To help perpetuate our Lasallian Catholic heritage and identity, several Saint Mary’s staff and faculty members recently attended retreats. Ann Merchlewitz, J.D., interim president; Brother Robert Smith, FSC ‘76, Ph.D., chief academic officer and vice president of the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs; and Timothy Gossen ’01, D’14, vice president for Mission and Student Life, attended Encuentro XII – Strength in Diversity: confronting global challenges through higher education last week at Universidad La Salle in Mexico City, Mexico. Hosted by the La Salle Mexico network of universities constituted by 15 campuses around Mexico, the event was an opportunity to reflect about the role that universities play in providing answers to the difficult questions that are posed in everyday life. It was also a forum to engage on how far Lasallian universities have traveled as a network and identify the necessary actions for them to ensure sustainable progress in the next two decades.
Matt Nowakowski D’10, program director and core associate professor for the Doctor of Business Administration, participated in the Collegium’s Annual Colloquy on Faith and Intellectual Life which took place at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., last week. Professors from 65 different Catholic colleges and institutions met to discuss the sources and implications of academic vocation and explore how that vocation can be enriched and realized in a college or university setting. Participants explored compelling aspects of the Catholic intellectual tradition and how their work serves their students, the academy, and the world. The Colloquy rotates annually between College of the Holy Cross, Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minn., and the University of Portland in Portland, Ore.