Grazie Millie... for the Shoulders of Giants

Estimados miembros de la familia de USF, ¡Bienvenidos al más reciente número de la revista Engaging Mind & Spirit (Implicando a la mente y el espíritu)! Esta publicación es una forma en que la Universidad de St. Francis se esfuerza por mantenerse conectada con usted: nuestros exalumnos, nuestros amigos, nuestros padres, nuestros empleados y nuestros seguidores… en resumen, nuestra familia de la USF.

Comencé mi servicio en USF hace 11 años este junio, y elegí marcar el acontecimiento enviando una nota de gratitud a nuestros empleados y fideicomisarios por su apoyo y aliento. Hice esto dentro de la esencia de una de mis historias favoritas sobre el reconocimiento del apoyo de otros que escuché por primera vez de una franciscana de Joliet, la hermana Noel Dreska, en una clase de física en la universidad. Se trata de Sir Isaac Newton, el físico inglés cuyos logros científicos fueron legendarios e incluyeron el descubrimiento de las leyes del movimiento y de las leyes de la gravitación, y la invención del cálculo.

Aunque se le considera como uno de los científicos más grandes e influyentes que han existido, incluso Newton reconoció que no podría haber logrado lo que hizo sin contar con la ayuda de otros. En una carta a Robert Hooke, Newton escribió: “Si he visto más lejos, es por posarme sobre los hombros de gigantes”. Ése es un espíritu de gratitud... y ése es uno de los enfoques de este número de Engaging Mind & Spirit.

En ese espíritu, me gustaría decir “gracias”, o, como San Francisco lo habría dicho, “grazie mille”, a todos los gigantes sobre cuyos hombros ha podido posarse la Universidad de San Francisco a lo largo de los años. Esto ciertamente incluye a nuestra congregación fundadora y patrocinadora, las Hermanas de San Francisco de María Inmaculada, que dieron forma a la universidad, y a cada uno de nosotros, con su carisma, como lo hizo la hermana Noel conmigo.

Entre otros gigantes, tenemos a los miles de profesores, miembros del personal, administradores y otras personas que han apoyado a nuestros estudiantes durante más de 100 años. Y, lo más importante, están los gigantes que son nuestros exalumnos, muchos de ustedes, que son nuestro legado. ¡Grazie mille por sus hombros!

Los invito a servirse una taza de café, a sentarse y disfrutar de esta última puesta al día sobre lo que está sucediendo en su Universidad de San Francisco. ¡Les pido que sepan que me considero increíblemente bendecido de actuar como su president, y aun en este undécimo año de mi servicio, prometo seguir trabajando duro todos los días para ganarme la confianza que ustedes han depositado en mí!

Paz y todas las cosas buenas... ¡Ah, y Grazie mille!

Nuestra misión

Como universidad católica arraigada en las artes liberales, somos una comunidad acogedora de estudiantes, y desafiada por los valores y el carisma franciscanos, comprometidos en una búsqueda continua del conocimiento, la fe, la sabiduría y la justicia, y siempre conscientes de una tradición que enfatiza la reverencia por la creación, la compasión y la promoción de la paz. Luchamos por la excelencia académica en todos los programas, preparando a mujeres y hombres para contribuir al mundo a través del servicio y el liderazgo.

$10 MILLION WILL COUNTY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM BOOSTS TEACHING & NURSING RECRUITMENT

Will County officially launched the “Will County Heroes” scholarship program earlier this month to support students seeking careers in teaching and nursing. The county is investing $10 million in American Rescue Plan (ARPA) dollars to increase recruitment in these highdemand fields and incentivize future graduates to work in Will County.

“Will County is proud to be empowering the next generation of heroes within our schools and hospitals,” said County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant '94, '97. “By working with partners throughout the county, we are supporting both quality education and long-term career success for students. I urge students to consider this scholarship opportunity as they plan for their future.”

Will County allocated $2.5 million to each higher education partner to implement the scholarship grant: Governors State University, Joliet Junior College, Lewis University and University of St. Francis. Eligible students at each institution can receive $2,500 per semester or $5,000 per academic year towards pursuing a teaching or nursing degree.

A key goal of the program is to incentivize teaching and nursing graduates to grow their career in Will County. The program will create an active pipeline to employers throughout the county after they graduate. Those partners will support students as they grow their career after graduation, connecting them with a working environment that will foster positive career development.

“The University of St. Francis is privileged to support this strategic and visionary investment by Will County to address the critical demand for teachers and nurses to meet our present and future needs,” said Dr. Arvid Johnson, president of the University of St. Francis. We are proud to join with our higher education partners—at JJC, Lewis, and Governor’s State—in bringing this vision to reality in a way that will positively impact the county for years, if not decades, to come.”

Ascension St. Joseph and Silver Cross Hospital will act as the inaugural pipeline partners for nursing students. The Will County Center for Economic Development and Workforce Center of Will County will also support the development of career pipelines.

Will County Heroes aims to address shortages in the teaching and nursing profession, which were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible students at USF include new freshmen pursuing teacher certification for elementary education, special education or secondary education, along with students interested in becoming a Registered Nurse—either through a bachelor of science or associate's degree in Nursing.

LEACH COLLEGE OF NURSING RECEIVES GRANT FUNDING, INCLUDING $1.35M ANEW GRANT

The University of St. Francis Leach College of Nursing was recently notified it was approved for another Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) grant by the Health Resources and Services Administration. The grant will award the university approximately $1.35M over four years to help increase access to quality health and behavioral health care for underserved and rural areas in Illinois—especially in Will, Grundy and Cook counties. The project will build upon USF’s previous ANEW grant and will support the training and graduation of Family Nurse Practitioners and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners who will practice in underserved areas. The USF staff and faculty who took part in the grant research and writing process were recognized for their hard work in obtaining the impressive grant.

Additionally, LCON was awarded a $100,000 Nursing School Grant through the Illinois Board of Higher Education. The grant will be used to address equity gaps in enrollment and course completion for USF Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and BSN Completion students, of which approximately half are African American, Latinx, low-income, first-generation, from rural communities, and/or working adults. With the grant funding, LCON will purchase equipment, including a medication dispensing system and simulation cart, and increase 24 additional hours per week of simulation labs for BSN students in order to accommodate working students. They will also offer remediation on evenings and weekends to reinforce preparation our students for clinical practice. LCON expects an increase of the retention rate of students. As a result, highly competent and well-prepared students will maximize their employment opportunities while benefitting patients in Illinois.

Usf Students Attend 2023 Illinois Certification Board Spring Conference

USF Substance Abuse Counseling (SAC) program instructors, students and alumni attended and participated in the Illinois Certification Board’s (ICB) annual spring conference in Itasca, Illinois. The conference was attended by over 400 professionals in the substance use disorder field and provided workshops and presentations designed to educate and provide information to these professionals.

USF participants included current SAC students Rebecca Giese, Hannah Nevin, Jazmyn Warner and Cameo Dixon; alumna and current MSW student Monika Gomez ‘21, '23; Kirsten Leininger ‘19; Lawrence Dunbar, SAC program coordinator; Marcia Van Natta, Certified Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS) program coordinator; Patti Ferdon, CRSS internship coordinator and Dr. Marisa Scanlon, CRSS academic coach.

USF students were able to attend various workshops to increase their knowledge, network with others in the field and participate in a job fair. The students also helped staff the USF exhibit table at the conference providing marketing exposure to USF and its programs.

During the conference, Dunbar, Leininger and Gomez presented a three-hour evening workshop titled “Evidenced-Based Complimentary Modalities of Treatment,” which included hands-on modalities such as play and sandbox therapy, meditation, music and drumming therapy, guided imagery, animal-assisted therapy, mindfulness and Reiki.

As part of the conference’s “Student Appreciation Day” and annual luncheon meeting, USF junior Cameo Dixon was presented with the John Reese Scholarship Award, which allows the winner to attend the next annual spring conference at no cost. The award is presented to a student of an accredited training program who has shown need and a passion for the field. Also during the conference, Dunbar, Van Natta, Gomez, Giese and Leininger were elected into new or extended roles on the ICB board.

USF AND SICHUAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & ENGINEERING HOST INAUGURAL VIRTUAL ART, DESIGN AND PHOTOGRAPHY SYMPOSIUM

The University of St. Francis and Sichuan University of Science & Engineering (SUSE) in Zigong, China, have been partnering in an art and design course that brings Midwest art to students at SUSE. USF instructors Paul Erschen, department chair and associate professor of Art & Design, and Michael “Chester” Alamo-Costello, professor of Art & Design, launched the course “The American Artist: Chicago & Beyond” in 2020 over Zoom to a class of approximately 50 students. The course introduced SUSE students to the diverse range of studio practices and artistic careers found in Chicago and the Midwest.

This spring, the group hosted the inaugural SUSE-USF Virtual Art, Design & Photography Symposium. The three-session event featured materials by 14 USF and 16 SUSE students and were in response to research completed on the Sichuan region and Chicagoland. The live and interactive event allowed student presenters from each institution to discuss art, design and new media practices in an open forum format with roughly 300 students in attendance at the primary auditorium at SUSE. Alamo-Costello and SUSE instructor Zhang Qi (Amber) served as symposium facilitators. USF student presenters were Stephanie Behland, Karli Ceci, Jaclyn Duske, Ayla Gilmer, Liliana Gomez, Samantha Gonzalez, David Kalter, Jareset Lagunas, Nick Munafo, Mazi Niezgoda, E. Porter, Alvaro Robles, Isaac Rodriguez and Alana Wendel.

USF students were introduced to traditional and new art practices and culturally significant materials of China in a spring 2023 course called Topics in Art & Design. This included Sichuan tie-dying, the Zigong Dinosaur Museum and the Chinese Lantern Festival.

In Other Art & Design News

ABOVE: In April, Art & Design hosted its annual Thesis Exhibition at the USF Art Gallery. Thesis candidates were Ayla Gilmer, Liliana Gomez, David Kalter, Nick Munafo, E.L. Porter and Corinn Posteluk. BELOW: Art & Design students and faculty enjoyed trips this semester to the Museum of Contemporary Photography, the Art Institute of Chicago, the historic Joliet Prison for a photo shoot, and the ACRE Residency in Wisconsin.

CAREER PREPARATION & SUCCESS IMPORTANT FOR USF STUDENTS

The Career Success Center collaborated recently with USF’s Natural & Health Sciences Department and Argonne National Laboratory to bring students to Argonne’s facilities. The group got to see Aurora, one of the world’s largest computers, and its server room. They also viewed the weather tracking room and met with current interns who told them about their learning experiences at Argonne.

Usf Center For Nonprofit Excellence Receives Contribution From Midland States Bank Foundation

USF received a $10,000 contribution by the Midland States Bank Foundation. The contribution will support projects and administration of the USF Center for Nonprofit Excellence (CNE).

“The USF CNE is impacting the people served by the nonprofits in Will County and the nonprofits, themselves, by making them stronger and better able to fulfill their own missions. We sincerely thank Midland States Bank for supporting our efforts to help these organizations focus on their mission-driven efforts,” said Maribeth Hearn, Ed.D., director of the USF Career Success Center and codirector of the USF Center for Nonprofit Excellence.

The USF CNE provides efficient and value-added professional services to Will County nonprofit organizations with limited financial resources and whose missions are aligned with the Franciscan core values of respect, integrity, service, and compassion. This allows the nonprofit organizations to focus primarily on their core missiondriven objectives in the community.

In addition to professional services, the USF CNE recently partnered with Shorewood HUGS during Women’s History Month to collect toiletry items for women at MorningStar Mission in Joliet.

“Together with our Community Impact Investment Statement, the Midland States Bank Foundation is a powerful way for us to give back to our communities,” commented Jeffrey G. Ludwig, President and CEO of Midland States Bancorp, Inc. “The funds we set aside from the Bank’s profits help us put our company’s culture in action to benefit the communities we serve.

The Midland States Bank Foundation supports the general welfare, education and health of the communities where the Bank operates. Since its creation in 2011, the foundation has contributed more than $1,700,000 to non-profit organizations throughout Midland’s footprint.

BR. MICHAEL PERRY, OFM, TEACHES USF ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY

The University of St. Francis welcomed international speaker Br. Michael Perry, OFM, for a special community presentation on sustainability in April, hosted by USF’s Catholic Franciscan Charism Council and Sustainability Committee. Br. Perry is a Midwestern American Franciscan friar who from 2013-21, served as General Minister of the Order of Friars Minor, the 120th successor of St. Francis of Assisi. Currently, he is the Franciscan scholarin-residence and director of the Laudato Si’ Center for Integral Ecology at Siena College in New York.

Perry’s presentation, “Addressing Sustainability: Becoming Partners with Creation for the Sake of the Poor and the Planet,” drew in many interested guests. He participated in several other activities while on campus.

“Pope Francis told me the only way forward for humanity is for people to abandon the temptation to exercise control over land and peoples and to pursue the path of holiness, the path of becoming saints. He said that path—that journey—is made by seeking sincere human friendship, fraternity and solidarity. I suggested this is what it [means] to becoming ‘saints.’ The Pope told me this is a very good thing to do,” Perry said.

Perry also worked at the International Office of Justice and Peace at the United States Conference of Bishops and at Catholic Relief Services, and at Franciscans International, which works on human rights, poverty, peace, and integral ecology at the United Nations. For ten years, Perry also worked as a missionary in the Democratic Republic of Congo.