UST Today - Fall 2013 by University of St. Thomas

Fall 2013

Educating Future Leaders in Science USTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research emphasis gives graduates the edge

Transferable Skills

Transforming Lives

True Champions

Military veteran students make a positive impact

UST alumnus helps Cameroon children overcome poverty

Student-athletes shine for UST on and off the court

from the president

Educating Leaders

of Faith and Character

s a Catholic university in the one of the greatest, fastestgrowing cities in the world, we are blessed with the opportunity to affect positive change in our community. We do this by preparing students to excel in their chosen professions, to think critically and solve problems, and to be leaders of faith and character in their daily lives. In this inaugural issue of UST Today, we spotlight some of these leaders and share their stories of courage, hard work, perseverance and generosity.

Sophomore nursing major and veteran Blake Wallin discusses military “honor coins” with fellow veteran and UST President Robert Ivany.

Dr. Beena George, new dean for the Cameron School of Business, helps students understand how to apply ethical business practices to new global markets. Dr. Jack Fu ’98 and Dr. Kenny Tran ’04 provide cancer rehab strategy to MD Anderson Cancer Center patients, improving their quality of life. Afowiri “Kitz” Fondzenyuy, MBA ’06 leverages his knowledge and UST connections to tackle widespread illiteracy in Cameroon, Africa. Veteran alumni Ron Mendez ’97 and Marylyn Harris, MBA ’07 served our nation proudly and continue to dedicate their lives to serving others – in war zones around the world and right here in Houston. Local philanthropist George Strake and the Strake Foundation generously provide scholarships and programs for veteran students, enabling them to attain their education goals and find success in civilian life. Thank you for reading UST Today, and please watch your mail for our next issue in spring 2014. Meanwhile, stay current on news and happenings at UST by visiting our newly designed website at www.stthom.edu or by following us on Twitter and Facebook. With faith in our future,

Robert Ivany President

Fall 2013

UST TODAY is published biannually for alumni, friends, students, faculty and staff of the University of St. Thomas.

4inside 2

UST is Bridge to New Life

The Future of Science is Now

Lifelong Houstonian Emily Conner ’02 breaks barriers and finds success in life, love and career.

EDITORS Cynthia Colbert Riley Jessica Rush

UST alumni shine as doctors, dentists, nurses and researchers – and inspire a growing number of science students.

CREATIVE SERVICES Dr. Michelle Morris GideonStone, LLC Greg Golden Goldengraphix

Graduating Champions of Character

Service and Sacrifice

Student-athletes demonstrate character and leadership on and off the field.

Troy Fields Photography

CONTRIBUTORS Vivian Cabrera Ryan Cantrell Brenda B. Cooper ’05, MBA ’09 Bridget Hardy Lauren LaGrappe ’10 Darnell Miller, MLA ’13 Deana Nall Ronnie Piper, MLA ’11 Anna J. Roark Sandra Soliz, MLA ’01 Kia J. Wissmiller ’99

UST veteran students and alumni are making a positive impact on campus and around the world.

10 Bringing the World to Houston

UST Worldview TV series draws viewers closer to Christ and the Catholic faith.

11 New Dean Sets the Bar High Dr. Beena George, new dean for the Cameron School of Business, defines success her own way.

School Books and Soccer Balls Inspired by a UST class, MBA alumnus creates a nonprofit to fight poverty in Cameroon, Africa.

News & Notables

UST is a member of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

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Alumni Highlights Campus Couples, Then and Now

ON THE COVER: Jeanne Manalo, junior biology major, works with mammalian cell cultures within a biological safety cabinet or “hood” that provides student researchers a safe, sterile working environment within the Cell Biology lab.

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Emily Conner enjoys the beauty of Bell Park.

UST Bridges the Future for ’02 Alumna Talented. Determined. Ambitious. Hardworking.

hese are the traits that earned Emily Conner success as an undergraduate at the University of St. Thomas, as a law student at South Texas College of Law, and now, as manager of compliance at Goodwill Industries of Houston. These qualities have not only impacted Conner’s life – they may have helped save it. In summer 1996, Conner was on top of the world. She had just graduated from Episcopal High School and was soon to leave Houston to attend college in Colorado on a dance scholarship. Her life was unfolding, and her dreams were coming true. In an instant, though, things changed, and Conner found herself on a different path – one she never imagined. While boating with friends, Conner had a diving accident that resulted in a spinal cord injury, rendering her a quadriplegic. Instead of spending the next few months adjusting to life as a college freshman, she spent them as

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in mysterious ways ... “ GodYouworks just never know where He’ll take you. ” – Emily Conner

an inpatient at TIRR, The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research in the Texas Medical Center, learning to live with a different body and reevaluating her future. The love and care of friends and family, especially her mother, sustained Conner during those difficult times. A sixth-generation Houstonian, she comes from a long line of strong Texas women. Driven by that strength and her faith in God, she improved, and by the time she left the hospital in November, she was starting to think about college again. “My mom is a real go-getter,” Conner said with a smile. “She knew I needed to occupy my mind, so she encouraged me to enroll in school as soon as I could.” Although her rehabilitation therapy would continue on an outpatient basis for more than a year, Conner enrolled at UST in January 1997, just five months after her accident. She took one class that semester and admits to feeling slightly overwhelmed at first. “I had very little movement in my hands and arms at that time,” Conner recalled. “I couldn’t even write, and my wheelchair was huge with several apparatuses. My class was in one of the little houses on campus, and we didn’t even know if we could get my chair through the door.” As it turned out, the house was not accessible, so Conner’s UST counselor simply made other arrangements. “They moved the class to another location to accommodate me, and from then on went above and beyond in every aspect,” Conner said. “UST was really good to me.” Conner appreciated that her professors never treated her differently than her peers. “That was important to me,” she said. “I was learning to live a whole new life, and UST helped me adapt to my new world.” Conner spent five years at UST earning her bachelor’s degree in communication – as well as the respect and admiration of her professors – including Nicole Cásarez, J.D., an attorney and professor of communication. “Emily impressed me with her determination and strength of character,” Cásarez said. “The campus back then wasn’t easy to navigate for someone in a wheelchair, but she faced her challenges with good humor and a positive attitude.” In Conner’s opinion, the kind of personal attention UST professors give their students goes well beyond what most colleges provide. She encourages students to take advantage

of these mentors’ expertise and to explore everything St. Thomas offers – even the subjects that might not seem interesting. Conner admits to initially lacking enthusiasm for the number of philosophy and theology courses required by UST. “At first the requisites seemed too much, but I ended up really enjoying those courses,” Conner said. “They helped prepare me for the writing I would do in law school. Most of all, they helped me grow in my faith.” Conner graduated from UST in 2002 and set her sights on law school. She earned her law degree in 2006, much to the delight of her father, a Houston attorney. She then worked briefly for his firm and did some freelance writing while contemplating her next move. Before long, a mutual friend introduced her to the president/CEO of Goodwill Industries of Houston, Steve Lufburrow, opening new possibilities for a future in community service. In September 2009, Conner accepted the position of compliance coordinator in Goodwill’s human Emily Conner and Peter Hempel resources department, where she handles employee issues and ensures that the organization and its multimillion-dollar retail operation are legally compliant. “Working at Goodwill gives me the opportunity to practice different areas of law and dabble in everything,” Conner said. “I love the job and the people I work with. The organization as a whole is amazing.” Conner describes Goodwill as a “second chance employer” because of its vision to provide education, training and job opportunities to people with disabilities and other barriers to employment. She is grateful for the career she has and for the second chance she has been given in life. She values her gifts – friends, family and her boyfriend of three years, Peter Hempel, who enjoys nothing more than making her smile. “God works in mysterious ways,” Conner said. “You just never know where He’ll take you.” g

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Sophomore biology major Keagan Foss uses a fluorescent microscope to view and image cells that have been labeled with specific dyes.

The

n the heart of Houston’s museum district, a couple of miles from the world’s largest medical center, the University of St. Thomas is educating the next generation of scientists and health care professionals.

future of Science

NOW

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Last spring, Dr. Albert Ribes – assistant professor of biology and 2007-10 participant in the Baylor College of Medicine post-doctoral training partnership with UST – took St. Thomas students to present at the undergraduate research poster competition of the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology conference in Boston. The students won an award in the nucleic acids category – beaten only by Stanford University. “We were impressed with the results,” said Dr. Rosie Rosell, professor and chair of UST’s Biology Department. “They gave one first prize and four honorable mentions nationwide, and our students rated alongside Berkeley.” Students in the Chemistry and Physics Department also have presented at significant conferences, alongside

their faculty mentors. Last year, seven students presented their STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – research projects at the Southwest Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society. In one example, senior environmental science major Jennifer Osorio and senior chemistry and Catholic studies major Esther Hudson presented research on “Preliminary Analysis of EDCs in Houston Wastewater.” “UST is using innovative approaches to teach biology – getting freshmen to start thinking like scientists,” Ribes said. “We’re creating excitement about the sense of discovery.” As freshmen, biology students are required to find relevant research literature, work out their own hypotheses, conduct experiments

information, bringing all their scientific training together.” Ribes said he missed out on a liberal arts foundation, and he tries to help students understand the true value of courses in philosophy, theology, writing and the social sciences. Students have an opportunity every spring to demonstrate the fruits of their learning and their labor in UST’s Research Symposium. The most recent one featured the theme “Apprentices to Knowledge,” which Dr. Dominic Aquila, vice president for Academic Affairs, described as a way of learning that has a long tradition in Catholic education and thrives at UST. “Apprentices have a unique and close relationship to their teachers, who model a whole way of life surrounding the pursuit of knowledge and the constant Top: High school students participate in D.R.E.M.E. @ UST Summer Science Camp. Bottom: Senior Joyce Chuen demonstrates the PCR thermocycler, which amplifies specific sequences of DNA that can be used for further testing.

and present results in a scientific format – things many science majors at other universities don’t experience until their junior year. This enhancement to the biology curriculum has been a tremendous benefit to students, but puts added pressure on UST’s current lab space. Students have the opportunity to collaborate in ongoing science faculty research projects. They also may participate in research experiences in the Texas Medical Center and at Baylor College of Medicine through biology faculty. In addition to the exceptional experience UST students are gaining in the sciences, the professors say the students have an additional edge: their liberal arts education. “Our students are attractive to medical, dental and graduate schools because they can think,” Rosell said. “They can read and understand complex

“ UST is on the

joy of new discoveries,” Aquila said. The collaborative method of teaching and learning at UST is producing impressive results. Seventy-three percent of UST students who apply are accepted into medical school, versus a national average of 45 percent. The University of St. Thomas currently has alumni attending every medical and dental school in Texas – a rare feat for a small university – and other graduates are successfully working in the K-12 community, in industry, in biotechnology firms, and at a variety of universities, hospitals, labs and doctors’ and dentists’ offices. “Soon the whole city – perhaps the entire state – will be loaded with UST alumni doctors, dentists, chemists, engineers, nurses, science teachers and researchers,” Rosell said.

cutting edge of teaching science.” – Dr. Albert Ribes Assistant Professor of Biology

SPECIAL INVITATION: STEM alumni are invited to participate in the undergraduate Research Symposium April 11, 2014, for a reunion and poster judging in UST’s Roberts and Anderson Halls.

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Changing the Quality

panish-speaking patients at MD Anderson Cancer Center receive a pleasant surprise when Dr. Jack Fu ’98 responds in fluent Spanish to their questions about their cancer rehabilitation. Of Chinese descent, Fu grew up in The Woodlands in a family of engineers and loved science and math, but he wanted to take a different path. He enrolled at the University of St. Thomas to study economics and biology – and to continue his studies in Spanish. He graduated from UST with an all-star class that produced nearly a dozen doctors, and during medical school training at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, he decided to focus on a rare specialty in medicine: cancer rehabilitation. Fu, named one of America’s Best Doctors in 2013, now sees patients and conducts research at one of only two medical centers in the country that offer fellowship training

in this area – and there are fewer than 50 specialists like him in the nation. That makes it even more surprising that a fellow UST alumnus, Dr. Kenny Tran ’04 – who earned chemistry and philosophy degrees – is now in a cancer rehabilitation fellowship at MD Anderson, working alongside Fu. Like Fu, Tran grew up in the Houston area, graduating from Westfield High School, and he was attracted to UST because of the opportunity to learn and to conduct research alongside professors in a smaller setting. “After nine years, I still remember my science classes at UST,” Tran said. “I loved talking chemistry with my professors; they were jovial and patient, and I could ask them any questions.” Fu said he loved his Spanish classes (including studying abroad in Merida, Mexico) and found Dr. Larry Nordyke, his pre-med advisor, particularly helpful to him and the other students who applied for medical and dental school that year. Both said their liberal arts foundation at UST has made

Dr. Jack Fu (left) and Dr. Kenny Tran discuss rehab strategy in MD Anderson’s rehabilitation services center.

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LIFE

them better doctors. In fact, Tran said he uses what he learned in his philosophy classes everyday to help him better understand patients and their perspectives. The seed for Fu’s interest in becoming a cancer rehabilitation specialist was planted during volunteer work at TIRR, a local rehab hospital, coordinated by the UST Office of Volunteer Opportunities. Both doctors love the field they’re in because they get to improve cancer patients’ quality of life when they are experiencing deteriorating health. “We formulate a rehabilitation plan for them that achieves their goals,” Fu said.

UST students painted these human cells with different fluorescent stains, illuminating different cell parts.

Tran said he finds joy in the work and plans to continue in this field after his fellowship is completed. Working with many terminally ill patients, Fu said some people think his work is depressing, but he has a different perspective. “Some of our patients are extremely sick, and they come to us with a personal goal to accomplish: To see a son graduate. To walk a daughter down the aisle or see a grandchild born. Perhaps to attend a family reunion or see one more birthday. When we can help them do those things, that makes our work really special.” g

Dr. Rosie Rosell, biology professor and department chair, works with Shazli Jalali, senior biology major, during Cell Biology lab.

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Marine Prepares for Career

SAVING LIVES Lance Corporal William “Blake” Wallin of Echo company, 2nd battalion, 7th Marines – an infantryman –

lost 20 friends during his unit’s deployment with Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. “It was a rough deployment,” recalled Wallin, whose service ended in 2009. “Each unit has some characteristic it comes home with, and we were deemed ‘the forgotten battalion’ because the great things we did were never told anywhere. We are the keepers of the lives we lost there.” Wallin joined the Marines after graduating from Cypress Springs High School in northeast Houston. He served the nation overseas, then returned to the Houston area with a new vision for his future – he wanted to save lives. He enrolled at the University of St. Thomas in fall 2010, first studying biochemistry and switching to nursing as soon as the new School of Nursing opened. “It’s funny to see people react to it – a Marine becoming a nurse,” said Wallin. “But I love it.” Wallin said he also loves his experience at UST. “St. Thomas has been great from day one when I made the first phone call,” he added. “They found out I was a veteran and immediately transferred me to the Veterans Services Office. The staff and faculty treated me like a person; after spending time being a ‘grunt,’ it felt good to be treated like a person who mattered.” Wallin said he didn’t think about any other university after that day. “I was going to St. Thomas, no matter what.”

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Lance Corporal Blake Wallin while serving in Afghanistan (above) and Wallin as a UST nursing student (left).

Despite his determination to attend UST, finances could have been a significant obstacle for him. Fortunately, UST participates in the Yellow Ribbon program – as part of the Post 9/11 GI Bill designed for veterans who have been involved in more recent military actions – so Wallin was able to attend without worry. He said UST is extremely veteran-friendly, with the Office of Veterans Services led by fellow veteran Phil Butcher. Wallin described his UST experience as “transformational,” and he worked to smooth the transition for other students by serving as president of the Student Veterans Association last year. In addition to the camaraderie he shares with his fellow vets at UST, Wallin also finds academic support in the Nursing Success Center, which he calls his second home. “If I’m not in class, I’m there studying with some group of students from my nursing cohort.” Coming from a family where every male member has served in the military – and being married to Lucinda, whose mom and dad served in the British Royal Air Force – Wallin has a deep and personal understanding of service and sacrifice. “The military produces men and women who have leadership skills, commitment and integrity,” Wallin said. “All they need is a place like UST to nurture their success.” g

Addressing a

CRITICAL NEED M

ore than half of this fall’s freshman class expressed interest in studying science, technology, math, engineering (STEM) or the health professions – and the market demand for graduates in these fields is extremely high, especially in the Houston region. UST has witnessed a 75 percent increase in STEM majors in recent years, and a fifth of all UST students are enrolled in STEM-related programs. Given the increases in STEM and nursing enrollment at St. Thomas – and the increased emphasis on undergraduate research, beginning with freshmen – UST’s current facilities are beyond capacity. Research labs are overcrowded, often forcing classes to be held in tandem with research activities in the same room. Moreover, the School of Nursing has operated in temporary buildings since it re-opened in 2012. Despite UST’s space challenges, alumni are extremely successful and highly recruited by medical, science and technology organizations. UST is positioned to continue producing leaders in the region’s high-demand fields of study, but to do so effectively, a new facility is absolutely essential.

The proposed Center for Science and Health Professions is the top capital priority in UST’s most comprehensive fundraising initiative in its history: Faith in our Future: The Campaign for the University of St. Thomas. To learn more, visit www.stthom.edu/giving. g

The Center for Science and Health Professions will provide a state-of-the-art learning environment, plentiful lab space, numerous classrooms, and ample gathering and study areas.

ur region demands ethical “ Oleaders in the sciences, technology and nursing, making a new health and science facility at UST a critical priority.

”

– David Harvey Jr.

CEO and Chairman of D.E. Harvey Builders Chair, UST’s Faith in Our Future Campaign

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UST Launches Catholic TV Programming for Houston Region UST Worldview

Program Schedule (Tentative)

Oct. 5

God’s Doorkeeper: St. Andre of Montreal (Part 2)

n fall 2013, the University of St. Thomas – with the blessing of the Archdiocese of GalvestonHouston – launched UST Worldview, an inspiring TV series that explores the richness of the Catholic faith. Airing on Houston’s KUBE TV, the series is produced in collaboration with Salt+Light Media, a global

Oct. 12 The Church Alive Oct. 19 Catholic Focus Oct. 26 Witness: Fr. Robert Barron Nov. 2

A New Leaf: Confronting a Food Crisis

Nov. 9

The World I Know: Virtues in Action

Nov. 16 Creation Nov. 23 Put Out into the Deep Nov. 30 Christianity in the Middle East (Part 1) Dec. 7 Christianity in the Middle East (Part 2)

Where to find The KUBE AT&T U-verse HiComcast Comcast HD Direct TV Dish Network

Channel 57 Channel 53 Channel 653 Channel 57 Channel 57

Regular converter box with no cable - Channel 57

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media leader focused on inspirational stories that draw people closer to Christ and the Catholic faith. “This series offers viewers a fascinating look at how Catholic men and women, inspired by the Gospel, meet the world’s challenges with love, intelligence and a total commitment to God and neighbor,” said Dr. Dominic Aquila, UST vice president for Academic Affairs.

“UST Worldview extends our educational mission to the wider Houston community.” The inaugural episode aired Sept. 14, with subsequent episodes airing on Saturdays at 8 a.m. for 25 weeks. The one-minute introductory openings to each segment are hosted by H.E. Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, UST President Robert Ivany, Aquila and UST Chaplain Fr. Mike Buentello, CSB. UST Worldview offers a dynamic, Catholic perspective on many global issues. “These captivating films feature prominent thought leaders and recently canonized saints, and I believe they will provide inspiration and hope – especially to the youth,” Ivany said. Sample programming includes “witness” interviews with distinguished, high-level religious and civic leaders by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB, CEO of Salt+Light Catholic Media Foundation; a creation documentary about why Christians should care for the environment; the story of St. Anthony; and examples of the New Evangelization in today’s Church. g

New Dean Defines Success on Her Own Terms

rowing up with four sisters is bound to lead to some healthy competition, and in a high-achieving family like Dr. Beena George’s, education is the name of the game. In May, George was named the fourth dean of UST’s Cameron School of Business (CSB) – and the first woman appointed to the prestigious post. Growing up in south India, George always knew that higher education was in her future – and in her blood. Following the example of their highly educated parents and grandparents, the five sisters went on to earn three doctorates and two master’s degrees among them. George attended Catholic schools as a child, earned her undergraduate degree at a Catholic women’s college in India, then attended the elite Indian Institute of Management. “It was wonderful to come to St. Thomas. It has a welcoming, faithbased environment, and I feel very fortunate to be here,” she said. Dr. Dominic Aquila, UST vice president for Academic Affairs, said George is exactly the right person to take the business school to a new level of excellence. Since coming to UST, she has taught courses on business strategy and the use and

management of information technology resources in organizations. Her course on sourcing management received a national award for excellence. With a background in information systems and outsourcing management, and a strong interest in the “bottom of the pyramid” theory, George brings a distinctive perspective and vision to the business school. “Millions of people around the world earn less than $1,500 a year,” George said. “To market to these individuals, you have to think differently. At St. Thomas, we want our students to address business questions and to think critically about world developmental issues.” She encourages students to study abroad to see the world’s challenges for themselves, and she took students to India twice. “We visited a school in India that had about 100 books in its library. Seeing those disparities changes students’ way of thinking,” she said. George incorporates her knowledge of India, her education

are developing leaders with “We critical thinking skills, who will address challenges in an informed and thoughtful manner.” – Dr. Beena George and her distinctive life experiences into her leadership and teaching roles. She has been married 27 years to Kurian, and they have three highachieving children, two of whom graduated from UST and are attending graduate school and one who is a UST senior. Students have expressed how thrilled they are to have George as the business school’s first woman dean, and she often responds by sharing her insights on leadership and life balance. “Our generation was told we must be super-women, that we must do it all,” George said. “Looking back, I realize you must make the right choices at the right time and define success on your own terms.” g

Dr. Beena George talks with business students Kimberly Salinas, senior marketing major, (left) and Maria Isabel Lino, senior economics and finance major (right).

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School Books and Soccer Sitting in a Business Ethics and Society class at UST seven years ago, Afowiri “Kitz” Fondzenyuy, MBA ’06 got a wake-up call that changed his life.

“I

had never heard the idea of social entrepreneurship – starting a business specifically designed to solve a problem in the world,” he said. Dr. Michele Simms, professor of management and director of the Initiative for University Excellence, taught the class that year. She said the original assignment was to participate in a local Houston nonprofit outreach project, but Fondzenyuy had a different idea: he wanted to bring educational improvement to Cameroonian children – and Simms gave her OK. In researching his project, the MBA student rediscovered the serious poverty across most of Cameroon, the African

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nation where he was born, attended secondary school and earned his undergraduate degree. He discovered many rural Cameroon schools have few or no books and, though the students love soccer, they often don’t have a soccer ball to allow them to practice the game. He found that most

through education and partnerships. Through Amom – which means “keep on trying” – more than 20,000 students have benefited from the new learning materials for their classrooms, restoration of health facilities, equipment that improved the water supply and, perhaps the students’ favorite Amom contribution – an occasional soccer ball. An emerging project that began this fall will provide books for 12- to 14-year-olds that focus on entrepreneurship. When the alumnus delivers books to the villages in Cameroon, the young students touch his heart. “Their faces light up when the box opens and we begin to hand out the books. It is heartbreaking to see how little they have, but amazing to see how much they can do with a little,” he said. Fondzenyuy, now married and living in Charlotte, N.C., plans to expand Amom Foundation, and he works on the project in every spare moment. Finding those moments is a bit challenging as he continues his career with Wells Fargo, enjoys his role as father to a seven-month-

Balls rural students have never seen a computer. Most disheartening to Fondzenyuy was the fact that more than half the students drop out of school before they finish high school and never learn job skills to help them escape poverty. Fondzenyuy and a team of classmates presented their findings – and they also sent one soccer ball to a village in Cameroon, encouraging a team there to win the championship. That project, along with a UST study abroad trip to India, inspired him to keep going. In 2006, Fondzenyuy founded Amom Charity (now Amom Foundation) to economically empower the people of Cameroon to meet their daily challenges

old daughter, and works on his doctorate in management from Walden University. He has been learning non-stop since completing his MBA at UST. He earned a master’s in finance from Tulane University, nonprofit management certificates from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and is studying leadership and social change in his doctoral program. Fondzenyuy has opened an office in Cameroon with two employees, two interns and a U.S.-based board that includes Simms. UST’s Business Ethics Society has adopted Amom as its service project. In October, Fondzenyuy presented the business school’s Distinguished Alumnus Lecture. “Kitz epitomizes the University of St. Thomas,” Simms said. “He embodies goodness, discipline and knowledge.” Fondzenyuy said UST does a wonderful job helping students discover their calling in life. “If I could tell students one thing, it would be to follow your passion.” g

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Graduating Champions of Character

ust seven years since UST restarted its athletics program, the Celts are getting noticed – on and off the court. UST’s men’s basketball program was the 2012-13 recipient of the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Sportsmanship Award. Not to be outdone, the women’s basketball team won the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Five Star Champions of Character Award, the first UST athletics program to win the award and the only NAIA women’s basketball program to receive the honor this year. The team took part in several service projects that helped them earn this prestigious recognition, including involvement in a bone marrow registry drive, volunteer service at the Houston Food Bank and hosting a special Celts vs. Cancer game. The UST women’s volleyball team, funded in part by Marjorie Evans, also made a positive impact last year, joining the fight against cancer by partnering with the Side-Out Foundation to raise funds and awareness about breast cancer by hosting a Dig Pink volleyball match. The team also supported Samaritan’s Feet, a national organization that raises funds for shoes for underprivileged children.

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After women’s volleyball kick-started the athletics program in 2006, UST added men’s soccer in 2007 and hired Coach Todd Smith as the athletics director and head men’s basketball coach in 2008. Today, UST offers six sports and is attracting athletes with both skill and character. “We recruit young men and women who care about how they represent themselves, their families and UST,” said Smith. “These quality student-athletes provide a strong foundation on which we can build.” UST fans are excited about the Celts’

UST student-athletes Deric Dudley and Regina Trapp sport the Blue Cure and Dig Pink T-shirts that represent two community organizations supported by their teams.

success in a number of sports. Men’s basketball and men’s golf won their first Red River conference tournaments this past year, and UST had three teams qualify for the NAIA National Tournament: men’s basketball, men’s golf and women’s volleyball. Smith strongly believes the teams’ success starts with attracting talented student-athletes who also desire a faithbased, liberal arts education. These athletes have included Barrett Lauer ’13, who earned his UST degree in marketing, received the 2013 NAIA National Tournament Champions of Character Award and was named to the 2012-13 RRAC Champions of Character Team. They also include Anthony Medina ’12 – Smith’s first recruit – who as a student was actively involved with Blue Cure Foundation, founded by Gabe Canales ’99 to increase early awareness of prostate cancer. Medina later coached a summer team called the Blue Cure to draw attention to the important cause. Medina is now a graduate assistant on the men’s basketball coaching staff at Missouri Western State University. Several former UST players are now coaches, and Smith said he is excited they are out there making a positive impact. Volleyball player and defensive

As the volleyball team kicks off its fall season, players anticipate several opportunities to play for a cause, such as Dig Pink.

Scholarships Attract Winning Students

Todd Smith, athletics director and head men’s basketball coach, gathers his team during practice to discuss strategy.

specialist Monica Litle ’12 was active for the Dig Pink cause, among many other UST activities off the court. She was awarded the Presidential Leadership Award from President Robert Ivany last year for making a significant leadership contribution to UST. Litle was awarded the 2012 NAIA National Tournament Champions of Character Award, the 2013 NAIA Red River Athletic Conference Champions of Character Award and a 2012 DaktronicsNAIA Volleyball Scholar-Athlete. Lauer, Medina and Litle are just a few examples of the many current and former Celts committed to making an impact in the Houston community. “Our athletes go above and beyond in their sport, in the classroom and in the community,” Smith said. “Our mission is to graduate champions of character, and we are definitely achieving that goal.”

Looking to the Future To continue expanding its strong athletics program, UST recently welcomed its first-ever women’s soccer coach, Nikola Barjaktarevic. After six successful years

coaching at the University of TexasBrownsville, he will focus on recruiting a championshipcaliber team for UST to begin competition in fall 2014. New golf coach Nikola Barjaktarevic Philip Tate also started this fall. A former assistant golf coach at Texas State University, Tate competed professionally on the North Atlantic and Tight Lies Tours and was an All-American Philip Tate golfer at Texas Tech University. Smith is exploring the possibility of adding a cross-country program. Once soccer and cross-country are in place, he plans to build the program’s infrastructure, starting with assistant coaches and perhaps an assistant athletics director. Increasing student scholarships is also a major priority. g

Clay Hoster, vice chairman of the board for Bank of Houston and active member of the UST Athletics Advisory Council, is a proud supporter of scholarships for UST athletes. “The high quality Clay Hoster coaches and UST leaders impact the students in a positive way, and that positive impact creates a different program,” Hoster said. He recognized that the athletics program had limited scholarships, so he chose to invest, providing a scholarship for one studentathlete over his or her college career. He encourages others to do the same – or more if they are able. “Each scholarship we add helps UST recruit one more champion of character,” he said. g

The Champions Club Supporters of the UST athletics program can become members of the Champions Club, earning a variety of benefits based on giving level. To learn more, visit www.stthom.edu. g

Athletics Advisory Council Mike Rome, Chair Willie Alexander Michael Branda, ’76 John Eliot Marjorie Evans Evelyn Griffin Preston Hill, MBA ’06 Clay Hoster Willard Jackson Jr. ’87 Granville Knight Jr. Jerry LeVias Connie Mack Lisa Malosky Louis Pelz Jr. ’80 Steve Zimmerman

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veteranstribute

Answering the Call

Ron Mendez evacuates Yemen and returns home to the Houston area. The Battleship Texas reminds him of his Naval service.

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UST Alumnus Serves the Nation in War-Torn Regions

IN EARLY AUGUST, as the U.S. government closed embassies in the Middle

East and evacuated personnel in response to terrorist threats in the region, foreign service officer Ron Mendez ’97 left Yemen with only a backpack. Among his few belongings was an American flag that has traveled with him to war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan. When he headed home, he had 10 days left on his one-year tour in Sana’a, Yemen, as a politicalmilitary officer in the foreign service. Mendez’s international training began at UST, where he earned a bachelor’s in international studies in 1997. After a challenging freshman year in 1982, he took time off from his studies at St. Thomas and enlisted in the U.S. Navy, which Mendez said made him more prepared for school when he returned in 1995. “I was more focused, more energized,” he said. The faculty at the Center for International Studies, especially the former director Dr. Ronald Hatchett, helped Mendez tailor his degree to focus more on government than business. He served as a research assistant for Hatchett, his academic advisor and mentor, and gleaned advice from Prof. Bill Cunningham, a former foreign service officer. He also did a student research project with then-President Dr. Joseph McFadden in an area of art history that broadened his horizons. All three

faculty members helped Mendez pursue his aspirations. “To have three heavy hitters shape my degree, mentor me and help move me forward was a blessing,” Mendez said. Knowing he wanted to continue serving his country, Mendez took a graduate internship at the State Department while pursuing a Master in Liberal Arts degree at UST and was later offered a full-time job in the foreign service. Since then, he has served in the hard terrains of war-torn countries under heightened threat. “I’ve served in war-zone positions throughout my career,” he said. “I don’t have a concept of how an embassy would function in a normal city.” During his three years of service in Afghanistan, he was embedded with the military as the only State Department official in his area. “In Afghanistan I never saw the embassy,” Mendez said. “I lived and worked with the U.S. military at their bases and under their protection.” He visited village elders, traveling to the sparse, mud-hut villages where they lived, and responded to U S T T O D AY

Fall 2013

On Sept. 13, 2012, two days after the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, protesters in Sana’a, Yemen, overran the U.S. Embassy where UST alumnus Ron Mendez worked. They burned vehicles and destroyed buildings but never penetrated the chancery, the main building where the ambassador and embassy personnel worked. There were no deaths or injuries of embassy personnel.

The UST Center for International Studies recently formed a partnership with the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) in Washington, D.C., to promote and deepen public understanding of U.S. diplomacy. The partnership will focus on the critical skills that foreign service officers deploy in the face of increasing global challenges to vital American foreign policy interests. UST believes this partnership with AFSA will have a positive impact on students interested in international studies and foreign service. g

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their requests for assistance, ranging from digging wells and providing books for schools to offering protection from the Taliban. Wearing body armor, pistol, rifle and helmet, he introduced local villagers to the U.S. military’s security measures and protection. Later, during his three years in Iraq, Mendez found himself in a country on the verge of civil war while dealing with terrorist attacks. The new embassy compound in Baghdad was shelled every day for a month during his tour. In September 2012, a month after arriving in Sana’a, Yemen, a series of protests were directed at the U.S. embassy there. The protests came two days after the embassy attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stephens and four State Department officials. “Protestors scaled the walls, burned our vehicles and trashed the embassy complex,” Mendez said. “We were locked down, waiting to see what would happen next.” The embassy remained on high alert the following year. Mendez worked as a liaison officer to the Republic of Yemen government, military and security services on counterterrorism issues. Because of deteriorating security, the embassy’s housing complex, located 45 minutes south of the American embassy, was no longer hospitable to Westerners, so embassy officials took up residence in the nearby Sheraton Hotel, which later became fortified by U.S. military personnel and barbed wire. During meetings with counterparts at the Yemen government, Mendez didn’t have the luxury of a military escort.

“In Yemen, I went to meetings in my own vehicle by myself,” he said. Still, he said, the Yemeni people – men dressed in traditional white attire with headband, tribal belt and jambiya, or knife, and women in black abayas, or head-to-toe veils – were polite and accommodating. “People will share what they have with you, even if they don’t have much,” he said. “It’s nice to see that there’s some humanity out there amid the danger and conflict going on.” Following his evacuation from Yemen, Mendez returned to Houston for some muchneeded time off. He spent a few weeks with his parents and siblings, including his brother and fellow UST alumnus Gary Mendez ’89. Mendez admits his career path is not typical for a traditional foreign service officer. “Most of the assignments I’ve taken are because people needed help. They asked me to fill in, and I said yes.” Mendez has said yes to a few years of stateside service and is now an instructor at a U.S. government training facility in

“It’s nice to see that there’s some humanity out there...” – Ron Mendez Williamsburg, Va., where he will share his knowledge and experiences with U.S. government and military officials. He encourages interested students to learn more about the foreign service. “This role gave me an understanding of foreign service officials and a greater appreciation for the role they play,” he said. As Mendez approaches 20 years of federal service, he is moving toward senior management and a possible return to Washington, D.C. He hopes to go overseas for one more tour – but no more war zones. “I’ve enjoyed every assignment I’ve had, and I’ve learned a lot from them,” he said. “I figure that’s a good thing.” g

veteranstribute

Veteran Enrollment Strong

cholarships close the financial gap for many veteran students attending the University of St. Thomas, said Dr. Robert Ivany, UST president. To help cover that gap, a number of individuals and foundations contribute scholarship funds to UST in support of veterans. “We felt we could contribute to those who have served; they sacrificed so much for us,” said Tom Bevans, a former Naval reservist who comes from a military family and serves as president of the Scanlan Foundation.

“We want to endorse the significance of UST recognizing the price these young women and men paid for our country,” said George W. Strake Jr., president of the Strake Foundation. Strake, a former UST board member, has a lifelong connection to UST. “My mom and dad went to Rome to get a written blessing from Pope Pius XII to start the University of St. Thomas.” Strake said their foundation loves supporting veterans. “If we can help veterans attend for free or for a discount, that’s a good investment in the future of this country.” g

“Our ethical, faith-based education and personal attention from professors appeal to veterans.” – UST President Robert Ivany, Major General U.S. Army (Ret.)

Enrollment of students who served in the U.S. military has grown significantly in the past few years, due in part to the Post 9/11 GI Bill and the Yellow Ribbon Program. A university can further help a veteran student by splitting the difference between the portion covered by the program and total tuition. UST proudly participates in this program. Generous donors help offset this institutional aid, including Marianne and Robert Ivany, the Scanlan Foundation, Mary and Bill Murdy and the Strake Foundation.

George W. Strake Jr. (right) receives his Navy commission.

Phil Butcher (left) visits with UST student and former U.S. Marine Matt Assunto.

UST Supports Veteran Students U.S. Air Force veteran Phil Butcher understands the unique challenges faced by veteran students attending the University of St. Thomas. He served four and a half years as a loadmaster on cargo planes, and his military experience helps him connect to the more than 140 veterans attending UST – a 10-fold increase since the Veterans Services Office opened in 2008. He helps veterans in a variety of ways – from explaining financial aid and offering peer mentoring on life and school events to helping one veteran couple find a new place to live when their apartment building closed. “I try to be here to provide support, to be a listening ear, and to help them connect to the services they need, on and off campus,” Butcher said. “We have a great Office of Counseling and Disability Services, we have strong academic support, and we are connected to organizations across the city.” Butcher said he sees most veteran students thrive in the supportive St. Thomas environment and become successful after graduation. Recently, one became a Houston police officer and another began a career at a financial analysis firm. “If our alumni and friends are in a position to hire people, I strongly encourage them to look at our veterans,” Butcher said. “They are true leaders.” To contact Butcher, call 713-942-3409 or email veterans@stthom.edu. g

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veteranstribute

UST Alumna Helps Women

Marylyn Harris hopes to provide support to many of the women veterans in the region.

Women, War and Business “It’s not only my work, it’s my ministry.” – Marylyn Harris

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n the early morning hours of Aug. 2, 1990, the Iraqi army began deploying air, ground and naval forces into neighboring Kuwait. As the invasion led the way to an eventual sevenmonth Iraqi occupation in Kuwait, U.S. President George H.W. Bush sent U.S. forces into Saudi Arabia, establishing an American presence during what would become known as the Gulf War.

Veteran Entrepreneurs Transition to Civilian Life Among these troops were more than 40,000 servicewomen, including Marylyn Harris, MBA ’07. As a U.S. Army military nurse, Harris had served 10 years before her deployment to Saudi Arabia in 1990. The harsh realities of war took their toll on the Philadelphia native, and when she returned from her tour, Harris – like many Gulf War veterans – realized she needed help with the difficult transition to civilian life. When she sought that help, however, she discovered a serious lack of resources. Because American women are no strangers to military duty, this discrepancy was a mystery to Harris, and she was not alone. One in five military women served in the Gulf War, and once they returned home, support tailored specifically for them was unavailable. Lacking the resources she needed, Harris said she fumbled through the next 10 years. She went back to college and seemed fine on the surface, but she never mentioned her military experience to anyone. “I just tried to put that part of my life where I wouldn’t have to deal with it because it was so painful,” Harris said. According to national reports, Harris’s response is common among women veterans, who often feel isolated and alone. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs acknowledges that women veterans face several challenges, including higher divorce rates, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), hypertension, lack of insurance, lower incomes and depression. After years of struggling, Harris was eventually diagnosed with PTSD, stemming from sexual trauma she experienced in the military in the early 1980s. She never dealt with it at the time, because, as she said, “back then the perpetrators were never prosecuted, and the victims were often shamed into silence.” Harris feels that the nation still

has work to do on dealing with this prestigious awards include the Legion important issue, and it is one reason of Honor Award by the Four Chaplains many women veterans choose not Foundation, the Silver Medal by the Good to share their military experience Samaritan Foundation for “Nursing with others. Excellence,” and the Top 25 Women of Because of her personal experiences Houston Award by Rolling Out magazine. and those of many of her military peers, She has also received Congressional Harris knew more resources were needed recognition for her work as a veteran to help women veterans adjust to postcontractor and for her veterans’ advocacy. military life. By 2013, word of Harris’s efforts had While enrolled in the Master of reached Washington, D.C., and she was Business Administration (MBA) honored as a Champion of Change by program at UST’s Cameron School of President Obama and the First Lady. Business, she developed a vision to help A few months after her presidential women veterans by merging healthcare and business. Harris had never taken a business class before starting the MBA program, but traveling to places such as Chile, the United Kingdom, Singapore, China, South Africa, Sweden and Haiti as part of the study abroad program helped her learn how people conduct business around the world. “I had a very limited Marylyn Harris gets a hug from First Lady Michelle Obama perspective on life and work until at a White House ceremony in her honor. UST opened my eyes to the world of global business,” Harris said. honor, the WVBC hosted a reception In 2006, Harris started Harrland at UST to kick off the inaugural “For Healthcare Consulting, LLC, a Heroes” Women Veterans Business management consulting firm Training in Houston at the National focused on medical and psychiatric American Legion Conference. subject matter expert (SME) staffing “We are grateful to alumni such as and training services. Marylyn Harris for encouraging veterans In 2010, Harris expanded the to continue their education, which is services of her nonprofit, the Veterans critical to their successful career and Information and Resource Project future,” said UST President Robert Ivany, (of which she serves as executive Major General U.S. Army (Ret.). director), and launched the Women Harris praised the president and Veterans Business Center (WVBC). UST faculty and staff for embracing This membership-based web portal the military community. “Dr. Ivany educates and empowers women veterans has really raised awareness of veterans’ and military families to start and grow needs,” she said. veteran-owned businesses. It didn’t take long for people to notice Harris’s important work. Her g

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news&notables

Faculty, Students Perform at Washington National Cathedral University of St. Thomas professor of services and sang for more than vocal and choral studies, Dr. Brady Knapp, 1,000 worshipers.” was invited to direct Houston’s Palmer Knapp was accompanied by Memorial Episcopal Church choir 49 singers, including his two sons, during a choral residency Emerson and Theodore. with the Washington Also from the UST National Cathedral in community were students Washington, D.C. Bethany Goldson, Alexandra Knapp, along with Summerour, Christian UST music students, faculty Mondragon, Marissa Sears, and alumni, performed Meeka Opong and Adrienne during four church services Copeland, along with Sigurd in July. Ogaard, newly-appointed The Washington National adjunct organ instructor and Cathedral, built more than Alan Austin, adjunct 100 years ago, regularly hosts violin instructor. funerals and celebrations “This was a once-infor national dignitaries. The a-lifetime and enriching Cathedral has its own choir opportunity for my during the year, but during choristers and UST students Dr. Brady Knapp summer breaks, it invites to perform in the Cathedral,” outside choirs to perform Knapp said. “I certainly during worship services. appreciate all the donors who sponsored “This year, we were one of a handful our students, allowing them to experience of visiting choirs chosen,” Knapp said. this incredible tour.” g “We led music for Sunday morning worship

Mary Ann McKeithen and Isabel David were honored Oct. 15 at the third annual

Per forming Arts Society MEMBERSHIP TEA hosted by

Rose Cullen. Membership co-chairs

Barbara Van-Postman and Omana Abraham The Performing Arts Society raises funds to support UST’s fine and performing arts. Visit www.stthom.edu/performingarts.

Top UST Faculty Receive Honors

Dr. John Hittinger and Dr. Ted Robard, UST philosophy professors (back left) are surprised by the unexpected appearance of Pope Francis during the 13th plenary session of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. Hittinger and Rebard were two of 40 academicians invited to attend the conference, where 18 papers were presented by scholars worldwide.

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The UST Faculty Senate awards committee recognized three faculty members for excellence in teaching, research and service for 2012-13 during Faculty Study Day in August. Dr. Michele Simms, professor of management, received the St. Thomas Aquinas Excellence in Teaching Award. Simms, a 14-year UST employee, has taught courses on business ethics, as well as courses in the Honors Program and Catholic Studies program. Her research areas include ethics, business-public health partnerships, sustainability, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Dr. Chris Evans, associate professor and chair of theology, received the Saint Edith Stein Excellence in Research Award. Evans, who has been with St. Thomas since 2007, teaches introductory and upper-level theology courses. Currently, he is publishing critical editions of the last remaining Latin writings in the corpus of Hildegard of Bingen, who was recently

Dr. Michele Simms and Dr. Chris Evans (right), receive awards from Dr. Dominic Aquila.

named a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XVI. Sister Paula Jean Miller, FSE, director of Catholic Studies, was awarded the Joseph McFadden Excellence in Service Award. This fall, Sister Paula Jean began teaching at St. Patrick’s Seminary and University in Menlo Park, Calif. g

Events Recall Historic MLK March UST by thenumbers

73 } 100 } 92 } %

medical school acceptance rate compared to national rate of 45%.

retention rate for first-year nursing cohort.

of freshmen receive financial aid.

29 } $ 13.7 } 11:1 } 93 & } 40 58 } 28,000 } %

– Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza, DD

UST Ranks Among Best Universities For the 20th consecutive year, UST has been named to the top tier of the U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” 2014 list of universities offering master’s degrees in the Western region of the United States. UST currently ranks 33rd. U.S. News & World Report surveyed more than 1,600 colleges and universities for its annual publication, and based its rankings on 16 widely accepted indicators of excellence. St. Thomas’s low student-to-faculty ratio of 11:1, small class sizes and high percentage of freshmen who were ranked in the top quarter of their high school graduating class were key factors in

St. Thomas’s ranking. UST was also named a “Best College in the West for 2014” by The Princeton Review, which recognizes colleges and universities that stand out within each region. St. Thomas was one of 124 colleges chosen for the “Best in the West” list. Only 643 schools were honored among the nation’s 2,500 four-year colleges. “We chose these as our ‘regional best’ colleges mainly for their excellent academic programs,” said Robert Franek, The Princeton Review senior vice president/publisher. g

SavetheDate

Mardi Gras Gala

student-faculty ratio.

of faculty hold top degree in their field.

COUNTRIES

“Each individual person has the responsibility to share love, compassion and solidarity with other human beings.”

awarded in institutional aid in 2013-14.

represented by students.

MEALS

– Rev. William A. Lawson

MILLION

“If God has blessed you, you should share your blessings with others.”

STATES

The St. Martin de Porres Society hosted a Mass and panel discussion to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic march on Washington. Rev. William A. Lawson (top right) and Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza (bottom right) spoke.

of undergraduates are first in their families to attend college.

packed for Houston Food Bank by UST students.

UST freshmen and other campus groups pack meals at the Houston Food Bank on Aug. 24 as a community service project during Freshman Orientation.

MAR C H 4 , 2 014 Honoring H.E. Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, chaired by Ginny and Dennis Malloy. Call 713-525-3100 for information.

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news&notables

UST’s Cynthia Riley Named Houston’s Outstanding Fundraiser Leading the team that raised $200 million for Houston’s No. 1 hospital was just one of the career achievements that earned Cynthia Colbert Riley, MLA ’95 – now UST’s vice president for Institutional Advancement – the title of Greater Houston’s 2013 Outstanding Fundraising Professional.

The prestigious honor, awarded $200 million fundraising campaign. annually by the Association of At the conclusion of the Methodist Fundraising Professionals-Greater campaign, Riley re-joined St. Thomas, Houston Chapter, where she had served for recognizes Riley’s five years in the 1990s 25-plus years of as the capital campaign fundraising success coordinator during in health care, higher UST’s first campaign education and public and where she earned broadcasting. her Master of Liberal “I am honored and Arts degree. humbled to receive this “Life is an interesting recognition from journey,” Riley said. my peers,” Riley said. “I never imagined my Riley served as career path would lead the vice president for me back to UST. Having development at The the opportunity to help – Cynthia Riley Methodist Hospital the institution achieve System (now Houston the next phase of its Methodist) from 2007-12, building the vision through philanthropy will organization’s first strategic development be an exciting endeavor that’s program and leading an unprecedented important for Houston and for

“I love seeing the excitement and joy of contributors when they meet the beneficiaries of their gifts ...”

Welcome New Board Members

Cynthia Colbert Riley

Catholic higher education.” “We are proud of Cynthia’s achievements and fortunate to have a leader of such high caliber guiding our fundraising efforts,” said Dr. Robert Ivany, UST president. “She understands Houston, has a passion for St. Thomas and is clearly recognized for her excellence and professionalism.” Riley said she finds her work meaningful and important. “I love seeing the excitement and joy of contributors when they meet the beneficiaries of their gifts and realize they are making the world a better place or giving a student a chance.” g

Farewell to Outgoing UST Board Members UST is grateful for the dedicated service of these outgoing members of the UST Board of Directors: • • • • • • • • •

UST’s new board members are (seated, left to right) Lois Folger (parent), Jennifer Mengis ’82, MLA ’11, (standing, left to right) Jesse Tutor, George Martinez and John Niemann (parent). 24

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Fr. Brendan Cahill, M.Div. ’85 Fr. Robert Crooker, CSB Daniel Elustondo ’99 George Farris Kim Ruth Robert Signorelli Randy Velarde Dr. Ken Wells Raye White

Scholarship Honors Archbishop Fiorenza A generous donation, facilitated by Raye White and provided by the Christus Foundation for HealthCare, created a scholarship at UST in honor of the Most Rev. Joseph A. Fiorenza, Archbishop Emeritus of the Galveston-Houston Archdiocese. UST hosted a celebration in June to announce the scholarship and its first two recipients, Bersabeh Samuels, junior nursing major from Ethiopia, and Sandra Martinez Efraimson, junior nursing major and first-generation college student. The event also recognized the Christus Foundation for supporting the project. “We are so grateful for these critical nursing scholarships,” said Dr. Poldi Tschirch, dean of the UST School of Nursing. “It is very special for the students to receive scholarships named for the archbishop.” g

Above: Archbishop Emeritus Fiorenza congratulates inaugural Fiorenza Scholarship recipients Bersabeh Samuels (left) and Sandra Martinez Efraimson (right). Left: UST President Robert Ivany and Les Cave, president of Christus Foundation, sign the formal agreement for the Archbishop Fiorenza Scholarship for Healthcare.

Link-Lee First-Phase Remodel Underway

Brittany Bigott, one of 45 participants in the 2013 Mendenhall Summer Institute, expresses the group’s deep gratitude to program supporter Trini Mendenhall Sosa with a time capsule box. Students called Mendenhall Sosa their “dream keeper” and encouraged her to open the time capsule in four years to read their letters describing their hopes and dreams for the college experience.

Remodeling of UST’s 101-year-old Link-Lee Mansion is underway, and generous supporters are helping make the transformation possible. Annette Graf, wife of alumnus Richard E. “Dick” Graf, MBA ’82, donated the interior design on the project, Judy and Darby Sere´ donated a rug and curtains, and First Lady Marianne Ivany is spearheading the project. George W. Strake Jr., president of the Strake Foundation, and whose family was instrumental in the formation of UST, donated a 1864 Steinway grand piano that once resided in the historic Glen Eyrie castle in Colorado Springs. “The piano was a treasured piece of furniture at my folks’ place,” said Strake. “We wanted it to have a home with people who will appreciate it, and we think UST’s Link-Lee is a perfect resting place for it.” As the remodel progresses,

community support is needed for the next phase. To contribute to this special project, contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at 713-525-3100. g

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alumnihighlights

UST Alumna of the Year Embodies GRACE Dr. Ana-Lisa Gonzalez ’97, M.Ed. ’01 is the ideal alumna. She serves at UST as assistant professor and director of Reading and Catholic Education and the Gulf Region Academy for Catholic Educators (GRACE) program. For all the ways she gives back to the university she loves, she was named the 2012-13 Rev. Vincent J. Guinan CSB Alumna of the Year. In nominating her friend, Maria Younger, M.Ed. ’05 explained that Gonzalez’s service goes well beyond the classroom. Gonzalez served with the Alumni Association for several years, encouraging incoming freshmen to appreciate their education and to achieve their goals. “When I walked “Dr. Gonzalez’s ability to onto the motivate students has a direct influence on their retention at St. Thomas campus UST – and their willingness as a freshman, to eventually become active alumni,” Younger said. it just felt Gonzalez credits UST with like home.” maturing her awareness. “I am Catholic, but I am not – DR. ANA-LISA GONZALEZ sure I truly understood what that meant until I completed courses in theology and philosophy at UST,” Gonzalez said. “I learned to apply the ideals of faith and morality to other areas.” As director of GRACE, Gonzalez prepares newly-employed teachers to serve in Catholic schools while pursuing a Master of Education at UST through a partnership with the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. She now has a bachelor’s degree in special education, a master’s in educational leadership and a doctorate in educational psychology from the University of Houston, and she is thankful for the strong foundation built at UST for her current leadership role.

Dr. Ana-Lisa Gonzalez

“When I walked onto the St. Thomas campus as a freshman, it just felt like home. Twenty years later, it still does,” Gonzalez said. “I am honored to give back to the university that gave so much to me.”g

Taco Tasting Raises $35,000 for Scholarships In the largest event ever contracted at the Saint Arnold Brewing Co., the UST Alumni Association exceeded its goal and raised more than $35,000 for scholarships at the 2nd Annual 26

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Two Saints and a Taco Tasting in the spring. At the sold-out event, 450 alumni, faculty, staff, board members and friends enjoyed taco samples from 10 restaurants, live entertainment and the full lineup from Texas’ oldest craft brewery. The winner of the popular taste-test competition was

Alumni Plant It Forward at UST Siblings Teresa O’Donnell ’77 and Pat O’Donnell ’76, founders of the thriving company, Bridgeway Software, have created a nonprofit – Plant It Forward Farms (PIFF) – that brings together Houston’s urban organic farming community and refugees from Africa’s troubled Congo. This program helps economically disadvantaged refugees generate a living wage. The inspiration came to Pat, a math and theology graduate, and Teresa, a UST nursing alumna, when they read about the struggles of unemployed refugees. They contacted the Catholic Charities refugee resettlement program and learned that finding meaningful work for uneducated refugees was difficult, and that those who did find work were often in low-paying jobs in factories with high turnover. “I asked myself what it would be like if I had to flee to America, where I don’t speak the language, have no marketable skills and am completely out of my comfort zone,” Teresa said. The siblings then learned that a farmer with only an acre of land could generate a decent living. They started to connect the dots. “There is a huge market for local produce, vacant land everywhere and refugees who need work,” Pat said. “With Houston’s 12-month growing cycle, we figured someone with an acre of land could become self-sufficient.” In May 2012, the two secured the first three acres from a church. They signed up 14 African refugees, all with some previous farming experience, for a year of training. After high success with an acre of land, they decided half-acre lots would work well and might be easier to obtain. Their first half-acre lot was secured recently at UST, where a small community

Torchy’s Tacos, a first-time participant. Judges Neil Doherty, chef at Sysco; Seth Payne, former Houston Texans defensive tackle and SportsRadio 610 host; and Chris Shepherd, owner and executive chef at Underbelly, selected Bocados as the winner of the celebrity vote, crediting the homemade tortillas of the eatery

garden had been located and operated by the Environmental Science and Studies program. Sister Damien Marie Savino, FSE, chair of Environmental Science and Studies, said the Plant It Forward garden is a natural outgrowth of the community vegetable garden designed and implemented by UST

alumni associationboard

TOP ROW L TO R: UST alumni Pat O’Donnell (left) and Teresa O’Donnell (right) stand with Sister Damien Marie Savino, FSE, at the location of what has become a thriving garden.

Roberto Gonzalez ’99, MBA ’11 Daniel Garcia ’01, MBA ’09 Andy Cao ’98 SECOND ROW L TO R:

students in 2010. The garden is expected to help at least one family, if not more, get their feet on the ground and will provide opportunities for UST students to collaborate with the refugee family and PIFF on the urban gardening initiative. “My education at UST inspired me to think beyond myself,” Teresa said. Through Plant It Forward Farms, her dream of helping others improve their lives is being realized as she seeks out area restaurants to purchase the produce and pursues more vacant half-acre lots. “My vision is a farm in every neighborhood,” Teresa said. g

owned by alumnae Terry Flores ’86 and Lily Hernandez ’84. Restaurants earned bragging rights and a “Chihuahua Bling” Trophy, handmade by Kelli Kickerillo ’03, a member of the UST Board of Directors. The funds raised benefit the UST Alumni Association Annual Scholarship Fund.

Natasha de la Garza ’00 Grace Fallis ’97 Cody Patel ’99 THIRD ROW L TO R:

Aaron Stryk ’01 Pashun Ballard ’02, MLA ’07 Sharon Kimble-Kramchak ’00, MBA ’03 FOURTH ROW L TO R:

Teresa Ryan ’83 Marcia Galatas, MED ’95 Angela Young, MLA ’00 BOTTOM ROW L TO R:

Vivian Ramos, MBA ’01 Jennifer Mengis ’83, MLA ’11 2013-14 Alumni Association Board of Directors President

2013 Taco Tasting Host Committee Leaders: • Jennifer Mengis ’83, MLA ’11, chair • Drew Wilson ’02, co-chair • Maggie Gonzalez Stroud ’07, MBA ’11, vice chair g

SAVE THE DATE: Two Saints and a Taco Tasting April 24, 2014

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alumnifeature

Sister Sister

Alumnae Share Enthusiasm for UST The Kidonakis sisters, Melissa, MSA ’12 and Cimela ’09 – in rapid-fire, tag-team dialog – are quick to point out their differences. Cimela looks Greek like her Dad; Melissa favors her Mom, who’s from Mexico. Cimela tells stories through film; Melissa wins top accounting awards. Cimela brainstorms; Melissa implements. But on one issue, they are completely in sync: they both love the University of St. Thomas. “Our stories are crazy. We both ended up at UST by chance, and we’re so glad we did,” Cimela said. “Cimela was dead set on attending a school in Austin because she thought of that as the creative city,” Melissa explained. “She was enrolled, had an academic scholarship and even had a roommate. But my mom and I just knew UST was the right school for her.” At the same time Cimela was seeking a college in 2005, Melissa was working on her bachelor’s degree in economics at Rice University. Two

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weeks before school was to start, she called the St. Thomas admissions team to ask why they hadn’t offered a scholarship to Cimela. “She was missing one paper in the admissions process, and we didn’t realize it,” Melissa said. Though it was the end of summer and scholarships were at a premium, Melissa didn’t give up. She created a presentation about Cimela for UST, explaining her sister’s talents and her likelihood to be a sold-out champion of UST once she arrived. “I guess they heard us,” Melissa explained, because in the end, St. Thomas matched her sister’s scholarship offer from the Austin school. Cimela quickly enrolled in the radio/TV track of the communication program at UST and moved into the on-campus residence, Guinan Hall. “From that moment on, Cimela gave them so

“We want to share our passion for UST with others. We hope it’s contagious!”

upcoming alumnievents

– Cimela Kidonakis much more than their investment,” Melissa Fernandez’s voice professing the accounting said. “She was totally involved in UST.” foundations, and I’d have it.” She described Cimela became a resident assistant for the UST business students as “enthusiastic; Guinan. She minored in both Spanish and a real community.” theology, studied abroad in Mexico, Italy Cimela and Melissa have brought their and Argentina, volunteered in numerous own enthusiasm to UST from the day they ways and was named Mardi Gras queen walked on campus. Before St. Thomas in February 2009 before graduating in had intercollegiate athletics, Cimela was May of that year with a B.A. in photographed with a painted face at an communication. intramural rugby game, showing her Melissa came to love UST through support. They’ve invited faculty to dinner, Cimela. “While I was in just to “talk St. Thomas,” school, she was constantly and they regularly took visiting me and my Fr. Keon, beloved Basilian friends,” Cimela said. priest who passed away Melissa’s regular visits in 2012 at age 87, to to UST didn’t slow down dinner and the movies. her academic progress As alumnae, they eagerly at Rice; she graduated in support UST runners 2007 and was honored as during the annual Houston the Young Alumnus of the Marathon Cheer Party, Year in 2012. Between her speak for UST Career Rice graduation and alumni Day and look forward to award, Melissa fell in love Christmas in the Mansion. with UST through her own “We want to share academic experience there. our passion for UST After a brief stint in with others. We hope it’s marketing and public contagious!” Cimela said. relations after college, she “St. Thomas gave me decided her real passion Melissa (left) and Cimela Kidonakis so much,” Cimela added. walk across their beloved “UST was accounting, and she “It gave me the confidence Shining Star” campus. made plans to get a to run my own business, master’s degree in that and the core classes taught field. She longed to be at St. Thomas, and me how to communicate effectively. I loved after encouragement from UST’s President my philosophy class, and I loved all my Robert Ivany, in a chance encounter at a teachers. I made lifelong friends there.” local parish, she enrolled in master’s classes The Kidonakis sisters have leveraged and never looked back. their educational experiences and In her typical high-achiever fashion, connections to launch successful careers: she was named the Outstanding Master Cimela as owner and executive manager of Science in Accounting Graduate in 2012 of the professional videography company and passed her Certified Public Accountant Optix Studios and Melissa as a CPA and exam on the first try – a rare feat that business advisor with Houston accounting Melissa credits to the stellar accounting firm Weinstein Spira. program at UST. “UST solidifies your core moral values,” “I learned accounting so well at UST,” Melissa said. “You think about why you are said Melissa, who led a small study group here and what is your purpose. Once you throughout her degree program. “When know that, you can do anything.” g I came to a hard question, I would hear Dr. Vinta Ramaswamy or Professor Ramon

Oct. 18-19 Alumni and Family Weekend Oct. 29 Mass for Commerce

Oct. 29 Oktoberfest - St. Arnold’s Brewery

Nov. 2 St. Martin de Porres Feast Day

Nov. 9 Mass of Remembrance

Nov. 14 Alumni Social Dec. 3 Christmas in the Mansion March 4 Mardi Gras Gala

Feb. 17-22 Cameron School of Business Alumni Week

April 24 Two Saints and a Taco Tasting

shareyournews We Want to Feature You! We will feature notes about UST alumni in each issue of the UST Today magazine, and we would love to hear from you! Tell us about your new address, marriage, job change or promotion, birth of a future Celt, death in your immediate family, awards, books published – and other important happenings in your life. Email this information to alumni@stthom. edu. The next issue of UST Today will publish in spring 2014. Let us know how you’re shining for UST!

U S T T O D AY

Fall 2013

alumnnotes 1956 The Most Rev. John McCarthy ‘56, M.Th. ‘79 published “Off the Cuff & Over the Collar: Common Sense Catholicism” in 2013. Bishop McCarthy was a founding director of UST’s William J. Flynn Center for Irish Studies.

1962 Sue Edythe (Greene) Garland ‘62, MBA ’89 and Bruce Garland recently moved to Fayetteville, Ark. She is a certified Life Coach and also works in the dialysis industry for compliance consulting. Sue and Bruce have four children, 14 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

1966 Paula Farrell Sullivan ’66 and Richard Sullivan ’66 recently moved to Seguin. Richard chairs the Ministry to the Sick at St. James parish and serves as a tour guide for the Painted Churches Trail. Paula and Richard have three daughters and four grandchildren.

1968 Helen Catherine Walter ’68 received a UK Powerlifting Record on May 11 from the UK Drug Free Powerlifting Association. It was awarded to Helen for all three powerlifting lifts: squat, bench press and deadlifts. Helen founded a club, Linacre Ladies, that Lift at Oxford College. They competed at the Scottish Nationals in July.

1973 Gov. Rick Perry recently appointed Michael Landrum ’73 as Judge of the 113th Judicial District Court. Michael is an attorney with O’Donnell, Ferebee, Medley and Keiser PC. He is volunteer legal counsel for Crossroads School Inc., a mock trial judge for the South Texas College of Law Moot Court Team, and is a supporter for the Spring Branch Education Foundation Endowment.

1974

1981 Craig Vocelka ’81 was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Olympia and is now associate priest at St. Antony of Egypt in Silverdale, Wash. He continues his work at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine, teaching cardiopulmonary perfusion technology.

1984 Luis Juarez ’84 and Gwen Juarez’s ’84 band Accent, released their first album “Don’t Give Up” last year. They will perform at UST Jan. 17.

1985 Tom Everson ’85, founder and executive director of Keep Kids Alive Drive 25, launched a new initiative: Live Forward! Since 1998, Tom has worked with more than 1,400 communities on traffic safety.

1986 Gregory Illich ’86 joined the Texas State Guard Army and is now in the honor guard and received the Command Sergeant Major’s Award. Gregory and Maria Illich ’88 celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in June.

1987 Amy Stonesifer ’87 joined Memorial Hermann Corporate as senior application analyst/internal development support.

1988 Maria King Illich ’88 recently published a young adult novel, “The Morcant Twins and the Curse of the Griseum.” The novel was produced by Zetabella Publishing and is available on Amazon.

1993 Laura Clancy ’93 was selected as the Elementary Teacher of the Year for Bastrop Independent School District.

Stephanie Barko ’74 announces a charity partnership with Interfaith Action of Central Texas. Stephanie is a literary publicist and now a media partner to the nonprofit’s international literacy program for refugees.

1996

1976

Kathy Ritchie ’97, MBA ’01 and husband Phillip announce the birth of their daughter, Cara Hope, born April 1. Cara joins big brothers Kyle and Travis. The family resides in Corpus Christi.

In February, Paul D. Frazier ’76 celebrated 25 years of ordination and installation as the pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Hardin, Ill.

He thanks his friend Joan (Rebman) Frazier ’77 for her support in reaching this milestone.

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Vendell Gombarcik ’96 received the VIRTUS from the National Catholic Risk Retention Group, Inc.

1997

1998

2004

Danielle Forget Shield, MBA ’98 launched Smart Waste in 2012. Danielle has been in the waste industry for 20 years and owned part of another small business for the past seven years.

Leslie Barrera ’04 received a Master of Liberal Studies from Rice University on May 11. Leslie was appointed vice president of the Rice University MLS Writers Guild and was selected to represent the MLS Program in the Centennial Celebration Academic Procession during her graduate studies.

1999 Su Hwang ’99 was named director of development and program management at Los Angeles charity Harbor Interfaith Services. The mission of HIS is to empower the homeless and working poor to achieve selfsufficiency.

2000 Erica Bonnell (Garcia) ’00 and Ian Christy were married July 13 at St. Catherine Catholic Community in Houston. Dirk Steffens ’10 participated in the wedding ceremony. They currently reside in Houston and Erica is pursuing a Master of Arts in Theological Studies at UST. Habeeb “Hobbs” I. Gnaim ’00 was recently named to H Texas magazine’s annual list of Top Lawyers. He was also named to the Texas Rising Stars list of top up-and-coming attorneys in Texas for 2013. Habeeb is a shareholder in the firm and focuses his practice on domestic and international planning for tax and corporate matters.

2002 Luis Guerrero ’02 received certifications in Gerontology and Community Health Work from the University of Texas School of Nursing and has returned to UST to enter the Master of Arts in Faith and Culture program. Laura Haugvoll ’02 is the new principal at Beasley Elementary. Haugvoll has 20 years of experience in education, including 13 years of teaching in Fort Bend and Katy schools, and seven years as the assistant principal at Bowie Elementary. Delena Villarreal Martello ’02 and her husband announce the birth of their daughter Ramona Mae Martello. Ramona was born on May 11, weighing 5 lb. 9 oz. The family recently moved to Chicago.

2003 Kelli Kickerillo ’03 and Todd Forester ’03 announce the birth of their son, Harrison Kickerillo Forester, born April 2 and weighing 7 lb. 11 oz. Marc Martinez ’03 recently completed his first year as the associate academic dean at St. Pius X High School in Houston.

Iza Garcia ’04, MSA ’08 announces her engagement to Cesar Beltran. The wedding ceremony will take place at the University of St. Thomas Chapel of St. Basil Oct. 11. Iza’s bridal party includes fellow alums Maria Guzman ‘05, Dulce Andrade ’05, Jo Anna Castilleja ’06 and Stephanie Holsworth ’05. Edward Herrera ’04 and Joanna Rose Herrera announce the birth of their son Maximilian Paul Herrera. Maximilian was born Feb. 19, 2012. The family recently moved from Washington, D.C. to Houston. Edward joined St. Michael Catholic Church as co-director of Adult Faith Formation. Angelica Coronado Lopez ’04 and husband Paul announce the birth of their son Alexander Cruz Lopez. Alexander was born on July 19 and weighed 7 lb. 8 oz. Mandy A. Luna ’04, MBA ’08 married Timothy H. Snyder May 25 in Grand Velas Resort in the Riviera Maya, Mexico. Their wedding party included fellow alumni Gloria Bounds ’03, MBA ’06, who served as the maid of honor, and Jesse Bounds ’05, who served as a groomsman. Tanya Marshall Moeller ’04 and Jeremy Moeller announce the birth of their son Connor Scott Moeller. Connor was born on April 12, 2012 in Houston and weighed 9 lb. 8 oz.

2007 Matthew Overton ’07 and Harmony Reforma were married Oct. 20, 2013 in Richmond. Erin McClarty ’07, local legal counsel and founder of the blog “Notations on Nonprofits,” chairs the Seeds for Change grants program hosted by Neighborhood Centers Inc. The program awards micro-grants to local organizations for programming, events and initiatives focused on community or cultural development.

2009 Jennifer Callon ’09 is the director of the Social Justice Ministry at St. Michael Catholic Church. She put her theology degree directly to work in service to the poor and those in need.

Julio Morales ’09 is the fine arts chairman and theatre director at Sharpstown High School in Houston. Julio recently began his master’s degree at Southern Oregon University in Theatre Production and Design.

2011 Brien O’Donal ’11 has launched a website to further his efforts in motivational speaking. He credits previous speaking engagements at University of St. Thomas Model U.N. and local high schools with his inspiration. Ashley Szitas Joseph ’11 and Nick Joseph welcomed their second child, daughter Evalyn Reese, June 5. Ashley became a wedding consultant for a local wedding and event consulting firm, Two Be Wed, in May 2011.

2012 Eunice Earl David ’12 joined Adhere Creative as a marketing coordinator May 22. She holds a dual degree in International Studies and International Development and served as the public relations coordinator of the International Studies Society. John Ruff ’12 and Catherine Loth ’12 were married June 16, 2012. The Ruffs’ daughter, Aria Marie Ruff, was born May 19 and weighed 7 lb. 10 oz. John is starting his second year in Teach for America at Gregory-Lincoln Education Center as a sixth grade World Culture teacher.

2013 Brittany Garza ’13 gave the commencement speech for the 2013 UST graduating class at Reliant Arena

on May 18. Her commencement speech was featured in the Houston Chronicle. Ally Burkhartzmeyer ’13 and John Beckius of Kingwood were married July 20 in Faribault, Minn. They are both third-grade teachers in the Aldine Independent School District. Michelle Jabbour ’13 joined the UST Office of Institutional Advancement as special events coordinator June 1. She will represent UST at the National Conference of Ethics in America in October in West Point, NY.

Chloe Jester ’13 graduated magna cum laude from UST with a degree in International Development. She was actively involved with Best Buddies International and helped found the first all-women’s organization at UST, The Society of Macrina. Chloe now lives in Dallas and works for the Catholic Diocese of Dallas as a capital campaign specialist.

Amy Ashley ’13 and Kyle Lee were married Sept. 15, 2012, at Liendo Plantation in Hempstead. Ashley teaches third grade at Horne Elementary in Cy-Fair ISD.

inmemoriam Michael Donoghue Brown ’67, sister of Anne Brown Heyburn ’60, died May 19. Nancy Pattison Buy, sister of Gina Pattison ’85, died March 31. Frank Anthony Castillo, World Champion Boston Red Socks pitcher and brother of Denise Castillo Rhodes ’92, died July 28. Shannon Doyle ’63 died July 25.

David Nelson, father of Theresa Nelson Cooney ’70, died June 22. Mary Livingstone Nicklin, mother of Dr. Robin Williamson, professor of communication, died March 26. Madeline O’Brien, member of UST’s first board of trustees, died May 4. Deirdre Joane O’Connor ’74 died July 29.

Kathleen Eichelberger, MLA ’93, beloved sister of UST’s president emeritus Fr. Braden and the mother and aunt of many UST alumni, died July 6.

Robert E. “Bob” O’Donnell, father of UST First Lady Marianne Ivany, died April 10. Bob is survived by his wife of 62 years, Betty, and his six children, Marianne, Tricia, Mike, Kelly, Tim and Rob.

Tejas Englesmith ’63 died Feb. 7.

Javier Ortiz, husband of Julie Ortiz ’10, died Feb. 9.

I N V I TAT ION

Mass of Remembrance Saturday, Nov. 9, 2 p.m. Chapel of St. Basil

Join the University of St. Thomas family as we celebrate the lives of deceased alumni, faculty, staff and friends. A reception will immediately follow in the Carol Tatkon Board Room, Malloy Hall.

Laura Pyle Olejnik ’99 died May 24.

Kathleen

Eichelberger Shirley Jean Fosher, mother of Karen Burns, M.Ed. ’04 controller, died June 30.

Fr. Donald James Fruge ’73 died April 19. Bartholomew Saint John Heaney ’86, died April 4. He is survived by his wife, Nicole Ancelet Heaney, his mother, Dianne G. Heaney, and siblings, Blaise, Damian, Fabian, Desiree, Stephanie and Michelle. Frank Hoffman ’51 died May 22. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Billie L. Hoffmann. Ann Houston Hogan Irish, daughter of E.L. Hogan, member of UST’s first board of trustees, died July 9. Arthur “Art” Minas, husband of Mary Minas ’82, died July 24.

Zorine Ann Najarian ’66 died June 18.

Ricardo Poblete, father-in-law of Patrick Krause ’93, died Aug. 13.

William John “Bill” Toomey, husband of Marlena Berger ’78, died June 14.

Therese Johnson Robin, former secretary to UST presidents, died April 26.

Christine Vogtmalone ’74 died Oct. 5.

Austin Kyle Stanfill ’12, spiritual partner of student Jacqueline DeLeon, died May 3. Austin graduated with honors and held several positions in the Center for International Studies. Willa Payne Story, mother of Dr. John Story, associate professor of management and marketing, died July 5. Beverly Clark Sutton ’87 died Dec. 21. Dr. Mehdi Taj, father of Dr. Shahram Taj, professor of management and marketing, died July 3.

Garfield Wellington, father of Pat Wellington, administrative assistant in the Office of Institutional Advancement, died Aug. 19. Rowena Faye Young, grandmother of Christopher Zeglin, senior digital design manager, died March 22. * Names received as of print deadline. Please submit news of recent deaths of alumni, direct relatives of alumni or members of the UST community to alumni@stthom.edu. To make a contribution in memory of a friend or loved one, contact the Office of Advancement 713-525-3100.

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Fall 2013

campuscouples

Triple Blind Date Leads to 52-Year Marriage

Fr. William Young, who later became UST president, officiated the Ewings’ wedding in 1961.

Barrie ’61 and Larry Ewing ’61 met on a triple blind date when Larry was a freshman at UST and Barrie was a senior at St. Agnes Academy. On Aug. 26, the happy couple celebrated 52 years of marriage. After a year at Louisiana State University, Barrie finished her college years at UST, being selected as Mardi Gras princess. She retired as a teacher in 2000. At UST, Larry served as social representative and student body president – providing him leadership skills that served him well as a teacher, special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and insurance agent for 40 years. The couple loves to travel, especially to France and Italy. They have two sons, Colly and Greg, a daughter Kate, and five grandchildren. Barrie and Larry are active in the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Eucharistic Ministers to the Homebound and the UST Austin Alumni Chapter. “In addition to the excellent education we received at UST, we appreciate the enduring friendships, the values and, Barrie and Larry Ewing, most importantly, how it taught us the place of God in our lives,” married 52 years, enjoy said Larry. g a trip to Paris.

Nancy and Bill Kilty Celebrate 50 Years Together

TOP: Nancy and Bill Kilty attend the Primavera Ball in 1959.

Bill Kilty ’62 from Missouri and his future bride Nancy ’62 from LaGrange met on campus during their freshman year at UST, in 1958. Bill played basketball; Nancy played bridge. They dated off and on throughout college and remained active in campus life. Nancy was named Mardi Gras princess her senior year. After Bill earned an economics degree and Nancy earned a bachelor’s in elementary education, he went into the U.S. Army. After his service, he joined Hartford Insurance Co. Nancy taught fourth grade at Sacred Heart Cathedral School for one year, then they were married at the Sacred Heart Church Aug. 3, 1963. “UST is very special to our family,” Bill said. “It was the beginning of ‘us.’ ” Bill and Nancy have three daughters, Suzanne, Meg and Kelly, as well as four grandsons. Bill bought into an insurance agency in McAllen in 1968, and remained there until 1996, serving as vice president of Insurance Brokers Inc. Nancy taught and served on the school board and as president of the PTO. Since retiring, restoring a The Kiltys, in their Celt red, celebrate 100-year-old home and moving to LaGrange, restoring homes 50 happy years of marriage. has become their avocation. Throughout their lives together, Bill has served as a lay minister, and they have helped many engaged couples start happy lives together – something this UST couple certainly knows something about. g

BOTTOM: Bill Kilty poses near McMurray Hall at St. Thomas while in college.

To share your Campus Couples story and photo, email alumni@stthom.edu. We look forward to hearing from you!

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Fall 2013

Student Honors Sacrifice Others Made for Her Christina Montoya grew up in a family of immigrant workers who

taught her the value of hard work and the importance of a college education. “My grandfather was a farmer who worked countless hours so his family had the necessities of life,” Christina said. “Now my father works long days in construction so my siblings and I have what we need to be successful.” With limited financial resources, Christina set her sights on an associate’s degree at a local community college, which she earned – with honors. But her mentor, UST alumnus Daniel Garcia ’01, MBA ’09, encouraged her to aim higher. With Garcia’s encouragement, Christina applied to UST and received financial aid and scholarships to help offset tuition. She has done exceptionally well as a finance and economics major and was recently accepted into UST’s BBA/MBA joint degree program. Christina is grateful for the financial assistance she has received and says attending a quality, faith-based university has changed her life. “My sister graduated from UST, and I will graduate in 2015,” Christina explained. “We are proud of this legacy, and I will not give up until I reach my goal – graduation.” Christina takes to heart a treasured piece of advice she received from her grandmother: “Work hard and never waste the sacrifice someone made for you to be successful.” With her high grade point average, volunteer service and promising future, Christina Montoya is certainly making her family proud.

The St. Thomas Fund directly supports vital scholarships that enable thousands of students like Christina to attend UST and achieve their education goals.

Investing in Tomorrow’s Leaders Today To give to the fund or to learn more, please visit www.stthom.edu/stthomasfund or contact give@stthom.edu.

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