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 […]
By Tom Brandes Who knew that when Brandon Merfeld tore his ulnar collateral ligament in high school, the result would be a positive, life-changing experience? Merfeld, now a sophomore majoring in Biology at Saint Mary’s University, discovered his calling in life. “I went to an orthopedic surgeon and thought he’d recommend Tommy John surgery, but […]
By Maura Sullivan Hill Klaüs Friedli says he has fished in every trout stream in Winona County at least once. It’s a fitting comparison for how the senior environmental biology major has approached his Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota career, taking advantage of every opportunity that the university and its unique surroundings offer. “I’m obsessed […]
Ray Faber, Ph.D., will freely admit that understanding technology doesn’t always come naturally. But, in this pandemic, Dr. Faber is using technology to make nature more understandable. With the use of a GoPro and other videos, he’s transporting his ecology lab students virtually to multiple locations. “We would normally transport students to sites in the […]
Alessio Caselli is in his element in chest waders. The senior environmental biology major and zoology minor hopes one day to become a marine biologist. So spending a couple of hours this past week measuring, studying, and tagging brown trout solidified Caselli made the right career choice. There is no better hands-on classroom than Gilmore […]
The Adducci Science Center’s Brother Charles and Hoffman halls are transforming into a space for innovation and collaboration. Through a $17 million initiative, Saint Mary’s is creating a space for state-of-the-art classrooms, learning spaces, and labs for business and the sciences.
In responding to the needs of the healthcare industry, Saint Mary’s is developing a B.S. in Nursing program. Saint Mary’s ongoing expansion in healthcare-related academic offerings — and its plan to establish a B.S. in Nursing program in fall 2021 — stems from market research and an identified need in the workforce. “We know with […]
Working in genetic research at Mayo Clinic, Beth (Schubert) Pitel ’06 solves complex puzzles, which could ultimately improve patient care or even save lives. Pitel became part of a research team using genetic testing to understand why young children were suddenly dying about 15 years ago in an Amish community. The deaths had baffled medical […]
Benefactors make campus expansions possible WINONA, Minn. — Winona Campus students at Saint Mary’s University will be welcomed back to numerous changes, upgrades, and continued renovations — all of which are being made possible solely through philanthropic support. Adducci Science Center One of the largest construction projects underway is the renovation of the Adducci Science […]
WINONA, Minn. — As a direct response to market research and an identified need in the workforce, Saint Mary’s University has announced its plan to establish a B.S. in Nursing program in fall 2021 at its Winona Campus. The university is currently renovating its Adducci Science Center’s Hoffman and Brother Charles halls to house the […]
To Margarita Lopez ’22, pursuing a career as a physician assistant is more than having a good job. It’s about paying it forward as a First Generation Initiative Scholar.
In high school, Carol Dao ’20 favored mathematics over science. Then, a biology class introduced her to a whole new world of lab work. Now a senior First Generation Scholar at Saint Mary’s University, Dao will be heading to the Medical Laboratory Science Program at Mayo Clinic this summer.
Senior Danielle Franke was able to uniquely blend her biology and Spanish majors through an eight-week summer internship in Spain last summer. At a medical clinic in Spain, she received an invaluable clinical experience before she prepares to apply to medical school. It also allowed her to have a fully immersive experience as the only staff person who was as native English speaker.
Biology students have been inducted into the Beta Beta Beta Honor Society, and several biology and biochemistry students have presented their research, with Ben Borash receiving top honors for his presentation about rattlesnakes.
On Nov. 9, students from the biology anchor course, Environmental and Human Health, and the history anchor course, Make a Place in History, attended a Hmong New Year Celebration hosted by the Hmong American Student Association at Winona State University.
No fish tale here — let our experts explain the mystery behind a rare, 100-year-old fish that was caught in Minnesota Recently in Brainerd Lake … one lucky fisherman reeled in quite the catch. What looked like a giant goldfish was in fact a very old and very rare bigmouth buffalo fish. The catch left […]
As Saint Mary’s senior Danielle Franke dreams of a career in obstetrics, she was excited to learn more about how regenerative medicine will benefit her future patients. “Getting the chance to hear about the advancements happening in medicine around the world was eye-opening,” the Saint Paul, Minn., native said. She, along with nine other college […]
Earlier this fall, 26 students enrolled in Plant Communities and Taxonomy or Introduction to Mammalian Ecology and Diversity got a chance to visit, learn about, and experience an entire new ecosystem far from campus.
With the acquisition of several new projects, Saint Mary’s GeoSpatial Services (GSS) is increasing invaluable student internship experiences while helping nationwide organizations make far-reaching ecological decisions. For example, in the largest single contract ever awarded to them ($1.7 million over four years), GSS will work with the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The project will keep GSS staff and up to 30 student interns busy for several years.
For a psychology student, having the opportunity to put Mayo Clinic as an internship site on your résumé is a real attention-getter. Saint Mary’s senior Nick Sawchuk is hoping his experiences at the renowned Rochester medical facility will help him stand out in pursuing his dream to become a pediatric psychologist.