[camaraderie]
Unity + Community Black alumni come together
T
he common thread woven throughout the second annual Black Alumni Brunch was community. “It was a great success,” says School of Leadership and Education Sciences PhD candidate Jessica Williams, who established the event in 2012. “Among our 84 guests were faculty, students, alumni and administrators, all partaking in great networking and fellowship.” Held in March, the event included not just good company and good food, but recognition for good works. During the brunch, the Black Students Graduate Council, the Black Law Student Association, the Black Student Union and the Black Student Retention and Recognition Committee honored R. Donna and Allen Baytop with an award for their many years of commitment to the success of black students at USD. The Baytops have a long tradition of involvement with the university. Dr. Donna Baytop, the corporate medical director for Solar Turbines, Inc., was a member of USD’s Board of Trustees from 1989 to 2012. Her husband, Allen, has served as USD’s director of special
gifts and scholarship development since 2001. The award presented to the Baytops read, “In recognition of your continued support of the success of the black student.” Williams echoes that sentiment: “Allen has been a great supporter of the Black Graduate Student Association since its inception. He’s attended our events, offered critical feedback, and has been a terrific resource.” By all accounts, the couple has gone above and beyond for students over the years. College of Arts and Sciences Assistant Dean Pauline Berryman Powell recalls one incident in particular with great clarity: “I introduced an engineering transfer student to Allen, as the student had exhausted his financial aid options via loans and grants and was considering leaving the university,” Powell recalls. “Allen knew a donor who was interested in giving toward a scholarship that would assist engineering majors; miraculously, when he connected the donor and the student … well, the rest is history. Recently, the student visited the campus and told me, ‘If it wasn’t for Mr. Baytop and the donor, I would not be a USD alum today.’”
L uis G arcia
L uis G arcia
into an advisory board, leading to a position for an associate provost, culminating in USD’s Center for Inclusion and Diversity, which was established in 2010. “We’ve made sustainable progress in terms of increasing the enrollment of minority students but what’s more important is the culture. When I walk around campus today, not only are there more students of color and more international students, there’s a greater difference in the climate and the people and the perspectives they bring. It really enhances our learning environment.” Sullivan helped raise USD’s academic profile — average freshman GPAs increased from 3.7 to 3.9; SAT scores increased from 1176 to 1216; and the freshman-to-sophomore retention rate increased from 85 per-
cent to a historic 90 percent. She helped replenish and expand the faculty base with 175 new tenured and tenure-track faculty members. She also helped enhance the first-year and secondyear experience programs for students and established the International Center, the Frances G. Harpst Center for Catholic Thought and Culture, the Center for Inclusion and Diversity, the One Stop Center for Student Services, the Office of Undergraduate Research and the Council on the Advancement of Catholic Social Thought. Sullivan also made the word “Changemaker” part of USD’s vocabulary. In 2011, Ashoka, an organization dedicated to supporting social entrepreneurs, designated USD as a Changemaker campus. “The world has changed and our students will need these Changemaker skills,” Sullivan says. “With our Catholic foundation, we teach empathy and care for the planet. With our liberal arts foundation, we teach students to understand the complexity of the world, to recognize connections and to see how they all fit together. With the Changemaker focus, we foster students who are prepared to create sustainable solutions to the world’s problems. I can’t think of a richer education.” Patricia Marquez, director of the Changemaker Hub, says Sullivan is the embodiment of a Changemaker. “Julie knows that individually and together we can think, learn and act in ways that transform communities everywhere. That’s what Changemakers do.” Life on campus has come full circle. Just as selecting a founding dean for the School of Peace Studies was one of her first tasks, hiring a founding dean for USD’s new ShileyMarcos School of Engineering will be among her last. “I’ve always believed in pushing myself and continuing to learn and grow.” she says. “I’m ready for this next exciting chapter at St. Thomas.”
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