SPECIAL EDITION 2018
Special Campaign Issue
As it nears its $65 million goal, the Powerful Promise campaign already has created a College of Health Sciences, dramatically increased funding for faculty and scholarships, and enhanced student lives in countless ways.
table of contents
The Magazine of Dominican University Special Edition 2018
PRESIDENT
Donna M. Carroll VICE PRESIDENT FOR MARKETING A N D C O M M U N I C AT I O N S
Jim Winters
Keeping Our Promise Welcome to this special edition of Dominican Magazine, dedicated to the incredible story of the Powerful Promise. In this issue, we present a campaign progress report. And we examine how the promise is already at work in so many ways, from helping the university expand into new academic areas to providing scholarship support and opening doors for a new generation of deserving students.
MANAGING EDITOR
Jason Keyser MAJOR PHOTOGRAPHY
Ryan Pagelow DESIGN
Jim Bernard Design
Dominican University 7900 W. Division Street River Forest, Illinois 60305 dom.edu magazine@dom.edu Dominican Magazine is published twice yearly by Dominican University for its alumnae/i and friends. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. © 2018 Dominican University
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Facing the Future of Health Care With critical philanthropic support, Dominican launches the Borra College of Health Sciences to fill gaps in today’s health care landscape.
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The Meaning of Scholarships At a time of rising financial need, Dominican is more determined than ever not to let financial inequity determine access to education.
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Faculty Who Care Dominican faculty are experienced scholars. They’re also incredible innovators. See how the campaign is helping them develop new programs—and new opportunities for collaborating with students.
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More than Bricks and Mortar Donors are enabling a strategic—and dazzling—reconfiguration of campus spaces to maximize student learning and growth.
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The Margin of Excellence The Annual Fund for Dominican fuels Dominican’s “wow factor.” For students, it means the best internships, extraordinary research opportunities and all-around explosive creativity.
departments 20
class news
B Dominican Magazine FALL 2016
31
in sympathy
Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018 1
from the president
“Over the last two decades, our generous alumnae/i and friends have entrusted Dominican with more than $150 million in contributions. We are succeeding because of their commitment.”
An Unfolding Story
“Traditionally, literary heroes succeed because they refuse to lose their soul as they grow and change—and so it has been with Dominican.” —President Donna M. Carroll
2 Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018
Who doesn’t love a good story? We all love tales of heroes who, in the face of adversity, discover hidden strengths … who, with the help of loyal companions, succeed against the odds … who, in the end, forge new and better versions of themselves. That is why I think that you will enjoy this special edition of Dominican Magazine. It tells the tale of how hundreds of generous alumnae/i and friends are enabling the university to fulfill the powerful promise of a transforming, valuescentered education for a new generation of students. With more than 90 percent of our $65 million goal in hand, Powerful Promise: The Campaign for Dominican University already has begun to touch the lives of every student. Dominican University is the plot’s protagonist, of course. The story began several years ago, when the Board of Trustees approved our largest-ever fundraising campaign, one that would furnish the scholarships, programs, facilities, and general support to ensure success in the turbulent, changing landscape of higher education. Like many great sagas, this tale is a trilogy. Before Powerful Promise there was With Heart and Mind, a campaign that created a strong foundation for the transition from Rosary College to Dominican University. Volume II was Amazing Possibilities, a campaign to frame our second century and secure the philanthropy needed for this tuition-driven university to grow its enrollment to historic levels. Powerful Promise is the third volume, in which the stakes are high and the plot twists mount steadily. As we worked on the campaign, the continuing financial straits of the State of Illinois disrupted the flow of student financial aid—an emergency that prompted the generosity of many scholarship donors. Interest in graduate education declined significantly in the wake of the Great Recession. Simultaneously, society’s changing demographics have brought us students with an unprecedented need for financial aid—many of them first-generation college students, whom we have served with distinction. In short, it is a time of challenge— and new opportunities. In our powerful story, Dominican wrestles with one central question: can we preserve the best of tradition while adapting to new possibilities? Can we meld our unqualified success as a liberal arts university with the practical career preparation that is increasingly essential to the students whom we educate today? Usually, literary heroes succeed because they refuse to lose their soul as they grow and change—and so it has been with Dominican. From the beginning, a Dominican education has prepared students not only to succeed but also to make a difference in the world. That is what draws to us legions of students who are keenly focused on both liberal learning and preparing to be of use. They want experiences that not only transform the way they look at life but also provide real-world opportunities for themselves and their families.
Our response to today’s challenges is woven into every chapter of the campaign and every page of this magazine—in our exciting new Borra College of Health Sciences, in the growing vibrancy of student life in the classroom and beyond, in the scholarships that make higher education possible for so many—the list goes on. Today, Dominican is an increasingly sophisticated institution with a welldeveloped knack for strategic transformation— which, I am humbled to say, has earned the approval of our alumnae/i. You cheer the university’s ability to thrive, and feel affirmed that caritas et veritas—the spirit that has meant so much to you—continues to flourish and prosper. Traditionally, storybook heroes succeed only with the aid of a band of loyal companions. This is where our donors, old and new, enter the story. In this campaign as never before, donors have engaged us as partners, informing our strategies, adding their dreams to ours. Over the last two decades, our generous alumnae/i and friends have entrusted Dominican with more than $150 million in contributions. We are succeeding because of your commitment— and we need every single gift to realize the power of our promise. But the story is far from over. There are still resources to be found, challenges to be faced, chapters to be written. I hope you will not miss this chance to become a part of this story—and change students’ lives.
The Road to $150 Million With a $65 million goal, Powerful Promise is the largest fundraising campaign in Dominican’s 117-year history. It builds on the success of two earlier campaigns over the last two decades. When Powerful Promise is completed, the institution will have raised more than $150 million in philanthropic support since 1997, when Rosary College became Dominican University.
With Heart and Mind
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Raised: $32.2 million
Completed: 2002 O U TC O MES
• • • • • •
New undergraduate majors launched New Graduate School of Social Work established Follett Chair in Library and Information Science established Murray Hall built (first new residence hall since 1959) Rebecca Crown Library renovated Priory Campus acquired
Amazing Possibilities
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Raised: $53.6 million
Completed: 2008 O U TC O MES
• • • • •
Graduate School of Business renamed for Edward A. and Lois L. Brennan University’s first doctoral program launched in Library and Information Science Global education expanded Christopher Chair in Business Ethics established by Doris and Jay Christopher Parmer Hall, home to new health sciences labs and classrooms, completed
Powerful Promise
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Goal: $65 million
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Raised to date: $59.8 million
Ongoing O U TC O MES TO DATE
• Creation of the College of Health Sciences • Dramatically increased funding for student scholarships • Expansion of the faculty and of high-impact opportunities for students
Donna M. Carroll, President
• Prestigious new accreditations by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) • Renovation of the Grotto • Completion of a state-of-the-art simulation lab and other health-care facilities in Parmer Hall • A vision for a new Center for Student Success and Engagement in a renovated Mazzuchelli Hall
Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018 3
FACING THE FUTURE OF HEALTH CARE Made possible by generous startup philanthropy, the Borra College of Health Sciences is advancing the university’s indispensable efforts to meet the challenges of our times and the needs of our students and society.
Class of 2019 Physician Assistant Studies students, clockwise from top left, David Gilbert, Katherine Gerali, Brigette Chelchowski and Cierra Johnson.
4 Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018
H E A LT H S C I E N C E S A T D O M I N I C A N
The Code Blue blared from an overhead pager. Patrick Villanueva, a 21-year-old nursing student, was on his first overnight rotation at Rush Oak Park Hospital. He ran to join a team trying to resuscitate an ICU patient whose heart had stopped. With the man’s family present, he performed chest compressions. His colleagues administered medications and delivered shocks from a defibrillator. After 15 minutes, the man’s heart was beating again. Then things got complicated. A monitor showed oxygen levels in the man’s blood falling, even though a separate display recorded a normal heart rhythm. Villanueva knew what that meant: whatever electrical activity was showing up on the monitor was failing to trigger the heart to pump. “Check for a pulse!” he shouted along with several colleagues. They found none, and Villanueva started pumping the man’s chest a second time. The patient survived. “They taught us this very scenario in class,” Villaneuva recalled later. “They engrained it into us: this is a life-threatening situation and we should act on it.”
illanueva’s experience at the hospital in March provided dramatic evidence of what Dominican’s new and emerging programs in the health sciences are all about: a powerful combination of academic rigor and hands-on practice that fosters exceptional critical thinking and communication skills, the ability to work effectively as part of an interdisciplinary team, a sense of mission, and an awareness of the stakes involved. Today, more than one-fourth of Dominican graduates pursue careers of compassionate service in health care. In 2016, the university established the College of Health Sciences to expand educational and professional opportunities for a new generation of exceptional students. The college builds on Dominican’s established strengths in the social and natural sciences with new or expanded programs in nursing, nutrition,
medical science and physician assistant studies. “Now, we are providing students the excellent liberal arts education Dominican has always been known for alongside innovative health sciences programming of similarly ambitious breadth and depth—and at every level, from undergraduate to certificate to graduate,” says Kavita Dhanwada, the founding dean. Most significantly, the college looks outward to the communities it serves, enabling the university to address critical shortages of health care professionals in the Chicago area and beyond. The creation of a new college in an indispensable but costly discipline was no easy feat. The startup costs were immense, and funding the college became a top priority of donors to the Powerful Promise campaign. The Borra Family Foundation, founded by Pier C. Borra and Renee A. Borra, a 1964 graduate of Rosary College, was prominent Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018 5
Katherine Gerali ’19 and fellow P.A. students examine images of the brain using an Anatomage table, an advanced 3D visualization system for anatomy education.
H E A LT H S C I E N C E S A T D O M I N I C A N
among the generous organizations and individuals who enabled the new college to build high-tech labs, launch complex and exacting degree programs, hire outstanding faculty, and provide scholarships to ensure educational access to talented students from families with limited means. In April, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to name the new academic unit the Borra College of Health Sciences. “As a tuition-driven university, Dominican absolutely could not have launched this important new college without the support of the Borra Foundation,” says Jeffrey Carlson, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. “The Borras understood how a college of health sciences would meet the pressing needs of our communities at this moment, as the population ages and the demand for highly trained health care professionals grows. They saw that these programs would lift the entire university to a new level, and fit beautifully into our mission.” Carlson remembers meetings with hospital presidents early in the process of forming
Nursing student Patrick Villanueva was on the first shift of a new rotation when he responded to a Code Blue.
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“Now, we are providing students the liberal arts education Dominican has always been known for alongside innovative health sciences programming of similarly ambitious breadth and depth,” says Dean Kavita Dhanwada. the college that, for him, affirmed that view. “These leaders made it absolutely clear that the health care professions were looking for graduates with strong interpersonal and communication skills, who can think critically, connect the dots, work in teams, accept constructive criticism, and understand and serve people from diverse communities. That sounded exactly like Dominican.” Today, the college’s health care programs are thriving, and sending highly skilled graduates to critically needed fields. The nursing program provides a striking example. Launched in 2014 with 12 students, it
now attracts more applicants than any other undergraduate major. Its newly minted graduates are finding jobs fast, even in the most competitive areas of practice—such as adult intensive care, pediatrics and neonatology— where hospitals generally seek applicants with extensive experience. Many nursing graduates are choosing to serve populations that historically have had limited access to quality care. A majority of students are fluent in a second language, mostly Spanish or Polish. “The fact that we are bringing forth a student who is very representative of the population of Chicago has opened up a lot of avenues for us to bring on new clinical partners,” says Kristen Bayer, director of the nursing program. “They want their nurses to be able to communicate with their patients.” he program employs laboratory technologies that are even more advanced than what is found in many hospitals, including a simulation lab with mannequins that mimic the responses of real patients. (They go into cardiac arrest; they give birth; they even sweat.) Dominican’s 93 percent pass rate on the make-or-break NCLEX nursing exam is above the state and national rates. Nursing shares the fourth floor of Parmer Hall with the graduate program in physician assistant studies, started in January 2017. Proximity has led to close collaboration between the two programs and with the nutrition department downstairs. Two recent faculty research projects brought the three departments together—along with the School of Social Work—for a series of elaborate simulations in which students participated. One of them involved a scenario almost identical to the one Patrick Villanueva would experience a few weeks later—a coincidence
“The nation has faced a shortage of trained nurses for decades. That’s why the Westlake Health Foundation was delighted to help fund the health sciences at Dominican. We are so glad our contributions will help provide more nurses and physician assistants for our region. Our investments have turned out to be beneficial for the college, for the community, and for our organization’s mission. ” Leonard J. (Len) Muller Chairman and CEO Westlake Health Foundation
of timing that gave him confidence during the real thing. (When he heard the Code Blue sound, he remembers thinking, Okay, let’s do this, let’s save someone’s life.) In the research simulation, a patient represented by a high-tech mannequin goes into cardiac arrest, and the students from different disciplines work together to resuscitate him, as a family member, played by an actor, holds the patient’s hand. “Normally those students wouldn’t have the ability to work together at that level until after they graduated,” Bayer says. In January, the nursing department will launch a new “RN-to-BSN” program. Fully online, the program will enable registered nurses to earn bachelor’s degrees. Research has identified the presence of a critical mass of nurses with bachelor’s degrees as central to improving patient outcomes. The generosity of the Westlake Health Foundation made
the program’s rollout possible. The combination of academic rigor, technical sophistication and caring faculty characterizes Dominican’s approach to education in the health sciences. “In some ways, these programs are unforgiving. You’ve got to know the content—you just must,” says
“The Borras understood how a college of health sciences would meet the pressing needs of our communities at this moment, as the population ages and demand grows,” says interim Provost Jeffrey Carlson.
Carlson. “At the same time, we offer students support, tutoring, help. That is quintessentially Dominican. Tremendous rigor, but in a caring context.” Health sciences students are highly goaloriented and demonstrate extraordinary persistence. Patrick Villanueva, for example, had to wait a full year to qualify academically for entry into the nursing program. “That gave me focus and motivation,” he says. “It made me stronger.” Villanueva grew up in the Philippines in a family that includes several nurses. He graduated in May; his long-term goal is to work in an ICU. With the indispensable assistance of donor-funded scholarships, the quality of applicants is strong and rising across the programs. The college takes pride in the impact its graduates will have on broadening access to health care. The physician assistant studies Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018 7
H E A LT H S C I E N C E S A T D O M I N I C A N
program, for example, offers a scholarship for students who commit to completing a rotation serving patients where health care resources are limited. Working under the supervision of medical doctors, physician assistants often serve patients in underserved urban and rural areas, conducting exams, ordering tests, and prescribing medications and other treatment regimens. The P.A. program’s list of clinical partners includes big public institutions like Stroger Hospital as well as small community clinics like Alivio Medical Center. Alivio was founded in Pilsen in 1989 with a mission to serve Hispanic immigrants—many of them uninsured and undocumented—who have had little access to care and especially to providers who spoke their language. ohnny Contreras is part of the P.A. program’s inaugural class, which graduates in December. He has completed rotations at both Stroger and Alivio, and was energized by his interactions with patients, especially at Stroger, where he sometimes was the only Spanish-speaker on the floor. He could see the relief on the faces of Hispanic patients. “The first day, I had to explain treatment options to a patient who had colon cancer,” says Contreras, whose parents emigrated from Jalisco, Mexico. His fluency in Spanish “gave the patient a say in his care.” The university’s older health-care programs, in medical science and nutrition and dietetics, also are innovating and growing. The Bachelor of Medical Science program, founded in 1999, provides a path to medical school and other advanced degree programs for career changers and others in need of an academic bridge. It started with two students, and drew a record 300 applicants for fall admission this year. It has a 90 percent
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placement rate in professional and graduate schools, and sends graduates to universities as prestigious as Brown and Johns Hopkins. “It’s the small program that roars,” says Louis Scannicchio, DMD, the director. Before the new college was formed, the B.M.S. program was part of the Rosary College of Arts and Sciences, and it retains a strong liberal arts influence. “It’s a beautiful, literal blending of the arts and sciences,” says Scannicchio, who keeps a drawer full of student art and medical illustrations in his office. “As doctors, we deal with people from all walks of life, so having a well-rounded
The post-baccalaureate Bachelor of Medical Science program sends graduates to universities as prestigious as Brown and Johns Hopkins. “It’s the small program that roars,” says Louis Scannicchio, the director. liberal arts education as well as sound medical training is very important.” The nutrition and dietetics program, the oldest in the college, has roots going back decades. In a nod to its origins, the department displays a black-and-white photo of a sister in a habit with a mixer and bowl. The department has a tradition of community outreach through partnerships with Head Start, food banks and others. These days, it also is the part of the college that best illustrates the point that the health sciences field has grown much broader than the traditional roles of doctor or nurse. Nutrition graduates work as community health educators, clinical dietitians, food product developers, and
H E A LT H S C I E N C E S A T D O M I N I C A N
specialists in corporate employee wellness programs, among many other things. The program is leading the way with innovative academic offerings like Culinology, which blends food science with the culinary arts. The Culinology program is one of only 15 accredited programs of its kind in the United States. It prepares students for careers in everything from food product entrepreneurship to food supply safety. The nutrition department, in partnership with the Brennan School of Business, also offers the nation’s only combined degree in business and dietetics, the MBA-RD. It draws highly accomplished students from around the country. May Zhu was one of them. Zhu, who graduated last year, came to Dominican from Charleston, South Carolina, where she already was running a lively wellness blog called Nutrition Happens, and an accompanying Instagram account with more than 40,000 followers. Now, as a registered dietitian with a business degree, she is using her website to offer nutrition counseling and corporate wellness workshops on topics like “How to Eat Well on the Go.” She wants to inspire her growing audience to make better choices, live healthier lives and embrace behavioral changes that might prevent them from becoming ill in the first place. “I love being able to take the science and break it down for people, make it fun and translate it into something they can work into their lives,” Zhu says, at a bustling cafe in Chicago during a break between client meetings. “The potential impact is vast.” For Zhu, her work is about meeting people where they are—in this case online—and empowering them with reliable health care information. It’s another way the Borra College of Health Sciences, through its dynamic graduates, is changing lives.
Pier C. Borra and Renee A. Borra ’64 Have you been pleased with the results? Because the university has a small endowment, it relies on generous friends to innovate and grow. Philanthropy is highly valued at Dominican, so a contribution here has a bigger impact than it might somewhere else.
Pier and Renee Borra pursue their own special brand of caritas et veritas. They focus the philanthropy of the Borra Family Foundation on equipping students with new capacities for future success. Their generous gift to help fund the College of Health Sciences is doing the same for Dominican itself.
Where does your philanthropic motivation come from? We grew up in families of modest means, but we saw our parents constantly volunteering and making a difference. We were both brought up to be generous when we saw an important cause. What is that “important cause” for you? We value self-reliance and striving to better one’s circumstances. That’s why education is important to us—it helps people get jobs, be independent and contribute to society. Our reward is knowing that our efforts will make a positive difference in people’s lives. Why Dominican? We like to focus on education that brings people practical opportunities for persons to advance. We’ve provided support to
help students at community colleges, for example, and found it very rewarding. Then we discovered the nursing program at Dominican and realized how powerful it could be in bringing jobs and a higher quality of life to so many people who hadn’t had such opportunities before. So giving at Dominican represented an investment for you? Some people look at philanthropy as giving to an organization to help it meet its needs. We take a different view. Donors like us have a goal in mind, then seek an organizational partner who can help them achieve it. We saw giving to Dominican as way to achieve outcomes that were important to us.
Would you recommend Dominican to others who invest philanthropically? Donna Carroll has a remarkable ability to implement a growth strategy. We’ve worked with lots of startups, and we were extremely impressed with the university’s ability to build an accredited nursing program in such a short period of time. What advice would you offer to those considering a campaign gift to Dominican? Look for giving opportunities that suit your interests but also enhance the long-term vitality of the university. Working with Dominican has been very satisfying for us. The College of Health Sciences will launch students into careers that many of them might only have dreamt of, and it feels good to know that the college will provide more financial stability for the university and advance its mission. It’s a win for everyone.
Pier and Renee Borra, center front, meet with students in the nursing lab of Parmer Hall in October 2016. Their generous gifts have been indispensable to the creation of the College of Health Sciences.
Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018 9
SCHOLARSHIPS
Scholarships enable Dominican to be
Dr. Irene Pruitt Little
Mother of Christopher Little ’91
the welcoming institution it is committed to being. Powerful Promise seeks $20 million for scholarships. The goal
Determined first-generation students
reflects the university’s dedication to students of great poten-
commonly hope to work their way through
tial but limited means. Donors have responded enthusiasti-
college; but few can anticipate what a full-
cally: they recognize the importance of these funds and the deep satisfaction
time job college is. Scholarships provide them
that comes from giving them. Two $1 million challenge grants have helped
the opportunity to participate in enriched
to raise more than $21.5 million for scholarships. Still, this impressive
experiences like internships, undergraduate
generosity only partially meets the growing need: the percentage of college
research, community-based learning and
students requiring financial support is larger than ever. Nationwide, an
study abroad—the high-impact hallmarks
increasing portion of students are the first in their families to attend college,
of a Dominican education. “We can’t let
and many come from families with modest incomes. At Dominican, more
financial inequity dictate which students get
than half of undergraduates are first-generation; and the average family
to benefit fully from their college experience,”
income is about $70,000. For such students, scholarships make all the difference—not just in their ability to attend Dominican, but in their very belief that they belong here.
says Spivak. “All of our students deserve Dominican. They are ready to contribute to the world. But without assistance early on,
“When no one in your family has been to college, you naturally question
their chances diminish. Through scholarship
whether it’s meant for you,” says Tory Spivak ’03, director of financial aid.
support, we build economic diversity in our
“Then your scholarship arrives—a sign that this amazing institution is will-
student body—and ultimately in the leader-
ing to invest in you. The effect on a student’s self-image is magical.”
ship of our society.”
“Back home in Alabama, my dad, a sharecropper, always told us seven children that education
was the path to success. Now I
see supporting scholarships as a
personal obligation—except for my doctorate degree, my schooling
and that of my children was paid for by scholarships or grants.
“My son, Christopher ’91, was
sought by prestigious national
universities, but he deeply loved
than half of undergraduates are first-generation. Scholarships make all the difference—not just in students’ ability to attend Dominican, but also in their belief that
Christopher’s memory, I started an
one scholarship for my parents, who were great believers in the
power of education and who made my education possible, and the
other for my late sister, who was a strong advocate for Native American rights.
“Education and social justice
sary College where that awareness were apparent in the living exam-
ples of the sisters, the lay faculty, and my classmates, and they set my life in a new direction.
“Now, after a law degree and
a long career advocating for
and meet incidental financial needs
very satisfying to circle back and
that could otherwise hold them back.
“These students have shown
their appreciation, and I am
delighted to watch them move, well prepared, to graduate school and the working world.”
“My scholarship was very humbling. It pushes me to work harder in everything I do here, from the baseball team to the honors program, and a study abroad trip to Rome next winter. It’s motivating me to take the most challenging courses I can and get to the next level: graduate school and hopefully dental school. My mom is a nurse. I want to carry on the family tradition in medicine.”
learned at Rosary College. I named
endowed scholarship and a grant fund to help students pay tuition
Anton io M ila zzo ’ 21 The Ida Brechtel Scholarship, in memory of Sr. Mary Alberic Runde, OP ’24 Major: Biochemistry
on the invaluable life lessons I
really came alive. Those values
the means for college. So, in
ever. At Dominican, more
Dominican as a great way to pass
just a few years after law school, I
pus, his professors. When he died
bright students who don’t have
cial support is larger than
“I saw funding scholarships at
are important to me, and it’s at Ro-
“Dominican is helping so many
students requiring finan-
Class of 1969
Dominican—the sisters, the cam-
learned why he loved the place.
The percentage of
Eileen Willenborg, JD
workers’ rights through unions, it’s take action to make sure ideals
Arm an i Bro ckm an ’19 The Ellen Raepple Donahue Family Memorial Scholarship Majors: Sociology, Criminology and Black World Studies “My scholarship is bigger than me. It made college possible. It also means the girls in the after-school program I volunteer with on the West Side of Chicago have a role model. On campus, I’m a leader of the Black Student Union, helping other students find their voice. I hope to take those skills to a social work career advocating for young people.”
like these get handed on to new
generations. With the scholarships I funded, I feel like I’m not only
honoring my parents and sister,
but also buying a little piece of the future.”
they belong.
10 Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018
Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018 11
Ruth and Norman Carroll
F A C U LT Y A N D P R O G R A M S
Our faculty knows just how much
each student has grown on the path to graduation. When Dominican graduates talk about their most meaningful
and Sciences; and an endowed chair in honor
campus experiences, they invariably recall the central role their
of Norman and Ruth Carroll in the Brennan
professors played in their growth—and the passionate interest
School of Business.
their teachers had in their development as persons. It is not surprising, then,
Jeffrey Carlson joined Dominican’s faculty
that Dominican alumnae/i have responded strongly to the campaign’s efforts
16 years ago and now serves as interim pro-
to raise critically needed support for faculty and academic programs.
vost and vice president of academic affairs.
Powerful Promise already has enabled Dominican to substantially grow
He has learned to block his calendar a full
the faculty and thus maintain the university’s highly favorable 11:1
year in advance so he can spend a full day
student-faculty ratio. The new professors are a diverse group of outstand-
at the annual April exposition sponsored
ing scholars. Like their Dominican forbears, they love to teach, to engage
by the Office of Undergraduate Research,
students as individuals, to help them discover their unique potential and to
Scholarship and Creative Investigations
inspire them in life-changing ways.
(URSCI). “The students are the stars,” he
The campaign also is powering Dominican’s new four-college academic
says, “but I’m also inspired by the faculty
structure, enabling innovation and collaboration across a wide range of
touring the exhibits. You see all these intense,
disciplines. Each of the four colleges has enjoyed substantial donor support.
demanding teachers and scholars just melt as
Among the highlights: strong grant and philanthropic assistance for the
they experience pride and joy for what their
Borra College of Health Sciences; expanded faculty support throughout the
students have achieved. You see professors in
three schools of the College of Applied Social Sciences; a new professorship
tears. Our faculty know just how much each
for mission-related teaching and scholarship in the Rosary College of Arts
student has grown on the path to this day.”
Al Rosenbloom, a professor of marketing and international business, congratulates graduating senior Alex Kehrt at a Brennan School of
Powerful Promise has provided an
that would emphasize international
the new Norman and Ruth Carroll
the global economy, and understood
Economics. The late Norm Carroll
studying abroad. He built Dominican’s
time provost of the university and
wide. The students in Dominican’s
School of Business. Ruth Carroll,
“Why international business, and why
endowment to perpetually fund
business. He knew the importance of
Endowed Chair in Business and
how much students would grow from
was an academic visionary, a long-
partnerships with universities world-
the founding dean of the Brennan
international program are his legacy.
his wife of 52 years, is a retired
Trinity High School teacher and a revered member of the university community. Here, the couple’s
son Mark, a university trustee,
reflects on his lifelong Dominican
experience and on the value of the new chair.
“I can’t think of a time when Dominican University wasn’t part of my life. My dad started as a young economics professor in 1963. We grew up two blocks away, and he had us on campus all the time, visiting his office, playing in the gym, learning from the sisters.
study abroad? I think my dad would agree that once you experience a culture in person, it’s hard not to like the people, and it becomes more difficult to think your way is the only way. The experience makes you truly open to learning. What could better express caritas et veritas … love and truth? “My dad would be humbled and thrilled to learn about this chair. An endowed chair does more than just fund a faculty position; it declares the university’s permanent commitment to an academic discipline—in this case, international business. The
“Later, I began to fully appreciate
Carroll Chair embodies my dad’s
what the place meant to him, and
wishes for Dominican. It also serves
vice versa. He was such a blend
as an example of how donors can ex-
of professor and entrepreneur. He
press their values through what they
loved teaching, but also was always
choose to support at the university.
thinking about where the institution
We are all stewards of Dominican,
would be 30 years down the road. It
and I feel privileged to be a trustee at
was his idea to start an MBA program
this pivotal time.”
Business reception in May. Rosenbloom holds the first John and Jeanne Rowe Distinguished Professorship, made possible by a gift from the former Exelon chairman and his wife.
“We are all stewards of Dominican, and I feel privileged to be a trustee at this pivotal time.” —Mark Carroll
Felice Maciejewski
University Librarian, Rebecca Crown Library “Agreeing to co-chair the faculty-staff campaign was a no brainer. Working on campus, I get to see where my
contribution is going every day. I love
our students. They’re so engaged and have such big hearts. They’re going to be great citizens and leaders of
the world—they just need a little help. They deserve it and, frankly, the uni-
versity deserves it. We want to be the best Catholic university around.
“Alumni give because they’re
grateful; for those who work here,
it’s about being part of a community.
The sisters laid the foundation; today, we’re inheriting their legacy. Keeping that foundation strong is absolutely part of my job. And if that means
giving a little money out of every paycheck, it warms my heart.”
12 Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018
Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018 13
FA C I L I T I E S
The campus expresses a philosophy of
education, honors tradition and aspires to excellence. This campus is an institutional asset of surpassing value. Through
“‘Where Learning Demands More’ isn’t just
Powerful Promise Promise, donors are transforming the campus into an
a slogan, it’s our culture,” says Sister Melissa.
even more inviting and effective environment for learning.
“Expectations are high here. Students some-
Just ask a campus legend, Sister Melissa Waters, OP. Sister Melissa retired
they’re working long hours to afford school.
university. She loves the philanthropy-driven renovations to Parmer Hall,
If they’re first-generation students, their
including a state-of-the-art high-fidelity simulation lab, where students in
families likely have high hopes for them but
the nursing and physician assistant studies programs will hone life-saving
might not be able to provide much guidance
health care skills.
about college life. Helping these students suc-
the campus transformation is the Division of Student Success and
The Powerful Promise
ceed has been so inspiring to me.” For generations of Sinsinawa Domin-
Engagement. The innovative space will occupy Sister Melissa’s old home,
ican sisters, she adds, “Mazzuchelli Hall
the gracious former convent in Mazzuchelli Hall. It will integrate an array of
was where we found daily restoration and
student services designed to support undergraduates as they move toward pur-
encouragement, where we built a supportive,
poseful graduation, including academic advising, career development, tutoring
giving community. We feel so blessed that
and student activities. For a university like Dominican, which welcomes many
it will persist beyond us, in service to these
first-generation and commuting students, the work of the Division of Student
young people.”
Success and Engagement is increasingly vital.
‘Where people find peace of soul’
times need academic support, especially if
from Dominican in May at the age of 88 after 38 years of service to the
For this longtime student advisor, however, the most meaningful part of
Clare “Sistie” Doherty ’58 and Dr. Eugene McEnery
“We always loved the Grotto as a place for reflection. A few years ago we noticed that it needed
some attention. We mentioned
it, and Dominican heard us. The
idea of restoring the Grotto took root on campus and we were
delighted to contribute to the
project. And we were so honored
campaign’s intention to honor tradition while aspiring to new excellence is highly visible around campus. The new Division of Student Success and Engagement will occupy the Sinsinawa Dominican sisters’ former convent space in Mazzuchelli Hall, above. The Grotto, right, was restored with generous donor support to once again serve as a place of reflection. And Parmer Hall’s health sciences labs, below, provide students with a state-of-the-art environment for learning and exploration.
when they named part of the
space “Sistie’s Garden.” This
beautiful corner of the campus
has been reborn as a spot where people find peace of soul and Sr. Melissa Waters, OP,
spiritual awakening.”
meets with two student peer advisors in her office this spring. The new Division of Student Success and Engagement, she says, is the part of the campus transformation that is most meaningful to her as a longtime student advisor.
14 Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018
Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018 15
THE ANNUAL FUND FOR DOMINICAN
Helping Students Succeed The Power of Annual Giving
The Fund for Dominican enriches the learning experience in powerful ways. The fundamentals are part of any household budget: mort-
experiences in the lab, the city and around
gage, utilities, groceries and so forth. But quality of life does
the world. That support is also what keeps
not end with the basics: it also depends on flexible funds that
Dominican’s classrooms small and intimate,
allow a family to meet unexpected needs and explore exceptional opportunities. Providing the university with the resources it needs to ensure the high impact of the Dominican experience is the purpose of the Annual Fund for Dominican. Powerful Promise includes a goal of $5 million for sustained, flexible giving to the fund to ensure student success. In dozens of ways, annual gifts allow the university to seize opportunities,
Bronwyn McDaniel ’01
Ten-year donor to the Annual Fund for Dominican
Elizabeth Encisco ’18 Chair of the 2018 Senior Class Gift Challenge
its research opportunities life changing and its study abroad programs affordable and impactful. The list is endless. The true power of the Annual Fund for Dominican is its transformational effect on
Each gift to the Annual Fund for Dominican is used immediately to benefit today’s students. From oncein-a-lifetime research and study abroad trips to outstanding internships and capstone projects, the annual fund, among other things, gives students access to a wide array of high-impact learning opportunities. For these three members of the Class of 2018, that made all the difference. An Entirely New Chapter
how the university fulfills its educational
innovate boldly, and sustain the life-changing hallmarks of a Dominican
mission. Assured of an annual provision of
education. Tuition pays salaries and keeps the lights on. Major gifts fund
flexible funds, Dominican can continue to
On a research vessel bobbing in the crystalline
capital and other strategic projects. Annual gifts make possible our powerful,
be a university that says “yes” to creative
waters of the Bahamas, five Dominican students
innovative, highly personal model of education.
ideas, programs and opportunities that
gathered their snorkel gear and prepared to explore
Gifts of every size roll together to make an enormous difference. They
another world. Carmelita Villalobos ’18, a biology
enrich the lives of students. In short, the
go to work immediately: encouraging classroom innovation, financing
fund is an essential part of our commitment
new technologies, providing students with access to high-impact learning
to every student—and, through them, to the society they will soon be called to lead.
“When I make my annual fund gift, I sometimes think about
college memories, but I’m usually more focused on the future. So
many great things are happening at Dominican right now! It’s
clear that this institution knows where it wants to go, and has
an upward trajectory that’s just Dominican students studying Renaissance culture, history and art in Florence, Italy, pause for a photo with the Ponte Vecchio, a medieval bridge, in the background. The Annual Fund for Dominican helps make study abroad and other high-impact learning experiences possible for students.
incredible. My contribution is my
vote of confidence in that future.
I valued my time at the university, and I want others to have the
experience I had—or better. For me, giving is personal: I know
that Dominican will do something great with my contribution.”
“When I started my campus job in University Advancement as
a freshman, I didn’t even know what a ‘Phonathon’ was. At
first, spending three hours a day calling alumnae/i and asking
them for contributions was pretty hard for a shy person like me. But it got easier. I’m only
attending Dominican because of
a handful of students selected from Chicago-area universities to join researchers from the Shedd Aquarium aboard the R/V Coral Reef II, the Shedd’s 80-foot floating field station and laboratory. “These coral reefs were just everywhere,” she says. “They were so amazing, so many fish swimming around everywhere.” The trip was the culmination of a semester of
the scholarships and gifts that
intensive classes at the Shedd on the marine and
possible for me to talk about
partnership between Dominican and the prestigious
donors gave. That fact made it how important their donations
are for so many students. Before I graduated in May I chaired the campaign for the Senior Class
island ecology of the Bahamas, part of a unique research institution. During the weeklong trip, the group counted and tagged conchs, swam within feet of nurse sharks, and they marveled at the giant sea
Gift, and we set a record for
urchins illuminated at night in the beams of their
raised. These days, making
nas, trapping them in nets so they could measure
student participation and amount the case for Dominican comes naturally to me. I don’t think
my freshman self would even recognize me now!”
16 Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018
major, had no idea what to expect. She was among
flashlights. On land, they darted after wily rock iguaand weigh the critically endangered animals and implant tracking devices. For Villalobos, the hands-on experience was life changing, opening her eyes to the excitement of Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018 17
For Carmelita Villalobos ’18, a research trip aboard the Shedd Aquarium’s floating field station in the Bahamas changed her trajectory.
fieldwork and inspiring her to pursue
Camden Knights ’18 chose Dominican in part for its tennis program. He ended up becoming a triple major and student government president.
Finding His Calling
bring about, his success. It was the
Neuroscience major Ushma Patel ’18 didn’t just co-author the cover story in a major scientific journal; she also designed the cover art.
Striving to Be the Best
encouragement of political science
a master’s in marine biology. It was the
four accredited programs in medical
bolt of lightning, a ribbon of DNA, and
illustration in North America.
fragments of memory disappearing
capstone of a Dominican experience in
For a young man still in college, it was
professors that inspired his involvement
For an undergraduate to co-author the
the sciences characterized by close col-
quite the resume: Triple major. President
in political campaigns, including Tammy
cover story in a major scientific journal is
neuroscience program’s research oppor-
artwork, a charcoal-on-paper series
Patel was drawn to Dominican by the
into an hourglass. Another piece of her
laboration with faculty who even helped
of the Student Government Association.
Duckworth’s successful bid for the U.S.
already extraordinary. To design the cov-
tunities. The paper she co-authored with
of pelvis studies, was chosen for this
her land a competitive paid research
Athlete. Government internship. Study in
Senate in 2016. Later, staff professionals
er, too, is unique. Ushma Patel ’18 is part
two other students and two professors,
spring’s juried student fine art exhibition.
internship in genetics and cell biology
Rome. Experience on two political cam-
in the career development office helped
scientist, part artist—two passions that
Irina and Bob Calin-Jageman, was pub-
“All art has some science in it,” she says.
sponsored by the National Science Foun-
paigns. “That’s what I love about Dominican,”
Knights land a coveted internship with the
she has had since childhood that she
lished in January in Learning & Memory,
“If you’re drawing the human form, that’s
dation.
says Camden Knights ’18. “It gives you
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
wove together in Dominican’s opportunity-
a peer-reviewed journal. The research,
still anatomy at the end of the day.”
the opportunity to strive and achieve all
That experience helped him to realize his
rich neuroscience program.
involving sea slugs, found evidence in the
“I thought I wanted to be a lab researcher. But this experience opened a completely new chapter for me, showing
of the goals you have.” Knights had more modest ambitions
me how exciting it is to be out in the field,”
as a high-school student. He chose
she says. “The ocean gives life to every-
Dominican in part because he wanted to
Now, she’s got her eye on new terrain,
calling, down to the details—to go on to
Armed with a portfolio of scientific
animal’s genes of fragments of memory
wanting to explore how technology such
law school and pursue a career in envi-
research and artwork she created at the
that persist even after an experience (in
as virtual reality can shape the work of
ronmental law and government service.
university, Patel is realizing a dream she
this case a series of electric shocks) is
medical illustrators. “With the experi-
“I wouldn’t have known exactly what I
has had since seventh grade: to become a
forgotten.
ences I had at Dominican, I’m basically
thing. I want to show people how important
play tennis. “Little did I know that I would
wanted to do with my life if I hadn’t taken
medical illustrator. This fall she is headed
it is that we conserve ocean life. Without
end up majoring in political science...and
that internship,” he says. “And I wouldn’t
to graduate school at the University of
like, almost surreal, and incorporates
“I want to keep pushing myself to be the
natural science...and philosophy,” he says.
have taken that internship if my profes-
Illinois at Chicago, which has one of only
elements of the research: a sea slug, a
best at what I do.”
Another surprise was just how much
sors here hadn’t pushed me and wanted
this experience I wouldn’t be going to graduate school next year.”
his professors would care about, and
18 Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018
The cover art Patel created is dream-
already a medical illustrator,” she says.
me to succeed.”
Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018 19
class news
class news
You Always Belong to Dominican Class News provides Dominican alumnae/i with an opportunity to share news and celebrate life events. Class News is prepared through the Office of Alumnae/i Relations in cooperation with class agents. If you would like to be a class agent, have news to report or have questions, please contact the Office of Alumnae/i Relations at alumni@dom.edu or (708) 524-6286. Class News items are submitted by alumnae/i and do not represent positions, policies or opinions of the Office of Alumnae/i Relations or Dominican University. Some items have been edited for length and content. The class news published in this issue was collected before November 15, 2017; news submitted after that date will appear in the fall 2018 issue. To access Class News and selected news media items about Dominican alumnae/i, go to dom.edu/alumni. Thank you for sharing your news!
Undergraduate Alumnae/i Class News
1957 Ellen Bendry Class Agent
Dear Classmates: Coming back to campus in June 2017 for our 60th anniversary left me astounded that so many years have passed. I felt a strong sense of belonging and in many ways, as if I never left, for love and truth are still our cornerstones. The Alumnae/i Office was helpful in arranging all of the beautiful events on campus. A prayer time for our classmates was held at the Grotto and the newly constructed labyrinth, which was dedicated in October 2015.
Chicago. We would love to see you there! The next luncheon will take place in the summer of 2018 so please let Jean or me know if you are interested in attending. Audre Coia-Kurowski sent word that her parish, Saint Katharine Drexel in Sugar Grove, Illinois, continues to bless her by using her as one of the organists/pianists at Mass. As a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society at her parish, Audre helps clients who have problems paying their mortgage and other bills. This is done through donations from church members. Sue Rutherford Wilson and I visited Jean Horrigan-Delhey in February of 2018. May you all receive many blessings in 2018.
Jean Horrigan-Delhey held her annual summer luncheon in
20 Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018
1961
Betty Freehill DeGuzman and Mary Melocik Hambleton Class Agents Betty Freehill DeGuzman writes, “Did you know that I have two sisters who are also Rosary alumnae? Donna Freehill Land ’66, Angela Freehill Sharkey ’69 and I have each written a chapter for a book entitled Nine Siblings, a collection of nine autobiographies of the Louis Freehill family. Our evolving ancestry, research, and family gatherings (and travels throughout the world) have enriched our lives. Sue Lawrence Rogers writes, “My ministry for the past 10 years has been tutoring Polish priests and seminarians. I am also a bereavement minister for St. Theresa Church in Palatine and active in PADS (a homeless shelter).” Patricia Joy Spatafora writes, “Old friendships were rekindled at our 50th Reunion in 2011, and thanks to the efforts of Geraldine (“Jerry”) Lauerman Seaman and Sue Lawrence Rogers, several classmates have gathered every October to share memories and laughter. Attendees from the Class of ’61 included Marlene Allessi Demski, Judy O’Leary McDonald, Sheila Tevenan Peebles, Norine Warrington Schneider, Eileen McNamara, Mary Kay Berigan Pasin and me.” Nijole Semenas Etzwiler writes, “I’m living my first year as a not merry widow, filling my life traveling with family and friends. I made six trips this year and the most memorable was attending my oldest grandson’s wedding in Hawaii.” Mary DiOrio Gajewski writes, “The Gajewski family is happily retired and looking forward to our trip to Italy in this coming year. Unfortunately, we were
rushed to Arizona to deal with a flood caused by a broken pipe in our second home.”
1962
Kay Pielsticker Coleman, Elizabeth Freidheim, Corrine Carnivele Hanley, Carolyn Sweeney Judd, Gloria Adams Mills and Mary Beth Vander Vennet Tallon Class Agents Donna Allendorf Wahlert enjoyed all the children and grandchildren for the Christmas holiday and is looking forward to college and high school graduations for three grandkids. Mary Kavanagh Sherry had an article published in the Wall Street Journal. It was Rosary-worthy, and Sr. Jeremy would have loved it. Sue Meyer Hubbard summered in upper Michigan and donated one of the quilts she made to a local church there. Her sister sadly lost her house, car, and all possessions in the recent Santa Rosa, California fire, but happily she and her husband are safe and well. Corrine Carnivele Hanley reports that her husband, Robert’s, book, Do You See What I See? Discovering the Obvious, is in its second printing after only three months. She is now busily learning a new skill—all forms of media marketing. Virginia Lane continues to volunteer at Clarehouse in Tulsa, Oklahoma, work that she finds joyful though she is caring for the dying. She spent Thanksgiving in Charlotte with her sister, and all the nieces and nephews and their families there. Kay Pielsticker Coleman reports that her town, San Anselmo, California, escaped the 2017 fires, though some of the employees there were not so lucky. She is running for the town council
1964
again (her third term), claiming to ageist opponents that “70 is the new 50.”
Mary McGough Schultze Class Agent
Carolyn Sweeney Judd was just ending a family vacation in Colorado when hurricane Harvey hit her hometown of Houston. After spending 10 days with her brother in Dallas and her sister in Seattle, she and her husband returned to Houston to find their condo intact and her children’s homes safe.
Dear friends of the Class of 1964,
Mary Beth Vander Vennet Tallon hosted her son, daughter, sister, and all of their respective families for Thanksgiving. It was a gathering of many thanks, as her son has been battling brain cancer for two and a half years. Gloria Adams Mills is still busy reading American history with her book club. She kept a local yarn shop in business with her knitting of Christmas stockings for a new great-niece and a new great-nephew.
1963 Susan Flynn Class Agent
Debbie Hegberg Heer writes that her husband, Joe Todaro, died in January 2017. Debbie keeps active with family, travel, art, genealogy, and volunteering. Her daughter, Anne, is a server at Le Bouchon in Chicago, and her son, Peter, got married in September. She continues, “My traveling this year was mainly in the Midwest to jazz festivals in Davenport, Iowa, and Elkhart, Indiana. A friend from high school and I went on a 15-day European river cruise in September. We went to Prague on our own and joined the river cruise in Budapest. We then went to Vienna and through Bavaria on the Danube, saw the castles on the Rhine River and ended in Amsterdam. My favorite city was Regensburg, Bavaria.
Tech Firm a Hub for DU Grads An IT consulting firm with offices in Oak Brook and downtown Chicago is becoming something of a hub for Dominican graduates. The staff at SWC Technology Partners now includes four alums: Oswaldo Lopez ’16, Samantha Boie ’13, Lowry Kozlowski ’02 and Jesus Diaz ’17. Hoping to keep that pipeline full, they recently hosted Dominican students for a discussion on what it takes to work at a competitive tech firm like SWC. The company has made a concerted effort to recruit more women into tech, and Kozlowski was glad to see a mixed group from Dominican. “There were some very engaged young women in the group speaking up. So that was great,” she says. “We want women to understand this is a very satisfying, fulfilling career.” Kozlowski’s three Dominican colleagues all started as interns, and the company is always searching for talent. “We keep letting them know to ‘Send us your resumes!’” Kozlowski says. “I’m so glad we’re able to give back to Dominican and help them out.”
I returned to oil painting at the Oak Park Art League. I share my genealogy experience by volunteering at the Harold Washington Library with other members of the Chicago Genealogy Society. In September, I drove to visit family in New York State. We went to the Corning Glass Museum. The current exhibit of Tiffany mosaics reminded me of Sister Guala and
the wonderful creation mosaic in the old science building. The annual Dominican scholarship lunch was held in Parmer Hall on October 15, 2017. It was very festive at our table, with good conversation and striking desserts! Please continue to be generous to the 1963 Endowed Scholarship Fund—it is growing! Thank you for all your gifts this year.
I heard from Mary Sullivan Feeley who continues her work with Catholic Charities. Mary is on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee, and is the chair of the Strategic Planning Committee. With her past experience in not-for-profit, Mary feels up to the task. Mary was also involved with the Trinity High School Centennial celebration and learned that the histories of Trinity and Rosary are truly intertwined. Mary enjoys her six grandchildren with the oldest, Michael, starting medical school at Wake Forest. His brother, Sam, is a junior at Massachusetts Maritime and his sister, Olivia, is a sophomore at Holy Cross. The 9-year-old boys, Noah and Patrick, are on the student council in Woodridge, and sister Adriana is in second grade. It is with deep sorrow that I report the death of Katie Welsh Terrien in the fall. We extend our deepest sympathies to her husband, Bob; children, Patrick, Brian, Kevin and Kathleen; and to her sister, Janet Welsh, OP. She fell victim to scleroderma, a disease that also claimed my sister, Jeanne, when she and I were en route to England on the QM2. Pat Connery Koko is still going full tilt, as she started a part-time job as the assistant to the Friends of the Oak Park Public Library in October. Pat is treasurer of the Celebrating Seniors Coalition and of the Senior Citizens Services Coordinating Council, a group she founded. As editor of the West Suburban Lapidary Club newsletter, she remains active in her jewelry business, RBC Jewelry Design. During a trip with her husband, Paul, and her daughter, Marie, Pat found excitement when their ship, the QM2, rescued a
Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018 21
class news
“To come back to campus with a purpose has just been so rewarding. It’s amazing.” Romney Cirillo ‘08
shipwrecked sailor. She and Paul will continue their maritime adventures on a cruise from Seattle to Alaska, where they will meet with Paul’s brother who is ill in Juneau, and reconnect with Judy Alberts Finley on their summer stay on Whidbey Island, Washington. Pat keeps in touch with Joanne Knotek and Judy Blatherwick and catches Joann Casciato Hillebrand on Facebook. I received great news from Ruthann Szymanowski Recktenwald who welcomed her first grandchild in May 2017. Ruthie says she is in the “patch and mend” stage of life as she had her shoulder replaced. She hopes to complete the healing process in Florida for the winter and decide about downsizing. Having a ranch helps. I sympathize with her since Bob is having mobility issues with our split-level. As for me, I completed my stint as executor for my February trip to Alaska with my 5w group to see the Iditarod, then a family spring break to Cancun.
1965
Mary Poelking Sclawy Class Agent Greetings classmates, Steve and I cruised the coast of Brazil and the Amazon River in spring 2017. Steve’s mobility issues kicked him off a trip to Corcovado (Christ the Redeemer statue overlooking Rio) and a trip to the Manaus Opera House. My venture into Manaus was truncated when three tourist police pulled up on their scooters to announce the area was too dangerous for a single woman to walk around. Our cruise down the Mississippi from Memphis to New Orleans came a couple of months later. A highlight of the trip was chatting
with Lonnie Harris, a former Negro League player for the Memphis Redbirds Triple-A team. Back home, we finally contracted for new countertops in the kitchen. The estimated two-day job took more than two weeks. The adventure was hysterical—in retrospect. Kim Regan conceded (from her home in San Francisco) that the Midwest could have its charms, the place where there is enough water and no forest fires to speak of. Both her daughter, Kiera, and her granddaughter, Kiah, are teaching this year. Kiera is at her child’s prep school in Hawaii and Kiah is at a school in Greenwich, Connecticut, where she started as a part-time soccer coach. Kim spent July in the United Kingdom, a week in Massachusetts, and then went to Chicago to see her mom on her 100th birthday in December. Ginny Daleiden Persha reports, “Growing up, we were always told we were part German. Our dad grew up in the Lincoln Park area and spoke German until he went to first grade. His grandparents came from the Trier area of Germany. A few years ago, my niece’s husband gave her a DNA test. When she got it back, she called my brother to say there was absolutely no German in her DNA. My brother sent in his DNA, and he got back that he was 48% British, 33% Irish, some Scandinavian and other. No German! We can’t figure out what happened.” Fachon “Chon” Schwope Wilson writes, “While I would not say we had an exciting year, we have had an interesting one. We have a new furnace and water heater, and repaired the wall and floor due to a winter ice-related leak and we have a new kitchen floor resulting from a leaking ice maker. We had the carpet removed from the living room and hallway. The
22 Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018
refinished original oak floor is wonderfully beautiful. To make matters more interesting, we got a puppy—a big golden doodle. Cute as can be, but at our age? Our health is reasonable considering our ages. Rog turned 77 and I am 75. I’ve lost about 35 pounds (yea!) so now I have more wrinkles in my face. A trade-off.” Maureen McMahon Hibbott writes, “Health-wise it has been a good year, despite another new hip for me (that makes two hips and two knees now replaced) and I am delighted with the outcomes.
Add to that two carpel tunnel operations. We have managed quite a bit of travel within the UK but finally took a short trip in September to Brittany to visit my Peace Corps roommate. In October, we spent a month in Minnesota, where Richard did his teaching exchange in 1983/84. This visit was a ‘fishing trip reunion’ with a few of our friends. We then enjoyed a long visit to Boston to see Jane and family in their new life. It was great walking Max to his grade school through the woods behind Jane’s house, watching Max and Nancy learn to ice skate,
to swim, and to meet their friends and even look after them for four days while Jane and Sam spent a long weekend in New York City. We also spent Christmas and New Year’s in Boston.” Once again, I accidentally dialed Peggy Duggan von Briesen. She is currently working for the VA in Waco, Texas, and is awaiting the arrival of her husband, Ted. He sold all of their property in Wisconsin and will be moving to Waco soon. Peggy says it’s been 10 years since they lived together; so she’s curious about how they’ll live as a couple instead of occasional visitors. The family traveled to Spain to see their son, Brendan, receive his doctorate in Spanish. Sheila Durkin Dierks and her husband, Peter, traveled to Europe in the summer for the marriage of their son, Brian, to a woman who also works for Doctors Without Borders. Sheila continues to seek donations to the Lucile Murray Durkin Scholarship for Women’s Ordination. You can contribute to the Rosary Class of ’65 Facebook page as another way of keeping in touch with classmates, or look them up individually and ask to be friends. Or you can drop me a line at stemar@comcast.net.
Something Fishy in the Neuroscience Lab Romney Cirillo ’08 started his custom aquarium business, playfully named Something Fishy Inc., in his dorm room. A decade—and lots of success—later, Cirillo is giving back to the university where his hobby and his business degree collided. He’s found himself, however unlikely it seems, playing a role in keeping Dominican’s cutting-edge neuroscience research on track. One of the old deteriorating tanks housing the department’s prized research animal, sea slugs, nearly sent 90 gallons of saltwater cascading into the lab. Cirillo has installed a new state-of-the-art tank, made possible with a discount. “To come back to campus with a purpose has just been so rewarding. It’s amazing,” he says, adding that he’s also begun recruiting DU interns to work with his company. “And to be able to tell people I’m helping out the neuroscience program at Dominican University, there’s nothing better.” Romney is the 2018 recipient of the Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) Award, presented on June 9 during Alumnae/i Weekend.
1966
Judy Purvin Scully Class Agent I visited Mitzi Battista Witchger and her husband, Tom, at their new home in Indianapolis in August. They have done a wonderful job downsizing and integrating the old with the new in their lovely setting on a lake. Tom took us out on a sunset cruise on their new pontoon. John joined us for dinner the final night at Mitzi’s brother’s restaurant, Bluebeard. We returned home in time for John to enlist our nephew in the
Army; then returned to Minocqua for the remainder of the summer. We held our Purvin family reunion at home this year because the trip was just too much for Mom. We had all gathered for another nephew’s wedding in Chicago, so it was a good time for all of us to get together. Maureen O’Rourke Cannon and I went to the Recipe Box Café in Parmer Hall for dinner in October and had a delightful time eating the delicious food and enjoying the service. The menu is developed by students, and the meals are prepared and served by students. Dinners are scheduled every two weeks during the fall semester, and weekly luncheons are held in the spring semester. For registration information, email recipeboxcafe@dom.edu. We had such a good time that we invited our husbands, along with Lu Di Salvo Hartman and her husband, for the last dinner of the semester. Kathy Kahler Matthews is a nationally certified master judge of all forms of embroidery. She received her certification from the American Needlepoint Guild, Inc. in 1992 and her credentials must be renewed every five years. This year, her renewal project focus was May Morris, Embroiderer, etc. May lived from 1862–1938 and was the daughter of the great British Arts and Crafts designer William Morris. Kathy recently spent a week in London studying May Morris’ embroideries and designs along with an embroidery class at the Royal School of Needlework. Kathy is also producing the Chicago premiere performances of The Fine Things of Youth based on the novella Lucy Gayheart by Willa Cather. Performances were held in Chicago, Elgin, Evanston, and St. Charles in January. Alice Kuehne Finn wrote, “On October 15, my husband John and
I had the privilege of attending our first scholarship luncheon at Dominican as a representative of our Class of 1966. Since this was the first time our class scholarship was being awarded, I really felt honored to represent the generosity of so many of my fellow classmates. Although our student, Paula Lucarz, a sociology and criminology major, was unable to attend, we were in the wonderful company of Judy and John Scully, as well as two of their scholarship recipients, nursing students Jem and Sarah, who are seniors this year. We enjoyed delightful conversations and informative remarks from President Carroll and members of the various scholarship committees. The real highlight was Lindsey Torphy, Class of 2018, who sang “The Dominican Magnificat” as a solo. We all should be very proud of our gift to our “Rosary College” and our choice of a most important and beneficial scholarship fund, which will benefit so many future Dominican graduates!” Sandy Kern Cyr reported that she returned to Kaukauna, Illinois, in late October to spend time with her mother. Two of her sisters were there, so the sisters got in a good visit. Sandy decided to head north before it “got too cold for this Floridian.” John and I attended the Celebration of Life/Memorial service for Joe Cherskov, husband of Mary Beth Keefe Cherskov at the Union League Club of Chicago in September. Bernie Knittel Andersen and her husband were in attendance as well. It was absolutely beautiful and included a flag ceremony with a bugler playing taps. Donna Carroll’s remembrance of Joe was very touching. Remembered at the Dominican Memorial Mass in November were
Joe Cherskov; Robert McCabe, husband of Kathleen Sittler McCabe; Margaret Cahill, mother of Colleen Cahill Matthys; and James Kelly, brother-in-law of Kathy Kahler and Marty Kahler Van Ness ’71 and husband of Mary (Janey) Kahler Kelly ’73. The three Kahler sisters and Marty’s husband, along with Suzie Wills Kessler, Alice Kuehne Finn and her husband, and John and myself, were in attendance.
1968
Mary Duncan Gemkow Class Agent Carol Anderson Kunze writes, “I recently returned from a weekend get-together in Galena with Rosary pals Kathy Wessels Cook, Susan Lucke Leyden, Jeanne Rogge Steele, Joanne Moore Kiewicz, Carol Niccolai, Marilyn Freehill Jancewicz and Eleanor Seitter ’69. This is pretty much an annual event, which has evolved to more visiting and catching up than anything else. We ’68ers were pictured on the somewhat ‘sassy’ special invitation to our 50th reunion. Those of us who served on the reunion committee enjoyed reconnecting with other classmates as we spread the word and encouraged attendance at this special milestone event. Ruth Poochigian, OP is retired now but still goes to prison as a volunteer. They have a restorative justice program that used to take her into about seven Wisconsin state prisons but now she only goes to two of them. She was a teacher for many years in Madison and Des Moines, and was a chaplain at one of the hospitals in Madison. Edna Del Zoppo (“Del”) shared the sad news of the death of her husband, Gilbert Hancock. He was an arts instructor of sculp-
Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018 23
class news
ture and ceramics at Rosary from 1964-1972. Gil died June 28, 2017, following a slow decline due to Alzheimers. He was home with Del until the day of his death. The time he spent at Rosary and the students and faculty he met and interacted with remained a pivotal and formative part of his life. Del continues to live in the home they built in Port Michaud, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
working, she enjoys the Bay Area’s great food, new friends, travel and being a grandma. Nancy Sidote Salyers said that when she visits her mother, she makes a point to spend time with at least one other resident at the facility. She said that “volunteering time at the memory care center certainly reinforces my gratitude list.” She has also committed to an exercise schedule, so she can “get ‘back in the saddle’ of things, figuratively and literally.” She is taking English riding lessons and enjoys the challenge of learning something new.
I am still working full time at Edward Jones (mostly to avoid babysitting the eight grandchildren). Be sure to join our closed Facebook page: Rosary College Class of 1968. Only our classmates are able to see this page, so if you have any pictures you would like to share, please post them— incriminating or otherwise. We would all love to see them.
1970
Giving Back Through Service
Karen Ripley Stein Class Agent Bridget Balthrop Morton and Jack Morton joined Mary Alda Balthrop ‘72 on RiverTrek 2017, paddling 105+ miles in five days on the Apalachicola River. Fifteen kayakers paddled the length of the Apalachicola in their kayaks, sleeping on the riverbank, and raising funds for the Apalachicola Riverkeeper. The Apalachicola is one of the most biologically diverse rivers in North America, and “those Balthrop girls” were delighted to share their love for the environment. Mary Alda actually raised more than any other paddler in the years since the Riverkeeper has run RiverTrek ($8,450 by 10/7/17) and Bridget and Jack together raised $3,000.
Dr. Lisette Rodriguez-Cabezas ’06, a staff psychiatrist treating military veterans at the Hines VA, has been awarded the 2017 Hispanic Heritage Award for her commitment to service in Latino communities. She participated in a medical mission trip to Peru during medical school, and as a psychiatric resident, she helped organize a mental health awareness tour to Puerto Rico, where her family has roots. Through such work, she hopes to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness, particularly in Latino
1971
Kathy Klem Large Class Agent Greetings Class of ’71! The “news hound” found lots of updates from our classmates. Mary Ann Campbell Swalling shared news from Alaska. “I am thrilled to claim that I am a three-year Stage 4 breast cancer survivor, but I remain vigilant nonetheless!” Congratulations on the good news, Mac!
24 Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018
and other minority communities. She also used a research fellowship at Northwestern to study psychiatric emergencies in pregnant women. At Hines, she says she loves to inspire hope in her patients. “Psychiatrists really can save lives, but we do it without surgery. We do it with compassion, talk therapy and medications. I believe my job embodies the values of compassionate service that my Sinsinawa Dominican education instilled in me.”
Mary Ann continues to volunteer with Catholic Social Services and has worked for 27 years as a member of the CSS Charity Ball Committee. The dollars raised go to fund the nine agencies that operate within CSS in Anchorage, helping the less fortunate. She says that after 46 years, the MS is finally catching up to her. Recently, she purchased a recumbent tricycle, which she uses to keep her legs strong. Her goal is to become strong enough so that she and Chris can take bicycle tours
around the country and maybe get to Europe. From the Bay Area, Colleen Colgan wrote that she is working part time for the nonprofit Experience Corps Bay Area, an affiliate of AARP, which recruits and trains older adults to be volunteer reading tutors in local schools. In her role as literacy trainer, she supports nearly 200 tutors in San Francisco, Oakland, and San Mateo County low-income elementary schools. When not
Anne Vonderhaar had vascular surgery last Thanksgiving. School-wise, she is teaching both freshman and sophomore theology. She also commutes 26 miles one way! Despite the daily traffic woes, she loves teaching in the Catholic school!! As a volunteer, Annie continues to teach CCD to fifth graders each Wednesday after her regular teaching job. She says they are the highlight of the week! This past fall, she volunteered at the parish Harvest Festival, cashing in on the Bingo booth. Molly Schafer DeDominicis and her husband, Ken, were able to attend his 50th reunion from Fribourg. A summer trip took them also to Paris and Provence, where they finally saw the beautiful fields of lavender. Her daughter’s family was transferred to Spain. In her spare time, she is still reading and writing and involved with her Kids in School program. Hurricane Irma played havoc with a move by Kathy Riley Ketterhagen and her husband. Closing on their new home was postponed; they evacuated to Charlotte to be with their son and luckily, returned to find only minor landscaping and pool screen damage. It was their first mandatory evac-
uation and she would do it again. “Better safe than sorry,” she wrote. Sue Mackiewicz Sowa divides her time between Chicago and Los Angeles. Her daughter, Lauren, is a second-year Ph.D. fellow at the University of Southern California. They love Disneyland and visit every trip. She and Lauren have also traveled through Poland, Austria and Switzerland and are planning a return visit in 2018. Addressing Rosary friends, she said, “I enjoy playing Words with Friends with Ruthmarie Hamburge Mitsch, Jacqueline LaSalle Bolger, and Linda Grzesiakowski Hanrath, who I have happily reconnected with through Facebook. Ellen Havlik Turney, Judy Gaglione Zitlow, and B.J Fangman Jungmann, I would love to see you again.” She hated to miss the reunion last year and will be here next time for sure. Peg Rohr Duran celebrated her son’s completion of his family medicine rotation, his wedding to a labor and delivery nurse, and the start of his practice—all in Erie, Pennsylvania. She and Jose recently went scuba diving in the waters of Indonesia. Paulette Fabianski Stith wrote that she was on “her cruise.” I’m guessing that she had a great time as that’s all that she wrote. Since retirement, I have joined a quilting group. We make flannel receiving blankets for new mothers and their infants in Haiti. On a local level, we sew fleece hats and t-shirt dresses for the South Bend chapter of the Christ Child Society. And we help to make quilted items for a craft sale to benefit a local long-term care facility. Thanks for all of your news. Please remember to send me e-mail address changes, etc.
1974
1972
Susan Schwarting Class Agent
Chris Lapetina Kukla Class Agent Our 45th class reunion on Saturday, June 10, 2017, was attended by several classmates, including Mary Nora Brennan Mavrou, Debra Broxterman, Carol Carrello Sell, Kathleen Cavanagh Niekrasz, Grace Doti McCormick, Carol Pauly Linkowski, Catherine Troxell Templeton, Martha Wesbecher Hinkle, and myself. We enjoyed spending time on the Dominican campus during the reunion and catching up with our classmates. Mary Nora Brennan Mavrou’s daughters also graduated from Dominican, keeping up the tradition! Several reunion attendees have had some great adventures traveling both domestically and internationally, visiting places like Hawaii, Paris and Morocco. Grace Doti McCormick now lives in California, where she moved to be near her son and grandsons. Our classmates are keeping active by volunteering and/or still working and in some cases, chasing after grandchildren. It was really great to see everyone and to share our memories of time spent at Rosary/Dominican. A group of our classmates also got together for a luncheon in December at the Evanston Golf Club, including Luisa Scala Buehler, Mary Pat Thornton Collins, Marilyn Aiuppa Dean, Gail Fitzpatrick, Barb Podesta Fox, Kathy Kowalski, Nancy Lurito Machnowski, Krys Srutwa Khavari, Mary Pat Weldon Woitas, Liane Taglia Zulkey and myself. It was great to catch up with everyone.
Susan Schwarting and her daughter Sarah Schwarting ’04, MSW ’09 have formed a new business: The Center for Serenity. Sue is a certified meditation instructor and Reiki master teacher, while Sarah is a licensed clinical social worker. They live and work in the Oak Park/River Forest area.
1975
Mary Alice Griesinger Class Agent Kate Coulihan Ficke, Sherri Burke, Marianne Daniels Hansel, and her husband, Mark, and their daughter Suzanne Hansel ’12 and I attended the Memorial Mass at Dominican on Sunday, November 3. Donna Nelson Stride took part in the Mass, then we all had brunch. Kate Coulihan Ficke and her husband, Jim, went to Jamaica for their annual trip. They will also be taking a short trip to Mexico so Kate can take a look at one of the new resorts. Sherri Burke was in Chicago to visit her sister who lives in Naperville. Marianne Daniels Hansel and husband, Mark, are now empty nesters—their son Douglas moved out to an apartment in Woodridge. Daughter Suzanne had already moved out. The only one left at home now is the dog, Maya. Marianne is getting ready to move into a larger home out in Bloomingdale in December. I had dinner with Alicia McNamara-Grott. She had been working for Bose, as a store manager in Oak Brook, but due to a buy-out program, Alicia started retirement on November 1.
Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018 25
class news
“I see it as pure advocacy.” Clinée Hedspeth ’12 on her fine arts mission
I had a huge year—I had my right knee replaced on June 7 and spent the summer resting; the knee is great after three months of physical therapy. Here’s the bad news: the years have flown by, so I just signed up for Medicare. I didn’t realize my 65th birthday is just around the corner. Marianne Daniels Hansel’s father, Robert, who had lived with Marianne and Mark for several years, died on October 27, 2017. Carolyn Jeanblanc’s sister, Marianne Jeanblanc ’76, died in May 2017. Judy Hansel Keeley’s father, Richard, passed away in January 2017. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. If you have some news to share, please feel free to email me at Mary-Griesinger@att.net.
1978 JP Mililli, father of Ashley Mililli-DiGiorgio ’06, is retired and living in South Carolina with Kenna, his wife of 38 years. JP is currently working on his doctorate in business administration and hopes to occupy his retirement as a full-time professor at a South Carolina Christian University.
1979
Hilary Ward Schnadt Class Agent Greetings, Classmates! Many of us celebrated our 60th birthdays this year and I was glad to celebrate with several of you and to hear from others how you marked the occasion. It seemed to be a time for nostalgia, reflection, and decision making about what comes next. Teresa Anderson Shultz participated in a 40-year reunion dinner for the Rosary in Fribourg
program at the House of Glunz in Chicago. “There were 11 former students and one Swiss special guest who also was a student and lived at the Villa des Fougeres. We had a fun evening sharing food, photos, and remembrances of our year abroad.” Attendees from 1979 included Mary Raleigh, Colette Lorden Butkus, Helen Walsh (who has now retired from the U.S. Department of the Treasury), Barb Bowers, Debbie Fisher Hartigan, and Elisabeth Mroczek Hodson. Other Rosary in Fribourg alumni at the event included Valeria Puglisi Zarnowiecki, Marie Green Glaser, Mary Sebern Sotiroff, Kiki Spencer Batina and Dr. Sergei Bankoul (guest of honor from Switzerland). I was pleased to learn that in September 2017, Jose “Joe” and Bridget Wolter Cortina (Village of Chatham) celebrated 45 years of marriage in St. Joe, Michigan. Their son invited the family to his and his girlfriend’s home to celebrate their anniversary. All stayed at their lovely Michigan home, went on two fabulous wine tours, and they were surprised with a home-catered feast by an onsite chef and waitresses. Their son made t-shirts for all of them that read TEAM CORTINA with an established date of 1972, matching sunglasses, individual bottles of champagne with a Cortina label and date of their wedding, 9/22/72. Sunday morning, they were showered with a lovely breakfast buffet. “It was a wonderful and moving experience enjoyed by all.” Nancy Greco appeared in November in a Skokie Theatre production of a new play Rocket City Alabam’, based on actual events in Huntsville, Alabama, after WWII. She will also be performing during Handel Week in March of 2018, singing “Hercules” and the “Bach Magnificat.”
26 Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018
Nanette Marks Heaphy wrote on behalf of herself and Brian Heaphy ’80 with a great account of revisiting London, complete with photos recreating ones they took when they were there as students. “After 39 years, four daughters, and a 36-year career with Pitney Bowes (Brian), we return to London. We both participated in the Rosary in London program in 1978. We retraced all our daily routes back in the day. It was a great trip.” Helen Hollerich and Ann Van Hoomissen Bixby undertook a 40-year, follow-up tour of the UK and Ireland in fall of 2017, which was followed on Facebook by many members of the Class of 1979 as “The Best Road Trip Ever.” (Augusta “Gus” Simpson was voted most supportive follower.) Helen writes, “Probably the best stories include our miracle sighting (with drive by and hi-five) of Rick Steves in Westport, Ireland as well as our visit to the huge abandoned 13th century Augustinian Abbey in Kilkenny (hopping the stone wall next to the locked gate, plodding across the cow field, and then being cornered inside for 40 minutes by a bull and three cows as the sun was setting).” Rick Wilk wrote to report, “After more than a few years following my vocation doing public health work for the federal government, I transitioned from public service this spring and jettisoned the pocket protector and the bureaucratic attitude. I’m thankful for the job I had, which allowed me to support the strengthening of the public’s health without the profit pressures businesses must consider and promote. Now it’s time to work part time doing public health project work and consulting for private sector firms, volunteering in public health, and enjoying more free time than I have had since graduation from Rosary College.” Some of that
time was spent taking a European river cruise from Switzerland to Amsterdam with his recently graduated son from Hawaii. He added, “I was recruited by Lou Guagenti ’80 to attend his church this fall and plan to join Lou and Shirley “Sug” LeDonne Guagenti ‘78 on Sundays going forward. Jim Bednarczyk works near me, so with my newfound flexibility, I meet him for lunch occasionally in the northwest suburbs. Anyone else want to join us? Sending out a big greeting to long lost-classmates and an invitation to meet at the next Dominican reunion.” Washington State Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu was one of eight women profiled in a documentary, “Discovering You,” that debuted at the KD Hall Foundation “Women on the Rise” Gala in September of 2017. I was pleased to have not one, but two, 60th birthday bashes—a weekend in July in the northwest suburbs of Chicago and a weekend in New Buffalo, Michigan, in October, with friends from middle school that included Margaret Foy Shields and my freshman-year roommate, Alice “Anita” Heinze. We laughed, we ate, we drank and we appreciated almost 50 years of friendship. It is hard to believe that our 40th reunion is getting closer and closer. Soon we’ll begin planning for June of 2019 in River Forest. In the meantime, keep those emails coming!
1980 Linda Rohde Class Agent
Dave Martin welcomed his eighth grandchild and survived a sudden quintuple heart bypass surgery in August.
1982
2005
Tory Kathrein Theodossopoulos Class Agent
Linda Scolaro was presented with the prestigious Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Humanitarian of the Year Award. The award is given annually to those whose lives exemplify the virtues of caring, humanity, and goodwill that were the hallmark of Cardinal Bernardin’s tenure as Archbishop of Chicago. Since 1991, Linda has worked as an Italian teacher at Prospect High School.
1992
Melissa Mascari Santo Pietro Class Agent Annette Clemens presented on the topic of “Building Unity Between Career Services Professionals and Faculty” at the annual National Career Development Association Conference in Orlando, Florida. Annette’s presentation showcased her 18-plus years of experience working in career services and higher education. Annette works as the assistant director of career development education in the Career Services Office at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Carlene Jaworowski Reeves writes “I made a career change in September. I accepted a position as an instructional designer in the election training department at Scytl. The blurb from their website says ‘Scytl is the worldwide leader in secure electronic voting, election management, and election modernization solutions.’ The company is based in Barcelona, but I am working in the Tampa office. I am designing online courses to help train election workers around the world. I love the job and am very excited to be a part of Scytl!”
Kevin Deenihan and Jennifer Purcell Deenihan ’06 welcomed their third child, Nora Colleen, on November 25, 2016, weighing 8 lbs. 5 oz. and 20 inches.
2006
Annie Hughes Halsema and Diane Schultz Meske Class Agents
An Advocate for History Clinée Hedspeth ’12 is the founder of Hedspeth Art Consulting and director of curatorial services at the DuSable Museum of African American History. But she’s most proud of the fact that she recently became a certified fine art appraiser—one of only 14 African Americans in the U.S. with the prestigious credential. She’s made it her mission to rediscover, document and promote work by black artists. “I see it as pure advocacy,” she says. Hedspeth recently brought a pair of groundbreaking exhibits to DuSable. One was the first major show dedicated to South Side Chicago architecture seen through the lens of architectual photographer Lee Bey. The other featured work by Haitian-born mixed-media artist Fabiola Jean-Louis that drew attention to the overlooked black female experience of slavery. So much of her success, Hedspeth says, goes back to scholarship support that, among other things, paid for a pivotal research trip to Ghana. Above all, she credits the mentorship of Robbi Byrdsong-Wright, Dominican’s assistant dean for academic success services and diversity. “That’s why Dominican is a special place for me; it’s because of the personal relationships.”
2003
Mary Sobczak Minster and Yvette Vazquez Pratt Class Agents Jeff Halsema and Annie Hughes Halsema ’06 were married on June 17, 2017, in Carpentersville, Illinois surrounded by close friends and family.
2004
Joe Bruno and Brandy Foster Class Agents Sarah Schwarting MSW ’09 and her mother, Susan Schwarting ’74, have formed a new business: The Center for Serenity. Sue is a certified meditation instructor and Reiki master teacher, and Sarah is licensed clinical social worker. They live and work in the Oak Park/River Forest area.
Annie Hughes Halsema and Jeff Halsema ‘03 were married on June 17, 2017, in Carpentersville, Illinois, surrounded by close friends and family. Jim Kozyra and his wife had a baby girl, Laine Suzanne Kozyra, on May 22, 2017. Julia Barr Bray and her husband welcomed their third son to their family. Henry was born on April 21, 2017. Jennifer Purcell Dennihan and Kevin Deenihan ‘05 welcomed their third child, Nora Colleen, on November 25, 2016, weighing 8 lbs. 5 oz. and 20 inches. Katie Rask Payne finished her Master of Arts in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia University–Irvine in February 2017. She is currently working at St. Louis College of Pharmacy and is the assistant volleyball coach as well as the assistant sports director. Diana Jaskierny received her postgraduate diploma in the Conservation of Easel Painting from The Courtauld Institute of Art, London, in July. She also accepted a position as the painting conservation fellow at The Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida, in November 2017.
Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018 27
class news
“If I hadn’t acted, he would never have survived.” Binyamin Jones ‘07
in school psychology at the College of William and Mary. Angela Genovesi Gallicchio and her husband Christopher Gallicchio, welcomed their new baby girl, Josephine Jean, on March 7, 2017. Josephine joins big brother David Lucca who is now 3.
Remembering London: a Life-changing Trip In 1977, Helen Hollerich ’79 and Ann Van Hoomissen Bixby ’79 spent a semester in London as part of Rosary College’s London Program. Together with 19 fellow Rosary students, they studied British culture, learned to navigate an unfamiliar city and gained independence far from home. Last summer, Helen and Ann celebrated the 40th anniversary of their London experience by traveling to the UK to revisit some of their favorite sites. They documented their trip on Facebook, and many of their London Program classmates followed along. “Studying abroad is a life-changing experience,” Helen says. “We came back from our London semester permanently changed—more independent, willing to challenge our own beliefs, and ready to embrace lifelong travel.” Philanthropy played a key role in supporting study abroad in 1977, just as it does now. “The London semester cost the same as what I would have paid at Rosary,” Ann says. “I never would have been able to afford the trip otherwise.”
Christine Gloriosa Nogal is now the director of marketing and member services for the Arthroscopy Association of North America. She recently received the Association Forum of Chicagoland’s 2017 40 Under 40 Award. Courtney C. Thompson started at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology in January 2017 and is enrolled in the PsyD program, with a concentration in child and adolescent psychology.
2007
Mark Carbonara and Stephanie Lieberman Class Agents Krissy Peterson and her husband, Jesse Keane, welcomed their daughter, Frances Mariam Keane, on March 28, 2017. Classmate Christine “Chris” Barry is Frances’s godmother. The baptism took place on August 13, 2017. Jamie Blair-Walker moved to Williamsburg, Virginia, and is going back to school for an Ed.S.
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Stefanie Piatkiewicz is excited to share that she graduated from Columbia College in 2015 with a Graduate Laban Certificate in Movement Analysis and master’s in interdisciplinary arts. Stefanie is a social-emotional learning coordinator for Mindful Practices, and works with schools on a national level. In October, she presented for the fourth year at the National Kids Yoga Conference in Washington, D.C. Stefanie continues to dance and choreograph, and her work was recently featured in Links Hall’s THAWALLS and Going Dutch Festival. Jennifer Bozek earned her Master of Science in Information Design and Strategy degree from Northwestern University, June 2017. She has since moved from print advertising to web design for The Bradford Exchange’s E-Commerce team. Jamie Baird Paplaczyk and her husband, Dan, welcomed their second child, Colby “Cole” Lee, on November 6, 2017. Cole weighed in at 9 lbs. 6 oz. and 22 inches long.
2008
Catherine Calixto and Eileen Terrien Class Agents Kyle Stone writes “Kylanie Ann Stone was welcomed into this world August 19, 2017, at 3:41 a.m. Baby and mother (Stephanie Stone) are both healthy and happy.” Kathleen Hayes writes, “I received my Master of Arts in Teaching
from Dominican in May 2017. I am currently the director of the Barbara Welch Learning Enrichment Center at Guerin College Prep in River Grove, Illinois. In addition, I volunteer two afternoons each week to run our Homework Club program and am involved as part of our instructional innovation team.”
2010
Ann Hussey Bala and Michelle Schultz Class Agents Crystal Gant-Hilson writes “It is my joy to announce the birth of my son, Amaree James Hilson, born January 22, 2017, to Christopher Hilson and Crystal Gant-Hilson.”
2013
Karla Bayas, Molly Brauer and Marco Rodriguez Class Agents Safia Jilani was honored with an Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award from the Georgetown University Department of Chemistry. She is studying electrocatalysis and pursuing her Ph.D. at the Washington, D.C. campus.
2016
Cutberto Aguayo, Andrea Hinojosa, Olivia Szuszkiewicz and Erin Winkele Class Agents Wendy Sanchez was hired as an assistant coach for the State Fair Community College soccer program in Sedalia, Missouri. She played soccer for the Dominican Stars and served as an assistant coach for Canutillo High School.
2017
Anna Derkacz, Alyssa Domico, Adam Janusz, Charlie Spry and Matthias Witteman Class Agents Viviana Garcia joined Dominican Volunteers USA for a year of service after graduation. Through her work with Dominican Volunteers USA, Viviana will serve with the Dominican Leadership Conference NGO (DLCNGOUN) at the United Nations. The DLCNGOUN works to develop policies with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.
Graduate Alumnae/i Class News
Brennan School of Business Rose Doherty MBA ’91 was named as one of the “Most Influential Women Accountants in Chicago,” by Crain’s Chicago Business. Rose is a partner at Legacy Professionals LLP. Amy McCormack MBA ’95 was inaugurated as the seventh president of Calumet College of St. Joseph in Whiting, Indiana. She is the school’s first female president and assumed the role in July. Prior to her current role, Amy worked as the senior vice president for finance and administration at Dominican University, as well as vice president of business affairs and controller for the university. Christine Elkhoury MBA ’13, a seasoned professional in the field of eating disorder treatment, accepted the position of program director of IDC-Eating Disorder Care in Michigan. Christine is a registered dietitian and is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
School of Information Studies
an adjunct professor at Dominican University’s School of Information Studies.
Sister Marianne Mader MALS ’78 celebrated her 50-Year Jubilee. Sr. Marianne entered the congregation in 1967 and professed her final vows in 1975. She currently ministers as the archives coordinator for the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.
Sarah Kleppe MLIS ’07 was hired as the communication specialist for the Sartell-St. Stephen School District in Minnesota.
Margaret Conroy MALIS ’86 was hired as the new director of The Daniel Boone Regional Library in Missouri. Margaret took over the directorship in January 2017. Tom Gaylord MLIS ’02 has been selected to serve as the next editor of Law Library Journal (LLJ), beginning on July 1, 2018. Tom is the faculty services and Scholarly communications librarian at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. Prior to joining Northwestern, he worked at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law as the senior research and faculty services librarian and at West Group as an attorney editor. From 2007 to 2017, Tom wrote a bimonthly column, “Finding Illinois Law,” for the Illinois Bar Journal. His memberships include the Chicago Association of Law Libraries, where he currently serves as treasurer of the Executive Board, and the American Bar Association. Mark Troendle MLIS ’02 was hired as director of the Stillwater Public Library in Minnesota. Mark was previously the assistant director of the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Amber Creger MLIS ’05, youth department director for the Schaumburg Library, is the recipient of the prestigious Davis Cup award from the Illinois Library Association’s (ILA) Youth Services Forum. In addition to her role at the Schaumburg Library, Amber has served on local, regional and national committees, and teaches as
Savannah Willingham Kitchens MLIS ’11 was hired as the library director for the Chilton-Clanton Public Library in Alabama. Savannah said. “At Dominican University, I was able to experience top-ofthe-industry professors, which was wonderful.”
School of Professional and Continuing Studies Sylvia Sims Bolton MSOL ’06 was named Waukegan’s 1st Ward alderman. Sylvia works as a therapeutic clinical addiction counselor for Gateway Foundation in Lake Villa and as an educator at the Lake County jail with Nicasa.
Saving Lives with Basketball and CPR For Chicago police officer Binyamin Jones ’07, basketball was always a kind of lifesaver. Growing up in a rough neighborhood, it was his avenue to staying out of harm’s way. And now he’s doing his part to help the next generation find a safe haven in basketball youth mentoring programs. But he’s also using the games as a venue for another kind of lifesaving: training athletes and others in CPR. The goal is personal. In June 2017, a fellow player, retired teacher Elston Harris, suffered a heart attack and collapsed. Jones, a former Stars basketball captain, kept him alive with chest compressions until paramedics arrived. “The doctor said if I hadn’t acted, he would never have survived,” Jones says. The two men have teamed up with Advocate Trinity Hospital to offer the CPR training on basketball courts and at Chicago high schools, where students seem to really connect with their story. Jones, who received Dominican’s 2018 African/African American Heritage Award, tells students it’s not enough to just learn CPR. “If you’re in that situation, you can’t freeze up; you need to have the courage to act,” he tells them.
Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018 29
BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN, FOR THEY SHALL BE COMFORTED. M AT T H E W 5:4
in sympathy Alumnae/i
CELEBRATING TWO EXTRAORDINARY LIVES Re me mbe ring
Sisters Jeanne Crapo (1924-2018) and
Mary Clemente Davlin (1929-2017)
Sister Jeanne Crapo, OP was uniquely qualified to write the history of Rosary College and Dominican University. For a half-century, she experienced the developing institution first-hand: as student, admission director, academic dean, teacher, scholar, gardener, founding archivist, and director of study abroad programs in London and Oxford. When she retired in 2009 she began to write the story of the school’s first century. When she died on February 13, 2018, she was working on the final chapters. Besides a front-row seat to institutional history, Sister Jeanne possessed the skill and curiosity needed to pore critically and joyfully over obscure documents and artifacts. She had physical fortitude, too, typing the manuscript with her thumbs because a nearly lifelong case of rheumatoid arthritis had limited the use of her hands. “Few people live with such determination and courage,” says Sister Janet Welsh, director of the McGreal Center for Dominican Historical Studies. “Jeanne possessed a can-do spirit, whether teaching English, tending to her beloved greenhouse, organizing our archives or writing our definitive history.” Sister 30 Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018
Jeanne’s research assistant, Rose Powers ’77, MALS ’78, is now completing the book. In an interview last year, Sister Jeanne tried to sum up what was special about her alma mater. “It was a warm community and a progressive place,” she said. “But academics were the most important part of Rosary. We had a very strong academic program. I hate to say it, but women’s colleges weren’t always noted for that. The sisters insisted on standards that would fit any college. ...It’s quite a story.”
Sr. Mary Clemente Davlin, OP devoted much of her life to the study of a single piece of writing: an allegorical poem written in 14th century England. Piers Plowman, she wrote, is the “best-kept secret in religious and spiritual literature.” It is one of the most complicated texts in the medieval cannon, but for those patient enough to meditate on it, the text reveals insights into life’s deepest mysteries while challenging readers to treat the poor with charity and their enemies as “blood relatives.” In modernizing and
annotating the text, Sister Clem, who died on December 19, 2017, saw an opportunity to share wisdom and help people live better lives. That is how the campus remembers her: inspiring people to live better lives. Delivering the eulogy at the memorial Mass in Rosary Chapel, Professor of English Mickey Sweeney, a fellow medieval scholar, said Sister Clem gave “all of us an opportunity to be and grow into our best selves.” Sister Clem’s early years as a teacher took her to DuSable High School in the South Side neighborhood of Bronzeville at the start of the Civil Rights era. When she returned to her alma mater in 1970, she organized programs to mentor and support minority students and taught English. She formally retired in 2005 but remained a vital campus presence. Mary Longstreet Madison ’76 was among the students she mentored. “Yes, she was a great teacher. But her real job was to help the minority students who went to this school. She knew us all by name and kept up with us long after graduation. To say that I loved her—it’s not a strong enough word.”
Helen Lemke Dunn ’36 Lucy Meloy Walkup ’38 Helen Szymczak Sprecher ’39 Edith Godar ’42 (MHS) Katharine Brennan Rohn ’42 Margaret Sherbert Mueller ’43 (MHS) Lois Kuhn De Simon ’46 Betty Gloudeman Scharfenberger ’46 (MHS) Carolyn Askey Beecher ’48 Patricia Kocourek Dunbar ’48 Mary Murray Kelly ’48 Rita Biedermann Linehan ’48 Patricia Thayer McDonnell ’48 Gerry Harder Poriss ’48 Mildred Brhel Regan ’48 Lorraine Stolzer Schlesinger ’48 Mary McCarron Whalen ’48 Rosemarie Brady Sullivan ’49 Sr. Mary Clemente Davlin, OP ’50 (FS) Mary Willits Lorenz ’52 Dorothy Sasgen Wallace ’52 Catherine Giblin Sukowicz ’53 Kathleen Matthes Holt ’54 Lou Anne Forrest Lawrence ’54 Geraldine Marchesi Vicini ’54 Helen Carroll Gies ’55 Ann Fitzgibbon Smith ’56 Mary Ann Lauret Werner ’59 Barbara Schroeder ’60 Nancy Gulley Smith ’60 Rita Hickey Uckerman ’60 Sr. M. Jeanne Koehler, PHJC, MALS ’61 Rev. Joseph Grassl MALS ’62 Margaret Callahan Kraft ’63 Kathleen Welsh Terrien ’64 Margaret Dorigan MALS ’65 Barbara Foley Van Den Broeck ’65 Barbara Hewes Haffner MALS ’67 Catherine Hearne Lynch ’68 Lenda Mika Potts ’68 Betty Peary MALS ’69 Agnes McCarrier Wilcox ’69 Janet Dickinson MALS ’70 Kurt Spengler MALS ’71 Lawrence Rosenbusch MALS ’73 Bonnie Hohhof MALS ’74 Barbara Liscarz ’75 Donald Croarkin MALS ’76
Samuel Marino ’79 Loretta A. Rodriguez ’82 Rebecca Noble MALIS ’83 Joanna Garber Wappler MLIS ’95 Sandra Bradley-Strautmanis MLIS ’99 Patricia Brennan MLIS ’99 Barbara Olszewski Li MSW ’06 Sharla Rivera Cruz MLIS ’12 Ann Coughenour (NGA)
Current student Abdulrahman Bin Omran**
Family member of Mary Lee Kennedy Baker MBA ’84 Bridget Burns* Betty Freehill DeGuzman ’61 Kathleen Doran Halfpenney ’69 Debra Kash* Donna Freehill Land ’66 Ellen Liebner MLIS ’01* Carol Welch Matusak ’68 Triss Brady Meyer ’71 Nicole Reinhard Nayder ’16* Dana Nolan ’14 Frances Nolan* Dennis O’Brien ’75 Kathleen O’Brien ’05, MAT ’10 Evelyn Ogiela ’59 Adrienne Sowa Poole ’80 Agnes Tierney Prindiville ’50 Katie Redmond* Margaret Ryzewski* Geraldine Lauerman Seaman ’61 Theresa Schultz ’77* Angela Freehill Sharkey ’69 Jamie Shaw* Jean Sowa^ John Sowa ’79, MBA ’86 Katherine Sowa-Beach ’74 Mary Ann Liebner Tanquary ’86 Sr. Mary Winston, OP ’66 Maureen Doran Zimmerman ’66 Aaron Zerhusen*
Grandparent of Suzanne Hansel ’12 Jacqueline Norton MLIS ’09 Chavella Pittman*
Parent of Jeanne Dunne* Elizabeth Dworzecki ’15 Matthew Gardner ’12 Nicole Gardner** Marianne Daniels Hansel ’75 Rogelia Lily Ibarra* William Krypel ’78, MAT ’04* Rose Lennon Millet ’74 Emer Moloney** Bridget Ann Murphy** Joel Nayder ’01* Alexis Phills** Geri McDonnell Purpur MALS ’81 Molly Nolan Quinn ’08 Carole Lambdin Robertson ’80, MBA ’91 Laura Shumar** Nanette Silva ’79 Emilian Spengler ’09 Benjamin Wappler ’95, MLIS ’06
Sibling of Lynne Butler Adams MALS ’72 Steve Cenek ’03 Mary Welk Esquivel ’04 Lena Lucietto Gonzalez ’53 Martha Foley Helmick ’70 Marilyn Freehill Jancewicz ’68 Alice Kuehne Finn ’66 Eileen McDonough Golan ’47 Mary Sundquist Lofton ’59 Rita Seaman Pinkowski ’57 Mary McGough Schultze ’64, MALS ’70 Kelly Wasilevich Segreti ’04 Mary Welch-Sauer ’81 Sister Janet Welsh, OP*(FS) Ann Willits, OP ’55
Spouse of Michael Brennan ’76, MBA ’80 Mary Jean Byrne Callahan ’60 JoAnne Campagna Cosentino ’55 Theresa Curry Cruise ’52 Edna Del Zoppo ’68 Anne Gardner* Betty Jardine Gitts ’55 Sibyl Fleming Krebs ’83, MBA ’85 Sheila Doran Lima ’76 Catherine Winston Melchert ’65 Anita Keller Morgan ’91, MLIS ’02
Barbara Sowa Nayder ’71 Joyce Madden Tasch Lennon ’52
University Friends Margaret Bareis ^ M. Cherif Bassiouni^ Rhett Butler^ Anna Chapman^ Sister Stephana Garvey, OP^(FS) Robert Hamper^ Stephen Zdravko Madunic* William J. McDonough^ George Rosness ^ (MHS)
Note: This list reflects deaths reported to the Office of Alumnae/i Relations between August 1, 2017, and January 31, 2018. Please call (708) 524-6286 regarding omissions or discrepancies.
The Mazzuchelli Heritage Society recognizes and honors the alumnae/i and friends of Dominican who have provided for the university through their estate plans. If you have included Dominican in your estate plans or would like more information, please contact the Office of Gift Planning at (708) 524-6283 or giftplanning@dom.edu.
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Former Trustee
(T)
Current Trustee
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Staff/Faculty member
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Student
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Friend
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Founding Sister
(MHS) Mazzuchelli Heritage Society (NGA)
Non-graduating Alumna
Dominican Magazine SPECIAL EDITION 2018 31
Final thoughts from the co-chairs of Powerful Promise: The Campaign for Dominican University. “As an MBA student, I developed a soft spot for Dominican. I liked the closeness, and the faculty who were genuinely interested in you. This is my third campaign for Dominican in 20 years, but this one is special—a truly balanced emphasis to lift facilities, programs and student support all at once—all to bring an exceptional education within reach, especially for students from underserved communities. It’s our coming-of-age moment.” Rick King MBA ’83 Chairman Kittleman & Associates
“Dominican’s human scale makes it such a supportive place for students who don’t have a lot of role models— that was certainly my experience as a first-generation student. Integrity, honesty, faith, loyalty—those are the things I learned at Dominican and carried into my life and career. Students might forget the subjects they learn, but they never forget how the university community touched them. That’s why our alumnae/i are so eager to give back.” Mary E. Callow ’67 Of Counsel Clingen Callow & MacLean, LLC
“This campaign took off against strong headwinds. In the worst economic conditions since the Great Depression, donors had to think carefully about their commitments. Our success says something about the resonance of the mission and the resilience of our alumnae/i. If you haven’t given, don’t be left out. Dominican has important work to do—and as a first-generation college grad myself, I know how important that work is.”
Thirty-Eighth Annual
Trustee Benefit Concert &Gala
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IN SUPPORT OF SCHOLARSHIPS
1 2 Stephen Herseth, President Donna M. Student speaker Danielle Jones ’18
Carroll, Bravo Award recipient Terry Mazany and Trustee Mary Jo Herseth
Kevin M. Killips ’79 Executive Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer & Head of Technology & Services CIBC U.S. Region
3 Trustee Mary Elizabeth (M.E.) Cleary 4 Performers Brian Stokes Mitchell and Megan Hilty
5 Kevin Price, Ed Shurna, Michelle Saddler, Cheryl King, Trustee Emeritus Richard M. King, MBA ’83, and Myra Price
If you haven’t given, don’t be left out.
6 Top row: Rev. Richard Woods, Allan
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C. Ryan, R. Matthew Simon, Chuck Dahm and Jacqueline Simon. Bottom row: Trustee Sr. Bernardine Karge, OP, Colleen Donahugh, Trustee Emerita M. Catherine Crowley Ryan ’61 and Sr. Diane Kennedy, OP ’55
7 Brian Stokes Mitchell, Cynthia Gizzo-Killips ’82, Megan Hilty and Chairman of the Board Kevin M. Killips ’79
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Campaign Co-chairs Rick King, Mary Callow and Kevin Killips
32 Dominican Magazine SPRING 2017
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Where Learning Demands More 7900 W. Division Street River Forest, Illinois 60305 dom.edu
SAVE the DATE Please join us for a celebration of the P O W E R F U L P R O M I S E C A M PA I G N and the dedication of Dominican University’s new BORRA COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES.
Thursday, October 25, 2018
OUR MISSION
As a Sinsinawa Dominican–sponsored institution, Dominican University prepares students to pursue truth, to give compassionate service and to participate in the creation of a more just and humane world.
A Degree and a Responsibility More than 600 Dominican students crossed the stage to receive their diplomas at the UIC Forum on May 6. Honorary degrees were awarded to Sr. Michelle Germanson, OP, retiring president of Trinity High School; Anne M. Burke, an Illinois Supreme Court justice and founder of the Special Olympics; and Lonnie Bunch, founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Leticia Perez, a biology major who begins graduate studies in veterinary medicine in the fall, received the prestigious Dorothy Reiner Mulroy Award. She urged classmates to continue to go “where the work is great and difficult.” Lonnie Bunch took up that theme, encouraging the class of 2018 to trust and support one another. “With this diploma comes a responsibility,” he said, “to use your skills, to use your creativity, to use your education to live a good life and to contribute to making a community, a city, a country better.”