s hot bar. The food could then be packaged, stored, and redistributed to students or donated to the FAH food shelf.
PHOTO/REBECCA ZENEFSKI SLATER ’10
ANUPAMA PASRICHA, PhD, (CENTER) AND LISA BABBS (SECOND FROM RIGHT) SPEAK AT A SUSTAINABILITY PANEL DURING 2023–24 OPENING CELEBRATION.
mission and vision we are teaching and do right by the Earth and its people.” “Dr. Anu has done a great job demonstrating that this work needs to be thought of and done in every field,” says Pierson. “Sustainability is a field women can lead in and come into armed with an arsenal of examples of the work done and applied in their St. Kate’s community. It’s critical our students have the knowledge to speak on these issues and implement sustainability strategies in their fields.”
CAMPUS OPERATIONAL IMPACT
PHOTOS/TARA SLOANE
Using the lens of design thinking, the interdisciplinary minor teaches students creative methods to solve real business, social, and environmental problems through application of sustainabilit y and innovation. Introductory course Building a Sustainable World, which is taught by Pasricha, implements a sustainable development goals framework to help students identify actions they can take in their personal and professional lives against climate change. “By 2030, one in 12 people in the labor force will be directly employed by climate and sustainability transitions,” says Pasricha. “With the magnitude of changes we face, every job will have direct or indirect implications that require that viewpoint.” Every student at St. Kate’s has access to the sustainability studies minor. For an elective course to be included, its syllabus must incorporate sustainability learning objectives and meet a set of coursework criteria. Pasricha is excited to see how both the sustainability studies curriculum and Sustainability Committee will evolve. “I’m proud to be part of an institution that is progressing its own sustainability initiatives to live the
Additional examples of sustainability work being applied at St. Kate’s can be found in its prioritization of recycling, conservation, energy, and ecology efforts — all key priorities within its Laudato Si’ Action Plan. Behind the scenes, the campus produces its own energy, monitors and manages waste streams through partnerships with Aspen Waste and Shred Right, runs a University-wide LED lighting initiative, and is completing a replacement project to eliminate R22 refrigerant in HVAC cooling equipment. Other initiatives may be observed by simply walking the grounds of St. Kate’s beautiful campus and admiring the native landscapes, gardens, and trees. More than their aesthetic appeal, these greenspaces work in tandem to provide a myriad of environmental, social, and economic benefits. Ecological restoration and management is overseen by Sustainability Committee member Lisa Babbs, director of facilities and environmental safety and compliance, along with a cross-functional team of facilities staff, biology department faculty and students, community gardeners, and beekeepers. The groups seek collaborative efforts to restore woodland and wetland ecolog y while enhancing educational opportunities for students. In 2023, the campus trees were a major focus for the cross-University team. Through a partnership with SavATree, St. Kate’s arborists built a tree inventory map (stkate.edu/TreeMap) using GPS and GIS technologies. Each tree was tagged and tracked by location, species, size, condition, and risk, and given a unique care plan based on its needs. “Increasing temperatures are changing the way we look at our campus,” says Babbs. “We’re working to reestablish our native plantings and restore a natural woodland environment that’s designed to withstand the effects of climate change and play a huge role in our stormwater management infrastructure.”
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PHOTO/TARA SLOANE
RAIN GARDENS — PLOTS OF LAND WITH NATIVE, POLLINATOR-FRIENDLY PLANTS THAT REDUCE RAINWATER RUNOFF — ARE JUST ONE OF THE SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES ADDRESSING OPERATIONAL IMPACT AT ST. KATE’S.
This past summer, Babbs and her staff partnered with local landscape architects and civil engineers to design more than 15,000 square feet of pollinator-friendly, native rain gardens on the southeast side of campus. Using sophisticated technology, the gardens are designed to capture water and filter contaminants before they pass through the groundwater and eventually drain into the Mississippi River. “We have to get radical, stop wasting water, and fix the soil,” Babbs says. “We hope to continue repairing these areas of campus and turn them from high-maintenance, water-consumptive spaces into perennial, droughtresistant native gardens that feed the pollinators and heal the Earth — where people can also enjoy time together in nature.”
A RENEWAL OF HOPE
In September, The O’Shaughnessy presented an innovative musical event from a performing arts perspective on the necessity of organized, meaningful action in support of our planet. Using geospatial climate modeling algorithms, The [uncertain] Four Seasons (pictured on page 2) reimagines Vivaldi’s famous concertos as they might sound impacted by climate change. “We want to use the arts to make the impact of the climate crisis felt and heard — to present the climate
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crisis in a way that is not paralyzing but motivating,” said musical director Emily Isaacson, DMA, during the event. As more young people continue to report feeling anxious, helpless, angry, and overwhelmed by the news about our Earth, St. Kate’s own sustainability strategies may impact more than students’ job trajectories. It may have a profound impact on their mental health. With 70% of 18 to 34-year-old respondents reporting feelings of climate-related anxiety (polled by Gallup in 2018), University programming offers organized, meaningful ways to help make a difference throughout curriculum, spirituality, performing arts, and operational impacts. “Climate change is one of the biggest things young people struggle with in their mental health,” says Pierson. “The world is quite literally burning as we see it. The most we can do is try our best to lead and give ourselves some power back in the situation. The Earth is extremely resilient. We need to learn how to live in peace with it or we’re going to see harder living conditions for everyone.” Ludwig agrees. “I want the work this committee does to help those students who are experiencing communal anxiety for the future,” he says. “Nothing cures the anxiety unless they become part of the response. It’s the hope you see blossom in people when they realize there’s work they can do right now.”
The end of the campaign is here, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you!
C A M PA I G N CO M M U N I T Y CEL EB R AT I O N Monday, November 27 6:30–8 p.m. | The O’Shaughnessy
We look forward to commemorating the impact of LEAD & INFLUENCE: The Campaign for the Next Level of Excellence and sharing our gratitude to you — the extraordinary St. Kate’s community. Join us for the reveal of total dollars raised and total number of donors and volunteers! Questions? Contact The O’Shaughnessy at oshaughnessy@stkate.edu or 651-690-6700.
FIRAOLI ADAM ’17 (LEFT) AND YASMIN SAMATAR ’17 (RIGHT) COFOUNDED MAWADDA, A COMPANY THAT PROVIDES PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT THAT MEETS BOTH HOSPITAL SAFETY AND CULTURAL REQUIREMENTS.
PHOTO/TARA SLOANE
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Katies in Action Yasmin Samatar ’17 and Firaoli Adam ’17 revolutionize PPE with hygienic hijabs. BY KARA DeMARIE MLIS’16
PHOTO COURTESY OF MAWADDA LLC
Yasmin Samatar ’17 was the first person Firaoli Adam ’17 met at St. Kate’s. The two, both first-generation Black Muslim respiratory care students, met at the campus bookstore before their first classes, and had an immediate bond. “She was like the mother of our group,” says Samatar. “I was the introvert; the first one to exit the class, go straight to my car, and drive home. So one day she grabbed me and said, ‘Every day you’re not running away. You’re gonna talk to us.’” Adam and Samatar formed a friendship that was strengthened by their good luck working together in multiple hospital placements. They became business partners when they cofounded Mawadda, a company that supports diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the healthcare industry by providing personal protective equipment (PPE) that meets both hospital safety and cultural requirements. Their idea for Mawadda’s first product, a disposable isolation hijab cover, started during Samatar’s orientation at her first hospital job. In preparing for the sterile environment, she was warned to be sure her hijab was tucked snugly into her collar. Inside the operating room, she was asked to keep tucking it in more. She knew she needed to focus on what she was supposed to be learning, but her mind was flooded with worry. If she moved the wrong way would her hijab come loose? Was she accidentally bringing infection into the room and impeding the patient’s safety? Adam had faced similar experiences starting her career, and after speaking with Muslim colleagues, the pair found they were far from alone. Other hijabi healthcare workers relied on complicated workarounds to get through a day of treating patients. Adam and Samatar used workarounds, too, until they took jobs as traveling respiratory therapists, working on the front lines of the COVID pandemic. They were placed at a Boston hospital that offered beard covers as PPE. “What is this?” Adam remembers thinking. “Why can’t they have one for us as well?”
As respiratory therapists, their St. Kate’s training had instilled in them to seek solutions to obstacles. They also had family members coming up in healthcare, and felt strongly that the next generation should not have to experience the same discomfort. “We have to start it for ourselves,” Adam realized. “We can’t just wait for somebody else to do this.” They went to work, finding a designer and developing a prototype and sample of a disposable, hygienic hijab cover. They held focus groups to get feedback from people in various healthcare careers, and started the arduous process of securing FDA approval, and identifying a manufacturer and group purchasing company to work with. Samatar and Adam have other projects and still more ideas lined up. “There are needs we didn’t even know about,” says Adam, who adds that they’ve gotten requests from people from other cultures to develop products that would make hospitals more inclusive for them as well. In the meantime, Mawadda is open for procurement opportunities from all U.S. healthcare settings, and their pilot product has already made a difference in the daily lives of the hijabi healthcare workers buying them. “When you hear those kinds of stories, it’s like, ‘This is why we’re doing it,’” Adam says. “It doesn’t matter how hard it is.”
Learn more about Samatar and Adam’s journey at usmawadda.com.
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DENISE BAIRD, PhD, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC OPERATIONS AND STUDENT SUCCESS/CO-PROVOST, LED ST. KATE’S MOST RECENT ACCREDITATION CYCLE.
St. Catherine University’s Full Reaccreditation: Proof of the Power to Live the Mission St. Kate’s 10-year reaffirmation from the Higher Learning Commission is an official, future-facing recognition of institutional excellence. BY MELISSA NEILL
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n institution of higher education is more than an environment in which to prepare for a professional career. It’s a home to shared values, lifelong connection and pride, and a mission that unifies well beyond the college experience. At St. Catherine University, this mission — educating women to lead and inf luence — has long driven St. Kate’s culture of continual grow th and evolving excellence. The University was formally recognized for the ways in which its faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community live into this calling in July, when St. Kate’s received full reaffirmation of its accreditation status from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Founded in 1895, HLC is one of seven regional accreditors in the nation. The goal of the accreditation process, as explained by the U.S. Department of Education, is to ensure that institutions of higher education meet certain levels of quality. In its final accreditation report, HLC obser ved St. Kate’s intentionality in integrating its mission into all aspects of University life, as well as how deeply the mission resonates with University community members. “Perhaps most impressive to the visit team was the way that students, faculty and staff articulated the mission and values as a touchstone for their work,” states the report. “When asked to list points of pride for St. Kate’s they uniformly identified one or more component parts
of the mission (commitment to social justice, educating women, inclusiveness).” Though mission is one of five criteria of accreditation — the others being integrity, quality of education, continuous improvement, and institutional effectiveness — it’s the foundation of St. Kate’s. Mission is what makes a Katie a Katie and builds an enduring connection to the University.
ACCREDITATION: A HISTORY
Accrediting is the practice of non-governmental, peer evaluation of both overarching institutions and of profession-specific programs. Since there is no United States federal accrediting body, and states vary in the degree to which they involve themselves, regional and national accrediting bodies have formed in order to standardize the level of quality in institutions and programs across the country.1 The first regional accrediting agency was established in 1885, initially evaluating secondary schools and their ability to meet college admission standards. By the early 20th century, they also evaluated colleges and universities with a focus on faculty, program length, and admission requirements. U.S Department of Education: https://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/ accred/accreditation_pg2.html#U.S. 1
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PA DER VANG, PhD, (RIGHT) AND TODD DEUTSCH, MFA, (BELOW) ARE TWO OF MANY FACULTY AND STAFF MEMBERS INTEGRAL TO THE SUCCESSFUL 2023 REACCREDITATION PROCESS.
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Accreditation means the degree you have, the one you worked so hard to earn while you were here, has value.” —Todd Deutsch, MFA; Alberta Huber, CSJ, Endowed Chair in the Liberal Arts
In 1952, the Department of Education began recognizing accrediting bodies and providing federal financial aid to veterans who attended accredited schools. The Higher Education Act of 1965 expanded access beyond veterans.2 Today, federally approved accrediting agencies work with higher learning institutions to elevate the quality of postsecondary education and ensure access to financial aid for approved programs. In 1916, St. Catherine University first earned full accreditation by the then-North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, now HLC. Every 10 years, the University must receive reaffirmation of accreditation to maintain its standing. In year four of that cycle, St. Kate’s completes a check-in, followed by a quality initiative in years five through nine that encourages colleges and universities to continue to focus on improvement and growth.
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A COLLECTIVE EFFORT
Denise Baird, PhD, senior vice president for academic operations and student success/co-provost, led St. Kate’s most recent accreditation cycle. She kicked off work on reaccreditation almost as soon as she joined St. Kate’s in July 2020, initially establishing five faculty-staff teams to align with HLC’s accreditation criteria: » Mission » Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct » Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources, and Support » Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement » Institutional Effectiveness, Resources, and Planning3
HLC ACCREDITATION CRITERIA MISSION The mission is clear, articulated publicly, and guides operations.
INTEGRITY: ETHICAL AND RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT Conduct is ethical and responsible, and the university acts with integrity.
TEACHING AND LEARNING: QUALITY, RESOURCES, AND SUPPORT The institution provides quality education.
TEACHING AND LEARNING: EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT The institution demonstrates responsibility for quality, and it evaluates effectiveness for student learning through processes designed to promote continuous improvement.
INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS, RESOURCES, AND PLANNING Resources, structures, and processes are sufficient to fulfill the mission, improve the quality of educational offerings, and respond to future challenges and opportunities.
“St. Kate’s radiates commitment to its mission and pride in its identity as a Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet institution actively educating and forming graduates who can lead and influence.” “St. Catherine University demonstrated integrity through a fully integrated application of its mission and ethical and responsible conduct with written policies and procedures.” “St. Kate’s has created a ‘relationship rich’ environment offering ‘wrap-around’ services for students, whether in person or online, whether undergraduate or graduate.”
“St. Kate’s offers an admirable array of student support services from multiple offices. Even more impressive is that faculty are truly committed to their relationships with students, and to supporting individual students.”
“The current [comprehensive] campaign is another manifestation of St. Kate’s ability to activate and include the institution as a whole in a major strategic initiative.”
From the Higher Learning Commission’s Reaffirmation Review final report, May 25, 2023.
Each team collected information, including supporting evidence of the University’s achievements in these areas. They also hosted listening sessions with faculty, staff, and students to unite data with real world experiences. Baird began to draft the submission for reaffirmation of accreditation in 2022 based on outlines from the teams. At the same time, she worked to complete and report on the HLC-required Quality Initiative, which focused on operational improvements in academic affairs. Even afterward, what strikes Baird most is the clear commitment her colleagues demonstrated. “When asked, no one hesitated to provide what was asked for. Everyone across St. Kate’s was ready to support the project,” she says.
BRINGING THE REPORT TO LIFE
Years of work culminated in a two-day, onsite visit from HLC members in April 2023, when groups of University members met with the visiting HLC team to bring the written report to life. The two days included both structured meetings with relevant St. Kate’s community members and open forums where anyone could provide feedback on St. Kate’s progress. The visit was a rich opportunity for faculty, staff, students, and administrative members to reflect on the many facets of life, work, and study at the University. Accredited Schools Online: https://www.accreditedschoolsonline.org/ resources/history-college-accreditation/ 2
Higher Learning Commission: https://www.hlcommission.org/Policies/ criteria-and-core-components.html 3
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“The process of accreditation helps a university do a full evaluation and reflection on how they’re doing across many criteria,” says Pa Der Vang, PhD, associate professor of social work. Vang was faculty senate president for the majority of the reaffirmation process. “It invites staff conversations around academics; faculty and staffing; diversity, equity and inclusion; and performance outcomes. I see this as a positive outcome of this process.” Eva Ngono ’25 also recognized the value of community discussions, and helped promote the event among her peers to encourage their involvement in the open forums. “I had never been a part of one of these meetings before. I didn’t really know what to expect, so I really valued that HLC took the time to meet with both the staff and faculty of the University, as well as a separate meeting with students to hear the voices of both groups,” shares Ngono. Though reaffirmation of accreditation is a regular process, the 10-year interval made it all the more important for students, many of whom graduate in the interim, to be able to share input. “We can always do better, and it’s with this important feedback that we are able to address the needs of those who are part of St. Kate’s and make the University what it is.” Following the two days of meetings, the HLC team commented on the unusual attendance numbers for the open forums. The typical university sees fewer than 10 people participate; Baird expected approximately 30 people. Nearly 90 attended. “It’s not a surprise that a lot of people showed up,” says
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Sarah Schnell, vice president of human resources. “We are an institution that values hearing diverse thoughts. This whole process has demonstrated our employees’ commitment to the greater good of the institution.” In its final report, HLC af f irmed the Universit y’s commitment to its students, noting that “facult y are tr uly committed to their relationships with students, and to supporting individual students, in ways that surely manifest in increased retention and graduation.” Accreditation isn’t just recognition of impactful student learning. It also allows the University to engage alumni and the broader community in its mission work. The HLC team specifically pointed to the success of the recent comprehensive campaign, LEAD & INFLUENCE: The Campaign for the Next Level of Excellence, as a manifestation of St. Kate’s ability to include the institution as a whole in a strategic initiative, and to engage alumni and the broader community in widespread support of the University. “Accreditation means the degree you have, the one you worked so hard to earn while you were here, has value,” says Todd Deutsch, MFA, Alberta Huber, CSJ, Endowed Chair in the Liberal Arts and professor of art and art history. “Our alumni’s continued involvement with the University means something, and financial contributions change lives and have a positive impact.”
“
We can always do better, and it’s with this important feedback that we are able to address the needs of those who are part of St. Kate’s and make the University what it is.” —Eva Ngono ’25
ONGOING GROWTH
The commitment to maintaining and surpassing accreditation quality is ongoing — not just once every 10 years or at designated checkpoints. Baird notes that the University began the next 10-year process the same summer it was reaccredited, with semi-annual gatherings of University members who can speak to each of the five accreditation criteria. The University will also continue its focus on ongoing assessment of student learning and educational outcomes of students. HLC acknowledged this as an area for improvement while commending a new assessment toolkit and commitment to one-on-one support. The
four-year check-in, in 2026-27, will include a special focus on this work. As Baird shared in a campuswide email celebrating the successful results from HLC, reaffirmation isn’t just a box St. Kate’s checks to prove its worth to students and partners. The University aims for excellence, and reaffirmation of accreditation is proof of the power to live the mission. “Our reaffirmed accreditation should be a point of pride we all share, for this is not the effort of a single office or person,” wrote Baird to the University community. “This was the work of so many across our University over the past three years.”
2023
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Bookmark Reading recommendations on sustainability and Laudato Si’ from St. Kate’s own experts.
In his 2015 encyclical letter, “Laudato Si’,” Pope Francis calls for greater care for our planet and its people. Following St. Kate’s formal signing-on to the Laudato Si’ Action Platform in June 2023, a bright array of sustainability and social justice measures have bloomed in collaboration between University departments and programs. The titles below, recommended by faculty and staff members from all across St. Kate’s, explore the intersections of environmental, economic, and social justice issues, as demonstrated in Laudato Si’. One thing is for sure: it’s all connected.
NURSING Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer (2019), nonfiction.
BIOLOGY Pollination Power by Heather Angel (2016), nonfiction.
Recommended by Suzanne Lehman, DNP, assistant dean of undergraduate nursing and interim dean of nursing
Recommended by Rahul Roy, PhD, assistant professor of biology
Read this to: learn about Indigenous perspectives on health, wholeness, and sustainability. ECONOMICS Prosperity Without Growth by Tim Jackson (2009), nonfiction. Recommended by Deep Shikha, PhD, professor of economics Read this to: rethink the conventional Western definition of a successful economy.
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Read this to: treat your eyes to a stunning, up-close visual tour of the way flowers attract pollinators.
LEADERSHIP Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Brené Brown (2018), nonfiction. Recommended by Namibia Little, director of Katie Leadership Impact Read this to: reimagine your work life with the empathy at the foundation of Laudato Si’.
SPIRITUALIT Y The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson (2021), fiction. Recommended by Jill Underdahl, CSJ, ’92, CSJ St. Paul Province Leadership Team Read this to: experience a Dakota woman’s relationship to family identity and the legacy, both literal and figurative, of seeds.
PHILOSOPHY Red Alert!: Saving the Planet with Indigenous Knowledge by Daniel Wildcat (2009), nonfiction. Recommended by Jeff Johnson, PhD, associate dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Sciences; associate professor of philosophy Read this to: get motivated to make a concrete difference, through the Indigenous wisdom shared by the author.
PHOTO/TARA SLOANE
COMMUNICATION STUDIES Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers (2018), fiction. Recommended by Rafael Cervantes, PhD, director of the Antonian Honors program; associate professor of communication studies Read this to: dive into a science fiction imagining of sustainable civilization.
BUSINESS Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by William McDonough and Michael Braungart (2002), nonfiction. Recommended by Sarah Rand, PhD, Endowed Mission Chair in Women’s Education; department chair and associate professor of business administration Read this to: understand how manufacturing can be designed to prioritize reusing resources instead of disposal.
FASHION Consumed: The Need for Collective Change: Colonialism, Climate Change, and Consumerism by Aja Barber (2021), nonfiction. Recommended by Anupama Pasricha, PhD, interim dean for the School of Business; professor of fashion design and merchandising
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY The Meaning of Gardens, ed. Mark Francis and Randolph T. Hester Jr. (1992), nonfiction.
Read this to: learn, and unlearn, the culture of consumerism that lead to the injustices of the textile industry.
Recommended by Stephanie de Sam Lazaro, OTD, IPE director for the Institute of Simulation and Interprofessional Learning (I-SAIL); associate professor of occupational therapy
LIBRARY The Sea Around Us by Rachel Carson (1950), nonfiction.
Read this to: reflect on gardening as both a sustainable and meaningful practice in daily life, a key idea in occupational therapy.
Recommended by Amy Mars MLIS’12, research and instruction librarian, St. Kate’s Library and Archives Read this to: be awed by the vastness, mystery, and beauty of the ocean through the poetic descriptions by the author of Silent Spring.
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PHOTO/RACHEL STOCKER
Around Campus
PRESIDENT ROLOFF’S RETIREMENT SET FOR AUGUST 2024 ReBecca Koenig Roloff ’76, St. Catherine University’s eleventh president, has announced her plans to retire in August 2024, at the end of her eighth year as president of St. Catherine University. A search committee, convened by the chair of St. Kate’s Board of Trustees, has begun a national search for her successor and will guide the transition process. “My professional life was launched when I came through gate 1 as a first-generation student in August of 1972,” Roloff wrote in a message to the University community. “The circle will close 52 years later in a role that is the privilege of my career. The life afforded to me because of my education at St. Kate’s drives all decisions and choices I make as president, so that others have the same chance I did.”
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During Roloff’s term, she led the University through an impressive list of accomplishments, including the University’s Higher Learning Commission accreditation in 2023, the University’s 10-year Setting Our Sails 2028 strategic plan, LEAD & INFLUENCE: The Campaign for the Next Level of Excellence, and campuswide infrastructure improvements. Roloff’s plans for retirement include enjoying more of her time as a grandmother of four and resuming some of the hobbies and passions that were put on hold while serving as president.
Visit stkate.edu/presidential-search for updates on the status of the search.
NEW LEADERSHIP POSITIONS Starting June 1, Dianne Oliver, PhD, and Denise Baird, PhD, took on leadership positions as co-provosts. Formerly assistant provost, Baird is now senior vice president for academic operations and student success. Oliver, formerly associate provost, is now senior vice president for academic programs and faculty affairs. In their new roles, Baird ensures effective operations in academic policies and practices while enhancing work in student support, success, and retention, and Oliver provides leadership to develop and deepen effective and thriving academic programs while strengthening and supporting the faculty and engaged learning. In March, St. Catherine University also welcomed Steven H. Kenney, Jr., EdD, SPHR, SHRM-SCP onto the leadership team as the senior vice president for human resources, equity, and inclusion. Kenney had previously provided human resources leadership at Nicholls State University in Louisiana. Kenney received a bachelor of science degree in human resources management from Auburn University at Montgomery in Alabama, a Master of Business Administration degree in management from University of Alabama in Huntsville, and a Doctor of Education degree in educational leadership from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
ST. KATE’S STUDENT ANNOUNCED AS A 2023 TRUMAN SCHOLAR This past spring, Anchee Nitschke Durben ’24 was named a 2023 Truman Scholar. This national competitive fellowship funds graduate study for students pursuing careers as public service leaders. As a double major in public health and data science, Nitschke Durben plans to pursue a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Michigan and hopes to work directly with communities to improve health outcomes. “I’m honored and excited to be named a Truman Scholar and can’t wait to pursue a degree in public health with an emphasis on public service,” said Nitschke Durben. “Applying for Truman helped me better define my goals and learn more about myself and the issues I want to focus on when I enter the workforce.” Former associate professor of education Anne Weyandt ’83, JD, EdD, MAT’20 was the Truman advisor, and additional St. Kate’s faculty and staff served on the application committee and interview prep team. Nitschke Durben was one of 62 college students nationwide selected as 2023 Truman Scholars from a pool of 705 candidates.
Are you receiving all of St. Kate’s emails and publications? Update your contact information and preferences: stkate.edu/alumni or 651-690-6666
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PHOTOS/ REBECCA ZENEFSKI SLATER ’10
ST. KATE’S WINS TITLE IX 50-YEAR ANNIVERSARY CONTEST
ANNUAL REUNION CELEBRATES ST. KATE’S MEMORIES On June 9 and 10, St. Catherine University welcomed hundreds of proud alumni to campus to reminisce, reconnect, and revisit the St. Kate’s community that helped shape them into the remarkable people they are today. Alumni from class years ending in 3 and 8 flooded campus to attend class parties, share meals together, hear the “State of the Kate” from President ReBecca Koenig Roloff ’76, tour campus, attend Mass, hear from a panel of current students, and more. The classes of 1973 and 1998 commemorated their 50- and 25-year graduation milestones at special pinning ceremonies, culminating in a group photo of each class on the front steps of Fontbonne. Graduates of class years ending in 4 and 9 are invited to join us June 7–8 for Reunion 2024.
Alumni: Check your email for photos from Reunion 2023! Email alumni@stkate.edu if you have not received access details.
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In April, St. Catherine University earned the title of Best Women’s Sports Fans in the Nation, among 82 schools across all NCAA divisions. From January to April, St. Kate’s athletics encouraged students to attend all Wildcat home games, as part of the nationwide women’s sports challenge sponsored by Coca-Cola and Togethxr in honor of Title IX’s 50-year anniversary. Togethxr is a media and commerce company founded by four women Olympic champions with the mission to amplify representation of women’s sports. In early April, Togethxr’s media team visited campus to interview St. Kate’s students for their national recognition as sports fans. Togethxr compiled their results in a video demonstrating the St. Catherine community’s support for Wildcat athletics. Coca-Cola and Togethxr announced St. Catherine University as the winner on official social media platforms. Samantha Lackmann ’24, Wildcat hockey player and communication studies major, was present for much of Togethxr’s St. Kate’s visit, which she says “gave me more perspective on how important it is to highlight and support women in sports. The campuswide and community support is unmatched!”
For more St. Kate’s news and to read full announcements, visit stkate.edu/news.
SUBMIT A CLASS NOTE CONTACT US Online: stkate.edu/alumni Phone: 651-690-6666 Email: alumni@stkate.edu facebook.com/katiealumni St. Catherine University Alumni
Class Notes 1980 1960
YVETTE NELSON ’64 published her book of poetry, The World Before Us.
PATRICIA BLACK ’66 was honored with the Benedictine Award from Maplewood’s Hill-Murray Memorial High School in June in recognition of her commitment to Catholic education and the students of Hill-Murray, and her embodiment of the charisms of the school’s founding religious order, the Sisters of St. Benedict of St. Paul’s Monastery. ANNIKA JASPERS ’66 was interviewed extensively for an article on travel for seniors, “Embrace the Travel Age,’’ that appeared in the summer 2023 issue of Caregiving magazine.
LENORE HEALEY SCHULTZ ’82 was honored with the Arnie Gruetzmacher Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Ataxia Foundation (NAF) at their national conference in April. The award recognizes her for the support she has provided to many impacted by ataxia, a nervous system disorder that causes loss of muscle control in limbs. Schultz has led NAF’s Twin Cities Ataxia Support Group for 17 years.
ANNE BENDEL ’83, MD, director of Children’s Minnesota’s neuro-oncology program, was highlighted by KSTP for her work with “tumor paint,” a lifechanging chemical that is helping locate brain tumors. Dr. Bendel is the Harper Family Foundation Endowed Chair for Novel Therapies and Cancer Research at Children’s Minnesota, a prestigious position supporting clinical research and trials for children’s cancer.
1990
MONICA MITTAL MAHESHWARI ’91 was named senior vice president of human resources at Armstrong World Industries, a ceiling and wall solutions provider. She served previously as vice president of human resources at DuPont electronics and industrial business. JUDI KINNUNEN JENNINGS ’95, occupational therapist, joined the outpatient therapies team at Aspirus Health in Michigan. RENEE NYTES BROD ’98 has been named the new lead director of the Catholic United Financial board of directors, the second woman to be appointed as lead director of the board. Fellow alumna Jean Krebsbach Hart ’81 is also on the board. ELAINE BIRKS-MITCHELL MAOL’99 received the Inspired Adult Leadership Award at the 2023 Arizona Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards. She was honored for her work as the founder of nonprofit The Undie Chest, which donates underwear to organizations and families in need.
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BONNIE ANDERSON CLEMENT ’99, ’04 completed a Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Aspen University in 2021, with a doctoral project focus on the correlation between the lack of restful sleep and patient-on-caregiver violence events in the acute care setting. Clement was then awarded the CMSRN of Distinction Award in 2022 by the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses and Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board. SIMONE MALKNECHTVANKEUREN SURI ’99, JD, was named one of 2022’s Most Powerful Women in Credit Unions by the financial services industry publication American Banker. Suri is chief legal and risk officer of Members Cooperative Credit Union, a $1 billion not-for-profit financial institution based in Minnesota.
2000
ANGELA SHARBONNO VOGT ’00 was named a 2022 Top Women in Finance Award by Finance & Commerce publication. The award recognizes the outstanding contributions and dedication of women in finance to their profession, their communities, and society at large.
ERICA BUSIAHN AMÉVO ’04 was promoted to vice president of human resources at Uponor North America, a water systems and infrastructure provider.
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DIANA PEYTON SMITH ’07, DNP, graduated summa cum laude with a Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Maryville University in August 2022.
CHARLIE ZIEKE ’15 began a community-supported agriculture (CSA) model farm, called Magic Acre Farm, at his home in South Minneapolis.
URSULA DIERAUER HEUER ’08, MAISCE’18 and Dylan Heuer welcomed baby Benjamin Peter on October 28, 2022.
2010
AMBER GUESSFORD ELDER MAED’11 and her colleague Carey Montgomery were published in MontessoriPublic. Their article, “Integrating the science of reading with Montessori,” details the efforts of their school district to align the Montessori curriculum with state standards, district curriculums, and the science of reading. CHRISTINE BERTRAM HARY ’11 married Kyle Hary on June 3, 2023, in Dayton, Minnesota.
SARAH ZEIHER CERT’11 joined Honour Capital as vice president of strategic operations and technology. She has spent over 20 years working as an operations leader within various financial and banking roles.
SAM EVERETTS ’19 married Audrey Negro on September 23, 2023, in Minneapolis.
2020
LEEANNA LOR ’22 was crowned Miss Hmong Minnesota 2023 during last November’s Hmong New Year celebration. As the crown winner, she will collaborate with the two runners-up for a year-long term to organize Hmong community events and fundraisers. A burn unit nurse at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Lor is passionate about using her crown to increase education among Hmong people on health topics like burn prevention.
In Memory w Our deepest sympathy to the families of the following St. Catherine University faculty and staff members and graduates.
Alice Dailey de Araujo ’42 w July 10, 2010 Betty Pinger Hopkins ’42 w May 11, 2018 Eleanor Thompson Sulzmann ’42 w July 7, 2022 Beverly Durand Kiehn ’44 w September 21, 2020 Evelyn Shima Bezdichek ’44 w December 21, 2021 Maxine Gress Gelbmann ’45 w January 8, 2023 Maria June Wilson, CSJ, ’45 w June 20, 2023 Helen Spaeth Vanni ’46 w March 5, 2023 Lorraine Witt Olson ’46 w June 30, 2020 Mary Anne Duevel Schulte ’47 w February 2, 2023 Jean Kinsey ’47 w July 13, 2023 Lois Ley Lundemo ’47 w March 17, 2023 Mary Catherine Mahoney Baumgaertner ’47 w April 16, 2023 Doretta McNally Riley ’47 w October 29, 2022 Elizabeth Blanchette Brandt ’48 w November 9, 2022 Ruth Breher Hartnett ’49 w April 7, 2023 Marcella Leahy Jansen ’49 w April 26, 2023 Lucille Ryan Gravelle ’49 w June 3, 2023 Virginia Tatro Olson ’49 w April 22, 2023 Lois Beauchaine Peterzen ’50 w October 5, 2021 Mary Catherine Cain McEnroe ’50 w May 20, 2023 Alice Callanan Miller ’50 w July 1, 2021 Helen Chao Matteson ’50 w February 4, 2023 Lois Even Gross ’50 w March 17, 2023 Maxine Hauke Smith ’50 w January 10, 2023 Margaret Eileen King ’50 w March 23, 2023 Irene Matousek ’50 w March 30, 2023 Lorraine Mary Piaskowski Pagano ’50 w January 6, 2022 Lois Rasmussen Marrinan ’50 w May 7, 2023 Patricia Schiltgen Utecht ’50 w March 22, 2023 Rita Swenson Seidel ’50 w April 23, 2023 Mary Ann Brucher Stacken ’51 w July 17, 2022 Patricia Kranz Nelson ’51 w November 4, 2022 Gretchen Martin ’51 w October 31, 2022
Colette Salmon Ruemmele ’51 w March 14, 2023 Louise Wolf Garvey ’51 w May 12, 2023 Helen Bauers Mahoney ’52 w March 8, 2023 Mary Louise May Klas ’52 w June 9, 2023 Elizabeth Anne McKenzie, CSJ, ’52 w June 22, 2023 Bernadette Toenies Fairchild ’52 w May 2, 2023 Mary Margaret Zufelt Ludwig ’52 w July 10, 2023 Claire Liesch Fox ’53 w November 16, 2022 Harriet Murphy Healy ’53 w April 8, 2023 JoAnne Pietsch Blockey ’53 w May 3, 2023 Joan Shukay Zabee ’53 w June 2, 2023 Bernice Simning Youngman ’53 w May 24, 2023 Doris Thaemlitz Peters ’53 w May 14, 2023 Serena Zilka, CSJ, ’53 w December 12, 2022 Margaret Burke DeMarce ’54 w November 16, 2022 Mary Joan Clarity Quinn ’54 w January 6, 2023 Dolores Donovan McGarry ’54 w December 12, 2022 Marian Evans Wright ’54 w July 18, 2022 Helen Gaveske Sullivan ’54 w December 4, 2022 Gloria Hertz Sullivan ’54 w December 8, 2022 Anne Moudry Kemp ’54 w April 9, 2023 Marilynn Mushik Skantz ’54 w February 25, 2023 Shirley Roby Kimball ’54 w November 1, 2022 Sylvia Schramske Pavek ’54 w April 4, 2020 Mary Elizabeth Carroll Contreras ’55 w June 30, 2023 Sally Casagrande Spearman ’55 w October 13, 2021 Marie Grossman, CSJ, ’55 w February 25, 2023 Anne Lahiff Klein ’55 w June 14, 2023 Mary Lucken Gozum ’55 w January 23, 2023 Mary Ellen McDonnell Macho ’55 w June 6, 2023 Ellen Roach Maas ’55 w August 7, 2023 Pamela Galvin Hiller ’56 w March 22, 2021 Joanne McCarthy ’56 w June 5, 2023 Nancy Parlin ’56 w March 13, 2023 Eldean Klecker Tingerthal ’57 w July 19, 2023
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Cynthia Zuccaro Sattler ’57 w June 4, 2023 Marcia Dufresne Wagner ’58 w September 20, 2017 Gloria Dummer Bougie ’58 w January 28, 2023 Joyce Edlin Brodersen ’58 w April 14, 2023 Margaret Mary Engel Bannigan ’58 w June 6, 2023 Joan Fritz Shipley ’58 w May 26, 2021 Michele Murphy, CSJ, ’58 w December 2, 2022 Barbara Nelson Keenan ’58 w December 4, 2022 Mary Jean Psik ’58 w July 13, 2023 Patricia Shay Nentl ’58 w December 28, 2022 Susan Shukay Keenan ’58 w April 12, 2023 Laura Uselman Rebhan ’58 w May 7, 2023 Nancy Cosgriff ’59 w November 2, 2022 Colleen Dodor Bruski ’59 w March 14, 2023 Arlene Langner Finley ’59 w May 30, 2023 Kathryn Praedel D’Angio ’59 w January 11, 2023 Eileen Traxler Lee ’59 w February 13, 2018 Arlene Billmeier Larson ’60 w April 29, 2023 Ruth Laing Klis ’60 w October 31, 2022 Jean Marie Daly Martinson ’61 w February 8, 2023 Mary Furlong Crane ’61 w January 14, 2023 Virginia Johnson Shea ’61 w November 3, 2022 Mary Jean Kaiser Filippi ’61 w April 9, 2023 Grace Saumur, CSJ, ’61 w November 15, 2022 Achebe (Betty) Kelly Powell ’62 w February 21, 2023 Catherine Kummer DeWitt ’62 w October 24, 2022 Elizabeth Lehmann Orchard ’62 w February 22, 2023 Lynne Majors Meckstroth ’63 on January 15, 2022 Kathleen McDonell Penterman ’63 w June 23, 2023 Rita Reed Buckley ’63 w January 30, 2023 Judith Rutte Purtell ’63 w October 18, 2022 Jane Zierden Muller ’63 w April 23, 2023 Dolores Henke, OSM, ’64 w May 24, 2023 Gertrude Maus Schroer ’64 w December 14, 2022 Rosemary Reusch Jennings ’65 w October 1, 2022 Constance Giesen Kopp ’66 w January 12, 2022 Kathleen Kurimay McCoy ’66 w May 19, 2022 Rebecca Metzger, OSF, ’66 w January 17, 2023 Sheila Odell Ryan ’66 w April 26, 2023 Dorothy Scully Noud ’66 w April 4, 2023 Susan Sutherland Duval ’66 w March 18, 2022 Cynthia Zignego Stiverson ’66 w February 20, 2023 Marcia Agee ’67 w July 29, 2023 Theresita de Araujo ’67 w May 26, 2023 Helen Schauinger Jacobes ’67 w May 13, 2022 Jane Beulke Wiederholt ’69 w June 10, 2023 Susan Routier Shamla ’69 w September 23, 2022 Theresa Schauinger Hudson ’69 w May 7, 2018 Rosalie Bednark Davis ’70 w October 29, 2019 Mary Ellen Geiser Smith ’70 w June 17, 2020 Marie Thérèse Caniaux Reed ’71 w June 10, 2023 Jo Ann Claeys ’71 w May 1, 2023 Mary Margaret Cinquegrana ’72 w March 10, 2023 Barbara Ballard Huwe ’73 w March 18, 2023 Donna Davis Stoesz ’73 w January 24, 2019 Linda Pavlak Barcelona ’73 w March 20, 2023 Eva Tourtelotte Griep ’73 w November 14, 2022
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Cynthia Biernat Flynn ’74 w April 6, 2023 Mary Beth Meyer Chapel ’74 w September 11, 2020 Catherine O’Keefe ’74 w September 6, 2021 Holly Olson ’76 w February 12, 2021 Jane Dusek ’78 w July 28, 2022 Darlene Ohlson Timm ’78 w August 8, 2023 Ruby Roehl Jankus ’78 w January 17, 2017 Angela Kokott ’79 w April 26, 2023 Iva Ogle Lang ’79 w December 24, 2022 Beverly Steffen Ryan ’79 w July 9, 2021 Gretchen Kleinman Holt ’80 w November 15, 2022 Karen Sadler Larson ’81 w March 29, 2022 Jane Iverson Moriarty ’83 w September 18, 2020 Mary Jo Thul Skemp ’83 w February 26, 2023 Dolores Biederwolf Campbell ’84 w February 25, 2023 Joanne Conroy Barry ’84 w December 22, 2022 Barbara J. Harrison AAS’84, ’09 w July 10, 2021 Kathleen Ronan Lastine ’84 w June 5, 2023 Andrea Torgersen Groves ’84 w February 8, 2020 Kathleen Brick ’85 w April 1, 2023 Beth Johnson Wagner ’85 w February 13, 2023 Margaret Sweger Breimhurst ’85 w November 28, 2022 Nancy Hamm Reinhardt ’86 w April 29, 2019 Richard D. George ’87 w September 24, 2021 Urdeen Bluhm Quam ’88 w April 9, 2023 Mary Elaine Johnson ’88 w November 17, 2022 Henrietta Schaub Watson ’88 w June 29, 2023 Sharon Carnicom Hegele MAOL’91 w June 20, 2023 Joan Justice Spilde ’91 w April 2, 2023 Albina Louise Osojnicki Hiniker MAT’93 w December 31, 2022 Myra Birakowsky Hrenchyshyn ’94 w January 26, 2023 Thomas Jay Eklo MAT’95 w November 17, 2022 Kathleen Lynch Knutson Cert’95 w July 20, 2023 Trudy Olin Harper ’95 w March 30, 2022 Mary Jo Ritter Rogalski ’95 w April 12, 2023 Kathleen Knutson Preston ’99 w March 26, 2023 Melodee Kempenich Dorr ’01 w August 11, 2022 Heather R. Brier ’02 w April 10, 2022 Catherine Ahrens Rose ’03 w December 13, 2022 Michael J. Hanton ’03 w July 17, 2023 Karen M. Klein Cert’04 w November 13, 2021 Roxanne McGillis ’04 w November 14, 2022 Mariette Anderson David ’05 w March 4, 2023 Sarah Rudek Bleakney ’05 w June 14, 2023 Paula Christiansen-Wicklum ’09 w April 24, 2023 Carrie Corliss Blaha MNAG’10 w March 7, 2023 Amy Field Paulson Cert’10 w May 24, 2023 David P. Norris MLIS’17 w January 11, 2023 Keara Rose Larpenteur Murphy ’22 w April 15, 2023
To share news of a death, contact: 651-690-6666 | inmemory@stkate.edu
DAVID EMERSON
AZELA GOHL GIESE ’59
MARGUERITE GIGNAC HEDGES, DMA
David Emerson, professor emeritus of accounting and finance, passed away June 27, 2023. He was 88 years old. Emerson taught at St. Catherine University from 1980 to 2014, serving as business administration department chair and director of the Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership program at times during his many years as faculty member. He is remembered as a great supporter of the liberal arts as a distinction in St. Kate’s programs. Emerson had bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting and finance and served in many corporate and higher education leadership positions and board roles over the course of his career. An exceptional teacher, mentor, and friend, Emerson’s dedication to his students extended beyond the classroom. He and his wife endowed the David and Sara Emerson Accounting Achievement Award, which recognizes outstanding students in accounting each year. Emerson leaves a legacy of deep support for students, and lifelong, strong advocacy for empowering women in business. His daughters Nancy Emerson ’90 and Cheryl Resnick attest to this, proudly proclaiming that he was the first feminist they ever met. He often cited the support of his wife, Sara, as instrumental in encouraging him to begin his first college courses and continue his work in higher education.
On January 16, 2023, professor emerita of occupational therapy Azela Gohl Giese ’59 passed away at the age of 86. Gohl Giese graduated from St. Kate’s with a baccalaureate degree in occupational therapy in 1959. After working at Anoka State Hospital for several years, Gohl Giese returned to St. Kate’s, where she served on the occupational therapy faculty from 1962 to 1998. She fulfilled leadership roles as department chair and academic fieldwork coordinator, and led the development of the Weekend College occupational therapy program. In 2017, she and her husband founded the Azela Gohl Giese and Wallace Giese Fund in support of the Department of Occupational Therapy’s fieldwork programs. Gohl Giese secured an array of federal and foundation grants to provide stipends for disadvantaged students, advance new technologies in the curriculum, and support community-based fieldwork initiatives. She was referred to as the “glue that held organizations together,” and served two terms as the president of the Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association. In 1998, Gohl Giese was named a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association for her exemplary leadership in professional education and fieldwork. Gohl Giese received St. Kate’s emerita status in 1997. She is remembered as a beloved mentor and role model for students, alumni, occupational therapists, and faculty members.
Marguerite Gignac Hedges, DMA, professor emerita of music, died on May 4, 2022 at the age of 93. Born in Ontario on July 17, 1928, Gignac Hedges attended the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, where she studied to be an opera singer. Over the course of her opera career she performed in locations across Italy, France, and elsewhere in Europe, as well as Canada and the United States. In 1961, Gignac Hedges married U.S. flutist William Hedges and settled in St. Paul. In 1963, she began teaching singing and opera at St. Kate’s, where she taught for the next 36 years. During the 1960s and 70s, Gignac Hedges performed with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, with the Minnesota Orchestra, and on St. Paul educational TV. Gignac Hedges was awarded St. Kate’s emerita status in 1999. She is remembered as a cherished teacher and mentor who supported her students and went out of her way to foster their learning and access to singing opportunities.
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MARY LOUISE MAY KLAS ’52, JD, LHD’88 H.C. Former Ramsey County District Judge Mary Louise May Klas ’52, JD, LHD’88 h.c., trustee emerita, died on June 9, 2023, at the age of 93. Klas’ academic excellence in high school earned her a full scholarship from the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet to attend St. Kate’s, where she graduated in 1952 with a degree in English and speech. After several decades of work in politics and law, in 1986 Klas was appointed a Ramsey County judge — the first woman appointed to this position — a role in which she successfully advocated for improving the judicial system for victims of domestic violence. At 70, the age at which judges face mandatory retirement, Klas continued her advocacy work on a volunteer basis for the next decade, assisting human rights legal advocates in Central and Eastern Europe to combat domestic violence. Klas remained connected to St. Kate’s over the years, serving at various times as trustee, Reunion volunteer, and Alumnae Association president. She was the speaker at the 1988 December commencement, where she was awarded an honorary St. Catherine University doctorate degree, and at the 2007 December commencement. Many University community members know Klas as a devoted Katie. She was proud to count three of her four daughters — Mary Ellen Klas Kennedy ’81, Kathy Klas Thames ’82, and Barbara Klas ’84 — and granddaughter Alouisa Thames ’10 as St. Kate’s graduates, and two daughters as St. Kate’s professors (Patricia Klas Montalbano, PhD, assistant professor of English, and Thames, assistant professor of nutrition and dietetics).
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ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY • FALL 2023
CAROL TAUER ’54, PhD
MARIA JUNE WILSON, CSJ, ’45, MFA
Carol Tauer ’54, PhD, faculty emerita, former trustee, and former CSJ, passed away August 7, 2023. She was 89. Tauer entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet community in 1953, taking the name Sister Rita Jean, and graduated from St. Kate’s with a bachelor’s degree in music. She then taught piano and chorale before attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to earn her PhD in mathematics. She returned to St. Kate’s to teach math for 17 years, spending seven of those years as department chair. A true learner, Tauer returned to school, graduating with a PhD in philosophy from Georgetown University’s Kennedy Institute of Ethics in 1982. She then taught in St. Kate’s philosophy department for 22 years and holds the distinction of designing the department’s first course in bioethics. She helped to create the Minnesota Center for Health Care Ethics, and also served as an ethics consultant for the National Institutes of Health and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Tauer served as a St. Mary’s Junior College Trustee from 1972 to 1977, and was named to the Sister Mona Riley Endowed Professorship in the Humanities for 1989–1991 and 1992–93. She retired from St. Kate’s in 1997 as professor emerita, but continued to teach part time for another three years, earning recognition for her excellent teaching in 2009 with a Myser Faculty Award. Upon her death, she left her body to the University of Minnesota School of Medicine for study and research.
Maria June Wilson, CSJ, ’45, MFA, passed away on June 20, 2023, at the age of 100. Sister Maria was born on May 27, 1923 in Ogema, Wis. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1942, where she was given the name Maria, and graduated from St. Kate’s with a bachelor’s degree in art. After graduating from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 1971 with a Master of Fine Arts in art education, Sr. Maria joined the art faculty at St. Kate’s that same year. During her long tenure she taught three-dimensional design and art education, developed a photography program, and served as department chair from 1984 to 1988. Sr. Maria’s art spanned wall murals in the pediatric wing of St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. Paul, windows depicting saints at St. John the Baptist Church in Hugo, Minn., and more than 35 years of art shows and exhibits in the Twin Cities region.
To make a memorial gift to the following established funds, visit stkate.edu/giving: • David and Sara Emerson Accounting Achievement Award • Azela Gohl Giese and Wallace Giese Fund for Occupational Therapy For other memorials or tribute gifts, contact: 651-690-6976 or giving@stkate.edu
Katie Diary BY KENDALL GRAHAM
This past June marked the centennial anniversary of not only Reunion, but also the iconic Sacred Heart statue, located at the head of the drive from Cleveland Avenue to Derham. On June 9, 1923, St. Kate’s welcomed graduates back to campus for the very first alumnae homecoming and commemorated the event with a dedication of the statue, a gift from the alumnae association.
Katies and CSJs processed to the statue for the ceremonial blessing, accompanied by a performance by the Minnesota State Band. For a century, the statue has been a landmark at festivities, from May Fete parades and Eucharistic Day processions to Commencement receptions and Reunion — a familiar sight and testament to 100 years of St. Kate’s memories.
PHOTO/UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES
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FERTILE GROUND
The St. Catherine University Sustainability Committee centralizes the myriad sustainability projects in motion across campus, including the St. Kate's/CSJ Food Access Hub (pictured). Read more on page 6.
PHOTOS/TARA SLOANE