25 YEARS OF EXCELLENT FACULTY The Heartbeat of Ave Maria University

BY STUDENT ANALIESE HRATKO

Prior to arriving on campus as a prospective student, my knowledge of Ave Maria University was limited to the Newman Guide. AMU was a blank slate for me; I didn’t hold impressions from alumni, nor did I have siblings who attended or knew anything about its history. My weekend at an Ave Experience introduced me to the authentic Catholic culture and joy on campus, but there was still a sense of mystery. So, like many of our students, I took a leap of faith and trusted AMU was where God was calling me to be.

I came to realize AMU was built on love: the love of God, the love of education, and the love of community. True love comes from the heart, and the heartbeat of AMU is our distinguished and dedicated faculty. They have been instrumental in AMU’s journey to what it is today, and some have been a part of the mission since the very beginning.

in heaven while helping to bring a glimpse of heaven on earth — the training grounds for saints and those aspiring for holiness,” as Dittus put it. Unbeknownst to him, over a thousand miles away in Ypsilanti, Michigan, another man had a similar dream. In 2001, Dittus and his family experienced Tom Monaghan’s vision to create a truly Catholic university: Ave Maria College.

Dr. Michael Dauphinais (Matthew L. Lamb chair of Catholic theology) was hired as a professor of theology at Ave Maria College in 2001. He was promoted to dean of faculty not long after in 2002 and moved to AMU’s Southwest Florida campus with his family in 2004. Dauphinais noted the faculty and students who have been with the University since 2001 were considered pioneers during the early years. At its inception, Ave Maria College offered only five majors: classics, theology, philosophy, literature, and history.

Now with 34 majors and 35 minors, that “pioneer” spirit and emphasis on Catholic intellectual tradition is alive, well, and nurtured by exemplary faculty.

In 1997, Dr. Richard Dittus, a systems consultant living in Roswell, Georgia, began journaling his dreams of creating something bigger than himself. He imagined himself becoming involved in a project to rejuvenate Catholic higher education and dreamed of “building treasures

There was a strong spirit of doing something new and worthwhile — of stepping out in faith to help lay the foundation for a school that would remain faithful to its founding mission, and would make authentic Catholic education and intellectual life available for the next generation of students and scholars.

— Michael Dauphinais on the early years of AMU

According to Dauphinais, his 20 years with the University “witnessed a strong consistency in the Catholic identity of the faculty, the shape of the curriculum and its witness to the unity of truth, and the desire to let Catholic principles inform life outside the classroom.”

Martinez’s research interests in global economic interactions — particularly the effect of institutions on financial sectors and living standards across countries — facilitated the introduction of the global affairs and international business major in 2012. AMU’s atmosphere of faith working in concert with learning attracted Martinez.

Economics, theology, mathematics, philosophy, chemistry, literature, psychology, history — all speak to each other about the same Creation as they acknowledge the same Creator. Each discipline needs other disciplines for correction, context, humility, and support — Ave Maria gets this right.

— Gabriel Martinez

In 2003, Ave Maria College relocated from Michigan to Southwest Florida and became a university. Ave Maria University had many firsts. Martinez, Dauphinais, and Dittus were there to experience all of them, from the first Mass — attended by 700 people on the Feast of the Annunciation with the Vatican Choir — to a Rosary procession on the site of the future Ave Maria Catholic Church.

Dr. Gabriel Martinez (chair of economics) had his eye on Ave Maria in 2002 while collecting thoughts on St. John Henry Newman’s “Idea of a University.” Martinez found AMU matched these criteria for a Catholic university and joined as an associate professor shortly after his introduction.

My Catholic faith is key to me, and my vocation as an economist is a consequence of my faith. At Ave Maria, I found a place where my faith and my studies worked together.

— Gabriel Martinez on joining Ave Maria’s faculty

Dr. Daniel Davy (dean of faculty) was a member of one of the first graduating classes from AMU. Davy experienced the atmosphere of AMU during one of Dr. Maria Fedoryka’s classes in 2004 and was captivated by her understanding of the human person. He proceeded to enroll in and attend the Vineyards Campus in Naples, Florida. Davy was attracted to both the professors’ love for their disciplines and the daily communal life at AMU. Davy told of a lively campus and recalled times when half the student body would play soccer on the quad.

By 2006, Davy, along with Dr. Mary Blanchard (chair of history), were the only two graduates majoring in history. From student to faculty and now administrator, Davy has witnessed the maturing of AMU through its mission to the Catholic Church.

When Dr. Seana Sugrue (Ambassador Michael Novak chair of politics) first visited the interim Florida campus in 2004, she was drawn to AMU by the wholesomeness of its students and Dr. Dittus’s care for them. “Wholesomeness has become an increasingly rare quality in higher education over the last 20 years. But it still exists here,” said Sugrue. She describes the students as joyful, sincere, and grateful, with a lightness of spirit and innocence.

Being a professor is a great way to spend a life dedicated to learning, wondering, sharing knowledge with others, and giving thanks — we shall never exhaust God’s troves of truth. That never gets old.

— Seana Sugrue

Fr. Robert Garrity also joined AMU in 2004 with a desire to “help young people understand and live by the Catholic intellectual tradition,” which amounts to using “faith and reason to solve life’s problems so as to live in joy and peace and help others do the same.” It is quite apparent the faculty and founders chose to fulfill their dream for AMU to prosper.

Professors remain thoroughly committed to providing an excellent education to our students, preparing them to engage in the world while grounding them in their faith.

— Seana Sugrue

Dr. Travis Curtright (chair of humanities and director of Shakespeare in Performance) credits his involvement in 2004 to Dauphinais, who engendered confidence in AMU’s mission. Dauphinais now shares his insights on the University’s first faculty podcast, “The Catholic Theology Show.”

You can see how deeply he understands not only the University’s mission but also the breadth of Ave Maria’s educative vision, including the humanities. His leadership gave me confidence AMU would succeed.

— Travis Curtright on Dauphinais’s leadership at AMU

In 2012, Curtright was receptive to his students’ intellectual pursuits of taking Shakespeare’s language from the page to the stage, leading to the Shakespeare in Performance program. What began in a classroom proliferated into the Donahue Family Black Box Theater in 2019.

Today’s successes harken back to 2012, when Michael Timmis, chairman of the board of trustees at the time, and his wife, Laura, recognized how different our shows were from other university productions. Consequently, Shakespeare in Performance became a minor and conservatory within the University, with a focus on creative adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays for students who train year in and out.

— Travis Curtright

I love the opportunity to participate in the liberal arts conversation on campus. It has been great to be able to consult with colleagues regarding the best translation or edition of classical texts in theology, philosophy, history, and literature.

— Keith Houde

While visiting Ave Maria in Michigan in 2003 with his son, Dr. Keith Houde (professor of psychology) inquired about a psychology major. By 2010, visiting Ave Maria University in Florida with another son, he learned the University was in the process of hiring for the psychology department. Houde was eager to join the department after reading the academic proposal provided by Dr. Dauphinais. It expressed how a Catholic university is well-suited to pursue the study of psychology because of its integrated view of the whole human person. He knew at this moment that he wanted to devote his future life’s work to this mission. Introduced in 2011, the psychology major is now the second-largest major at AMU.

Drs. Michael (associate professor of history) and Janice Chik Breidenbach (associate professor of philosophy) were encouraged by the current faculty to join the University in 2014. They were moved by the mission and impressed by the dedication to educating, enlightening, and inspiring the whole person.

In my second year, I co-taught a course on American Catholic history with the late Michael Novak, a distinguished Catholic intellectual. I walked across the street to his home, sat around his dinner table with our students, and debated topics in American Catholic history. The integration of teaching, scholarship, and community was exceptional.

— Michael Breidenbach

The students’ desire to develop their character and grow in the richness of the Catholic faith inspires Michael and Janice Breidenbach to excel as professors, mentors, and scholars. The Breidenbachs saw the opportunity to serve the students and the Magisterium of the Church. “One of the ways we hope to do this is through teaching, which really concerns the whole person in all of his or her dimensions,” Janice said. “We want to convey the fundamental integration of faith and reason, whether our topic is metaphysics or American history.”

Dr. John Jasso (chair of communications and literature) observed the lack of contemporary communications and rhetorical studies in Catholic higher education. AMU defied this trend and began a communications program in 2017, which Jasso joined in 2018.

Having worked in a large state research institution, I’ve seen both sides of the academic coin. The sense of community and mission I’ve experienced at AMU is truly unique.

— John Jasso on joining Ave Maria University

Since his arrival, Jasso has assisted in folding rhetoric and poetics into the new department of communications and literature.

It is out of that pairing, with the help of many faculty, projects like the writing minor and student magazine came to fruition. I’ve been very happy to be a part of that journey and contribute to those endeavors.

— John Jasso

Last spring, the communications department saw its first class of graduates who started the program as freshmen. The communications major prepares students to utilize rhetoric and media through the lens of the Catholic faith, a unique opportunity in higher education for Catholic creatives.

Fr. Fessio leads a Eucharistic procession to the future site of Ave Maria University on the Feast of the Annunciation

March 25, 2005

Ave Maria University courageously pursues new programs while preserving its commitment to the excellence of the mind, heart, and soul. In the fall of 2022, AMU added the computer science program under Dr. Saverio Perugini (professor of mathematics and computer science), who comes to us with 18 years of experience teaching at the University of Dayton. Perugini left a tenured position at his last institution to teach at Ave Maria, inspired by the University’s mission. He is grateful for the hand of God in guiding him to take this position and for the University’s efforts to initiate this program.

In one academic year, we have already grown computer science from a minor to a major — we are now starting to build some momentum. We are designing innovative and creative courses (e.g., machine learning [and] blockchain) and recruiting bright and eager students into the program. It is fun shaping this program and seeing it grow.

— Saverio Perugini

Perugini is one of eight new full-time faculty, faculty who inspire and encourage him.

We all believe in and pursue academic excellence in our teaching and research. I feel blessed to be part of the AMU faculty and to have the opportunity to play a role in shaping the future of this institution by sharing the gifts God has given me.

— Saverio Perugini

For the faculty, serving AMU’s mission brings joy to their hearts. Perugini leads a Rosary with his students on the academic lawn every Friday at 3:00 p.m. Curtright starts his classes and rehearsals with prayer, encouraging sanctity in his students’ intellectual and artistic work.

The best measure of AMU’s success comes from the alumni who remain close with their alma mater and professors. Sugrue attributes this deep bond to shared experiences in learning and faith. For a professor, it is gratifying to see the impact so many alumni are having in family life, the Church, and every professionial sphere in society. As Martinez describes it, “They keep the thrill of the hunt for an explanation alive.” Martinez expressed he feels proud every time he hears about alumni completing graduate degrees, business startups, jobs, promotions, weddings, and growing families.

Fr. Garrity observes a string of consistencies that align with Ave Maria’s success: “God’s grace, the sacraments; the fine parents who send their outstanding children to AMU; the excellent students themselves; our great faculty, staff, benefactors, and neighbors; and yes, the consistent warm weather!”

My first visit lit a spark within me for Ave Maria University, but the Ave Experience weekend for prospective students confirmed Fr. Garrity’s observations. I made fast and solid friendships during that weekend on campus. The true character of the University emerged in the structured activities, lectures, social events, and even the downtime with other prospective students. Bonding with students across graduating classes created a community of believers that exceeded my expectations.

As full-time students, we practice dialectic argumentation that sharpens the mind and enables deeper friendships. The respect students receive in class from our professors fosters meaningful engagement between students outside the classroom. Lasting friendships and profound learning emerge from sharing our intellectual observations in an atmosphere of trust.

Fr. Garrity, Perugini, Jasso, the Breidenbachs, Houde, Curtright, Sugrue, Martinez, Dauphinais, Davy, and Dittus are among those who have seen the fruition of what began on a dinner tablecloth — materialized as a community of believers committed to serving the mission of AMU through love. This love is spread through the unique set of God-given gifts each faculty member possesses. They are the heartbeat of Ave Maria University!

Ave Maria University is built on a community of believers, and faith is the very air we breathe here. I thank God every day for my professors and their influence on me, my friends, our alumni, and the next generation of Ave Maria scholars.

— Analiese Hratko ('23) Content Marketing Intern 2023