St. Catherine University Magazine, Spring 2017

UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE

SPRING 2017

DEFININGWOMEN. action. attitudes. legacies.

THE POWER OF HER

When Ka Neng Vue MAOT’16 puts her mind to something, she acts. Thoughtful, caring and curious, this Katie is among the 1,479 students conferred degrees in 2016. See more photos: flickr.com/stkates/albums

EDITOR Pauline Oo MAOL Cert’14, MBA’17 STAFF WRITERS Sara Berhow Julie Michener Sharon Rolenc COPY EDITOR Kara DeMarie MLIS’16 DESIGNERS Carol Evans-Smith Molly Orth

PROJECT MANAGER Kayla Forbes MBA’17 DIRECTOR OF VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS Jayne Stauffer DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS Kristin Kalstad Cummings ’91 INTERIM DIRECTOR, EXTERNAL RELATIONS Beth Riedel Carney ’82

WRITE TO US St. Catherine University 2004 Randolph Avenue Mail 4122 St. Paul, Minnesota 55105 mag@stkate.edu ADDRESS CHANGES 651.690.6666 alumnae@stkate.edu ONLINE mag.stkate.edu

PHOTO/REBECCA ZENEFSKI, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

SPRING 2017

F EAT U R E S

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A Serious Shift: Sales, Science & Sports

A look at how St. Kate’s continues to defy stereotypes to ensure women are taken seriously.

BY RACHAEL CARLSON ’02

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Defining Woman When she wasn’t handing out apples and advice, Mother Antonia was altering the face of education for all women.

BY ANNE BERTRAM

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MY ST. KATE’S

St. Kate’s gives women artists a place to grow and experiment.

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KATIES IN ACTION

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OFFICE HOURS

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CLASS NOTES

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BEHIND THE SCENE

Veronika Paprocka ’17 finds a commode seat, can opener and other survival items beneath Caecilian Hall.

PHOTO/REBECCA ZENEFSKI, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

Learn more: stkate.edu/ourhistory mag.stkate.edu/advisoryboard

FROM THE PRESIDENT

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INSIDE

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

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Strength in Numbers

BY PAULINE OO

St. Catherine University Magazine is published three times a year by the Office of Marketing and Communications with the St. Kate’s Mag Advisory Board.

No part of this publication may be reprinted without permission.

TH E CO M M O NS

FROM THE PRESIDENT

A Letter from the President If there is a more beautiful “snow globe” than our St. Paul campus on a winter day, I don’t know where that would be. When I walked this morning from the Butler Center to Derham Hall, the quiet beauty and solitude surrounded me, and still takes my breath away. The quietness belies the passion and energy inside the buildings and in our students throughout our community. And I believe you will feel that same energy and passion when you read this issue…

Defining Women.

Consultants, whether they be for branding a service or a product, will tell you that if you don’t define yourself, others will do it for you.

The Sisters who began St. Kate’s wanted their students to have the confidence and education to forge a definition of themselves that they could use for their entire lives. They knew they needed access to the humanities, arts and sciences to make them think. An eminent physician at the time warned that “higher education [for women]… could cause mental collapse, physical incapacity, infertility and early death.” The core idea of St. Catherine University remains a radical idea today as women of all ages in the United States, and around the world, fight for the right to define their lives, set their goals and do whatever work is necessary to achieve them.

As I approach six months on the job, I am excited to get out and meet alumnae across the country during chapter visits. Reunion 2017 planning is underway... and, this year, we’re doing things a little differently. For class years ending in 2 or 7, up to 1997 — along with music and theater alumnae from all years — Reunion will take place in June, like always. BUT, our younger alumnae will begin to celebrate a new Homecoming Reunion tradition this fall. Keep an eye on your mailbox and email for invitations and event updates.

I close with a quote from Mother Antonia that one of my classmates sent to me last month. She said that it was the quote that always inspired her to be her best, and to do her best. For her, it was the essence of what it means to be a Katie: “she who would be a woman must avoid mediocrity.”

If you are reading this issue, you made an early and great decision to avoid mediocrity. I look forward to the future with you, and all the things we can do together to ensure St. Catherine University is always here and always strong for the women who come after us, who choose to avoid mediocrity too.

ReBecca Koenig Roloff ’76, MBA

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Size doesn’t matter.

Participation does.

Your gifts, no matter the size, are more important than ever before.

PLEASE GIVE TODAY. Call or click | 651.690.6976 | stkate.edu/giveonline

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of our alum n

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Did you know...

...we can do better.

FEATURE

ST. KATE’S IS THE FIRST MINNESOTA COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY TO OFFER A STEM CERTIFICATE, AND THE ONLY ONE REQUIRING STEM COURSEWORK FOR ELEMENTARY ED MAJORS.

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A Serious Shift: Sales, Science & Sports A look at how St. Kate’s continues to defy stereotypes to ensure women are taken seriously.

BY RACHAEL CARLSON ’02

“Come. Come here. We take you seriously.

We believe in your future. We know the world needs you. And we promise you the quality of education that will make a difference — that will give you the independence and confidence to take your place in the world, whatever you choose that to be.”

— spoken wholeheartedly by President Becky Roloff during her inaugural address on October 11, 2016.

PHOTO/REBECCA ZENEFSKI, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

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PHOTO/REBECCA ZENEFSKI, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

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SALESMAN VS. SALESWOMAN A recent MedReps.com survey found an ongoing cultural perception that sales is still a male-dominated profession, “often viewed as being more technical and requiring... acumen that seems to be more congruent with society’s overall view of salesmen vs. saleswomen.”

St. Kate’s responds to this stereotype by offering sales majors the classes and experiences needed to overcome them. Students are trained in business analytics. They can focus on the medical device and product side, or the pharmaceutical and insurance aspects of healthcare.

Healthcare sales majors are required to complete an internship, which for some may entail “calling on customers while driving a company car with a company laptop in tow,” says Mary Henderson, professor of business administration.

“We’re valued because of our rigor and depth in sales, the sciences and in other business courses,” she adds.

“Companies respond very favorably to the quality of our students and alumnae. In fact, our students often receive multiple internship and job offers from companies like 3M, Johnson & Johnson, Owens & Minor, Medtronic, Boston Scientific and many other organizations.”

The number of women entering the healthcare sales field has increased over the last 10 years, with no sign of slowing down. And why should it?

According to the 2016 Medical Device Salary Report, the average medical device sales income is $147,857

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PHOTO/ST. KATE’S ATHLETICS

rom politics to sports to corporate America, there has been plenty of discussion around taking women seriously. This is a nation where female full-time workers make 80 cents for every dollar earned by men, a gender wage gap of 20 percent. And where Harvard’s 2016 men’s soccer season was canceled following reports of team members ranking female recruits based on their physical attractiveness and sexual appeal. Yes, this is actually still happening.

So now what? With obstacles like these, how do we lead and create change? We do it through opportunity and equality, and by inspiring progress, innovation and leadership. At least that’s what St. Kate’s does, every day, all day — for the past 111 years.

Take, for instance, the fact that St. Kate’s was the first and only university in the United States to offer majors, minors and certificates in healthcare sales.

SALES MAJORS AT ST. KATE’S REGULARLY HONE PRESENTATION SKILLS IN THE CLASSROOM AND AT NATIONAL SALES CONFERENCES. SYDNEY BUSKER ’19 WAS ONE OF FOUR WILDCATS WHO LED THE GOLF TEAM TO ITS FIRST-EVER MIAC CHAMPIONSHIP.

and, while travel or long hours away from family may be part of the job, autonomy and flexibility are as well.

Another plus, noted a MedReps.com survey: medical sales professionals possess the “ability to make an impact” on patient outcomes.

LET’S TALK SCIENCE As women continue to make great strides, there is still a huge gap and lack of representation in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.

According to the 2015 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women make up 47 percent of the total U.S. workforce, but are much less represented in science and engineering occupations. Only 39 percent of chemists and material scientists, 28 percent of environmental scientists and geoscientists, 16 percent of chemical engineers and just 12 percent of civil engineers are women.

So, how is St. Kate’s helping to get more women involved in STEM fields? For starters, the University created an amazing chemistry and biochemistry program, along with a minor in STEM. The program is heavily focused on research, preparing students to pursue graduate work in chemistry or biochemistry, as well as professional programs in medicine, chemical engineering, environmental engineering, pharmacology and medical technology. All chemistry seniors and juniors meet every Friday to work on presentation skills and to connect with faculty on possible collaborative research projects. Students are schooled in toxicology and green chemistry — the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the generation of hazardous substances.

“Now, more than ever, we need women to be strong leaders in the sciences,” says Gina Mancini-Samuelson, professor of chemistry and biochemistry. “Because our world is faced with many challenges — providing clean water for all, managing energy resources, ensuring a safe food supply and understanding how actions impact human health — solutions to these problems are going to need to come from our next generation of scientists.

They will need to listen carefully, critically evaluate information and think creatively.”

Role models are another reason St. Kate’s is a fetching location for women looking to pursue careers in STEM — 82 percent of our faculty are women. The majority of

our science professors are also diligent researchers with doctorates from nationally recognized chemistry, biology and mathematics programs.

SERIOUS STRENGTH IN SPORTS As much as women’s sports has evolved, female athletes still face sexism, lack of media coverage and business endorsements, unequal program funding, and, of course, lack of equal pay. The U.S. women’s national soccer team received $2 million for winning the 2015 Women’s World Cup, while Germany’s men’s soccer team took home $35 million for the 2014 World Cup. Fair?

Thankfully, St. Kate’s is dedicated to empowering women athletes and eliminating gender inequity. Since 1983, the University has been a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC), one of the strongest NCAA Division III conferences in the nation.

And it’s student athletes like Abby Conzemius ’17, who excels in both the classroom and in competition, that are keeping St. Kate’s on track.

“I feel fortunate that I joined St. Kate’s golf team,” says Conzemius. “We have a strong program that gets stronger every year, and [through the support of my coaches and professors] I was able to pursue all my goals and grow as an individual while playing golf on an extremely competitive team.”

When asked about the unfair treatment of women in sports, Conzemius — who holds a leadership position on the Wildcat Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and led the Wildcats to the 2016 MIAC championship last fall — offers this advice: advocate for yourself, and other women.

“In situations where stereotypes occur, I just try to show that my skill set is worthy and I try to educate others,” she says. “Knowledge helps break barriers. In sports, having more women present as coaches and athletics directors will allow for growth and provide a different perspective on how to coach and mentor young athletes.”

Great advice from a Wildcat — and a science major (biology) to boot!

A WILDCAT FIRST: St. Kate’s will play the NCAA women’s golf tournament May 9–12 in Texas. Visit stkatesathletics.com for details.

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FEATURE

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: ANTONIA McHUGH, CSJ, SERVED AS FIRST DEAN (1914–1929) AND PRESIDENT (1929–1937); OUR LADY OF VICTORY CHAPEL WAS MODELED AFTER THE CHURCH OF ST. TROPHIME IN ARLES, FRANCE; STUDENTS IN A BOTANY CLASS; AND TWO SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH OF CARONDELET AT THE PORT OF ST. PAUL.

Defining Woman When she wasn’t handing out apples and advice, Mother Antonia was altering the face of education for all women.

BY ANNE BERTRAM

Lean In. Women Don’t Ask. These books, and others like them, about a woman’s place in today’s world, tell us what to strive for and how to behave. Anecdotes and statistics make the case that we limit our own success because we believe we’re not worth it — not good enough.

Or we don’t support each other. Et cetera.

On one hand, there’s no shortage of discussion about how we, as women, continually place obstacles in our own way. On the other hand, there’s Mother Antonia.

Mother Antonia McHugh, St. Kate’s first president, is legendary for making St. Catherine a nationally recognized institution of higher learning. When she assumed leadership in 1914, only a single building, Derham Hall, had been completed. A mere five faculty members held college degrees (none beyond a master’s). St. Kate’s was not accredited. And the first graduating class had two members.

By the time she left in 1937, Whitby Hall, Caecilian Hall, Our Lady of Victory Chapel, Mendel Hall, Fontbonne Hall and the power plant had all been built. Ten faculty members held doctoral degrees. Not only was St. Kate’s accredited, it was the only Catholic university with a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Thirty-one women received Bachelor of Arts degrees and forty-seven earned their Bachelor of Science.

So how did Mother Antonia do it?

VISION: WOMEN ARE WORTH IT “The aim of the College of St. Catherine,” Mother Antonia said, “is to develop in each girl who comes to it, the virtues of the valiant woman: strength, courage, firm faith, high purpose and readiness to serve… to exercise the imagination of the student to see through four years of college and beyond to a life of some kind of profitable service.” As far as she was concerned, it was a given that

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women were competent — and they were capable of work that would make a difference in the world.

Keep in mind that at the time St. Kate’s was getting started, respected scholars could and did assert that women were not just intellectually, but physically incapable of advanced study. Rev. John Todd, for instance, lamented that the female college student “must be on the strain all the school hours, study in the evening till her eyes ache, her brain whirls, her spine yields and gives way, and she comes through the process of education enervated, feeble, without courage or vigor, elasticity or strength. Alas!”

But Mother Antonia saw the opposite, of course.

She knew the potency of scholarship. She herself held three degrees; she had a deep understanding of geology, geography and history; and her knowledge of music and art was extensive. Exceptional education made women stronger. It made them worthy of respect. Thus, she devoted herself to ensuring only the best for those who chose St. Kate’s.

MAKING IT REAL: SUPPORT EACH OTHER Stories abound of Mother Antonia tirelessly providing whatever her students and faculty (all of whom were Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet) needed in order to learn and improve. Sisters Rosalie Ryan and John Christine Wolkerstorfer noted that “she impartially handed out apples and advice. Her classroom was a place where young women found out what was the matter with them even when they didn’t want to know.” For students who couldn’t pay tuition, she found scholarships; for those who needed clothes, she got alumnae to donate some.

PHOTOS/UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

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stkate.edu

For her faculty members, she secured funding, made connections and got the archbishop’s permission for them to study at major universities such as the University of Chicago (her alma mater), Columbia, Oxford and Louvain.

Because she felt that travel was an indispensable part of a thorough education, she made sure they got a chance to do just that. Former professors Anne Condon Collopy McKeown ’28 and Mabel Meta Frey pointed out that “the idea of Sisters studying in secular universities in this country was revolutionary indeed in the eyes of most of the hierarchy at the time, but travel in Europe! for Sisters!… it is hard to imagine how incredible the idea of foreign study and travel was in the Midwest to the generation of the twenties and thirties… it was certainly not for Sisters with their vow of poverty.”

It was for the St. Kate’s Sisters, though.

Mother Antonia taught them how to travel by taking them with her on her business trips so they could learn to handle money and navigate boats, buses and trains.

When she sent Sisters on trips by themselves, she would sometimes go so far as to lend them her personal train pass. This could cause awkwardness if the conductor knew Mother Antonia personally, since, obviously, he could tell that it wasn’t actually her getting the free seat.

But as one Sister remarked, “I think most of the train

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Anne Bertram is executive director of Theatre Unbound. She wrote “The Fundamentals,” which Megan Campbell Lagas ’02 will perform again at Reunion: June 9, 6 p.m., CDC ballroom.

FURTHER READING: The recently published Our Lady of Victory Chapel: Monument, Mystery, Mission includes stories about Mother Antonia.

Buy it online at stkate.edu/chapelbook and support the Chapel’s preservation.

PHOTO/UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

MEMBERS OF ST. KATE’S LATIN CLUB, 1924.

men knew that these passes were [being shared],” and they were willing to turn a blind eye.

“Imagine a young Sister embarking on travels you made possible, sending photos of the Sphinx and detailed observations of Oxford tutorials. Imagine her returning home full of energy and experience, ready to lead, to divide the work with you.” This is an excerpt from “The Fundamentals,” a monologue about Mother Antonia commissioned for St. Kate’s Reunion 2016.

Mother Antonia leaned in long before “leaning in” was cool, and the power of her vision and energy persists. We see it in St. Kate’s unique learning environment that’s collaborative and recognizes the contributions of women, past and present.

Reunion 2017 ’42

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Let's catch up!

June 9 & 10 For graduating years prior to 2002 and ending in 2 or 7, plus music and theater participants from all years

Registration materials coming in March.

New this fall...

Homecoming for ’02, ’07 & ’12

stkate.edu/homecoming

Don’t miss anything this year!

Visit stkate.edu/reunion to update your contact information.

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THE SCHOLARLY SLEUTH

BY MICHELLE MULLOWNEY ’17 A year since Veronika Paprocka ’17 started researching the history of St. Kate’s buildings on the St. Paul campus, she’s still at it. In fact, the detective work she’s doing for her Antonian Scholars senior honors project will include an online resource to share with the world.

“I’ve always been interested in why the campus is the way it is — why we have fallout shelter signs on buildings, why the windows in Derham stairwells are at different heights,” Paprocka says. “It’s very obvious that spaces aren’t cohesive, and there are a lot of oddities left behind — I want to know the stories behind them.”

Her top three finds, so far: 1. True Katies — Whitby and Derham Halls, the first two campus buildings, served a plethora of functions in the University’s early days. For example, students ate and slept in Whitby, and Derham housed both the chapel and the library for a time. “I just did the math, and it blew my mind that it took 98 years for people to stop living in Whitby,” she says. With St. Kate’s tradition of adapting to the challenges of the moment, it’s no wonder Paprocka dubs this duo the “true Katies of buildings.”

2. Fallout shelters — During the Cold War, the Office of Civil Defense assessed St. Kate’s buildings and deemed them fit to serve as emergency fallout shelters for the

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Highland Park neighborhood. Now, however, all that’s left are the cardboard toilets. “Finding them,” she notes, “was one of my favorite moments!”

3. Mystery chandeliers — The Chapel once boasted beautiful chandeliers, elegant lamps suspended from circular frames. But, look up today and all you’ll see are black pegs and empty rings. There is no evidence of when they were removed or what became of them — and they haven’t been seen since!

“In general,” Paprocka says, “people are very proud when they build and make additions, and there is always documentation — receipts and plans — for them. But then, when things are taken out, there is little or no record. I find this very interesting in terms of how we work as people and what we deem important.”

Curious about the other peculiar objects and tales she’s dug up? Well, all shall be revealed on March 3 when she presents at 3 p.m. in the Recital Hall. Or peruse her investigation online, stkate.edu/honors-projects.

Michelle Mullowney is a senior majoring in French, with a double minor in philosophy and communication studies.

PHOTO/REBECCA ZENEFSKI, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

MY ST. KATES

REMNANTS OF ST. KATE’S PAST AS A 1960s FALLOUT SHELTER. MORE AT: STKATE.EDU/MAGPHOTOS

PICTURE THIS

BY PAULINE OO They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, for assistant professor Sarah Park Dahlen, the faces in children’s books tell a worrisome story. Last year, she paired up with illustrator David Huyck and author Molly Beth Griffin to show the lack of diversity in literature for the young.

Dahlen’s blog post (tinyurl.com/readingspark) displaying their infographic attracted over 40,000 views. Her Facebook post about it was shared over 10,000 times, including by Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Junot Díaz and New York Times best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith. Educators, librarians and students — from K–12 through colleges across the world — continue to download and discuss it. Libraries are displaying it in their children’s rooms.

“We are blown away by the response,” says Dahlen, who teaches in St. Kate’s Master of Library and Information Science program.

The illustration, which uses 2015 data from the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, shows that 12.5 percent of characters in U.S. children’s books are non-human, like animals and trucks; 7.6 percent are African/African American; 3.3 percent are Asian Pacific; 2.4 percent are Latino and less than one percent are American Indians.

Surprising? Well, that’s not all. Two winters ago, Dahlen contributed to another significant initiative. She partnered with Lee & Low Books on a Diversity Baseline Survey (tinyurl.com/pubdiversity) to gather demographic data from over 3,000 members of the publishing industry.

The results showed that population to be primarily white, female, heterosexual and able-bodied.

Dahlen hopes both the survey and infographic will “help push forward important conversations and lead to real change in children’s literature, from the people who create them to the characters in them.”

Percentages of books depicting characters from diverse backgrounds. Based on 2015 statistics by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center: ccbc.education.wisc.edu/books/pcstats.asp * About a quarter of children’s books were picture books, and about half of those depict non-human characters. ** The remainder depict white characters.

Illustration by David Huyck, in consultation with Sarah Park Dahlen & Molly Beth Griffin. Released under a Creative Commons license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

Did You Know?

• President Becky Roloff ’76 published A Bay Lake Fish Tale in 1996.

• Megan Oldakowski ’17 wrote and illustrated The Emeowment of Felis last fall.

• More than 10 other Katies are children’s book authors, including Kelly Barnhill ’96 (see Class Notes) who recently landed a movie deal and the 2017 Newbery Medal for outstanding contributions.

#mystkates

Share photos of your campus experiences with us on Twitter and Instagram.

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FEATURE PAINTER BRE ATKINSON ’04, LEFT, CONSULTS WITH WAI CO-INSTRUCTOR ANNA GARSKI ON HER SELF-PORTRAITS.

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PHOTO/ASHLEY DE LOS REYES ’15

Strength in Numbers St. Kate’s gives women artists a place to grow and experiment.

BY PAULINE OO

S

earching for ways to incorporate her passion for social justice causes and feminism into her growing art practice, Anna Garski ’12 decided to sign up for the Women’s Art Institute (WAI) near the end of her sophomore year at St. Kate’s.

She didn’t know it at the time, but that summer would change her life.

The four-week studio intensive, held each June, led to her attending graduate school in San Francisco and, last summer, joining the WAI faculty.

“It was fantastic,” says Garski, of co-teaching with director Patricia Olson and guiding others to find their creative path. “My institute experience, plus double major in studio art and women’s studies, prepared me to teach the unique course content in WAI.”

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PHOTO/HILARY STEIN ’14 PHOTO/ASHLEY DE LOS REYES ’15

PHOTO/ASHLEY DE LOS REYES ’15

Questions, generated by the participants themselves, comprise the heart of the curriculum for the institute. And they change every year.

In 2013, one of them was “How can I cultivate fearless creative energy in my studio practice?” Last year, one was “How can I honor the emerging facts and accomplishments of past and present female artists?” The 15 to 20 practicing artists and art students find the answers by challenging themselves — and each other — through open studio work, intense individual tutoring, inspiring conversation and critiques, and presentations from guest artists, critics and art historians.

And many participants make major life decisions just to attend.

Then, they are forever changed when they complete the program.

“I barely had time to paint. I was really frustrated,” replies Mexican artist Susana del Rosario Casteñeda Quinteros (pictured, top), when asked her reason for traveling to Minnesota.

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“I wanted to have time for myself and to learn from other women who maybe were feeling exactly the same. So I quit [my job], I went to WAI, I painted, I was really happy and now I am studying for a master’s degree here in Mexico City.”

Stories like hers and Garski’s are common among WAI alums. They arrive with questions and doubts, but leave with strong vision and focus.

The Women’s Art Institute has sold out every year since 1999. The 2017 intensive is scheduled for June 5–29.

For more information and registration materials, visit stkate.edu/wai.

STUDENTS IN A CRITIQUE SESSION (TOP) AND A FIELD TRIP TO ARTIST HAZEL BELVO’S STUDIO (ABOVE.)

Support the WAI Scholarship Fund: stkate.edu/give or use the enclosed envelope.

FREE EVENT: Four Katies present “What Women Artists Want (and how they plan to get it),” March 2, 1:30 p.m., in the Catherine G. Murphy Gallery

MARJORIE FEDYSZYN INSTALLS HER FIBER SCULPTURE.

PHOTO/ASHLEY DE LOS REYES ’15

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PHOTOS/COURTESY LINDSEY SMITH

KATIES IN ACTION

Safe Harbor A Katie brings hope and healing to neighbors across the sea.

BY SARAH JOHNSON

When Lindsey Smith ’06, MSN’15 volunteered as a nurse practitioner at the Idomeni refugee camp on the outskirts of Thessaloniki, Greece, the last thing she expected to find was kindness and generosity from families who lost everything. But she did. And this hospitality from strangers is why she is devoting her life to helping more displaced women and children.

Half of all Syrians, the majority Sunni Muslims because Islam is the official religion in Syria, are now refugees fleeing a civil war. According to the U.S. Department of State, 6.5 million are displaced inside the country and 4.6 million are forced to seek safety beyond its borders.

“Hundreds of thousands were arriving on the shores of Greece last spring, and the borders were sealed and people were stranded,” recalls Smith. “About 30,000 were waiting at this newly built military-enforced border in horrible conditions, living in tents on the dirt and on the train tracks. It was cold. It was wet, and people were burning plastic just to keep warm.”

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Smith’s journey to the Greek-Macedonian border began when she joined the Syrian American Medical Society’s team after learning about them at the Twin Cities Arab Film Festival. Her nursing skills came in handy while treating refugees with stroke, hypertension, diabetes, asthma, mental health concerns, burns and lost limbs. She learned how to dispense care from a van in the middle of an empty field, with no running water.

“We did the best we could,” she says. “It was jungle medicine, really.”

Nonetheless, Smith found joy in the people she served.

“The refugees had to stand in line two to three hours per day just to get food — a banana, an apple, a bottle of water and a sandwich — and yet, they would invite me to tea,” she says, “and they were more concerned that I was fed so I could help other people.”

Smith isn’t new to helping the stricken. After earning her bachelor’s in nursing from St. Kate’s, she landed a job in Los Angeles as director of nursing with Angeles

Vista Hospice. “I fell in love with end-of-life care,” she explains, “and realized I really wanted to open a hospice that provides culturally specific care to minority groups in the United States, including Muslims, Hmong and Native Americans.”

So, she moved back to Minnesota, and returned to St. Kate’s, to further her professional goals.

Smith’s one regret after her trip to Greece was that she didn’t stay longer. “I can’t imagine losing family and friends the way some of these refugees have, and making that decision to leave my home and cross the sea. But then I think, any time you put your family in unsafe waters, you are safer than where you left.”

In September 2016, she worked at three camps in Thessaloniki and one in the mountains of northern Greece (for 1,500 Yazidis, a tribe from Iraq). She and another nurse from Minneapolis sponsored a refugee who spoke Arabic and Kurdish to translate. A result of doing this: Smith met veterinarians, engineers, doctors and a neurosurgeon among those running for their lives.

“These people are no longer refugees to me; many are my dear friends,” she says. In fact, they sent “all these wonderful messages” for her recent birthday.

Was she ever scared at the camps? “Only once,” she replies, “when the riot police came in shooting tear gas.

FROM LEFT: KARAMANLIS REFUGEE CAMP IN GREECE; TWO MEDICAL TEAMS PROVIDE LIFE SUPPORT TO AN INJURED MAN; LINDSEY SMITH ’06, MSN’15 WITH A GRATEFUL SYRIAN REFUGEE WHO MADE HER BREAD OVER AN OUTDOOR FIRE.

But that could happen anywhere with 30,000 people — like at a rock concert.”

This fall, Smith plans to head to Lebanon with a medical team of her own. She is trying to connect with interested nurses, pediatricians, gynecologists and dentists. The need is huge, she notes, with one-and-a-half million refugees estimated to have entered the country.

“You see the numbers on the news, and the refugee crisis seems so far away,” she says, “but once you know those people, those numbers become hopes and dreams, and stories.”

And Smith intends to help make her new friends’ hopes and dreams come true.

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OFFICE HOURS

FROM LEFT: THE CLASS OF 1917, KATIES OUTSIDE DERHAM HALL AND 2016 GRADS.

PHOTO/REBECCA ZENEFSKI, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

PHOTO/REBECCA ZENEFSKI, BY REBECCA STUDIOS

PHOTO/UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

Alumnae Relations celebrates 100

BY LIZZIE CLEARY ’17 A century ago, St. Kate’s formed an association to connect with its alumnae. Today, the University engages with over 47,000 diverse graduates. Karen Jothen MAOL’06, Alumnae Relations director, and Ruth Haag Brombach ’60, alumnae liaison and former director (1973–2010), reflect on the ways St. Kate’s supports its growing community.

Q:

Q:

Brombach: Sister Antonia McHugh, who was dean of St. Kate’s in 1917, displayed a routine throughout her administrative years of looking at more developed colleges and universities, and adapting their practices. So, it’s not surprising that she planned a meeting of graduates after commencement on June 7. That was the beginning of alumnae relations, or the alumnae association as they actually called it at that time.

Brombach: We had between 16 and 20 at the start, but they were an active group. Over the next 13 years, the membership grew and they approved a constitution, initiated a newsletter, celebrated the first memorial Mass, held homecoming and sent representatives to regional meetings.

Who started Alumnae Relations?

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How many graduates were there?

Q:

What were Mother Antonia’s reasons for establishing the association?

Brombach: She wanted to provide an avenue for people to keep in touch with one another, to foster recruitment of new students and, ultimately, to provide financial help to the institution.

Although we do so much more today, our core reasons for being haven’t changed since those early years.

Q:

How do you serve the community today?

Jothen: Our graduates represent a much more diverse population than they did even 25 years ago.

Our College for Women is made up

ALUMNAE RELATIONS 405 Derham Hall 651.690.6666 OFFICE HOURS 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

RUTH HAAG BROMBACH ’60

KAREN JOTHEN MAOL’06

of 41 percent students of color and, unlike before, we also serve associate and graduate students. So, in addition to our signature events — like Reunion and Conversation with Books — we offer young alumnae networking and professional development opportunities like Katie Smarts and Katies Connect. Our service extends to students as well. We pair them with alumnae in The Reflective Woman interviews and during our Citizen Katie day of service.

Brombach: Last fall, we initiated a four-part online continuing education series that graduates can participate in at their convenience. Way back, when alumnae were available during the day, they came to a meeting at 10 in the morning and stayed for the day. Now, people are very busy and we structure our activities and events in the evening or weekends.

As women’s lives have changed over the years, we have wanted to accommodate those changes. That’s part of our job — to be as creative as we can be.

Jothen: One other responsibility is supporting the University’s mission and vision. We do this through the Alumnae Council and its 14 working groups. For example, our College for Adults Committee helps the administration shape curriculum and services for adult students.

Brombach: Going back in history again — we’ve always helped to address needs where they existed.

Our religious Sisters were not allowed to solicit money, so alumnae said they would — and in the 1950s, the association began the annual fund.

We organized and held Fontbonne Fairs in Fontbonne Hall to raise money for building St. Joseph Hall, which is now Coeur de Catherine. We ran the first mailroom because we generated the most mail.

Q:

Speaking of fundraising, why is it important for alums to donate?

Brombach: External organizations, like banks, foundations and research organizations, consider alumnae giving as they evaluate St. Kate’s for a loan, a grant or in ranking us as compared to peer universities.

Q:

What is the percentage of alumnae giving?

Q:

Okay, that makes sense.

Can we talk about your anniversary? What’s the plan?

Jothen: We’re working out the details, but it’ll be a yearlong celebration that begins this June and ends in May 2018. So, watch for more information in your emails and mailboxes.

Brombach: We’ll have fun at Reunion 2017! We will have a display that will include the high points of the accomplishments of all the University presidents through Sister Andrea Lee, and we’re going to weave in the assistance of alumnae over those years.

Jothen: Yes. Katies are doers; they always jump in when we need them.

Our anniversary will also celebrate their leadership contributions and dedication to St. Kate’s.

Read the full interview at stkate.edu/ar

Brombach: It’s about 10 percent.

Jothen: And we would like to increase it. Other private institutions average 20 to 50 percent alumnae who donate.

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CLASS NOTES

Class Notes

FIRST KATIE TO 1960–69 MCKEIG ’61 co-wrote WIN A MARSHALL CECELIA Onigum and the Leech Lake Agency, SCHOLARSHIP published in August 2016. The book covers the history of the federal agency established in 1866 at Leech Lake to serve the Native Americans of northern Minnesota.

SUBMIT A CLASS NOTE CONTACT US Online: stkate.edu/alumnae Phone: 651.690.6666 Email: alumnae@stkate.edu facebook.com/katiealumnae @StKatesAlums

TAYLOR HARWOOD ’15 TAYLOR HARWOOD ’15 was awarded the Marshall Scholarship, which provides funding for “young Americans of high ability to study for a graduate degree in the United Kingdom.” Up to 40 scholars in the U.S. are selected each year. Taylor is the first Katie to win this scholarship.

She will pursue two master’s degrees while in London — one in history and cultures at King’s College and another in archives and records management at University College.

IN MEMORY

MARYANN NIEBERLE WEIDT ’66 wrote a children’s book, Mama Loved to Worry, released by the Minnesota Historical Society Press in April 2016.

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Our deepest sympathy to the families of the following graduates, faculty members and trustees: Dorothy L. Hare, nursing faculty from 1973 to 1994 w October 15, 2016.

Josephine Healy Ruiz De Moreno ’34 w April 29, 2016.

Joanne Connors Finger ’39 w October 7, 2016.

Mary Long Cleary ’41 w October 26, 2016.

Elinor Gilloon ’42 w August 20, 2016.

Harriet Havener Greenfield ’42 w August 7, 2016.

Nell Miller Zingsheim ’43 w September 26, 2016.

Mary Burfeind Asselin ’44 w July 28, 2016.

Corinne Hurley FitzPatrick ’45 w September 2, 2016.

Marion Bringe Schulzetenberg M’46 w October 28, 2016.

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Marceline Hagemeister Wohlers ’46 w October 11, 2016.

Mary Johnson Stadnik M’46 w November 1, 2016.

Joan H. Kelly ’46, first alumna to establish a named scholarship at St. Kate’s, w November 2, 2016. ◊ Janice Messick M’46 w August 23, 2016.

Jeanne Sullivan Hawley ’46 w July 14, 2016.

Patricia Cullen Remole ’47 w August 22, 2016.

Irene Kennedy Cummings ’47 w October 22, 2016.

Gladys Puvogel Kreimer ’47 w December 15, 2015.

Frances Rojina O’Brien M’47 w August 25, 2016.

Dorothy Schultz Stewart ’47 w October 7, 2016.

Glenna Sweetman Miller ’47 w October 11, 2016.

1970–79

BARBARA JACOBS IVENS ’73 earned a Medallion Award at the 2016 Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo in Boston. The national award recognizes outstanding leadership and contributions to the profession and practice of dietetics.

ELIZABETH MACH, MKLM, ’75 celebrated 40 years with the Maryknoll Lay Missioners. She’s the longest-serving missioner and has spent much of her time in Tanzania advocating for victims of genderbased violence.

MARY SIMONS FEINSTEIN ’79 works for the Central Intelligence Agency in the White House as the director of security and counterintelligence.

1980–89

REBECCA STERNER ’80 received a lifetime achievement award from the Minnesota Magazine & Publishing Association in November 2016.

ELLEN TIMMERMAN-BORER ’81 was honored as the Greater Wayzata Area Chamber of Commerce Person

ELLEN TIMMERMANBORER ’81 of the Year. The award is presented annually to a chamber member who contributes to the economic, civic, commercial and educational interests of the Wayzata area.

PAMELA WHEELOCK ’81 joined Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity as chief operating officer. She will oversee the organization’s new strategic plan Impact 2020, which calls for more than doubling Habitat homeownership opportunities for

Irene Bossenmaier ’48 w September 3, 2016.

Mary Clare Keith Greene ’48 w October 2, 2016.

Winifred Catherine Konzen Branson ’48 w August 20, 2016.

Geraldine Greeley McManus J’49 w June 3, 2016.

Marguerite Johnson Olson ’49 w November 6, 2016.

Mary Lou O’Donnell Ramackel ’49 w October 22, 2016.

Catherine Getchell Gabel ’50 w October 26, 2016.

Jo Anne Shekleton ’50 w May 24, 2016.

Marie Daun Dawald ’51 w September 14, 2016.

Judith Birdsall Marion ’52 w August 20, 2016.

Marilyn Elvin Burnstad ’52 w September 17, 2016.

Lavonne Jerome Stumpf M’52 w July 3, 2016.

Twin Cities families, creating the privately funded Home Loan Impact Fund, opening new Habitat ReStores, expanding housing advocacy efforts and piloting an age-in-place program.

ANGELA RILEY ’84 is executive vice president and chief financial officer for St. Catherine University. Angela previously held CFO positions at Imperial Plastics and Northern Contours.

1990–99

CHRISTY EICHERS ’91 performed in the 2016 Minnesota Fringe Festival.

Her one-woman show “Pluck, Cluck and Dumb Luck” played at Bryant Lake Bowl.

KELLY REGAN BARNHILL ’96 completed her fourth book, The Girl Who Drank the Moon, in August 2016. The work has received rave reviews from publications such as The New York Times, which compared it to classics such as Peter Pan and The Wizard of Oz. Amazon named it Best Book of August 2016 and Fox

Patricia Deiman, CSJ (Sister Teresa Jeanne) ’53 w September 10, 2016.

Barbara A. Keller J’53 w September 13, 2016.

Helen Roden Shatynski M’53 w April 26, 2016.

Mary Ann Mlekoday Lapinski ’54 w October 14, 2016.

Marion Riley, CSJ (Sister Leo Anne) ’54 w August 24, 2016.

Mary Lee Whiting ’54 w November 3, 2016.

Anne Schmidt Otterson ’55, trustee emerita, w November 23, 2016. ◊ Clare Bloms, CSJ (Sister Bernard Clare) ’55 w October 10, 2016.

Clara Gmyrek Doble M’55 w September 20, 2016.

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science at Central High School in St. Paul.

KAILEY

CATHERINE BARTHOLOME MORRISON ’02 was married on September 17, 2016.

KELSEY JOHNSON ’04 is president of the Iron Mining Association, which promotes and advocates on behalf of Minnesota’s iron mining industry.

Animation acquired the film rights.

Writer Mark Haimes will adapt the story for the big screen.

2000–09

KATE STOECKEL BAKKE M’02, ’07 is a flight nurse at North Memorial Air Care.

LISA HOUDEK MAED’02 was honored with a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. She teaches

IN MEMORY

PHILOMENA MORRISSEY SATRE MAOL’08 was named to Pollen’s first “50 Over 50” list. The list celebrates and recognizes Minnesotans over age 50 who have made significant contributions and achievements in their communities.

Philomena is an organizational development and diversity and inclusion leader at Wells Fargo, and adjunct faculty at St. Kate’s.

SARA UDVIG ’08 has been commissioned to create a mural at Margaret Park in St. Paul. Udvig met with park stewards and neighbors to talk about the history, memories and community around the park.

CARISSA SAMANIEGO ’09 earned honorable mention in the International Sculpture Center’s (ISC) 2016 Outstanding Student Achievement competition. Her work was featured in the October 2016 issue of ISC’s Sculpture magazine and at www. sculpture.org. Samaniego is a graduate student in the University of Colorado–Boulder’s sculpture and post-studio practice program.

w continued

Mary Lenore McManmon, CSJ, ’55 w August 16, 2016.

Margaret Ann Schmidt Goeser ’55 w July 30, 2016.

Colleen Gherty Larson J’57 w October 11, 2016.

Mary Ann Lyons Mackenburg M’57 w August 21, 2016.

Nancy Reising Galatowitsch J’57 w February 16, 2016.

Jeanne Chamberlain Traxler M’59 w July 5, 2016.

Patricia Corrick Hinton ’61 w October 30, 2016.

Catherine Filzen Ameluxen M’61 w July 21, 2015.

Mary Flanagan Nordlund ’62 w October 21, 2016.

Janice Sobota St. Martin ’62 w July 28, 2016.

Patricia Tester Kirsch ’62 w September 12, 2016.

Anne Kelly Rutchland ’63 w July 21, 2016.

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KATIE EISELE JULLIE ’09 welcomed daughter Kailey Grace Jullie in August 2016.

ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY • SPRING 2017

Margi Bohmer Edlund ’64 w October 11, 2016.

Nina Harrison ’64 w October 23, 2016.

Patricia Hvidston ’67, trustee emerita and former staff member w October 11, 2016. ◊ Jo Ann Shamp Sorem M’67 w August 30, 2016.

Cheryl LaForte Chalupsky M’68 w October 23, 2016.

Carol Hince Hall ’73 w August 4, 2016.

Colleen Green Hampl M’76 w September 27, 2016.

Mary Beth Orr Boggs ’76 w October 5, 2016.

Karen Ouradnik Blau ’80 w August 18, 2016.

Judith Galloway ’81 w October 23, 2016.

Colleen Ann Miller ’84 w October 24, 2016.

2010–PRESENT

ASHLEY KNAPP GAROFALO ’10 was married on October 1, 2016.

KATIE HOLSCHBACH BILLINGSLEY MAOT’12 was married on October 22, 2016.

MARYELA PEREZ GONZALEZ ’14 was married on October 29, 2016.

XEE VANG ’15 showed her fall collection in Envision Fall 2016 as part of Minnesota Fashion Week.

The show featured top designers in the Twin Cities.

LISA LUND BRAATZ ’11 was married on October 8, 2016.

HANNAH MORGAN ’16 is the communications coordinator at the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence in Atlanta.

MATTHEW ELISSA JOHNSON ’11 ELISSA JOHNSON ’11 is the internship placement coordinator in the food studies program at Syracuse University’s Falk College.

MANDY PERNA AM2’11 is a first grade teacher at Cherokee Heights Elementary School in St. Paul. She also serves as secretary for the Minnesota Montessori Network.

LINDSEY BECKER FARNICK ’12 welcomed son Matthew Robert Farnick in July 2016.

KATHERINE BIGELOW KLINGELHUTZ ’12 was married on September 10, 2016.

JOANNA BOONE AM2’13 welcomed son Bronson William in September 2016.

ASHLEY CHAVEZ AM2’14 welcomed her first daughter, Avalon Zoe, in August 2016.

Judy Hanson Gentz ’89 w September 29, 2016.

Sarah Isaacson Puppe ’98 w November 8, 2016.

Mark Eugene Gmitro M’00 w August 14, 2016.

Stacie Truehart-Endreson M’04 w August 27, 2016.

Carl Anthony Kosinski MAT’09 w March 1, 2014. ◊ Obituary online at: mag.stkate.edu/in-memory

LET’S CONNECT

We’d love to hear from you, and be able to tell you the latest St. Kate’s news. Share your email address online at stkate.edu/updateinfo or call 651.690.6666.

WHY?

• Receive important updates • Get event invitations • Keep in touch • Help St. Kate’s go green with paperless communications

WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A MEMORIAL OR TRIBUTE GIFT? PLEASE CONTACT Office of Development 651.690.6516 giving@stkate.edu CONTACT US WHEN YOU HAVE NEWS OF A DEATH 651.690.6666 inmemory@stkate.edu

Key to abbreviations: mag.stkate.edu/abbreviations

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Fall Katie Gatherings St. Catherine University alumnae connect with one another and the University through a variety of events held on and around campus each year. To learn about upcoming events, visit stkate.edu/alumevents.

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7 1 Alumnae enjoyed Katiefest, a fall festival and beer tasting sponsored by the Alumnae Council's Young Alumnae Committee.

2 To celebrate Christmas, student dancers and musicians performed at Vespers.

3 Jill Warren ’68 and Amanda Matson ’19 lay sod at a Habitat for Humanity home in St. Paul during the Citizen Katie day of service.

4 Ikram Koliso ’17 chats with alumnae at the Women of Color Full Circle Gathering.

5 Booked for the Evening attendees browsed through books recommended by graduates of St. Kate’s Master of Library and Information Science program.

6 Family photos were a hit at Home for the Holidays.

7 Jearlyn Steele (pictured, left) was featured speaker at the September 2016 Katies Connect, which offers networking and professional development for St. Kate’s graduates.

More event photos at flickr.com/stkates

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PRESIDENT ROLOFF ON THE MOVE

ALUMNAE HOST THE WOMEN’S CHOIR

As Becky Roloff ’76 moves through her first year as St. Kate’s president, she will visit with alumnae around the country. Don’t miss your chance to meet her!

The St. Kate’s Women’s Choir will tour California March 17–23!

President Roloff’s visit to San Francisco (see schedule, left) coincides with a performance.

January 29 Washington, D.C.

Want to attend a concert or host students during the tour? Email alumnae@stkate.edu

February 26 Naples, Florida March 11 Phoenix, Arizona March 18 San Francisco, California April 8 Chicago, Illinois May 9 Kansas City, Missouri

BECKY ON CAMPUS President Roloff will meet alumnae on the St. Paul campus on May 8 at the annual Alumnae Evening with the President.

More info: stkate.edu/evening

June 3 New York, New York RSVP stkate.edu/alumnaechapters Reminder: Chapter events are open to all alumnae. No membership is required, and you don’t have to live or work in the chapter area or event location.

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ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY • SPRING 2017

Special Edition Some of you asked about the beautiful images in our inauguration issue, published in December.

They were taken by Rebecca Zenefski ’10 (By Rebecca Studios), Ryan Johnson ’19 and Hlee Lee.

BEHIND THE SCENE

I am St. Catherine

BY PAULINE OO

B

reanne “Bre” Johnson ’17 knows what it means to rally for great causes.

She’s the co-president for St. Kate’s chapter of Colleges Against Cancer and a supervisor on the University’s Telefund team. “I’m not going to college to meet my husband, I’m here to get an education,” she declares. This spring, Bre and other Telefund students will call alumnae and donors. “We love talking to past Katies and learning about their campus experiences. Sometimes we even get career tips from them!”

More about Bre: stkates.edu/real-students-real-stories

PHOTO/RYAN JOHNSON ’19

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