After what seemed like a long winter — certainly with more snow than I am used to — spring is finally making an appearance on campus. As we welcomed students back from their week-long break, the increasing daylight and warmer temperatures all brought a freshness and new energy to campus.
In the midst of the cold and wintry months since Christmas, our faculty, staff, and students have been engaged in many meaningful, productive, helpful and fun events. Let me tell you about a few . . .
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Students gaining real-world experience . . .
Biology students Sam Callisto, Alexander Thomas and Killian Gordon attended a talk by world-renowned neurosurgeon Garnette Sutherland, M.D. They had a chance to question Dr. Sutherland about his use of robotics in surgery, and later toured the advanced neurosurgery units at United Hospital in St. Paul.
Stephanie Valentine and Jennifer Koezly presented the results of their research projects at the State Capitol. Stephanie, a computer science major, presented “Just Truss Me: Geometric Recognizers,” while Jennifer’s research project was titled, “Iron Oxide/Nanoparticle Arrays as Multimodal Imaging Agents.”
Four Mayo Scholars from Saint Mary’s — Cree Kachelski and Brian Kasel, biology, along with business students Zachary Cizek and Billie Keilen (shown with their mentors and SMU advisors) — presented their joint project work to the Office of Intellectual Property at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. The students are this year’s Mayo Innovation Scholarship award winners.
Athletes in action on and off the courts . . .
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| Will Wright, Chris Palmer, Jess Miller |
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| Austin Balko, Dy-anna Stewart, Nicole Olson |
For the second time in three years, our student-athletes were honored for their community service. SMU is one of 19 schools to receive the National Association of Division III Athletics Administrators award. Among the many service projects and activities this year was the Hockey Night for Winona’s Big and Little Pals program (shown above), held in the Gostomski Fieldhouse. Other efforts included educational programs for youth, food and gift drives for charity, campus and community cleanups, and more. Almost all of our 300-plus student-athletes participated.
Sharing their special talents . . .
The Chamber Singers have returned from Rome after their 2011 concert tour that included performances in the spectacular Basilica of St. Peter and at the Christian Brother’s Generalate. Two pieces debuted by the 25-voice select ensemble were written especially for the tour by faculty Dr. Patrick O’Shea and A. Eric Heukeshoven. Highlights of the tour can be seen on a blog posted by Bob Fisher '97 at smusingswithbob.blogspot.com.
Our international students shared some of their many talents and gave our campus community insight into their homeland cultures during the annual International Showcase of music and dance. One of the outstanding participants was Jasmine Wang, shown performing on a zither. The evening capped a week of international activities and speakers sponsored by the Office of Student Life.
Recognition for our programs . . .
We were delighted to hear that Forbes ranked Saint Mary’s as the number one institution in the country for the percentage of minority graduates in STEM programs. The Forbes survey cited colleges and universities that statistically did the best job helping these students succeed in the important areas of science, technology, engineering and math.
Saint Mary's Press Release
Forbes.com Article
Our Bachelor of Arts program in business is accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education . . . which has just been granted recognition by the Council of Higher Education Accreditation. This is yet another validation of the high standards and quality teaching afforded to students in our business program.
One popular activity with our business students is the Cardinal Corner, a small business operated by the Entrepreneurship class in the Toner Student Center. Proceeds from sales benefit various campus clubs and organizations, as well as this spring’s target charity, an orphanage in Poland. See more about the store on its Facebook page.
Giving thanks for giving back . . .
Students organized a “Celebrate. Give Back.” day to show their appreciation for the generous gifts around campus that enhance their SMU experience. This was a way to say “thank you” to alumni, family and friends of the university, and to spread awareness of the importance of philanthropy on campus and in the community. Hundreds of students signed a “Thank-You” banner, and the day concluded with a free concert and dance. Our Young Alumni Association and the Future Alumni Committee sponsored the event.
Best wishes to our seniors!
I’m proud of all that our students have accomplished thus far this year and I look forward to witnessing their activities and accomplishments during these remaining weeks. Seniors, in particular, are gearing up for the final push toward commencement. During the weeks ahead we will be recognizing their accomplishments at various ceremonies and celebrations. We have been blessed with their presence over the past four years, and we wish each of them the best as they graduate and continue their lives of service and leadership.
- Brother William
- Brother William
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Season’s Greetings!
Soon the young women and men who call our Winona campus “home” for a few months out of the year, head home. As they do, I want you to know some of the wonderful things our students are capable of achieving, and of the positive impact they make on campus life and on the larger community.
I often have the chance to see them doing amazing things. Here are just a few snapshots of what I’ve seen.
Students studying and working hard . . .
. . . Seniors Nicole Clammer and Sean Ohl presented a biology research poster at the 2010 Life Science Alley Conference and Expo at the Minneapolis Convention Center. They reported on work done last summer as student research fellows.
. . . The Concert Band and Wind Ensemble hosted Florida composer Dr. Paul Richards for our sixth Kaplan Foundation Commissioning Project. Dr. Richards worked with students for several days and conducted them in a world-premiere performance of his composition, “If You Could Only See the Frog,” based on a Bulgarian children’s song sung by exiled Jews.
. . . Chinese students in our international student body volunteered to act as tutors during a six-week class of a free, non-credit introduction to basic conversational Chinese (Mandarin). The class was taught by Lynn Chao, a Taiwan native who is a student in SMU’s Master of Arts in International Business.
. . . Theatre majors staged the challenging docu-drama “God’s Country” in October at TARA Studio in London, and in late November at Smock Alley Studio Theatre in Ireland. The emotionally gripping play takes an unflinching look at the history of the white supremacist movement in the USA. (Check out our Theatre blog.)
Students reaching out to help others . . .
. . . Marketing major Ania McNamara, who was adopted by SMU alums from an orphanage in Chotomow, Poland, organized a fundraiser to provide the orphanage with Christmas gifts and new clothes. Now in its second year, Ania’s project raised almost $5,000 and she has shipped 62 personalized gifts and about 30 candy bags for children and nuns at the orphanage. Read the Winona Daily News story about Ania's project.
. . . Students, faculty and staff fulfilled the wishes of more than 1,400 community members through the “Gifts for Winona” Christmas gift program. Along with the larger effort to raise funds, purchase and deliver presents, a First-Year Seminar class made more than 20 tie blankets, which will help make many children’s holidays warmer and happier.
. . . Approximately 285 Saint Mary’s students volunteered their time on October 23, national “Make a Difference Day,” in assisting various Winona organizations and three elementary schools. Saint Mary’s alumni also came together on October 23 and volunteered in the Twin Cities, Chicago and Winona. To see a recap of activities organized by the Alumni Association during Lasallian Day of Service, go to: www.smumn.edu/lasalliandayofservice.
. . . Fall sport athletes engaged in bringing awareness to and raising funds for helping others. The volleyball team hosted a “Dig Pink Night” to support research for breast cancer; the men’s soccer team hosted “Cardinals Kick Cancer” with proceeds going to the Children’s Hospital in honor of Shaymus Guinn — the son of former Cardinals coach Tony Guinn — who is currently battling cancer; and, the women’s soccer team sponsored a “Footin’ 4 Food” drive for the local food pantry.
Students realizing their dreams . . .
. . . The men’s hockey team enjoyed a day at the United Center — home of the NHL’s Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks — thanks to SMU alum and Blackhawks President, John McDonough ’75. To see a video of the trip, go to: www.smumn.edu/blackhawksvid.
. . . The Entrepreneurship class encouraged campus athletic teams, clubs and organizations to sell “fun and funky” items through their new store, the Cardinal Corner, with all profits donated back to various university fund raising projects. This fall, the store returned $500 to the Taylor Richmond Benefit Dance, and $500 to other campus organizations. You can become a Facebook fan of the Cardinal Corner (and see the latest updates, sales and freebies) at: www.facebook.com/cardinalcorner.
. . . The Jazz Ensemble celebrated the release of its first CD, “Staycation.” The project was a joint effort by SMU performance students, faculty, and students majoring in music technology. The CD is available at the SMU bookstore. A YouTube video at: www.smumn.edu/staycationvid captures a portion of the recording session. There is more information at: www.smumn.edu/staycation.
. . . Biology Department faculty and students seeded their first prairie restoration pilot project, assisted by Winona State faculty and students. Two plots located along Gilmore Creek on the north side of campus were prepared with the help of our Maintenance Department, and seed from native prairie plants was donated by Prairie Moon Nursery.
Students heading home for Christmas . . .
. . . Last week, as students’ classes ended and they prepared for final exams, we paused to celebrate the annual Christmas Light Service — and enjoyed the traditional Pre-Finals Breakfast. (Santa even made a guest appearance.)
Students, faculty and staff at Saint Mary’s join me in wishing you and your families a blessed Christmas, and health and peace in the new year. May the Gift of Christmas fill your hearts and lives with peace and joy.
– Brother William
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
We welcome students back to the Winona campus
Big Red Cardinal led a spontaneous student dance line during the Welcome Week club and activity fair on the plaza.
A new school year is well-underway on our beautiful Winona campus. We recently welcomed 1,370 undergraduates to the campus. On Saturday, Aug. 28, first-year students moved into their residence halls with athletic teams carrying clothes and furniture up the stairs. Faculty members passed out water bottles and greeted families. The students settled in after a welcome from me, and activities continued throughout the weekend with movies, socials, hikes, liturgies and tours.
Our total enrollment of 1,370 undergraduates includes 1,311 full-time Winona campus students and 59 part-time students. This fall’s 347 freshmen total is up five percent over last year and is one of the larger first-year classes within the past five years.
I know and appreciate the sacrifice that parents and families make to send their students to Saint Mary’s during these unpredictable financial times. We will do our best to provide students with the best education possible and use our resources wisely.
100 students volunteer in Winona over Labor Day
Student volunteers took a break from working at Habitat Restore on Sept. 4.
After experiencing their first week of college classes, nearly 100 SMU students served 10 organizations on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. New Student Volunteer Day, with 78 first-year students and their upperclass mentors participating, provided new students with the opportunity to serve the Winona community and to be inspired by the Lasallian spirit early in their college careers. Students volunteered at the following organizations: Grace Place, Habitat Restore, Lake Winona Manor, Living Light Church, Winona Volunteer Services, Winona Area Humane Society, Winona Catholic Worker, Saint Anne of Winona, Sauer Memorial Home and Salvation Army Store. Students did cleaning, painting, hauling, played BINGO and tended to animals, among other activities.
SMU hosts John McDonough, president of Blackhawks
John McDonough greeted John Nye, a Saint Mary’s student and Blackhawks fan.
Saint Mary’s alum John McDonough ’75, president of the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks, shared his triumphant and inspiring story with his alma mater on Sept. 2. McDonough served as the guest speaker during SMU’s annual convocation ceremony, where he was presented with the Presidential Medal for Outstanding Merit. McDonough also spoke to business students and faculty about the Chicago Blackhawks ‘One Goal’ business plan, and he held a Q&A session at a gathering for the SMU community and Winona business leaders.
McDonough was named president of the Chicago Blackhawks in November of 2007, and under McDonough’s leadership, the Blackhawks became one of professional sports’ biggest success stories, in what Forbes Magazine called the “The Greatest Sports-Business Turnaround Ever.”
Young alumni come back to campus for a fall reunion
Molly Jewison ’10, Brittney Stefonowicz ’09, Tony Hynes ’10 and Britney Nielson ’10 (far right) enjoyed reuniting with Education faculty Karen and Scott Sorvaag.Graduates from the last decade were invited back to campus for Young Alumni Weekend, Sept. 10-12. Over 200 alums, friends and family returned to campus to reconnect, reminisce, and remember. The weekend included a welcome reception with faculty and staff, a ropes course challenge, a “Hike for Hunger” community outreach opportunity, a medallion hunt, and a gathering with live music at Jefferson Pub & Grill in downtown Winona. Two classes marked their milestone reunions, the Class of 2000 and Class of 2005. Each held special anniversary events on and off campus during the weekend. The weekend coincided with Cardinal ‘M’ Club Weekend, giving SMU alumni opportunities to cheer on Cardinal athletics.
Weekend information and follow up comments and photos are on a special Facebook page. Sign in at facebook.com and search for “SMU Young Alumni” or visit www.smumn.edu/youngalumni for additional photos and information.
A successful Cardinal 'M' Club Weekend
Sports Hall of Fame: John Tschida ’90, Teisha (Smith ’00) Devine and George Hoder ’67.
Congratulations to three alums who were welcomed into the Sports Hall of Fame at an awards ceremony during the annual Cardinal M-Club Weekend, Sept. 10-12. Hundreds of current student-athletes, alumni, parents and staff enjoyed reuniting with friends and teammates, golfing, honoring award recipients, and competing in alumni events.
New Hall of Fame members include: George Hoder ’67 of Seattle, basketball; Teisha (Smith ’00) Devine of Chicago, fastpitch softball; and John Tschida ’90 of Saint Paul, softball coach. The many other awards announced during the Saturday night ceremony included recognition of 2009-10 scholar-athletes of the year Stephanie Marnocha ’10 (soccer) and David Dahlstrom ’10 (baseball); and outstanding student-athletes Sarah Gardner ’11 (volleyball) and Andrew Brueggen ’11 (track and field).
More on the awards, event photos and video:
Science internships reward students and society
Nate Peterson is one of many SMU undergraduates who performed research last summer.
He's shown working with Dr. Ray Faber.
He's shown working with Dr. Ray Faber.
Whether our undergraduate students were working at Mayo, the Fermilab, Gundersen, or the Mississippi River, important learning occurred in summer internships that enabled Saint Mary’s students to use their knowledge to contribute to the solution of significant regional and national problems.
Timothy McDonald, a double major in chemistry and engineering physics, and Thomas Briese, a biochemistry major, both worked with Father Paul Nienaber, SJ, Ph.D., chair of SMU's Physics Department, as part of the MicroBooNE neutrino experiment at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Funding for these students was provided by a Research at Undergraduate Institutions grant from the National Science Foundation.
Luke Baertlein, a biophysics major, worked at the Mayo Clinic in the Department of Health Sciences Research - Epidemiology Division. Jennifer Koezly, a double major in chemistry and engineering physics, worked in the Lando/NSF Summer Research Program in the chemical sciences at the University of Minnesota. Brian Kasel, a biophysics major, was in the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center Summer Fellowship Program.
A different type of internship found Nate Peterson, an environmental biology major (and a member of the Saint Mary’s hockey team), participating in projects that included: a study of the smooth soft shell turtle; research on the trout streams of southeastern Minnesota with a graduate student at the U of M; working with Dr. Phil Cochran ’77 to collect planktivorous fishes in Square Lake, Minnesota; assisting Dr. Ray Faber to band gull chicks in their nests in Green Bay of Lake Michigan; collection of brook lampreys in Iowa; and processing of nuisance rattlesnakes from the Winona area.
At the Research Laboratory at Gundersen Lutheran Hospital in La Crosse, Biology major Lukas Wallerich studied aspects of Lyme disease and anaplasmosis. He collected deer ticks in Southeast Minnesota and analyzed them for the prevalence of pathogens. Paige Jensen worked with La Crosse County’s Vector Control Department, studying mosquitoes known to transmit La Crosse encephalitis and West Nile diseases. She trapped mosquitoes and worked on mosquito eradication and public education about mosquito habitat. Chris Engesser, a computer science student, worked with Dr. Mingrui Zhang to understand, run, and test computational gene clustering algorithms on genetic microarray lung cancer data provided by the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Stephanie Valentine, a senior computer science major, did research with Dr. Tracy Hammond of Texas A&M University, funded by the CDC/CRA-W Distributed Research Experiences for Undergraduates (DREU).
A renewed partnership with the Mississippi River
The former Polish Heritage Lodge on Prairie Island will become a river field station for SMU science students and teachers.
Situated on the banks of the scenic Mississippi River, Saint Mary's University has both the opportunity and the responsibility to promote the ongoing vitality of the river and its surrounding communities. The university has, once again, found a new way to positively contribute to the river and its environs, with the just-completed purchase of the Polish Heritage Lodge on Winona’s Prairie Island. Saint Mary's has a long and rich legacy of engaging with the river, and this purchase is another sign of the university’s commitment to enhancing and growing the science programs in Winona.
The new SMU “river field station” will give us direct access to the Mississippi and close proximity to the natural aspects and human activity defined by the waterway. The facility will allow for expanded environmental sciences programming for faculty, staff and students, and for regular river-related programs that will benefit the larger community. The new field station is situated in an area blessed with natural resources and nearby land and water management projects. Current plans are for the building to house the natural resource-focused staff of GeoSpatial Services, as well as provide space for research and activities of SMU environmental sciences faculty and both undergraduate and graduate students.
Saint Mary's fares well in national rankings
We have a good thing going at Saint Mary’s University and others have noticed.
Forbes.com’s 2010 list of “America’s Best Colleges” recently ranked Saint Mary’s University as No. 457 out of a group of 610 undergraduate institutions (selected from 2500 national undergraduate institutions) listed as “the best public and private colleges and universities – from the student’s point of view.” Dr. Marilyn Frost, vice president for academic affairs, said she is pleased that Saint Mary’s is on the Forbes list. “It shows that our students feel enriched by the experiences they have here, and that they graduate and go on to have successful careers and be productive members of their communities. The Forbes listing reinforces positive reports from other student satisfaction surveys, such as the National Survey of Student Engagement (see the following story) and the Princeton Review.” The list can be found at www.forbes.com/lists/2010/94/best-colleges-10_Americas-Best-Colleges_Rank.html.
In the Princeton Review, Saint Mary’s is one of 152 schools receiving the “Best in the Midwest” designation for 2011. The Princeton Review profiles colleges and universities that “stand out as academically excellent institutions of higher learning.” The Princeton Review survey asks students to rate their own schools on a variety of issues – from the accessibility of their professors to quality of the campus food – and to answer questions about themselves, their fellow students, and their campus life. For more information, go to www.princetonreview.com/best-regional-colleges.aspx.
U.S. News & World Report has ranked Saint Mary’s in its “Best National Universities” survey for 2011. The annual listing of more than 1,400 schools is available online at www.usnews.com. Saint Mary’s is ranked 183rd in the first tier of the U.S. News “National Universities” category, which includes 262 schools overall. Saint Mary’s competes with other National Universities because of our doctoral granting status. Taking top honors in the “National Universities” category are Harvard University, Princeton University and Yale University. Saint Mary’s, St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota are the only Minnesota schools represented in this category.
Forbes.com’s 2010 list of “America’s Best Colleges” recently ranked Saint Mary’s University as No. 457 out of a group of 610 undergraduate institutions (selected from 2500 national undergraduate institutions) listed as “the best public and private colleges and universities – from the student’s point of view.” Dr. Marilyn Frost, vice president for academic affairs, said she is pleased that Saint Mary’s is on the Forbes list. “It shows that our students feel enriched by the experiences they have here, and that they graduate and go on to have successful careers and be productive members of their communities. The Forbes listing reinforces positive reports from other student satisfaction surveys, such as the National Survey of Student Engagement (see the following story) and the Princeton Review.” The list can be found at www.forbes.com/lists/2010/94/best-colleges-10_Americas-Best-Colleges_Rank.html.
In the Princeton Review, Saint Mary’s is one of 152 schools receiving the “Best in the Midwest” designation for 2011. The Princeton Review profiles colleges and universities that “stand out as academically excellent institutions of higher learning.” The Princeton Review survey asks students to rate their own schools on a variety of issues – from the accessibility of their professors to quality of the campus food – and to answer questions about themselves, their fellow students, and their campus life. For more information, go to www.princetonreview.com/best-regional-colleges.aspx.
U.S. News & World Report has ranked Saint Mary’s in its “Best National Universities” survey for 2011. The annual listing of more than 1,400 schools is available online at www.usnews.com. Saint Mary’s is ranked 183rd in the first tier of the U.S. News “National Universities” category, which includes 262 schools overall. Saint Mary’s competes with other National Universities because of our doctoral granting status. Taking top honors in the “National Universities” category are Harvard University, Princeton University and Yale University. Saint Mary’s, St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota are the only Minnesota schools represented in this category.
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