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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 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 textSummer 2025 issue of Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University.President Pestello looks back on 11 years of leadership
PAGE 10
THE ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSIT Y
SUMMER 2025
UNIVERSITAS THE ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY Message from the First Lady
Beginnings and endings are
filled with anticipation
and a sense of adventure.
What is next is unknown
and ready to be created.
Eleven years ago, Fred and I drove
into St. Louis ready to begin his tenure
as SLU’s first lay president and my role as
the first first lady. We are now approach-ing
the day when we step out of our roles
and begin a new chapter of our lives in
this great city.
As we move toward this momentous
transition, it is gratifying to take stock
of the accomplishments we have marked
and the challenges we have faced together.
As Fred notes in his interview (page 10), SLU
and Midtown have grown and transformed
in remarkable ways — strengthened and sus-tained
by SLU’s Jesuit mission and values.
I had the joy of creating the role of first lady
at this historic institution, bringing my own
experience as a scholar of sociology and a
former department chair to the work. It was
a privilege to join the SLU community as we
celebrated the milestones and responded to
the challenges of the last decade.
In one of my favorite events during our time
at SLU, we honored the University’s bicenten-nial
with a moving Mass under the Gateway
Arch.
On numerous occasions, we were warmly
welcomed to the Madrid campus, and we have
cherished getting to know the people and the
city that make SLU-Madrid so special.
I had the opportunity to help the St. Louis
Literary Award, one of the first initiatives I was
invited to support, become more embedded in
the life of the Saint Louis University campuses.
We responded to the unprecedented chal-lenges
of the COVID-19 pandemic — with me
teaching, virtually and then in person, and
Fred leading the University in those early days
of lockdown from the third floor of our house.
In 2017, we began a new tradition, joining
students, faculty, staff and alumni to bless
and light the tree each December at Christmas
on the Quad. We also hosted an annual
Christmas dinner for the Jesuits who call our
campus and our city home.
And at the end of every semester, Fred and
I have wished students luck on their final
exams with cookies, pretzels, ice cream or
other study day treats.
We know there are many things we will
miss as we leave our daily engagement with
campus, but we are looking forward to engag-ing
with St. Louis and campus in new ways in
the years ahead.
I wish President-Elect Ed Feser and incom-ing
First Lady Kathy Feser many blessings as
they assume these roles, which Fred and I have
loved and treasured.
I thank you, Billikens, for filling the past 11
years with grace, joy and countless memorable
moments.
Dr. Frances G. Pestello
First Lady
10
Selfie-Reflection
In a candid Q&A, outgoing
President Dr. Fred P. Pestello
looks back on his time at SLU.
— by Laura Geiser
18
Reaching Research 1
SLU’s new R1 classification affirms
its place among elite U.S. research
universities.
— by Clayton Berry
22
Moments and
Milestones
Recapping
the events,
achievements
and
challenges
SLU faced
during
the last 11
years.
— by Amy
Garland
FEATURES DEPARTMENTS
2
ON CAMPUS
Introducing
Dr. Edward Feser
Commencement
Center for
Bosnian Studies
MLA honor
10 million gift
Softball history
30
CLASS NOTES
33
How I Got Here:
Dr. Tiffany (Brown) Anderson
(Ed ’94, Grad Ed ’01)
— By Amy Garland
34
Alumni Merit Awards
35
Alumni Spotlight:
Andy Hahn (A&S ’97)
— by Debbie Dugan
37
IN MEMORIAM
41
THE L AST
LOOK
VOLUME 51, ISSUE 2
EDITOR
Laura Geiser
{A&S ’90, Grad ’92}
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Amy Garland {A&S ’97}
ART DIRECTOR
Matt Krob
ON CAMPUS NEWS
STORIES
University Public Relations
Billiken Media Relations
ON THE COVER
SLU President Dr. Fred
P. Pestello takes a selfie
as confetti falls during
his final commencement
as president on May 17.
Photo by Sarah Conroy
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:
Universitas
DuBourg Hall 39
1 N. Grand Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63103
Email address:
[email protected]
Website: slu.edu/universitas
Universitas is printed by
Progress Printing Plus
Worldwide circulation:
103,000
©2025, Saint Louis University
All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole
or in part without
permission is prohibited.
President Dr. Fred P. Pestello and First Lady
Dr. Fran Pestello exit SLU’s commencement
ceremony for the last time on May 17.
PHOTO BY SARAH CONROY
SARAH CONROY
2 UNIVERSITAS / THE ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY SUMMER 2025
On campus
Dr. Edward J. Feser, a Roman Catholic, Jesuit-educated
leader in higher education, will become Saint Louis
University’s 34th president on July 1.
“Saint Louis University is a remarkable institution
with an impressive history of impact, and it will be both
exciting and a privilege to lead it,” Feser said. “I am
thrilled at the prospect of joining the SLU community
and contributing to the University’s outstanding legacy.”
Feser grew up in the Pacific Northwest and attended a
Catholic high school in Red Bluff, California. He earned
a bachelor’s degree from the University of San Francisco,
a fellow Jesuit institution, before graduate school at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
He comes to SLU after eight years as provost and exec-utive
vice president at Oregon State University (OSU), a
land-grant institution with more than 38,000 students,
a 1.8 billion budget and 213 million
Collaborative Innovation Complex — now under con-struction
— to foster interdisciplinary research, powered
by artificial intelligence and accelerated computing, and
expanding arts and humanities programs.
Inclusive Excellence: Achieving record-setting diversity in
student enrollment while working to diversify the faculty
and embed equity and inclusion across OSU’s operations.
Budgetary Innovation: Implementing a new shared
responsibility budget model to advance transparency and
financial stability.
GUIDED BY SERVICE, COMMITTED TO COMMUNITY
Throughout his career, Feser’s leadership has been rooted in
the Jesuit ideals of promoting justice, nurturing the whole
person and contributing to the greater good.
“I am deeply grateful to Dr. Feser for his willingness to
serve in such an important role. His experience as a scholar
and administrator makes him uniquely qualified to lead a
place as complex as SLU,” said Thomas P. Greene, S.J., the
provincial superior of the Jesuits USA Central and Southern
Province. “But even more, I was heartened to hear of his
desire to use education to engender hope in the young, his
commitment to the University being leaven for the city and
his dedication to the University’s Jesuit, Catholic identity.”
“The rigorous and holistic Jesuit education I received at the
University of San Francisco — grounded in experiential learning in the city
itself and the principle that one should lead an active life of service to oth-ers,
especially the least among us — shaped my values in ways too many to
count,” Feser said.
A scholar of city and regional economic growth and development, Feser
strongly believes that all universities must be partners in serving and
improving the well-being of the communities they call home. At OSU, his
community-focused efforts included:
Downtown Hub: Opening the OSU Portland Center in downtown Portland,
which anchors the university’s strategy in the city, including programs to
support expanded pathways to OSU for students from diverse backgrounds.
Community Partnerships: Growing the OSU-Cascades campus in Bend,
Oregon, and collaborating with local leaders to launch the development of
a campus-based innovation district to support regional economic develop-ment
goals.
Economic Development Leadership: Serving on boards and commissions
to address economic development, workforce strategies and public policy
challenges.
SLU’s President-Elect at a Glance
PERSONAL DETAILS
Dr. Edward J. Feser
57 years old
Married to Kathy Feser, a school district
environmental sustainability coordinator
Two adult children, Jack and Mary
EDUCATION
Ph.D., University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill, 1997
M.R.P., University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill, 1994
B.A., University of San Francisco, 1989
ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP HISTORY
2017-2025 Provost and Executive Vice President,
Oregon State University
2015-2017 Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic
Affairs and Provost, University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign
2012-2015 Dean, College of Fine and Applied Arts,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
2011-2012 Division Head, Innovation, Management
and Policy, Alliance Manchester Business School,
University of Manchester, United Kingdom
2007-2011 Department Head, Urban and Regional
Planning, University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign
FACULTY APPOINTMENTS
2017-2025 Professor, School of Public Policy,
Oregon State University
2007-2017 Professor, Department of Urban and
Regional Planning, University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign
2008-2017 Professor, Department of Agricultural
and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign
2011-2012 Professor and Eddie Davies Chair of
Entrepreneurship, Alliance Manchester Business
School, University of Manchester, United Kingdom
2004-2007 Associate Professor, Department
of Urban and Regional Planning, University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
2003 Associate Professor, Department of City and
Regional Planning, University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill
1997-2002 Assistant Professor, Department of
City and Regional Planning, University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill
Introducing SLU’s
Next President
BUILDING ON PAST PROGRESS AND CHARTING A PATH FORWARD
Feser’s appointment follows an extensive national search led by a committee
of SLU trustees, faculty, staff, students and members of the Society of Jesus.
The University’s board of trustees voted to approve his appointment during
its Dec. 6 meeting.
Feser will succeed Dr. Fred P. Pestello, who announced in March 2024 that
he would step down at the end of June 2025.
“President Pestello’s vision and outstanding leadership are evident in the
success of SLU students, its excellent faculty and staff, its impressive growth
in research scale and impact, the depth and quality of its partnerships and
impact in St. Louis, and the achievements of Billiken student-athletes and
teams,” Feser said. “I’m excited to work with the SLU community to build on
Dr. Pestello’s accomplishments and advance Saint Louis University as one of
the finest urban research universities in the country.”
“Dr. Feser has the knowledge, experience, skill and values to serve as the
next steward of Saint Louis University’s noble mission — working for and
with the campus and the region to create new possibilities for a thriving,
hope-filled future,” Pestello said.
Look for more on Dr. Edward Feser in the next issue of Universitas.
3
SARAH CONROY
5
Class of 2025 Celebrated at
Spring Commencement
– photos by Sarah Conroy
Accounting Prof Honored
with Ring Award
Neil Jansen (Grad CSB ’98), an
associate professor of account-ing,
won the 2024 Nancy McNeir Ring
Award for Excellence in Teaching.
He was recognized during the
202 4 m idyea r commencement
ceremony at Chaifetz A rena in
December, during which he gave
the commencement address.
After starting his career in the
financial services industry, Jansen
joined SLU in 2008. He has been
the d i rec tor of the Master of
Accounting program since 2010
and an associate professor since
2024, winning several faculty and
teaching excellence awards along
the way.
The Nancy McNeir Ring Award,
named for the University’s first
dean of women, was established
in 1966 by SLU’s chapter of Alpha
Sigma Nu, the national Jesuit honor
society.
Jansen at the 2024 midyear
commencement
SARAH CONROY
SARAH CONROY
MED SCHOOL
RECEIVES
10 million gift, one of the
largest contributions in the
school’s history.
The gift came from a patient
who wishes to remain
anonymous in honor of Dr.
Gerald A. Maguire (Med
’91), a psychiatrist who
also pledged 10 million gift will
enhance medical education
and research at SLU:
2 million to fund the
Gerald A. Maguire, M.D., and
Joanne S. Maguire Endowed
Chair in Neuropsychiatry
Research and Education
$5 million directed toward
a future state-of-the-art
health education center
Maguire is the director
of residency training in
psychiatry at College
Medical Center, a teaching
hospital in Long Beach,
California, and the faculty
director of graduate medical
education at Oroville
Hospital, which serves his
rural home community in
Northern California.
Co-author of Without
Hesitation: Speaking
the Silence and Science
of Stuttering, Maguire is
considered the world’s
leading authority on the
pharmacologic treatment of
stuttering. He founded the
first clinic dedicated to the
scientific study and medical
treatment of the condition.
Pestellos Gift New Sculpture to SLU
Before stepping down as Saint Louis University’s
president this summer, Dr. Fred P. Pestello and First
Lady Dr. Fran Pestello offered a gift to SLU.
During a reception in Pius XII Memorial Library in
April, the Pestellos helped unveil a new sculpture they
donated to the University: “Land, Labor, Legacy” by Kyle
and Kelly Phelps. The sculpture is about 20 inches tall
and features four adult figures, one holding a child. The
figures represent enslaved persons of African descent
and members of the Osage Nation.
“We know the importance of art to inspire, to provoke,
to deepen understanding,” Fred Pestello said. “This
work speaks to us, and it speaks to the mission of this
institution.”
The Pestellos met the Phelps brothers more than two
decades ago, when Fred Pestello hired them to teach at
the University of Dayton. Their work is in the NAACP
National Headquarters as well as in the permanent col-lections
of art museums in Racine, Wisconsin; Asheville,
North Carolina; Canton, Ohio; and San Angelo, Texas.
FROM LEFT: Edward Ibur, executive director of the St.
Louis Literary Award, Dr. Cathleen Fleck, chair of the
visual and performing arts department, and Pestello
discuss the sculpture at its unveiling in April.
SLU Joins Center for Research Libraries
Last August, Saint Louis University Libraries joined
the Center for Research Libraries (CRL), an interna-tional
consortium of more than 200 university, college
and independent research libraries.
Jennifer Nutefall, dean of libraries and museums,
said the CRL gives the SLU community access to the
resources of the other consortium members. She sees
membership in CRL as recognition of the quality of work
throughout SLU’s libraries.
CRL member institutions include Harvard University,
Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Notre
Dame and the University of California system.
On campus
UNIVERSITAS / THE ALUMNI MAGAZINE O 4 F SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSIT Y
FROM TOP: Doisy College of Health
Sciences graduates Kirti Madhu (left) and
Emma Pearl Capulong embrace during
commencement; Pestello (back, center)
and First Lady Dr. Fran Pestello (left)
take a selfie with graduates after the
ceremony; Sam Deeljore, a SLU employee
and new graduate of the School for
Professional Studies, hugs his daughters,
Agni Deeljore (left), graduating from the
School of Social Work, and Jaya Deeljore,
graduating from the College of Arts
and Sciences, before the ceremony.
SUMMER 2025
Saint Louis University’s commencement ceremony on May 17 at
Chaifetz Arena featured outgoing President Dr. Fred P. Pestello as
the speaker. In an address that highlighted his career from radio host
to university administrator, he advised students: “Here is what
matters, Billikens — wherever your path takes you: Continue
to lead with love and mercy. And never vary from the quest to
make ‘things the way they ought to be.’ I wish each of you as
magnificent a journey as I have had.”
The ceremony also included remarks from Emma Lercher, a
student graduating from the College of Arts and Sciences, who
encouraged the Class of 2025 to share their gifts.
SLU also conferred honorary degrees upon three individuals. This
year’s honorees were former trustee Patrick (CSB ’77) and Peggy
Sly, who were honored for their community support, and Tom
Smolich, S.J., who was recognized for his leadership of the Jesuit
Refugee Service.
UNIVERSITAS / THE ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY SUMMER 2025
On campus ATHLETICS
Literary Award Brings Renowned
Writers to Campus
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Colson Whitehead
received the 2025 St. Louis Literary Award from
Saint Louis University on April 9.
“Read, read, read to find out what kind of writer you
want to be. Write, write, write to find out what kind of a
writer you are,” Whitehead told audiences.
His novel The Underground Railroad won the National
Book Award and the Carnegie Medal for Fiction. The
Nickel Boys won the Pulitzer Prize, the Kirkus Prize and
the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction.
Next year, Jhumpa Lahiri will come to St. Louis to
accept the 2026 St. Louis Literary Award. Lahiri has
written short stories, nonfiction, poetry and several
novels, including The Namesake. Her Pulitzer Prize-winning
collection of short stories, Interpreter of
Maladies, will be the featured title for the 2026 Campus
Read program. She will receive the award on April 8,
2026, and will offer a craft talk the following day; both
events are open to the public.
Whitehead speaks at the Sheldon Concert Hall in April
after receiving the 2025 St. Louis Literary Award.
Alum’s Biopic in Theaters This Fall
This October, Saint Louis University alumni will get
the chance to see the life of a fellow Billiken depicted
on the big screen.
John O’Leary (CSB ’99) came back to campus in 2023
for the filming of Soul on Fire, a major motion picture
based on his 2016 bestseller On Fire: The 7 Choices to
Ignite a Radically Inspired Life.
The film depicts how O’Leary nearly burned to death
in an accident when he was 9 years old — and how his
recovery shaped his life.
The movie was filmed in St. Louis, including several
locations on SLU’s campus. Members of the SLU commu-nity
served as extras and shadowed the director and crew.
Soul on Fire is scheduled to debut in theaters across
the country on Oct. 10, 2025.
ENGLISH PROFESSOR WINS
PRESTIGIOUS MLA PRIZE
Dr. Jonathan Sawday received
the James Russell Lowell Prize
for the most outstanding book
published in 2023, for Blanks,
Print, Space, and Void in English
Renaissance Literature: An
Archaeology of Absence.
The prize is the Modern
Language Association’s top
honor. Sawday, who joined SLU in
2009 and holds the Walter J. Ong, S.J., Chair in Humanities in the English
department, is the 55th recipient of the award and the first from SLU to
receive the honor.
SLU CELEBRATES
TRUMAN SCHOLAR
Sam Aitchison is the sixth student
in Saint Louis University history to
be honored with the prestigious
Truman Scholarship.
Aitchison, a junior majoring in
finance, leadership and human
resource management, and
Catholic studies, is one of 54
college students from 49 U.S.
colleges and universities selected as
2025 Truman Scholars. The award
is the premier graduate scholarship
for aspiring public service leaders in
the United States.
He plans to pursue a master’s degree in secondary or higher education
with the goal of teaching and, eventually, working in administration.
STUDENT EARNS PRESTIGIOUS GOLDWATER SCHOLARSHIP
Pascal Sikorski, a junior majoring in computer science, earned a
Goldwater Scholarship, a national undergraduate award for students in
STEM who intend to pursue a career in STEM research after graduation.
Sikorski wants to earn his doctorate in
computer science and become a professor.
Last summer, he was a researcher at
California Institute of Technology as
a WAVE Fellow in the Advanced
Mechanical Bipedal Experimental
Robotics Lab. This year, he will
conduct research at Oregon
State University on robotic
manipulation workflow alongside
humans in the environmental
sector.
Sawday
Provost Dr. Mike Lewis (left) and
President Dr. Fred Pestello (right)
congratu
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,
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World Wide Web address:
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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 textSummer 2009 issue of Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis UniversitySummer 2 0 0 9
Library of Progress | 10
As Pius XII Memorial Library
celebrates its 50th anniversary,
it looks to the future.
— By Marie Dilg
Where We Stand | 14
A candid conversation
with SLU’s CFO about the
University’s financial health.
— By Laura Geiser
Battlefield Ready | 16
An innovative training program
prepares U.S. Air Force medics
for trauma care in a war zone.
— By Marie Dilg
Relative Humility | 20
Recent graduates Theresa and
Kevin Lisch combined basketball
and books with great success.
— By Nick Sargent
2 | On Campus
2009 commencement • Law school
receives major gift • New graduate
program rankings • U.N. secretary-general
visits • Atlas Week named
8 | Billiken News
Basketball season tickets •
Fall sports schedules
9 | Advancement News
A conversation with Frank
Reale, S.J., vice president and
rector for SLU Madrid
24 | off the shelf
Eight books from the
SLU community
25 | class notes
Catch up with classmates.
28 | In Memoriam
Remember those members of the
SLU community who recently died.
30 | alumni events
Find SLU alumni activities
wherever you live.
32 | Perspective
A student shares the lessons
she learned in Africa.
33 | the last word
Letters to the editor
10 20
14
features depar tments
Volume 35, Issue 3
Editor
Laura Geiser (A&S ’90, Grad ’92)
Contributors
Clayton Berry
Marie Dilg (Grad SW ’94)
Nick Sargent
“On Campus” news stories
University Communications
Medical Center Communications
Billiken Media Relations
Cover Photo
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 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 Grand Blvd.,
St. Louis, Mo. 63103. We accept e-mail at utas@
slu.edu and fax submissions at (314) 977-2249.
Address fax submissions to Editor, Universitas.
Postmaster: Send address changes to
Universitas, Saint Louis University,
One Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103.
World Wide Web address:
www.slu.edu/pr/universitas.html
Universitas is printed and mailed by
Cenveo-Color Art Printing Inc.
Worldwide circulation: 108,500
© 2009, Saint Louis University
All rights reserved.
FALL 2004 WINTER 2005
After more than 50
years of graduation
ceremonies as a student,
teacher and administrator, I still
find myself stirred by the pomp
and circumstance of SLU’s
commencement each May. The
feeling in Chaifetz Arena is pal-pable
as our graduates smooth
out their gowns and straighten
their mortarboards. And there
is a hushed excitement in the arena bowl as our
graduates’ loved ones await the regal procession
that begins the ceremony.
Commencement is the end of one great jour-ney
and the beginning of another — it truly is
one of my favorite events of the year.
During the last two decades, I have been
privileged to be on hand for humorous, insight-ful
and inspirational commencement addresses
from speakers who graciously enhanced our
graduates’ final SLU moments.
This year we were pleased to welcome Greg
Mortenson, an ordinary man whose extraor-dinary
dedication to his vocation inspired
everyone in Chaifetz Arena. Just one of many
people trying to make a difference in the world
a few years ago, he’s now one of the most widely
recognized humanitarians and advocates for
peace. Greg has chronicled his remarkable story
in his New York Times best-selling book Three
Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace .
. . One School at a Time.
There was no better time for a SLU graduating
class to hear his story — of what one ordinary
man can do. Greg’s unique life illustrates the im-pact
one motivated person can make on the lives
of many, even in the face of extreme adversity.
After a failed attempt to summit K2 moun-tain
— the second highest mountain in the
world — Greg found himself recovering in a re-mote
Pakistani village. Taken by the kindness of
the villagers there, he discovered their children
doing schoolwork in the dirt with sticks, and he
promised to return and build them a school.
But what makes his story a truly fitting guide for
our class of 2009 is not the results of his journey,
but what one ordinary person overcame to bring
social justice to these remote mountain villages.
When Greg returned to the United States
from the Pakistani village, he encountered sig-nificant
roadblocks in fulfilling his promise to
the people there. In his first fundraising effort,
Greg reached out to more than 500 wealthy
celebrities and businesspeople and received just
one 2,400 more by selling
all his possessions and kept at it for nearly three
years before he raised the 3 million gift from the Anheuser-Busch
Foundation. It is the largest donation to date for
a 3 million to SLU
Renderings of Anheuser-Busch Student Commons
(exterior and interior), which serve as a new front door
for the school and are a major feature of the expansion.
Once again, Saint Louis
University’s health law pro-gram
has been named the
best in the nation by health
law scholars, according to
U.S. News & World Report.
The top ranking appeared
in the magazine’s “Best
Graduate Schools 2010” is-sue.
It’s the sixth consecu-tive
year the program has
secured the top spot.
Also this year, SLU’s part-time
MBA program contin-ued
its dramatic rise in the
rankings. Now ranked No.
14 in the country, the pro-gram
has climbed nearly
a dozen spots since it first
broke into the rankings four
years ago. It’s now the top-ranked
program of its kind
in Missouri.
SLU’s geriatrics program
also climbed again in
the rankings to No. 13 in
the nation. And SLU also
secured spots among the
top graduate programs in
history (85), English (94)
and psychology (132).
SLU
programs
garner U.S.
News top
spots
U.N.
secretary-general
visits SLU
In his first visit to the
Midwest since becoming
secretary-general of the
United Nations, Ban Ki-moon
discussed global food
security during a speech at
Saint Louis University.
Addressing a capacity
crowd in Busch Student Center, the secretary-general put a sobering spotlight on the world food crisis and the
plight of those he calls the “bottom billion.”
“Some 1 billion of the world’s people — I call them the ‘bottom billion’ — live on less than 2 a day. That means that one third of world’s people live on less than 2 a day. Many, if not
most of them, are children. Hunger and under-nutrition are their overwhelming daily reality.”
He added that the global economic crisis and climate change will only worsen that daily reality for so many. But
despite these mounting crises, Ban said solutions are within reach if the world’s nations can work together.
“No one country can address these challenges on its own,” he said. “We need global responsibility, global leader-ship
and a new multilateralism.”
Ban’s talk served as the keynote address for SLU’s Boeing Distinguished Guest Lecture in International Business.
The event was sponsored by the Boeing Institute of International Business in the John Cook School of Business.
Photo by Lyubov Strauss
4 U N I V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u s u m m e r ’ 0 9 U N I V E R S I T A S 5
News Briefs
Frank Reale, S.J. (A&S ’74), is continuing to
serve as rector/vice president of SLU’s Madrid
campus. He also will continue to serve as the Uni-versity’s
vice president for mission and ministry.
Ken Fleischmann has been named SLU’s vice
president for human resources. He had served
as interim vice president since August 2008.
Prior to his role in human resources, Fleischmann
worked in the SLU general counsel’s office.
Dr. Raymond C. Tait has been named SLU’s
vice provost for research services. He oversees
all of the University’s research initiatives and
works closely with private industry and gov-ernmental
agencies and other educational and
research institutes to enhance SLU’s research
programs. He has been at SLU for 27 years and
is a professor of neurology and psychiatry with
an adjunct appointment in the Center for Health
Care Ethics.
The physical therapy program in the Doisy
College of Health Sciences marked its 75th
anniversary with events in March. The program
was founded in 1933 and is one of the original
15 physical therapy programs in the country with
uninterrupted accreditation since 1936. SLU has
more than 3,000 physical therapy alumni.
This spring AmerenUE announced that it has be-gun
expanding Quantum Weather to southeast
Missouri. The new precise weather monitoring
and forecasting system is a partnership with
Saint Louis University’s department of earth
and atmospheric sciences. The program was
featured in the spring 2009 issue of Universitas.
Philosophy programs
earn international
recognition
Top philosophers from around the
world again have given high marks
to graduate philosophy programs at Saint
Louis University. The renowned Philosoph-ical
Gourmet Report ranks five of SLU’s
graduate philosophy programs among the
best in the English-speaking world.
SLU is in excellent company. In the me-dieval
philosophy area, the University was
listed in the top tier with Oxford Univer-sity
in England, the University of Toronto
and the University of Notre Dame.
For philosophy of religion, SLU ranked
second only to Notre Dame and alongside
Oxford. In addition, SLU’s philosophy
of action (free will) and social science as
well as its epistemology (how knowledge is
acquired) programs were named among the
world’s best.
{ on campus }
Atlas Week named for Sam and Marilyn Fox
Saint Louis University named its annual international celebration, Atlas Week, in honor
of Sam and Marilyn Fox, two of the most prominent civic leaders in the St. Louis re-gion.
“Sam and Marilyn Fox Atlas Week” recognizes the couple’s commitment to fostering
SLU’s role in international education and service.
In addition, at the April ceremony unveiling the new name, the couple received the
University’s highest honor, the Sword of Ignatius 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.
Sam Fox is an entrepreneur and founder of the investment firm, Harbour Group Indus-tries.
He formerly served as the U.S. ambassador to Belgium. Marilyn Fox is widely noted for
her active role in nonprofit organizations, including Missouri Botanical Garden, the Jewish
Federation of St. Louis and the Variety Club. In 2000, Saint Louis University recognized the
couple with honorary degrees.
Two endowed chairs established
at the School of Medicine
This spring, Saint Louis University named two
professors as inaugural chairholders.
Alumni can enroll
in course-auditing
program
Alumni may think their time in
a Saint Louis University class-room
is over. But now, thanks to a new
course-auditing program known as Billiken
Back to Class, they can come back to cam-pus
and study alongside today’s students.
Beginning this fall, members of the
extended SLU community can attend
one course per semester for a nominal
fee. “Billiken Back to Class will recon-nect
our alumni and SLU friends with the
University and remind them of the value of
a Saint Louis University education,” said
University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J.
“This will also give many of our current and
potential donors a better understanding of
the lasting impact of their gifts and how
our students benefit from their kindness.”
Registration for Billiken Back to Class
will open after all enrolled students are ac-commodated,
and only select courses will
be available. Participants cannot take the
courses for credit.
For more details about this program,
visit www.slu.edu/alumni.
Dr. Salvador Cruz-
Flores (PH ’09),
professor of neurology
and psychiatry, was
invested in February as
the inaugural holder of
the Sidney W. Souers
Endowed Chair in
Neurology. Cruz special-izes
in treating stroke
patients. He directs
SLU’s Souers Stroke
Institute and Saint Louis
University Hospital’s
MidAmerica Stroke
Network, which extends
acute stroke care to
rural, community and
critical access hospitals
throughout Missouri, as
well as central and southern Illinois. The chair
is named for Sidney W. Souers. After he died
of a debilitating stroke in 1973, his wife, Sylvia,
honored his memory by creating an endow-ment
that led to the formation of the SLU
Souers Stroke Institute.
Dr. William Fer-guson,
professor
of pediatrics and
director of the
division of pediatric
hematology-on-cology
at SLU and
medical director
of the Bob Costas
Cancer Center
at SSM Cardinal
Glennon Children’s
Medical Center,
was invested
in April as the
inaugural holder
of the Bob Costas
Chair in Pediatric
Medicine. Fergu-son
specializes in
treating bone tumors. The chair is funded by
the board of governors of Cardinal Glennon’s
Children’s Foundation. Costas is a longtime
member of the board, and his annual celebrity
benefits have raised more than 14 million for
the hospital.
SLU dedicates
Brouster Hall
Saint Louis University dedicated the home
of the School for Professional Studies
in honor of Thomas H. Brouster Sr. during
an April ceremony. The naming recognizes
Brouster’s many years of service to SLU as
a member of its board of trustees, as well as
his continued generosity and support of the
University’s mission.
For his part, Brouster called the naming a
“tremendous honor,” and said he was humbled
that his name is now included among the
likes of DuBourg, Reinert and Busch. “It is a
great honor for me to have the Brouster name
as a part of this fine institution,” he said.
New dean for Philosophy and Letters
Michael Barber, S.J. (A&S ’71, Grad ’72), is the new dean of
the College of Philosophy and Letters. He replaces Garth
Hallett, S.J., who retired this summer after serving as dean since
1985. Barber holds the Hotfelder Chair in the Humanities and is a
professor of philosophy. He is a past president of the Jesuit Philo-sophical
Association and is the author of five books.
“In his 24 years as dean, Father Hallett has been instrumental in
assisting a good number of young men, both religious and diocesan
seminarians, on the path to the priesthood,” said University Presi-dent
Lawrence Biondi, S.J. “We are proud to have such a distin-guished
successor to him in the College of Philosophy and Letters.”
Billiken on the move
The Billiken statue that once sat in front of the Bauman-Eberhardt Athletic Center has moved. His new
home is near Chaifetz Arena in Drury Rally Plaza. The plaza is a gift of Charles and Shirley Drury, who
are founders of Drury Inns Inc. and longtime SLU supporters.
Photos by Kevin Lowder
Photo by Kevin Lowder
Photo by James Visser
Photo by Alyssa Stahr
Photo by Kevin Lowder
Marilyn and
Sam Fox
Atlas Week’s Billiken
World Festival
Brouster
s u m m e r ’ 0 9 U N I V E R S I T A S 7
Dual-degree program combines
education and business
Saint Louis University has launched a new degree program that will give school prin-cipals
and other educational leaders the business skills necessary to succeed at every
level. It is a collaborative effort between the John Cook School of Business and the College
of Education and Public Service. Students who complete the program will receive both a
master of arts in educational leadership and a
Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University
No full textSummer 2023 issue of Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University.S U M ME R
2 0 2 3
24
HOURS
AT SLU
ONE DAY IN
THE LIFE OF
SAINT LOUIS
UNIVERSITY
Page 6
PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE
VOLUME 49, ISSUE 2
EDITOR
Laura Geiser
{A&S ’90, Grad ’92}
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Amy Garland {A&S ’97}
ART DIRECTOR
Matt Krob
CONTRIBUTORS
Marie Dilg {Grad SW ’94}
Bridjes O’Neil
ON CAMPUS NEWS
STORIES
University Public Relations
Billiken Media Relations
ON THE COVER
Photographs from
“24 Hours at SLU”
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
1 N. Grand Blvd.
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We accept email at:
[email protected]
Website: slu.edu/universitas
Universitas is printed by Breese
Printing and Publishing
Worldwide circulation:
132,438
©2023, Saint Louis University
All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole
or in part without
permission is prohibited.
SLU’S SPRING COMMENCEMENT
CEREMONY WAS ESPECIALLY
JOYFUL.
Graduates filled the floor of Chaifetz
Arena, extending into several rows of
overflow seating. Mortarboards were
adorned with creative embellishments.
Student speaker Zahva Naeem (A&S ’23)
eloquently urged her colleagues to “live
kindly, love freely and learn adamantly.”
And we were brought to collective tears
by the powerful address of commence-ment
speaker and Chaifetz School of
Business alumnus John O’Leary (’99).
As the graduates joined me in a jubi-lant
shout — they are indeed members
of the SLU family FOREVER! — the emo-tion
was as palpable as the confetti and streamers that fell from the rafters.
After the ceremony, our newest alumni rejoined their loved ones on the
grounds surrounding the arena and lingered in the sunshine of a beautiful
spring day. I think I took photos with a line of graduates and families that
didn’t slow for a solid hour. It’s possible I have never smiled so much — and
every grin was from my heart.
Our end-of-year celebrations condense years of challenge, triumph and
transformation into a handful of poignant moments, each dense with
memories and meaning. SLU’s 2023 graduates — who navigated some of
the most difficult years of any of our lifetimes — earned every exuberant
minute of their graduation day.
This issue of Universitas is similarly filled with images and stories that
speak to the heart of the SLU experience. Photos that beautifully capture a
few of the countless ways that SLU faculty, staff and students live our mis-sion
on any given day (page 6). Profiles of students who crossed the globe
to make SLU their home (page 15). Stories that illuminate the potential of
Jesuit education to create community, expand intellectual horizons, and
cultivate wholeness within the confines of a correctional facility (page 18).
As alumni of Saint Louis University, you know well the power and poten-tial
of Jesuit education. You carry your own collection of Billiken memories.
You might recall the moment you conquered an equation that you were
certain was outside of your abilities. Perhaps you can picture the work of
art that irrevocably shifted your perspective. Maybe you continue to repeat
words from a text or professor or classmate that resonated far beyond the
day you moved your tassel to the left side of your mortarboard.
PHOTO BY SARAH CONROY
PHOTO BY SARAH CONROY
As members of the SLU family (forever), you
extend the impact of these moments in each
of your lives and communities. You rely on the
wisdom you have earned, during your days at
SLU and in the years since, to make unique and
transformative contributions to the greater
good.
In moments of joy and times of difficulty, you
remember what it means to be a Billiken. And
you commence.
May God’s blessings be with you this summer,
and always.
Dr. Fred P. Pestello
President
Features Departments
6
24 HOURS AT SLU
A photo essay covers
one day in the life of
Saint Louis University.
15
GLOBAL REACH
An increase in
international graduate
students expands SLU’s
worldwide impact.
– By Marie Dilg
18
MINDS UNCONFINED
SLU’s Prison Education
Program opens minds and
changes lives.
– By Amy Garland
2
ON CAMPUS
Women’s basketball postseason /// Commencement recap
/// New deans /// Public health grants /// Ring Award winner
/// Student honors /// Neil Gaiman visit
23
CLASS NOTES
25
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Katey (Marcinkowski) Howes {DCHS ’99, Grad DCHS ’01}
– By Bridjes O’Neil
26
HOW I GOT HERE
Tim Bantle {A&S ’00} – By Amy Garland
29
IN MEMORIAM
33
THE LAST LOOK
A runner at dawn at the Medical C SLU President Dr. Fred P. Pestello (right) poses for a photo with a enter Stadium on April 11
graduate after the spring commencement ceremony.
2 UNIVERSITAS THE ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSIT Y SUMMER 2023 3
ON CAMPUS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL MAKES HISTORY
Women’s basketball secured the first NCAA Tournament bid
in program history with a 91-85 overtime victory over top-seeded
Massachusetts in the Atlantic 10 Championship final in
March. The game was also the first time the Billikens played in
an A-10 Championship title game.
The team members, who ended their first season under Coach
Rebecca Tillett at 17-18, started the year by finding their
footing together and finished strong with 11 wins in their final
13 games.
Working together brought conference honors, including All-
Atlantic 10 second-team selections for senior forward/center
Brooke Flowers and senior guard Kyla McMakin. Flowers was
selected as the A-10’s co-Defensive Player of the Year and as
a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year
award. She was joined on the league’s All-Defensive team by
senior guard Julia Martinez, who also earned Most Outstanding
Player honors at the A-10 Championship.
In the NCAA first-round game, Flowers scored a team-high 17
points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. McMakin and
guard Camree Clegg also scored in double figures in the team’s
95-50 loss to the Tennessee Lady Volunteers.
University Names
Two New Deans
Dr. Donna LaVoie
DEAN, COLLEGE OF ARTS AND
SCIENCES
LaVoie served as interim
dean since 2020,
overseeing the Arts and
Sciences reorganization,
where some programs moved to the new
School of Science and Engineering. Before
that, she was associate dean in the college
for 12 years. A professor of psychology, she
has been at SLU since 1995.
Dr. Gregory E.
Triplett Jr.
DEAN, SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND
ENGINEERING
The inaugural dean for
Science and Engineering,
Triplett most recently was
senior associate dean for academic affairs
at the Virginia Commonwealth University
School of Engineering. He joined VCU in
2016 as a professor and associate dean for
graduate studies. He began his academic
career in 2011 at the University of Missouri
in Columbia, where he was an associate
professor, lab director and associate
director of Mizzou’s honors college.
SLU Partners With Jesuit Organization
to Educate Refugees
Saint Louis University is partnering with Jesuit Worldwide Learning
(JWL) to offer a bachelor’s degree to international students displaced by
conflict, lack of opportunity and poverty. The first cohort of students will
start in October and are presently in refugee camps in Kenya and Malawi.
Based in Switzerland, JWL is an international higher education program
that serves students in war zones, refugee camps and impoverished coun-tries.
Partnering with academic institutions, JWL operates more than 50
learning centers in 20 countries across Asia, Africa and South America.
JWL students will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in general studies
through SLU’s School for Professional Studies.
The program offers a bachelor’s degree free of charge to interested refu-gees
in the camps who meet eligibility requirements.
The students will begin their time at SLU with 30 credits already
completed through either Creighton University or Xavier Institute of
Management in India’s one-year certificate program. Once enrolled, they
will be full-time students with access to all forms of SLU support.
FROM LEFT: SLU Provost Dr. Michael Lewis; Dr. Martha Habash,
USA JWL academic director and Creighton University professor;
University President Fred P. Pestello; and Dr. John Buerck (Grad
Ed ’93), interim dean of SLU’s School for Professional Studies
PHOTO BY SARAH CONROY
Gaiman Receives the 2023 St. Louis Literary Award
Neil Gaiman, the 2023 St. Louis Literary Award honoree, summed up his
life’s work: “The job of a writer is to leave the world more interesting.”
Gaiman accepted the award from the Saint Louis University Libraries at
a sold-out event in April at the Sheldon Concert Hall. The same day, he was
named one of Time magazine’s Most Influential People of 2023.
Best known as a novelist, Gaiman writes in a variety of forms. His work
includes Coraline, American Gods, The Graveyard Book and The Sandman.
To close out the ceremony, Edward Ibur, executive director of the St. Louis
Literary Award, announced that Jamaica Kincaid will come to St. Louis next
year to accept the 2024 award.
Kincaid explores themes of colonialism, gender and sexuality, racism,
class and family in her work. A professor in African and African American
studies and the Department of English at Harvard University, Kincaid wrote
the novels Annie John, Gaiman accepts the 2023 St. Louis Literary Award. Lucy and See Now Then.
PHOTO BY SARAH CONROY
The women’s
basketball team
and coaching staff
celebrate their victory
in the Atlantic 10
Championship final in
Wilmington, Delaware. PHOTO BY MITCHELL LEFF/ATLANTIC 10
4 UNIVERSITAS THE ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSIT Y
SUMMER 2023 5
ON CAMPUS
SLU HONORS CLASS OF 2023
The Saint Louis University spring graduation
celebration culminated with the commencement
ceremony May 20 at Chaifetz Arena.
New York Times best-selling author and
motivational speaker John O’Leary (CSB ’99)
delivered the 2023 spring commencement
address.
As a child, O’Leary was so badly burned in an
accident that doctors gave him less than a 1%
chance of survival. He detailed his recovery
in the 2016 bestseller On Fire: The 7 Choices
to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life. His second
book, In Awe: Rediscover Your Childlike Wonder to
Unleash Inspiration, Meaning and Joy, was also a
bestseller.
O’Leary joined former St. Louis Alderwoman
Marlene Davis and veteran actress Marianne
Muellerleile (A&S ’71) in receiving honorary
doctoral degrees.
Davis was alderwoman of the City’s 19th Ward
for 16 years before retiring in April. She helped
facilitate the transformation of SLU’s Midtown
neighborhood.
During Muellerleile’s 50-year career, she has
appeared in more than 180 television series,
including the soap opera Passions, and more
than 100 national commercials, including Geico’s
“Aunt Infestation” ad. Her movie credits include
The Terminator and Memento.
New graduates are encouraged to keep up with
SLU events and activities from coast to coast by
updating their contact information at alumni.slu.
edu/stayconnected.
PHOTOS A, G AND I BY STEVE DOLAN / PHOTOS B-F AND H BY SARAH CONROY
Researcher Gets NIH Grants
to Help Prevent HIV and HPV
Dr. Juliet Iwelunmor, professor of
global health and behavioral science
and health education at the College for
Public Health and Social Justice, received
a grant in 2018 to develop and implement
a crowdsourcing framework for at-risk
youth in Nigeria. Now she is using the
framework to identify young people in the
United States who could become the next
generation of HIV researchers, leaders and
innovators in the field.
She was awarded a five-year, 1.76 mil-lion
grant from the National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to
create NIAID STAR (Stimulating Training
and Access to HIV Research Experiences). A
partnership across four universities — SLU,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
Georgia State University and Texas A&M
University — STAR focuses on bottom-up
strategies for youth engagement in HIV pre-vention
research, involving young people as
leaders of HIV prevention interventions.
Iwelunmor also recently received a
five-year, 2.83 million grant from the
National Cancer Institute to enhance
the understanding of HPV prevention in
resource-constrained settings. Using the
crowdsourcing framework, she aims to
increase essential human papillomavirus
(HPV) vaccination and screening to lower
incidents of cervical cancer among girls
and women in Nigeria.
Iwelunmor
HONORS & AWARDS
HISTORY PROFESSOR WINS
2022 RING AWARD
Dr. Mark Edward Ruff received
the 2022 Nancy McNeir Ring
Award in December and, in keep-ing
with Saint Louis University
tradition, delivered the midyear
commencement address.
The award — SLU’s highest honor for teaching — was established in 1966
to acknowledge faculty who display special dedication to students. It is
named for the University’s first dean of women.
A SLU history professor since 2004, Ruff was a unanimous selection for
the award.
SLU COMMENDS ANOTHER TRUMAN SCHOLAR
Gabby Chiodo is the most recent — and fifth-ever — SLU student to receive
the prestigious Truman Scholarship. (See the photo on page 10.)
Truman Scholars demonstrate leadership potential, a commitment to
a career in government or the nonprofit sector, and academic excellence.
Chiodo is one of 62 scholars selected this year from a pool of 705 candidates
nominated by 275 colleges and universities.
Chiodo is a political science and communication double major with
minors in political journalism and women’s and gender studies. She is a SLU
Presidential Scholar and a member of the University Honors Program, as
well as a managing editor of The University News.
ALUMNI EARN 2023 FULBRIGHT AWARDS
Three members of the SLU community were selected for the Fulbright U.S.
Student Program, designed to expand perspectives through academic and
professional advancement and cross-cultural dialogue.
In partnership with more than 140 countries, the Fulbright U.S. Student
Program offers opportunities to graduating college seniors, graduate stu-dents
and young professionals. Participants pursue graduate study, conduct
research or teach English abroad.
Adam Ryan (A&S ’22, CSB ’23) received a Fulbright Combined Award to
Austria. He will conduct political science research at the University of Vienna
while serving as an English teaching assistant at a secondary school.
Sierra Zima (CSB ’20) received a Binational Business Program to Mexico
award. She will participate in an internship while pursuing an MBA.
Krysta Couzi (PH ’23) received an English Teaching Assistantship to Ghana.
STUDENT WINS AWARD FOR CANCER RESEARCH
Kavya Harish is one of 10 recipients of the American Association for Cancer
Research (AACR) Award, joining students from other prestigious univer-sities
such as Yale, Harvard and Cornell. The award is available to college
juniors and includes all-expenses-paid trips to AACR conferences for two
years and funding to continue cancer research.
Harish has been researching the regulation of the ribosomal machinery in
cells and attempting to inhibit protein production. By doing so, she’s shown
that previously unrelenting cell growth can be controlled, which can help
regulate certain cancers.
PHOTO BY SARAH CONROY
Ruff
PHOTO BY SARAH CONROY
A. Honorary degree recipients
(FROM LEFT) Muellerleile,
O’Leary and Davis
B. School of Education graduates
(FROM LEFT) Vicky Casazza, Riley
Hercules and Grace Hoover
C. Student speaker Zahva
Naeem (LEFT) and O’Leary
D. Dr. Manisha Ford-Thomas,
director of housing and
residence life, celebrates
earning her doctorate.
E. Confetti and streamers shower
the graduates following the
main commencement ceremony.
F. School of Medicine
graduates Tiffany Ju (LEFT)
and Stephanie Chen
G. SLU President Dr. Fred
P. Pestello addresses
the graduates.
H. School for Professional
Studies graduate Sai
Rohith Thatla celebrates.
I. O’Leary delivers the
commencement address.
A
D
G
B
E
H
C
F
I
6 UNIVERSITAS THE ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSIT Y SUMMER 2023 7
A LOT CAN HAPPEN IN ONE DAY.
THIS APRIL, UNIVERSITAS ATTEMPTED
TO CAPTURE IT ALL.
24 HOURS AT SLU
THERE WAS NOTHING PARTICULARLY EXTRAORDINARY
about Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at Saint Louis University. It
wasn’t commencement day or homecoming or the first day
of classes. But that very ordinariness made it perfect.
For years, the Universitas staff has wanted to share
with readers all that happens in one day at Saint Louis
University — from midnight to midnight in both St. Louis
and Madrid.
It was a tall order that required multiple photographers
on two continents. And, of course, what they captured just
scratches the surface.
Though this photo essay captures only a few fleeting
moments from a day in the University’s life, it illustrates
the vibrance of campus and the depth of SLU’s impact.
Follow the photos from the wee hours to late night and see
what a difference a day makes.
12:07 A.M.
12:07 A.M.
All is quiet along Grand
Boulevard. From left,
foreground: Grand
Hall, DuBourg Hall
and St. Francis Xavier
College Church
PHOTO BY STEVE DOLAN
MIDNIGHT - 1 A.M.
1:01 A.M. Anita Hardin (left)
and Alexandria Wilson
monitor campus from the
Department of Public Safety
communications center.
PHOTO BY
STEVE DOLAN
While St. Louis (mostly) sleeps, the Madrid Campus
starts its day. Students Abigail Amane (left) and
Claire Elah Doua talk in the San Ignacio Hall library.
PHOTO BY ÁNGEL GARCÍA LÓPEZ
Instructor Yolanda Granado
(far right) leads SLU-Madrid
students in a flamenco class.
PHOTO BY
ÁNGEL GARCÍA LÓPEZ
11:22 A.M.
(MADRID TIME)
SLU-Madrid
students enjoy
the patio behind
Padre Rubio Hall.
PHOTO BY
ÁNGEL GARCÍA LÓPEZ
1 - 2 A.M.
2 - 3 A.M. 3 - 4 A.M.
9:32 A.M. (MADRID TIME)
10:22 A.M.
(MADRID TIME)
4 - 5 A.M.
8 UNIVERSITAS THE ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSIT Y SUMMER 2023 9
5 - 6 A.M. 6 - 7 A.M. 8 - 9 A.M. 9 - 10 A.M.
5:44 A.M.
9:57 A.M.
6:58 A.M.
Back in St. Louis, 8:16 A.M.
student workers
fold towels at the
Simon Recreation
Center front
desk before the
facility opens.
Student Susan
Rippee finishes a test
during her “General
Chemistry II” lab
period.
The sun rises over early-morning runners
at the Medical Center Stadium.
Research assistant Keith Blomenkamp
works in Dr. Jeffrey Teckman’s
lab in the Doisy Research Center,
investigating pediatric liver disease.
PHOTO
BY STEVE
DOLAN
PHOTO
BY SARAH
CONROY
PHOTO BY
SARAH CONROY
PHOTO
BY SARAH
CONROY
7:15 - 7:42 A.M.
Students Suzanne
Tran (top right), Tran
Quach (bottom left)
and Carolina Cifuentes
Milla (bottom right)
prepare breakfast at
the student-run Fresh
Gatherings Café in the
Allied Health Building.
PHOTOS BY
SARAH CONROY
7 - 8 A.M.
10:53 A.M.
Students cross
Grand Boulevard
during a busy class-change
period.
PHOTO BY
SARAH CONROY
10 - 11 A.M.
10 UNIVERSITAS THE ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSIT Y SUMMER 2023 11
Pestello has lunch with students
in Grand Dining Hall.
Pestello joins a campus tour
and talks with prospective
students and their families.
11 A.M. - NOON
University President Dr. Fred Pestello (right) and Provost Dr. Michael
Lewis (left) surprise Gabby Chiodo during her class in Morrissey Hall
to share the news that Chiodo had been named a 2023 Truman Scholar.
Chiodo, the fifth Truman Scholar in SLU history, was selected for
demonstrating outstanding leadership potential, her commitment to a
career in government or the nonprofit sector, and academic excellence.
Dr. Barnali Gupta,
Edward Jones Dean
of the Chaifetz
School of Business,
greets a student
during an “Office
Hours with the
Dean” event in the
Shanahan Atrium
of Cook Hall.
Prof. Molly Wilson, associate dean for
research and engagement at the School of
Law, teaches a contracts class in the Pruellage
Courtroom in Scott Hall.
PHOTOS
BY SARAH
CONROY
PHOTO BY
CRISTINA
FLETES
PHOTO BY
STEVE DOLAN
11:16 A.M.
12:15 P.M.
1:02 P.M.
NOON - 1 P.M. 1 - 2 P.M.
2:34 P.M.
Dr. Vithya Murugan,
assistant professor of
social work, instructs
students in her “Intro
to Social Work” class
in Tegeler Hall.
PHOTO BY
CRISTINA FLETES
2 - 3 P.M.
3:34 - 3:59 P.M.
The Billiken softball
team practices at the
Billiken Sports Center.
Clockwise from top
left: Head Coach
Christy Connoyer
(center) talks to the
team; Chloe Rhine
throws the ball while
Kendall Johnson (right)
gets ready to field;
Abby Mallo bats from
a tee; Kaili Hanner
winds up to pitch.
PHOTOS BY
CRISTINA FLETES
3 - 4 P.M.
11:59 A.M.
11:25 A.M.
12 UNIVERSITAS THE ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSIT Y SUMMER 2023 13
4:01 P.M.
Campus Kitchen
student volunteers
(from left) Elise
Hallstoos, Nhu Nguyen,
Sarah Sargent, Hao
Huang and Alicia
Avellaneda-Cruz walk
meals across Grand
Boulevard to deliver to
residents of the nearby
Council Towers Senior
Living Apartments.
PHOTO BY STEVE DOLAN
4 - 5 P.M.
5:25 - 6 P.M.
Students take advantage of a
warm spring day to be outside.
Clockwise from top left: Riya
Patel (right) and friends on
a hammock near DuBourg
Hall; Madi Baylor (left), Ella
Bolling and Joe Feder (right)
at the Cupples House bridge;
(from left) Andrew Kowalski,
Claire Robinson, DeAndre
Westbrook and Andrew Siemer
at the Dr. Jonathan C. Smith
Amphitheater; and Elizabeth
Monzu at a table overlooking
Lipic Clock Tower Plaza.
PHOTOS BY SARAH CONROY
5 - 6 P.M.
6:27 P.M.
The cast of Clue the
Musical — from left,
students Makaina
Woods, Marshall Self,
Allie Thornton (seated),
Jake Allen Olson,
Sophie Smith, Aadi
Kadam and London
Kimble — rehearses
in the Main Stage
Theatre in Xavier Hall.
PHOTO BY SARAH CONROY
6 - 7 P.M.
Tan France, host
of Netflix shows
Next in Fashion and
Queer Eye, speaks to
students in the Wool
Ballrooms in Bu
Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University
No full textFall 2010 issue of Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis UniversityStained Glass Stories
A PROFES SOR R EVEALS THE HISTORIES
HIDDEN IN COLLEGE CHURCH’ S WINDOWS
PAGE 12
The SLU Pri son
Initiative
Page 8
School for
Professional Studies
Page 16
Alumni
Geophysicists
Page 2 0
fa l l 2 010
Volume 3 7, Issue 1
Edi tor
Laura Geiser (A&S ’90, Grad ’92)
Contributors
Marie Dilg (Grad SW ’94)
John Gilmore (A&S ’88)
Ashley Pitlyk (A&S, Cook ’10)
Nick Sargent (Grad Cook ’10)
“On Campus” news storie s
University Communications
Medical Center Communications
Billiken Media Relations
Cov er Photo
Chad Williams
De sign
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 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 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,
One N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103.
World Wide Web address:
www.slu.edu/pr/universitas.html
Universitas is printed by Universal Printing Co.
Worldwide circulation: 114,510
© 2010, Saint Louis University
All rights reserved.
F A L L 2 0 0 4 W I N T E R 2 0 0 5
St. Ignatius was by no means a traditional
college student. He began his formal train-ing
at the age of 33, alongside children, so
that he could learn Latin. During those times, he
survived on bread and water. He understood the
value of education.
As he wrote in his autobiography, he needed
to “spend some time in study as a means of helping
him to work for souls.” And five years later at the
Collège Sainte-Barbe in Paris, he found more than
advanced coursework.
There, he forged lifetime relationships with
his roommates, a fellow Spaniard named Francis
Xavier and a Frenchman by the name of Peter
Favre. Both men had heard of Ignatius, and both
became part of his circle, which he
dubbed “Friends of the Lord,” now
known as the Society of Jesus. With
Ignatius, the group began working
to help everyone they encountered.
Peter Favre described their mission:
To “take care, take care never to
shut your hearts against anyone.”
As a Catholic, Jesuit institution,
we are committed to offering all
souls here fellowship, just as the
Friends of the Lord did.
This commitment affects our
foreign students who themselves
travel so far to attend our university.
Every mile they travel illustrates
their outstanding commitment to
their own education and to SLU.
Their passages from Nigeria and
China, Belgium and Saudi Arabia,
Nicaragua and so many other lands
serve as markers of Saint Louis University’s stature
in the global village of academia.
This semester in St. Louis, we are educating
more than 1,000 students from more than 75 coun-tries.
And in Madrid, our international student
population exceeds 600 this fall. These students
call some 65 different countries home. Clearly, we
are a global institution.
Our international students, alumni and their
parents define dedication. They defy expediency.
And they designate quality. Their commitment
deserves to be equaled in response.
In the spirit of St. Ignatius, our new Center for
Global Citizenship will do just that. This exciting
project brings all of our internationally focused
academic and support units under one roof. More
importantly, the center will be a wonderful gather-ing
place — the perfect place to build community
and to connect our international and U.S. students.
Along with our international services and programs,
the center will house a lounge with access to media,
including television outlets, from around the world.
We plan to use technology to make the far corners of
the globe more accessible with teleconferencing.
With its vast, colorful display of international
flags circling the building, we will make our center
the table where we all gather to collaborate and
connect with all peoples of all faiths and of all na-tions.
(See the photo on page 4.)
Our students and our alumni don’t leave SLU’s
Jesuit values here. They take them along at gradua-tion,
as I learned during my visit to Asia last spring
and my stay in Spain this summer.
While in Asia, I visited Thailand, South Korea
and China, where I was warmly welcomed by our
large and active alumni chapter there. It was per-sonally
fulfilling to spend time with so many loyal
SLU graduates. Similarly, in Madrid I met with
many enthusiastic alumni. Clearly, SLU graduates
have taken their Jesuit education to heart and put
it to work, bettering the world.
Both trips, along with our own programs and
our new center, affirm our goal as Friends of the
Lord to welcome the world to our doors.
Lawrence Biondi, S.J.
President
{ president’s message }
features
8
Prison Reform
SLU’s theology faculty run an
innovative program offering
classes and hope to prisoners.
— By Nick Sargent
12
Stained Glass Stories
J.J. Mueller, S.J., unlocks
the history hidden in St.
Francis Xavier College
Church’s windows.
— By Ashley Pitlyk
16
Lifelong Learners
Students come to the
School for Professional
Studies for personal and
professional enrichment.
— By John Gilmore
20
The Alumni
Underground
SLU-educated geophysicists
keep tabs on nuclear test
ban treaty compliance.
— By Marie Dilg
depa r tment s
{ contents }
2 | On Campus
2010 Homecoming • Hurricane
research • Archives online •
Make a Difference Day • Public
Health dean named • Arts at SLU
6 | Billiken News
New softball coach •
Basketball schedules
7 | Advancement News
A conversation with Jeff
Fowler, interim vice president
for University advancement
22 | Off the Shelf
Fifteen books from the
SLU community
24 | Class Notes
Catch up with classmates •
Legacies: Freshmen and their SLU
families • Alumni Spotlight
29 | In Memoriam
Remembering those members
of the SLU community
who recently died
30 | Alumni Events
Attend SLU alumni
activities where you live.
32 | Perspective
An alumna shares her experiences
with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps.
33 | the last word
Letters to the editor
8
12
16
20
f a l l ’ 1 0 U N I V E R S I T A S 3
20 Chandeliers
67 Baptisms performed
between July 1, 2009,
and June 30, 2010
92 Wooden pews
108 Marriages celebrated
between July 1, 2009,
and June 30, 2010
667
Combined years
of age of the three
bells in the church’s
bell tower
1,469
Active parishioners
(non-students)
representing
households in 72
different zip codes
BY THE NUMBERS:
At St. Francis Xavier
College Church
GRAND RE-OPENING in spain
SLU Board of Trustees Chairman Jack Pruel-lage
(Cook ’62) and Madrid Campus Board
of Regents President Doña Isabel Gómez-Acebo
cut the ribbon at the grand re-opening of the
lower level of Padre Arrupe Hall at SLU’S Madrid
Campus in September while Frank Reale, S.J.
(A&S ’74), vice president and rector of the Madrid
Campus and vice president of mission and minis-try,
looks on. The building recently was renovated
and reconfigured to house enhanced engineering/
physics, biology/chemistry and nursing labs as well
as three instructional spaces, including a computer
classroom and a seminar room.
SLU RISES IN RANKINGS
U.S. News & World Report once again has
recognized Saint Louis University as one
of the finest Catholic, Jesuit universities in the
United States. In the 2011 edition of “America’s
Best Colleges,” SLU climbed to No. 86 among the
more than 260 national universities in the coun-try
— a list topped by Harvard, Princeton and
Yale. The ranking placed SLU among the top five
Jesuit universities in the country for the eighth
consecutive year. Individual majors and programs
also saw improved rankings this year: interna-tional
business at No. 12; entrepreneurship at No.
14; and engineering at No. 38.
In addition, Parade Magazine featured SLU in
this year’s “College A-List.” The national publica-tion
asked top high school counselors from across
the country to recommend “outstanding colleges
and universities that often fly under the radar.”
SLU was highlighted for its pre-med program,
combined bachelor’s and graduate degrees and
business and accounting education.
SLU also is recognized as one of the nation’s
leading educational values. Both Barron’s Best
Buys in College Education and the Fiske Guide
to Colleges recently named SLU as a best buy in
higher education.
COMING HOME: Members of the class of 1960 celebrated their “Golden Billiken” reunion
during Saint Louis University’s Homecoming Weekend, Sept. 24-26. The 50-year gathering was just one
highlight of the weekend, which also featured campus tram tours, a tailgate barbecue, soccer game
and fireworks. More than 3,000 alumni and families attended the Homecoming activities. Next year’s
Homecoming Weekend will be Sept. 23-25, 2011.
MAKING A
DIFFERENCE
On Oct. 23, a record 2,778
students, faculty and staff
participated in SLU’s 2010 Make a
Difference Day.
Following a rallying speech by St.
Louis Mayor Francis Slay (Law
’80) and a time of reflection, the
volunteers headed to more than
120 local service sites that included
schools, churches and community
organizations. The volunteer
ranks included many international
students as well as parents of local
SLU students.
From painting to gardening to
home building, schools took on
a fresh look, community gardens
were tended and Habitat for
Humanity got a welcome hand.
And SLU’s participation wasn't
limited to those in St. Louis.
Hundreds of SLU alumni in cities
across the country took part in
their local Make a Difference Day
programs.
Photo by Ángel García Lopez
{ on campus }
2 U NIVER S I T A S w w w. slu . e d u
Freshmen Nicole Becker and Casey Munn at a
Habitat for Humanity site in St. Louis.
Photo by Steve Dolan
Photo by Chad Williams
4 U NIVER S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u f a l l ’ 1 0 U N I V E R S I T A S 5
‘Kaleidoscope’
exhibition at
SLUMA
The Saint Louis University Museum
of Art is presenting “Kaleidoscope:
Works by Mexican Master Leonardo
Nierman” through Dec. 31. Featuring
paintings, tapestries and sculp-tures,
Nierman’s work is a mixture
of elements drawn from personal
preference and experience. In it, he
offers viewers a diverse interpreta-tion
of landscapes, the discoveries of
modern science and his own love of
music. Nierman has had many exhibi-tions
displayed internationally and in
Mexico. His work has played a leading
role in modern Mexican art, and indi-viduals,
corporations, museums and
galleries worldwide have collected his
art. SLUMA’s hours are 11 a.m. to 4
p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. For
more information, visit sluma.slu.edu.
DEDICATED
A building on SLU’s campus that
houses hands-on educational
workshops for learners ranging
from middle school students
to world-class surgeons has
been named to honor Dr. Paul
A. Young (A&S ’47, Grad ’53),
who has taught at SLU for six
decades. Dedicated on Aug. 10, Young Hall, 3839 Lindell Blvd., is home to
Practical Anatomy and Surgical Education, which evolved from the Practical
Anatomy Workshop, an initiative founded by Young’s son, Dr. Paul H. Young
(A&S ’71, Med ’75), a clinical professor at SLU.
t h e A R T S a t S L U
101 SLU NATIONS
A flag display adorns Des Peres
Hall, home of SLU’s new Center
for Global Citizenship, which is
slated to open in January and
will bring internationally focused
academic support units under
one roof. The 101 flags, which
also line the roof of the West Pine
Gym, not only represent the home
countries of SLU's international
students, but also international
locations where U.S. students
and faculty travel to study, teach,
research and complete service
projects. The Center for Global
Citizenship will bring together the
office of international services, the
international studies program and
the English as a second language
program.
Photo by Chad Williams
PROFESSOR FLIES INTO HURRICANE EARL FOR RESEARCH
Most people flee hurricanes. Dr. Robert Pasken (Grad ’82) flies into them. Pasken, a SLU meteorology
professor, was part of a NASA research team that flew into Hurricane Earl in August to collect data
that could help forecasters better predict the intensity of future storms.
The flying laboratory — a former passenger airplane outfitted with scientific equipment — enters the hur-ricane
at about 32,000 feet. (Anything lower could tear the DC-8 aircraft apart.) As the plane crisscrosses the
storm and enters in and out of the eye, Pasken and other team members drop parachuted devices that measure
pressure, temperature and humidity as well as wind direction speed. Over the years, forecasters have employed
these techniques to make more accurate predictions about a storm’s trajectory that emergency management of-ficials
use to save lives.
Pasken also has involved undergraduate and graduate students in the storm flights. This year, students Ash-ley
Halbert, Michelle Hogenmiller, Evan Kerivan and Janel Thomas (A&S ’10) accompanied him.
Although most of Pasken’s students won’t have the chance to join
him on these missions, Pasken uses pictures and videos from his trips
to demonstrate that meteorology is more than just looking at data in
computers.
LIBRARY DEBUTS DIGITAL
ARCHIVE COLLECTION
Pius XII Memorial Library has launched its newest digital collection,
“Saint Louis University Yearbooks 1903-2005.” This collection of
95 yearbooks and graduate records from Pius Library’s Special Collec-tions
is now available online and is full-text searchable.
The SLU yearbook, known as The Archive, was published from 1913-
1941, 1945-1971 and 1981-2005. Between 1972 and 1980 the University
instead published a “graduate record” or “senior book” that documented
the senior class during its four-year history rather than the whole University for a single year.
Schools and colleges within the University have occasionally issued their own yearbooks: School of Medicine
(1907, 1944, 1981, 1985, 1987), School of Dentistry (1944) and Parks College (1972). In addition, the collec-tion
includes the only yearbook printed by the Marion-Sims-Beaumont College of Medicine (1903), which
became the SLU School of Medicine that same year.
The collection is available at libraries.slu.edu/special/digital/yearbook.html.
News Briefs
Michael Barber, S.J. (A&S ’71, Grad ’72), is the interim dean of
the College of Arts and Sciences. Barber is the dean of SLU’s Col-lege
of Philosophy and Letters and has taught in the philosophy
department for 25 years. From 2004-2010 Barber was SLU's Hot-felder
Distinguished Chair in the Humanities. He also has received
numerous grants and awards, including a 2010 Mellon Grant to
help sponsor an international conference on phenomenology's
relationship to other disciplines to be held next May in St. Louis.
For the second consecutive year, Saint Louis University has been
selected for G.I. Jobs’ list of “Military Friendly Schools.” The
publication's 2011 list honors the top 15 percent of colleges,
universities and trade schools that are doing the most to embrace
America’s veterans as students.
Roland Corvington, most recently the FBI’s highest-ranking
official in eastern Missouri, is now SLU’s assistant vice president
and director of public safety and security services, leading a newly
reorganized and renamed public safety department. Corvington's
law enforcement career spans more than three decades. He also
is a member of the National Organization of Black Law Enforce-ment
Executives and the National Association of Chiefs of Police.
Spanning more than three-dozen specialties, 144 doctors from
SLUCare were included on St. Louis Magazine’s 2010 “Best Doc-tors”
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.
Author and playwright Don DeLillo received the 2010 Saint Louis
Literary Award on Oct. 21 from the Saint Louis University Library
Associates. DeLillo is the author of 15 novels, including Under-world,
White Noise, Libra and Point Omega, and three plays. His
work has won many honors in the United States and abroad,
including the National Book Award, the Jerusalem Prize and the
PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction.
Dr. Adrian Di Bisceglie was invested as the inaugural holder of the
Badeeh A. and Christine V. Bander Chair in Internal Medicine on Aug.
31. Di Bisceglie is chairman of the department of internal medicine at
the School of Medicine and an internationally recognized expert in the
field of liver disease. Benefactors Dr. Steven Bander (A&S ’75), who
is a SLU adjunct faculty member in nephrology, and his wife, Patricia,
created the endowed chair as a way to support SLU's growing
national and international reputation.
Dr. Shelley
Minteer, a
SLU professor
of chemistry
and the Col-lege
of Arts
and Sciences
Endowed
Professor,
received the
2010 Tajima Prize from the Interna-tional
Society of Electrochemistry.
The prize is awarded to an electro-chemist
under the age of 40 and
recognizes Minteer’s contributions
and breakthroughs in her research
about biofuel cells and biosensors.
Her work focuses on the develop-ment
of efficient alternative energy
sources, taking a bio-inspired
approach to creating fuel cells as
opposed to the common metal-based
batteries. Her research looks
at the efficiency of living organisms
as they convert food/fuel to energy
as well as methods to improve fuel
cell performance and lessen the
environmental impact of batteries.
Dr. William Sly,
a SLU biochem-ist
for whom
the genetic
disease “Sly
Syndrome” is
named, received
a prestigious
international
award in June
for his lifetime contribution in re-searching
a group of inherited and
life-threatening conditions known
as the mucopolysaccharidoses (or
MPS). The Life for MPS award was
given at the 11th International Sym-posium
on Mucopolysaccharide
and Related Diseases in Adelaide,
Australia. Sly holds the James B.
and Joan C. Peter Endowed Chair
and is a professor of biochemis-try
and molecular biology. Since
his 1969 discovery of MPS VII, or
Sly Syndrome, Sly has spent his
entire research career investigating
causes and possible treatments of
MPS-related disorders.
SLU professors receive international awards
TREVATHAN IS NEW PUBLIC HEALTH DEAN
Dr. Edwin Trevathan is the new dean of the
School of Public Health, He joined SLU on
Sept. 13. Trevathan succeeds Dr. Homer Schmitz,
who had served as interim dean of the School of Public
Health for two years and will continue to be on faculty
as a professor of health management and policy.
Trevathan directed the National Center on Birth De-fects
and Developmental Disabilities at the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Last year, when H1N1 influenza
loomed as a threat to public health, Trevathan took the lead in planning the
CDC’s strategic response to protect the health of children. He also worked as
an epidemic intelligence officer at the CDC from 1987 to 1989.
Trevathan has had connections to the School of Public Health since
2002, with appointments first as an adjunct associate professor of commu-nity
health, then as an adjunct professor.
PANTANKAR NAMED VICE
PRESIDENT, FROST CAMPUS
Dr. Manoj Patankar (Parks ’92) is the vice presi-dent
for the Frost Campus. He had served as
interim vice president since August 2009. In addition
to Frost academics, Patankar oversees the libraries,
enrollment management, institutional research and the
Reinert Center for Teaching Excellence, among other areas.
Patankar first came to SLU as a student in Parks College of Engineering,
Aviation and Technology. In 2002, he joined Parks' faculty, and several
administrative appointments followed. In 2007, Patankar was named dean
of Parks College.
A noted researcher, Patankar helped secure funding for the Center for
Aviation Safety Research and co-founded the Safety Across High-Conse-quence
Industries Conferences. He also is a widely published author.
{ on campus }
MOCRA shows
work of Rosen
The Museum of Contemporary Reli-gious
Art’s latest exhibition is “James
Rosen: The Artist and the Capable
Observer,” on display through Dec.
12. With more than 100 pieces, the
exhibition presents work from the
1950s to the present, offering viewers
the opportunity to observe Rosen’s
journey through paintings, watercol-ors,
drawings and prints. It culmi-nates
with a series of oil and wax/oil
emulsion paintings that are homages
to the religious art of the European
past, painted with up to 60 thin lay-ers
— “veils” — of oil paint and wax.
MOCRA’s hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tuesday through Sunday. For more
information, visit mocra.slu.edu.
Fury, mixed media on masonite
Photo by Chad Williams
Frances, charcoal on paper
6 U NIVER S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u f a l l ’ 1 0 U N I V E R S I T A S 7
Saint Louis University Billiken basketball teams are
looking to capitalize on last season’s successes while
facing some challenging opponents. Tickets for both
men’s and women’s games are available by visiting
www.slubillikens.com or by calling (314) 977-4SLU.
{ advancement news }
Why should every graduate make a gift to
Saint Louis University?
Alumni giving is incredibly important. First, it
shows that alumni remain connected to the
University and that they want to ensure that
the University grows and prospers. It also
shows their desire to give back so that future
generations of students can have the SLU
experience.
Secondarily, alumni giving makes up a very
significant percentage of all of the philan-thropic
giving to any university. We need that
support to move SLU forward — particularly
in
Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University
No full textSpring 2004 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 4
By Lawrence Biondi, S.J.
Saint Louis University President
After nearly 17 years in this position, I know that the chal-lenges
for Saint Louis University and its president will
continue to change with the times. But it’s also true that the
joys associated with being SLU president, for the most part,
remain the same.
For starters, I have the privilege of working with some
brilliant people. Among them are inspiring teachers, top
researchers, renowned physicians and influential thinkers. I’m
blessed to be surrounded by people who have a passion for
leading our Jesuit institution into the future and who believe
in our collective vision of establishing Saint Louis University
as a pre-eminent private, doctoral research institution and ulti-mately,
the finest Catholic university in the nation. I’m
encouraged as young people grow in ways they never could
have imagined. And, of course, I’m continually overwhelmed
with how our graduates
make a difference in the
lives of others.
Just read the class
notes in the back of this
issue for proof. Every
day, all over the world,
SLU alumni are touch-ing
lives in countless
ways. One of my
favorite joys as president
is listening to alumni
reminisce about SLU.
Whether recalling
friendships, faculty, or
lessons learned, alumni
share seemingly endless
tales of just what SLU
has meant for them in so many aspects of their lives. They
often express a deep gratitude for all that they were taught and
all that they caught!
Another common theme of my conversations with alum-ni
is SLU’s evolution and growth. It’s a delight to hear alumni
express a heartfelt pride in how their alma mater continues to
progress — from the physical transformation of our campus to
the reputation of our academic programs to the amount of
research that touches lives!
And while I always appreciate the accolades and the senti-ments,
I know that none of our accomplishments would have
been possible without the contributions of countless individu-als.
In many cases, the same alumni who are surprised by our
progress are people who helped that evolution take place
through their support of the University. Whether they are
representing SLU well through their actions or recommending
a SLU education to others or donating their time, talent and
treasure, our alumni are the master key to our success.
The same will be true for our future. As many of you
know, SLU is in the second year of its “Campaign for Saint
Louis University: Where Knowledge Touches Lives.” This
200 million mile-stone
of the campaign, there is still a way to go. To those of
you who have given to the campaign, I offer my sincerest
thanks and hope you will consider making a contribution
every year. (Making a contribution is easy. Use the envelope
enclosed in this issue of UNIVERSITAS or make a gift online at
giftform.slu.edu.)
To those of you who
have not given, please
know that every little bit
helps. If for the price of
good seats to a concert or
baseball game you could
improve student life,
would you? Would you
give up a dinner at a nice
restaurant if it would
enable one more student
to attend Saint Louis
University on a scholar-ship?
Any gift, small or
large, makes a difference
at SLU. As an example,
UNIVERSITAS mails to
more than 105,000 alumni
and friends worldwide. If each reader made a 10.5 million. If the same pledges were
made for five years, the total would reach 52.5 million.
What’s more, in addition to the obvious benefits, the percent-age
of alumni who give to SLU is a factor in determining rep-utation
and rankings compiled by publications such as U.S.
News & World Report.
As you can see, every gift is integral to the success of the
campaign. And each contribution will pay dividends for the
future of Saint Louis University.
Our vision of being the best is attainable. In fact, it is our
destiny. But our journey to become the finest Catholic uni-versity
will not be an easy one. It will take every one of us to
get us there. And with our collective effort, nothing is beyond
our grasp. Thank you!
UNIVERSITAS
Volume 30, No. 2
Editor
Laura Geiser (A&S ’90, Grad ’92)
Assistant Editor
Chris Waldvogel
Intern
Patrick O’Malley
Contributors
Clayton Berry
Marie Dilg (Soc Ser ’94)
Joe Muehlenkamp (B&A, A&S ’89,
Grad ’98)
Sara Mueller
Photo Credits
Bill Barrett, 4
Steve Dolan, back cover
Kevin Lowder, 11, 25
Kristen Peterson, 21
Dave Preston, 2
James Visser, cover, 7, 13, 22
Chris Waldvogel, 2, 5
Tosh Yoshino, 9
Design
AKA Design Inc.
Art Direction: Richie Murphy
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 publication
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 submis-sions
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: 113,722
© 2004, Saint Louis University. All
rights reserved.
On the Cover: The newly ren-ovated
conservatory at Samuel
Cupples House. For details, see
page 6. For an overview of the
arts at SLU, see page 23.
IIN MEMORIIAM AALLUUMMNNII nnootteess
2
24 32
28 30
SPRING 2004
8
Sporting a Passion
Club sports offer SLU students
competition and recreation.
12
A Perfect Fit
One of SLU’s most honored professors
finds a home in Jesuit education.
14
Designs for the Future
Take a look at the plans for the
Saint Louis University Research Building.
18
A Diamond Jubilee
The School of Nursing celebrates
its 75th anniversary.
22
As Seen on TV
Two SLU alumni have made
their mark on reality television.
C O N T E N T S
23
Sproule named
new A&S dean
Dr. J. Michael Sproule
will be the new dean of
the College of Arts and
Sciences beginning July 1.
Sproule is the director of the
School of Communication
Studies and professor of inter-personal
communication at
Bowling Green State
University in Ohio. He man-ages
a school with 23 full-time
and eight part-time
faculty members. Its programs
serve nearly 800 undergradu-ates
and 75 graduate students.
Sproule has written seven
books, including The Rhetoric
of Western Thought: From the
Mediterranean World to the
Global Setting, which was
released late last year. He also
is the author of numerous
2
articles and book chapters.
He has received 15 grants and
fellowships and has earned
several awards and honors in
the field. Sproule will succeed
Michael May, S.J., (A&S ’81)
who has served as interim
dean since June 2002. May
will return to his previous
position as chairman of the
department of mathematics
and computer science.
Sproule
ARENA UPDATE: On Dec. 18, Saint Louis University
formally announced its decision to locate its proposed multi-purpose
arena on University-owned property near Compton
and Laclede avenues. The arena will be built on the site of
the former Waring School, the University’s tennis courts
and a portion of the University’s Grand Forest apartment
complex. The University had explored locating the arena in
Grand Center, but the cost of acquiring the needed properties
proved cost-prohibitive. At this time, a date for construction
to begin has not been set. More details about the project are
available on the arena Web site at arena.slu.edu.
Researchers using
cold vs. cancer
Can the common cold
ever be a good thing? It
is if you’ve figured out a way
to genetically engineer the
virus so that it fights and kills
cancerous cells while leaving
healthy cells intact.
That’s been the work of
Dr. William Wold and his
colleagues at Saint Louis
University School of
Medicine for the last 30 years.
“The potential is under-standably
huge,” said Wold,
whose work has received a
U.S. patent after years of
study. Wold, chairman of the
department of molecular
microbiology and immunolo-gy,
and his colleagues, Karoly
Toth, Konstantin Doronin,
Ann E. Tollefson and Mohan
Kuppuswamy, have found a
way to convert the relatively
benign “adenovirus” that
causes the common cold into
an anti-cancer drug that
attacks and destroys cancerous
cells.
“Some of our vectors are
designed to destroy many dif-ferent
types of cancers; others
are designed to be specific to
colon or lung cancer,” Wold
said. “In preclinical testing,
these vectors were highly
effective against cancerous
tumors and did not harm
normal tissues.”
Wold and his colleagues
have done this by modifying
one gene so that the virus can
grow in cancer cells but not
normal cells and by boosting
the activity of another gene
that the virus normally uses to
disrupt the cells it has infected.
HOOP DREAMS: The Billiken men’s basketball team
advanced to the second round of the 2004 National
Invitation Tournament, beating Iowa at the buzzer in the
first round before falling to Notre Dame in the second.
The Billikens closed the season at 19-13. Senior guard
Josh Fisher (above) now tops SLU’s all-time assist list, is
second all-time in steals and is seventh all-time in treys.
NEWS BRIEFS
By The Numbers
24 Sections of the philosophy
course “Ethics” being taught at
Saint Louis University this
semester.
42 Goals scored by the Billiken
men’s soccer team during the
2003 season.
168 Members of SLU’s service
fraternity Alpha Phi Omega.
SLU’s APO chapter is the largest
in the nation.
7,007 Service hours performed
by APO so far this academic
year. (As of March 25.)
4,060 SLU alumni who live out-side
the United States.
John Ammann (Law ’84), asso-ciate
clinical professor at the
School of Law, received a
Governor’s Award for Excellence
in Teaching. … Ken E.
Fleischmann, senior associate
general counsel, received the
“SLUStar 2003 In Touch with
the Community Award” for his
service in the St. Louis commu-nity.
… Dr. Robert
Brockhaus, the Coleman
Foundation Chair in
Entrepreneurship and director of
the Jefferson Smurfit Center for
Entrepreneurial Studies, was
honored as the National
Entrepreneurship Research
Advocate of the Year by the
U.S. Small Business
Administration. … Math profes-sor
Dr. T. Christine Stevens
received the 2004 Yueh-Gin
Gung and Dr. Charles Y. Hu
Award for Distinguished Service
to Mathematics, the most presti-gious
award given by the
Mathematical Association of
America. … Dr. Bruce R.
Bacon, director of the division
of gastroenterology and hepatol-ogy
and co-medical director of
the SLU Liver Center, has been
named president of the American
Association for the Study of
Liver Diseases. … Dr. Richard
D. Bucholz, professor of neuro-surgery,
was named the 2004
Missouri Inventor of the Year by
the Bar Association of
Metropolitan St. Louis. … Dr.
Norma Metheny (Grad ’79),
the Dorothy A. Votsmier
Endowed Chair in Nursing,
received the 2004 Midwest
Nursing Research Society
Distinguished Contribution to
Research in the Midwest Award.
SLU volleyball
has new coach
Anne Kordes is SLU’s
new head volleyball
coach. Kordes was the top
assistant and recruiting coor-dinator
at Illinois from 1999-
2003. During her five-year
stint, the Illini qualified for
the NCAA Tournament
three times and posted a 90-
61 record (.596). Kordes also
was an assistant coach for the
USA Volleyball National A2
program for the past three
summers. She began her play-ing
career at the University of
Cincinnati, where she earned
1994 Great Midwest
Newcomer of the Year hon-ors.
She left UC after her
sophomore season to attend
her hometown school, the
University of Louisville.
Kordes replaces Marilyn
McReavy Nolen, who
announced her retirement
from coaching at the end of
the season. A pioneer in vol-
SLU in top 5 for
doctorates granted
For the 16th consecutive
year, Saint Louis
University ranks among the
top five Catholic colleges and
universities in the number of
doctoral degrees granted.
According to statistics com-piled
by the National
Research Council, SLU
ranked fifth in the number of
doctorates granted between
July 1, 2001, and June 30,
2002. The Graduate School
has ranked among the top
five Catholic universities in
doctoral degrees granted since
1987, the first year SLU offi-cials
began tracking that data.
Only Notre Dame joins SLU
in that distinction. SLU led
Catholic universities in doc-toral
degrees granted in 1991,
1997 and 2001. The
University ranked second on
the list in 1992, 1994, 1996
and 1998. Dr. Don Brennan
(Pub Ser ’67, Grad ’69), dean
of the Graduate School, cited
academic excellence — along
with the administration’s sup-port
of the graduate assistant-ship
program and the
addition of graduate research
assistants — as reasons that
SLU is a favored destination
among doctoral students.
Prof uncovers
new fish species
The chairman of SLU’s
biology department has
discovered a new species of
fish, not in the depths of the
tropics, but in the “wilds” of
western Tennessee. Dr.
Richard Mayden, along with
his colleague and former doc-toral
student Dr. Steven
Powers of Reinhardt College,
recently discovered the
Chickasaw darter, Etheostoma
cervus, in the Forked Deer
River, which is about an
hour and a half northeast of
Memphis. Having already
discovered and described 10
previously unknown species
from rivers in the North
America and working on
another 30 descriptions of
new species, Mayden said
current predictions of biodi-versity
are underestimated.
He added that the newly dis-covered
Chickasaw darter,
like many other small stream
fishes, is endangered in its
native habitat and should be
considered for state and fed-eral
protection.
leyball and women’s athletics,
Nolen finished her 32nd year
of collegiate coaching and her
10th at the helm of the
Billikens. She ranked third on
the active NCAA Division I
coaching victory list and had
a career record of 809-358-12
and a 190-140 mark at SLU.
Kordes
The Chickasaw darter
‘Matrix’ under
Review at SLU
An innovative course at
Saint Louis University
aims to give students the keys
not only to unlock the secrets
of The Matrix film trilogy but
also many other myths from
the Garden of Eden to the
Odyssey. “The Matrix and
Religion” explores the myths
found in the films from a the-
Nobel Prize
winner visits
ANobel Peace Prize win-ner
was among the dis-tinguished
guests who visited
Saint Louis University to cel-ebrate
the fourth annual Atlas
Week, March 26-April 2.
F.W. de Klerk, was the
keynote speaker for the
week’s signature symposium.
As president of South Africa,
de Klerk worked with Nelson
Mandela to end apartheid and
bring democracy to the
nation. In 1993, they
received the Nobel Peace
Prize.
A week-long program
sponsored by the provost’s
office, Atlas Week recognizes
the international dimension of
SLU’s academic programs and
celebrates the University’s role
in international education and
service in light of SLU’s Jesuit
mission and heritage. Atlas
Week includes open houses,
open classes, special presenta-tions,
films and lectures. The
week culminates with the
Billiken World Fair, which
features a parade, live cultural
music and dance, academic
and informational booths, car-nival
games and international
cuisine.
SLU team charged
by battery research
Amicrochip-based battery
that runs on alcohol and
can power a cell phone for a
month without recharging
may sound like the stuff of
science fiction. But researchers
at Saint Louis University are
one step closer to making it
science fact. Dr. Shelley
Minteer, an assistant professor
of chemistry, and her research
team have filed provisional
patents on a new biofuel cell
that generates power from a
few drops of alcohol and
some natural enzymes. Now
they’re moving from a con-ceptual
stage — they’ve been
using a solution in a beaker to
power a fan — to something
much more tangible. They
are developing a microchip-based
battery that provides a
glimpse into the future of
portable power. Their inven-tion
could replace the
rechargeable batteries found
in everything from laptops to
PDAs. Instead of plugging
into a fixed power outlet and
waiting for a recharge, these
new “batteries” could last up
to a full month, charging
instantly with a few milliliters
of alcohol.
Center expands
global outreach
The Saint Louis University
International Center is
initiating a summer institute
called the Gateway Program
for top students of select sec-ondary
educational institu-tions
located outside of the
United States. Participants
will take a regular SLU
course while also attending
short programs developed by
a variety of University
departments. Additional ses-sions
by faculty, staff and
guest speakers will educate
visiting students about uni-versity
study, campus life and
American and St. Louis cul-ture.
Students will live with
local families. If you would
like more information about
welcoming a student into
your home, call the
International Center at (314)
977-2318 or e-mail
[email protected].
4
ological perspective. The
course’s creator hopes the
class will help students better
understand their world.
Interest in the new class was
so intense that it filled up in
only three hours. Throughout
the semester, students are
learning about what is known
as hermeneutics — the study
of the principles and methods
of interpretation.
NET GAINS: The Saint Louis University men’s soccer pro-gram
led all NCAA Division I programs in average atten-dance
during the 2003 season, averaging 2,779 fans for nine
home dates at Robert R. Hermann Stadium on the University
campus. The Billikens also led the nation during the 1999
season by averaging 2,784 fans per game and again in 2001 by
averaging 2,870. SLU women’s soccer, meanwhile, continued
its upward trend of packing the stadium. The women’s team
ranked 14th in the nation during 2003 in both total and aver-age
attendance. With nine dates at Hermann Stadium, the
Billikens saw 8,670 fans come through the gates for an average
of 963 per game. It is the third consecutive year that women’s
soccer attendance has increased.
Scene from The Matrix courtesy of Warner Brothers.
The spring 1994 issue of UNIVERSITAS
showcased the John E. Connelly Plaza
and Mall, which begins at the former
intersection of Spring Avenue and
West Pine Boulevard and travels west
on West Pine to Vandeventer
Avenue. The 60-foot limestone and
brick clock tower, which was featured
on the cover, was also brand new,
having been dedicated the previous
November.
The issue featured an article about
alumni in law enforcement and their
roles in fighting crime in the St. Louis
area. And it included a summary of
Billiken sightings from around the
world submitted by alumni.
UNIVERSITAS also contained the
news that the Billiken men’s basketball
team had reached the NCAA
Tournament for the first time since
1957 and tied the University’s all-time
winning streak with 14 consecutive
victories. Both the U.S. Basketball
Writers Association and ESPN named
Charlie Spoonhour their national
coach of the year. The USA
Today/CNN coaches poll ranked the
Billikens 21st in the country as they
entered the tournament. (The team
lost in the first round to Maryland.)
Quotable UTAS: “Saint Louis
University is an excellent example of
an institution which is both doing
direct service for the poor and also
helping to get at the structures which
help to perpetuate the plight of the
poor through a sensitive and faith-based
formation of the non-poor per-sons
for others.” — Jesuit Superior
General Peter Hans-Kolvenbach, S.J.,
in a letter to University President
Lawrence Biondi, S.J.
Sign of the times: “Information
superhighways, a cordless telephone
that fits into a coat pocket or a
Powerbook that fits inside a briefcase
may be nothing more than appetizers
for future courses of new products.”
— Dr. Patrick J. Welch in the article
“Industrial Evolution”
10
Professor garners
biodefense grant
ASaint Louis University
professor has received a
2.2 million grant from the
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention to study
emerging viruses that could
threaten the U.S. population.
During the next five years,
Dr. Thomas Chambers, asso-ciate
professor of molecular
microbiology and immunolo-gy,
will investigate how “fla-viviruses”
are responsible for
causing hemorrhagic fever,
encephalitis and West Nile
illness. His work could lead
to new and improved vac-cines
to prevent these dis-eases.
The funding is part of a
$27 million national grant
program to enhance ongoing
bioterrorism preparedness in
the United States.
CELEBRATING DIVERSITY: Members of the Saint
Louis University community gathered for the annual
Interfaith Celebration Feb. 3 in St. Francis Xavier College
Church. Various faith traditions were represented, includ-ing
Baha’i, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and
Judaism. Above, Dr. Ron Modras, professor of theological
studies, introduces Islamic student Ahmad Iqbal.
percentage. … Tony
Hausl
Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University
No full textSummer 2012 issue of Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis Universitysummer 2 012
Campus activity
heats up
Page 8
Retreat to ignatius
Page 12
Casa de Salud
Page 14
Aviation Safety
Page 18
faith and humor
Page 22
features
8
Summer at SLU
When the spring
semester comes to an
end, campus activity
heats up.
— By Amy Garland
12
In the Footsteps
of Ignatius
Madrid Campus
students visit key Jesuit
sites while on retreat.
— By Laura Geiser
14
House of Health
Casa de Salud is
improving the health
of St. Louis’ Latino
community.
— By Marie Dilg
18
Safety First
SLU’s Center for
Aviation Safety Research
touches a variety of
industries.
— By John Gilmore
22
Lighten Up!
This year’s
commencement address
emphasizes both faith
and humor.
— By James Martin, S.J.
depar tments
2 | On Campus
Commencement •
Two new deans named
• Graduate program
rankings • Community
Service Honor Roll •
Arts at SLU
6 | Billiken News
New women’s basketball
coach • Fall sports
schedules
7 | Advancement News
A look at the plans
for the downtown Joe
and Loretta Scott Law
Center
24 | Class Notes
Catch up with
classmates
28 | In Memoriam
Remembering those
members of the SLU
community who
recently died
30 | Alumni Events
SLU alumni activities
across the country
32 | Perspective
An alumna’s experiences
hosting international
students
33 | the last word
Letters to the editor
12 { contents }
22 8
14
18
Volume 38, Issue 3
Editor
Laura Geiser (A&S ’90, Grad ’92)
Contributors
Clayton Berry
John Coyne (A&S ’59)
Marie Dilg (Grad SW ’94)
Amy Garland (A&S ’97)
John Gilmore (A&S ’88)
Danielle Lacey
“On Campus” news stories
University Communications
Medical Center Communications
Billiken Media Relations
ON THE Cover
Junior Oscar Adam Cruz
enjoys summer at SLU. To see the
inspiration for this issue’s cover, go to
page 33’s “50 Years Ago in Universitas.”
Photo by Jim 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 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] and fax submissions at (314) 977-
2249. Address fax submissions to Editor, Universitas.
Postmaster: Send address changes to
Universitas, Saint Louis University,
One N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103.
World Wide Web address:
universitas.slu.edu
Universitas is printed by Universal Printing Co.
Worldwide circulation: 118,520
© 2012, Saint Louis University
All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without
permission is prohibited.
F A L L 2 0 0 4 W I N T E R 2 0 0 5
{ president’s message }
This spring, America magazine asked me to write an
article addressing the following question: “How
does a Catholic college or university communicate
to students the value of religion in society?”
America magazine is the nation’s leading forum for discus-sion
of religion, society, politics and culture from a Catholic
perspective. I was pleased to add my voice to this important
conversation. (I was also honored to appear in the same pages
as America culture editor James Martin, S.J. — our 2012 com-mencement
speaker whose address is reprinted on page 22.)
As you might imagine, communicating the value of religion
in society to students is a subject that I care deeply about.
Although SLU’s commitment to Catholic, Jesuit education has never wavered during my 25-year tenure
as president, I do have a growing concern about the increasingly secular — and superficial — society into
which we send our graduates.
In sharing my America article with you, I hope you will be inspired to consider the value of religion in
your own lives.
* * * A New Reality * * *
We live in an increasingly secular and superficial world. How can we expect our students to pur-sue
truth, to find God in all things, to lead lives of significance, when reality television stars have
become our cultural icons?
While college students seem less likely to embrace religion than they did when I became
president of Saint Louis University 25 years ago, I firmly believe that we at Jesuit institutions can
reverse this trend, primarily because we do not have to look very far for inspiration. The religious
conversion of St. Ignatius Loyola changed the world, and nearly 500 years later his message and his
mission still resonate on our campuses and in our communities.
At SLU, we communicate the value of religion in many ways. We require all students to take
theology courses. We celebrate a Sunday night Mass that draws 1,000 students of varying religious
backgrounds. And we structure many service projects in St. Louis and beyond to include faith
and reflection, challenging our students to become agents for change. These worthy endeavors are
expected at a place like Saint Louis University, of course. To further help students understand the
power of religion, sometimes it is necessary to do the unexpected, which, for us, means focusing
on other faiths, too.
With the hope of nurturing the faith lives of all our students, the campus ministry department
works closely with such groups as our Hindu Student Community, Muslim Student Association
and SLU Jews, as well as religious leaders and ministers of different faiths from the external com-munity.
A newly chartered Interfaith Alliance, created by students, develops programs that build
bridges and encourage understanding. The student founders consciously connect with others
of diverse religious backgrounds and find common ground by performing service projects and
going on retreat together. I am immensely proud of these students and the example they set. I
am also aware that the University could do more to foster interfaith dialogue and interreligious
cooperation. I believe all Catholic colleges and universities must do a better job of reaching out
to and serving non-Catholic students. If Catholicism is to thrive in these increasingly secular and
superficial times, we must not be afraid to stand up for all religions.
Efforts to further our connection with other faiths do not make us any less Catholic or Jesuit.
Quite the contrary. It is our charge and our responsibility as Jesuit institutions of higher educa-tion
to help shape a world of depth and dignity that celebrates all faith traditions. And when we
do, we rise to the challenge of St. Ignatius to combat superficiality and secularism as we inspire
our students to seek substance and to actively live their faith, whatever it may be.
Now that is a reality worth watching.
Reprinted with permission of America Press, Inc. 2012.
All rights reserved. For subscription information, call 1-800-627-9533 or visit www.americamagazine.org.
s u m m e r ’ 1 2 U N I V E R S I T A S 3 LIGHTS OUT: SLU students play glow-in-the-dark volleyball during the “Blockout: Neon
Volleyball Tournament” on April 14 in the Simon Recreation Center. The event was sponsored by Billikens
After Dark, a student organization that plans late-night, alcohol-free events. Photos by Jim VisseR
{ on campus }
Lighten up.
That was the message from this year’s commencement speaker, James
Martin, S.J., a best-selling author whose latest work is Between Heaven and
Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life.
Perhaps better known to the graduates as the chaplain of Comedy Cen-tral’s
The Colbert Report, Martin addressed the Class of 2012 — and 6,000
of their family and friends — May 19 in Chaifetz Arena.
“Don’t take yourself so seriously,” Martin told the graduates in a speech
peppered with humor. (To read his complete remarks, see page 22.) “Or,
since this is a distinguished Jesuit university and I should frame things
more elegantly, how about this: Joy, humor and laughter are underappreci-ated
virtues in the spiritual life and represent an essential element in one’s
own relationship with God.”
Before Martin had the graduates laughing, University President
Lawrence Biondi, S.J., took to the stage to offer them a salutation and
invocation. He noted that the latest “sons and daughters of Saint Louis
University forever” were about to join more than 115,000 SLU alumni
living in every corner of the world.
“You have been challenged by our outstanding faculty, shaped by our
modern, values-centered curriculum and transformed by our Catho-lic,
Jesuit mission,” Biondi said. “Your experience here at Saint Louis
University has made you uniquely prepared for something greater than a
successful career. Your Catholic, Jesuit education has prepared you for a
life of significance.”
During the ceremony, Biondi conferred honorary degrees upon Martin
as well as well as His Beatitude Bechara Peter Rai, Patriarch of the
Maronite Catholic Church; longtime SLU anatomy professor Dr. Paul
A. Young (A&S ’47, Grad ’53); and local philanthropists Ann and Doug
Brown (Cook ’66).
The Patriarch closed the ceremony with a prayer: “To our graduates: We
wish you a very bright future,” he said. “This great university has equipped
you with a very good intellectual formation, with knowledge, with the
strength of hope and with a sense of justice and love. Go forward and make
use of what you have acquired, in your families, in the world of work and
in the society at large. The future lies in the hands of those who sow hope
in hearts and work for justice and peace in our world.”
His Beatitude also celebrated this year’s Baccalaureate Mass, which was
held in Chaifetz Arena for the first time. Also a first, the Mass was in the
ancient Maronite Rite — which is in full communion with the Latin Rite
— and featured prayers and hymns in Aramaic.
“It was an honor and a privilege for our University community to wor-ship
with the representative of more than 15 million Maronite Catholics
across the world,” said Paul Stark, S.J., vice president for mission and min-istry.
“This year’s Baccalaureate Mass was another opportunity to expose
our students to a larger world of faith.” — By Clayton Berry
Commencement honors the Class of 2012
SLU named to Community
Service Honor Roll again
Saint Louis University has been named to the President’s Higher
Education Community Service Honor Roll for the fifth consecutive
year. This honor is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve
for its commitment to service-learning and community engagement. It
honors exemplary service efforts and service to disadvantaged youth.
Each year, SLU volunteers share hundreds of thousands of service
hours in the metropolitan community and through spring break mis-sion
trips across the country and around the world.
The national honor roll is jointly sponsored by the Corporation for
National and Community Service, the Department of Education, the
Department of Housing and Human Development, USA Freedom
Corps and the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation.
BY THE NUMBERS: with SLU’s community service efforts
percent of SLU students volunteer once
during the year, which is well above the
national average of 60 percent. Nearly
half are regular volunteers, providing
service multiple times a month.
participants in this April’s Relay for Life, who
raised 1.25 million for the
American Cancer Society of Eastern Missouri.
hours spent by Campus
Kitchen volunteers, from August
to April, recovering 32,445
pounds of food to deliver
19,927 meals to those in need.
84 1,290 3,656
History profess o r
awarde d Guggenheim
Fellowship
Dr. Thomas Madden, director of SLU’s
Center for Medieval and Renaissance
Studies, received a 2012 fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim
Memorial Foundation. A professor in the department of history, Madden
joins a group of 180 scholars, artists and scientists who were chosen from
among nearly 3,000 applicants. He will use the Guggenheim Fellowship
award to support his research into the history of Venice’s participation in
the Crusades during the Middle Ages — a project titled “The Lion and the
Cross: Violence, Religion and Identity in the Republic of Saint Mark.”
Scenes from commencement, including Martin (second from left) addressing
the graduates and the Patriarch receving his degree from Biondi (far right).
photos by steve dolan
4 U N I V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u s u m m e r ’ 1 2 U N I V E R S I T A S 5
t h e A R T S a t S L U
Upcoming season unveiled
Saint Louis University Theatre has announced its 2012-13
season. The first show is a comedy that explores marital discord
run amok, Wonder of the World by David Lindsay-Abaire, Oct.
5, 6, 12, 13 and 14. The season continues with D.W. Gregory’s
truth-based tale of the women who painted radium on watches
in the 1920s, Radium Girls, Nov. 9, 10, 16, 17 and 18. The sea-son’s
musical offering is the Tony Award-winning Broadway hit
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, featuring music
and lyrics by William Finn. It plays Feb. 22 and 23 and March 1,
2 and 3. The season ends with Anton Chekhov’s classic Three
Sisters, April 26 and 27 and May 3, 4 and 5. All shows begin at 8
p.m., except Sunday performances, which begin at 2 p.m.
For more details on the SLU Theatre season or to purchase season
tickets, call 314-977-3327 or visit www.slu.edu/theatre.
sluma exhibitions:
Urban Wanderers
From Aug. 6 through Sept. 16, the Saint Louis University
Museum of Art will present “Urban Wanderers,” which fea-tures
the art of more than 40 area artists who have painted,
photographed, illustrated and sculpted their interpretation
of an abandoned or abused dog or cat that has received a
second chance from Stray Rescue of St. Louis. In addition,
the rescued dogs use their paws, tails and/or noses to create
“personalized” works of art that will be displayed and available
for online silent auction.
Contemporary Women Artists’ Exhibition:
Women’s Caucus for Art
“Contemporary Women Artist’s Exhibition: Women’s Caucus for Art” will be shown at the Saint
Louis University Museum of Art Aug. 24 through Oct. 7. This event was first held 32 years ago,
making it the oldest-running exhibition in the St. Louis area that focuses on the wealth and
breadth of work by women artists. The theme for the exhibition is “longevity.”
SLUMA’s hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
For more information, visit sluma.slu.edu.
MOCRA exhibition:
Highlights from the
MOCRA Collection
This summer, SLU’s Museum of Contemporary Religious Art
presents works from its collection and works on extended loan to
the museum. The highlighted work is the “Life of Christ Altarpiece”
(1994-95) by prolific expressionist painter Frederick J. Brown.
MOCRA is exhibiting the five paintings in this work, commissioned
for the museum, as a tribute to Brown, who died May 5. His paint-ings
draw on many sources, including his African-American and
Choctaw ancestry, jazz musicians, and the art of German Expres-sionists
and American Abstract-Expressionists.
MOCRA’s summer hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
For more information, call 314-977-7170 or visit mocra.slu.edu.
SLU theatre:
Vinegar Tom from the
2011-12 season
Frederick J. Brown,
“Madonna and Child”
from “The Life of
Christ Altarpiece,”
1994-95, oil and mixed
media on canvas,
collection of MOCRA
Alexander
named Parks
dea n
Dr. Theodosios
Alexander, former
professor and chairman
of energy engineering at
Queen Mary University
of London, is the new
dean of Parks College of Engineering, Aviation
and Technology following an international search.
Educated at MIT, Alexander has experience as an
academic administrator, educator and researcher.
Previously, Alexander was a professor of mechani-cal
engineering at Washington University in St.
Louis and the University of Glasgow in Scotland.
He also has worked for Hellenic Shipyards, U.S.
Navy consultants John J. McMullen Associates in
Washington, D.C., the Northern Research and
Engineering Corp., McDonnell Douglas Corp. and
Boeing Co. on propulsion-system studies. He partic-ipates
in several international consulting activities.
Alexander’s research focuses on thermal/fluid
sciences and applications on the design of power
and propulsion systems, energy conversion systems,
renewable energy, and engineering systems and
components.
He succeeds Dr. Krishnaswamy Ravindra, who
led Parks on an interim basis for nearly two years.
Graduate programs score
in U.S. News rankings
Saint Louis University has more than 20 programs ranked among the top 100
in the United States in the 2013 U.S. News & World Report “Best Graduate
Schools” rankings. Seven SLU programs were listed in the top 25.
Among the notable honors:
Other SLU programs ranked in the nation’s top 100 of U.S. News & World
Report’s “Best Graduate Schools” 2013 include: physician assistant (25), part-time
law (27), physical therapy (34), occupational therapy (36), public health (36), part-time
MBA (37), nursing (50), social work (52), best law schools ranked by top law
firms (67), earth sciences (69), speech language pathology (73), clinical psychology
(79), history (85) and English (94).
Rehg named
P&L dean
Bro. William Rehg,
S.J. (Grad ’83, ’84),
is the new dean for the
College of Philosophy
and Letters. He has
taught philosophy at
Saint Louis University since 1992, earning the rank
of full professor in 2010. Previously, he taught at
Rockhurst University and Northwestern University.
He also has been a visiting scholar or professor at
Georgetown University, the Jesuit School of Theol-ogy,
Loyola University Chicago, MIT and Goethe-
University in Frankfurt, Germany.
Rehg is a past president of the Philosophers in
Jesuit Education as well as the Jesuit Philosophical
Association. He also serves on the board of directors
of Theological Studies.
A frequently published author, he brings his
interest in argumentation theory to issues in science
studies, ethics and social-political philosophy.
He succeeds Michael Barber, S.J., who is also
dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and served
as dean of both colleges since May 2011.
{ on campus }
WAVE THE FLAG: Students march down the quad during the 2012
Atlas Week Parade of Nations. The parade marks the beginning of the
Billiken World Festival as well as the unofficial end of Atlas Week, an
annual event recognizing the international dimension of SLU’s academic
programs and celebrating the University’s role in international educa-tion
and service. This year’s program, themed “Empowering Humanity
Through Education and Service,” focused on the value of learning, with
special attention to interfaith dialogue. PHOTO BY MICHELLE PELTIER
RED LETTER DAY: In May, a
10-by-20-foot neon sign was installed
atop Hotel Ignacio. To learn more
about Hotel Ignacio, which recently
celebrated its one-year anniversary,
visit hotelignaciostl.com. PHOTO BY KEVIN
LOWDER
RESULTS ARE IN: This year, the SLUstainablity
Recycling Electronics Drive collected a total of
48,791 pounds of material. That’s an increase of
more than 36,000 pounds from last year’s collected
amount of 12,350 pounds. The event, held as part of
the national RecycleMania competition, kept more
than 24 tons of electronics and appliances from end-ing
up in a landfill. PHOTO BY KEITH McCUNE
News Briefs
Dr. Paul Vita is the director of the SLU Madrid Campus after
serving as interim director since August 2011. He continues to
serve as academic dean of the Madrid Campus.
Dr. Don Linhorst (Grad SW ’82), director of the School of
Social Work, will lead the College of Education and Public
Service as interim dean. He has been on the faculty for 15
years and has led the School of Social Work since 2007. He
succeeds Dr. Gerard Fowler (Law ’84), professor of leadership
and higher education, as interim dean. Fowler will retire Aug.
31 after 40 years of service to SLU.
Dr. Lisa Dorsey (Doisy ’90, Grad Cook ’95), associate dean
for academic and student affairs at the Doisy College of Health
Sciences, is the interim dean of the college. She has been an
assistant professor of physical therapy and athletic training
since 2009 and previously directed the college’s academic
program in health sciences.
Two nursing professors have received honors. Dr. Nancy
Cibulka (Grad ’06), assistant professor of nursing, was among
43 nurses in the nation inducted as fellows into the American
Academy of Nurse Practitioners in 2012. And Dr. Norma
Metheny (Grad ’79), the Dorothy A. Votsmier Endowed Chair
in Nursing, received the 2012 Midwest Nursing Research
Society Senior Scientist Recognition Program Award. Metheny
also received the Healthcare Pioneering Spirit Award from the
American Association of Critical Care Nurses.
The School for Professional Studies has been named the
winner of the 2012 About.com Reader’s Choice Award for
“Best School for Adult Students.” Now in their fifth year, the
awards honor the best products, features and services across
more than a dozen categories as selected by readers.
Dr. Mark Reinking (Grad ’04), associate professor at the
Doisy College of Health Sciences and chairman of the
department of physical therapy and athletic training, received
the 2012 Dorothy E. Baethke–Eleanor J. Carlin Award for
Excellence in Academic Teaching from the American Physical
Therapy Association.
SLU’s graduate
programs in entrepre-neurship,
international
business and supply
chain management
were in the top 25
in the rankings.
SLU’s health law program
landed in the No. 1 spot for the
ninth consecutive year. The
program is supported by the
Center for Health Law Studies,
which is home to som
Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University
No full textSummer/Fall 2013 issue of Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University. This is a special issue on Fr. Lawrence Biondi's retirement as University President.summer / fal l 2 013
center for
World Health
and Medicine
Page 16
Basketball
Coach
Jim Crews
Page 20
farewell, father biondi Page 8
2 | U N I V E R S I T A S | w w w. s l u . e d u
Volume 39, Is sue 3
Edi tor
Laura Geiser (A&S ’90, Grad ’92)
contributors
Riya Anandwala
Marie Dilg (Grad SW ’94)
Amy Garland (A&S ’97)
Danielle Lacey
“On C a mpus ” news s torie s
University Communications
Medical Center Communications
Billiken Media Relations
ON THE Cov er
University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J.,
speaking at the 25th Anniversary Gala in
May. Photo by Steve Dolan.
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 only if accompanied by a
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to the editor must be signed, and letters not
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fact. The editor reserves the right to edit all
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Postmaster: Send address changes to
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Universitas is printed by Universal Printing Co.
Worldwide circulation: 121,110
© 2013, Saint Louis University
All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without
permission is prohibited.
F A L L 2 0 0 4 W I N T E R 2 0 0 5
On May 4, 2013, I was
elected chairman of
Saint Louis University’s
board of trustees for the
third time. But that wasn’t
the biggest news to come
out of SLU that day. That
night at a fundraising gala
in his honor, University President Lawrence
Biondi, S.J., announced his plans to retire from
SLU. (See page 8 for an interview with Father
Biondi.)
Since then, I’ve had time to reflect on Father’s
announcement — and to consider all he has
done as the visionary leader of this outstanding
institution. Before I share my reflections, how-ever,
I should note that my varied experiences
with Saint Louis University offer me a different
experience than most.
First, like most readers of Universitas, I am a
proud SLU alumnus. And, like many of you, I’m
also a parent of a SLU graduate.
I have also been a member of the SLU board of
trustees for more than 25 years, and was a mem-ber
of the team that elected Father as president
in 1987. (In fact, we served on the SLU board
together while Father was a dean at Loyola Uni-versity
Chicago.)
As a result of my participation on the board
— especially my dozen years as the board’s chair-man
—I have had a significant amount of expe-rience
working directly with Father Biondi.
Without question, Father is driven by one
thing: Making SLU better. He absolutely lives
and breathes SLU. It wasn’t long after his arrival
as president that Father shared his bold vision:
To make Saint Louis University the finest Cath-olic
university in the United States.
Those of us who attended SLU prior to
Father’s tenure certainly loved this university.
However, it was hard to see how a mostly com-muter
school with few nationally ranked pro-grams
could achieve such lofty status.
Father Biondi, on the other hand, saw the
potential right away. He understood the notion
of “good to great” long before it became a com-mon
term in the business world. By boldly stat-ing
such a brave goal, Father gave us something
to strive toward. Indeed, he set the bar high for
this great institution. And he sets it even higher
for himself.
When people talk about Father Biondi’s leg-acy,
they usually focus on the physical transfor-mation
of SLU’s Midtown campus. It’s certainly
true that the campus is nearly unrecognizable
today compared to when I was a student.
Truly, Father Biondi has
built SLU into one of the
country’s most beautiful
urban campuses. But what
many people fail to mention,
however, is the significant
impact Father’s leader-ship
has had on academics,
research, patient care and our commitment to
community service.
During his tenure, Father devoted vast Uni-versity
resources — upwards of a billion dollars
— toward hiring top-notch faculty, creating
new academic programs, launching innovative
research initiatives, expanding student scholar-ships,
and supporting mission-related and out-reach
projects. These investments have drawn
record numbers of students who come with high
test scores and strong academic achievements.
In pursuit of his vision, Father wasn’t afraid
to take chances. In the late 1990s, he came to
the board with the idea of taking $100 million
from the endowment to improve academics at
SLU. This initiave allowed us to add new fac-ulty
positions, special inquiry courses, student
scholarships and more. It was a risky move that
continues to pay dividends to this day. Always
keeping SLU’s best interests in mind, Father
also made some tough decisions — for example,
selling SLU Hospital and moving Parks College
to St. Louis.
It should also be noted that Father has raised
millions of dollars each year from our alumni and
other donors, and the University’s endowment
has grown more than tenfold during his tenure.
Clearly, we have some very big shoes to fill.
That is why the University will take its time
in searching for Father Biondi’s successor. Our
search process, which will begin in late Sep-tember
following extensive research into best
practices, will be inclusive, transparent, deliber-ate
and thorough. And, throughout our search,
we will keep our SLU community, including
alumni, informed of our progress.
I have seen Father Biondi take a good uni-versity
and make it great. More importantly, I
am proud to call him my friend. And thanks to
all that the SLU community has accomplished
during his tenure, I know we are positioned for
even greater heights in the future.
J. Joe Adorjan (Cook ’63, Grad Cook ’67)
Chairman, SLU Board of Trustees
M e s s a g e f r o m
t h e C h ai r m a n
o f t h e B o a r d
Biondi (left) and Adorjan at the May 4 gala.
C O N T E N T S
f e a t u r e s f e a t u r e s
8 | Farewell, father Biondi
President Emeritus Lawrence Biondi, S.J., reflects on his
SLU career and his decision to retire.
— By Laura Geiser
16 | Translational Drug Hunters
The Center for World Health and Medicine works to
discover drugs that fight neglected diseases.
— By Marie Dilg
20 | Crews Control
Men’s basketball coach Jim Crews reviews last season’s
success and shares his coaching philosophy.
— By Danielle Lacey
2 | On Campus
Commencement ///
Interim president ///
U.S. News graduate
rankings /// New endowed
chair /// Arts at SLU
6 | Billiken News
Baseball A-10 champions
/// Fall sports schedules
7 | Advancement News
A Q&A with Jay
Goff, vice president for
enrollment and retention
management
24 | Class Notes
Catch up with classmates.
28 | In Memoriam
Remembering those
members of the SLU
community who recently
died
30 | Alumni Events
SLU alumni activities
across the country
32 | Perspective
An alumnus pursues a
dream and writes a book.
33 | The Last Word
Letters to the editor
Photo by steve dolan
Photo by kevin lowder
Biondi (center) with Oriflamme members in 2012.
2 | U N I V E R S I T A S | w w w. s l u . e d u s u m m e r / f a l l ’ 1 3 | U N I V E R S I T A S | 3
Kauffman serving
as SLU’s interim
president
On Sept. 1, Saint Louis University
President Lawrence Biondi, S.J.,
retired from his position, and SLU Vice
President and General Counsel William
Kauffman began serving as interim president. Kauffman, whose
term will last throughout the academic year, will not be a candi-date
for the SLU presidency. He has been SLU's general counsel
since 1995 and also is secretary to the board of trustees.
Biondi, who announced his intention to retire as president in
May, is now president emeritus and is taking a one-year sabbatical
from the University.
“Bill Kauffman is a leader, has great institutional knowledge
and is respected by the board and his fellow vice presidents and
administrators,” said J. Joe Adorjan, chairman of SLU’s board of
trustees. “Bill didn't ask for this position, but has agreed to serve
for the coming year because of his love for SLU. I am confident he
will be an effective and collaborative interim president.”
SLU's longest serving vice president, Kauffman has overseen all
of the University’s legal services for nearly two decades. His work
has touched nearly every aspect of the institution, including aca-demics,
research, student affairs, athletics and SLU’s large physi-cian
practice.
Kauffman’s career in higher education has spanned more than
40 years. Prior to his appointment at SLU, he was the general
counsel at the University of Alaska, the general counsel for the
Kansas Board of Regents and assistant attorney general for the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Kauffman is also a recognized leader in higher education legal
affairs. He has served as the president of the National Association
of College and University Attorneys, and in 2004, the organiza-tion
honored his many contributions with a Distinguished Service
Award.
A native of Pennsylvania, Kauffman received his bachelor's
degree from Gettysburg College and his law degree from the Uni-versity
of Pittsburgh School of Law.
“I am honored to have been appointed as interim president, and
my top priority will be to put SLU in as strong a position as pos-sible
for our next president,” Kauffman said. “I am committed to
working with stakeholders inside and outside of the University to
keep us moving in a very positive direction.”
To support Kauffman as interim president, the board of trustees
has established the office of the chairman, which will be staffed
with five key senior administrators who will work closely with
Kauffman during the next year. They are: Dr. Ellen Harshman
(Grad ’78, Law ’82), vice president for academic affairs; Dr. Philip
Alderson, vice president for medical affairs; David Heimburger
(Cook ’85), vice president and chief financial officer; Bridget
Fletcher, vice president and chief of staff; and Dr. Kent Porterfield,
vice president for student development.
Adorjan said he intends to have all of the processes in place so
that the search for the next president can begin immediately after
the Sept. 28 meeting of the board of trustees. That includes the
naming of a search committee that will include trustees and repre-sentatives
of SLU faculty, staff and students.
Graduate programs score
in U.S. News Rankings
More than 20 of Saint Louis University’s graduate programs are
ranked among the top 100 in the United States, according to
U.S. News & World Report. In the magazine’s 2014 “Best Graduate
Schools” issue, six SLU programs were listed in the top 25.
SLU’s health law program landed in the No. 1 spot for the
10th consecutive year. The program is supported by the renowned
Center for Health Law Studies, which is home to some of the top
scholars in the field.
Included for more than a dozen years among the 20 best pro-grams
in the United States, SLU’s geriatric medicine program
ranked No. 14 in the nation this year.
SLU’s graduate programs in entrepreneurship, international
business and supply chain management also were in the top 20 in
this year’s rankings.
Other SLU programs included in the top 100 of U.S. News &
World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools” 2014 rankings include:
health care management (9), physician assistant (25), part-time
law (27), physical therapy (34), occupational therapy (36), public
health (36), part-time MBA (37), nursing (50), social work (52),
biomedical engineering (61), earth sciences (69), medical schools:
research (70), medical schools: primary care (70), speech language
pathology (73), clinical psychology (79), business programs (84),
history (84) and English (98).
More than
10,000 spend
Summer at SLU
This year, approximately
2,700 students attended
one of nearly 40 SLU-spon-sored
camps or academies,
while more than 3,800 indi-viduals
participated in a cam-pus
conference or event, and
more than 4,200 students
enrolled in an undergraduate
or graduate course.
In its successful inaugural
year, the “Summer at SLU” ini-tiative
highlighted the numer-ous
camps and academic opportunities for kindergarten through
high school students; encouraged high school and college students
to take advantage of summer course offerings; and built awareness
for national and local conferences and events held on campus.
Several new summer offerings brought young students to cam-pus
including Camp Invention, the International Business Sum-mer
Academy and the Grand Arts Camp. For more information,
visit summer.slu.edu.
o n c a m p u s
Saint Louis University celebrated the Class of 2013 during its
annual commencement celebration in May.
During this year’s ceremony, honorary degrees were awarded to: John Foppe (A&S
’92, Grad ’01); Thai businessmen and entrepreneurs Metee Auapinyakul (Cook ’78) and
Chanin Vongkusolkit (Grad Cook ’77), who founded Banpu Public Company Limited,
which has become one of the most successful energy companies in Asia; and St. Louis
civic leaders Joe and Loretta Scott were awarded honorary degrees.
Foppe was also this year’s commencement speaker and encouraged graduates
to take chances despite the obstacles they may face.
Born with no arms, Foppe has been determined not to let his limitations hold
him back. He became a motivational speaker and author, and by age 22 was listed
among the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce’s 10 Outstanding Young Americans.
In 2012, he became executive director of St. Louis’ Society of St. Vincent de Paul,
which provides assistance through advocacy and outreach programs. In addition
to leading this nonprofit, Foppe continues to share his insights through speaking
engagements around the country.
He started his commencement address by opening a can of soda with his feet,
pouring it into a glass and toasting the graduates.
“Today, I urge you to take a different path,” Foppe said. “Finding your higher
purpose and greater good necessitates an awareness of your deeper calling. Listen.
Look. Learn. ... I urge you to continue what the Jesuits have taught you. Be ‘a
person for others.’ Be open, be bold and be persistent.”
At the conclusion of the ceremony, for the first time ever, the graduates were
showered with confetti and streamers.
Commencement 2013
Photo by steve dolan
The Billiken with some young campers.
Photo by nate cowen
4 | U N I V E R S I T A S | w w w. s l u . e d u
By the Numbers
At Chaifetz Arena, which this spring marked five
years of entertaining Midtown. During that time:
594: Events held 1.7 million: People walked
through the arena turnstiles 80,363: Hot dogs eaten 6,938: Hours spent installing and
removing t / / / he basketball court /
o n c a m p u s
10,549: Points scored by the SLU men’s (6,072)
and women’s (4,477) basketball teams
Ne w s B r i e f s
Dr. Scott Safranski, a faculty member of more than 30 years at the John Cook
School of Business, is the school’s interim dean for the 2013-14 academic
year. The school’s dean, Dr. Ellen Harshman, is serving as SLU’s interim vice
president of academic affairs. Safranski chaired the management department
for 11 years and was interim chair in decision sciences/information technology
management for a year.
Dr. Matthew Grawitch is the interim dean of the School for Professional Studies.
Dr. Jennifer Giancola, former dean of the school, announced her decision to
leave that position and return to the SPS faculty, effective June 30. Grawitch
became a faculty member at SPS in 2005. He has been the chair of the organi-zational
studies program, director of the master’s program in leadership and
organizational development, and associate dean of academic development.
Dr. Thomas Madden, director of the Center for Medieval and Renaissance
Studies, has been named a fellow of the Medieval Academy of America. This is
among the highest honors that a medieval scholar in any discipline can receive.
Madden was named a fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Founda-tion
in 2012.
Dr. Karla Scott (A&S ’81), associate professor of communication and director of
the African American Studies Program, received the Ernest A. Calloway Teach-ing
Award from the Society of African American Studies. The award, named for
the late SLU professor, was established by Brian Shelton (A&S ’80) to honor
University faculty members whose efforts in the classroom reflect Calloway’s
commitment to social justice, diversity and inclusion.
Dr. Susanne Chawszczewski (Grad ’98) is SLU’s new director of campus minis-try.
Chawszczewski, who most recently served as certification and education
coordinator for the National Association of Catholic Chaplains, is returning to
SLU, where she earned her doctoral degree and served as assistant director of
student life.
SLU marks milestones
in aviation, civil
engineering
In May, Saint Louis University conferred the first
Doctor of Philosophy in aviation in the United States
— and the world — to Damon Lercel. This milestone
also marks the first Ph.D. completed at Parks College
of Engineering, Aviation and Technology.
Parks worked on the concept of a doctoral degree in
aviation for more than 10 years. “The program offered
not only an in-depth immersion in research, but also
opportunities to interact with both the domestic and
international aviation industries,” Lercel said. “It’s a
victory for the advancement of aviation.”
Dr. Theodosios Alexander, dean of Parks College,
said, “This success is a momentous and historic mile-stone
for aviation, Parks College and SLU.”
The college also celebrated its inaugural graduating
class from the civil engineering program in May. The
pioneering class of 21 civil engineering graduates is the
first for SLU in more than 35 years and the first ever for
Parks College.
Hakanson
named VP
and CIO
David Hakanson is SLU’s
vice president and chief
information officer. He most
recently was the chief informa-tion
officer at Samford Univer-sity
in Birmingham, Ala.
A Missouri native, Hakanson brings more than 15
years of information technology experience to his new
leadership role at SLU. He got his start in higher edu-cation
working as a systems administrator at the Uni-versity
of Missouri-Columbia. And his move to SLU
isn’t Hakanson’s first brush with Jesuit education. Ear-lier
in his career he served as a technology director at
Saint Peter’s University in New Jersey.
University opens new
workforce center
SLU’s School for Professional Studies recently opened of a new state-of-
the-art facility that provides high quality workforce training and
development programs in the St. Louis area.
The Center for Workforce and Organizational Development, located
in the Wool Center on campus, is offering more than 400 courses and
certificates, covering such fields as application development, project
management, mobile development, information security, business
intelligence and more. Day and night classes are available, as well as
continuing education units. SLU alumni are eligible for a 15 percent
discount.
The center also is providing additional services to the IT, business
and health care communities, including private training, consulting
and assessment services, all of which can be customized to meet
the specific needs of an organization. For more information, visit
workforcecenter.slu.edu.
t h e ARTS a t SLU
SLU THEATRE:
Upcoming season unveiled
Saint Louis University Theatre has announced
its 2013-14 season. The first show explores
the lives of Restoration actresses: Playhouse
Creatures by April De Angelis, which opens
Oct. 4. The season continues with Stephen
Sondheim’s classic A Funny Thing Happened
on the Way to the Forum, beginning Nov. 15.
Middletown by Will Eno, who has been called “a
Samuel Beckett for the Jon Stewart genera-tion,”
starts Feb. 21. The season ends with
Euripides’ ancient Greek tragedy Medea, which
opens April 25. All shows begin at 8 p.m.,
except Sunday performances, which begin at
2 p.m.
For more details on the SLU Theatre season
or to purchase season tickets, call 314-977-3327
or visit www.slu.edu/theatre.
Three Sisters from the 2012-13 season.
Photo by John Lamb
Laura Fogg,
TJammin’,
53 x 43"
SLUM A exhibition:
Quilt National 2013
The Saint Louis University Museum
of Art is presenting “Quilt National
2013” through Oct. 27. A biennial
show, Quilt National first was
organized in 1979 to showcase
artists who push the boundaries
of traditional quilting, using new
materials and technologies. The
2013 show was juried by interna-tionally
recognized art quilters and
includes works by artists from 27
states and seven countries.
SLUMA’s hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wednesday through Sunday. For more
information, visit sluma.slu.edu.
Orthopaedic surgery
Endowed Chair named
Dr. Berton R. Moed (Med ’76) is the University’s
first Hansjörg Wyss Endowed Chair in Orthopae-dic
Surgery.
Moed came to SLU in 2003 to serve as chair and
professor of the department of orthopaedic surgery.
Since then, the department has experienced growth in
research output, the number of full-time faculty and
practice locations, and profitability.
Wyss is the former chairman of Synthes, a global
medical device company whose surgical instruments
and implants revolutionized the treatment of trauma
on the human skeleton. After last year’s multi-billion
dollar acquisition of Synthes by Johnson & Johnson,
Wyss now spends much of his time devoted to his many
philanthropic pursuits, which includes enviro
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