Reading the Signs of the Times

READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES

T HE U NIV ERSITY O F DAYTON IN T H E T W E N T Y- F I R S T C E N T U R Y IN the pages of Reading the Signs of the Times,

from Mary, the mother of Jesus. A community

you will discover how the University of Dayton

of believers, they treated each other as equals

community has seen the possibilities unfolding

and shared a deep sense of mission. He saw

in a changing world and acted with a blend of

that in the midst of social change, which can be

boldness, pragmatism and humility.

radical and disruptive, institutions can remain vibrant and grow. New times, he believed,

The strength of the University of Dayton is—and

called for new methods.

will always be—the strength of its community.

Faculty and staff have embraced change at a

The stories in this book reflect that

pace some might consider astounding for higher

philosophy. The University of Dayton

education, whether it’s turning a former corporate

educates for adaptation and change.

headquarters into a riverfront center for world-

Researchers develop technology that benefits

class research or welcoming a more diverse

mankind. In a fragmented world, the

student body from all corners of the globe.

University encourages dialogue between faith and culture. Most importantly, the University

This is a story of remarkable transformation.

fosters community and remains deeply

Over its history, the University of Dayton

committed to the common good.

evolved from a primary school for boys to a preeminent Catholic research university. Today,

As the University of Dayton moves forward, it will

the school continues to make an indelible

build upon its strong foundation of educational

mark in the world while remaining true to the

excellence and religious mission.

ageless philosophy of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, founder of the Society of Mary

It will continue to read the signs of the times—

(Marianists), the religious order that founded

and embrace the power of possibility.

the school in 1850.

After the French Revolution, Father Chaminade brought together an eclectic group of merchants, priests, teachers, chimney sweeps, former soldiers and others from all walks of life, all of whom drew their inspiration

University of Dayton 300 College Park Dayton, Ohio 45469 937-229-1000 www.udayton.edu

READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES

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St. Joseph Hall, in the heart of campus, represents the University of Dayton’s spirit of tenacity and rebirth. When fire destroyed much of the building in 1987, the University preserved the historical integrity of the building while modernizing the classrooms and offices.

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY Copyright © 2016 by the University of Dayton All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the University of Dayton.

University of Dayton 300 College Park Dayton, Ohio 45469 937-229-1000 www.udayton.edu

T H E

U N IVERS I TY

OF

DAYTON

TE AM

A D MINISTRATIO N DR. DANIEL J. CURRAN

SUNDAR KUMARASAMY

PRESIDENT

FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING

DR. PAUL BENSON INTERIM PROVOST

P ROJECT

D IR ECTO R

TERI RIZVI

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

CREATIVE JENNIFER BRANCATO

TEAM FRANK PAUER

ARCHIVIST

ART DIRECTOR

THOMAS COLUMBUS

MICHELLE TEDFORD

EDITOR EMERITUS, UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON MAGAZINE

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

GINA GRAY

ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT OF UNIVERSITY MARKETING AND STRATEGIES

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF MARKETING/ SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

MOLLY WILSON

KIMBERLY LALLY

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND CREATIVE SERVICES

PHOTO GRAPHY LARRY BURGESS

PERFECT PERSPECTIVES AERIAL

LEON CHUCK

BENJAMIN PORTER

JED GERLACH ’15

ERIK SCHELKUN

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MATTHEW LESTER

ZOEY XIA ’15

TIM PELLING BOO K WRITER

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COPYEDITING, PROOFING, AND INDEXING

BOB LAND

MANAGING EDITOR

ROB LEVIN

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RICK KORAB

Bookhouse Group, Inc. Covington, Georgia www.bookhouse.net Printed in South Korea IV

ARCHIVIST

RENÉE PEYTON

Mary’s Immaculate Conception statue serves as a reminder that a Marianist education forms faith while providing, in a family spirit, a quality education for service, justice and peace as well as for adaptation and change.

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Albert Emanuel Hall welcomes visitors and prospective students to campus.

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VII

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F O R E W O R D

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C H APTE R O N E

A BOLD TRANSFORMATION 1

C H APTE R TW O

LEARN. LEAD. SERVE. 39

CHAPTER THREE

THE POWER OF POSSIBILITY 79

IN D E X For University of Dayton graduates, this day is not the last one on campus. It’s the beginning of a lifetime of leadership and service.

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The fountain outside Kennedy Union is a gift from University of Dayton President Daniel J. Curran and his family.

READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

FOREWORD When I became president in 2002, I inherited leadership of a university on the move from longtime president Brother Raymond L. Fitz, S.M., and discovered a community willing to ask the big questions and seek out answers together. n As the familiar strains of the hymn, “We Are Called,” filled the chapel at the opening-day Mass of my presidency, I felt so welcomed by the Marianists, students, faculty, staff and alumni. I felt so inspired by the University’s powerful heritage and sense of mission. n As a community, I knew we were poised to do great things together—to make a bold leap forward. In the Marianist tradition, we would build upon our core values, read the signs of the times and embrace the power of possibility. n Today, I feel the same way. The University of Dayton is fulfilling that promise of greatness. The pages of this book are filled with stories illustrating our upward momentum, our response to the call to make a difference in the world. n In recent years, we hired some of the brightest minds in the country and enrolled some of the largest, most academically prepared first-year classes in school history. n We didn’t turn away from the brownfield and vacant corporate headquarters on our border but instead embraced the potential. We felt confident community and government partners would help us secure the funding to bring new life to that land. n Today, that land is the canvas for the future and will benefit generations of students. n We established corporate partnerships with high-tech companies like GE Aviation and Emerson Climate Technologies, whose new facilities on our campus are serving as real-world classrooms and labs. n We opened our doors to international students from many parts of the globe, expanded our study-abroad and immersion programs and opened a stand-alone center in China. n We took a leadership role in sustainability and human rights education, preparing students to be stewards of a world that embraces justice for all. n The Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, founder of the Society of Mary, inspires us to be visionaries—to create our moment in history, to act upon this University’s strong foundation of educational innovation and deep faith. That’s our calling. n As I look forward to the next chapter in the University of Dayton’s history, I am most proud of the successes of our students, alumni, faculty and staff. You have spread the University of Dayton’s excellence and reputation around the world. n This book is dedicated to you.

— Daniel J. Curran, Ph.D. President, University of Dayton (2002–2016) XI

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RecPlex’s eight-lane pool helps keep Dayton students fit. Nearly 60 percent of students participate in intramural or club sports.

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C H A P T ER O NE

READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

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TRANSFOR A BO L D

RMATION IN A GLASS-WALLED ROOM in the heart of campus, a student climbs into a

jet cockpit. She puts on

a headset and snaps the seatbelt, checks the controls and pushes the thrust lever forward. Soon she is racing down a virtual runway, patches of farmland and hills spreading out below her.

READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

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CHAPTER ONE A BOLD TRANSFORMATION

This is no joyride. In the flight simulator, the only one of its kind on a U.S. college campus, aerospace engineering students test new aircraft design or study the dynamics of an older airplane. They alter flight conditions.

They push the limits.

The Flyers carry the feeling of wonder and adventure, of innovation and intensity that infuses the University of Dayton.

Much like the Wright brothers, the inventors of powered flight who inspired the University’s nickname, University of Dayton students follow their own paths to discovery.

River Stewards dip their paddles into the Great Miami River, gliding on kayaks past the brilliant pink explosions of rose mallow bushes and great blue herons as they teach Dayton citizens about the environment. Human rights students walk the halls of the Ohio legislature to lobby for the modern abolition movement, a campaign against

BY ALMOST EVERY METRIC, THE UNIVERSITY GREW STRONGER, WITH STUDENTS WHO ARE MORE ACADEMICALLY COMPETITIVE, MORE DIVERSE AND MORE INTERNATIONAL.

human trafficking. The Flyer Investments Team, a group of finance students, huddles around stock tickers and scrolls through the financial news before making changes in its more than $20 million portfolio, a portion of the University’s endowment. The team routinely outperforms the S&P 500 index.

Top left: As a leader in global human rights, the University of Dayton launched a Human Rights Center to promote respect for the dignity of all people through dialogue, research and education. Top right and bottom photos: Students learn by doing—from testing aircraft designs in a flight simulator and conducting other engineering tests to managing millions of dollars of the University’s endowment.

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

Learning happens in many places on campus— classrooms, labs, residence halls, Roesch Library, The Blend, atriums in academic buildings . . . and outside.

Bold Thinking Helps UD Students Meet Real-World Challenges

With about $1.3 million in annual revenue, Flyer Enterprises is the fourth-largest student-run corporation in the country. Students make the decisions, from selecting 36 new sales associates out of 1,200 applicants to exploring

In a quiet moment at The Blend coffee shop on the ground

new business opportunities. They coordinate entertain-

floor of Roesch Library, Amanda Lochtefeld ’16 is tidying

ment at ArtStreet, plan social media marketing and draft

the counter. She checks the carafes of milk and cream

financial statements.

and cleans the milk steamer. She is wearing the requisite

Running a business is like a parallel education.

brown apron with The Blend logo, her long, sandy brown

The chief financial officer asked Lochtefeld to submit a

hair tied in a bun.

budget, and “literally two days later, in [an accounting]

She knows that a health inspector could come at any time. Little things matter. If someone forgets to put the

class, we talked about how to make a budget and how to do five-year forecasting,” she says.

bagels in the refrigerator at closing time, for example, they

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have to be thrown out the next day—a needless waste of

n Hands-On Experience, Real-World Challenges

food and money.

Flyer Enterprises is just one way that University of Dayton

If she seems very proprietary about this shop,

students get hands-on experience and meet real-world

there’s a good reason. Lochtefeld, an accounting

challenges. The University of Dayton’s entrepreneurship

and operations management major in the School of

program ranked 13th in the country in 2015, earning a

Business Administration, is president of culinary—a top

top-20 ranking from The Princeton Review and Entrepre-

executive of Flyer Enterprises, which runs The Blend

neur magazine for the ninth straight year.

and eight other businesses, including a storage service,

Entrepreneurship majors evaluate startups through the

a catering operation and a convenience store in one of

Flyer Angels, a venture investment fund endowed with a $1

the residence halls.

million gift from Ron McDaniel ’69, president and CEO of

CHAPTER ONE A BOLD TRANSFORMATION

Twelve time zones away, University of Dayton’s China Institute brings students a global perspective beyond anything they could learn in a traditional classroom.

This is a university that meets the challenges of higher education in the 21st century—and rises beyond them. A willingness to adapt paired with a commitment to excellence fueled a transformation at the University of Dayton, a pace of change that a national higher education writer noted was among the most rapid and substantial of any

“THERE’S A TRADITION OF THE UNIVERSITY THAT SPEAKS TO BOLDNESS, YOU HAVE TO BE FORWARD-THINKING. THAT WAS PART OF THE MARIANIST TRADITION.” — DANIEL J. CURRAN UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON PRESIDENT (2002–2016)

University of Dayton in 2015, more than double the number

American university.

From 2002 to 2015, the endowment doubled, to $500

from a decade earlier. By almost every metric, the Univer-

million. Sponsored research rose from $47.5 million to

sity grew stronger, with students who are more academically

$100 million. Almost 17,000 undergraduates applied to the

competitive, more diverse and more international.

Western-Cullen-Hayes railroad supply company in Richmond,

which integrates experiential learning in the engineering

Indiana. The L. William Crotty Center for Entrepreneurial

curriculum. “They reach out and partner with marketing

Leadership sponsors a business plan competition, with

and finance, understand the business and are always on

$60,000 in prize money for the top five teams.

the lookout for new opportunities.”

An also

entrepreneurial

infuses

the

spirit

engineering

curriculum. In the School of Engineering’s Innovation Center, student teams have worked on about 1,000 industry challenges for 200 clients. The Innovation Center won a $1.2 million grant from the Kern Entrepreneurship Education Network (KEEN) and the 2013 KEEN Best in Class award.

“We’re interested in graduating

engineers

entrepreneurial

with

an

mindset,”

says

Ken Bloemer, who developed the Innovation Center and now is director of the University of Dayton’s

Visioneering

Center,

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

Yet even with rapid change, the University remains

Farm—125 acres of orchards, farmland, a house and farm

grounded in the core values of its founders, who cherished

buildings—for a medal of St. Joseph and a $12,000 note.

community, service and faith. Daniel J. Curran, who

The debt was paid back within 12 years.

served as president from 2002 to 2016, thinks often of

“There’s a tradition of the University that speaks to

the priest and three brothers from the Society of Mary

boldness,” says Curran, a sociologist who, as president

who founded a school in the rich farmland of the valley

emeritus, will teach and serve as executive-in-residence

of the Great Miami River. The Marianists had a deep

for Asian affairs. “You have to be forward-thinking. That’s

sense of mission but no money. Father Leo Meyer, S.M.,

always been part of the Marianist tradition.”

convinced farmer John Stuart to sell him Dewberry

A F LY E R ’ S V I E W

Always Looking Ahead, Guided by Mission

By Father Martin Solma, S.M.

The first Marianists traveled to America to use their faith to serve others. Almost immediately, they showed adaptability and resourcefulness—and an imagination for the future. n Three brothers and a priest arrived in Cincinnati from Alsace in 1849 just a few months before the death of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, the founder of the Society of Mary, to serve the German-speaking immigrants. With a cholera epidemic raging in Dayton, they were asked to minister to the sick at Emmanuel Parish. n These intrepid men journeyed to Dayton and never looked back. They bought a farm and started a small primary school, which grew over time into one of the nation’s preeminent Catholic universities. n As Marianists, we give special devotion to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and believe that education can transform lives. n Father Chaminade realized that the best way to pursue formation of the whole person in the image of Christ was through an engaging, faith-inspired and challenging education that values service to others. He knew that quality education and vibrant faith grow and flourish within a community where family spirit is the hallmark. That’s the Marianist DNA. n The University of Dayton, with its commitment to learn, lead and serve, reflects the Marianist spirit in an exemplary way. n Brother Ray Fitz, S.M., the longest-serving president in school history, guided the University from a regional institution to one with national standing. Under the leadership of Dr. Dan Curran, the first lay president, the University expanded its footprint, reach and depth. Dr. Eric Spina, who succeeded Dr. Curran in 2016, said he looked forward to working with faculty and staff to make the school “better as a moral beacon in challenging times, better as a place where we can make students’ dreams come true.” n Throughout history, the University of Dayton has transformed itself to meet the needs of the times. As we look forward, we embrace all that the future holds, knowing we will always be guided by our Catholic, Marianist mission.

Martin Solma is provincial for the Marianist Province of the United States and vice chair of the University of Dayton Board of Trustees.

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CHAPTER ONE A BOLD TRANSFORMATION

OVER THE YEARS, THE APPEARANCE OF CAMPUS HAS CHANGED GREATLY. BUT THE CHAPEL REMAINS, AS DO THE CORE VALUES OF THE FOUNDERS—COMMUNITY, SERVICE AND FAITH.

In the early days, the school’s mission included farming as well as the education of young boys.

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

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CHAPTER ONE A BOLD TRANSFORMATION

“WE ARE COMMITTED TO A CATHOLIC VISION OF LEARNING AND SCHOLARSHIP.” — CORE BELIEFS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON

Geographically and spiritually, the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception is the heart of campus, the site of joyful Eucharists and silent prayer.

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

A Priest, a Teacher, a Cook

and a Gardener

1

In its earliest days, the survival of the school was itself a testament to faith and perseverance. The Marianists worked together—a priest, a teacher, a cook and a gardener—to till the farmland and nurture the first students at the St. Mary’s School for Boys, and when the school burned in 1855, they rebuilt. The few buildings on campus—now known as Zehler, Liberty and St. Mary’s Halls—were lit by candles and warmed by woodstoves.

Cows roamed the surrounding green.

The Marianists bought some adjoining farmland from the Patterson brothers, helping to support their quest to start National Cash Register (NCR), which would eventually grow into a Fortune 500 company. But

THE MARIANISTS BOUGHT SOME ADJOINING FARMLAND FROM THE PATTERSON BROTHERS, 6

HELPING TO SUPPORT THEIR QUEST TO START NATIONAL CASH REGISTER (NCR), WHICH WOULD EVENTUALLY GROW INTO A FORTUNE 500 COMPANY.

the first stirrings of the modern age, of the spirit of innovation that would become the hallmark of the University of Dayton, came in 1903 when Orville and Wilbur Wright developed the engine and propellers of the first workable airplane in Dayton.

Across the river from their bicycle shop where they created the designs, St. Mary’s Institute, as the school was then known, organized one of the earliest basketball teams in Ohio, the debut of a new sport that allowed for

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CHAPTER ONE A BOLD TRANSFORMATION

2

3

4

5

7

1 Edward Burroughs, assistant professor of art, fosters students’ creativity in an early art class.

2 Primary schoolboys take an 1869 field trip on the canal. 3 The farmhouse on Vineyard Hill where the first classes were held, July 1, 1850. 4 St. Mary’s Basketball Team, 1903. 5 Brother

Maximin Zehler, S.M., became director of St. Mary’s School in 1860 and built many of the early buildings, including Zehler Hall, Liberty Hall, the Immaculate Conception Chapel, St. Mary’s Hall and the gymnasium (Rike Center). 6 University of Dayton welcome sign, circa 1920s. 7 UD Players at rehearsal, 1953.

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

During the 1913 flood, the University provided safe high ground. Today, the Fitz Center’s River Stewards serve as guardians of the Great Miami River, whose water serves as one of the major assets of the Dayton region.

Ties That Bond: What the University Means by “Building Community”

Since 2001, when the University of Dayton hosted the first opening-round game, launching the NCAA Tournament has brought an estimated $60 million in economic activity to the region and state. But the impact of the University

March Madness starts in Dayton, Ohio. The First Four, the

on the city cannot be measured from a single event, or in

opening games of the NCAA basketball tournament, unfolds

dollars or television viewership or social media attention.

with flags and banners, bands and bagpipes, sold-out stands, a festival, fun run, a kids’ hoops contest and even a tech-

n You Listen First, Then Lead

nology fair.

The University has a history of supporting the city. In 1913,

For two days, Dayton shows off its winning traits—its

levees failed after several days of heavy rain and the Great

energy, enthusiasm and community pride. At the center of

Miami River overflowed into city streets, creating a colossal

this Big Hoopla is the University of Dayton, which has been

natural disaster. On high ground, St. Mary’s College, as it was

designated as the First Four host until at least 2018.

then known, sheltered the newly homeless and provided

“The University, in a lot of ways, carries the brand of

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clean water and food.

Dayton,” says J.P. Nauseef ’88, former chair of the local

Years later, when the crisis was economic, the

organizing committee and chairman of Krush Technologies,

University of Dayton provided a different kind of rescue,

an innovation company. “It serves as an ambassador for

buying the vacant headquarters of NCR and promising

Dayton and what it means to be from Dayton, Ohio, to the

to jumpstart a new era of innovation. “They have been

rest of the world.”

one of the lead economic drivers in our rebirth,” says Jeff

CHAPTER ONE A BOLD TRANSFORMATION

indoor play. In the next few years, the Wright Brothers perfected their flying machine on a Dayton prairie, and the college built its Commercial Department (a precursor to the School of Business Administration) and engineering programs, the foundation for a new era of education.

By 1920, when the college broadened its scope and was incorporated as the University of Dayton, the city of Dayton was becoming an industrial powerhouse.

The University stayed at the vanguard of change, admitting women into its new law school and summer sessions. In 1937, the University of Dayton became the first fully coeducational Catholic university in the country.

After World War II, mathematics professor Kenneth C. Schraut turned the analytic power of mathematical modeling into lucrative contracts with Wright-Patterson Air Force

Hoagland ’91, president and CEO of the Dayton Development Coalition.

Whenever the city asks for help, the University responds. In the mid-1990s, Brother Raymond Fitz, S.M., then president of the University, agreed to chair the Montgomery County Child Protection Task Force after five children died in the county’s child welfare system.

Many of Dayton’s leaders gained the perspective of “servant leadership” as students at the University. Dayton mayor Nan Whaley ’98 still remembers important lessons from community-building in a Dayton neighborhood with Fitz. “You listen first and then lead. You take what the community is saying and build from there,” she says.

That mantra inspired a career in public service. It also defines the University of Dayton’s long partnership with its city.

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

Base. By 1956, when the University of Dayton Research Institute was founded, the University’s research contracts

Finding Common Ground

totaled $1 million. Today, research has grown 100-fold, and the University is recognized as a national leader in federally

Brother Raymond L. Fitz, S.M. ’64, was only 37 and an

sponsored materials research, ranking second in the country.

engineering professor when he was tapped as the next

The University of Dayton Research Institute’s mission is to

president of the University of Dayton in 1979. Fitz is a

provide innovative technological solutions to government

humble man, warm and loyal, dedicated to social justice.

and private customers while supporting the University’s

He is known for being a keen listener and for being able to

education and research needs.

find common ground among people of differing views.

At the dawn of its second century, the University

Fitz hadn’t envisioned working outside the classroom,

looked forward with optimism, ready to adapt to the

but in a way, the students themselves prepared him.

changing world. University President Father Raymond

Coming of age in the turbulent ’60s and ’70s, they were

Roesch, S.M. ’36, expanded the University in a striking

passionate and questioning. Blessed William Joseph

way, with more degree programs, academic departments,

Chaminade, founder of the Society of Mary, talked of

faculty and buildings. In 1962, the University of Dayton

“reading the signs of the times.” Fitz saw the challenge of

became one of the first in the country to offer an under-

giving focus to the youthful bravado, of guiding the Univer-

graduate degree in computer science.

sity within a framework of purpose and reflection—or, as he

As the University’s stature grew, it began to gain recognition as one of the nation’s top Catholic institutions.

poses the central question, “How do we help our students get perspective on these changes that were taking place and

FITZ SAW THE CHALLENGE OF GIVING FOCUS TO THE YOUTHFUL BRAVADO, OF GUIDING THE UNIVERSITY WITHIN A FRAMEWORK OF PURPOSE AND REFLECTION—OR, AS HE POSES THE CENTRAL QUESTION, “HOW DO WE HELP OUR STUDENTS GET PERSPECTIVE ON THESE CHANGES THAT WERE TAKING PLACE AND AT THE SAME TIME GROUND THEM IN AN EDUCATIONAL TRADITION THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO THEM AS THEY MOVE FORWARD?”

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Brother Raymond L. Fitz, S.M., the longest-serving president in school history, embedded the concept of servant-leadership in the University of Dayton’s culture.

“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

—Hamlet

CHAPTER ONE A BOLD TRANSFORMATION

The University of Dayton’s Common Academic Program opens to students a complicated, connected world.

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

AT THE DAWN OF ITS SECOND CENTURY, THE UNIVERSITY EXPANDED IN A STRIKING WAY, WITH MORE DEGREE PROGRAMS, ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS, FACULTY AND BUILDINGS.

In 2006, the Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association stepped forward to help the University plan and implement a doctor of physical therapy program to alleviate a shortage of trained professionals.

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CHAPTER ONE A BOLD TRANSFORMATION

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

FOR FITZ, IT WAS EQUALLY IMPORTANT TO UPDATE THE CURRICULUM BY INTEGRATING HUMANITIES AND LIBERAL ARTS WITH PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION. HE ADOPTED THE INFORMAL MOTTO, “LEARN. LEAD. SERVE.” THOSE SIMPLE WORDS CONVEY A SERIOUS MISSION FOR UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON STUDENTS.

During the presidency of Brother Raymond L. Fitz, S.M., the University became known as a “national leader, community partner.”

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CHAPTER ONE A BOLD TRANSFORMATION

at the same time ground them in an educational tradition

mainframe computers. “One of the bold moves we made was

that would be helpful to them as they move forward?”

to essentially wire the whole campus for the Internet,” says

One answer was to strengthen the University community. The University quietly bought up houses that

Fitz. “Every student house, every residence hall room, every place on campus was connected to the Internet.”

NCR had built for its factory workers but which now were

Under Fitz’s leadership, the University found new

in disrepair. With the development of the student neigh-

ways to leverage its research capabilities. Dayton sustained

borhood, the University controlled its adjacent area while

a tectonic shift in its economy as manufacturing began

providing a unique residential option.

to move out of the Midwest, but the University remained

Meanwhile, technology was evolving at a breakneck pace.

committed to being a force for renewal. Fitz launched a

Personal computers and laptops replaced the old, clunky

fundraising campaign with the theme “The Call to Lead,”

A F LY E R ’ S V I E W

A $35 Billion Trafficking Stop Alisa Bartel ’10 ’12

On a crisp fall day in 2011, I walked up the steps of the Ohio Statehouse, took a shaky breath, checked for the thousandth time that I had my notebook with talking points and tried to quell my rising anxiety. I was to meet face-to-face with state senators and representatives to lobby on behalf of Senate Bill 235, designed to make human trafficking a criminal offense. n Now was a really bad time to wish I had taken Political Science 101. n We were there because the nation’s leading antitrafficking nonprofit ranked Ohio one of the worst states in the nation for combating human trafficking. My UD friends and I were determined to change that. We cofounded the New Abolitionist Movement, a student organization devoted to combating human trafficking, and our first goal was to strengthen the legislation: Ohio was one of the few states left in the country that had not designated human trafficking as a stand-alone felony. Senate Bill 235 would change that. n We took a crash course in lobbying and within a couple of days were on a bus headed to Columbus.

With unintentional dramatic flair, we arrived late, and a hush came over the room of supporters as 35 University of Dayton undergraduate students filed into the statehouse. The excitement was palpable. n Our efforts were rewarded when Senate Bill 235 won bipartisan sponsorship, but it was a bittersweet victory. The bill languished on the floor for the next several weeks, and we began to lose hope that it would pass before the new year. For the second time, the student body rallied with phone calls, emails and handwritten letters of support personally delivered to each legislator’s office. After enough pressure, we convinced the lawmakers to emerge from a lame-duck session and vote. n The bill passed, and Senate Bill 235 was signed into law. Two years later, the Polaris Project, a national nonprofit, ranked Ohio as “Most Improved.”

Alisa Bartel is a doctor of philosophy candidate in clinical psychology at the University of Colorado–Colorado Springs.

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

and exceeded the $150 million goal. During his tenure, the endowment grew from $7 million to $255 million.

For Fitz, it was equally important to update the curriculum by integrating humanities and liberal arts with professional education. He adopted the informal motto,

As its first lay leader, Daniel J. Curran strengthened the University’s Catholic, Marianist identity and raised its reputation as a national research university.

“Learn. Lead. Serve.” Those simple words convey a serious mission for University of Dayton students.

“Well, Why Not?” Dan Curran arrived on campus in 2002 with an outsider’s point of view. A sociologist, he was drawn to the tight-knit community that the Marianists cultivated. He walked around campus and pored over statistics and trends.

Curran saw a university with a strong academic program and solid financial underpinnings—a nascent institution that, despite its 152-year history, didn’t know how good it

Employers looking at the résumés of University of Dayton business students are sometimes surprised at their credentials. In the Hanley Trading Center, students trade real Euros in the spot currency market.

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CHAPTER ONE A BOLD TRANSFORMATION

CURRAN SAW A UNIVERSITY WITH A STRONG ACADEMIC PROGRAM AND SOLID FINANCIAL UNDERPINNINGS—A MAJOR INSTITUTION THAT DIDN’T KNOW HOW GOOD IT REALLY WAS.

ArtStreet, an architecturally innovative multi-arts facility and residence in the student neighborhood, opened in 2004.

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

The Princeton Review ranks the University of Dayton among the nation’s best undergraduate universities and finds that UD students are some of the happiest.

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CHAPTER ONE A BOLD TRANSFORMATION

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

really was. “Here was a platform to be very progressive, to be

pool of 18-year-olds was declining in the Midwest. The

very entrepreneurial,” he says. “It was ready to go.”

University of Dayton needed a much broader vision of

After he was selected as the first lay president to

itself, beginning with wider recruitment. Curran looked

lead the University of Dayton, several board members

beyond the region and even the nation; his scope was

took Curran aside and told him, “Remember, you’re

global. He saw the potential for a great international

here to be bold.”

exchange—more students and faculty traveling abroad as

Curran’s biggest concern was a demographic one. The University drew its students primarily from Ohio, but the

well as more international students bringing their unique perspectives to Dayton.

A F LY E R ’ S V I E W

Buying Land, Keeping the Faith Westina Matthews Shatteen, Ph.D., ’70 ’74

In 2009, the University of Dayton trustees were asked to finalize the purchase of NCR’s former world headquarters and 115 acres of land, a move that would dramatically expand the campus and provide a canvas for development for the future. UD had previously acquired 49 acres from NCR in 2005, but this was a bold move for my alma mater. n NCR’s move to Duluth, Georgia, not only cost Dayton more than 1,200 jobs but also the last Fortune 500 company to have a headquarters here. Founded in 1884, NCR (formerly National Cash Register) was known for providing innovation and invention—from cash registers to transistorized computers, liquid crystal displays to bar code scanners, ATMs and airline ticket kiosks. It was not a decision we took lightly, and after months of analysis and deliberations, we were prepared to vote. And now, the school would lay its own footprint over the impressions left by John Patterson, Edward Deeds, Charles Kettering and Frederick B. Patterson. n I looked over at friend and former classmate Father Paul Marshall, S.M. ’69, who at the time was serving as rector, and we slightly nodded to one another in mutual appreciation of the sacredness of this moment. “Could we pray first, please?” I asked President Dan, feeling somewhat foolish that I might call for prayer in a room filled with brothers and priests who also were my fellow trustees. I was in a room with prayer warriors! Blessedly, we all bowed our heads without hesitation as I reached up to touch the end of my necklace where a mustard seed nestled in a small glass bulb. n I first learned about the importance of the mustard seed when I was going off to graduate school. Our family did not have a lot of money, but my mother wanted to give me something—some expression of love, hope and faith. She gave me this simple necklace with a mustard seed, a gift I will always treasure. n “Honey,” she said, “I don’t have much to give you, but I want you to have this. Remember, so long as you have the faith of a single grain of mustard seed, all things are possible, if you only believe.” n Yes, it only takes a little bit of faith, the faith of just one seed.

And so on this eventful day, as we looked toward the future, we joined in prayer while I held onto my mustard seed. We closed with a collective “Amen.”

Westina Matthews Shatteen is vice president of new programs at the Jackie Robinson Foundation and a University of Dayton trustee, 2002–2011.

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CHAPTER ONE A BOLD TRANSFORMATION

In 2013, GE Aviation opened a $53 million Electrical Power Integrated Systems Center on campus — an investment that is stimulating economic growth in the Dayton region and providing students with a high-tech lab in their backyard.

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

When prospective students came to campus, Curran wanted them to see a modern institution with a timehonored past, and that meant the buildings and grounds needed to present a strong first impression. Within six months of his arrival, Curran decided on his priority to upgrade facilities: a new residence hall. The University is a living-learning community, and both parts of that equation needed to be first-rate.

He was impatient. He wanted the design and build to happen within a year, not the two or three years such construction projects usually took. The aggressive pace inspired the contractor for ArtStreet, an arts-oriented studio and apartments already in development, to complete that project more quickly as well.

That became a classic example of Dan Curran’s leadership style: decisive, tenacious, forward-thinking. He was

DAN CURRAN WAS A VISIONARY WHO COULD CLEARLY SEE WHAT NEEDED TO BE ACCOMPLISHED AND, IN KEEPING WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE MARIANIST FOUNDERS, READ THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES AND ACTED BOLDLY.

a visionary who could see clearly what needed to be accomplished and, in keeping with the boldness of the Marianist founders, looked for a way to make it happen. Beth Keyes, vice president for facilities and campus operations, recalls the response she would receive if she said something wasn’t possible: “Well, why not?” “He has inspired me to not accept obstacles,” she says.

Education reaches into homes. From the top right counterclockwise, these homes include Marianist Hall, the imaginative ArtStreet learning-living facility and even the president’s home.

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CHAPTER ONE A BOLD TRANSFORMATION

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

AFTER HE WAS SELECTED AS THE FIRST LAY PRESIDENT TO LEAD THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON, SEVERAL BOARD MEMBERS TOOK CURRAN ASIDE AND TOLD HIM, “REMEMBER, YOU’RE HERE TO BE BOLD.”

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CHAPTER ONE A BOLD TRANSFORMATION During Daniel J. Curran’s presidency, the University looked beyond the historic campus, westward. In visionary moves, the University brought a brownfield back to productive life and purchased a former corporate headquarters, dramatically expanding the campus.

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

Curran walked around the campus and saw what could be or should be. At its center, he replaced tennis courts with greenspace and removed work trucks to a peripheral lot.

Older residence halls were upgraded. The Roesch Library was a nightmare of energy inefficiency, with leaking windows and outdated elevators and lighting. Its renovation also improved the aesthetics. The stone exterior of the library—“a hideous-looking building,” Curran recalls—was covered with brick.

After assuming the role of president, Curran was encouraged by the board of trustees, under the leadership of then Ohio Senate President Richard Finan ’54, to aggressively pursue the possibility of purchasing land from NCR. The 49 acres stretched from Brown Street to the Great Miami River, literally opening the campus to new opportunities. But part of the property was a “brownfield,” a former factory zone with contaminated soil and asbestos in remaining buildings.

In 2005, after much study and deliberation, the time came to reach a decision on the $25 million purchase.

Top left: Emerson Climate Technologies’ global innovation center, dubbed the Helix, exemplifies the type of economic development partnerships that have blossomed on newly acquired land. Near right: The University’s faith tradition is symbolized in the Our Lady of the Marian Library statue found at Albert Emanuel Hall. Bottom and right: From Roesch Library to front porches, students find traditional and nontraditional spaces to study and collaborate.

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CHAPTER ONE A BOLD TRANSFORMATION

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY As the University of Dayton expanded westward, GE Aviation and Emerson Climate Technologies built facilities on the new land that mimic the traditional red brick architectural style found here at Zehler and St. Joseph Halls.

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CHAPTER ONE A BOLD TRANSFORMATION

The trustees paused for a moment of prayer before voting.

“There was a lot of risk in what we were doing,” says Tom Burkhardt ’70, then vice president for finance and administrative services. But there also was a sense of destiny, as if they had arrived at a precipice they were meant to cross.

At Curran’s urging, the trustees voted unanimously to go forward with the purchase.

At the subsequent press conference, Curran asserted that the University would attract a major company to the property as a research partner. Millions of dollars in

“THAT LAND HAS TURNED INTO SOME OF THE HOTTEST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROPERTY IN OUR REGION. TO ME, IT’S A TRUE SIGN OF THE VISION THAT DR. CURRAN AND HIS BOARD MEMBERS HAD IN WHAT UD CAN BECOME.” — JEFF HOAGLAND ’91 PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE DAYTON DEVELOPMENT COALITION

grants for the clean-up were based, in part, on the project’s economic impact on Dayton.

Not everyone believed Curran’s vision for the land would be realized, at least so quickly. So in 2010, he was especially proud to announce that GE Aviation would build a new Electrical Power Integrated Systems Center (EPISCenter) on the site. GE uses the facility to develop and test jet electrical systems, with huge slip tables for vibration testing and a temperature-altitude chamber that mimics conditions at 100,000 feet.

In 2014, Emerson Climate Technologies broke ground on a $35 million innovation center, which contains a fully functional model home, model supermarket and commercial kitchen for testing refrigerants and new systems for heating, ventilation and cooling.

“That land has turned into some of the hottest economic development property in our region,” says Jeff Hoagland ’91, president and CEO of the Dayton Development Coalition.

“To me, it’s a true sign of the vision that Dr. Curran and his board members had in what UD can become.”

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CHAPTER ONE A BOLD TRANSFORMATION

No Looking Back

callous business world today as it is on the way taxpayers

Just a few years after that purchase from NCR, the national

other business incentives so necessary to lure economic

mood was glum. Banks were clamoring for a bailout.

investment,” said Mayor Nan Whaley ’98, who was then

Lehman Brothers, one of the biggest financial firms in the

a city commissioner.

have become pawns in the game of tax abatements and

country, filed for bankruptcy. The Dow Jones Industrial

So when the University of Dayton reached a swift deal

Average plunged in its largest-ever single-day decline,

in 2009 to buy the 115-acre site, including the cavernous

erasing $1.2 trillion in market value. A recession wielded

headquarters building, for $18 million, it was truly a

its blows, and the city of Dayton was feeling the pain.

game-changing moment. Whaley lauds the University’s

General Motors announced the closing of its assembly

“bold leadership.”

plant in nearby Moraine in 2008. That triggered further

“In 1850, Father Meyer read the signs of the times

layoffs at GM suppliers. Then, less than a year later, NCR

when he purchased a 125-acre farm which would even-

revealed that it would move its global headquarters to

tually become this great university,” Curran said at the

suburban Atlanta. The company, whose history was inex-

press conference. “Today, we are again reading the signs

tricably tied to that of Dayton, whose founder was known

of the times. We move forward with faith and confidence

for his paternalistic leadership, was cutting a chasm in the

this purchase will make a long-term difference for the

heart of the city.

University of Dayton and for the rebirth of this region.”

“To learn that our storied relationship is ending with a whimper is as much a sad commentary on the state of the

From that moment on, there was no looking back. The University had opened the door to the future.

Firmly rooted in a historic mission (above), the University of Dayton moves forward with the renovation of NCR’s former world headquarters (far left) as a home for worldclass research and embarks on other campus renovations, including (center) modern dining facilities and an expanded Science Center.

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CHAPTER ONE A BOLD TRANSFORMATION

AFTER BUYING THE 115-ACRE NCR SITE, THERE WAS NO LOOKING BACK. THE UNIVERSITY HAD OPENED THE DOOR TO THE FUTURE.

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C HA P T ER T W O

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38

LEARN. LEA

EAD. S ER V E .

WALK DOWN KIEFABER, Stonemill or any part of the student neighborhood on a brisk fall day and you’ll see students sitting out on their porches. They’re studying together, watching a game on a TV that’s been pulled outside or perhaps tossing a football back and forth to a neighboring porch.

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CHAPTER TWO LEARN. LEAD. SERVE.

Banners flutter in the breeze, bedsheets spraypainted in red and blue that carry the emotions of a community. They offer cheers for a basketball team that keeps winning against the odds, happy-birthday wishes for friends, an open welcome for students to stop by, a bit of inspiration. One sheet, attached to a window with thick tape, sums up the sentiments: “UD brought us together and we will cherish the memories forever. Our time here couldn’t have been better!”

Colleges and universities commonly seek to “create community,” but at the University of Dayton it comes naturally. And that’s not just because of the picturesque porches with their simple white railings and columns.

Marianist values form the University’s essential core, encouraging students of all faiths to connect around a common purpose.

ONE SHEET, ATTACHED TO A WINDOW WITH THICK TAPE, SUMS UP THE SENTIMENTS: “UD BROUGHT US TOGETHER AND WE WILL CHERISH THE MEMORIES FOREVER. OUR TIME HERE COULDN’T HAVE BEEN BETTER!”

In the broader American society, ties to organized religion are at an all-time low, yet young people still yearn for a sense of meaning in their lives. Father James Fitz, S.M., vice president for mission and rector, sees a parallel with the challenges faced by Marianist founder Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, who fled in exile after the French Revolution and later returned to France to bring a renewal of faith to a country that had overthrown the monarchy under the secular banner of “liberty, equality and fraternity.”

Approximately 90 percent of undergraduates live on campus—in residence halls, apartments and houses—and feel right at home. Nothing symbolizes the University of Dayton’s deep sense of community more than front porches.

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Music therapy students use skills they learn in the classroom to serve others.

A Renewed Chapel Carries the Spirit of the University into the Future

The renovation honors that spirit while adapting the chapel to modern needs and ensuring that the structure, built in 1869, will survive well into the future. “It is respectful

Just a glimpse of the iconic blue dome and white cross

of the tradition of the chapel, yet has a space for the liturgy

of the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception brings a sense

of today,” says Father James Fitz, S.M. ’68, vice president for

of comfort. Like a campus lodestar, the chapel represents the

mission and rector.

charism that underlies the University of Dayton.

So when the University announced a $12 million renovation, it acknowledged the deep emotional attachment so

The chapel is now universally accessible, with an addition

many people feel toward the place where generations have

that includes restrooms, a bride’s room and a reconciliation

celebrated Mass, rejoiced at weddings, gathered for solace or

room. The renovation met a high standard of environmental

come in quiet meditation.

sustainability in its design and materials, and the ceiling now

Years before the first drafts of a design, the Chapel

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n A Chapel Central to Life

contains sprinklers and smoke detectors.

Renovation Committee issued a vision statement and guiding

In some ways, the renovation restores original

concepts. “For many, the chapel’s prominent dome and

features. For example, the chairs have been replaced with

simple, honest exterior symbolize the faith commitment and

dark walnut curved pews with kneelers. The crucifixion

humble, welcoming spirit of the University of Dayton,” it said.

window, previously partially obstructed, is now a focal

CHAPTER TWO LEARN. LEAD. SERVE.

“We’re struggling with the same dilemma: How do you bring a faith commitment to our culture?” Fitz says.

The answer lies in the mission to build a better world.

Students have organized 35 clubs that focus on service, including the Music Therapy Club, which regularly visits a home for people with dementia, and the Solidarity Club,

IN 2014–15, UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON STUDENTATHLETES RECORDED THE SECOND-HIGHEST NUMBER OF COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS IN

which meets bimonthly with middle-school girls to inspire

THE ATLANTIC 10 CONFERENCE.

them and boost their self-esteem. Many of the other 200-plus student organizations incorporate service activities as well.

The Campus Ministry’s Center for Social Concern runs BreakOut trips during student breaks, SERVICE

of community service a year. In 2014–15, University of

Saturdays and “plunges”—daylong experiences in social

Dayton student-athletes recorded the second-highest

justice. Every December 8, on the Feast of the Immacu-

number of community service hours in the Atlantic 10

late Conception, students “adopt” inner-city children for

conference.

a grand Christmas celebration on campus. In all, Univer-

“Giving back is just part of the whole experience.

sity of Dayton students perform more than 127,000 hours

It’s something we can pride ourselves on,” says Meghan

point. The repaired wooden doors once again open as the main entry to the chapel, and the lighting resembles the original fixtures.

Hand-carved woodcuts from the historic pulpit adorn the baptismal font and the Eucharist reservation chapel, and new stained glass reflects a focus on Mary’s formative influence, in harmony with the original windows. Three new spaces along the side allow for private prayer, while a spacious entryway provides a gathering place.

The renovation underscores just how central the chapel is to life at the University of Dayton, and not just for Catholic students, faculty and staff. “Vibrant worship, private moments with God, powerful experiences of celebration and of grief continue to be a part of the chapel’s life,” says Crystal Sullivan, director of campus ministry. “The chapel has the power to teach us all how to be a community—and to draw us closer to God and one another.”

READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

Blank ’17, a midfield forward on the soccer team who helps

Leadership in Building Communities seminar. The goal: To

train Dayton girls in soccer while juggling schoolwork,

listen to neighborhood residents as they work together to

workouts, practices and matches.

create a plan to address the area’s unique challenges.

Community-engaged learning is woven into the curric-

The Fitz Center for Leadership in Community also directs

ulum. Brother Raymond L. Fitz, S.M., past president and the

the Rivers Institute, which empowers communities to protect

Father Ferree Professor of Social Justice, brings students into

and enjoy their rivers, and the Dayton Civic Scholars, students

a different Dayton neighborhood every year in a team-taught

who are committed to community leadership and public service.

A F LY E R ’ S V I E W

Work Hard, Play Together, Win Love Tom Archdeacon ’72

The trip to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament—a dream run that caught the attention of the nation and even got a shout-out from President Barack Obama—was over. n But as the Florida backers began their triumphant “gator chomp,” it quickly lost its teeth in the tidal wave of full-throated, percussive chants that filled FedEx Forum in Memphis and washed down on the Flyer players leaving the court: “Thank you! . . . [clap, clap] . . . UD! . . . [clap, clap].” n Jordan Sibert walked toward the stands and with tearful eyes waved his thanks to the Dayton fans. n “I think people liked us because we won the right way,” he’d explain later. “We didn’t showboat. We weren’t supposed to be here, but all season and all through the tournament we fought and kept playing together. That’s what people wanted to see. . . .

That’s why they loved us.” n One of the most enduring legacies of UD basketball is the deep-felt connection between the teams and the students, alumni and community. n In 2001, the Sporting News ranked Dayton No. 1 when it came to “best fan base in America.” n And since then, attendance at UD Arena—where season tickets are handed down generation to generation like family heirlooms and the Red Scare students regularly provide the raucous heartbeat—has gone up every year and euphoria has surged, especially with the Elite Eight appearances by the men in 2014 and the Flyer women a year later. n The success not only has prompted joyous celebrations in the student neighborhood next to campus—complete with UD President Dan Curran body surfing above the crowd—but has provided a promotional windfall for the city. n Few college teams in America have carried their city’s name more gloriously over the past six-and-a-half decades than have the Flyers. n After the mighty Connecticut women—soon to win their third-straight national championship—had gotten a real scare before coming from behind in the second half to topple the Flyers, UConn Coach Geno Auriemma sang Dayton’s praises: “That’s the best team we’ve faced in five years.” n He admired the way the Flyers “played as a team” and how afterward every UD player had looked him and his team in the eye and wished them well. n “Those are first-class kids,” he said. “All of Dayton should be proud.”

Tom Archdeacon is a national award-winning sports columnist for the Dayton Daily News.

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CHAPTER TWO LEARN. LEAD. SERVE. The River Stewards—students in the University’s Rivers Institute— take groups on kayak trips, organize an annual River Summit for representatives of cities all along the Great Miami River and create after-school programs for young students.

THE FITZ CENTER FOR LEADERSHIP IN COMMUNITY ALSO DIRECTS THE RIVERS INSTITUTE, WHICH EMPOWERS COMMUNITIES TO PROTECT AND ENJOY THEIR RIVERS.

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

The prophetic spirit of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, founder of the Society of Mary, lives on in the University of Dayton community.

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CHAPTER TWO LEARN. LEAD. SERVE.

THERE WERE BIG QUESTIONS SUCH AS HOW TO BUILD COMMUNITY AROUND SOCIAL JUSTICE AND HOW TO VIEW HUMAN VALUES THROUGH DIFFERENT CULTURAL LENSES.

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

But whether students are spending a day, a semester or a future career working with the community, Brother Ray Fitz wants them to do it with a deeper meaning.

“Service needs to be balanced with reflection,” says Fitz, who was the longest-serving president in the University’s history. “It’s one thing to go to a shelter and serve a meal. It’s another to sit down and eat a meal with the real people there and try to understand why they’re homeless.”

Facing New Realities Reflection is embedded in the soul of the University. As it moves forward, responding to the demands of a changing world, the University also looks inward, engaging in purposeful contemplation of its core beliefs. In 1977, conversations focused on “The Purpose and Nature of the University of Dayton.” In 1990, a statement articulated the Catholic and Marianist identity of the University.

At the dawn of the 21st century, “Vision 2005” acknowledged a backdrop of new realities—rising diversity, rapid technological change, global competition and cost pressures. The University sought to make its mark in higher education as an institution of distinction, with

“IT’S ONE THING TO GO TO A SHELTER AND SERVE A MEAL. IT’S ANOTHER TO SIT DOWN AND EAT A MEAL WITH THE REAL PEOPLE THERE AND TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHY THEY’RE HOMELESS.” ­—BROTHER RAYMOND L. FITZ, S.M., PAST UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON PRESIDENT

Praying, celebrating the Eucharist and breaking bread happen in a variety of settings—from chapels to a Marianist house in the student neighborhood.

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CHAPTER TWO LEARN. LEAD. SERVE.

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY At the University of Dayton, researchers ask the big questions and search for solutions that will benefit humanity.

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CHAPTER TWO LEARN. LEAD. SERVE.

the Marianist tradition as a firmament, a values-driven

website explained, “We don’t have an identity crisis. We are

perspective that enriches academic knowledge.

more boldly proclaiming who we are.”

“Learn. Lead. Serve.” became the shorthand version of

The task force summed up the University’s mission

the University of Dayton’s mission. Fitz expanded campus

in five themes, including “searching for truth grounded in

ministry, including the Center for Social Concern, which

faith and reason” and “partnering for the common good.”

organizes service and social justice events. During his

At the same time, an interdisciplinary Common Academic

tenure, the University integrated the humanities, including

Program replaced the general education requirements.

ethics and religious studies, into the core curriculum so

Learning-living communities brought students together

that students would have a moral underpinning.

around dynamic academic themes—big questions such as

Daniel Curran continued the conversation when he appointed a Mission and Identity Task Force in 2010. Its

how to build community around social justice and how to view human values through different cultural lenses.

A F LY E R ’ S V I E W

A Sacred Trust —Crafting a Life Sister Angela Ann Zukowski, M.H.S.H.

Italy’s Umbria Valley is filled with a hush that feels sacred, particularly at 3 a.m. when the University of Dayton’s Chaminade Scholars slowly emerge from the comfort of sleep to climb to the rooftop terrace of our hotel in Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis. n For the past semester, these students studied Vocation and Arts in my classroom. Today, we’ve embarked on the capstone experience in that course—a 10-day pilgrimage to Assisi and Rome. n Pope St. John Paul II once observed, “All men and women are entrusted with the task of crafting their own life: in a certain sense, they are to make of it a work of art, a masterpiece.” n We prepared for the pilgrimage by engaging in deep and meaningful conversations with people from various disciplines who embrace their life’s work not as a job but as a vocation. These are the artists we want to emulate, the ones creating masterpieces of their lives. n During the course we delved into ways to cultivate wonder, beauty and awe in our everyday lives. We discovered new ways of seeing, listening and being present in the world. Now, as pilgrims, we are learning to distance ourselves, for a short period of time, from the digital milieu. Leaving behind Twitter, Facebook and the culture of distraction, we open ourselves to a renewed encounter with the sacred. n In the early-morning stillness, these students present themselves to God and contemplate how they will use their lives to serve others. They are beginning to paint their own masterpieces. n Except for the occasional rustle of gentle breezes that dance through the olive trees, silence embraces us. The panoramic view of passing constellations and the Milky Way beckons us to awaken to the wonder of the universe beyond us. n We stand together in awe, open to God’s invitation to experience the ordinary in an extraordinary way.

Sister Angela Ann Zukowski is a professor of religious studies and director of the Institute for Pastoral Initiatives.

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Students build and test a solar cooker, one of many projects that demonstrate technical knowledge and environmental acumen they will apply in service to communities around the globe.

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CHAPTER TWO LEARN. LEAD. SERVE.

THE UNIVERSITY PLEDGED TO BECOME CARBONNEUTRAL BY 2050. “WE LOOKED AT IT THROUGH THE OPTICS OF FAITH-BASED PRINCIPLES,” SAID BOARD CHAIR STEVEN COBB.

The University’s introspection stems in part from the decline of vowed religious and the need for laypeople to take on more responsibility to maintain the Marianist tradition. Curran was committed to keeping the charism alive. “Dan understands that Catholic higher education was founded to examine the culture and find ways to advance the common good,” says Michael Galligan-Stierle, president of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C. “Under his leadership, the University of Dayton has affirmed its commitment to fulfill this responsibility.”

A year before Pope Francis issued his landmark encyclical, Laudato Si’ (“On Care of Our Common Home”), on the Catholic imperative to respond to climate change and the degrading of national resources, the University of Dayton took bold moves to divest itself of investments in coal and fossil fuel companies.

It pledged to become carbon-neutral by 2050, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and taking measures to offset the remaining carbon footprint.

Curran and the board of trustees felt strongly that the University of Dayton should be a leader in promoting sustainability, says board chair Steven Cobb ’86, chairman and CEO of Henny Penny Corp., a food equipment manufacturer. “We looked at it through the optics of faith-based

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CHAPTER TWO LEARN. LEAD. SERVE.

The warm, hospitable spirit found in the University’s religious tradition intersects with the student neighborhood on the porch of a Marianist community, where all are welcome.

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

AT “THE TREEHOUSE” IN THE STUDENT

principles—of our beliefs, the moral values of our founders

NEIGHBORHOOD, A GROUP OF RIVER

Covenants to Share

STEWARDS COMMITTED THEMSELVES

and our current mission,” he says.

How do you live your values day to day? That question

TO LIVING SUSTAINABLY, PLANTING A

resonates not just for the University but for its students.

GARDEN THAT WAS WATERED WITH RAIN

group of River Stewards committed themselves to living

COLLECTED IN LARGE BARRELS AND

collected in large barrels and fertilized from a compost

FERTILIZED FROM A COMPOST PILE.

conditioning and held cookouts with homegrown and

At “The Treehouse” in the student neighborhood, a sustainably, planting a garden that was watered with rain pile. They dried their clothes on a line, lived without air locally sourced produce.

Around the corner, a Marianist student house is an open-door community, a place made homey with handmade decorations: an old recliner recovered with jeans, curtains

Flyers Are Winners on and off the Court or Field When new recruits walk into the Frericks Center, they can feel what it means to be a Flyer. The D logo, etched in a panel of glass, is bold and sleek. Images of championship-worthy moments in various sports flash on flat screens. Trophies shimmer on nearby shelves. Just beyond, a conditioning center features state-of-the-art equipment and a sound system that blasts tunes to help student-athletes get pumped up.

Less visible but no less important is the familylike support and commitment to the needs of each student-athlete.

Kyle Davis ’17, a guard from Chicago, weighed offers from eight other schools but chose the University of Dayton because of its atmosphere. “Every coach here cares about each player and supports them,” he says.

Here, success is not measured only in points or games.

The University’s commitment to sustainability includes facilitating the growth of healthy food through renewable resources.

It is holistic. Winning at the University of Dayton happens on

of Dayton’s basketball success story began in the 1950s, with

and off the court or field.

coach Tom Blackburn, a strict disciplinarian. He took over a

In 2014 and 2015, the University of Dayton was the only

sputtering team in 1947 and brought it to the National Invi-

school in Division I to compete in the NCAA tournament in

tation Tournament finals in Madison Square Garden in 1951.

men’s and women’s basketball while achieving a 100 Gradu-

In 1962, after a string of successful seasons, the University of

ation Success Rate score. Its overall GSR of 95 ranked 25th

Dayton won the NIT championship.

in the nation and first in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The

Today, the basketball program remains strong, along with

Flyers ranked second in the Atlantic 10 for community service

added success in many men’s and women’s sports. The men’s

involvement in 2014–15.

basketball team reached the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament in 2014 and the women’s team in 2015 advanced to

n A Commitment to Come Out a Winner

the Elite Eight for the first time. In 2014–15, women’s soccer,

“It’s important for our student-athletes to give back to the

volleyball and softball teams won Atlantic 10 championships,

community,” says Tim Wabler, who retired as vice president

and in the past five years, Flyers teams overall attained a

and director of athletics in 2015 after 22 years in the athletics

higher winning percentage than ever before in school history.

division. “They wear UD Flyers with a lot of pride. They

“We’ve taken a quantum leap off a well-established

become role models for kids who aspire to be just like them.”

platform, and the commitment is there to keep it going,” says

They also have set a new bar athletically. The University

Wabler. “It’s our commitment to come out a winner.”

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

sewn by a housemate. A chore chart and ongoing invitation list helps keep track of communal dinners and frequent guests. But the most precious moments are spontaneous, when students catch the late-afternoon warmth on the porch or linger late into the night in the living room talking.

Not everyone in a Marianist student house is Catholic; people of all religious backgrounds are welcome. But they share a desire to find a deeper meaning in their college experience. “They make a covenant to one another that they will be not only a house of hospitality but a house of faith,” says Joan McGuinness Wagner, director of Marianist strategies.

Alicia Linzmeier ’17, a political science and criminal justice major and honors student from Green Bay, Wisconsin, found intellectual and social immersion in her first-year learning-living community, Core, which focuses on “human values in a pluralistic culture.” She and her

NOT EVERYONE IN A MARIANIST STUDENT HOUSE IS CATHOLIC; PEOPLE OF ALL RELIGIOUS BACKGROUNDS ARE WELCOME. BUT THEY SHARE A DESIRE TO FIND A DEEPER MEANING IN THEIR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE.

hallmates at Marycrest Residential Complex attended class together on Tuesdays and Thursdays, followed by afternoon discussion groups. The model of integrating English, history, philosophy and religious studies continues

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CHAPTER TWO LEARN. LEAD. SERVE.

Students from around the country and the world learn from their professors—and each other.

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

THE DISCUSSIONS DREW THEM BEYOND THEIR USUAL BOUNDARIES: WHO ARE YOU, AND WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE? “IT WAS A WAY TO GET TO KNOW THE PEOPLE I WAS LIVING WITH ON A DEEPER LEVEL,” SAYS

into the sophomore year and is capped by an ethics class in the junior year.

The discussions drew them beyond their usual boundaries: Who are you, and what do you believe? How do you see yourself, and how you want to impact the world? How do your beliefs fit into how we see ourselves as a university?

Core was more than an integrated curriculum. “It was a way to get to know the people I was living with on a deeper level,” says Linzmeier.

ALICIA LINZMEIER.

A F LY E R ’ S V I E W

A Constantly Magical Place Frank P. Geraci Jr. ’73 ’77

For those of us fortunate to have lived here, this is a magical place. n The University calls this the “student neighborhood.” Alums and students call it by a different name. n It is not the name, houses or boundaries that define this place, but the Marianist spirit that transcends the ages. The front porches and open doors symbolize a welcome more inviting than a doormat.

This neighborhood provides for a network of values and relationships and has supported and affected thousands of students throughout the decades. n Here students gathered to recognize the end of a world war or to protest the Vietnam War. Here students celebrated an NCAA run to the Elite Eight or an NIT championship or mourned the loss of life—from a campus fire or on distant campuses like Kent State or Virginia Tech. Here students huddled together trying to understand the events of September 11. n Horseshoe games have been replaced by cornhole tournaments.

Instead of students huddled around a radio, you may see them working on a laptop or watching a football game on a flatscreen TV. n The constant is that this is a place where people care for each other, learn life’s lessons together and then move on to serve their communities. It is a place where people play together or pray together, sharing life’s turns as a community. n Lifelong friendships are created in these homes, and lifelong lessons are learned on these streets. n I wonder if John Stuart and those who founded UD—the priest, the teacher, the gardener and the cook—could have imagined all this, built on trust and a caring spirit, the soul of UD. n Then again, maybe they couldn’t imagine anything but this.

Frank P. Geraci Jr. is chief judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of New York.

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CHAPTER TWO LEARN. LEAD. SERVE.

On a front porch in the student neighborhood, the American flag brings to mind in a profound way the words from the University seal—“Pro Deo et Patria” (“For God and Country”).

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CHAPTER TWO LEARN. LEAD. SERVE.

HOW DO YOU LIVE YOUR VALUES TODAY? THAT QUESTION RESONATES NOT JUST FOR THE UNIVERSITY BUT FOR ITS STUDENTS.

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Making a Commitment

permanently altered. “I can’t even remember how I thought

to a Better World

the world worked before,” he says.

When Andrew Lightner ’16 first walked into Lilongwe Airport

culture. His work enabled him to contribute to a livestock

in Malawi, strangers swarmed around him, grabbing at his

project that provides goats as a sustainable livelihood for

suitcase, wanting to help him in return for a tip. Soon he

women who are the heads of households.

Lightner came to study gender disparity in Malawi agri-

was on a bus that swerved around livestock and enormous

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potholes as it made the eight-hour trek to a village in the

n The Dignity of Social Justice

north. Out the window, the flat brush and occasional hills

The Malawi practicum, which works with the nonprofit

gave way to dramatic ridges and glimpses of the massive

Determined to Develop created by alumnus Matt Maroon

Lake Malawi.

’06, is just one example of the innovative work in human

In the first moments of his eight-week Malawi Research

rights at the University of Dayton. In 1998, the Univer-

Practicum on Rights and Development, Lightner truly felt like

sity was the first in the country to offer an undergraduate

a foreigner. But as part of a unique economic development

program in human rights studies. The Human Rights Center

program, he learned about the needs of the villagers—from

sponsors research and advocacy work as well as a major

their perspective. In the process, his own viewpoint was

conference each year.

For more than half a century, University of Dayton students have been learning from the people of Salyersville, Kentucky.

CHAPTER TWO LEARN. LEAD. SERVE.

What Service Really Is The student neighborhood is quiet and empty on a summer morning, except for the small front lawn of a house on Kiefaber where students are beginning to gather. They load duffels and pillows and boxes into white vans under a picture-book blue sky, birds twittering and a breeze blowing as if the natural world was blessing their upcoming journey.

For 50 years, University of Dayton students have traveled to Salyersville, Kentucky, an Appalachian town that is one of the poorest in the nation. First inspired

by President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty, the University of Dayton took the Marianist approach and sought to develop relationships rather than simply doling out clothing, household items and aid.

They began by going house to house, reading to children. Today, 14 students stay for nine weeks and plan activities that are free to the community. They live in a rustic house with no bathroom plumbing, Internet or cell service. And they get to know the Salyersville people,

Through those conferences and coalition meetings, the Human Rights Center formed Abolition Ohio, which lobbied to make human trafficking a stand-alone felony in the state.

Faculty members and students testified before the Ohio Senate. The bill passed the legislature and was signed by the governor on December 23, 2010.

Students also promote social justice through the student group Consciousness Rising, and they raise awareness during Human Rights Week each winter.

Mark Ensalaco’s work on political violence and terrorism in South America led to the founding of the University’s human rights program. “There’s a deep commitment of the University to the dignity of the human person and to social justice,” says Ensalaco, associate professor of political science and director of human rights research.

READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

University of Dayton students bond with each other and the children of the Dayton community on one unforgettable night each year—Christmas on Campus.

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CHAPTER TWO LEARN. LEAD. SERVE.

who, as it turns out, are poor in material things but rich in warmth, generosity of spirit and practical wisdom.

“We’re there to learn, to be with them and talk to them,” says Brother Tom Pieper, S.M. ’67, a campus minister and mentor to students in the program. “We just come as who we are and we spend time with them as who they are, and they just love that.”

Before the send-off in front of the Marianist house in which he lives, Brother Tom gives the students their

“WE JUST COME AS WHO WE ARE AND WE SPEND TIME WITH THEM AS WHO THEY ARE, AND THEY JUST LOVE THAT.”

bright blue T-shirts and asks them to hold hands in a circle on the lawn.

A F LY E R ’ S V I E W

Cold Night, Transcendent Joy Allison Gauthier ’16

With snow blanketing the ground and ice coating the trees, the University of Dayton is beautiful in the winter. As the Christmas tree goes up in the Humanities Plaza, a strong undercurrent of excitement runs throughout campus. n But it’s not just the colorful holiday decorations that make this time of the year so special. It’s a tradition that has been a part of the University of Dayton experience for more than half a century: Christmas on Campus. n On this day, the University and greater Dayton community are united in celebration.

Everywhere you turn, you spot rosy cheeks and smiles on the faces of children “adopted” by students. Later, hundreds of students celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception at a Mass. This extraordinary day marks a perfect end to the semester. n I spent one Christmas on Campus in the Flyer TV studio, where we showed the holiday favorite Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. As kids stepped on the platform in front of a special screen, they saw themselves in the movie, going on adventures with their favorite characters. Some danced with joy. Others grinned to see themselves on television. It was a heartwarming and unforgettable moment. n For Carolyn Wahlen and Matthew Kubiak, co-coordinators of Christmas on Campus, this tradition has defined their time at the University of Dayton. They described the tree-lighting ceremony as the most transcendent part of the night. They loved that Dr. Dan cleared his calendar to be part of the ceremony with students—even on the eve of flying to China one year. n Carolyn is proud that the event unifies the student body—and has connected her to other student volunteers who will be her friends for life. Matthew says that, even if he weren’t one of the organizers, Christmas on Campus would always be part of his heart. n As I look back on my four years at UD, I feel the same way.

Allison Gauthier is print editor-in-chief, Flyer News.

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CHAPTER TWO LEARN. LEAD. SERVE.

“Lord, we ask your blessing on us as we begin this great adventure,” he says, head bowed, voice soft and gentle.

“We ask for your blessing on all those down in Salyersville.

Bless you for all the little kids who will be in our day camp, the teens in our evening program, the elderly in the nursing home and all the families. Bless our community. May it continue to grow.”

Maureen Kelly ’16 of Cleveland stands in the circle, squeezing the hand of a friend leaving in the program.

The summer before, the trip to Salyersville caused her to change her plans for the future, from studying dietetics to becoming a high school biology teacher. “I guess I got a new definition of what service is,” she says. “There’s so much to be said for meeting someone and listening to them and knowing who they are.

“WE ASK YOUR BLESSING AS WE BEGIN THIS GREAT ADVENTURE. . . . BLESS OUR COMMUNITY. MAY IT CONTINUE TO GROW.” —BROTHER TOM PIEPER, S.M., COORDINATOR FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON SUMMER APPALACHIA PROGRAM

University of Dayton students gather outside the Marianist community on Kiefaber Street to join hands in prayer before departing for a summer in Appalachia.

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CHAPTER TWO LEARN. LEAD. SERVE.

EVERYONE IS A FLYER, REGARDLESS OF THEIR BACKGROUND OR ACADEMIC MAJOR OR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OR PERSONAL INTERESTS. “IT’S SORT OF LIKE THE SAME MISSION THE WHOLE UNIVERSITY HAS.” —RYAN PHILLIPS ’16

Red and blue aren’t just the colors worn for intercollegiate games on Baujan Field or in the University of Dayton Arena but also on Stuart Field for popular club sports, such as rugby.

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

“It changed my career path and how I interact with

student organization or group, compared with just 34

people and how I judge people,” she says. “I feel like I could

percent of seniors nationally. Overall, the seniors were

write a whole book about how it changed me.”

enthusiastic about their school; 64 percent reported that

“We Will Rock You”

if they could start over again, they would definitely attend the same institution, compared with just 47 percent of seniors nationally.

Every year, the National Survey of Student Engage-

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of

ment (NSSE) surveys first-year students and seniors

Teaching reviewed even more metrics and detailed infor-

at colleges and universities around the country. These

mation to recognize the University of Dayton in its 2015

numbers give a glimpse of what it’s like to be a Univer-

Community Engagement Classification, one of just 361

sity of Dayton student. For example, in the 2013 survey,

such institutions nationwide.

University of Dayton seniors were significantly more

But if you want to tap into the spirit of the University

likely than their peers nationally to say that their college

of Dayton, join the sea of red on a winter day in the basket-

experience helped them develop a personal code of

ball arena. Red Scare, the athletic spirit club, is the largest

values and ethics.

student organization on campus, with more than 5,000

Sixty-five percent had taken a leadership role in a

A Flyers first—moving on to play in the 2015 NCAA Division I football championship postseason playoffs.

72

names on an email list of the Flyer Faithful.

CHAPTER TWO LEARN. LEAD. SERVE. Historic and unprecedented.

The women’s basketball team’s 2015 run to the Elite Eight earned those descriptors and more as the Flyers advanced further in the NCAA Tournament than any other women’s squad in school history.

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CHAPTER TWO LEARN. LEAD. SERVE.

When the band plays, “We will rock you,” thunderous stomping rises from the stands. When the Flyers score, cheers soar to the rafters. The students are on their feet.

They shout players’ names. They wave signs. The Blue Men sit in front, skin painted blue, red wigs on their heads, adding to that crazy, all-in, “sixth man” feeling of the fans.

One electric moment came in 2014 when the University of Dayton beat No. 3–seeded Syracuse to move into the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament. After watching the game on television, students poured out of their houses, turning the street into a spontaneous mosh pit and pep rally. On one side, students chanted, “We are!”

The other side answered, “UD!” Dan Curran walked into the neighborhood and wandered into the jubilant crowd, which shouted, “Doctor Dan!” The students held him aloft for a few minutes.

It doesn’t always become quite that exciting at a volleyball game or soccer match, but Red Scare works hard to build a cheering section and fan base of students for varsity men’s and women’s sports. Ryan Phillips ’16, a sport management major who is president of Red Scare, estimates he spends up to 25 hours a week attending sporting events.

He calls sports “an essential meeting ground for bringing people together.” In the stands, everyone has a common purpose. Everyone is a Flyer. Everyone, regardless of their background or academic major or religious beliefs or personal interests, is a part of the community.

“It’s sort of like the same mission the whole university has,” he says.

RED SCARE WORKS HARD TO BUILD A CHEERING SECTION AND FAN BASE OF STUDENTS FOR INTERCOLLEGIATE MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SPORTS.

The Flyer Faithful, led by the Red Scare, bleed red and blue. Dayton consistently ranks among the nation’s top 30 programs in average home attendance, and its fans have been dubbed “the best in the nation” by Sporting News.

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY In 2013, the University of Dayton gave away bikes to incoming first-year students who pledged not to bring a car to campus the first two years.

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CHAPTER TWO LEARN. LEAD. SERVE.

THE UNIVERSITY FELT STRONGLY THAT IT SHOULD BE A LEADER IN PROMOTING SUSTAINABILITY.

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CHAPTER THREE

READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

THE POWE

OF P

78

ER

P OSSI B I L I TY

ACROSS 7,000 MILES AND a cultural divide, in the midst of the world’s most populous nation and second-largest economy, the spirit of the University of Dayton thrives.

Suzhou Industrial Park is a futuristic Oz on three natural lakes about 75 miles west of Shanghai, a planned city of towering glass skyscrapers.

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CHAPTER THREE THE POWER OF POSSIBILITY

All around are vast lawns, parkland and glittering lights of shopping plazas along canals. It looks nothing like Dayton—until you reach the University’s fivestory building in BioBay, where Chinese and American students study side by side in a high-tech zone, building a new kind of community.

For the Chinese, globalization is about guanxi, or connections. For the University of Dayton, that Mandarin word essentially carries two meanings: the research and education links that strengthen the University and create opportunities for students and faculty, and the friendships that grow abroad and at home. You could consider guanxi as the modern-day, globally oriented version of the Marianist tradition.

As president of the University of Dayton, Daniel Curran saw China as a destination not just for the typical

AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON, DANIEL CURRAN SAW CHINA AS A DESTINATION NOT JUST FOR THE TYPICAL STUDY-ABROAD PROGRAMS BUT AS AN ENTRY INTO AN INTERCONNECTED WORLD.

study-abroad programs but as an entry into an interconnected world. His own ties to China are long-standing. In 1999, when he was provost and executive vice president at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, he held a concurrent position at Nanjing University. Over the years, he nurtured that relationship and continued his research into the Chinese criminal justice system.

So it wasn’t surprising that, in 2012, the University of Dayton took advantage of an opportunity and became the At home in China: The University of Dayton opened its doors—and the world—to students wanting to study and conduct research in China. Home to a third of the world’s Fortune 500 companies and just 75 miles from the world’s busiest port in Shanghai, the China Institute is part of Suzhou Industrial Park on the modern outskirts of the ancient city of Suzhou.

first American university to open a freestanding institute in Suzhou. The China Institute houses one of the 20 American culture centers in China, the only one that is

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

“CHINA IS SUCH AN ECONOMIC FORCE IN THE

fully owned by an American institution. The University

WORLD THAT WE SHOULD BE THERE. THE CHINA

educational services to the workforce of the multinational

INSTITUTE IS PART OF A LARGER GLOBALIZATION

of Dayton is also the only American university to provide companies at Suzhou Industrial Park.

While such an ambitious venture may seem risky, the China Institute shows the value of reaching

STRATEGY THAT INCLUDES INCREASING OUR

forward to embrace the future. Or as Blessed William

PRESENCE IN NUMEROUS PARTS OF THE WORLD.

the signs of the times.”

WE’RE TAKING A HOLISTIC VIEW OF INTERNATIONAL

should be there,” Curran said at the opening ceremony.

EDUCATION, AND THIS IS ONE PIECE.”

strategy that includes increasing our presence in numerous

— DANIEL J. CURRAN PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON (2002–2016)

tional education, and this is one piece.”

Chaminade, the Marianist founder, once said, “reading “China is such an economic force in the world that we “The China Institute is part of a larger globalization parts of the world. We’re taking a holistic view of internaThat guanxi deepened and three years later led to a $7 million gift from Fuyao Glass America, which took over

Daniel J. Curran and a Vision for the Future In the spring of 2002, almost two months before Daniel J. Curran became the 18th president of the University of Dayton, he traveled to Nanjing to show then–interim provost Fred Pestello a glimpse of the future. As Curran participated in a signing ceremony with Nanjing University—a common ritual that signaled the start of a relationship—Pestello leaned over to an administrator from Saint Joseph’s University and whispered, “Can he do that? He isn’t even president yet.”

“Welcome to the world of Dan Curran,” he replied.

Once Curran committed to leading the University of Dayton, he was impatient for the next steps to unfold. His trip to China even before his installation revealed the scope of his vision.

Under Curran’s leadership, the University of Dayton soared. His legacy can be summed up most easily by the

The University of Dayton believes building community begins with building relationships, one at a time. That’s a mission that resonates in every corner of the globe.

numbers: From 7,000 applicants to 17,000. From 256 inter-

“He is naturally gifted with many different leader-

national students to more than 1,700. From 212 acres to 388.

ship characteristics. One of them is being able to have the

From $47.5 million in annual sponsored research to approx-

vision,” says Steven Cobb ’86, chair of the board of trustees.

imately $100 million. From an endowment of $255 million

Throughout his time at the University of Dayton, Curran

to $500 million. While other universities had cutbacks and

looked ahead at what could be, with careful and collabora-

furloughs during the Great Recession, the University of

tive strategic planning. Recently, the University has added

Dayton continued to add to the faculty.

programs to meet emerging needs, such as a doctorate of physical therapy, a physician assistant program and a

n Meeting Emerging Needs

master’s program in renewable and clean energy.

But the real change reveals itself in so many other ways.

“I don’t think any day goes by that we’re not thinking

Walk across the grassy mall in front of the John F. Kennedy

about the future,” says Carissa Krane, professor of biology

Memorial Union. Curran turned tennis courts and even

and president of the academic senate.

roads through campus into greenspace and walking paths.

Now, Curran sees the University poised for a new

Watch the clusters of students studying in the library and

beginning with a new president, Eric F. Spina. “It’s a

hear a harmony of different accents, including students

wonderful foundation for moving forward,” he says.

from Saudi Arabia, China and across the United States. Tour the vast labs where GE Aviation is performing research on electrical power systems for aircraft.

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

the General Motors plant in Moraine, Ohio, and built an automotive glass manufacturing facility. Fuyao’s funding enabled the University to purchase the five-story building that houses the institute—an important foothold in this fast-emerging marketplace.

From their apartment building in Suzhou, students can look across a lake and see the Gate of the Orient, a dual tower connected at the top floors that looks like a huge glass-paneled version of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

Suzhou Industrial Park, formed in a joint venture between China and Singapore, houses about 4,000 companies, including one-third of the Fortune 500 firms. Students often tour corporate facilities and hear from guest speakers.

More importantly, they get hands-on experience. In one business case competition, University of Dayton students met with the CEO of Ford China, who posed a problem of how to develop electric cars for the Chinese market. The winning student team proposed a system of hourly rental stations,

DAVID BORTH ’16, A CHEMICAL ENGINEERING MAJOR, FELL IN LOVE WITH THE SPIRIT OF SUZHOU AND ENDED UP SPENDING TWO SUMMERS IN CHINA. FOR HIM, THE DEEPEST LESSON WAS OF INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP.

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Right: It’s not all work for students studying in China, who immerse themselves in local culture, visit the Great Wall and take weekend excursions. Below: “Today is a celebration,” President Daniel J. Curran told the crowd at the 2012 grand opening of the China Institute. “There’s an innovative, entrepreneurial spirit in Suzhou Industrial Park that’s unlike any in the world.” Bottom: Music faculty and students teamed with the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, artists-in-residence on campus, in a dedication concert at Dushu Lake Theater.

CHAPTER THREE THE POWER OF POSSIBILITY

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

The School of Law is committed to inclusivity, service and justice inspired by the University’s Catholic, Marianist heritage.

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CHAPTER THREE THE POWER OF POSSIBILITY

EACH STUDENT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO SHAPE THE FUTURE, AND EACH ACADEMIC FIELD HAS SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO SAY ABOUT THE HUMAN CONDITION.

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

similar to the new bike stations that dot the streets in Dayton.

David Borth ’16, a chemical engineering major, fell in love with the spirit of Suzhou and ended up spending two

The Future of Research

Is Here

summers in China. For him, the deepest lesson was of international friendship. He has hosted Chinese students at

From India to Zambia, Guatemala to Cameroon, Univer-

huge barbecues at his home in Lebanon, Ohio, in an effort

sity of Dayton students travel the world on cross-cultural

to pay back the hospitality he felt in Suzhou. Whether his

immersions. But there are many ways to make a difference.

career takes him back to Asia or not, he has a new perspec-

Back home, in University laboratories, researchers and

tive on intercultural relationships.

students are reshaping the future in a very different fashion.

“It changes the way you see any person you’ll meet after that,” he says of his time in China.

Here, the world’s challenges, such as pollution, resource scarcity, public safety and space travel, have solutions.

A F LY E R ’ S V I E W

Social Media in Class and Court Thaddeus Hoffmeister

Juror’s tweet: I just gave away TWELVE MILLION DOLLARS of somebody else’s money n Juror’s tweet: Imho def glty jury dty cwot n Juror’s post: I don’t know which way to go, so I’m holding a poll n Comments like these first kindled my interest in social media. I quickly realized that jurors, like the rest of us, found it increasingly difficult to give up MySpace, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook for even one day. I wondered if other areas of the law were similarly impacted and quickly discovered the answer was “yes.” n I also realized that the legal community was wholly unprepared for the social media revolution. This led me to not only write a book, Social Media in the Courtroom: A New Era for Criminal Justice, but also to create a class called Social Media Law in 2013 . While such courses are more common today, the University of Dayton was one of the first schools in the country to offer such a class. n The course has proven to be a learning experience for both me and my students as we have found ourselves immersed in topics ranging from Facebook’s privacy policy to the “Online Eraser” law that requires websites to delete on demand any content posted by minors. With each passing day, we find more and more examples of social media’s influence on the law. n In many ways, the course, like the topic itself, requires me to employ cutting-edge teaching techniques. We start each class by reviewing the blogs that the students maintain. As for a traditional casebook, it does not exist. We rely on cases in the news, most of which are less than five years old. While students do not necessarily like the fact that the cases they study at the beginning of the semester might be overturned by the end, they enjoy the real-world application. n Today, former law students still send me articles or blog posts on social media and share their experiences in the courtroom and their practices. n To them, I will always be the “social media professor.”

Thaddeus Hoffmeister is a professor of law and associate dean for academic affairs, University of Dayton School of Law.

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CHAPTER THREE THE POWER OF POSSIBILITY Global service immerses engineering students in collaborative problem solving.

FROM INDIA TO ZAMBIA, GUATEMALA TO CAMEROON, UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON STUDENTS TRAVEL THE WORLD ON CROSS-CULTURAL IMMERSIONS. 89

University of Dayton researchers are moving algae from the fish tank to the gas tank in the quest to develop new sources of clean renewable energy.

Passion for the Planet Spurs Campus Sustainability

Hanley Foundation to establish the Hanley Sustainability Institute. The University will raise another $12.5 million to fulfill the mission of integrating academic, campus-wide and community sustainability efforts.

At the peak of the Me Generation, that time in the late 1980s when “Greed is good” came to signify the all-consuming

n Reducing the Ecological Footprint

pursuit of wealth, a group of University of Dayton students

The Hanley Institute will sponsor conferences and visiting

was worried about the future of the planet.

scholars, support interdisciplinary academic programs in

They launched a recycling drive and pushed for Earth-

sustainability and enhance outreach programs. For example,

friendly practices on campus. They met together and

University of Dayton students, in collaboration with

formed a club called EARTH. About 25 years later, their

community partners Mission of Mary Farm and East End

efforts have evolved into broad sustainability efforts on

Community Services, are helping turn a vacant five-acre lot

campus and beyond.

into an urban farm to provide produce to a neighborhood

Student passion for the environment, which first stirred

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that has had poor access to fresh food.

on campus at the beginning of the national environmental

“The Sustainability Institute will bring together all

movement in the 1970s, helped inspire the largest-ever gift

of our activities and allow us to achieve much deeper

to the University, $12.5 million from the George and Amanda

impact,” says provost Paul Benson.

CHAPTER THREE THE POWER OF POSSIBILITY

In the basement of the University of Dayton Research Institute, a place of mazelike hallways and cavernous spaces transformed from the staid offices of the old NCR headquarters to high-tech labs, green liquid of various shades bubbles in flasks and tubes. The oozing fluid that glows beneath fluorescent lights looks like a mysterious potion, but this is actually a kind of algae farm, sustained with carbon dioxide (which explains the bubbling). An outdoor version features vertical tubes that are able to grow algae even through the winter.

This is planet-saving research. Place this algae system next to a traditional power plant, and you can recycle the carbon emissions that contribute to global warming. The algae literally eat pollutants—they feed on nitrogen and phosphorus, components of wastewater and agricultural runoff that often end up in rivers and streams. Algae also produce oil that can be turned into a jet biofuel. One study found that replacing fossil fuels with biofuels could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 80 percent.

The University has already taken major steps to lighten its ecological footprint, including new lighting in the library that has reduced energy use by 66 percent, new products and policies in the dining services that have reduced landfill waste by 90 percent (the University now produces 220 tons of compost material each year), and an emphasis on efficiency that has kept carbon emissions flat while the University expanded its building space by 25 percent and its enrollment by 10 percent.

“This is very much in keeping with our Marianist charism,” says Leanne M. Jablonski, F.M.I., the first ScholarIn-Residence for Faith and Environment at the Hanley Sustainability Institute. “It’s extending our commitment to community to all parts of the ecosystem and responding to the signs of the times.”

READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

From algae to airplanes to Mars, University of Dayton researchers are devoted to making discoveries that benefit humanity.

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Meanwhile, in a warehouselike space about a mile away, the fastest light-gas gun in the world helps protect spacecraft from floating debris. At high speed, even an object as small as a pea could rip a hole in the exterior of a craft. UDRI researchers test protective material, sending a slug through a 61-foot cylinder filled with hydrogen gas. It reaches a speed of up to 20,000 miles per hour, mimicking the high-velocity collisions of space debris. Similar guns have enabled UDRI researchers to develop better bulletproof glass and jet windshields that can withstand impact with birds, saving the lives of U.S. Air Force pilots.

UDRI has many other projects that enhance our world and protect us. For example, research into sensors will help detect explosives, improve medical imaging, assist police in tracking crime, make cars more fuelefficient and boost manufacturing competitiveness. “We harness the creativity and passions of our researchers to solve problems for our customers and provide experiential opportunities for our students that they could not get anywhere else,” says John Leland, vice president for research and UDRI executive director.

“WE HARNESS THE CREATIVITY AND PASSIONS OF OUR RESEARCHERS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS FOR OUR CUSTOMERS AND PROVIDE EXPERIENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS THAT THEY COULD NOT GET ANYWHERE ELSE.” —JOHN LELAND VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE RESEARCH INSTITUTE

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WE LOOK AT STUDENTS AS WHOLE PERSONS, AND WE THINK ABOUT THE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE AS A WHOLE EXPERIENCE. WE WANT CONSTANT CREATIVITY.

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY In 2014, George ’77 and Amanda Hanley stepped up with a $12.5 million gift, the largest in school history, to establish the Hanley Sustainability Institute and position the University as a national leader in sustainability education.

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A Curriculum in Motion

study spurs unusual collaborations. For example,

Each student has the potential to shape the future, and

develop a museum display on the history of the Earth,

each academic field has something important to say about

an exhibit that could be installed in the Science Center.

the human condition. With that in mind, the University

Sociology and photography students created a visual

developed a Common Academic Program that focuses

exploration of “food deserts,” areas where low-income

on academic inquiry as well as practical wisdom, service

residents lack access to fresh produce. Some of the

learning and scholarly work.

photos were patterned after Dutch still-life paintings

“Crossing boundaries” infuses study of practical ethical action, dialogue among faith traditions and

geology and graphic design students worked together to

of the 17th century; others portrayed a collage of food receipts.

multiple methods of inquiry into every student’s

“It’s a very comprehensive and integrated vision of

educational plan, while interdisciplinary or “integrative”

the student experience,” says provost Paul Benson. “We

A F LY E R ’ S V I E W

Racing to Preserve the Planet Michelle Tedford ’94

On a sunny Up the Orgs day in 1990, I joined a club that so fulfilled my desire to learn, change and grow that it stuck—through four years, and the rest of my life. n I was not alone. EARTH, the fledgling organization committed to respect of our natural world, grew quickly, with students interested in both education and action. Courses like Environmental Geology as well as Religion and Ecology piqued our curiosity. Professors like Brother Don Geiger, S.M., then took us into the fire—literally, with a seasonal burning of his newly sprouted tall-grass prairie at Bergamo. Faith and science ignited us. n We could not sit still. We caved in Kentucky and cleared trails at Hueston Woods State Park. We raised our voices until campus incinerators were replaced with green recycling dumpsters. We used a new technology—email—to organize with college students across the nation. We painted signs and stood beside citizens protesting tire burning at the cement kiln near Yellow Springs and pollution from Stony Hollow Landfill in West Dayton. Twenty-five years before Pope Francis’ encyclical, our Marianist education taught us that ecological injustices diminish us all. n We became writers, musicians, lawyers, doctors, organizers, engineers—and forever EARTHlings. n I returned in 2002 to work at UD. I have watched solar panels go up, students found urban gardens and professors develop degree programs around faith, justice and sustainability. And I’m jealous. At the 2014 ceremony announcing the $12.5 million gift to found the Hanley Sustainability Institute, former EARTH faculty advisers said what EARTH friends would echo on Facebook in the following days: Only 25 years late. Imagine what we could have accomplished. n But sometimes, it takes both fire and time for something exquisite to germinate. I can’t wait to see what UD students will accomplish next—for the Earth and us all.

Michelle Tedford is editor of the University of Dayton Magazine.

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Faculty have created a collaborative and dynamic curriculum that allows students to wrestle with ideas from different perspectives.

Tuition Plan Guarantees Parents Know the Real Cost

when the program was announced. “But the University

Parents make an investment in their children’s future every

guarantees they will never pay more than what they paid

time they write a tuition check. The University of Dayton

their first year going forward.”

of Dayton will make a financial aid offer to freshmen that

believes they should know exactly what they will need to pay—with no surprises.

So in 2013, the University did away with fees, which

The tuition guarantee fits with the University’s Marianist

often cause bills to creep higher while tuition technically

mission. It also reflects concern and understanding for

stays the same. And the University made a guarantee:

the financial sacrifices that families make to send their

University-funded scholarships and grants will be adjusted

children to college. When the University realized that

every year so that net tuition stays the same for the entire

some students, particularly those who are the first in their

four years.

family to go to college, were blindsided by the high cost of

Consumer advocate Clark Howard called it a smart idea. At some schools, the promise of financial aid is “like

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n Understanding Family Sacrifices

textbooks, a bookstore credit of up to $4,000 was added to financial aid packages.

a loss leader where they discount your freshman year to

“We don’t just tell them, we show them that we care,”

entice you in, and then your tuition gets jacked up for

says Jason Reinoehl, vice president of enrollment manage-

sophomore year moving forward,” he said in a blog post

ment and marketing.

CHAPTER THREE THE POWER OF POSSIBILITY

look at students as whole persons, and we think about the educational experience as a whole experience.”

Communication 101, a basic course designed to

The students consider different ideas and learn how to analyze potential solutions. Then in the spring semester, they design, build and test their devices.

promote dialogue rather than just public speaking, won a

As seniors, engineering students take on similar

Program of Excellence award from the National Commu-

challenges in a capstone project. Brad Eley ’13 worked

nication Association.

with classmates to design a video game controller for his

The Common Academic Program will remain dynamic and innovative, Benson says.

“We don’t want to just fix the curriculum in place. We want constant creativity and collaboration among faculty

7-year-old brother, Dale, who had no use of his legs and limited use of his left arm. The device helped strengthen Dale’s arm while enabling him to play games without feeling frustrated and defeated.

as part of this program,” he says.

In the School of Engineering, for example, first-year students take a course in Engineering Innovation. During the

Off the Grid, On Task

fall semester, they are presented with a real-life challenge. It may be a farmer who has been disabled by an injury but needs

Students with a passion for problem solving can change the

to continue to drive a tractor, or someone in a wheelchair who

world. Through ETHOS (Engineers in Technical Human-

needs an assistive device to use a top-loading clothes dryer.

itarian Opportunities of Service Learning), engineering

On move-in day, students face a future of many unknowns— except the price tag. Thanks to the University’s tuition plan, students and their families know from day one that the cost will not change over four years.

READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

students turn their skills toward the problems of developing nations. Ryan Schuessler ’15 traveled to Auroville (City of Dawn), a town in southeastern India that was designed to be a “universal township,” an idealistic place where people of many nationalities would live together in harmony. He worked for Minvayu, a company that seeks to bring wind energy to rural parts of India that have little or no access to an electric grid.

“ASKING THE BIG QUESTIONS IS THE FIRST STEP OF ANY CHANGE. IT TAKES COURAGE, WISDOM AND HUMILITY TO DO THAT IN A PURPOSEFUL WAY. THE REAL JOURNEY OF EDUCATION IS ABOUT ALLOWING STUDENTS TO FIND THEIR OWN INNER VOICE, AND THAT IS WHAT UD DOES WELL.” — SUNDAR KUMARASAMY FORMER VICE PRESIDENT FOR ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING

Using skills he learned as a mechanical engineering student at the University of Dayton, he and fellow ETHOS classmates developed new designs for rotor blades of wind turbines, experimenting with bamboo, a readily available material. They built a wind turbine tower that could be used to test prototypes, a project that involved using a hand shovel to dig holes four feet deep and pouring concrete supports.

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“Catholic in Our Faith, Global in Our Mission” is not just a catchy slogan in the Alumni Center on River Campus. It’s a philosophy that extends to the classrooms and the labs, where students from around the globe strive to make a better world.

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

Students entering the University of Dayton’s new physician assistant program train in state-of-the-art exam rooms.

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QUESTIONS MATTER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON. THEY FRAME A SEARCH FOR KNOWLEDGE, FOR SOLUTIONS TO COMPLEX PROBLEMS.

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READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

The work had a Marianist flavor. In his designs,

a graduate student studying renewable and clean energy at

Schuessler sought effectiveness and simplicity. “The focus is

the University of Dayton, Schuessler hopes to continue the

on appropriate technology,” he says. “We don’t come up with

work of bringing energy efficiency to developing nations.

huge, really expensive projects. You use what’s available in the local area.”

Just living in Auroville underscored the need for an

Building on the Legacy

energy solution. With intermittent electricity that lasted half the day, at best, the students endured temperatures of

Do you perform community service because it feels good or

up to 100 degrees without so much as an electric fan. Now

because it looks good on your résumé? Do you know more

A F LY E R ’ S V I E W

Creating a Learning Place Without Boundaries Katie Kinnucan-Welsch

On a hot, sunny August morning in 2013, New Student Orientation leaders welcomed first-year students to small group sessions about a new curriculum designed to provide a distinctively Catholic and Marianist education for all undergraduate students. n I was more than a little nervous about trying to describe the Common Academic Program, or CAP for short, to these new college students, because this curriculum is anything but common. As I look back on that day, I am still in awe of the excitement, energy and effort it took—and is still taking—to create the interdisciplinary classes that make this curriculum so unusual in higher education. n The first conversations around CAP began in a very Marianist way, with faculty reading and talking about the themes found in documents and reports written about our Catholic, Marianist tradition. n In May 2006, after more than a year of study, writing, consultation with the campus community and extensive revisions, the Marianist Education Working Group presented Habits of Inquiry and Reflection to the provost. Over the next seven years, the ideas in that document formed the basis for generating conversation around curriculum among faculty and leading to the approval of more than 200 CAP courses by fall 2015. The courses run the gamut—from environmental ethics and civil engineering design to immigration history and communication and digital literacy. n CAP is more than a new curriculum; CAP is a place where students, faculty and staff come together to create learning experiences that are distinctively UD. Faculty are designing courses with specific student learning outcomes in mind; students are taking classes created by faculty who are crossing boundaries and creating spaces for inquiry. n Working with other faculty and staff members on developing CAP has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my 18 years as a faculty member and administrator. It has been a transformative process for me and for the University, but then, isn’t that what the Marianist charism is all about?

Katie Kinnucan-Welsch is a professor of teacher education.

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The University of Dayton inspires students to gain a lifelong appreciation for the arts. Every year, students showcase their talents at “Celebration of the Arts,” an evening of music, dance and drama at the Schuster Center, Dayton’s premiere performing arts venue.

CHAPTER THREE THE POWER OF POSSIBILITY

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Students at the University of Dayton embrace what President Dan Curran calls “the power of possibility.”

The 19th President “Collaborative, Thoughtful, Genuine”

Spina says the Marianist sense of community drew him to the University of Dayton’s presidency.

On a bright, warm September morning, anticipation

“It truly feels like home,” he says. “Through deep

fills the air as a standing-room-only crowd gathers in the

reflection and conversation, Karen and I ultimately felt a

Kennedy Union ballroom to welcome Eric F. Spina as the

calling to come home to the University of Dayton—to join

school’s 19th president.

this community and help to strengthen its selfless ministry

Alumni, students—and even the mayor—immediately

of love, service and education.”

tweet greetings and words of advice for Spina, former vice

The Buffalo, New York, native is the son of teachers—

chancellor and provost at Syracuse University, who steps

one an artist, the other a scientist. A mechanical and

into the presidency in July 2016.

aerospace engineer, Spina developed a stellar reputation for scholarship, teaching and research over a 27-year

“Dear Dr. Spina: It’s all about community.”

career at Syracuse.

“We are an inclusive community of equals. Spend time with

n Asking for Prayers

students. They are the heart.”

“When you talk to others in higher education nationally about Eric’s leadership traits, the words ‘collaborative,’

“You are now part of a GREAT FAMILY.”

‘thoughtful,’ ‘strong listener’ and ‘genuine’ come up over and over again,” says Steven Cobb, chair of the board of

“It’s not a school. It’s a home.”

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trustees. “He understands that long-term and meaningful

CHAPTER THREE THE POWER OF POSSIBILITY

about Lindsay Lohan than Darfur? Do you believe the truth or the hype?

Those provocative questions confront prospective students. They framed the first pages of the University’s “viewbook,” the publication that presents the school’s profile. “THIS BOOK DOES NOT HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS,” it says in bold red lettering on the cover.

That may seem like an odd way to recruit new students, but questions matter at the University of Dayton. They frame a search for knowledge, for community, for social justice, for

“WE CAN MAKE THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON AN EVEN GREATER AND MORE DIVERSE UNIVERSITY, WITH LOCAL AND GLOBAL IMPACT . . . A BEACON OF CATHOLIC AND MARIANIST VALUES.” — ERIC F. SPINA, 19TH UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON PRESIDENT

solutions to complex problems, for connection with the world.

“Asking the big question is the first step of any change. It takes courage, wisdom and humility to do that in a purposeful way,” says Sundar Kumarasamy, a consultant who revamped

relationships matter—deep and trusting relationships with

that so very desperately needs moral action and not just

students, with faculty and with the community. Like all of

moral constructs.”

the University of Dayton presidents who have come before him, he is a leader with integrity and a deep faith.”

Clearly moved during the announcement of his

He closed with these heartfelt words: “I am deeply honored by the opportunity to work with all of you to make our University of Dayton even greater. Go Flyers!”

appointment, Spina asked the campus community for their

It didn’t take long after the announcement for Spina

prayers. “I particularly ask you to pray that I be granted the

to tweet his gratitude for the warm welcome: “Thanks for

grace to serve as president with a kind yet discerning head,

making us a part of the community!”

a gentle yet steadfast heart and outstretched yet firm hands,” he said.

Together, he said, “we can make the University of Dayton an even greater and more diverse university, with local and global impact through our teaching and research and community engagement, and as a beacon of Catholic and Marianist values in a world

“I look forward to carrying the torch,” Eric F. Spina said when he was named Daniel J. Curran’s successor.

READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

“I BECAME REALLY INVOLVED IN MY COMMUNITY BECAUSE OF THE THINGS I LEARNED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON. IF YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE, YOU SHOULD. I THINK THAT’S AN IMPORTANT LESSON THEY TEACH AT UD.” — VICKI GIAMBRONE ’81 ’01 EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CBD ADVISORS

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the viewbook when he served as vice president of enrollment

contribute, you should. I think that’s an important lesson

management and marketing for the University. “The real

they teach at UD.”

journey of education is about allowing students to find their own inner voice, and that is what UD does well.”

It is a thread that stretches from the earliest days and into the future. On the grassy mall outside Kennedy Union,

For Vicki Giambrone ’81 ’01, the University of Dayton

students walk past a statue of Blessed William Joseph

is where she met her husband, embraced Catholicism, chose

Chaminade, his right hand clutching a book, his left hand

to study marketing and communications and learned to give

outstretched, a gentle expression on his face as he looks

back to the community. “I found my faith and my family and

down at successive generations of students.

my future,” she says. For 23 years, she worked in marketing,

That thread endures as the University enters a new

strategic planning and business development for Dayton

era. When Daniel Curran walks around campus, his role

Children’s Hospital, and she now takes on similar duties as a

now changing back from president to professor, he feels

consultant for health care and other industries.

the same energy and potential as when he arrived. He calls

“I became really involved in my community because

it “the power of possibility.”

of the things I learned at the University of Dayton,” says

“There are tremendous opportunities to do great

Giambrone, who has served as mayor and vice mayor

things, and there’s a tremendous spirit in this community,”

on the nearby Beavercreek City Council. “If you can

says Curran. “You’re always building on the legacy.”

A F LY E R ’ S V I E W

Come on Over, Mars Rover Chadwick D. Barklay ’04 ’07

As a child, I spent most summers with my grandparents in Merritt Island, Florida, where I witnessed firsthand numerous Apollo launches at the Kennedy Space Center. n I felt the earth quake and the air ripple with thunder as the largest rocket ever made—the Saturn V—slowly lifted from the launchpad and sent astronauts to the moon. It was electrifying. I knew at that moment I wanted to be part of this legacy. n For more than 25 years, I have been involved in testing space power systems developed by the U.S. Department of Energy for use on NASA space missions. n As part of a team of researchers in the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI), we are currently testing a power system used on NASA’s rover Curiosity.

Aside from this one power system on Mars, only two other power systems like it have been built; both of them are at UDRI. n On one of the units, we are conducting experiments to evaluate the performance of the power system under conditions similar to the extreme temperatures on Mars. Similar experiments are being performed on the second unit, but adjusted for the harsh environments the power system would encounter on a journey through deep space to Jupiter’s moon, Europa. n It’s groundbreaking—and fascinating—work. The information we provide to NASA is critical for current and future mission planners to understand how much electrical power they will have to conduct space exploration on far-off planets. n My childhood dream has come true.

Chadwick Barklay is a Distinguished Research Scientist and group leader for advanced high-temperature materials in the Research Institute.

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I N D E X

Numbers in italics indicate images.

—— Abolition Ohio, 65 activities, 11 Albert Emanuel Hall, vi–vii algae research, 90–92 Alumni Center, 100 Appalachia, summer program, 65–72 Archdeacon, Tom, 44 ArtStreet, 4, 21, 26 Atlantic 10 Conference, 43, 57 Auriemma, Geno, 44 Barklay, Chadwick D., 109 Bartel, Alisa, 19 Baujan Field, 71 Benson, Paul, 90, 97–99 bicycle giveaway program, 76 BioBay, 81 Blackburn, Tom, 57 Blank, Meghan, 43–44 Blend, The, 4, 5 Bloemer, Ken, 5 Blue Men, 75 Borth, David, 84, 88 BreakOut trips, 43 brownfield, University’s purchase of, xi, 29, 30 Burkhardt, Tom, 33 Burroughs, Edward, 11 “The Call to Lead,” 19–20 Campus Ministry, 43 CAP. See Common Academic Program Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 72 “Celebration of the Arts,” 105 Center for Social Concern, 43, 51 Chaminade, William Joseph, xi, 6, 14, 41, 46–47, 108, 109 Chaminade Scholars, 51 Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, 8–9, 11, 42–43 Chapel Renovation Committee, 42 chapels, 48–49 China, American culture centers in, 81–82 China Institute, 5, 80, 81–88 Christmas on Campus, 66, 67 Cobb, Steven, 53–56, 83, 106–7 Common Academic Program, 15, 51, 97–99, 104 community-engaged learning, 44 community service, 43–44, 48 Consciousness Rising, 65 Core, 58–60 Crotty (L. William) Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, 5 Curran, Daniel J., x, 106, 109 appointing Mission and Identity Task Force, 51

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arrival of, University of Dayton, 20–24 assuming the presidency, xi boldness of, xi, 28-29 China and, 81–84 forward-thinking philosophy of, 6, 26, 35 leadership of, 26–30 on the Marianist tradition, xi, 5, 6, 53 on promoting sustainability, 53 purchase of NCR land and buildings, 30–35 seeing international potential, 24, 83 student celebrations and, 44, 67, 75 with students, 27, 75 upgrading the campus, 26–37, 83 vision of, 26, 33, 82

Davis, Kyle, 56 Dayton (OH), 44 Emmanuel Parish, 6 flooding of, 12 hosting the First Four, 12 Dayton Civic Scholars, 44 Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, 84–85 Deeds, Edward, 24 Dewberry Farm, 6 dining facilities, 35 doctor of physical therapy program, 16 Dushu Lake Theater, 84–85 EARTH, 90, 97 East End Community Services, 90 Eley, Brad, 99 Eley, Dale, 99 Emerson Climate Technologies, xi, 30, 32, 33 Ensalaco, Mark, 65 Entrepreneur magazine, 4 entrepreneurship program, 4–5 ETHOS (Engineers in Technical Humanitarian Opportunities of Service Learning), 89, 99–100 experiential learning, 1–3, 5, 93 farming, 7 Finan, Richard, 30 First Four, 12 Fitz, James, 41–43 Fitz, Raymond L., xi, 13, 14, 18, 49 and community-engaged learning, 44–48 expanding campus ministry, 51 giving University national standing, 6 leadership of, 19–20 strengthening community, 19 updating curriculum, 18, 20 Fitz Center for Leadership in Community, 44, 45 Flyer Enterprises, 4 Flyer Investments Team, 3 Ford China, 84 Fortune 500, 84

I N D E X

fountain (outside Kennedy Union), x–xi Francis, Pope, 53, 97 Frericks Center, 56 Fuyao Glass America, 82–84 Galligan-Stierle, Michael, 53 GE Aviation, xi, 32–33, 83 GE Aviation Electrical Power Integrated Systems Center (EPISCenter), 25, 33 Geiger, Don, 97 Geraci, Frank P., Jr., 60 Giambrone, Vicki, 108, 109 globalization, 81 graduation, viii–ix Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association, 16 guanxi, 81 Habits of Inquiry and Reflection (Marianist Education Working Group), 104 Hanley, Amanda, 96 Hanley, George, 96 Hanley (George and Amanda) Foundation, 90 Hanley Sustainability Institute, 90–91, 96, 97 Hanley Trading Center, 20 Helix, 30 Hoagland, Jeff, 12–13, 33 Hoffmeister, Thaddeus, 88 Howard, Clark, 98 Human Rights Center, 2, 3, 64–65 Human Rights Week, 65 human trafficking, 3, 19, 65 Innovation Center (School of Engineering), 5 interdisciplinary (integrative) study, 97 Jablonski, Leanne M., 91 John Paul II, 51 Johnson, Lyndon B., 65 Kelly, Maureen, 69–72 Kennedy (John F.) Memorial Union, 83 Kern Entrepreneurship Education Network (KEEN), 5 Kettering, Charles, 24 Keyes, Beth, 26 Kinnucan-Welsch, Katie, 104 Krane, Carissa, 83 Kubiak, Matthew, 67 Kumarasamy, Sundar, 100, 107–9 Laudato Si’ (“On Care of Our Common Home”; Francis), 53, 97 Leadership in Building Communities seminar, 44 learning-living communities, 51 “Learn. Lead. Serve.,” 18, 20, 51 Leland, John, 93

Liberty Hall, 10, 11 light-gas gun, 93 Lightner, Andrew, 64 Linzmeier, Alicia, 58, 60 Lochtefeld, Amanda, 4 Malawi Research Practicum on Rights and Development, 64 March Madness, 12 Marianist community, 54–55, 68–69 Marianist Education Working Group, 104 Marianist Hall, 26, 27 Marianist House, 48, 49, 56–58 Marianists core values of, 6, 7 U.S. beginnings of, 6 tradition of, xi, 5, 6, 53, 81, 104 Maroon, Matt, 64 Marshall, Paul, 24 Marycrest Residential Complex, 58 Mary’s Immaculate Conception (statue), v McDaniel, Ron, 4–5 Meyer, Leo, 6 Minvayu, 100 Mission and Identity Task Force, 51 Mission of Mary Farm, 90 Montgomery County Child Protection Task Force, 13 Music Therapy Club, 42, 43 Nanjing University, 82 National Cash Register (NCR), 10, 12, 19 headquarters of, xi, 12, 24, 34, 91 National Survey of Student Engagement, 72 Nauseef, J.P., 12 NCR. See National Cash Register net tuition, 98 New Abolitionist Movement, 19 Our Lady of the Marian Library statue, 30 Patterson, Frank, 10 Patterson, Frederick B., 24 Patterson, John, 10, 24 Pestello, Fred, 82 Philipps, Ryan, 75 physician assistant program, 102–3 Pieper, Tom, 67–69 plunges, 43 Polaris Project, 19 president’s home, 27 Princeton Review, 4, 22–23 “Purpose and Nature of the University of Dayton, The,” 48 RecPlex, xii–xiii Red Scare, 44, 72, 74–75

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I N D E X

Reinoehl, Jason, 98 Rike Center, 11 Rivers Institute, 44, 45 River Stewards, 3, 12, 45, 56 River Summit, 45 Roesch, Raymond, 14 Roesch Library, 4, 30 Salyersville (KY), 64, 65–72 School of Business Administration, 13 School of Engineering, 99 School of Law, 13, 86–87, 88 Schraut, Kenneth C., 13–14 Schuessler, Ryan, 100 Schuster Center, 105 Science Center, 35 Senate Bill 235, 19 servant-leadership, 13, 14 SERVICE Saturdays, 43 Shakespeare, William, 15 Shatteen, Westina Matthews, 24 Sibert, Jordan, 44 social justice, 14, 43, 44, 51, 65 social media, 88 Social Media in the Courtroom: A New Era for Criminal Justice (Hoffmeister), 88 Society of Mary (Marianists), 6 solar cooker, 52 Solidarity Club, 43 Solma, Martin, 6 Spina, Eric F., 6, 83, 106–7 Sporting News, 44, 75 St. Joseph Hall, ii–iii, 32–33 St. Mary’s College, 12 St. Mary’s Hall, 10, 11 St. Mary’s Institute, 10 St. Mary’s School for Boys, 10 Stuart, John, 6, 60 Stuart Field, 71 student neighborhood, 19, 22–23, 31, 38–39, 39–41, 44, 56, 60, 61 Sullivan, Crystal, 43 Suzhou Industrial Park, 79–88 Tedford, Michelle, 97 Treehouse, The, 56 tuition plan guarantee, 98, 99 University of Connecticut, 44 University of Dayton applications to, 5, 83 arts at, 84–85, 94–95, 105 athletics at, 10–13, 44, 56–57, 70–75 carbon-neutral pledge of, 53

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in China, xi China Institute, 80, 79–87 Community Engagement Classification for, 72 core beliefs of, 48 divesting in coal and fossil fuel companies, 53 in the Elite Eight, 44, 57, 73 endowment of, 5, 20, 83 fan base of, 44, 74–75 as first fully coed US Catholic university, 13 fundraising campaigns at, 19–20, 90 growth of, xi, 5–6, 7, 25, 26–37, 82–83 hosting the NCAA First Four, 12 human rights work at, 2, 3, 19, 64–65 incorporation of, 13 international exchange at, 24 international study and, xi, 24 Marianist mission of, xi, 6, 51, 98 net tuition at, 98 purchasing NCR headquarters, xi, 12, 24, 35 purchasing land from NCR, 30, 33 recognition for, 5, 14, 72, 99 research at, 5, 14, 25, 34, 35, 50, 83, 90–93, 99–103 survey of students at, 72 sustainability and, xi, 52– 56, 57, 76–77, 90–91, 96, 97 ties to the community, 12–13, 44 transformation of, 5 upgrading of facilities, 26 viewbook of, 107, 109 wiring the campus, 19 University of Dayton Arena, 44, 71, 74–75 University of Dayton Research Institute, 14, 91–93, 109 University of Florida, 44 Up the Orgs, 97 Vineyard Hill, 11 Visioneering Center, 5 “Vision 2005,” 48–51 Wabler, Tim, 57 Wagner, Joan McGuinness, 58 Wahlen, Carolyn, 67 War on Poverty, 65 welcome sign, 10–11 Whaley, Nan, 13 Wright, Orville, 3, 10–13 Wright, Wilbur, 3, 10–13 Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, 13–14 Zehler, Maximin, 11 Zehler Hall, 10, 11, 32–33 Zukowski, Angela Ann, 51