FA LL 2014
1,000! CLASS OF 2018 HELPS AMU MAKE HISTORY
FROM THE GROUND, UP Surrounded by palm trees, the Ave Maria University Oratory shines against a beautiful Florida evening sky.
Contents 03 Letter from the President 04 News at AMU 06 Faculty 20 Inside Athletics 24 Alumni Spotlight 25 Campus Community 28 University Digest 30 Giving 32 Social Media Snapshot
08 COVER STORY: AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY WELCOMES RECORD STUDENT BODY The start of the 2014 academic year marks a milestone for AMU enrollment with over 1,000 students attending the university. With the addition of the class of 2018, the university looks to continue its growth academically and spiritually in the coming years.
12 DYNAMIC DUOS
Besides being colleagues, these four faculty couples share more than office space. Take a look at how AMU’s faculty duos are making a difference both in and out of the classroom.
16 A LABOR OF LOVE
Julie Cosden, Ave Maria University’s first female Vice President for Student Affairs, explains her continuing dedication to service through her new leadership role at AMU.
18 THE FIGHT CONTINUES
Read an update on AMU’s support of religious liberty and its continued battle against the HHS contraceptive mandate.
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FALL 2014 VOLUME 4, ISSUE 2
PRESIDENT JIM TOWEY EDITORS COLIN VOREIS TAYLOR PELISKA CONTRIBUTORS VICTORIA ANTRAM GRIFFIN MEDIA MANAGEMENT KEVIN JOYCE STACY LAFFERE SPORTS INFORMATION OFFICE ANTHONY VALLE PHOTOGRAPHY SANTIAGO LAZANO JEREMIAH RAPPLEY BEW PHOTOGRAPHY THOMAS GREENFIELD DAVID ALBERS 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 Alumni Office, Ave Maria University, 5050 Ave Maria Blvd., Ave Maria, FL 34142. Ave Maria University subscribes to a policy of equal opportunity and does not discriminate against any individual on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status or disability in any of its programs, admission or employment decisions.
ON THE COVER PRESIDENT JIM TOWEY AND THE CLASS OF 2018
AMU students congregate after class on a sunny October day.
Letter from President Towey
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AMU students, faculty and friends gather on the Student Union Mall.
in Calcutta to operate a program and museum in her honor. It illuminates why scholars like Michael and Susan Waldstein, Michael and Catherine Pakaluk, Michael and Seana Sugrue, and Michael and Janice Breidenbach (no, you don’t have to be named Michael to be a male professor at Ave!) chose to establish their academic careers on our campus. In this magazine you will also find an update on our lawsuit with the federal government over the immoral Obamacare mandate. We will fight that battle to the end. Many wonder why Ave Maria is growing at a time when other small, private colleges are losing enrollment. They ask why donors continue to give so generously to the University, and why exceptional
scholars choose to teach here. My response is simple: Don’t ask me— ask Our Lady! This University is under her guidance and protection. It is her work. Enjoy the fall 2014 issue of Ave Maria University’s magazine!
Kind regards, Jim Towey Ave Maria University President
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his edition of our magazine bears much good news: our largest entering class ever; record enrollment; stories of committed lay couples who live out their vocations as professors on our campus; and so much more. Behind these headlines and in fact nurturing the evident fecundity of Ave Maria is our unique Catholic identity. As you know, we aren’t a diocesan college and or affiliated with a religious order. So just who ARE we? Chairman Michael Timmis and the members of the Board of Trustees met this summer and answered this question definitively. They stated unanimously: Ave Maria University is a Catholic liberal arts institution of higher learning dedicated to the formation of intentional followers of Jesus Christ through Word and Sacrament, scholarship and service, inspired by Saint John Paul II and Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, and devoted to Mary, the Mother of God. You will be seeing that identity statement often in our publications, social media, and University communications. We are proud of this identity and thankful for its special importance. It states succinctly the immense influences that shape Ave’s academic and campus life. It explains why we adhere so tightly to Ex Corde Ecclesiae and are the first in America to have the official approval of Mother Teresa’s nuns
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NEWS
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FALL ACADEMIC CONVOCATION
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At the academic convocation Archbishop William E. Lori of the Archdiocese of Baltimore addressed the Ave Maria University community with a speech entitled “The Freedom to Bear Witness.” In his address to a packed Ballroom comprised of faculty, administrators, trustees, and students, Archbishop Lori em-
phasized that faith in Christ does not serve as a constraint upon man, but as the ultimate key to human flourishing. He pointed out that from the seed of Christ’s life planted deeply in man’s heart sprouts the conviction to defend the teachings of love that the Gospel proclaims. He observed that in recent decades, the cultural
schism between the Church and secular society has widened, thus requiring courageous witness by Catholics and all who cherish religious freedom. Archbishop Lori has been the leading voice within the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops pointing out the dangers inherent in the Obama administration’s effort
to coerce individuals and institutions to violate sincerely held religious convictions. He praised Ave Maria University for forming a generation of Catholic leaders who are taking “up the dual challenge of the New Evangelization: that of giving authentic Christian witness in an increasingly hostile society while
re-thinking critical legal and social issues.” While on campus, Archbishop Lori toured the new Mother Teresa Exhibition Hall and was impressed by its authentic representation of her life. He had a longtime friendship with the legendary “saint of the gutters.” —Victoria Antram, class of 2017
DID YOU KNOW? ARCHBISHOP LORI WAS APPOINTED ARCHBISHOP OF BALTIMORE BY POPE BENEDICT XVI IN 2012.
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ve Maria University is a case in point. In addition to paying tribute to its idyllic setting in sunny Southwestern Florida, the mission statement of Ave Maria University says this: “Founded in fidelity to Christ and His Church, in response to the call of Vatican II for greater lay witness in contemporary society, Ave Maria University exists to further
above: Archbishop Lori visits the Mother Teresa Project Exhibition Hall with (left to right) Caitlin Tweedie, Michaela Cheffers and President Towey. right: Most Reverend Archbishop William Lori delivers his convocation address, “The Freedom to Bear Witness” at AMU’s fall academic convocation ceremony.
teaching, research, and learning at the undergraduate & graduate levels in the abiding tradition of Catholic thought….” Note that the university sees itself as bearing witness to Christ and to the Church in the context of higher education and its essential functions. Far from seeing the Church’s faith in Christ as a constraint, this University is rooted in the conviction that Christ, the key to human history, unlocks and expands the human capacity for unity, truth, goodness, and beauty. —Archbishop Lori
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below: Student leaders meet with Archbishop Lori for brunch at The Bean of Ave Maria.
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Notable Faculty Presentations, Publications, Articles and Awards
Italy by Joshua Arthurs. In The American Historical Review 118 (no. 5) 2013: 16291630. Presented Paper: ‘Palladio’s Aura: LUCE images of Villa Architecture in the Hitler-Mussolini summits, 1942-44.’ Presented at Iconic Images in Modern Italy: Politics, Culture, and Society, University College, London, 22-23 November 2013.
Dr. Travis Curtright, Dr. Timothy McDonnell
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Christopher Alexander, Instructor
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of Literature & Director of the Writing Center. Presented Papers: “The Epic Poet as Epic Hero: Close Reading, Cosmopoiesis and the Poet’s Agon.” LeMoyne College Literature and Religion Forum. Syracuse, NY, Sept. 2013. “Lyric Darkness and the Mysterium of the Poet.” 3rd Annual Power of the Word Conference. Gdansk, Poland, Sept. 2013.
Dr. Paul Baxa, Associate Professor of History. Review: Review of Excavating Modernity: The Roman Past in Fascist
Dr. Paul Baxa
Associate Professor of Literature & Director of Humanities & Liberal Studies. Grant Award: Awarded Earhart Research Fellowship for 2014 to write a book on Shakespeare’s art of characterization: “Shakespeare’s Dramatic Persons: Or, why are his characters like real people?” Presented Paper: “Kate’s Obedience Speech as Exercise in Declamation,” The 2013 Blackfriars Conference at the American Shakespeare Center, Stanton, VA, October 25, 2013.
Dr. David Dalin, Professor of Politics and History. Lecture: “Pope John Paul II and the Jews,” Diocese of Portland, Maine, October 4, 2013. Scholar-in-Residence, Temple Israel, Norfolk, Virginia, “Americanization of the Jewish Holiday Hanukkah,” and “The Presidents of the United States and the Jews: From George Washington to Barack Obama” October 19-20, 2013. “On the Eve of Civil War: The Presidents of the United States and the Jews during the 1850s,” Jewish Museum and Cultural Center, Portsmouth, Virginia, October 20, 2013. “President Franklin Roosevelt and the Holocaust,” Torah Or synagogue, Boca Raton, Florida, November 11, 2013
Dr. Gabriel Martinez, Associate Professor of Business and Economics.
Conference Co- Organizer: With Michael Naughton (U of St. Thomas) and Henry Amoroso (Seton Hall U), “Mission
Driven Business Education: Examining the Uniquely Catholic Dimensions of Undergraduate Business Education,” January 2-4, 2014. The seminar brought together some 30 faculty members from 14 (mostly Catholic) institutions to discuss how to put business disciplines (finance, economics, accounting, management, marketing, business ethics, etc.) in conversation with the Catholic intellectual tradition. Presented Paper: “Teaching Macroeconomics in conversation with the Catholic Intellectual Tradition,” above conference.
Dr. Timothy McDonnell, Assistant Professor of Music. Awards: Finalist, The American Prize in Conducting (choral division) for performance of the Requiem in d-moll, K. 626. Artistic Director: First Southwest Florida Choral Festival (featuring Maestro Robert Page), November 15, 2013, Ft. Myers Florida.
NEW FACULTY
Welcome to the Team
Shirley Anghel,
Jacob Blanchard,
Mary Blanchard,
Visiting Instructor
Instructor of Biology
Instructor of History
Janice Chik Breidenbach,
Dr. Michael Breidenbach, Visiting
of Humanities and
and Research Fellow;
and Research Fellow;
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Literature; M.A., British
Ph.D. (candidate), Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University; B.A., Biology, AMU.
D. Phil. (candidate), History, University of Oxford; M.A., Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University; B.A., History, AMU.
of Philosophy; Ph.D.
of History; Ph.D.
(candidate), Philosophy, University of St. Andrews, United Kingdom; M.A., Philosophy, University of Texas at Austin; A.B., Philosophy and Public Policy, Princeton University.
History (Political Thought and Intellectual History), University of Cambridge; M.Phil, Political Thought and Intellectual History, University of Cambridge; B.A., American Studies & History, Northwestern University.
Dr. Daniel P. Guernsey, Associate
Mary Hunt, Assistant
Dr. Frank Shepard,
Professor of Business
Associate Professor of
Sr. Albert Marie Surmanski, OP,
Biology; Ph.D., Cell and
Professor of Education;
and Psychology; Ph.D.
Business; D.P.S., Finance
Instructor of Theology
Molecular Biology, University of South Florida; B.S., Marine Science & Biology, University of Miami.
Ed.D., Educational Leadership, Eastern Michigan University, Michigan; M.Ed., Administration and Supervision, California State University; M.A., English, University of California, Berkeley; B.A., English, University of San Francisco, California.
(candidate), Industrial/ Organizational Psychology, Illinois Institute of Technology; M.S., Industrial/ Organizational Psychology, Illinois Institute of Technology; M.B.A., Marketing, Washington University, St. Louis, Olin School of Business; B.A., Political Science & Spanish, Wellesley College.
and International Economics, Pace University, New York; M.B.A., Finance, Columbia University Graduate School of Business, New York; B.S., Accounting, Bentley College, Massachusetts.
and Spanish Literature, Dartmouth College; B.A. in Literature, AMU.
Dr. Nicholas Curtis, Assistant Professor of
and Research Fellow;
Ph.D., Systematic Theology, Ave Maria University, Florida; M.A., Theology, Ave Maria.
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AMU welcomes new faculty members for the 2014-2015 academic year.
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The class of 2018 cheers from the lawn of the Academic Mall.
This fall 1,019 students walked through the doors at Ave Maria University as the largest student body in AMU’s history. In the spring of 2011, the university had just 627 undergraduate students. “It’s simply incredible,” said AMU President Jim Towey when asked about the record-breaking enrollment. At a time when many colleges are having difficulty meeting their admissions goals, AMU’s enrollment increased 15 percent in the overall student body and 22 percent in the entering freshman class from the
schooled since second grade, Helms had planned to attend a community college until she realized she was meant for AMU. Already planning to major in psychology and minor in theology, she hopes to specialize in family therapy and individual counseling upon graduation and use her theology degree to increase her knowledge of the Catholic faith to help her future clients. Outside the classroom, Helms cannot wait to get involved in serving her community. AMU is home to The Mother Teresa Project, a service program developed by
impact on my spiritual journey.” Adam Kinnick, a freshman from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, had similar things to say about Ave Maria University’s Catholic identity. “I didn’t want to go to a school with a lukewarm attitude towards its Catholic faith, so I chose AMU,” he stated. Kinnick’s choice to attend the university is grounded in AMU’s mission: to offer a Catholic education that provides students not only with a degree, but also with a perspective on the world that will influence how they live after graduation.
AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY WELCOMES RECORD STUDENT BODY Class of 2018 helps AMU make history
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his devotion to faith and service is readily apparent in AMU’s incoming students, the class of 2018. Marisa Helms, from Tucson, Arizona, is a freshman this fall. Home-
the school that facilitates students’ involvement in local and global charity work. Founded as a realization of Pope Francis’ challenge for Catholics to better engage and serve the poor of the world, The Mother Teresa Project accomplishes just that. From traveling to nearby soup kitchens, to working with the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, Haiti, and Mexico City, students are able to practice their faith through acts of charity to those in need. Helms is enthusiastic about joining the program, with hopes of traveling to Calcutta. In these experiences she hopes to learn more about Mother Teresa’s heart for the poor. “I really look up to her,” stated Helms. “It would be an honor to walk in her footsteps while becoming a Mother Teresa Scholar. This program will have great
Freshman Adam Kinnick laughs with friends in the cafeteria.
“At a place like Ave, the atmosphere is one where you can grow in your Catholic faith and others want to do the same. Many of the students are here because they want a good education at a great Catholic university,” stated Kinnick. Like Helms, Kinnick is excited about the service opportunities offered at AMU. As
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previous year. Towey attributes this growth to Ave Maria University’s strong Catholic mission and rigorous academic standard. The university has always prided itself as strongly upholding the tenets of the Catholic faith. Founded as an institution that is loyal to teachings of the Magisterium, AMU continues to encourage students not only to learn about their faith in the classroom but also to live it out through service to others.
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(Left to right) Ally Kauth, Molly Cheatham, Caitlin Bostrom and Carolyn Doetsch are all smiles.
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president of his high school pro-life club, he led his classmates at the March for Life in Washington, D.C. “It was a powerful experience. It’s very saddening to face the reality of abortion in our country, but it’s also very hopeful to see so many who share pro-life values and who are praying and working to spread the pro-life message. It gives people hope,” he said. Kinnick is not the only incoming freshman leading young people in the pro-life movement. Gabby Monterosso, a student from Naples, Florida, founded a club whose members volunteer their time making supplies for crisis pregnancy centers. Monterosso and her club, Knit for Life, has crocheted more than 400 baby blankets to help raise money and awareness for women who chose life. The club raised $100 per blanket and accepted donations to benefit The Pregnancy Center of Southwest Florida. She hopes to start a chapter of Knit for Life at AMU as well. Monterosso will study biology with the
intention of working in echocardiography. She cites her work with pregnancy resource organizations as a strong influence on her drive to be a health professional. Monterosso attended a Baptist high school and is a non-denominational Christian. She cannot wait to attend AMU. “I saw how the teachers and students live with a Christ-like attitude. They encourage my faith.”
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his year’s well-rounded and diverse freshman class will feel right at home at AMU. According to Ave Maria University Director of Admissions Billee Silva, 85 percent of the student body is Catholic. A number of others self-identified as Baptist, Episcopal, Jewish, Pentecostal, Presbyterian and Non-Denominational Christians. Monterosso, along with Helms and Kinnick, are examples of the diverse and involved incoming class at AMU. “This year’s incoming class of 390 students hails
from 38 different states and five countries,” explained Silva. “60 freshmen will be in the honors program. Of incoming students who have declared their majors, the top choices were business, biology and psychology.” Along with her desire to become involved with AMU’s service opportunities, Helms is excited to be challenged by the academic programs. Kinnick was salutatorian of his high school class with a final GPA of 3.98. He was on the honor roll through all four years of high school and was a National Honor Society member his junior and senior years. Monterosso was also a National Honor Society member through high school. “Ave Maria University is rooted in the Christian faith, and we are open to engagement with people of all faiths. Our student body is representative of this,” explained Jim Towey. “We welcome our diversity as key to continual growth at AMU. We think if students are only surrounded by people
full, associate or assistant professor, 92 percent have a Ph.D or equivalent,” said Dr. Michael Dauphinais, the Vice President for Academic Affairs. “By means of our integrated liberal arts core curriculum, these teachers introduce our students to the great tradition of theology, philosophy, history, literature, classical languages and natural sciences, imparting what Saint Pope John Paul II called ‘a unified and organic vision of knowledge’,” said Dauphinais. “Students learn not just to memorize material, but to understand it deeply, appropriate it and apply it to their lives.” Three years ago, Ave Maria University had 11 majors. It now has 29 majors, with finance, environmental science, exercise science and health science administration added this year. “Keeping the students on track for their degrees is a top priority,” explained Dauphinais. “We have support services that help students struggling with their studies. Every student should be able to experience a Catholic education and have a lasting impact on the world. There is such a momentum on campus. Ave is a good place to be.” As a testament to the uniMarisa Helms (left) walks from class with junior Lexi Hammerquist (right). versity’s academic excellence, students from all over the world have come to AMU to pursue a liberal arts This benefit to the students is enhanced education. by the fact that AMU’s faculty hails from “Tom Monaghan’s vision − to create a such prestigious schools as Harvard, Princfresh, faithful voice in Catholic higher edueton, Berkeley, Cornell, the University of cation, to become involved in the transforOxford, the University of Cambridge, the mation of the culture and the transmission Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas of the faith to successive generations − is and more. being fulfilled at AMU,” said Towey. Dauphinais had similar sentiments. he overall student-to-faculty “Young men and women are formed to ratio is 15-to-1, with about half of AMU’s classes consist- be intentional followers of Jesus Christ through Word and Sacrament, scholarship ing of 20 students or fewer. and service.” This year, the university Coupled with its devotion to a quality added ten new faculty members. Catholic education, AMU is also concerned “Of full-time faculty with the rank of that look like them, think like them, pray and vote like them, then they won’t grow much.” The university’s mission has always focused on providing a first-class education for students who involve themselves in the world through an informed Catholic perspective. This would be impossible without the rigorous dedication to academic excellence shown by AMU’s faculty. Along with developing a curriculum that challenges students in the classroom, AMU faculty members are known for their personal dedication to the education of their students and can often be found giving oneon-one attention to individual students.
with accessibility. Students looking to go to college are often faced with a decision between quality and cost. “We offer great value. We are priced affordably, and the students are getting a first-class education with small class sizes and a great faculty. Word gets around,” Towey said. Towey went on to explain his long-term plans for the university. “Maintaining a high moral standard, excellence in academics and fidelity to the university’s mission is an ambitious but achievable goal. My vision for AMU is for it to be the best and most affordable Catholic liberal arts college in America, producing graduates who can make a living for themselves, a difference in the world, and an immediate contribution to the Church in reforming American culture and values.” Founder Tom Monaghan could not be happier with the progress of AMU as it starts its second decade. “It’s a dream come true for the university to be over the 1,000 student threshold and barreling toward the next 1,000. We’ve come a long way from the first days when there were nothing but tomato fields where our campus is now situated, and only a few dozen graduates each year,” said Monaghan.
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Billee Silva, Director of Admissions at AMU, and admissions counselor, Mary Reed.
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dynamic FACULTY COUPLES ADD UNIQUE ASPECT TO LIFE AT AMU
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DUOS
f you were to visit the faculty lounge at Ave Maria University in-between classes, you would likely hear a myriad of friendly conversations, ranging from local politics to new techniques in spectrophotometry to the works of William Shakespeare. The friendships built between faculty members at AMU are one of the driving forces behind the success of the institution. However, there are some faculty whose relationship goes a bit deeper. These four couples share what it is like to work alongside each other, offering an insight into their lives as married academics.
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Drs. Seana and Michael Sugrue are true pioneers of Ave Maria University.
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THE COUPLE LEFT TEACHING positions at Princeton University and moved to AMU because it presented the rare opportunity for them to be part of the founding of a first-class university. They felt called to be a part of a new university that was strong in its academics and Catholic faith, and one welcoming to families. They started teaching at AMU in the summer of 2004, when the university was situated at the temporary campus in North Naples where the student body consisted of fewer than 400 students. “We wanted to support the creation of an excellent Catholic liberal arts university,” said Seana Sugrue, Associate Professor of Politics. Her husband Michael Sugrue is a Professor of History and the Chairman of the Faculty’s Core Curriculum Committee. Today, they work closely with the administration to improve the quality of student lives and enhance the academic rigor. The couple considers themselves blessed to share the same spirit and love for teaching and desire to lead the students entrusted
to them on their academic journey. And because history and politics are related disciplines, they have many students in common. “While the professors at Ave Maria University are uniformly terrific, teaching is one thing that Michael and I really enjoy. We like the unscripted intellectual exchange with students. We take a great interest in our students and will do what we can to help them achieve their goals,” she said. Seana Sugrue has a B.B.A. from Bishop’s University, and an LL.B. from the University of Ottawa, and LL.M. and D.C.L. from Mc-
Gill University. She has taught at Princeton and McGill. Michael Sugrue holds a B.A. from The University of Chicago and an M.A., M.Phil., and a Ph.D from Columbia University. The couple’s characteristic humility emerges when discussing their role with the university. “Actually, I don’t think of myself as a role model at all. I simply love what I do. I love my students, and try to do the best I can at my work,” Seana said. Her husband agrees. “I just teach to the best of my ability and try to steer students in the right direction.” Their key to teaching, living and work-
ing together is kindness, flexibility and forgiveness, Seana Sugrue explained. “Life is full of problems, often very serious ones. But a generous spirit makes our struggles anywhere from bearable to joyful,” she said. Michael echoed this sentiment. “I’m far
from ‘mastering’ such a challenge, but I would say that trust, diligence and self-sacrifice are crucial.” As two of Ave Maria’s most popular professors, Seana and Michael Sugrue have found their home at Ave Maria. Seana summarized their shared experience
succinctly. “Being a professor is a great way to spend a life dedicated to learning, to wonder, to sharing knowledge with others, and to giving thanks that we shall never exhaust God’s troves of truth. That never gets old.”
Michael Waldstein says his wife’s mind is “quicker than mine. I have looked up to her mind ever since we met. When I think something is true, it is very helpful to talk to her.” They came to AMU because it was “a new Catholic university which had been founded with an idea—simple but explosive—that it was a full university that would be radically Catholic,” says Michael Waldstein. “They believed participating in a renewal of intellectual life is urgently needed in the U.S., and they came to impact the school and the community with their lives.”The two enjoy the fact that living and working together as a couple and opening their home to them leaves a lasting impression on their students. The Waldsteins have filled their home with art and music and shared it with all comers – students are invited to listen, view and discuss what they see and hear while there. The couple does not stop with the arts. They also invite engaged and dating couples
over for dinner and lively discussion. The intermingling of their university and private life began during their time at Notre Dame. “We were taken aback by the impact it had on many of the students who had never experienced a family situation in which there is a tenor of peace in the home and the joy of being together,” says Michael Waldstein. “There is a wonderful image in C.S. Lewis’ the Chronicles of Narnia – a walled garden that is bigger on the inside than the outside. Much life goes on inside the walls of the home and family. It’s a gift,” he says. The Waldsteins enjoy letting students and the AMU community unwrap and experience the blessings of that gift at every opportunity. As parents of eight children and grandparents of six, the Waldsteins experience their life at AMU as an expression of their vocation. The beauty of the fecundity of their vocation is a delight for all to behold.
Theology and academics are intertwined for Drs. Michael and Susan Waldstein in their personal and academic lives.
ler Professor of Theology. He holds a B.A. from Thomas Aquinas College; a Ph.D. from the University of Dallas; an S.S.L. from Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome; and a Th.D. from Harvard Divinity School. Prior to his arrival at AMU in 2008, Dr. Michael Waldstein was a tenured Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. Throughout the world he is renowned as the leading scholar on Saint John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body,” and his translation of this work is used throughout academia. Susan Waldstein is an Adjunct Professor of Theology at Ave Maria University. She holds a B.A.in Liberal Arts from Thomas Aquinas College; an S.T.M., S.T.L., Sacred Theology, International Theological Institute, Austria; and an S.T.D., University of Fribourg, Switzerland. The Waldsteins are living proof that marriage makes two individuals one. They teach each other’s classes if the other is away for a conference or presentation. They review and comment on each other’s lecture notes for Ave Maria University classes. The couple attends philosophy and theology lectures together, and they even buy each other books. They have traveled the world and built a family based on their theological and philosophical beliefs. “It is beautiful to share an interest in theology and philosophy…because when you love something very much you want to share it. And when the person you love does as well, you can share it with the other,” Susan Waldstein says.
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MICHAEL WALDSTEIN IS THE Max Seck-
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Drs. Catherine and Michael Pakaluk don’t live life “halfway”—with them, it’s all or nothing.
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“‘ALL IN’ IS THE WAY to describe it,” says
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Catherine Pakaluk. “We didn’t want to live a compartmentalized work life.” “Since the time we met and started dating, the academic life was to be a part of our home and family life,” she says. Once they married, they decided to teach at the same university. “That would be a dream so we could contribute to building up the life of the university and contribute to the students.” They discovered AMU and they immediately were “all in.” Those familiar with the narrative of their lives and how they met would not be surprised by such fearlessness. Michael Pakaluk married Ruth Van Kooy in 1978 and together they had six children. Ruth was called home to God in 1998 after a seven-year bout with metastatic cancer. Before Ruth passed away, she spoke candidly to Michael about the need of her
children to have a mother and for him to remarry, and she proposed a young woman, Catherine Hardy, the daughter of family friends, who at that time, providentially, was moving to the area for graduate studies at Harvard in Economics. Apparently Ruth was not only a heroically virtuous woman – she was gifted in prophecy, too! In August 1999, on the Solemnity of the Assumption, Michael and Catherine were married. Since then Catherine and Michael have had 7 children together, increasing their family’s size to 15. And yet, even with these family responsibilities, their academic pursuits proceeded undeterred. Yes, it took Catherine 11 years to complete her doctorate (she successfully defended her dissertation exactly seven days after delivering her sixth child!). But it was clear that Michael and Catherine thrived on challenges and cooperated with the movement of the Holy Spirit in their lives. The couple is now serving in their fifth year at AMU and live one block from the
University, where they can pursue their dreams close to home. They are eminently qualified for their important positions at Ave Maria. Catherine Pakaluk is an Assistant Professor of Economics at AMU. Prior to earning her doctorate from Harvard University, she received an M.A. in Economics from Harvard and a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania in Mathematics and Economics. She also directs the Edith Stein Center and is nationally-renowned for her research on social indicators, particularly with respect to marriage and family. Michael Pakaluk is a Professor of Philosophy and the chair of the department. He was educated at Harvard (A.B., Ph.D.) and was a Marshall Scholar at the University of Edinburgh (M.Litt.). Pakaluk has authored or co-authored numerous books, including a highly-acclaimed one on business ethics, and is a regular contributor to the Boston Catholic newspaper, The Pilot. “We always felt the need for an authentic Catholic university,” Michael Pakaluk says. “I think it is a kind of madness to send students to universities where their faith is being attacked.” He follows the advice of Saint Pope John Paul II: Education should be education of the whole person. “This is education of the whole person - heart, soul, strength, mind and relationships. So you have to be that yourself – a complete Christian who can offer to students the fullness of what a mature, full-adult Christian should be like,” he says. He quickly adds,“Joy and happiness come from this integration of life.”
“WORKING WITH STUDENTS is im-
portant to us. We want to help make the intellectual experience at Ave Maria vibrant and interesting, and to help students see the intrinsic value of learning,” says Janice Breidenbach, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at AMU. Janice is joined at Ave Maria University by her husband Michael, who is a Visiting Assistant Professor of History. The couple was married last August in Cambridge, England. The Breidenbachs had first heard about AMU from their friends, Ave Maria University professors Michael and Catherine Pakaluk. It was AMU’s integration of its faith into
the community and students’ daily lives that immediately attracted them to the institution. “Being able to set a life and faith example for university students was one of the main reasons we chose to come here,” says Michael Breidenbach. When AMU offered them faculty positions, it was easy to say yes to what they felt was God’s calling. “We knew that a Catholic university’s fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church has unfortunately become a rare thing, and we thought that it would be exciting to be part of this great service to the Church,” he says. “One of the ways we hope to do that is through teaching, which really concerns the whole person in all of his or her dimensions,” Janice says. “We want to convey the fundamental integration of faith and reason, whether our topic is metaphysics or American history. ” “The classroom can be a powerful staging ground where the discernment of
one’s vocation, whether professional or spiritual, can be developed,” adds Michael. Janice Breidenbach has an A.B. in Philosophy and Public Policy from Princeton University and an M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin. She is also a Ph.D. candidate in Philosophy at the University of St. Andrews, UK. Michael Breidenbach has a B.A. in American Studies and History from Northwestern University, a M. Phil. in Political Thought and Intellectual History from the University of Cambridge, and a Ph.D. in History also from the University of Cambridge. “We certainly hope to get to know many of the students personally. So far, we have really enjoyed our interactions with them and also with our great colleagues at the university,” says Michael. “Besides striving to teach well, we will be looking for ways in which we can contribute to the community life here and also to future collaborations with our colleagues from other departments.”
ave ma r ia maga z i ne | ave ma r ia.edu
Ave Maria University’s newest faculty couple, Michael and Janice Breidenbach, want to live a life of faith and set an example for their students.
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a v e m a r i a m a g a z i n e | f a l l 2014
First female Vice President for Student Affairs is no stranger to AMU
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J
ulie Cosden came to Ave Maria University from Philadelphia in July of 2005, when she began working as the residence hall director at AMU’s interim campus in Naples. Cosden graduated in 2003 with a B.S.,
B.A. in finance from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. After earning her degree, Cosden briefly pursued a career in finance, but soon left the industry to become a librarian at Little Flower High School for Girls in Philadelphia. It was in this job that Cosden discovered she wanted to proclaim her faith through her service with students. One of the aspects that originally drew Cosden to Ave Maria University is
the school’s reputation as faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church. Already feeling a calling to work with college-age students, she applied for a job as a female residence hall director at AMU. “I fell in love with the students,” she said. “I found so many students here to be exceptional. They are mature in their knowledge of their faith and are committed to leading virtuous lives.” Cosden was also attracted the close-
right: Julie Cosden (center) and Erin Erin Van de Voorde (second from left) pose for a photo in Julie’s early years at Ave Maria University. Van de Voorde now works with Cosden as the Director of Residence Life. below: Sister M. Prema, M.C., successor to Mother Teresa, greets Ms. Cosden in the Calcutta Motherhouse.
knit AMU community. “It is so clear that everyone at Ave is working for the same mission,” she said. “I felt called to work with college students. I have been through it myself, and I felt like I could help other young adults navigate their formative years.” After working in Residence Life for two years, she worked for Admissions before moving back to the Division of Student Affairs as the director of Student Life in 2008. In 2012 Cosden assumed the responsibilities of the interim director of Housing and Residence Life. In December 2013, she then became Vice President for Student Affairs. Cosden believes her job can influence how students see the vary-
ing roles of women within the Catholic community and student life. She also believes that it is good for AMU’s leadership to have a female voice at the table as it sets policies and priorities. Her faithfulness to Ave Maria University’s mission of service can be seen in other aspects of Cosden’s life. In May, she made her first mission trip to Calcutta, India. Along with being deeply humbled by her first-hand experience of the area’s poverty and destitute of the region, Cosden was inspired by the joy and devotion of the Missionaries of Charity who work with Calcutta’s poorest of the poor. This experience had a profound impact on Cosden, reminding her of what she
took for granted in her own life. She returned to Ave Maria University inspired, ready to serve students with the same passion she witnessed in Calcutta. “The mission trip reinvigorated me,” she said. Cosden brings a fresh perspective on building community. She looks to integrate digital and social media platforms to communicate with students about clubs, lectures and other campus events. In all of her initiatives, Cosden wants to maintain a small campus feel as the student population grows. Although she graduated from another school, Cosden says she considers AMU her true alma mater “because it feels like home to me.”
ave ma r ia maga z i ne | ave ma r ia.edu
“I fell in love with the students. They are mature in their knowledge of their faith and are committed to leading virtuous lives.”
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HHS UPDATE
Ave Maria University will carry on its fight against the Obama Administration and its coercion of faithbased organizations to violate their religious beliefs by making abortioninducing drugs, sterilization and other contraceptives available through
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employer provided health plans.
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“The federal government clearly is expecting us to be complicit, to cooperate, to facilitate this, and we think it’s wrong,” said Ave Maria University President Jim Towey. “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ exemption is too narrow in its definition of what constitutes a religious organization,” said Bill Kirk, AMU Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel. “It only covers churches and doesn’t encompass many employers with moral or religious objections to complying with the mandate,” he said. “The Obama Administration seems hell-bent on denying faith-based organizations their rights of conscience and religious freedom. The exemption that the August 2014 regulations provided for faith-based organizations is insultingly narrow and without historical precedent,” Towey said. “All they had to do was provide us an exemption and they refused to, even though the Supreme Court went against
“As we have done since our founding, Ave Maria University will continue to offer a generous health insurance plan for our employees – one that provides access to quality health care and honors our sincerely held religious beliefs. That’s the American way.” them,” said Kirk. “I am now thoroughly convinced that this administration refuses to get it right and wants to fight faithbased organizations like Ave Maria Uni-
versity, Notre Dame, Little Sisters of the Poor and the other groups suing them.” The university is in consultations with The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and
the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops as it devises its legal strategy. In September, AMU went back to Federal Court to seek injunctive relief from the contraception mandate. “What the university is doing is incredible. We are not going to sit back and let the HHS mandate dictate how we live according to secular society,” said AMU student Brandon Miller, a politics major. “We are going to fight for our conscience, and fight for what the Magisterium teaches.” He believes that AMU is setting an example that other universities can follow. “Once other small private Catholic universities see Ave Maria University take a strong stand, then they will have more confidence in their own fight against the HHS mandate,” he said. AMU alumna Andrea Allphin (’12) adds that the Obama Administration is violating a woman’s religious and reproductive rights. “To say that the church’s teachings on contraception or the church’s refusal to provide contraception is an attack on women is very wrong,” she said. “In President Obama’s estimation, a woman’s fertility and her ability to bear children are a burden that keeps her from being equal to a man and having the same opportunities. But to me and to the Church, that’s getting something fundamentally wrong.” President Towey is optimistic that AMU will prevail in court. But regardless of the outcome, Ave Maria will continue to follow its convictions, while caring for its employees. “As we have done since our founding, Ave Maria University will continue to offer a generous health insurance plan for our employees – one that provides access to quality health care and honors our sincerely held religious beliefs. That’s the American way,” said Towey.
AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY LAWSUITS: CHRONOLOGY March 23, 2010
Congress enacts The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (so-called “Obamacare”) which requires group health plans to cover women’s “preventive care,” leaving the definition of that term to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to decide through regulatory process; violations of the Act subject an employer who fails to provide all mandated coverage to annual fines of $2,000 per employee, and $100 a day, also per employee.
Aug, 1, 2011
HHS defines “preventive services” as requiring group health plans, including student health plans, to include abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization and other contraceptive services free-of-charge; no conscience clause is offered and only places of worship are exempted.
Nov. 22, 2011
Ave Maria University retains The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty as its legal counsel to fight Obamacare mandate.
Jan. 20, 2012
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius authorizes a one-year “safe harbor” for AMU and others who object; a firestorm of controversy continues over proposed Obamacare mandate.
Feb. 10, 2012
In a rare appearance in the White House Briefing Room, President Barack Obama seeks to assure the Nation that the final HHS regulations will protect religious liberty.
Feb. 22, 2012
AMU sues HHS in the Middle District Court of Florida and alleges the mandate is unconstitutional and a violation of Federal law.
May 21, 2012
University of Notre Dame also files a lawsuit.
May 21, 2012
AMU discontinues offering health insurance to students after its insurance carrier notified AMU that it is required to pay all student claims for “preventive services.”
Aug. 15, 2012
HHS again revises regulations but still excludes AMU from exempted group.
May 4, 2012
HHS files motion to dismiss AMU lawsuit, arguing final federal regulations have yet to be issued and therefore AMU’s claims aren’t “ripe.”
Feb. 1, 2013
HHS issues yet another version of proposed regulations that includes additional, inconsequential modifications, but no relief for AMU.
Mar. 29, 2013
Florida Federal judge dismisses AMU’s lawsuit but permits AMU to re-file if final regulations are objectionable.
June 28, 2013
HHS issues final regulations that continue to exclude AMU from exemption and require the University to violate its religious beliefs or face crippling fines.
Aug. 29, 2013
AMU files a new Federal lawsuit in the Middle District of Florida.
Dec. 11, 2013
Florida Federal judge formally suspends action on AMU lawsuit, awaiting the outcome in the Hobby Lobby case before the U.S. Supreme Court.
June 30, 2014
The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Hobby Lobby’s favor; AMU presses ahead with its lawsuit and calls upon HHS to conform its regulations to the High Court’s ruling.
Sept. 12, 2014
Ave Maria University petitions the Federal Court to provide injunctive relief as October 31, 2014, the end of AMU’s “safe harbor” from enforcement, approaches.
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ATHLETICS ROUNDUP
Caitlin Waites, a sophomore from Wellington, Florida, advances the ball in an early season match against Webber International University.
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Ave Maria Athletics Fall Preview
T
Andres Martin. The men’s team recorded its first win of the 2014 season on AMU’s new soccer field, in a 15-0 victory over Trinity College (Fla.) on September 13. The Lady Gyrene volleyball team looks to find success under first-year head coach Scott Barbe. The future looks bright for the Lady Gyrenes, as they sport a roster with nine true freshmen, seven sophomores, one junior and just two seniors. Both the cross-country program and the golf program have undergone coaching changes this offseason. The men’s and women’s cross country teams kick off the 2014 season at the University of Florida Mountain Dew Invitational under head coach Taylor Peliska. The Gyrenes return their top men’s runner and top women’s runner from last season in Trevor Coules
AMU’s student section, the dog pound, cheers after an AMU touchdown against Warner University.
and Lauren Dunleavy. Coules ran a time of 27:31.99 at The Sun Conference Tournament in 2013 to finish in 31st place individually while Dunleavy finished ninth overall with at time of 19:35.91. John Marchetti was chosen to lead the men’s golf program and establish the women’s golf program at AMU. Both teams open the fall portion of their 201415 schedules at the 21st Annual Webber Fall Invitational at Lake Wales C.C. on September 21-23. The men’s team played in this event last year and finished ninth of 13 teams with a 54-hole total of 915.
ave ma r ia maga z i ne | ave ma r ia.edu
he fall sports teams arrived on campus in August, eager to begin their seasons. Ave Maria University welcomed nearly 400 student-athletes for 2014-15, competing in 16 varsity sports. The Gyrene women’s soccer team is off to its best start in school history, earning early-season wins against NCAA DII Georgia Southwestern, NCAA DIII Oglethorpe, and a conference win against Johnson and Wales. The Lady Gyrenes soccer team, which returned 14 players from last season, looks to improve on its record setting 2013 season which saw the team establish new school records for goals (44), points (118), assists (30), shots on goal (119) and wins. The Gyrene football team, coming off the winningest season in program history, looks to its veteran starters in the face of a challenging schedule. The Gyrenes square off against two NCAA Division I opponents in addition to a pair of NCAA Division II matchups. Despite their tough schedule, pre-season polls ranked the Gyrenes to finish first in the Sun Conference. AMU will be competing for its second straight conference championship (NAIA Independents, 2013). Ray Morgan enters his second season as head men’s soccer coach. The team is lead by seniors Ivan Zigarevich, JC Intriago and
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ATHLETICS ROUNDUP
Lauren Dunleavy runs in the Valdosta State University opener on September 27. Dunleavy finished second overall in the meet.
The Gyrene football team prepares to take the field in their first home game of the 2014 season.
The 2014-15 AMU cheerleading squad is all smiles before a game against Warner University.
Sophomore Hannah Wurster high fives teammate Keke Smith in a match against Embry-Riddle.
a v e m a r i a m a g a z i n e | f a l l 2014
Trevor Coules of Fraser, Michigan, stretches before a cross country meet.
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Alexia Mazzoccone avoids a slide tackle in a match against Webber International University.
Eddie Tovar, a freshman from Naples, Florida, defends against Trinity College in a 15-0 win for the Gyrenes.
AMU ATHLETICS New Head Coaches The 2014 school year finds several new coaches added to the Ave Maria University Athletics Department. The Gyrenes will have new coaches leading five teams this fall.
assistant woman’s hockey coach and the
athlete in lacrosse and basketball for the
assistant men’s golf coach.
Blue Jays. After graduating from Saint Jo-
SCOTT BARBE, VOLLEYBALL
CURTIS ALLEN,
Prior to his tenure at Mercyhurst, Marchetti was an assistant women’s hockey coach at the University of Connecticut in 2002-03, the head women’s hockey coach at Yale University for five seasons and at Providence College for 10 seasons.
seph, she stayed on campus as assistant coach for the lacrosse program before accepting a graduated assistant coaching position for the women’s lacrosse team at Hood College in Frederick, Md. for the 2008-2009 season. In 2009, Buikus was named the head lacrosse coach and assistant athletic director at Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pa.
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TENNIS
She served as the NEAC conference chair
nounced as the head
Curtis Allen was cho-
and was on the ECAC voting committee.
coach of the Ave Maria
sen to lead the men’s
She coached five All-Conference players
University volleyball
and women’s tennis
and the team was named All-Academic by
team in January. Prior
programs in July. In
the IWCLA in both seasons of her tenure.
to AMU, Barbe was the
addition to his duties as
head varsity coach at
tennis coach, Allen will
Warren Woods Tower High School in Warren, Mich., and was the head club coach at Monroe County Community College in Monroe, Mich.
serve as the Intramurals Coordinator at AMU.
TAYLOR PELISKA, MEN’S AND WOMEN’S CROSS-COUNTRY Taylor Peliska was
Allen comes to AMU having served 2 sea-
named the head coach
sons as the head tennis coach for both the
Scott has accumulated over 400 wins in
men’s and women’s programs at his alma
his 15 years of coaching at the freshman
mater, NCAA DIII Franciscan University in
and junior varsity level and over 100 wins
Steubenville, Ohio. He was most recently
as a head varsity coach.
the head tennis coach at St. Katherine
Scott has been involved with USA South
women’s cross-country teams this summer. Peliska graduated
College in Encinitas, Calif.
Volleyball since moving to Florida in the
At Franciscan, Allen was named Coach of
summer of 2013.
the Year for the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) after leading the Franciscan men’s team to a conference
JOHN MARCHETTI,
championship in the program’s second
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S GOLF
year of existence.
Summa Cum Laude with a degree in philosophy from Carroll College in Helena, Montana. He ran four years of college cross-country and track. During that time, Taylor earned two All-American distinctions for track, an Academic All-American distinction, and four Academic All-Conference distinctions.
John Marchetti will
His best times include a 1:53 in the 800m,
serve as the head men’s and women’s
of the AMU men’s and
KELLY BUIKUS, WOMEN’S LACROSSE
a 3:56 in the 1500m, and a time of 26:10 in the 8k.
golf coach,. Marchetti
Kelly Buikus was named
previously served as the
the University’s first
Before attending Carroll College, Peliska
Director of Golf at NCAA
head women’s lacrosse
was a student-athlete at Ave Maria Univer-
DII Mercyhurst College.
coach in November of
sity, where he ran on the first cross-coun-
2013. Buikus spent the
try team in the school’s history.
Marchetti spent nine years at Mercyhurst College where he served as head men’s golf coach from 2005-11 and Director of Golf (head coach for both the men’s and
spring of 2014 recruiting with the inaugural season to begin in the spring of 2015.
women’s golf programs) for the 2011-12
A 2007 graduate of the University of Saint
season. Marchetti also spent time as the
Joseph (Conn.), Kelly was a dual-sport
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Twitter - @Gyrenes Facebook.com/Gyrenes Instagram - @Gyrenes YouTube.com/AveMariaGyrenes
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Scott Barbe was an-
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT What would you say are the biggest ways in which Ave Maria University has impacted your personal life? A: For one, Ave Maria University has greatly strengthened my personal faith and understanding of the Church’s teachings. AMU allowed me to meet people who shared my faith. Especially now having graduated, I appreciate what a great opportunity it was to make truly lifelong friends. One of these was my future wife, Veronica. We were so blessed and happy to be married in 2010 and we now have two little boys.
After finishing at AMU you went on to medical school at Michigan State University. Was this an easy transition?
Q&A with an M.D. Andrew Mullally, a 2009 AMU
Q
A: After graduating and continuing my education in secular institutions, I have a greater appreciation of my time at AMU. While there was an increase in the workload, I felt well prepared for medical school. In particular, I felt more prepared than my peers in written and oral communication. The Liberal Arts training in philosophy and logic have greatly supplemented my medical studies. The non-contradiction of what we know by faith and learn by reason is a fundamental principle that is foreign to many of my colleagues. Of all things learned at Ave Maria University, I consider this the most valuable.
graduate, finished medical school at Michigan State University this past year. We took time to sit down and talk to Dr. Mullally about where he has been and where he is going.
a v e m a r i a m a g a z i n e | f a l l 2014
Before talking about your recent achievements, we’d like to talk to you about yourself. How did you originally become involved with AMU?
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A: Having been from Michigan, my family was very familiar with Tom Monaghan as the owner of the Detroit Tigers as well as Domino’s Pizza. His decision to sell Domino’s and build AMU was big news in Michigan. My parents attended a retreat and had the opportunity to hear many great things about the school. It quickly became my college of choice and realized that it would be a great opportunity to study science along with studying my faith and the liberal arts.
After finishing medical school, you were matched into a Family Medicine residency at Fort Wayne Medical Educational Program. Is this program in line with how you planned to practice after residency? A: I was excited to choose Family Medicine as my specialty because I am able to serve every type of patient from conception until death with the widest scope of practice. Furthermore, my residency was willing to respect my Catholic beliefs regarding birth control, sterilization, and abortion. My Catholic faith has also been strengthened by fellowship that I have found with many of my colleagues through participation in the local chapter of the Catholic Medical Association. The group seeks to have an active presence in our local diocese through a variety of media outlets and hosted events. After residency, I am excited to stay active with the Catholic Medical Association and practice family medicine as a Catholic physician.
Lastly, if you could give advice to a prospective student thinking about Ave Maria University and eventually pursuing the field of medicine, what would that be? A: The field of medicine is in dire need of people who know the difference between right and wrong. Patients need physicians and healthcare workers who will support their spiritual life and encourage their moral convictions. Medicine provides a tremendous opportunity to serve God by caring for others in a job that provides an excellent living. I have been so happy with my path and I would like to encourage others in healthcare careers so that they can experience the joys that I have had.
CAMPUS COMMUNITY
GRADUATION 2014 The Librarian of Congress highlighted this year’s commencement
2
1
1. Dr. James Billington, Librarian of Congress, receives an honorary doctorate from the University. Dr. Billington also delivered the 2014 commencement address. 2. Jensine Caranto,
AMU’s 2014 President’s Award recipient, is congratulated by President Towey on stage before receiving her diploma.
3
3. (From left to right) Susie Liston, Gaelle Lissade, Nduka Nwosu and Kate Buxton snap a selfie before the ceremony.
Wonka embraces a classmate after the commencement ceremony.
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ave ma r ia maga z i ne | ave ma r ia.edu
4. 2014 graduate Hayley
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CAMPUS COMMUNITY
THE CLASS OF 2018 ARRIVES! Move-in, Orientation, and a Night of Joy
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1 1. President Towey joins the move-in action, helping new students carry belongings to their rooms. 2. Orientation Team
members help a freshman move into the dorms during freshman orientation 2014.
3. Students enjoy a dessert reception following the President’s Welcome address during orientation weekend.
3
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4. Christian Amland and Alexandra LisPlanells attend an AMU trip to Walt Disney World for the “Night of Joy” celebration.
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5. The class of 2018 participates in a mobile survey on their cell phones during orientation.
5
4
CAMPUS COMMUNITY
SERVICE AT HOME AND ABROAD Calcutta, Haiti, and Immokalee
3
1
1. Ave Maria University senior Thomas Helms poses with new friends in the slums of Calcutta during AMU’s 2014 mission trip to India. 2. (From the top left, clockwise) Chris Decleene, Tatenda Mabikacheche, Lexi
Hammerquist, President Jim Towey, V.P. for Student Affairs Julie Cosden, Aramis Vicente and Annie Clarke during a mission trip to Calcutta, India. While there, the group came across a Domino’s Pizza and took a moment to recognize Tom Monaghan’s footprint in India.
3. AMU students played games with local children during orientation weekend’s Immokalee Sports Day activity. 2
4. Kendel Jordan (left) and Brady Ostendorf (right) take time to play with
children during a 2014 mission trip to Haiti.
ave ma r ia maga z i ne | ave ma r ia.edu
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UNIVERSITY DIGEST
AMU Theology faculty member, Anthony Valle, met with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI this past year. For Valle, it was the experience of a lifetime.
AN AUDIENCE TO REMEMBER
How is Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
doing these days? Right before the new academic year began, I found out. The occasion was the academic meeting the Pope has been hosting every summer since the 1970’s with a circle of his former doctoral students, the Ratzinger Schülerkreis, to which has recently been appended the Neuer Schülerkreis, a new circle of scholars specializing in Ratzinger’s thought, of which I am a member. Both circles had their annual meeting together in Castel Gandolfo, adjacent to the summer papal palace nestled in the
Castelli Romani, the wine region of picturesque hills and pristine lakes outside the Eternal City of Rome. Due to age, Pope Benedict could not attend our lively weekend of intense theological discussions and common prayer. However, he did invite us to his place, the Vatican. There in the historic Campo Santo Teutonico he celebrated Holy Mass in his usual style of utmost reverence toward and humility before the august mystery of the Mass. Though 87 and not spry of step anymore, it was clear from his homily that Pope Benedict’s colossal
AN INVOLVING CONVERSATION
a v e m a r i a m a g a z i n e | f a l l 2014
Jonathan Armesto stands to ask a question at the Honors Integrated Colloquium in September. The Honors Colloquia are discussions on texts, broader ideas and philosophies within AMU’s core curriculum.
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intellect shows no signs of waning. In my conversation with him after Mass, among other things, I mentioned that I am now teaching theology at Ave Maria University. Upon hearing this, he broke into a beaming Bavarian smile. Then with a childlike gleam of joy in his eyes and a tone of brimming optimism, Pope Benedict stretched his hands out wide as if to embrace me and exclaimed, “Ah, Ave Maria University!” No small recognition for a fledgling Catholic university recently born ex corde Ecclesiae.
UNIVERSITY DIGEST
COMBATTING HUMAN TRAFFICKING Douglas Molloy, former chief assistant for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Fort Myers and Anna Rodriguez, founder of Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking discuss the patterns and challenges of Human Trafficking in the United States and abroad. The panel presented options aimed at protecting victims of human trafficking, closing websites that host advertisements for the trafficking of minors and making it more difficult to recruit victims of human trafficking overseas.
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RAISING AWARENESS
Dr. Mary Cheffers, MD, Emergency Medicine Resident at USC LA County Medical Center, presents on the pathophysiology and epidemiology of the Ebola virus. Dr. Cheffers also discussed the impact and challenges in a region of the world with insufficient resources to deal with the resulting loss of life due the Ebola virus and social instability.
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GIVING
JAY AND LETTY HERNANDEZ MAKING AMU POSSIBLE FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA STUDENTS
a v e m a r i a m a g a z i n e | f a l l 2014
Letty Hernandez hugs AMU student Isabella Ulloa as husband Jay looks on.
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A
ve Maria University has always strived to make an excellent Catholic education affordable. From the very beginning, AMU Founder Tom Monaghan envisioned Catholic families from across the country being able to afford the University, and the administration has faithfully adhered to this vision by maintaining generous financial aid programs, and managing University finances in a cost-effective manner. All of this has been made possible because of the
kindness and friendship of the thousands of generous donors who support AMU student scholarships. Inspired by Tom Monaghan and the early success of Ave Maria University, Jay and Letty Hernandez of Whittier, California joined the list of original donors to the campus. And now, because of the Hernandez’s continued generosity, families from the Greater Whittier, California region will be sending more of their sons and daughters to Ave Maria University. The Jay and Letty Hernandez Southern California Scholarship Fund began this fall with a $1 million gift from the couple. Upon establishing the fund, Jay Hernandez said, “We had always planned
to help Ave Maria in our will, but decided we wanted to help both the University and the families in our community now. We wanted to see young men and women of our community receive the beautiful Catholic education from Ave Maria University sooner rather than later, so they could go evangelize, fight for life and help those in need.” Throughout their lives, Jay and Letty have been involved in the pro-life movement and have placed themselves in the service of others. Whether it was shutting down abortion clinics, or providing food and housing for those in need or helping educate children, they have shared their lives and blessings without any expectations for something in return. In fact, they only agreed to participate in this article so that it might inspire others to support students from their geographical areas. When President Towey started the CANA scholarship program (named after the wedding where Jesus performed His first miracle), he saw a need to recruit students from outside the State of Florida. In nearly every state, grants are made available to home-state students who choose private schools and thus reduce pressure on the publicly-funded state system. The amount of tuition assistance a student gives up to leave their home state could be as much as $5,000. The Hernandez’s
Can you support the students from your state?
Can you support the students from your state? Fran and Suann Maier Magnificat Scholarship
Northern Michigan Founders Scholarship
Greater Ann Arbor Scholarship Fund
Southeast Michigan Scholarship
5 2
2
2 19
5
21
2
2
30
21
20 0
12 2
7
2
1
7
1
9 1
17
12
Strake Scholarship Rockin’ Christmas Endowed Scholarship
470
Rosary Scholarship for the Diocese of Orlando Easton Campaign Scholarship Fund
Kendra “Man Up” Scholarship To sponsor students in your region, contact Kevin Joyce, Vice President for Institutional Advancement at kevin.joyce@avemaria.edu.
realized this could make it difficult for California students to enroll at Ave. President Towey summed up the positive impact these new scholarships have had on the University. “This fall seven students from the Greater Whittier area have enrolled as part of the largest freshman class in Ave’s history thanks to Jay and Letty Hernandez. The generosity they have bestowed upon these young men and women will be transformative – not just for the students themselves but also for Ave Maria. We now have established a pipeline to bring more students from the Southern California region.” The regional scholarship program the Hernandez family established has counterparts in other places in America, through other generous donors. As Ave Maria continues to grow as a national university dependent upon recruitment in all fifty states, such targeted financial
assistance will be vital. “The road to a student body of 1,600 students will be built by just these kinds of scholarship programs that come to us one donor at a time,” said Kevin Joyce, Vice President for Institutional Advancement. “We can’t have enough of them.”
Jay and Letty Hernandez and President Towey, are joined by admissions counselor Mary Reed (far right) with regional scholarship recipients.
ave ma r ia maga z i ne | ave ma r ia.edu
International Scholarships Eastern European Scholarship Jackoboice Polish Scholarship Wasie Foundation Scholarship
2
The Charles E. and Mary Elizabeth Scripps Kentucky Scholarship
8
3 21
21
36
6
12
7 10
57
2
42
2
51
6
2
2
14
35
29
6
Jay and Letty Hernandez Southern California Scholarship
1
Ohio Scholarship
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SOCIAL MEDIA AT
AV E
TWITTER @avemariauniv
M A R I A FACEBOOK /avemariauniv
278%
a v e m a r i a m a g a z i n e | f a l l 2014
increase in followers for the 2013-2014 academic year
32
SNAPCHAT avemariau
>600
INSTAGRAM avemariauniv
a new way to
SHARE!
#avemariau
users added avemariau within the account’s first month online
26,000+ page “likes” through Sept. 2014
UNI V ERSI TY
visit AMU’s
SOCIAL HUB avemaria.edu/social
A FRESH LOOK
The newly painted Paul M. Henkels Academic Building glows in a glorious Southwest Florida sunset.
Ave Maria University 5050 Ave Maria Blvd. Ave Maria, FL 34142
THE 4th ANNUAL AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP DINNER featuring keynote speaker
LOU HOLTZ
February 19, 2015 The Ritz Carlton, Naples Individual Ticket $350 | Patron Ticket $1,000 Sponsorships Available Contact: Stacy Laffere at 239-280-1565