DO THIS

Be Loyola Loyal

On March 22, Loyola will have a tent at YLC Wednesday at the Square. Anyone who makes a gift of $10 or more on Loyola Loyal Day will have exclusive access to the university's tent to visit with other members of the Wolf Pack and enjoy free beer and refreshments!

SPRING 2023

Vol. 32, No. 1

Editor

Eve Crawford Peyton Designer

Stephanie Moody ’08

University Photographer

Kyle Encar

Contributing Writers

Fritz Esker ’00

Marcel Garsaud ’54, J.D. ’59, H ’o4

Autumn Giusti ’00

Patricia Murret

Assistant Director of Donor Relations and Advancement Communications

Dominique Becnel

Director of Stewardship and Advancement Communications

Mariah Weinand

Executive Director of Development

Stephanie Hotard ’04, M.B.A. ’10

Associate Vice President for Alumni Engagement

Laurie Eichelberger Leiva ’03, Ed.D.

Vice President of Marketing and Communications

Rachel Hoormann ’94

Vice President for University Advancement

Chris Wiseman ’88, Ph.D.

Interim University President

The Rev. Justin Daffron, S.J.

Get Your Groove On

Support your school while eating crawfish bread at The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, April 28-May 7. The Loyola University Jazz Ensemble will play a set, along with many other bands with a Loyola connection! Wear your maroon and gold, and don't forget your sunscreen!

Smile on the Nile

Join the Loyola University Alumni Association on a trip to Egypt from Oct. 5-16. Highlights will include Cairo; the Grand Egyptian Museum; Giza, along with the pyramids and the Sphinx; and a four-night Nile River cruise. Book by April 6 to save $250.

View online at loyno.edu/magazine

Send address changes and correspondences to:

Loyola University New Orleans Office of Alumni Engagement 6363 St. Charles Avenue, Box 909 New Orleans, LA 70118 phone 504.861.5454 email alumni@loyno.edu

Submission of stories and photographs are welcome.

Loyola University New Orleans admits students of any race, creed, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability status, marital status, and citizenship status and does not discriminate in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, or athletic and other school-administered programs.

Dear Loyola community,

2022 was a year grounded in gratitude at Loyola University New Orleans. We opened the $1.9 million Loyola-Ochsner Nursing Simulation Lab and expanded our nursing programs. We launched new career and educational opportunities through Loyola Online and City College. We christened the newly renovated Connie and Elaine Jones Band Hall, made Billboard’s Top Music Business Schools, and held the inaugural LaunchU competition. One LaunchU prizewinner, Loyola senior David Price, surpassed our wildest imaginations with his invention of the Safety Pouch, a device that makes traffic stops safer for everyone and is now available in Walmart stores worldwide.

We reflected on the past while finding meaning in the present. We celebrated the life of former Mayor Moon Landrieu ’52, J.D. ’54, H’79, H ’05, as we saw the law school flourish under the leadership of his daughter, Madeleine, J.D. ’87, H ’05. We renamed a residence hall for Dr. Norman

C. Francis, J.D. ’55, H’82 one of the most successful university presidents in the history of higher education and the first Black graduate of Loyola's College of Law.

Our 2022 Integritas Vitae Award recipient, The Hon. Mary Ann Vial Lemmon, J.D. '64, reminded us of the strength and integrity demanded of trailblazing women, as we trumpet the fifth successful year of the Women’s Leadership Academy.

We continue to live our mission every day by preparing students who will be our next leaders. When our students graduate, about 60% remain in Louisiana to work, live, play, and grow their families.

Our post-graduation employment rate is up to 91%, our highest-ever recorded career outcomes rate. The median base salary for graduates beginning their careers is $46,384. This is a legacy that we take great pride in.

Loyola is in a position of strength thanks to the hard work of the past several years, and

I’m honored to be able to help finish what we started. Last fall, Loyola welcomed the most diverse first-year class in university history, leaders of tomorrow who show us daily what it means to live a good and just life. Loyola is well-positioned to maintain this momentum, and I’m committed to ensuring that our journey forward remains a smooth one.

This is a period of hope and courageous innovation for Loyola and our entire community. The successes of the past several years have shown what greatness is possible for the university. I’m confident that Loyola will continue on this path to success as we stay the course with our strategic plan; support our employees; and, most importantly, ensure the excellence that is integral to a Jesuit education for our students.

Father Justin Daffron, S.J. Interim President