As the 2022-2023 academic year quickly approaches, Saint Mary’s University undergraduate students, both returning and incoming, received a letter from Father James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D., highlighting updates to academic and student affairs. The letters emphasize our faculty and staff’s commitment to providing an environment where students are able to meet their academic goals, while also having a full student life experience. Both letters can be read in their entirety here.
Last week, members of the Saint Mary’s community had the opportunity to gather, celebrate university achievements, and prepare for the successful year ahead during the annual employee picnic. Along with a wonderful meal, faculty, staff, and administration had the opportunity to take part in jumbo Jenga, bocce ball, and a tour of the Harrington Mansion As is tradition, a bean bag/corn hole tournament also took place, with We are the Champions, consisting of Michael Lovorn and Molly Bigelow, taking first…
WINONA, Minn. — The Sandbar Storytelling Festival welcomes the interactive dance party duo Koo Koo Kanga Roo for an evening of moving to the music on Saturday, Oct. 15. The show, sponsored by Todd VonBastiaans and Winona Area Public Schools, will run from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. (with doors opening at 5 p.m.) in the Winona Middle School auditorium. Koo Koo Kanga Roo, based in Minneapolis, consists of two Saint Mary’s University alumni, Bryan Atchison and Neil Olstad, who formed…
From his new office at Goldman Sachs in Tucson, Ariz., Javier Madrid B’18 describes his shoot-for-the-moon philosophy. He believes in aiming high. His philosophy is that if you fall short of your goal, you’ll still end up in a good place. Madrid grew up in Naco, Ariz., and had just moved to Tucson, Ariz., at the age of 13 when he had the opportunity to participate in Saint Mary’s inaugural Countdown to College (C2C) four-year summer program through San Miguel…
For Sarah (Marek) Landman B’04, M’07, Saint Mary’s has always been a second home. A Winona native whose parents, Patrick B’79 and Maureen (Randell) ’81 Marek, as well as several aunts were all alumni, she was introduced to the Saint Mary’s community early in life. Running around her parents’ regular reunion get-togethers, she would frequently overhear her parents and their lifelong college friends laughing and reliving memories. Older brother Mike Marek B’07 also attended. Also as a child, she began…
There’s a place at Saint Mary’s where safety goggles are often a necessity, and getting your hands dirty is encouraged. Housed in Aquinas Hall, the Anthony B’59 and Sandra Adducci Family Makerspace serves as a collaborative workspace equipped with 3D printers, woodworking tools, sewing machines, and more for students to express their creative, innovative ideas, and entrepreneurial interests. “In the Makerspace, we really like to emphasize that students can come in and get their hands dirty,” said Kacey Davitt, the…
Dear Saint Mary’s Community, In light of the recent restructuring of programs by the University, we the 2022-2023 Student Senate Executive Board are writing an open letter to you on behalf of the Saint Mary’s student body. The Executive Board consists of students from a variety of majors, class standing, and post-graduate plans, and each of us was individually elected to our respective roles to represent the Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota student body. This letter pertains to the wide…
As the 2022-23 academic year is approaching, the President’s Cabinet would like to provide faculty and staff with a number of events that can be added to calendars. Additional information will be shared as available. August: Aug. 16 - University Picnic - Minneapolis Campus (Park Avenue lawn by University Center, noon) Aug. 23 - University Convocation (Page Theatre, 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m.) An email with a detailed schedule is forthcoming. Aug. 24 - University Faculty Workshop (location TBD, morning with College…
Earlier this month, Saint Mary’s University’s Doctor of Education in Leadership program hosted its 13th annual summer residency. The summer residency, held this year from July 6-10, allows online students the opportunity to come to Saint Mary’s Twin Cities Ccampus and meet their cohort and faculty. This year, students came from around the world, including Rome and Panama, as well as from New York, Georgia, Maryland, Tennessee, Arizona, Florida, and Iowa. The five-day residency included classes, workshops, guest speakers, and…
From: Dr. Matthew Gerlach, interim provost and dean of faculties Several academic project teams have been hard at work this summer planning for the transitions necessary to ensure student learning and success in light of our future academic portfolio plans. This important work — by many of our colleagues at the College — began in June. (For the last update, see the June 28 Cardinal Update article.) Work plans developed by the teams were created and approved by The BRAVE…
In alignment with the university’s strategic plan, particularly as it relates to stewarding resources (goal 5), while supporting excellence in Lasallian Catholic education, the Academic Affairs department has made the following organizational changes to better serve our students: University Library services across all campuses have been re-structured with a focus on enhanced technology to support student library services. The Libraries reconfigured several positions after a full organizational review and after recent resignations and retirements. The result is innovative librarian roles…
As a staff accountant for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Abby (Zimmer) O’Brien B’08 sees herself as a problem solver. And she’s felt that way in the myriad of positions she’s held in her professional career since leaving Saint Mary’s. For O’Brien, it’s the education she received at Saint Mary’s that set her up to fulfill that role. “My experience at Saint Mary’s helped me be able to critically think and be able to handle and troubleshoot any…
A first-generation college student, Chuck Joseph B’66 knows firsthand about Saint Mary’s University’s goal to make education accessible to every student. And it’s the accessibility to the breadth of education Saint Mary’s has to offer that has kept him close to his alma mater for so long. Growing up during the Great Depression, neither of Joseph’s parents had the opportunity to finish their education and pursue college. “My mother started working as a secretary at 16, and my dad ran…
Current/former title(s) Assistant director of the Academic Skills Center and Reading Lab supervisor; director of the Academic Skills Center; director of Learning Services; director of Learning Services and First Generation Initiative How many years have you worked at Saint Mary’s and what brought you here? 31 years. I just graduated from my master's program in counseling: college student development in Mankato. I was newly married. I was in Mankato and my new wife (Karen) was living in Minneapolis. I had…
Current/former title(s) Dr. David Jackson, associate professor, School of Education, and former chair and dean of the School of Education. [caption id="attachment_17735" align="alignright" width="283"] Dr. David Jackson, associate professor, School of Education, and former chair and dean of the School of Education.[/caption] How many years have you worked at Saint Mary’s and what brought you here? I have been working at Saint Mary’s for the past 27 years. What brought me here was the opportunity to be a part of…
Kevin Bross M’03 was recently named one of TIME Magazine’s 10 Innovative Teachers for his work in implementing instructional rounds at Blaine (Minn.) High School. Modeled on medical rounds performed by doctors, Bross and other teachers observe a classroom teacher and later conduct a debriefing that notes the effective educational practices they observed. Teachers are given time to incorporate learning into their teaching, then other teachers cycle through to observe them. Finally, scheduled follow-ups ensure these things are going well…
Last month, the Saint Mary’s community welcomed hundreds of alumni back to campus for Reunion Weekend 2022. This was the first time Reunion Weekend was held in person since 2019. During the event-filled weekend, Saint Mary’s celebrated the following individuals during the 2022 Alumni Awards ceremony on Saturday, June 25: Robert ‘Bob’ Skemp ’49 Distinguished Alumnus Award Robert “Bob” Skemp considers Saint Mary’s home. He and his family have been part of the university — and supported its growth —…
Jordan Keeley, a recent Saint Mary’s graduate, is using her summer to go the extra mile … actually, the extra 250 miles. This summer, Keeley plans to run, walk, or Rollerblade 250 miles in 100 days to raise funds for the Minnesota Special Hockey team based in Rochester. According to Keeley, the funds raised would help players afford registration fees and guarantee them time on the ice. As of July 5, she has logged over 140 miles. Keeley hopes to…
A summer internship with Saint Mary’s GeoSpatial Services would normally mean testing water samples in a lab, as well as mapping at a computer. And while the majority of her internship will include just that, Katrina Danzinger had a unique opportunity to save the environment more directly. Earlier this month, Danzinger, a Saint Mary’s senior who is studying environmental biology and has an interest in water quality, spent a week in coastal Alaska with the Ocean Plastics Recovery Project removing…
Congratulations to the following undergraduate students, who were named to the Dean’s List at Saint Mary’s University. The list includes nearly 400 undergraduate students who earned a grade point average of 3.60 or better on a 4.0 scale. Student name, hometown, parents' or guardians’ name/s Aidan Adamek, Helena, Mont., Marika Ademek Kiarra Ahrens, Richmond, Minn., Rick and Deb Ahrens Jillian Alekna, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., Michael and Janet Alekna Mandukhai Alimaa, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Alimaa Namsrai Elise Amerongen, Lake Elmo, Minn., John…