Mount Magazine fall 2019

God's Plan

Fred Carter

ELIZABETH O’HARE, C’19 Student Commencement Speaker

“This degree is a symbol of years of hard work that have allowed us to take our gifts and bring them to the world. We are truly blessed to be a part of the Mount community where our professors are also our mentors, our classmates are also our friends, and for many of us, our curriculum is also our faith. Through our liberal arts education, we’ve learned how to be critical thinkers and to serve others with our many gifts and talents, and our intellect. We have grasped what it means to be ethical leaders and fight for the inclusion of all races, genders and ethnicities.”

ELIZABETH O'HARE,

C'19 Student Commencement Speaker & 2018 Flannigan Award Winner Science Teacher, Cantwell Sacred Heart of Mary High School, Montebello, California Alliance for Catholic Education Program, Notre Dame University

Dear Alumni, Parents & Friends,

One of the greatest joys of being president is the opportunity to engage with our wonderful alumni and learn their stories. In conversations, the vast majority reflect on the impact of the university's faculty on their lives, not only in academic learning but also in the forming of relationships and building of character. I too give considerable credit for my success and moral compass to the teachers and faculty who guided and encouraged me at Don Bosco Prep, West Point, Duke and North Carolina State.

This issue of Mount Magazine is a tribute to teachers and their power to help us soar. The cover story delves into the role of legendary men’s basketball coach Jim Phelan in shaping Fred Carter, C'69, into not only an NBA star but also a man of character. Carter shares that as a coach and mentor, Phelan taught him how to navigate his sometimes challenging position as the first African-American student to live on campus at the Mount with dignity and determination. Carter applied these lessons in the classroom and residence hall as well as on the basketball court.

Professor Patrice Flynn, Ph.D., details her semester as a Fulbright Scholar in Russia last spring. Anyone who has been taught by Dr. Flynn will not be surprised to learn that her productive time in Russia resulted in publication of a scholarly article in a Russian journal, drafting of a textbook for Russian professors interested in experiential learning techniques, and establishment of a global research group. Her experience will also impact how she teaches Mount students and enhances her research.

Mount alumna Magdalyn Fiore, C'17, writes about the co-teaching relationship between Drs. Caitlin Faas and Jon Slezak, whom some students affectionately have dubbed “Faazak.” The professors not only model collaboration but also enrich students’ learning experience in their cognition class. Peter Dorsey, Ph.D., dean of the College of Liberal Arts, discloses the story of English Professor David Wehner, Ph.D., who believes doing stand-up comedy prepared him to be an effective professor. Dr. Wehner has combined his love of stand-up and teaching in his class on American stand-up comedy. While students in this class laugh a lot, they also engage in serious discussions about politics and society.

Brief profiles of Timothy Fritz, Ph.D., and Benjamin Buhrman offer a glimpse of their offices, revealing their professional expertise and personalities.

Finally Clarke Hooper, C’19, a first-year teacher in Frederick County, Maryland, explains why she became a teacher and how the Mount prepared her to “empower children to fall in love with learning and see it as a gift, not a requirement.”

Please join me in saluting the Mount’s faculty and coaches. We cannot possibly thank them enough for their impact in ensuring that our graduates go on to lead lives of significance in service to God and others.

TIMOTHY E. TRAINOR, PH.D. President

Mount Magazine Fall 2019

PRESIDENT

Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D.

VP UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT

Robert Brennan, C’85

VP ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT, MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Jack Chielli

MANAGING EDITOR

Donna Klinger

EDITOR

Nicole Patterson

COPY EDITOR

Joe Paciella, C’03, MBA’11

WRITERS

Peter Dorsey, Ph.D.

Magdalyn Fiore, C’17

Patrice Flynn, Ph.D.

Kim Johnson, MBA'18

Donna Klinger

Joe Paciella, C’03, MBA’11

Nicole Patterson

John Singleton, C'86, MBA'87

ALUMNI NEWS TEAM

Kim Johnson, MBA’18

Kevin Kalis, C’99

Emily Myers, C’13, MBA’15

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Karlie Herbert

Michael Miville of MM Visuals

Kiyan Sheraz, C'19

DESIGNER

Laura C. Moyer

SPECIAL THANKS

Lynne Robinson, C'79, MBA'83

Jessica J. Whitmore, C'16

PRINTING

HBP Inc.

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The Office of University Marketing & Communications publishes Mount Magazine two times a year for alumni, parents and friends of Mount St. Mary’s University. Opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the author and do not specifically represent opinions of the magazine staff or the university. Reader responses and alumni contributions are welcome. The Mount reserves the right to refuse or revise comments or contributions for style and length.

CAITLIN FAAS, PH.D., AND JON SLEZAK, PH.D.

DAVID WEHNER, PH.D. A Stand-Up Professor

PATRICE FLYNN, PH.D.

Mount Fulbright Scholar in Russia

STUDY ABROAD

Mounties Expand Horizons

CLARKE HOOPER, C'19 Teaching Mount Values

Mount News

Campus Activities Center Opens

THE CAMPUS ACTIVITIES CENTER, a 5,700 square foot multipurpose student venue with a state-of-the-art video, sound and light system, opened for students at the start of the academic year.

The Mount broke ground on the open-design building January 22 and received the building occupancy permit in mid-August shortly before first-year students moved in. The Rev. Martin Moran, chaplain and director of Campus Ministry, blessed the building before a picnic lunch on August 14, employee Opening Day. First-year students were the first undergraduates to use the facility, which hosted several orientation sessions.

With the Mount’s enrollment growth over the past three years, and projected future growth, more space was needed on campus for social activities and other large-scale events. The building, funded in part by an anonymous donor, is flexible to accommodate various activities, ranging from hosting guest speakers and weekend social activities such as concerts, karaoke and bingo, to providing space for meetings of student life clubs and organizations. The venue, which has rollup doors that can be opened in warmer weather to a patio area and lawn, is located near Keelty Towers on the southwestern corner of John Walsh Way and Annandale Road.

"Designed to help our students become more engaged in campus activities and fully connect with each other, this beautiful new space will help us fulfill our commitment to student success," said President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D. "The building is expected to be hopping with activity all year long as students gather and engage with each other.”

Centurion Construction Group, LLC, utilized a pre-engineered metal building structure with insulated metal panels to efficiently build this contemporary facility. The building, designed by Marotta/Main Architects, includes an event preparation area, a green room, a disc jockey space and a mezzanine level that overlooks the first floor.

6 months in 3 minutes!

Visit msmary.edu/philanthropyatwork to watch a time lapse video of the center's construction.

Mount’s Boys High-Performance Academy Rugby Team Excels

THE MOUNT ST. MARY’S UNIVERSITY MEN’S RUGBY HIGH-PERFORMANCE ACADEMY (HPA) high school team is living up to its name, winning the Surfside 7s Tournament in July and finishing second with a record of 5-1 in the national High School 7s Rugby Championship at the Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championships in early June.

Developed last fall by Jay Myles, director of men's rugby at the Mount, the men's rugby HPA offers a unique pathway for high school rugby student-athletes to experience elite-level competition and coaching under the Mount men's rugby banner. It is the second program of its kind in the country.

The team, featuring players from five states across the Mid-Atlantic region, competed in several tournaments and held training sessions last fall but only had a brief training session at the High School 7s Championship before beginning competition. Despite the lack of practice time together, the HPA team posted a 3-0 record on the first day of tournament play, with a point differential of 105.

On day two the Mount rugby HPA beat Gorilla Rugby 24-5 in the quarterfinals, and Atlantis Rugby 15-0 in the semifinals to advance to Sunday’s final. The final, held in Talen Energy Stadium, saw the HPA team take on defending champion Bishop Shanahan from Philadelphia. In a tough battle, Shanahan held off the Mount rugby HPA 17-12 to retain the championship title.

“It was just an incredible opportunity for these young players to showcase their talents at such a professionally run event!” Myles said.

The HPA team is coached by Jon Grasso and Mike Williams, C'01. Grasso, a highly respected 7s coach, has coached for Beltway Elite and Stars Rugby. His strategic and developmental expertise provide the technical and fundamental foundation for the program. Williams is a

former captain and standout player for the Mount. He came to the HPA program with close ties to the Philadelphia rugby community where he has coached in the high school program of the Media Rugby Football Club. The coaches work to identify potential team members based on talent, work ethic and character. “We are able to have success because we bring in hard-working guys who really care about winning and are willing to sacrifice for the betterment of the team,”  said Williams.

The Mount rugby HPA team is financially supported by the Mount. Many of the HPA student-athletes have committed to attend the university. “Spending time with our HPA players and families at the CRCs was a great opportunity to see the future of Mount rugby," said Robert Brennan, C'85, a university men's rugby team veteran and the Mount's vice president for university advancement. "The level of play and the confidence of these young men was something I have not seen from high school players in the past. Coach Jay Myles has done an exceptional job of assembling a group of talented players and quickly forging them into a team that not only competes but enjoys the process.”

Prior to the CRCs, the HPA team had competed last fall in a local Rugby Pennsylvania Tournament and the New York 7s Tournament, both of which it won. At the Surfside 7s in July, the team defeated rival Bishop Shanahan on the way to the championship. The HPA finished the season with three cup wins and a second place finish in four tournaments.

“The Mount rugby HPA has the potential for greatly increasing the rugby skills and knowledge of top-level high school players in the Mid-Atlantic region, and I’m looking forward to being part of this new venture,” said Grasso.

The high school team returns to 7s action in November, seeking to repeat as New York 7s champions.

Camp Uncovers Path to College

THE MOUNT COLLEGE EXPERIENCE CAMP, sponsored by Under Armour and the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, is changing the lives of middle school students from Rosemont Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore. The camp, which will be offered for the third time in 2020, is designed to demystify college for students who may not have considered their futures.

Rosemont Principal Dwight T. Wheeler noticed improved grades and sharpened focus in the 2018-19 school year among students who came to the 2018 camp. “They see a pathway to college and know that they need to work hard,” he said.

Led by Mount Associate Professor of Sport Management Corinne Farneti, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Human Services Tim Wolfe, Ph.D., and Director of Student and Faculty Engagement and Innovative Curriculum Bill Prudden, the five-night camp mixes academic, athletic and mindfulness activities.

Boys participated in nature-based art classes with Professor Elizabeth Holtry, M.F.A., in the art studio and at ThorpeWood in the Catoctin Mountain area; wrote about their experiences; played baseball and basketball with Mount student-athletes and coaches; and did mindfulness exercises with Director of Counseling Services Gerald Rooth, M.S., L.C.P.C. Girls practiced math with Associate Professor of Mathematics Jonelle Hook, Ph.D., and yoga with Assistant Professor of Business Christina Yoder, Ph.D.; engaged in mindfulness exercises and journaling; participated in softball and basketball with Mount student-athletes and coaches; and hiked at ThorpeWood. Both boys and girls ziplined and swam at the PNC Sports Complex.

Equipment provided for the camp by the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation was donated to Rosemont. The campers also received a backpack and other gear from Under Armour, which also donated substantial financial support for the camp.

Visit flickr.com/msmu/albums to see more photos from the camp.

Miracle Dog of Mount St. Mary’s

By John Singleton, C'86, MBA'87

AT NINE WEEKS ‘RUBY’ WAS A FETCH-PLAYING, tail wagging ball-of-fire, born to chase waterfowl on the shores of the Severn River. But at 13 weeks the golden retriever puppy began to present alarming symptoms to her owners, Tom and Molly Hall of Arnold, Maryland.

“Her hind legs began to fail,” explained Molly. “She went from an exuberant puppy to what looked like a sickly, much-older dog.”

The Halls rushed their golden puppy, robbed of stamina and mobility, to the local vet. Documenting the dog’s abnormal neurological function, the doctor could not identify the source of the debility. Further testing by a canine neurologist proved inconclusive.

“We thought she had eaten something in the river or caught a tick-born disease,” added Tom Hall. “We tested her for everything but the doctors found nothing.”

After the Halls spent thousands of dollars over several weeks, the situation grew desperate. Neighbor Gladys Billups suggested a visit to the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes at Mount St. Mary’s. Discovered by Fr. John DuBois in 1805 prior to the founding of the university, the freshwater spring at the grotto is well known for its restorative powers to the Rohri family of Hagerstown from which Billups hails.

“The grotto is a holy place,” explained Billups, who grew up visiting the mountain shrine. “Many people have experienced healing under the golden statue of Mary who watches over the mountain. So I figured why not Ruby?”

On the 90-minute car ride to Emmitsburg, Ruby was calm.

The Halls had owned seven golden retrievers over the course of their marriage, all of whom had enjoyed robust health and long life. While it was difficult to watch Ruby suffer from a debilitating disease, the family noted that the puppy never lost her good humor despite her illness and fatigue.

“Before that trip to the grotto, Ruby had never taken a car ride of any length,” said Molly Hall. “And she’d never been on a leash.”

For Molly Hall, accompanied by Billups and friend Sue James, the first glimpse in the distance of the “golden lady” on the mountain filled her and her companions with hope. The date was August 15, 2016—the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. The grotto was packed with believers.

Making a beeline up the grotto trail, the three women waited in line at the freshwater tap next to the fountain pool. Molly filled Ruby’s dog bowl with water, and the golden retriever lapped it up. Then, they climbed the steps to the three larger spigots, where they drenched Ruby in the same mountain water that had quenched so many over the centuries, including Saint Teresa of Calcutta and Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton.

“Then we stopped by the gift shop,” said Billups, who is a lifelong Roman Catholic. “We bought a bunch of medals, including Saint Francis, patron saint of animals, Saint Christopher, patron saint of travelers, and Saint Peregrine, patron saint of cancer patients.”

The ride home was quiet. Ruby’s feathered mane labored with each breath. Arriving in their quiet neighborhood between the Magothy and Severn rivers, Molly Hall popped the hatch and Ruby bounded into the front yard fully mobile and completely healed. All the range of motion had returned to her legs.

“The Blessed Mother didn’t wait long to make a miracle,” added Billups. “We were all stunned.”

Not taking any chances, the friends pinned the medals of Saint Francis, Saint Christopher and Saint Peregrine to Ruby’s training cage. From that day forward, the now threeyear-old golden retriever has never looked back.

“Ruby is 100% healthy,” summarized Tom Hall. “To this day she is a very tenderhearted dog. If you’re sick, Ruby will not leave your side.”

The Halls received special authorization prior to bringing Ruby to the grotto. Please contact the Miller Family Visitor Center at 301-447-5318 regarding permission for your pet's visit.

John Singleton, C'86, MBA'87, is also a graduate of St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland, where he earned a master's degree in liberal arts in 1996.

Left to right: Molly Hall, Ruby, Gladys Billups and Tom Hall

Seminary Unveils a Coat of Arms

By Donna Klinger

MOUNT ST. MARY’S SEMINARY IS 211 YEARS OLD, but it just now has its first coat of arms, created by Rev. George E. Stuart, J.C.D., vice chancellor of the Archdiocese of Washington.

The series of events that resulted in the coat of arms began in 2016 with canon and civil lawyers drafting canonical statutes and civil bylaws to bring Mount St. Mary’s Seminary up to date with the Code of Canon Law. The newly drafted seminary governance structure, approved by the Mount St. Mary’s University Board of Trustees in 2018, clarifies that the seminary is distinct from the university but is not separate. Collaboration and consultation between the university and the archdiocese provide a strong operating structure to support the seminary mission.

Among the changes to the seminary’s governance is the establishment of the Mount St. Mary’s Seminary Board of Directors. The primary responsibilities of the board are review and approval of the vision, mission and strategic goals of the seminary; review and approval of the human, intellectual, pastoral and spiritual formation program of the seminary as designed to ensure its conformity with the requirements of ecclesiastical law; submission of any changes to the academic program of the seminary to the university for implementation; fulfillment of fiduciary responsibilities in both canon and civil law; and the annual assessment of the performance of the rector in consultation with the university president.

Members of the board, comprised primarily of bishops and chaired by Baltimore Archbishop William Lori, S’77, are Arlington Bishop Michael Burbidge; Richmond Bishop Barry Knestout, S’89; Lincoln Bishop James Conley, S’85; Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington Michael Fisher, S’90; Harrisburg Bishop Ronald Gainer; Hugh Mohler, C’90; William Roohan, C’81; Robert Dondero, C’74; President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D.; and Robert Smith, C’64.

The coat of arms, which Stuart volunteered to design, gives the seminary a symbol of its distinct identity while including elements that connect it to both the university and the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Stuart developed the arms with “the principle in mind that arma sunt distinguendi causa, a coat of arms exists to identify its owner, as well as the corollary principles that a coat of arms should

be simple, noble and striking,” he said. “The coat of arms will literally symbolize the seminary and bring it to mind whenever it is seen.” Stuart, an expert on heraldic principles, has developed arms and shields for various Catholic organizations.

The seminary’s arms is adapted from the arms used by Mount St. Mary’s College and Seminary from the 1960s to the 1980s. While it is a new design for a new time in the seminary’s history, it is recognizably a Mount design.

Preserved from the original arms are the blue upper field and three silver crescents (silver is shown as white). The “line dancetty” in the older design gave the impression of mountain tops; in the new design the single peak formed by the chevronshaped division of the field more clearly alludes to “the Mount.”

The three crescents, taken from the Seton family coat of arms, mark Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton’s ties with Mount St. Mary’s from its earliest days. The three crescents also call to mind the Holy Trinity, and the crescent itself is a traditional symbol of the Immaculate Conception, under which title the Blessed Virgin Mary is the patroness of the seminary and of the university.

The lower portion of the shield has a field of gold with a “cross bottony” in silver and red. The original design had a lower field of red charged with a castle in silver, on which appeared a cross bottony in red and silver, the last taken from the coat of arms of Maryland. In the new arms, the castle has been removed to allow the cross to fill the lower field and be seen more clearly. The arrangement of colors on the cross has been changed from red and silver to silver and red to differentiate the cross from that on the Maryland arms and flag, and to conform it to the cross on the coat of arms of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The lower field’s background was changed to gold, providing a better contrasting background for the cross.

The crest, also preserved from the original design, is a trefoil in gold placed on a torse, or wreath, in blue and white, which are the colors of the seminary and university, and also of the arms of Archbishop Louis Guillaume Valentin Dubourg, Bishop Simon Gabriel Bruté de Rémur and Bishop John DuBois. They are the colors traditionally associated with the Blessed Virgin Mary (preserved also in the silver crescents on the blue upper field of the shield).

The motto is “Ascendite in Montem,” taken from Haggai 1:8: “Go up to the mountain....”

Mount 2000 Register Today!

February 7-9, 2020 https://mount2000.squarespace.com

Shield Sightings

Understandably proud of the new coat of arms, seminary leadership has emblazoned it in a number of places.

Mount 2000 is an opportunity for young men and women to encounter Christ through an immersion into the life of the Church. Led by seminarians from across the United States, those who join us at Mount 2000 are called to grow in Christian discipleship through an engagement with the Tradition of the Church, with scripture, and most especially by way of meeting Christ in the sacraments. United to Christ through the Eucharist and renewed in spirit through Reconciliation, students go forth from Mount 2000 strengthened in holiness and prepared to lead others to Christ under the protection of Mary, our Mother.

Echo Field

Seminary staff members

Paula Q. Smaldone and Diane Favret with coat of arms tumblers

Coffee mugs for sale at the Mount's bookstore

Celebrating 20 Years

Helping Working Adults Improve Their Careers

During the last two decades, Mount St. Mary’s University has offered adult students and community college students in and around Frederick, Maryland, the opportunity to improve their lives through professional and continuing education.

“The Mount, in Frederick, provides a multitude of educational opportunities for the adult learner. We are no longer just an MBA program,” said Jennifer Staiger, Ph.D., associate provost for graduate, continuing and professional education. “We now offer undergraduate, graduate and post-baccalaureate certificate programs like accounting, biotechnology, criminal justice, cybersecurity, data science, education, human services, project management and regulatory science. Our personalized student-centric approach to advising helps students acquire the knowledge and credentials to live lives of significance.”

As the Mount looks to the next 20 years and beyond, it will continue to expand on its educational offerings, ensuring that future generations of professionals will have access to relevant, meaningful and impactful educational opportunities that will help drive their careers forward.

FALL 1996

The Mount partners with Frederick Community College to offer weekend college for FCC students to complete their degree in education.

OCTOBER 1, 1999

Offering five-week courses meeting one night per week, the Mount’s Frederick campus opens to its first class of 22 students.

DECEMBER 1, 2000

Cindy DeSirant becomes the Mount’s first graduate from the Frederick campus, earning an accelerated undergraduate degree in business.

MAY 20, 2001

The first class of 10 students from the accelerated adult undergraduate degree program graduate, along with 50 Masters in Business Administration students, 14 Masters in Education students, and 13 weekend college students.

SUMMER 2001

The Mount earns the Distinguished Program Award for its Professional Accelerated Studies programs from the Maryland Association for Higher Education.

FALL 2002

Distance-learning classes begin at the Frederick campus, enabling students at four different locations to experience the same class simultaneously.

SPRING 2003

An accelerated Bachelor of Arts completion program in criminal justice is launched, along with a Master of Arts in teaching program.

Additionally, a new facility for the Mount’s Frederick campus opens at 5350 Spectrum Drive, and includes meeting and conference center space to meet the needs of the greater Frederick community.

SPRING 2006

The Frederick campus begins to offer online courses.

SUMMER 2006

A 4+1 year program is created, helping undergraduate accounting majors at the Mount earn an MBA in just one extra year.

FALL 2010

New graduate-level certificate programs are offered in project management and organizational development.

WINTER 2011

In an effort to support our nation’s veterans, the Mount begins providing academic instruction for the Department of Veteran Affairs’ Warriors to Workforce program.

SPRING 2013

The Mount establishes a one-year MBA.

FALL 2013

A new graduate-level certificate program is offered in government contracting.

SPRING 2014

In U.S. News & World Report 's inaugural list of "Best Colleges for Veterans," the Mount is ranked fourth in the North Region.

SPRING 2014

Offering opportunities to match the needs of professionals from the expanding 270 technology corridor, the Mount launches a master's degree in biotechnology and management.

AUGUST 2015

The Mount establishes the first, and still only, Master of Science in sport management degree program in the state of Maryland.

APRIL 2018

The Mount and Frederick Community College announce an agreement to provide FCC graduates a tuition reduction for programs at the Mount's Frederick campus.

The Mount and AstraZeneca announce an agreement to offer employees a tuition reduction for programs at the Mount's Frederick campus. This partnership program is the first for the Mount in the biotechnology community in the Frederick area.

JULY 2018

An adult undergraduate completion program in accounting is launched, along with a graduate-level certificate in quality assurance and regulatory science.

FALL 2018

The university receives $1 million through the Maryland Department of Commerce's Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative and establishes a partnership with Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., and the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research.

FEBRUARY 2019

The Mount announces agreements with Montgomery College and the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce to provide tuition reduction for programs at the Mount’s Frederick campus.

FALL 2019

Graduate-level certificate programs are added in risk management and cybersecurity as well as data science.

TODAY

With more than 20 graduate degree and certificate programs, along with six adult undergraduate degree options, the Mount continues to provide rigorous academic opportunities for working adults to support their career advancement in business, science, education, public services and many other fields.

Teaching & Service

"Central to any student’s experience in higher education is the quality of classroom teaching, the professional expertise of faculty and the learning shared among students and academic mentors. Your example provides students the opportunity to encounter knowledge through a living voice, and, from your knowledge and encouragement, the potential to excel. You set an example of excellence."

PROVOST BOYD CREASMAN, PH.D.

Address to faculty, 2019 opening convocation

Featuring

FRED CARTER, C'69, AND COACH JIM PHELAN

Making Mount History, page 15

CAITLIN FAAS, PH.D., AND JON SLEZAK, PH.D.

The Mount's Dynamic Duo, page 18

DAVID WEHNER, PH.D.

A Stand-Up Professor, page 21

PATRICE FLYNN, PH.D.

Mount Fulbright Scholar in Russia, page 24

STUDY ABROAD

Mounties Expand Horizons, page 26

CLARKE HOOPER, C'19

Teaching Mount Values, page 28

BENJAMIN BUHRMAN

Technical Director on Theater, page 29

STUDENT SUCCESS

Mount's Newest Alumni, page 30

TIMOTHY FRITZ, PH.D.

History Professor on Pirates, page 32

God's Plan

How Coach

Jim Phelan found

Fred Carter, C’69, and made Mount history

By Joe Paciella, C’03, MBA’11

COACH JIM PHELAN HAS RECRUITED hundreds of studentathletes during his 49-year career as head coach of the Mount St. Mary’s men’s basketball program. Of them, Fred Carter, C’69, may have been the most significant.

Carter came to Emmitsburg in 1965, becoming the first African American student to live on campus, later graduating with a bachelor’s degree in education. This past summer, 50 years since his last game in 1969, Carter paid Coach Phelan and his wife Dottie a visit to reconnect and share their stories about that time in Mount history.

“I don’t think the school knows and understands what he did. Because his whole livelihood, reputation and life was on the line,” reflects Carter. “They took a heck of a gamble and it opened the doors to all the black students to come here.”

Growing up in Philadelphia, Carter’s work ethic took shape spending time with his father and watching his mother. “Father was a junk man, ok, discarded waste collector. We were Sanford and Son before there was a Sanford and Son.”

The duo would wake up early, scouring the city for scrap metal, which they would separate into piles and later sell. His mother worked seven days a week, sometimes at two jobs to make sure Carter and his five siblings were taken care of. But when his father passed away, a young Carter became aimless and dropped out of high school. Fortunately, his mother recognized the situation and stepped in.

“And my mom said to me, and I remember her words, she said, ‘Son, you’re making steps but going nowhere,’” Carter recalls. “And from that point on, it changed my life.”

by: Karlie Herbert

Photo

It was then that he decided to take the initiative to earn his high school diploma, going day and night to two different schools. He also continued to play basketball, but despite his athleticism, wasn’t heavily recruited by any of the nearby colleges. After graduation, he intended on enrolling in what’s now known as Cheyney University of Pennsylvania since his girlfriend was going there. Carter now sees there was more at work.

“When you look back on life, you recognize all the things that God has done. You can’t see it while He’s doing it. But after it’s done you recognize it. You can’t see His works as He’s doing it. And I know that for some reason God had a plan. Because He brought us together.”

Coach Phelan and Buddy Donnelly–a teammate of his at LaSalle–went to Philadelphia on a recruiting trip to see a game with future college standout and NBA player John Baum, who ultimately chose Temple. Carter was playing in this game as well.

“Fred’s reputation was that he was not a good student,” recalls Coach Phelan. “Hardly anybody knew that he had finished his high school requirements.”

After a brief discussion with Baum, the pair left the game and about a block and a half away, Coach Phelan asked Donnelly if he’d like to go back to talk to Carter. As they approached the court, Carter, taking a break, was smoking a cigarette.

“That’s when I noticed his hand quickness,” says Coach Phelan. “He had the cigarette in his hand and put it against his hand and tucked it in his pocket. I said to Buddy, ‘I know he has good hands.’”

Coach Phelan later returned to Philadelphia to pick up Carter for his first visit to the Mount. As their drive took them out of the city and eventually into rolling farmland, their conversation turned to the composition of the student body. When Carter asked Coach Phelan how many African American students lived on campus, he simply replied, “Look in the mirror and that’s the only one you’ll see.”

It didn’t take long after he arrived at the Mount for Carter to experience adversity, as presented on his first road trip to Randolph-Macon during his freshman year. After a stellar first half, which gave the Mount the lead going into the break, the team headed to the locker room. Suddenly, three men came out of the stands and jumped Carter, hitting him in the back of the head. Thankfully, his teammates came to his defense, led by 6’9” Mount Athletics Hall of Famer Bobby Sutor, C’69.

While there were challenges for Carter on the road, things weren’t always easy at the Mount either. Even though he was featured as a “frosh stand-out” in the 1966 Pridwin yearbook and had many friends and supporters when they were winning, once the season was over, many of those same people didn’t speak to him.

“So I called my mom one day and I said, ‘Mom, I want to come home. I just want to come home, I can’t do it here,’” admits Carter. “And my mother said to me, ‘Son, do it for me.’ And that changed my whole being, my whole sense of thought.”

Staying at the Mount with a renewed focus, Carter began to develop as a player, thanks to Coach Phelan’s mentorship. “I don’t know whether I ever really thought that I could be a pro player, because I didn’t know how good I was,” Carter says earnestly. “But because of the teaching that I got from Coach, I learned how to play the game

Left to right: Carter, Phelan and Sutor

of basketball…But he taught me also the mental toughness of playing the game and being ready and prepared…Coach taught me how to play the game both physically and mentally.”

Off the court, the Phelans, whom Carter referred to as his “anchor,” were also instrumental in helping him grow as a person. They aided the young student in navigating the transition to college life in a new town with the added pressure brought about by the racial tension of the time. They shared meals together and introduced him to members of the Emmitsburg community, who also stood by his side (and even baked him the occasional cake).

Carter’s faith—something he says his mother helped him develop—is evident when he talks about the time he spent with the Phelans. “God uses who he chooses. And He chose Coach to find me, to bring me here, to Mount St. Mary’s, and He watched over us as a group.”

With a career average of 21.9 points per game, Carter’s mark is still the second-best total in Mount history behind only Jack Sullivan, C’57, the Mount’s all-time leading scorer. He’s also fifth on the Mount’s all-time rebounds per game list at 10.8 –lofty enough figures to have his number 33 jersey retired, displayed right next to Sullivan’s above Jim Phelan Court.

Soon after his Mount career ended, Carter was selected by the Baltimore Bullets in the third round of the NBA draft, and played eight seasons as a pro, later going into coaching and then television as an analyst for ESPN. Worth noting is the NBA Carter played in looked much different than the league of today. Only 14 teams existed in 1969, as opposed to the current total of 30, so talent was much more concentrated.

“Wilt Chamberlain, Dr. J.–I had to play against them every single night,” Carter recounts. And it didn’t stop there. Other NBA legends he suited up against included Kareem AbdulJabbar, Walt Frazier, Dave Bing, Pete Maravich, Oscar Robertson, John Havlicek, Jo Jo White and Jerry West–whose silhouette is used in the NBA’s logo.

It should also be pointed out that during this time Carter began to use the “fist bump” on a regular basis, making the handshake alternative more popular. (Some even credit him as its inventor, but it’s been documented that the fist bump was around before his days in the NBA.)

While he has many memories of his playing days, the highlight of Carter’s professional career may in fact be his late-game jump shot to win game 7 of the 1971 Eastern Conference Finals in Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks.

“When I came here at the Mount, I couldn’t shoot the basketball,” explains Carter. “Coach taught me how to shoot… And it’s all because of the foundation which I grew from. And it didn’t come just from happenstance or chance, because I had a great, bona fide coach and teacher.”

A plaque at the Philadelphia Palestra, the legendary arena in Carter’s hometown, known as the “Cathedral of College Basketball” for its importance to the sport, reads:

“To win the game is great… To play the game is greater… But to love the game is the greatest of all.”

It’s this love of the game that Carter sees missing from some of today’s players. “I question the love of the game of basketball,” he says. “I don’t know whether they love the game of basketball. I mean, Coach grew up and I grew up, we’re in the playgrounds playing with holes in our sneakers, sweep the water or the snow off the court and play. I don’t think that today’s kids have the love of the game as we had it.”

While his effort, determination and love of the game enabled him to achieve great success in his career, he wants others to know that his foundation, not only as player but as a person, was built by Coach Phelan.

“And I can’t say enough of what he’s done for Mount St. Mary’s,” emphasizes Carter. “And at some point, I’d like for it to be acknowledged and recognized, not just a basketball coach–that’s fine, that’s a wonderful part of his life. Great coach, wonderful man, but he’s a humanitarian, a good man, and he did that.”

Ultimately, Carter would like to see the legacy of Coach Phelan remembered by the larger impact he made on the university and society in general.

“I didn’t integrate Mount St. Mary’s, he did,” Carter states directly. “Because when Coach brought me there, that’s a tremendous gamble. Because if I fail, it all falls on him...and praise be to God, that God gave me the strength to get through it, it wasn’t just Fred Carter…but if I fail, it’s 10 years before that happens again. So, great coach, great father, great husband. But a great humanitarian, that they don’t talk about.”

Hear more!

Listen to Fred Carter and Coach Phelan on the Live Significantly Podcast hosted by President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D., at msmary.edu/podcast

Faazak: The Mount’s Dynamic Duo

By Magdalyn Fiore, C’17

“WHAT’S AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT?" Caitlin Faas, Ph.D., asks from her desk as Jon Slezak, Ph.D., munches on carrots and a yellowish-colored dip at the bottom of a small container. They’re sitting in Faas’ office to discuss their experimental cognition class. “Queso? Hummus? …You’re not gonna tell me?”

“Never,” Slezak jokes, crunching on his carrots. Faas and Slezak—or “Faazak,” the team name some students have given them—both recently tenured, started teaching in the Mount's Department of Psychology in 2013.

Just before coming to the Mount, Faas received her doctorate in human development, making her the youngest faculty member on campus at the time. Now, she’s the new chair of the Department of Psychology. In addition to statistics and human

development, Faas is passionate about life-coaching, through which she helps busy professionals stop procrastinating. Faas, a busy professional herself, takes work/life balance seriously, especially now that she and her husband recently adopted their teenage foster daughter.

With a toddler at home, Slezak, too, puts family first. Asked to describe himself, he says, “First a father, husband, son, then professor.” Slezak earned his doctorate in behavior analysis and came to the Mount after working as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, as well as the psychobiology section of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Recently, Slezak chaired the Core Committee of the Mount’s Committee on Curriculum and Assessment, which addresses students’ academic standards,

“Traditional lecture [on its own] has been demonstrated time and time again to be one of, if not the least effective way of teaching, yet we do it constantly.”

Jon Slezak, Ph.D.

rights and responsibilities. He’s also the faculty advisor for the campus Pokémon Club and enjoys an occasional tennis match with colleague Brian Heinold, Ph.D.

Equally impressive are the meaningful connections Faas and Slezak have forged with their students, the Mount community and each other. “Thank you for helping me grow,” reads a student’s handwritten note pinned to Faas’ corkboard.

Displayed on the wall of Slezak’s office is a homemade birthday card from his students in a previous experimental learning class. And in 2017, united by a desire to enhance student learning, Faazak co-authored a study published in Society for the Teaching of Psychology that examines immediate feedback and interaction between students as alternatives to lecture-focused teaching. “Traditional lecture [on its own] has

been demonstrated time and time again to be one of, if not the least effective way of teaching, yet we do it constantly,” Slezak explains. So they used interteaching in their study to teach APA-style writing. Last fall, the first time the duo had ever cotaught, they applied similar techniques in their cognition class.

“[Co-teaching] helps us improve our own teaching,” says Slezak, still eating.

“It’s hummus,” Faas confirms.

Researchers suggest that co-teaching fosters student motivation and creates a learning environment that helps students consider multiple views. Nicky DeLeon, C’20, a student from Faazak's cognition class, says he learned “how to think outside the box,” and that the professors’ “incorporation

"Dr. Faas and Dr. Slezak were an integral part of getting much more than a degree from the Mount."

Domenica Carrese, C'17

of examples, and the variety of ways they explained each concept, allowed for personal growth and learning.”

Faas and Slezak realize the importance of creating environments that encourage academic growth and allow students the confidence to speak freely. They consider how physical spaces affect connections too, Faas notes: “Is the space set up for interaction, learning—can you move your chairs around? I hate being in rooms where you can’t move the desks.” Similar factors even enhanced her friendship with Slezak: “[Our offices] are catty-cornered to each other and we can shout across the way—not even shout, I can just have a conversation with him.”

Recently, Slezak was also in charge of renovating the Mark S. Sobus, Ph.D., J.D., C'89, and Dr. Christina M. Lee, D.V.M. Behavior Analysis Laboratory—a project he eagerly took on.

“I really appreciate Jon’s easy competence in all he does,” Bob Keefer, Ph.D., former Department of Psychology chair says of Slezak. “He has been so productive in his short time here, especially in spearheading the renovation to the Behavior Analysis Lab, which is now the most professional and capable facility we have ever had for animal behavior research.”

What was once one loud, dimly lit room with little counter space, has become a quiet, professional-looking lab, divided into two separate research areas. The new lab provides an “enhanced living environment for the animals, noise reduction, better temperature control and facilitates student research opportunities,” Slezak says.

Former student Mairead Bogley, C’17, spent many hours in the old lab, but remembers that time fondly, despite what it lacked. “I’m geeking out just remembering [my time with the rats],” she reminisces. “That was some of the most fun I have ever had with psychology.” Bogley recently had the opportunity to adopt a lab rat she found on Craigslist. What did she name her furry friend? “Slezak—Slezy [rhymes with Jay-Z] for short.”

Bogley is now a Doctor of Psychology candidate in clinical psychology at Divine Mercy University. After having Faas as her research mentor at the Mount, Bogley continues to explore the topic of her undergraduate senior research project for her doctoral dissertation. “I understand how important it is to write about what you love, thanks to Faas, and that is what I intend to keep doing all throughout my academic career.”

Domenica Carrese, C’17, who spent a summer doing research with Faazak, says their support, attentiveness and guidance helped her explore her career options and determine the right

graduate school and career path to fit her interests and values. Carrese is now pursuing her Master of Science in marriage and family therapy at Virginia Tech. “Dr. Faas and Dr. Slezak were an integral part of getting much more than a degree from the Mount, because they mentored me in how to take an active role in my future in strategic ways, which has been foundational to my current situation as both a graduate student and a professional.”

Faas and Slezak work hard to connect with students and prepare them for their futures—and they aren’t stopping anytime soon. This fall, Faas has stepped into her new role as department chair, something Keefer is proud to pass onto her. “Caitlin is clearly thinking of how to make the department better,” Keefer says. Meanwhile, Slezak is working with Barb Marinak, Ph.D., dean of the School of Education, to create a master’s program in applied behavior analysis for the Mount. Their program will teach students how to apply basic behavioral principles within a variety of real-world settings, including clinics, schools and businesses, facilitate practicum placement and prepare students to sit for board certification.

“When people ask me what I've accomplished as chair, I always say that hiring Caitlin Faas, Jon Slezak, and more recently, Angy Kallarackal … is the best thing I’ve done for the department. I stand by that,” Keefer says, “and with the continued excellent work of [professor of psychology] Mindy Korol, I’m extremely proud of what the department has become and the work we’re doing for our students.”

Magdalyn "Maggie" Fiore, C'17, is a freelance science writer with a Master of Arts in science writing from Johns Hopkins University. She writes about psychology, medicine and the overlap between science and religion. Maggie earned her Bachelor of Science in psychology from the Mount and expresses her gratitude to Faazak and the entire Department of Psychology for continuing to encourage her success.

Special thanks!

The Mount is grateful to Mark S. Sobus, Ph.D., J.D., C’89, and his wife, Dr. Christina M. Lee, D.V.M., for their generous donation to fund the recent renovation to the Behavior Analysis Laboratory.

David Wehner, Ph.D.

A Stand-Up Professor

By Peter Dorsey, Ph.D.

WHEN MOUNT ENGLISH PROFESSOR DAVID WEHNER, PH.D., graduated from Williams College in 1985, his classmates went off to become doctors, lawyers and investment bankers. He thought, “Comedian; yeah, that would be fun.” At a party two years before, he overheard future Hollywood star Don Cheadle mention he performed on amateur night at a local comedy club. “I turned to Don incredulously,” Wehner recalled, “‘You mean, I could go up on amateur night?’ ‘Yes’ Don answered, and two weeks later, I was on stage.”

Wehner didn’t know that he was graduating into an unprecedented comedy boom. In 1980, 20 full-time comedy clubs existed in America; by 1985, there were 200. After college, he returned to the Comedy Works in his home city of Denver—the club where Roseanne Barr got her start—and began by tearing tickets at the front door, performing on amateur nights, and observing as much comedy as he could. In nine months, he began to do stand-up full time and continued for six years. Wehner then became a high school English teacher before going on to earn his doctorate from the University of Minnesota. At Minnesota, he taught an early version of a class on stand-up comedy that has evolved at the Mount into The History, Poetics and Politics of American Stand-Up Comedy.

"Dr. Wehner's comedy class was unlike any other class I encountered at the Mount. We laughed a lot, but the jokes we analyzed provoked serious discussion about politics and society."

Kaitlyn Heintzelman, C'19

As the title suggests, Wehner organized the course into three units. The first covered the history of stand-up comedy, decade by decade, from Mark Twain to the present. For example, for the 1930s students studied the radio comedy of George Burns and Gracie Allen, and for the 1960s they studied the album comedy of Bob Newhart. “One of Bob Newhart’s albums,” Wehner says, “actually was number one on the Billboard album charts.” Covering more recent history, Wehner taught students the hierarchy of signals Johnny Carson applied to the performances of comedians who appeared on “The Tonight Show” from quick brush offs to the rare but highly prized invitation to sit on his couch. Wehner associated his own work with the observational comedy which emerged in the 1970s, best known in the work of Jerry Seinfeld. Here “the focus shifted from telling mother-in-law jokes to really commenting on life,” Wehner says.

The second course unit, “the poetics of comedy,” addressed the craft of writing a joke and structuring a comedy act. In this section, Wehner taught the rule of the “K” sound. Comedians find that words with the K sound draw more laughs. Comics tell the story of a comedian who performed on “The Tonight Show” and had a punchline about driving a Ford. During the commercial break, Johnny Carson leaned over and simply said, “Say Buick; Buick is funnier than Ford.” That is, Buick follows the rule of the K sound, Ford doesn’t.

Theorizing further, Wehner tells students that understanding the 44 phonemes used in English can enhance the comedic effect. Punchlines using phonemes enunciated in the front of the mouth tend to go over as funnier than sounds enunciated in the back of the mouth. Wehner asked his students to apply this principle by discovering five good comedic words and five bad ones. Wehner recalls, "I have sensed some of my fellow professors are skeptical about the connection between stand-up comedy and literary studies. But there is a lot of crossover between the two. Both are linguistic arts: one oral, one written. When we study poetry, for example, we pay attention to the sound of words and the ways they are organized. The same is true of comedians.”

If a literature class is studying the sonnet form, the professor will often ask students to write a sonnet so that they can understand the art form from the inside out. When Wehner assigned oral reports in his comedy class, students had to begin their presentations with a joke. “Most of them gave very short jokes,” Wehner reflects, “but I was hoping that they would give more narrative-oriented jokes because I wanted them to struggle with the form as a way of understanding.”

The final unit of the course examined the “politics of comedy,” a topic that runs throughout the history of comedy. One question that arises in studying comedy is why is the profession so male dominated. “In law and medicine,” Wehner states, “there were systemic barriers that kept women out of the profession. There’s nothing systemic in comedy. Yet it tends to be male-dominated. There are plenty of funny female comedians today, but the profession is still about 80% men.” Wehner also tells students that women breaking into comedy in the 1970s such as Joan Rivers often emphasized their unattractiveness as a source of their comedy. “Only since about 2000,” Wehner observes, “have female comedians been comfortable enough to not make apologies for how they looked. But the stereotype and the cultural expectations linger.” One theory holds that stand-up comedy originated from two sources: vaudeville and burlesque. In such settings, Wehner explains, “the men were supposed to be funny and the women were supposed to look good—so it could be a result of cultural conditioning.”

Another political dimension to comedy is the tendency for comedians to purposely go after topics that many will not find funny. Wehner says, “They talk about things that are not generally the topics of polite conversation.” Sarah Silverman, for example, has a routine where she jokes about 9/11, Christianity, being Jewish, and harvesting babies for their tailbones. "Comedians," Wehner explains "frequently step close to landmines. By the time you get to 1975 with George Carlin and Richard Pryor, everything is fair game in comedy." This concerned Wehner, so he asked his department chair, Indrani Mitra, Ph.D., about it. She wondered whether you could do a PG version of a comedy course. “I didn’t really want to do that,” Wehner says, “because that’s not what comedy is like. It turns out I was more squeamish about such things than the students were.”

When planning the course, Wehner also worried about sustaining a full semester studying comedy. Wehner says, “The author E.B. White said dissecting humor is like dissecting a frog: you can do it, but you usually kill it in the process.” Happily, the frog emerged croaking: students roundly enjoyed and appreciated Wehner’s class. Shea Rowell, C'19, an English and music major, says the “class expanded my notion of what literature can be.” Fellow English major Kaitlyn Heintzelman,

C'19, reflects, “Dr. Wehner’s comedy class was unlike any other class I encountered at the Mount. We laughed a lot, but the jokes we analyzed provoked serious discussions about politics and society.”

Wehner believes doing stand-up prepared him to be an effective professor. He compares doing multiple shows during the week and multiple routines on any given night with a university teaching schedule. “Performing is like teaching three sections of the same class on the same day. You have your lesson plan, but each class is different. If something works in an earlier class, you can incorporate that into the next class. When I was a comedian, I would have a set list, and I would take notes on each set. If I ad-libbed something that worked, I would write that down. If I tried something that fell flat, I would note that too. I do the same thing when I teach.” He also says that doing comedy taught him how to read a crowd and how to respond to an audience. “When I start to bomb,” Wehner states, “I know how to switch gears. Stand-up teaches you how to do that.”

Reflecting on his life on the road, Wehner recalls an evening in Albuquerque, New Mexico, when he was the opening act for Jerry Seinfeld. Between sets, he and Jerry chatted, and Wehner found him to be friendly. A tradition exists in the world of comedy of comedians going out to get an early breakfast after the second set. So when they had finished, Wehner asked Jerry, “Would you like to go grab some breakfast?” Jerry asked, “With you?” Wehner replied, “Well— yeah.” Wehner explained, “Jerry then looked at me and said ‘No.’ So I slowly walked away... but that’s Jerry Seinfeld: honest to a T.”

Luckily for the Mount, Jerry wasn’t too hungry that night.

Mount Fulbright Scholar in Russia

By Patrice Flynn, Ph.D.

Patrice Flynn, Ph.D. is professor of business and economics in the Richard J. Bolte, Sr. School of Business at Mount St. Mary's University.

MY FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR PROGRAM IN RUSSIA WAS MAGNIFICENT, from start to finish! Thanks to the generous teachings of my Russian colleagues, the teacher-scholar in me is reignited, with post-Fulbright work already in motion.

Every day on the South Ural State University campus in Chelyabinsk was full of surprises and adventures. Colleagues invited me into their laboratories, seminars, computer codes, business models, research ideas and teaching experiences. Colleagues included me in local excursions to the forest, mountains, ballet, opera, symphony, museums, art galleries and cultural traditions. Colleagues introduced me to their families and friends, who welcomed me warmly.

My time as a Fulbright Scholar was unbelievably rich, productive and inspirational. The richness stems from developing meaningful relationships with Russian scholars, many of whom have become friends, and some, lifelong friends. The productivity is reflected in the publication of my first (!) Russian scholarly article on Russia’s partnership with China’s new Silk Road, the creation of a new textbook for Russian professors interested in experiential learning techniques, and the establishment of a research group to explore how to use autonomous humanoid robots in university classrooms.

Chelyabinsk, established in 1736, is located on the geological boundary between Europe (the eastern slope of the South Ural Mountains) and Asia (the western Siberian lowlands), known as the forest-steppe zone. South Ural State University was founded in 1943 to train engineers for work in the Urals tank-building industry. Renamed by Joseph

CHELYABINSK

Stalin as Tankograd, Chelyabinsk became one of the six “closed” cities during Soviet times, off limits to foreigners. Hence, my presence was a novelty, with people asking me why I had come to this distant outback, known as the “most contaminated place on the planet,” referencing the extreme industrial pollution and radioactive poisoning from the massive nuclear meltdown in 1957.

There was never a dull moment. I enjoyed being in a bustling city of 1.3 million people, taking the bus or trolley to work and exploring the city on weekends. A trip to the 350-millionyear-old Ural Mountains with its still-frozen lakes, turquoise quarries, caves (made of marble!), and rolling mountains was refueling. There is plenty of space here to create and reflect. Maybe that is why Russia has been home to many renowned writers, poets, scientists and composers.

The setting provided a fertile backdrop for my Fulbright projects, one of which connected me with Russian engineers who, like me, were teaching with a robot. We discovered that between 2014 and 2019, two similar research experiments were being conducted simultaneously on two sides of the planet, unbeknownst to the respective researchers. In Russia, engineers, computer scientists and linguists had purchased an autonomous humanoid robot from France in 2014 to explore ways to use a robot as a teaching tool in the linguistics classroom. In the same year, I purchased an autonomous humanoid robot from Japan to explore how to teach with a robot in the business classroom. We were at once surprised and delighted to discover the overlap in our research methods and conclusions. The realization of our multiple discoveries sparked the creation of a multi-national, multi-disciplinary collaborative research initiative to continue advancing knowledge on best ways to use autonomous humanoid robots to boost learning in university classrooms.

Another interesting project was writing a textbook for Russian professors to stimulate thinking on experiential teaching methods with “new century” students—born post-2000—who demand more from professors than their predecessors. The book explores effective ways to facilitate deep learning, heighten student interest in course content, boost classroom participation, deepen long-term retention of new knowledge and spark scholarly research.

Senator J. William Fulbright was a person ahead of his time—appreciating the value of prolonged time with fellow teacher-scholars—when he lobbied to create the Fulbright Scholar Program in 1946. Fulbright is a firstrate organization. I returned home swirling with new knowledge and insights, eternally appreciative of my interactions with all the people who were an integral part of the journey.

This Fulbright experience left me with a new appreciation for what Russians have to teach us. Their notable generosity, endurance and patience shed light on ways that all of us, not just scholars, might see our way forward on planet Earth in the life-changing decades to come.

Get in touch!

To learn more about the Fulbright Scholar Program, contact Dr. Flynn at pflynn@msmary.edu

In Dr. Dmitrii Katsay's engineering laboratory with his autonomous humanoid robot, Vanya.

I bagged my first Russian bear while peddling through the Gagarin Forest.

Celebrating graduation with colleagues in the Department of Economic Security.

Ireland

“From Belfast to Galway to Dublin the scenery was picturesque, pubs and sheep were abundant and the planned events were a treat. But the best part of the trip was sharing a few laughs and a few pints with a good group from the Mount.”

Francis Adams, C’05

Mounties Expand Horizons

Italy Pilgrimage

"This pilgrimage allowed all who were present to understand, in a deeper way, the mystery of the Church through a physical exploration of Her history. By the end of the trip, we all must have visited 75 churches, monasteries, seminaries and museums. We were able to see in a new light the universality of the Church as we witnessed pilgrims from around the world flock to these locations of unknown grace."

Harry Scherer, C'22

at travelblog. msmary.edu

Achill Island

The Guildhall in Derry

Gelato in Bolsena

Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption

Assisi

Italy

“Florence is a city that leaves an indelible mark on the hearts of those who visit. Students in the art journal course discover the Florentine culture rich in heritage, poetry, architecture, the arts and much more in a four-week period. Through the practice of observation and seeing, they create an artifact of their experience that reflects on the city and broadens their perspectives.”

Nick Hutchings, M.F.A., Associate Professor of Art

Spain

“The Madrid, Spain and Costa Rica study abroad summer trips bring opportunities to our students to see other cultures and pursue their Spanish major or minor in an immersive and experiential learning environment.”

Diana M. Rodríguez-Lozano, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Latin American Literature & Culture

Costa Rica

Visit msmary.edu/studyabroad to learn about study abroad opportunities.

Villas in Bellagio

Basilica San Miniato

View from the Volta Lighthouse in Brunate overlooking Lago di Como

Manuel Antonio

Monasterio San Juan de los Reyes in Toledo

Sandro Botticelli's The Birth of Venus in the Uffizi Gallery in Firenze

Gondola in Venezia

Recent Mount Alumna Clarke Hooper, C’19

Studied: Elementary Education

Current Employer: North Frederick Elementary School, Frederick County Public Schools

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE MOUNT?

It is a close-knit community that allowed me to strengthen my faith and my academics while fulfilling my love for track and field.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR MAJOR?

Everyone is entitled to master the one thing that cannot be taken away from them—an education. I want to empower children to fall in love with learning and see it as a gift, not a requirement.

WHAT ACTIVITIES WERE YOU INVOLVED WITH AND WHY?

I was involved in cross-country and track and field. (I started running in middle school.) I was also an orientation co-director and a resident assistant. I love leading others, being involved and challenging myself to become a better version than I was yesterday.

HOW HAS THE MOUNT EQUIPPED YOU FOR POST-COLLEGE?

I have had the opportunity to have in-field experience and learn alongside professionals. I have been blessed with the opportunity to work in the same school system where I learned during my student teaching.

HOW WILL YOU LIVE SIGNIFICANTLY?

I will live the life destined for me by God. I will do this by loving everyone. I will work with intentionality in everything that I do—ensuring that everyone feels valued, important and loved like I have had the privilege of feeling all four of my years at the Mount.

by:

Flip to page 30 to celebrate job and graduate school placements of the Class of 2019.

Photo

Matthew Lester

WHAT CLASSES DO YOU TEACH / HAVE YOU TAUGHT AT THE MOUNT?

Right now I teach classes about the technical aspects of theater: stage craft, scene design and theater administration. I also like to supplement them with other courses such as costume design, lighting and sound design. The most interesting class I’ve taught so far was LARP and cosplay. The course was absolutely wonderful because I got to see the students start from nothing and build their own cosplays they could take to a convention.

TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR INVOLVEMENT WITH LARP.

LARP stands for live action roleplay, but it’s better defined as an improvised theater production game and it’s all three of those: improvised, theater production and game. Each one is different. Some are more athletic; some are more like a live action game of Clue. You take on a role and there’s a setting, props and a rule structure to give you a way to resolve conflict or problems.

I started in 2006 and it has been a whirlwind of adventure learning real-world skills and ways to work and network with many different people. I’m involved in Amtgard, a local nonprofit in Hagerstown, Maryland, and recently got a chance to LARP with an internationally known larper.

HOW DO YOU HELP PREPARE STUDENTS TO "LIVE SIGNIFICANTLY" THROUGH THE VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS?

That’s a multi-faceted thing that’s really, really beautiful. Looking at the world of theater, it’s this idea that ensemble and coming together really make the difference. Being a community and being one within the group is really important. Each person has a skill; it’s about what you have to give and what you can bring that makes the performance great. I make the joke, and it’s actually not a joke, that if you can pick up a hammer, I have a job for you. If you can sew something, if you’re great at scrapbooking or marketing, painting or making costumes, I have a place for you. That's the beauty of it: No matter what you do or who you are, you’ve got a place, and we can use those skills. Students can also use their experience to build their professional portfolios and résumés. Our theater helps students develop their future selves.

WHAT'S SOMETHING PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT OUR THEATER PROGRAM?

We have a really good theater at the Mount! It is the students’ sandbox to come in and get an experience for performance—especially in the world of theater. The beauty of what theater gives us is the ability to understand others and learn their mindset and walk in their shoes. Students can understand themselves and others and become better versions of themselves from those performative experiences.

Mount Professor Benjamin Buhrman

Time teaching at the Mount: 3 years

Title: Lecturer and Technical Director for the Horning Theater

By Nicole Patterson

You're Invited!

UPCOMING EVENTS AT HORNING THEATER

October 24-26: One Act Festival

November 21-23: “Trojan Women”

April 2-4: “She Kills Monsters”

Tickets are $7 per person and can be purchased at the door. The Horning Theater is located inside the Delaplaine Fine Arts Center.

Student Outcomes

Meet the Mount's newest alumni from the Class of 2019

GRADUATION FROM THE MOUNT marks the end of being a student and the beginning of being part of a network of more than 18,000 alumni. Get to know some of the newest members of this group—the Class of 2019.

Brandon Tieu

Studied: Health sciences— physical therapy concentration Currently: Pursuing doctorate of physical therapy at the University of Maryland School of Medicine

Chandler Bankos

Studied: Cybersecurity

Currently: Certified Information System Security Professional with a federal government agency

“The Mount prepares students for a career, not just a job. The faculty and staff I have worked with emphasize analytical skills, critical thinking, ethical responsibility and clear, persuasive communication.”

“Because of the liberal arts background, this university has given me a wellrounded education that can better prepare me for my career. With my improved skills in decision-making, professional networking and critical thinking, I can confidently take on any challenge life will throw at me and develop strong working relationships with respected professionals in my field.”

Pat Collins

Studied: Theology

Currently: Campus Minister at Calvert Hall College High School in Towson, Maryland

“I chose the Mount for its Catholic faith, its uniquely diverse community and its passion for social justice.”

Brianna Cherney

Studied: Accounting and forensic accounting

Currently: Audit associate at CohnReznick

“When I took my first accounting class at the Mount, I knew that I was right where I was supposed to be. The classes in the Bolte School of Business have been engaging and have taught me how to think critically.”

Katelyn Comeau

Studied: Biochemistry

Currently: Research associate in the neurobiology lab of David Ginty, Ph.D., C’84, at Harvard Medical School for one year; will then apply to graduate school

“I always knew that I loved science and wanted a career in medicine, whether that be a clinical or research-specific career. Through the many rigorous science courses I took here, I saw that I really loved working in research labs and that helped me become more interested and successful in the classes I took as a part of my biochemistry major.”

Cameron O’Malley

Studied: Education and history

Currently: 6th grade social studies teacher in Fairfax County Public Schools

“I’ve always been drawn to teaching and helping children find a love for learning. I knew the Mount had a great education program and I was supported every step of the way.”

Kayla Pahl

Studied: Criminal justice and sociology

Currently: Personnel Security Specialist with Xcelerate Solutions

“I came in undecided to the Mount but after taking my first CJ course I fell in love with the field, the faculty and staff and the difference I would one day make.”

Jenna West

Studied: Criminal justice and sociology

Currently: Professional soccer player for Sundvalls DFF in Sweden

“The Mount has equipped me for post-college by helping me become a critical thinker through our liberal arts program, and by helping me develop the leadership skills to be able to be successful in all my future endeavors.

Catherine Lynch

Studied: Mathematics

Sarunas Matalavage

Studied: Accounting

Currently: Staff auditor at Kearney and Company

“My most meaningful experiences were my interactions with Matt at the Career Center. He helped me build a successful résumé. I am very thankful for all that the Career Center has helped me with and they are one of the biggest reasons I've been able to land a job already.”

Currently: Second lieutenant in the United States Army as an engineer officer

“I wanted to serve my country and be part of something bigger than myself. Being part of ROTC at the Mount further developed my leadership skills and abilities because the community is so supportive of the military and ROTC, and the ideals and values of the Mount align so well with the military.”

By Nicole Patterson

Mount Professor Timothy Fritz, Ph.D.

Time teaching at the Mount: 6 years

Title: Assistant Professor of History Director, Mount 101 Summer Bridge Program

WHAT CLASSES DO YOU TEACH/HAVE YOU TAUGHT?

I currently teach American Revolution, Atlantic Rebels (Comparative Slave Rebellions), Civil Rights, Making History, Atlantic Experience (Atlantic World History), and Pirates. I also taught America in Global Context and the American Experience in our former Veritas core curriculum.

TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR CLASS ON PIRATES, WHY IT'S IMPORTANT AND WHAT IT TEACHES.

Well I have to give credit to my buddy Robert Taber at Fayetteville State University. We went to graduate school together at the University of Florida, and I got the idea from him. People always wonder what the course is about because I think folks often forget pirates were actual historical figures and there were many of them throughout history. My course specifically focuses on the 17th and 18th centuries, focusing on the role pirates played in shaping labor markets and the legal development of the Atlantic world economy. It gives students a chance to engage with the colonization process without having them automatically pick the side that eventually became the United States. I pay special attention to pirates’ role as slave traders. The point of the class is to understand the tenuous relationship between terror, power and the law. The course is great for people new to history because it helps them understand the differences between history, myth and legend.

WHAT'S ONE OBJECT IN YOUR OFFICE THAT INSPIRES YOU?

There is a stack of composition books in my office from the first year I directed Mount 101, our early-enrollment summer bridge program. The books contain the journal entries from our first cohort in 2017. Students wrote about their struggles at that point in their lives and their expectation of their

Mount experience. Most of them have forgotten what they wrote, I’m sure, but it makes me smile when I pass them in the halls of the AC, clearly thriving in the college environment. I hope to return their journals to them upon their graduation. The program has grown from 21 students in 2017 to 36 students in 2019. I’m grateful for the opportunity for continuous investment in our first-year students, even outside of history courses.

WHAT MAKES THE STUDY OF HISTORY SO IMPORTANT? WHY IS IT VALUABLE?

People like to say history informs the world today, but I think history is valuable for history’s sake, whether or not it impacts the current environment. I study history to understand myself, my place in this world and the impact those before me have made. I can’t make sense of anything without it.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR RESEARCH.

I am a historian of slavery and the Atlantic world. My research currently focuses on race and religion in the early American south. My most recent article was about enslaved Africans in the colonial South Carolina militia.

HOW DO YOU PREPARE STUDENTS TO "LIVE SIGNIFICANTLY" AT THE MOUNT?

I try to help students embrace their failures. Our response to failure is how we understand our responsibility to the world. The Mount experience is tailored for students to understand where their aptitude and desire meets the needs of their community. Failure is a necessary part of that process. We don’t get it right on the first try. Our adaptability, however, shapes our eventual impact. Our liberal arts core equips students to be successful in fields that don’t even exist yet.

Board of Trustees

Chair of the Board

Mary D. Kane, C’84

Vice Chair of the Board

Howard N. Bolte, C’84

Secretary of the Board

Gracelyn A. McDermott, C’93

Treasurer of the Board

Robert C. Dondero, C’74 Trustees

Anthony J. Agnone, C’75

Wayne E. Alter III, MBA’06

Honorable Jennifer M. Anderson, C’81

Edward M. Caruso, C’86

Paul J. Chew, C’89

Kenneth B. Chodnicki, C’82

David P. Conaghan, C’81

Jeremy M. Ellermeyer, C’92

Rev. Msgr. John J. Enzler, C’73

Rev. J. Kevin Farmer, C’87

Richard M. Folio, C’88, MBA’98

Patrick J. Goles, C’64

Anthony J. Hayden, C’99

Most Reverend William E. Lori, S.T.D., S’77

Most Reverend Paul S. Loverde

Richard P. Miller, C’74

Hugh W. Mohler Jr., C’90

Janice I. Obuchowski

Paul J. Palmieri, C’92

William S. Roohan, C’81

Brian L. Smith, C’70

Very Rev. Robert J. Sullivan, S’93

Tamika L. Tremaglio, C'92

Rev. Kevin Wm. Wildes III, S.J., Ph.D.

President’s Council

Chairman

Patrick J. Goles, C'64

Vice Chairman

Joseph F. Dowd Jr., C'92

Members

Koki Adasi, C’04

Elizabeth DiLuchio Albano, C’91

Antonio Conticelli, C’77

Sara Devlin Fuss, C’15

George R. Gelles, C’64

Thomas J. Harrington III, C’78

Peter Hobbs, MBA’15

Suzanne N. Hueston, C’91

Susan Janowiak, C’81

Rev. C. Douglas Kenney, C’95, S’99

Michael R. Kuhn, C’91

Jeffrey W. Link, C’99

Rev. Msgr. Thomas J. Mullelly, C’74

Carol Phelan-Marsh, C’81

Mary Beth Liebhauser Norwood, C’88

Jason B. Polun, C’96

Jenna A. Rose, C’02

Robert T. Rudd, C’75

Joseph W. Sherren, C’10

Michael F. Smith, C’97

Donald J. Stevenson, C’85

William Tell, C’68

Chioma A. Ukaegbu, C’18

Chris Walsh, C’83

President’s Cabinet

President

Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D.

Vice President and Chief of Staff

Wayne A. Green

Provost

Boyd Creasman, Ph.D.

Vice President for Business and Finance

William E. Davies

Vice President for Enrollment

Management, Marketing & Communications

Jack J. Chielli

Vice President for Equity and Success

Paula M. Whetsel-Ribeau, Ph.D.

Vice President and Seminary Rector

Msgr. Andrew R. Baker, S.T.D.

Vice President for Student Life

Bernard Franklin, Ph.D.

Vice President for University Advancement

Robert J. Brennan, C'85

Vice President for University Affairs

Pauline A. Engelstätter

Director of Athletics

Lynne Robinson, C'79, MBA'83

University Chaplain & Director of Campus Ministry

Rev. Martin O. Moran III

National Alumni Association Officers

President

Edward M. Caruso, C'86

Executive Vice President

Susan Janowiak, C’81

Vice President

Frank McShalley, C’85

Vice President

Rev. Collin Poston, S’03

Chaplain

Msgr. Rick Hilgartner Jr., C’90

Parliamentarian

Gregory K. Kirby, C’98

Executive Secretary & Director of Alumni Engagement

Emily Myers, C’13, MBA’15

National Alumni Association Council

Charlotte Barry, C’15

Tim Buck, C’87

Dedie Jones Campbell, C’88

Jack Causa, C’79

Michael Connolly, C’75

Jason Epps, C’05

Chrissy Gaul, C’96

Dick Hart, C’65

Rob Herb, C’78

Annie Stocker Kalis, C'00

Joanne Weed McShalley, C'83

Larry Orendorff, C’65

Alexandria Proffitt, C’13, MBA’15

Rob Weed, C’93

The State of the University

Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D. | October 2019

Guided by our mantra of the relentless pursuit of student success, Mount St. Mary’s University is growing, innovating and investing for our future. We are driven by our mission to prepare students to lead ethical lives of significance in service to God and others.

A 1,000-foot view of the Mount shows the university’s renowned historic buildings and breathtaking scenery but also reveals ways that the university is changing in pursuit of student success. Renovated and new buildings designed to keep the university and our students on the cutting edge are beginning to dot the campus. Inside those buildings new programs and partnerships are operating that meet the needs of our community and nation. The campus is also bustling with activity as we increase total university enrollment.

STUDENT SUCCESS

The achievements of our students represent the No. 1 indicator of the Mount’s success. Working with the Office of Competitive Fellowships and professors across campus, seven students won prestigious fellowships or scholarships, including two Fulbrights and the first Goldwater Scholarship in more than a decade. In addition, five students majoring in computer science or cybersecurity were selected for the highly prized National Security Scholars Program. The track and field team received the NCAA Division I Public Recognition Award for being in the top 10% of all teams in academic progress rate.

Student success extended to extracurricular activities as well.

The Cyber Defense Club not only restored discarded laptops for use by three Baltimore and Emmitsburg schools but also hosted a Cyber Day that brought high school students to campus for a day to introduce them to cybersecurity as a career path. For the first time in several years, a Mount team won the CSI Challenge, an annual competition hosted by the Criminal Justice Student Association that attracts regional and Canadian university teams. Mount students also gave presentations at conferences in history, communication, the sciences and other fields.

On the playing field, the women's indoor track team celebrated its first Northeast Conference (NEC) championship in 22 years, and both the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams were NEC

regular season champions. In its first year of competition, the Mount women’s bowling team, made up of eight first-year, student-athletes, ranked No. 19 in the nation and placed second in the NEC championship.

In addition, five coaches were recognized as NEC Coach of the Year: Chris FitzSimons in cross country, Jay Phillips, C'05, MT'08, in track and field, Kenneth DeGraff in women’s bowling, Tom Gravante, MBA'95, in men’s lacrosse and Lauren Skellchock in women’s lacrosse.

The Mount’s administrative and faculty leaders aspire for all students to grow in mind, body and spirit during their time on campus. We seek to foster a culture that models Catholic virtues throughout our community in which love, respect, honesty and compassion are paramount. Our new chaplain and director of campus ministry, the Rev. Martin O. Moran III, is committed to ensuring that all students feel welcome in our multiple chapels and spiritual activities and are encouraged to practice their faith on campus.

GROWTH

In a very competitive higher education market, the Mount is experiencing enrollment growth. Hailing from 30 states, three U.S. territories and seven countries, the Class of 2023 includes a Google coding champion, a musician who plays six instruments, volunteer firefighters and EMTs, Eagle Scouts and champion student-athletes.

As the number of traditional college-age students declines and working professionals increasingly need additional training to advance in their careers, more expansion is expected in graduate and continuing education programs in Frederick, especially in the business and education programs. Our Frederick campus, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, will continue to expand, especially through the availability of full programs online. New certificate programs this year include risk management and cybersecurity as well as data science.

Enrollment at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary is also growing with 154 seminarians enrolled this year. The seminary is increasing its revenue stream by making its Pastors and Stewards financial and administrative educational materials available online for parish priests or lay people. The program is sold either in single modules or as a bundle.

INNOVATION

Poet William Blake wrote, “What is now proved was once only imagined.” In order to fulfill our vision of the Mount as a topranked regional university in the Catholic liberal arts tradition, we must continue to innovate our academic and other program offerings and create value-added partnerships that not only bring needed resources but also benefit our surrounding community. For example, a potential partnership with the Daughters of Charity offers an opportunity to create a School of Health Professions that would focus on educating students with a passion for serving those in need. This “Care for America” program is in the drawing board stage, and much work must be done before the imagined future becomes reality.

More concretely, the Mount entered a number of partnerships this year, including reduced tuition agreements for graduate and continuing education students with members of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce as well as countybased employers Leidos and AstraZeneca. The Leidos agreement also provides opportunities for students and faculty to conduct research at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research as well as other academic exchange programs.

The Mount also became the first university outside of Pennsylvania to partner with Milton Hershey School to support low-income, first-generation college students and reached a unique enrollment agreement with Saint John's Catholic Prep (SJCP). Under the program, SJCP students have the opportunity to obtain a full year of college at the Mount during their senior year in high school.

A partnership with Frederick Regional Health System is expected to result in a Frederick Memorial Hospital Urgent Care Center on the Emmitsburg campus by late 2020. The independently operated facility, to be located on Morgan Field across from the public safety building, will be open to the public as well as the Mount community.

INVESTMENT

The infrastructure investments the Mount is making circle back to our commitment to student success. We must continue to enhance the quality of life for all students and seminarians by upgrading living conditions and academic spaces as well as improving their overall experience. The Forward! Together as One capital campaign is ensuring that the Mount is able to make the needed investments to educate the next generation of ethical leaders in the Catholic tradition.

I am pleased to report nearly two-thirds of the $30 million campaign goal is promised, pledged or in the pipeline. The seminary’s portion of the campaign has been fully funded, and more than 50% of the goal for “The Way” from the seminary to the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes has been raised. Funding has also been secured for renovations and expansion of the Knott Academic Center, including the Richard J. Bolte, Sr. School of Business, Delaplaine Family Academic Commons and Rooney Athletic Performance Center. A detailed report on campus construction projects is on page 42.

With the support of alumni, parents, friends and benefactors, we will achieve our shared vision of a thriving university known for successful students who are ethical leaders serving God and others at home and abroad. Go Mount!

TIMOTHY E. TRAINOR, PH.D. President

Mount Board of Trustees Welcomes Seven New Members

SIX OF THE SEVEN NEWEST MEMBERS of the Mount St. Mary’s University Board of Trustees have earned degrees at the Mount, including four undergraduate degrees, all in business, two MBAs and one Master of Divinity.

Tony Hayden, C’99, led the men’s basketball team to the NCAA Tournament as captain in his senior year, playing Michigan State in the first round. Tamika Tremaglio, C’92, started the Mount dance team, while the Very Reverend Robert Sullivan, V.F., S'93, delved deeply into Church history during his time at the seminary. Rick Folio, C’88, MBA’98, earned two degrees from the Mount, a decade apart. Paul Chew, C'89, worked for a few years after graduating from the Mount before pursuing an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. Trey Alter, MBA’06, is the only new trustee to have earned a degree after the Mount became a university in 2004.

Wayne “Trey” Alter III

HAGERSTOWN, MARYLAND

President and CEO, Dynamark Security Centers MBA’06

Paul J. Chew, CFA OWINGS MILLS, MARYLAND

Chief Investment Officer, Brown Advisory C’89, finance and economics

Richard “Rick” M. Folio

OWINGS MILLS, MARYLAND

Executive vice president, Midwest Railcar Corporation

C’88, business and finance; MBA’98

Anthony “Tony” Hayden PHILADELPHIA , PENNSYLVANIA

CEO, Maguire Hayden Real Estate Investments

C’99, business administration

Very Rev. Robert Sullivan, V.F. BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA

President, John Carroll Catholic

High School and Pastor, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church

S’93, Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Theology (Church History)

Tamika Tremaglio MCLEAN, VIRGINIA

Managing principal for Greater Washington, Deloitte C’92, business administration

Rev. Kevin Wm. Wildes III, S.J., Ph.D. PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

Professor, St. Joseph's University

Founder’s Scholars

EACH YEAR, TWO FULL-TUITION FOUNDER'S SCHOLARSHIPS are awarded to incoming freshmen who perform superbly during a written exam and a personal interview.

Harry Scherer, C’22

MAJOR: Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)

INVOLVED IN: The Office of Residence Life, Center for Campus Ministry and the Emmitsburg News-Journal

“The Founder’s Scholarship serves as a symbol of the Mount’s generosity which she shows to her students. This generosity is evident in the emphasis which the Mount places on the academic, spiritual and physical growth of each student from their first visit on campus until their day of graduation. The scholarship has allowed me to pursue my interests, discover the gifts God has given to me and aid in helping others discover the gifts He has given them. The welcome I received with the scholarship lingers, as I hope the friendly greeting which everyone receives on this campus lingers.”

Veronica Balick, C’20

DOUBLE MAJOR: Biochemistry and Biology

MINOR: Mathematics

“When I was looking at colleges, the Mount was my top choice throughout the entire college search and application process. I am so grateful to the Mount for the Founder's Scholarship, as it has enabled me to pursue my passions at a university which encourages me to learn not only topics in my major, but also important truths about God, our world, and the human person.

The classes in my major have strengthened my love of science and have prepared me for graduate school and future research. Additionally, my experiences in the core curriculum and extracurricular activities have challenged me to grow both intellectually and spiritually, giving me a greater knowledge of our society as well as building a deeper respect for the dignity of every person.

Altogether, my time at the Mount has been filled with many meaningful encounters with God and others, and this would not have been possible without the Founder's Scholarship.”

Photo by: Brett Snow, C’22

Hard Hat Report

OVER THE SUMMER the number of construction and maintenance workers on some days may have surpassed the employees, students, campers and others on campus. The sounds of construction crews hard at work could be heard throughout the Mount. Here’s a rundown of the projects tackled:

Campus Activities Center

Completion of the 5,700 square foot facility that will house concerts, speaker engagements, club meetings and other events. Check out the awesome lighting, sound and video system!

Sheridan and Pangborn Halls

Electrical utility upgrades. Now students have the option to rent air conditioning units to keep their rooms cool in late summer and spring. The units are designed to allow easy exit from the room in an emergency.

Rooney Towers and Grad House

Phase two of renovations to apartment-style living options. Next summer Horning Towers is slated for renovation, completing this project.

Knott Academic Center

Filling in the atrium, providing space for students to gather and study. Future work includes construction of a 12,000 square foot addition and additional renovations of the 49,074 square foot existing building. The project is slated to be completed by fall 2021.

Follow the progress of our construction projects connected to the Forward! Together as One capital campaign at msmary.edu/philanthropyatwork

Waldron Family Stadium

A new all-weather synthetic turf field, installed in May. The men’s and women’s soccer and lacrosse teams appreciate the improved playing surface.

Seminary

Upgrades to bathrooms and HVAC. The forbearing seminarians are living in a more comfortable environment.

ON THE DRAWING BOARD ARE TWO ADDITIONAL PROJECTS:

Admissions Office

Renovation and expansion, beginning this fall. The project will enclose the porch, improving and expanding the waiting room space and providing an area for presentations.

student recreation space. Groundbreaking is scheduled for June 2020.

Learn voraciously

Compete ferociously

Dream limitlessly

Grow faithfully

Explore boundlessly

Engage wholeheartedly

Question courageously

Serve selflessly

Alumni News

NAA President’s Letter

DEAR MOUNT ALUMNI,

Thank you for your commitment to our great university—whether you volunteer your time, treasure or talent, you are making a difference and ensuring the Mount’s alumni association grows even stronger! It is a pleasure meeting and getting to know so many of you.

We just completed the 2019 National Alumni Association (NAA) elections. Thank you for voting and allowing me to serve a second term as president of the NAA. It is truly a labor of love, and I am excited to welcome our new and returning council members. Visit msmary.edu/naa to find a council member in your area or learn more about chapters and ways to get involved.

Reunion weekend 2019 included alumni of all ages! The excitement and energy on the terrace during Friday and Saturday evenings was tremendous. From the Samples to the dueling pianos, it was a joy to watch alumni singing and dancing—and Renzi’s Pizza truck was a huge hit! That Friday evening, I had the pleasure of presenting the NAA’s most prestigious award, the Bruté Medal to three outstanding gentlemen: Sen. Leo Green, C’54, S. Frank DeLuca, C’68, and Jay Kalis, C’69.

I encourage you to learn more about the awards given to honor our alumni for their achievements. Some awards include: Athletic Hall of Fame, Bruté Medal, Bishop Walsh and Distinguished Young Alumni. Surely you know someone who is living a life of significance and qualifies for one of these awards. I ask you to nominate them. You can find a full description of all awards, previous recipients and nomination forms at msmary.edu/alumniawards.

As always, please reach out to me if you have any questions or want to become more involved. I look forward to seeing many of you at Winter Homecoming and the Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony on January 25 when both the men’s and women’s basketball teams take on Bryant.

ED CARUSO, C ' 86 President, National Alumni Association emc@caruso-insurance.com

Alumni Awards

Congratulations to the recipients!

The Simon Bruté Medal

The Simon Bruté Medal is the highest honor that the National Alumni Association confers upon an alumnus/alumna who distinguishes himself/ herself through commitment to career, community, the university or service to fellow citizens.

Leo Green, C’54

Frank DeLuca, C’68

Jay Kalis, C’69

Bishop Walsh Award

Established in 1999, this award, named in honor and memory of the Most Reverend James E. Walsh, Prep Class of 1906 and College Class of 1910, is presented by the National Alumni Association to an alumnus/a who has rendered outstanding service to Mount St. Mary’s University and Seminary and his/her community. It is the intent of the Association that the award is presented in conjunction with a chapter or regional alumni event.

Tom Looney, C'81, and Trish Bier Looney, C'82

Rob Herb, C'78

Connecticut Scholarship

The Connecticut Scholarship is funded by the Connecticut Chapter and awarded to one Connecticut area student each year.

Angela Vodola, C’23

Academic Circle of Excellence

Richard J. Bolte, Sr. School of Business

Gregg M. Azcuy, C’81

School of Natural Science and Mathematics

William P. Beierschmitt, Ph.D., C’80

Pride of the Mount Award

The Pride of the Mount Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to Mount St. Mary’s over the years through personal generosity of their resources, time and talent. Recipients represent the very best of American philanthropy and embody the very spirit of the Mount.

School of Education

Daniel F. Curtin, C’64

Seminary

Rev. John J. Dietrich, S’92

College of Liberal Arts

P. Daniel Healey, C’94

Elizabeth Bullard, C’20

Pickerington, OH Psychology and Theology

Scott Korte*, C’20

Cherry Hill, NJ Biology

Maria Costantino, C’20

Canonsburg, PA Theology and Music

Daniel Majerowicz*, C’20

Catonsville, MD History and Philosophy

Father Fives Scholarship

Rachel Josephson, C’20

Verona, NJ Communications

Fallston, MD Elementary Education

Each candidate for the Rev. Carl J. Fives Scholarship is selected based on financial need, service to the Mount and service in his or her local community. One of the six scholarships will be awarded to a Mount legacy student. Recipients must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. *denotes legacy

Horning, C’53

Courtney Varley, C’20

Joseph

Xavier J. Decaire, C'73

David Davenport, C’65

“Driving down Route 15 and seeing Mary on the hill brings such a wonderful feeling of excitement and peacefulness at the same time. Our 30th did not disappoint! We had a nice turnout from the class of 1989, which included lots of laughs, reminiscing about great Mount memories and catching up on the latest news of everyone’s families, jobs and adventures. The Mount helped mold us into the amazing people we are today and I am so grateful that they welcome us back to our mountain home every five years to celebrate with each other.”

Julie Hyland, C’89

SPECIAL GUESTS

William O'Neill, C'49, and John Burkhard, C'49, celebrated their 70th anniversary.

“It’s all about seeing and reconnecting with familiar faces from my class and even other reunion year classes every time you are walking around campus. There really is such a nostalgic feel in the air during the weekend for everyone who returns for a brief trip back to their mountain home.”

Kevin Kalis, C’99

Reunion Recap

REUNION IS AN IMPORTANT MILESTONE that honors personal connections to Mount St. Mary’s including education, friendships and experiences. In June, the Mount welcomed back more than 800 alumni, family and friends to Reunion Weekend 2019. Graduating classes ending in 4 and 9 gathered for reunion festivities during the three-day weekend where more than 34 different events were filled with community, conversation and celebration.

Reunion golf was back in full swing at Waynesboro Country Club. This annual event celebrated its 43rd year and golfers from all generations enjoyed the beautiful course. The event raised money for the Rev. Carl J. Fives Scholarship, which is awarded to rising Mount seniors and two fourth-year seminarians and is based on academic excellence, financial need and service to the Mount community.

This year also marked the 10-year anniversary of the passing of Elizabeth DiNunzio, C’09, who was tragically killed by a vehicle while jogging on Old Emmitsburg Road just a few hundred yards from campus several weeks before graduation. Donned in red shirts, which was Elizabeth’s favorite color, classmates, family, friends and community members participated in the Annual Elizabeth DiNunzio Memorial 5K. Proceeds from this event benefit the maintenance of the Elizabeth DiNunzio Trail, which was constructed in Elizabeth’s memory as a place for students and members of the community to run safely.

The Mount hosted several other beloved and exciting events including the alumni banquet, where three Mounties were awarded the highest honor given to an alum from the Mount, the Bruté Medal. Following the Mount Briefing from President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D., alumni packed the Horning Theater where they were treated to a Reagan re-enactment performed by alumnus Wilbur Wills, C’69, and his wife, Sue Wills.

From class dinners, wine tastings, live entertainment, happy hours, a crab feast and a pizza food truck—the jam-packed schedule of activities ensured that everyone enjoyed their time on campus.

Thanks for coming!

Reunion 2020: June 5-7

We look forward to welcoming even more of our Mount alumni back home next year! Watch your mailboxes for special information from the Office of Alumni Engagement. For class years ending in 5 or 0: If you are interested in being on your reunion committee, please email the Office of Alumni Engagement at alumni@msmary.edu

Class Notes

See what your fellow alumni are doing!

Stories are listed by class year, in ascending order to most recent and alphabetically by last name.

ROBERT J. LOTIERZO, C’72, AND MICHAEL C. KEENAN, C’72

Robert J. Lotierzo, C’72, is the founder and president of Lotierzo Family Vineyards in California. The photo is of the newest addition to the growing repertoire of Lotierzo wines: a limited edition 2018 Pinot Noir from the Santa Rita Hills. Additional Lotierzo offerings include vintages from the Paso Robles growing region, including Nebbiolo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel varietals. Branding and label designs for the Lotierzo product line are provided by Keenan-Nagle Advertising of Allentown, Pennsylvania, led by Michael C. Keenan, C’72.

CHARLES NEWTON WEAVER JR., C’75

Charles Newton Weaver Jr., C'75, led efforts as president of the Worcester County Historical Society to successfully erect a memorial stone to honor William Julius "Judy" Johnson. Johnson, a native of Snow Hill, Maryland, is considered one of the greatest third basemen to ever play baseball. A Negro League All-Star, MVP and a member of five athletic/baseball halls of fame, Johnson now has an attractive tribute, located in front of the Snow Hill Library. The unveiling on April 27 took place during a formal ceremony featuring speeches from several civic leaders.

PAUL SPINELLI, C’75

Paul Spinelli, C’75, was elected president of the International Association of Approved Basketball Officials (IAABO) for 2019-20. This organization is in 38 states and 11 countries and has almost 17,000 member officials. The organization teaches officials high school federation rules and has many people who have advanced into NCAA Division I basketball officiating. Spinelli has been a member of IAABO for more than 44 years and is a local member of Board 196 of New Jersey. He has held the position of secretary assignor for 28 years and has held many national and New Jersey state positions as well.

FRANK MITCHELL, C’82, AND TINA BLANDINO CHIARI, C’87

Frank Mitchell, C’82, and Tina Blandino Chiari, C’87, traveled to Golden, Colorado, to enjoy a concert by Christian artist Chris Tomlin at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. While enjoying the worship, music and friendship, the pair ran into the brother of Mount graduate Kevin McCarthy, C’87.

PHILLIP GREENE, C’83

Phillip Greene, C’83, was recently featured in the New York Times, detailing his experience as a drinks historian, mixologist and marine official. He also was recognized by Forbes for having the best new book on drinks culture, history or spirits, with his book titled: A Drinkable Feast: A Cocktail Companion to 1920s Paris.

Robert J. Lotierzo, C’72, and Michael C. Keenan, C’72

Paul Spinelli, C’75

Frank Mitchell, C’82, and Tina Blandino Chiari, C’87

NEAL CRAIG, C’85

Neal Craig, C’85, was promoted to treasurer by the GEICO Board of Directors in May. He was elected a GEICO officer and named the company’s chief audit executive in 2010. Craig holds a degree in business and finance from the Mount and is a certified public accountant and a certified internal auditor.

CHRISTOPHER FERYO, C’91

Christopher Feryo, C’91, is the owner of Founds-Feryo Cremation and Burial Services, LLC in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Feryo received his degree in funeral service education in 1999 and is a licensed funeral director in both Pennsylvania and Delaware. Chris and his wife of 26 years, Kate, live in West Chester. Their children Georgia and William attend St. Agnes School.

SUZANNE HUESTON, C'91

Suzanne Hueston, C'91, SSPP Alumni Parent, is one of forty Catholics in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia being honored by Pope Francis for her dedication and exceptional service to the Church.

Hueston is being honored with the Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice. Also known as the Cross of Honor, it comes directly from the Holy See and is composed of a gold medal with the name of the honoree inscribed, as well as a scroll. Pope Leo XIII established this honor in 1888. It is given to Catholics aged 45 and above who have shown distinguished service to the Church and to the papal office.

Hueston serves as general counsel to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Before coming to the archdiocese, she held a senior position in state government as an attorney for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Her Catholic faith and legal expertise has helped her spearhead the revitalization of the archdiocesan Office for General Counsel. Additionally, she has defended the Church with skill and prudence under very demanding conditions, and has successfully handled difficult litigation and mediation issues.

REBECCA (MCDONALD) PRICHARD, C’94

Rebecca (McDonald) Prichard, C’94, published her first book titled Jeremiah Hacker: Journalist, Anarchist, Abolitionist

Inspired by his Quaker background, Hacker worked to end slavery, poverty and inequality of women through his writing. He spoke out against prisons, advocating instead for reform and education. He broke with all forms of organized religion and urged people to leave their churches and find moral direction from within. He promoted no political party, believing people would be better off without government. He was in favor of land for all. The most controversial of Hacker’s radical ideas, however—and the one that lost him the most readers—was his advocacy for peace as the country headed toward Civil War.

MOUNT GATHERING

Mounties gathered for an annual Ocean City, New Jersey, weekend. In attendance from left to right: Larry Hooper, C’96, Timmy O’Grady, C’96, Matt Reuter, C’96, Tim Malcarney, C’96, Marnie Malcarney, C’96, Tom Glancey, C’96, Chris Sipes, C’96, Dan Rodgers, C’96. Chris Rogers, C’97, and Mike O’Rourke, C’79, were in attendance but not photographed.

ANDREW BLOSCHICHAK, M.D., MBA’97

Andrew Bloschichak, M.D., MBA'97, is the senior medical director for government programs with Capital BlueCross. He was recently appointed by Governor Tom Wolf to the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Health Policy Board and has begun his three-year term, where he will serve as an advisor on regulations and other health-related issues.

Rebecca (McDonald) Prichard, C’94

Christopher Feryo, C’91

Neal Craig, C’85

Members of the class of 1996

Andrew Bloschichak, M.D., MBA’97

Class Notes continued Notes

HEATH TARBERT, PH.D., C'98

Heath P. Tarbert, Ph.D., C'98, was sworn in on July 15, 2019, as the 14th Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). President Trump nominated Tarbert for a term expiring on April 13, 2024. Tarbert picks up the baton from J. Christopher Giancarlo, a staunch supporter of Fintech innovation, at a crucial time of change in the financial services industry.

Tarbert most recently served as assistant secretary for international markets and subsequently as acting under secretary for international affairs at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Tarbert also served as the G-7/G-20 deputy finance minister, a member of the Financial Stability Board, and the co-chair of both the US-EU Financial Regulatory Forum and the US-UK Financial Regulatory Working Group. Prior to his service at the Treasury Department, Tarbert was head of the bank regulatory practice of Allen & Overy LLP, a global law firm.

FRANK BONANNO, C’99

Frank Bonanno, C’99, was recognized as the Baltimore Business Journal’s 2019 Best in Finance: CFO Award Honorees for his company Urban Teachers.

CHRISTINA (MAY) CONNELLY, C’05, MBA’08

Christina (May) Connelly, C’05, MBA ’08, founder and chief marketing officer of illumine8, was recognized as a 2019 DMN 40UNDER40 honoree because of her impact on the marketing industry and the growth of her marketing consultancy. The Frederick native was awarded the President’s Medal for outstanding achievement in business and served as the commencement speaker for the Mount’s 2015-16 graduating MBA class.

MORGAN T. DILKS, C’05, MBA’07

Upon graduating from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 2018, Morgan clerked for the Honorable Matthew A. Maciarello in the Circuit Court for Wicomico County. He recently began his career as an associate attorney at Wright, Constable & Skeen, LLP.

REV. BLAKE EVANS, C’05, S’10

Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Atlanta was installed as the Archbishop of Washington, D.C. in May 2019. On a preliminary visit, he stopped at the Friday Night Fish Fry at Nativity Catholic Parish on 13th Street in Washington, D.C., where he met and took a photo with Rev. Blake Evans, C'05, S'10. Evans was part of the honors program in communication at the Mount. He serves as associate chaplain for the "state" Council of the Knights of Columbus of Washington.

Heath Tarbert, Ph.D., C'98

Frank Bonanno, C’99

Christina (May) Connelly, C'05, MBA'08

Morgan T. Dilks, C’05, MBA’07

Rev. Blake Evans, C’05, S’10 (right)

MARIE GRANEY, C’08

Marie Graney, C’08, along with fellow Mounties Frank Mitchell, C’82, Rev. Frank Tamburro, C’70, S’74, and Tina Blandino Chiari, C’87, attended Phillies Phantasy Camp in Clearwater, Florida.

EMILY MYERS, C'13, MBA'15, KIM JOHNSON, MBA'18, CHRIS WILD, C'12, EDDIE WRIGHT, C'06, AND ERIN CRUM, MBA'17

Emily Myers, C'13, MBA'15, director of alumni engagement, Kim Johnson, MBA'18, director of development, Chris Wild, C'12, associate director of admissions at Goucher College, Eddie Wright, C'06, director of undergraduate admissions at Neumann University, and Erin Crum, MBA'17, associate director of admissions at the Mount attended the Slate Technolutions Summit in Chicago, Illinois. Myers and Johnson spearheaded the transition of the Mount's advancement office to the Slate platform over the summer, creating a faster, more effective way to contact Mount alumni.

CHRYSTOPHER MULLIGAN, C’14

Chrystopher Mulligan, C’14, was named an associate producer for Cavuto: Coast to Coast on Fox Business News.

JACOB GEORGE, S'23

Jacob George, S'23, studying for the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia in the United Arab Emirates, greeted the Pope in Abu Dhabi. George helped in the communications department for the historic papal visit February 3-5.

Catch up with classmates at Mount events!

Spend time with old friends and meet more Mounties! Check the event calendar on page 58 for upcoming events at the Mount and throughout our alumni chapters.

Marie Graney, C'08, Frank Mitchell, C'82, Rev. Frank Tamburro, C'70, S'74, and Tina Blandino Chiari, C'87

Emily Myers, C'13, MBA'15, Kim Johnson, MBA'18, Chris Wild, C'12, Eddie Wright, C'06, and Erin Crum, MBA'17

Jacob George, S'23

Chrystopher Mulligan, C’14

Weddings

SHALEIGH (SAYLOR) HOBBS, C'15, AND ERIC HOBBS, C’15

ShaLeigh (Saylor) Hobbs, C’15, and Eric Hobbs, C’15, were married on October 19, 2018, at Liberty Mountain Resort in Carroll Valley, Pennsylvania.

Engagements

BRIANNA CHERNEY, C’19, AND SAM SHINN, C’20

Sam Shinn, C'20, proposed to Brianna Cherney, C'19, on July 13, 2019, at the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. The happy couple met at new student orientation at the Mount in June 2016. Both students were offered employment before graduation, and they plan to be wed on the same date five years from now at the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception.

KATIE WEIDLER AND JAMES MAHONEY, C'14

Katie Weidler and James Mahoney, C’14, were married on July 5, 2019.

BRITTANY GOZZI, C'13, AND EDWARD ALLAN HANNA III

Brittany Gozzi, C'13, and Edward Allan Hanna III became engaged on November 30, 2018.

ALEXANDRIA PROFFITT, C'13, MBA'15, AND SHANE PIERCE, C'14

Alexandria Proffitt, C'13, MBA'15, and Shane Pierce, C'14, became engaged on May, 14, 2019, at the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy. The two met while attending undergraduate and graduate school at Mount St. Mary’s University.

Births

LINDSAY NOLAN CRUTCHFIELD, C’08, AND ALEX CRUTCHFIELD

Lindsay Nolan Crutchfield, C’08, and husband Alex Crutchfield welcomed Taylor Kate Crutchfield on April 11, 2019. She weighed 8 pounds and 15 ounces and was 20.5 inches long.

JENNIFER DAO, C’12, AND MATTHEW BERNARDO, C’10

Jennifer Dao, C’12, and Matthew Bernardo, C’10, welcomed son, Louis James Bernardo, on March 21, 2019.

LAURA (JEZEK) MITCHELL, C’06, AND JASON MITCHELL, C’03

Laura (Jezek) Mitchell, C'06, and Jason Mitchell, C'03, celebrated the birth of their daughter, Joanna Christine, in October 2018.

In Memoriam

MARCH 1, 2019 TO AUGUST 30, 2019

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace, Amen. May their souls and all the souls of the faithfully departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

A full list of deceased alumni is available on the alumni web page. Deaths listed in order by class year.

Rev. Patrick S. Cortese, C’45, S’48

May 2, 2019

Rev. William R. James, C’50, S’54

June 6, 2019

Mr. Nelson Deal, C’52

April 25, 2019

Mr. Richard W. Kelly Sr. C’54

May 7, 2019

Mr. James Laposta, C’54

April 5, 2019

Mr. William Downey Jr. C’56

May 2, 2019

Rev. Joseph Cipriano, S’59

June 19, 2019

Mr. Thomas Gaffney, C’61

July 1, 2019

Mr. Michael Shaw, C’61

April 4, 2019

Mr. Bill Bray, C’66

March 14, 2019

Mr. Brian Carr, C’67

July 21, 2019

Mr. Michael Holly, C’68

April 1, 2019

Mr. John Kukulski, C’68

March 31, 2019

Mr. Stephen C. Kennedy, C’69

April 22, 2019

Mr. George Synnott, C’69

July 20, 2019

Mr. Paul Kelly, C’70

June 13, 2019

Mr. Walter S. Holder, C’72

March 25, 2019

Mr. Wallace Olewiler, C’72

June 11, 2019

Mr. David Ricci, C’72

June 23, 2019

Mr. Thomas Flannery, C’76

May 6, 2019

Mr. Edward Small, C’78

April 19, 2019

Mr. Stephen R. Mooney, C’81

June 27, 2019

Ms. Sandra Doherty, C’82

April 18, 2019

We regret the following omission:

John "Jack" Curran, C '5O, brother of Dr. Robert Curran, C '50, father of Christine Hoehn, C '88, fatherin-law of Christopher Hoehn, C’88, and grandfather of M. Kate Carrigan, C '21, passed away on December 8, 2018.

Stephen R. Mooney, C’81

July 29, 1959 – June 27, 2019

STEPHEN R. MOONEY, C’81, was born on July 29, 1959, to William J. Mooney Sr. and Genevieve L. Mooney. After graduation from John Carroll High School in Bel Air, Maryland, Mooney came to the Mount and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance and accounting. While at the Mount, he also participated in varsity lacrosse and club rugby.

Early in his career, Mooney was a certified public accountant serving with Deloitte & Touche. His career then turned to investment banking and corporate development/corporate finance, primarily related to the internet, communications, IT, outsourcing and government services sectors. At the time of his death, he was managing director at Chessiecap Securities, Inc. Mooney also served on the board of directors for GCI General Communications, Inc. for 20 years.

Mooney was a loving husband and father and is survived by his wife Christy and three children, Margaret Long, Remy and Mary Grace Mooney.

Sue Helder Goliber, Ph.D.

December 6, 1946 – July 2, 2019

SUE GOLIBER, PH.D., was born to Harry and Mildred Helder in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1946, the youngest of four children. She studied history at Calvin College and earned her doctorate in history from Kent State University. In 1978, she began teaching at the Mount—one of only five women on the faculty—where she remained for 34 years before retiring emeritus professor of history in 2012.

Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, colleague, teacher, neighbor and friend, Goliber’s memorial donations were made to the National Parkinson Foundation and the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services. She is buried in Mount St. Mary’s Cemetery in St. Patrick’s Grove.

Joseph Castellano, C'13

September 27, 1990 – August 24, 2019

JOSEPH CASTELLANO, C'13, was born on September 27, 1990, and grew up in Montgomery Village, Maryland. He graduated from Watkins Mill High School in 2009 and from Mount St. Mary's University in 2013 with his future spouse, Katelyn, before they married in 2014.

His career with the FBI Counterterrorism Division began in 2015 and he was considered a phenomenal team member who was known in the workplace as a kind and cheerful employee. In 2018 he completed a master's degree in homeland security from the George Washington University. Loved by his family, friends and co-workers, Castellano, who died in a tragic car accident, is survived by his wife, Katelyn Van Valkenburg Castellano, C'13; parents, Ellen, C'83, and Anthony Castellano; siblings Christopher, Catherine (Zemba), Stephen Castellano, MIC (his twin), Paul, Mary, Michael; grandparents Mary and Carmine Castellano and Ann Garrott and many cousins.

Social Media

JANUARY 25, 2020 Winter Homecoming

JUNE

By Kim Johnson, MBA'18

IF YOU COME TO A MOUNT BASKETBALL GAME, you are likely to run into Jason Epps, C’05. A member of the Mount men’s basketball team in the early 2000s, Jason’s time at the Mount created the foundation for enduring friendships. Raised in a military family, his childhood consisted of packing up and moving every two to three years. Each new military assignment meant a new state, new school and making new friends. His ability to easily connect with others continued at the Mount and helped him to develop the life-long friendships he cherishes today.

Jason is a living example of the Mount’s mission. Leading a life of service to God and others, he gives back in many ways. In addition to being a member of the National Alumni Association Council, Jason has volunteered with Our Daily Bread of Fairfax County, Virginia, and Special Olympics of Loudon County. He remains connected to basketball, coaching an AAU travel team as well.

Professionally, Jason also focuses on helping others. As a vice president for KFA Private Wealth Group and licensed as a CFP® Certified Financial Planner™ Practitioner and CRPC® Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor, Jason regularly advises clients about long-term and estate planning. As many people who put others first can often do though, Jason hadn’t fully considered his own personal financial goals as they relate to long-term planning.

After personal review and reflection and a conversation with members of the Mount’s Office of University Advancement, Jason decided to include the Mount as part of his financial plan. For Jason, the process was simple. He updated a life insurance policy he had and designated Mount St. Mary’s University as one of the beneficiaries. And with that, he became a member of the 1808 Legacy Society.

Jason knows that his gift will help a future student thrive at the Mount, just as he did. If you’d like to learn more, Jason is happy to share his story with anyone considering how their personal financial planning can make a difference to the Mount.

Join the 1808 Legacy Society Live

Significantly

An estate gift to Mount St. Mary’s University is easy to arrange, will not alter your current lifestyle in any way and can easily be modified to address your changing needs. You are invited to join Jason Epps, C'05, in caring for the Mount now and in the future.

Jason Epps, C'05

# Mount Proud