AMU Magazine Fall 2015

FA LL 2015

LEADING THE WAY MEET NEW ATHLETIC DIRECTOR KIM KING

AMU students pass through Washington D.C. to see Pope Francis this fall.

PHOTO BY CHRIS DECLEENE

Contents 03 Message from the President 04 News 07 Faculty 10 Summer Internships 24 Student Highlights 26 Campus Community 31 University Digest 33 Giving 36 Class Notes

12 MONAGHAN’S VISION FOR ATHLETICS TAKING SHAPE

Ave Maria University founder Tom Monaghan firmly believes that athletics and academics should go hand-in-hand. He feels the lessons of competition should compliment those learned in the classroom. It seems his vision is fast becoming a reality on campus.

16 A NEW NOTE

The Department of Music welcomed three new faculty members this year – a step which Jim Towey, President of Ave Maria University, described as “the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the fine arts at Ave Maria University.”

18 ANSWERING GOD’S CALL

In AMU’s dozen years of existence, there are more than 40 ordained priests, seminarians, and religious sisters who have received their education from Ave Maria, including graduates from each class since 2005.

20 TAR PAPER CHIC

Tom Monaghan welcomed AMU trustees to a retreat at the legendary Tar Paper Shack, a quaint cabin with gourmet taste.

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FALL 2015 VOLUME 5, ISSUE 2

PRESIDENT JIM TOWEY EDITOR COLIN VOREIS CONTRIBUTORS SARAH BLANCHARD MONICA BUSHLING ZACHARY CROCKETT CLARA DIODATI CAITLIN GRANT REBECCA HERR KEVIN JOYCE STACY LAFFERE EMMA MARTIN SPORTS INFORMATION OFFICE PHOTOGRAPHY DAVID ALBERS CHRIS DECLEENE TOM GREENFIELD SANTIAGO LOZANO DESIGN REVEL ADVERTISING Ave Maria University Magazine is published by Ave Maria University, Ave Maria, Florida for alumni, parents and friends. Third class postage paid at Ave Maria, Florida.

Postmaster: Send address changes to the Office of Institutional Advancement, Ave Maria University, 5050 Ave Maria Blvd., Ave Maria, FL 34142.

Ave Maria University is a Catholic, liberal arts institution of higher learning devoted to Mary the Mother of God, inspired by St. John Paul II and Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, and dedicated to the formation of joyful, intentional followers of Jesus Christ through Word and Sacrament, scholarship and service.

Students on their way to noon Mass during the first week of the fall semester.

ON THE COVER ATHLETICS DIRECTOR KIM KING AND STUDENTATHLETES FROM EACH OF AVE MARIA’S 16 VARSITY ATHLETICS TEAMS. PHOTO BY TOM GREENFIELD

Letter from President Towey

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President Towey addresses the class of 2019 and their families at new student orientation in August.

proclaiming apocalyptic gloom. Every age has known its challenges, and certainly those of the technological era in which we live can strike terror in some hearts.

But throughout human history God has raised up joyful, hopeful followers who trust more in His mercy than in their own judgment and abilities. These men and women are ushering in the new evangelization, a fresh springtime of grace that a series of Popes, including our current one, invites us to celebrate.

And there is much to celebrate on our campus: record enrollment (again), our largest entering class (again), instruction of our first cohort of nursing majors, the arrival of eight new faculty, the re-institution of perpetual Eucharistic adoration, the expansion of the Mother Teresa Proj-

ect, and much, much more.

I look forward to journeying with you into the Jubilee Year.

God bless you for all you mean to Ave Maria University! Enjoy this edition of Ave Maria University magazine!

Kind regards,

Jim Towey Ave Maria University President

ave ma r ia maga z i ne | ave ma r ia.edu

n early December the Church will embark upon a Jubilee Year that His Holiness Pope Francis established to invite people throughout the world to experience more deeply “the God who manifests his power above all by forgiveness and mercy.” What an exciting time for all followers of Christ! What a great time to be at Ave Maria University!

As members of our faculty lecture, research, write, and participate in conferences in the U.S. and throughout the world, all of their efforts will be rooted in this upcoming celebration of faith.

And as you will see in this issue of our magazine, Ave Maria University exists to lead young men and women to the fullness of truth so that they can become joyful, intentional followers of Jesus Christ through Word and Sacrament, scholarship, and service.

Some youth today are discouraged and fear that the end of the world is imminent and that things have never been worse.

And certainly a look at the headlines can lead you to such a conclusion.

But Christians are called to spread the Good News, not the bad news, and to be people of hope who know that the Lord of History, the Sovereign of Mercy, is at work. Our young people have a bright future. Their gifts and creativity are needed. They aren’t asked by God to be pall bearers of the end times. Their hopes and dreams should not be foreclosed by those

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AMUNEWS

a v e m a r i a m a g a z i n e | f a l l 2015

MICHAEL TIMMIS RE-ELECTED AS CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

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Michael Timmis was unanimously re-elected to a second term as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Ave Maria University at the group’s annual August retreat in Michigan. Timmis, who first joined the Board in February 2008, was elevated to the chairmanship in June 2010.

His new term will expire

in November 2019.

Founder Tom Monaghan offered the Board resolution to re-elect Timmis. “He is an exemplary Catholic layman and I can’t imagine there is a harder working University Board chair in America,” Monaghan said.

During Timmis’ tenure the Board of

Trustees has undertaken many important initiatives to improve its governance structures, including the reorganization of committees, the institution of annual retreats, and the orientation of new members.

Timmis has presided over a massive transition in Board membership as well. Fully 19 of

the 26 voting trustees today have been elected as new members on his watch.

“I am thrilled to be able to serve this University I love and contribute to what Tom Monaghan and the founding trustees began,” Timmis said. “It is an honor to work with such capable and committed men and women and their confidence in my leadership encourages me. We have come a long way in a short time and there is much more work to be done.

I look forward to our continued collaboration with my colleagues and the administration as we make Ave Maria University the best small Catholic liberal arts university in America.”

Under Timmis’ leadership, enrollment at Ave Maria has increased by 56% and operations have been streamlined, including a complete refinancing of the University’s debt and the relinquishment of its Nicaragua campus and Institute for Pastoral Theology program.

Since 2013, Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services awarded the University a “stable” outlook despite the fact that the institution is just over a decade old.

Timmis credits his colleagues on the Board, the University’s administrative leadership, and faculty for the

impressive gains of the past five years. “God has blessed the work of many hands and hearts and I’m confident the upcoming years will further advance our Catholic mission and enhance our academic offering.”

For Timmis, Ave Maria University is a family affair. He and his wife, Laura, and their five children live in Ave Maria town. His daughter Bailey is a sophomore at the University and an enthusiastic participant in the Shakespeare performances every spring, along with her sister Teresa, who is the make-up director and assists with fundraising.

Timmis not only works tirelessly on Board business, but oversees numerous family businesses and engages in a range of philanthropic activities on behalf of the family foundation his father, Mike, and mother, Nancy, started to promote the spread of the Gospel and other evangelization efforts.

In addition to these many endeavors, Timmis somehow devotes nearly full-time attention to his duties as chairman of the Board of Trustees. “There is so much to love about Ave Maria University, and I am blessed to be part of this wonderful undertaking,” Timmis said.

DID YOU KNOW? MICHAEL AND LAUR A SPENT YEARS WORKING WITH THE POOR IN UGANDA

Dr. Mark Miravalle

This year’s academic convocation featured Dr. Mark Miravalle, Professor of Theology at Franciscan University. An internationally known Mariologist, Dr. Miravalle previously spoke at Ave Maria during the Fall 2012 Marian Eucharistic Conference. On the vigil of Mother Teresa’s feast day, Dr. Miravalle shared his observations

on “Catholic University Life and the Year of Mercy” in a compelling address to students.

He began by referring to Saint John Paul II, whom he described as “a giant of the mind,” and Blessed Mother Teresa, who exemplifies “excellence of the heart.”

These two figures, he maintained, form the “pillars of what every Catholic student should

strive for.”

Miravalle then offered ten tips for discovering this “beautiful complementarity of truth and love” on which the Catholic university is founded. The first five consisted of “speculative” guidance: immerse yourself in the Catholic intellectual life; pursue the Truth and human development, not just training; obey the

Magisterium; celebrate the beauty of diversity within the Church; and excel in your profession or specialization. His final five points were more “practical” in nature: establish a daily prayer schedule; establish a study schedule; respect your bodies; check the headlines daily; and, finally, consecrate yourself to your Mother.

Calling to mind the Year of Mercy, Dr. Miravalle concluded by emphasizing the importance of “mercy and forgiveness” in the pursuit of Truth. By both receiving Christ’s mercy and giving it to others, we can become “witnesses to the mercy of Christ” and reap the graces of the coming jubilee year.

—Monica Bushling (‘16)

quoted

“Mother Teresa and Saint John Paul II set the pillars of what every Catholic student should strive for. And that is an excellence of the mind and an excellence of the heart. Not one or the other, but both, because Catholic education and the genesis of the university never split the two. It is an advancement of the mind and a development of the heart.”

—Dr. Mark Miravalle

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DR. MARK MIRAVALLE KEYNOTES FALL 2015 ACADEMIC CONVOCATION

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AMUNEWS

PETER ATKINSON WINS THE 2015 PRESIDENT’S AWARD Peter Atkinson won the 2015 President’s Award, the highest honor bestowed upon a graduating senior, in recognition of his academic accomplishments, involvement in the life of the University, service to others, and exemplification of Ave Maria University’s highest Catholic ideals. During his four years at AMU, Atkinson founded the creative journal Contraries, cofounded the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) Society, volunteered locally and abroad, participated in the household Filii in Filio, worked as a Classics tutor, served as a Resident Assistant, and starred in two Shakespeare in Performance productions (Dogberry, Much Ado About Nothing; and Bottom, A Midsummer Night’s Dream).

Since graduation, Atkinson turned down an offer from ISI in order to teach high school students. “I was offered an opportunity to substitute teach a class on Shakespeare,” he said. “I did a scene from Midsummer, and the kids were so lit up… they came alive. I absolutely loved it, and felt that God was calling me to teach.”

“

I’m able to teach all these things because of the level of care which all my professors

a v e m a r i a m a g a z i n e | f a l l 2015

took in molding me”

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—Peter Atkinson

Atkinson spent a month this summer immersed in Shakespeare & Company’s intensive actor training. His training was sponsored by the Rhodora J. Donahue Academy (Ave Maria, FL), where he is teaching Shakespeare this year. Atkinson is also teaching Latin, Greek, Logic, and Humanities, as well as tutoring in Latin.

“I would not be able to teach all these courses simultaneously as a first-time teacher,” he explained, “had I not studied under professors such as Andrew Dinan, Michael Raiger, Blanford Parker, Joseph Yarbrough, Michael Pakaluk, and Travis Curtright. I’m able to teach all these things because of the level of care which all my professors took in molding me.”

Top: Peter Atkinson is presented the President’s Award by President Towey and his wife, Mary.

Bottom: Peter and members of the class of 2015 before AMU’s commencement ceremony in May.

NEW FACULTY

»»

Welcome New Faculty

Dr. Tony Barbosa,

Dr. Taylor Ferranti,

Ms. Debra Forma,

Dr. Anne Kerian,

Assistant Professor

Visiting Associate

Instructor of Nursing

Assistant Professor of

Chemistry

Professor of Music

Mathematics

Ph.D., Organic Chemistry, University of Rochester; M.S., Organic Chemistry, University of Rochester; B.S., Chemistry, Providence College

D. Mus., Voice Performance/ Voice Science, Louisiana State University; M.Mus., Voice Performance, Boston Conservatory; B.Mus., Voice Performance, Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam

MSN/ED, Nursing, University of Phoenix; B.A., Health and Human Services, State University of New York; A.A.S., Nursing, Erie Community College

Dr. Seunghee Lee,

Ms. Anne Marchetti,

Dr. Michael New,

Visiting Assistant

Visiting Professor of

Visiting Associate

Dr. Ubiratan Rezende , Associate

Dr. Helen TintesSchuermann, Visiting

Professor of Music

Accounting

Professor of Economics

Professor of Business

Associate Professor of

Ph.D., Music Composition and Theory, Brandeis University; M.F.A., Music Composition and Theory, Brandeis University; M.Mus., Music Composition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; B.Mus., Music Composition and Theory, Ewha Women’s University

D.B.A. (candidate), Accounting, Walden University; M.S., Accounting, University of Hartford; B.A., Economics, Providence College

Ph.D., Political Science, Stanford University; M.S., Statistics, Stanford University; B.A., Government, Dartmouth College; B.A., Economics Modified with Mathematics, Dartmouth College

M.A., Ph.D., Public Administration, University of Southern California; M.A., Theological Studies, John Paul II Institute, Washington, D.C.; B.A., J.D., University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Music

Ph.D., Mathematics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; M.A., Mathematics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; B.A., Mathematics and Literature, Ave Maria University

D.M., Vocal Performance, Northwestern University; M.M., Vocal Performance, University of Minnesota; B.S./B.A., Music Education and Literature, Moorhead State University

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Meet the new, fulltime faculty members for the 2015-2016 academic year.

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FACULTY PUBLICATIONS

Not only do the faculty at Ave Maria University excel at teaching and inspiring their students in the classroom, but many of them also contribute to their fields of study on a larger scale through research and publication.

This year, two of our professors published first-ever English translations of significant Latin texts. St. Thomas Aquinas’ treatment of the Incarnation in the controversially disputed question De unione Verbi Incarnati had never been available in English—that is, until Dr. Roger Nutt (Associate Professor of Theology) published his translation earlier this year. “This is the first time,” Nutt said, “this work is in print in English and accessible for those who do not read Latin. The book also includes the critical edition of the Latin text on facing pages, so that those who do read Latin can readily access the original.”

Nutt explained that medieval theologians like St. Thomas did not view rigorous study of the central mysteries of the faith, like the Incarnation, as being incompatible with a life of prayerful contemplation. It is his hope that this volume will aid scholars and faithful alike in coming to a deeper appreciation of the rigor and insight of Aquinas’ theology, as well as the contemplative richness of his presentation. Nutt’s translation, which includes an 80plus page introduction, is the twenty-first volume in the Dallas Medieval Texts and Translations series, published

by Peeters Publishers in Belgium.

a v e m a r i a m a g a z i n e | f a l l 2015

Dr. Thomas Scheck (Associate Professor of Theology) has published eight volumes of translations of patristic texts. He has a ninth in production, and a tenth student-involved project is in the works. His most recent translation, St. Jerome: Commentary on Isaiah; Origen Homilies 1-9 on Isaiah, was published earlier this year as Volume 68 in the Newman Press Ancient Christian Writers series. The volume is over a thousand pages in length and represents the first modern language translation of what is considered to be St. Jerome’s magnum opus, his greatest written work.

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Overall, Scheck is responsible for translating or editing roughly 75% of Jerome’s Scripture commentaries into English. “I feel like this is my task,” Scheck said. “This is what God wants me to do with my life. It will help the Catholic Church and Christians generally to have these works easily accessible in readable translations.”

In addition to his translation work, Scheck has written two books: Origen and the History of Justification, which is a revision of his doctoral dissertation, and Erasmus’s Life of Origen, a major treatment of Erasmus of Rotterdam’s patristic scholarship.

“Many people,” Ritter said, “are unaware that there was a significant Jewish population in most cities of the Roman Empire—let alone that many ancient authors describe them as having enjoyed local citizenship. This book is meant to show how those rights of citizenship came into conflict with their identity as Judeans. The question,” he continued, “of religious liberty predated the Church and, in many ways, anticipated the social and religious conflicts that were on the horizon.”

Curtight noted that G.K. Chesterton wrote in 1929: “Thomas More is more important at this moment than at any moment since his death, even perhaps the great moment of his dying; but is not quite so important as he will be in about a hundred years time.”

Offering a teaser for his book, Curtright continued: “As we approach that 100 year mark in our own lifetimes, Why Patron? is a book that reveals why Chesterton’s statement seems like a prophecy.”

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Although a classicist in training, Dr. Bradley Ritter’s (Associate Professor of Classics and History) first book is not a translation, but a historical text. Ritter published Judeans in the Greek Cities of the Roman Empire: Rights, Citizenship and Civil Discord with Brill in May 2015. His work examines first-century conflicts over the integration of Judeans into Greek cities of the Roman Empire, including the Judeans’ civic identity and the balance of duties of faith verse duties of citizenship.

Ritter’s research overturns the widely accepted narrative of a Jewish propaganda campaign, replacing it with the conclusion that many Jews did, in fact, enjoy citizen status in their cities in the ancient world.

Dr. Travis Curtright’s (Associate Professor of Humanities and Literature) latest book, Thomas More: Why Patron of Statesmen? (Lexington Books, 2015), also has to do with religious liberty. His work, which follows on the heels of the release of the popular novelsturned-miniseries, Wolf Hall, comes out fifteen years after Pope John Paul II declared St. Thomas More the Patron of Statesmen.

Curtright leads a team of nine other scholars in exploring why More remains a model for politicians, and how he continues to be a guide for this and future generations in the task of balancing the rights of the individual against the requirements of government.

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SUMMER INTERNSHIPS

THE SUMMER OF SCIENCE

Several AMU Biochemistry and Physics majors had the opportunity to engage in exciting research opportunities this summer. These dedicated students put their AMU education and training to excellent use by participating in external research internships and REU (NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates) programs. REUs are competitive research programs for undergraduate students to work in various host universities or institutions.

BY EMMA MARTIN

LEXIE HAMMERQUIST Biochemistry Major

a v e m a r i a m a g a z i n e | f a l l 2015

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ver the summer, Lexie worked as a research intern at the Pope Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human Reproduction in Omaha, Nebraska. Under the institute’s director and founder, Dr. Thomas W. Hilgers, M.D., Lexie studied the comparison of complications between inpatients and outpatients of robotic surgery, as well as the potential origins of the variance in complications. Their work will be published in the near future, a great accomplishment for an undergraduate student.

Lexie learned first-hand about how to maintain a pro-life position in healthcare. “It was very encouraging for me to work in a women’s health clinic that is so passionately in line with the teachings of the Church. I was able to see the profound difference that this entirely pro-life approach to healthcare makes in the lives of the patients.”

Currently in her senior year, Lexie is applying to medical school and hopes to enter in the fall of 2016. Although she has not decided upon her speciality yet, Lexie is considering obstetrics and gynecology. She looks forward to her future, “[The] internship gave me confidence in my abilities to hold, more fully understand, and explain the prolife approach to medicine.”

JEROME COLE Physics and Music Major

LUCY SCHLINK Biochemistry and Physics Major

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J

erome participated in an REU at Texas A&M University in the Atmospheric Sciences Department. He worked with Dr. Gunnar Schade studying ground level ozone conditions in the Sam Houston National Forest. After coming to understand the meteorological conditions on high ozone days, they found that air masses originating in the Houston area traveled slowly towards the forest and did in fact contribute to high ozone events in the National Forest.

Jerome had the opportunity to spend a great amount of time outside at their field sites, from Houston to the National Forest, while collecting data. He said, “Being in contact with nature and connecting science to the world in such a direct way is both fulfilling and enlightening.” In addition to this, Jerome also shared that the time he spent with his fellow REU students was another highlight of his summer.

Jerome plans to attend graduate school to pursue a degree in organ performance with an emphasis on sacred music. As a double major, Jerome explained, “I have been in the unique position of having to choose between two very different career paths, and I believe God has gently prodded me along the path of music.”

EMILY MORTON Biochemistry Major

E

mily studied in Dr. Carlos A. Castañeda’s biophysics lab at Syracuse University this summer. The focus of her research was testing a protease’s (an enzyme) cleavage ability on various ubiquitin-peptide constructs. Over the course of the summer, Emily worked on designing, cloning, and expressing ubiquitin-peptide constructs, then cleaving the constructs with the protease she was studying. Through her research, Emily learned how to work with mass spectroscopy and interpret protein nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data.

In addition, she had the opportunity to design a research project and experience working full time in a federally funded research lab. “It will be great to see my research come to fruition as we prepare to publish in the fall.”

Emily explained that the best part of her summer was having the opportunity to exercise what she has learned in class at Ave Maria in a real lab setting. After graduation Emily plans to work in a research lab to build experience and technical knowledge before attending medical school.

“My research opportunity over this past summer solidified my desire to become a medical doctor, because I want to pursue a career where I can see the immediate fruits of my labor in people’s lives.”

ave ma r ia maga z i ne | ave ma r ia.edu

ver the summer Lucy worked as a student intern at Boston Children’s Hospital in Dr. P. Ellen Grant’s lab: The Fetal Neonatal Neuroimaging and Developmental Science Center (FNNDSC), and at the MGH/HST Athinoula A. Martnos Center for Biomedical Imaging. Her work primarily dealt with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) segmentation. She studied scans of neonate brains, with a focus on the thalamic and cortical regions. Manual segmentation from an MRI is used for both structural and functional analysis to discover information about location, sizes, and shapes of structures, as well as data about normal and abnormal brain development.

The segmentation that Lucy worked on, both manually and automatically, will be used in a grant to fund a new automatic segmentation program.

She enthused, “My summer internship was an invaluable experience that confirmed my career trajectory and provided me with inside knowledge and networking to help me take the next step towards my graduate and medical degrees.” After graduation, Lucy plans on entering an MD/PhD program, with a PhD in Medical Physics and a focus on neuroimaging.

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MONAGHAN’S VISION FOR ATHLETICS TAKING SHAPE

Shortly after it was opened in fall 2007, AMU began competition in six varsity sports: men and women’s soccer and basketball; women’s volleyball; and men’s golf. Soon thereafter, women’s softball, cheerleading and golf were added, along with co-ed tennis and cross-country, and football and baseball. Today Ave’s athletics program boasts of 16 varsity sports, including women’s lacrosse, which was added in spring 2015.

Together, these athletic teams have helped fuel Ave Maria’s surge in enrollment, and over 425 students— approximately 40% of the student body—now participate in intercollegiate athletics.

This heightened level of interest in athletics excites the Gyrene’s newly hired Athletic Director, Kimberly King.

“I love the challenge of helping our athletes become better competitors while they learn lessons that will last for a lifetime,” she said.

King came to Ave Maria after a nationwide search that attracted more than 300 applicants. She comes with more than 20 years of collegiate-level athletic administration and coaching experience, not to mention her championship-caliber performance as a cross-country athlete at the University of Richmond, where she was named Athlete of the Year in her senior season. A mother of six children, King also has an impressive resume that includes stints as Assistant Athletic Director for Leadership, Counseling, and Life Skills at Binghamton University in New York, where she helped migrate the university from NCAA Division III to Division I. She also was the Assistant Athletic Director for Academic and Student Services, and the Senior Woman Administrator

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Ave Maria University founder Tom Monaghan firmly believes that athletics and academics should go hand-inhand. He feels the lessons of competition could complement those learned in the classroom. It seems his vision is fast becoming a reality on the campus of Ave Maria.

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“I WANTED MY PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AND CATHOLIC FAITH TO BE PLACED IN THE SERVICE OF AVE MARIA’S STUDENT-ATHLETES AND COACHES, AND I WAS OVERJOYED WHEN I GOT THE CALL FROM VICE PRESIDENT COSDEN TO JOIN THE TEAM.”

»KIMBERLY KING

at Binghamton. When King saw the opportunity to be part of a growing university with a strong Catholic identity, she jumped at the chance to apply for Ave’s top athletics job. “I wanted my professional skills and Catholic faith to be placed in the service of Ave Maria’s student-athletes and coaches, and I was overjoyed when I got the call from Vice President Cosden to join the team,” King said.

AMU’s athletics staff now includes 6 administrative and athletic support positions, 13 full-time head coaches, and 17 assistant coaches. The University has come a long way from the early days when players had no home court and instead had to practice at the nearby Dono-

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hue Academy. These pioneering Gyrenes made Ave Maria an instant contender in the Sun Conference where they competed − even while they prayed for a facility of their own to call home.

A New York philanthropist who loved sports and his Catholic faith with a passion, not unlike Tom Monaghan’s, answered their prayers. Tom Golisano, a successful businessman, stepped forward with a multi-million gift, and on November 20, 2010, the Tom Golisano Field House opened. Three years later, AMU’s football team began playing its home games on an adjacent field whimsically dubbed “The Little House” in recognition

that its 1,000 seat capacity is a far cry from Monaghan’s favorite stadium, “The Big House” in Ann Arbor, Michigan that is home to the University of Michigan Wolverines.

But regardless of the seating capacity, there was no difference in student enthusiasm in the grandstands or courageous effort on the gridiron at either field. Hosting their games on campus in 2013 played in the Gyrenes’ favor, as they finished the season on an eight-game winning streak (after only winning one game during the two prior seasons). In recognition of this achievement, head football coach Marty Quinn was named NAIA Independent Conference Coach of the Year.

Ave Maria not only distinguishes itself in competition, it also produces outstanding student-athletes. Three runners from the Cross Country team, Thomas Mullally, Madeleine Conley, and Gianna Gambera, were among 23 student-athletes to be named to The Sun Conference (TSC) All-Academic Team for having outstand-

ing academic records in addition to their athletic achievements.

As surprisingly successful as AMU’s sports teams have been, expectations are even higher as the 2015-16 season begins.

AMU’s women’s basketball team, which has averaged 20 wins a year under Coach Bob Batson’s leadership, has competed for the conference crown every year and twice won bids to the NAIA national tournament. Baseball and softball, too, have competed at high levels, and the men’s basketball team, under new head coach Frank Lamanna, who came to Ave Maria after heading up a similar program at Franciscan University, hopes to continue to maintain the Gyrenes fine reputation.

The men’s soccer team for the 2015 season is under the guidance of new Head Coach Antonio Soave, a former professional player and highly-regarded coach.

Among his many accomplishments, Soave

Above: The men’s soccer team held a practice on Lowdermilk Beach in Naples this preseason.

founded and operated a Catholic-oriented soccer academy after previously leading Franciscan University’s men’s soccer team to their first winning season in 2008. He will not be the only coach with the task of instantly assembling a competitive team. AMU’s women’s lacrosse team has 10 new athletes signed up as it prepares for its second campaign this spring.

With talented players who are committed to their teams, dedicated coaches and training staff, and new leadership on board, AMU will continue giving life to Tom Monaghan’s vision of a major Catholic University that excels not only spiritually and academically, but also athletically. Tom’s Irish eyes must be smiling!

MEET NEW ATHLETIC DIRECTOR KIM KING »»

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or Kimberly King, the new Athletic Director at AMU, sports have always been a part of life. Growing up in Syracuse, New York, she played softball and basketball, ran cross-country and track, and danced at the Metropolitan School of the Arts. After receiving her B.A. in Speech Communication from the University of Richmond and her M.A. in Counseling from Franciscan University of Steubenville, she worked for 20 years in varying athletic administration roles at Binghamton University in New York.

King explains why she came to AMU. “When the time was right for my family, I always wanted to work at a university that holds the values that I hold dear in my home life.” When her oldest son graduated from high school, and she was offered the position here, she decided the time was right. “I love the school and am fully on board with its mission,” she says. “I hope to use sports as an avenue to get the word out about AMU and the amazing blend of faith, academics, and athletics that it offers.”

King has already been working on hiring new coaches, developing administrative roles, and creating strategic plans to strengthen AMU’s athletics department.

King hopes to contribute to a growing understanding of how Catholic beliefs can be applied to athletics. “Being on a team and participating in sports provides students with an amazing opportunity to grow in virtue, fellowship, and holiness by setting an example and holding each other accountable,” she says. Under King’s steady hand, the best days of Ave Maria athletics are ahead.

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H

A New Note

AMU Welcomes the Addition of Three Music Faculty Members a v e m a r i a m a g a z i n e | f a l l 2015

By Sarah Blanchard

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The Department of Music welcomed three new faculty members this year—a step which Jim Towey, President of Ave Maria University, described as “the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the fine arts at Ave Maria University.”

elen Tintes-Schuermann, D.M., Visiting Associate Professor of Music, is an artist-teacher who has taught and performed widely. She earned a D.M. in Vocal Performance from Northwestern University; her dissertation examined how the life of St. Teresa of Avila is reflected in modern vocal and choral literature. “I am proud,” she said, “of my work in Spanish and Latin American Music as Director of the ISMCenter and IHMCenter.” She has performed in opera and concert at the Teatro del Gran Liceu (Barcelona), Festival du Monte Carlo, Fest in Hellbrunn (Salzburg) and throughout the USA. “A very happy memory was performing in the cast of The Phantom of the Opera in Vienna,” she recalled, “where I met my husband, Klaus Schuermann.”

This fall, Tintes-Schuermann (contralto) is teaching Applied Voice. “I am very excited,” she said, “about teaching talented vocalists who are also studying the liberal arts at a high academic level. … My goal,” she continued, “is to help each individual find her/his own special talents, as well as encourage supportive work with others in all aspects of music and the performing arts.”

Dr. Taylor Ferranti (tenor), who joins the department as Visiting Associate Professor of Music, is likewise eager to cultivate the talents of his students.

“Several of my college professors had a tremendous impact on my life,” he said.

“I intend to strive toward that goal as I join the AMU faculty.” This fall, Ferranti is teaching music theory, musicianship, and applied voice, as well as conducting the AMU choirs.

Ferranti earned his doctorate in Vocal Performance/Voice Science from Louisiana State University. He is an accomplished vocal pedagogue, singer, pianist, and conductor, and he and his wife operate the Naples-area Vocal Ring Studio.

Ferranti holds a Certificate of Vocology from the National Center for Voice and Speech (Denver, Colorado), and he has taught at Cedarville University (Ohio). “As a college professor,” he said, “there is no

Technology and Brandeis University. Lee has been commissioned to compose several pieces for pianist EunMi Ko (University of South Florida) and Ko’s ensemble, String and Hammers; these compositions have been played across the United States and in South Korea.

Her latest composition for Ko will be performed in April 2016 at the University of South Florida.

Lee, who is teaching applied piano and upper-level music theory courses, feels “blessed” to be able to contribute to the department in her area of expertise: 20th/21st century music composition and theory. “Music can help students develop a whole new way of viewing the world,” she said. “People think of music mostly as a way to express one’s feeling, however, to be able to express one’s feelings in a way that makes sense to the listeners,

Above: The AMU choir performs at the Festival of Lessons and Carols.

Left: Dr. Helen Tintes-Schuermann, with experience in both academia and performance, plays the role of Mrs. Peachum in The Threepenny Opera.

the music must be written with a logical reason and critical thinking. It is my job, as an instructor, to provide a guideline of how to look at music and make sense of it.”

When asked to offer a concluding word of advice to students, Ferranti said: “Redeem the time.” He explained: “Psalm 90 is one of my favorite passages of Scripture because it is a great reminder not to squander our days. God has blessed you with this season of learning at AMU; make the most of your time by learning your craft and growing in your love and knowledge of the Lord.”

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greater reward than to witness a student blossom into an exceptional musician after four years of diligent work. Over the years, I have worked with several students who have received full scholarships to attend prestigious graduate schools. It is so gratifying to see my former students live out their dreams.”

The achievement of one’s dreams doesn’t come without hard work, as Dr. Seunghee Lee is keen to point out. “I expect my students to strive for perfection,” she said. “I believe that musicians have to have a mindset of trying to achieve the best. It’s okay if a student doesn’t always achieve perfection, as long as a student tried their best to be excellent,” she explained, “that’s what matters most to me.”

Born in Seoul, Korea, Lee is Visiting Assistant Professor of Music at Ave Maria University. She earned her M.F.A. and Ph.D. in Music Composition and Theory at Brandeis University, and she has taught at both Massachusetts Institute of

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Ave Maria Graduates in the Religious Life

ANSWERING

I

GOD’S CALL

BY ZACHARY CROCKETT

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n early July, over 700 high-school students descended on the campus of Ave Maria University to attend the Ablaze Youth Conference. They crowded into the Golisano Fieldhouse—but not to cheer on the Ave Maria Gyrenes. They were silent, their eyes drawn to the speaker commanding their attention atop a dimly-lit stage.

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“When I was going around with the Blessed Sacrament…your eyes were filled with so much light!” he shouts. “As a priest, there is no greater joy.”

For Father Pagano, this is where it all began.

Before being ordained to the priesthood in 2013 and being assigned to the parish where he grew up in St. Augustine, Richard Pagano was a student of Ave Maria University. He spent much of his time ministering to the youth of the town. The training served him well as he prepared to enter seminary upon graduating from AMU in 2008.

His message to the young people at Ave Maria this summer was poignant.

“Take a stand for Christ,” he says. “Especially in the cultural context of the world today, the Church needs you and the world needs your witness.”

Like Father Pagano, many AMU graduates are witnessing to Christ by answering the call to religious vocations.

Indeed, the number of religious entrants at Ave Maria is remarkable for such a short time. In AMU’s dozen years of existence, there are more than 40 ordained priests, seminarians, and religious sisters who have received their education from Ave Maria University, including graduates from every year since 2005.

The blending of vocation and education at Ave Maria is unique. Perhaps no one knows this better than Sister Albert Marie Surmanski. As a graduate of the Class of 2005, she subsequently entered the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist and went on to receive her M.A. in Theology from AMU in 2011. In 2014, she received her Ph.D. in Theology, also from AMU.

Sister Albert Marie summarizes her experience succinctly: “I feel at home at Ave Maria.”

Having come full circle, Sister Albert Marie now teaches undergraduate and graduate-level students at Ave Maria as an Instructor of Theology and Research Fellow. She is excited to give back to the University that has given her so much, and finds a particular joy in helping AMU students reach the heights of their vocations and educations.

“I hope the students I teach experience God’s love for them and understand better the vocation He calls them to,” she says.

This past summer, a number of young men entered the seminary. Joseph Haas and Kyle Eads (‘15) will join the Archdiocese of New York, Cameron Popik (‘14), and Alexander Pince (‘12), who began

Ave’s Priests and Religious Hall of Fame

name and location of service Fr. Francis Adelera – Nigeria Fr. Edmund Ani - Liberty, KY Fr. Hyacinth Jemigbola - Syosset, NY Br. Vincent Ferrer (George Bagan) - New York, NY Fr. Peter Dittus - Rome, Italy Fr. Matt Grady - Sarasota, FL Fr. Richard Pagano - Palm Coast, FL Fr. Sam Spiering - Lewistown, MT Fr. Thomas Kelly - Fort Myers, FL Fr. Chris Ortega - Brunswick, GA Fr. Paul Schreiner - Norwalk, OH Fr. Luke Suarez - Fairfield, CT Fr. Edward Fride - Ann Arbor, MI Fr. Matt Kinney - La Grange, TX

Dave Tomaszycki spends time with a friend at Daya Dan in Calcutta.

Joseph Haas - Queens, NY Kyle Eads - Dunwoodie, NY Isaac Damani - Ghana John Audino - Denton, NE Joseph Lustig - Boise, Idaho

Fr. Pagano speaks at AMU’s 2015 summer youth conference, “Ablaze.”

Jordan Berghouse - Milwaukee, WI Alex Pince - Miami, FL Cameron Popik - Cleveland, OH Thomas Croteau – St. Louis, MO Br. Ignatius Pio (Nick Doherty) - Honduras Nathan Page - Orange County, CA David Tomaszycki - Rome, Italy Br. Luke DeMasi – Rome, Italy Br. Joseph Bloomer - Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), Spain Br. Pier Toussaint (Alain Guiteau) - Yonkers, NY Br. Andrew Krishe - Guayaquil, Ecuador Sr. Albert Marie Surmanski – Ave Maria, FL

Sr. Albert Marie Surmanski instructs a Sacred Scripture class.

Sr. Kathryn Shea - Jacksonville, Florida Sr. Mary Micaela Hoffmann Sr. Megan Conway Jacksonville, Florida Sr. Mary David Klocek – Rome, Italy Sr. Alison Van de Voorde – Valencia, Spain Sr. Paloma (Deirdre Harkins) – Tricio, Spain Sr. Marina Hernandez Jacksonville, Florida Sr. Bailey Sympson - Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), Spain Sr. Cecilia Boccardo – Rome, Italy Sr. Karen Dittus – Santander, Spain Sr. Catherine Thomas Brennan – Peoria, Illinois Sr. Maria Veritas Marks – Austin, TX

ave ma r ia maga z i ne | ave ma r ia.edu

studies in the Archdiocese of Miami after two years as a major gift officer with Ave Maria University’s Department of Institutional Advancement.

Yet not everyone remains close to home. Some religious have taken their educations to witness to people as far off as Nigeria, Spain, India, and Italy.

Dave Tomaszycki (Class of 2010) is one such witness. As a seminarian with the Archdiocese of Detroit, Dave has been studying at the North American College in Rome for the last few years, and has had the chance to serve vespers with Pope Benedict XVI and mass for Pope Francis.

In the summer of 2013—the same year the Mother Teresa Project was founded at AMU—Dave traveled to Calcutta to work with the Missionaries of Charity. He was assigned to Daya Dan, the home of disabled children.

“When I tell people that, they typically say ‘Oh, how sad,’” he comments. “It wasn’t sad at it all. Those kids were a ton of fun!”

Dave describes the joy the children possessed and how they all knew one simple fact: that they were good children, and that God loved them. “How much happier people would be if they knew that one simple fact,” he remarks.

That simple fact was one Dave came to understand during his time at Ave Maria.

While at first he pushed away the possibility of a priestly vocation, Dave experienced a moment of complete surrender to God’s will where he truly allowed Christ to control his life. “For me,” he says, “That’s when I started to pray, that’s when I started to discern. That’s when I started to live.”

Dave, who will be ordained into the deaconate in September, credits his growth in the spiritual life as the biggest mark that Ave has left on him. He leaves current and prospective Ave students with one thought: “Jesus Christ is everything,” he says. “Give yourself to Christ!”

The Ave Maria community is blessed to have men and women who have done just that.

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TAR PAPE TOM MONAGHAN WELCOMES AMU TRUSTEES TO A RETREAT OFF THE BEATEN PATH

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efore I came to Ave Maria, I had heard for years about Tom Monaghan and admired his entrepreneurial genius from afar. After all, ordinary people don’t pioneer international pizza delivery chains like he did with Domino’s, or donate hundreds of millions of dollars to build a Catholic university in

the middle of a patch of tomato fields.

So when I went to Michigan for the Ave Maria University Board of Trustees retreat and heard that Tom would be hosting a dinner in another of his creations – the legendary Tar Paper Shack – I wasn’t sure what to expect.

I kept asking myself this question: Who intentionally builds a beaten-down shack,

covers it only with tar paper, furnishes it with rummage-sale chairs and a metal table, and then has a team of chefs prepare an 8 course gourmet meal and offer a selection of vintage wines? Only Tom! To say the Tar Paper Shack is off the beaten path is an understatement. From the main road you have to follow a rocky path that winds about a half mile through

PER CHIC the woods until you see a cabin that has never known the joy of paint, nestled among the trees.

Tom greeted all of the trustees and their spouses upon arrival and gave each a commemorative denim shirt that was made for them and the occasion. He told us about the history of the Shack and why he built it. We took in all of this information as well as an array of tasty appetizers that, too, commanded our rapt attention. He pointed through the trees at a humble chapel that he built on the grounds, and to some “guest quarters” that seemed better suited to a moonshine operation in Appalachia.

When it was time to enter the Shack for dinner, we processed in and found our

name tags and spots along the stretch of table that had 12 seats on each side. Our group was so large that we couldn’t all be together, so Tom and seven others were seated in a separate, smaller room adjoining the dining hall. Its design seemed like what a mess hall in a submarine would be like. The ceiling was low, the room dimly lit by hanging lanterns, and the quarters cramped. We had learned earlier that Tom and his then-five-year-old grandson Matthew had picked out the furnishings and purposely opted for what can fairly be described as junkyard decor. They succeeded.

And no sooner were we seated than, with the precision-like timing of a military air show, a squadron of servers

entered, and a bombardment of non-stop food began. Each course was exquisite and seemed to surpass the one that preceded it. The contrast between the gourmet food and the tin mess trays was classic Tom, both humble and excellent in all things.

By the time the dessert came – consisting of nine separate treats assembled like a tic-tac-toe board – all of us were begging for mercy. How could we turn down dessert? But how could we eat another bite of anything? Well, the dessert won. It was irresistible.

And as fine as the food, wine, desserts and Tom’s trademark Port pour had been, the comradery around the table, and the

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BY JIM TOWEY

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Counterclockwise, from below.

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joy of the trustees being together, were the most memorable part of the evening.

As we all departed, I realized that the Tar Paper Shack for Tom wasn’t about the meals—it was about providing a place where people could share their faith and deepen their friendships and celebrate life. I thought of how many groups that old dumpy cabin had welcomed over the decades, how many good causes had ben-

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efited from fundraisers he hosted there, and most important, how much love and laughter had seasoned the surrounding woods and serenaded the skies on nights just like ours.

Jesus often spoke of heaven as a banquet. After our dinner at the Tar Paper Shack, I think I understood better what He meant.

Tom Monaghan gives Trustees a tour of the Tar Paper Shack grounds.

Hollis Greenlaw, Tom Monaghan, and President Towey share a moment of fun at dinner.

Trustees visit while eagerly anticipating the Shack’s famous multicourse dinner on tin plates.

The Tar Paper Shack’s kitchen includes vintage appliances and a pantry decoratively stocked with decades-old canned goods.

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ave ma r ia maga z i ne | ave ma r ia.edu

STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS

Steps in the Right Direction

AMU Students and Alumni Take Part in Pro-Life Walks Across the Country

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ounded in 1995, Crossroads was created to respond to St. John Paul II’s challenge to young people to become active in establishing a Culture of Life. Since then, hundreds of young adults have walked across the country with Crossroads to stand for the sanctity of life. Each summer they walk over 12,000 miles through 40 different states. During the walks, they unite their prayers and sacrifices with Christ’s suffering, offering it up for all life – from conception to natural death. Ten students from Ave Maria joined the walk this past summer, making AMU the most represented school on the walk. AMU’s strong representation is no surprise, as the Crossroads’ main office is comprised entirely of Ave grads, including Executive Director David Bathon (‘14).

AMU senior Zach Sadusky described Crossroads as a life changing experience for him. “After praying to have God lead me where he wanted, it became clear to me that Crossroads is what I was supposed to do.” He was contacted by Tyler Cutrer (13), who now works in the Crossroads office.

Zach was struggling to decide what to do for his final year in school and felt like he was missing something. After Tyler contacted Zach, he decided to apply, and was thankful that he did. Whenever they were out walking, the team prayed rosaries and Chaplets of Divine Mercy. Zach said this contributed to his biggest takeaway from the walk - constantly experiencing God in so many different ways as they crossed the Northern United States. “We experienced God in communion when we woke up and went to daily Mass, in the Godly young people we were with all day long, in the God-filled priests and people we met along the way.”

Ally Mechling, a 2015 graduate, encourages anyone and everyone to pray about joining Crossroads. “First of all, you get to walk across America, which is an absolutely gorgeous country! Over and above that, you get to do it for what is arguably the most important cause of our time!” Whether it was when speaking at a parish or praying outside an abortion clinic, she felt that she grew in her faith along the journey. The experience taught her how to love everyone with joy, and how to make each day an adventure. “Every day we walk from sunrise to sunset wearing neon yellow shirts that say PRO LIFE. But Crossroads is so much more than that. I walked in hopes that my witness would save lives.”

Ally hopes to return and help with training for next summer’s walks.

AMU alums Alex Wilson (’15, far left) and Andrew Heim (’15, bottom row, second from left) near the Golden Gate Bridge before beginning the central walk.

North walk:

Central walk:

Eric Zlatos (’14) Walk Leader

Andrew Heim (’15) Walk Leader

Jelani Bonner (’15) Assistant Walk Leader, 2nd walk

Alex Wilson (’15) 3rd Walk

Theresa Antunes (’17) Ally Mechling (’15) Chris DeCleene (’17) Zach Sadusky (’16) Mary Beth Santoro (’17)

Austin Gomez (’15) In the office: David Bathon (’14) Executive Director Tyler Cutrer (’13) Director Eric Zlatos (’14) Director

STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS

Biking for Babies

Clare Eckard Treks Across America for a Cause

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eople show support for the pro-life cause in countless ways.

Some offer up rosaries, participate in life chains, or pray outside of abortion clinics. AMU sophomore Clare Eckard biked across the country.

She joined Biking for Babies, an organization dedicated to “renewing the culture of life in America.” Two teams, one from Dallas and one from New Orleans, set out on a 9-day pro-life mission: to bike across the country and meet in Chicago to end their ride. The 9-day length of their trip was significant as it reflected the 9-month pregnancy period. Clare explained that the purpose of this “was to experience, in a comparatively minuscule manner, the endurance, perseverance, and sacrifice families face.” Clare’s team, comprised of 15 other young adults, biked an average of 140 miles a day to create awareness as well as raise funds

for pregnancy resource centers. This year, Biking for Babies raised over $56,000 to support 23 pregnancy resource centers in 13 states.

Clare was inspired to take her faith a step further after attending the March for Life with over 200 of her classmates and going to pray outside an abortion clinic with the AMU Students for Life club.

“I have always considered myself to be pro-life, but until this past year at Ave Maria University, I hadn’t done much to attest to my belief.” After hearing about Biking for Babies from a classmate, her interest was piqued and she decided to sign up to ride.

It was a long ride and a lot of work, but Clare echoed one of Biking for Babies founders, Jimmy Becker, “The journey requires constant problem-solving.” She continued by explaining, “With God on our side though, it was hard for things not to work out. Any struggles we had only made the experience more beautiful as they allowed us an opportunity to offer up a little more for the cause.”

During the ride, team members wore jerseys that read “Biking for Babies” to raise awareness as well as to start conversation and the team received a great deal of support and positive feedback. Clare enthused, “So many people generously donated to support the pregnancy resource centers we collaborated with.” The team became very aware of the vast support behind these pregnancy resource centers: funds, volunteer hours, and prayers. “We thought of how the mothers themselves, who choose life, are the true sacrificers for the mission.”

Her biggest takeaway from her experience? Clare is convinced that she is a member of a truly pro-life generation. “Ultimately, the atrocity of abortion is too terrible for words, but I can’t think of a better way to counter this sad reality of our culture than to join together to continue not only to fight for but also celebrate life!”

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CAMPUS COMMUNITY

THE CLASS OF 2015 Dr. Arthur Brooks Addresses the Class of 2015 on Graduation Day

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1 1. Dr. Arthur Brooks,

a v e m a r i a m a g a z i n e | f a l l 2015

President of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) delivers the 2015 commencement address.

2. Valedictorian Ben Houde is congratulated by a friend after the commencement ceremony.

3. Sara Argenta shares a laugh with a fellow classmate during Dr. Brooks’ commencement address.

4. Marie Siebert and 3 Maureen Villaca stop to take a celebratory selfie!

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CAMPUS COMMUNITY

THE MOTHER TERESA PROJECT The Heart and Soul of Ave Maria University

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1. Britt Kopec (’17), Cody

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David (’15), Kiersa Polley (’16), Vivian Crockett (‘13), Laura Whitmann (’16), and John Gargano (’17) share a moment with Sr. Gertrude, M.C. 2. Kiersa Polley (‘16) at Prem Dan in Calcutta.

3. Sarah Beth Gieger (’17) meets a new friend while volunteering with the Missionaries of Charity in Mexico City.

4. Mackenzie Tourville (’19) at a service day in nearby Immokalee, FL. 5. Peter Rohan (‘17) makes a friend while serving with the Missionaries of Charity Sisters in Calcutta.

6. Laura Wittmann (‘16) with Mother Teresa’s successor, Sister Prema, M.C.

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CAMPUS COMMUNITY

WELCOME, POPE FRANCIS AMU Students Travel to Philadelphia to See the Holy Father

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1. From L to R: VP

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for Student Affairs Julie Cosden and students Rose Reed, Julian Sanderson, Laura Wittmann, Conner O’Brien, Corey Blanchard, and Chris DeCleene are all smiles before Sunday’s Papal Mass.

2. The group catches a view of the Holy Father during the World Gathering of Families.

3. AMU Director of Student Engagement and Operations, Martin Doman and his band were selected to perform before Sunday’s Mass with Pope Francis in Philadelphia.

4. Student Chris DeCleene catches a glimpse of the Papal Motorcade. »Look for extended coverage of the Pope’s visit to the U.S. in the Spring 2016 AMU Magazine.

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CAMPUS COMMUNITY

THEY MADE IT! The Class of 2019 Moves into the Dorms

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1. Corey Blanchard

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(’17) leads a group of Orientation Team members.

2. Sophomore Nicole Ledesma and the O-Team hard at work.

3. AMU FOCUS missionaries Tom Mullen and Maemie Donnelly find a way to make moving fun!

4. The rain didn’t stop these dedicated O-Team members.

5. Resident Assistants Mary Catherine Beller (’16) and Lily DeMasi (’18) take a quick dance break.

6. President Jim Towey lends a helping hand.

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CAMPUS COMMUNITY

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM Ave Maria’s Shakespeare Troupe Puts on a Show

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1. Rachael Wisely (’18)

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and Nick Ciavarra (’15) in AMU’s Shakespeare in Performance’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

2. Titania’s fairy attendants played by Maria Molter (’17), Lousia Zachmann (’17), and Nora Harkins (’15).

3. Mary Catherine Beller (’16) commands the scene as Titania, the fairy queen.

4. Sean Hanus (’17), Andrew Olson (Ph.D. student), and Katie Beth Miller (’17) performing one of the cover songs featured in the production.

5. Paula Shute (’16) as Helena.

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UNIVERSITY DIGEST NAPA INSTITUTE This summer, Drs. Catherine and Michael Pakaluk spoke at the fifth annual Napa Institute Conference. Bringing together Catholic leaders for a weekend of dialogue and prayer, the Napa Institute Conference promotes the best in Catholic thought and supports conference participants in their task of guarding the faith in secular society.

On Thursday, July 30, Dr. Catherine Pakaluk (Assistant Professor and Chair of Economics), gave the address, “Soulmates, and Other Myths about the Family in American Society,” which presented findings from social research that have bearing on Catholic social thought, particularly as regards marriage and divorce. “It was a lot of fun,” Catherine said. “I really enjoy being able to bring exciting research findings to a lay audience.”

Other speakers at the 2015 conference included Scott Hahn, Pia de Solenni, George Weigel, Fr. Robert Spitzer, S.J., and Christoph Cardinal Schonborn. “I attend a lot of conferences and events every year,” Catherine reflected. “I can honestly say I’ve encountered nothing like the Napa Institute before. Where else can you take a stroll through a vineyard, stop in at a spa, and then pray a solemn Rosary in adoration with Carmelite sisters? … Really, it was a slice of perfection.”

Echoing this sentiment, Michael could think of no better summary of his experience than Hilaire Belloc’s memorable toast: Wherever the Catholic sun doth shine, There’s always laughter and good red wine.

At least I’ve always found it so.

Benedicamus Domino!

From L to R: Dr. Michael Pakaluk, Tom Monaghan, and Dr. Catherine Pakaluk at the fifth annual Napa Institute Conference.

ave ma r ia maga z i ne | ave ma r ia.edu

Dr. Michael Pakaluk (Professor and Chair of Philosophy) delivered Saturday’s address, “Faith and Reason in Newman’s University,” which examined Newman’s understanding of a university and ultimately made the case that, in Newman’s view, the cultivation of the “heart” is as important as the training of the mind. “The conference was attended by, so to speak, movers and shakers in the Catholic world, who, as a whole, are strongly interested in the direction of Catholic higher education,” Michael remarked.

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UNIVERSITY DIGEST

AMU’s first AEI Executive Council.

STUDENTS FORM AEI EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Just last year, history was made at AMU when Joseph Doherty (’15) and a group of fellow students started the honored and prized American Enterprise Institute (AEI) Executive Council. Doherty wanted to open wide this door of opportunity for his fellow classmates, seeing how it “is a tremendous potential for young Catholics to work and implement their studies in the world of public policy.”

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AEI at Ave Maria, like AEI itself, is concerned with “expanding liberty, increasing individual opportunity and strengthening free enterprise.” AEI on Campus connects top college students across the country with the ideas, research, and community of the American Enterprise Institute.

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Though backed by AEI, the initiative is all on the part of the student body. Michael Reilly, a junior and member of AEI at Ave Maria, explains, “AEI affords a wealth of AEI sources and connections which allow them to gain some knowledge of the problems which plague our nation today and then to explore possible solutions to those problems.” Through AEI, the Executive Council encourages their fellow students to become interested in the fields of Economics, Politics, and Social Welfare.

AEI at Ave Maria University has a promising future. “Most of the members of the executive council are new this year so there is much hope for continued growth,” says Reilly. “The fruits of the council are not just seen in the current student body, but also point to future promise. Lilla Lukas and Tatenda Mabikacheche (’14) were both hired by AEI soon following their graduation from AMU.”

GIVING

FLAG POLE DEDICATED ON SEPTEMBER 11

“When Ed and I first spoke about the opportunity we might have to help install a flag on campus, it never crossed our minds that the dedication might occur on September 11, a day that none of us will forget.”

—Amy Easton

generously donated the 50-foot flag pole and flag that was dedicated on the 14th anniversary of 9/11.

Father Robert Garrity opened the dedication ceremony with prayer and blessed the flag pole with holy water. Three United States Veterans, AMU Director of Security Peter Van de Voorde (US Marines), AMU student Nate Cameau (US Air Force), and Grand Knight for the Knights of Columbus Ed Sweeney (US Air Force), walked solemnly down the center aisle and respectfully raised the flag, which

was greeted with a round of applause.

After thanking the Eastons for their support and generosity, President Towey shared, “We want this flag in the heart of our campus to also be a reminder of our religious liberty, which is the first liberty, and makes America so special and different. It is also the reason our country was attacked 14 years ago today.”

The Eastons expressed their The crowd cheers as the heartfelt gratiAmerican flag is raised on September 11. tude to everyone who was a part of the project.

“When Ed and I first spoke about the opportunity we might have to help install a flag on campus, it never crossed our minds that the dedication might occur on September 11, a day that none of us will forget,” said Amy Easton.

“We simply wanted to provide a symbol, an iconic figure, so that when somebody walked through this campus they might pause to remember those who sacrificed their lives on behalf of our freedom, and remember the blessings that God has given our nation.”

Following the Pledge of Allegiance, Associate Professor of Music, Dr. Helen Tintes-Schuermann, performed a moving rendition of the National Anthem, and students from Donahue Academy closed the ceremony by singing God Bless America.

(L to R) U.S. Veterans Peter Van de Voorde, Ed Sweeney, and Nate Cameau present the American flag at the dedication ceremony.

(L to R) AMU Chairman of the Board of Trustees Michael Timmis, Ed Easton, Amy Easton, and President Jim Towey gather for a photo near the dedication site.

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ve Maria University Trustee Ed Easton and his wife Amy love America and Ave Maria University. Following the last board meeting on campus in May, they suggested the University should have a large flag pole in honor of those who died for our country.

On September 11, they gathered with President Towey, university officials, students and local veterans to witness the dedication and presentation our country’s flag. Ed and his wife Amy

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GIVING

TRYMBISKI: AVE MARIA ALL-STAR Left: In 2012, Brian served as an assistant baseball coach at AMU. Middle: Brian is set to marry fellow AMU alumni Erika Derks next summer.

Right: Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick and Brian at a recent event.

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hen alumnus Brian Trymbiski (’11) transferred to Ave Maria University from the University of Pittsburgh, he was self-admittedly lost and frustrated in his new surroundings. After hurting his shoulder playing baseball up north, he was given the opportunity to continue his athletic career and receive a quality Catholic education in Southwest Florida. “The culture was completely different in Ave Maria,” said Trymbiski. “Academics were tough…it was definitely a wake-up call, but the best kind of wake-up call.”

Brian, who studied economics, quickly found his footing and started as a catcher on AMU’s baseball team during his three years on campus. While at Pitt, Brian’s

focus was solely on baseball, but once he transferred to AMU, he learned there was much more to life, such as faith, family, friendship and fellowship. The highlight of his tenure was the opportunity to confirm and strengthen his faith. “AMU provided me with the answers to questions I always had in regard to my Catholicism.”

Since graduation, Trymbiski has become a successful wealth management advisor for Wells Fargo Advisors. He travels all over the country developing and managing client portfolios for small businesses, non-profit organizations and individuals. Brian walks through every step of the process with clients as they build, preserve, manage, and transition wealth.

Brian was also recently elected as Supervisor of Plumstead Township in Pennsylvania, becoming the youngest elected official in the county. In this position, he supervises all operations for the Township. Some of his responsibil-

ities include the evaluation of the police force, public works and fire stations. He also balances budgets, oversees community improvements and plans the vision of the town. “Had it not been for my time at Ave Maria, I never would have considered a public service position,” he shared.

“Service was, and still is, a huge part of the culture and experience at AMU.” Recently he decided that it was time to repay the University for all it had given him. “The reason I give back is because the University provided me with so much. It allowed me to continue my baseball career and prepared me for my future professional and personal successes. It was the least I could do.” He has also paved the way for other family members to attend AMU. One of his cousins graduated last May, and he also has his brother (class of 2016), and two other cousins currently attending AMU. And there are more where that came from – with another batch of cousins looking at the University in future years.

Trymbiski’s success also extends to his personal life. He is set to marry fellow AMU alumni Erika Derks next summer.

GIVING

AN ENDOWING AND INSPIRING SOLUTION

Phonathon Coordinator Ryann Rooney (left) and students work to raise money for the H.A.T.S. Scholarship.

me and the students that would ultimately benefit. They were so enthusiastic and joyful. It was so obvious they really believe in what they are doing. We even had a pizza party at the end of the evening to celebrate!”

The University currently has 60 students diagnosed with a learning difficulty and treatment can be expensive. Financial support provided by the scholarship is intended to assist families with the cost of a quality Catholic education. The Bednarczyks have been supporters of Ave Maria University since its inception and truly believe in its mission to educate the whole person. Ave Maria provides tuition assistance to nearly all incoming students.

In most cases, a part of the financial aid they receive is based on their ACT or SAT test scores and previous academic performance. While that is the standard in determining institutional aid, a certain cohort of students with learning difficulties could be left with less aid because of his or her respective diagnoses. Vice President for Institutional Advancement Kevin Joyce was thrilled with the new funding idea.

Joyce said, “The Bednarczyk family has come up with an amazing scholarship.

There are many young people who don’t always test well but work hard and are able to perform in the classroom, despite having a diagnosed learning difficulty.

The H.A.T.S. endowed scholarship will both help these families afford AMU’s authentic Catholic education and allow the University to bridge the financial gap to attract more students who are truly talented. These students have shown drive and determination in facing their difficulties head on and overcoming them.” Thanks to Mr. Bednarczyk and the donors whose gifts he is matching, one difficulty will be lessened for these students and their families.

YOU CAN HELP, TOO! To support students through scholarship funds, contact: Kevin Joyce, Vice President for Institutional Advancement Kevin.Joyce@avemaria.edu (239) 280-2574

ave ma r ia maga z i ne | ave ma r ia.edu

B

efore Bill Bednarczyk’s wife Colette passed away, they discussed creating something meaningful that would support students with learning difficulties. They personally knew the challenges these students would face, as their own adopted daughter was diagnosed with ADHD at an early age. “Students with learning difficulties need an advocate to help them grow and develop in an educational setting,” said Bednarczyk.

“Creating the H.A.T.S. Endowed Scholarship was an opportunity to support students, honor the memory of my wife, and leave a lasting legacy at AMU.” The H.A.T.S (Hidden-Assets-Talents-Skills) Endowed Scholarship is intended to support qualified students, diagnosed with a designated learning difficulty, with an annual scholarship grant towards tuition.

“After our daughter was diagnosed, we started looking into alternative learning styles which brought out her hidden assets, skills and talents. This was our inspiration for establishing and naming the scholarship,” he shared.

The scholarship is supported by matching funds raised through the University’s student call center. Earlier this year, Mr. Bednarczyk visited the student callers and witnessed them calling donors and raising funds for the scholarship. “The energy was through the roof,” said Phonathon Coordinator Ryann Rooney. “It was great to have him with us while we were calling. He was so appreciative and caring.”

Mr. Bednarcyzk, agreeing wholeheartedly, said, “I wanted to share with the student callers how important this was to

35

CLASS NOTES 2007

Renee Kelly (Richard) I live in Natche, Mississippi as a stay-at-home mom. I had my second daughter, Jeanne Elise Kelly, who joins her older sister Catherine.

Patience Selepova (DeMasi) Patience and her husband Lukas moved back to the states a year ago, after having lived in Slovakia.

They have two children: Margaret, who is two, and Juraj, who is five months old.

Brandon Duncan I am currently serving the Communications Office for the Diocese of St. Augustine. I live in Jacksonville, FL with my wife, who was my college sweetheart, and I am the proud father of three wonderful girls – Gianna (6), Olivia (5), Maria (4).

Kathleen Moran I am currently living in the United Arab Emirates and am an active board member for a local theater and performance group.

2008

Beth Flaherty I’m working for StartUp Fashion, importing fashion lines and selling to small boutiques. I’m also attending the Aveda Institute in SoHo, studying cosmetology to be a hairstylist.

a v e m a r i a m a g a z i n e | f a l l 2015

Dan Hardy I have a beautiful family now

36

with a wonderful wife, fellow alumna Susan Genn Hardy, and four great kids.

We recently purchased a house in October of 2014 and have a great community of neighbors. I am a construction equipment shop manager of two stores and have 10 employees under my supervision.

SEND IN YOUR CLASS NOTES Send your class notes and wedding or birth announcements to the Alumni Office at www.avemaria.edu/classnotes

Eamon Ladewski I was an Assistant Director

Laura Su (Ascenzo) I married a wonderful

of Admissions at Notre Dame Law School and an Associate Director of Admissions at Michigan State University. In the middle of all my moving around I completed graduate school at the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame. Most recently I left higher education for a position at a global management consulting firm. My specialty is a field called “merger integration” and it’s been quite an adventure so far.

man in August 2013, and our daughter, Agnes, was born in May 2014. We are living in Chicago and I just celebrated my 5-year work anniversary as a Product Safety Specialist at Newell-Rubbermaid.

Anthony Jay I’m finalizing my Ph.D. thesis in Biochemistry at Boston University. In addition, I have recently co-founded a non-profit called the International Medical Research Collaborative (IMRCo) which assists international medical collaborations, education, and assistance (imrco. org).

2009

Meryl Kaleida (Amland) I am a regular contributor to Ignatius Press Novels blog at ipnovels.com. I’ve now been working at Ignatius Press for over 6 years and I love it! I have also been writing my own novel, and I have self-published one of my short stories as an e-book on Amazon.

I also recently got married this past June and we just moved to Tennessee.

2011

Perla Garcia After graduation I became a full-time FOCUS missionary. I served two years at Texas State University and one year at Montclair State University, in New Jersey. It was a wonderful time. Currently, I work as a Prevention Specialist for a prolife organization in West Texas.

2012

Leslie Boyle Currently, I work for Esperanza Community Services in Chicago. I am a Behavior Therapist for a classroom of middle school boys with developmental disabilities. I am also pursing my Master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of Cincinnati.

Ruth Miller (Judd) I married Grant Miller (Class of 2012) in Concord, NH on August 15, 2015. We live in southern Houston, TX.

2010

Jeremiah Belocura I graduated with my

2013

Masters in Interior Architecture and Design last year and am now working as a Project Designer at Kershner Office Furniture. Also, I was in the Papal Choir when Pope Francis came to Philadelphia (I was a Music major at AMU).

a year in the Philippines working with a NGO called Life Project 4 Youth. My job was to give professional training to young mothers living in slums. I am currently attending Boston College, pursuing an M.A. in English.

Margaret Ascenzo After graduation, I spent

In Memoriam Remembering Sister Nirmala Joshi, M.C. “Jesus has so many pencils. He uses one as long as it lasts, then he takes another and yet another.

We are all pencils of God that get worn down; we are only the ‘temporary’ pencils that God uses to write the history of charity.” –Sister Nirmala Joshi Sister Nirmala Joshi, successor of Mother Teresa and leader of the Missionaries of Charity from 1997 to 2009, went home to God on June 23rd in Calcutta. She left behind a legacy of love and fidelity to her Sisters and the poor whom they served, and her departure from this life from St. John’s convent, the very place where she was baptized in 1958, brought her life as a devout follower of Christ full-circle.

India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, was among the first to express condolences on the passing of this great woman. “Sister Nirmala’s life was devoted to service, caring for the poor and underprivileged.

(I am) saddened by her demise. May her soul rest in peace,” he said. His heartfelt sentiments were shared by countless people all over the world. While her body laid in state in the Motherhouse in Calcutta, a steady stream of Hindus, Muslims, and Christians came to pay their respects to this saintly woman known throughout the world for her humility and prayerfulness.

“Sister Nirmala was an inspiration to all who knew her,” said Jim Towey, a friend of Sister Nirmala for over 20 years. “She was Mother Teresa’s spiritual daughter and close companion, and during her twelve years of leadership, the Missionaries of Charity seamlessly transitioned from dependence on their holy foundress and expanded their missionary presence throughout the world,” he added. “I will miss her greatly, and I thank God He gave me the grace to spend time with her at St. John’s a month before God called her home.”

Kusum Joshi was born on July 23, 1934 as the eldest of 10 children of an ethnic Nepali Brahmin family. Her father, Mahananda Joshi, was an officer in the British Indian Army until the nation’s independence. Although a Hindu, she was educated in Christian schools, and the good example of her college roommate ultimately led to her conversion and Baptism at age 23. Kusum Joshi entered Mother Teresa’s order of nuns shortly thereafter, and after her first profession of vows, and at Mother Teresa’s urging, she completed studies in law to complement her Master’s degree in Political Science.

In the years following her entrance in the convent, Sister Nirmala became one of Mother Teresa’s closest confidants and traveled with her to see Saint John Paul II on several occasions.

She was selected by Mother Teresa to lead the first missionary group of Sisters out of India (to Venezuela) in 1965. Eleven

President Towey with Mother Teresa’s immediate successor, Sister Nirmala, M.C.

years later Mother Teresa asked her to found the contemplative branch of the Missionaries of Charity, and she served in this capacity until her election as Superior General of the order on March 3, 1997, six months before Mother Teresa’s death.

During her two terms at the helm, Sister Nirmala opened homes for the first time in countries such as Afghanistan, Israel and Thailand, and shepherded hundreds of new vocations to support the continued growth of the order. Her life of service was honored by the Indian government, which bestowed the nation’s second highest civilian award upon her in 2009.

Just as God used Mother Teresa as an instrument of His love, so also Sister Nirmala Joshi. As spiritual daughter to Mother Teresa, Sister Nirmala was a woman of love who transformed the world around her and spread the fragrance of charity to all whom she met, particularly the poorest of the poor. May she rest in peace.

Ave Maria University 5050 Ave Maria Blvd.

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THE

CHANGING

WORLD

Save the Date THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016 THE FIFTH ANNUAL AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP DINNER FEATURING KEYNOTE SPEAKER HIS EMINENCE, TIMOTHY CARDINAL DOLAN

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MEXICO CITY

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