WINONA, Minn. — Storytelling is best done around a table as guests share stories and form deeper connections and an understanding of one another. On this theme, the public is invited to register for “My Big Fat Greek Dinner” on Tuesday, April 26, a fundraiser for the inaugural Sandbar Storytelling Festival, planned for Oct. 14-15 in Winona. The Greek dinner, a delectable five-course meal that will leave participants yelling “Opa!” will feature celebrity chef Gary Diomandes, who serves on the…
As principal of Sunrise Park Middle School in White Bear Lake, Minn., Christina Pierre C’05, C’10, D’16 deals with a lot of paperwork, personnel, policy revisions, and budgets. Never losing sight that learning is the No. 1 priority of her work, Pierre believes it’s incredibly important to carve out time to investigate organizational development changes that better meet the needs of her sixth- through eighth-grade students. “I wish my entire job was about this,” she said. “Working together to move…
Born and raised on the Mississippi River in Winona, Dr. Heather Cichanowski, a 1995 graduate of Saint Mary’s and lifelong athlete, grew up testing the capabilities of her body. She competed in swimming, biking, and naturally — as the daughter of Mike Cichanowski, founder of Wenonah Canoe — canoeing. But her primary sport and passion was cross country skiing, a love also instilled in her by her father, who will compete in his 43rd American Birkebeiner this year. (The love…
Saint Mary’s University senior Jordan Keeley may only be 5’6”— “average” as she calls it — but she’s proof positive that one person can make a big impact. And there’s nothing average about Jordan Keeley. As a goalie for the Cardinal women’s hockey team, Keeley guards the net game after game — knowing she’s the last line of defense against the opposition. As a student, she has a nearly perfect grade point average. And as a dedicated Winona community member,…
Saint Mary’s University has been recognized for its excellence in preparing Minnesota’s principals, as well as for its significant market share within the state for preparing educational administrators. Each year in October, Minnesota school districts are required to report to the Board of School Administrators (BOSA) on the success of their probationary principals. This information is then presented to the state legislature. According to the most recent BOSA report, which compiles information about whether or not probationary principals from 2020-21…
Abdurrahman Mahmud (who also goes by Abdu Rahman) B’19 doesn’t often talk about his young life as a refugee in Dadaab, Kenya. He’s worked hard to build a life beyond the trauma and feels it doesn’t do any good to look back. Yet, in many ways, hidden in this past, is the reason Mahmud has dedicated his life to helping others. Born right before Somalia’s civil war, Mahmud was only 1 year old when the country collapsed. In need of…
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota has recently been awarded a $1.18 million NSF Noyce Grant in support of the university’s new Inclusive STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Teacher Education Pipeline (ISTEP) project. ISTEP is designed to increase the number of secondary STEM teachers (or teacher candidates) from diverse backgrounds who are committed to teaching in high-need local education schools in southeastern Minnesota. According to Wilder Research (2019), nearly 42% of public school districts in Minnesota report that teacher shortages…
America Magazine's article "Will Catholic universities survive the upheaval in higher education? The next 10 years will tell" highlights what Saint Mary's is facing in today's Catholic higher education climate. Faculty and staff are invited to read the article about how small to mid-size schools need to clearly, concisely, and consistently demonstrate their Catholic identity or they either won't exist or won't exist as Catholic in the future.
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota announced today that renowned author and speaker Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist widely considered to be one of the world’s leading experts on the psychology of morality, will speak on the topic “What Capitalism Does To Us and For Us” at its 2022 Hendrickson Forum. At the Thursday, April 7, event, presented by Saint Mary’s Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership, Haidt will specifically address the ethics of capitalism, which requires that we first understand why…
Blessed James (Brother James “Santiago” Miller B’66, M’74) was a dedicated De La Salle Christian Brother and Saint Mary’s alumnus who died serving and protecting the youth he served 40 years ago. Blessed James was only 37 when he was shot and killed as he was mending a wall outside of a school where he worked in Huehuetenango, Guatemala in 1982. [caption id="attachment_17135" align="alignright" width="300"] Brother James Miller, FSC, '66, M'74[/caption] Pope Francis recognized the martyrdom of Brother James Miller,…
Saint Mary’s University is listed No. 1 in Minnesota for its online MBA and its online business master’s programs, according to U.S. News and World Report’s latest rankings, announced Jan. 25. Saint Mary’s ranks 191 in the 2022 “Best Online MBA Programs” category and is the top Minnesota school listed. It also ranked No. 103 in the “Business, Non-MBA Master's” category and is again the top school in the state listed. U.S. News evaluated both online business categories using five…
WINONA, Minn. — The following students were named to the first semester 2021 Dean's List at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. The dean's list includes 417 undergraduate students who earned a grade point average of 3.6 or better on a 4.0 scale. Saint Mary's University has about 5,200 students enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs in Winona, the Twin Cities, Rochester, and greater Minnesota, and Wisconsin — as well as online. At Saint Mary's residential campus in Winona, the…
WINONA, Minn. — The following Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota students completed requirements for bachelor of arts degrees in December 2021. Student name, hometown, parents' or guardians’ name/s Samantha Henning, Lake City, Minn. Jonathan Robinson, Champaign, Ill. Ericka Thelin, Surprise, Ariz. Adrianna Baab, Wabasha, Minn.,Todd and Susie Baab Josephine Borchert, Saint Paul, Minn., Dave and Donna Borchert Cameron Dowden, Goodhue, Minn., Daniel Dowden Isaac Galle, Ellsworth, Wis., Andrew and Stacey Galle Annalise Gibbs, Preston, Minn., James and Heather Shupe Jenifer…
Signe Nestingen, Psy.D., a professor and director of clinical training for Saint Mary’s Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology program, is receiving two honors from the U.S. Navy. This spring, she will receive the U.S. Navy’s Impact Influencer Award. Candidates for this award exemplify education and have been exceedingly impactful to the U.S. Navy Medical Recruitment Program. [caption id="attachment_17057" align="alignright" width="300"] Signe Nestingen, Psy.D.[/caption] According to Lt. David Acree, the officer in charge of U.S. Naval Medical Programs Talent Acquisitions Group for…
Andrea Carroll-Glover, vice provost of online strategy and programs at Saint Mary’s, is one of 13 new board members for the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA), the Washington, D.C.-based association for college and university leaders in professional, continuing, and online education. Elected earlier in November 2021, these individuals will assume their roles at the conclusion of the 2022 UPCEA Annual Conference in Orlando, Fla., on April 14, 2022. “UPCEA’s mission is vitally important to the future of higher…
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" _builder_version="4.9.2" _module_preset="default"][et_pb_row _builder_version="4.9.2" _module_preset="default" custom_margin="-35px||||false|false"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.9.2" _module_preset="default"][et_pb_text _builder_version="4.9.2" _module_preset="default"]All of us at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota wish you and those you love a Merry Christmas and a joyous New Year filled with good health and abundant blessings.[/et_pb_text][et_pb_code _builder_version="4.9.2" _module_preset="default" hover_enabled="0" sticky_enabled="0"][/et_pb_code][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
This past fiscal year, through the generosity of our alumni and friends, as well as the hard work of the Advancement team under the leadership of Gary Klein, we have received a number of inspirational and sizable gifts. These gifts help the university advance its strategic plan and serve our students in the best way possible. As a university, we are grateful to those who so selflessly support this university because they support our mission, they had a wonderful experience…
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" _builder_version="4.9.2" _module_preset="default"][et_pb_row _builder_version="4.9.2" _module_preset="default" custom_margin="-45px||||false|false" hover_enabled="0" sticky_enabled="0"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.9.2" _module_preset="default"][et_pb_text _builder_version="4.9.2" _module_preset="default"]Employees on both the Winona and Twin Cities campuses were recognized recently for their contributions and dedication to the university. These staff members are living our mission in their day-to-day work and setting examples of strong character for all those who work alongside them and for our students. Honored Dec. 8 on the Winona Campus were:[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version="4.9.2" _module_preset="default"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.9.2" _module_preset="default"][et_pb_image src="http://newsroom.smumn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/WinonaEmployeeAwards1.jpg" title_text="WinonaEmployeeAwards1" _builder_version="4.9.2" _module_preset="default"][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version="4.9.2" _module_preset="default"]Barb…
Quincy Guinadi, an international student and fourth-year counseling psychology doctoral (Psy.D.) student at Saint Mary’s Minneapolis campus, formed her worldview during her first year in the program. She was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, moved to Singapore at age 5, and came to the U.S. in 2012 to begin her undergraduate studies in Child Psychology at the University of Minnesota. “Saint Mary’s Psy.D program was a huge change from the U. It’s a small program, very open and welcoming, and I…
Matt Bilski ’07 originally chose Saint Mary’s because of the opportunities that existed to do undergraduate research as part of his biology degree. Working side by side with Dr. Richard Kowles, biology professor emeritus, Bilski assisted with his ongoing corn and oat genetics research, received prestigious grants, completed a summer internship, and was a contributing author on one of Dr. Kowles’ published research papers. “Getting the experience of doing actual research at such a young age was so valuable,” he…