The Inauguration of President Marcheta P. Evans, PhD: Full Program

INAUGURATION OF Marcheta P. Evans, PhD

As the 12th President of St. Catherine University

November 1, 2024 | The O’Shaughnessy St. Catherine University | St. Paul, Minnesota

“Dedicated to do all of which woman is capable and which will most benefit the dear neighbor.”

SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH OF CARONDELET PRIMITIVE CONSTITUTION

THE MISSION OF ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY

Our mission is to educate women to lead and influence.

THE HISTORY OF ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY

St. Catherine University, formerly the College of St. Catherine, was founded in St. Paul in 1905 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, under the leadership of Mother Seraphine Ireland with Sister Antonia McHugh serving as first dean and president.

Founded in 17th-century France, the Sisters of St. Joseph commit themselves to doing “all of which woman is capable, and which will most benefit the dear neighbor.” The Sisters’ mission of loving God and neighbor without distinction grounds all that they do for the sake of the world. The University is named for Saint Catherine of Alexandria, the 4th-century Egyptian philosopher who suffered martyrdom for her faith.

Above: Derham, St. Catherine University’s first building, opened to students in January 1905.

Left: St. Catherine of Alexandria and her Sisters by Ansgar Holmberg, CSJ, ’62

PRESIDENTIAL MEDALLION AND SEAL

As part of the installation ceremony and in keeping with inaugural traditions, Marcheta Evans, PhD, will receive the presidential medallion, recognizing her installation as the 12th president of St. Catherine University. President Evans will wear the medallion when she represents St. Catherine University at ceremonial functions. The medallion is cast with the seal of the University.

The institutional seal is a shield resting upon a pointed oval. The shield incorporates the three aspects of St. Catherine University: the spiritual, the intellectual, and the physical. The spiritual is represented by the spiked wheel symbolizing the patron saint of the University, St. Catherine of Alexandria. The flaming torch of learning on the shield represents the intellectual. This design also appears on the west doors of Derham, the institution’s first building on campus. The fleur-de-lis on the shield represents the French origins of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Catherine University founders. The wavy line is the physical symbol of running water, representing the Mississippi River. The shield is connected with the outer oval at top and bottom by a sword that passes under the shield and points upward. The sword is a symbol of the great apostle, Paul, and a charge from the coat-of-arms of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Draped about the blade of the sword above the shield is the motto: Progressum Tutaur Pietas, “Devotion to duty safeguards progress.”

PAST PRESIDENTS

Antonia McHugh, CSJ, MA Dean 1914-1929, President 1929–1937

Eucharista Galvin, CSJ, ’24, PhD 1937–1943

Antonius Kennelly, CSJ, ’26, PhD 1943–1949

Antonine O’Brien, CSJ, ’26 MA Oxon. 1949–1955

Mary William Brady, CSJ, ’31, PhD 1955–1961

Mary Edward Healy, CSJ, PhD 1961–1964

Alberta M. Huber, CSJ, ’37, PhD 1964–1979

Catherine T. McNamee, CSJ, PhD 1979–1984

Anita M. Pampusch ’62, PhD 1984–1997

Mary E. Broderick, PhD ad interim 1997–1998

Andrea J. Lee, IHM, PhD 1998–2016

Karen M. Rauenhorst , LHD’17 h.c. ad interim 2016

ReBecca Koenig Roloff ’76, MBA 2016–2024

ABOUT PRESIDENT EVANS

Marcheta P. Evans, PhD, is the 12th president of St. Catherine University, and makes history as the institution’s first African American president.

Prior to joining St. Kate’s, President Evans served as chancellor of Bloomfield College of Montclair State University in New Jersey. She had led Bloomfield College since 2019 as its 17th president, and was both the first African American and first woman to lead the College.

President Evans’ professional experience is rooted in Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) in San Antonio, Texas. In 2016 she was named provost and vice president for academic affairs at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio. At the University of Texas at San Antonio, President Evans served as department chair and associate dean respectively.

As a member of the American Counseling Association (ACA), President Evans has served as past president and is currently an ACA fellow. She has received a number of awards and recognitions throughout her career, including the Outstanding Multicultural Leadership Award from the National Diversity Council. She has also authored numerous articles and book chapters that explore issues of diversity, multiculturalism, women’s issues, and leadership.

President Evans graduated from the University of Alabama with a Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision, specializing in student affairs, administration in higher education, and human resource management. She also holds a Master of Arts degree in Education in Elementary Education from the University of Alabama-Birmingham, a Master of Arts degree in Rehabilitation Counseling, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Alabama.

THE INSTALLATION CEREMONY

Processional

“Don’t Stop Me Now”

Song by Queen

Recorded by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Welcome

Minnesota Supreme Court

Associate Justice

Anne K. McKeig ’89, JD

Land Acknowledgement

Jean Wincek, CSJ, ’62, EdD

The Occasion

Justice Anne K. McKeig ’89, JD

Invocation

“Great is Thy Faithfulness”

Jevetta Steele

Greetings and Charges

From the Community

The Most Reverend

Bernard A. Hebda

Archbishop, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Suzanne M. Rivera, PhD

President, Macalester College

Lamont O. Repollet, EdD

President, Kean University

Luul Adam ’25

President, Student Senate

Stephanie de Sam Lazaro ’05, MAOT’06, OTD’14

President, Faculty Senate

Sponsorship Greeting and Charge

Jill Underdahl, CSJ, ’92

Investiture

Presentation of the Presidential Medallion

Samantha Hanson, Chair

St. Catherine University Board of Trustees

Musical Interlude

“We Give You Thanks” Sounds of Blackness

Introduction to President Evans

Martina P. McGhee, PhD

Morgan P. McGhee

Brittany D. McGhee

Inaugural Address

Marcheta P. Evans, PhD President

Inaugural Poem

“The Power of Firsts” Poem by Amanda Gorman

Presented by Dew Drop Drama Company

Closing Remarks

Justice Anne K. McKeig ’89, JD

Benediction “Optimistic”

Sounds of Blackness

DELEGATES FROM INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND COUNCILS

INSTITUTIONS

1842

University of Notre Dame

Amy Csizmar Dalal, PhD Alumna 1854

Hamline University

Kathleen Murray, DMus President 1855

Kean University

Lamont O. Repollet, EdD President 1856

Auburn University

Martina P. McGhee, PhD

Assistant Clinical Professor, Elementary Education

1857, 1913

College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University

Brian J. Bruess, PhD President 1862

Gustavus Adolphus College

Rebecca M. Bergman President 1863

Boston College

Fr. Christopher Collins, SJ, STD Alumnus

1866

Carleton College

Betsy Sylvester Alumna

1869

Augsburg University

Paul C. Pribbenow, PhD President 1874 Macalester College

Suzanne M. Rivera, PhD President 1874

St. Olaf College

Susan Rundell Singer, PhD President 1882

Virginia State University

Shon D. Smith, EdD Interim Chair, Counselor Education 1885

Our Lady of the Lake University

George A. Williams, Jr, PhD

Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff 1885

University of St. Thomas

Rob Vischer, JD President 1887 Alverno College

Heidi Anderson-Isaacson, EdD

Vice President for Student Development and Success

1899

Mercy College of Health Sciences

Adreain Henry, OD, EdD President

1900

Mitchell Hamline School of Law

Camille M. Davidson, JD President and Dean

1901

Dominican University

Genaro A. Balcazar

Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President

1908

Montclair State University

Reginia Judge, JD

Associate Professor, Justice Studies

1912

The College of St. Scholastica

Barbara McDonald, EdD President

1912

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

Ann Merchlewitz, JD

Senior Vice President and General Counsel

1914

Dunwoody College of Technology

Scott Stallman, PhD President

1929

Carlow University

Margaret McLaughlin, PhD Provost (retired)

1968

Normandale Community College

Joyce C. Ester, PhD President

1893

Concordia University

Brian L. Friedrich, MDiv, PhD President

COUNCILS

1948

Minnesota Private College Council

Paul Cerkvenik, JD President

1972

Women’s College Coalition

Association of Colleges of Sisters of St. Joseph

Martha Malinski Executive Director

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Samantha Hanson, Chair

Kathryn Clubb ’79, Vice Chair

Christine Moore, PhD, Secretary

Mary Jo Abler ’87

Nancy Blattner, PhD

D’Andre Carpenter, DNP

Kenneth Charles

Marcheta P. Evans, PhD

Anne Davis Gotte

Diane Shelstad Huston ’81

Molly Kinsella

Andrea C. Lee ’06

Jan Malcolm, LHD’20 h.c.

Anne K. McKeig, ’89, JD

Donna McNamara ’68, PhD

Joan Mitchell, CSJ, ’62, DTh

Laura Nelson ’09, JD

Kathleen O’Brien ’67, PhD

Colleen O’Malley, CSJ, ’63

Jennifer Ortale

Nneka Sederstrom, PhD

Therese Sherlock, CSJ, ’62, MDiv

Angela Hall Slaughter ’97, JD

Minda Suchan ’95, PhD

Jill Underdahl, CSJ, ’92

Jean Wincek, CSJ, ’62, EdD

Robert E. Wollan

Kristen Vogel Womack ’08

Valerie Young ’84

TRUSTEES EMERITI

Katherine Egan, CSJ, ’56, PhD

Harriet Hentges ’62, PhD

Virginia McCain

Lawrence McGough

Anne Ward Miller ’63

Susan Schmid Morrison ’60

Mary Alice Muellerleile ’60, PhD, JD

Michael Sullivan, JD

Carol Truesdell

UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP TEAM

Denise Baird, PhD

Interim Provost and Senior Vice President

Jacqueline N. Font-Guzmán, JD, PhD

Senior Vice President of Equity and Belonging

Tracey Gran

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Jean Guezmir

Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer

Mary Haeg, JD

Interim Vice President of Development

Lauran Hundshamer Vice President of Enrollment

John Pyle, EdD Special Assistant to the President

Todd Schnell, JD Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary

Eric Stacey Director of Athletics

JoNes VanHecke, PhD Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students

Bryce Wildenauer

Interim Vice President of External Relations and Institutional Advancement Operations

About Jevetta Steele

Jevetta Steele is a member of the internationally acclaimed musical family, The Steeles. She is most noted for her Academy Award–nominated performance of “Calling You” from the motion picture Bagdad Café, which was certified Gold in several European countries. Ms. Steele is an original cast member of the Broadway national/international touring hit The Gospel at Colonus; a featured artist in three operas; a recipient of four Gold records; and an author of two plays, including Two Queens, One Castle: An Autobiographical Musical. Ms. Steele has recorded four albums, while lending her voice to national artists including Prince and Sounds of Blackness. She is currently preparing to direct the staged anthology, The Sound of Gospel, in St. Paul, Rochester, and Wisconsin, while continuing to perform in theatrical and musical productions around the country.

About Sounds of Blackness

Sounds of Blackness began in 1971 at Macalester College in St. Paul. Jazz, blues, spirituals, rock and roll, R&B, gospel, hip-hop, and soul — these are the Sounds of Blackness! Sounds of Blackness has performed all over the world. Their appearances include the Olympics, the World Cup, the Grammys, the Super Bowl, the NAACP National Convention, and the White House five times. Sounds of Blackness has won Image, Soul Train, International Time For Peace, Stellar, and three Grammy Awards. Their single, “Time for Reparations”, was nominated for two NAACP Image Awards. “Juneteenth Celebration” is the Juneteenth anthem, and their other singles “Woke”, “Hold Up Your Light,” and “UrGonnaWin” are anthems of today’s movement for justice. Their latest single, “Thankful,” in honor of Amir Locke, features Jamecia Bennett and Buddy McClain. Sounds of Blackness glorifies God by educating and inspiring all people through Black music.

About Dew Drop Drama

Dew Drop Drama Company (3DC) is the on-campus drama club at St. Kate’s. They provide opportunities for people of all experience levels to explore the world of theater in a number of areas, including performance, design, and tech. This student-led, student-produced, student-directed group produces two shows a year, with a smaller production in the fall and a larger one in the spring. If you want to stay up to date with 3DC, make sure to follow them on Instagram at @dewdropdramaco or see their spring production in the Frey Theater on April 4 and 5.

About Justice Anne K. McKeig ’89, JD, Master

of Ceremonies

The Honorable Anne K. McKeig joined the Minnesota Supreme Court as associate justice in September 2016, making her the first female American Indian appointed to a state’s highest court in all of the United States.

A descendant of the White Earth Nation, Justice McKeig is a native of Federal Dam, Minnesota, where she grew up on the Leech Lake Reservation. She received her undergraduate degree from St. Catherine University, and her law degree from Hamline University. She served as an assistant Hennepin County Attorney for 16 years, and was a district court judge for almost nine years.

She is involved with multiple national organizations focusing on child welfare and domestic violence issues, teaches as an adjunct professor at both Mitchell Hamline and St. Thomas law schools, and is a frequent speaker at conferences and seminars regarding domestic violence, child abuse, child protection, diversity, and tribal community issues.

Justice McKeig is the proud mother of five children, and a “Johnny Cash superfan.”

About Samantha Hanson, Board Chair

Samantha Hanson is president of SSH Consulting and has experience in diverse and dynamic organizations across healthcare, technology, HR services, and retail industries. Prior to launching her business, she was the chief administrative officer for North Memorial Health, where she led HR, IT, strategy, marketing, outreach and communications, provider services, quality, DEI, and customer experience.

Hanson previously worked in the chief human resources office for Children’s Minnesota hospital and as senior vice president of OptumInsight Human Capital. She also held leadership positions in industry-transformative companies in HR technology (Vurv/Taleo) and retail (Best Buy).

Hanson holds board governance roles with Fulcrum Health, Allina Health, and is Chair of the Board of Trustees for St. Catherine University. When not consulting, Hanson enjoys pushing boundaries through powerlifting, backpacking, and adventuring to new places with her wife, Missy. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Minnesota and master’s coursework in public administration from the University of North Florida.

THANK YOU

As I officially assume the presidency of St. Catherine University, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the entire St. Kate’s community for your incredible support and warm welcome. The past few months have been a time of transition, reflection, and deep gratitude, and your kindness has made all the difference.

St. Catherine University has a long tradition of being a community grounded in its core values of justice, compassion, excellence, and service, and I have seen these values in action from the moment I arrived. Whether through personal greetings, thoughtful messages, or collaborative conversations, you have demonstrated a spirit of inclusiveness that makes this university such a remarkable place. It is clear that the strength of St. Kate’s comes from the deep commitment of its people — the faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends who work together to advance the mission of the University and ensure its future success.

I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for the warm welcome you have extended not just to me, but also to my husband. Your openness and kindness have made us both feel at home, and we are excited to become an active part of this incredible community. This journey is not mine alone, and

the support we have both received speaks volumes about the spirit of St. Kate’s.

As we look to the future, I am filled with excitement about the possibilities that lie ahead. There is much work to be done, and I know that together we will meet the challenges before us with determination and vision.

St. Catherine University is an institution that prepares students not only for careers, but for lives of purpose and impact. I am committed to building on this foundation, ensuring that we continue to provide a transformative education that contributes to a more just and equitable world.

Thank you again for your support and trust. I look forward to working with all of you as we continue to move St. Kate’s forward, honoring our values, deepening our commitment to justice, and ensuring that we remain a beacon of hope and excellence for generations to come.

With gratitude,

Marcheta P. Evans, PhD President, St. Catherine University