UST Today Spring 2016 by University of St. Thomas

Spring 2016

In the Spotlight Alumni shine from coast to coast, stage to screen

Witness for Christ

Values in Practice

Setting the Stage

UST performer, humanitarian works to end human trafficking

OB-GYNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s medical clinic offers care aligned with Catholic faith

Campaign launches to build new performing arts center

from the president

Positioning UST

for a Successful Future

ou have all heard the adage, “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” As our new Center for Science and Health Professions (CSHP) rises, I am reminded that the first building built on our campus housed laboratories for chemistry, biology and physics. Now known as O’Rourke Hall, our founding Basilian Fathers appreciated the intimate relationship between the arts and the sciences. In the past 12 years, our campus has witnessed many changes – from reopening the School of Nursing, to the relocation of the Scholasticate of the Basilian Fathers from Canada to UST, to the construction of the CSHP. Our Faith in Our Future campaign has now raised over $116 million and is not only providing much-needed new facilities but scholarships and academic programs to meet the needs of our students. Keeping in mind the relationship between art and science, our next goal is to construct a new Performing and Fine Arts Center to showcase our students’ talents and provide a beautiful, spacious new venue for performances, lectures and presentations. I invite you to read more about this project and our exceptional arts programs, students and alumni in this issue of UST Today. One aspect of our university that will not change is our commitment to our mission. The values of our Basilian Fathers, goodness, discipline and knowledge, provide the foundation for that mission. The ways in which we achieve these values, however, will constantly evolve. New forms of pedagogy, different academic majors and innovative ways to reach prospective students require a team effort. A dynamic Catholic, Basilian identity, improved student retention and affordable tuition all play a critical role in UST’s future. I look forward to collaborating with the entire campus community in these areas in order to position our university for continued growth and sustainability in the 21st century. Our board of directors has assembled an outstanding team of representatives from across the UST community to oversee a formal search for our next president who will begin his or her tenure in July 2017. I am confident they will select an exceptional candidate to lead the university. I ask for your prayers for that process and continued encouragement as we enter our seventh decade willing and able to face the challenges ahead. With your help, an even brighter tomorrow and more great things are on the horizon. With faith in our future,

Robert Ivany President

Spring 2016

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

Arts In the Spotlight

Fine and Performing Arts alumni shine brightly on stage and screen and in the studio, coast to coast

EDITORS Cynthia Colbert Riley, MLA ’95 Jessica Rush Whitney Bennett

Transforming the Campus

In His Honor

Around the World

Faithful Physician

From the sciences to the arts, new facilities planned and underway will enhance students’ education

CREATIVE SERVICES Dr. Michelle Morris Ric Morris GideonStone, LLC Greg Golden Goldengraphix Ronnie Piper, MLA ’11, MBA ’15 Troy Fields Photography CONTRIBUTORS Deema Al-Rasheed ’15 Emily Bushnell Brenda B. Cooper ’05, MBA ’09 Katie Haugland Christina Henderson Melissa McDonald Darnell Miller ’10, MLA ’15 Deana Nall Kathleen Paid Rae Ann Rindhage Elaine Rivera ’15 Sandra Soliz, MLA ’01 Marion Fernandez-Cueto ’05 Bridget Hardy

Surprise announcement: Center for Faith and Culture named for founder Fr. Donald Nesti, CSSp.

Center for International Studies celebrates 35 years of preparing students for global careers

Catholic obstetrician-gynecologist honors her convictions and medical responsibilities

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Faculty Features

Celebrating Donors and Friends News & Notables Alumni Highlights Campus Couples

ON THE COVER: Julio Morales ’09, fine arts chairman at Sharpstown High School, encourages his drama students to give back to the community through service.

2 015 -16 U S T B OA R D O F D I R E C T O R S Ms. Cecilia Abbott ’87, M.Ed. ’93, MAT ’94 Msgr. James Anderson, STD ’74 Rev. Edward Baenziger, CSB Mr. Philip Bahr Rev. Patrick Braden, CSB Rev. Michael A. Buentello, CSB ’83 Ms. Denise Castillo-Rhodes, MBA ’92 Mr. Robert Corrigan His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo

Dr. Herbert P. Edmundson, Jr. ’69, Chair Mr. Michael Fleming ’84 Ms. Lois Folger, P’13 Ms. Marcia Galatas ’95 Rev. Anthony Giampietro, CSB Mr. George Goolsby Ms. Paula Savage Hansen Mr. Curtis Huff, Vice Chair Dr. Robert R. Ivany

Ms. Gloria Kalman Mr. Andrius R. Kontrimas, P’14 & ’15, Secretary Mr. Raymond A. LeBlanc Mr. Harry Mach Mr. Dennis Malloy Mr. George Martinez Mr. Oniel Mendenhall ’04 Ms. Ruth Metzger Mr. John Niemann, P’13

Mr. Stanley Paur Rev. Joseph Pilsner, CSB ’88 Rev. Stephen Reynolds ’89 Mr. Reynaldo Reza Ms. Mary Ricciardello, CPA Rev. Thomas Rosica, CSB Very Rev. George Smith, CSB Mr. Michael Stuart Mr. Ignacio Torras, P’15 Mr. Jesse Tutor

* P = Parent

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www.stthom.edu/finearts

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“Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste this talent, but must develop it.” – Pope John Paul II

he arts are a critical part

of a complete liberal arts education at UST, shaping the culture and informing the students – whether they study the fine and performing arts or make their own path through another major. This issue features drama, music and fine arts students, faculty and alumni who shine brightly in their fields – working behind the scenes and in the spotlight, and creating their own businesses – across Greater Houston and coast to coast from L.A. to New York City.

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Alumnus Traverses the Globe to Share the Joy of American Music Abroad

For Former Monk, Connecting Music and Community Grows His Soul Craig Kinsey ’02 has focused his music career on a spiritual principal: “grow your soul by means of community.” A former Catholic monk, Kinsey graduated magna cum laude from UST with degrees in philosophy and psychology. Since graduation, Kinsey has created a successful career in music – writing albums, teaching guitar and playing in his namesake band, Craig Kinsey. Kinsey’s proudest achievement however, is maintaining the relationships he formed while at UST. Fellow alumni Geoffrey Muller ’02 and Mike Whitebread ’03 are members of Kinsey’s band, which has an emphasis on Americana music. Whitebread also has helped produce Kinsey’s albums. “I would not be where I am today without the friendships I formed at UST,” Kinsey said. His background as a monk and his education at UST have given him a unique perspective on community and diversity. “Music breaks the boundaries of polarity and division. The experience of that at UST has helped a great deal in my work in the music scene in Houston.” Two years ago, Kinsey co-founded Splice Records and created two music festivals that focus on community: River Revival, a three-day festival in New Braunfels sourced primarily by local vendors, and Bowie Elvis Fest, which draws long lines at the Continental Club in Houston. Kinsey has set a distinctive goal for Splice Records: “Instead of using the community to elevate and bolster the music, we’re turning that around and using music to bolster the community.”g U S T T O D AY

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Musician Mike Whitebread ’03 believes faith and reason are “two wings of the same bird.” He credits UST’s liberal arts education and its strong grounding in theology and philosophy for teaching him to think critically while exploring the great works of art and literature. Whitebread’s passion for making and producing music has led him around the world, playing with bands like Kareem Salama in the United States, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and most surprisingly, at a country-western festival in Malaysia. He is part of the U.S. State Department’s American Music Abroad program, which sends American musicians overseas to connect with communities and underserved youth. Whitebread earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from UST, with a focus on jazz guitar, piano and composition, and a master’s from the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music. His degrees gave him a skillset that equipped him for success in the music industry. He has appeared on ABC World News and CNN, and has most recently played guitar at the Alley Theater in a production of “One Man, Two Governors.” In addition to his career as a music performer and producer, Whitebread also teaches at UST’s Music Preparatory School. “My favorite reward of teaching is when students learn to express themselves through music and have the art become a part of their lives,” he said. “The confidence and self-assurance students get when they start to master music carries over to other life pursuits.”g

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For Houston-based actress Helen Rios ’12, success in the theater starts with listening and “seeking first to understand.” “Our work requires a great deal of teamwork,” Rios said. “In order to work together successfully, you have to understand where the other person is coming from.” Rios, a fan of Shakespeare, starred in March as Hermia in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” – an allfemale cast with the Boiling Point Players at Studio 101. Her past roles have included characters at the Alley Theater, the Houston Grand Opera and Shakespeare in the Shade. Her favorite role so far has been playing Catherine in Arthur Miller’s “A View from the Bridge.” “I loved the challenge because I am usually cast in comedic roles,” Rios said. “That role had a lot of complexity.” Rios intentionally works to retain the passion she discovered while performing at UST. “I went there with a completely different plan – and fell in love with theater,” Rios said. “UST supported me in all aspects of theater, not just acting.” Of all the influences on her acting career, Rios most attributes her success to the relationships nurtured at UST. “I met amazing people at UST who have impacted my life for the better,” she said. “Mentors, relationships, supportive friends – they are there no matter where we are in life. UST has quality people.”g

Wherefore Art Thou? Shakespeare to Miller, Houston Actress Enjoys the Challenge

In Houston’s Reliant Stadium in February 2004, Walter Suhr ’89 and his band Mango Punch! performed to pre-game cheers as more than 1.4 million people prepared to watch the Patriots and the Panthers duke it out in Super Bowl XXXVIII. Mango Punch! took the stage between country music greats Toby Keith and Willie Nelson and rock group Aerosmith. The experience was the highlight of Suhr’s career as a performer. As a songwriter, although he’s recorded six CDs of original music, one of his most meaningful accomplishments came through his alma mater. “I was honored to be commissioned to write the theme song for UST,” Suhr said. “After all the university has done for me, I was happy to be able to give them something in return.” A graduate of the music and computer science programs at UST, Suhr earned his Bachelor of Arts degree and started the band in 1991. This year, Mango Punch! celebrates its 25th anniversary, and Suhr credits UST for much of the band’s success. “I’m thankful for the musical preparation and wellrounded education that has helped my career,” Suhr said. “I owe a big part of the longevity of the band to the education I received from UST.” Though Suhr is known as a performer, he has also won multiple awards for songwriting, including placing first in the Latin category of the 9th annual Billboard Songwriting Contest. “There is a Chinese proverb that says, ‘Life is like an echo. We get back what we give,’” said Suhr. “I have received so much in life; now I’m trying to catch up on giving back.”g

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PHOTO BY DANH PHAN

Award-winning Band Led by UST Alumnus Celebrates Quarter Century of Success

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Artist Impacts Community with Artwork for Project Row Houses

Sharpstown HS Graduate Revitalizes Drama Program, Inspires Service Julio Morales ’09 first fell in love with drama at Houston’s Sharpstown High School, and he has returned to his roots to ignite the theatrical imagination of the next generation of students. The 2005 SHS graduate was hired as the high school’s theater director and later became fine arts chairman in 2011. When he began, the theater production troupe only had four students participating in the fall play production. Five years later, Morales has inspired more than 180 students to participate in theater. He did this, in part, by developing courses such as Advanced Acting and Advanced Theatrical Design for students interested in pursuing theater in college. The dramatic growth has also been inspired by the passion Morales exhibits for his work and his dedication to the students – including using his personal time to prepare students for auditions and theater design contests. “I want students to have every opportunity to find success in theater,” Morales said. “But I also want them to learn that it’s not just about being a good performer; it’s about being a good person.” Alongside his lessons about acting, set blocking and stage presence are lessons about charity, humanity and the need to help others. When he was a student at UST, Morales was involved in the President’s Day of Service. That experience inspired him to reestablish the International Thespian Honor Society, which requires students to participate in community service. “Students now approach me with service project ideas and community needs,” Morales said. “They are always eager for more opportunities to give back.”g U S T T O D AY

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Her childhood fascination with horses led Jennifer Mendez ’15 to feature the majestic animal prominently in her drawings, paintings and sculptures. Since graduating from UST in December, Mendez has been featured in a two-person local exhibit and was a pre-qualified artist for the 2016 Mini Murals project meant to integrate more art across Houston. The studio arts graduate uses the basic colors of black, white and shades of brown to create her work. “My work represents all people, cultures and backgrounds,” Mendez said. “With my art, I create a language to talk about culture, communities and issues in American society.” Last year, Mendez participated in the Project Row Houses Summer Studio program. Her project focused on how horses are sold and slaughtered as an analogy for problems with gentrification. She explained that horses are often sent to slaughter when they still have many years of life in them. Likewise, she said, when someone is not able to keep up their property in a low-income neighborhood, real estate companies sometimes purchase and destroy the property to redevelop the area without looking at its significance. “Artists’ work can say a lot about culture and society,” Mendez said. “We can make people see from a different perspective.” Mendez loves Pope John Paul’s statement that, through art and beauty, “humanity, every time it loses its way, will be able to lift itself up and set out again on the right path.”g

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Jamie Rezanour ’04 landed a job from one of her first auditions in New York City in 2013. Her star has risen ever since. She recently co-starred on two popular TV series, Blindspot and Blue Bloods, and she enjoyed the opportunity to work with Tom Selleck. “I was a reporter asking him questions,” Rezanour said. “Working with an accomplished actor like that and finding out he’s just a normal person was super cool.” This spring, Rezanour shot a web series, Witches of Norwood, where she played a sassy witch from the Bronx. She’s been in numerous commercials and performed in a number of plays – including multiple roles in Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure” and Helena in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Rezanour is a Shakespeare Ambassador with The Shakespeare Society in NYC. She is also writing a play. Rezanour promotes herself as a Texas-born Latina/Persian actress who is fluent in Spanish, and she has signed with a theatrical agency in New York. The drama alumna said the strong acting foundation she received at UST was extremely important to her success. “UST has a strong theater department, and I was lucky to get a lot of stage experience there and blossom as an actor,” she said. Rezanour wasn’t involved in high school productions, but auditioned on her second day at UST. “I was watching the other actors perform and a fire inside me woke up,” she said. “I knew this was where I wanted to be and what I wanted to do.”g

Actress Enjoying Work on Stage and Screen in the Competitive Big Apple

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When Amelia Templeton ’15 enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps at age 19, she intended to retire after 20 years of service working on CH-53 E helicopters. However, the avionic technician’s plans changed when injuries sustained during her tour in Iraq led to a medical discharge. Her military experience allowed her to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program, a college-funding source for veterans supported by UST and the U.S. government. UST’s recognition as a top military friendly school caught Templeton’s attention, and she enrolled in the drama program and minored in communications. Being in drama was like coming home for Templeton. She had been involved in theater productions since age 12 through community theaters and in middle school and high school. “I was drawn to theater set design because I could build props, work on sets, use my construction skills and learn new things,” Templeton said. “I’m excited that UST is preparing me for a theater-related career that will provide for my family.” While working on her degree, Templeton is interning at the Houston Family Arts Center as the set designer. She was recently joined in her work there by UST fine arts and drama professor Eric Domuret (director/choreographer) and fellow drama major Alexandra Brokmeyer (stage manager) for an HFAC production of the musical Forever Plaid. Domuret said, “It is rewarding to watch the students successfully work in a professional environment – and for us to be colleagues.”g

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Former Marine Translates Military Skills to Houston’s Theatrical Stage

LA Actor Loves His Work, Is Grateful for UST Ben Warner IV ’05 is not concerned about fame. He just wants to make a living as an actor, and for more than 10 years now, he’s done just that. After acting in the Houston and Texas market for a decade – and working every cliché job actors typically work to make ends meet between projects – he moved to Los Angeles in 2014 to pursue his dream “on a larger scale.” Warner has found steady work on stage and screen since his move, including an oft-recognized role in a General Insurance commercial. “The industry itself is pretty much the same from Houston to L.A., but L.A. has a lot more productions, commercials and pilots for new shows,” Warner said. This spring, he and a fellow Houstonian have been developing their own TV show. Warner works closely with his agent to find work that’s a perfect fit, which has often been comedy. “My manager described me this way: ‘It’s as if Paul Rudd and Owen Wilson had a love child.’ I’m OK with that.” Warner’s work has varied through the years, from starring in a Bollywood film shot in New York and India to performing Shakespeare to making an appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel Live! TV show. Warner performed earlier this year as the antagonist in a dramatic play called “Red Velvet,” dealing with race issues and politics in the British theater in the 1800s. “My time at UST taught me to think and provided rich experience in the theater,” Warner said. “Now I get to do work that’s important and enriching to my life and to the lives of other people. When I’m doing work I love, it doesn’t feel like work at all.”g

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In “Allegiant,” a popular book-based movie sequel released this spring, Louis Whisenant ’10 plays a leader in a faction called the Fringe. While considered a principal in the movie because he had lines, Whisenant (stage name Louis Alexander) doesn’t define himself as an actor. “I don’t call myself a set designer, actor – any of those things,” he said. “I take each endeavor seriously, but I don’t focus my attention on just one channel.” Whisenant first got involved in the theater at UST while taking elective classes in acting and screenwriting. He attended an audition for a class project and ended up trying out. “They needed someone with a British accent, so I got the part. That’s the way things started,” he said. The native-born Texan spent 11 years living in England, and he arrived at UST after his older brother enrolled as a student. On campus, Whisenant got involved in all aspects of theater including directing and light design. After graduating, he moved to Los Angeles, but returned to Houston after two years. Now he works in an unrelated field but has signed with a local agency to pick up acting and related technical jobs. He made an appearance on the popular series “Zoo” last year, and he enjoyed playing a Slovenian hotel clerk in a movie. He credits UST for kickstarting his career and his best friendships. “I made so many lasting friends at UST,” he said. “We keep in touch, even though some now live in other countries.”g

PHOTO BY PETER KONERKO

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Creative Alumnus Lands Roles in Movie Sequel, Hit TV Show

First Lady Envisions Vibrant Future for Arts at UST

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A new Performing and Fine Arts Center will bolster the artistic vibrancy of both UST and our Houston community and is absolutely critical in strengthening our position as a great Catholic liberal arts university. The Rev. Joseph Pilsner, CSB, exquisitely described the importance of the arts to a liberal arts education when he remarked, “True works of art manifest the intelligence and freedom of their human creators and reflect the beauty of the divine creator. Catholic liberal arts would be impoverished without ways of exploring this dimension of human achievement.”

have the opportunity to participate Marianne Ivany UST First Lady in flute recitals, perform in drama productions and deliver works at poetry readings. We are blessed to provide our students with so many occasions to partake in the fine and performing arts, both as a performer and as an audience member. But the time has come to raise the bar higher. Performance venues on campus are small, outdated and can no longer accommodate the needs of our expanding programs, the influx of prospective students and increasingly larger audiences.

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Marianne Ivany (center) performs in a UST production of “Alice in Wonderland.”

My theatrical career was short-lived, however, when my mother discovered that rehearsals were scheduled at exactly the same time as my catechism classes. I was heartbroken! Never did I imagine that 50 years later I would once again be cast in a production of “Alice in Wonderland” at the University of St. Thomas! The Music Department and the Fine Arts and Drama Department at UST offer an outstanding curriculum for theater, music, voice and studio arts majors. Yet on any given night, about 40 percent of the performers on our campus stages are biology, business and English majors who just happen to love music and theater. Even nontraditional students, like myself,

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n 1962 I auditioned for the role of Alice in a local production of “Alice in Wonderland.”

Charity Guild of Catholic Women Makes Impact on Houston’s Children

n 1922, when Houston’s population totaled just 140,000, a group of civic-minded women realized the needs in the city could best be met if they organized their efforts. A few months later, Mrs. Lucian R. Carroll invited 59 of these women to her home for lunch – and each one contributed $1 to a charity fund to help underprivileged children. An organization was born – the forerunner of today’s Charity Guild of Catholic Women. Their only objective was to serve the community, and they adopted this mission statement: “To aid all children in the Houston area, regardless of race or creed.”

The Charity Guild continues its legacy of service to the community by supporting numerous organizations that help children. Over the past 10 years alone, the Guild has given approximately $3 million to children’s charities. It continues as an all-volunteer organization of dedicated women. Through the years, the Charity Guild has generously supported several UST projects, including youth summer camps

hosted by UST and a children’s theater program that served more than 400 elementary and middleschool aged students from innercity Catholic schools. A number of UST benefactors are also supportive Charity Guild members, including Connie Little, Jill Metzger and Michele Malloy, past chair of the UST Board of Directors. “We are grateful for the generous support of the Charity Guild through the years, and to all the members who have sponsored our projects,” said Cynthia Riley, UST vice president for Institutional Advancement. g

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ARTrepreneurs Anna Hawley ’96

Co-Owner and Marketing Communications Strategist Hawley Design+Consulting

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Creative duo Anna ’96 and Chris Hawley are doing their part to keep Houston diverse and unique.

Meeka Opong ’13 Music Instructor and Professional Singer

After graduating magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in music, Meeka Opong ’13 created some business cards and flyers and began marketing herself as a private lesson instructor for voice and piano, as well as a singer-for-hire. Opong now has a calendar full of weddings, funerals, parties and other singing engagements at local churches across Greater Houston. “It was very difficult starting it myself,” Opong said. “Trying to make one’s way as a freelance, professional musician requires perseverance, constant job searching and the willingness to always be ready for an audition.”g 10

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Business savvy alums enjoying success in the arts

Offering graphic design, illustration and branding services, as well as marketing, communications and strategic planning, Hawley Design+Consulting is working with businesses ranging from start-ups to national corporations. Running their business from home keeps the creativity flowing and the family life going. “Our days are filled with client calls, new projects, brainstorming and goal setting,” Anna said. “No office politics, unless we are debating whose turn it is to let the dogs out.” The Hawley’s form of art brings together Chris’ design and illustration skills and Anna’s love of creative writing. They generously offer their creative services to UST by donating artwork and graphic design to events such as Two Saints and a Taco Tasting. Their business model works especially well because it allows Chris and Anna to spend more time with their two daughters, ages 13 and 9. Having the whole family for inspiration has taken the Hawleys into their next creative business venture: a toy line and brand called The Weirds, launched at the New York Toy Fair in February to positive reviews. “Normal is boring,” Anna said. “Weird people are the creative types, the risk takers, the explorers and the innovators.”g

JUX TAP OS ITIO N

Many talented musicians, artists and performers studied non-arts subjects.

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During the week, Dr. Jack Follis, assistant professor of mathematics, teaches statistics courses at UST. But on the weekends, he can be found playing guitar at local coffee shops. Some people might think he’s living in two different worlds, but to Follis, math and music are closely related. “The relationship between math and music can be traced back to ancient Greece, mainly to the Pythagoreans, who used ratios to describe musical intervals,” Follis said. Math naturally clicked for Follis as a child, and in high school, he began learning bass guitar before eventually adding guitar and a few percussion instruments. Throughout his career, Follis has continued to pursue his passions in both areas, also teaching in the Math and Music Academy camp at UST. “I enjoy seeing different mathematical concepts that can be demonstrated with music,” he said. “Musically, while mathematics may not be heard directly in what I play, it helps me understand music theory.” One of Follis’s favorite quotes is by the jazz musician Thelonious Monk, who said, “All musicians are subconsciously mathematicians.” Follis would agree. g

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UST Math Professor Says Music and Math Have a Special Kinship, Closely Tied Together

PHOTO BY KARELLE PHOTOGRAPHY

A passion for dance and the dream of owning her own business led competitive ballroom dancer Estefania Papadopulos to the UST campus. “After learning of the environment and culture, I felt it was the right school for me,” said Papadopulos. “The personalized learning environment attracted me very much. I knew I would have a better chance of building relationships and making connections.” Papadopulos is pursuing a master’s degree in general business with a minor in psychology. She’s been on a break from dancing to recover from an injury, but hopes to soon return to competitive international ballroom and Latin dancing with her new partner. “It will be a dream come true to be back on the dance floor,” Papadopulos said. “I hope to make the national finals and, eventually, compete internationally. That would be an amazing experience.”g

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Student’s Life Combines Passion for Business, Ballroom Dancing

English Professor, Actor Blends Two Passions UST English Professor Charles S. Krohn’s 30 seasons of work with Houston’s Alley Theatre helps him bring his classroom lectures to life – especially in courses focused on Shakespeare or modern drama. Students especially love it when he reads in distinctive voices. The popular professor has brought creative energy to the UST English Department for 50 years, and this spring he presented the annual Lee Lecture about teaching. Krohn is a former student and colleague of Fr. Edward Lee, the namesake of the lecture series who passed away 40 years ago. Last fall, Krohn was honored at a celebration hosted by The Classical Theatre Company for his contributions to the performing arts in Houston. g

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A Musical Summer

UST Offers Variety of Summer Music Camps for Kids UST’s top-ranked summer music camp program allows students

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to participate in daily classes, individual and ensemble performances and concerts. The faculty members are professional musicians and instructors with extensive experience teaching in summer music programs, workshops and private settings. Student participants are placed into groups by age and musical skill level. Each student receives group and individual instruction and hands-on experience. Camps are designed for students who will be in grades 3-12 this fall.

Axiom Ensemble Camp

Summer Guitar Camp

Axiom String Quartet is a resident chamber music string quartet at UST’s Music Preparatory School. Young musicians have the opportunity to learn from professional quartet members June 6-10. Each group will be coached by a member of the Axiom String Quartet. The music repertoire will be chosen by the faculty based on the music level of the group. On the last day of camp, ensemble groups will perform a recital in Cullen Hall. Students will be expected to play at Suzuki Book 2+ or the equivalent. A maximum of 44 students will be accepted. Deadline to register is May 23. g

Acoustic, electric and bass guitar students participating in UST’s Summer Guitar Camp will explore a variety of music through group activities, discover theory and practice technique and learn to perform and “jam” with other musicians. Summer Guitar Camp runs July 11-15. On the last day of camp, students will perform a recital in a concert hall accompanied by professional musicians. g

28th Annual Houston Piano Camp Houston Piano Camp is UST’s longest running summer camp. Students explore a variety of music through group activities, discover theory and practice technique and voyage through the instructional series, Composers. Houston Piano Camp runs June 20-24. On the last day of camp, students will perform a recital in Cullen Hall on a Steinway concert grand piano. g

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Houston Classical Guitar Workshop During this Classical Guitar Workshop, students can attend masterclasses by visiting artists. Afternoon concerts at 4 p.m. will showcase young Texas talent. Evening concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. Houston Classical Guitar Workshop runs July 15-17. g

String Orchestra Institute The summer String Orchestra Institute will provide intense music training for talented young students to continue their development. Students will perform works from different eras including Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods. The String Orchestra Institute runs July 18-22.

Violin students will be expected to play at Suzuki Book 4+ or the equivalent. It is recommended that all instrumentalists have prior solo and orchestral experience, but it is not a requirement. After reading sessions, students will perform a concert based on selected works. g

Math and Music Academy UST’s Math and Music Academy offers a unique opportunity for students to enhance their understanding of mathematical and musical concepts through the examination of the connection between math and music. Students will learn the mathematics of beats, visualize tones and explore the mathematical differences in musical intervals. The Math and Music Academy runs July 25-29. The academy is open to students of any instrument, as well as voice. Groups will be determined by mathematical level. g

Applicants are encouraged to apply early. Unless otherwise noted, deadline to register is May 30. Interested participants can register online at www.stthom.edu/ summercamps.

facultyfeature Dr. Malcolm Solomon, UST associate professor of music and Jazz Ensemble conductor, was raised on music. His mother started teaching him piano when he was 4, and he was playing in competitions by age 10.

Music Lover, Recognized Composer Inspires His Students to Create by Example Throughout his early life, a diverse collection of music – from Negro spirituals to R&B to classical to rock ’n’ roll – was played in his home. And he loved all of it. By his teen years, Solomon tried his hand at composing. That’s when he realized something that would shape his future as an artist. “I enjoyed creating my own music even more than performing music written by someone else,” Solomon said. So he kept writing music and began writing short stories and poems as well. He would compose music to accompany them, as though they were short films. With these early experiences, it seemed only natural he would grow up to work as a composer, writer, director and independent filmmaker. Solomon’s films and screenplays have been hailed and honored at many festivals including Cannes, Sundance and the Hollywood Black Film Festival. His film scores have been honored by The American Festival of the Arts and selected by a long list of music conferences and alliances. A natural creator of art, Solomon also enjoys teaching his students the concepts behind his skills through his

courses such as music theory and ear training. “Once students understand the foundational concepts of music, they can more fully appreciate music – and also begin to create their own,” he said. The varied sounds Solomon listened to growing up have continued to influence his composing style throughout his career. “With film music, the purpose is to enhance the visual,” he said. “So you might find yourself composing music that sounds like Bach or Dvorak, John Coltrane or Elton John. I love that wide palette of expression.” Solomon not only recognizes the value in vastly different types of music, he embraces what each style has to offer. He compares the art of improvisation in jazz, for example, to visiting a psychiatrist. “However, instead of talking your problems out, you use music,” he said. Some might expect a classical and

jazz musician and composer such as Solomon to turn his nose up at rock ’n’ roll, but he loves it – especially the way classic rock connects with other music genres. In fact, he believes popular music and classical are connected more fundamentally than some people realize. From a theory perspective, similar progressions can be found in both pop and Mozart, he said. “Rock from the ’60s and early ’70s amalgamated with jazz and classical, encompassing the various styles of music I love,” Solomon said. As a music professor and conductor at UST, Solomon strives to nurture his students’ passion for music. “I tell them to truly enjoy what they do,” he said. “Even if they never make a million dollars with their music, it can fire them up every morning and inspire their creative imagination.” g

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facultyfeature In addition to Eric Domuret’s busy teaching and production schedule at UST, the drama professor is also helping grow the Houston Family Arts Center – alongside some of his students.

Local Theater Program Benefits from UST Professor’s Expertise He loves his work at the HFAC, a family-friendly theater and arts education venue. He recently directed and choreographed “Forever Plaid,” a musical theater piece, and several production roles were filled by current UST students. HFAC shares many of the same Domuret has been a professional values and principles as UST, which actor, director, singer and fight makes it an appealing location for the choreographer, having worked with UST drama department to spread its several Shakespeare and theater talent into the community. Since its companies. Some of his worldwide founding in 2005, HFAC has enriched achievements include writing and the community with educational directing productions for London’s outlets such as full Studio 7, and productions, acting development of “Our Fine Arts and conservatories and Drama Department is well award-winning fight acting classes. choreography at respected in the Greater Trinity Shakespeare Domuret shares his time with HFAC Festival in Fort Worth Houston community.” because of their for his work – Eric Domuret mission to not only in “Macbeth.” entertain, but to also inspire, challenge Domuret also recently won best and educate – all while promoting actor in a musical for his work in positive community values. “Next to Normal” at Music Box Musicals. “Theater, by its nature, is a He skillfully combines theatrical collaborative art,” said Domuret. “I get opportunities in the community with to watch my students implement this those at UST. After directing a youth by taking what they learn at UST and production of “Romeo and Juliet” at applying it to the greater machine of HFAC in 2014, he was able to carry a professional theater production.” that production basis to UST with a 14

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21st-century version of the Shakespeare classic. Students joined him in modernizing the famous play, finding new ways to grow as both performers and as people. “It’s more than just acting,” said Domuret. “Students are learning the tactile devices of their job such as scenic plans, deadlines, promotions and marketing, rehearsal reports and many other aspects of theater production.” Thanks in part to Domuret’s many successes at UST and in the Greater Houston community, UST drama is making a name for itself. “Our Fine Arts and Drama Department is well-respected in the Houston community,” Domuret said. “You will find several local theaters where UST is being represented and providing employment in the arts.” Visit www.stthom.edu/drama to see the latest UST theater production schedules. g

facultyfeature In 1984, the UST Drama Department’s founder Sam Havens cast an 11-year-old Claire McDonald in a performance by the Alley Theater’s Merry-Go-Round Players – a youth theater education program. Today, the two are colleagues.

Drama Chair Celebrates More Than Three Decades at UST McDonald, UST Fine Arts and Drama Department chair, has grown programs in drama, art history and studio arts for the past 31 years. She recently brought one of Havens’ original plays, “The Love Seat,” to production with rave reviews. The 20th century-style comedy allowed drama students to work with elements of farce and Vaudeville-style theater. “‘The Love Seat’ was a great growth experience for me and the student actors,” McDonald said. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” McDonald said UST’s drama program offers students a personal, intensive and conservatory-style experience with one-on-one training with faculty members. Students engage in acting, directing, playwriting and design. “I want students to learn all aspects of their craft,” she said. “They can be actively involved in all aspects of drama while earning their bachelor’s degree. All those experiences build on the breadth and depth of UST’s liberal arts education.” Students love the personalized learning opportunity in UST’s drama program and talk about how much they

appreciate McDonald’s interest in their lives and their future careers. “When you attend UST, you are never just some face in the crowd,” McDonald said. “Because of students’ experiences here, they become very useful theater professionals after graduation.” In addition, she said many students stay active in theater regardless of their ultimate career choice. This spring, McDonald’s theater students produced a classic Greek drama, “Ion,” which tells the story of an orphan as he discovers his true origins. In addition to the rich UST experiences, McDonald said the faculty try to connect students with world-renowned cultural institutions throughout the Houston Museum District and Houston Theater District – and to other programs on campus. The UST Studio Arts Program is offered through The Glassell School of

Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. This collaboration incorporates a Catholic perspective and global art from the classic to the contemporary. McDonald praised the Art History program at UST for the many ways it contributes to the overall liberal arts experience – “enhancing the intellectual, aesthetic and spiritual dimensions of the power of art, design and architecture.” Throughout her career at UST, McDonald has seen many students grow their craft and live their artistic dreams. “There is real value in what we can do for the world through art,” said McDonald. “And from the East Coast to the West Coast, UST students and alumni are showing that.” A full schedule of fine arts and drama productions, as well as ticket purchase details, can be found at www.stthom.edu/dramatickets. g

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facultyfeature For 47 years, Sam Havens has created theatrical productions for the University of St. Thomas. The founder and professor emeritus of the Fine Arts and Drama Department joined UST as a part-time drama instructor in 1969.

Fine Arts and Drama Department Founder Still Writing Plays, Inspiring Students While exploring the campus one day, he noticed the second floor of Jones Hall – once an art gallery – had been cleared out. This empty space sparked an idea. He sought approval from then-president Fr. Patrick Braden, CSB to turn the location into a black-box theater and to expand from a few basic theater classes into a full-fledged Drama Department. “I started converting the 40-by-60 space with the help of students and even Fr. Braden,” said Havens. “We found some used theater seats, built seat risers, purchased lighting and paint, and before you knew it, we had Jones Theater.” The first production of the UST Drama Department was a classic: “The Importance of Being Ernest” by Oscar Wilde. As the department’s popularity grew, Sam needed a staff. Claire McDonald was hired as a drama professor and is still at UST as chair of the Fine Arts and Drama Department. Jones Theater now seats 96 and has been the home to hundreds of musicals, dramas, comedies, recitals, dance performances, art shows and more. The space is also used as a lecture room for drama courses in 16

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stagecraft, movement, theater speech, playwriting and theater history. Havens now teaches part time for UST and writes original plays. One of his works, a farcical comedy-romance called “The Love Seat,” was produced in Jones Theater in early February. During his successful career, Havens has completed more than 25 plays and a novel. His plays have been produced in the United States, Canada and Australia, and he has received awards and playwriting grants from the Ford Foundation and Texas Commission on Arts and Humanities. He also performs voice-over narration for radio, TV commercials and industrial films. UST produced Havens’ comedy “Funny Thing About Ghosts” in 2014. His play “Curve” was one of six finalists out of 200 submissions to be selected for Dayton Playhouse’s FutureFest in 2012.

“My plays have won productions in several new play festivals,” Havens said. To honor Havens for his work to build the successful drama program, contributors created the Havens Drama Scholarship Fund. Alumni have held special events through the years to build this fund to help future students. Since the drama program’s humble beginnings, UST alumni have become film and stage actors, playwrights, stage managers and stagehands, voiceover talent, directors, theater arts teachers and more. Havens is proud of their accomplishments, adding, “We’re a small program, but the intense, oneon-one training our students receive gives them a great advantage in this competitive field.” g

facultyfeature Dr. Brady Knapp cannot remember a day without music in his life. Knapp is a UST associate professor of music and coordinator of vocal and choral studies.

Professor’s Love of Music Began in Childhood

He teaches studio voice, directs UST’s opera workshop (which he founded), leads the University Singers, and directs and accompanies the Pop Singers. He also works as the director of music at Houston’s historic Palmer Episcopal Church, where he began working while a graduate student at Rice University in the late ’90s. Knapp’s own music story began before he could even walk, when his parents snapped photos of him pulling up on the piano and desperately reaching for the keys. His formative years were filled with church choir, voice, piano and organ lessons, community and high school musical theater productions, and singing and barbershop quartet competitions. After earning a voice performance bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University, and a master’s and doctorate from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, Knapp joined the music faculty at UST in 2005. Since then, he has taught and mentored vocal students, some of whom have gone on to graduate studies at Yale, Rice, Baylor and SMU, among others. A lyric baritone, Knapp has performed as a soloist with various

orchestras, chamber groups and choral societies. Knapp, whose days have been filled with music since birth, now fills the lives of others with music. He teaches private lessons to a few talented high school music students, as well as gifted young professional musicians. But he discourages his UST students from focusing only on making it to Broadway or the Metropolitan Opera. “Ethically, I feel we have a serious responsibility as collegiate music educators to encourage students to explore every aspect of professional music making,” Knapp said. “Only a handful go on to have a career making a living solely as an opera singer. It’s important that places like UST prepare students for the realities of the world.” UST vocal majors are provided with numerous opportunities – more than most schools UST’s size – to perform. Every year, these students sing two opera workshop performances, two

pop shows and four choral concerts. Their rich educational experience includes sacred and secular music, pedagogy, opera, operetta and early music, choral, Broadway and pop music. Since Knapp joined the music department in 2005, course offerings for vocal majors have expanded to include opera workshop, junior and senior recitals and stage direction. A Master of Liberal Arts and Master in Sacred Music were also added. The department has become widely known for its standard of excellence, which Knapp credits with attracting such a high number of musically talented students to UST. “Our students have the opportunity to learn from some of the finest faculty and to engage in numerous student-led productions,” Knapp said. “Coupled with our fine liberal arts education, students are equipped to compete – and succeed – in music, or in whatever field they later choose.” g

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Setting the Stage With Faith in Our

Future Center to Transform Arts at UST for the 21st Century

he University of St. Thomas is seeking leadership gifts to eventually construct a new Performing

and Fine Arts Center on its campus in the heart of Houston. This project demonstrates UST’s commitment to the arts as vital components of the education mission.

The new center will supplement UST’s current outdated, inadequate performance and lecture spaces, providing an exquisite venue that will meet the needs of our students and the Houston area.

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The new state-of-the-art venue will showcase our students’ talents and enable UST to attract largerscale audiences for world-class lectures, concerts and performances. The center will span an entire city block across the street from Guinan Hall, our student residence, and adjacent to the northeast corner of the famous Rothko Chapel and Menil Museum complex. At nearly 70,000 square feet, the center will include a 600-seat concert hall, a 150-seat black box theater, an art gallery lobby, music and drama rehearsal rooms, a music library, facility studios, practice booths, a scene shop, a costume shop and laundry, dressing rooms,

Renderings of the future Performing and Fine Arts Center were generously provided by a gift from the Alkek and Williams Foundation and Margaret Alkek Williams.

Future

will bolster the artistic vibrancy â&#x20AC;&#x153; The ofnewourcenter UST community and establish a much higher profile for the arts on campus.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dr. Robert Ivany, President

a musicians lounge, banquet support space and front-of-house and public spaces. By significantly elevating the quality of the performing and fine arts programs, the center will enable UST to attract and serve more students in the creative fields. It will increase opportunities for students to refine their talents by providing needed facilities that UST currently lacks for its music, drama and fine arts departments. The architecturally stunning center will provide a much-needed mid-size performance and lecture venue for UST that will also be available for use by community arts groups and their patrons.

At an estimated cost of approximately $30 million, the Performing and Fine Arts Center is a key priority of Faith in Our Future: The Campaign for the University of St. Thomas. This unprecedented $170 million fundraising effort is transforming key programs and facilities in the performing and fine arts, as well as in the health and sciences. It is bolstering scholarship funds to make UST more accessible to any student with the desire and drive to succeed. g

To learn more, please visit www.ustfaithinourfuture.com

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LIGHTING THE WAY

for Students in the Health

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www.usttfaithinoufuture.com

onstruction has begun for UST’s new $47.3 million Center for Science and Health Professions, and fundraising is underway to equip the CSHP’s 4th-floor chemistry labs.

A groundbreaking ceremony in November kicked off the construction phase for the highly adaptive, personalized learning environment designed to house the Carol and Odis Peavy School of Nursing and the biology and chemistry departments. The center is one of the highest funding priorities of Faith in Our Future: The Campaign for the University of St. Thomas. In future phases, the CSHP will also serve students

Undergraduate research greatly enhances student learning by developing critical thinking abilities and promoting problem-solving skills, intellectual independence and an innovationoriented culture. Results of UST students’ work are routinely published in scientific journals and presented at professional scientific meetings. The chemistry program produces scholars who are well-prepared for graduate school, professional school or

The center’s laboratories will be a training ground for future physicians, nurses, researchers, engineers and other STEM professionals – leaders who will shape our healthcare system for generations to come. Naming opportunities are available as part of the Chemistry Lab Initiative. For more information, contact Tina Medline in UST Institutional Advancement at 713-525-3100 or advancement@stthom.edu. g

and Science Professions studying mathematics, bioinformatics, physics, cooperative engineering and environmental science. Nearly half of entering freshman at UST have an interest in a STEMrelated field. The new facility will meet the increasing demands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math degree programs in Houston. More than 100,000 square feet will be dedicated to modern lab space and classrooms. During the fall groundbreaking ceremony, several hundred friends and members of the UST community celebrated the official start of this vital project. “Words cannot adequately express my gratitude to the many benefactors who responded with an outpouring of support,” said Dr. Robert Ivany, UST president. “The CSHP will serve as a 21st-century model of collaborative, interdisciplinary learning that meets the challenges of today’s world and inspires learning.” Funds raised through the Chemistry Lab Initiative will provide vital, upto-date equipment for all facets of the chemistry laboratory program, including undergraduate research activities, which are reserved for graduate students at most other universities.

UST leaders and supporters ceremoniously break ground on the Center for Science and Health Professions.

employment. Over the last three years, 81 percent of chemistry and biochemistry graduates were accepted into graduate/ health professional schools or were employed upon graduation. Six percent of degrees awarded by UST are in chemistry or biochemistry, second only to Rice University among our local competitors on a per capita basis. New chemistry labs will enable UST to increase enrollment in entry-level chemistry and physics courses, which is currently limited due to inadequate lab space. U S T T O D AY

Spring 2016

Raises More Than $900K for Student Scholarships

he 66th annual Mardi Gras Gala raised nearly $930,000 for The St. Thomas Fund, the annual giving program benefiting student scholarships. The famous “paddles up” auction specifically focused on the need for scholarships to help UST students achieve their educational goals. “Many of our students are the first in their family to attend college, and financial aid makes all the difference – particularly scholarships,” said Dr. Robert Ivany, UST president. Special auction items this year included deluxe travel packages, dinner with Archbishop Fiorenza at Tony’s Restaurant and a handstitched needlepoint nativity set with metal goldwork – blessed by the gala’s honorary chair, Most Rev. Joseph A. Fiorenza. Welcoming guests for UST’s major fundraiser were President Ivany and First Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott Lady Marianne Ivany; 2016 ’87, M.Ed ’93, MAT ’94 and Mardi Gras co-chairs Ginger Monsignor Frank Rossi ’79 Blanton, Rosie Carrabba, enjoy the gala. Jan Duncan, Ginger Niemann, Regina Rogers, Annette Strake and Shelley Tortorice; Archbishop Daniel Cardinal DiNardo; and Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott ’87, M.Ed ’93, MAT ’94. Legendary Houston news anchor Steve Smith served as the event’s master of ceremonies. A rare vocal 22

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Event co-chairs Shelley Tortorice, Ginger Blanton, Annette Strake, Jan Duncan, Ginger Niemann and Rosie Carrabba (Regina Rogers, not pictured) celebrate the success of the evening.

Dr. Bert Edmundson, UST board chair, shares the stage with Mardi Gras Queen Samantha Loos-Polk and King Robert Ramirez.

performance by the Three Houston Tenors included the Lord’s Prayer, and the dance floor was packed during the after party featuring music from the band SKYROCKET! Two future leaders of faith and character – seniors Robert Ramirez and Samantha Loos-Polk – were crowned Mardi Gras king and queen, continuing the annual tradition. Ramirez, a theology major and Marine Corps veteran, said he chose UST for its highly regarded commitment to veterans and scholarship funding. “Neither of my parents finished high school,” Ramirez said. “This is an opportunity I never expected.” Loos-Polk, a nursing major, said the scholarships she received are supporting her dream of becoming a pediatric oncology nurse. Her own journey with cancer inspired her career choice. “My ultimate dream is to be a nurse at Texas Children’s Hospital – in the West Tower, on the ninth floor, where I faced my challenge and won my battle,” Loos-Polk said. The 600 guests attending this year’s Venetian-style gala also learned that UST’s Center for Faith and Culture would be named for its founder, The Rev. Donald Nesti, CSSp. g

Fr. Donald Nesti, CSSp., responds to the surprise announcement at Mardi Gras that the Center for Faith and Culture would be named for him.

Mardi Gras Gala Announcement

Center for Faith and Culture Named for Founder Fr. Nesti

uring the annual Mardi Gras Gala, 600 guests celebrated the surprise announcement that UST’s Center for Faith and Culture would be named for its founder, The Rev. Donald Nesti, CSSp. Dr. Bert Edmundson Jr. ’69, chair of UST’s Board of Directors, announced that the official name of the center will be The Father Donald S. Nesti Center for Faith and Culture. During the Venetian-style gala – a nod to Fr. Nesti’s Italian roots – beads, gowns and masks surrounded the guests at Hilton Americas-Houston. Fr. Nesti was inspired in 1994 to create the center by Pope John Paul II’s creation of the Pontifical Council for Culture. The Pope said one of the greatest challenges in the world was creating a civilization of love. “Fr. Nesti personifies the whole concept of a civilization of love,” said Dr. Robert Ivany, UST president. “The center he founded aligns with UST’s desire to encourage people to reach out to others with love.” Since its founding, the center has sought to develop an integrated approach to the American way of life and the values of the Gospel. Through activities and programmatic offerings grounded

in dialogue, the Nesti Center brings the Catholic voice to the ongoing conversation of the meaning of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The Nesti Center began offering a Master of Arts degree and a certificate program in faith and culture in 2010. These programs offer working “Fr. Nesti personifies professionals, educators and ministers an the whole concept of a intellectual and civilization of love.” practical approach to – DR. ROBERT IVANY the demands of living in today’s cultural context. “I am more convinced than ever that what we do in the center addresses the critical questions facing Catholic institutions of higher education,” Fr. Nesti said. “What is the relationship between faith and the way of life of the people? What is the relationship between faith and reason? And, what is the relationship between faith and character?” In addition to founding the center, Fr. Nesti has lectured extensively, authored books, published articles, conducted workshops and served as retreat master for clergy, laity and religious groups. g U S T T O D AY

Spring 2016

Irish Gala Raises $450,000 for Scholarships, Honors Bishop Cahill

his year’s William J. Flynn Center for Irish Studies at UST raised more than $450,000 and honored the Most Rev. Brendan J. Cahill ’85, bishop of the Diocese of Victoria.

and Northern Ireland. In addition, the event raises funds for the Flynn Center’s endowment, which helps support Irish Studies Center operations. During the reception and dinner, guests were treated to traditional Irish music by the local band Wyndnwyre. Later, guests enjoyed Irish coffee and an Irish music sing-a-long. Special guests for the fall event included Consul General of Ireland Adrian Farrell from Dublin, Ireland, and Austin; Honorary Consul General of Ireland John B. Kane; Bill Flynn, namesake of the Center for Irish Studies; the Rev. Bill Shaw, director of the 174 Trust in Sean P. Tracey ’88 and his wife Kari UST supporters Maureen Evans, Margo Geddie Belfast, Northern Ireland; and UST celebrate with honoree The Most and Lisa Miranda enjoy the gala. President Robert Ivany and First Rev. Brendan J. Cahill ’85. Lady Marianne Ivany. The center’s director, Lori Gallagher, J.D., credited UST’s Center for Irish Studies is rated among the the evening’s strong success to event chairs Kari and top 10 Irish Studies programs in North America by Irish Sean P. Tracey ’88 – longtime friends of Bishop Cahill. Central. Established in 2003, the center has awarded study Daniel N. Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop of Galvestonabroad scholarships to more than 90 students. It sponsors Houston, and the Most Rev. Joseph Fiorenza, Archbishop monthly cultural events open to the public related to all Emeritus, served as honorary chairs of the gala, which aspects of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Irish America. attracted more than 450 guests. The 2016 Irish Gala, themed “Celebrating Ireland Bishop Cahill has served as a member of the William Through Its People,” is scheduled Nov. 4 and will feature J. Flynn Center for Irish Studies Advisory Board. He is of special guest Martin McGuinness, Deputy First Minister Irish descent and a supporter of UST’s Irish Studies. This of Ireland. year marks Bishop Cahill’s 25th Jubilee of priesthood. For more information, please visit www.stthom.edu/ The annual gala provides scholarships for UST irishgala. students, including those studying abroad in Ireland g

Friends Gather in Support of Link-Lee Restoration LEFT: Bill and Marie Wise and President Robert Ivany and UST First Lady Marianne Ivany celebrate the kickoff of the campaign to restore Link-Lee Mansion. RIGHT: Jesse and Betty Tutor and Sue Trammell Whitfield (center), event hostess, enjoy a lovely gathering to raise funds for Link-Lee restoration.

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Spring 2016

Performing Arts Society Membership Tea Raises Scholarship Funds

Host Marie Bosarge (center) celebrates with honorees Trini Mendenhall (left) and Sidney Faust (right).

he UST Performing Arts Society Tea raised more than $38,000 for scholarships to assist talented music and drama students. More than 125 people attended the fifth annual tea in the home of Marie and Dr. Ed Bosarge at Chateau Carnarvon. The event honored two of Houston’s most philanthropic women: Sidney Faust and UST Board Life Member Trini Mendenhall. Barbara Van Postman serves as chair of the Performing Arts Society, and Dr. Susan Osterberg is membership chair. In total, the Society has raised more than $250,000 for scholarships. Other event attendees included Annette Strake, Ginger Blanton, Betty Tutor, Cora Sue and Harry Mach, Diane Lokey Farb, President Robert Ivany and First Lady Marianne Ivany and Marie LeNotre. g

Membership Chair Dr. Susan Osterberg (left) and Performing Arts Society Chair Barbara Van Postman (right) address the attendees of the tea.

Join the Performing Arts Society to Support the Arts at UST The vision of the Performing Arts Society (PAS) is to provide all students at UST access to quality performing arts opportunities. THROUGH THE ADVISORY COUNCIL, THE GROUP WORKS TO: • Increase awareness about the performing arts at UST • Raise scholarship funds for students • Create a formal connection to local theaters and performing arts organizations • Raise funds to build UST’s new Performing and Fine Arts Center

MEMBER LEVELS ARE: • $2,500 Benefactor* • $1,000 Patron* • $500 Underwriter • $250 Supporter • $125 Member • $65 Friend

*In recognition of donors at the Benefactor and Patron levels, a chair plaque will be installed in either Jones or Cullen Hall on the UST campus. Contributions to the Performing Arts Society may be made online at www.stthom.edu/performingarts.

5th Alumni Taco Tasting Raises UST Scholarship Funds Nearly 500 people enjoyed the fifth annual Two Saints and a Taco Tasting scholarship fundraising event in late April at St. Arnold Brewing Co. Event chairs were Natalie ’85 and Michael ’84 Fleming and Gloria ’03 and Jesse ’05 Bounds. Houston’s premier taco-tasting event attracts alumni from across the region for a friendly competition among some of the city’s best restaurants combined with the taps of Texas’ oldest craft brewery. For more information on ways you can support UST scholarships or participate in upcoming alumni activities, contact Hank Emery, director of Alumni Relations at alumni@stthom.edu. g

Social Media Helps Fund Special Projects A new social fundraising and engagement platform, UST’s GiveCampus page, is making philanthropy more social, interactive and fun. With campaigns aimed at supporting specific fundraising needs, donors can now give, spread the word, and track a fundraising campaign’s progress – all from their computers and smart devices. Student groups and programs are successfully raising needed funds, including more than $7,000 for the First-Year Experience Study Abroad program. UST Alumni raised nearly $10,000 for The St. Thomas Fund – which funds scholarships. Athletics is also using GiveCampus to raise funds for a sideline sun-shelter for its soccer field. Visit www.stthom.edu/givecampus for giving opportunities and more information. g

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Original Artwork

Donated to UST as Part “ Picasso once said, ‘The meaning of life is to find your gift, and the purpose of life is to give it away.’”

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– Michael Hannan

ormer UST student Michael Hannan’s artistic passion is digital paintings, and he recently shared his passion by donating 35 of his original works for display in Guinan Hall, UST’s student residence.

This unique style of print begins with a “glimpse of life” through Hannan’s eyes, when a photo is taken. The photo is scanned, modified and enhanced, then printed on a large-format printer. The end effect is the look of a fine watercolor painting. “I have 2,500 sheets of blank paper,” said Hannan. “My goal is to have enough time to create digital paintings on all of them, and travel the country to give them away to universities.” Hannan attended UST from 1961-64, then went to Europe to explore his love of art. When he came back to finish his degree, the Vietnam War had begun. Hannan felt drawn to serve his country, so he enlisted in the Army, serving as an intelligence analyst and Vietnamese linguist.

Now in “non-retirement” retirement, Michael and his wife Elizabeth are driving across the country from their home base in Tennessee, donating his artwork to deserving universities including UST. “During my two years at UST, I learned a great deal about philosophy, theology and the importance of giving to your community,” Hannan said. “This is why we chose this great university to receive a large number of my prints.” Students in Guinan Hall can now enjoy digital and silkscreen prints of some of Hannan’s favorite pieces, such as Selfies Aren’t As New As You Think – a selfportrait of Hannan on his 25th birthday. “My first professional camera had a timed shutter release that allowed me to take this selfie,” he said.

of Artist’s ‘Bucket List’ When the war ended, Hannan returned to Europe and studied photography in Germany. Since then, he has not stopped creating art. From 1970 to 1986, the printmaker designed, produced and sold more than 50,000 serigraphs. His successful career has included commissioned pieces of prominent Houstonians for Neiman Marcus and portraits of Norman Rockwell, Arnold Palmer, Reggie Jackson, Tony Dorsett and Johnny Majors. An official copy of the silkscreen print of Rockwell is one of the pieces that hangs in Guinan Hall.

Michael Hannan’s photographic artwork is now displayed in UST’s Guinan Hall.

Hannan said without the encouragement of his friends and family particularly his wife Elizabeth of 42-plus years - the prints would likely not exist, and he would not be making this road trip across America. Hannan has a simple reason for taking on this new travel and donation adventure. “Picasso once said, ‘The meaning of life is to find your gift, and the purpose of life is to give it away,’” Hannan said. “If that’s good enough for Picasso, then it’s good enough for me.” g

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Spring 2016

Athletics, Academics Attract Students from Around the World to UST

strong commitment to excellence on and off the field continues to draw international athletes to the UST campus. “UST’s strong academics, great professors and competitive athletics are attracting high-performing student-athletes ready for success,” said Todd Smith, athletics director. Kelvin “Manny” Iloba from Lagos, Nigeria, is tearing up the soccer field for the Celts as a center midfielder. The team won the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes (NAIA) Red River Conference title last fall. Iloba said UST is a perfect fit for him. “I did my research on the best programs in the United States,” Iloba said. “I wanted a small setting with faculty who cared. I love playing soccer, and I love school! I was able to combine both at UST. The environment and the people are incredible.”

you are not just “aHere, number. You are a

person. I matter to the school, and the atmosphere is amazing. – Kelvin “Manny” Iloba

”

Iloba, a junior business administration and finance major, said his experience at UST is a dream come true. “Having the opportunity to be in America and having special moments with my teammates – it

means so much to me. I like making people happy; I do that playing soccer.” To Iloba, the school has a loving spirit that reaffirms his choice to enroll at UST. Along with winning a conference title with his teammates, Iloba was singled out for his academic and sports performance last fall. He was selected as an All-American Honorable Mention by the NAIA. “I’ll always be grateful to God who has been the difference maker in my life. It’s been an incredible journey” On the links, 20-year-old Carlo Surace, a native Australian, is teeing off with the men’s golf team and coming off a tournament win last fall. He received a golf and academic scholarship to attend UST. “I was happy to choose a small university,” said Surace. “I had never been to the U.S., and the small setting made it feel more like home.” Surace, a junior finance and economics major, first took up the sport of golf when he was 14. “No one in my family plays golf. I just saw someone doing it one day and found it interesting.” Looking down the road, Surace hopes to stay in the United States and pursue a career in business. For now, he is looking forward to a season with the new head men’s golf coach. “Billy Tuten is a very good golfer,” Surace said. “Everywhere the team goes, everyone knows him. Everyone is excited about the team’s future.” UST attracts nearly 350 international students annually from roughly 50 nations.

Kelvin “Manny” Iloba

Carlo Surace

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UST Welcomes Two New Head Coaches to Lead Golf, Soccer Teams

he Celts men’s and women’s golf teams and the men’s soccer team have hired new coaches with outstanding experience. St. Thomas High School championship coach Billy Tuten will guide the golf teams. “I was looking for someone who was more than a manager of logistics,” said Todd Smith, UST athletic director. “Billy knows the game and teaches it from swing to strategy and psychology. He can motivate and develop players over the duration of their careers.” During his years at the University of Houston, Tuten played under college golf’s most influential coach,

successes on and off the course,” he said. Daniel Balaguero, six-time RRAC Coach of the Year and NAIA veteran coach, will join the Celts this spring as

Daniel Balaguero

Billy Tuten

Dave Williams, and advanced to four USGA championship finals in five years. Now he is known as one of Houston’s most acclaimed swing instructors. Tuten is ready to step into his role as head coach. “I look forward to leading the golf program to many

the second-ever head men’s soccer coach at UST. “Our soccer program is ready to take it to the next level, and Dan is the right guy for the job,” Smith said. Balageuro’s previous soccer career includes being named to the All-Big East Team, a First Time Regional All-American, a two-time National Junior College Athletic Association All-American and Player of the Year. He also was a member of the British Colleges National Team in 1993-94. Balaguero will assume leadership of a Celt program that won the 2015 RRAC regular season conference championship.

Athletics Summer Camps Scheduled for Youth Ages 4 and Up Celts Sports Camps provide opportunities for athletes of all ages to develop their skills in a fun, sportsmanlike environment. In addition to fundamental instruction, campers will be exposed to sport-specific strategies. UST’s goal is to challenge athletes and promote individual improvement that leads to athletic success. UST is offering two summer volleyball individual skills camps. Players in grades 3-7 and grades 8-12 are accepted. Youth basketball camps will be staffed by UST basketball coaches and players who will ensure campers leave with fun memories and increased abilities. Soccer camps are led by college soccer coaches and UST players and are divided into men’s and women’s soccer camps. Visit the Celts Sports Camps page at www.USTCamps.com to register for the basketball, soccer and volleyball camps for ages 4 and up. 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, including membership to the Jerabeck Athletic Center, autographed balls, a unique golf shirt and luncheon tickets. To learn more, visit www.stthom.edu/championsclub. g

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Students Observe Taiwan Election, Meet President on Study Abroad Trip ON THE EVENING OF JAN. 16, THE AIR WAS RIPE WITH ANTICIPATION.

Paper ballots passed from citizen to poll worker for public inspection. Overhead, large screens tracked the decrees of millions of Taiwanese voters, charting a large, growing margin between the two parties. Fifteen UST study abroad students witnessed the election of Taiwan’s first woman president and the first transition of legislative majority party in the country since 1949. The trip was part of the course Contemporary Taiwan, taught by Dr. Hans Stockton, associate dean of Arts and Sciences and director of the Center for International Studies.

Fifteen UST students visit the Confucius Temple during their study abroad trip.

Senior international studies major Nhat-Quang Vo, said, “It was an atmosphere of euphoria and uncertainty sprinkled with the characteristic Taipei metropolitan festivity.” Sponsored by Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Central Election Commission, the UST group served as an official election observer team. 30

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Incumbent Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou greets Dr. Hans Stockton, CIS director.

The students met with various Taiwan’s Ministry of Education to government officials in Taipei, including support the establishment of an East Asia Taiwan’s outgoing president, Ma Yingand Taiwan Studies Program. jeou, and Taiwan’s deputy minister of These funds will be dedicated to foreign affairs. They also visited and supporting instruction, faculty exchange received briefings at the two main and related programming, Stockton said. political party headquarters, legislature “Our efforts with the Taiwan and Central Election Commission. government and our local Taiwanese “This was an outstanding group of American community have now resulted students, and they represented UST and in funding for Chinese language Houston with distinction,” Stockton said. instruction, scholarships, two-way “They were dressed for business almost student mobility between UST and every day, always timely, and engaged Taiwan, area studies curriculum, and each of our hosts in the biennial UST meaningful conversations “[The students] represented group study abroad UST and Houston and exchange of ideas.” to Taiwan,” he said. The students visited UST’s Vo said he is with distinction.” sister school, Chianan grateful to have – Dr. Hans Stockton, CIS Director University of Pharmacy participated as and Sciences in Tainan City, and a delegate to Taiwan and attributes Shih Chien University in Taipei. the success of the experience to UST’s They walked through night markets, Taiwanese community partners, to sampled local foods, created paper professor of foreign language Sarah Tsai lanterns for the Lunar New Year and and to Stockton for his skilled leadership. practiced calligraphy. “I ask my students not to think of Through the Taiwan Initiative at UST themselves as ‘college students’ but as a and the Undergraduate International delegation of future leaders of commerce, Studies and Foreign Languages Grant diplomacy and advocacy,” Stockton said. from the U.S. Department of Education, “My hope is that some will choose careers participating students received related to building stronger bridges scholarship support totaling $30,000. between the people of the United States The CIS has been awarded a threeand Taiwan.” year, renewable $160,000 grant from g

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Center for International Studies Celebrates Successes Over Three Decades UST’s Center for International Studies celebrated its 35th anniversary with a celebration and reunion April 29. “The CIS remains on the cutting edge of curricular development and programming in the Post-9/11 world and offers a powerful academic program as relevant today as in 1981,” said Dr. Hans J. Stockton, director of the center. The comparative political scientist and Asia specialist joined the faculty in 2002. Begun by founding director Dr. Ann Q. Tiller, the CIS is the oldest degree-granting academic program of international studies in Texas and one of the oldest centers for international studies in the Southwest. One of the first international studies faculty members, Dr. Linda Pett-Conklin, is retiring from UST this year after 36 years of teaching and dedicated service. “Linda has been a rock for CIS since its founding, and students have been fortunate to benefit from her knowledge and her mentoring,” Stockton said. “She will most definitely be missed.” CIS’s pioneering program in interdisciplinary global studies prepares students for careers in international business, law, politics, public service and teaching through a study of international relations, cultural differences and the benefits of cooperation within the human family. Students may complete a major or minor in international studies, international development or international business (in partnership with the Cameron School of Business). The program also

encourages internships and study abroad experiences. The CIS courses integrate a study of international culture, politics, economics and social conditions with UST’s liberal arts curriculum and the values of Catholic higher education and the Basilian tradition. UST’s program and its students regularly receive recognition at national conferences. The capstone experience for international studies and international development majors is to participate – and present – at the Southwest International Studies Association meeting. Scholars attending the conference often do not realize they are hearing panel discussions and presentations by undergraduate students, noting that the quality is equal or better than many professional papers. In cooperation with other academic or public affairs organizations, CIS sponsors events and seminars, conferences, symposia and programs on scholarly or current issues in the international field. These special events include the Distinguished Diplomat Lectures, a biennial lecture series held each spring after the federal election. Crisis and Issue Briefings occur between the flagship lectures. The CIS’s Distinguished Diplomat Program is entering its fifth year. UST has successfully nominated back-toback U.S. State Department interns for a nationally competitive, two-year paid internship program.

RECENT CIS ACHIEVEMENTS • Influential career ambassador Thomas R. Pickering addressed American foreign policy in light of Congressional mid-term elections during the second annual Distinguished Thomas R. Pickering Diplomat Lecture. He also was awarded the Distinguished Diplomat Award by the CIS. • Twenty-three UST students participated in the Kakehashi Project, a nine-day cultural exchange program that encourages U.S. citizens to travel to and learn more about Japanese society and culture. This program was funded by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. • UST received a three-year grant from Taiwan’s Ministry of Education to support the founding of an East Asia and Taiwan Studies Program in August. • In January, UST was awarded a second year of the Chinese Language Instructor Subsidy from Taiwan’s Ministry of Education to partially fund full-time Chinese language instruction. • Community friends’ support for Mandarin and Japanese language instruction continues to reap benefits for the Taiwan and U.S.-Japan initiatives.

For more information on the CIS, to enroll in the program or to make a gift, call 713-525-3530 in Houston or 713-525-3872 (toll-free) or email us at centerforinternationalstudies@stthom. edu. g

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Business Symposium Speakers Inspire Students to Lead with Their Principles; Global Business Leader Set to Speak at Upcoming Event in November

eynote speakers at UST’s first-ever Business Symposium engaged students, alumni and the community in discussions about innovative and responsible business practices. The event aligned with the Cameron School of Business’s aim to teach students the professional skills needed for a changing global economy while instilling a deep appreciation for ethical and socially responsible business practices and behavior.

Scott Rowe

Scott Rowe, president and CEO of Cameron, a premier oilfield service company and the business school’s namesake, analyzed an individual’s role in the business model. Cameron was in the midst of a merger with Schlumberger at the time, and Rowe explained that company mergers are part of the cyclical process in the field. When companies dissolve, he said, the workforce is reduced, impacting the local economy. Rowe discussed what companies could do to assist those displaced by the process.

Donna Fujimoto Cole, president and CEO of Cole Chemical and a member of UST’s Advisory Board, focused on her Donna Fujimoto Cole personal business journey and offered suggestions for how to manage with principles and lead a balanced life. She started her own company at the age of 27. She said employees are the key to any company’s success, and fostering a strong sense of loyalty and community was critical to her company’s development. “The keynote addresses really put the entire symposium into context,” said Dr. Beena George, dean of the Cameron School of Business. Between the keynote sessions, participants attended breakout sessions about entrepreneurship, global entrepreneurship, marketing with new technologies amid changing demographics, innovation, social responsibility and accountability, and finance and management. 32

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Breakout session presenters included C.C. Lee, president and CEO of STOA Architects International; Steve Pao, president of SCP Management Consulting Co.; Patricia Boral and Brenda Boral of Boral Branders; Jose Monterrosa of Imagina Communications; Rich Fifield of Signet Interactive; Kathy Kest, associate IT project manager at MD Anderson Cancer Center; Alia Al-Khatar-Williams, law and policy advisor at the United Nations Refugee Agency; Miriam S. Winsten, director of global responsibility at Schlumberger; Kimberly Wilson, managing director at TLR Search; and Susan Heuer, managing director of investments at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. “The symposium was a success in all aspects,” George said. “My hope for next year is that even more students are able to connect with these high-caliber business leaders.”

International Business Leader to Speak at Fall Symposium One keynote speaker set for the Nov. 18 Business Symposium is Mishal Kanoo ’00, deputy chairman of The Kanoo Group, a global conglomerate. Called the “Sage of Dubai,” Kanoo has an international platform as one of the Middle East’s most influential and respected businessmen. In his role with The Kanoo Mishal Kanoo ’00 Group, he oversees all operations in the United Arab Emirates and Oman. He is a fourth-generation leader within the wideranging global business that involves 128 family members, is 125 years old and is considered a leading family business in the region. The Kanoo Group focuses on logistics, travel, machinery and chemicals, as well as joint ventures with companies such as Halliburton, American Express and BASF. “The Kanoo family principles are honesty, trust and fairness,” he said. “These values translate across every culture and into every language.” g

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New Center Helps Students Think Critically, Ethically About Key Global Issues

UST Offers New Leadership Course

he new UST Center for Ethical Leadership is giving students the opportunity to critically analyze international moral and ethical leadership debates while inspiring lives of purpose and ethical engagement.

are going to affect relationships with friends and family.” At UST, Cerami wants to examine the role of ethics in the medical field, business world and Internet. In 2015 Cerami published a study that gathered and analyzed the top research on leadership Joseph Cerami, and leader development Ph.D., Burnett Family to highlight the needs for Distinguished Chair in developing individuals Leadership, leads the committed to careers of service. center, which is one “Research strongly suggests of six UST centers and ethical leaders are more will operate under the effective, and ethical Office of the Provost and organizations achieve higher Vice President for results,” Cerami said. “People Academic Affairs. who are leaders of character Joseph Cerami, Ph.D. “Ethical leadership is and who understand the not important – it is critical,” Cerami said. importance of values are going to be “We have to make decisions every day that more successful and better respected.” g

UST Offers Innovative, Flexible Doctorate for Full-time Educators The new Doctor of Education in Ethical Leadership is designed to meet the changing needs of educators working full time while balancing family life. The degree provides students a platform to analyze administrative practices and to promote socially responsible leadership in schools and other educational organizations. “Through this program, our graduates will become leaders in their educational systems,” said Ray Garcia, Ed.D. program developer. “A graduate of this program could easily discuss school policy with the superintendent and board members and instructional strategies with a teacher.” In the program, students develop their dissertation while they attend classes, which helps them complete the program

UST President Robert Ivany, Ph.D., reached the next generation of innovators this spring while co-teaching a course on leadership in the Master of Public Policy and Administration program. “I wanted to contribute a different perspective from someone who has been in the nonprofit sector or in governmental leadership,” Ivany said. “While in the Army, I had the opportunity to observe a lot of different leaders from different sectors, and I shared what I learned from my own experiences.” The course, titled Public Leadership: Principles, Practices and Realities, examined the theoretical and practical aspects of leadership. The course was available to all students as an elective. “This class is helpful for those who truly want to graduate as leaders of faith and character,” said Ivany. “Learning leadership techniques and insights will have bigger benefits in life than most students realize.”g

Faculty Accolades

in three years while keeping the program rigorous and scholarly. Upon graduation, students will fulfill the superintendent’s twofold purpose: to address community concerns and to provide vision and direction for the school district. “We are interested in helping educational leaders aspire to help disenfranchised populations – children of color and children of poverty,” said Garcia. “We owe it to all types of communities to do the best we can to give them an equal chance at succeeding.” The program admits new students once per year. The first cohort begins classes in June 2016. The deadline to apply for the 2017 cohort will be in March 2017. For more information, contact Dr. Ray Garcia at garciarc@stthom.edu. g

Dr. Charles A. Stewart, associate professor and chair of the Art History program, authored the book Cyprus and the Balance of Empires: Art and Archaeology (Boston), a long-article in British journal Architectural History, and a chapter in the book The Archaeology of Late Antique and Byzantine Cyprus (Paris). “Darnell,” a screenplay written by Dr. Malcolm Solomon, associate professor of music and Jazz Ensemble conductor, was selected as a finalist in the Beverly Hills Film Festival this spring. His classical piece Music for Clarinet and Music was selected for performance at the Society for Composers, Inc. Conference in February. Dr. Jessica Basciano, assistant professor of Art History, authored a book review in the journal Planning Perspectives. g U S T T O D AY

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Provost Receives Honor for Service to National College Organization

ominic Aquila, D. Litt et Phil., UST provost and vice president for academic affairs, received a national honor for his exceptional service to the Chief Academic Task Force for the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC).

The award was presented during the CIC’s annual conference. His services included planning, programming, organizing and participating in the CIC’s Chief Academic Officers conferences for the past three years. “It was a great honor to be recognized by colleagues across the country,” Aquila said. “UST focuses on educating leaders of faith and character, and we work hard to exemplify our mission from the top down.” Aquila joined UST in 2007 as dean of arts and sciences. He has 32 years experience in public and private higher education. His areas of research and expertise include music and culture, Catholicism and higher education administration. UST is a member of the CIC, a national organization consisting of all small- and mid-sized private universities in the United States.

Dr. Dominic Aquila, UST provost, and Elizabeth Paul, chair of the CIC Chief Academic Task Force, display their recent awards.

The CIC emphasizes the importance of a liberal arts education and provides services to campus leaders to improve educational offerings, administrative and financial performance, and institutional visibility. g

Dean Tschirch Named One of 50 Most Influential Women

Poldi Tschirch, Ph.D., dean of the Carol and Odis Peavy School of Nursing

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This spring, Houston Woman magazine named Poldi Tschirch, Ph.D., dean of the Carol and Odis Peavy School of Nursing, one of Houston’s 50 Most Influential Women of 2016. Houston Woman spotlights women across the region who are making a positive difference in the community. Since 2009, Tschirch has built UST’s exceptional nursing school from the ground up. She has helped raise nearly $24 million to support scholarships, academic programs and UST’s new Center for Science and Health Professions, which will soon house the Carol and Odis Peavy School of Nursing. She guided the development and approval of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing curriculum and is spearheading the formation of a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree focused on transformational leadership in healthcare.

“We attract talented, dedicated nursing students who represent Houston,” Tschirch said. “They are a very diverse group, and we are fortunate to be able to serve them.” Tschirch often speaks regionally and nationally about nursing education, nursing education policy and nursing workforce development. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Salve Regina University and a master’s degree in nursing and a doctorate in medical humanities from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. For questions about the nursing program, contact UST at nursing@stthom.edu or at 713-525-2163. g

news&notables Record Number of Young Students Participate in Catholic Essay Contest A record 6,100-plus students in grades 3-12 participated in the 12th annual UST/Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Essay Contest earlier this year. During the Mass and awards ceremony at UST’s Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston, shook hands with all the winners and gave each student an antique iron key.

Taking a stand for the sanctity of life, UST faculty, students and President Robert Ivany participate in January pro-life events in Washington, D.C., and Austin. Both events were peaceful demonstrations to protest the legalization of abortions.

Students Prepare for Inspirational 2016 World Youth Day in Poland UST students, staff and faculty will join millions of Catholics from around the world in Krakow, Poland, in mid-July for a life-changing pilgrimage called World Youth Day. The university has a long tradition of participating in this international Catholic gathering inaugurated by St. John Paul II to celebrate the rich vitality of the Catholic Church. Along with praise and worship concerts, World Youth Day will include talks with notable religious individuals, overnight adoration and Mass with the Holy Father. For many, the event is a once-in-alifetime opportunity to enrich and immerse their lives in Christ and to experience the biblical principle of self-sacrifice. Participants are called upon to walk an average of 10 miles a day and sleep in

modest accommodations as they grow in their faith. The theme for this year’s festival comes from the book of Matthew: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.” The event is set July 21-31 in Krakow as a tribute to Poland native Pope John Paul II, who was canonized in 2014. Before visiting Poland, UST pilgrims will spend four days in Rome, visiting basilicas and other holy sites. UST Campus Ministry is seeking financial support from dedicated donors who are willing to make this dream a reality for students. The trip will cost $4,500 per participant. Interested supporters may contact Fr. Mike Buentello, CSB at buentem@stthom.edu.

slogan says it all: “ UST’s we educate leaders of faith and character.” – Elsie Biron, UST director of Catholic Outreach Essay topics were designed to prompt writers to consider ethical aspects of life and, through the process, have a stronger understanding of the faith application to the scenario being considered. Elsie Biron, UST director of Catholic Outreach, said the contest demonstrates how Catholic education is seamless. “At every level of education, we have the goal to educate students in our faith as well as in academic knowledge,” Biron said. “UST’s slogan says it all: we educate leaders of faith and character.” The goal was to remind each student that, through their words and actions, they each possess the special key that opens hearts and minds to God – they simply have to use it. g

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This abridged story provides a taste of the 3,000-word “Therefore I Am” features to be published on the UST website in 2016. These seven stories about UST students, faculty and alumni are being prepared by teams of writers, photographers and videographers, working together to tell a story with rich media such as photos, videos, cinemagraphs, parallax, diagrams and slideshows. You can find the full features at thereforeiamust.com.

THEREFORE I AM | A Special Online Series

Passionate Actor, Dancer Joins Fellow UST Students in Fight Against Human Trafficking UST sophomore communication and drama major Iris Lacsamana has an inner strength and joy that cannot be mistaken. Photos by Jessica Pajimula of Samarie-lei Photography

When she isn’t dancing or in a stage production, she is trying to help save the world through her efforts with the Students Working Against Human Trafficking (SWAT) organization at UST. She is a gifted performer, humanitarian and witness for Christ, and her relationship with Him is what ultimately moves her. “The word ‘witness’ has been pretty important to me,” Lacsamana said. “That’s what we have to be. We have to interact with the world. I think it’s really cool to be here to witness.” Her faith is what drives her to tackle the challenge of human trafficking – which she considers a form of modern-day slavery. She first became aware of this global challenge at age 15, and the SWAT organization was one of the main reasons she chose UST. She has a deep understanding of the global issues involved in this tragic crime, and she also knows Houston is a crossroads for it. Lacsamana’s other passion is dancing. She attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts as a dancer and she can do it all - from ballet and tap to jazz, lyrical and hip-hop. Her most recent performance was with UST in “Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?” in Jones Hall. “The show was a lot of fun,” Lacsamana said. “It is so Catholic. We are literally praying to the patron saints. It’s introspective, philosophical and witty.” She enjoyed being able to act with her friends on stage. During the song “Thank God,” she said she would often reminisce about the memories she made during the rehearsal process. When she isn’t on stage dancing and singing, Lacsamana is sharing her talents with a younger 36

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generation. She teaches classes at Epic Center for Dance in Sugar Land. “I love St. Thomas because it’s filled with really great people,” Lacsamana said. “Whenever I was learning about virtue for the first time in ethics and reflecting on ethical people in my life, the UST theater department came to mind.” Claire McDonald, professor and chair of Fine and Performing Arts at UST, said Lacsamana is a great example of a leader who embodies UST’s core beliefs. “Iris is a fabulous people person and has a strong passion for dance,” McDonald said. “I love that she continues to study and teach dance off campus, too. We are always encouraging students to take more initiative in areas other than acting. In the future, she will have a great career if that is what she chooses.” “Lacsamana is mature and has what it takes to be a professional artist,” McDonald said. “She cares about the UST mission, and she can bring value to it. That’s a winning combination.” Last year, Lacsamana was selected for a celebrity experience in Los Angeles. One of the judges was an actor on a Disney television show, which made Lacsamana more enthusiastic about her future acting career. During the experience, she also realized actors at New York University were studying the same foundational acting techniques that she learned from Eric Domuret at UST. Once Lacsamana graduates from UST, she plans to move to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career. She said she’s confident that with the preparation and experience she’s receiving now, she’ll be ready. g

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Master of Liberal Arts Degree Offers Variety of Concentration Options

auren Shelley, MLA ’15 – a high school English teacher in Spring Branch ISD – decided to pursue UST’s Master of Liberal Arts degree with a concentration in English to deepen her knowledge and to open new career paths.

Shelley was building on the bachelor’s degree she earned from Baylor University in 2002. She praised the MLA program for its flexibility and the freedom to choose her own schedule. Getting her master’s was a longtime goal, and graduating with an MLA from UST has created positive movement in her career. “I entered UST’s MLA program with the goal of teaching dual-credit English classes to my students,” said Shelley. “Now, I’m employed with both Spring Branch ISD and Houston Community College.”

The 36-hour MLA program appeals to a diverse range of students who desire professional advancement, admission into doctoral programs or personal enrichment. The program offers a customizable and flexible degree plan and the choice of 19 different academic concentrations including, but not limited to,

“I worked harder than I expected, but it was totally worth it.” – LAUREN SHELLEY, MLA ’15

“I completed my MLA in two and a half years by taking afternoon and evening classes,” she said. “The program allowed me to take a wide variety of courses and really challenged me.” As an unexpected bonus, many of the classes she took from UST overlapped with her lesson plans for her students. Shelley enjoyed the experience of gaining a deeper knowledge of subject matter she already loved and being able to deepen the same material for her students. She also loved UST’s convenient location and diverse campus. “I was surprised how welcoming those on campus were during my time at UST. The campus has a positive culture and has this cool art-deco feel to it. I loved my time at UST.”

Catholic studies, applied music, international studies and social justice studies. Students can enhance the MLA degree plan with study abroad or internship opportunities. Previous locations for the study abroad program included England, Ireland, France, Spain, Taiwan and Singapore. To those considering the MLA degree, Shelley said, “Be prepared to work hard. I worked harder than

I expected, but it was totally worth it. I graduated with a 4.0 – a perfect ‘A’ average.” For more information on the MLA program, contact Kate Henderson, UST’s Program Coordinator, at henderlk@stthom.edu. Interested students may also attend an MLA open house to learn more about this unique graduate program. The next MLA open house is scheduled for July 2016. g

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alumnotes Neil Fernandez ’08, MBA 2012 opened Neil’s Bahr, a play on Niels Bohr, a 20th-century theoretical physicist. Recently featured by the Houston Chronicle, the bar is a hangout for geeks. Customers can peruse the comic book rack and participate in Mario Kart tournaments, weekly trivia contests and special events. Sister Gerard Earls ’76, vice president of Mission Integration for Dignity Health at St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, Calif., was honored by the Long Beach City Council Dec. 15, 2015, for her contributions to the health and welfare of the community. Mary Joyce ’87 is running for Sugar Land City Council, At Large, Position 2. Joyce is currently serving on the Imperial Redevelopment District, co-chair of the Land Use Advisory Committee and is a board member of Fort Bend Cares. Elections will be held May 7, 2016. Manuel “Manny” De La Rosa ’99, has been appointed city manager of San Benito, Texas. De La Rosa has 28 years experience in municipal government, serving as judge, fire chief, economic development director and assistant city manager.

USTInsights: Alumni Mentors The USTInsights Mentoring Program engages alumni as mentors for current UST students. The program is a collaborative effort between UST Career Services and Alumni Relations. This year’s activities kicked off with a Meet Your Mentor event on campus. Eighteen students were matched with 18 UST alumni. In addition to four formal events, mentors were encouraged to meet with their students outside the program. Many of these mentoring relationships last well beyond the graduation of the student, and mentors often open career doors for recent graduates. During this year’s Meet Your Mentor event, former mentor Erik Konicki, MBA ’02, and his mentee Jennifer Kriger, MBA ’13, shared their experiences from when they were matched in the 2013 USTInsights Mentoring Program. Since Kriger graduated, she has found her career niche, and she and Erik are now serving as mentors!

UST Corporate Agent Program Through UST’s corporate agent program, UST alumni volunteers act as liaisons between UST and the companies where they work. The agents notify fellow UST alumni employees of upcoming alumni events and help coordinate UST-company interactions. Currently, 13 corporate agents represent a total of 412 alumni at their workplaces. Corporate agents and the companies they represent include:

Louis Petz, Jr. ’80, owner/founder of Core Capital Management & Research Inc. was recently ranked by the Houston Business Journal at 7th in Houston-area wealth managers with minimums less than $1 million and 3rd in new assets per client.

We would love to hear from you! Email your alumni updates to alumni@stthom.edu. Let us know how you’re shining for UST!

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

Alexis Barboza, MBA ’11 Gloria Bounds ’03 Jesse Bounds ’05 Ray Casserly ’70 Jesus De La Cerda, MBA ’04 David Durham, MBA ’99 Michael Enriquez ’11 Vivian Ramos, MBA ’01 Will Rodrigues, MBA ’07 Mari Salazar ’95 Aaron Stryk ’01 Elizabeth Vrettos ’10 Karen Yale, MBA ’05

inmemoriam Carl Lee Dalio ’75 died March 27, 2016. Jacob C. Devlieger, father of Monique Devlieger ’94 and Jacqueline Devlieger ’95, died Dec. 14, 2016. Sister Leola Ann Doerfler, CDP ’78, died Dec. 4, 2015. Mary Joan Graham past president of the Chapel Guild and wife of the late philosophy professor, Dr. Joe Graham, died Jan. 31, 2016. Deborah Astorga Herlong ’01 died Feb. 12, 2016. Mary Elizabeth Landram - sister of Charles Landram ’53 - died March 5, 2016. Kathleen Linnes, former faculty member, died Jan. 17, 2016. To make a contribution in memory of a friend or loved one, contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at 713-525-3100.

MD Anderson Cancer Center CenterPoint Energy City of Houston Chevron Anadarko Petroleum Corporation BP plc Frost Bank Sysco Royal Dutch Shell plc Bank of Texas ExxonMobil PricewaterhouseCoopers EP Energy

Geographic Alumni Chapters Seven alumni chapters are now active around the U.S. to serve the interests of UST alumni in their area and strengthening their connection to UST. Alumni serve as UST ambassadors to their community. Each chapter of the UST Alumni Association will keep alumni aware and invested in UST through communication and events. More than 1,100 alumni are represented by chapters in Los Angeles, Calif.; Orange County, Calif.; Chicago, Ill.; and The Woodlands, San Antonio, Austin and Dallas in Texas. g

Stay connected to UST! www.facebook.com/USTalumni alumni@stthom.edu

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alumnifeature

Physician’s Catholic Faith Guides Her Distinctive Medical Practice for Women Pro-life physician Dr. Jamie Gautreau Hernandez ’05 credits her faith-based UST academic career with molding her into the obstetrician and gynecologist she is today. “I value the ethical foundation UST provided for my life,” said Hernandez. “My ability to make life-changing recommendations to my patients is based on the best scientific information and on sound ethical principles I learned at UST.” The Catholic Studies program is what first caught the Louisiana native’s eye. She said the program seemed like an optimal way to integrate faith and science.

“Despite the rigors of class work, I made time to develop my softer skills and grow in my faith through Campus Ministry activities and retreats,” she said. “I also had the opportunity to help others by participating in service projects with UST.” Sister Paula Jean Miller FSE, founder and former director of Catholic Studies, was particularly supportive, Hernandez said. “Her mentoring helped me develop in so many different ways. I definitely credit a large part of my success to her.” Hernandez graduated with a degree in chemistry and minors in Catholic studies and theology. She forged lasting friendships that sustained her through medical school at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). Sister Damien Marie Savino FSE, chair of UST’s Environmental Science and Studies Department, guided Hernandez through her years in medical school and encouraged her to listen to God.

The devout Catholic was drawn to the field of obstetrics and gynecology but knew her faith precluded her from prescribing contraceptives, participating in sterilizations or offering artificial reproductive technology. Hernandez said as she weighed her options, Sister Damien Marie helped her solidify her choice. “It became clear in our conversation that in her heart, she wanted to be an OB-GYN,” said Sister Damien Marie. Hernandez said she has wanted to be in health care for as long as she can remember. “Through the example of my family, I learned that serving others through health care can be a true vocation or calling.” After her residency, Hernandez joined the team at Caritas Women’s Care in Sugar Land, where all three partners have completed fellowships in NaProTECHNOLOGY (Natural Procreative Technology), a new women’s health science that monitors and maintains a woman’s reproductive and gynecological health. “We strive to consistently honor the dignity of womanhood and sanctity of human life in accordance with the teachings of the Catholic Church,” Hernandez said. “Being able to do all these things, I believe I’m living my calling and truly serving women. It’s God’s providence I am part of this team.” Hernandez said the Caritas Women’s Care team “looks at clients as an integrated physical, emotional and spiritual whole, and approaches their fertility as an intricate gift rather than a problem to be suppressed or eradicated.” For patients dogged by persistent health issues such as endometriosis, infertility or premenstrual syndrome, Hernandez said the experience at Caritas is often empowering, even exhilarating. g

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alumnihighlights

Students Tackle Real-world Challenges, Alumni Coach Them on Business Cases

EO Richard Van Deventer, UST Cameron School of Business Advisory Board member, is looking to make a big business decision. His company C-SAT Solutions, which repairs laptops, tablets and smart phones for companies like Apple and Dell, wants to expand to Europe. The question is: Where should it set up the next repair facility?

To help determine the answer, he asked a UST undergraduate business capstone class to do the legwork and ultimately recommend the new site in Europe.

“Factors such as labor cost, proximity to large markets, transportation time and costs all have to be evaluated.” This real-world example is one of several action-learning projects in the business school that allow undergrad students and graduate students to work on projects with local companies to research and develop solutions. Earlier in the semester, 11 alumni worked with students using Harvard case studies to help them fine tune their delivery of a business presentation. The alumni case coaches were: Guillermo Seniors Annie Nemmer, Alexis Peltier, Gaby Guzman and Suárez, MBA ’10, Stephanie Rypien prepare their project, and themselves, GE Oil and Gas; for the business world outside the academic setting. Harrison Broker ’15, Van Deventer said he needs to AXA Advisors; Dina Alkhamis ’15, consider many factors before making current MBA student; Kevin Valdez ’11, a decision. GroupRaise; Lindsay Fisher ’10, Oak “It’s not as simple as saying, ‘Let’s Leaf Management, CSB Advisory pick a city and go there,’” he said. Board; Ernesto Cedeno ’05, MBA ’11, Emerson Process Management, CSB

Stay In Touch! Go to www.stthom.edu/alumni, scroll down on the page to Connect, and click on Update Your Information. Thanks!

Advisory Board; Cory Prosperie, MBA ’07, Heracles Consulting, LLC; Zain Hussain, BBA/MBA ’13, Shipcom Wireless, CSB Alumni Board president; Danny Quijano ’12, University of Texas Center for Energy Economics; Maria Isabel Lino ’15, ICIS; and Sherine Kurian ’06, Scitrain Ltd. Dr. Beena George, dean of CSB, said evaluating actual business cases helps students apply the concepts they have learned in real-world situations and realize the significance and interdependence of business decision-making. She is teaching the capstone course. Senior Annie Nemmer said she’s up for the C-SAT challenge. “They might select our idea,” Nemmer said. “It would be awesome to know that they chose specific location in Europe because of our recommendation.” Van Deventer presented his business problem to the students, sharing details about his company’s needs and insights into how business is done in Europe. The class divided into 10 groups, completed research to understand the business climate of cities in Europe and presented their results at the end of class. Senior Alexis Peltier said it means a lot that the company trusts the students with the question. “I’m expecting the students to come up with a lot of the same information that may come from a consultant,” Van Deventer said. “I suspect they’ll get close to the right answer.” The students get a unique experience with the dean teaching the seminar course. “It’s gratifying to be able to watch students integrate ideas from the different business disciplines and deliver professional presentations at the end of the semester,” George said. “It makes the work worthwhile.” g

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The band performs last October at Birraporetti’s in Houston. Left to right: Kevin Cooney, Joe Muscanere, Beau Biron. PHOTO BY RICK CAMPBELL

RetroROCK A rock band formed by UST students in the ’60s continues to crank out songs, sell music on iTunes and perform in front of toe-tapping crowds. It all started with a personal connection to The Beatles in the 1960s, when the British invasion dominated the rock ’n’ roll music scene. Ringo Starr’s cousin and guitarist Dave Starky made Houston news while a student at UST, and fellow student musician Joe Muscanere ’68 saw an opportunity to form a marketable band. “We were independent musicians who had played together once for a campus event and sounded good,” Muscanere said. “So I thought, ‘Why don’t we start a band with this guy Starky who’s related to Ringo and call it the Dave Starky V?’ With the media attention he’d already received, we got in easy with KNUZ radio and got lots of publicity.” During the first eight months, the Dave Starky V performed at high-level events. “We were the lead-up band for the Righteous Brothers, and we played in Garner State Park at one of the first

The Dave Starky V pose for a magazine article in 1965. Left to right: Kevin Cooney, Beau Biron, Joe Muscanere, Pete Bas, Dave Starky

large, outdoor rock concerts, pre-dating Woodstock,” Muscanere said. In less than a year, the group’s namesake left the band to return to England, and there was some shuffling of members along the way, but their fan club hung in there. The group recorded a couple of original songs: “Hey Everybody” and “Stand There.” “The records didn’t sell back then, but somehow, 30 years later, they were picked up by a record company in Germany and placed on a garage band CD,” Beau Biron ’68 said. “Today, oldies stations around the world play them. We get a big kick out of that.” The Dave Starky V band went on hiatus for several years, but reunited in 2007. They performed at a reunion of the class of 1967 and realized they still had their musical chops. The group meets annually to renew old friendships and play the music they love. In 2014, they recorded a new CD with six songs. The band is still rockin’ and drumming out music in 2016. Fans can download music from sites such as iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, Spotify and CD Baby.

Original members who participate today are electrical supply businessman Muscanere, athletics and gymnastics center owner Biron, actor and singer Kevin Cooney ’67, and adult education administrator Pete Bas, who is connected to UST through the band. Last year, the group rocked out at Biron’s gym. They also inspire and encourage current and future generations of musicians. “We invite other local musicians to sit in with us and jam,” Cooney said. “We got together at an event at Birraporetti’s in October called Texas Psych Garage Happening III. Other ’60s bands joined us including Roy Head, the Coastliners, and the best Beatles cover band I’ve ever heard, the Fab 5.” Mostly, they get a kick out of the continued camaraderie that started on the UST campus so many years ago. “It’s wonderful to get together with the guys a couple of times a year,” Cooney said. “Not only for the music, but for the friendships we rekindled from such a long time ago. The fact that we sound good is a bonus.” g

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UST campuscouples: Love Notes Special Edition For a special Valentine’s Day project, the UST Facebook page team invited alumni couples to share the love story of how they met on campus. Here are some of their responses.

An Intramural Romance When Mike ’80 and Karen Courtney ’78 briefly met the night before summer break in 1977, neither could have guessed they’d spend the rest of their lives together. They ran into each other again at the first game of the Chingadera Kids Intramural Football season and never left each other’s side again. Celebrating 37 years of marriage this year, the Courtneys now live in North Texas, have two grown children and love traveling and spending time with each other. g

An Ideal Husband Patrick Moore and Ashley Parker ’11 shared a love of theater before they fell in love. They met during the UST production of “Macbeth” in fall 2010, but it wasn’t until spring 2011 during the UST production of “An Ideal Husband” that they began dating. They have been married five years, have three beautiful children and fully believe that God’s hand was in their meeting. They are excited about His plan for their life.

However, when Kimberly left for graduate school they realized their friendship was something more. They were married a year and a half later at the Chapel of St. Basil on campus and now have three beautiful boys. g

Opposites Attract After attending a bonus lecture in which Andres Salazar ’04 and Lisa Munkvold ’05 were the only attendees under age 60, they started a series of short conversations and interactions that led to their first date months later. It was a classic case of shy boy meets outgoing girl, but as time passed the initial intimidation factor faded and their relationship grew stronger. In July 2007, the two were married and are celebrating their nine-year anniversary this year! g

A Poetic Love

Dr. Lowery’s Creative Writing: Fiction class provided the ‘meet’ for Joseph ’08 and Mary Colvin ’07. They got to know each other first through their short stories, and then through editing Laurels Literary Mary ’07 and Joseph Colvin ’08 Magazine. However, it wasn’t until after the spring 2007 Creative Writing: Poetry final that Joseph finally asked Mary for her number. Kimberly Valdez ’08 was working the front desk of Guinan Through their working relationship, Mary realized she Hall in August 2005 when Michael Valdez ’10 asked not for could see herself working with Joseph in marriage. Joseph her phone number, but for her roommate’s! and Mary will celebrate their six-year anniversary in June! It was the beginning of a friendship that held strong through study sessions, midnight walks around the Academic Mall and picnics at the Menil. g

A Strong Foundation

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A Penned Love Stephanie Leon ’15 is thankful for notoriously never having a pen or Stephanie ’15 and Ricardo pencil because her Fernandez ’15 forgetfulness led to meeting the love of her life, Ricardo Fernandez ’15. After Ricardo gave her his only pen, Stephanie would walk into class every day to a pen waiting on her desk. Ricardo eventually confessed that the day she asked for a pen, he went to Costco and bought a whole pack of pens so she would never be without one again. Stephanie and Ricardo are celebrating their one-year anniversary in 2016. g

Beautiful Music, Beautiful Love When Luis ’84 and Gwendolyn Juarez ’84 met, they were the only trumpeters in the music department. Together, they played in Jazz Ensemble and various other groups. After graduation, they started their own band, Accent, which still performs. Luis and Gwendolyn were married in the old chapel 29 years ago. They are still performing and enjoy making beautiful music together! g

Love at First Sight After Intro to International Studies in fall 2008, Paul Giannotti ’11 told his best friend that he’d just seen the girl he was going to marry, even though he didn’t know her name.

The next day, Paul discovered his future wife’s name was Morgan ’11 and that she loved his Ford Mustang. The couple was married in June 2014. It’s been almost seven years since Paul first saw Morgan in class, and he said they’ve been the best years of his life. g

A Raisin Romance It all started with a box of raisins. Victor ’72 and Karen ’72 Tellez met in Father Lamb’s history class their freshman year when Karen asked for some of Victor’s raisins. The next day, Karen’s girlfriends suggested she ask “that raisin guy” to the Sadie Hawkins Dance. Victor and Karen were married a year later at UST. Forty-five years later, they are still giving thanks for a box of raisins. g

Love in Print Stephen Cooper ’04 and Brenda Benkenstein Cooper ’05, MBA ’09, met as senators in the Student Government Association. But it wasn’t until they worked long hours on the Cauldron newspaper together that they really Brenda ’05, MBA ’09, and got to know each other. Stephen Cooper ’04 Stephen, a business major, was the Cauldron business manager. He wanted to improve his writing, so he made friends with writers – smart guy! Brenda was the assistant editor. The Coopers have been married for seven years now. Stephen manages digital marketing for an energy company, and Brenda is the assistant director of content marketing at UST g

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campuscouples

Spring Break Date Starts Love Story That Grows Stronger Each Passing Year

Danielle ’97 and Miguel Herrera ’97

Danielle ’97 and Miguel Herrera ’97 met in the spring of 1994 while training to be orientation leaders for UST’s freshman class that fall. Their first date during spring break proved to be the beginning of their love story, a story that Fr. Dennis Andrews strengthened when he married the couple in the Chapel of St. Basil Oct. 16, 1999. A new chapter began for the Herreras 12 years ago with the birth of their first daughter, Isabel, and expanded with their second daughter, Francesca, now 10. Today, Miguel and Danielle stay busy with their jobs, girls and various church and community service positions. Miguel is a creative director of Lopez Negrete Communications, a multicultural advertising agency, and Danielle works part-time in the family business, AAMCO Transmission and Car Care. Before graduating from UST with their BBA degrees in marketing, both Miguel and Danielle were highly involved on campus. Both served in the Student Government Association – Miguel as president, Danielle as a senator – were members of the award-winning National Model Organization of American States and had multiple on-campus jobs. Graduating from UST has provided Miguel and Danielle with “each other, friends, memories” and lessons that have stayed with them throughout the years. “Professionally, the liberal arts education and experience have helped us continually succeed, and we are never too far from a fellow Fightin’ Celt,” said Miguel. g

Alumni Share a Love That Spans the Globe

Josh ’05 and Jenny Martin ’05

Josh ’05 and Jenny Martin ’05 first met at a St. Thomas High School football game but lost touch until midway through college. Josh had moved to South Africa to study abroad, and Jenny had lived in Belgium and Spain. After Jenny moved back to Houston to attend UST, she was working on a computer in Doherty Library when Josh sat down next to her. Years after their first meeting, Josh and Jenny reconnected, and their friendship grew to love. They each earned a bachelor’s degree in international studies from UST, graduating in May 2005. Josh and Jenny appreciate that UST brought them together, reconnected them and gave them a faith-based education. Today, Josh is a partner at Heikkinen Energy Advisors and enjoys running half and full marathons. Jenny is a stay-at-home mother of their three boys, serves on the Advisory Board of the Oaks at Briargrove Preschool, volunteers at the Nehemiah Center and is a member of the St. Cecilia Alzheimer’s Care Team-The Gathering Place. The Martins are parishioners of St. Anne Catholic Church, and Josh is a member of the River Oaks Knights of Columbus. They are involved in the St. Anne Boy Scouts with their older two sons. “My UST experience provided me a wide range of academic opportunities, great memories with Josh and so many sweet friends,” Jenny said. “Also, I benefited greatly from the mentorship of the late Dr. Gustavo Wensjoe, who fostered a great love of learning and sense of community among the students.” g

To share your Campus Couples story and photo, email alumni@stthom.edu. We look forward to hearing from you! 44

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Basilian Priests’ New Home Construction continues on the new residence for UST’s Basilian priests, including a separate wing for seminarians preparing for the priesthood. The Basilian Fathers are moving the North American Scholasticate from Canada to Houston. The residence is scheduled to be completed in 2016.

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