Mount Magazine fall 2020 by Mount St. Mary's University

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Mount Family Through the Seasons

MAGAZINE

FALL 2020

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Mount Magazine

Dear Alumni, Parents & Friends, Pride in our university typically swells when student-athletes win a championship, student scholars earn a prestigious fellowship or faculty secure major grants for their work. While I can point to numerous examples of the latter two achievements this year, sadly there has been very little athletic competition to unite the Mount community in rooting for our athletic heroes for eight months. However, Mount pride has grown in a new way. The campus operational environment this semester has brought the entire Mount community together in caring about each other’s health and safety. Our students, faculty, staff and administrators are all Mount heroes for first planning to be able to live and learn on campus this fall and then uniting to embrace our risk reduction measures to battle the novel coronavirus pandemic. In this issue of Mount Magazine, we put the spotlight on some of these heroes, who give us hope for the future. Our cover story featuring five students whose parents, and in one case father and grandfather, graduated from the Mount inspires hope that the Mount values of faith, academic rigor, service, ethics and friendship, which have endured for more than two centuries, are being carried forward. When asked what makes the Mount a special place, the Honorable James P. Courtney Jr., C’60, said: “…If you have never been a part of that experience, no explanation could adequately describe it and if you have been a part of it, no explanation is necessary.” Judge Courtney sees the legacy of three of his children and his grandson, James P. Courtney IV, C’20, and a current MBA student, graduating from the Mount as confirmation that the Mount family will never cease to exist. The Mount’s future looks brighter than ever, thanks to reimagining how we can thrive in an era of no walls and new tools. Dean of the School of Education Barbara Marinak, Ph.D., looks at how the university is reimaging higher education that is not bound by classroom spaces and brick and mortar buildings, and rethinking teaching and learning in light of new tools and strategies. I also commend you to read the thoughtful essay by Assistant Professor of History Timothy Fritz, Ph.D., on the work of racial reconciliation at the Mount and in our country. He stresses our sacred duty to “strive toward a stronger and smarter campus community that reflects the experiences, passions and concerns of its constituents.” Right before the pandemic sent everyone home last spring, Dr. Fritz led Parker-Dailey Fellowship students on a trip to Charleston, South Carolina, to study racism and racial reconciliation. Junior Rachel Wheeler’s reflection on this learning experience notes the university’s efforts to better our community by eradicating racism while at the same time assigning Mounties personal responsibility to learn more about the history of oppression in our community.

TIMOTHY E. TRAINOR, PH.D. President 4

MOUNT MAGAZINE FALL 2020

Fall 2020 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 Timothy Fritz, Ph.D. Donna Klinger Barbara Marinak, Ph.D. Nicole Patterson Rachel Wheeler, C’22 ALUMNI NEWS TEAM Kim Johnson, MBA’18 Emily Myers, C’13, MBA’15 CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Mary Kate McKenna Battles Annie Brennan, C'24 Michael Miller, Ph.D. Michael Miville of MM Visuals Kiyan Sheraz, C'19 DESIGN Laura C. Moyer PRINTING HBP Inc. STAY CONNECTED Mount Magazine Mount St. Mary’s University 16300 Old Emmitsburg Road Emmitsburg, MD 21727 301-447-5366 themagazine@msmary.edu msmary.edu/magazine Change of address? Email advancementservices@msmary.edu

The Office of University Marketing and 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.

Cover Story Mount Family page 34

Contents Features

Student Success

THE CONSTANT PROCESS OF CHANGE Racial Reconciliation Through the Lens of History

STUDENT OUTCOMES Meet the Mount’s Class of 2020

HEROES OF THE MOUNT Our Community’s Response to COVID-19

COMPETITIVE FELLOWSHIPS The Mount’s Distinguished Students

NO WALLS AND NEW TOOLS Higher Education in the Age of COVID-19

CAMPUS LIFE FALL 2020 A Glimpse of Campus Life on Social Media

MOUNT FAMILY A Legacy of Shared Values

Board of Trustees 32

MOUNT WELCOMES NEW CHAIR & FOUR TRUSTEES Newly Elected Leaders

Mount Magazine Departments 06

MOUNT NEWS

ALUMNI NEWS

CLASS NOTES

IN MEMORIAM

FALL 2020 MOUNT MAGAZINE

Mount News The Mount’s Applied Behavior Analysis/Technology Facilitation (ABA/TF) proposal included a partnership with Frederick County Public Schools designed to meet the needs of at-risk students, their teachers and families during the post-pandemic. The ABA/TF program includes a cohort of graduate students training in applied behavior analysis and a cohort of graduate students training in technology facilitation paired as interdisciplinary collaborators utilizing a Participatory Action Research model.

Mount Awarded Grant for Novel Approach for At-Risk Students MOUNT ST. MARY’S UNIVERSIT Y was awarded $273,200 in funding from the state of Maryland through the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund. The GEER Fund Innovative Approaches to Connecting with Students is given based on a unique or innovative approach to engage students, teachers and school communities that addresses academic accessibility as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. “This is part of the CARES Act,” said Dean of the School of Education Barbara Marinak, Ph.D. “During the pandemic, students with autism, disabilities involving self-regulation, and emotional behavioral disorders are among the most at-risk for academic failure,” she said, citing 2020 research from McCain-Nhlapo.

MOUNT NEWS FALL 2020

“The focus of the grant is to address the needs of at-risk students with an innovative collaboration made visible by the pandemic. This initiative pairs an applied behavior analysis (ABA) candidate with a technology facilitation candidate so the ABA candidate can learn how to best facilitate interventions remotely and the technology facilitation candidate can learn how to support a very complex intervention such as ABA," said Marinak. “I’m not sure there is a more complex framework than ABA. We see it as a winwin for both professionals going forward.” Funds from the grant will be used to support three Zoom rooms, purchase specialized software for the ABA/TF program and hire an ABA director and an instructional technologist. Once launched, the ABA/TF program will be completely online and remote. Dean of the School of Natural Science and Mathematics Kraig Sheetz, Ph.D.; Professor Emerita of Education Carolyn Cook, Ph.D.; Associate Professor of Education and Director of the Center for Instructional Design and Delivery Laura Corbin Frazier, Ed.D.; Assistant Professor of Special Education and Literacy Ernest Solar, Ph.D.; Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology Jonathan Slezak, Ph.D.; Grants Manager Kathy Criasia and Senior Accounting Manager Nichol Moeller also worked on the grant. The U.S. Department of Education awarded grants to governors for the purpose of providing educational agencies, institutions of higher education and other education related entities with emergency assistance as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic through the CARES Act. The Competitive Grant application was submitted on July 29, 2020, and reviewed by the Governor’s Office, the Maryland Department of Budget and Management and the Maryland State Department of Education. The Mount was notified in late August and received MHEC approval in early November.

Mount Receives National Science Foundation Grant THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF) awarded Mount St. Mary’s University, in partnership with Frederick Community College (FCC) and Montgomery College (MC), an $899,926 Scholarships in Science, Technology, Education and Mathematics program grant that provides transfer pathways and scholarships for community college students to complete their bachelor’s degree at the Mount. The program aims to increase the number of low-income students earning degrees in STEM fields. “I am grateful for the NSF’s support of this partnership with our neighboring community colleges that will directly increase the number and diversity of STEM graduates who are prepared to enter the workforce and meet regional and national workforce needs,” said President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D. “We are fortunate to have a top-notch team that developed and will staff this initiative, led by Dr. Rosina Bolen with the support of Dean Kraig Sheetz.” The grant builds on our Mount Opportunities for Success in Science (MOSS) program, which was also funded by the NSF and is led by Associate Professor Kathryn Dye, Ph.D. The MOSS program, launched in 2016, supports Mount students with scholarships and activities designed to build a community of learners, cultivate academic achievement and promote career development. The new grant extends these opportunities to FCC and MC students through the C3STEM (Community Colleges Collaborating in STEM) program. Under C3STEM 27 community college students who want to major in biology, biochemistry, chemistry, environmental science, math, computer science and cybersecurity will receive both a $10,000 annual scholarship and a comprehensive program designed to support degree completion and placement in a STEM career. Sixty percent of the NSF funding will go to student scholarships. “MSMU faculty will collaborate with the faculty at FCC and MC to provide extensive pre-transfer support to the C3STEM

scholars that will increase transfer capital and student engagement, leading to a successful transition to MSMU. Once at MSMU, students will receive support similar to that offered by the MOSS Program focused on cohort building, intensive faculty mentoring and career development opportunities,” said Assistant Professor Rosina Bolen, Ph.D., who leads the C3STEM team. An aspect of the program that Bolen is particularly excited about is the opportunity to work with the community college partners to find ways to make it easier for students to transfer and to better prepare them for success at a four-year university. “We are thrilled that the grant will benefit the 27 students and more broadly will provide us with valuable lessons that will facilitate the transfer process for future students as well,” Bolen said. “The MOSS Program has retained 97% of program participants and graduated 100% of the first cohort last spring. We are hoping for similar success with the C3STEM program. The C3STEM students will be recruited in three cohorts over the next three years.” In addition to Bolen and Sheetz, dean of the School of Natural Science and Mathematics, other members of the team that sought the grant are Assistant Professor of Chemistry Isaac Mills, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Math Athar Rafiq and Jeffrey Simmons, Ph.D., executive director of strategic planning and institutional effectiveness. They were aided by Grants Manager Kathy Criasia and Senior Accounting Manager Nichol Moeller.

Learn more! Visit msmary.edu/c3stem to learn more and apply. Applications for the program are due December 18.

FALL 2020 MOUNT NEWS

Funds from the NIH grant will support six undergraduate researchers working full time in the laboratory for nineweek periods during each of the next three summers and fund equipment use costs at collaborators’ laboratories at Johns Hopkins University. Funds will also pay for reagents necessary to perform the proposed experiments and purchase additional cell growth and protein purification equipment to increase research capacity. In addition, the grant will allow more students to participate in the project and to travel to scientific conferences to present their research. The experiments will be conducted over a three-year funding period from September 15, 2020, to August 31, 2023.

Mount Receives $433,784 from NIH for Student Research MOUNT ST. MARY’S UNIVERSIT Y received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Academic Research Enhancement Award, also known as an AREA Grant or an R15, for $433,784 which provides increased summer research opportunities for students, travel to scientific conferences to present their work and learn from others, and access to experimental approaches with state-of-the-art laboratory equipment. “I think the grant’s success demonstrates the Mount’s commitment to undergraduate research,” said Assistant Professor of Chemistry Patrick Lombardi, Ph.D., who serves as the principal investigator. Lombardi’s successful grant proposal, to better understand how the cell’s DNA repair machinery is recruited to sites of DNA damage, included important preliminary data collected from a research group of Mount students. The Mount’s School of Natural Science and Mathematics invested in student success by providing paid research positions for 10 weeks over the summer. As a result of these summer research internships, students’ key findings were included in the NIH grant application. “Over the last three years, 15 students have worked on this project in our laboratory. Six of these students were Summer Research Internship Award (SRIA) winners,” Lombardi said. “The ability for students to work over the summer, without their usual responsibilities of the academic year, was essential for our group to generate the materials and collect the data necessary for this grant application.” After receiving good news of the award from Grants Manager Kathy Criasia, Lombardi immediately shared it with his students. “I wanted the students to know they’re making exciting discoveries about an important biological question. I hope they feel a sense of personal accomplishment in the application’s success,” he said. These discoveries can one day lead to effectively diagnosing and responding to diseases that arise from malfunctions in DNA damage repair, Lombardi explained.

MOUNT NEWS FALL 2020

“In my three years at the Mount, I’ve noticed the tremendous positive effect that working in the laboratory over the summer has on our undergraduate researchers,” he said. “By immersing themselves in the laboratory, students are able to master the experimental techniques that are necessary for their projects and become independent researchers. Given their proficiency in the laboratory, these students are then able to continue with their research during the academic year and can accumulate a significant body of work during their undergraduate careers. The laboratory skills and records of accomplishment garnered by these students make them strong candidates for external fellowships that enhance their scientific training even further.” Lombardi, who received his Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Yale University and earned his doctoral degree in chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania, is an ambassador for student research. In 2012, he was a postdoctoral fellow researching ubiquitin in the laboratory of prominent researcher Cynthia Wolberger, Ph.D., at Johns Hopkins University. Lombardi was part of a cohort who showed that in response to a certain type of unwanted DNA modification known as alkylation damage, chains of the protein ubiquitin are assembled in proximity to damage sites to recruit the cell’s DNA repair machinery. The findings of this discovery were published in 2017 in Nature, a world-renowned scientific journal featuring peer-reviewed research in science, technology and the natural sciences. He is also the recipient of a National Cancer Center Postdoctoral Fellowship Award and an American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship Award. “I’m very grateful to the 20 students who have been part of our research group over these last three years,” Lombardi added. “In August 2017, our laboratory, Coad 123, was an empty room with a wooden crate of unboxed research equipment. Through their hard work and determination, the students transformed that empty space into a functioning biochemistry laboratory. Eleven of the 20 students are graduating seniors this year, and it’s hard for me to imagine the Mount without them. While it will be difficult to see these lab members leave the group, I’m very excited for all the wonderful accomplishments that lie ahead in their futures.” Additional data has been collected since the grant application submission in February; Lombardi is working with collaborators to prepare a manuscript for publication that will include several Mount undergraduates as coauthors.

Catholic Church in the diocese and one of the oldest in the nation, in Saint Martinsville, Louisiana. Founded in 1765 by a group of Acadian exiles, the church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in April 1972 and recognized as the Mother Church of the Acadians.

Rev. Jason Mouton, S’92 APPOINTED FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST IN DIOCESE OF L AFAYETTE REV. JASON MOUTON, S’92, was appointed the first African American Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Lafayette. He currently serves as pastor and spiritual director at Saint Martin de Tours Catholic Church, the third oldest

Mouton studied chemistry at the University of Southwestern Louisiana from 1982 to 1985 and graduated from St. Joseph Seminary College in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. From 1987 to 1988 he spent a year at Sacred Heart in Ville Platte with Rev. Michael Jarrell, Gil Dutel and Jay Voorhies. Mouton came to Mount St. Mary's Seminary in 1988, received a Master of Divinity degree in 1991, and by 1992 graduated summa cum laude, receiving his master’s degree in systematic/ dogmatic theology. During his time at Mount St. Mary’s he was awarded the Hamilton-Mitchell full academic scholarship for three consecutive years.

That summer he was ordained by Bishop Harry Flynn, who would later appoint him as pastor of Our Lady, Queen of Peace where he served for 13 years. Mouton’s first pastoral assignment was as parochial vicar of Holy Rosary-Cabrini church in Kaplan. In 1995, Bishop O’Donnell appointed him Diocesan Master of Ceremonies and Director of the Office of Worship, a position he held for 10 years. For seven years he served as Chancellor of Holy Family Catholic School in Lafayette. In 2006 Queen of Peace parish awarded him the Martin Luther King Jr. award for outstanding service to the church parish and greater community. His home parish is St. Anne’s, Youngsville, where he served as pastor for twelve years from 2007-19.

Learn more All this information and more available at saintmartindetours.org.

National Shrine Grotto’s St. Bernadette’s Shoppe Open Online ST. BERNADETTE’S SHOPPE, located inside the Miller Family Visitors Center at the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, was founded in 2013. Now friends, visitors and pilgrims can find a variety of Catholic books, art, jewelry and sacraments available for purchase online. “While we invite everyone to visit our shrine in person, we realize not everyone is able to make the trip. In order to spread the faith more widely, we offer a selection of high-quality products for sale online,” said Director of the Grotto Dawn Walsh, C'83.

Visit the Grotto's Online Store! BERNADETTESHOPPE.ORG

Online shoppers can choose from a selection of art, chaplets, crosses and crucifixes, grotto gifts, jewelry, Lourdes water, medals, statues and rosaries. Items for yourself or a loved one can be shipped anywhere in the continental U.S. and free shipping is offered on orders of $75 or more. “We aim to make products available to people which will help them grow in the Catholic faith and move ever closer to the hearts of Jesus and Mary," Walsh explained. Questions about orders or offerings? Call 301-447-5444. FALL 2020 MOUNT NEWS

Students Donate Funds and School Supplies to their Peers IN AN EFFORT TO PROMOTE EQUIT Y FOR ALL, and to raise awareness on racial and social justice, juniors Sara Chepkoit, C’22, and Madelin Sagastume, C’22, organized a fundraising campaign, which the university matched, to help Mount students and families who were struggling financially. The idea came to them during the summer. “We knew a lot of people may have had financial struggles from COVID-19 and the climate of what was going on in the country and around the world,” said Chepkoit, a political science major and Spanish minor who is also on the track and field team. “We thought we should create the fund and take that burden off families.” The women also organized a school supply drive and collected pens, pencils, backpacks, binders, folders, notebooks, paper, highlighters, scissors, index cards and more to distribute to any Mount student in need. Their donation tent was located in the Powell Hall parking lot as students returned to the Mount in August. Many faculty, staff and administrators also contributed with goods or monetary gifts. Sagastume, who is a political science and Spanish double major and student-athlete, says she wanted to create a sense of unity. “We saw the political climate that our country is in, currently, and we wanted the Mount to feel like a home to us," she explained.

Donate and hear more! To donate to the MS Fund, visit: msmary.edu/mandsfund Listen to the podcast at: msmary.edu/podcast

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Leon Dixon, Ph.D., assistant dean of student life and director of the Center for Student Diversity helped the students facilitate their vision. Dixon, who has been at the Mount a little more than a year, previously worked in the Archdiocese of Detroit, where he served as director of Black Catholic Ministry and Native American Ministry. “Hearing their passion on social justice was inspiring,” he said on President Trainor’s Live Significantly podcast. “We often talk about human dignity and the rights of the poor and vulnerable but we also talk about solidarity. This was their way of saying ‘I’m with you’ to all of the Mount community— especially those who have been marginalized and can’t afford to purchase books, supplies and feel included. I’ve been inspired by them.” President Trainor agreed. “You have made a difference in several people’s lives with this. I’m so proud of what you’re doing.”

Graduate Degrees Master of Business Administration Master of Science in Biotechnology & Management Master of Science in Sport Management Master of Health Administration Master of Education in Reading Master of Education in Technology Facilitation Master of Education in Instructional Leadership Master of Arts in Teaching Master of Arts in Philosophical Studies

The Mount Pivots During COVID-19 Pandemic: Offering New Adult Undergraduate and Online Degree Programs “WE HAVE BEEN FORCED TO THINK ABOUT EDUCATION IN DIFFERENT WAYS—and specifically delivery of education in different ways in the COVID-19 world,” said Jennifer Staiger, Ph.D., associate provost for Graduate, Professional and Continuing Education. Before the start of the pandemic, the Mount began moving toward asynchronous learning options for graduate programs in order to compete in the marketplace. Students now have the option to take in-person hybrid classes at the Frederick and Emmitsburg locations or choose synchronous or asynchronous learning—whatever best suits their schedules. At present, all adult undergraduate, graduate science and MHA programs are available in person or online (synchronously), while MBA and MS of sport management are available as asynchronous online programs. “We started to talk about what other academic curriculums might be in demand and attractive to working adults,” Staiger said. “This fall we added an undergraduate degree in communication.” The Mount’s timely addition highlights agility and responsiveness to meet the moment—at a time when many are experiencing first-hand the value of crisis communication, social media strategy and marketing. Some working professionals have lost their jobs or may want to update their skills and continue their education, quality, affordable online learning options provide the convenience and safety necessary to pursue those aspirations with confidence.

Certificate Programs Advanced Study in Reading Data Science Forensic Accounting & Fraud Investigation Government Contracting Instructional Leadership Logistics and Supply Chain Management Organizational Development Project Management Quality Assurance and Regulatory Science Risk Management and Cybersecurity Technology Facilitation

Adult Undergraduate Programs Accounting Business Communication NEW! Criminal Justice Elementary Education Elementary Education/Special Education Human Services

Learn more! Visit frederick.msmary.edu to learn more about the Mount’s educational offerings.

FALL 2020 MOUNT NEWS

Happily Ever After

Get Married at the Mount!

“After Noah proposed at our five-year reunion, we knew we couldn’t have our wedding anywhere but our mountain home. Our guests continually tell us it was one of the most personal and meaningful weddings they’ve ever attended.” LAUREN SAVAGE, C’12

Ceremony in the IC Chapel*

Learn more at msmary.edu/weddings Questions? Contact Jamie Everett at everett@msmary.edu 1 2

FEATURE FALL 2020

Wedding Venues Catering Packages On-Campus Lodging Options & Parking *Guidelines apply

Esports

the Mount Way “WE’RE LEARNING HOW TO PL AY TOGETHER, to communicate effectively and to trust each other,” says Director of Esports Russ Hamer, Ph.D., during a brief team meeting. Just moments before, players were seated behind computer monitors, wearing headsets and speaking aloud. Knuckles crack. Keyboards chatter. Controllers click. Neon lights illuminate the glass-partitioned varsity space.

gaming fun and competition to make this program succeed for administration and students.”

Purcell Hall (also known until recently as Club 1808) is home to the Mount’s esports program. The recently renovated 2,200 square-foot headquarters serves as the practice and competition location for student-athletes and includes PCs, couches, ottomans, large-screen televisions, consoles and a virtual reality set. Purcell Hall is the destination for club team players and other students who want to game, watch and hang out.

Before joining the Mount, he taught philosophy at Illinois State University where he was the faculty advisor and head coach of the esports club. Hamer received his doctorate in philosophy from Marquette University in 2018. He recently submitted a proposal for a minor in game studies and esports. “Often we want students to pick up a bunch of these soft skills but we don’t actually teach them. We just hope that along the way they figure out how to be a team member and think critically,” he said from experience. “A lot of the soft skills are things that will make you better at these games: being able to give and receive criticism, being able to communicate effectively, being able to think critically, being able to manage your emotions and not let your frustrations or anxiety get the best of you.”

The transitional space also includes a room for casting and streaming. Hamer offers a streaming practicum where students receive course credits for running Mount event live streams. Due to COVID-19, in-person gatherings are limited so streaming provides a safe way for individuals to participate and engage in social activities. His students have streamed esports games, trivia nights for AMP, and the 9/11 memorial service. They also live stream Mass every Sunday. “I think it’s good for the Mount to move into new media and start embracing digital video content and content creation and streaming," Hamer said. His long-term strategy is to have a Mount stream running nearly 24 hours per day so students can create unique content. He hopes to showcase music and art, interviews with professors and engage those who want to watch gamers view what life is like at the Mount. The Mount’s esports team, comprised of more than two dozen players on five teams, competes in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) playing League of Legends, NBA 2K, Overwatch, Rocket League and Super Smash Bros. The ECAC hosts a comprehensive esports program with as many as 200 teams and 50 member schools, including DeSales University, Moravian College, Neumann University, Sacred Heart University, Saint Peter’s University and Siena College. Matches began the last week in September and league tournaments will round out the season by mid-November. William “Billy” Walker, C’21, is ecstatic to have esports at the Mount. “Many of us have been working since freshman year to get esports started,” says the varsity player for the Overwatch team and Cyber Defense Club secretary. “We couldn’t ask for a better director than Dr. Hamer; he’s the perfect amount of

Coach Hamer has played, designed and written about gaming. He was also a high-ranking competitive athlete; at his best, he was in the top 0.3% (top 10,000) of League of Legends players. “More people play League of Legends weekly than live in Great Britain,” he added for context.

Hamer is a certified philosophical counselor. “A lot of therapy is rooted in philosophy,” he said. “In the context of esports, you may be in the middle of a game and things aren’t going well; you’re getting frustrated. You can still win, but if your frustration gets the best of you, you’ll lose. What strategies can you adopt to realize you’re frustrated and how it’s affecting you so you can push past that and play well?” he asked. In October, he gave a presentation at the University of California Irvine’s yearly esports conference titled “Aristotelian Human Flourishing and Esports.” The conference is one of the largest of its kind and presents opportunities for academia and industry to examine a variety of topics. “I took this job because I wanted to do that human flourishing development," he explained. “One of the reasons I studied philosophy was I wanted to learn how to live a good, happy life,” Hamer says. “Philosophy taught me that.” After years of publishing and teaching, he says coaching and mentoring afforded him a better way to develop relationships and have conversations with students about their futures and their struggles. “I was able to be a mentor and I got into philosophy because I was interested in living a good life— not because I wanted to be a professional philosopher. That’s why I switched gears and came here.” Connect with esports on Discord at discord.gg/rCc7k85 and Twitch at twitch.tv/mountesports. FALL 2020 MOUNT NEWS

PART ONE

The Constant Process of Change By Timothy Fritz, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of History PEOPLE SAYING THAT HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF IS EXHAUSTING FOR A HISTORIAN, though I often wish it were true. Maybe then, repeated instances of oppression would be clear enough for all of us to act in opposition. Instead, history is far more elusive, altering its cycles just enough to fool those not paying close attention while frustrating others of us convinced we experience the same events repeatedly. As a historian of the Atlantic world who studies the impact of migrations of Native and African people on evolving ideas of American identity, the current state of race relations is troubling, if not unexpected. The study of our shared history, or at least how we remember it, can still offer a path forward for those with a willingness to learn. If there is one thing that history makes clear for us, is that the work of racial reconciliation, at the Mount and our country at large, has never been and never will be an expedient process. Recognition of the task ahead is not a cause for despair, but rather another call to muster in the constant quest for justice. The situation is always evolving. I teach two different classes on the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and '60s. My students are quick to realize the myriad ways in which that movement is incomplete. Desegregating schools brought neither equity in, nor equal access to education. Exercising the right to vote without intimidation didn’t end the intimidation by the state often at the center of recent protests. The election of a Black president most certainly didn’t end racism. The high-profile shootings of African Americans at the hands of police over the past 10 years deeply impact many of our students. Yet, many of us, professors and students alike, feel inadequate when it comes to engaging this community trauma in the classroom. In my observation, much of this unease comes from the realization that many of us remember our history differently. While many of our ancestors were immigrants in one form or another, those experiences differ widely. This realization is often startling and deeply frustrating, but to recognize another’s experience is not to invalidate our own. Instead, the divergence gives us a clear place to start. For example, where many of our grandparents and great grandparents fought in World War I, only Black veterans were lynched in their uniforms upon returning or killed for having the audacity to ask for change for a streetcar fare. The unevenly applied benefits of the G.I. Bill and 1 4

FEATURE FALL 2020

Students in Charleston, South Carolina, at the first Parker-Dailey Seminar for Racial Reconciliation

racist insurance practices like redlining failed to grant soldiers of all races a piece of the post-war economic prosperity—a sequence of events that hastened civil rights movements of the 20th century. Recognizing these disparate experiences is essential to how we understand our role in this community and should impact how all of us approach an American history that can be painful to many members of our campus family. As a historian, I have the unique opportunity to address these issues not as a commentary on politics, innocence, or guilt, but as an example of different ways we perceive the past and promise of the United States. Each one of us has unique academic insight, resources, and gifts with which to support the Mount’s broader goal of equipping students to live lives of significance. As President Trainor stated in the wake of a racist hate speech incident last year, “Catholic faith affirms that every human is invaluable and worthy of respect as a member of the human family and that each and every person has inherent dignity and a right to a life consistent with that dignity.” While we may acknowledge that value in principle, reckoning with the past is essential to understanding how that value was compromised across time and space, allowing us to calculate and interpret our actions in the present in pursuit of a stronger human community. Guided by the first two principles of Catholic social teaching, which are the sacred call of life, dignity and the human person, and the social call to participation in strengthening the family and community, all our programming at the Mount can be designed to move students, colleagues and the public toward the deeper understanding of dignity and compassion. This understanding of humanity, however, only purchases our shoes for the march toward justice. The walk itself is much harder. The work of reconciliation is challenging, but necessary for additional action. It involves the acknowledgement of the painful parts of our past, repentance and forgiveness. Our community can act without it, but it won’t be as effective moving forward together. Meaningful change requires all of our participation. The Mount is beginning to create academic and social spaces to facilitate these difficult conversations in both Emmitsburg and around our nation. The Parker-Dailey Fellowship was established in 2018 after the expressions of hate that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, earlier that

year. In March 2020, I led the first Parker-Dailey Seminar for Racial Reconciliation. The program carries one academic credit and includes a fully funded historical field school lasting seven days over spring break. Just before the acceleration of the global COVID-19 pandemic in this country, I transported 10 students to Charleston, South Carolina, where we rendezvoused with the program’s principal donors Philip and Sally Dailey. Before the trip, our seminar met four times to discuss our textbook, Denmark Vesey’s Garden, by Blain Roberts and Ethan J. Kytle. The text discusses the construction of historical memory from the moment immediately following the Civil War through the present, with a focus on the discourse between public monuments, racial tensions and broader themes of American identity insofar as Charleston is one of the world’s top tourist destinations. As such, I intended the trip to focus on varying conceptions of history in tension with tourism, but as we got deeper into our discussion among ourselves and the donors, we lingered on the concept of value, which President Trainor put into words a few weeks later. Specifically, we discussed the monetary value of African lives during slavery, the cultural significance in recovering and integrating their stories, the personal value of reconciliation, and finally, the modern monetization of these concepts and experiences. We expressed disparate ideas of value as we lamented some of the darker periods of American history, sparking new interest in restoring our communities in light of these divisions. In an otherwise tumultuous semester, I can think of no better way to have had face-to-face interaction end than this powerful experience. In fact, for those participants in the Class of 2020, this was the end of their time at the Mount. How are we to keep up? I considered changing my course content after the killing of Ahmaud Arbery in February 2020, only to hear about George Floyd weeks later. There is no keeping up. No quick fix to laws or policies can repair centuries of injustice. We can only look forward. Reconciliation is a process, and restoration is not always achieved, and I think that is okay. Regardless of external stimuli, our sacred duty remains the same. We should consistently strive toward a stronger and smarter campus community that reflects the experiences, passions and concerns of its constituents. CONTINUED... FALL 2020 FEATURE

PART TWO

Reflections

on Racial Reconciliation By Rachel Wheeler, Câ&#x20AC;&#x2122;22 L AST FEBRUARY, OUR MOUNT COMMUNIT Y, and especially students of color, were hurt when a student spray painted a racial slur on the bathroom mirror in Pangborn Hall. Around the same time, 10 students, including myself, and trip coordinator Professor Timothy Fritz were gearing up for a spring break trip in Charleston, South Carolina, to study racism and racial reconciliation. An attitude of seriousness loomed over the trip for the events at the Mount in weeks priorâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;demonstrating that a learning experience like the Parker-Dailey Fellowship was necessary now more than ever. Charleston looks beautiful, yet underlying all that beauty lingers the memory of slavery, the Jim Crow period and deep-rooted racism. These gruesome human rights abuses are manifest today in tourist-attractions, in wealthy mansions like the Nathaniel Russell House and expansive plantations such as Middletown Place where many enslaved Blacks lived and tourists now come to gawk at decadent dining halls and manicured gardens. We had the opportunity to behold these terrible beauties but observed that within the dining halls sat knife boxes under lock and key to keep the enslaved vulnerable, and surrounding the gardens stood towering fences with barbed wire intended to keep enslaved Blacks in and freedom out. As Mount students, we examined these places and considered our own history. Despite our roots as a Catholic institution, the Mount owned slaves, although few accounts of slaves at the Mount publicly exist outside of the timeline hanging in Upper McGowan announcing the last slaves 1 6

FEATURE FALL 2020

freed in 1858, and the Washington Post article from 2002, "Be True to Your Ghoul," entertaining the story of a slave named Leander. Charleston takes great responsibility in preserving the history of slavery through tourism, monuments and museums, but sometimes falls short of historical justice due to prejudice of those who constructed, or destructed, the narrative. We, Mount students, observed first-hand the monuments and memorials to Confederate soldiers, an issue of great interest and concern to our nation today. To me, the most shocking site was the 115-foot statue to John C. Calhoun in Marion Square. Irrespective of politics, it was chilling to see Calhoun, an ardent believer in slavery and white supremacy, on a soaring pedestal. On June 24, 2020, four months following our spring break excursion, the statue of John C. Calhoun was removed from Marion Square, a step toward relief and healing for the entire community. Like the city of Charleston, the Mount is uniting the community through various initiatives, including mandatory training, curriculum changes and changes to hiring processes, reflecting institutional efforts to better our community by eradicating racism. At the same time, it is the personal responsibility of every student at the Mount to capitalize on opportunities such as the Parker-Dailey Fellowship in order to learn more about a history of oppression made present every day by instances of racism and inequality in our community.

Regild the Blessed Mother

A Beacon of Love

THE NATIONAL SHRINE GROTTO OF OUR L ADY OF LOURDES is a sacred place of worship, pilgrimage, evangelization and reconciliation. Its mission is to lead souls to encounter Christ through the love of Our Lady. Since being established as a public oratory in 1964, the image atop the Pangborn Campanile depicts the reality that Mary is watching over us, pouring out grace upon us, and inviting us to come to her and to Christ. After more than 30 years, the gilding adorning Our Blessed Mother has started to wear. Maintaining the statue of Our Lady of Grace on the Pangborn Campanile is central to our mission. This is an exciting and joy-filled undertaking, and one we are happy to share with our patrons and pilgrims, but we cannot complete this project on our own.

We need your help to ensure the newly gilded Pangborn Campanile statue shines brightly and draws more pilgrims to the grace and peace of the National Shrine Grotto.

Can we count on you? Choose to support this project through a financial gift and your prayers. Visit msmary.edu/restoremary to learn more.

FALL 2020 MOUNT MAGAZINE

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 2020.

VERONICA BALICK Studied: Biochemistry and Biology Currently: Fulbright Grant: M.A. in Cancer Immunology and Biotechnology, University of Nottingham, UK “I was able to intern in a cancer research laboratory at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital the summer after my sophomore year. This was an amazing experience and helped prepare me for future research at the Mount and for graduate school.”

SHAUN MILLER Studied: Psychology Currently: Infantry Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army “I want to become an Army psychologist and studying psychology in undergrad got me started on that path.”

SYDNI SUROWIEC Studied: Health Sciences, Pre-Nursing Currently: Villanova Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program “The Mount has provided me with the connections and opportunities to further my academic career and to pursue my dream in nursing.”

SAM MACDONALD Studied: Business-Finance Currently: Wegmans Management Trainee “I wanted to attend a school where I had the opportunity to receive a great education and make meaningful connections. My experience at the Mount exceeded these expectations."

KELLEY NORTHAM Studied: Communication and History Currently: Pursuing M.A. in Professional Writing at Carnegie Mellon University “I studied in Salzburg, Austria, and developed and wrote for the MSMU travel blog. Being immersed in the wonders of a different culture and being able to reflect and communicate Austrian culture through writing solidified my desire to pursue a master's degree in writing."

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SAMUEL SHINN Studied: Accounting Currently: Business Analyst at Northrop Grumman “The Mount gave me the opportunity to grow academically, spiritually and professionally. From my first visit to campus, I could tell the Mount was a special community of students striving for excellence.”

SUSANNA GOERGEN Studied: Political Science Currently: Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law “Staff and professors at the Mount have been really encouraging. The core curriculum allowed me to take courses in disciplines I would not have considered otherwise.”

JACK VUKELICH Studied: General Business and Philosophy Currently: Supply Chain Analyst at McCormick & Company “I will continue to implement the skills I learned at the Mount: to think about a situation from all angles, to challenge something I believe to be incorrect and to balance work, life and faith."

COURTNEY VARLEY Studied: Elementary and Special Education Currently: National Evangelization Teams (NET) Missionary “The Mount taught me how to be a good teacher, a good friend and a good Christian.”

KIARA L AURENZANO Studied: Health Science Currently: Marymount Accelerated Nursing Program “The Mount has taught me that service is very important to live a happy life. I want to help people with my passion and skills.”

MADELINE SMITH Studied: Criminal Justice Currently: Focus Missionary “I didn't choose the Mount...the Mount chose me. I truly believe the Mount has formed me in ways that no other school could have. I have developed solid friendships, grown in my faith and learned a great deal about who I am through internships, mission trips and studying abroad."

BAILEY RAYMOND Studied: Health Science and Italian Currently: Seton Teaching Fellow with Seton Education Partners and Brilla Public Charter Schools “I have always been interested in how the brain and body are connected. I liked how the health sciences major was interdisciplinary and allowed me to see how my biology and psychology courses related to one another."

FABIOL A SOLORZANO Studied: Elementary Education Currently: Teacher, Montgomery County (MD) Public Schools “When I did the Mount's overnight experience my senior year of high school, I felt like I was at home. The small class sizes allowed me to develop one-on-one relationships with my professors. Also, the Mount has so many ways to get involved on campus."

GEMMA O'KEEFE Studied: Psychology Currently: Pursuing M.A. in School Counseling at Old Dominion University “My most meaningful experience was senior poster presentation day. It was so special to have the opportunity to present my research to the professors and students. I was so proud of all the work I put into my project and to complete my psychology degree!”

REID CLINGERMAN Studied: Accounting Currently: U.S. Army Officer “The Mount has equipped me for the Army by developing me into a moral and ethical leader who will lead the women and men of our great nation.”

CARLY MILLER Studied: Health Science Currently: University of Maryland School of Dentistry's B.S./ M.S. Dual Degree Clinical Dental Hygiene Leader Program “I love the small school environment and the community feel the Mount offers. My dad went to the Mount and was part of the basketball and track teams. My mom also coached women's lacrosse at the Mount."

FALL 2020 FEATURE

Thank you. Serve Selflessly

THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC CHANGED LIFE FOR NEARLY EVERYONE. Thank you to all our Mount alumni, staff, faculty, administration, students and friends for providing essential care, supplies and services within your communities. If you delivered food, made masks, stayed at home, donated blood, prayed for peace, called a friend or cared for a family memberâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;thank you.

health care workers first responders grocery store clerks gas station attendants postal employees delivery drivers auto mechanics essential workers You make us #MountProud and we salute you. FLIP THROUGH THE NEXT FEW PAGES TO MEET SOME OF OUR MOUNT HEROES.

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Heroes

of the Mount By Nicole Patterson THROUGH THE MOUNT SAFE INITIATIVE, more than 100 faculty, administrators and staff have devoted thousands of hours to devising and implementing an excellent plan to reopen campus. President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D., and the entire Mount community will be forever grateful to these individuals for their tremendous efforts. Guided by five principles, with the health and safety of our community and student success at the forefront, we carefully and thoroughly prepared for Fall 2020—and were ready to deliver on our mission.

Food Service THE MOUNT AND ITS FOOD SERVICE provider Aramark have reimagined dining services to provide more eateries as well as increased seating options to accommodate physical distancing. To limit contact, a reservation system through the TRANSACT Mobile Ordering app is used for meals in Patriot and Mount Café. Emmit’s Street Eats, a mobile food trailer, offers upscale lunch and dinner options. Students can also eat at outdoor tables and forthcoming four-seasons dining pavilion.

5 Guiding Principles 1 First and foremost is the health and safety of our community. No decisions will be made without first considering the health and safety of our community, informed by guidance from federal and state public health authorities. 2 We will emphasize student success as we fulfill our Mount mission to graduate ethical leaders who are inspired by a passion for learning and lead lives of significance in service to God and others. 3 We will be flexible in responding to the uncertainty caused by this pandemic, and we will continue responding with innovative solutions to tough problems. 4 We will treat our students and employees with respect, emphasizing empathy and compassion as they re-socialize physically into the Mount community as we know this pandemic has seriously impacted some in our community more than others. We are committed to helping our community members in keeping with the traditions of Catholic social justice. 5 We will steward our financial resources to ensure the university’s strength and stability for the long term. Our decisions must consider the future as well as the present so we are positioned to enjoy another 212 years.

"I love the community feel. Everyone’s willing to help each other and step up when needed." JAMIE EVERETT

JAMIE EVERETT CATERING DIRECTOR FOR ARAMARK, 4 YEARS Designed the Mount Café renovation Planned and monitored occupancy and density system in Patriot Worked on tech integrations to build mobile ordering app Prioritized research, compliance and innovation for touchless food service

FALL 2020 FEATURE

Contact Tracers

Front row, left to right: MATTHEW DECHANT ASSISTANT ATHLETIC TRAINER, 2 YEARS “I wanted to help. We learned what a contract tracer does, what questions to ask and how you may be able to help them. Everyone will handle it differently but we learned how to handle it calmly, get them through each question and get the information you need.” ANNA FAGAN ASSISTANT ATHLETIC TRAINER, 4 MONTHS “I want to be part of the greater good that’s happening right now. It’s a hard situation for incoming freshmen. This is a whole new world and they have a whole new set of responsibilities. I try and make sure they’re doing OK.” RHONDA MYERS IT BUSINESS MANAGER, 1.5 YEARS

THE MOUNT’S CONTACT TRACING TEAM includes student and employee volunteers who successfully completed a Johns Hopkins tracing course. Contact tracing can help prevent further transmission of the virus by quickly identifying and informing close contacts who may be infected or contagious—so they can take steps to stop the spread.

Back row, left to right: KRIS BERNARDO ASSISTANT ATHLETIC TRAINER, 2 YEARS BRENT JOHNSON ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF RESIDENCE LIFE, 2 YEARS

The Mailroom Left to right: JEAN ROSENSTEEL PURCHASING MAIL CLERK, 7 YEARS MARIA TOPPER PURCHASING DIRECTOR, 43 YEARS “Grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles all send packages to their kids because they know they’re here until Thanksgiving. We helped several students who have their own businesses mail their products. We receive and mail out ballots every day and we did several COVID-19 mailings to students who received funds through the CARES Act.” STUDENTS WERE ABLE TO send and receive letters, care packages and election ballots. In August and September the mailroom safely distributed more than 7,800 packages to students who were happy to open everything from essentials like food and water to books, monitors and bed linens. Over the summer, the mailroom continued operation so administration could receive packages, use the print shop, send and pay bills and deliver timely communications.

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ALLEN MISKEL RECEIVING CLERK, 15 YEARS KENNY STONEBRAKER WAREHOUSE CLERK, 7 YEARS

Sacred Spaces

BALTIMORE ARCHBISHOP WILLIAM E. LORI has provided a dispensation for attendance at Mass, especially for those who are ill or can’t be in crowds of people. Masses are held in the Immaculate Conception Chapel or outside at the Terrace Plaza.

Campus Ministry THERESA MA AG CAMPUS MINISTRY COORDINATOR, 2 YEARS Executed an 18-point plan, in accordance with the Archdiocese of Baltimore, to reopen our chapels

"Our goal is to make sure they are OK and help them through whatever challenges they face through this time." THERESA MA AG

"Due to the fear and challenge of the pandemic, many people were seeking spiritual comfort which they found here as they could come, walk and pray on the beautiful National Shrine Grotto grounds." DAWN WALSH, C'83

Provided music for live stream Masses (from her home in Pennsylvania) Organized Holy Hours outdoors so more people could attend Managed health surveys for weddings at the IC Chapel

National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes Left to right: MARIAN KORTISSES, SHOPPE CLERK SISTER PEACE, VISITOR REL ATIONS ASSOCIATE DAWN WALSH, C'83, NATIONAL SHRINE GROTTO DIRECTOR SISTER THAL ASSA, VISITOR REL ATIONS ASSOCIATE KEENAN AUNGST, MAT’18, MANAGER GIFT SHOPPE LISA RUSH, ASSISTANT SHOPPE MANAGER MOTHER ASTERONE, C’10, CANTOR/ORGANIST Not pictured: Chris Coli, Operation Manager and Matthew McKenna, C'18, Shoppe Clerk Live streamed Masses to stay connected to pilgrims Set up access points and counted visitors to manage safe social distancing Sisters prayed the rosary, walked the Stations of the Cross with Fr. Ted and sang at all Masses Communicated with patrons through emails and social media

Seminary JACOB GEORGE, 2ND THEOLOGY SEMINARIAN Jacob organized and leads the "stream team": a group of seminarians who take care of all in-house streaming for seminary classes and events, allowing faculty to focus just on teaching. He is also a member of the Community of Grace, an association with the mission of evangelization, and has served in the communication office in his home diocese in the United Arab Emirates where he helped coordinate media for Pope Francis’ visit there in 2019.

FALL 2020 FEATURE

Physical Plant

Front row, left to right: GEORGE STALEY 3 YEARS MAGNOLIA RIVERA 5 YEARS MISSY HAGAN 3 MONTHS SHERRY VINCION 3.5 YEARS SHERRY CREGGER 29 YEARS KEVIN FITZGERALD 37 YEARS

CUSTODIAL STAFF HAVE BEEN VITAL during this time and were on campus while others were home during shelter in place. All classrooms and public areas are cleaned daily by our custodial staff in accordance with CDC guidelines and are being electrostatically disinfected with the EnviroShieldÂ® application system. Hand sanitizer dispensers have been installed throughout all buildings. Plexiglass shields were installed in areas where physical distancing is not possible. In residence halls, shared bathrooms are cleaned daily using CDC guidelines. They also partnered with Information Technology Support Center and Center for Instructional Design and Delivery to construct and assemble 42 Zoom rooms on main campus.

Public Safety

Back row, left to right: SHAWN REDDING 1.5 YEARS CORY REED 4 YEARS SANDRA BERRY 2 WEEKS SABRINA REAVER 3 YEARS

WHEN CAMPUS WAS CLOSED, lieutenants and officers were walking up to 10 miles a night patrolling the grounds. Currently, all community members and visitors are required to complete a daily temperature check and complete a daily health questionnaire to verify that they are permitted on campus. Off-campus visitors are not allowed in residence halls, and only family members are permitted on campus for visits. Left to right: LT. BRIAN KOENIG 17 YEARS DISPATCHER BECK Y ANDREW 14 YEARS CAPTAIN CAROL MCINTOSH 20 YEARS OFFICER JOHN KEMPIST Y 6 YEARS OFFICER STEVEN C. GIRARD 7 YEARS

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Mount Athletics

"I take people’s temperatures, check them in and help with reservations. Students use the registration app for intramurals and sociallydistanced fitness classes—which are popular. It’s definitely different, but people have been cautious and it’s been managed very well." MARLEIGH BECK, C’23

CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE ARCC’S FACILITIES, operations, guidelines and procedures to help reduce the risk of COVID-19 exposure and transmission within the ARCC as a result of participating in our programs and services. All changes were developed using the CDC guidelines, the “Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery” and the university’s Mount Safe Initiative. Top photo, left to right: WINSTON MOORE, C’24 MARLEIGH BECK, C’23 QUINTON MINCEY, C’24 Bottom photo, far right: ETHAN PHAM, C’21 Reservation-based system implemented for workout space and time through the App IMLeagues Modified hours of operation and timed workouts Required mask wearing at all times, including while exercising Restricted use of the ARCC to the Mount community

Residence Life A NUMBER OF ROOMS ARE SET ASIDE as quarantine/isolation rooms to separate students who are exposed to and/ or contract COVID-19 from the student population. To reduce the density in the residence halls, no more than two students are housed per room. Masks are required to be worn in all hallways, classrooms, restrooms and common areas. All students signed the Mount Safe Pledge and committed to making choices to keep the Mount community safe and healthy.

SCOTT K ACHMARIK ASSISTANT DIRECTOR 1 YEAR Create and manage logistical plans for bringing students back to campus Manage assignments and logistics of COVID-19 quarantine and isolation spaces Safely transport students and their belongings in and out of quarantine/isolation rooms

"I think about the care and concern I would want for my son and daughters. It's that simple." SCOTT K ACHMARIK

Deliver essentials such as textbooks, toilet paper, cleaning supplies and mail Around the clock checkins to assure wellbeing

CONTINUED... FALL 2020 FEATURE

Social Justice

THE OFFICE OF SOCIAL JUSTICE provides students, faculty and staff the opportunity to put social justice education into action. By participating in local service experiences, participants are able to be agents of positive social change. Left to right: CAITLIN BESCHE, C'20, MBA'22 GRADUATE ASSISTANT IN THE OFFICE OF SOCIAL JUSTICE, 3 MONTHS BRENDAN JOHNSON ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF CAMPUS MINISTRY & SOCIAL JUSTICE, 8 YEARS

"The most impressive thing was the students’ dedication. They knew the job had to be done and they wanted to make sure their peers were taken care of. It was refreshing and inspiring to see students consistently serve others."

Coordinate meal selection and delivery seven days a week Work with the Office of Residence Life and Dining Services to ensure confidentiality and safety 36 students volunteered to deliver meals to those in quarantine

CAITLIN BESCHE, C'20, MBA'22

Students delivered meals in pairs, 21 times per week

Wastewater Analysis "We test the residence hall wastewater twice a week; John Davis drives the samples to the lab. I'm thankful for Maryland Environmental Services and the Frederick County Health Department for their work. We have discovered cases we wouldn't have otherwise found— and had the opportunity to stop the spread." WILL WOOD

OUR WASTEWATER ANALYSIS PROGRAM aids us in identifying asymptomatic cases. Testing wastewater for the novel coronavirus’ genetic signature provides communities like ours a faster way to spot a possible increase in cases and potentially prevent a hotspot or outbreak. Left to right: DHANE SCHMELYUN, C’21 BIOLOGY MA JOR WILL WOOD, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFET Y OFFICER/L AB MANAGER, 2.5 YEARS Researched a non-invasive testing method and discovered possibility of wastewater testing Forged partnership with Maryland Environmental Services—contractor for running wastewater treatment on campus Performed walkthrough square-foot analysis across campus to determine safe social distancing protocols and reduce occupancy rates by nearly 50% in classrooms, common areas and academic buildings Worked as a contact tracer and analyzed contact tracing data as related to wastewater sampling to pinpoint the potential development of cases and how that might show up in the wastewater.

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Thank you to the Heroes of the Mount Protecting the health of the Mount community will require a long-term effort and commitment, cooperation, teamwork and understanding from every member of the Mount community. Thank you for being part of the team and making us #MountProud.

Visit msmary.edu/mountsafe for more about the Mount’s COVID-19 response and compliance.

FALL 2020 FEATURE

Professor of English Indrani Mitra, Ph.D.

No Walls and New Tools: Higher Education in the Age of COVID-19 By Barbara A. Marinak, Ph.D. Dean, School of Education

“The Black Lives Matter course at the Mount has really helped me understand the history that is shaping our current events today. I am so grateful that the Mount and Dr. Hansen are offering this important course.” Megan Lipari Brown Religious Studies Department Chair Elizabeth Seton High School

“Dr. Hansen’s Black Lives Matter course is an eye-opener. It gives me a better understanding of systemic racism and history that was never taught in-depth at my previous schools.” Elise Howard, C’23 Elizabeth Seton High School 2 8

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PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, many educational futurists were warning higher education that “things needed to change.” We could not continue business as usual. These ominous discussions were based on many undeniable facts including shifting demographics resulting in fewer high school students heading to college, the demand for nontraditional majors such as interdisciplinary STEM degrees and the need to innovate graduate degrees. Wise universities, such as the Mount, paid careful attention to these data and began envisioning a very different future. And then, in two short months, our measured strategic planning was upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. Life on the other side of the pandemic appears to be taking two forms. Educational institutions (higher education and P-12 schools) are focused on either renewal or reimagining. Those with questionable and/or struggling futures appear to have an eye on renewal. Their efforts are locked on resuming activities after a pandemic interruption. Other institutions, including the Mount, are viewing the pandemic period as a time for reimagining how we can thrive in an era of no walls and new tools. It sounds odd, but given our efforts prior to March 2020, the Mount was uniquely positioned for the pandemic. More important, thanks to the vision and leadership of President Trainor, we are reimagining higher education—at warp speed on some days! This reimagining means not being bound by classroom spaces and brick and mortar buildings. It requires rethinking teaching and learning in light of new tools and strategies. Mind you, none of us are happy about the conditions causing this transformation. But it does mean we have the opportunity to embrace important and exciting possibilities. PRE-PANDEMIC: 2016-20 Prior to the pandemic, the Mount was beginning to reimagine how, where, when and to whom we delivered instruction. In order to be as flexible and student-centric as possible, we adopted Canvas, a next generation learning management system. Such a system is a digital platform whereby teaching and learning modalities are seamlessly blended and an ever-evolving collection of applications can be easily integrated. Canvas optimized functionality for students and faculty regardless of how they were teaching and allowed the university to roll out a wide variety of instructional tools such as digital conferencing and online discussions. However, as many observers of higher education note, the learning management system is not the final chapter in the evolution of the postsecondary digital learning environment; it is likely a prologue of things to come. In addition to conducting a pilot and ultimately adopting Canvas, the Mount established a goal of strengthening relationships with Catholic high schools in the region. After a bit of investigation by the Center for Catholic School Excellence and its director Elizabeth Monahan, it became clear that many highly

capable students in Catholic high schools are ready for postsecondary academic challenge during their junior and/or senior years. A logical initiative as a result of this need was to offer introductory-level Mount courses at our Frederick campus for students from local Catholic high schools such as St. John's Catholic Prep. The Frederick campus worked well for St. John's Prep but interest in the program quickly grew. Reimagining who we serve without walls and with new tools meant the Mount needed technology enabled, or Zoom, rooms. In 2018, two Zoom rooms were constructed—one on the main campus and one at the Frederick campus. The availability of Canvas and a Zoom room meant we could expand our outreach to Catholic high schools and welcome students from St. Maria Goretti in Hagerstown and Bishop Ireton in Alexandria, Virginia. PANDEMIC: MARCH, 2020-PRESENT Reimagining how we can thrive in an era of no walls and new tools took on new intensity when the Mount went remote in March 2020. Canvas provided a consistent repository for faculty to house course materials for remote learning. Having a bit of lead time that the pandemic might cause us to go totally remote, the Center for Instructional Design and Delivery (CIDD), under the leadership of Laura Frazier, Ed.D., quickly and easily integrated Zoom with Canvas. Having a powerful conferencing tool easily accessible in the learning management system facilitated ease of use for faculty teaching from home. In addition to Zoom integrated with Canvas, some faculty preferred to deliver their courses from our Zoom rooms on the main campus and Frederick. Two classrooms were immediately available, and in 48 hours, Mount’s Information Technology Support Center (ITSC) built two additional portable Zoom classrooms. In these spaces, faculty could safely come to either the main campus or the Frederick campus to Zoom with their students from a classroom. The classroom allowed faculty to use chalkboards or whiteboards while they lectured and held discussions. Faculty teaching courses with intense computation, such as accounting and statistics, used the Zoom rooms throughout the remainder of the spring semester. Understanding academic year 20-21 was to be like no other and recognizing the power of Zoom technology, President Trainor directed the Technology and Pedagogy Safe Team to make every classroom at the Mount “remote ready.” Over the summer, CIDD and ITSC partnered with Physical Plant to construct/assemble 42 Zoom rooms on the main campus, 11 at Frederick, and seven at the seminary. These Zoom rooms allow students who are fully remote this fall to participate in all classes. These instructional spaces have also ensured appropriate social distancing by grouping students in accordance with maximum classroom occupancies. In other words, large classes are divided into two groups with each group having a face-to-face and a remote day each week. Lastly, Hansen's Sociology 320 course, Black Lives Matter, is an amazing example of no walls and new tools, and is likely a peek into our future post-pandemic. Hansen, an associate professor of sociology, is remoting into his courses from

“It's tragic that learning about racism is nearly optional in college; if you don't actively seek it out as electives then you'll never learn it thoroughly. And white people who don't understand the past and present forces that hinder Black advancement risk looking at the obvious racial disparities we have today and thinking there's somehow something wrong with Black people rather than with what they've endured in America." Kim P. Hansen, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Sociology

Norway this fall. He has students taking the course on the main campus. In addition, Sister Ellen Marie Hager, principal from Elizabeth Seton High School (ESHS) in Washington, D.C., heard about the course and inquired. A Daughter of Charity high school, ESHS is committed to justice and equity. Sister Ellen Marie was interested in both her students and faculty enrolling. Currently five ESHS students and two faculty are studying with Hansen. Nineteen students in a variety of states in the U.S. and an instructor in Norway are wrestling with some of the most important and challenging questions of our time related to social justice, made possible because we are reimagining how, where, when and to whom we deliver instruction. POST-PANDEMIC: HOPEFULLY SOON! Post pandemic, a day that cannot come soon enough, the possibilities for the Mount are endless. Our reach is no longer limited by our geographic footprint. Undergraduate and graduate courses can now be delivered both face-to-face and remote in the same instructional space. We can deliver our signature high quality instruction in Canvas and Zoom either synchronously or asynchronously as we design programs to best meet the needs of a diverse student body. Student-athletes, students studying abroad, and students away from campus completing internships, to name a few, will always have access to their courses. And, consistent with the initiative that launched “no walls, new tools” pre-pandemic, the Mount will expand our outreach to Catholic high schools wherever they are. Thanks to visionary leadership during a pandemic, the Mount now has the expertise and tools to continue reimagining ways to, in Dr. Trainor’s words, “export our goodness!”

Kraig Sheetz, Ph.D. dean of the School of Natural Science & Mathematics

FALL 2020 FEATURE

Follow Along!

Campus Life

Fall 2020

A glimpse at campus life under the “modified normal” environment prompted by the novel coronavirus. Students may be masked and physically distant, but they still are able to connect and support each other as Mount family members. Some of the innovations made out of necessity may remain after the pandemic ends. What’s not to love about spin class on the lawn, musical performances in a stairwell and video demonstrations in class?

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Follow us and stay connected! For more posts like these and to keep up-to-date with campus, find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. @MSMUniversity @mountstmarysu @MSMU

FALL 2020 FEATURE

Board of Trustees

Gracelyn McDermott, C’93 Becomes Second Woman and First African American to Lead Board of Trustees THE MOUNT ST. MARY’S BOARD OF TRUSTEES has elected Gracelyn Ashby McDermott, C’93, to serve as chair of the board and Richard P. Miller, C’74, as vice chair. McDermott is the second woman and first African American to lead the 31-member board of the 212-year-old university. Four of the trustees are newly elected (see related article). McDermott, who succeeds Mary D. Kane, C’84, is executive director of account management at Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States. Her overall professional career includes sales, operations and information technology leadership in the health care field. Prior to joining Kaiser, McDermott served as vice president of accrediting and client services at URAC, an independent health care accrediting organization, and director, specimen administration for Ameritox, LLC, formerly a leader in pain medication monitoring. “I am honored that the Board has entrusted its leadership to me,” McDermott said. “My goal is to provide Dr. Trainor with full support while we continue to successfully manage through the pandemic and to forge initiatives that will solidify the Mount as a premier university for years to come—building on all the previous efforts initiated under Mary Kane’s leadership.” A member of Leadership Maryland’s Class of 2018, an eightmonth hands-on learning program for senior executives dedicated to building a better Maryland, McDermott is also a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP). She is vice chair for the Maryland Chamber of Commerce and a member of the boards of the nonprofit organizations Vehicles for Change and Excellence in Education Foundation for PGCPS, Inc. After graduating from the Mount with an undergraduate degree in international studies and Spanish, McDermott earned an MBA from Johns Hopkins University. A member of the Mount’s Board of Trustees since 2013, she previously served as vice chair and secretary. She gives generously of her time and talent to the university, including participation in the inaugural Alumni of Color Panel in 2019 and a 2020 webinar for alumni on health care. In 2017, she received the Academic Circle of Excellence Award,

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which recognizes distinguished Mount alumni who are leaders in their communities or in their chosen profession. McDermott lives in Mount Airy, Maryland, with her husband and two daughters. Miller, who previously served as secretary of the board, is the retired president and CEO of Virtua Health. He delivered the commencement address and received an honorary doctorate in humane letters in 2017. Miller has long demonstrated his commitment to his university and local communities and has served on the boards of several community health organizations, including the New Jersey Hospital Association, the American Heart Association and the March of Dimes of Southern New Jersey. He has served as a trustee for five years. Miller lives in Philadelphia with his wife; they have two adult daughters. “I am excited to continue working with Gracelyn and Rich in their new leadership roles on the university’s opportunities to spread our goodness. They are accomplished business leaders, proud alumni and deeply devoted supporters of the Mount’s mission and our students,” said President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D. “All of our current and newly appointed trustees bring diverse and valuable perspectives, experiences and expertise to help move us into the future with confidence, strength and vision.” Kane, who has served as chair for nearly five years, will leave the board after the June 2021 meeting, having completed nine years of service. The Board of Trustees honored her with the title chair emerita. Kane led the board through a presidential transition and the creation of a five-year strategic plan for the university as well as reimagined the board and its structure. “I want to thank Mary Kane for her tremendous leadership and service to the university as chair and for her ongoing support as a proud Mountaineer,” Trainor said. David P. Conaghan, C’81, executive director of CIBC Capital Markets, will step into the role of board secretary previously held by Miller. Richard M. Folio, C’88, MBA'98, executive vice president and CFO of Midwest Railcar Corporation, is the new treasurer of the board.

Mount Board Welcomes

Four Impressive Trustees LIEUTENANT GENERAL (RETIRED) NADJA Y. WEST is the 44th surgeon general of the United States Army and former commanding general of the U.S. Army Medical Command. She became the first Black surgeon general of the U.S. Army on December 11, 2015, and served in the position until her retirement in 2019. She oversaw the highest medical readiness of our forces and highest survival of battlefield wound rates in history. Among her other firsts are becoming the first Black female major general of the Army’s active component in 2013 and Army Medicine’s first African-American female twostar general. Prior to serving as surgeon general, West was the principal medical advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In that role, she assisted in crafting the plan for U.S. government response to the Ebola crisis in Liberia in 2014. West held numerous other leadership positions in the Army throughout the U.S. and overseas. She served as a 2019-2020 Hauser Leader for the Harvard Kennedy School Center for Public Leadership. She serves on the boards of Nucor Corporation, Tenet Healthcare Corporation, National Recreation Foundation and Americares. West is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering and of the National War College with a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies. She attended the George Washington University School of Medicine, where she earned a Doctor of Medicine degree. West and her husband Don are the proud parents of two adult children, and currently live in Maryland.

PAT LOCKE, founder of the Seeds of Humanity Foundation, is by order of merit the first African American woman to graduate from the United States Military Academy in 1980. She was commissioned as an air defense artillery officer and embarked on a career in the U.S. Army, commanding in Germany, working in Human Resources Command and serving on staff at the Pentagon. Locke retired from active duty service in 1995. She created the Seeds of Humanity Foundation to help underserved students and their influencers, particularly with STEM education, ethics and leadership. She served as co-chair for the West Point Leadership and Ethics Conference in the Washington, D.C. area and has helped West Point and the West Point Association of Graduates execute more than 50 leadership and STEM events. In addition, Locke is coauthor of The Power of Civility: Top Experts Reveal the Secrets of Social Capital, published in 2011. In 2017 she was installed as a member of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services, which advises the secretary of defense on issues relating to women. In 2013 Locke was inducted into the Army Women’s Foundation Hall of Fame and received the Golden Torch Award from the National Society of Black Engineers. Women of Color in STEM honored her with the Visionary Award in 2016. She holds a Master of Science degree in administration from Central Michigan University and a Master of Arts in education from Loyola University Maryland. Locke and her husband live in Virginia. She has an adult daughter.

KOKI ADASI, C’04, is senior vice president of Compass Real Estate. Following his graduation from the Mount with a Bachelor of Science degree in business and minor in psychology, he embarked on a career in real estate by working in the accounting department of a construction company as he studied for and obtained his real estate license. Adasi credits his team’s position as one of the most successful in the country to their comprehensive approach to client care. He is also committed to volunteerism and philanthropy with organizations such as Horton’s Kids, StudentAthletes Organized to Understand Leadership (SOUL), Kindred and Cornerstone Montgomery. Adasi served as president of the Greater Capital Association of Realtors® in 2019 and will serve the National Association of Realtors® as liaison for Member Services in 2021. A Division I basketball player at the Mount, Adasi still enjoys playing basketball, traveling and spending time with his wife, son and daughter. They live in Washington, D.C.

J. RAPHAEL DELL A RATTA, C’92, is president of Commercial Management Company, which manages retail shopping centers, office buildings and hotels in Maryland, Virginia and Florida. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor in philosophy, Della Ratta completed a Master of Arts degree in English literature at Catholic University of America. In his career he has acquired a broad range of experience in journalism, international security policy, project management and executive administration. He served as an inaugural member of the Mount St. Mary’s College of Liberal Arts Advisory Board; endowed a twice-a-year Mount lecture series that fosters multidisciplinary learning that is named in honor of Emeritus Professor of English Robert Ducharme, Ph.D.; and established the Della Ratta Award for Excellence in the Liberal Arts. Della Ratta is a lifelong resident of Glenwood, Maryland. He lives in an historic home, Villa Sperenza, with his wife and three daughters. FALL 2020 FEATURE

Mount Family Many alumni describe the Mount as one big family. Here, generations of Mount families share their memories, experiences, insights and how a Catholic education shaped the values that have guided their lives and their families.

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Gonzales, Jennifer & Antonio

The Wesley Family Jennifer (Nimon) Wesley, C'92 Is your story a Mount love story? Our story is most definitely a Mount love story. I met my husband when I was a freshman living in Sheridan 3rd floor and he was the boys first floor resident assistant. I remember meeting him in a group of my friends in the doorway to enter the floor, and I couldn’t even speak. I just thought “Wow! This is a man!” He was so mature and he was only two years older than me. At this point, the story falls prey to wild interpretation. This is how my husband tells it: He was doing his RA rounds and was walking with another RA on the sidewalk up from Sheridan to Pangborn's front door. I was alone and walked up to him, leaned in, BIT him on the cheek and then bear hugged him and walked away. There is no evidence to substantiate this story. We dated through his senior year. I sang with the Mount singers at his graduation. He met my family and I met his. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as an officer in the Army. I even flew alone to visit him in Georgia where he was in training. Then, he was stationed in Panama and had to leave. Before he left, we went out for a nice dinner and he asked me to take a promise ring. I said that he didn’t have to do that just because he was leaving the country; we were fine! So he left and we tried long distance, but it did not work for him. We split up.

Jennifer upon graduation

"I have been educated by the Church throughout my whole life, so we are so happy that Antonio is getting that same quality religious education." Jennifer (Nimon) Wesley, C'92

At this point, I will simply say that we both 100% believe in the expression “Timing is everything.” Twenty-two years later, Gonzales contacted me on Facebook with a friend request. We filled one another in about our lives. He was raising his son alone in Baltimore, Maryland, and I was living and teaching in New Jersey. We dated for a few years long distance. We separated for a few months out of frustration, but ended up right where we were always meant to be: together. He moved himself and his son to New Jersey. I became a mom. We got engaged and married in the church I had gone to my whole life and my father, who is a deacon, was there on the altar. When it came time to help Antonio with colleges, we tried not to be too pushy. It worked out perfectly. What is one of your fondest memories about your time at the Mount? There are so many great memories. As I look back at the crazy pictures, I am reminded of how much fun college really was. As a high school teacher, my students often ask me if college was really great. I never hesitate to tell them how amazing an experience it was. Ah, to go back now! It was a time of learning everything from every experience, inside the classroom and out. Some enduring memories include when I used to DJ at the radio station (my shift was midnight to 2 a.m.) and at the Rat (Rathskellar) on Friday nights. I also worked in the Mac computer lab behind Pangborn and I knew nothing about computers. FALL 2020 FEATURE

What, if any, impact did the cultural or political environment have on your life? I found my passion for issues that I was willing to support: equal rights, equal opportunity, environmental impact. I joined the Organization for Student Cultural Awareness. It was such a great group, and I was able to step out of my very small sheltered life and meet so many awesome people. What accomplishment, related or unrelated to your time at the Mount, makes you most proud? I studied education at the Mount. But I struggled. One professor told me my junior year that I would not make a good teacher. That was the single worst experience at the Mount. I figured she knew best and I left the department and graduated with a degree in English and a minor in theology. After graduation, I realized that she was wrong and got my master's in urban education when I left the Mount. I have been teaching in urban education for 26 years and I love it. I am good at it, and I help the younger teachers. My Mount educational background started me on this journey—no matter what one professor said. I definitely learned to listen to my own heart and follow my own motivation. No one knows you better than you. What was it like being involved in other clubs and organizations? I was part of Mount St. Mary’s College Singers for my freshman and sophomore years. I was terrified at the idea of performing, but learned so much with the experience. I gained confidence and found my voice! The Singers travelled to California to tour and sing one year. My second year we went to Rome, Italy, and sang in the Vatican for Pope St. John Paul II, and I got to shake his hand and receive a blessing…from the pope who is now a saint! Here’s the best part: professional photographers follow the pope as he shakes hands and blesses people and then they bring the pics to your hotel for you to buy. I have four pictures of the pope blessing me. In the pictures I am holding a framed photo of my boyfriend at the time in uniform; it was Gonzales. The pope blessed him too! I am not going to elaborate on how I then hyperventilated and had to lie on the floor, in a dress, and breathe into a plastic bag. Best Mount experience ever!

Gonzales "Gonz" Wesley Jr., C'90 The Mount is a place of transformation. Growing up in Baltimore City as a young teenager was incredibly challenging. I was fortunate to have the support of my loving parents, sister and extended family. My mother and father knew the importance of a good education and sacrificed for me to have a Catholic education at iconic Baltimore Catholic institutions like Madonna Middle School (Wilkins Ave.) and Mt. St. Joseph High School (a huge producer of Mount men), even though they were not Catholic themselves. My father suffered a long illness and passed away when I was 16. I had to leave Catholic school and go back to a public school in Baltimore. My first cousin, Nelson Tony Butler, colluded with my mother to get me out of the city to live in Westminster, Maryland. Westminster High School had a program called an 8th semester waiver; it allowed me to graduate high school a semester early if I worked or went to college. Tony Butler drove me to the Mount and showed me the campus, and simply said “I think you should go here, but it’s going to take a lot of hard work to get you here.” Tony was a captain in the Army National Guard and took me into his recruiter’s office and I signed up to go into the Army at 16 years and nine months (emancipated) so I could get the GI Bill. I applied to the Mount and was accepted for the spring semester of ’86, pending graduation from high school in January. I doubled up on my English and took an extra elective, along with a full semester load. I graduated ahead of my class in January which allowed me to take three new core classes at the Mount; I fell in love with the atmosphere of learning, friendship, camaraderie and the sheer beauty of the Mount. I never walked across the stage to graduate from high school as my full journey to the Mount was not over yet; I had one more thing to accomplish. I went off to basic training at age 17 to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, to train as a combat engineer. My Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery scores were high, and I was recruited to go to West Point Prep and continue at the United States Military Academy West Point or go through Officer Candidate School. My love for the Mount was so strong, and my struggle to get there so hard, it gave me the strength to make critical, personal sacrifices, powering through the grueling training. I chose to continue at the Mount and pursue an ROTC Scholarship, while still in the National Guard. (I am a Cold War era soldier as much as I am a Gulf War era veteran.) Four days after I left my advanced individual training, I was on campus, at the Mount, as a member of the Class of ’90! My transformation was just the beginning. At the Mount, I met my wife Jennifer (Nimon) Wesley, C’92, a woman who loves me, prays for me, and had me blessed by Pope St. John Paul II in 1989. Our souls were bound from that point on, even though the distance and mission focus created by the Army separated us, we found each other 22 years later and have been together for 10 years on February 14, 2020. Thanks, Facebook!

Jennifer (and Gonzales) being blessed by Pope St. John Paul II in Italy

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As a lead usher (5:30 Mass) at the Baltimore Basilica [The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary], I was honored to usher for Pope St. John Paul II on his 1995 visit to Baltimore. I learned to serve God. My official conversion

Gonzales upon graduation

What values do you think the Mount should be teaching current students? Dr. Trainor has breathed life back into the school since taking office in 2017. He visited alumni all over the country to keep us informed and reassure us that the institution was in good hands, which has proven to be true. He is the reason I “encouraged” Antonio to visit the Mount, and “lead a life of significance in service to God and others.” What lessons or experiences do you hope your son is able to have during his time here? I want Antonio to develop and grow as a man, not only in book knowledge but in his knowledge and understanding of himself and God. We want Antonio to come to the Mount where he can continue to practice his faith and fellowship comfortably with other people of faith.

Gonzales Antonio Wesley III, C'23

"The atmosphere at the Mount is one of acceptance, inclusion and diversity." Gonzales "Gonz" Wesley Jr., C'90

to Catholicism occurred at the Mount under the guidance of Monsignor Robert R. Kline, and a seminarian, now ordained named Rev. Dave Ming, brother to one of my best friends and classmates, Dan Ming. Dave guided me through my Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults classes one-on-one and Msgr. Kline baptized and confirmed me at St. Anthony’s, behind the Mount. What was going on in the world at that time? Kipkoech “Kip” and Charles Cheruiyot, my roommates, and Peter Rono, went off to run in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, with Peter bringing home the Gold to the Mount. What, if any, impact did the culture or political environment have on your life? Operation Just Cause unfolded in December ’89 as I was aggressively fighting for an active duty slot through the ROTC. I was posted in Panama in December of 1990, just in time for a coup attempt by Colonel Herrera, one of Noriega’s men.

My dad and step-mom brought me here when I was 13 and showed me around and said this is where they met. My dad was an RA and my step-mom had a crush on him. He was walking around and at the bottom of Pangborn stairs my step-mom ran up to him and gave him a big hug and ran away. That started it all. I had no idea this is where I’d end up. I was dead set on going to Rider University because they have a five-year master’s program and their campus looks a lot like this. But when I came here, it just clicked—like everything was right. My parents never pressured me; they supported me in the choices I made.

"The connections you make here are for a lifetime." Gonzales Antonio Wesley III, C'23 The connections you make here are for a lifetime. My dad still has lots of Mountie friends. We could be anywhere and when you see another Mountie, you just have this bond. I’ve experienced this being a jumper on the track and field team. We’re nothing but family and there for each other 100% of the time, on and off the track. Coach Jay Phillips was the first coach I talked to and he’s accepting and he’s consistently awesome day in and day out while being supportive and valuing our needs as student-athletes. Especially being a student-athlete, it’s important to make time to practice my faith and I can do that here. I often go to the grotto and sit at the benches overlooking campus to write and contemplate.

In what ways do you think the Mount has changed and stayed the same since you attended? The atmosphere at the Mount is one of acceptance, inclusion, and diversity—the same as I remember when I attended, even though I believe there were only 12 or 16 black and brown students when I started at the Mount. FALL 2020 FEATURE

The Courtney Family Judge James P. Courtney Jr. (Ret.), C’60 Your first inquiry of what makes the Mount a special place, reinforces in me the observation that if you have never been a part of that experience, no explanation could adequately describe it, and if you have been a part of it, no explanation is necessary. In the spring of 1956, I found myself driving down to Maryland with several of my fellow high school classmates, who were also basketball players, along with my parish priest, all in a quest to obtain a basketball scholarship for at least one of them. Not that I was in any way a candidate for such an honor, but a day off from school encouraged me to accept the invitation. There was really no need for me to make the trip. After all, I had already sent in my acceptance letter to Notre Dame after a long thought-out debate with myself to either accept the scholarship I was offered from Colgate or the acceptance from such institutions as MIT, Cal Tech and Stevens Institute of Technology. I had relented to my initial instinct and decided I would stay with the Catholic institution.

James P. Courtney Jr., C'60

It was not until we were halfway down to Maryland when Father uttered the words Mount St. Mary’s College. I immediately interrupted him and told him I thought we were going to the University of Maryland. That produced a quick history of what Father identified as the oldest independent Catholic college in America. Interesting, and still, a day off from school. Living in a city in North Jersey, within the eyesight of the towering buildings of New York City, a journey into the countryside may be interesting and still, a day off from school. I sat back in my seat and took in the view. The narrowing winding roadway rose and fell as it guided us to a canopy of old graceful trees which then concealed our view of the Blue Ridge Mountains that framed the background of this imposing setting. A sense of calmness seemed to engulf us as we entered the tree laden cavern. Suddenly, our car slowed and turned to the left. The trees seemed to part as to allow us to gaze upon the surrounding area. We turned to the right and the bright midday sun shown brilliantly upon an immense open field of green that gradually rose up, surrounding large granite buildings that undoubtedly were part of Mount St. Mary’s College.

James with his grandparents James and Elizabeth Courtney

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Maybe because of its sudden appearance, or the scene itself, a sense of awe came upon me as I took my first look at this old venerable college. It was awesome. It was powerful. It was downright beautiful. The massive college buildings, constructed of colorful tan, white and gold like country brick

sat comfortable among the brilliant green trees that graced the majestic mountain that ascended over and behind the college campus. As we stepped out of the car and made our way around campus I was struck with the friendliness of each and every person we passed, whether it was a student, teacher or caretaker, who offered a hello and a welcome. It was then that I knew I had found my new home, and I would have to inform Notre Dame I would not be finding my way to Indiana. This would also begin a love affair that would last forever. The first four years seemed to rush by as lifetime friendships were created and fond memories were indelibly placed in my mind. As the momentous May graduation celebration of 1960 came upon us, we all realized that there was, of course, a reason to celebrate all we had accomplished. Yet part of us did not really want it all to end, and we regretted leaving it all behind. On the day of our graduation, I remember seeing in the Mountain Echo, a cartoon drawing that showed a recent graduate leaving the Mount with remaining students, teachers and staff waving goodbye. The caption underneath said “You never leave the Mount. You are just always on a midterm break.” How true that was. I was drawn automatically to be involved in the National Alumni Association, becoming instrumental in establishing the Jersey Shore Alumni Chapters and ultimately serving as National Alumni Association president for two terms as well as serving on the Mount’s Board of Trustees. During my term I was instrumental in reactivating old alumni chapters and also being instrumental in establishing new chapters in Florida, California, North Carolina, Ohio and Puerto Rico. I also totally immersed myself in helping the Mount make the move to NCAA Division I Athletics and eventually found myself sitting in the Pyramid Arena at the University of Memphis watching the Mount play the University of Kentucky in our first round of the NCAA National Championship. However, nothing could be more satisfying than watching three of my own children make that same journey down to Emmitsburg, Maryland, and becoming a part of the Mount family. It provided me with the opportunity on so many occasions to return from that…midterm break and revel in my Mountain Home. If I were to seek any further satisfaction, it all occurred on the day that my grandson, James P. Courtney IV joined with his family, in this important legacy that confirms and strengthens the idea that the Mount family will never cease to exist. Tonight, I will say a prayer for all those families who have taken part in such a similar legacy and also for that good priest who unintentionally hijacked me into a life that I would never change, for even a minute.

James Courtney III, C’88 The Mount is often called a special place. What do you think makes it so special? It’s a combination of a lot of things…the beautiful campus and surroundings, the small close knit Mount community, the variety of characters, and the sense of belonging to an extended family.

James Courtney III, C'88

"It's helped me to see that love is the answer to discovering the real joy we find in life and it's up to us to constantly evolve in our understanding of its meaning, significance and potential." James Courtney III, C'88

What values do you think the Mount should be teaching current students? Love, kindness, empathy, compassion—all the things that our world is in desperate need of today and the foundations of the Catholic faith that the Mount was founded on. When you were looking at colleges, what stood out to you about the Mount? Do you think you made the right decision? I never looked at any other colleges (or at least not seriously). Family trips down to the Mount were very common for my family because of my father. I knew from a very young age it’s where I wanted to be. When you think about James finishing graduate school, what lessons or experiences do you hope he’s able to have during his time here? I think he’s already had them: the pride I feel never had anything to do with him attending my alma mater, it was watching him find his way and becoming the exceptional young man he is today. I’m just stoked it was at the Mount. FALL 2020 FEATURE

What accomplishment, related or unrelated to your time at the Mount, makes you most proud? My family. Meeting my wife was the best thing that ever happened to me. Having three beautiful children and sharing life with them, too, is the icing on the cake. Please share a story, advice, or anecdote you think current Mount students would enjoy. Learn as much as you can. Not only about the academics you’re studying, but about yourself, others, life in general and the world around you. Also, try your best to live in the moment. Life is made up of so many moments that only exist in the present; you don’t want to miss any of them. Finally, don’t let the bad experiences consume you. The ones that seem to be devastating at the time will be the ones you’ll laugh about when you share them with others later on in life.

"First, it means my connection to the Mount did not start during my freshman year—it's been a part of my life pretty much since birth." James Courtney IV, C'20, MBA'22

Tell me about your experience playing a sport or being involved in other clubs or organizations at the Mount. I was part of the Surf Club. It’s odd to have a surf club at a school in the mountains, but it was nice to be around some salty characters with like-minded interests. Even after graduation I’d still find myself traveling to surf with some of the Mount Surf Club crew. Please share how your faith has helped guide you and your family. It gave me a career. I’ve taught in the religious studies department at my high school alma mater, Donovan Catholic, for 30 years and counting. It’s helped me to see that love is the answer to discovering the real joy we find in life and it’s up to us to constantly evolve in our understanding of its meaning, significance and potential.

James Courtney IV, C'20, MBA'22 What is one of your earliest memories of the Mount? I have a few early memories of visiting the Mount as a kid with my family for various reunions. I was too young at the time to really understand what we were there for, but what I do remember is standing in between the apartments, staring up at their top floors, marveling at not only how tall they were, but the noise coming from them, filled with Mounties celebrating their reunions. The buildings seemed ancient and gigantic to me, like castles from a storybook. I didn’t know at the time that I’d eventually learn, work and play in most of these buildings. What’s one story you remember your father or grandfather telling you? It’s funny hearing stories from both my grandfather and my father because of how different their experiences were. My grandfather told stories of an all-male campus, nuns doing their laundry, quiet hours after 10 p.m. Judging by my father’s stories, the Mount was a very different school in the ‘80s. My favorite stories from his time at the Mount involved how they always managed to have fun, despite the school and Emmitsburg’s small size. Trips around the mountain sparked interest in the beautiful nature surrounding the school—also

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James Courtney IV, C'20, MBA'22, at graduation

usually involving more than a few Milwaukee’s Bests. Living on campus was like living with a few hundred of your best friends, celebrating getting though the week every Friday and Saturday. I believe those community and camaraderie aspects of the Mount still exist today. The overall feel of the Mount seems to be a happy medium between the time periods of my father and grandfather— not as proper as the ‘60s, not as wild as the ‘80s. What does being a legacy student mean to you? First, it means my connection to the Mount did not start during my freshman year—it’s been a part of my life pretty much since birth. I get to share this connection with two of my role models, my father and my grandfather. The Mount is something we’ve all experienced, and we can enjoy this connection together. I can also enjoy this with my Aunt Lisa, C’87, and Uncle Michael, C’92. I can also feel a sense of pride with being a legacy. Seeing my family members’ names around campus on plaques, bricks or benches makes me proud to not only be a Mountie, but a Courtney.

The Stevenson Family

DJ, Haley, Doreen, Lizzie and Don Stevenson

Don Stevenson, C'85 Do you remember/can you recount your first tour or visit to campus? It was a beautiful sunny day as we drove up to the Mount. I was excited to meet the coach, see the school, but even more amazed at how beautiful the school looked with all the old stone buildings, the mountain and Mary on the mountain as well. I came from an all-boys Catholic private school in New Jersey (1,200 boys) and just seeing the great co-ed campus was exciting as well. All the other schools I got recruited to just didn’t have the curb appeal the Mount had. When you were looking at colleges, what stood out to you about the Mount? Do you think you made the right decision? What stood out the most about the Mount was the beauty of the campus and just the feeling of when I walked on that I belonged there. I visited a number of schools around the same size as the Mount (2K-6K students) as well as a few universities (15K-30K) and I never had the same feeling as I did when I walked on the Mount’s campus. In my freshman year, after lacrosse season, I was thinking about transferring to a bigger lacrosse program, but when I talked with my parents and Randy Kilgore, my coach, and looked at the great friends that I had made, it became evident that the Mount was my home. From that point on, I never looked back.

"What has stayed the same is the extended family atmosphere and the comfort of being on campus." Don Stevenson, C'85

What is one of your fondest/enduring memories about your time at the Mount? I had a ton of great memories at the Mount and to limit it to one would not do it justice. However there were a few. My freshman year was comprised of 30 boys with the same personalities living on the same hall (B-Deck) that enabled a ton of fun. Also, it was the beginning of my lacrosse career at the Mount where myself and the other freshman players were welcomed with open arms by the seniors, juniors and sophomores of the team. It was an instant family where we were included in all the after game and practice events. On St. Patrick’s Day, the Mount lacrosse team hosted Notre Dame on Echo Field. It was a warm, sunny day and it was the first time the school allowed beer kegs at sporting events. FALL 2020 FEATURE

Don and roommates in 1985 after a home game out on Echo Field (back row, left to right) Ted Walsh, Lenny Day, Jack Lynch (front row, left to right) Don Stevenson, Tim Nolan

The entire school turned out to cheer us on where we put a real thumping on the Notre Dame lacrosse team. The year our lacrosse team headed to Bermuda for a spring tournament was memorable and I’m not sure the island would ever be the same or if it was the best decision for our season. We opened the trip up to a number of other students and fun was had by all. In what ways do you think the Mount has changed and stayed the same since you attended? The Mount has changed in many ways based on the way the world has changed. They have embraced greater diversity and increased the level of sports and competition. With those changes comes ways in which you need to keep the school spirit at a heightened level and find ways for the kids to engage with each other and support all the sports teams. The Mount does a great job of developing students to be ethical leaders in the workforce and make a difference. What has stayed the same is the extended family atmosphere and the comfort of being on campus. When you think about DJ and Lizzie graduating, what lessons or experiences do you hope they’re able to have during their time here? I hope for three things: they have a fun time at the school, maybe not to the level that my friends and I had, but can truly look back and talk about memories many years later; they make lifelong friends like I have done; they learn the value of being ethical in their decision making. 4 2

FEATURE FALL 2020

For me, many of the lessons I learned didn’t become evident until I was thrust into the challenges of life. Lacrosse and the coaches at the Mount delivered many of those life lessons. It’s not all about you. It’s about the team and the ability to work toward a common goal to deliver success. In life you practice relentlessly, not to get it right, but to stop getting it wrong. And there’s nothing more important in life than your friends and family. Our coach made it clear on a number of occasions the priorities for us on the team and in general: God, school, family, friends and lacrosse. Please share how your faith has helped guide you and your family. It has been the guiding light of how I raise my family and what I expect from them in life. My wife and I encourage them to help those less fortunate and to give back to important causes.

DJ Stevenson, C'22 Did you always know you would come to the Mount? No I didn’t. For multiple years my sisters and I would always reject coming here. Every vacation when we’d travel to Virginia to see our aunt and uncle, my dad would always stop here. I remember one time, in early 2010, we went into Terrace and walked around campus. When the time got closer I went on a couple college visits but coming here was the best—because I knew it and its secrets.

What’s your earliest Mount memory? One of my earliest memories was hearing about how my dad selected the school. It was between Hobart and Mount St. Mary’s. He said he went to Hobart and it looked gloomy and said ‘I don’t like it here.’ Then he came to the Mount. I always find it funny. One of my best friends and closest family friends goes to Hobart so every year when we play them he always gets text messages from my dad saying “Go Mount.” As a rugby player, what’s your favorite spot on campus? The practice pitch or Echo Field. Right now we’re practicing and then in the spring we’ll be competing. What’s it like being at school with your sister? When we have breaks, my parents still come down for the weekend and watch games, and we all go out to dinner. It is nice to have my sister here…mostly.

Elizabeth “Lizzie” Stevenson, C’24 What’s your favorite thing about the Mount now that you’re able to experience it for yourself and not through the experiences of others? My dad always said it’s a family here. Sometimes when he says stuff, I brush it off, but when my roommate and I first got here and we hung out with each other, we’d walk around campus and it is like a family where others have your best interest in mind. With small class sizes, teachers reach out to you and they’re looking to find the best in each of us.

What’s your earliest Mount memory? Oh, golly. My earliest Mount memory would be when I came here for an awards ceremony for my dad. Editor’s note: D.J. Stevenson, C’85, was inducted into the Mount Athletics Hall of Fame in 1992. He finished his career with 133 points on 96 goals and 37 assists and had 26 goals and 13 assists as a senior for the Mountaineers. He was the first Mountaineer to participate in the USILA North-South All-Star game and posted career highs of 33 goals and 42 points his junior season. He was named USILA All-American in 1984 and 1985. Have you met other legacy students? I’ve met a bunch. I live in McCaffrey Hall and it feels like the whole hall is legacies. Madison Otterbein, C’24, and I now understand what our dads are always talking about. They knew each other, and we heard the same stories. But they tell us we can’t do the same things they did because we’d get kicked out. What did you learn from your dad about lacrosse? He would love to hear this, but probably everything. Since the third grade my dad has always said: ‘Practice how you play. If you can’t put 100% effort into practice, you can’t put 100% effort into the game.’ While men’s and women’s lacrosse is so different, it’s still a mental game. Obviously you’re going to make mistakes, but it’s what you do after you make that mistake that is important. Are you going to go rush to fix that mistake or are you going to put your head down? Your coaches and teammates are there to help you, but ultimately you have to tell yourself you can do it and push yourself to succeed.

DJ and Lizzie on Echo Field

"Since the third grade my dad has always said: 'Practice how you play. If you can't put 100% effort into practice, you can't put 100% into the game." Elizabeth "Lizzie" Stevenson, C'24 FALL 2020 FEATURE

The Otterbein Family Bill Otterbein, C’86 I fell in love with the Mount on my first visit in the spring of 1982. My mother and I drove down from New Jersey for a tour. The campus was beautiful. Students were out everywhere enjoying the sunny day. Our student guide was wonderful. My mom and I were also struck by how everyone said hello and made you feel welcome. They didn’t even know us. I made the decision on the spot that this is where I was going to spend my college days. I never doubted it was the right decision. I did not know at the time what a huge impact the Mount community would have on my life. When I was at the Mount, Ronald Reagan was president. Reagan brought an era of optimism. The Cold War was still happening, but we did not know it. New wave music, Madonna and Michael Jackson ruled the airwaves on a new thing called MTV. I started out in Sheridan as a freshman, then A-Deck, 1st Dub and C20 as a senior. The only place to find air conditioning was in the academic building or in the apartments (A, B and C Tower). Senior privilege was living in the apartments and maybe a lucky couple of juniors with the right connection. We watched our Mount basketball team under Coach Phelan make it to the Final Four. Freshman year, Mother Nature dropped three feet of snow on Emmitsburg. I was so sure classes would be cancelled. I was so wrong. I did not do so well on that sociology test. Our intramural team was called Quiet Riot. The same team of guys played together for four years. If you were lucky to be at the Mount in the ‘80s, you will probably remember: covered bridge, Christmas dance, Greaseband/ Embers, Batman, women’s picnic, high rock, baked and fried, Gentleman Jim’s, “Hey Buddy,” the Tudor Room, weekends in the Rat and rugby club “across 15” on Saturday. There was no ARCC. Parent’s Weekend was the best time. It has been almost 34 years since I left the Mount campus. Through the years, our Mount friendships have thrived. I am 4 4

FEATURE FALL 2020

(Left to right) Ed Caruso, C'86, Gertrude Caruso (dog), Elke Wharton, C'87, Madison Otterbein, C'24, Bill Otterbein, C'86, James Ottenritter, C'86, and Mark Wharton

so blessed to have these fine gentlemen and ladies in my life. A group of us have a text message stream and exchange messages daily. We never hesitate to pick up the phone to check on each other. We have been to each other’s weddings, celebrated the births of our kids and supported each other in rough times. Our spouses have become an extension of the Mount family. We never miss a chance to get together for a night or weekend. Our families have vacationed together in the Outer Banks. There is always a crew of us at Mount reunions. We love the beach whether it is Dewey Beach, Delaware, or Spring Lake, New Jersey. Road trips are frequent. Some of us play golf and some just show up after for dinner and cocktails. The laughs are many. We love to tell our stories. We never seem to tire of them. I am so blessed to have this family of loyal friends after all these years. Always grateful. My parents, Bill and Ruthann, loved the Mount as much as I do. My mom and dad strongly believed in Catholic education. My four siblings and I are all products of 16 years of Catholic schools. My sister, Mary Pat, C’89, is a Mountie. My brother Don, sisters Lynne and Coleen, graduated from Villanova. Don spent a couple of spring breaks at the Mount. Don married a Mountie, Teresa (Horstman) Otterbein, C’89. My wife Kathy and I followed my parent’s faith in Catholic education. All four of our children Tyler, Griffin, Liam and Madison have attended Catholic schools through high school. Kathy and I are so proud of who they are becoming as young adults. Madison, C’24, is a freshman at the Mount. Kathy and I encouraged her to look at other colleges to make an informed decision. After one college visit at another university, Madison just turned to her mom and said ‘I want to go to the Mount.’ To say I was a little excited is an understatement. I am still trying to play it cool. In fact, all her Mount aunts and uncles are just as excited. Madison may be the only one who can still sit through the Mount stories we love to tell.

Spring Break 1985

My earliest memory of the Mount was my dad bringing me here for his reunion. We stayed in the cottages, ate at the Ott House, and met so many alumni telling their stories about their time at the Mount. It was so much fun and amazing to see how no matter how much time had passed, they all had an equal love and appreciation for this place. The thing that makes the Mount special is 100% the people. Without the people, my dad wouldn't have the friends and the memories he has carried with him all throughout life. He has known these people for close to 35 years and every time he sees the friends he made here, it is as if they were right back at the Mount. Without the people, I don't think I would be here having the time of my life. My dad has certainly told me a lot of stories about his glory days, so it is hard to pick my favorite; they are all great. I especially liked hearing about my dad's experiences being an RA and all the stuff he had to deal with concerning the freshmen.

"I never doubted it was the right decision. I did not know at the time what a huge impact the Mount community would have on my life." Bill Otterbein, C'86

To me, being a legacy is being lucky enough to understand what my dad saw here. I never fully understood why he was so obsessed with college, the Mount to be exact, until I was here and really experiencing it. Being a legacy is adding to the love my dad has for the Mount; it is being a part of something that is so beautiful and adds to a tradition. Faith has always been important to me. I went to a Catholic high school, so faith has been and always will be part of my life. And I get to continue that here. Faith has guided me through high school, through college applications and to the Mount. Everything happens for a reason and faith has shown me that I am at the Mount for a reason.

You cannot compare 1986 to 2020. My wish for Madison is to have her own memorable Mount experience. Not my experience. Her experience. I want her to be open to opportunities, because you just do not know when you are making a memory. We live in a world that is polarized and at odds. The world demands big changes, but I believe it starts with small steps. “Be the change you want to see in the world.” We all do not have to agree but we need to be respectful of each other. Be accountable for your actions. Offer a kind word of encouragement. A simple please and thank you goes a long way. Hold a door. Check on a neighbor. Be a mentor to someone. The Mount challenges us all to live substantially. The Catholic education the Mount provides is life changing. When you leave Mary’s Mountain, you become an ambassador for the Mount. Your education is a gift to be shared with others. When you get where you are going, do not forget to turn around and offer a hand up to those behind you. Every smile, every kind word, every door held open may just be the encouragement that person needs in that moment.

Madison Otterbein, C’24 My favorite thing about the Mount is the people. Everyone here is so generous and kind. I have never felt so welcomed in a place before. I also like how beautiful our campus is. I walk around campus just amazed and lucky to be here, especially with everything going on in the world with COVID-19.

Madison and her dad

Competitive Fellowships We can. We will. We do. THE OFFICE OF COMPETITIVE FELLOWSHIPS assists students and alumni of the Mount community with the application process for highly competitive and distinguished awards, such as the Fulbright, Marshall, Rhodes, Goldwater and Gates Cambridge Scholarship. These awards typically fund a number of opportunities, often in an international setting, including graduate education, research and experiential learning, nonprofit or political service, and foreign language study. Distinguished fellowships and scholarships provide unequalled experiences for personal and professional growth, and provide students a unique way to represent the Mount’s mission to become ethical leaders who see and seek to resolve the problems facing humanity.

Facts and Figures There are 23 current fellowship students. This year four students are competing for Fulbright Student Awards for Italy, Rwanda, New Zealand and Taiwan. Since its inception, the Office of Competitive Fellowships has helped Mount students from business, science, education and liberal arts win highly prestigious awards: 6 2 4 2

Fulbright Teaching Assistant Awards Fulbright Study/Research Awards Goldwater Scholarships US-UK Fulbright Summer Institute Awards 1 Boren Scholarship 1 James Madison Fellowship Many others have been semi-finalists and honorable mentions for the Marshall Scholarship, Gates Cambridge Scholarship, Rotary Global Grant Scholarship, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, and the Department of Defense SMART Scholarship.

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FEATURE FALL 2020

FELLOWS

JULIA BAER, C’21 CHEMISTRY & BIOLOGY Julia is a 2020-21 recipient of the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, the preeminent undergraduate award for students intending to pursue research careers in natural science, mathematics and engineering. This summer she completed two independent research projects developing scientific instrumentation for an inductively heated pyrolysis system with Associate Professor of Chemistry Garth Patterson, Ph.D., and constructing a 3D model of the ASCC2-diubiquitin complex with Assistant Professor of Chemistry Patrick Lombardi, Ph.D. PAIGE BUCHANAN, C’22 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS Paige completed two internships this summer as a project management intern working in the Global Technology Division at Prudential and as a research assistant with Associate Professor of Economics Alejandro Cañadas, Ph.D., where she studied the effects COVID-19 has on international finance, particularly impact investments and environmental, social and corporate governance. She is also a Division I track and field student-athlete. COLLINS NJI, C’23 COMPUTER SCIENCE & DATA SCIENCE Collins completed a remote summer internship at CSET, a policy research organization within Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. Last summer he interned at Enforme Interactive in Frederick, Maryland. He also completed internships at FunNode, a startup in San Francisco, JUV Consulting, a marketing company in New York, and Google DeepMind Technologies in London where he was a visiting student. TAYLOR RADELL, C’22 POLITICAL SCIENCE & ECONOMICS This summer Taylor participated in the American Enterprise Institute’s Summer Honors Program where students discussed and debated the most pressing issues facing the country and the world with the goal of providing a deeper understanding of contemporary public policy, appreciation for dialogue across ideological divides and networks to pursue a career in policy. Together with Fellows Harry Scherer, C’22, and Rebekah Balick, C’22, they started an American Enterprise Institute Executive Council at the Mount. Taylor also participated in the United Nations Intensive Summer Program, where she was immersed in the political dynamics and inner workings of the U.N.

“Applying for prestigious awards requires wordsmithing and soul-searching. I learned this firsthand 15 years ago when I competed for, and won, the highly competitive Marshall Scholarship. Through the Office of Competitive Fellowships, my colleagues and I seek to offer compassionate guidance to the Mount’s brightest students, challenging them to perfect their talents and to pursue ambitious aspirations with the hope of addressing, understanding and even solving the myriad problems facing our world.”

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR THE OFFICE OF COMPETITIVE FELLOWSHIPS PROFESSOR OF SPANISH LITERATURE & CULTURE

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR LOGISTICS & SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

JOHN-PAUL HEIL, C’15 HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY, ITALIAN STUDIES & ENGLISH John-Paul was a finalist for the 2015 Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award to Italy and the recipient of a 2020 Fulbright Research Study Award to Italy. He earned his master’s degree from the University of Chicago in 2016 and is currently a doctoral candidate working on his dissertation titled “Virtue and Vice in the Political World of Renaissance Naples.” He is currently an adjunct professor in the Department of History at the Mount. SARAH (BONSON) KRUEGER, C’17 CHEMISTRY Sarah was an honorable mention for the Goldwater Scholarship and an honorable mention for the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) while at the Mount. She won the NSF GRFP the following year at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she is a doctoral candidate in organic chemistry. K ATE HEINTZELMAN, C’19 ENGLISH, FRENCH & THEOLOGY Kate was the recipient of a 2019 Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award in Luxembourg. She was an editor of the Mount’s humanities journal Moorings and is currently working toward a certificate in Lay Catholic Ministry and pursuing a master’s degree in religion and literature at Yale Divinity School.

Learn more!

CHRISTINE BL ACKSHAW, PH.D.

JOSEY CHACKO, PH.D.

JAMIE GIANOUTSOS, PH.D.

ALUMNI

FACULTY

JAMIE GIANOUTSOS, PH.D. DIRECTOR FOR THE OFFICE OF COMPETITIVE FELLOWSHIPS ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF HISTORY

ANGY K ALL ARACK AL, PH.D. ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY

MICHELLE OHANIAN, PH.D. ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF EDUCATION

GARTH PATTERSON, PH.D. ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY

Read their stories at msmary.edu/fellowshipsnews. Give today at msmary.edu/supportfellowships.

FALL 2020 FEATURE

Alumni News NAA President’s Letter DEAR MOUNT ALUMNI, I hope you and your family have been safe and healthy during these unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic. The strength and resilience of the Mount community continues to amaze me. I personally want to thank President Trainor for his fearless leadership during this pandemic which allowed the Mount to welcome our students back to Mary’s Mountain and complete the fall semester in person on our beautiful campus. Your tireless dedication to our beloved Mount truly shows and we are all eternally grateful. Sadly we have been unable to gather in person for many of our favorite alumni traditions and chapter events these past nine months. However, social media, Zoom, and virtual events have allowed us to stay connected. Alumni classes have been reaching out to the Office of Advancement to host class happy hours via Zoom and close to 100 alumni participated in Mount Athletics’ Virtual Run. At our recent NAA Fall Meeting I was pleased to introduce the newly elected Chair of our Board of Trustees, Gracelyn McDermott, C’93, to members of our National Alumni Association. Gracelyn will continue to help lead the Mount forward—together as one! If you’ve ever considered getting involved with the NAA, now is your chance. Elections for president, two vice presidents, seminary vice president and seven council seats will be held this spring. Nominate yourself or fellow

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ALUMNI NEWS FALL 2020

alumni to be a member of the National Alumni Association Council at msmary.edu/naanomination. We look forward to a strong turnout of alumni and seminary alumni. The Mount’s endurance and resilience through this pandemic has been nothing short of remarkable. Nonetheless, COVID-19 has had a substantial impact on our community. Across campus there have been technology enhancements in all classrooms, PPE, new dining options and ventilation of the dorms and academic spaces. All were necessary to allow our Mount community to safely return for the fall semester and will likely be necessary for students to return for the spring semester. When contributing before the year end, please consider making a gift to the Mount Annual Fund. Under the CARES Act, those who do not itemize can take a one-time $300 charitable income tax deduction on their 2020 federal income tax return. Thank you for all you do for the Mount. You and your family are in my prayers, and I hope to see many of you at an alumni event in the near future. Sincerely,

ED CARUSO, C'86 National Alumni Association President

Your Voice Your Vote

2021 National Alumni Association Elections Make your voice heard.

Positions Open for Election: PRESIDENT

THE NATIONAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION is governed by a president, executive vice president and two vice presidents who are eligible to serve two-year terms, and 14 members of the National Alumni Council who serve four-year terms.

2 VICE PRESIDENTS SEMINARY VICE PRESIDENT 7 COUNCIL SEATS

Elections take place Spring 2021. Run or nominate fellow alumni by completing the form at msmary.edu/naanomination.

FALL 2020 MOUNT MAGAZINE

Recipients of the

Rev. Carl J. Fives Scholarship THE REV. CARL J. FIVES SCHOLARSHIP was established by the National Alumni Association in memory of longtime Alumni Chaplain Rev. Carl J. Fives, C’38, S’42, H’99. The scholarship is awarded to rising seniors in the university and two fourth-year seminarians based on academic excellence, financial need and service to the Mount community. One of the six scholarships is awarded to a Mount legacy student. This year there were seven scholarships awarded. A full scholarship was divided between two students who graduated early.

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Matenyeh Kaba, C’21 Being awarded the Father Carl Fives Scholarship means a great deal as it financially aides me in completing my college career. As I reflect on my time at the Mount, I am easily reminded of the great experiences and skills I have gained here. The supportive and close-knit community has helped me grow as an individual and in my faith. This scholarship and the various other opportunities I have sought have been made possible through the encouragement of my family, peers and Mount faculty.

Adrianna Hyland, C’21

Breanna Rorrer, C’21

I feel honored that the Mount chose to recognize me with this award. I've worked hard over the past three years, and this scholarship showed me that all of that hard work is paying off. The Mount has truly been a second home to me. It has allowed me to reach new academic heights through the Honors Program and has broadened my horizons with my study abroad experience in Prague. The Mount has allowed me to become a better version of myself.

I am thankful to receive the Father Fives Scholarship. I am very appreciative for any financial assistance—as I’m paying for college on my own. I am also honored to represent this scholarship for the Mount. Attending the Mount has been such a great experience. The people I’ve met have become lifelong friends; everyone is so personable and willing to help you chase your dream. It means a lot to know I have a support system. I’m so grateful for my Mount experience!

CLASS NOTES FALL 2020

Roberto Sanchez, C’21

Emmanuella Osei-Asante, C’21

I am honored to receive the Father Fives Scholarship. It shows the faith people have in me and the work I will continue to do. One day I hope to replenish this foundation to help future Mount students. The Mount has become a second home to me. I have been given the opportunity to become a resident assistant and was offered a full-time position at CohnReznick through the Career Center. I met great faculty and friends who helped form the person I have become. Go Mount!

I am immensely grateful to the National Alumni Association for awarding me the Rev. Carl J. Fives Scholarship. Over the past few years as a member of the Mount community, there have been various instances that have helped reinforce my love for this university. Receiving this scholarship is one of them. The rigor of the curriculum and the support of the faculty have always inspired me to seek opportunities, such as this, that not only acknowledge my academic merits but also encourage them.

Brianna Gallager, C’21*

Julianna Spicer, C’21

It is an honor to be one of this year’s recipients of the Reverend Carl J. Fives Scholarship. My experience at the Mount has been life changing and given me endless opportunities and lifelong friendships. The Mount is more than just a school; it is also a place for people to come to find themselves, connect with others, grow and learn in numerous ways. I have had the incredible privilege of being a Division I athlete, joining various clubs, receiving work study, attending CRUX and AMP trips and studying abroad. The Mount means more to me than I could put into words. I am extremely grateful. *Mount legacy recipient

Receiving this award means so much to me because it means that my voice was heard at the Mount and that people know who I am and have faith in me. All my experiences at the Mount have been more than tremendous! The Mount has given me so many opportunities for self-growth and growth in my education. I could not thank the community enough for what they have done for me thus far!

FALL 2020 CLASS NOTES

There are moments that define us and shape our lives. With every challenge We rise. In every season We grow. From the minute we arrive and from every moment that follows We choose to live significantly.

You can move mountains. Your gift to the Mount Annual Fund improves studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; living and learning environments. In response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Mount enhanced technology to offer in-person and remote instruction while allowing students to safely return to campus classrooms this fall.

Give today and share in a studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success. 5 2

MOUNT MAGAZINE FALL 2020

GIVE BY MAIL 16300 Old Emmitsburg Road Emmitsburg, MD 21727 GIVE BY PHONE 301-447-5362 GIVE ONLINE msmary.edu/give

DEI Committee

Seeks More Inclusive and Welcoming Alumni Community THE NATIONAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION has established a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee to bridge the gap between the university’s significant commitments to DEI initiatives on campus and those among the alumni community. “We’re striving to increase alumni of color engagement at all levels, from the chapter level up to alumni leadership,” said Jason Epps, C’05, chair of the committee. “We’ll accomplish this by working to build diverse leadership pipelines for alumni of color, from the National Alumni Association to the Board of Trustees.” The committee is off and running with a number of projects, including a program that provides opportunities for alumni of color to mentor recent graduates, as well as current students. The committee is also looking to instill “diversity liaisons”

at the chapter level, who would focus on increasing the overall exposure of the chapter to nearby alumni of color, as well as developing DEI initiatives on the ground. “Our committee members also have a strong desire to serve their communities, so we’ve discussed volunteering and community service in underserved areas,” Epps said. “Lastly we’re working on establishing some form of lecture series highlighting and celebrating our many successful alumni of color.” In addition to Epps, members of the committee are Rev. Bryce Jones, C'07; Jeanette Smith, C'07; Patrick Perez, C'14; Perfect Torkornoo, C'15; Andrew McCarthy, C'16; Stephen Witkowski, C'16; Rebecca Schisler, C'17; Angel Jackson, C'18; Alex Johnson, C'18; and Lyndsey Saunders, C'20.

Jason Epps, C’05 Chair of DEI Committee

Learn more For more information on the university's DEI initiatives, visit msmary.edu/dei.

FALL 2020 ALUMNI NEWS

Class Notes Frank Delmonico, M.D., FACS, C’66

See what your fellow alumni are doing! Stories are listed by class year, in ascending order to most recent and alphabetically by last name.

Accomplishments

Tony Weaver, C’98, with his pastor Fr. Michael Metzgar after the ordination.

FRANK DELMONICO, M.D., FACS, C’66 Frank Delmonico, M.D., FACS, C’66, was recognized by the Transplantation Society for his lifetime contributions to the transplantation field with its highest distinction, the Medawar Prize. During his 40-year career as a transplant surgeon at the Massachusetts General Hospital, he made tremendous contributions on many clinical, research and social fronts. His passion relates to the ethics of transplantation, including his efforts to eliminate organ trafficking and transplant tourism both for the safety of the transplant recipients and the well-being of living donors. He led a committee of transplant professionals, legal scholars and ethicists to draft the groundbreaking Declaration of Istanbul in 2008 which is one of the most influential documents to standardize practices in the history of transplantation. He continues to work with the World Health Organization and also serves as an appointee of Pope Francis on the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. KATHLEEN (MONAGLE) LEE, C’88 Kathleen (Monagle) Lee, C’88, was named assistant principal at Christ the Teacher Catholic School where she has been teaching since 2002. A member of St. Margaret of Scotland Parish, Lee and her husband, Stewart, have two adult daughters, Megan and Katie, who graduated from Christ the Teacher and Saint Mark’s.

Amelia Russo, C’11

TONY WEAVER, C’98 Tony Weaver, C’98, was ordained as a permanent deacon along with 34 other men by Bishop Ronald Gainer of the Diocese of Harrisburg on September 12, 2020. AMELIA RUSSO, C’11 Amelia Russo, C’11, was promoted to Human Resources Manager of UHY Advisors NY, LLP, Certified Public Accountants. Russo oversees more than 200 employees. Her seven years of HR experience served as a solid background to help the firm overcome difficulties relating to the novel coronavirus pandemic. RACHAEL TUBBS, C’18 Rachel Tubbs, C’18, started a new job with Independent Security Evaluators, a private sector company located in Baltimore, Maryland, where she conducts forensic psychology research on cybersecurity and hacking. She earned a master’s degree in forensic psychology from Walden University.

Rachael Tubbs, C’18 5 4

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Mountie Gatherings BILL KLIMAS, C'69, AND BOB KEOGH, C’69 Bill Klimas, C’69, and Bob Keogh, C’69, two members of Coach Jim Deegan’s Four Horsemen relay track team, got together at the New Jersey State Track & Field Indoor Championships. Keogh is a Mount St. Mary’s University Hall of Fame member and a state championship coach at Rumson-Fair Haven High School. Klimas is a former championship track coach at Plainfield High School and an award-winning track and field official with the New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association. The pair stay in touch with one another and teammate, Olympic decathlon coach, Harry Marra, C'69, who is currently retired from coaching but still actively speaks and consults.

Alumni and Scholarship Awards ANGELA VODOLA, C’23 CONNECTICUT CHAPTER SCHOLARSHIP WINNER Receiving the Connecticut Chapter Scholarship for a second year only increases how thankful I am to have such an amazing opportunity. With this scholarship, I feel connected to both my home state of Connecticut and the Mount itself. Not only does it allow me to attend the Mount with less stress about my finances, it also connects me to other alumni from Connecticut. It seems to have created a small community within the Mount family. I will forever be grateful to the Connecticut Chapter for providing me with such an incredible opportunity. Even with my freshman year being cut short due to COVID-19, I have been able to experience so many aspects of the beautiful community at the Mount over the past year. I have joined clubs such as the field hockey team, Notes of Kindness, Bible study and the CORE program in the Office of Social Justice. Each of these clubs represents a key element of the Mount's meaning to me. It is a home that provides an overabundance of fun, kindness, faith and service. I am so excited to see what the rest of my years at the Mount will bring.

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Weddings

CASEY (HYNES) MORRIS, C’07, AND HEATH MORRIS Casey (Hynes) Morris, C’07, and Heath Morris were married in Key West, Florida, on January 7, 2020. Heath, a software developer, and Casey, a writer, met while living in Thailand. They currently live in North Carolina with their hound dog Bella.

KATHLEEN BOSSE, C’17, AND DENNIS MCNAMARA, C’17 Kathleen Bosse, C’17, and Dennis McNamara, C’17, were married March, 14, 2020. They met freshman year at the Mount and welcomed a baby in July 2020.

COLEEN YAZURLO, C’10, AND CORY BEDDICK Coleen Yazyrlo, C’10, married Cory Beddick on October 5, 2019, at Musket Ridge Golf Club in Myersville, Maryland. The couple resides in Chestertown, Maryland.

AUTUMN (SERRUTA) OBERSTADT, C’10, MBA’11, AND STEPHEN OBERSTADT Autumn (Serruta) Oberstadt, C’10, MBA’11, married Stephen Oberstadt on October 26, 2019, in the bride’s hometown of Avon, Connecticut, at St. Ann’s Church. Front Row (left to right): Arthur Hughes, C’10, Stephen Oberstadt, Autumn (Serruta) Oberstadt, C’10, MBA’11, Tess (Stumme) Thompson, C’10. Back Row (left to right): Sarah Roe, C’12, Nikki Fazio, C’13, Christina (Koerper) Schieve, C’10, M.Ed.'12, Coleen (Yazurlo) Beddick, C’10, Maureen (Belden) Aglidian, C’10, Emily (Menotti) Patzer, C’10.

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Births

Submit your news! Share your news with the alumni community by sending it to themagazine@msmary.edu. SEAN PARADIS, MBA’98, AND KRISTEN PARADIS Sean Paradis, MBA’98, and his wife Kristen celebrated the birth of Logan Robert Paradis on June 1, 2020. Logan is the couple’s first child and he weighed 9.2 pounds and measured 21.5 inches long.

The Mount reserves the right to refuse or revise submissions for style and length. Information about future events are not included.

MATTHEW GOLINSKI, C’11, AND REGINA (HINKLE) GOLINSKI, C’11 Matthew Golinski, C’11, and Regina (Hinkle) Golinski, C’11, welcomed daughter Vivian Grace Golinski on June 6, 2020.

JULIA (TODD) MOSTOWTT, C’13, AND JASTIN MOSTOWTT, C’12 Julia (Todd) Mostowtt, C’13, and Jastin Mostowtt, C’12, welcomed daughter Felicity Dorothy Mostowtt on August 18, 2020. She weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces, and measured 21.5 inches long. They currently reside in San Ramon, California. FALL 2020 CLASS NOTES

In Memoriam MARCH 1, 2020 – OCTOBER 26, 2020

Betsy Santos C'89

Westminster, Maryland. She worked as an on-air radio personality for WTTR in Westminster and Rocky 98.5 in York and was passionate about communication.

December 3, 1967-July 21, 2020

Betsy enjoyed reading, crafting and taking beach vacations with her family. She loved and cherished the times spent with them and will be most remembered for her kindness, humor and loyalty.

ELIZABETH LYNN “BETSY” SANTOS, C’89, was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to Dr. Milton and Ruzann Engnoth of Westminster, Maryland. She graduated from Westminster High School and earned her bachelor’s degree in English from the Mount. For five years Betsy was a devoted and well-loved employee at the Mount’s Career Center. She started at the Mount as an administrative assistant and was promoted to career services coordinator. She cared deeply about the Mount and the students she worked with in the Career Center. A faithful Catholic, she would often volunteer her time and talent at on-campus events and at the National Shrine Grotto. Her voice was known throughout communities in York, Pennsylvania, and 5 8

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She is survived by her parents, former husband Michael Santos, daughter Grace Elizabeth Santos, siblings Laurie Thomas, C’82, Chris Engnoth, Eve Engnoth, C’86, Andy Engnoth, and her aunt Dr. Gloria L. Engnoth. Betsy was laid to rest in Mount St. Mary’s Cemetery. The Betsy Santos, C'89 Memorial Fund was established by alumni, friends and family to recognize her service to students in the Career Center. To make your gift, please visit msmary.edu/give. Click "scholarship fund" and select the "Betsy Santos C’89 Memorial Fund."

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.

James Powell Ganley, M.D., C’59 March 16, 2020

John J. Gallagher, Esq., C'70 October 16, 2020

Joseph H. Lang, C’59 May 17, 2020

Stephen E. Liekweg, C'70 August 20, 2020

Thomas J. Williams, C’59 May 29, 2020

Edward A. McLenigan, C’70 April 2, 2020

Deaths listed in order by class year.

Henry F. Rosa, C’60 February 28, 2020

John Venuti, C’70 June 13, 2020

Dr. John Armand Srnka C’50 October 12, 2018

William J. McCarron, C’61 May 9, 2020

Dr. Milton J. Zmijewski, C’70 June 26, 2020

William F. Greaney, C’51 August 8, 2020

Joseph P. O'Malley, C’61 Unknown

Robert J. Heyden, C’71 March 14, 2020

William N. O'Grady, C’52 July 26, 2020

William H. Ruppert, C’61 September 28, 2020

Retired Colonel Clyde J. Tate, C'71 August 28, 2019

Retired Rear Admiral Thomas Brown III, C'54 May 4, 2020

F. Edmund Lynch, C’62 June 4, 2020

James P. McGovern, C’72 October 7, 2020

Robert deProphetis, C’63 October 8, 2019

Robert F. Halcott, C’73 February 9, 2020

Raymond J. Purkis Jr., C’63 July 31, 2020

Joseph J. Hoey, C’74 July 28, 2019

Frank P. Worts, C’63 August 9, 2020

John R. Mahr, C’74 April 10, 2020

Thomas A. Powers, C’64 May 2, 2019

Thomas W. McCarthy Jr., C’74 October 4, 2010

Thomas F. Ross, C'64 April 9, 2018

Gary “Gus” Costanzo, C’75 August 18, 2020

Paul G. Stapleton, C’64 September 14, 2020

Michael C. Cherry, C’76 September 3, 2020

Rev. Michael Vincent Moro, C’65 February 23, 2020

Janette Kohler, C’77 July 5, 2020

Robert S. Stellato, C’65 June 4, 2020

Thomas P. McFadden, C'77 July 26, 2020

Karl Hetherington Jr., C’67 May 7, 2020

David P. Hartman, C’79 March 17, 2020

Ronald W. Folberth. C’68 February 18, 2020

Kathleen Callahan Bell, C’88 February 10, 2020

Thomas S Gwynn III, C’68 April 17, 2020

Elizabeth Santos, C’89 July 21, 2020

Paul Michael Sullivan, C’68 April 25, 2020

A full listing of deceased alumni is available online at msmary.edu/alumni.

David Connelly, C’54 July 1, 2020 William Fanelli, C’55 May 10, 2020 John F. Fenwick, M.D., C'55 October 16, 2020 Leo E. Glacher, C’55 July 2, 2020 Joseph C. Petruskevich, C’56 July 14, 2020 Thomas H. Williams, C’56 October 2, 2019 Leo. J. Quinn, C’57 October 7, 2019 Martin G. Carmody, C’58 March 21, 2020 Reginald A. Creighton Jr., C’58 March 25, 2020 Robert J. Inniello, C’58 April 25, 2020 Joseph W. Mosmiller, C’58 September 22, 2020 Joseph A. Whalen Jr., C’58 August 19, 2019 William Claggett Boarman, C’59 February 20, 2020

Joseph S. Ambrose, C’70 May 12, 2020

FALL 2020 CLASS NOTES

his Naval Aviation Basic Training Course in Pensacola, Florida, and received additional flight training flying SNJ, TV-2 and F9F-2 Panthers in Beeville, Texas. After graduation as a naval aviator in July 1956, he became an assistant maintenance officer at Fleet Aircraft Service Squadron Ten at NAS Moffett Field—where he met the love of his life, and wife of 62 years, Martha C. Bramer. They were married on June 15, 1957, in the Moffett Field Naval Chapel. Together the couple raised four children.

Retired Rear Admiral Thomas “Tibby” Francis Brown III October 23, 1932 – May 14, 2020 REAR ADMIRAL THOMAS FRANCIS BROWN III, C'54, was a distinguished military officer and esteemed alumnus. Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to Thomas F. Brown Jr. and Marion Brown, he graduated from St. Paul High School where he was elected senior class president and an honors student actively involved with the school newspaper, yearbook and intramural sports. Known to his friends as “Tibby,” he graduated summa cum laude from the Mount in 1954 with a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and English. As a leader in the campus community, he was elected class president his junior and senior years, was a part of the Athletic Association and enjoyed playing intramural sports including basketball, softball and football. He also played on the Mount’s junior varsity and all-star basketball teams. On September 29, 1954, Tibby began his Naval career and enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve and by October reported to the Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. He gained his commission as ensign in March of 1955. He completed 6 0

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He spent most of his early naval career on the West Coast and on various deployments, often reporting to the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps at the University of California in Berkley. Despite flying the A4D-1 Skyhawk with the Naval Air Reserve Unit at NAS Alameda, Tibby continued his education and earned his master’s degree in political science and graduated from the University of California in 1963. In 1975, as naval captain, he commanded the replenishment of the U.S.S. Caloosahatchee. He was assigned to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations in 1977 and a year later he commanded the air craft carrier the U.S.S. Midway. He was ordered as Commander Military Enlistment, Processing Command at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, upon selection to Flag Rank Rear Admiral. In November 1981, he assumed his post as Commander of Carrier Group One and was deployed once again with the U.S.S. Coral Sea. Between 1982 and 1984, Tibby served as Commander of the Carrier Striking Force, the Seventh Fleet and the Carrier Group Five. While on assignment, Tibby wrote to Robert J. Wickenheiser, the Mount’s president, to request “when you are talking with the students, please pass on from me that they have a great thing going, to make the best of each day and enjoy it.” Later that year, on October 20, 1984, Tibby was recognized with the 20th Annual Bruté Medal by the Mount St. Mary’s National Alumni Association for his outstanding and meritorious service to his Church, state, nation, and fellow citizens. The Bruté Medal is the highest honor awarded by the Association to a Mountaineer. In addition to being awarded the Bruté Medal, in May 2000, he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Humane

Letters, the highest academic honor. Spanning a 30-year naval career, he accumulated nearly 5,000 flight hours, 1017 carrier arrested landings, and during his three deployments to Vietnam, two aboard the U.S.S. Oriskany and one on the U.S.S. Coral Sea, he flew 343 combat missions. Decorated in service and valor, he earned the Silver Star, Defense Superior Service medal, four Legions of Merit, four Distinguished Flying Crosses, six individual air medals, 30 Strike/Flight Air medals and the Navy Commendation medal with Combat “V.” Tibby retired from active duty in 1985 and became a high school math teacher and later principal of Summergate Secondary School in San Francisco. From 1991 to 1997, he taught Joint Maritime Operations at the Naval War College as an adjunct professor. Even after retirement, Tibby stayed connected and involved in supporting veterans and military events. From 1986 to 1994, he served as chairman on the U.S.S. Carl Vinson Committee. From 1955 to 1966 he was the Commander General of the Naval Order of the United States, where he received his lifetime achievement award. He served as president for the San Francisco Council of the U.S. Navy League and the A-4 Skyhawk Association. He reprised his role as chairman of the Ship’s Commissioning Committee for the U.S.S. America during San Francisco Fleet Week in 2014, the U.S.S. Hopper and the U.S.S. McCampbell. Tibby was vital in reviving the Tailhook Association and was honored with the Tailhook Association lifetime achievement award in 1999. A man of faith, Tibby was dedicated to serving his community. He was president of the Saints Peter and Paul Parish and the Holy Name Society. In 2009, he worked as a part-time math teacher at Marina Middle School. He is preceded in death by parents and his brothers Donald Thompson Brown and Bruce Thompson Brown. He is survived by wife Martha C. Brown, children Thomas F. Brown IV, Stephanie Garcia (Markcos), Deidre da Silva (Tom), Donald Brown (Renee), grandchildren Ryan Garcia, Thomas F. Brown V, Kelsey Bolton, Jason Garcia, Juliana da Silva, Corey Garcia, Alexandra da Silva and four great grandchildren.

Margaret Ann “Marge” Deegan Coach Jim Deegan with the sprint medley relay team after winning the 1977 Penn Relays Crown. From left: Coach Deegan, Mark Martin, C’78, Tom Delmoor, C’79, Barry Stebbins, C’77, and Ron Banks, C’77.

Coach Deegan at the 2012 NEC Championships at the Mount.

Jim Deegan Lived Significantly

MARGE DEEGAN passed away peacefully on Oct. 7, 2020, exactly one month before her beloved husband of 65 years, Jim. She was born in Philadelphia, the daughter of the late Albert and Anna Wetzel. A graduate of West Chester University with a bachelor’s degree in teaching, Marge was a substitute teacher at Mother Seton School and Hoover Elementary School. Marge held a special place in the hearts of many and she truly loved being a part of the Mount’s community of professors, students, and alumni. During basketball season, you could often find her and Coach at many of the games. Marge enjoyed playing cards at the Seton senior center and loved her time at the beach.

1933-2020 HAVE YOU HEARD THE STORY ABOUT COACH JIM DEEGAN building a landing pit with the help of pole vaulter John Rooney, C’60, and other improvisations the young coach made from the time he arrived as track and field, cross country and soccer coach at Mount St. Mary’s in 1956 until a track was built in 1963? How about the one about how Norwegian recruit and Olympian Trond Skramstad, C’83, won both Division I and Division II decathlon titles in a span of 10 days in 1982? Coach Deegan loved to tell stories from his 50-year legendary career, and the thousands of student-athletes whom he helped form into remarkable human beings loved to listen, no matter how many times they may have heard them. He often shared the story of watching Peter Rono, C’92, win Olympic gold in the 1500m in 1988, but a lesser known tale may reveal more about Deegan as a person. When Rono was in danger of failing accounting, a subject that he struggled to grasp,

By the Numbers 1 Olympic champion (Peter Rono, gold medalist in 1,500 meter run at 1988 Olympics) 7 All-Americans in men’s soccer 11 Olympians in 16 track & field events (6 representatives at 1988 Olympics) 25 NCAA track & field champions (5 in 1987 alone) 78 All-Americans in track and field (16 in 1987 alone)

FALL 2020 CLASS NOTES

Remembering Coach Deegan Coach Jim Deegan built the storied legacy of the Mount track and field program over a 50-year career and also served as men’s soccer coach for most of those years. His genius as a coach will live on through his former student-athletes who are now coaches, such as our track and field director Jay Phillips. The Mount was blessed that Jim dedicated his life to forming student-athletes, and he will be greatly missed. We pray for the repose of his soul and take comfort in the knowledge that he rests with his beloved wife Marge in Heaven.

Legendary coaches Jim Phelan and Jim Deegan, together at center court.

President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D. Coach Deegan dedicated his life to the Mount and influenced over a thousand student-athletes throughout his career. Coach Deegan was a brilliant coach and educator, a great mentor, a dear friend, and storyteller extraordinaire. Our prayers are with the Deegan family as we remember and grieve for their wonderful parents. Director of Athletics Lynne Robinson, C’79, MBA’83 Coach helped me run faster than I ever thought I could, and he gave me space to let track and field form who I was as a person. Decades of men and women can claim the same. We’ve lost a great man, a mentor, and a Mount legend. Director of Track and Field Jay Phillips, C’05, MT’08 I feel fortunate to have been one of “Beaver’s” student-athletes. He was remarkable and unique. He had a story for every situation. RIP, Coach. Joe Doherty, C’70 I will really miss him. He gave me an opportunity to come and study in America from a tiny village in Kenya. He changed one person who has managed to change a village. Festus Kiprono, C’00 RIP, Coach. Thank you for your decades of investment in the lives of so many Mount student-athletes. Your instruction of valuable lessons of character and courage influenced generations as many of your Mount runners and soccer players became coaches themselves. Prayers to your family. Tom O’Connor, C’79

Deegan tutored him. Deegan viewed Rono’s bachelor’s degree as being of greater value than his Olympic gold medal. Deegan founded the Mount’s track and field program and brought it to international prominence by the 1970s, with top athletes from Norway, France and Kenya eager to enroll in the university and blossom under Deegan’s tutelage. “I get a lot of enjoyment from the success of the athletes and seeing them improve,” Deegan told Mount Magazine in 2016. “And watching them [grow into] the people they end up being.” A humble man, Coach Deegan bragged more about the accomplishments of his five children and his student-athletes than his own considerable successes. Deegan’s coaching brilliance and exuberance touched thousands; he guided the men’s soccer program for almost 40 years, and made a global impact on the world of track and field. Under Deegan’s leadership, the Mount became nationally known as the training hub for the decathlon, producing 10 NCAA National Champions, 20 All-Americans, and four Olympians. Deegan’s legacy lives on through his former student-athletes who were inspired by him to become coaches. Harry Marra, C’69, has coached Olympic decathletes, including two-time Olympic champion Ashton Eaton, while former All-American decathlete Jim Stevenson, C’95, succeeded Deegan in 2006 and ran the Mount team until current Director of Track and Field Jay Phillips, C’05, MT’08, took over in 2015. “Coach’s philosophy, perspectives, and training are still a part of our team’s DNA—they live on,” Phillips said. “We’re living in the house he built, and we’re blessed because of it.” When not coaching, Deegan enjoyed hosting family gatherings at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas with his wife of 65 years, Marge. Marge passed away at age 85 exactly one month before Jim went to rest in Heaven on November 7, 2020. Jim and Marge both loved their visits to the Delaware beaches where they enjoyed many sunsets. Coach Deegan is survived by his son, James Deegan, C’78 (Marty Tarr) of Dewey Beach, Delaware, daughter, Diane Bittle, C’79, MBA’83 (John, C’75, MBA’80) of Fairfield, Pennsylvania, son Bob Deegan, C’82 (Maggie, C’81) of Bowie, Maryland, daughter, Ann Deegan, C’85, of Reston, Virginia, daughter Jane Deegan, C’90, of Denver, Colorado; grandchildren, Scott Bittle, Meg Lucas (Nick), Thomas Bittle, Corri Deegan, Carly Deegan, C’13, Cara Hojnoski, C’15 (Mark, C’15), Amy Cropper (Mike); great grandchildren, Sofia Cropper, Josslyn Cropper and Arthur Lucas. For a full recap of Coach Deegan’s career, visit msmary.edu/deegan.

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By Kim Johnson, MBA'18

Join the 1808 Legacy Society Live Significantly

JOHN MCKEE, C’65, is a longtime Mount St. Mary’s University donor. John’s giving to the Mount is rooted in gratitude. “A college education was possible for me while I pursued my passion: athletic competition,” he recalls. Recruited by track coach, Jim Deegan, and with help of what John calls creative financing (scholarships), he packed his bags and left Connecticut for Emmitsburg. John lost his parents at a very young age and lacked a strong sense of family and stability, but found that classmates and teammates at the Mount became family. Like many Mount alumni, John stays connected to them and to the Mount to this day. In the years since his graduation, he learned more about the Mount’s rich history and contribution to the American Catholic Church. “I could not be prouder to be associated with this fine institution and the people who represent her so well.” As we know, there are many ways to fund donations. As a financial advisor for more than 35 years, John was aware of the tax benefits allowing donors to make gifts from Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) directly to qualified charities, minimizing the impact on taxable income. John has made multiple gifts to the university through his IRA accounts. “It made great sense to donate funds directly to a charity and not have to pay taxes on the gift,” he says. For many retirees over 70 ½ years of age, the federal government requires those with an IRA to have a minimum annual distribution. The age is 72 if you reach the age of 70 ½ after December 31, 2019. The Mount has simplified the process to make a gift from an IRA. Thanks to our partnership with FreeWill, you can make your qualified charitable distribution (QCD) quickly and hassle-free by beginning the required forms online. You can also choose to print out blank forms to complete by hand or transact the gift over the phone with your financial custodian. Visit msmary.edu/qcd for more information and to access the forms.

John McKee, C’65

This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, tax, legal or accounting advice. Please consult your legal or tax professionals for specific information regarding your individual situation.

Learn more Office of Development 301-447-5916 development@msmary.edu

One final note, because of the CARES Act, individuals or couples who no longer itemize charitable giving on federal tax forms can deduct donations to charity of up to $300 on their 2020 federal tax return, even though they take the standard deduction. Married filing jointly taxpayers will get an above-the-line deduction of up to $600. As you decide your giving priorities, please consider the Mount in your giving decisions. FALL 2020 MOUNT MAGAZINE

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Hear their stories.

Mount Magazine fall 2020

Articles inside

Jim Deegan Lived Significantly

DEI Committee Seeks More Inclusive and Welcoming Alumni Community

NAA President's Letter

President Trainor's Letter

Competitive Fellowships

Mount Family Through the Seasons

Campus Life Fall 2020

No Walls and New Tools: Higher Education in the Age of COVID-19

Regild the Blessed Mother A Beacon of Love

Esports the Mount Way

The Mount Pivots During COVID-19 Pandemic

Students Donate Funds and School Supplies to their Peers

Seminary and National Shrine Grotto News

Mount Receives $433,784 from NIH for Student Research

Mount Receives National Science Foundation Grant

Mount Awarded Grant for Novel Approach for At-Risk Students

The Constant Process of Change & Reflections on Racial Reconciliation

Mount Board Welcomes New Chair and Four Trustees

Heroes of the Mount