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Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University
No full textSummer 2006 issue of Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis UniversityS i n g i n g
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B i o l o gy
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pg. 12
A l um n i
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B a s e b a l l
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F E AT U R E S DE PA R TMEN T S
E d i t o r
Laura Geiser (A&S ’90, Grad ’92)
C o n t r i b u t o r s
Allison Babka Burney
Marie Dilg (SW ’94)
Shannon McGuire (Student Assistant)
Rachel Otto
“ O n C a m p u s ” n e w s s t o r i e s
University Communications
Medical Center Media Relations
Billiken Media Relations
D e s i g n
Art Direction: Matthew Krob
Universitas is published by Saint Louis University. Opin-ions
expressed in Universitas are those of the individual
authors and not necessarily those of the University admin-istration.
Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs are
welcome but will be returned only if accompanied by a
stamped, self-addressed envelope. Letters to the editor
must be signed, and letters not intended for publication
should indicate that fact. The editor reserves the right to
edit all items. Address all mail to Universitas, DuBourg Hall
39, 221 N. Grand, St. Louis, Mo. 63103. We accept e-mail
at [email protected] and fax submissions at (314) 977-2249.
Address fax submissions to Editor, Universitas.
Postmaster: Send address changes to
Universitas, Saint Louis University,
221 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103.
World Wide Web address:
www.slu.edu/pr/universitas.html
Universitas is printed by Universal Printing Co.
and mailed by Specialty Mailing.
Worldwide circulation: 111,720
© 2006, Saint Louis University
All rights reserved.
Volume 3 2 , I ssue 3
In April, I had the privilege of speaking to a
group of outstanding local citizens to accept
St. Louis’ 2005 “Citizen of the Year” award,
which is presented by a committee of former recip-ients
and sponsored by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
It was truly an honor.
The humbling experience gave me the oppor-tunity
to reflect on my early days in my adopt-ed
hometown and how much I have seen things
change here during the last 19 years.
Although I had a very brief visit to St. Louis
in 1967 on my way to Mexico to hone my Span-ish
skills, I didn’t spend any time in the city
until I was named to Saint Louis University’s
board of trustees in 1983. On my first trip to
SLU for a board meeting, I extended my stay
so I could see the city. After taking the Lindell
Boulevard bus downtown on a Saturday after-noon,
I found so little to do that I caught an
earlier flight back to Chicago.
For four more years, I came to St. Louis for the
trustees’ quarterly meetings — and I came only for
the meetings. Then, in 1987, when I was elected
president of SLU, I decided that I had to get to know the city. One Sunday morning shortly after
my arrival, I took former SLU President Tom Fitzgerald’s old, green-colored Oldsmobile and drove
around downtown, trying to memorize the street names.
I saw progress. In four years, some things had certainly changed for the better. But as I drove
back to campus, I saw that there was still much to do. Right in Midtown, in my own new back yard,
there were dilapidated buildings, plots of asphalt and rundown city blocks.
In my early days at SLU, I was like a new homeowner. I wanted the best for my neighborhood,
and I was willing to make the effort to improve it. When I came to this city to live and work, I
quickly adopted it as my home. But I still needed a shot of hometown pride.
I found that pride away from buildings and ball clubs. I love St. Louis for more than its Arch,
toasted ravioli and Ted Drewes frozen custard. I love it for the people who are trying to make a dif-ference
— visionaries such as Joe Edwards and Richard Baron and many others. And while I did use
my “Citizen of the Year” acceptance speech as an opportunity to challenge my fellow St. Louisans
to aspire to make our city greater, I also know that I — and our University — have enjoyed unprec-edented
cooperation from city officials and local business leaders.
I can remember being here for just a few months and working with then-mayor Vince Schoemehl
(Grad ’86) to get trees — substantial trees — planted along Grand and Lindell. In Chicago, I would
have never had as much direct access to the Board of Aldermen or to the mayor himself. Today, we
continue to receive tremendous support from Mayor Francis Slay (Law ’80) and from the Board of
Aldermen. I am truly grateful for the trust that city officials have always placed in SLU.
And it’s not just the civic leaders who have given us their trust. You, our alumni, friends and do-nors,
have shown how you believe in us, too. Through your gifts of time, talent and treasure, you’ve
been instrumental in building the reputation and stature of Saint Louis University.
We’ve come a long way together. And the city of St. Louis has, too. I am so thankful for your
commitment to Saint Louis University and hope that — no matter where you live now — SLU and
St. Louis will always feel like home.
Lawrence Biondi , S. J .
photo by Steve Dolan
President’s Message
etrolink
On the Map
A special insert gives
you an up-close look
at SLU’s campus.
Map Illustration by
Robert North Jr.
U N I V E R S I TA S S UMME R 2 0 0 6
Fr. Biondi with Dr. Donald Suggs, publisher of the St.
Louis American and the 2004 Citizen of the Year.
2 On Campus
Arena plans taking shape Research
Building gets a name Commencement
U.S. News ranks SLU high again
Social justice magazine debuts
6 Billiken News
Baseball team goes to the NCAA
Tournament Walker is now a coach
7 Campaign Update
Meet Anna and Jesse, students
doing their part for annual giving
22 Class Notes
Catch up with classmates
28 In Memoriam
Remembering those members of the
SLU community who recently died
29 Off the Shelf
Seven books from the SLU community
30 Alumni Events
Find SLU alumni activities
wherever you live
32 Perspective
An alumnus turns from music
fan into record label owner
33 The Last Word
Letters to the editor
9
Brothers in Song
An introduction
to the Bare Naked
Statues, SLU’s all-male
a cappella group.
By Allison Babka Burney
Bio-Diversity
The biology department
faculty are studying
everything from fish to
wasps to liver cancer.
By Marie Dilg
A Haven of Hope
Two alumni have
created a home where
abused and neglected
children thrive.
By Marie Dilg
12 18
Students congregate around a fountain at the Medical Center on a hot June aftternoon.
Photo by Kevin Lowder
U N I V E R S I TA S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I TA S S UMME R 2 0 0 6
Groundbreaking is less than three
months away for the new 8 million in TIF funding and bonds,
which will be paid off with revenues from the
Arena. Fund raising continues toward the 39
million goal for the Arena project. Alumni and
benefactors who would like to contribute to the
Arena project can get information about the
project online at arena.slu.edu, or by calling
(314) 977-2499.
Site preparation will begin this summer, with
a groundbreaking date in late August or early
September. Construction is expected to take
approximately 19 months and be completed in
March 2008. At 10,600 seats, the Saint Louis
University Arena will have the second largest
capacity in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The
University anticipates hosting more that 90
events in the Arena in its first year of operation,
with roughly half being non-University events.
Arena plans move forward; groundbreaking soon
Commencement 2006
Saint Louis University celebrated
commencement for more than 1,700
graduates May 20 at Savvis Center.
Chris Lowney, author of Heroic Leadership:
Best Practices from a 450-Year-Old Company
that Changed the World, delivered the com-mencement
address. The book takes the pil-lars
of Ignatian teachings and applies them
to today’s business environment. In addition
to Lowney, other honorary degree recipients
were Maurice B. McNamee, S.J. (A&S ’33,
Grad ’34, ’45), professor emeritus of Eng-lish,
professor emeritus of art and art history
and director emeritus of Samuel Cupples
House; and Frank Stroble (Cook ’52, Grad
’60) and Ruth Stroble, longtime supporters
of Catholic higher education and commu-nity
volunteers. Throughout five decades as a professor
at Saint Louis University School of
Medicine, Dr. Edward A. Doisy was
renowned worldwide for his pioneering work
in the field of biochemistry, including win-ning
the 1943 Nobel Prize for discovering
the chemical nature of vitamin K.
To honor his lifetime of work, SLU’s new
biomedical research tower, a 67 million fa-cility,
will be named the Edward A. Doisy
Research Center. The Doisy family has com-mitted
2 million to establish the James B. and Joan
C. Peter Endowed Chair in Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology. Dr. James B. Peter
(Med ’58) is founder and former chief execu-tive
officer of Specialty Laboratories, a hospi-tal-
focused clinical reference laboratory.
• 2 million to establish the Badeeh A. and
Catherine V. Bander Endowed Chair in Ne-phrology.
Dr. Steven J. Bander (A&S ’75),
adjunct faculty member in nephrology, and
his wife, Patricia, are endowing the chair in
honor of his parents.
• 1.5 million in a challenge grant from the
J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation to sup-port
construction of the research building.
The building is expected to open in fall
2007. For more details, visit researchbuild-ing.
slu.edu.
Research building gets name and 30 million gift
For the third consecutive year,
U.S.News & World Report has named
the Saint Louis University School of
Law’s health law program the best in the na-tion.
Since the rankings for the health law
specialty began a decade ago, Saint Louis
University’s Center for Health Law Studies
never has been out of the top three.
Overall, the magazine’s “Best Graduate
Schools 2007” issue ranked the law school
among the nation’s 180 accredited law
schools. The School of Medicine was ranked
No. 62 among the nation’s 144 research-intensive
medical schools surveyed by U.S.
News. The school’s geriatrics program was
ranked 12th in the United States.
In addition, the part-time MBA program
in the John Cook School of Business was
ranked No. 25 in the nation out of 347 part-time
MBA programs accredited by the As-sociation
to Advance Collegiate Schools of
Business (AACSB).
Graduate programs honored by U.S. News again
Annual Atlas Week recognizes
the University’s world view
Through more than 50 special events, including discussions,
open houses and student presentations, Atlas Week 2006 gave
the Saint Louis University community the opportunity to ex-plore
the international dimension of SLU’s academic programs and
celebrate the University’s role in international education and service.
The theme of this year’s Atlas Week, held in April, was “Political
and Social Justice in a Global World.” The Signature Symposium
featured Nobel Peace laureate Jody Williams, who led the passage of
the international treaty banning antipersonnel landmines. Another
highlight was a panel discussion commemorating the first anniver-sary
of the death of Pope John Paul II.
The Billiken World Festival, which featured a Parade of Nations,
international cuisine, music, games and informational booths in the
quadrangle, wrapped up the week.
In SLU’s residence halls
Students living on
campus during the
2005-06 school year
On-campus rooms
Residence halls: Clemens, DeMattias,
Fusz, Griesedieck, Marguerite, Notre
Dame, Reinert and Walsh
Apartment complexes: Grand Forest,
the Language Houses, Marchetti East
and West, and the Village Apartments
3,346
1,785
84
Severson wins
teaching award
Dr. John G. Severson Jr., professor
of biology, received the 41st an-nual
Nancy McNeir Ring Award
from Alpha Sigma Nu, the Jesuit honor
society. It is SLU’s oldest student-initi-ated
teaching award and is named for the
University’s first dean of women. Severson
joined the faculty in 1971, has served as
associate dean of the College of Arts and
Sciences and led the Academic Services
Center from 1993-2001. He played an in-tegral
role in the development of the Pre-
Law and Pre-Med Scholars programs, as
well as SLU 101 and SLU 301 programs
for new students.
A view of the Arena facing northwest.
A student shows her pride during the Parade of Nations.
From left: The Strobles, McNamee and Lowney.
Signing the beam before it is raised (from left): Alderman Michael McMillan; AT&T-Missouri vice president Debra
Hollingsworth; U.S. Senator Christopher “Kit” Bond; Clayco president and SLU trustee Bob Clark; University
President Lawrence Biondi, S.J.; SLU trustee Charles Drury and Shirley Drury, donors to the project.
Photo by Kevin Lowder
Photo by Clayton Berry
Photo by Allison Babka Burney
Photo by Allison Babka Burney
Lincoln Legacy exhibit
coming to SLUMA
From Aug. 25-Dec. 17, Samuel Cupples House,
in partnership with the Saint Louis University
Museum of Art, will present “The Lincoln Legacy:
Presidential Years.” The exhibit, which will be in
the Judith and Adam Aronson Gallery at SLUMA,
showcases the Dr. Bernard Hall Abraham Lincoln
Collection of the University of Saint Mary in
Leavenworth, Kan. It will feature manuscripts
and autographed documents, as well as sig-nificant
historical artifacts relating to Lincoln’s
presidency. The exhibit is free and open to
the public. In conjunction with “The Lincoln
Legacy,” the University will be the site of a Civil
War re-enactment, the “Camp Jackson Historic
Encampment,” during Labor Day weekend, Sept.
1-3. For other programming and updates, visit
http://lincoln.slu.edu or call (314) 977-2666.
t h e A R T S a t S L U
Hand-tinted woodcut of Lincoln (1863).
MOCRA welcomes back
‘Silver Clouds’
They’re back! SLU’s Museum of Contemporary
Religious Art (MOCRA) announces a final show-ing
of its most popular show ever, Andy Warhol’s
“Silver Clouds.” First shown at MOCRA in 2001
and 2002, the largest-ever U.S. “Clouds” instal-lation
features dozens of silver mylar balloons
riding the air currents around MOCRA’s capa-cious
nave gallery. Visitors are invited to enter
into a childlike world of wonder and experience
one of Warhol’s groundbreaking experiments
with creating unique, non-traditional environ-ments.
MOCRA also will be showing a number
of Warhol’s “Sunset” prints. The “Clouds” open
in mid-September and continue through the fall
semester. Call MOCRA at (314) 977-7170 or visit
mocra.slu.edu for more information.
“Silver Clouds” fill the gallery during
the 2002 MOCRA showing.
New administrators join SLU
As of July 1,
Dr. Kent
Porterfield is
Saint Louis University’s
new vice president for
student development.
Porterfield comes to
SLU from Northwest
Missouri State Univer-sity,
where he was vice
president for student
affairs — a role he held
for nearly a decade. At SLU, Porterfield fosters
student formation through non-academic areas,
including residence life, student life, student
health and counseling, campus recreation
and community outreach. He also oversees
contracted services such as the bookstore
and dining services. At Northwest, Porterfield
led many of these same areas and worked to
enhance students’ lives.
Dr. Connie
Evashwick,
previously
an endowed chair and
director of the Center
for Health Care In-novation
at California
State University, Long
Beach, joined SLU as
dean of the Saint Louis
University School of
Public Health on
July 1. Over the years, she has combined her
academic career with consulting and direct
operations management. Evashwick has served
as vice president of long-term care for two
major health care systems and is a national
consultant to health systems, hospitals and
long-term care organizations. She is the author
or editor of 12 books and more than 100 other
publications.
News Briefs
Saint Louis University again opened its doors
to the area’s homeless population to provide
a hot meal and clothing. During SLU’s annual
“Open Doors” event March 23, hundreds
of homeless individuals also received free
employment and housing assistance, legal
services and opportunities to pursue literacy
education.
SLU President Lawrence Biondi, S.J., and Dr.
Ellen Harshman (Grad ’78, Law ’92), dean
of the John Cook School of Business, were
named to the St. Louis Business Journal’s
“Influentials” list this spring. The list recognizes
area business and community leaders who
make a difference to the region. Biondi was
honored as one of 10 “legends” — individuals
“who have gone beyond being influential to
become legends in our region and beyond.”
Dr. Bruce R. Bacon, professor of internal
medicine and director of the division of
gastroenterology and hepatology at the
School of Medicine, has been appointed to the
National Commission on Digestive Diseases,
an institute of the National Institutes of
Health and the National Institute of Diabetes
and Digestive Diseases. The commission,
comprising 16 people, is charged with
conducting an overview of research in digestive
diseases and developing a strategic plan for
the next 10 years of NIH digestive disease
research.
Saint Louis University Provost Dr. Joe
Weixlmann was named “Distinguished
Editor of the Year” by the Council of Editors
of Learned Journals. The award recognizes
Weixlmann’s dedication and excellence in
his work with African American Review, the
official publication of the Modern Language
Association’s Division on Black American
Literature and Culture. He was editor in chief
from 1976-2004.
The St. Louis Jesuits, sometimes called “the
fathers of contemporary American liturgical
music,” received an honorary doctorate of
music from Creighton University this spring.
Roc O’Connor S.J. (A&S ’73), Bob Dufford
S.J. (A&S ’67, Grad ’72, ’75), John Foley S.J.
(A&S ’68, Grad ’68, ’74), and Dan Schutte
(A&S ’72), who were featured in the fall 2005
Universitas, were recognized for their 30 years
of ministry to the Church.
U N I V E R S I TA S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I TA S S UMME R 2 0 0 6
Community service tops 750,000 hours
Members of the Saint Louis University community continue to live the institution’s
mission as 14,602 students, faculty and staff contributed 753,808 hours of com-munity
service and outreach during 2005, according to a recently released University
report. This is the second year in a row that members of the University have performed more
than 750,000 hours of service. According to the report, more than 1,270 organizations and
events benefited from SLU faculty and staff volunteerism, up from 1,110 in 2004. Faculty and
staff spent 71,903 hours performing community service in 2005, a drastic jump from 41,533
hours previously. Student service also is intensive. Through academic courses, internships and
campus organizations, students committed more than 76,768 hours to outreach.
SLU students spend
spring break in service
During spring break in March
more than 50 Saint Louis Uni-versity
students participated in
rebuilding efforts in New Orleans. Of
the group, 39 SLU students assisted Ser-vice
International with the demolition of
buildings that were flooded or destroyed
by Hurricane Katrina. After demolition,
the students helped with power washing,
sanitizing and rebuilding efforts. Another
15 SLU students worked with Operation
Helping Hands, where they helped remove
debris in neighborhoods and assisted with
light carpentry, as well as construction and
restoration of homes and buildings.
This year, about 150 SLU students partic-ipated
in spring break mission trips not only
to New Orleans, but other U.S. locations as
well as sites in Mexico and El Salvador.
Social justice magazine
debuts on campus
Current SLU students from various cross-cultural and social
justice groups on campus have collaborated to produce a
student-led, student-run magazine that aims to raise aware-ness
about international social justice issues. Based upon the Jesuit
mission, One World focuses attention on men and women around
the world who are in dire need of help. Whether it’s poverty and
starvation in the developing world or genocide in Sudan, SLU stu-dent
writers explore humanitarian issues in an effort to make read-ers
realize that they have capacity and responsibility to get involved.
To view the magazine online, visit www.sluoneworld.com. Or to
order a copy of the 40-page magazine, send your request and 5 contri-bution
to: One World c/o Donna Bess; Busch Student Center, Suite 237; 20 N. Grand Blvd.; St.
Louis, MO 63103. Make checks payable to Saint Louis University.
AHarvard University team recently won the
Urban Land Institute Gerald D. Hines
Student Urban Design Competition,
which was held March 31 at Saint Louis Univ
Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University
No full textFall 2003 issue of Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis UniversityT H E M AG A Z I N E O F S A I N T L O U I S U N I V E R S I T Y
F A L L 2 0 0 3
By Lawrence Biondi, S.J.
Saint Louis University President
I’m convinced that it must have been a SLU graduate who coined the phrase, “What a small
world.”
I’m sure you’ve all had a similar experience: you’re sitting in a restaurant, standing in line
to check out at a grocery store or even taking in a ball game, and someone around you says
something like, “Didn’t you go to SLU?”
Whatever the opening line, what almost always ensues is a brief conversation between two
people. They may have never met before, but it’s as if an instant connection has been made.
They begin talking like old friends.
Although I realize that this phenomenon frequently happens between
people who share a common identity, I often come away from such experi-ences
convinced that members of our SLU community transcend the
superficialities of just sharing an alma mater or even a fondness for a particu-lar
sports team.
I truly believe our mission and our Ignatian heritage unites us on a deep-er
level. The recent Homecoming festivities only reinforced my belief. As
all of you know, during Homecoming, we welcome thousands of former
students back to campus, putting them in contact once again with each
other and with our current students, faculty and staff.
There were tours of Grand Center, our own home in Midtown, as well as
the new and improved Busch Student Center. There were parties, outdoor
concerts, Billiken soccer, a parade and fireworks. There were golf outings,
class reunions and tailgates. And serving as an appropriate, intimate ending
to the weekend, there was the Golden Billiken Brunch for members of the
classes up to and including the class of 1953.
Alhtough all of these activities are entertaining and help to demonstrate
our appreciation for members of our SLU family, perhaps the most satisfy-ing
element of Homecoming is found in the personal interaction between
longtime friends. For Homecoming is one of the few times during the year
in which generations of Billikens come back to campus to celebrate and
commemorate their shared identity. Alumni reminisce about old times
while also introducing their former classmates to their personal families. We at SLU show off
our campus and introduce our current family of students, faculty and staff, who share their
own thoughts and feelings about the SLU experience.
Alumni often share their own success stories, but more importantly, their stories about fam-ily,
friends and faith. They tell me how the philosophy, ethics and theological components
they once grumbled about now serve them well in their everyday lives.
Conversely, we let alumni know that SLU remains committed to informing and transform-ing
our current students, who, in turn, will transform society in the spirit of the Gospels. I
give assurances that although the nature of higher education has changed, SLU remains true
to its Jesuit, Catholic heritage — just like it has for generations, all the way back to its found-ing
in 1818.
Yes, we truly see the spirit of Saint Louis University revealed and refreshed during our
Homecoming festivities. It gives me great joy to hear about the ways in which members of
the SLU community continue to make a difference for their families, for their communities,
for their professions, for their world. Though it is only one weekend during the year, there’s
undoubtedly an invisible bridge that links generations of Billiken alumni together. We can be
reassured that SLU continues to succeed in preparing its graduates for a lifetime of service to
humankind.
It’s wonderful to see that SLU is indeed “where the heart is” in so many people’s lives.
UNIVERSITAS
Volume 30, No. 1
Editor
Laura Geiser (A&S ’90, Grad ’92)
Assistant Editor
Chris Waldvogel
Contributors
Clayton Berry
Jeff Fowler
Photo Credits
Steve Dolan, 3, 9, 30
Joe Finlay, 4
Kevin Lowder, 10
Dave Preston, 26
John Quinn, S.J., 20
James Visser, cover, 4, 12-15
Chris Waldvogel, 2, 3, 5
New Line Cinema, 18, 20-22
Design
AKA Design Inc.
Art Direction: Richie Murphy
Design: Stacy Lanier
UNIVERSITAS is published by Saint
Louis University. Opinions expressed
in UNIVERSITAS are those of the indi-vidual
authors and not necessarily
those of the University administra-tion.
Unsolicited manuscripts and
photographs are welcome but will be
returned only if accompanied by a
stamped, self-addressed envelope.
Letters to the editor must be signed,
and letters not intended for publica-tion
should indicate that fact. The
editor reserves the right to edit all
items. Please address all mail to
UNIVERSITAS, DuBourg Hall 39, 221
N. Grand, St. Louis, MO 63103. We
accept e-mail at [email protected] and fax
submissions at (314) 977-2249.
Address fax submissions to Editor,
UNIVERSITAS.
Postmaster: Send address changes to
UNIVERSITAS, Saint Louis University, 221
N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103.
World Wide Web address:
www.slu.edu/pr/universitas.html
UNIVERSITAS is printed by Universal
Printing Co. and mailed by Accurate
Business Mailers Inc.
Worldwide circulation: 109,611
© 2003, Saint Louis University.
All rights reserved.
On the Cover: The new Busch
Student Center courtyard. For
more photos of Busch Student
Center, see page 12.
IIN MEMORIIAM AALLUUMMNNII nnootteess
2
24 32
28 30
FALL 2003
6
Home-Court Advantage
Take a peek at the plans for
Saint Louis University’s proposed arena.
10
Remembering Father Ong
A look at the life of one of
SLU’s most noted scholars.
12
Center of Attention
The renovated and expanded
Busch Student Center is drawing raves.
16
Momentum
The Campaign for Saint Louis University
marks its first anniversary.
18
Lore of the Rings
A SLU professor is one of the world’s
foremost experts on J.R.R. Tolkien.
C O N T E N T S
2
SLU named a
‘Best Buy’ again
Saint Louis University is
the nation’s top educa-tional
buy among all Jesuit
institutions according to U.S.
News & World Report, which
again recognized Saint Louis
University as one of the
country’s best values in high-er
education. Overall, the
magazine also ranked SLU
among the top four Catholic
universities in the country.
In the publication’s
“America’s Best Colleges
2004” issue, SLU is No. 41
on the best values list among
all national doctoral universi-ties.
This is the sixth consecu-tive
year that U.S. News has
highlighted the University as
a leading educational value.
SLU is the top Jesuit institu-tion
on the best value list and
the No. 2 Catholic school,
second only to the University
of Notre Dame. U.S. News
determines best values by
measuring academic quality
with the net cost of atten-dance
for a student who
receives an average level of
financial aid.
U.S. News also named Saint
Louis University among the
top four Catholic institutions
on its ranking of best national
doctoral universities, a group
that includes nearly 250
schools. SLU is No. 78 on
the list, with only Notre
Dame, Georgetown
University and Boston
College ranking higher.
HOMELAND SECURITY: Hundreds of people attended
the first town hall meeting on homeland security featuring
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge Oct. 7 at
Saint Louis University. An interactive event with high
audience participation, the forum included (from left) Frank
Sesno, host of Worldtalk and former CNN anchor; Steve
Rohleder, global chief executive for government, Accenture;
St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay (Law ’80); Ridge; Dr. Karen
Webb, chief medical officer for Saint Louis University
Hospital; and Col. Tim Daniel, director for the Missouri
Office of Homeland Security. University President
Lawrence Biondi, S.J., gave the opening remarks.
Sword award
to honor Westfall
Saint Louis University will
give its highest honor to
the late George R. “Buzz”
Westfall (A&S ’68, Law ’69).
SLU will recognize the late
political leader with its Sword
of Ignatius Loyola during the
DuBourg Society Dinner
Dec. 7. Mr. Westfall died
Oct. 27. He was 59.
One of the region’s most
influential public figures of
the last 20 years,
Mr. Westfall was
elected St. Louis
County executive
in 1990 and was
re-elected three
times. Noted for
his bipartisanship
and regional focus,
his accomplish-ments
included the establish-ment
of a shelter for battered
women and children.
The Sword of Ignatius
Loyola is named for the
founder of the Society of
Jesus. Symbolic of the
Ignatian vision of service,
sword recipients have given
themselves to humankind for
the greater glory of God.
Louis; Keith F. Muccino, S.J.,
assistant professor of internal
medicine and Catholic chap-lain
at Georgetown University
School of Medicine; and
Robert L. Niehoff, S.J., vice
president for budget and plan-ning
at the University of San
Francisco.
New trustees
join SLU board
Three new trustees have
joined the Saint Louis
University board: L.B.
Eckelkamp Jr., chairman of the
board and CEO of the Bank of
Washington (Mo.) and chair-man
and president of Cardinal
Bancorp and Cardinal Bancorp
II, which owns the United
Bank of Union and Citizens
National Bank of Greater St.
SLU JOINS A10 CONFERENCE
Saint Louis University is joining the Atlantic 10 Conference.
The Billikens will begin intercollegiate athletic competition
in the Atlantic 10 during the 2005-06 academic year.
The Atlantic 10 Conference is in its 28th year of NCAA
Division I competition. The league’s members include
Dayton, Duquesne, Fordham, George Washington, LaSalle,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Richmond, St. Bonaventure,
Saint Joseph’s, Temple and Xavier.
Saint Louis University currently is a charter member of
Conference USA. In early November, five C-USA member
schools — Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette and
USF — accepted invitations to join the Big East Conference.
Five new schools — Central Florida, Marshall, Rice, SMU
and Tulsa — filled C-USA’s vacant positions.
For more details, visit www.slubillikens.com.
Three new deans
now on campus
Dr. Ellen Harshman (Grad
’78, Law ’92) is the new dean
of the John Cook School of
Business. She succeeds the
retiring Dr. Leroy Grossman,
who was interim dean for one
year. Harshman has served
SLU in several leadership roles
since 1972, including associate
dean of the business school,
director of the career planning
and placement center and assis-tant
to the vice president for
student development. She also
holds the rank of associate pro-fessor
of management and
most recently was SLU’s senior
vice provost. Among her many
responsibilities in this role,
Harshman administered com-
NEWS BRIEFS
By The Numbers
4 National rank of Parks College
of Engineering and Aviation’s
aerospace engineering program,
according to U.S. News and
World Report. Overall, Parks’
undergraduate engineering pro-grams
moved up three spots on
the U.S. News list to No. 27.
498 Residents sponsored by
SLU’s School of Medicine in 50
different residencies, subspecialty
residencies and fellowships rotat-ing
through eight affiliated teach-ing
hospitals and 18 affiliated
health care institutions.
8,742 Phone pledges made dur-ing
fiscal year 2003 for a total for
1 mil-lion
has been raised through
phoning.
In September, SLU sponsored a
two-evening gala event called
“Denim & Diamonds” to
benefit public education,
research and treatment of liver
disease. On Sept. 12, Willie
Nelson headlined “Denim,” a
concert to benefit the SLU Liver
Center and the Julia Spears
Foundation for Liver Disease.
On Sept. 13, “Diamonds” fea-tured
country music artist Naomi
Judd, who spoke at a black-tie
dinner to benefit SLU’s Liver
Center. … Dr. Robert B.
Belshe, Adorjan professor of
infectious diseases and director of
the Center for Vaccine
Development, received the
Clinical Virology Award for
2003 from the Pan American
Society for Clinical Virology. …
Sandra H. Johnson (A&S ’73),
the Tenet Endowed Chair in
Health Law and Ethics is one of
four winners of the 2003
Pellegrino Medal for contribu-tions
to health care ethics. …
Dr. Marla Berg-Weger, pro-fessor
and director of field service
education for the School for
Social Service since 1995, has
been named associate provost. …
Maria Whitehead, a member of
Wake Forest’s 2002 NCAA
Division I field hockey champi-onship
team, is SLU’s new head
field hockey coach. The appoint-ment
is her first head coaching
position. … Dr. Seung H.
Kim, professor of international
business and director of the
Boeing Institute of International
Business, has been appointed to
serve on the Presidential
Advisory Council for the
Peaceful Reunification of the
Republic of Korea.
RESEARCH PLANS: Preliminary plans are under way
for the design and site selection for a new research center at
the Saint Louis University Health Sciences Center, part of
an 300 million “Campaign for Saint Louis
University: Where Knowledge Touches Lives.”
pliance with the University’s
accrediting agencies, served as
a liaison with state-wide edu-cational
agencies and oversaw
the libraries, Reinert Center
for Teaching Excellence and
office of institutional study.
Harshman has earned numer-ous
honors during her SLU
career and was named SLU’s
Woman of the Year in 1981.
Dr. Charlotte Royeen, a
national leader in her field of
occupational therapy, is the
new dean of the Doisy School
of Allied Health Professions.
Royeen most recently served
as associate dean for research at
Creighton’s School of
Pharmacy and Allied Health
Professions and professor of
occupational therapy. Prior to
that, she was the founding
chair and professor of occupa-tional
therapy at Shenandoah
University in Winchester, Va.,
and worked for several years
for the U.S. Department of
Education’s Office of Special
Education Programs. Royeen
holds a doctorate from Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State
University in Blacksburg, Va.,
and a master’s degree in occu-pational
therapy from
Washington University School
of Medicine. At the confer-ence
of the American
Occupational Therapy
Association, Royeen received
the 2002 Eleanor Clarke Slagle
Lectureship Award, which is
the highest scholarly achieve-ment
bestowed in occupational
therapy.
Dr. Bjong Wolf Yeigh
joined the Saint Louis
University community July 1
as the dean for Parks College
of Engineering and Aviation.
He came to SLU from Yale
University, where he was assis-tant
provost of science and
technology since 1999. He
succeeds Dr. Charles
Kirkpatrick, who was dean of
Parks College for nine years
and is on the department of
chemistry faculty. Yeigh
received a bachelor’s degree in
engineering science from
Dartmouth College, a master’s
degree in mechanical engi-neering
from Stanford and a
doctorate in civil engineering
and operations research from
Princeton. A former tactical air
intelligence officer assigned to
Fighter Squadron 74, Yeigh
served in the U.S. Navy dur-ing
the Gulf War and for a
total of eight years in active
and reserve duties, leaving with
a rank of lieutenant.
Yeigh
Royeen
Harshman
New technology
VP on board
Ellen Watson is Saint Louis
University’s new vice
president for information
technology services.
Although Watson may be
new to SLU, she is familiar
with the Jesuit mission.
Before coming to SLU, she
was the vice president of
information service at Loyola
University Chicago, a post
she had held since 1999.
Watson boasts 19 years of
experience in her field, hav-ing
served as associate vice
president for information ser-vices
and dean of library ser-vices
at Indiana State
University for four years and
associate provost for informa-tion
resources and technology
at Bradley University for two
years. She received her bach-elor’s
degree from Wellesley
College and her master’s from
the University of Maryland.
Drabble wins
Literary Award
Saint Louis University
Library Associates pre-sented
English author
Margaret Drabble with the
2003 Saint Louis Literary
Award at a ceremony Oct.
21. Drabble, a novelist, biog-rapher,
critic and short story
writer, is the author of The
Seven Sisters, The Peppered
Moth, The Witch of Exmoor
and The Millstone. She is also
editor of The Oxford
Companion to English
Literature. Drabble joins a dis-tinguished
group of authors
honored with this award dur-ing
the past 36 years.
Recipients include such
luminaries as Arthur Miller,
Joyce Carol Oates and
Seamus Heaney. Last year’s
winner was Joan Didion.
Biodefense
research brings
schools together
Anew research center based
in St. Louis will play a
major role in protecting the
American public against
bioterrorism and emerging
infectious diseases. Washington
University School of Medicine
and Saint Louis University
School of Medicine will be
part of a multi-institutional
Midwest Regional Center for
Excellence in Biodefense and
Emerging Infectious Diseases
Research (MRCE). The cen-ter
will be funded by a five-year,
35 million grant from
the National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
The founding members of the
MRCE also include Case
Western Reserve University,
the University of Missouri-
Columbia and the Midwest
Research Institute of Kansas
City. The new center will
concentrate on expanding cur-rent
research efforts in biode-fense.
For example, the team’s
initial research effort will focus
on poxvirus infections, which
include diseases such as small-pox.
The ultimate goals are to
improve the safety of vaccines
and to develop new therapies.
Kavanaugh wins
press award
Saint Louis University phi-losophy
professor and mag-azine
columnist John
Kavanaugh, S.J., (A&S ’65,
Grad ’66, ’71) received top
honors from the National
Catholic Press Association. His
“Ethics Notebook,” which
regularly appears in America
magazine, earned the Best
Regular Column Award from
Kavanaugh
MIXING IT UP: What’s cooking in the department of
nutrition and dietetics in the Doisy School of Allied Health
Professions? Mark E. Miller, a certified executive chef,
shown here supervising students Christina Bologna (left)
and Diana Kingston, has joined the Saint Louis University
faculty and is teaching future dietitians how healthy foods
can be prepared to taste great. Miller, most recently a chef
at Westborough Country Club, is sold on the University’s
new, one-of-a-kind degree program that prepares students
to become registered dietitians while they receive training for
their culinary arts credential. “Our degree is perfect for stu-dents
who want to work as personal chefs, among other spe-cializations,”
Miller said.
International HIV
trial led by SLU
Saint Louis University is
leading an international
vaccine trial to study a
promising HIV prevention
vaccine in humans. The trial
is being conducted through
the HIV Vaccine Trials
Network (HVTN) of the
National Institutes of Health.
This is the first HVTN trial
to be conducted simultane-ously
in the United States and
abroad — in St. Louis,
Boston (through Harvard
University) and Gaborone,
Botswana — and it signifies a
dedication to transcending
borders in the fight against
HIV. This vaccine has never
been tested in humans. The
trial is looking at the safety
and immune response of an
experimental HIV vaccine
the association, which repre-sents
640 publications with a
combined circulation of nearly
27 million in the United States
and Canada. In honoring him,
the National Catholic Press
Association said: “Father
Kavanaugh examines public
issues through a moral lens and
discusses them thoughtfully
and powerfully.”
4
The December 1963 issue of Saint
Louis University Magazine featured a
cover photo of the new Griesedieck
Memorial Hall, which was dedicat-ed
Nov. 30, 1963.
A news item mentioned that
fund raising for Busch Memorial
Center was under way — .1.5 mil-lion
had been raised, and a 3.25 million.
The issue also highlighted the
Midwest Assembly on Outer Space,
a conference co-sponsored by SLU
and held that September. The
assembly brought together a cross
section of leaders in education, gov-ernment,
labor, business, industry,
law, medicine, military and commu-nications
from a 14-state area to
consider the topic, “Outer Space:
Prospects for Man and Society.”
Participants included James E.
Webb, the head of NASA, and U.S.
Sen. Stuart Symington of Missouri.
Another article featured an alum-nus,
Robert Burns (Parks ’59), who
was the first Missourian to join the
Peace Corps. Burns was a land irri-gation
specialist in Pakistan.
Quotable UTAS: “It would be
tragic if we were able to pinpoint
rockets in space but unable to deter-mine
where we were going as
human beings.” — Charles A.
Sheehan, Missouri state representa-tive
and speaker at the Midwest
Assembly on Outer Space
Sign of the times: It was reported
that tuition for the 1964-65 school
year for full-time undergraduates
and law students would be 100 over 1963-64 rates. School of
Medicine students were slated to
pay $700 per semester.
SLU nabs C-USA
GPA award again
Conference USA has
named Saint Louis
University as the recipient of
the Institutional Excellence
Award for the eighth
consecutive year. The
award is given to the
member school
with the highest
SLU listed as ‘Best
Place to Work’
For the second time since
2000, Saint Louis
University has made the St.
Louis Business Journal’s “Best
Places to Work” list. This year,
SLU was honored in the “Best
Practice” category — the only
institution so recognized — for
the development of
Hometown SLU, which is
designed to spur development
near the St. Louis campus
while assisting SLU employees
looking to purchase a home in
certain areas near campus.
Since Hometown SLU was
unveiled Feb. 5, 19 people
have applied to the program
and been approved. Full-time,
eligible employees may receive
f
Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University
No full textFall 2006 issue of Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis UniversityCatching up with SLU’s
Madrid Campus page 8
Not Your Typical College Cafeteria page 14 Shimmy Gray-Miller: Off Court, On the Record page 18
E d i t o r
Laura Geiser (A&S ’90, Grad ’92)
C o n t r i b u t o r s
Jeff Fowler
Nancy Solomon
“ O n C a m p u s ” n e w s s t o r i e s
University Communications
Medical Center Media Relations
Billiken Media Relations
De s i g n
Art Direction: Matthew Krob
Universitas is published by Saint Louis University. Opin-ions
expressed in Universitas are those of the individual
authors and not necessarily those of the University admin-istration.
Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs are
welcome but will be returned only if accompanied by a
stamped, self-addressed envelope. Letters to the editor
must be signed, and letters not intended for publication
should indicate that fact. The editor reserves the right to
edit all items. Address all mail to Universitas, DuBourg Hall
39, 221 N. Grand, St. Louis, Mo. 63103. We accept e-mail
at [email protected] and fax submissions at (314) 977-2249.
Address fax submissions to Editor, Universitas.
Postmaster: Send address changes to
Universitas, Saint Louis University,
221 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103.
World Wide Web address:
www.slu.edu/pr/universitas.html
Universitas is printed by Universal Printing Co.
and mailed by Specialty Mailing.
Worldwide circulation: 111,720
© 2006, Saint Louis University
All rights reserved.
Volume 3 3 , I ssue 1
I was having dinner in Beirut with the presi-dent
of Notre Dame University of Lebanon
on July 12 when he got the call: Hezbollah
militants had just abducted two Israeli soldiers.
At that point, I had no idea just how harrowing
the next week would be.
When I left for Lebanon just two days ear-lier
to deliver Notre Dame’s commencement ad-dress,
I had no indication a crisis was brewing.
But by July 13 all hell broke loose. From my
hotel in northern Beirut, I heard Israeli jets at-tacking
the Hezbollah section of the city. From
my balcony I could see clouds of black smoke
rise into the air, and at night I could see fires on
the horizon. When the airport and major roads
were bombed, I began to wonder when — if
— I would get back to St. Louis.
For the most part, I felt safe. Because the ho-tel
was in the so-called Christian area of greater
Beirut, we were told it was unlikely to be a tar-get.
Even so, the fighting grew more intense ev-ery
day. Occasional black-outs
and media warnings
to stay in the hotel kept
me on edge. Even more
unnerving, days passed
with no word from the
staff at the U.S. embassy,
even though I had taken
care to register my pres-ence
with them several
times. Literally waiting
by the phone in my hotel
room, I began to feel like
a hostage.
Finally — at 3 a.m.
on July 19 — Saint Louis
University’s general counsel called to say he had
received word from the State Department that
I would be leaving on the cruise ship the Orient
Queen that day and would be permitted only
one 30-pound bag.
I rounded up my essential documents, left
my other luggage behind and headed to the des-ignated
staging area. Waiting in line, I heard
bombs exploding, sounding like thunderclaps
reverberating in every direction.
After showing my passport to the embassy
staff, I boarded a bus to the Beirut seaport. I
joined about 200 men, women and children
gathered there, all of us anxious to be cleared
to board ship. Bombs were dropping just a few
miles away; it was the closest I had been to the
fighting.
We finally left port at 4 p.m. with an Ameri-can
warship, the U.S.S. Gonzalez, following us
in a corridor only half a mile wide. The Gonza-lez
accompanied us all the way to Cyprus. We
arrived just after midnight, but a ship bearing
French national evacuees from Beirut had ar-rived
before us, so we had to stay on the Orient
Queen for three more hours.
Tension was high. Everyone was anxious to
get off the ship, find a place to stay and begin
making their necessary travel arrangements.
Some people fainted; some got angry. There was
some pushing and shoving and even a fistfight.
When more than 1,000 of us were told we could
disembark, the exodus process became chaotic.
Eventually, I got off the ship and to a taxi
that took me to a hotel about 50 miles away.
I was able to catch a chartered plane the next
evening, and I finally arrived in St. Louis at 1
p.m. July 21. It had taken me about 12 hours to
get from the United States to Lebanon by plane.
It took me nearly 52 hours — by bus, ship, taxi
and plane — to get home.
Although I was relieved to be out of war-torn
Lebanon, I must
confess that my experi-ences
there were among
the most memorable of
my life. I’m not saying I’d
willingly do it again, but
I am genuinely grateful
that I had an opportunity
to get to know and appre-ciate
the Lebanese people
and see how resiliently
they handled this crisis.
I also am genuinely
grateful for the sober-ing
moments I spent in
my hotel room thinking
about my life, my relationships and my work at
SLU. I know I have a reputation for being some-what
tough and business-minded at times. But I
came to realize how fortunate I am — with the
help of my God — that so many people were
thinking of and praying for me.
Even several months later, I continue to re-flect
on my life-changing experiences in Leba-non.
I am not a politician, but I know that
what’s most important is to settle this conflict
for the long term. If not, the Lebanese and Is-raeli
people — especially the children — will
continue to suffer. And unlike me, they won’t
get a call at three in the morning to board the
Orient Queen and get out.
— Lawrence Biondi, S.J.
A version of this essay appeared July 30 on the Com-mentary
page of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
President’s Message
photo by Jim Visser
U N I V E R S I T A S F A L L 2 0 0 6
F E AT U R E S
Universidad
de San Luis
SLU’s Madrid campus
offers students the world.
By Laura Geiser
A landmark campus gateway framed by fall foliage.
Photo by Kevin Lowder
DE PA R TMEN T S
2 On Campus
Arena groundbreaking Update on
SLU’s national rankings Lincoln
exhibit brings visitors to campus
6 Billiken News
Soccer stadium readies for the College
Cup Forward pass marks its 100th
7 Campaign Update
Campaign already exceeds 80.5 million
multipurpose Arena Aug. 28 at the Arena site near Compton
and Laclede avenues. University officials, coaches and student
athletes as well as St. Louis dignitaries were in attendance to celebrate
the new facility, which includes a 10,600-seat Arena, a practice facil-ity,
athletics offices, locker rooms and training facilities.
“It has taken us a long time to get here,” said University President
Lawrence Biondi, S.J. “While I am not known as the most patient
man in St. Louis, I never lost faith that we would get to this day. And,
thankfully, there were many others who believed as I did.”
The new Arena will be home to Billikens men’s and women’s bas-ketball
and will host a variety of other events such as concerts, confer-ences,
trade shows and commencements. It is expected to bring more
than 400,000 people to Midtown St. Louis each year. St. Louis-based
Clayco will build the Arena, with an expected opening in March
2008.
“There are few institutions in St. Louis that have done more to
enhance life in the city than Saint Louis University,” said Barry H.
Beracha, chairman of the SLU board of trustees. “I ask our friends
from throughout the region to help us complete the fundraising for
this wonderful facility.”
Arena donors were recognized at the event, which also brought out
hundreds of faculty, staff, students and Billiken fans to witness the
beginning of the long-awaited project.
“This is one of the greatest days in Billiken
athletics history, and I’m overjoyed to be here
and be part of it,” said director of athletics
Cheryl L. Levick. “This building is a product
of a tremendous grass roots fundraising effort
because this is a privately funded facility that
did not tap into student fees or tuition dol-lars.
No matter the size of the gift, everyone
involved in contributing to this building has
the right to be extremely proud today.”
“I want to thank Father Biondi and the
board of trustees for giving our program the
opportunity to compete on a national level,”
said men’s basketball head coach Brad Soder-berg.
“When we bring recruits to campus, they now will know that we
are serious about competing with the best programs in the country.”
“The University administration has done its job in bringing this
building to life,” said women’s basketball head coach Shimmy Gray-
Miller. “Now I promise that I will do my job, my staff will do its job, and
our student-athletes will do their job to produce winning basketball.”
The Arena complex will be built on University-owned property
on the eastern end of campus and will be visible from Interstate 64/
Highway 40. It will be funded through fundraising, 1 million for the Arena, moving the University
closer to the project fundraising goal.
For others who would like to make a gift, there still is time to be
part of the Arena project. To make a donation online, go to arena.slu.
edu or call (314) 977-2499. — JF
Arena construction under way;
opening planned for March 2008
Top: The official groundbreakers: (from left) Dan Mitchell, partner, Mackey Mitchell
Associates; L.B. Eckelkamp, SLU trustee; Joe Imbs, president, St. Louis market, U.S.
Bank; Thomas Brouster Sr., SLU trustee; Soderberg; Levick; Dr. Joe Weixlmann, SLU
provost; Biondi; St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay; Kathleen Brady, SLU vice president for
facilities management and civic affairs; Gray-Miller; 19th Ward Alderman Michael
McMillan; Beracha, Vince Schoemehl, president, Grand Center; Bob Clark, Clayco
chairman and chief executive officer; and Evan Krauss, president, SLU Student
Government Association. Middle: St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay (Law ’80) addresses
the crowd. Above: Gray-Miller, Biondi, Soderberg and Levick throw the dirt.
U.S.News keeps SLU
on its ‘Best Buy’ list
For the ninth consecutive year, U.S.News & World
Report has recognized Saint Louis University as one
of the nation’s best values in higher education. In
its special “America’s Best Colleges” issue, U.S.
News lists SLU among the top 50 national, doctoral
universities on its coveted “Great Schools, Great
Prices” list. SLU joins Georgetown and Boston College
among the Catholic institutions on the best values list.
In addition, SLU climbed to No. 77 on U.S. News’ rankings of the
nearly 250 national universities in the country — a list topped by
Princeton and Harvard. It’s the third straight year that SLU has risen in
these rankings. Once again, SLU ranked among the top five Catholic
institutions in the country on this overall list.
Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology’s aerospace
engineering program was ranked No. 5, and undergraduate engineering
programs overall were ranked 29th among engineering schools whose
highest degree is a master’s.
SLU’s undergraduate business programs in the John Cook School of
Business again were ranked among the top 100 of the nation.
Princeton Review
also honors SLU
The Princeton Review has named Saint Louis University one of the top
institutions in the country for undergraduate education. SLU also was
listed as one of the best universities in the Midwest in the 2007 edition
of Princeton Review’s annual book, The Best 361 Colleges. Only about
15 percent of four-year colleges in America and two Canadian colleges
made the publication. The book does not rank the colleges 1 to 361 in
any single category.
The book’s rankings are based on a survey
of 110,000 students attending the
colleges in the book. In the survey,
SLU students spoke highly of the
University’s business, pre-med and
pre-law programs as well as unique
programs in aviation and nutrition.
Survey respondents also noted that
SLU students are friendly and that
the University offers a great library.
Doisy College of health
sciences adds new programs
Already experiencing an enroll-ment
boom, Saint Louis Uni-versity’s
Edward and Margaret
Doisy College of Health Sciences an-ticipates
even more growth in the future
as it prepares to assume responsibility
for three programs that will be discon-tinued
at the Barnes-Jewish College of
Nursing and Allied Health in St. Louis
next year.
Dr. Charlotte Royeen, dean of Doisy
College, said next fall SLU plans to offer
the following new options for SLU stu-dents,
pending approval by the board of
trustees: A new bachelor of science pro-gram
in radiation therapy; a new bache-lor
of science program in cytotechnology;
and a proposed expansion of the graduate
program in the department of nutrition
and dietetics.
SLU and Barnes-Jewish officials are
working to make sure that the transition
for both students and employees goes
smoothly. Some faculty at Barnes-Jew-ish
College will join the faculty of SLU’s
Doisy College, and students enrolled in
SLU programs still will have the option
of participating in clinical training on-site
at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
SLU honors Maronite patriarch
Saint Louis University bestowed its highest honor, the Sword of Ignatius Loyola, on
the patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church June 30. His Beatitude and Eminence
Nasrallah Peter Cardinal Sfeir, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, visited St. Louis
as part of a pastoral visit to America. He was the most significant religious figure to visit St.
Louis since Pope John Paul II in 1999, and his visit marked only the fourth time a Maronite
patriarch has journeyed to the United States. Sfeir also received an honorary doctorate of laws
from Saint Louis University.
En route to the award ceremony, University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J., (right) shares a light moment with Maronite
Bishop Robert J. Shaheen (far left) and Cardinal Sfeir (second from left).
Photos by Steve Dolan
Photo by Kevin Lowder
U N I V E R S I T A S w w w . s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S F A L L 2 0 0 6
Gilsinan
to accept
professorship,
step down
as dean
Saint Louis University’s College of
Public Service has reached a new
milestone: the establishment of its
first named professorship. Civic leader E.
Desmond “Des” Lee provided funding to
support the E. Desmond Lee Professor-ship
in Collaborative Regional Education.
Dr. James Gilsinan, dean of the Col-lege
of Public Service, has been named
the first holder of the professorship. Be-cause
the professorship requires teaching,
research and service, Gilsinan will step
down as dean and rejoin the faculty on
a full-time basis at the end of December.
The honor recognizes Gilsinan’s decades
of service to St. Louis area schools, local
governments and non-profit organiza-tions.
As a Des Lee Professor, Gilsinan
will join scholars from Washington Uni-versity
in St. Louis and the University of
Missouri-St. Louis in researching ways to
help schools and communities improve
the lives of young people.
Michael Frayn wins Literary Award
The Saint Louis University Library Associates will pres-ent
the Saint Louis Literary Award to Tony Award-winning
playwright, novelist and translator Michael
Frayn at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 10, in the Anheuser-Busch
Auditorium of SLU’s John and Lucy Cook Hall. The pro-gram
is free and open to the public.
Frayn is the author of several plays, including Noises Off,
Democracy and Copenhagen, which won the 2000 Tony Award
for Best Play. He has written several novels including The Tin
Men, The Russian Interpreter and Spies. He also has translated
several plays by Chekov and Tolstoy from Russian.
In receiving the award, Frayn joins a select group of previous
recipients, including Robert Penn Warren, Arthur Miller and
Tom Wolfe. The award has been presented annually since 1967.
Researchers tackle
mold removal
Armed with a $408,000 grant from
the Department of Housing and
Urban Development, a team from
Saint Louis University School of Public
Health hopes to create universal stan-dards
for getting rid of mold in homes and
buildings. Dr. Anu Dixit, assistant profes-sor
of environmental and occupational
health and principal investigator, said that
the team will review existing, inconsistent
guidelines for mold removal from homes
and buildings by surveying about 400
mold assessment and remediation profes-sionals.
The team will then use the re-sponses
to develop a single comprehensive,
scientifically sound plan for homeowners
and mold remediation experts to follow.
“The timing couldn’t be better for Hur-ricane
Katrina and Rita victims, some of
whom are still battling mold problems in
their homes and businesses,” Dixit said.
News Briefs
Saint Louis University has appointed Karla Gable director of undergraduate admission. She
most recently was assistant vice president of business development at the Missouri Higher
Education Loan Authority (MOHELA), where she oversaw all marketing and public relations
efforts. Prior to joining MOHELA in 2000, Gable was associate dean of enrollment and director
of financial aid at Westminster College in Fulton, Mo.
Dr. Neil Seitz has stepped down as interim dean of Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and
Technology. Dr. Manoj Patankar (Parks ’92), associate professor and chairman of aviation
science, has been named interim dean. A committee has been formed to begin the search for a
new dean for Parks.
Covering more than three-dozen specialties, 112 SLUCare doctors have been selected for
St. Louis Magazine’s 2006 “Best Doctors” list. The list is based on the annual “Best Doctors
in America” database, which considers more than one million peer evaluations to create a
directory of approximately 30,000 doctors. A total of 104 SLUCare physicians were chosen for
last year’s list.
Dr. Teri Murray (Nurs ’79, Grad ’93, ’97) has been named the new director of the School of
Nursing in the Doisy College of Health Sciences. Murray, previously the associate director,
succeeds interim director Dr. Margie Edel. Murray, also an associate professor of nursing,
recently was named to the prestigious 2006 Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellows
Program, which provides individual leadership development for nurses who aspire to lead
and shape the U.S. health care system. She is also the president of the Missouri State Board
of Nursing.
Dr. Jennifer Kohler (A&S ’93, Grad ’97, ’99) is the new director of the School for Professional
Studies. She is the first director of the school in a new position created as a result of the recent
merger with the College of Public Service. Kohler previously served as director of organizational
studies, interim associate dean and associate dean in the School for Professional Studies.
The National Defense Transportation Association has named Saint Louis University’s Dr. Ik-
Whan Kwon (Grad ’90), professor of decision sciences and management information systems,
as the 2006 recipient of the NDTA Educator Distinguished Service Award. Kwon is recognized
internationally for his specialization in supply chain design and management and is director of
the Consortium for Supply Chain Management Studies at the John Cook School of Business.
Campus goes wireless
This summer, Saint Louis Uni-versity’s
information technology
staffers and subcontractors pulled
150,000 feet of wire throughout campus
to make SLU completely wireless. Now
the University’s wireless network includes
the entire campus — including residence
halls and academic buildings.
Campus Kitchen marks its fifth
anniversary and serves its 125,000th meal
In September, Saint Louis University’s Campus Kitchen cel-ebrated
its fifth anniversary and served its 125,000th meal. In
2001, SLU served as the pilot school for the Campus Kitchens
Project, a growing network of Campus Kitchens that are hosted by
universities across the country.
Each Campus Kitchen shares dining hall kitchen space with
host universities; partners with campus dining to recycle safe, us-able
food that would normally go to waste; and mobilizes college
students and community volunteers to make and deliver meals to
the community.
Each month, SLU Campus Kitchen volunteers deliver more
than 2,000 meals and snacks to local residents, community cen-ters
and after-school programs. Volunteers prepare meals in an on-campus
cafeteria and then deliver them to individual families and
group service centers.
SLU’s success has paved the way for the Campus Kitchens Proj-ect
to schedule three new site openings this fall, bringing the net-work
to 10 Campus Kitchens nationwide.
Sobrino returns to
SLU after 15 years
One of Saint Louis University’s
most famous alumni was back
on campus in September for
the first time in 15 years. SLU’s Great Is-sues
Committee welcomed Jon Sobrino,
S.J. (A&S ’62, Grad ’65), who discussed
“Being Christian in a World of Poor
and Victims.” Sobrino’s contributions to
theology have been recognized with nu-merous
awards, includin
Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University
No full textSpring 2002 issue of Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis UniversityT H E M AG A Z I N E O F S A I N T L O U I S U N I V E R S I T Y
S P R I N G 2 0 0 2
By Lawrence Biondi, SJ
Saint Louis University President
The following is a commentary about athletics that I recently wrote for the St. Louis Post-
Dispatch. Because so many UNIVERSITAS readers also follow the Billikens, I thought you might
find it interesting.
I was asked recently on St. Louis’ KMOX Radio, “If you had the opportunity for Saint
Louis University’s basketball team to win a couple of championships, and it puts Saint
Louis University on a greater map, you’d have more applications every year, perhaps the
average SATs and grade point average would go up, you’d get more money for the
endowment, but to do so, you might have to have fewer players graduate every year,
would you make that bargain?”
My answer was no. Look at Duke and Stanford. It is possible for a university to have
both high academic and athletic standards. It’s not inconsistent to be bright and well-motivated
educationally and be a good athlete. We are committed to our athletic pro-gram,
but more importantly to our athletes — and to all of our stu-dents.
I’m also asked, every time there’s a hint that an NBA team might
even consider St. Louis, when Saint Louis University is going to build
its own arena.
If an NBA team were to come to town, it would be a challenge to
Saint Louis University’s athletic department. We need a flexible
schedule of game dates from which to choose. I’m afraid that – if
we’re fourth on the schedule after the National Hockey League Blues,
the NBA and special events — we will be playing ball at inconvenient
or impractical times.
We’ve had architectural consultants come in, and we’ve looked at
what a 13,000-15,000-seat arena would cost. It would be approxi-mately
60 million. With men’s and women’s basketball and
one graduation ceremony, which would account for approximately 40
days of arena use a year, that cost seems hard to justify. We are inves-tigating
ways to build a facility that also will be useful for additional
activities to make better use of this investment. We will do whatever
it takes to support all our athletic programs. But as a Catholic, Jesuit,
research university with a growing national reputation, we have sever-al
other projects competing for funding.
We plan to build a science research building that could cost any-where
from 100 million. We are doing groundbreak-ing
research in many areas, including vaccines for AIDS and smallpox,
and we need a facility to accommodate this important work. Our stu-dent
center is an old building, and we’ve outgrown it. There’s a need
for expanding Busch Memorial Center, and the students have voted to increase their stu-dent
activity fees to help pay for it.
Although some say a strong athletic program is all it takes to put a university on the
map, this is not completely true. Yes, Doug Flutie brought national prominence to
Boston College. But so did former Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill, whose political
influence helped Boston College with governmental financial support. Although sports
raises the prominence of a university to some extent, I strongly believe that the future of
our student-athletes is more important than the prominence that it may bring to our uni-versity.
For six years in a row, Saint Louis University student-athletes have been ranked
No. 1 in Conference USA for grade point average. That’s what makes me proud.
We run a clean program at Saint Louis University. We graduate our students. We want
our students to be student-athletes — not athletes who happen to be students from time
to time.
UNIVERSITAS
Volume 28, No. 2
Editor
Laura Geiser (A&S ’90, Grad ’92)
Contributors
Chris Waldvogel
Marie Dilg (Soc Ser ’94)
Kathryn Hundman
Photo Credits
Dale Allen, 4
Bill Barrett, 4
Steve Dolan, 3
Dan Donovan, 19
Kevin Lowder, inside front cover, 2, 3
Dave Preston, 16-17, 27
John Vieth, 5
James Visser, cover, 15, 21, 23
Design
AKA Design Inc.
Art Direction: Richie Murphy
Design: Stacy Lanier
UNIVERSITAS is published quarterly by
Saint Louis University. Opinions
expressed in UNIVERSITAS are those of
the individual authors and not neces-sarily
those of the University adminis-tration.
Unsolicited manuscripts and
photographs are welcome but will be
returned only if accompanied by a
stamped, self-addressed envelope.
Letters to the editor must be signed,
and letters not intended for publica-tion
should indicate that fact. The
editor reserves the right to edit all
items. Please address all mail to
UNIVERSITAS, DuBourg Hall 39, 221
N. Grand, St. Louis, MO 63103. We
accept e-mail at [email protected] and fax
submissions at (314) 977-2249.
Address fax submissions to Editor,
UNIVERSITAS.
Postmaster: Send address changes to
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World Wide Web address:
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UNIVERSITAS is printed by Universal
Printing Co. and mailed by Accurate
Business Mailers Inc.
Worldwide circulation: 106,500
© 2002, Saint Louis University.
All rights reserved.
On the Cover: The University’s
Salus Center, home of the Water
Tower Inn, featured on page 23.
IIN MEMORIIAM AALLUUMMNNII nnootteess
2
24 32
28 30
SPRING 2002
6
The Phantom Menace
SLU experts are at the forefront
of bioterrorism research.
10
Into Afghanistan
A SLU professor brings
medical aid to a war-torn country.
14
One on One
Men’s basketball coach Lorenzo Romar
talks about life, faith and sport.
20
Zoinks!
Alumnus James Gunn is the man
behind this summer’s Scooby Doo.
23
Room at the Inn
A look at the University’s
new hotel, the Water Tower Inn.
C O N T E N T S
2
A Sodexho employee instructs
a SLU student volunteer in
food preparation.
‘Campus Kitchen’
feeds area needy
October marked the debut
of the Saint Louis
University Campus Kitchen,
where SLU students and vol-unteers
cook and deliver
meals to St. Louis neighbors
in need. The program is a
unique cooperative between
the University’s Center for
Leadership and Community
Service, Sodexho Dining
Services, the Campus
Kitchens Project and local
non-profit service organiza-tions
working together to
eliminate hunger in St. Louis.
SLU was chosen as the
national pilot for the program,
which also is designed to
develop students into com-munity
leaders and provide
job training for others in the
community. The project is
fueled by the energy of
approximately 150 SLU stu-dent
volunteers and more
than 500 pounds of unused
food a week from Sodexho’s
SLU tabulates
record enrollment
Census figures show the
largest enrollment ever
for Saint Louis University. A
total of 11,145 students are
participating in undergradu-ate,
graduate or professional
programs. The previous
record for overall SLU
enrollment was set last year at
11,112 students. The most
significant areas of growth for
the University include the
School of Public Health and
SLU’s Madrid campus. The
campus in Spain enrolled
10.2 percent more students
than last year, and the School
of Public Health has grown
by 9.4 percent. Parks College
of Engineering and Aviation
enrollment increased 3.4 per-cent,
while the John Cook
School of Business climbed
3.1 percent.
SLU supports
Midtown renewal
Saint Louis University has
unveiled a new initiative
that will help revitalize devel-opment
in the St. Louis
Midtown community sur-rounding
the University. The
SLU board of trustees has
authorized the establishment of
a revolving loan fund of 1.93 million devoted entire-ly
to helping students consid-er
their calling. The Lilly
Endowment Inc. awarded the
funds in support of the
University’s “Vocation:
Interiority, Community and
Engaged Service” project.
VOICES will encourage stu-dents
to reflect on faith and
value commitments, as well as
service to others, when
choosing careers. An interdis-ciplinary,
University-wide
project, VOICES will feature
vocational retreats for stu-dents
and developmental
retreats for faculty and staff;
enhanced attention toward
vocation in programs and ser-vices
provided by academic
advising and career services;
internships with local congre-gations
and the Center for
Liturgy; curriculum and
research initiatives exploring
vocation and leadership; and
other various activities, such
as lectures.
operations here. Sodexho and
University employees work
alongside students to cook the
food in the DeMattias Hall
kitchen and have served more
than 5,000 meals to the St.
Louis hungry with the assis-tance
of established service
agencies across the area.
2 named Centers
of Excellence
Two of Saint Louis
University’s nationally
known programs have
received Center of Excellence
designation. The programs are
the Liver Center, headed by
Drs. Bruce Bacon and Adrian
Di Bisceglie, both of the divi-sion
of gastroenterology and
hepatology, and the Health
Communication Research
Laboratory, led by Dr.
Matthew W. Kreuter, associate
professor in the School of
Public Health. The programs
will share approximately 100 million initia-tive
to improve academics,
facilities and information sys-tems
begun in 1999.
Approximately 40 percent of
the initiative is funded from
the University’s endowment.
Governor finds
security at SLU
In November, Missouri Gov.
Bob Holden came to Saint
Louis University to unveil the
Missouri Security Panel, a
diverse group of officials and
citizens who will assess the sta-tus
of the state’s security in the
wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks. Holden chose SLU for
his announcement because it’s
home to the University’s
Center for the Study of
Bioterrorism and Emerging
Infections (see story on page
6). In addition, Dr. Richard
Kurz, a professor of public
health administration, has been
named a member of the new
32-member panel. “The
Missouri Security Panel will
conduct a security audit
throughout the state, deter-mining
what potential risk
NEWS BRIEFS
By The Numbers
5,536 Undergraduate admissions
applications received for SLU’s class
of 2005. The total is 8 percent more
than last year. Ten years ago, there
were just 2,814 applications for
admission.
21 Sports clubs sponsored by the
University’s department of campus
recreation. These include ice hock-ey,
cycling, rugby, crew and cricket.
28 Times Saint Louis University
was mentioned in the New York
Times during 2001.
1,042 Times SLU was mentioned
in the country’s top 100 newspapers
during 2001.
6,075 Media mentions of SLU
(excluding sports) from July 1, 2000,
to June 30, 2001 — a 55 percent
increase from the previous year.
Dr. Paul Young (A&S ’47),
chairman of the department of
anatomy and neurobiology and a
SLU faculty member for more than
44 years, received SLU’s Emerson
Excellence in Teaching Award this
fall. The awards program honors
dedicated teachers in the St. Louis
community. … Dr. William
True has been appointed interim
dean for the School of Public
Health. A faculty member at Saint
Louis University since 1979, True
has been a professor of community
health in the School of Public
Health since 1994. The search for a
new dean for the school is under
way. … U.S. Secretary of
Commerce Donald Evans was
the keynote speaker at this fall’s
Global Outlook Conference pre-sented
by the University’s Boeing
Institute of International Business
at the John Cook School of
Business. … Dr. Patrick Welch,
professor of economics and a SLU
faculty member since 1974,
received the 2001 Governor’s
Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Now in its 10th year, the award
recognizes outstanding faculty
members from Missouri colleges
and universities. … Steve Vincent
is SLU’s new associate vice presi-dent
for alumni relations. For 10
years he worked for the Pi Kappa
Alpha International Fraternity
headquarters in Memphis, Tenn.,
most recently as executive alumni
officer. Vincent also is president-elect
of the University of Missouri
Alumni Association. …
Sophomore midfielder Brad
Davis of the men’s soccer team has
signed a contract with Major
League Soccer to turn professional
after two standout seasons for the
Billikens. Davis most recently has
been training with the U.S.
Under-23 National Team in
Claremont, Calif.
St. Louis Award
honors Biondi
University President
Lawrence Biondi, S.J.,
received the prestigious 2001
St. Louis Award during a cer-emony
Nov. 14. Biondi was
selected “for his outstanding
leadership of academic excel-lence
at Saint Louis
University and regional revi-talization
in midtown St.
Louis,” said David W.
Kemper, president of the St.
Louis Award committee and
chairman, president and chief
executive officer of
Commerce Bancshares Inc.
Biondi is the 74th person to
receive the award since its
establishment in 1931 by the
late David P. Wohl, a leading
area philanthropist. Biondi
joins a notable list of St.
Louisans who have earned
TORCH RUN: The Olympic torch passed by the Saint
Louis University campus in January. St. Louis was one of
many stops on the route to Salt Lake City for the Winter
Olympics. During the local journey of the symbolic flame,
several people with SLU connections, including alumni
and students, had the honor of carrying the torch.
At the St. Louis Award ceremony in St. Francis Xavier College
Church, (from left) St. Louis County Executive Buzz Westfall
(A&S ’68, Law ’69), St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay (Law ’80),
Biondi and Kemper.
the award, including Sen.
John C. Danforth, Leonard
Slatkin, Jackie Joyner-Kersee,
Mark McGwire and Lou
Brock. Former SLU president
and chancellor Paul Reinert,
S.J., also was a recipient of
the award.
locations, both public and pri-vate,
that we should be actively
managing,” Holden said. “The
members will make recom-mendations
on any ways we
can be more effective in com-municating
security and
response information between
government agencies and to
our citizens and the media.
Nicaraguan leader
is SLU alumnus
Agraduate of Saint Louis
University is the new
president of Nicaragua.
Enrique Bolanos (IT ’62) was
elected president of the Latin
American country on Nov. 6
by a wide margin. An outspo-ken
opponent of Sandinista
rule, Bolanos defeated Daniel
Ortega, who was defeated for
the third time at the polls since
the Sandinistas were voted out
of office in 1990. Bolanos, 73,
studied industrial engineering
at SLU and owned many agri-cultural
businesses, including
cotton plantations and coffee
processing plants. Both voters
and analysts suggest Bolanos’
background in business and
with civic groups, as well as
the support of the U.S. gov-ernment,
may help his admin-istration
improve Nicaragua’s
economy.
4
AHP cooks up
a new degree
There’s something fresh
cooking at the Doisy
School of Allied Health
Professions — a bachelor of
science in nutrition and dietet-ics
with a culinary emphasis.
The new degree, the only one
of its kind in the nation, teach-es
students how to whip up
foods that taste delicious and
are nutritious, too. The pro-gram
prepares students for
careers as chefs in health spas,
retirement communities, well-ness
programs and restaurants.
Graduates of the program will
meet all accreditation standards
of the American Dietetics
Association and earn their reg-
Camera offers
live SLU views
Those surfing the World
Wide Web now have
another way to see Saint
Louis University’s campus.
The SLU Web Cam is now
online at www.slu.edu/web-cam.
The web cam features
live still images of four
University buildings: the
Barnes and Noble bookstore;
Morrissey Hall; John and
Nursing inquiries
on the rise
Saint Louis University is
reporting a sharply
increased interest in nursing as
a career following the Sept. 11
tragedy. In the weeks and
months following Sept. 11,
the School of Nursing experi-enced
a steady increase in calls
from high school and college
students inquiring about the
undergraduate nursing degree
programs. “This past
December, inquiries for the
school’s four-year bachelor’s
and one-year accelerated pro-gram
in nursing increased 55
percent from the previous
year,” said Dr. Margie Edel,
director of the SLU bachelor’s
and master’s nursing degree
programs. “Applications to the
four-year bachelor’s program
for next fall’s freshmen class
are already up more than 30
percent.”
Alum librarian
wins first award
This fall, Saint Louis
University alumnus and
employee Patrick McCarthy
(A&S ’83) received the first
SLU Star “In Touch with the
Community” award for his
continuing work with the
Bosnian community in St.
Louis. Sponsored by Saint
Louis University, the award
recognizes one SLU faculty or
staff member annually for
extraordinary contributions to
the St. Louis community.
McCarthy, associate University
librarian, visited Bosnia in
Soccer team goes
to tourney again
Although Saint Louis
University’s men’s soccer
team concluded its season with
a 1-0 loss to Stanford in a
NCAA Tournament quarterfi-nal
match, the Billikens can
look back on a stellar season.
New head coach Dan
Donigan’s team exploded for a
10-0-0 start, the best in history
for a first-year coach and tops
since the 1971 Billikens began
17-0-0. In the end, the team
boasted an 18-2-0 record, also
a milestone for a first-year head
coach. The Billikens posted
their second consecutive out-right
Conference USA regular-season
title and postseason
tournament championship. In
fact, they have won either the
regular season or postseason
tournament titles in each of the
last five years.
And there were plenty of
highlights for individuals, too.
Donigan was named
Conference USA’s Coach of
the Year. Senior forward
Dipsy Selolwane netted 54
points, led the nation in goals
scored and tied SMU’s Luchi
Gonzalez for the national lead
in total points. Sophomore
midfielder Brad Davis tied as
the national leader in assists.
“Ultimately, when we look
back on this season, we’ll
always remember what a great
year it was,” Donigan said.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: More than 1,200 people
participated in the fourth annual “SLU Make a
Difference Day” Oct. 27. Participants gathered at Robert
R. Hermann Stadium before dispersing to various loca-tions
to serve approximately 50 agencies and organiza-tions
in the area. This year’s event won the Missouri
Community Service Commission’s 2001 Make a
Difference Day Award.
The men’s soccer team
Lucy Cook Hall; and Samuel
Cupples House. The web
cam also provides live snap-shots
of the clock tower.
With every click, viewers can
see something new. This new
addition to the SLU Web site
gives people all over the
world a glimpse of life at the
University.
1994, delivering letters, photos
and money from St. Louis rel-atives
to loved ones in Bosnia.
He returned to St. Louis with
a strong conviction that more
support was needed for the
growing refugee community
of St. Louis. Since then,
McCarthy has immersed him-self
in Bosnian culture, learn-ing
the language so that he
could act as an interpreter.
The April 1962 issue of Saint Louis
University Magazine featured a cover
story on the plans for the 22 acres of
land east of Grand Boulevard, then
known as the Mill Creek Valley
Redevelopment Project. Preliminary
drawings showcase a much taller
Macelwane Hall, a different look for
Busch Memorial Center and
Underground Lecture Halls that
double as a fallout shelter. Long-range
plans (which were never
completed) included an eight-story
faculty office building near Busch
Center, five additional scientific
research and instructional buildings,
and a parking garage adjacent to
Ritter Hall.
The issue carried photos from the
groundbreaking for Griesedieck Hall
and from the demolition of “deteri-orated
rooming houses” behind Des
Peres Hall and the gym at the cor-ner
of Spring and Laclede avenues.
Plans also were announced for an
addition to the School of Medicine,
including new floors.
Quotable UTAS: “The wise par-ent
who has created in his child a
desire to learn will approach the
whole problem of college admission
with one philosophy: ‘Go where
you can get in, my son, and know
that a great opportunity awaits you
to discover more about people,
more about ideas, more about things
— more knowledge than you will
ever master in the four years you are
in college.’” — Eugene S. Wilson, in
a story headlined, “Your Child Prepares
for College.”
Sign of the times: It was reported
that the University had established a
computer center in Des Peres Hall
consisting of one $182,000 IBM
1260 computer, which was to be
used primarily for processing
research data for faculty and gradu-ate
students.
40
A WALK IN THE CLOUDS: Students enjoy Andy
Warhol’s “Silver Clouds,” an exhibit on display at the
Museum of Contemporary Religious Art this winter. More
than 600 people visited MOCRA in the first four days of the
exhibit, which featured mylar balloons that moved around
with encouragement from air currents and interaction with
patrons. The showing of “Silver Clouds” was the first in St.
Louis and the largest ever in the United States.
istered dietitian credential as
well as a culinary degree.
Students will receive part of
their practical culinary training
in state-of-the-art facilities
from experienced chefs at St.
Louis Community College-
Forest Park, which has built a
national reputation for its hos-pitality
studies program.
and Missile Systems; Eva
Louise Frazer, physician
Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University
No full textSummer 2008 issue of Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University. This is a special issue on new construction on campus, including the Chaifetz Arena and Doisy Research Center.Also inside:
Student callers
Health care
mission trips
The renovated
Rec Center
A professor’s
Irish discoveries
Fold out for a view of the Edward A. Doisy Research Center and the President’s Message »
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Saint L o u is Universi t y
Volume 34, Issue 2
E d i t o r
Laura Geiser (A&S ’90, Grad ’92)
C o n t r i b u t o r s
Clayton Berry
Marie Dilg (SW ’94)
Nick Sargent
Nancy Solomon
Alyssa Stahr (A&S ’04)
“ O n C a m p u s ” n e w s s t o r i e s
University Communications
Medical Center Communications
Billiken Media Relations
De s i g n
Art Direction: Matthew Krob
Universitas is published by Saint Louis University. Opin-ions
expressed in Universitas are those of the individual
authors and not necessarily those of the University ad-ministration.
Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs
are welcome but will be returned only if accompanied
by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Letters to the
editor must be signed, and letters not intended for pub-lication
should indicate that fact. The editor reserves the
right to edit all items. Address all mail to Universitas,
DuBourg Hall 39, 221 N. Grand, St. Louis, Mo. 63103.
We accept e-mail at [email protected] and fax submissions
at (314) 977-2249. Address fax submissions to Editor,
Universitas.
Postmaster: Send address changes to
Universitas, Saint Louis University,
221 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103.
World Wide Web address:
www.slu.edu/pr/universitas.html
Universitas is printed by Universal Printing Co.
and mailed by Specialty Mailing.
Worldwide circulation: 121,844
© 2008, Saint Louis University
All rights reserved.
Cover photo by James Visser
Inside front cover photo by Steve Dolan
FALL 2004 WINTER 2005
Welcome to a special issue of Universitas.
And welcome to outstanding views of our
two newest campus landmarks.
Although Saint Louis University is ever changing,
rarely does so much happen here during a six-month
period. In December we dedicated our new Edward
A. Doisy Research Center, and in April we opened
Chaifetz Arena — the two largest building projects
in our 190 years. (Read in-depth stories on both
buildings in this issue.)
When you add in our Simon Recreation Center ren-ovations,
our first on-campus commencement in 60
years and the record service hours accrued by members
of the SLU community, it’s hard not to feel a sense of
history in the making on Grand Boulevard these days.
Indeed, in a few years when we look back on the
openings of these unprecedented buildings, I’m cer-tain
that we will see them as clear turning points
— moments when Saint Louis University’s place in
the city, nation and world changed forever.
And although it’s easy to get caught up in what
these facilities will mean to our history, I think it’s
most important to keep our focus on the future.
In other words: We’ve built the structures; now
we’ve got to make sure they fulfill their promise. That
means new scientific discoveries, lifesaving treatments
and cures for disease at the Doisy Research Center.
It also means re-energized student life, tournament-winning
basketball and an even stronger presence in
SLU’s Midtown neighborhood at Chaifetz Arena.
In some ways, this next key step is more challenging
than constructing both buildings at the same time.
That’s because ensuring the promise of these stunning
facilities is the responsibility of everyone in the SLU
community — students, faculty, staff and alumni.
Sure, some will play bigger roles. I cannot, for exam-ple,
treat liver disease. Nor am I much of a free-throw
shooter. But I can be a supporter of the work, efforts
and energy that make these buildings so special.
I’m sure you can be, too.
You may not know how to operate a microscope, but
that doesn’t mean you can’t participate in the clinical
trials or help fund the innovative discoveries at the Do-isy
Research Center. And, even if you’ve never dribbled
a basketball in your life, you can come down to Chaifetz
Arena to catch a Billiken game or enjoy a concert.
Your days on campus may be over, but please know
that these are still your buildings. So I hope you’ll
make a point of coming down to visit them to see
how they have changed the landscape here at SLU.
Besides, the photos in this issue of Universitas are
good, but they can’t beat the real thing.
Hope to see you on campus soon.
Lawrence Biondi, S.J.,
President
President ’ s
Mes sage
U N I V E R S I T A S S U M M E R 2 0 0 8 1
The dolphin pond near Ritter Hall.
Photo by Kevin Lowder
Building for
the Future
A first look at the
new Edward A.
Doisy Research
Center.
By Nancy Solomon
At
Last
An insider view of
Chaifetz Arena,
which opened in
April.
Photo by Steve Dolan Photo by Jim Visser
CONTENTS
DEPA RTMENTS
2 On Campus
Commencement at Chaifetz Service sets
records New medical school dean One
new ad campaign Ignatian Spirituality
Conference 50 years ago in Universitas
8 Billiken News
New athletic director Farewell to West
Pine Billikens meet the Cardinals
9 Advancement News
A conversation with Meg Connolly,
associate vice president for alumni relations.
39 Class Notes
Catch up with classmates.
44 In Memoriam
Remembering those members of the
SLU community who recently died.
46 Alumni Events
Find SLU alumni activities
wherever you live.
48 Perspective
The face of the MBA ads speaks out.
49 The Last Word
Letters to the editor
17
Callers I.D.’d
Meet the student
phoners who reach
out to alumni
every night.
By Laura Geiser
28
Higher Learning
SLU students
take their mission
of better health
around the world.
By Marie Dilg
32
Recreation
Destination
Simon Recreation
Center has been
expanded and
transformed.
By Alyssa Stahr
36
Dr. Thomas
Finan and the
Search for
the Medieval
Church
A SLU professor
digs into Ireland.
By Nick Sargent
35 Average miles per day registered on each of the center’s treadmills 42 Stationary bicycles in the center 1,500 Average number of patrons each day 534 Lockers in the center »
2 U NI V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S S U M M E R 2 0 0 8 3
At the expanded and
renovated Simon
Recreation Center
Students initiated into the Catholic faith
On April 20, the Saint Louis University community came together to welcome students
embracing the Catholic faith. University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J., led the celebration,
known as the Sacraments of Initiation, during SLU’s 10 p.m. Sunday Mass.
The University usually initiates students once a year during the Easter season. This year, 11 SLU
students were initiated. Students had studied the Catholic faith in a program known as the Rite
of Christian Initiation of Adults since last fall. During their study, students learned about the
fundamentals of the Catholic faith and then made the decision to join the Church.
“This is one of the most rewarding spiritual exercises I am happy to do as a Jesuit priest,” Biondi said.
“As president of SLU, it’s gratifying to celebrate our students making a commitment to embrace the
Catholic faith by seeking voluntarily the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and first Eucharist.”
Earthquake Center draws
congressional attention
With members of the local media in tow,
U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan toured the
Saint Louis University Earthquake
Center in May. He met with SLU researchers
to discuss recent seismic activity in the Midwest.
A member of the U.S. House of Representatives
Science Committee, Carnahan also was inter-ested
in learning what Congress can do to ad-vance
earthquake research and reporting.
The center’s director Dr. Robert Herrmann
discussed SLU’s cutting-edge research, which is
furthering the understanding of the seismic
hazards facing the region. He also explained
SLU’s network of earthquake monitoring
devices and showed the congressman several
new machines that will be deployed into the
field after testing. The center keeps an eye on
the New Madrid Fault and seismic hot spots
in the central United States.
During his tour, Carnahan also saw the Uni-versity’s
very first earthquake monitoring de-vice,
originally installed in DuBourg Hall in
1909. SLU’s Earthquake Center was one of the
nation’s first and remains a leader in the field.
SLU community
gives back in big way
In 2007, more than 19,000 members of the Saint
Louis University community completed 836,550
service and volunteer hours. It’s the first time ser-vice
hours have surpassed the 800,000-hour mark.
Student service accounted for about 90 percent of last year’s hours. Nearly 10,000 students
contributed service through programs run by the office of community outreach, Alpha Phi
Omega service fraternity and other Greek organizations. Students also complete service projects
through their classes and internships as well as through spring break mission trips in the United
States and abroad. Faculty and staff completed nearly 100,000 hours, and more than 1,100
organizations were helped last year.
And this service work has not gone unnoticed. In February, SLU received national recogni-tion
for its outreach efforts when it was named to the President’s Higher Education Community
Service Honor Roll for exemplary service efforts and service to disadvantaged youth. The award
is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning
and civic engagement.
Honorees for the award were chosen based on several factors, including innovativeness of
service projects and the percentage of student participation in service. At SLU, 96 percent of
students engage in some form of service during their time at the University.
U.S. News gives high marks
to SLU’s graduate programs
Saint Louis University’s health law program was ranked
No. 1 for the fifth consecutive year in U.S. News & World Report’s
“Best Graduate Schools 2009” issue, which hit stands in March.
The geriatrics program ranked No. 14, part-time MBA program
No. 16, occupational therapy No. 33, physical therapy No. 41,
social work No. 42, medicine No. 54, speech-language pathology
No. 60 and clinical psychology No. 92.
SLU Celebrates 2008 Commencement at Chaifetz Arena
Nearly 6,500 family and friends filled Saint Louis
University’s Chaifetz Arena May 17 to witness the
first class to celebrate commencement on campus
in 60 years.
SLU’s commencement outgrew on-campus venues in 1949,
when the event moved from West Pine Gym to Kiel Audito-rium,
where it remained for 30 years. Commencements then were held
in the Checkerdome and more recently at Scottrade Center.
University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J., said he hoped that the
graduates would return to the new arena to attend basketball games,
homecoming events and even the graduations of their children.
“Regardless of when and why you return, class of 2008, I hope you
come back to Chaifetz Arena and remember it fondly as the place
where you ended one great journey and began another,” Biondi said.
FOX television network play-by-play announcer Joe Buck delivered
this year’s commencement address.
“What a thrill this is for me, a lifelong St. Louisan, to participate
in the first graduation ceremony in this beautiful new jewel, Chaifetz
Arena,” Buck said.
Before he offered the graduates some advice, Buck dedicated his com-mencement
address to Ryan Green, a physics major, who was sporting
a large mohawk. (Buck had spotted him before taking to the stage.)
The quip drew big laughs and applause from the capacity crowd.
The laughter kept coming as Buck declared that the honorary doc-torate
he was about to receive would allow him to perform routine
medical procedures.
“I am scheduled to handle my first angioplasty this afternoon,” he
said. “I’m restructuring (injured Cardinals pitcher) Mark Mulder’s
shoulder tomorrow morning and (struggling Cardinals reliever) Jason
Isringhausen’s psyche tomorrow night.”
Buck then got serious, sharing
his own success story. Family con-nections,
he said, gave him access
to the broadcasting booth — his
late father Jack Buck was a Hall-of-
Fame broadcaster and former voice
of the Cardinals. His father also delivered SLU’s commencement ad-dress
back in 1995. “I admit that I got in the door because of my last
name, but after I got rolling, either I was going to be good enough or
I wasn’t,” Buck told the graduates. “Either I could handle the pressure
or it would handle me.”
Ultimately Buck handled the pressure and went on to become one
of the most respected names in sports broadcasting. During his career,
he has called some of the most memorable moments in recent sports
history. Hard work and relentless preparation propelled him to the
pinnacle of his profession, he said.
Buck also reminded the graduates that the real world is very dif-ferent
from college life. “Successful people don’t earn Bs. They don’t
get extensions for work assignments. And they can’t just turn off the
alarm because they don’t feel like going in.
“Do your best,” Buck said. “Have a plan and find out how great you
can be. I’m counting on you. This world needs you. Believe me.”
After the speech, Biondi conferred honorary degrees upon Buck,
Charles and Shirley Drury of Drury Inns Inc., and Build-A-Bear
Workshop founder Maxine Clark.
As the ceremony closed, Timothy McMahon, S.J., provincial of the
Missouri Province of the Society of Jesus, offered an invocation, call-ing
upon God to bless the graduates.
“Fill their minds with your love of knowledge, so that they will
be wise and prudent,” he prayed. “Touch their hearts, so that they
will overflow with compassion and love. Open their eyes, so that
they will recognize those who are lost and lonely. And keep them
close to you, so that one day they might share in your eternal life.”
— Clayton Berry
Buck delivers the commencement address.
Parks graduate Green.
Biondi baptizes freshman Brandon Murray.
Herrmann (left) and Carnahan.
Photos by Steve Dolan
Photo by Matt Schlanger, St. Louis Photo Group
Photo by Alyssa Stahr
Ads offer one view of SLU
In December, Saint Louis University unveiled a new marketing campaign
highlighting what makes the University unique and exceptional — teaching,
service and commitment to community. Designed to enhance SLU’s local
and regional image, the campaign informs people about what Saint Louis
University means to St. Louis. Through billboards, newspaper print ads, theater
program placements and radio spots, the ads reiterate the idea that “Saint
Louis University is the one.” Messages include:
Millions of lives changed. One Jesuit mission.
15 million addition
of the John and Lucy Cook Hall. In the fall of 2002 he returned to the
classroom. The award is named for the University’s first dean of women.
Dr. Rick Chaney, Madrid Campus vice provost and dean, has completed
his service there and will be returning to the faculty of the John Cook
School of Business, after taking a sabbatical in the fall semester. During
his 16-year tenure, Chaney helped increase enrollment, build a strong
academic foundation and create a complete campus environment for
students. Currently, SLU Madrid enrolls approximately 650 students each
semester — the maximum capacity for the campus. Frank Reale, S.J., vice
president for mission and ministry, is serving as interim vice provost while
a search is initiated for Chaney’s replacement.
More than 20 members of the SLU community will travel to Sydney
this summer to participate in World Youth Days, a week for the world’s
Catholic youth to come together to form friendships and gain a better
understanding of other countries, cultures and the Catholic faith. The
group will visit Australia July 10-26, and members will be posting their
experiences online as “virtual pilgrims” at worldyouthday.slu.edu.
Dr. James DuBois, director of SLU’s Center for Health Care Ethics, has
been elected as a representative on the United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops’ National Advisory Council. DuBois, who is the Mäder
Professor of Health Care Ethics, will serve a four-year term representing
Eastern Catholic Churches from Region 15.
Michael Lauer is SLU’s new director of public safety. Prior to arriving
at SLU, Lauer spent 20 years with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police
Department. Lauer reports to Sam Simon, the former director of public
safety for the City of St. Louis and a 22-year veteran of the St. Louis
police department. This fall, Simon filled a new role at the University:
director of emergency preparedness. Combined, the pair boasts nearly
50 years of experience in the field. They once worked together in the
police department and are both graduates of the FBI National Academy.
Dr. John Watzke, chairman of the department of educational studies,
is the new interim dean of the College of Education and Public Service.
Watzke came to SLU last year from the Institute for Educational Initiatives
at the University of Notre Dame.
Marking a trend in nursing education that responds to the need for
nurses to know more, Saint Louis University School of Nursing is
launching a new online doctoral program for advance practice nurses.
Nurse practitioners who have their master’s degrees may apply for the
online doctor of nursing practice, which begins this fall. SLU’s program is
the only one in the St. Louis area and one of two in Missouri.
4 U NI V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S S U M M E R 2 0 0 8 5
At the expanded and
renovated Simon
Recreation center
Fair unites schools
in honoring King
Student leaders from Saint Louis
University and Harris-Stowe State
University organized a fair honoring
the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
in April. The Dream Keepers’ Fair was held
along Compton Avenue between the two
universities and commemorated the 40th
anniversary of King’s assassination.
The student governments of Harris-Stowe
and SLU formed the Dream Keepers Part-nership
last April to raise $10,000 for the Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial
Project in Washington, D.C. Since then, stu-dent
governments from every college and uni-versity
in the St. Louis metropolitan area, as
well as a couple of young professional associa-tions,
have joined the effort. Collectively, they
call themselves the St. Louis Dream Keepers.
Medical professors named
to endowed positions
Two professors at the Saint Louis Univer-sity
School of Medicine recently have
added new titles to their credentials.
Dr. Mark Varvares (Med ’86), chairman of
the department of otolaryngology –
head and
neck surgery, is the inaugural holder of the
Donald and Marlene Jerome Endowed Chair
in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery.
The chair is named for Dr. Donald Lee Jerome,
(Med ’61) of Swansea, Ill., and his wife, Marlene. Jerome, a strong supporter of the School of
Medicine, was in private practice as an otolaryngologist in Belleville for 33 years before retir-ing.
Varvares also is director of the Saint Louis University Cancer Center and is conducting
research on head and neck surgical oncology.
Dr. Arthur Labovitz, director of the division of cardiology, is the inaugural Jack Ford Shelby
Endowed Professor in Cardiology. The professorship is named for Jack Ford Shelby, chairman
emeritus of Camie-Campbell Inc., former chairman of the board of the St. Louis Heart As-sociation
and a longtime benefactor of the School of Medicine. Labovitz is director of SLU’s
cardiac imaging laboratory and participates in many research studies that are supported by
the National Institutes of Health and private industry. Over the years, he has made significant
contributions to the diagnosis and management of cardiac disease.
Varvares Labovitz
Doctorow to receive Literary Award
The Saint Louis University Library Associates have selected author E.L. Doctorow as the
recipient of the 2008 Saint Louis Literary Award. A recognized novelist, playwright,
lecturer and essayist, Doctorow’s works include Welcome to Hard Times, The Book of
Daniel, Ragtime, Billy Bathgate, The Waterworks and City of God.
In a career that spans more than three decades, Doctorow’s honors include a National Book
Award, three National Book Critics Circle Awards, two PEN/Faulkner Awards and the presiden-tially
conferred National Humanities Medal.
Now in its 41st year, the Saint Louis Literary Award has been presented to a distinguished list
of literary figures, including Joyce Carol Oates, Saul Bellow, Arthur Miller and John Updike.
The award will be presented Thursday, Oct. 23, in the Anheuser-Busch Auditorium of John and
Lucy Cook Hall. This event is free and open to the public.
New School of Medicine dean named
On April 1, Dr. Philip O. Alderson took the reins as dean of Saint Louis
University School of Medicine. Alderson most recently was the chairman of
the department of radiology at Columbia University and director of radiology
service at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia. He also was the James
Picker Professor of Radiology at the
Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University
No full textFall 2007 issue of Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University. This is a special issue on Fr. Biondi's 20th anniversary as University President.Inside
A DuBourg
Hall Makeover
{ page 14 }
Library Treasures
{ page 16 }
Student on a Mission
{ page 20 }
Celebrating
Father
Biondi’s
Anniversary
{ page 8 }
U NI V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S F A L L 2 0 0 7 1
Fall leaves frame O’Donnell Hall, home of the Saint Louis University Museum of Art.
Photo by Kevin Lowder
20 Years and
Counting
A Q&A with University
President Lawrence
Biondi, S.J., as he
marks a milestone
anniversary at SLU.
By Laura Geiser
Photo by James Visser
Volume 34, Issue 1
E d i t o r
Laura Geiser (A&S ’90, Grad ’92)
C o n t r i b u t o r s
Allison Babka
Marie Dilg (SW ’94)
Lauren Olson (Intern)
Nick Sargent
“ O n C a m p u s ” n e w s s t o r i e s
University Communications
Medical Center Communications
Billiken Media Relations
De s i g n
Art Direction: Matthew Krob
Universitas is published by Saint Louis University. Opin-ions
expressed in Universitas are those of the individual
authors and not necessarily those of the University ad-ministration.
Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs
are welcome but will be returned only if accompanied
by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Letters to the
editor must be signed, and letters not intended for pub-lication
should indicate that fact. The editor reserves the
right to edit all items. Address all mail to Universitas,
DuBourg Hall 39, 221 N. Grand, St. Louis, Mo. 63103.
We accept e-mail at [email protected] and fax submissions
at (314) 977-2249. Address fax submissions to Editor,
Universitas.
Postmaster: Send address changes to
Universitas, Saint Louis University,
221 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103.
World Wide Web address:
www.slu.edu/pr/universitas.html
Universitas is printed by Universal Printing Co.
and mailed by Specialty Mailing.
Worldwide circulation: 121,408
© 2007, Saint Louis University
All rights reserved.
Cover photo by James Visser
Because University President
Lawrence Biondi, S.J., is
sharing his thoughts in a
Q&A that appears on pages
8-13 of this issue, he begged
off his usual president’s
message and asked me to write
an editor’s message instead.
From 1900-1908 Saint Louis University
was led by William Banks Rogers, S.J., a
visionary who is said to have transformed
SLU. In just eight years as president, he Ameri-canized
and modernized SLU’s academic struc-ture,
re-established the School of Medicine, ex-panded
the campus, rebuilt the athletic program
and made plans to open a School of Law.
Rogers had a brief but groundbreaking ten-ure
marked by his prophetic grasp of future
trends, including his early understanding of
the importance of public relations, his em-phasis
on alumni development
and his commitment to the St.
Louis community.
In Better the Dream, a history
of Saint Louis University by
William Barnaby Faherty, S.J.,
Rogers is dubbed the “Second
Founder of Saint Louis Univer-sity.”
Clearly he was a fascinat-ing,
driven man.
I have been intrigued by
Rogers’ story since stumbling
across his achievements many
years ago. But there are prob-ably
very few other people on campus (except
maybe our archivists) who even know his name.
You see, his legacy is not widely known at SLU
today. Yes, SLU once had a Rogers Hall, but
that building is now known as Jesuit Hall. And,
yes, Rogers’ portrait does hang on the second
floor of DuBourg Hall, but it is just one of 30
paintings of past SLU presidents that adorns
the long hallway.
Someday a portrait of our current president,
Lawrence Biondi, S.J., will hang there, too
— his legacy for time and history to decide.
Perhaps one day, Biondi will be known as the
“Founder of the Modern Saint Louis Univer-sity.”
It’s certainly possible.
Like Rogers before him, Biondi has done his
share of transforming Saint Louis University
during his 20 years here. Of course, his ef-forts
to improve SLU’s physical campus come
to mind first. But there’s more to his tenure
than that. Just as Rogers did, Biondi has em-phasized
academics, established new schools,
re-energized the athletic program and made
SLU a force in the community. (Read about
his reflections on his years at SLU beginning
on page 8.)
Of course, Biondi would be quick to tell you
that he didn’t do it alone. And as I speculate
Rogers would agree, Biondi knows his legacy
is not about him — it is about leaving an out-standing
university for his successor to lead.
The concept of “legacies” brings to mind a
story I heard from Father Biondi’s former as-sistant,
Mike Isaacson (A&S ’86, Grad Cook
’96), a Broadway producer whom I interviewed
for the summer issue of Universitas.
“You know, the interesting thing about work-ing
for a university is that universities are liv-ing
in a weird world,” Isaacson said. “They’re
about today, and they’re about 200 years from
today at the same time. And, when you think
about the legions of people who have worked
for Saint Louis U., and you
walk through those halls, you
can kind of feel history.
“I remember once, early on
with Biondi, we were leaving a
meeting, and it had gone hor-ribly.
He was so frustrated.
“We were quietly walking
in DuBourg Hall through the
second-floor hallway that has
all the paintings of past SLU
presidents. We get two-thirds
down the hall, and Biondi just
stops, and he points at one of
them and says, ‘Who’s that?’
And I say, ‘I don’t know.’ And he says, ‘My
point exactly, so let’s just keep going.’
“It was that sense of even though you may
be heading an institution, the institution is far
bigger than you will ever be, and time leaves
your name in the dust. Your obligation to here
and now is to leave the lights on when your
time is through.”
Maybe that portrait they stopped at was of
Father Rogers; maybe it wasn’t. In any case, I
do know the lights are on at Saint Louis Uni-versity
— both literally and figuratively — il-luminating
the good works, scholarly achieve-ments
and personal successes of our 12,309
students, our 5,436 faculty and staff members
and our 108,110 alumni around the world. For
that light, we can thank Biondi, Rogers and 29
other Jesuits who have served as SLU presidents
and understood the real meaning of legacy.
– Laura Geiser, Editor
EDITOR’ s Message FE ATURES
DEPA RTMENTS
2 On Campus
Sword of Loyola honors artist Grant explores
children’s health New blogs offer inside
view of SLU New mall at Medical Center
Portrait of DuBourg Kranz back on campus
6 Billiken News
Billiken broadcasts online Basketball
schedules Billiken mascot ranked No. 1
7 Campaign Update
A conversation with David Nolda,
director of annual giving programs
22 Off the Shelf
Eight books from the SLU community
23 Class Notes
Catch up with classmates
29 In Memoriam
Remembering those members of the SLU
community who recently died
30 Alumni Events
Find SLU alumni activities wherever you live
32 Perspective
A SLU soccer player learns a lot
from those she is teaching
33 The Last Word
Letters to the editor
14
Grand Once More
DuBourg Hall’s fourth
floor is restored to its
turn-of-the-century glory.
By Allison Babka
16
Treasures to Behold
… and to Be Held
A look inside the
University’s rare book and
manuscript collection.
By Marie Dilg
20
A Woman for Others
Student Rachel
McCullagh is living
SLU’s Jesuit mission.
By Lauren Olson William banks rogers, S.J.
2 U NI V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S F A L L 2 0 0 7 3
Of Father Biondi’s 20 62 SLU-owned buildings in 1987; 127 in 2007 0 Annual full scholarships awarded in 1987; 30 in 2007 113 SLU-owned acres in Midtown St. Louis in 1987; 234 in 2007 »
years as SLU president
TA SLU makes
two national
rankings
Saint Louis University is one of the
top schools in the country for under-graduate
education, say two of the
nation’s leading college guides. In August,
SLU received honors from both U.S.News &
World Report and The Princeton Review.
The 2008 edition of U.S. News’ “America’s
Best Colleges” ranked SLU No. 82 among
262 national universities. According to the
magazine, SLU is ranked as one of the top
five Jesuit universities in the United States.
U.S. News ranked SLU’s undergraduate
engineering programs No. 31 and under-graduate
business programs in the top 100.
The undergraduate entrepreneurship pro-gram
ranked No. 21.
In addition, SLU was listed in the 2008
edition of The Princeton Review’s “Best 366
Colleges” guidebook, published by Random
House. Only about 15 percent of the four-year
colleges in America and two Canadian
colleges were chosen for the book. SLU also
was named to The Princeton Review’s “Best
in the Midwest” list.
Sword of Ignatius awarded
to Project Compassion artist
Saint Louis University presented its highest honor – the
Sword of Ignatius Loyola – to Kaziah Hancock, founding artist and
president of Project Compassion, at the DuBourg Society dinner,
Nov. 3. During the last four years, Hancock has painted hundreds
of portraits of American servicemen and servicewomen who have
been killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The paintings
are given to the families of the fallen soldiers free of charge. To
date, Hancock and four other Project Compassion artists have
completed more than 750 paintings.
The Sword of Ignatius Loyola is named for the founder of
the Society of Jesus, Inigo Lopez de Loyola. Symbolic of
the Ignatian vision of service, the sword is awarded to
those who have given themselves to humankind for the
greater glory of God.
Past recipients include Harry Truman,
Jacques Cousteau and Jackie Joyner-
Kersee.
Major grant will improve children’s health
The National Institutes of Health selected the city of St. Louis and Macoupin County, Ill.,
as sites for the National Children’s Study, the largest study of child and human health ever
conducted in the United States. The extensive population-based study looks at the health
and development of children by following them from before birth to adulthood.
Saint Louis University School of Public Health is partner-ing
on the project with Saint Louis University School
of Medicine, Southern Illinois University Edwards-ville
School of Nursing, Southern Illinois Univer-sity
School of Medicine in Springfield, Washing-ton
University School of Medicine in St. Louis
and St. Louis Battelle Memorial Institute.
As the lead institution, SLU School of
Public Health has received a $26 million,
five-year contract from the National Institute
of Child Health and Human Development
and a consortium of federal agencies includ-ing
the National Institute of Environmen-tal
Health Sciences, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention and the U.S. Envi-ronmental
Protection Agency.
Saint Louis University is one of 22
new study centers added to the Na-tional
Children’s Study, which will
follow a representative sample of
100,000 children from before birth
to age 21. The study seeks informa-tion
to prevent and treat some of
the nation’s most pressing health
problems, including autism, birth
defects, diabetes, heart disease and
obesity.
Check out ‘True SLU’
via new blogs
Want the true story about Saint Louis
University? Read the True SLU blogs.
Blogger Alyssa, a sophomore studying
abroad at SLU’s Madrid campus, will tell you
her story. So will Jennifer, a nutrition and di-etetics
instructor who bikes 6 miles to work
every day, and Jared, a member of Legion
1818 who paints his face and puts on a kilt
to support the men’s soccer team (when
he’s not reading history books or playing
trumpet in the pep band).
The blogs are just one part of the Univer-sity’s
comprehensive student recruitment
effort. Aimed at prospective undergraduates
and their parents, the True SLU blogs give an
accurate, authentic depiction of what life is
like for Saint Louis University students, fac-ulty
and staff.
Each blogger posts at least once a week,
and new bloggers will join them during the
year. To read the blogs, visit www.slu.edu
and click the “True SLU Blogs” box in the
lower left-hand corner.
During the summer, the College of
Public Service was restructured in
an effort to lead to new efficiencies
and synergies. Educational studies, educa-tional
leadership and higher education, so-cial
work, counseling and family therapy,
and public policy studies have joined to cre-ate
a new academic unit: the College of Edu-cation
and Public Service.
Formerly independent units, RegionWise,
the Stupp Geographic Information Systems
Laboratory and Center for Organizational
Leadership and Renewal are now part of the
public policy studies department and remain
in the college. The Counseling and Family
Therapy Clinic also remains with the college,
and University officials hope to create more
collaborations between the clinic’s research-ers
and social work faculty.
Dr. Marla Berg-Weger, senior associate
provost for academic affairs, continues to
serve as interim dean of the college as a na-tional
search is conducted for a permanent
replacement.
The communication sciences and disor-ders
department and its associated clinics
have moved into the College of Arts and Sci-ences.
Research methodology is now part of
the Graduate School.
The School for Professional Studies, which
joined the college in 2004, has again become
a separate unit under the leadership of Berg-
Weger. She will continue to direct the school
long term.
College of Public Service reconfigured, renamed
SLU scientists conduct
groundbreaking
research — literally
This summer, a Saint Louis University
team was part of a group of scientists
drilling deep into the San Andreas
Fault in California to better understand
what causes earthquakes. It’s research that
could have implications back at SLU, which
is near the New Madrid Fault.
As part of the project known as San Andreas
Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD), a team
of scientists has drilled a 3-kilometer, or nearly
2-mile, hole directly into the fault midway be-tween
San Francisco and Los Angeles.
SLU geology professor Dr. David Kirsch-ner,
senior Tim Keenan and recent graduate
Eric Sandusky (Pub Ser, A&S ’07) were part
of a scientific team that studied the unearthed
rock material as part of the SAFOD project.
Kirschner has been involved in the massive
undertaking for several years and has received
three grants from the National Science Foun-dation
for research related to the project.
Portrait of
DuBourg
returns home
In June, Saint Louis
University welcomed
William Page Dame III
and his wife, Beverly,
to campus to mark
the Dames’ gift of
a portrait of Bishop
Louis-Guilliame-
Valentine DuBourg,
founder of SLU.
The portrait was
painted not long after DuBourg was consecrated a
bishop. The oil painting is thought to date to 1815
and is believed to have been painted in Rome,
where DuBourg had journeyed to be consecrated
by Pope Pius VII as the Bishop of Louisiana and
the Floridas.
In 1817, Bishop DuBourg moved to St. Louis. He
established the St. Louis Latin Academy (now
Saint Louis University) in 1818, initially run by
the diocese. In 1826, DuBourg invited the Jesuits
who resided in Florissant, Mo., to take over the
administration of the college. In 1829, Peter
Verhaegen, S.J., became the first Jesuit president
of St. Louis College. In 1832, the college received
its charter from the state of Missouri.
The portrait has been installed in the Père
Marquette Gallery of DuBourg Hall.
SLU alert system in place
Saint Louis University now has a new
emergency communication tool
designed to quickly alert the entire
SLU community about an imminent public
danger, campus disaster or other major crisis.
SLU recently signed an agreement with St.
Louis-based GroupCast to provide a mes-sage
broadcast system that can notify all
students, faculty and staff by office, home
and cell phones within minutes of an emer-gency
situation. It also sends text messages.
Co-founded by a SLU alumnus and located
in Fenton, Mo., GroupCast provides similar
services to other colleges and universities.
4 U N I V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S F A L L 2 0 0 7 5
Of Father Biondi’s 20 9 University-sponsored sports teams in 1987; 18 in 2007 0 Faculty/staff mission-related programs in 1987; 24 in 2007 53 SLU public safety officers in 1987; 103 in 2007 94 Doctorates awarded in 1987; 157 in 2007
years as SLU president
The deputy surgeon general of the U.S.
Air Force hosted guests from England’s
Royal Air Force at Saint Louis Univer-sity’s
Center for Sustainment of Trauma and
Readiness Skills (C-STARS) on Oct. 6.
During the visit, dignitaries had the opportu-nity
to observe a simulation, in which students
treated an artificial, computerized patient in a
lab designed to look like a real field hospital.
The two-week C-STARS program at Saint
Louis University is one of only three of its kind
in the country that provides Air Force medical
personnel with real-life, hands-on trauma ex-perience.
Through clinical rotations with SLU
trauma doctors and nurses and weekly simula-tion
exercises, students have the opportunity
to sharpen and refresh their trauma care skills
prior to deployment.
Former NASA mission control commander
Gene Kranz (Parks ’54) returned to SLU for a special
ribbon-cutting ceremony at McDonnell Douglas
Hall during Homecoming Weekend in September.
Kranz was on hand as officials unveiled a wall
display honoring the 80th anniversary of SLU’s Parks
College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology.
Divided into three sections, the colorful, three-dimensional,
illustrated timeline of Parks’ history
runs the full length of McDonnell Douglas Hall’s
main corridor. Stretching 370 feet wide and
towering 11 feet high, the display features a
stainless steel timeline that connects all three
sections.
Black and white photographs and other images
representing the key people, news and technology
from Parks’ history are displayed above the timeline.
Below, aerial shots fade into each other, illustrating
the changes to Parks’ former campus in Cahokia,
leading to the SLU campus, where Parks has been
located since 1997.
Gass receives
Literary Award
The Saint Louis University Library Associates presented the
2007 Saint Louis Literary Award to noted writer, critic and
philosophy professor William H. Gass on Oct. 24.
Gass joined an impressive list of writers who have been recognized
for their legendary contributions as novelists, essayists, poets and
playwrights. Recipients of the Saint Louis Literary Award include
Saul Bellow, Eudora Welty, John Updike and Joan Didion.
During a writing career that spans nearly five decades, Gass has
been recognized for his works of fiction and nonfiction as well as sto-ries
and essays. He has received many awards and honors, including
the American Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award
for Criticism and the Mark Twain Award for Distinguished Contribu-tions
to Literature in the Midwest. As the David May Distinguished
Professor in Humanities at Washington University in St. Louis, he
taught philosophy for more than 30 years and founded the univer-sity’s
International Writers Center.
More than 1,000 students, faculty, family and friends
gathered at the Medical Center on Oct. 12 to remember and
give thanks to the several hundred individuals who donated their
bodies this year to Saint Louis University School of Medicine’s Gift
Body Program.
First-year medical students planned the memorial service, which
included reflections, prayers, songs and words of appreciation to
the donors’ family members and friends in attendance.
“The ceremony is a sign of our thanks for those who have donated
their bodies so we could learn. It also provides an opportunity for
their family and friends to understand why they made this decision,”
said Tom Heffner, a first-year medical student. “For me personally,
the ceremony is an opportunity to give thanks to my first patient for
the opportunity to work on him and learn from him.”
Body donors
remembered at service
New mall enhances Medical Center
Saint Louis University has increased the beauty, safety and accessibility of
the Medical Center with a new pedestrian mall.
The area along Vista Avenue between Grand Boulevard and Carr Lane Avenue
has been transformed into an urban oasis that mimics green space near the
Doisy College of Health Sciences building as well as parts of campus north of
I-64/Hwy. 40. The section is bordered by the School of Medicine complex on
the north and the building that now houses the department of neurology and
psychiatry on the south.
Pedestrians are welcomed to the mall by one of SLU’s signature red
brick monuments, and landscaping, trees and flowers provide a parklike
atmosphere. Safety also has been enhanced, as city streetlights were replaced
by upgraded lighting that shines brightly on the mall.
News Briefs
Dr. Boyd A. Bradshaw (Grad ’05) was
recently hired as SLU’s vice provost for
enrollment management. He oversees
undergraduate admission, student financial
services, the registrar’s office, student
academic services and the international
center. From 1997 to 1999 Bradshaw was
program coordinator and assistant director
of admissions at SLU. Most recently he was
assistant university provost for enrollment
management at the University of Louisville.
Dr. Raul Artal, chairman of obstetrics,
gynecology and women’s health at the
School of Medicine, has received a
“Preggie” award for his pioneering work that
supports exercise for pregnant women. The
award, given by FitPregnancy magazine,
recognizes those who have improved the
welfare of pregnant women, new mothers
and young children.
Dr. Govindaswamy Chinnadurai, professor
at SLU’s Institute of Molecular Virology, has
been as selected as a member of a study
section of the Center for Scientific Review,
which reviews applications for grants from
the National Institutes of Health.
In October, Dr. Patricia Monteleone (Med
’61, Pub Hlth, Grad Cook ’91), dean of the
School of Medicine, received an
Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University
No full textSummer 2018 issue of Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University. This is a special Bicentennial issue, celebrating the University's 200th anniversaryUNIVERSI TAS 2 SUMMER 2018 SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSIT Y 1 BICENTENNIAL
P R E S I D E N T ’ S
M E S S A G E
VOLUME 4 4, ISSUE 2
EDITOR
Laura Geiser (A&S ’90, Grad ’92)
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Amy Garland (A&S ’97)
ART DIRECTOR
Matt Krob
CONTRIBUTORS
Anne Marie Apollo-Noel
Dr. Dolores Byrnes
Molly Daily (Grad A&S ’18)
Marie Dilg (Grad SW ’94)
Sarah Hilgendorf
ON CAMPUS NEWS STORIES
University Public Relations
Billiken Media Relations
ON THE COVER
Detail of a window in St. Francis
Xavier College Church depicting
the north entry of DuBourg Hall
flanked by graduates. The word
“Christocracy” in red letters
above the entry indicates Christ’s
influence on education. The
window was designed by Emil Frei
Jr. and installed in the 1930s.
Photo by J.J. Mueller, S.J.
(A&S ’69, Grad A&S ’70)
Universitas is published by Saint Louis
University. Opinions expressed in
Universitas are those of the individual
authors and not necessarily those of the
University administration. Unsolicited
manuscripts and photographs are welcome
but will be returned only if accompanied
by a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
Letters to the editor must be signed, and
letters not intended for publication should
indicate that fact. The editor reserves
the right to edit all items. Address all mail
to Universitas, DuBourg Hall 39, One N.
Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103. We
accept email at [email protected].
Postmaster: Send address changes to
Universitas, Saint Louis University,
One N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103.
Website: slu.edu/universitas
Universitas is printed by Henry Wurst Inc.
Worldwide circulation: 116,500
© 2018, Saint Louis University
All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part
without permission is prohibited.
Detail of two windows in St. Francis Xavier College Church
that spotlight academic disciplines and sit on each side of the
window on this issue’s cover. On the left, painting and music are
depicted. On the right, mathematics and science are shown.
PHOTOS BY J.J. MUELLER, S.J.
PHOTO BY JAY FRAM
F E ATU R E S
D E PARTME NTS
10
The First Two Centuries
A 200-year timeline of Saint Louis University
— By Molly Daily
16
Always at the Frontier
An excerpt from the official bicentennial book
— By Dr. Dolores Byrnes
20
Exhibiting History
The Saint Louis University Museum of Art’s new
exhibition — Photos by Steve Dolan
24
Talking About My Generation
Campus activities and hangouts since the 1940s
— By Amy Garland
29
The Bicentennial Logo
The hidden details of SLU’s 200-year mark
— Designed by Matt Krob
30
More Than a Job
Reflections from 10 longtime faculty and staff
— By Marie Dilg
36
Cover Story
Telling SLU’s history through its alumni
magazines — By Laura Geiser
40
Making Good Time
An update on the bicentennial service challenge
— By Anne Marie Apollo-Noel
2 On Campus
Major gift to the business school ///
Madrid’s 50-year celebration /// 2018
commencement /// Climate Summit
/// Prospect Yards /// Gift for nursing
scholarships /// Literary Award to Sondheim
42 Class Notes
43 Alumni Spotlight
Eric Moraczewski (CSB ’04)
46 In Memoriam
48 Feedback
49 The Last Look
Our beloved University is worthy of celebration —
both for the memorable achievements of our shared
past and for the many impressive ways in which we
live our mission today.
We began this past academic year with the
bicentennial Mass. As we planned it, I believed that it would be
remembered as one of the very best moments in our history. An
email I received from a parent of one of our students confirmed that
to me. He said, “As I sat at the 200th anniversary Mass, with its
gorgeous backdrop and significant history, I was brought to
tears by the humbling appreciation that my daughter could
attend a university like SLU.” This gratitude for SLU and our his-tory
set the tone.
More recently, as part of our bicentennial celebration, we hosted
the Saint Louis Climate Summit and brought together world-re-nowned
speakers Cardinal Peter Turkson, Dr. Mario Molina, Carl
Pope and Bill Nye to examine a path forward for our planet. (Read
more on page 5.)
The Climate Summit was born out of the desire to respond to
Pope Francis’ call to care for all of creation, especially our environ-ment,
in his encyclical Laudato Si’. Chaired by SLU’s own Dr. Jack
Fishman (Grad A&S ’74, ’77) and David Webb (A&S, CSB ’97, Grad
’12), and planned with support from Dr. Peter Raven and trustee
Trudy Busch Valentine (Nurs ’80), the summit attracted meteorol-ogists;
government leaders; experts in climate science, ecology and
sustainable development; students; and engaged St. Louisans for
three days of discussion.
In affirmation of this summit, I received a letter from Cardinal
Pietro Parolin, who is the secretary of state for the Vatican. In the
letter, Cardinal Parolin quotes Pope Francis’ prayer that, “This gath-ering
may serve to inform society more effectively on the issue of
climate change and encourage the University community ‘to pro-mote
best practice, to stimulate creativity in seeking new solutions
and to encourage individual or group initiatives.’”
In addition to these and other impressive events and academic
programs, our bicentennial has inspired an outpouring of support
from our community. Our stakeholders are demonstrating their
belief in the importance of our work by investing in SLU. We are
in the midst of the single greatest fundraising year in SLU history.
Further, we are confident we will end this year at more than twice
our previous all-time total.
This February, trustee Dr. Richard Chaifetz (A&S ’75) and Jill
Chaifetz made a transformational gift of 27 million.
Their latest gift is intended to grow SLU’s nationally ranked entre-preneurship
center and provide resources for other programs in the
newly named Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business. (Read more
on page 2.)
Thank you to each of our alumni who have contributed to this
historic fundraising year. Your gifts support innovation, academic
excellence, scholarship and informed medicine. They will invigo-rate
Saint Louis University, and reflect your confidence in our plan
for the future.
The very near future holds two outstanding opportunities for
all of us to come together to celebrate SLU’s first two centuries. I
hope you will join us for a Grand Celebration on Saturday, Sept. 29,
during our special bicentennial Homecoming and Family Weekend.
This evening will feature live music, food and fun activities for all
ages. And on Thursday, Nov. 15, I invite you to a 200th birthday
celebration featuring a private concert by the St. Louis Symphony
Orchestra at Chaifetz Arena.
As we all celebrate this historic milestone, our University is part-nering
in shaping the direction of our region, and we are doing
wonderful work in the classroom, in the laboratory, in the hospi-tal
and in the community. Your support during our past and in the
present is vital to our future. While you read, I hope you’ll learn
new facts about your alma mater, reminisce about your time here and
be inspired by the stories of those who shaped our beloved institu-tion.
I would be delighted to hear your reflections.
May God bless you, and may God continue to bless Saint Louis
University.
Dr. Fred P. Pestello
President
This special issue of Universitas takes you on a journey though Saint Louis
University’s past. The timeline, book excerpt, faculty memories and photos that you
will find on the following pages all serve to remind you of SLU’s noble history.
UNIVERSI TAS 2 SUMMER 2018 SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSIT Y 3 BICENTENNIAL
Chaifetz Family Gift Leads to
Business School’s New Name
In February, SLU trustee Dr. Richard A. Chaifetz (A&S ’75)
and his wife, Jill Chaifetz, increased their giving to Saint
Louis University to 15 million to the
business school. In 2007, the couple provided the lead gift
of 12 million that enabled the construction of Chaifetz
Arena.
To honor this new, generous contribution, the University
has renamed its business school the Richard A. Chaifetz
School of Business and the school’s entrepreneurship
center the Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship.
SLU students, faculty and staff members turned out to
thank Chaifetz during a special reception on Feb. 22.
In his remarks, Chaifetz briefly told the story of how former
SLU President Paul Reinert, S.J., allowed him to remain
at SLU when financial issues threatened his ability to stay.
Chaifetz promised Reinert that he would pay back his
tuition — and that he would pay back the University in an
even bigger way in the future.
“This allows me to give back to a school I love, am
passionate about and want to make even greater,” Chaifetz
told the large crowd. “I want to hear the Chaifetz School
of Business mentioned in the same breath as other great
business schools.”
The Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business has seven
programs nationally ranked by U.S. News and World
Report — three undergraduate and four graduate —
including the country’s No. 9-ranked undergraduate
entrepreneurship program.
Chaifetz is a world-renowned entrepreneur and business
leader, who in 1984 founded ComPsych Corp., today the
world’s largest provider of employee assistance programs,
behavioral health and wellness services. The company, of
which he remains founder, chairman and CEO, provides
services to more than 100 million individuals and 45,000
organizations in more than 160 countries. He also is
founder and chairman of the private investment firm
Chaifetz Group. He has been a member of SLU’s board of
trustees since 2007 and was an inaugural member of the
business school’s Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame.
ON C AMPUS
PHOTOS BY STEVE DOLAN
Chaifetz addresses the crowd.
Chaifetz (left) and SLU President Dr. Fred P. Pestello
talk with students at the February event.
Guests gathered in the in the Shanahan
Atrium of Cook Hall listen to Chaifetz.
UNIVERSI TAS 4 SUMMER 2018 SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSIT Y 5 BICENTENNIAL
2018 Commencement
Celebrates the Bicentennial
With SLU’s bicentennial in mind, the University
began a new tradition at the May 19 com-mencement
ceremony at Chaifetz Arena as members
of its Class of 1968 — now called Golden Billikens
— led the entry procession and received special
recognition. Golden Billikens will be honored at
University commencements going forward.
In another nod to the bicentennial, SLU reintro-duced
its “Varsity Song,” which was written in 1909
and had not been performed at commencement
since the 1960s. (See the original on page 19.) It was
updated by Dr. Aaron Johnson, assistant professor of
music, and sung by the University’s Mastersingers.
More than 2,100 students graduated this spring.
This year’s commencement speaker was Ronald
Mercier, S.J., provincial of the Jesuits’ U.S. Central
and Southern Province. He received an honorary
doctor of divinity from the University. Also honored
with honorary degrees during the ceremony were
two SLU alumni, former U.S. Congressman William
“Bill” Lacy Clay Sr. (A&S ’53) and former St. Louis
Mayor Francis G. Slay (Law ’80).
The student speaker from the graduating class was
new law alumna Sarah Tomlinson. University archi-vist
emeritus John Waide (A&S ’73) was the mace
bearer.
Climate
Summit Draws
Thousands
Saint Louis University
brought toge t her
some of the most author-itative
minds in climate
science, ecology and sus-tainable
development
for the 2018 Saint Louis
Cl imate Summi t thi s
April.
A highlight of SLU’s
yearlong bicentennial
celebration, the three-day summit was inspired by Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical
Laudato Si’ that called attention to humankind’s responsibility to care for the earth
in the wake of climate change.
Nearly 2,300 students, faculty and members of the St. Louis community attended
the summit’s keynote address at Chaifetz Arena. The speakers were Carl Pope,
former executive director of the Sierra Club and co-author of Climate of Hope: How
Cities, Businesses and Citizens Can Save the Planet, and Bill Nye “The Science Guy,”
well-known science educator and advocate.
The summit featured experts from around the world, including Cardinal Peter
Turkson, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development; Dr.
Mario Molina, 1995 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry; recipients of various
United Nations Environmental Awards; and members of the Pontifical Academy of
Sciences, the primary scientific advisory council to the pope.
Panelists presented about food security, water availability, rising sea levels, busi-ness
issues related to climate change and more. More than 220 people attended the
academic portion of the summit, which was shared worldwide online.
The summit was organized by
Dr. Jack Fishman (Grad A&S ’74, ’77),
professor of earth and atmospheric
sciences and director of SLU’s Center
for Environmental Sciences, and David
Webb (A&S, CSB ’97, Grad ’12), director
of SLU’s Emerson Leadership Business
Institute. Dr. Peter Raven, president
emeritus of the Missouri Botanical
Garden, and Trudy Busch Valentine
(Nurs ’80), a SLU trustee, were key
members of the planning team.
During February and March, SLU competed in the annual
nationwide RecycleMania competition, an eight-week
event that raises awareness about campus sustainability.
8th year
participating in RecycleMania
331,762 lbs.
of single-stream recycling collected by SLU
86,267 lbs.
of electronics collected during
the E-Waste Drive
4th place
in the national electronic
recycling competition
25,721 lbs.
of old documents shredded and
recycled during ShredMania event
443,750 lbs.
total diverted from landfills
by SLU this RecycleMania
IN ADDITION TO THE CLIMATE SUMMIT, HERE ARE A FEW
HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS SPRING’S BICENTENNIAL EVENTS:
O N C A M P U S
BY THE NUMBERS
RecycleMania
Students volunteer at March’s
E-Waste Drive, part of the national
RecycleMania competition.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Nye (left) and Pope give the keynote address at Chaifetz Arena.
PHOTO BY SIMON NGUYEN
INTERCULTURAL ORIGINS
OF ST. LOUIS AND THE
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI WEST,
1800-1840
This conference examined
themes including the
international influences
present in early St. Louis,
and the expansion of the
St. Louis region.
WOMEN AT SLU:
THE STRUGGLE FOR
KNOWLEDGE, POWER AND
LEGACY
This symposium discussed
both the challenges and
opportunities women
confront as female
students, staff and faculty
at SLU.
FROM SELMA TO ST. LOUIS:
THEOLOGY OF MARTIN
LUTHER KING JR., AND THE
PURSUIT OF JUSTICE 50
YEARS LATER
This public symposium
offered performances and
reflections on King’s legacy
of liberation and justice.
PHOTO BY SIMON NGUYEN
Turkson (left) and Molina
Confetti and streamers were released at the
end of the ceremony in Chaifetz Arena.
Graduates’ caps Honorary degree recipients (from left) Slay, Mercier and Clay
Doisy College of Health Sciences graduates
PHOTOS BY STEVE DOLAN
UNIVERSI TAS 6 SUMMER 2018 SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSIT Y 7 BICENTENNIAL
SLU, St. Louis
Archdiocese
Sign Agreement
to Enrich
Seminarian
Education
St. Louis Archbishop
Robert J. Carlson and
SLU President Dr. Fred P.
Pestello signed an agree-ment
in April that brings
the Kenr ick-Glennon
Seminary undergraduate
program fully into SLU’s College of Philosophy and Letters, which oversees pro-grams
for students training for the priesthood and ministry.
Currently, seminarians take their first two years of undergraduate classes at
SLU and finish their education at the seminary, receiving a degree from Kenrick-
Glennon Seminary. Under the new agreement, seminarians will receive a Bachelor
of Arts degree in philosophy from SLU, taking classes taught both at SLU and at the
seminary. The program changes will be implemented for the 2018-19 school year.
The seminarians will be able to explore other disciplines while at SLU. Carlson
said he hoped that many would take advantage of the language arts and minor in
Spanish, as the archdiocese has a growing Spanish-speaking population.
Graduate Programs Earn High
U.S. News Rankings
The health law program in the Saint Louis
University School of Law has been named the
best in the nation by health law scholars for the
14th year, according to the 2019 U.S. News &
World Report “Best Graduate School” rankings.
The Center for Health Law Studies has been
listed as a top program since the rankings were
first published.
Four programs in the Richard A. Chaifetz
School of Business were ranked in the top
30 this year, including entrepreneurship,
international business, supply chain
management and accounting.
SLU School of Nursing’s master’s program
ranked among the top 50 out of more than 500
nursing graduate programs in the country.
1 Health Law
12 Entrepreneurship
13 International Business
15 Supply Chain Management
28 Accounting
28 Part-time Law
50 Best Nursing Programs – Master’s
51 Best Medical Programs – Primary Care
66 Best Nursing Programs – Doctor of Nursing Practice
70 Best Medical Programs – Research
88 Best Law Programs
163 Part-time MBA
194 Top Education Programs
Atlas Week Celebrates SLU’s Global Connections
The 2018 Sam and Marilyn Fox Atlas Week — “From Broken Walls,
We Build Bridges: Out of Conflict Rises Community” — paid special
attention to the ways that SLU students, faculty and staff members have
forged connections beyond campus to improve the world.
The week featured panels, presentations, film screenings, a soccer
tournament, and other opportunities to experience the myriad cultures
that make up the SLU community.
A highlight was the keynote address by brothers Fred and Milton
Ochieng’. Fred is pursuing cardiovascular medicine fellowship training
at Saint Louis University; Milton is a gastroenterologist with the BJC
Medical Group at Progress West Hospital. They spoke of their paths
from their Kenyan community Lwala to medical school in the United
States and beyond. The pair was orphaned and has used their medical
educations to give back to Lwala through the creation of a community
health clinic network.
The week culminated with the traditional Parade of Nations and the
Billiken World Festival.
Ring Award Winner Dr. Lauren Arnold,
associate professor of epidemiology in the College for Public
Health and Social Justice, is the most recent recipient of the
Nancy McNeir Ring Award, given by SLU’s chapter of Alpha
Sigma Nu to a faculty member who has displayed a special
dedication to students. Arnold addressed graduates during
Midyear Commencement in December. In her address, she
reminded the graduates to find joy in their decisions and to
find good mentors
Newly Named “Prospect Yards” District Connects SLU’s
North and South Campuses
In March, members of the Saint Louis University family, SSM Health and the
community cast nearly 6,000 votes to name St. Louis’ newest district. The win-ning
name? Prospect Yards.
The 150-acre district connects SLU’s north and south campuses and is bordered
by Laclede Avenue, Chouteau Avenue, Grand Boulevard and Vandeventer and Spring
avenues. The district lies within Midtown in the same way that Cortex is part of
St. Louis’ Central West End neighborhood and the Loop is part of University City.
Prospect Yards includes projects such as the construction of the City Foundry STL
and an Element by Westin hotel, as well as redevelopment of the Armory building.
The name reflects the area’s early 20th-century roots, when the area west of
Grand was known as the “Prospect Industrial District,” one of 17 industrial districts
in the city and home to an extensive rail yard and many businesses.
The umbrella developer for the larger, 400-acre area is St. Louis Midtown
Redevelopment Corporation, which is owned by Saint Louis University and
SSM Health.
Stephen Sondheim Named 2018
St. Louis Literary Award Recipient
The Saint Louis University Library Associates
selected Stephen Sondheim, one of the most
eminent lyricists and composers of the modern era,
to receive the 2018 St. Louis Literary Award. He is
the first musical lyricist to win the award since its
inception in 1967. Sondheim will come to SLU in
October to accept the award.
In a career spanning 70 years, Sondheim has writ-ten
the lyrics, music or both for some of the most
iconic plays in the history of American theater,
including West Side Story, Into the Woods, Sunday in the
Park with George, Sweeney Todd and Gypsy.
The award ceremony and conversation with the
author, who will be interviewed by Muny artistic
director Michael Isaacson (A&S ’86, Grad CSB ’96),
is planned for Oct. 4. For more information, visit
lib.slu.edu/about/associates.
Med School Residency
Program Receives Highest
Accreditation Status
The Accreditation Council for Graduate
Medical Education, the accrediting body for
medical residencies and fellowships, granted the
School of Medicine continued accreditation, its high-est
accreditation status. The status took effect Jan.
24, after a site visit earlier in the month.
SLU is the sponsoring institution for 65 residency
and fellowship programs at six area hospitals and
many other clinical sites.
8.4 Million Gift to Nursing School
Abequest gift totaling $8.4 million will allow the
School of Nursing to create the Dr. and Mrs.
Robert C. Hoppe Endowed Scholarship. The gift
— the largest in the School of Nursing’s history and
among the largest in SLU’s history — was made by the
estate of Mary K. Hoppe (Nurs ’51, Grad Nurs ’59).
“The Hoppes’ generosity in providing educational
assistance for students will live eternally through the
lives of the scholarship recipients and the countless
numbers of patients each student touches,” Nursing
Dean Dr. Teri Murray (Nurs ’79, Grad Nurs ’93, Grad
Ed ’97) said.
The nursing school plans to honor Hoppe and her
husband, Dr. Robert Hoppe (Med ’51), at its 90th
anniversary celebration this fall.
Dois
Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University
No full textSpring 2007 issue of Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis UniversityRemembering Father Mac
PAGE 8
DR. ROB E RT BELSHE
DR. MAR K BULLER
PA UL C Z YS Z
DR. G REG EVANS
DR. DEE ANNA GL ASER
DR. JOEL GOL DS TEIN
DR. JERRY KAT Z
DR. JOHN MORL E Y
DR. K EN WA RREN
DR. TER RI L . WEAVER
VACCINE DEVELOPMENT
VIRAL-BORNE DISEASES
AIR CRASH INVESTIGATION
BIOTERRORISM
COSMETIC DERMATOLOGY
VICE PRESIDENCY
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
GERIATRIC MEDICINE
U.S. POLITICS
POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER
Hearing Voices
PAGE 16
Trophy Life
PAGE 20
Volume 33, Issue 2
E d i t o r
Laura Geiser (A&S ’90, Grad ’92)
C o n t r i b u t o r s
Clayton Berry
Marie Dilg (SW ’94)
Jeff Fowler
Jeanette Grider
Joe Muehlenkamp (A&S, Cook ’89, Grad ’98)
Rachel Otto
Andrea Roewe
Nick Sargent
Nancy Solomon
“ O n C a m p u s ” n e w s s t o r i e s
University Communications
Medical Center Media Relations
Billiken Media Relations
De s i g n
Art Direction: Matthew Krob
Universitas is published by Saint Louis University. Opin-ions
expressed in Universitas are those of the individual
authors and not necessarily those of the University ad-ministration.
Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs
are welcome but will be returned only if accompanied
by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Letters to the
editor must be signed, and letters not intended for pub-lication
should indicate that fact. The editor reserves the
right to edit all items. Address all mail to Universitas,
DuBourg Hall 39, 221 N. Grand, St. Louis, Mo. 63103.
We accept e-mail at [email protected] and fax submissions
at (314) 977-2249. Address fax submissions to Editor,
Universitas.
Postmaster: Send address changes to
Universitas, Saint Louis University,
221 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103.
World Wide Web address:
www.slu.edu/pr/universitas.html
Universitas is printed by Universal Printing Co.
and mailed by Specialty Mailing.
Worldwide circulation: 118,600
© 2007, Saint Louis University
All rights reserved.
Each spring I look forward to our com-mencement
ceremony. There is just
something about the sound of the organ
filling Scottrade Center and the sight of hun-dreds
of graduates having their pictures taken in
their caps and gowns smiling ear-to-ear flanked
by a parent on each side with even bigger smiles
on their faces. I love the banners, the academic
attire and the ritual of it all. It is an exciting
time for professors, students and parents alike,
and the thrill culminates for me when I get to
roar at the end of the ceremony: “I declare you
sons and daughters of Saint Louis University
forever!”
Many students find it difficult to see past my
role as priest and president, but at heart, I am
also an educator. I spent 12 years as a mem-ber
of the faculty at Loyola University Chicago
teaching and six years as a dean at Loyola be-fore
I became president
of SLU. I value my time
as a professor because
what I learned from my
students in the classroom
has influenced the educa-tion-
focused decisions I
have made as president
here.
So, it is a joy for me
to see so many students
excited about what they
have achieved during
their time at SLU and to
witness their enthusiasm
for the future. Every year,
I wonder how the gradu-ates
in the audience will go on to achieve great
things and how the University will play a role in
those successes.
With nearly 108,000 SLU alumni living
around the world, there are many stories of
SLU sons and daughters making the University
proud. But in February, I was blessed to spend
time with one of those sons. He has not only
gone on to achieve great success, he saw fit to
share it with SLU.
I am sure some of you will find familiar the
name that adorns the Chaifetz Arena (read more
on page 2), our long-awaited, on-campus arena,
because its namesake may have been a former
classmate. Dr. Richard A. Chaifetz, who made
a 12 million naming rights gift to the arena
project, graduated from Saint Louis University
in 1975 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
During the past 30 years, Chaifetz founded
Chicago-based ComPsych Corp. and oversaw
its growth into the world’s largest provider of
employee-assistance programs.
It’s truly a blessing that Rich is sharing the
success he achieved after graduating from SLU.
But as an educator, I was more touched to hear
Rich tell the story that inspired him to give back
to his alma mater.
During a press conference announcing his do-nation,
Rich told the media in attendance about
the day he visited the office of former University
President Paul Reinert, S.J. As Rich told those
in attendance, he was faced with the possibility
of having to leave SLU because he could not pay
his tuition.
When Rich reached the president’s office, he
was obviously nervous. But Father Reinert took
the time to meet with him and listened to his
story. Rich punctuated his plea to stay at SLU
by promising that if Father Reinert allowed
him to remain in school,
he would not only pay
SLU the tuition he owed
but give back even more
when he established him-self.
Clearly, he’s made
good on that promise.
Rich truly understands
the benefits he received
by attending Saint Louis
University, not only be-cause
of the investment
Father Reinert made in
him, but the kindness
that all those who support
the University showed
him. Donations, whether
small or large, make it possible for future gen-erations
to share in the educational experience
you received at Saint Louis University.
As we push forward to have SLU recognized
as the finest Catholic university in the nation, we
will continue to need the assistance and leader-ship
of sons and daughters like Rich — and like
you. By making the University even better, you
not only give current students the opportunities
you received, you strengthen the value of your
degree as SLU’s stature and reputation improve
across the country.
No matter how long ago it was that you took
those special pictures with your parents or felt
the excitement of graduation rush over you as
“Pomp and Circumstance” began to play, I hope
you will always remember you are sons and
daughters of Saint Louis University, forever.
— Lawrence Biondi, S.J.
P r e s i den t ’ s Me s s age
U N I V E R S I T A S w w w . s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S S P R I N G 2 0 0 7
F EAT U RES
DE PARTMENTS
2 On Campus
Arena named for Chaifetz Service hours grow Med dean to
retire New endowed chairs Rec Center expands
6 Billiken News
Three fall NCAA Tourney appearances New Hall of Fame inductees
7 Campaign Update
A conversation with Tom Keefe, development vice president
24 Class Notes
Catch up with classmates
28 In Memoriam
Remembering those members of the SLU community who recently died
30 Alumni Events
Find SLU alumni activities wherever you live
32 Perspective
An alumnus shares the courage and inspiration of his college roommate
33 The Last Word
Letters to the editor
8
16
Remembering
Father Mac
SLU’s champion of
Cupples House and the
arts, Maurice McNamee,
S.J., died in January.
By Clayton Berry
and Nick Sargent
Meet the Experts
Insights and experiences from 10 faculty members who
frequently appear in the media. 10 Photos by Jim Visser 20
Hearing VOICES
An innovative program
helps members of
the SLU community
find their calling.
By Marie Dilg
Trophy Life
A Q&A with alumnus
Mark Lamping, president
of the St. Louis Cardinals.
By Laura Geiser
A springtime workout at the expanded Simon Recreation Center.
Photo by Jim Visser
U N I V E R S I T A S w w w . s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S S P R I N G 2 0 0 7
6,000 Lineal feet of underground piping used in the construction 34,000 Square feet of brick being used in the project — enough to cover a regulation basketball court 7.25 times »
Saint Louis University announced Feb. 28 that its new 10,600-
seat multipurpose arena will be named in honor of University
alumnus Dr. Richard A. Chaifetz (SHAY-fetz), who made a
12 million naming rights gift to the project. Chaifetz Arena will
open in March 2008. It will be home to Billiken men’s and women’s
basketball and will host other events.
Chaifetz (A&S ’75) is a licensed neuropsychologist and is founder,
chairman and CEO of Chicago-based ComPsych Corp., the world’s
largest provider of employee-assistance programs (EAP). ComPsych
is also the leading provider of fully integrated EAP, behavioral health,
work-life, wellness, crisis intervention services and outsourced human
resources solutions under the GuidanceResources brand. ComPsych
provides services to more than 25 million individuals and 10,000 or-ganizations
throughout the United States and 92 countries. Chaifetz
is one of the world’s most frequently quoted experts on behavioral
health, workplace issues as well as employer and employee trends.
“It is an honor for Saint Louis University to have Dr. Richard
Chaifetz’s name on our arena, which will mean so much to the Uni-versity
and the entire St. Louis community,” said University President
Lawrence Biondi, S.J. “Not only is Dr. Chaifetz respected around the
world for the success of ComPsych Corp., but we take special pride
because he is an extremely successful alumnus who cares deeply about
his alma mater and future generations of SLU students.”
“I am proud to have the University name this arena in my honor,”
Chaifetz said. “My education at Saint Louis University has had a tre-mendous
impact upon my life, both personally and in business. As
an avid sports fan, I have fond memories of the many sporting events
I attended while an undergraduate at SLU. Having the arena in my
name is especially meaningful.”
Chaifetz is a native of New York, and in 1971 he turned down an
appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to attend
SLU on the advice of his high school dean and mentor. He credits for-mer
University President Paul Reinert, S.J., with helping him remain
at SLU when financial issues threatened his ability to stay in school.
“Father Reinert told me he believed in me and allowed me to stay
at SLU at a time in my life when I didn’t have the financial resources
to pay for my tuition,” Chaifetz said. “I promised him not only would
I pay my tuition, but that I would pay back the University in an even
bigger way in the future. Now, this is an opportunity for me to give
back to the University for all the support and guidance I received as
an undergraduate here. It is my hope that Chaifetz Arena will en-hance
the on-campus experience for every future Saint Louis Univer-sity
student, as well as the city of St. Louis.”
Chaifetz has been named to the Who’s Who list of Crain’s Chi-cago
Business for three consecutive years — 2004, 2005 and 2006.
He serves on the board of directors of several corporations, as well
as nonprofit organizations. Chaifetz received his Psy.D. from the Il-linois
School of Professional Psychology. He is married and has two
children. — Jeff Fowler
At the construction site of
the new Chaifetz Arena
SLU lauded in
recent rankings
Two publications,
St. Louis Maga-zine
and the St.
Louis Business Journal,
have recognized Saint
Louis University as one
of the area’s best places
to work. St. Louis Magazine named the
region’s “45 companies that know how
to keep their employees happy.” SLU
was highlighted for its award-winning
retirement plan.
In addition, for the second straight
year, the St. Louis Regional Chamber
and Growth Association named SLU
to its list of “Greater St. Louis Top 50
Businesses Shaping Our Future.” The
50 companies recognized in 2006 were
selected for their contributions to the St.
Louis region and future impact on the
business community.
more than 300 Philosophy professors worldwide name
saint louis University programs among the best
Top philosophers from around the world gave high marks to philosophy pro-grams
at Saint Louis University. The Philosophical Gourmet Report ranked
SLU’s medieval philosophy program the best in the United States and rated
the philosophy of religion program behind only those at Notre Dame and Oxford
universities. SLU also earned a special mention in epistemology, the philosophy of
knowledge.
More than 300 philosophy professors worldwide completed online surveys about
philosophy departments in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and
New Zealand.
SLU welcomes noted speakers
The former prime minister of Israel,
Ehud Barak, visited Saint Louis
University earlier this year and dis-cussed
“Blueprint for Global Relations: A
Macro Analysis of How National Politics,
International Events, Terror and the Econ-omy
All Influence National and Interna-tional
Relations.” Prime minister of Israel
from 1999 to 2001, Barak led the country
out of prolonged recession and into an eco-nomic
boom.
In February, famed
filmmaker Spike Lee
was the keynote speak-er
for SLU’s celebra-tion
of Black History
Month. He is known
for such films as Do
the Right Thing and
When the Levees Broke,
a documentary focus-ing
on the plight of Americans stranded in
New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Lee
delivered a presentation titled “The Media’s
Affect on Black America.”
The spring 1982 edition of Universitas featured the
cover story “Portrait of the Class Clown” describing
a student’s effort to become a professional clown.
He said running away to the circus is not as easy as it sounds.
Don Ganz (A&S ’78, Grad Cook ’83) shared his experience at
Barnum & Bailey Clown College and how that opportunity made
him more marketable. After his three-month adventure at clown
college, Ganz returned to SLU to complete his MBA.
The magazine also included an article, remembering Joseph
“Buck” Davis, S.J. The story reflected his many contributions to
the University in his years of service. The founder of what is
now the John Cook School of Business, Davis used
his self-taught business skills to recruit nearly the entire
staff for the school. Businessman Martin Shaughnessy, a close friend of Davis’,
donated 750,000 for construction of a home for the school, which was named
Davis-Shaughnessy Hall for their efforts.
Also, in this issue, University President Thomas Fitzgerald, S.J., discussed
changes in national legislation for financial aid. Fitzgerald focused on SLU’s
dedication and commitment to its students. He said the administration
was working on ways for students to afford a SLU education, in light of
the financial aid cuts proposed by President Ronald Reagan.
Lee
Sign
of the
Times
Sister Mary Terese
Donze (A&S ’44), a
resident of DeMattias
Hall, shared one of
her many inventions
— a gadget that rewound
adding machine paper
so it could be used four
times instead of just
once.
– from the story titled
“Nun Has 2nd Career
as Inventor/
Author”
Quotable UTAS
“Thomas Aquinas long ago pointed
out that learning takes place only if
the learner does something. One cannot
pour knowledge into the head or heart of
a student as one pours wine into a glass.”
— Dr. Francis L. Gross Jr. (A&S ’55, Grad ’56, ’64), an author speaking about his book Passages
in Teaching: Predictable Crises in the Teaching of Adolescents and Young Adults. Gross taught in the
theology department from 1966 to 1969.
Arena named for alumnus
Richard Chaifetz
Make a gift and follow the construction of Chaifetz Arena at arena.slu.edu.
Photos by Kevin Lowder
above LEFT: Chaifetz (far right) and his family look over a 1975 SLU yearbook with Mary Bruemmer (second from left), former dean of women and University volunteer.
Center: The Chaifetz family (from left), Jessica, Ross, Richard and Jill with a rendering of Chaifetz Arena. right: Biondi (left) presents Chaifetz with a Billiken basketball jersey.
Biondi (left) and Chaifetz at the news conference announcing the new name.
U N I V E R S I T A S w w w . s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S S P R I N G 2 0 0 7
Photo by Jim Visser
News Briefs
Drs. Paul J. Shore, Todd Swanstrom
and Stephen Paul Wernet received
Fulbright Scholar grants this school
year. Shore, a professor of educa-tional
studies, is at the Collegium
Budapest in Hungary. Wernet, a pro-fessor
of social work, is at Ostrava
University in the Czech Republic. And
Swanstrom, a professor of public
policy studies, is at the University of
Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
Dr. Charlotte Royeen, dean of the
Doisy College of Health Sciences, won
the National Jesuit Book Award for
2006. Royeen is co-editor of Educat-ing
for Moral Action: A Sourcebook for
Health and Rehabilitation Ethics.
Darius U. Dunn is the general
manager of the new Chaifetz Arena.
Dunn previously served as associate
director of the Stephen O’Connell
Center at the University of Florida.
Dr. Brian D. Till, chairman of the mar-keting
department at the John Cook
School of Business, was appointed
to the Clarence and Helen Steber En-dowed
Professorship in Marketing. The
endowed professorship was created in
1971 to recognize a scholar in the field
of marketing for teaching, scholarly
work and work with the business com-munity.
At the construction site of
the new Chaifetz Arena 430,000 Hours of work that will be spent on the 18-month project 75,000 Cubic yards of dirt that will be moved during construction — about 375,000 full wheelbarrow loads 191 Drilled piers in the foundation, each approximately 30 feet tall
campus enthusiastically embraces RecREATION Center expansion
The University recently completed a 40,000-square-foot expansion of the Simon Rec-reation
Center, paid for by students who voted to assess themselves a fee to fund the
project.
The new space includes more than 150 new pieces of fitness equipment, a juice bar and
lounge, additional locker rooms, several multipurpose rooms, wellness suite, traversing wall
and gaming area.
Students so enthusiastically embraced the expansion that less than a month after it opened,
the Rec Center expanded its hours to meet demand.
Additional improvements are planned for this school year. The second phase of the project
includes renovations to the main level and the second floor. The lobby, locker rooms, elevated
track and special event rooms will be updated. An elevator also will be installed.
DEAN OF THE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE ANNOUNCES HER RETIREMENT
Dr. Patricia L. Monteleone (Med ’61, Pub Hlth ’91, Grad Cook
’91) one of the first women appointed to lead a U.S. medical
school when she was named the 11th dean of Saint Louis Uni-versity
School of Medicine in 1994, announced her intention to retire in
March. With 13 years of service, she is the longest continuously serving
woman dean in the history of U.S. medical schools.
Monteleone, a pediatrician with an expertise in medical genetics,
has presided over the school during a time of rapid change in American
medicine. She has overseen a restructuring of the school’s medical cur-riculum;
an expansion in the amount of research funding at the school
from both governmental and private industry sources; and the creation of the University
Medical Group (SLUCare), the clinical practice of the faculty at SLU School of Medicine.
Monteleone will continue to serve as dean until a new dean is identified.
Endowed chairs honor
donors, slu scholars
Thanks to generous donations,
SLU added two endowed chairs
during the last year.
The James B. and Joan C. Peter Endowed
Chair in Biochemistry and Molecular Biol-ogy
was made possible by a donation of 2
million from Dr. James and Joan Peter. The
Hubert Mäder Endowed Chair in Health
Care Ethics was made possible through a
$1.5 million donation from the Geschwister
Mader Foundation in Zurich, Switzerland.
Dr. James B. Peter (Med ’58) has had a
distinguished career in academic medicine
and business. He is founder and former
chief executive officer of Specialty Labo-ratories,
a leading hospital-focused clinical
reference laboratory. He and his wife, Joan,
generously supported research and educa-tion
at SLU for many years. Dr. William S.
Sly (Med ’57) is the inaugural chair holder.
Huber Mäder, a surgeon and philanthro-pist,
created his foundation to demonstrate
his lifelong passion for the ethical practice
of medicine. Dr. James M. DuBois is the
inaugural chair holder.
Annual service hours soar to nearly 780,000, survey says
Members of the Saint Louis University community certainly know how to give back.
In 2006, SLU students, faculty and staff contributed 779,776 hours of commu-nity
service and outreach, according to the report, “Beyond the Classroom.”
That’s more than in 2005 (753,806) and up significantly from five years ago, when the
reported number of service hours was approximately 490,000.
SLU’s academic courses and programs provide great opportunities for service. According to
the new report, SLU students spent more than 80,000 hours helping the community through
class and program-sponsored activities.
virtual tour of italian church
possible via new technology
Using technology typically associ-ated
with video games, two SLU
theologians created an interac-tive,
3-D tour of one of Europe’s most im-portant
churches.
Theology professors Drs. Jay Ham-mond
(A&S ’93, Grad ’94, ’98) and James
Ginther spent more than a year building
the virtual version of Italy’s landmark Ba-silica
of Saint Francis of Assisi.
Their 3-D model allows virtual tour-goers
to walk nearly everywhere in the upper basil-ica
and fly close to the church’s famed paint-ings
and stained-glass windows. Most virtual
tours of historic buildings rely on 360-degree
panoramas and offer limited interactivity.
Other virtual tour projects have been equally
advanced, but the SLU professors’ tour is one
of the first able to run on a PC.
Ignatian retiree group looking for new volunteers
The Ignatian Volunteer Corps is searching for retirees to help with the good work its
chapters are doing across the county.
The IVC is an organization that combines service to the poor with a unique process
of spiritual reflection. Established in 1995 by Jesuit priests Jim Conroy, S.J., and Charlie
Costello, S.J., the program is for retired women
and men, age 50 and older. To learn more about
the IVC or to sign u
Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University
No full textWinter 2014 issue of Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis Universitywinter 2014
Oriflamme
Marks 50 Years
Page 12
Center for
Global Citizenship
Page 16
Alumnus Jimmie
Edwards
Page 18
Art Exhibit with
Local Roots
Page 22
Page 8
C O N T E N T S
f e a t u r e s d e p a r tme n t s
8 | SLU Downtown
The School of Law has moved into its new home in the
heart of St. Louis’ legal community.
— By Lauren Brucker
12 | Warm Welcome
Oriflamme, the student welcome organization, celebrated
its 50th anniversary this fall.
— By Amy Garland
16 | Going Global
The new Center for Global Citizenship has transformed
the former West Pine Gym.
— By Danielle Lacey
18 | The Power of Education
Alumnus Judge Jimmie Edwards is redefining education
for troubled youth in St. Louis.
— By Laura Geiser
22 | No Place Like Home
The latest exhibition at the Saint Louis University
Museum of Art has local ties.
— By Andrew Walker
2 | On Campus
San Ignacio Hall ///
Presidential search update
/// SLU’s latest honors ///
NASA collaboration ///
Health clinic relocation
6 | Biliken News
Basketball schedules
/// Baseball coach
recognized
7 | Advancement News
The impact of
scholarship gifts
23 | Clas Notes
Catch up with classmates.
28 | In Memoriam
Remembering those
members of the SLU
community who recently
died
30 | Al u mni Events
SLU alumni activities
across the country
32 | Perspective
A homily by the late
SLU professor John
Kavanaugh, S.J.
33 | The Last Word
Letters to the editor
Photo by JAMES VISSER
Law students in the
Louis Riethmann Pavilion on
the 12th floor of Scott Hall.
Volume 40, Issue 1
Editor
Laura Geiser (A&S ’90, Grad ’92)
contributors
Lauren Brucker
Amy Garland (A&S ’97)
Danielle Lacey
Katie O’Connor (A&S ’97)
Andrew Walker
On Campus news stories
University Communications
Medical Center Communications
Billiken Media Relations
ON THE Cover
Joe and Loretta Scott Hall, the new home of
the School of Law, in downtown St. Louis.
Photo by James Visser
Design
Art Direction: Matt Krob
Universitas is published by Saint Louis University.
Opinions expressed in Universitas are those of the
individual authors and not necessarily those of the
University administration. Unsolicited manuscripts
and photographs are welcome but will be returned
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F A L L 2 0 0 4 W I N T E R 2 0 0 5
It is a pleasure to take this
opportunity to address
Saint Louis University
alumni via Universitas. As a
longtime reader of this maga-zine,
it is certainly a different
experience to be writing a mes-sage
for it.
As you may know, I have spent
the past 18 years of my career at
SLU serving as the University’s
general counsel. So in August I
did not anticipate being asked
to become SLU’s interim pres-ident.
Though the request was
unexpected and I had been perfectly content in
my position as a university attorney, I could not
say no. Saint Louis University is an institution
I truly love and have been honored to serve, so
taking on this new role was the right thing to
do.
Since my appointment became effective on
Sept. 2, I have gained an even greater appre-ciation
for the importance and impact of this
outstanding institution. As general counsel, I
met and worked with many people across the
University, but as interim president I have got-ten
to know so many more who are equally as
passionate about Saint Louis University and
about Jesuit education as I am.
In October I had the privilege of attending
a historic meeting with the superior general of
the Society of Jesus, Adolfo Nicolás, S.J., who
was visiting from Rome. Held in Chicago and
hosted by the Association of Jesuit Colleges
and Universities, the gathering included the
presidents and board chairs from all 28 U.S.
Jesuit colleges and universities. It truly was an
honor for me to join this august group of lead-ers
at this first-ever meeting of its kind.
During his remarks Father Nicolás reminded
us of how the spirituality of St. Ignatius Loyola,
founder of the Jesuits, can inspire us today. He
said: “In the understanding of St. Ignatius, the
principal function of a leader is to help the
members of a community grow to become the
living presence of God in the world.”
Perhaps it was the timing, but that statement
struck a chord with me. I always had been aware
of the University’s efforts to encourage growth
and transformation. But as interim president I
know I am seeing Saint Louis University in an
entirely new light.
I am meeting students who
truly embrace our Catholic,
Jesuit values. Whether serving
their fellow students, tutoring
young people or serving meals
to the poor, they truly live our
mission.
I also am meeting faculty
who fully embrace their roles
as leaders and show our stu-dents
how “to become the living
presence of God in the world.”
Our professors teach at prisons,
create healthier school lunches
for local districts and travel the
world to aid indigent communities, assisting
with everything from health care to clean water
wells.
Finally, I am meeting alumni who are living
the lessons they learned at Saint Louis Uni-versity.
In November I started gathering with
alumni groups to provide an update on all of
the great things happening at the University
and to answer questions about SLU. The first
event was held in St. Louis, and in December
I met with alumni in Chicago. In the spring I
plan to travel to even more cities to hold these
information-sharing sessions.
For me, the best parts of these meetings come
before and after my remarks, when I have time
to talk one-on-one with our alumni. I have met
so many SLU graduates who are making a dif-ference
in our world in big and small ways. They
truly illustrate for me the power and promise of
a Saint Louis University education.
I also have enjoyed experiencing the enthu-siasm
our alumni have for their alma mater.
Indeed, Saint Louis University is a wonderful
place, and I am humbled to be at the helm, at
least for a little while.
Please know I am always interested in hear-ing
from alumni. If you would like to reach
out to me, please send an email message to
[email protected].
William R. Kauffman
Interim President
P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S A G E
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Presidential
Search Underway
In September, the Sa int L oui s
University board of trustees officially
launched the search for a new university
president by establishing a search com-mittee
and by engaging the consulting
firm AGB Search. The search commit-tee
is chaired by trustee Jim Smith, and its members are:
James Burshek, S.J. (A&S ’69), trustee
Anne Gagen (Cook ’72, Grad Cook ’76), trustee
Dr. Jeffrey Gfeller, professor and chairman, psychology
department, College of Arts and Sciences
John Griesbach, professor, School of Law
Al Litteken, trustee
Dr. Teri Murray (Nurs ’79, Grad Nurs ’93, E&PS ’97),
dean, School of Nursing
Dr. Frank O’Donnell, trustee
Vidur Sharma, president, Student Government Association
Patrick Sly (Grad Cook ’77), vice chairman of the board
and trustee
Dr. Jane Turner (A&S ’85, Grad ’91, Med ’92), president,
Faculty Senate
This fall, Smith and AGB Search’s managing partner, Dr.
Jamie Ferrare, met with various University groups to discuss the
presidential search and to learn about the characteristics and
qualities that the SLU community seeks in its next president.
They received input from hundreds of people via direct meet-ings
and emails.
In October, the committee released the presidential position
description, which was approved by the board. This description
can be found online at slu.edu/presidential-search.
The committee is now in the next phase of the search, which
includes identifying prospective candidates and discussing
SLU’s presidential position with them. In January, the search
committee will work to narrow the candidate list to approx-imately
two or three candidates who can be proposed to the
board for review.
“We are very enthused about all the advantages that Saint
Louis University has to offer a prospective president,” Smith
said. “And speaking for the search committee, I can assure you
we will do everything possible to find a great new leader for
Saint Louis University.”
Accolades for SL U ’s
Academics, Service and Value
Ranked among the top Jesuit universities in the coun-try,
Saint Louis University continues to earn praise from
new sources as well as established ones. Here are some of the
University’s most recent honors.
University Dedicates
San Ignacio Hall
in Madrid
Saint Louis University’s Spanish presence
continues to grow. In September, the
University celebrated the opening of its
newest building in Madrid, San Ignacio Hall.
The recently renovated, 26,000-square-foot
building nearly doubles the size
of SLU-Madrid and adds a new library,
classroom space, art and dance studios,
and a restaurant. Photo by Ángel García López
o n c a m p u s
Princeton Review
best college
Saint Louis University made
the Princeton Review’s The
Best 378 Colleges: 2014
Edition. Only about 15 percent
of America’s 2,500 four-year
colleges are profiled in the book.
The profile of SLU highlights
its “solid academic programs”
and sustainability efforts. The
Princeton Review also called
SLU a place where “service,
social justice and political
awareness are stressed at
every level of education.”
Top Marks for Commitment to Service
For the third year in a row, Washington Monthly ranked SLU
among the top five universities in the nation for community
service. The publication looks at schools’ contributions to
the public good in three categories: social mobility, research
and service. SLU was No. 4. The University also earned list-ings
as “Top Jesuit School” and “Top Faith-Based School,”
as well as second place on the list of top private institutions.
In addition, SLU was one of a handful of institutions rec-ognized
at the President’s Interfaith and Community Service
Campus Challenge National Gathering in September.
Started by President Barack Obama in 2011, the chal-lenge
calls for campuses to increase interfaith service and
engagement over the course of one year. The University was
honored for hosting nearly 100 interfaith events.
Finally, SLU placed fifth on Hercampus.com’s 2013 list of
“The Most Charitable Schools.” Hercampus.com is a colle-giate
guide and news network for women college students.
Kiplinger’s
best values in
private colleges
The University was recognized
for affordability and academic
quality among Kiplinger’s “Best
Values in Private Colleges.”
The 2014 list includes the
top 200 private colleges
in the country. Saint Louis
University has appeared on
the list multiple times.
Sierra Club
cool school
SLU was named one of
Sierra Club’s “Cool Schools,”
an honor given by the
environmental organization
to colleges and universities
around the country that are
committed to sustainability.
The list recognizes green
accomplishments and
efforts, such as faculty
and departments engaged
in sustainability research,
and sustainability-themed
courses or curricula.
CollegesofDistinction.com
college of
distinction
One of six Missouri schools —
and the only institution from St.
Louis — to make the 2013-14
list, the University was selected
for its commitment to four
areas: engaged students, great
teaching, vibrant community
and successful outcomes.
SLU was also selected as a
“Catholic College of Distinction.”
Smith
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SL U ’s Free Medical
Clinic Relocates
in North St. Louis
Sa int Louis Univer s it y’s Hea lth
Resource Center, a free clinic oper-ated
by medical school students under the
guidance of SLU faculty physicians, cele-brated
its 20th anniversary of caring for
the underserved and underinsured with
a move to a newer, larger facility in north St. Louis. The new site is known as
the Jesuit Health Resource Center.
Dr. Eva Frazer, a former member of SLU’s board of trustees, and her hus-band
Steven Roberts donated the space.
The new clinic has a large patient waiting room, six patient exam rooms, a
social work room, a conference room, multipurpose rooms, expanded lab space
and a classroom. With the additional space, SLU is exploring the possibility of
offering other services.
Last year the Health Resource Center served more than 1,000 patients at
primary care, well women and pediatrics clinics. About 73 percent lacked
insurance.
Students began seeing patients in the new space during their regular
Saturday morning session late this summer.
NIH Taps SL U to Bid on Nearly
1 billion in projects to study
infectious diseases, including emerging threats.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the NIH,
has funded vaccine research at SLU since 1989. The new contract represents
what likely is the largest research contract or grant in the University’s history.
SLU received an “Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity” contract with
an estimated value of up to 951
million for the contract duration. Only centers accepted as VTEUs can bid
on specific projects. This is a change in the federal funding mechanism for
vaccine research, said Dr. Robert Belshe, director of the Center for Vaccine
Development and principal investigator on the project.
Business EnDowed
Professor Named
The John Cook School of Business has
appointed Dr. Bidisha Chakrabarty,
associate professor of finance, to the Edward
Jones Endowed Professorship in Finance.
Edward Jones created the endowed pro-fessorship
in 2007 to recognize an expert in
finance who provides academic leadership
through teaching, research and service.
Chakrabarty joined the business school
facult y in 2003. She has received the
Outstanding Faculty Award given by the
John Cook School of Business Alumni
Board, the Kwak Research Award for the
best research productive faculty, the ICRIER
policy paper grant and the National Stock
Exchange of India Research Initiative Grant.
Chakrabarty is a lso a consultant to
Beyond Housing, an organization that
helps families facing foreclosure. She is an
author and researcher on the topics of mar-ket
microstructure, securities regulation,
disclosure and market reaction, and market
design and price discovery.
Parks
Students,
NASA
Launch
Camera
into Space
COPPER (SLU-
01), Saint Louis
Univer s i t y ’s f i r s t
spacecraft designed,
bui l t , t e s t e d and
operated by students
at Parks College of
Engineering, Aviation
and Technology, launched Nov. 19 from the Mid-Atlantic
Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, Va. The Air Force
Research Laboratory and NASA Missouri Space Grant
funded the project development, and the launch of
COPPER was sponsored by NASA.
COPPER is a one kilogram, 10-centimeter cube and is
made of commercially available spacecraft parts and stu-dent-
developed electronics.
The mission tests the effectiveness of a commercial infra-red
camera for in-space navigation and object detection, as
well as observes the Earth in the infrared spectrum.
For the next 12 months, Parks College students
will operate COPPER from a radio control station in
McDonnell Douglas Hall on the SLU campus. The space-craft
will de-orbit naturally in less than four years.
COPPER is a product of the Space Systems Research
Laboratory, which is led by Dr. Michael Swartwout and
Dr. Sanjay Jayaram of the department of aerospace and
mechanical engineering, and Dr. Kyle Mitchell of the
department of electrical and computer engineering. More
than 50 undergraduate and graduate students worked to
create COPPER during the past three years.
Class
of 2017
boasts
high
marks
This fall, SLU
welcomed one
of the largest and
most academically
gifted freshman
classes in University
history. The Class of
2017’s credentials
include a mean high
school GPA of 3.81
and an average
ACT score of 27.6.
Geographically,
44 states and
24 countries are
represented in this
year’s freshman
class, and nearly 75
percent of SLU��s
new students
hail from outside
the St. Louis
metropolitan area.
By The Numbers
2013 Make A Difference Day:
SLU’s 16th annual day of
service in October was one of
the largest in University history.
TIAA-CREF was the primary
financial sponsor for the event.
3,691 participants
91% of the volunteers were students.
312 faculty, staff, alumni and
parents participated.
197 Kappa Delta sorority sisters made
the largest volunteer team.
140 community organizations, schools,
churches and homes benefited —
the most sites in the event’s history.
News Bri e fs
University President Emeritus Lawrence Biondi,
S.J., received the 2013 Mayor’s Award for his influence
on economic development in the city of St. Louis.
During Biondi’s tenure, the University had a major
impact on the region’s economy; an independent
study found that SLU generated $715.5 million in
economic impact during 2011 alone. St. Louis Mayor
Francis G. Slay (Law ’80) presented the award in
October.
J. Joe Adorjan (Cook ’63, Grad Cook ’67), chairman
of the University’s board of trustees, was awarded the
Hungarian Order of Merit-Knight’s Cross, Hungary’s
highest state honor. Adorjan is the honorary general
consul of Hungary as well as the founder of the
Hungarian-Missouri Educational Partnership, which
links four Missouri universities, including SLU, with five
Hungarian universities to enhance the education of
emerging leaders who will help create a lasting bond
between the two countries.
Dr. Alexander Garza (PH ’03), the former assistant
secretary for health affairs and chief medical officer
for the Department of Homeland Security, has joined
the faculty of the College for Public Health and Social
Justice. Garza is associate dean for public health
practice and associate professor of epidemiology.
David Cassens is the new dean for University
Libraries. He has served as interim University librarian
since June 2012. Previously he served as assistant
university librarian for administration and director of
Pius XII Memorial Library. He has worked at SLU for
nearly 15 years.
In October, Dr. Mildred Mattfeldt-Beman (Grad E&PS
’92), chair of the department of nutrition and dietetics,
received a Medallion Award from the Academy of
Nutrition and Dietetics for guiding her department
to national prominence. Mattfeldt-Beman has built
a program that is a community resource — advising
congressmen, creating healthier school lunches and
promoting business in the region.
Dr. Mike Shaner, professor at the John Cook School
of Business, has been named the “Best Management
Professor” by the World Education Congress in
Mumbai. Shaner was recognized as a thinker and doer
who served as a “role model and a believer in change.”
He joined the SLU faculty in 1974.
Dr. Diana Carlin, associate vice president for graduate
education and international initiatives, was one of 11
U.S. administrators selected by the U.S. and French
Fulbright commissions to participate in a two-week
seminar in France in October. The purpose was to help
both the Americans and French better understand
the other’s higher education and research areas,
and to explain partnership opportunities with French
universities.
o n c a m p u s
HOMECOMING 2013:
Saint Louis University’s 2013 Homecoming
and Family Weekend drew nearly 2,500 people
to campus Sept. 27-29. The celebration
included the popular golf cart parade, with
the theme “Meet Me in St. Louis,” and
celebrations of SLU’s Golden Billikens,
members of the class of 1963 and earlier.
The weekend was capped off with a win by
the men’s soccer team and a spectacular
fireworks display. The 2014 Homecoming
will be Sept. 25-28. Photo by Steve Dolan
Olivia Johnson gets her ears examined
at the clinic by faculty volunteer
Dr. Marilyn Maxwell, professor of
internal medicine and pediatrics.
A student building COPPER (SLU-01).
From left: Dr. Scott Safranski, interim business dean;
Chakrabarty; Robert J. Ciapciak (Grad Cook ’82) of
Edward Jones; and Interim President William Kauffman.
pictured: Students packing meals for Feed My Starving Children on Make A Difference Day. Photo by Kevin Lowder
Photo by Kevin Lowder
Photo by Katie O’Connor
6 | U N I V E R S I T A S | w w w. s l u . e d u wi n t e r ’ 1 4 | U N I V E R S I T A S | 7
When Saint Louis University freshman Michael Milek got
a call with scholarship news last spring, he wasn’t imme-diately
sure the news was good. “At first I didn’t think I got it
because of the tone of the caller,” said Milek, an athletic training
major in Doisy College of Health Sciences. “However, he told me
that I received it, and I was really happy.”
The Philadelphia native had been awarded the Martin Luther
King Jr. Scholarship, a merit-based University scholarship granted
to students with a mix of academic achievement, demonstrated
leadership and commitment to service. The scholarship w
Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University
No full textSpring/Summer 2003 issue of Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis UniversityT H E M AG A Z I N E O F S A I N T L O U I S U N I V E R S I T Y
S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 0 3
SLU &
Midtown
By Lawrence Biondi, S.J.
Saint Louis University President
It’s official: After extensive research and planning, Saint
Louis University is moving forward on plans for two excit-ing
projects — an arena and a research building. You can read
more about the details elsewhere in this issue, but I wanted to
share my perspective on these monumental undertakings and
what they mean for SLU.
Let’s start with the arena. This project has generated much
discussion over the years, especially among our Billiken faith-ful.
Although SLU has been eager to put the pieces in place
for a top-notch athletic facility for some time now, funding
proved to be a major obstacle. We also maintained that a
new arena should serve much more than our Billiken men’s
basketball program.
Yes, we envision a 13,000-seat basket-ball
venue with a cozy atmosphere, a true
college feel and a potentially exhilarating
home-court advantage. But with a new
arena, we are adding yet another compo-nent
to the overall Saint Louis University
experience. This project will provide a
facility that is easily accessible to our stu-dents
for commencement ceremonies and
other special engagements, thereby
becoming a multipurpose events center.
(For more details, see page 13.)
We plan to construct our new facility
near the Grand Center arts and entertain-ment
district. As we strive to strengthen
our community, a new arena will be yet
another beacon for Midtown. We remain
committed to creating a true “college
town” atmosphere with shops, restaurants
and entertainment, ultimately making
Midtown a place where people go to live,
to socialize and to learn.
Of course, there are direct benefits for our athletic pro-grams.
A new arena will allow us to avoid scheduling conflicts
at Savvis Center, the current home of our men’s basketball
team, and will help us in recruiting student-athletes.
Finally, we believe a new arena will better cater to our fans
— even those not living on campus. We came to this con-clusion
thanks to a marketing study, which also indicated that
once built, an arena could provide the University with new
sources of revenue from premium seating, advertising and
sponsorship. This revenue would allow us to operate the
building without drawing on SLU tuition dollars or dipping
into our endowment.
This “budget neutral” concept for the arena project also is
providing a model for our other major endeavor, a research
building. Candidly, as excited as I am about the arena, my
first and foremost priority is the research building.
The need for a dedicated research facility has become a
necessity as external funding for SLU research has expanded
significantly and successfully during the past decade. The ini-tiative
for a new research building at our Health Sciences
Center is part of an overall 80 million investment in new
and renovated research space that will represent the largest
single building project since the University’s founding in
1818. (For more details, see page 2.)
The new research building will provide state-of-the-art
facilities for health sciences research that directly touches lives
while providing additional services to the community. The
facility will allow for the consolidation of laboratories scat-tered
in different locations at the Health
Sciences Center. This unification will
strengthen the thematic areas of research
through collaborative interactions. In addi-tion,
the new research building will aid in
the retention of experienced biomedical
investigators, assist department chairpersons
in recruiting outstanding faculty
researchers and enhance the development
of new research and degree programs.
The building also will expand the
University’s research efforts and strengthen
our ability to compete for important exter-nal
funding. This, in turn, would increase
the prestige of Saint Louis University as a
major research center and aid in the
recruitment of students.
Pursuit of truth and scholarly inquiry
into new and better understandings of our
world have been part of the Ignatian tradi-tion
for hundreds of years. Research is an
integral part of our mission, a strong com-ponent
of our faculty endeavors and an
unparalleled educational tool for our students. As we move
forward on this important initiative, I look forward to the
future benefits we will reap from this important investment
in research.
I would like to extend my gratitude to all of those people
involved in both projects and invite everyone in our Saint
Louis University community to spread the word about these
two important developments. It is an exciting time to be part
of our Saint Louis University family as our destiny of becom-ing
the finest Catholic university in the nation continues to
take shape.
UNIVERSITAS
Volume 29, No. 2
Editor
Laura Geiser (A&S ’90, Grad ’92)
Assistant Editor
Chris Waldvogel
Intern
Billy Brennan
Contributors
Marie Dilg (Soc Ser ’94)
Katie Hanson (A&S ’02)
Matt Shaw
Bob Woodruff
Photo Credits
David Altman, 6
Bill Barrett, 7
Steve Dolan, 25
Kevin Lowder, 4, 14-17, 20-21
Kristen Peterson, 3
John Vieth, 9, 11, 12
James Visser, cover, 9, 10
Design
AKA Design Inc.
Art Direction: Richie Murphy
Design: Stacy Lanier
UNIVERSITAS is published quarterly by
Saint Louis University. Opinions
expressed in UNIVERSITAS are those of
the individual authors and not neces-sarily
those of the University adminis-tration.
Unsolicited manuscripts and
photographs are welcome but will be
returned only if accompanied by a
stamped, self-addressed envelope.
Letters to the editor must be signed,
and letters not intended for publica-tion
should indicate that fact. The
editor reserves the right to edit all
items. Please address all mail to
UNIVERSITAS, DuBourg Hall 39, 221
N. Grand, St. Louis, MO 63103. We
accept e-mail at [email protected] and fax
submissions at (314) 977-2249.
Address fax submissions to Editor,
UNIVERSITAS.
Postmaster: Send address changes to
UNIVERSITAS, Saint Louis University, 221
N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103.
World Wide Web address:
www.slu.edu/pr/universitas.html
UNIVERSITAS is printed by Universal
Printing Co. and mailed by Accurate
Business Mailers Inc.
Worldwide circulation: 109,325
© 2003, Saint Louis University.
All rights reserved.
On the Cover: The Continental
Life Building. Its renovation is a
sign of the resurgence of SLU’s
neighborhood. For more on
Midtown St. Louis, see page 8.
IIN MEMORIIAM AALLUUMMNNII nnootteess
2
23 32
28 30
SPRING/summer 2003
8
A Grand Plan
Saint Louis University’s neighborhood
is undergoing a Renaissance.
14
Jesuit Treasures
Take a peek at the newest exhibit
at the Saint Louis University
Museum of Art.
18
Are You What You Eat?
SLU nutritionists share their tips
for healthy living.
C O N T E N T S
2
Research building
slated for Health
Sciences Center
Saint Louis University’s
board of trustees has
authorized the SLU adminis-tration
to proceed with the
design and site selection
for a new research cen-ter
at the Health
Sciences Center, part of
an 80 million invest-ment
in new and reno-vated
research space. This
is the largest single build-ing
project since the
University’s found-ing
in 1818.
Last spring, University
President Lawrence Biondi,
S.J., identified the new
research center as his top pri-ority.
The building has been
in the planning stages for sev-eral
years.
Dr. Joseph Weixlmann,
who as provost is the
University’s chief academic
officer, said SLU has several
areas of emphasis on its
research agenda, including
biodefense, infectious dis-eases,
virology, cardiovascu-lar,
cancer and liver disease.
“This initiative is critical to
our success in attracting top-notch
researchers and to
compete for external fund-ing,”
Weixlmann said. “The
new structure will contain
basic and clinical science
research in focused areas.”
The University has identi-fied
several possible sites for
the building. Details will be
announced in the coming
months. Bonds will be issued
to finance construction of the
center. In addition, raising
money for the building is part
of the University’s 300 mil-lion
“Campaign for Saint
Weixlmann
named provost
Saint Louis University has a
new provost, but the per-son
assuming the post is not
new to the job. Dr. Joseph
Weixlmann — who served as
interim provost since replac-ing
Dr. Sandra Johnson in
May 2002 — has been named
Louis University: Where
Knowledge Touches Lives.”
“An opportunity exists
for a donor to make a
major gift and name the
building,” said Don
Whelan, vice president
for development and
University relations.
“We are actively
pursuing this.” or edited five books and pub-lished
50 articles and book
chapters, mostly on American
and African-American literary
topics. He earned a master’s
degree and doctorate from
Kansas State University.
A committee has been
formed to begin the search
process for a new dean of the
College of Arts and Sciences,
Weixlmann’s previous posi-tion.
Mike May, S.J., (A&S
’81) has served as interim
dean of the college since last
June. The chairman of the
department of mathematics
and mathematical computer
science, May is expected to
continue in his role as interim
dean through the upcoming
academic year.
provost. The appointment
follows a nationwide search.
Weixlmann was appointed
dean of SLU’s College of Arts
and Sciences in March 2001.
Prior to that appointment, he
was dean of the College of
Arts and Sciences at Indiana
State University.
As provost, Weixlmann is
the University’s chief acade-mic
officer and also oversees
information technology and
student development. “Very
few universities evidence the
depth of commitment to
learning, research and service
outreach that can be seen
today at Saint Louis
University,” Weixlmann said.
“I am extremely pleased to
assume a key leadership role
in moving forward the
exceptional team of faculty,
students, administrators, staff,
alumni and friends working
collaboratively to make SLU
America’s finest Catholic uni-versity,
and indeed, America’s
finest university, period.”
Weixlmann’s familiarity
with Jesuit education began at
an early age. He attended a
Jesuit high school and col-lege,
Canisius High School
and Canisius College, both in
Buffalo, N.Y. He has written
Weixlmann
CENTER OF ATTENTION: Progress continues on the renovation and expansion of Busch
Student Center, which is scheduled to open in early August. The architectural rendering pic-tured
above shows what the finished building will look like from Grand Boulevard. The project
includes 51,000 square feet of new construction and 100,500 square feet of renovation.
NEWS BRIEFS
By The Numbers
214 SLU students who studied
abroad during the 2002-03 acad-emic
year in countries such as
Spain, France, the Netherlands,
Belgium, El Salvador, Australia,
Ireland, Italy, Pakistan, Poland
and England.
7,874 Parking spaces at SLU,
2,727 of which are at the Health
Sciences Center.
29,952 Pieces of candy stuffed
into 7,484 Easter eggs hidden at
SLU for the annual alumni Easter
Egg Hunt. In all, 926 children
attended the April 19 event.
30,671 Meals prepared by
SLU’s Campus Kitchen from
October 2001 through April
2003. SLU volunteers cook and
deliver meals to those in need in
the St. Louis area. In all, 22,096
pounds of food have been res-cued/
received from campus din-ing,
and 9,730 hours of
community service have been
completed by those involved.
Dr. Paul G. Schmitz (Grad
’66), professor of internal medi-cine-
nephrology, received the
2002 Governor’s Award for
Excellence in Teaching, which
recognizes outstanding faculty
members from Missouri colleges
and universities and is presented
annually to one faculty member
from each of the state’s two- and
four-year institutions. … Dr.
Raymond G. Slavin (Med ’56),
director of the division of allergy
and immunology at the School of
Medicine, received the Fellows
Award from the Academy of
Science of St. Louis. The award
recognizes an active scientist who
excels in communicating to col-leagues,
future scientists and the
general public. A leading
spokesman and researcher, Slavin
is an expert on allergies and asth-ma.
… Dr. Eleonore A.
Stump, the Robert J. Henle, S.J.,
Chair of Philosophy, presented the
Gifford Lectures at the University
of Aberdeen in Scotland in March.
Established as early as 1888, the
lectures are among the world’s
foremost intellectual events. Past
Gifford lecturers include Nobel
Prize winners Niels Bohr, John C.
Eccles and Albert Schweitzer. …
In March, the SLU Women’s
Commission celebrated its 30th
anniversary with a reception and a
presentation that outlined the pre-sent
climate for women at SLU.
The report was based on a survey
of 1,301 women, and results will
guide the commission’s activities
and programs.
New deans named
for AHP, Parks
The Doisy School of Allied
Health Professions and
Parks College of Engineering
and Aviation soon will be
under new leadership. Dr.
Charlotte Royeen has accepted
appointment as dean for the
Doisy School of Allied Health
Professions and officially will
begin her duties July 1.
Royeen will come to SLU
from Creighton University,
where she has served as associ-ate
dean for research in the
School of Pharmacy and Allied
Health Sciences and was a
founding member of
Creighton’s Research Council.
She holds a doctorate from
Virginia Polytechnic Institute
and State University and a
master’s degree in occupational
therapy from Washington
University’s School of
Medicine.
Dr. Bjong Wolf Yeigh will
be the dean of Parks College.
Yeigh’s appointment also is
effective July 1. He joins SLU
from Yale University, where
he is assistant provost of sci-ence
and technology, a post he
has held since 1999. Yeigh
Sword goes to
Joyner-Kersee
Saint Louis University has
bestowed its highest honor
for individual achievement ––
the Sword of Ignatius Loyola
–– on Olympic champion
Jackie Joyner-Kersee. The
award was presented to her at
the University’s DuBourg
Society Recognition Dinner
Dec. 8. Joyner-Kersee is often
regarded as the best all-around
female athlete in the world and
the all-time greatest heptath-lete.
A native of East St. Louis,
Ill., Joyner-Kersee has won
several Olympic medals and is
noted for her contributions to
the community. The Sword of
Ignatius Loyola is named for
the founder of the Society of
Jesus, Inigo Lopez de Loyola.
Symbolic of the Ignatian vision
of service, the sword is award-ed
to those who have given
themselves to humankind for
the greater glory of God.
Arena project
OK’d by trustees
The Saint Louis University
board of trustees has
approved the construction of
a new SLU arena contingent
upon raising an estimated 45
million in private donations.
The arena would be built in
Midtown St. Louis, where
SLU’s campus is located.
Michael F. Shanahan Sr.
(B&A ’61), chairman and
CEO of Engineered Support
Systems Inc. and SLU trustee
emeritus, is leading the fund-raising
effort for the project.
For more details, see page 13.
Service hours at
an all-time high
Members of the Saint
Louis University com-munity
have answered the
call to be “women and men
for others” as 11,591 people
contributed 617,911 hours of
service during 2002. The
numbers — which were
taken from a recently released
University report — are up
drastically from 2001, when
8,778 participants contributed
489,505 hours of service. The
reported number of students
participating in community
service and volunteerism
went up from 4,217 in 2001
to 5,079 in 2002 — an
increase of 20 percent.
Faculty and staff who
responded to the survey also
increased 11 percent (from
659 in 2001 to 731 in 2002).
From left: Joe Adorjan, chairman of SLU’s board of trustees;
Joyner-Kersee; and University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J.
received a master’s degree in
mechanical engineering from
Stanford in 1987 and a doctor-ate
in civil engineering and
operations research from
Princeton in 1995. Dr. Charles
Kirkpatrick will step down as
dean this July after nine years
of service. He will continue his
SLU career as a full-time facul-ty
member in the department
of chemistry.
4
Grad School ranks
first in doctorates
Saint Louis University’s
Graduate School ranks
first in number of doctoral
degrees granted from
Catholic universities for the
2001 academic year, accord-ing
to data compiled by the
Graduate School and the
National Research Council.
During that period, the
Graduate School granted 105
Ph.D.s and 41 Ed.D.s for a
total of 146 doctorates. The
Graduate School has ranked
among the top five Catholic
universities in doctoral
degrees granted since 1987,
the first year SLU officials
began compiling that data.
Only Notre Dame joins SLU
in that distinction.
SLU gets largest
research award
Protecting babies and a
woman’s reproductive
health are among the major
goals of the largest research
award in Saint Louis
University’s 185-year history, a
$36.8 million NIH contract to
combat herpes. SLU will lead a
four-year herpes vaccine study
involving 7,550 women across
the United States for the
National Institutes of Health.
When herpes is passed from
a mother to a child during
birth, the disease is life threat-ening
for the child and leads to
birth defects. “A successful
vaccine to fight this disease
would represent a major public
health triumph,” said Dr.
Robert Belshe, the national
study chair and Adorjan
Professor of Internal Medicine
and director of the Center for
Vaccine Development at the
School of Medicine.
“This is the largest clinical
trial we’ve organized and has
the potential for making a sig-nificant
contribution to
SLU lab makes
cancer discovery
Alab headed by a Saint Louis
University researcher has
made a major breakthrough
that could lead to a better mol-ecular
understanding of cancer.
Results published in the jour-nal
Molecular Cell by Dr. Ali
Shilatifard and his colleagues
show for the first time how a
protein known to be involved
in the development of cancer
functions in normal cells. “This
opens the door for further
Information
initiative launched
Aproject under way at Saint
Louis University will rev-olutionize,
enhance and
expand the delivery of infor-mation
to students, faculty,
staff and alumni. Called
“Gateway: the information ini-tiative
of Saint Louis
University,” the project will
plug SLU computer users into
significant facts, figures and
data. Making use of recently
purchased computer hardware
and software, Gateway will
integrate information from
both the administrative and
academic aspects of the
University and reformulate the
way information is cataloged
and stored. Student records,
financial aid, alumni databases,
University financial data and
human resources information
all will move over to the new
system. The shift will take
approximately 36 months for
the entire University.
GLAD GRADS: Approximately 1,800 students graduat-ed
from Saint Louis University during annual commence-ment
exercises May 17 at Savvis Center. The graduating
class is larger than those in recent years. Last year, 1,508
students graduated from SLU. Pictured above with this
year’s commencement speaker Bill McClellan (left), a St.
Louis Post-Dispatch columnist, are (from left) honorary
degree recipients Frank Reale, S.J., (A&S ’74) provincial
of the Jesuits of the Missouri Province; Martin L.
Mathews, co-founder of St. Louis’ Mathews-Dickey Boys’
and Girls’ Club; and Emily Rauh Pulitzer, founder and
president of the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts.
study of this protein in the reg-ulation
of gene expression,”
said Shilatifard, an associate
professor of biochemistry and
molecular biology. “Once we
understand the normal, we will
have a better understanding of
where something is going
wrong.” This, in turn, could
lead to ways to block the path-way
and ultimately could stop
cancer development, he said.
Also participating in this
research was the lab of Dr.
Mark Johnston at Washington
University School of Medicine.
women’s health,” he said. The
study will be conducted at 16
U.S. locations, with Saint
Louis University as the nation-al
coordinating site. SLU’s
Vaccine Center will enroll
approximately 500 people.
Check out smoke-free
dining online
Smoking in restaurants is still
legal in St. Louis, but that
doesn’t mean it’s pleasant. The
School of Public Health
recently assembled a list of 100
percent smoke-free restaurants
in the St. Louis metro area.
More than 200 local establish-ments
appear on the list,
including Bevo Mill, Café
Napoli, Lemon Grass and all
locations of the St. Louis Bread
Co. For a look at the list, visit
www.breatheeasymo.org.
25
Nurses prepared
for terrorism
Nurses who want to learn
how to handle the after-math
of a terrorist attack
began their studies Feb. 3,
when the School of Nursing
launched a one-of-a-kind
certificate program. “Our dis-aster
preparedness certificate
program is based upon what
we learned when we visited
Israel to find out how nurses
there deal with terrorism,”
said Dr. Dotti James (Nurs
’71, Grad Nurs ’74, ’94, ’97),
associate professor of nursing.
Four SLU educators — two
from the School of Nursing
and two from the Center for
the Study of Bioterrorism and
Emerging Infections in the
School of Public Health —
traveled to the Hadassah
Medical Organization in
October to see what Israeli
health care professionals do
after a terror attack. Students
working toward SLU’s cer-tificate
will participate in 10
sessions. The curriculum is
available through distance
learning on the Internet and
is offered at Saint Louis
University.
AHP introduces
two new degrees
Two new degree programs
are under way at SLU’s
Doisy School of Allied
Health Professions. The
University has created the
first and only five-year degree
in the country that blends a
bachelor of science in health
information management
with a master of health
administration. The Doisy
School and the School of
Public Health are offering the
joint degree
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