Week’s Top 3 Events Remembering Former STM Dean Tom Stegman

Stegman, from A1

“We talk about cura personalis … care for the full person, and certainly he had a deep commitment to seeing to it that our programs reflected that for students,” Griffith said. “[And] I think he also had a really big interest in seeing that embodied in terms of care for faculty and staff as well.”

Associate professor of the Old Testament Andrew Davis, who first met Stegman as a master’s student at the Weston Jesuit School of Theology, also noted his commitment to both his students and staff.

“One thing that stands out to me about Tom is how dedicated he was to his own teachers, and I think he fostered that same love and affection in his own students,” Davis said. “And so there’s something about Tom—it wasn’t just that he was a good teacher … he saw the value in his own teachers, and he gave credit to them also.”

Rev. Richard J. Clifford, S.J., professor emeritus of the Old Testament, said Stegman was unique in his ability to be strategic and objective in his duties as dean while also continuing his efforts to form meaningful connections with those around him.

“He was extremely friendly, and people had enormous respect and they liked to spend time with him because he paid attention to them, and he knew them well and accepted them,” Clifford said. “He was remarkable in his ability to put those two things together.”

During his tenure as dean, the STM rose to 10th overall in theology, divinity, and religious studies in the QS World University Rankings, according to the release.

The release also said the STM established the Committee on Race and Ethnicity to advance racial justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion; Formación Continua, a program offering continuing education courses and webinars in Spanish; and the spirituality studies program during his time as dean.

“[Spiritual studies is] one of his legacy pieces, in terms of a direction and a further direction for the school,” Griffith said. “The school has some marvelous degree programs as is but this focus and concentration and coming to it with more development is definitely something that I think was his

Stegman, who previously served as dean of STM, died at the age of 60 after a battle with vision, and he left that with us.”

According to Uwineza, Stegman remained committed to his students and staff even after stepping down as dean due to his illness.

“Recently, this past September, I was appointed the president of Hekima University College, here in Nairobi, and I do vividly recall that Tom Stegman heard about it, and he immediately wrote me an email,” Uwineza said. “In his last months he was still sick, but he wrote me a … message to celebrate me and said ‘I knew the Society [of Jesus] can count on you.’”

And during his last months as dean, Griffith said Stegman remained committed to his work despite his fight with glioblastoma. She recalled him coming to work even on days he had received radiation treatment that same morning.

“Most people, I think, would probably take the day off after that, but … he had made up his mind to live life to the fullest,” Griffith said. “I always think he was a big sports fan, and … when the ball dropped into his court, Tom Stegman was always going to be ready to play with it.” n