AQ Magazine :: Summer/Fall 2016

SUMMER/FALL 2016

THE MAGAZINE OF AQUINAS COLLEGE

TAKING STUDENTS FULL CIRCLE

PAGE 18

Volume 15 :: Issue 2 :: Summer/Fall 2016 The Aquinas Magazine is the flagship publication of Aquinas College. This magazine reflects the heart of the College as expressed through its Catholic heritage and distinctive Dominican tradition.

IN THIS ISSUE 4 :: Alumni Pursue Diverse Doctorates 6 :: Mohler-Thompson Marks 10th Anniversary 7 :: New Translation & Interpretation Degree 8 :: Athletic Director Terry Bocian Retires 18 :: Aquinas Takes Students Full Circle 25 :: Sisters & Students Partner in Nationwide Project

Message from the President As I begin my sixth year, it is a privilege and an honor to serve you as Aquinas College’s seventh president. As you may have heard in the news media, I am planning to retire June 30, 2017 after a 45year career in education.

As I transition into full retirement, I will continue to work with the Aquinas Foundation during the 2017-18 academic year to advance the goals of our $58 million comprehensive campaign, which includes campus beautification, technology advancements, construction of Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Chapel and expansion and renovation of the Albertus Magnus Hall of Science. The Aquinas College Board of Trustees has formed a committee to discuss the process of selecting a new president. I ask for your prayers through this transition.

Meanwhile, I look forward to another productive year as we serve and prepare our students for their future endeavors. One of the things I never get tired of hearing is how competent, creative and professional our Aquinas students and graduates are in the workplace. Employers tell me how our Saints often possess attributes that are hard to measure on paper; they join the workforce having learned, not just the course material, but how to apply it and how it can be used to make the world a better place.

It all starts with our dedicated faculty and our rigorous academic programs. Our students benefit from a solid foundation in their individual discipline, which is rooted in the liberal arts. In this summer 2016 edition of Aquinas Magazine, you’ll read how our faculty are helping prepare students for challenging internships and how those employers are responding to Saints in the workplace (page 18). Of course, many of our students also distinguish themselves after graduation with further academic achievement.

You’ll read about several of our Aquinas alumni who are earning their doctorates. (page 4).

We also strive to provide programs that give our students skills and knowledge for a changing professional landscape. Our new Bachelor of Science in Translation and Interpretation is designed to prepare students for a career in a sector that is projected to be one of the fastest, globally (page 7) and is the only degree of its kind in the state of Michigan. Our Master of Arts in Clinical Health Counseling (page 24) will enable students to enter the field of professional counseling to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), trained to provide a full range of mental health and human services.

Our academic programs are the bedrock of Aquinas College. And thanks to our faculty and staff, who are planning strategically for the future, our programs are better than ever. Our curriculum, combined with the Catholic and Dominican culture of Aquinas, is preparing students with the tools they need to flourish as leaders in the workplace, the community and the world.

Juan Olivarez ‘71, Ph.D.

ANDREW DEMSHUK ‘02

Andrew Demshuk majored in history and chaired the history club during his time at Aquinas.

After obtaining his B.A., Demshuk immediately began work on his master’s degree at Marquette University, before pursuing his doctoral program at the University of Illinois—which he completed in 2010. Demshuk has spent five years as an assistant professor at the University of Alabama, specializing in German history.

Demshuk reports also having been inspired to pursue his field by Dr. Chad Gunnoe. “The liberal arts education at a Catholic institution was the initial draw, but Chad played an enormous role in what I did with it,” said Demshuk.

ANDREW HOWARD ‘12

(right) Andrew Howard earned his B.S. in pre-medicine from Aquinas shortly after retiring from the United States Air Force. Today, Howard is in his final year of his Ph.D. candidacy in cellular, molecular and genetic biology at the Van Andel Institute.

As a winner of the MohlerThompson Research Grant, Howard indicated that it was his work with Dr. Jennifer Hess that inspired his graduate work.

“My program was very answeroriented; they don’t really ask a lot of questions. But Dr. Hess opened my eyes to the research side of molecular biology, and here I am.”

Howard is now passionately striving to tackle the questions for which there are no present answers, primarily working with immunotherapy. “I guess I didn’t exactly have the usual college experience,” joked Howard, “but I traded in my combat boots for a lab coat, and now disease is my new enemy.”

“I TRADED IN MY COMBAT BOOTS FOR A LAB COAT, AND NOW DISEASE IS MY NEW ENEMY.” - ANDREW HOWARD ’12

IN THE DOCTOR IS

ALUMNI PURSUE DOCTORATES FROM HISTORY TO MOLECULAR BIOLOGY Johnathan Sainz ‘16

MONTISA WATKINS ‘91

(above) Montisa Watkins was an English literature major at Aquinas, and initially dreamt of being a thirdgrade teacher. Watkins obtained her master’s degree in student affairs administration from Michigan State University in 1999, and is currently pursuing her doctorate in educational leadership from Central Michigan University—with which she is “examining how college students use their faith to successfully complete their college careers.”

Watkins wore many hats at AQ: working in admissions and campus safety, and serving as the president of the Black Student Union. Her most influential mentors at Aquinas were Sharon Smith and Estelita Ferris.

“They saw things in me that I did not see in myself,” said Watkins.

Watkins referred to her Ph.D. as “a dream no longer deferred,” and “a tool for me to use to impact the areas where I engage students in their postsecondary journey.” Watkins concluded that she is “still referring students to the AQ experience,” and anticipates completion of her Ph.D. in 2017.

JACOB BAUM ‘05

Jacob Baum majored in history at Aquinas, obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in the same field, and currently serves as an assistant professor of history at Texas Tech University.

According to Baum, the AQ difference lies in the faculty. “The professional network is great, but also the personal relationships with such good people who do so much for their communities,” he said. For Baum, one such faculty member is Dr. Chad Gunnoe. “Chad was very important to my success both at Aquinas and as a graduate student,” said Baum.

in the Aftermath of Revolution Dr. Robert Marko’s Sabbatical in Ukraine Miranda Burel ‘17 “How can you build a civil society without a shared sense of solidarity?” This question runs through Dr. Robert Marko’s mind to this day, months after finishing his sabbatical report “From Civil Society as an Abstraction to an Experience of Transformation: The Significance of Euromaidan for Social Ethics in the West.”

In Fall 2015, Dr. Marko took advantage of his second Fulbright Scholarship to research Western social ethics’ effect on Ukraine at the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU). There, he taught a Ph.D. course for philosophy, Judaic studies, history and theology students.

The course focused on the Ukrainian experience since 1991, and Marko engaged students in conversation and research on Ukraine’s transformation into a self-organizing civil society.

Marko’s research also focused on ecclesiology. He served on a panel on Reformation and Catholicism, acted as an interlocutor in Lithuania and presented various papers on Catholic social teaching at the Ukrainian Social Academy and the Colloquium on War and Peace at the UCU. Though Dr. Marko's goals were academic, the result was more personal. Dealing with a language barrier and separation from family was difficult for him, but the community he found at UCU was a welcome distraction. Ukraine is currently dealing with economic crisis and corruption. Therefore, Marko says, the best way to get by is by trusting the people. And the people were trusting in return.

“I discovered that the hope of Ukraine is in the youth,” he said. “They are very trusting, very transparent.” According to Dr. Marko, the Maidan Revolution forced the youth to be unspoiled and unprivileged, which gives them solidarity. They have seen hardships and wish to make the world better. To do this, students often volunteer to repair houses in the Donbas region, an area severely damaged by revolution.

“Seeing students work together to rebuild the community really reaffirmed my sense of what real community looks like,” Dr. Marko said. “There isn’t any of that forced bonding like we have in the West.

They have a shared vision of faith.”

Ukrainians also have a very strong sense of religious identity, noted Marko. Following the Byzantine model, there was no separation between church and state until very recently. Religion and faith still have a voice in the public square, but the country is moving toward a more separate and open society. Western cultures often come together based on common interests, rather than shared values like Ukraine.

According to Marko, “Ukraine has the opportunity to come together based on common values, which is something to teach the west.”

Ukrainians are now coming together to combine social ethics and Church teaching. They seek to strike a balance between religious and secular ideas in order to create a better world, the basis of which is grounded in Catholic Social Teaching. These practices yield a positive outlook for the country’s future.

“My particular hope for Ukraine,” Marko concluded, “is in the young people and the authentic living out of Catholic Social teaching, respect for the dignity of the human person, and concern for the common good.”

A DECADE OF DUOS

geometry, is a compilation of the work he and his student partners developed over several years. on Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometry. According to Dr. Jensen, McDaniel has been consistently involved in the program each year.

When asked about the overarching goal of the Mohler-Thompson grant, Dr. Jensen explained that it aims to provide research experience for undergraduates in their field. “If students aren’t sure they want to Johnathan Sainz ‘16 do this in their future careers, it would be better to find that out now than when they’ve already enrolled in a grad program,” said Dr. Jensen.

Dr. Jensen herself has worked on several different projects, with topics In 2007, Aquinas College was endowed with funding for student ranging from environmental problems and lead contamination, to and faculty research by the Mohler family bequest. A year later, counterfeit pharmaceuticals and liquid crystal synthesis. Regarding the the Thompson family made additional contributions to the experience itself, Dr. Jensen said, “It’s really the student’s project, in my annual grant, which we now know as the Mohler Thompson eyes, so I like to let them drive it—really see what they are passionate Summer Research Scholarship. about and how we can tackle it together.”

The Mohler-Thompson Grant empowers student-faculty This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Mohler-Thompson Scholarship, collaboration for undergraduate research over the summer and it is operating at full capacity, awarding the funds to six pairs of faculty months, with each partnership working together on a project and students. in their respective disciplines. The grant funds research In geography, Dr. Mary Clinthorne and Jacob Towne ‘17 are working expenses and provides student and faculty stipends, though with geographic information systems (GIS) and computerized academic credit can, in some cases, be substituted for mapping as it pertains to agriculture. In chemistry, Dr. Jonathan stipends. Since its inception, the program has featured 57 Fritz and John McAfee ‘17 are pursuing a project on direct arylation. students and 20 faculty members throughout five different In biology, Dr. Jennifer Hess and Avery Wagner ‘17 are researching departments: biology, chemistry, mathematics, geography bacteria contaminants in vitamins and nutritional supplements, while and physics.

Dr. Rob Peters and Bridgette Degenhardt ‘17 are researching the Aquinas’ Coordinator for Undergraduate Research and immunology of coral. In mathematics, Dr. Michael McDaniel and Tristen Associate Professor of Chemistry Elizabeth Jensen, Ph.D. Spencer ‘19 will be undertaking more non-Euclidian geometry, while reports that the program has had exceptional success in all Dr. Joseph Spencer and Maria Maguire ‘19 are taking a mathematical projects, specifically those who pursued more sustainable approach to the ancient board game Mancala. methods of developing synthetic compounds. Dr. Jensen said that one cannot discuss past projects without mentioning the These six teams are well underway in their research, and will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the program with new and interesting findings. infamous “cockroach experiments” of Associate Professor of Biology Thomas Bahl, Ph.D., in which he removed glands from the insect’s brain and observed how their physiology influences mating behavior.

MOHLER-THOMPSON SUMMER RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIP CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY

Dr. Jensen stated that perhaps one of the program’s most notable achievements was in the publishing of a math textbook, “Geometry by Construction.” Written and published

by Professor of Mathematics Michael McDaniel, Ph.D., the book, an exploration of Euclidean and non-Euclidean Dr. Mary Clinthorne & Jacob Towne ‘17

TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION DEGREE BREAKS GROUND IN MICHIGAN TRADUCCIÓN E INTERPRETACIÓN GRADO ROMPE LA TIERRA EN MICHIGAN TRADUCTION ET INTERPRÉTATION DEGREE BREAKS TERRAIN MICHIGAN ÜBERSETZEN UND DOLMETSCHEN GRAD BRICHT BODEN IN MICHIGAN Zoë Gipson ‘16

Aquinas College is the only college or university in the state of Michigan to offer a bachelor of science in interpretation and translation, let alone one available in three languages.

In the fall of 2015, Aquinas College began offering a Bachelor of Science in Translation and Interpretation. The program is for those pursuing these skills in the French, Spanish and German languages. With the the leadership of Michel Pichot, Ph.D., Katharina HäuslerGross, Ph.D. and Marcos Romero, Ph.D., the program is now preparing undergraduate students for highly-sought positions in a variety of settings.

According to Dr. Romero, translation is the means by which a written message is conveyed from a source language to a target language without losing its meaning. Interpretation, however, occurs when the message is taken from its source language in writing and conveyed in the target language orally.

In 2008, Dr. Pichot began teaching courses in translation in the French program.

After several years of teaching translation classes in French, and discussions with Dr. Gross and Dr. Romero about the needs for interpretation and translation around the city, Dr. Pichot began efforts toward establishing the new bachelor of science degree. With the assistance of Dr. Romero

and Dr. Gross, investigations into this degree led the group to discover that Aquinas College would be the only college or university in the state of Michigan to offer a bachelor of science in interpretation and translation, let alone one available in three languages.

According to Dr. Romero, not only are translation and interpretation needed in the business community, but there has been an increasing need for qualified interpreters in the medical community.

Federal laws require that hospitals provide professional interpreters for patients, but many people rely on friends and family who are not qualified.

The program has three major components: language and culture, professional language and special areas of study focusing on the minor(s) and/or secondary majors that students bring forward.

The program will combine classes and coursework in all three so that students may graduate with a fuller understanding of the mechanics and functionality of both their native tongue and their second language in practical contexts.

Students who pursue the new program will focus on either interpretation or translation, as well as their secondary major or minor. These concentrations will prepare students as they continue with success in their next steps. The program has already had several students declare, with others already interested in transferring in order to pursue the programs. Students who have declared have double majors and minors in biology, chemistry, international business and more.

As students leave the program, they will be prepared for careers in a variety of industries: education, healthcare and social assistance, interpreting and translation agencies at the federal and state levels, as well as local courts. “As educators, it’s important for us to constantly evaluate the job landscape and provide degrees that are rooted in the liberal arts and needed in the workforce,” said Dr. Romero.

Now teaching a program in one of the fastest growing global sectors, Dr. Pichot, Dr. Romero and Dr. Häusler-Gross are doing just that—providing their students with a global education to pursue both local and international opportunities.

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR TERRY BOCIAN RETIRES AFTER STORIED CAREER

Doug Seites ‘10

“Let’s make things better tomorrow than they are today.” That was outgoing Athletic Director Terry Bocian’s philosophy from day one as head baseball coach at Aquinas. Now, 43 years later, it’s easy to look around campus and see that things are indeed better at Aquinas than on Bocian’s first day on the job in 1973 as basketball coach.

Bocian took over as athletic director in 1978, also serving as head coach of both the baseball and basketball programs. At that time, Aquinas offered only nine varsity athletic teams. Aquinas currently sponsors 26 varsity programs and is home to over 500 student athletes. A lighted outdoor turf field for soccer, lacrosse and intramurals has been built, as well as the Alksnis Athletics and Recreation Building and Sturrus Sports and Fitness Center.

The latter two have given numerous athletic teams a new home while increasing health and fitness opportunities for all on campus. Aquinas looks and feels much different than it did when “Coach Bo” took the job.

“I’ve always thought coaching was a very worthy profession, and a rewarding one,” said Bocian. “It’s something I’ve enjoyed every day for four decades.” A self-proclaimed “master-thief,” Bocian was always borrowing and learning from rivals and competitors, looking for ways to create a better program and environment for his student-athletes to develop in. The opportunity to become athletic director after five years of coaching was one Bocian saw as a way to help other teams and more student athletes. “I couldn’t pass it up,” he said.

“I thought, some of my philosophies can work for others, maybe I can make an impact, maybe I can make a difference.”

His success is easy to see. He’s the owner of over 1,000 career wins as head baseball coach, seven NAIA state titles, ten state Coach of the Year awards and has been inducted into four different halls of fame. On the shelves and cabinets in his office, numerous awards and honors he has earned are mixed in with photos of himself with baseball legends and former players.

But that has never been what it was about for Bocian. “I never wanted all of this,” he laughed, looking around his office. “My former players and the staff put all this up,” he continued, taking a moment to reflect. “I never wanted the accolades, it was always about the players and the students.”

Associate Athletic Director Crystal Laska agreed with that sentiment. “Bo’s legacy is the athletes,” said Laska. “Thousands of student athletes have gone through AQ during his time and they all knew Coach Bo. He added 17 sports and new facilities that gave our athletes a home to be proud of.”

What will Bocian miss the most as he moves on? “It’s the atmosphere of college athletics,” he said. “The enthusiasm and youthfulness of college athletes and the competition and camaraderie with other coaches. But what I’ll really miss are the happenings; being at a game, seeing alumni and reconnecting with them.”

It’s not uncommon for former Aquinas players to pop into Bocian’s office. Bocian remembers exact scores and details of games that happened three or four decades earlier and recalls the details about their lives and families as if they see each other every day. “For the last 20 years I have found myself in his office just being able to talk to him about anything,” said Laska. “We talked about work, life, the past and the future. My husband played baseball for him and he always said that every day he went to practice he learned something from Coach Bo. I think I can say every time I sat in his office, I did too.”

After all this time, what is Bocian most proud of? It’s not a specific game or championship, but the consistency of success throughout the years from both his teams and his staff. “What I’m most proud of,” an appreciative Bocian said, “is seeing our staff stick together and seeing them being so dedicated. I’m proudest of us piecing things together to be able to get quality kids and have success here.”

Taking a moment to think of his 40-plus years at Aquinas, he added, “What a dedicated workforce, starting with the Dominican sisters. The strength of this institution has always been the dedication of the people. The grounds guys, the coaches, the staff, everyone involved with what we’ve done.

The best thing about this job has always been the people.”

Join the AQ community in The Ninth Inning: A Celebration of Coach Bocian's Service to Aquinas College on Saturday, October 1 from 6-9 p.m. in the Sturrus Sports & Fitness Center. This is a family-friendly fundraiser that pays homage to a true AQ legend. Visit aquinas.edu/ homecoming for more information.

Contemporary Writers Series Celebrates 20th Anniversary Mary Webster ‘17

Tony Foster ‘74 and Linda Nemec Foster ‘72 at Eastown's Argos Books

By the numbers

1079

wins as Aquinas’ baseball coach, the first Michigan college baseball coach to win 1,000 games

13

In 2004, Bocian became the only Aquinas athletic department member in history of the college to have his number (#13) retired

10

Number of times named Michigan NAIA Coach of the Year

7

NAIA state titles

6

WHAC Championships in nine years

4

Number of hall of fames

1

Lifetime Achievement Award: March of Dimes Warren Reynolds

T

his year, the College will celebrate one of the most meaningful gifts for its students and the community: the Contemporary Writers Series, founded by alumni Tony Foster ‘74 and Linda Nemec Foster ‘72.

Tony and Linda met as undergraduate freshman in 1968. Through their shared passion and generosity, the Contemporary Writers Series was founded. 2016 is the 20th anniversary of the program, and now, even two decades from its beginning, it’s still a unique series throughout the state.

As a published poet who served as the first ever Grand Rapids poet laureate from 2003-2005, Linda felt the need to address what she called a “creativity discrepancy on campus.” So in 1995 the Fosters began establishing the necessary committee, operational budget and funding, and two years later, Aquinas hosted its first Contemporary Writers Series event. For the first 15 years, the Contemporary Writers Series was funded solely by the Fosters, but in order to encourage its existence, the CWS Committee, with the full support of the couple, began holding fundraisers in Grand Rapids to build up endowment monies.

Through the readings of famed authors from a variety of genres, the Fosters sought “to expose collegiate students to the lifestyles and processes of famed writers from all over the world, which is exactly what has happened” said Nemec Foster.

This upcoming anniversary season will re-feature the work of renowned artist, educator and poet, Clarence Major, who presented on September 14, 2016, and who first visited the CWS during the 2001-2002 season. The second event will also feature an artist from the ‘01-‘02 season, honorary doctorate recipient from Lehman University, Judith Ortiz Cofer. She will return on November 16, 2015 to share her famed short stories.

SUMMER/FALL 2016::9

LINDSAY ARMSTRONG ‘16

Double math and chemistry major Lindsay Armstrong graduated in May, marking the end to her undergraduate career. Balancing two intensive academic majors with soccer, Armstrong said, “My parents instilled in me from a young age that school always came first, and no matter how much I loved it, soccer second, so I really just carried that belief with me into college.”

Striving for

BALANCE AQ’s Academically Driven Athletes Mary Webster ‘17

Student athletes at every institution have a fastpaced, challenging experience, and AQ athletes are no exception. Being involved with the athletic program on a collegiate level can be physically, mentally and emotionally tiring, but balancing it alongside a full load of classes, all while collecting professional job experiences, can be challenging at best.

It was a game of priorities for Armstrong, but she said “she never felt like she was really missing out, because if there was something I really wanted to do I just planned for it.” Even though there was less spontaneity in her schedule, sometimes meaning a Friday night was spent studying instead of hanging with friends, Armstrong said it was a sacrifice she was comfortable with. Her plans post-graduation include pursuing a lab technician position that would utilize her chemistry degree within an up-and-coming industry.

Six student athletes who have excelled in their sports, and in their classes, have offered some tips and tricks to incoming students about how to excel in their sport, without losing sight of the real prize: graduating.

KRISTOFF SAARI ‘16

Kristoff Saari, a dual major in business and sports management with a talent for tennis, played on traveling and high school tennis teams for all of his teen years. “The experience gave me a good edge and sense of competition for college,” said Saari. The competitive side of his personality ended up serving him well. “It, along with my parents’ support, is what emphasized the importance of academics to me.”

High school sports also helped establish the necessity of a routine, “which is actually a large part of what ended up helping me learn how to manage my time and balance all of my commitments,” said Saari.

The best advice Saari has to offer incoming student athletes is to “Never lose sight of what’s truly important. The successes and failures of your sport don’t need to carry over to the rest of your life.”

SIERRA VANTIL ‘16

Sierra VanTil is an elementary education major, with a focus in learning disabilities, and a four-year volleyball player. VanTil plans to student teach at Cedar Springs in Coopersville in the fall. She attributes her academic and athletic success to her Type A personality. “I never give less than my best, and that’s honestly the main reason I’ve done so well. Well, that and strong time management skills!” said VanTil. “The best advice I could give is just to use your resources and know yourself. Know yourself well enough to know what you need and how you learn.” This, along with (mandatory and voluntary) team study groups, helped VanTil stay on track with her program as she sought academic excellence semester to semester. “The best advice I can give to incoming student athletes is to set high standards for yourself. My parents expected it of me, but it means so much more when you want the best for yourself too!” said VanTil. 10::AQUINAS

RYAN SCHALL ‘17

Ryan Schall recently completed his third year on the AQ Men’s Basketball team. His current plans involve returning for his senior year to finish a dual major in business administration and accounting. Schall is also considering adding a major in finance.

Schall has been playing sports his whole life.

“I’ve always played basketball, and in high school, I finished my senior year as the runner up at state for tennis, and as all-area in baseball.”

However, academic success was always a priority despite such a busy sports schedule.

“All credit for my success goes to my parents and grandparents who helped me learn the value of education, and how to really apply myself. I wouldn’t have been able to balance all of it without them. The best advice I can give to incoming student athletes would be avoid procrastination as much as possible,” said Schall.

CASEY WILA ‘16

Casey Wila, dual business administration and communications major, has played baseball since he was a child. In high school, he also played football and basketball, and quickly learned the value of putting forth the best possible effort wherever he was, whether it be the diamond, field, court or classroom. Wila’s parents encouraged him to prioritize academics, but because of his competitive nature, he didn’t require much incentive.

“If I’m going to do something, I always view it as a challenge to ensure I’m as competitive as I can be, so I’ll do my best. I’ve always been someone who does better when they’re busy. Being a multi-sport athlete really is what made me get my homework done in an efficient manner.

“Overall, the best advice I can give is just to trust yourself and your instincts,” said Wila. “You know yourself best, and ultimately, academic success is a choice it’s entirely up to you to make!”

MARISSA INGERSOLL ‘16

Marissa Ingersoll just completed her undergraduate biology program and in doing so, also concluded to her four years on Aquinas’ track team. Next, she will attend Grand Valley State University’s physician assistant program. Ingersoll has been competing since she was a kid in competitions. She shared that her intrinsic focus and drive developed in athletics, paired with a high grade point average, strengthened her PA applications.

Though Ingersoll was a three-sport athlete in high school and graduated valedictorian her senior year, freshman year of college was a different experience.

“I had to learn new study habits and re-organize my life. It wasn’t enough to have decent timemanagement skills, I had to put effort and intention into every single thing I was doing,” she said.

“The best advice I can offer is to ask questions.

Professors can be flexible, the coaches will understand and there will almost always be someone who can offer guidance and help!”

2016 Athletics Honors BAKER/BROGGER WINNERS ANNOUNCED The Joseph Baker and Sister Helen Louise Brogger Awards are given annually to senior student athletes who exhibit academic strength, service to others and athletic involvement and success.

JOSEPH BAKER AWARD NICK WHISE ‘16 - Whise is a graduate of St. Joseph High School and a four year member of the Aquinas College men’s cross country and track & field teams. A four-time NAIA Academic All-American, Whise has competed at both the NAIA Cross Country and Indoor Track & Field Championships. Whise was honored with “The Phil Wegert Spirit Award” following a senior season where he helped the Saints to a 2015 WHAC Championship and 13th place finish at the 2015 NAIA Cross Country Championships in Charlotte, North Carolina. Whise and his senior teammates captured the WHAC Cross Country title every year they were on the squad.

While at Aquinas, Whise majored in accounting and maintained a 3.97 G.P.A. Whise was active as a student ambassador for three years and acted as site coordinator for a Volunteer Income Tax Assistant Program.

Whise also served as president of the Business and Accounting League and was inducted into Beta Sigma Delta (Business Honor Society).

Whise also worked with the Sports Information Department and tutored accounting students. He held internships at Chemical Bank and Ernst & Young. He is the son of Kenneth and Rita Whise.

SISTER HELEN LOUISE BROGGER AWARD MARISSA INGERSOLL ‘16 - Ingersoll is a graduate of Forest Area High School in Fife Lake, MI and a four-year member of the Aquinas College women’s track & field teams. A four-time NAIA Academic All-American and a seven-time NAIA All American, Ingersoll recently helped the Saints achieve an eighth place finish at the 2016 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Gulf Shores, Alabama. At the championship, Ingersoll sets a school record in the 200 meters (24.36) and the 4x100 meter relay (46.96).

While at Aquinas, Ingersoll majored in biology and maintained a 3.942 G.P.A. despite a heavy load of extra-curriculars. Ingersoll was active in the AED/Pre-Health Club, Aquinas College track & field camps and was a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Board. She also worked as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) and was active in peer tutoring.

Ingersoll held an internship at the Holland Home as a certified nursing assistant. She is the daughter of Scott and Chrissy Ingersoll.

2016 NAIA ALL-AMERICANS MEN’S BASKETBALL JAKE BULLOCK ‘17

DANCE ALI ALDERMAN ‘19 KASSIDY BOLDT ‘19

INDOOR TRACK & FIELD SYDNEY ANDERSON ‘17 4X800 METER RELAY, DISTANCE MEDLEY RELAY (NATIONAL CHAMPIONS)

2016 NAIA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS BASEBALL MIKE DECLARKE ‘16 LUKE EPPLE ‘16 PATRICK GIDDINGS ‘16 TYLER GOLEMBIEWSKI ‘17 TANNER LUNG ‘16 RYAN RAMSEY ‘17 CASEY WILA ‘16

MEN’S BASKETBALL

CURTIS BELL ‘18 POLE VAULT

RYAN SCHALL ‘17

TORI DESIRA ‘18 60 METER HURDLES, 4X400 METER RELAY

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

ANALIS FLOYD ‘19 4X400 METER RELAY MARISSA INGERSOLL ‘16 4X400 METER RELAY, DISTANCE MEDLEY RELAY (NATIONAL CHAMPIONS) COURTNEY KLAWIETER ‘16 4X400 METER RELAY

KELSEY SPITZLEY ‘16

MEN’S GOLF PETER BRANDENBURG ‘16

KATHY MIDDAUGH ‘17 5000 METERS

WOMEN’S GOLF

ALEXIS MILLER ‘19 4X800 METER RELAY

ALICIA FLOOD ‘16 PEYTON FREDERICKSON ‘16 VALERIE MUYSKENS ‘16

CRYSTA PAGANELLI ‘16 4X800 METER RELAY MOLLY PEREGRINE ‘18 4X800 METER RELAY ADRI SIGAFOOSE ‘18 4X800 METER RELAY, MILE, DISTANCE MEDLEY RELAY (NATIONAL CHAMPIONS) MELISSA WINCHESTER ‘18 DISTANCE MEDLEY RELAY (NATIONAL CHAMPIONS)

SOFTBALL ANN HARDIN ‘17 ANNA KENNY ‘17

MEN’S TENNIS

MEN’S LACROSSE

KRISTOFF SAARI ‘16

MATT MULCAHY ‘17

WOMEN’S TENNIS

OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD

MARJEANNE BOTHMA ‘16 REBECCA HURTH ‘17 ANNA MUSIYENKO ‘16

SYDNEY ANDERSON ‘17 4X800 METER RELAY CURTIS BELL ‘18 POLE VAULT KAITLYN HENNINGER ‘16 4X800 METER RELAY AARON HODGES ‘17 POLE VAULT MARISSA INGERSOLL ‘16 200 METERS, 4X100 METER RELAY, 4X400 METER RELAY COURTNEY KLAWIETER ‘16 4X100 METER RELAY, 4X400 METER RELAY MICAILA RICE ‘16 4X100 METER RELAY ADRI SIGAFOOSE ‘18 1500 METERS, 4X400 METER RELAY, 4X800 METER RELAY COURTNEY TRUSS ‘18 4X100 METER RELAY, 4X400 METER RELAY MELISSA WINCHESTER ‘19 4X800 METER RELAY CARLEY WOOLCOTT ‘16 MARATHON

MEN’S TRACK & FIELD CHRIS FORD ‘16 ANDY HOUSER ‘17 BRAD PERSCHBACHER ‘16 NICHOLAS TARSA ‘17 CLAY WEIDENHAMER ‘16 NICK WHISE ‘16

WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD SYDNEY ANDERSON ‘17 KAITLYN HENNINGER ‘16 MEGAN HUETTNER ‘18 MARISSA INGERSOLL ‘16 MELISSA NELSON ‘17 CRYSTA PAGANELLI ‘16 TAYLOR PRYDE ‘16 ASHLEE SANTIAGO ‘17 MEGAN SKINNER ‘16

AQUINAS UNVEILS NEW SCULPTURE AND CAMPUS ENTRANCE Zoë Gipson ‘16

“Aquinas’ towering figure is a quiet invitation to students and other visitors seeking greater understanding of life and God.” - Jay Carpenter

On Wednesday, May 4, the College took yet another step in its work to honor the scholarship and faith tradition in which it was founded, unveiling and blessing a sculpture of St. Thomas Aquinas at the center of the new Fulton Street entrance to campus.

The sculpture was commissioned by Lt. General (Ret.) John and Maureen Nowak, and was created

by Jay Carpenter, an artist from the National Cathedral whose work in sculpture is known around the world. It stands at an impressive 17 feet tall atop a granite base.

Nowak ‘63 has served as Chair of the Board of Trustees, and after nine years of service, has recently been named as a Trustee Emeritus. He said that this sculpture, “is a perfect symbol of my gratitude and appreciation for the new knowledge Aquinas College gave me—a full confidence founded in strong Catholic moral values.”

Carpenter said, “I have endeavored to create a sculpture which, through its silent presence, refreshes the viewer with interest and curiosity; Aquinas’ towering figure is a quiet invitation to students and other visitors seeking greater understanding of life and God.” The patron saint in dark patina represents the academic regalia of the dark academic gowns.

St. Thomas Aquinas is also captured in a moment of contemplation holding several books, which, according to Sister Mary Kay Oosdyke, O.P., ‘65, serve as a reminder of Aquinas’ own works as well as his deep study of other religious and philosophical texts.

Sister Mary Kay Oosdyke, who serves on the Board of Trustees, also said, “the patron saint is a strong and powerful symbol of the human search for truth, and as a reminder of the four charisms of Aquinas College, harkening to the prayer, study, service and study the College and students commit themselves to every day.”

Bishop David Walkowiak of the Diocese of Grand Rapids said, “towering in the air, this sculpture speaks volumes about the vitality of faith and direction of the College, and serves as prominent and worthy entrance, as it is unmistakable that Aquinas is dedicated to the spiritual needs and journeys of its students.”

The sculpture and Fulton entrance serve as a reminder to students, staff, faculty and the community of the roots of Aquinas College, the Dominican charisms, the pursuit of truth and faith, and great appreciation of intellect and academics.

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For more information on Jay Carpenter's creation of the sculpture, visit the Summer 2015 AQ Magazine.

YOUNG ALUMNI GIVE BACK WITH THE SPIRIT OF AQUINAS Zoë Gipson ‘16

During Aquinas College’s 125th anniversary, a small group of alumni came together to begin a tradition that has blossomed four years later into The Spirit of Aquinas Endowment Program, designed by and for young alumni.

The program contains two types of endowed scholarships: individual/family scholarships and affinity group scholarships. The affinity group scholarships are new at Aquinas and capitalize on the natural connections that alumni make while enrolled at Aquinas. This new program, according to Cecilia Cunningham, director of major & planned gifts, “is full of dynamic opportunities for all alumni.”

While young alumni have many ways to give their time or funds to the College, the Spirit of Aquinas Program allows alumni who are 45 years of age and younger to permanently establish a named scholarship at the College. Both individual/family scholarships and affinity group scholarships have a common goal, to create endowed scholarships of $20,000 or more. The distinguishing feature of affinity groups is a common thread that brings unrelated alumni together for a common cause.

These scholarships are contained under one umbrella with different timelines, both for alumni 45 years and younger. Five families have already committed to the individual scholarships, giving $20,000 over 10 years. The affinity group scholarships target the same $20,000 goal over five years.

Affinity scholarships are particularly attractive to young alumni because they are able to join together as part of a common cause and donate funds to a group scholarship, as well as engage a larger group of alumni who might not have been able to give as they would like to otherwise. One such fund is the David Weinandy Student Leader Scholarship started by two young alumni who then gathered a group of alumni to honor Dave Weinandy, Ph.D., professor of communication.

Another example is the Aquinas College Roots Scholarship started by a group of young alumni

who all lived in the Knape Hall program house and were instrumental in starting the campus recycling program. Together these alumni and their spouses have pledged $20,000 over the next 5 years.

Both of these groups were created due to a particular affinity, “a bond that draws alumni together,” Cunningham said. “This program has unlimited possibilities. It allows for creativity and innovation, while having a manageable starting point for alumni to get involved,” she continued.

One of the 17 alumni of the Roots Scholarship, Ryan P. Smith ‘00, said, “This program gives younger alumni the opportunity to make an impact to last for generations. I’ve always been a long-term, big-picture thinker, and this program satisfies that mindset. It’s given my family and a group of friends the chance to contribute in ways most don’t think about until later in life. And it’s a way to give back to a place we all love and enjoy— Aquinas.”

The Spirit of Aquinas certainly has the spirit of St. Thomas Aquinas, according to Cunningham, “the scholarships, like their affinities, are all dynamic, meaningful, and sustained overtime.”

SPIRIT OF AQUINAS - INDIVIDUAL/FAMILY ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS 1. Mayan-Osbourne Family Scholarship (First young alumni endowed scholarship under new Spirit of Aquinas program). Established by Mrs. Jeanne Osbourne Walch ‘90, Mr. Thomas Walch ‘90, Ms. Jeanne M. Mayan ‘59, Mrs. Leona H. (Mayan) Osbourne ‘65.

2. Chase and Jessica Osbourne Scholarship established by Mr. Chase Osbourne ‘05 and Mrs. Jessica Osbourne.

3. Ryan P. and Dawn S. Smith Family Scholarship established by Mr. Ryan P. ‘00 and Mrs. Dawn S. (Wierzbicki) Smith ‘01.

4. The Rossi Leadership Scholarship established by Mr. Paul Rossi ‘92 and Mrs. Kristin Rossi.

5. The Massouh ‘95 Leadership Scholarship established by Mr. Nazar ‘95 and Mrs. Jennifer Massouh.

SPIRIT OF AQUINAS - AFFINITY GROUP ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS 1. David Weinandy, Ph.D. Student Leader Scholarship established by Joshua Marko, Joey Bishop and dozens of friends and alumni.

2. Aquinas College Roots Scholarship established by Rene Palileo ‘98, Curt Wozniak ‘98, Eric Mullen ‘98, Justin M. Smith ‘98, Nate Richardson ‘98, Alan Plum ‘98, Andrew Pieper Ph.D. ‘98, Mark C. Campbell ‘98, Tim McGahey ‘98, Scott Schmidt ‘98, Philip Tannian ‘99, Kevin Kietzman, Scott Bacon ‘97, Brian Matzke ‘97, Damon Bouwkamp ‘00, Ryan P. Smith ‘00, and Chris LaPorte ‘96.

SUMMER/FALL 2016::15

NEW PROGRAMS AT AQ: 2015/2016 • B achelor of Science in Translation and Interpretation: Fall 2015

TOP 10 UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS DECLARED IN 2016

1. Biology 2. Business Administration 3. Psychology 4. B usiness Administration/ Sports Management 5. Spanish 6. Communication 7. Community Leadership 8. Mathematics 9. Sustainable Business 10. Business/Communication

16::AQUINAS

• New emphasis: Bachelor of Arts in English with a Writing emphasis: Fall 2015 • Minor in Irish Studies: Spring 2016 • M asters of Art in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Fall 2016

2014-2015 GRADUATING CLASS: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? • Employed full-time:

55.86%

• Employed part-time:

14.41%

• Graduate/professional school:

14.41% .9%

• Service/volunteer work:

86% TOTAL PLACEMENT RATE

FRESHMAN ACADEMIC INTERESTS: 2015 • Pre-Med/Science/Health/ Math: 32% (compared to 30% in 2014) • Acc/Business/Computers/ Economics: 19% (compared to 17% in 2014) •P sychology/Social Sciences/ Pre-Law: 13% (compared to 16% in 2014) • Undecided: 13% (compared to 11% in 2014)

• Education: 10% (unchanged) • English/Communication: 5% (compared to 6% in 2014) • Art/Music/Theatre: 4% (compared to 5% in 2014) • World Languages/ Humanities/ Religious Studies: 4% (compared to 5% in 2014)

Education program ranked top five of Michigan colleges in 2015

Per the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) annual candidate performance book, Aquinas College

Aquinas Chemistry Society (ACS)

is ranked in the top

was one of five Michigan schools

3% of all accounting

to receive a Commendable

programs in the

Chapter Award from the American

country based on the

Chemical Society in 2015

2014 CPA Exam pass rate.

SSROOM, IN

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TE P T H S T X E NE

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LL CIRCLE U F : AQ

NSHIP & THE

Lauren Fay Carlson ‘12

Aquinas College takes its students full circle. Starting in the classroom, students connect with professors, gaining valuable knowledge and exploring their passions.

With careful application, internships then allow students to then demonstrate their education in a professional context while gaining applicable work experience. Upon graduation, armed with their degree and their internship, students pursue unique career opportunities or higher degrees. This three-fold experience provides Aquinas students with the total package, equipping them for successful careers in the for- or not-for-profit sectors, or further education.

18::AQUINAS

NATHAN SCHALL ‘16 Dual Major: Community Leadership & Geography Internship: Catholic Charities West Michigan “Grand Rapids turned out to be an amazing community.” said Nathan Schall ‘16. A native of Fort Wayne, IN, Schall was eager to dive into the welcoming community he experienced during his first visit to Grand Rapids for his Aquinas tour. His tour guide, Admissions Representative Lindsay Hansen, notified Schall about the College’s Community Leadership program, and he was instantly intrigued. After taking one class, Schall “found a heart for the altruism that Grand Rapids has,” he said, learning of Kent County’s over 1,700 registered nonprofits and the variety of causes they serve.

Even as a first-year student, Schall began exhibiting his sincere and humble spirit, and started influencing his peers and his professors. In his Inquiry and Expression course, Schall made an impression on his professor, Adjunct Professor of English and Student Support Services Program Advisor Sara Haviland ‘95, M.A. “I can remember exactly where he sat,” said Haviland, who described his first assignment, a narrative essay. Schall, a naturally humble student who was, admittedly, intimidated by the college experience at first, “thought he couldn’t do it,” she said. “I was really apprehensive coming in,” admitted Schall. After confessing to Haviland that he thought he could not complete the assignment, Schall walked out of class, and was dragged back by a fellow classmate. “You have to give me the paper,” demanded Haviland, somewhat a fish out of water herself, teaching her very first college class.

“And, it was a great paper,” she noted, smiling.

Haviland tells this story to demonstrate the humility that Schall has maintained in the past four years despite his talent and skill. “He’s so kind,” said Haviland. “He is such a very sincere person.” This experience freshman year inspired a four-year friendship between Schall and Haviland that guided him through decisions big and small. “Sara was the first person at AQ that saw more potential than I saw in myself,” said Schall.

“She helped me realize, I’m kind of cutting myself short.”

Relying on conversations with Haviland, Schall made the decision to pursue the Faith In Action internship at Catholic Charities West Michigan, a position that would compliment his community leadership studies. An extensive position that involved a specialized training in Washington, D.C., Schall began his prep for the internship there in May of his junior year, and officially began working for Catholic Charities in Grand Rapids in August of his senior year. “Training was actually pretty insightful,” said Schall. Having never before studied grant writing, he was able to witness the

“Grand Rapids just seems like one big family.” - Nate Schall process, along with reviewing the principals of Catholic Social Teaching and learning how to motivate people to donate to Catholic Charities. Schall was also afforded the opportunity to meet with the executives of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. “It was just a wonderful time,” he said.

In the fall of last year, Schall dove into the internship with both feet, taking on a variety of tasks that included maintaining Catholic Charities’ social justice newsletter, managing their media contest and building community relationships. “I think he built some skills here,” said Social Justice Coordinator Maggie Walsh, Schall’s internship supervisor. “He just did some great work for us,” she continued. Schall was also afforded the opportunity to spend one hour per week reading and discussing social teaching, an important element of the faith-centered internship.

Thankful for the sincere and focused tutelage, Schall noted, “Maggie has really truly been an inspiration. She just has such a gentle presence.”

Now, having completed one academic year working for Catholic Charities and having just graduated from Aquinas, Schall looks forward to embarking on his graduate program in Urban and Regional Planning at Ball State University in the fall. After having found his motivation for urban planning in the eradication of social injustice, Schall can wholeheartedly take the next step. Though he moves on, he consistently mentions that he did not do it alone.

“I’m just really thankful for all of the people who have supported me through all of this,” he said, noting Associate Director of Career Services and Internship Coordinator Brigid Avery ‘01 and the Director of the Community Leadership Program Michael J. Lorr, Ph.D. “Grand Rapids just seems like one big family.”

Schall with Becca Ryan ‘14 (above) Professor Haviland and Nate Schall

MEGAN DONOVAN ‘16 Dual Major: Business Administration and Communication Internship: Mill Steel “It was all brand new,” said Megan Donovan ‘16, of her internship in the manufacturing environment of Mill Steel, a plant that distributes and processes flat-rolled steel products. This dual major in business administration and communication sought an internship that played to her strengths in accounting and business ethics, and took a chance on the well-reputed company. After a semester of a successful internship, Donovan now finds herself among the staff at Mill Steel.

“Megan was quite attentive and a good student,” said Harwood Hoover, Jr. Ph.D., professor emeritus of business administration. In this introductory course on business ethics, Dr. Hoover utilizes Catholic Social Teaching, specifically John Paul II’s Veritatis Splendor to explore the moral teachings of the church. He then applies these teachings to best business practices, and invites his students to decide for themselves their own moral compass and form their own ethics code for a fictional company. “There is a right and a wrong,” said Dr. Hoover, but “not every student has to buy it.”

This freedom allows Dr. Hoover’s students to come to their own conclusions, and hopefully utilize his lessons in ethics as they embark on their careers.

Specifically, this crash course in ethics, framed by faith, is designed to assist students in forming their professional identities. “The class had been useful for Megan,” said Dr. Hoover, who enjoyed having Donovan in class. Donovan noted that Dr. Hoover’s class had been particularly interesting due to the professor’s personality and ability to share personal stories. “He has been through a lot in his life.”

“It gets you out there. Gives you experience that the classroom can’t teach you.”- Megan Donovan

“I also like to give them optimism that moral businesses do succeed… because they do,” said Dr. Hoover. The class was also foundational for Donovan, as she sought an internship at a successful, honest company that aligned with her own desire for an ethical business environment.

Working with Associate Director of Career Services and Internship Coordinator Brigid Avery ‘01, Donovan discovered the internship opportunity at Mill Steel to begin working in their inside sales department. Recruited by People Development Director Debbie Schaffer and supervised by Corporate Development Manager Troy Mossel, Donovan learned quickly, receiving hands-on experience and becoming immersed in the culture. “[Interns] get a good experience of what it’s like working in a manufacturing environment…a professional environment,” said Mossel. With the desire for the team ethos, Mossel treats every experience as a learning opportunity. “[They’re] not just here filling a seat…[they are] actively involved in the team,” he said.

After serving in inside sales, Donovan had the opportunity to finish in the credit department, and impressed Mossel with her organizational and mathematics skills. “Megan had been doing a very good job,” he said. At the end of her internship, she was thus offered a full time position in the finance department, which she began at the beginning of May this year. “It all just kind of fell together,” said Mossel, who happily welcomed Donovan to the team.

Excited about her new role and the opportunity to join a culture that imparts both ethics and a team environment. “They are about the employees,” said Donovan. After a successful internship that resulted in a lucrative job opportunity, Donovan suggests that other undergraduates, “go for it.” She continued, “It gets you out there. Gives you experience that the classroom can’t teach you.”

With the help of a formative class and the new AQ Advantage Center in coordinating the internship, Donovan can now reap the benefits of semesters of hard work. “Kudos to Aquinas for preparing Megan for a role in a professional business environment,” said Mossel.

FROM CLASS TO CAREER: AQ ADVANTAGE CENTER FOSTERS VOCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Mary Webster ‘17

Aquinas College has experienced tremendous change over the past few years in various departments on campus. In the fall of 2016, Aquinas opened Mother Victor Flannery Hall on the corner of Robinson and Woodward.

What was a converted house became home to The AQ Advantage Center: a facility committed to the facilitation of vocational development..

According to Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Brian Matzke, a task force was created a few years ago under the direction of the Provost made up of administration members, faculty and current students. The goal of the task force was “examining viable possibilities that would strengthen the career services Aquinas offers,” he said. Though many ideas were brought to the table, the final result was the AQ Advantage Center, which is intended as an umbrella of sorts, that houses the departments pertaining to internships, international study and Aquinas undergraduate research programs. The goal is that students will undertake at least one of these opportunities as they discern who they are called to be.

The Advantage Center also offers other programming, such as the Class to Career Seminar series. This series of events take place throughout the year that are meant to help students understand what potential employers are looking for in terms of resumes and interviews, including how to dress for success and etiquette for professional dining. From the Advantage Center also comes the facilitation of Career Development 100, a general education course that assists students in discovering their strengths, interests, skills and abilities.

Ultimately, Matzke said the Advantage Center highlights what so many refer to as the “Aquinas Difference.”

The center focuses on preparing students for their professional futures and emphasizes the role of connections between current and future Saints as it brings together career advice, internships, undergraduate research and study abroad opportunities.

“Research has shown that Aquinas students who have undertaken any of these three programs have had a higher success rate of landing professional jobs, graduate school or volunteer programming such as the Peace Corps right after graduation,” said Matzke. While Aquinas' first destination report shows a placement rate in the 90s, students that have taken part in either an internship, a study abroad experience or a research opportunity have even higher placement rates.

Professor Hoover and Megan Donovan.

Troy Mossel with Donovan (left)

The Advantage Center has effectively expanded the potential for current students to explore, on an individual level, the different academic possibilities related to experiential learning, in order to help each student in their search for fulfillment, both personally and professionally.

AQUINAS INTERVIEW: SISTER DAMIEN MARIE SAVINO, F.S.E., PH.D. AQ’s new Dean of Science and Sustainability, Sister Damien Marie Savino, F.S.E., Ph.D., took a break from unpacking boxes to chat with Aquinas Magazine’s Lauren Fay Carlson ‘12 about her passions, her new position and the beauty of the natural world.

YOU HAVE QUITE A RESUME IN DIVERSE ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES: A PH.D. IN CIVIL (ENVIRONMENTAL) ENGINEERING, A M.S. IN THEOLOGY, AND A M.S. IN SOIL SCIENCE. WHAT LED YOU TO PURSUE EACH OF THESE? I sort of “fell into” them as life unfolds – followed my heart, you might say. When I was studying for my undergraduate degree in Biogeography at McGill University in Montreal, I took a course on soils and was amazed at the beauty and complexity of soils, so that led me later to pursue the Master of Science degree in Soils at University of Connecticut. I always wanted to know more about my faith and to integrate my love of the faith with the sciences, so that led me to the M.S. in Theology at The Catholic University of America. My religious community, the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, wanted me to stay in the sciences and at The Catholic University of America, the Dean of the School of Engineering was interested in my proposal to do interdisciplinary work in environmental engineering and theology, so that is the route I took for my doctoral studies.

WHICH WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR GREATEST PASSION? I would say creation is my greatest passion. Ever since I was a child I loved nature and the outdoors. That passion opened up in me the desire to protect the beauty and diversity of the natural world. It also led me to questions about who is the author of this beautiful nature, which ultimately led me to my vocation as a Franciscan Sister of the Eucharist.

DESCRIBE YOUR DUTIES IN YOUR NEW POSITION AS DEAN OF SCIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ENGINEERING. I will be responsible for the science departments and Center for Sustainability. I will be working to support the sciences and to build new collaborative initiatives and programs, especially as we build the new science building, as well as to increase the integration of sustainability in the sciences and across campus.

IF YOU COULD RECOMMEND ONE BOOK THAT WOULD ILLUMINATE FOR OUR READERS YOUR ACADEMIC SPECIALTIES, WHAT WOULD IT BE? St. Bonaventure, the great Franciscan saint of the 13th century, wrote a spiritual document called the Itinerarium, or Journey of the Soul to God, which is very close to my heart. For him the spiritual pilgrimage has seven stages, and the first two involve seeing God in and through the created world. He didn’t have the sciences as we have them today, but I believe a modern reading of the Itinerarium could understand the sciences as being key in those first two steps of the journey.

ANY OTHER INTERESTING TIDBITS ABOUT YOURSELF THAT YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE? • I recently completed work on a documentary series called “Creation” with Salt and Light TV. In six one-half hour episodes we explore, through the eyes of science and faith, our human responsibility for creation. See saltandlighttv.org/ creation.

• I n the summer of 2011, I walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain with a group of students from University of St. Thomas on our way to World Youth Day in Madrid.

• I love lakes!

Exploring Dominican Tradition: AQ Hosts 14th Biennial Colloquium Lauren Fay Carlson ‘12

This June 9-12, Aquinas hosted the 14th Biennial Colloquium of Dominican Colleges and Universities, an event that gave faculty, students and staff of these institutions the opportunity to reflect on the rich heritage of the Dominican Order, and discuss important issues presented in Catholic Dominican higher education. With over 180 attendees representing 28 colleges throughout the country, the event was filled with study, introspection and community.

“The keynote speakers were outstanding,” said Aquinas College President Juan Olivarez, Ph.D. ‘71. The three speakers included Don Goergen, O.P., Ph.D., a Dominican priest and author of “Fire of Love, Encountering the Holy Spirit,”; Barbara E. Reid, O.P., a Dominican Sister of Grand Rapids and General Editor for the Wisdom Commentary Series; and Sister Ann Willits, O.P, a Dominican Sister from Sinsinawa, WI and a preacher, poet, writer and lecturer.

In addition to these speakers’ plenary sessions that all attended, Aquinas hosted 58 concurrent lectures with topics ranging from “Dominic, Doctrine, & Drama” to “Just War and Responsibility to Protect: An Application to ISIL.” President Olivarez enjoyed in particular a lecture entitled “Opt-in Planning-The Dominican Commitment to Disputatio in Action”

by Drew Bogner, Ph.D., President of Molloy College and Diane Fornieri, B.S., director of executive affairs and secretary to the board of trustees, Molloy College. “Dominicans are very much into engaging educated dialog to build understanding,” said President Olivarez.

With the colloquium held every two years at a different university, Olivarez was glad to see the conference return to Aquinas after 19 years. “It was a great event,” he said. “That’s what it’s for, to learn from each other.”

The Groundbreaking: Our Lady Seat of Wisdom

Johnathan Sainz ‘16

On Thursday, June 23, 2016, Aquinas College had the privilege of hosting the groundbreaking for their new chapel, Our Lady Seat of Wisdom. The event was hosted by President Juan R. Olivarez, ‘71 and presided over by Most Reverend David J. Walkowiak, Bishop of the Diocese of Grand Rapids.

“This is a blessed and historic day for Aquinas College,” said President Olivarez at the groundbreaking. “In the more than 125-year history of the College, today illustrates our unwavering tenacity to being the best Catholic college in the region. We are deeply grateful to the many friends of the College who have made this vision a reality.”

According to Associate Director of Annual Giving, Vicki Bouwkamp, ‘04, this historic event was “the result of many

months of collaboration and planning by committee members deeply committed to building the College’s first place of worship designed solely for that purpose." Over the years, the College has used a number of spaces for worship, among them, the Academic Building and Bukowski Chapel, which was originally a horse stables for the Lowe Estate.

Bouwkamp continued, "There are so many facets to designing and building a chapel. We worked closely with architects, liturgical consultants, the Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids, students, faculty, and staff and of course city officials, all of whom provided invaluable input.”

Our Lady Seat of Wisdom will open its doors to the entire community in late summer, 2017.

SUMMER/FALL 2016::23

NEW MASTER OF ARTS IN CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING Mary Webster ‘17

“This truly is the type of master’s program that has the potential to open a lot of doors for students.”

Daniel Cruikshanks, Ph.D.

Aquinas is set to offer a new Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in the fall of 2016. The program was developed by the current chair of the Psychology department, Daniel Cruikshanks, Ph.D. who came to Aquinas, not only to fill a vacant faculty role, but also with the intent of establishing this new academic program.

Dr. Cruikshanks, who had previously assisted with the development of a similar program during his tenure at Heidelberg University in Ohio, was more than ready to rise to the challenge, and had his initial proposal for the new master’s program completed just months later, in the fall of 2013. However, necessary formalization and revising processes meant that it would be about two years later before the program was ready to be officially offered as an Aquinas master’s program.

The first cohort is set to start in the fall of 2016, with Dr. Cruikshanks serving as the interim director of the program. “The benefits of Aquinas’ program,” said Dr. Cruikshanks “is the size. We accept up to 24 students for each cohort, with the intention of allowing each student to craft the program to best fit their desired specialization.”

The only initial requirement for acceptance into this independent master’s program, beyond the basic graduate school requirements, are nine credit hours based either in psychology or a social science of some kind. “Your bachelor’s degree could be in music or art, and we could craft the clinical counseling program to result in certifications for music or art therapies respectively,” Dr. Cruikshanks explained. “This master’s program comes designed with electives that can and will help define the significance of this degree to the individual.”

This program isn’t designed to make students jump through hoops. “In fact, unlike many other schools in the area that offer this degree, we are creating the program to meet not just state standardization for clinical practicing, but national standards, so that our students can practice immediately out of graduation, as opposed to having to take more tests and achieve other accreditations post-grad. This truly is the type of master’s program has the potential to open a lot of doors for students,” said Dr. Cruikshanks.

The degree will come, not only with national accreditation, but also with a familiarity with varying actions involved in running clinical practices, all specialties aside.

“It’s designed to be a hands on, experiential learning process from day one, and that will be of the utmost benefit for the students,” said Dr. Cruikshanks. “Currently, there is an existing expectation of great things to come from this program and we look forward to its starting in the fall!”

Sisterhood SHARING IN

SISTERS AND AQ STUDENTS PARTNER IN NATIONWIDE SISTERSTORY PROJECT Stacy Spitler Lindsey Bacigal ‘17, a junior communication major and Sister Alice Wittenbach, O.P. first met with curiosity and uncertainty. The pair were just one that met and formed friendships as part of the national SisterStory oral history project.

“My own lack of religious devotion was part of what motivated me to engage; I was interested in developing a relationship with and hearing the stories of someone who is so devoted to her faith,” said Bacigal.

“Oral history has a particular poignancy to influence people,” reflects Sister Barbara Hansen, O.P., coordinator of the project. The opportunity to inspire students like Lindsey was what originally led Sister Barbara to invite Amy Dunham Strand, Ph.D., assistant professor of women’s studies and director of the Jane Hibbard Idema Women’s Studies Center, to introduce the SisterStory oral history project to her students.

but also larger themes of faith, family, social justice work, war and peace, major historical events and much more—all through the lens of a Sister’s life.”

Junior Ellyse VanderKamp, also a communication major and women’s studies minor, described her experience: “I discovered that by listening and relating, you learn empathy for others,” she said. “In my studies I’ve observed that media today tends to polarize age groups. This project allowed us to discover that differences are precious not polarizing”

Not a newcomer to the world of storytelling and marketing/communications, Ellyse’s Sister partner, Sister Joan Thomas, reflected on the project. “SisterStory showed me how technology may very well play a critical role in how religious life is shared in the future. This project demonstrates that the call to witness and service is open to every person.”

Access the blog-based oral histories of the Aquinas Student/Sister SisterStory project can be read at grdominicans.org/ who-we-are/sisterstories/.

This endeavor is funded by a three-year $3.3 million grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and designed to raise awareness of the role of women religious in the shaping of society.

Sister Barbara and Aquinas student Elizabeth Richer traveled to Saint Catherine University in 2014 to launch the project, and Sister Barbara later returned with Dr. Dunham Strand for training in Summer 2015.

Bacigal captured how the relationship between student and Sister grew in her project blog: “Sister Alice speaks of God’s love in a way that isn’t preaching, it’s just honest.

“The project had academic as well as relational merits,” said Dr. Dunham Strand. “It invited students to gain a rich understanding of faith and the role of women religious through intergenerational exchange. Yet it also developed hands-on skills and interdisciplinary, historical knowledge: students learned media technology, interviewing, transcribing and blogging through the project– and the trust students and Sisters developed through their exchanges enabled their learning about not only personal experiences,

List of participating Sisters and student pairs: Alice Wittenbach, O.P. and Lindsey Bacigal ‘18 (pictured above) Barbara Hansen, O.P. and Elizabeth Richer ‘16 Diane Dehn, O.P. and Barb Gatchel ‘16 Jean Marie Birkman, O.P. and Julie Dolegowski ‘16 Joan Pichette, O.P. and Kateri Sullivan Golbiw ‘16 Joan Thomas, O.P. and Ellyse VanderKamp ‘16 2015::9 Mary Brigid Clingman, O.P. and Alex SUMMER Banash ‘16

G A L AWARDS

The annual Aquinas College Awards Gala honors those with long histories with the College, who have excelled in their professional lives and who have impacted the College and their communities.

The Aquinas College Awards Gala will be held on Thursday, September 29th, 2016 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Sturrus Sports & Fitness Center. Tickets are $65 each for open seating. Table sponsorships are available for $850 and include 10 reserved seats. All are invited to attend the celebration. For more information contact Noelle Frost at nmf001@aquinas.edu.

To register, visit aquinas.edu/homecoming or call the event registration line at (616) 632-2805.

ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME

Kenneth M. Baginski ‘01 was a three-time AllAmerican and helped the cross-country team finish sixth at the National Championships in 1997. Baginski was also a three-time conference cross-country champion, as well as conference champion on the track in the 3000m, 5000m and 10,000m.

Holly A. (Butryn) Williams ‘98 was a twotime All-American (1996, 1997) women’s soccer player in the late 1990s. Williams was awarded the Sister Helen Louise Brogger Award as outstanding senior female athlete in 1998.

The 2005-06 men’s basketball team coached by Dave Hammer was the first men’s basketball team to qualify for the NAIA National Tournament. The Saints won 22 games and won the regular-season WHAC title with a 12-2 conference mark.

ALUMNI AWARDS

OUTSTANDING ALUMNUS: N. Patrick Hennessey ‘71 M.D., a highly accomplished dermatologist, is on the medical staff of NYU Langone Medical Center and the Southhampton Hospital and is part of the NYU Medical School and the NY College of Osteopathic Medicine. He also serves as a principal investigator at the Manhattan Medical Research Group.

OUTSTANDING ALUMNUS: Ralph E. Mathis ‘60, M.D. and Yvonne L. Mathis ‘79† are recognized for their contributions to the Grand Rapids community. A medical librarian at Saint Mary’s Hospital, Yvonne enriched the lives of many young people with the programs she created, including the Books in My Life Essay Contest and Read for Fun. Her memory lives on through the Messiah MBC Christian Education: Yvonne Mathis Fund. Dr. Ralph Mathis held Vice President and Board Member positions at Butterworth hospital.

He was Clinical Associate Professor at MSU and received many honors, including the Certificate of Excellence in Teaching MSU College of Human Medicine.

AQUINAS COLLEGE HALL OF FAME

Edward M. “Ned” Smith ‘61 has practiced law in Grand Rapids since 1965 and was listed in Michigan’s Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America. Smith served as a Trustee of the Grand Rapids Bar Association, Chairperson of the Grand Rapids Bar Foundation and Chairperson of the Labor & Employment Section of the Grand Rapid Bar. He served on the Board of Trustees for Aquinas College for 23 years and was also on the Board of OLLI at Aquinas.

Sister Barbara E. Reid ‘75, O.P. is vice president and academic dean and professor of New Testament Studies at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

She is the author of numerous books and is the general editor for a new 58-volume feminist commentary on the Bible, Wisdom Commentary Series (Liturgical Press). Sr. Barbara became an Aquinas College trustee on July 1, 2016.

† deceased

FACULTY AND STAFF ACCOMPLISHMENTS MARIO ADKINS (Residence Life) received an Innovation Award from the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE) in January 2016 for his presentation “How Video Games and Digital Literacy Impacts Student Attainment and Development: An Analysis of Synergistic Integration” presented at the E-Learn: World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2015.

FREDERICK BERNARD (Associate Professor Emeritus of English) published the book A Greater Tradition Seven Studies of Triadically Extended Symmetrical Narratives: from Beowulf to Ulysses in December 2015.

NKECHY EZEH, PH.D. (Education) Nkechy was honored by Grand Rapids Community College on Feb. 6 at the 34th Annual Giants Awards. Dr. Ezeh is the recipient of the 2016 Hattie Beverly Education Award given to an outstanding African American educator in the Grand Rapids area.

ROBERT MARKO, PH.D. (Theology) published “The One Visible Divinely Instituted Catholic Church and the Challenges of Unity” in Scientific Journal of Theology Annual, Summer 2016. Dr. Marko presented on April 14, 2016 at Seton Hall University on “Catholic Social Teaching and the Maidan Revolution of Dignity.”

BRYAN PILKINGTON, PH.D. (Philosophy) Dr. Pilkington's article “Do No Evil: Unnoticed Assumptions in Accounts of Conscience Protection” was published in the March 2016 issue of the medical ethics journal, HealthCare Ethics Committee Forum. Dr. Pilkington’s article “Dignity, Health, and Membership: Who Counts as One of Us?” was published in the Journal of Medicine & Philosophy in April 2016.

SUSAN PONISCHIL’S (Library) review of “Rethinking Library Technical Services: Redefining our Profession for the Future,” edited by Mary Beth Weber, was published in the December 2015/January 2016 issue of Against the Grain.

SHARON SMITH (Counseling) has been selected by the Grand Rapids Business Journal as one of “The 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan” for 2016. She was featured in a special magazine supplement to the Feb. 29 edition of Grand Rapids Business Journal and was honored at a luncheon in March.

SHELLI ROTTSCHAFER, PH.D. (World Languages) Shelli’s review of “Picturing Argentina: Myths, Movies, and the Peronist Vision” by Currie K. Thompson will be published in the Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association Review, Spring 2016 edition. Dr. Rottschafer presented at The Rocky Mountain Conference for Latin American Studies (RMCLAS) held March 30 - April 3, 2016. Dr. Rottschafer’s review of “Humor and Latina/o Camp in Ugly Betty: Funny Looking” by Tanya González and Eliza Rodriguez y Gibson was published in CHOICE: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, May 2016, Vol. 53 No. 9. Dr. Rottschafer and AQ students Azra Fazil ‘17, Alicia Gaytán Halberg ‘16 and Erica Utter ‘16 presented “Serving in an Engaged Community: Latino Grand Rapids” at the 7th Annual La Academia del Pueblo: Latino/a and Latin American Research Conference April 22-23, 2016.

TENURE AND PROMOTIONS TENURE • STEPHEN BARROWS, PH.D. (Economics) • SHARI MCCARTY (Mathematics) • RUI NIU-COOPER, PH.D (Education) • DANIEL CRUIKSHANKS, PH.D. (Psychology and Counseling) • JOE FOX, PH.D. (Mathematics) • GINA GARNER, PH.D. (Education)

PROMOTIONS • RUI NIU-COOPER, PH.D. Promoted to associate professor of Education • GINA GARNER, PH.D. Promoted to associate professor of Education • AMANDA LAHIKAINEN, PH.D. Promoted to associate professor of Art • JULIE SCHATZ-STEVENS, PH.D. Promoted to associate professor of Psychology

PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTANCY

7 BACHELOR OF

1 BACHELOR OF MUSIC EDUCATION

1 BACHELOR OF MUSIC

3 BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS

GENERAL EDUCATION

24 BACHELOR OF ARTS IN

130 BACHELOR OF ARTS

6 ASSOCIATE OF ARTS

2016 Graduates

2 MASTER OF SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS

MASTER OF MANAGEMENT

18

18 MASTER IN THE ART OF TEACHING

Master’s Level Graduates

Ireland & France

54 students studied abroad in Italy, Spain, Germany, Costa Rica,

Study Abroad

116 (Summer/Fall 2015 & Spring 2016)

Internships

COMMENCEMENT 2016

Honors Graduates

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS

6 BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

6 BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN

ADMINISTRATION

68 BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN BUSINESS

ATHLETIC TRAINING

7 BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN

122 BACHELOR OF SCIENCE

43

Cum Laude

49

Magna Cum Laude

34

Summa Cum Laude

service-learning hours in 2015

Service-Learning Students participated in over 43,000

MAKE IT HOME FOR HOMECOMING 2016 Brigid Avery ‘01 HOMECOMING WEEKEND KICKS OFF ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 with the Aquinas College Awards Gala and the performance of AQ favorite, famed hypnotist Tom DeLuca. On Friday, September 30 join your friends at Thornapple Pointe for the Alumni Golf Outing.

Are you celebrating a reunion year? If you identify with the following classes, you are! Alums from 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011 will enjoy food and a cash bar at the All Reunion Class Party on Friday, September 30 from 6-9 p.m. in Donnelly Center. Those not in a reunion year can still have a great time at the AQ Playathon from 6-10 p.m. in the Wege Ballroom. This inaugural fundraiser benefits The Children’s Healing Center and is geared for all ages.

On Saturday, October 1, stop by the Cook Carriage House at 3 p.m. to take part in a reading of “VOICES,” an annual publication written by students, and meet some of the incredible students and staff behind the powerful essays.

The highlight of the day will no doubt be The Ninth Inning: A Celebration of Coach Bocian’s Service to Aquinas College from 6-9 p.m. in Sturrus Sports and Fitness Center, a family-friendly fundraiser that pays homage to a true AQ Legend. The evening concludes with a Music Department Alumni Concert at 7:30 p.m. in Kretschmer Hall and a Lip Sync Battle at 9 p.m. in the Ballroom.

Our treasured alumni who have graduated from the class of 1966 and prior are invited to the newly created Golden Saints Social on Saturday, October 1 following mass at 5 p.m. in the Donnelly Center.

Most events are open to the public, many are free, several require an advance registration. Please check aquinas. edu/homecoming for all of the details and pricing. Make it memorable. Make it Home.

ALUMNI NEWS KEVIN ARNOLD ‘82 M.M. ‘94 was named as the chairperson on the Brain Injury Association of Michigan (BIAMI) Board of Directors. Kevin is the vice president of network development with Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation.

BRYAN BROWNING ‘05 was elected president of the Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association.

CURTIS R. BURDETTE ‘04 was hired as general manager at Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, MI. MADELEINE BURNS ‘15 will travel to Casablanca, Morocco for a six-month long position as an admissions and PR coordinator at George Washington Academy.

SCOTT I. DAVID ‘98 was recently named the northern regional vice president for the Lighthouse Insurance Group.

Scott lives in Traverse City with his wife Dr. Rose David ‘98 and their three children.

MARK DORIAN DYEHOUSE ‘80 retired from Steelcase after 34 years as a graphic artist and senior writer.

BRYAN ESLER ‘08 is now running Bryan Esler Photo (bryanesler.com) full-time. Bryan specializes in events, theatre, architecture and corporate promotion photos.

MAXIM W. FUREK ‘73 has published “Sheppton: The Myth, Miracle & Music.” The book documents a strange American mining disaster that occurred over 50 years ago and claimed one life. While confined, the miners saw stairwells leading to a Golden City. They claimed they were in the presence of his Holiness, Pope John XXIII. JULIE (JOHNSON) KENDRICK ‘10 was recently promoted to recovery program coordinator at Mel Trotter Ministries.

MARY KATE (CALDWELL) NORMAN ‘10 was recently promoted to senior purchasing specialist at Parker HannifinAerospace (Hydraulic Systems Division) in Kalamazoo, MI. ANGELA PEAVEY ‘10 is the marketing manager for the Saugatuck Center for the Arts which recently won the Communicator Awards’ “Best Branded Content—Nonprofit” for a promo video she created last summer.

NICK RUDOFSKI ‘15 was promoted to head the Sustainable Energy Fund’s second office in Harrisburg, PA. KEAGAN RUSHMORE ‘06 and Rob Anthony founded a local tech startup, radi8er. The company was accepted to the Emerge West Michigan/GR Current program, sponsored by Grand Valley State University. radi8er launched officially at the GR Current Demo Day in March with a native IOS & Google release later this year.

CLARE (AVERY) SHUBERT ‘05 was hired by The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation as the director of engagement and programming for the DeVos Learning Center. The center was unveiled on June 7, along with the reopening of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.

STANLEY SIDOR ‘80 was named president of Lake Sumter State College in Florida.

DOMINICAN BROTHER JAMES PETER TRARES ‘10, O.P. was ordained to the diaconate this May in St. Louis, MO. JAMES (JIM) VELDHEER ‘83 was among the six West Michigan financial advisors named to the “FT 400” by the Financial Times. Jim is the managing director at Veldheer, Long, Mackay & Bernecker Group in Grand Rapids and a member of Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s Global Institutional Consulting group.

CASEY LONGO ‘09 was named head football coach at East Grand Rapids High School.

We want to celebrate the changes in your life and remember in prayer those who have passed. In order for the Class Notes and In Memoriam section to be as up-to-date as possible, we will be posting these on the alumni website and alerting you to new posts in our quarterly newsletter, the AQ Leaflet. To ensure you receive the Leaflet, update your email address at aquinas.edu/alumni.

Aquinas is printed on 100% recycled paper using soy-based inks and wind power.

Please recycle.

THE MAGAZINE OF AQUINAS COLLEGE SUMMER/FALL 2016 VOL. 15 NO. 2

FSC and WIND ENERGY LOGOS BLCK AND WHITE

EXECUTIVE EDITOR CARL APPLE

ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR COMMUNICATIONS, MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

MANAGING EDITOR & PHOTOGRAPHY MANAGER LAUREN FAY CARLSON ‘12

Using 100% post-consumer paper compared to 100% virgin fiber, we are saving:

CREATIVE DIRECTOR PHILIP MITRI COPY EDITOR DOUG SEITES ‘10 PROOFREADERS BRIGID AVERY ‘01 JOANN FOX

23,824 LBS. OF WASTE

241 TREES

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS BRIGID AVERY ‘01

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF CAREER SERVICES AND INTERNSHIP COORDINATOR

MIRANDA BUREL ‘17 LAUREN FAY CARLSON ‘12 ZOE GIPSON ‘16

78,150 LBS. OF CO2

JOHNATHAN SAINZ ‘16 DOUG SEITES ‘10 STACY SPITLER

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, DOMINICAN SISTERS—GRAND RAPIDS

MARY WEBSTER ‘17

(Emissions of 12 cars per year)

232,871 GAL. OF WATER

(Equivalent to 2,519 days of water consumption)

MIKE WOJCIAKOWSKI ‘97 SPORTS INFORMATION DIRECTOR

PHOTOGRAPHERS ADAM BIRD AUTUMN JOHNSON ANDRIS VISOCKIS

201 MMBTU

(Energy consumption for two households per year.)

Calling All Saints!

November 1, 2016

November 1 is All Saints Day and Aquinas College’s Day of Giving.

We would again like to challenge everyone in our college family – alumni, parents, friends, faculty, staff and students – to make a gift to the Annual Fund on All Saints Day. Last year, more than 300 Saints came together to raise almost $100,000 in one day! What a powerful and meaningful way to show the strength of our community.

Aquinas Magazine is published twice a year by the Aquinas College Marketing and Communication Office.

Copyright ©2016 by Aquinas College. All rights reserved.

Opinions expressed in the magazine are those of the individual authors and subjects and do not necessarily reflect the views of Aquinas College. No portion of this magazine may be reprinted without express written consent of the executive editor.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Aquinas College Foundation, 1607 Robinson Road SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506

Our goal for this year is to reach 500 donors. Won’t you help us make history?

Nearly 90 percent of our students depend on the Annual Fund as their primary source of financial support. Please consider giving a gift to the annual fund this year. You’ll be giving the gift of opportunity.

#aqsaintsgiving

1607 ROBINSON RD. SE GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49506