Momentum THE MAGA ZINE OF THE UNIVERSIT Y OF MARY
60 years
celebrating Monsignor Shea marks 10 years as President
FA L L 2 0 1 9
inside this issue
University of Mary Milestones, see page 15.
Share your stories for our 60th anniversary To mark the 60th anniversary of the University of Mary, Dr. Marek Dojs is coordinating the ‘UMary Voices’ project. The goal of the project is to collect, preserve, and share stories that capture the personality, life, and spirit of the University of Mary. Over this 60th anniversary year [2019-2020], we invite anyone with a connection to the university to come and share their stories. The stories will be recorded on video and archived in the university library. Some might be used for a special 60th Anniversary Video project. Were you a student here in early days? Did you meet your spouse here? How has the spirit of the University of Mary influenced you, your life, and career? Do you have a funny story that captures a unique side of the university? Please share – all stories are important. Sign up at this link: picktime.com/UMaryCommunication. Select UMary Voices Project, Marek Dojs as a team member, and select a date and time. If you feel your stories will need more than an hour, please note that as you are booking your appointment.
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Letter From the President: Bending Toward the Light
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Aspire to Be Great
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At Every Time, in Every Place: Answering the Need
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Learning Right ‘Out of the Gate’
10 A Dramatic Ten Years 12 Going Home to Serve 14 So Much Joy 15 Celebrating 60 Years 16 Testing the Waters 17 Alum Writes Children’s Book 18 Alumni News
Editor Karen Herzog
Graphic Design Specialist Holly Schaeffer
Graphic Design Specialist Laura Scott
Photographer Jerry Anderson
Contact Momentum Editorial 701-355-8013 Circulation 701-355-8262
FROM THE PRESIDE NT
Bending toward the
light
To desire and strive to be of some service to the world, to aim at doing something which shall really increase the happiness and welfare and virtue of mankind - this is a choice which is possible for all of us; and surely it is a good haven to sail for. — Henry Van Dyke Plants grow in response to light.
Monsignor James P. Shea President of the University of Mary
Simply put, sunlight stimulates plant cells to elongate; as those sunlit cells expand, the plant naturally bends toward the light. It’s a marvel. We call it phototropism. As Christians, we believe that people also were created to bend toward the light. At the University of Mary, we encourage this in every way we can. The practice of virtue, of truly bending toward the Light, will surround our learning, our worship, our friendships — and our athletics programs.
justice – is powerful because of how God crafted us. We were made for greatness. Our expectation is that everyone at this university – from coaches to faculty to staff to students – strive to live lives of such greatness. We want our campus to be an immersive experience in virtue that leads to greatness and true, lasting happiness. As an integral part of our Vision 2030 strategic plan for growth, Greatness through Virtue looks at athletics in a way that few universities do – as a path to goodness, as a vehicle to fully form people who are elevated and joyful in the daily, habitual practice of virtue.
I am so pleased to introduce you to our new Athletic Strategic Plan: Greatness through Virtue. Because we believe that true human Because we were made for joy, we respond greatness – greatness of soul, greatness of life to it like a plant will reach toward the sun. – comes through virtue, this plan lays out an We are — thanks be to God — joy-tropic. entire structure for our athletics programs to I’ve sometimes been asked a very motivate our scholar-athletes towards virtue in important question: How can a small every aspect of their lives. Midwestern university, devoted to the Our hearts, weighed down by our world’s professions and the liberal arts, not just daily litany of misdeeds, cruelty and survive, but thrive? selfishness, begin to worry that virtue, like a delicate flower, will be unable to hold its own.
Thriving – living that is open-hearted, healthful, compassionate – requires that virtue be nourished by daily practice — choosing the good until it becomes indelibly ‘who we are.’
But then we should pause and consider that virtue may not be the dainty creature for which we tremble. Virtue, though it be neglected, is written into the fabric of the That is our intent in launching this human person. It is muscular. It has a stamina Athletic Strategic Plan, to do this good work and a tenacity which has the power to surprise, together — of ‘bending toward the light.’ to renew, to become incandescent. Greatness, measured by virtues of magnanimity and humility – and the cardinal virtues of prudence, courage, temperance, and
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Momentum
aspire to
be great
By Jerome J. Richter [Vice President for Public Affairs]
O
ver the past 20 years of working in education, there is one thing that I know is true: young people today, just like young people of yesterday, are looking for help in becoming better people - better men, better women - in every aspect of their life. Young people do not desire, nor should they desire, to be mediocre in life, but rather they aspire to be great, and we have a duty to help them be great. How do we help them, and what is it that young people need to be great? I and the University of Mary believe the answer is virtue. At the University of Mary, it is virtue we strive to weave into every aspect of our students’ lives. Virtues are the skills needed to be a morally good person, building a rock-solid character with the strength to will what is right, not just value what is
good. Put very simply, virtue is the habitual choosing of the good. When done habitually, virtue brings freedom and helps build character. Think of the will as a muscle. Just as athletes strengthen and train their muscles in preparation for competition, we believe that a scholar-athlete finds himself or herself in the perfect arena to also strengthen and train their will. This is why we are so excited about our new Athletic Strategic Plan, Greatness through Virtue. As our scholar-athletes are striving to achieve the objective of sport - to win - we can also help them to reach the purpose of sport, which is to shape us into the people that God created us to be. There is something good, very good, in what athletics offers our society, and we recognize its great potential, it seems in some areas we have lost the purpose of sport, which is the development of good character. At the University of Mary, we are convinced that the possession and practice of virtue is essential to this true greatness and through this new Athletic Strategic Plan, we are committed to supporting our scholar-athletes in their efforts to become great. Greatness through Virtue also envisions exciting new facilities that will enhance opportunities for our Marauders to reach their highest potential and to welcome the public to enjoy the excitement to cheer for teams they feel are ‘theirs.’ But the interior work on character, on hearts and minds, comes from the dedication to immersing these young men and women in a culture of virtue, in the habit of ‘choosing the good.’ www.umary.edu
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AT EVERY TIME, IN EVERY PLACE:
ANSWERING THE NEED F
or the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery, and for the University of Mary that they founded, it’s always been all about meeting the needs of the people. Today, one of those urgent needs is addressing the shortage of nurses.
large U.S. baby boom generation is at or nearing retirement age. With that aging population will come greater need for geriatric care.
Momentum
E
ven before Mary College was founded in 1959, the Benedictine Sisters were delivering remarkable, dedicated health care to the community and the region. Nursing programs at Mary have always been widely recognized for their quality and this year Mountain Measurements named the University of Mary number one in the nation among 2,061 programs, an impressive achievement.
“We have a nursing shortage and we will into the foreseeable future,” said Dr. Glenda For four years in a row, Mary nursing Reemts, professor and chair of the University students have been so well prepared that 100 of Mary Division of Nursing. percent of the main cohort have passed their The shortage of nurses was once mostly pre-licensure [NCLEX-RN] exams on the felt in rural areas, but no longer: “It’s here first try. now [in the cities],” she said. So what makes the University of Mary
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing reports that the current shortage of registered nurses will only intensify through the middle of the next decade. One million registered nurses are expected to retire by the Increasing numbers of people are year 2030, a tremendous loss of knowledge seeking health care as baby boomers age. and expertise. Furthermore, technology is allowing people At the same time, the disproportionately to live longer, “so we see more chronic 6
illnesses and increasing demand,” she said.
stand out? Dr. Reemts, without hesitation, credits the university’s faculty. “Our faculty, definitely,” she said. “And that
Today, the University of Mary’s nursing program is ranked #1 of 2,061 programs in the nation by Mountain Measurements. one-on-one [faculty-tostudent supervision] in the clinical area.”
Gianna Saint
Generally, nurses on a hospital floor act as preceptors to the student nurses in their area, she said. “Here, faculty supervise them [on the floor]. It makes a huge difference.” This takes commitment. “It’s laborious and time-consuming for faculty – lots and lots of follow-up work to do, written work, careful commenting to help students improve their clinical practice.” Hiring quality faculty is critical, she said. “First of all, they must fit the mission and vision of the university, and a strong desire to advance the profession of nursing, motivation and enthusiasm, and the understanding that teaching is not an 8-to5 job.” What people see of the faculty efforts is just the tip of the iceberg. There’s such a huge amount of work that nobody knows about, Reemts said: “That’s what makes ours a quality program.” The increasing complexity of health care delivery systems requires nurses to possess clinical judgment skills to safely provide nursing care, and Mary has responded by adding a clinical judgment course to address this need, Reemts said. Nursing is becoming more collaborative and this is good for patients, she said: “Nurses have to be your advocate.” The profession of nursing is always growing, always evolving to meet new
G
ianna Francesca Beretta was born in Milan, Italy and graduated from medical school in 1949.
challenges. For example, one dream for the University of Mary would be to have a world-class simulation center, she said. At its core, however, “it’s always about caring. Caring is the essence of nursing,” Reemts said.
W
ith the national recognition of Mary’s nursing programs, the university is poised to emphasize the distinction of its nursing education with the hope to name its School of Health Sciences in honor of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, whose sacrificial love and commitment to the dignity of life was recognized by Pope John Paul II, who canonized her on May 16, 2004. Part of the University of Mary’s strategic plan for growth, Vision 2030, is the creation of Centers of Distinction to foster leadership, research, and service through academic programs. The renaming of the School of Health Sciences for Saint Gianna will accompany a plan for a large-scale renovation of portions of the main campus to bring all traditional classes back to campus, a plan for the best usage of a new Downtown Campus, and groundbreaking new programming.
At the age of 32, Gianna met and fell in love with Pietro Molla, They were married September 24, 1955. In the fall of 1961, Gianna became aware that she was expecting another child, but also discovered a painful ovarian cyst. As a doctor, she knew that the only sure hope for saving her life was to remove the uterus, causing the death of her unborn child. The other option was surgery that would allow the pregnancy to continue, but would put the mother at great risk. Gianna told her doctor, “Whatever you do, save the child. Your first concern must be for the baby.” On April 20, 1962 - Good Friday of that year - Gianna was admitted to the delivery room. She quietly told her husband, “If you have to make a decision between me and the child, do not hesitate: choose the child - I demand it - save him.” The next morning, Gianna gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Pietro took Gianna home where she quietly died on Saturday, April 28. Pietro named his new daughter Gianna Emanuela, and she is now herself a medical doctor. On May 16, 2004, Pope John Paul II declared Gianna Francesca Beretta a saint, an eloquent witness to the beauty of love and the sanctity of all human life. www.umary.edu
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Learning right ‘out
of the gate’
Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn. — Benjamin Franklin
F
or the past two years, second-graders in Karen Arnold’s classroom at Liberty Elementary School in Bismarck have learned abstract concepts and honed real-life problem-solving skills using the ProjectBased Learning (PBL) model.
Project-Based Learning is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge.
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Momentum
Karen Arnold’s classroom, along with others in the Bismarck public school system, has adopted Project-Based Learning in a collaboration with the University of Mary, through a grant funded through PBLWorks. Student teachers at the University of Mary are able to learn PBL concepts during their time in these classrooms. The Project-Based Learning concept is that a hands-on project is a “main course” in which the project IS the unit, rather than the traditional so-called ‘dessert project’, tacked
on and ‘served last’ after all the unit material has been covered, Arnold said. PBL boosts kids’ creativity, problemsolving abilities, and encourages them to think on a deeper level, Arnold said. Students learn to collaborate by working together and to communicate by presenting their projects to parents and staff and other experts and community members from outside the school. Each Project-Based Learning unit gets started with a ‘driving question,’ exploring some concept, based on state standards as would a more typical unit. Working together in teams, the children investigate the question and experiment with solutions — this is the essence of Project-Based Learning.
The Mystery of the Migrating Wood Chips So in Karen Arnold’s classroom, one concept that the students explored was
Bismarck Public Schools, in partnership with the University of Mary and Dickinson State University, is one of four teacher education programs in the U.S. receiving direct training for student teachers and K-12 cooperating teachers and teacher education faculty on how to implement Project-Based Learning (PBL) in classrooms. Previously, only teachers already working in classrooms received PBL training from PBLWorks. “Out of the Gate: Preparing Pre-service Teachers to Use Project-Based Learning through PBL” is a three-year project, involving University of Mary education students — 21 in year one, 11 in year two, and nine in year three. The majority
Karen Arnold, left, with her second grade students examining their ‘slime’. ‘what is erosion?’ a concept she’s taught in a more traditional way in the past. The project’s ‘driving question’ was inspired by the school’s ongoing frustration of losing its playground wood chips to the intense North Dakota wind. Here’s the problem presented to the class: the playground is covered in wood chips for safety. But when the prairie wind blows, the wood chips whirl off the playground to pile up in corners and up as high as the roof. The challenge was explained to the class by a member of the custodial staff, who shared with the kids how expensive it was to keep replacing those chips. Children began by using their measuring skills to see how far special color-coded wood chips had migrated from the playground.
The class also tackled a slime-creation experiment that involved learning concepts in both chemistry and marketing. This ‘driving problem’ was: ‘How can we create putty that people enjoy? What makes it fun?’
elementary classrooms, with 14 student
In their trial recipes, children learned chemistry concepts such as viscosity, stretchiness, and opacity.
teachers in secondary classrooms.
Using ingredients as diverse as Elmer’s glue, contact lens solution, baking soda and shaving cream, the little entrepreneurs made batches of slime and marketed them at parent-teacher conferences.
Foundation to PBLWorks, formerly the Buck
When they happily sold out, they made more batches, ratcheting up the marketing appeal by adding glitter and color.
Every Princess Needs a Place to Kick Back
Building a castle fit for a princess, and incidentally learning spatial concepts such as ‘area’ and ‘perimeter,’ Arnold’s students created first a floor plan and then a construction paper model of a princess’s The children returned with a wealth of castle. [The students thoughtfully labeled creative strategies: How about blocking the wind with the playground equipment itself? one space a ‘storage room’ for treasure. How about using a rock wall, or large blocks, When asked what kind of ‘treasure’ the or an obstacle course, or an oversize tic-tac- princess stores there, after consultation among themselves, most felt she would have toe game? How about building up the sides of the playground itself for wind protection? put her assets into gold coins.]
Slime – New and Improved!
of student teachers have been placed in
Four grant recipients have received training thanks to funds from ECMC Institute for Education, totaling $2,483,904 over five years. The “Out of the Gate” Project is led by PBLWorks, which provides national facilitators at four different training sessions to train student teachers, faculty, and cooperating teachers. In addition to student teachers and Bismarck Public Schools’ cooperating teachers being trained, faculty have also attended the workshops. Ten faculty members from the University of Mary campus have been a part of the training each year. Those faculty are incorporating PBL in their University of Mary classes.
Plants, the Big Bad Wolf and ‘Grass Houses’
the students grasp concepts such as liquid and solid. Strength properties were tested by designing houses of varying sturdiness to challenge the Big Bad Wolf ’s huffing and puffing power, and ‘grass houses’ were constructed with sponges and grass seed.
The students also raised ‘Wisconsin fast plants’ under glass, manipulating water and sunlight to discover the best environment for plants to thrive. Other PBL projects let
For Karen Arnold, “Project-Based Learning will be a lifestyle in my classroom, regardless of grant funding. I am a better teacher because of it.” www.umary.edu
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a dramatic TEN YEARS
As the University of Mary celebrates Monsignor Shea’s 10th anniversary as president, the community has wonderful milestones to celebrate as well. The past decade has been filled with hard work and extensive planning for the university’s growth. Thanks to the generosity of the amazing friends and supporters of this university, much has been accomplished, and much more is to come! ROME CAMPUS – Spending a semester in Rome and studying amid the beauty of the Eternal City, students are privileged to personally encounter holy places within Rome, Assisi, and other locations. Students return from this life-changing experience enriched spiritually, culturally, and intellectually. VISION 2030 – A bold and innovative initiative for growth, this breathtaking vision sees this university as it could be in the year 2030 — a magnet for an evergrowing student population formed with the professional skills and moral courage to become the leaders of the future.
ultimately achieved more success than we could have hoped for. When the total for Phase I was tallied, the amount not only reached but exceeded its goal, raising more than $100 million! CATHOLIC STUDIES PROGRAM – This program, now the second-largest in the nation, steeps our students in the richness of the Catholic intellectual tradition, preparing them to grapple with the challenges of today’s society from a firm base understanding the breadth and depth of a Catholic imaginative vision.
YEAR-ROUND CAMPUS – YRC is a new way of delivering higher education to With a highly ambitious goal of raising $96 address the challenge of increasing debt and million for Phase I of Vision 2030, this phase the lengthy completion times of many other 10
Momentum
degree programs. By adding full summer semesters, students can earn a bachelor’s degree in 2.6 years or a master’s in 4. The NCAA adapted its athletic eligibility rules to encompass this new model. ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIP/MARY COLLEGE AT ASU – An historic partnership between the University of Mary and Arizona State University at Tempe allows Mary students to choose classes from the curriculum of the nation’s largest public university, while opening up Mary’s rich Catholic Studies program offerings to ASU students.
LUMEN VITAE UNIVERSITY CENTER – This beautiful facility is a world-class student center in the middle of campus. The Lumen Vitae University Center is the beating heart of student life, with dining, studying, and fellowship, all under one roof. A bookstore, Hall of Fame, coffee shop, the Crow’s Nest Campus Restaurant, our exquisite Founders Hall gathering space, meeting spaces for student organizations, and the elegant Breton Salon, all contribute 4, 2019 to forge connections with one another and ngDaythe wider community. FIELDHOUSE/ROERS HALL/THE WARFORD GROTTO – New buildings are changing the face of our campus, reflecting the wonderful growth that our vision has inspired in students. Our stateof-the-art fieldhouse greatly extends our
capability of hosting large regulation-size athletic events. Roers Hall for freshman women expands our on-campus residential capacity, and the Warford Grotto, dedicated to our patroness, the Blessed Mother, offers the entire community a beautiful place for prayer and worship.
BIOETHICS – Creating a Master of Science in Bioethics adds a vital piece to the university’s goal of building a culture of life. Bioethics students learn and apply the principles of Catholic social teaching to the challenging moral and ethical issues of today’s health care.
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING – Understanding this region’s dire need for highly skilled, culturally prepared engineers, the university responded to meet those needs as our founders have always done. This program is already highly successful in attracting students, and the university is in the midst of building a sophisticated new facility.
ATHLETIC STRATEGIC PLAN – As part of Vision 2030’s efforts, a new Athletic Strategic Plan was created with great care to support the university’s vision of the proper purpose of athletics as a builder of character and formation of virtuous men and women through athletics.
When you give during those 24 hours, you can contribute to scholarship funds that could change the course of the future for many students. What a gift for them and for the world they will contribute to! To give, visit umarygivingday.com on November 14.
UMARY GI ING DAY The Marauders Armada Scholarship: for support of intercollegiate scholar-athletes scholarships. The Armada helps us be competitive in the recruiting field, offering some of the best scholarships in our division.
The Monsignor James Shea Scholarship: for full-time undergraduate students with a history of strong academic performance and involvement in leadership and community service activities.
November 14, 2019 #UMaryGivingDay
The Sister Thomas Welder Leadership Scholarship: for full-time undergraduate students based on prior academic standing.
www.umary.edu 11
Jana’s
story
Jana Shields Gipp earned her Business Administration degree at the University of Mary in 1988, and her Master’s in Management in 1990. She was among those selected to receive a 2019 Bush Fellowship to enhance her leadership abilities, begin her doctoral studies, and focus on improving health care in the communities she serves. After graduation from Mary, Gipp and her family moved back to the Standing Rock Reservation where she is an enrolled member. She worked for the tribal government and tribal school for 19 years before starting her career in the Indian Health Service in 2009. Gipp was a founding member and served as board chair of the Seventh Generation Media Services, Inc., and was instrumental in establishing the KLND Radio Station, which serves the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Tribal Nations. Currently, she is the CEO of the Standing Rock Service Unit, which includes a hospital, an acute care clinic, and three satellite clinics that serve the Standing Rock Nation and surrounding communities. 12 Momentum
“I saw that as revenue for our communities. There was some resistance to the idea of taxing everyone in the beginning – the position was ‘that’s not who we are.’ “But when we started showing the leadership the dollar amounts coming back to the communities, minds began changing.” Her acceptance as a Bush Fellow began with a friend who urged her to apply years ago. At first, she looked at the application and thought, ‘well, maybe someday.’ But then the deadline for the application popped up on Facebook, and she began thinking more seriously.
going home to serve
‘Home’ has a powerful pull for Jana Shields Gipp. As an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, Fort Yates Community Hospital is her base of operations as the CEO of the Indian Health Service Standing Rock Service Unit. The Tribal Higher Education Department assisted Gipp in earning her bachelor’s degree, she said, and so “going home, coming back here to work was always my intention.” Gipp’s heart is in helping create a better community for those who love this place as their home. “Families here are so close-knit,” Gipp said. “Aunts and uncles are our moms and dads; cousins are our brothers and sisters. It’s hard for people to leave their extended families,” and when they do leave the reservation, they often experience a sharp culture shock. For Gipp and her husband, LeLewis (University of Mary, ’90), a licensed addiction counselor, “coming back, we
“I really felt a need to expand my knowledge and strength in health care. It has become a passion for me. I want to learn more about health care and improve my leadership skills. I want to pass this on. That’s what we do, you know, pass our knowledge along to the younger people so they can carry on after us.”
The fellowship application process was suspenseful. Along the way, Gipp learned knew there are a lot of needs and wanted to try that many applicants had applied multiple to help where we could. times. From 700 applicants, the group was narrowed down to 150, then to 50, then “The community we live in has a really the top 32 of those. After interviews in rich culture,” she said, “but [it faces] poverty Minneapolis, 24 were chosen. Ultimately, and health disparities,” although she has Gipp was accepted on her first application. seen improvement, she said, with Sitting Bull College providing higher education and the For Gipp, part of the draw of the Bush casinos providing additional job opportunities. grant was the idea of learning strategies that other tribes were trying, such as bringing She is very invested in efforts to improve native culture into the healthcare system and health care on Standing Rock such as incorporating some traditional medicine addressing the opioid crisis by controlling into western medical methods. opioid dispensing at the Service Unit. “The University of Mary really helped me start out,” she said. “It was a great education for me – a culture shock, but such a great environment. “I was very quiet. I learned I had to step up and get out of my shell. Going into the graduate program gave me the skills I needed to move on.” Over the years, Gipp has undertaken varied roles with the tribe, including the development of the tax collection system as an economic development specialist, which created a permanent source of revenue for the reservation communities.
Gipp’s Bush grant, which began Aug. 1, will help fund her doctorate in healthcare administration. She will travel within the U.S. and abroad to document new developments in health care, while journaling and creating video. She plans visits with tribal elders, who have knowledge of traditional ceremonies and medicines. She also wants to bring reservation youth to these discussions to spark their interest in health care. “These are our relatives,” she said of the people of Standing Rock, “and we’ve made real strides.” www.umary.edu 13
so much
joy
T
hat’s the buoyancy Dr. Carmelita Lamb felt from the families of Native scholars graduating at the April 2019 commencement ceremonies at the University of Mary. The joy was palpable in the gathering of whole families, who came together on campus to share in traditional observances and in the graduates’ addition of tribal regalia, like eagle feathers, to their traditional graduation wear. Students from Native communities in North Dakota such as Fort Berthold, Standing Rock, and Turtle Mountains graduated in 2019 — 11 master’s degrees and 25 bachelor’s degrees were conferred, achievements made possible through a combination of federal, university, and tribal scholarships to educate teachers to fill teaching needs in their tribal communities. Dr. Carmelita Lamb, associate dean, Liffrig Family School of Education and Behavioral Sciences, first secured this funding program in 2016 through a grant from the Office of Indian Education, Washington, DC. Because that first grant proved so successful in attracting, retaining, and graduating tribal students, the university reapplied in 2018 and was awarded a second grant. Mary’s grants totaled $1.1 million in 2016 and $1.4 million in 2018. The Office of Indian Education thoroughly tracked the data that supported the success of the 2016 award, she said. “They know that the money is being used appropriately. That meets with favor, that we are being good stewards.” Lamb’s relationship with tribal schools and teachers has grown into an essential trust between her and these communities. One result is that Native students will continue to look to the University of Mary to be part of their educational future, she said. Graduating students are returning to reservation communities to teach. And the need is there, Lamb said. Native students in larger communities such as Bismarck would also benefit from connecting with Native teachers, Lamb said. Of the 13,000 K-12 students in the Bismarck Public Schools, 1,300 are Native students, she said. “In some [Bismarck] schools, 100 or more students are Native kids,” Lamb said. “It would really be nice to have Native teachers in there, so those students can connect with them.” Lamb’s next dream is grant money to fund a doctorate: “Because tribal college presidents are getting older, and where will the next 14
Momentum
doctoral scholars come from? That’s the next thing, to fund doctoral-level Native scholars. We need them.” At Mary, Lamb said, “we’re always looking at what things could be.”
Native American Education Leadership Program The University of Mary was awarded two consecutive Professional Development grants through the Office of Indian Education. The objective of the Professional Development program is to train Native scholars to become licensed teachers, K-12 principals, superintendents, and Special Education strategists. University of Mary entered into a partnership with Turtle Mountain Community College on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation in Belcourt, ND. The University of Mary was able to double its participants at the graduate level by leveraging scholarship offered by tribal nations, for example, Mandan/Hidatsa/Arikara; Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa; Cheyenne River Sioux; and Standing Rock Sioux, to contribute to the overall cost of graduate tuition and books. The University of Mary has also awarded a 25% Native Scholar scholarship. Mary currently has the largest group of Native scholars in North Dakota and graduated more Native scholars with a Master’s in Education Leadership this spring than any other college or university in the state.
1878 [141 years ago] From the very beginning, the followers of the Rule of St. Benedict have remained constant in serving others in the midst of both human suffering and human achievement. As a Christian, Catholic, and Benedictine university, we do not exist outside the world, but are called to be a blessing within it. Throughout the last 1,500 years, Benedictine communities have lived and labored amid the swirling tides of history, planting themselves sturdily in community in order to do good in the world. The University of Mary was founded and is sponsored by one such group of servant leaders, the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery. Sixty years from its founding in 1959, this university thrives, and in hope and faith, looks forward to the next 60 years and beyond.
Five Benedictine Sisters from St. Benedict’s Convent in St. Joseph arrive in Bismarck, Dakota Territory; Thomas Edison patents the phonograph; outlaw poet ‘Black Bart’ makes his last clean getaway when he steals a safe box from a Wells Fargo stagecoach; Louis Pasteur inoculates chickens against cholera; in the South, occupying Union troops withdraw and Jim Crows laws are passed.
1947 [72 years ago] Benedictine Sisters receive approval from Rome for the establishment of an independent monastery, which is named for their patroness, Our Lady of the Annunciation; their work expands greatly to establish schools and hospitals; India and Pakistan become independent nations; ‘Cold War’ begins; U.N. votes to create the Jewish State of Israel; transistor invented; sound barrier broken.
60 years! celebrating
516 A.D. [1,503 years ago]
1959 [60 years ago]
St. Benedict writes his Rule; first bubonic plague pandemic hits Constantinople; Battle of Camlann, reputed final battle of legendary King Arthur; Gregory the Great becomes 64th pope.
Mary College established; first architecturally historic Breuer buildings completed for his ‘jewel on the prairie,’ on land donated by Chick Swenson; Fidel Castro comes to power in Cuba; Alaska and Hawaii become the 49th and 50th U.S. states; first Mercury Seven astronauts announced; microchip invented.
1852 [167 years ago] Mother Benedicta Riepp of Saint Walburg Abbey in Germany volunteers to be sent to America to help educate German immigrants in Pennsylvania. She sent Sisters to Minnesota in 1857, and in 1863, they founded St. Benedict’s Convent in St. Joseph, Minnesota; first drawing of “Uncle Sam” appears in a New York weekly newspaper, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” published; first dirigible airship flight in France; Devil’s Island penal colony opens in French Guiana.
1969 [50 years ago] Year 10 enrollment: 315; Father Arno Gustin serves as Mary College president; Dr. Harold Miller is vice president and dean; full accreditation reached; 549,000 U.S. troops serving in Vietnam; Neil Armstrong sets foot on the moon; Woodstock music festival attracts 400,000; Mariner 6 sends close-up photos of Mars; U.S.
government holds its first draft lottery since WW II; Manson Family murders.
1979 [40 years ago] Year 20 enrollment: 942; Sister Thomas is one year into her 31-year presidency of the university; Pope John Paul II visits Mexico; Three Mile Island nuclear accident; gas is 88 cents a gallon.
1989 [30 years ago] Year 30 enrollment: 1,431; achieving university status in 1986 broadens the school’s offerings; Tiananmen Square protests, Berlin Wall comes down; Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs aground; first liver transplant; the first written proposal for the World Wide Web.
1999 [20 years ago] Year 40 enrollment: 1,893; Fargo Center operational; Roman Catholic Church and several Lutheran Church leaders sign the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification; Euro currency introduced; Columbine High School massacre; Putin comes to power in Russia.
2009 [10 years ago] Year 50 enrollment: 2,862; Monsignor Shea, age 34, becomes youngest college or university president in America; NASA’s Kepler Mission launched to search for extrasolar planets in the Milky Way; H1N1 swine flu declared world pandemic; U.S. ends analog television broadcasts.
2019 [today] Year 60 enrollment: 3,850; Monsignor Shea marks 10th anniversary as president, Vision 2030 Phase 1 reaches and exceeds its financial goal at more than $100 million; Athletic Strategic Plan launched.
2029 [10 years from now] One year until Vision 2030 target date arrives! What will we have accomplished? If the past is any indication, more than we can even imagine today! With God’s grace, we anticipate a radiant future for the University of Mary and all we serve. www.umary.edu 15
Thomas, became completely fascinated and absorbed by an unsolved mathematics problem that I presented to the class. I was told later that Thomas had spent day and night poring over the problem and wrote over 100 pages of notes on the problem after the course ended. I taught twice a week for eight weeks, and when the course ended, the students thanked me profusely. After that first course, I approached Professor Renaud Gauthier from the mathematics department at the University of Mary to ask him if he was interested in teaching a course there.
waters
Dr. James Peliska, Dr. Terry Pilling, Dr. Matthew Brumit, Dr. Renaud Gauthier
testing the
By Terry Pilling [Chair, Engineering Program]
Mary faculty volunteer to teach courses at penitentiary
Incredibly, once you enter the door to the school inside the prison, it looks exactly as if you are in a high school – whiteboards, desks, books, teachers teaching, and students studying.
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I met the teachers and discovered that one of them, Sean, who is teaching mathematics in the prison, is a former student of mine from NDSU. Sean showed me to my classroom while reminding me about my ridiculously impossible physics exams.
little over a year ago, I initiated a prison teaching program at the North Dakota State Penitentiary, a maximum security facility located in Bismarck, which currently houses 732 inmates. The program has university professors volunteering to teach college courses free of charge to prisoners. I began that summer by teaching a course on mathematical games - not for credit, but to test the waters. The goal is to have courses and degree opportunities for inmate students that are free of charge and taught by university professors on a volunteer basis. 16
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The students arrived in identical prison clothing and took their seats. They were selected from those interested in the course, and those on top of the good behavior method were the first allowed to enroll. The students were enthusiastic learners and constantly asked questions, absorbing knowledge like sponges. One student,
He loved the idea. Over the subsequent two semesters, Dr. Gauthier taught a college algebra course in the evenings. This past summer, I taught a course in astrophysics for eight weeks. More than 30 students signed up and 12 were allowed to participate. I was happy to see that Thomas was one of the students. He told me that after my course ended, he signed up for Dr. Gauthier’s algebra course and got a job as a tutor in the prison to help fellow inmates get their math GEDs. Thomas’ plan after release is to become a math teacher. This is especially gratifying that a student who began as a middle school dropout is now so inspired that he is eager to pursue a degree.
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or those of us in higher education, this is not surprising. It is obvious that the education we are providing changes the mental state and future of our students. They will still, upon release, re-enter society with many disadvantages and stigmas, but they will now have a new mindset, a sense of hope, and a drive to achieve goals that they never could have dreamed of achieving. Recently, two more professors from the University of Mary have decided to join our program there. Professor Matthew Brumit has volunteered to teach courses in literature, creative writing, and composition, and Professor James Peliska has volunteered to teach a combined science course with Renaud and I.
ALUM WRITES CHILDREN’S BOOK inspired by helping shelter animals P
ickles the Dog, Adopted in North Dakota, by Kat Socks, aka University of Mary alum Katherine Pendergast, is an awardwinning children’s book about a dog, Pickles. In the book, a young girl, Kat, who adopts the dog with her family, is in charge of training Pickles.
“The children’s story is loosely based on a real dog named Pickles. Pickles was surrendered during the flood in Minot, and unfortunately, she was returned to the shelter several times,” Pendergast said. “Things were not looking good for her, so a shelter in Mandan took her in and a family member of mine adopted her. She is the sweetest dog and we all love her so much.” Pendergast says, “I am so happy Pickles found a loving home. I believe every animal deserves a loving home, that is why a small portion of the sales from my books are donated to animal shelters.” Soon to be released is Pickles the Dog, A Christmas Tradition. In the story, Kat shares her special Christmas traditions with Pickles, including an old Midwestern tradition of hiding a pickle on the tree. Whoever finds the hidden pickle receives an extra gift, and readers can be on the lookout for a hidden pickle on each page. Pendergast was born in Bismarck and moved back to Bismarck after her undergraduate studies to help care for her mother, who was ill with cancer. After working for St. Alexius in Bismarck, she moved to Grand Forks and worked at UND Aerospace Foundation. When she moved back to Bismarck in 2012, she enrolled in the University of Mary’s MBA program, which she completed in 2014. Today she works with Dakota Capital Life as director of company development – pre-need and funeral, in which she travels throughout North Dakota working with funeral home directors. “It was a lot of late nights and weekends but in the end, it was all worth it. One great thing about doing online courses was I didn’t have a specific day or time that I needed to be in class. Traveling for work or vacation was easier and taking part in activities in the evenings was still an option. I never really missed out on anything important going on in my life.”
The real Pickles with the book he inspired.
“I attended classes online, but I lived in Bismarck, so occasionally I would come out to the campus and study. It made me feel like I was still part of campus. Also, walking around on Mary’s beautiful campus was so peaceful and took me away from all the hustle and bustle of my busy life.”
“My experience at Mary was great! I went through the master’s program online and it was wonderful that I was able to work full-time, have a family, put in volunteer hours as a pet therapy handler and still work on my degree. — Katherine Pendergast, aka Kat Socks “Two years ago, I decided to start a side business called Kat’s Socks. I make soft-sole baby shoes and other products. The best part about Kat’s Socks is that I give back to the community in a special way. I donate a portion of my sales to local animal shelters.” “Kat Socks” also volunteers as a pet therapy handler. For more information, visit picklesthedog.com. Awards that Pickles has won: Cover Design pamricedesign.com Cover Design independentpressaward.com Children’s Inspirational/Motivational independentpressaward.com indiebookawards.com
www.umary.edu 17
ALUMNI NE WS & NOTES
ALMA BOSSERT, ‘42, graduated with her nursing degree and had a successful and enjoyable career in the medical field. She retired from Kaiser Permanente in 1978 and this year marks her 100th birthday. She lives in Carson City, NV.
Gerontology Nurse Practitioner. She also graduated in June 2019 from Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences, completing the Nurse Practitioner Residency Program. She achieved board certification through ANCC as an AGACNP-BC and AACN as an ACNPCAG. She is employed with West River Health Services in Hettinger, ND.
LT. COL. RICHARD D. SCHLOESSER,
ANGIE (SIEGEL) MORRISON, ‘04, and
‘84, retired from the U.S. Air Force Reserves after 21 years of service. He was attached to the 934th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, 934th Air Wing out of Minneapolis as a flight nurse instructor with deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, Qatar, Germany, and the U.S. He continues to work at the Fargo VA Health Care System as a registered nurse in the emergency department. His wife, Jackie, is a registered nurse in CV diagnostics at Sanford Health. The couple has four children. Schloesser graduated from Mary College’s nursing program in 1984.
Mitch Morrison were married Oct. 26, 2018, in Bismarck. Angie is employed as an accounting manager with ND Game & Fish in Bismarck where the couple lives.
CARRIE JO (WAGNER) MANDIGO, ‘98, was married to James Mandigo on Sept. 9, 2017. HOLLY (HASSLER) SCHILD, ‘11, ‘18, married Steven Schild on June 8, 2019. Carrie is the marketing coordinator at Eide Holly earned both her bachelor’s degree in Bailly LLP, in Bismarck. communication and master’s in education DAREN KURLE, ‘98, has accepted the from University of Mary. She teaches Family position of superintendent of schools at Belfield and Consumer Science at Legacy High School Public School, Belfield, ND. in Bismarck, and is pursuing her second administration credential in spring 2020. JULIE HENDERSON, ‘11, is employed as a dietary aide with Southwest Healthcare Services in Bowman, ND. She is a member of the Bowman Lions Club and the Catholic Daughters at St. Charles Catholic Church.
KATHY J. (GUNDERSON) LANG, ‘85, is now Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Cielo, Brookfield, WI. Cielo is the world’s leading strategic recruitment process outsourcing partner. She was previously the chief information officer at Marquette University in Milwaukee. She and her husband, Kevin, live in Waukesha, WI.
JOHN ALVERSON JR., ‘87, a Hall of Fame basketball inductee, has moved to the Bay Area of San Francisco, CA, and is the Area Vice President-West Coast for Interface, Inc. John lives in Moraga, CA. He is married to Kara.
SCOTT HYLAND, ‘90, ‘93, is the head women’s basketball coach at Hill College in Hillsboro, TX, and coached the Hill College Lady Rebel basketball team to the North Texas Junior College Athletic Association conference title, going 21-10 (14-2 in conference play) and their fifth straight Region V tournament appearance. The Lady Rebels finished the season ranked No. 25 in the final NJCAA rankings. Hyland was named NTJAA Coach of the Year. He is married to Yvonne (Helfenstein), ‘92. 18
Momentum
AMY (KISLING) MASON, ‘00, Riverton, WY, was recognized in Washington, DC, by the American School Counseling Association as the School Counselor of the Year for the state of Wyoming. Amy is married to Matthew Mason and is a school counselor with Fremont County School District No. 24 in Shoshoni, WY.
EMILY (MCKAY) CASH, ‘02, and her husband, Ted Cash, ‘92, ‘08, have moved to Alexandria, MN. Ted is general manager of ALP Utilities in Alexandria. Ted and Emily have a son, Flynn.
ASHLEY BOSTYAN, ‘03, ‘09, in nursing and social work respectively, graduated in May 2019 from Winona State University as a Doctor of Nursing Practice, Acute Care Adult/
ERICA (BELVERSTONE) STARKS, ‘13, and her husband, David Starks, ‘12, are parents to their first child, Benjamin, born March 12, 2019. The family lives in Ryder, ND.
MIKAYLA (JACOBSON) SANDERSON, ‘14, and Mark Sanderson, ‘11, were married and live in Bismarck. Mikayla works as a tax analyst III for MDU Resources Group, Inc.
ALUM NI NE WS & NOTES
LAWRENCE HEGLAND, ‘15, and Shana (Halldorson) Hegland, ‘16, were married in September 2017. The couple’s daughter, Everette Mae, was born Jan. 6, 2019. The couple lives in West Fargo, ND. Lawrence works in pathology for Sanford Health and Shana works for Anne Carlsen Center as an early interventionist/ occupational therapist in Fargo.
ANASTASIA (BRUSS) GAVIN, ‘17, and Travis Gavin, ‘15, were married June 15, 2019, and live in Fargo.
BRENDAN JACOBSON, ‘17, of Rochester, NY, is employed as a process engineer with Unither Manufacturing, LLC. Brendan’s research has been published in three publications, and resulted in grants from NIH and Merck. In an internship he developed innovative plastic products that completely biodegrade. In his role with the pharmaceutical manufacturing company in New York, he will be the subject matter expert for the production and packaging of aseptic, unit-dose pharmaceuticals. RACHEL (GOETTLE) WERMERSKIRCHEN, ‘18, was married
2018, in Bismarck. Rachel is the Children’s House Assistant and music teacher at Christ the King Catholic Montessori School in Mandan.
AUBREY (FIEBELKORN) ZUGER, ‘05, of Fargo was selected to serve as president of the State Bar Association of North Dakota. Zuger has been a member of the SBAND Board of Governors since 2011 and previously served as president-elect and secretary-treasurer. Zuger is a member of Fredrikson’s Litigation and Employment & Labor Groups and previously clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and the North Dakota Supreme Court.
to Matthew Wermerskirchen ‘17, Sept. 15,
BARBARA (BAKH) DENNING, ‘15, and her husband, Ben, ‘14, met at Mary where they both played soccer. They were married Feb. 9, 2018. The couple lives in Woodsboro, MD, where Ben runs Health Life Chem-Dry, and Barbara works as a dental hygienist. Their son, Liam, was born Feb. 11, 2019. JOSEPH TOWEY, ‘16, has become associate director of the Center for Student Success at Carthage College in Kenosha, WI. He will also serve as co-manager of the Early Alert System and main advising contact for students and advisors affiliated with the Guaranteed Admission Programs at College of Lake County and Gateway Technical College. Joseph is married to Kimberly and the couple lives in Pleasant Prairie, WI.
KEEP IN TOUCH! HERE’S HOW. As alumni, you are very important to us. We at the Office of Alumni want to keep our relationship with our Marauders family strong and vital, forging that lifelong connection. We would be so appreciative if you would fill out the brief form at the link below to help us stay connected with you. www.umary.edu/updateinfo
WEB
www.umary.edu/alum
alumni@umary.edu
PHONE
701-355-3733
Alumni Office University of Mary 7500 University Dr. Bismarck, ND 58504
SHOW YOUR MARAUDERS SPIRIT Request a special University of Mary license plate, and a portion of your fee goes back to the university. Anyone with a registered North Dakota vehicle can secure a Marauders plate. Visit umary.edu/Plates for more information. Questions? Call the North Dakota Department of Transportation at 701-328-2725 and press 2.
www.umary.edu 19
Momentum
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For 60 years, the Sisters of Annunciation Monastery, have been innovators in adult education. Since 1959, when these working, prayerful women broke ground for the University of Mary, their mission has been to serve the needs of the people.
Educating working adults
for 60 years.
Today, it’s never been more clear that the Sisters have been astoundingly visionary: • Offering credit for work experience, • Pioneering accelerated master’s degrees, • Creating affordable online and evening classes so working adults can earn their degrees. University of Mary—then and now. The same faith. The same stamina. The same vision.
The same radiant love for others. Discover truly affordable, quality adult education at the University of Mary.
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