UST Today - Spring 2015 by University of St. Thomas

Spring 2015

Ethical Leaders in the Workplace UST alumni lead companies, organizations across the nation

Founding Fathers

Texas First Lady

Next Generation

Basilian priests to move Scholasticate to Houston

UST alumna Cecilia Abbott brings quiet wisdom to Capitol

Trini Mendenhall passes down the giving spirit

from the president

Ethical Leaders

are Proud to be UST Alumni

When Dr. Siobhan Fleming ‘87 (left) graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English, she followed seven older siblings to graduate from UST - the only family to ever graduate eight from the same family from any Basilian university. She is now UST’s associate vice president for Institutional Assessment and Effectiveness, and she is discussing the March accreditation team visit by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) with Dr. Robert Ivany, president.

atching UST’s graduates engage in the “real” world is one of my greatest joys. Nothing beats the excitement of meeting successful, accomplished alumni who are contributing to their professions in meaningful ways. In this issue of UST Today, we spotlight a diverse group of business leaders whose career paths vary greatly. Some are heads of large corporations, while others are making their marks as small business owners or nonprofit leaders. I am inspired by their achievements and ability to rise to the top of their professions while remaining ethically grounded in a highly competitive, profit-driven world. Educating leaders of faith and character grows from our Basilian values. “A Commitment of Faith,” on page two, illustrates the amazing Basilian legacy at UST and how the Fathers will have an even greater presence on campus in the future. The Basilian educational experience is valued by many. I congratulate our brothers at St. Thomas High School, led by Fr. Kevin Storey, CSB, president, for raising more than $14.6 million during an 11-week challenge period in support of their 4500 Forever Campaign. Like UST, the school is steeped in Basilian values and is diligently working to fund campus improvements and expansion for the future. I invite you to follow the progress of our own fundraising effort, Faith in Our Future: The Campaign for the University of St. Thomas, as we strive to raise $47.3 million by June in order to break ground on the new Center for Science and Health Professions. As of early March, we had raised more than $33 million, 70 percent of our goal! Our campaign also seeks to enhance student success through increased scholarship support. This effort received a boost of $1.1 million raised through our 65th Annual Mardi Gras Gala in February. Proceeds from this record-breaking event support The St. Thomas Fund, UST’s annual scholarship program. We thank our event co-chairs Trini, Jan and Oniel Mendenhall, MBA ’04, and all benefactors who contributed to make this one of the largest, most successful events in UST history. Thank you for supporting our students’ success. Your partnership helps ensure that today’s Celts, and those who will follow, can one day join the ranks of the distinguished alumni featured on the following pages. With faith in our future,

Robert Ivany President

Spring 2015

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

4inside 2

A Commitment of Faith

Good Goods, Good Work

Rising to the Top

UST’s founders, the Basilian Fathers, are building a new home on campus.

EDITORS Cynthia Colbert Riley, MLA ’95 Jessica Rush CREATIVE SERVICES Dr. Michelle Morris Ric Morris GideonStone, LLC Greg Golden Goldengraphix

Students in Cameron School of Business gain new perspective on work and the common good.

From business owners to corporate CEOs, UST alumni bring integrity and vision to the workplace.

Troy Fields Photography CONTRIBUTORS Deema Al-Rasheed Brenda B. Cooper ’05, MBA ’09 Marion Fernandez-Cueto ’05 Darnell Miller ’10 Deana Nall Cindi Nellis Ronnie Piper, MLA ’11 Elaine Rivera Sandra Soliz, MLA ’01 Heather Saucier ’95 Lauren Thompson ’10

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

The Mendenhall Way

Making Texas History

Local philanthropist and UST Life Director Trini Mendenhall creates a family legacy of giving.

Three-degree UST alumna and Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott focuses on faith, family and education.

22 Faculty Features 24 Faith in Our Future Update 26 Celebrating Donors and Friends 30 News & Notables 40 Alumni Highlights 43 Campus Couples

The Next Chapter

ON THE COVER: Chris Carmouche, MBA ’95, president of CL Cashion Group and Renewal by Andersen, finds new focus after overcoming health challenges.

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Commitment

Faith

”Hand” by photographer Daniel Ramirez.

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www.stthom.edu/about/catholic_identity

Basilian Fathers to Move Scholasticate From Canada to the UST Campus

hen the Congregation of St. Basil, a religious order known as the Basilian Fathers, officially proposed to start a Catholic college in Galveston-Houston in 1944, World War II was still raging in the Pacific and the Allies had not yet invaded Europe.

to the campus, making it convenient for the priests to actively engage in the life of UST. In 2014, the General Council of the Basilian Fathers decided to deepen their commitment to UST and to Houston: they plan to move the North American Scholasticate to a new home on the campus.

This humble, determined order based in Toronto, Canada – which began shortly after the French Revolution – was focused on education as its charism. It had already founded the all-boys St. Thomas High School in Houston 44 years before this proposal to form a coed, liberal arts college “as soon as practicable after the war – if possible in 1947.” The war ended in 1945, and plans began to open the new college in September 1947. Several Basilian priests – all in their 40s – were assigned to live in the St. Thomas High School community as they worked to launch this important endeavor: Frs. Guinan, Dwyer, Lynch and (a year later) Ruth. While the others moved on to other projects after

The new residential facility is the order’s first to be designed to house two Basilian communities – current priests and Scholastics (seminarians) – in the same building. The home will be built on the site of Donoghue Hall, which was demolished in December. It should be completed by early 2016.

short stays, Fr. Guinan, CSB, remained at UST until his death in 1973. Living in community and sharing all resources is foundational to the faith life for the Basilian Fathers. They purchased their first residence at 3404 Yoakum Blvd. in 1948 and replaced that home in 1959 with a new residence at 4019 Yoakum Blvd. – financed with a gift of Texaco stock donated by Mrs. Mary Donoghue. It was appropriately named Donoghue Hall. For 55 years, the Basilian Fathers of the University of St. Thomas lived in Donoghue Hall, located centrally

A New Home

The northern half of the new residence will house the Scholastics and will include 12 bedrooms, laundry room, community room, recreational room and a study. The southern half will house the priests and will include eight bedrooms, community room and a TV room. Both groups will share the chapel and dining room. U S T T O D AY

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Donoghue Hall at 4019 Yoakum Blvd. was the home of the Basilian Fathers of UST for 55 years.

UST is a jewel in the “ crown of Catholic education and in the heart of the Basilian Fathers.

”

– Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

The Fathers will have a workbench and a shop adjacent to the house where they can store their tools. The residence will also retain the fig and grapefruit trees that are on the property. Fr. Mike Buentello, CSB, Superior of the Basilian Fathers at UST and chaplain/director of Campus Ministry, said the campus is a special place for the order. “This is our home,” he said. “By building the Scholasticate here, the General Council is making a very bold statement that we’re here for the long term. It’s a sign of our hope for the future of the Basilian Fathers.” The Superior General of the Basilian Fathers agrees. “We see UST as a dynamic community of faith and learning, and it is profoundly Catholic in its mission,” said Fr. George Smith, CSB. “We could think of no better place for our young men to be. It’s very

breathing it – not by listening to lots of academic presentations, but through stories.” The Scholastics learn what it means to be a priest in this religious order by observing and interacting with Basilian Fathers and by serving the community. Fr. Kevin Storey, CSB, who serves on the Basilian Fathers’ General Council and is president of St. Thomas High School, said that in the past, a seminary was expected to be sequestered off in the mountains, and future priests would go there to “become holy,” away from the sin and depravity of the world. He said the new facility at UST represents newer theology that says God is powerful and incredible, and he can be found in the midst of Calcutta, in the mountains, in urban New York – or in the middle of the City of Houston.

important to us that our young priests have good mentors.” The new residence will “be a welcoming community where men who are considering religious life will see a place of joy, of brotherhood – a community caring for one another and supporting one another in life’s challenges,” Fr. Smith said. “It will be a fraternal community that’s open to the university because we want to be the ultimate good neighbors and in a meaningful relationship with UST.” UST currently has two Scholastics studying in Houston for the Basilian priesthood, and Fr. Dave Bittner, CSB, Master of Scholastics at UST, said their formation “is learned by living it,

“By having the Scholasticate in the heart of the city, right next to the priests, we’re saying something symbolically about where one can find God,” Fr. Storey said. “He’s in the ordinary realities of learning, teaching, growing… all the rest.”

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The Basilian Fathers of UST and the Scholastics will each have living areas in their new home, expected to be completed by early 2016 on the site of their previous residence, Donoghue Hall.

A Place to Recharge

Fr. Smith said Houston is becoming a kind of “hub” for the order. They have Scholasticates in both Mexico and Colombia, and the priests travel to those countries as well as to Detroit, Michigan, and to Canada for educational and mission work. “Houston offers us a great place to recharge our batteries,” Fr. Smith said. In addition to works in Angleton and Fort Bend County, the Basilians have three apostolates (ministries) in Houston: UST, St. Thomas High School and St. Anne parish and school, which Fr. Smith describes as a “magnificent trinity of institutions.” While the order founded other colleges in Canada that are connected to state-sponsored universities, UST is the only standalone institution of higher education, often called the “flagship.” Fr. Buentello said the Basilian focus on education ensures that “all our academic institutions are top-notch. If there is a Basilian high school or university, you will have excellence in education.”

Ordinary Men, Extraordinary Mission

Fr. Storey said finding God in the ordinary fits well with the identity of the Basilian Fathers and the charism of education and servanthood. “I think students know we’re pretty ordinary people,” said Fr. Storey. “We get crabby, we don’t get enough sleep – we’re ordinary people called by God to serve God’s people. We’re not otherworldly or something special. Jesus called the smelly, ordinary fishermen as his disciples. We’re just servants focused on Jesus.”

Students know UST’s Basilian Fathers as professors, administrators, counselors, spiritual guides – and as gardeners, bike riders and cowboy-hat-wearing pit barbecue experts. It’s not uncommon for students to enjoy a meal or coffee with the priests, or to just ask them if they can sit and talk. “One of the Basilian – Fr. George Smith, CSB traditions I cherish is Superior General caring for every student as an individual,” Fr. Smith said. “When students arrive at UST, we want them to know we are truly interested in them – their dreams, hopes, troubles, difficulties. When you pass

see UST “asWea dynamic

community of faith and learning, and it is profoundly Catholic in its mission.

”

a Basilian and they ask, ‘How are you?’ they really intend for you to stop and tell them.” The educational mission of this Basilian order is at the heart of all they do. “My own passion for education is something that really defines who I am; it’s at the heart of my ministry,” Fr. Smith said. “To be able to live out that calling, in the midst of a family of brothers, has been one of the great blessings of my life.” g

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GOOD GOODS GOOD WORK GOOD WEALTH

CAMERON SCHOOL OF BUSINESS Offering Students a Different Perspective on Emerging Markets, Global Opportunities and the Underserved

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fter studying trends in Houston, higher education

and business, UST’s Cameron School of Business (CSB) faculty chose several focus areas to guide them as they expand, develop new programs and revise curriculum.

“We are focusing on emerging markets and global opportunities – and within that framework – looking at areas that are underserved,” said Beena George, dean of the Cameron School of Business. “As we adapt our programs, we always build on UST’s strong foundation of liberal arts and the Catholic intellectual tradition.” As this vision emerged for the CSB, the Houston Methodist Research Institute and UST began talking about developing a master’s degree in clinical translation management – addressing an underserved area in the medical field. The program prepares students to translate research discoveries to the patient care setting more quickly and effectively. “We realized this program fills a need in our community and fits well within our approach to business education. Growth in the life sciences industry has the potential to significantly affect Houston’s future,” George said. Other new programs aligned with CSB’s vision include: > a minor in market analysis that will train students in the highly valued skills of collection and analysis of data; >

a Master of Business Administration degree with economics and entrepreneurship concentrations that emphasizes emerging markets and underserved needs;

new Bachelor and Master of International Business degrees, which are designed to serve the global market and to attract international students (international business is also available as a concentration within the MBA);

> a certificate in social entrepreneurship, in partnership with the Center for International Studies. The new degrees and programs add to the school’s current Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Business Administration degrees, the

MBA with an education focus, the Master of Science in Accounting, and the Master of Science in Finance. George said UST’s business programs attract students with a vision to make a positive impact in the world. She noted, for example, Andres Cuellar, a BBA/MBA graduate, who created a water filtration system designed to filter contaminated water and provide clean water for up to three years to underprivileged countries. The business model developed by Cuellar and his classmates also offered employment opportunities to the local community. The CSB faculty encourage students to leverage their business knowledge to give people a sense of purpose – to not just employ people but to help them fulfill their own ideals and dreams. “Our graduates are as well-trained as everyone else in business disciplines,” George said. “The distinction comes from their mindfulness of the need to serve and the need for values higher than mere efficiency.” As they are challenged by class projects requiring them to develop solutions in the face of multiple constraints, they learn to think wisely and innovatively about business. This learning can be applied in any type of organization. She referenced a document produced by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace titled, “The Vocation of the Business Leader,” that emphasizes practical principles for business so that it may advance the common good. It called faithful people to focus on “good goods, good work and good wealth.” George said whether UST graduates become top corporate CEOs, start their own businesses or take roles with various companies or organizations, she believes they bring a valuable perspective to their work. “Our graduates bring their values and their integrity to the workplace,” she said. “When I speak to alumni, they tell me how they seek to live a full life – a balanced life – not just focused on making money. Most accomplish that as well, but that is not what drives them.”g

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cameron school of business

In a rapid-paced business world that often pushes for a quick return at any cost, UST’s business students are encouraged to take time to focus on enduring values such as integrity and concern for the common good.

RISING

TOP T O

T HE

Leadership skills and knowledge gained at UST propelled these dozen alumni to become executives at major companies or founders of their own businesses â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from home building to health care. Read more about these leaders who rose to the top.

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Drew Wilson ’02 President, Founder Uptown Consultants

rew Wilson ’02 is committed to finding positive solutions – whether leading his Houston-based business consulting firm or his Florida-based metabolic testing lab. Through Uptown Consultants, Wilson helps small businesses grow in dynamic ways. In the 13 years since he graduated from UST, he has become a renowned international business consultant who guides businesses as they expand globally. Wilson also works to improve economies in nations around the world. He credits business mentor Doreen Brown, CEO of Brown Management Consulting, for helping him expand his consulting business. As president of the Boca Raton, Fla.-based AML Diagnostics, he works with physicians to provide

rising to the top

Faith Carries Business Owner Through Challenging Times

comprehensive wellness testing. One focus of AML is its wellness panels designed to help people who are fighting addictions. “We’re trying to take care of the patient beyond just telling them to go to a halfway house,” Wilson said. “We actually look for physical causes and contributors.” Wilson’s business undertakings naturally involve challenges, but he said he was equipped to manage tough times by his UST experience – and by mentors such as Dr. Lori Gallagher, director of UST’s William J. Flynn Center for Irish Studies, and Dr. Carolyn Farb, legendary Houston philanthropist. During college, Wilson learned the importance of relying on faith during life’s trials. He often found himself coping with the stress of school by visiting the chapel, and he has carried this devotion to faith into his professional life. “At UST, it was easy to see how faith played a part in all aspects of the university,” he said. “This has helped me as a young business owner because you can’t anticipate the things that will happen. I know if I have a bad day or lose a client, I still have my faith.”g

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rising to the top

Doing Well by Doing Good Aileen McCormick, MBA ’86 West Region President AMERIGROUP

ileen McCormick, MBA ’86, said her proudest career achievement is knowing she has never compromised her principles. As a senior executive within the Government Business Division of AMERIGROUP (an Anthem Company), McCormick has operational and P&L responsibility for more than $8 billion in revenue. Her responsibilities cover a five-state region. She joined AMERIGROUP in 2002 after working many years in leadership positions with other companies in the health care

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industry. Since 2006, she has served as the west region president of AMERIGROUP’s Medicaid division. AMERIGROUP provides health coverage for more than five million Medicaid recipients in 14 states. McCormick’s primary role with the company is supporting each of her market presidents so they have the tools they need to provide an exemplary customer experience for their members and state partners. “Our focus is to make sure our members get the care they need at the right time and in the right place,” McCormick said. “Simply put, our approach is to do well by doing good.” McCormick, who is Catholic, said her faith journey has been life-long. She remembers the compassion and genuine caring she felt as a young MBA student at UST, and she is humbled by the grace she has experienced working with people with disabilities. Her faith was reaffirmed by a life-changing pilgrimage to Israel, and she continues to grow in her relationship with God. All this, she believes, makes her a better leader. Her affiliation with UST has now lasted for nearly three decades. McCormick has served on the advisory board of the Cameron School since its inception, presented to classes and judged the CSB Case Competition. She also is actively involved with UST’s ambitious Faith in Our Future campaign as a supporter and a volunteer. “It’s an honor to give back to a school that did so much for me,” McCormick said. She believes every leader should “pay it forward,” and she credits much of her success to mentors who helped her along the way, including teachers, friends and family. She is especially grateful to Andy, her husband of 33 years, and their three children, who range in age from 17 to 24. “My family is my greatest joy,” she said. “I was always a working mom, and I am proud of the relationship my husband and I have with our children as young adults. It is a great feeling to know firsthand that it is possible to have both a fulfilling career and a family. g

rising to the top

Health Challenge Brings Life Priorities into Focus for Executive Christopher Carmouche, MBA ’95 President CL Cashion Group Renewal By Andersen

e prepared to outwork everyone else” is the best business advice that Chris Carmouche can offer UST students.

“

As president of the CL Cashion Group, which owns the Renewal by Andersen name in five markets, Carmouche handles sales, operations and installations for the $55 million, 400-employee residential window replacement company. “My time at UST gave me the critical-thinking and problem-solving skills I needed for success in business,” he said. “The mix of younger students and working professionals furthered the case studies we did with real-life examples.”

Carmouche faced his own real-life challenge in 2014 when he discovered he had renal cancer. “An event like that crystallizes your focus,” he said. During his health crisis, he turned to a mentor, Sister Sharon Groetz, who has been his spiritual director for a year. “She has been an incredible guide for me,” he said. “She walked me through the pain of not knowing what was coming next and being good with that.” Carmouche said his corporate-attorney dad and mother have also been special mentors to him. “As a president, you often face things that are frustrating or scary, and it’s nice to be able to turn to a father who can give business advice and talk with you as a son,” he said. Being a mentor to others is important to Carmouche. “As a product of a Catholic education, it is important to me to find a way to give back,” he said. He’s also focused on “quiet time with my wife, laughing with my four kids and envisioning a day that my Astros win the World Series.”g

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rising to the top

Early Mentor Key to Rise of Chairman of Cooper Companies

A. Thomas Bender ’64 Chairman and Retired CEO Cooper Companies

on’t let anybody fool you,” said A. Thomas Bender ’64, the 1997 recipient of UST’s Guinan Alumni of the Year Award. “You need a little bit of luck.” The current chairman and retired CEO of Cooper Companies has experienced luck – and God’s blessings – throughout his life. Bender spent the first 25 years of his career at the global pharmaceutical company Allergan, where he started in sales. While there, he caught the eye of an executive, John Jones, who mentored him. “To make the leap to management, you need someone who sees your potential and hopes they haven’t made a big mistake,” he said. Bender was

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CEO of the dermatology division, called Herbert Labs, by the time he left. From Allergan, he moved to Cooper Industries, where he served as president of CooperVision, the eye division. He eventually became president and CEO of Cooper Companies, turning the business around by focusing on its core competencies. Bender, known as “the visionary guy” among colleagues, said he owes his success to strategic thinking and strong leadership. In both business and life, Bender believes God has watched over him. In 2009, he received a kidney donated by the youngest of his three daughters, Cynthia. His surgeon told him he was the oldest diabetic in the country to receive a transplant. Both he and his daughter are currently in excellent health. Bender feels blessed to have attended UST, which he said gave him an advantage in business. While in school, he met his wife Pamela Jane (Earle) Bender ’66, who used her education degree to achieve leadership in nonprofit organizations. “The beauty of a liberal arts degree is you learn to communicate better, think better,” he said. g

rising to the top

Junior League President-Elect, Financial Advisor Inspired by UST Professor Mimi Foerster, MBA ’03 2015-16 President Junior League of Houston

imi Foerster, MBA ’03, believes in making things happen. From her Galleria-area office, the UBS financial advisor works her dream job that combines two things she is passionate about: people and finance. As incoming president of the Junior League of Houston, Inc., she leads the volunteer organization whose more than 5,100 members work to address some of the city’s most pressing issues. At a recent event, the Junior League netted over $1 million to support needs in the Houston community. Foerster was hired at UBS right out of graduate school, and soon joined the Junior League. She’s been with both organizations ever since.

“I love both jobs because I am a people person,” she said. “My desire to volunteer was encouraged at UST, and giving back to the community is deeply important to me.” Foerster enjoyed her undergraduate experience at a large state university, but UST’s smaller class sizes drew her there for her MBA. “It was the best choice I could have made,” she said. “I loved the teamwork in our classes.” Collaboration lies at the heart of Foerster’s career and volunteer work, and she said her UST experience taught her the value of working together to achieve a larger goal. While at UST, Foerster thrived under the tutelage of UST’s Cameron School of Business faculty – especially Dr. Hassan Shirvani, professor and Cullen Foundation Chair in Economics. “Dr. Shirvani was the professor that sparked my interest in finance and the reason I chose the path I am on,” Foerster said. “He is a wealth of knowledge and one of the most interesting people I have had the chance to hear.” And the unique UST atmosphere is never far away. “I loved UST,” she said. “I still see my former professors at the grocery store every week. It has such a small-town feel even though it’s in a big city.”g

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UST Alumnae Form Lifelong Friendship and Restaurant Partnership Teresa Flores ’86 Lily Hernandez ’84 CEOs and Co-Owners Red Ox Bar & Grill

or Teresa Flores ’86 (right, above) and Lily Hernandez ’84 (left), their time at UST launched a successful business partnership that has lasted 18 years. Both women were drawn to UST’s acclaimed biology department as pre-med students, but both later switched majors: Flores to business, Hernandez to accounting. They own Red Ox Bar & Grill, a welcoming neighborhood gathering spot in the near northside of Houston, known for its Tex-Mex cuisine

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and friendly atmosphere. Flores handles operations and marketing, and Hernandez is the CPA. The partners started their string of successful eateries with Bocados, which was open more than 15 years. The first restaurant faced many obstacles, from design issues to finding a bank that would lend them money. But the knowledge they gained at UST in business and marketing classes helped them craft a successful business plan to attract lenders. “It was so hard and so triumphant,” Flores said. UST taught them not to set limits on what they could accomplish. They are striving to be successful restauranteurs as well as successful property owners and land developers. Flores described the secret to longevity in the restaurant business as consistent food quality and an atmosphere where customers feel comfortable. “We’re constantly innovating and changing,” she said. They agree that one of the perks of owning a restaurant is getting to be your own boss. “We’re still having fun,” she said. “That’s what matters.”g

Steve Dufilho ’66 Partner Goldsmith, Fillis & Dufilho Capital

teve Dufilho ’66 has always managed a busy schedule. At UST, he worked full time, was in the chess club and bridge club, served as business manager of the newspaper, ran for class officer and was the unofficial assistant to Father Guinan, driving dignitaries around town. Dufilho, who also holds a master’s degree in economics from St. Mary’s University, stays just as busy now as an investor, principal of

rising to the top

Busy Executive Makes Time for Community Involvement, Family

Goldsmith, Fillis & Dufilho Capital Partners, chairman of two health-related companies and a board member for Ascension Health. In addition to numerous civic and charitable contributions, he heads a family of 25 (including children and grandchildren) with his wife Adele ’66, whom he met at UST. He said the freedom to be involved in civic and charitable associations, in addition to business organizations, is his greatest joy in life. During his college years, Dufilho considered changing from the liberal arts school to accounting at another university. But Fr. Guinan encouraged him to complete his liberal arts degree because his future employer would likely pay for his accounting education. And that’s just what happened. He said Fr. Guinan taught him to think ahead. He earned his CPA in just 15 months while working at Frost Bank, a favorite professional achievement of his. Dufilho’s business advice to students: “Be persistent, ask questions, always do what you say you’ll do, and never stop learning.”g

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Alumna Says Intuition Has Guided Her to Success in Business and Life Susan Whitt Dooley ’99 CEO and Owner Polka Dot Dogs

hen making major life decisions like where to go to college and when to start her own business, Susan Whitt Dooley ’99 relies on her intuition. And it hasn’t let her down yet.

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While her friends attended large colleges, Dooley was drawn to the intimate setting of UST, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration. While her peers were focused on getting big-oil jobs after graduation, Dooley said, “It just wasn’t clicking for me. I thought, ‘I’m meant to do something else.’” She loved caring for people, so she entered the world of nonprofits, working as an event coordinator at the Ronald McDonald House and at Susan G. Komen, and as a volunteer coordinator for the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. To supplement her income, Dooley started a dog-walking and pet-sitting business on the side – increasing to 120 customers over time. After 10 years, Dooley started a master’s degree at Texas Woman’s University. Halfway through her first semester, her intuition kicked in again, and she withdrew from school. Dooley leased real estate in the Heights and opened Polka Dot Dogs in 2010. Today, the business boards and grooms roughly 2,000 furry clients. Dooley and her 20 employees sometimes begin feeding the animals as early as 4:30 a.m., but she loves her work and knows all the dogs by name. Dooley credits her success to a great location and a caring staff that goes “above and beyond.” She also credits her alma mater. “UST taught me about discipline,” she said. “In this business, you have to be disciplined with your time and attention.” In 2011, her intuition served her once more. Matthew Dooley came to inquire about boarding and daycare for his Vizsla named Cru. “I knew at that moment I was going to marry him,” she said. They married in September 2012, with Cru serving as the ring bearer. They now have a 15-month-old son Theodore and are expecting a daughter this spring. “My intuition has guided me in the right direction – in all areas of my life,” Dooley said. g

rising to the top

Visionary Developer Helps Transform Houston Neighborhoods Inside the Loop Jose Berlanga ’89 CEO and co-founder Tricon Homes

or Jose Berlanga ’89, success in business meant he had to pay a personal price. While his buddies were playing pool, bowling and going to parties, he was studying at UST and working day and night in his first business: a parts distribution company for the oil and gas industry. The hard work and sacrifices paid off for Berlanga, CEO and co-founder of Tricon Homes. “The business started small, just the two of us (including his brother Tristan),” he said. “In the ’90s, the inner city of Houston was undergoing a revitalization process, and we noticed there was a niche, an opening. Not many builders were attracted to these transforming neighborhoods.” The brothers began building in The Heights, Montrose, Midtown, Museum District and other areas. Now, Tricon – which is both an architectural firm and a developer/ builder – is one of the biggest builders in Houston. “We built a name for the product,” he said. The homes, generally priced from $500,000 to $1 million, include styles ranging from loft to Victorian to Craftsman. Berlanga gets great satisfaction from providing a service people appreciate. He enjoys the whole cycle of his job as CEO, from discussing potential sites, planning and negotiating to “driving by one day, looking through the window, and seeing a family having dinner. That’s what keeps me going in business,” he said.

Berlanga admits that one of his greatest challenges has been finding the right balance between work and personal life. Now, at 46, after spending the past 18 years building a successful business, he thinks he’s found it. He’s about to have his first children. His wife Adriana is expecting twins – a boy and a girl. Berlanga is grateful that he was drawn to UST for the Catholic education as well as the smaller size of the classes and campus. He said he formed many lifelong friendships and made important business contacts while on campus. “It’s amazing that I’m standing on my balcony staring at LinkLee Mansion,” Berlanga said. “My office overlooks the campus. Close to 30 years later and I’ve never left the neighborhood…it’s kind of cool.”g

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MBA Equips Real Estate Developer for International Challenges Rocky Lai, MBA ’90 CEO Rocky Lai and Associates

riving past UST on his way to his Montrose office every day, Rocky Lai, MBA ’90, CEO of Houston-based Rocky Lai and Associates and long-term partner of The Johnson Development

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Corporation, often thinks of the education he received and relationships he formed during his time as an MBA student at UST. Lai, whose vast career experience includes acquiring and developing properties across Texas, the U.S. and in numerous global markets, has become known for his Midas touch in the real estate development industry. And it all began when he came to Houston from Taiwan just in time for the Texas recession that began in the mid-1980s. The real estate market was not doing well at the time, but Lai, whose family had a long tradition of working in real estate, jumped in anyway. “I learned real estate the hard way,” he said. Because of the recession, Lai was able to acquire several properties at almost 30 cents on the dollar. He also joined an international development company, where he would soon become executive vice president and director of acquisition. During this time, he enrolled in the MBA program at UST. Geared toward people who were already working full time, the MBA program was the perfect choice for Lai. “It’s a very practical program,” he said. “Most of the classes were at night, and most of my classmates were already at the managerial level in their fields.” The challenging MBA courses were especially valuable to his work as an international developer. “We examined large companies in other parts of the world,” Lai said. “We learned different types of business practices in other cultures.” Since purchasing those properties in a struggling market 30 years ago, Lai has built a successful career in real estate acquisition, management and development – with total creation values surpassing $2 billion. Although his work has taken him to many different locales, Lai still loves working so close to the campus, and he gives back to UST to help other students who want to attend. “UST is a great place to be,” he said. g

Dr. Louis Varela, MD, ’74 Principal Northgate Healthcare

hen Dr. Louis Varela ’74 is asked how a U.S. Army officer, physician, systems analyst and entrepreneur can all fit logically into one person’s career, he has a quick answer: “God has a sense of humor.” Since retiring from active medical practice in 2005, Varela has found many ways to bring together medicine and business, and he is passionate about the combination. Licensed to practice medicine in two states, he is a founder and/or managing partner of 16 medicallybased business organizations, including International Sleep Labs of America, multiple surgical centers and a first-responder training school. He also serves on a medical mission to Guatemala every year and volunteers his medical expertise at Casa Juan Diego, a Houston clinic that provides care to immigrants, refugees and the poor. Varela also leads or is a member of a number of alliances, coalitions and associations. He is even a certified spiritual director in the Ignatian Spirituality Method. “I wait until God pushes me in one direction or another,” Varela said. “It doesn’t sound very professional from a secular standpoint, but he hasn’t steered me wrong yet.” After serving in the Army as a computer programmer and systems analyst, Varela enrolled at UST as a

rising to the top

Physician, Entrepreneur Has Allowed God to Lead Him in Career Path

math major and found himself surrounded by faculty members who did much more than teach his classes. “I was able to consult with professors who were priests and who served as spiritual inspirations,” Varela said. “I learned a lot from them about trusting the Lord and using the talents he gives us.” Varela has lived his life by the philosophy of letting God lead. “God has allowed me to do a lot of things, and it’s all because of the gifts he has given me.”g

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rising to the top

Alumnus Creates Great Workplace Featuring Open Environment and Happy Employees James “Jim” Lewandowski, MBA ’85 CEO FireHost, Inc.

hen Jim Lewandowski attended UST, he appreciated that his classmates in the Cameron School of Business were already accomplished executives and business leaders. “This meant we were able to blend academic theory with real-world principles,” said Lewandowski, CEO of FireHost, Inc. a secure cloud-computing company based in Dallas. Lewandowski, who also earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Michigan Technological University, said UST gave him the tools to be competitive in business. He began his business career at IBM and held executive positions at Rackspace, Yahoo, McAfee and FireHost. In his current role, he oversees the company’s growth and strategic vision. He said “a great business starts with having a great product or service

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and includes providing your fellow employees an environment where people can volunteer their best work every day.” FireHost is diligent about matching people to jobs that fit their strengths, and his firm’s work space is open – no one has traditional offices. Lewandowski believes strongly in total transparency within the company. Everything from financial information to news – good and bad – is shared with every person in the company. “We are all owners of the company,” he said. The culture at FireHost results in extraordinary employee engagement. A recent survey showed 98 percent of employees love their jobs, love the people they work with, believe in the mission and feel respected by coworkers. Lewandowski has personally hired and mentored more than 20 colleagues who have become successful business leaders. “I view my work as a tribute to God, and I try to honor God by maximizing the abundance of blessings I’ve been given,” he said. He counts among those blessings his wife Sandra and daughter Brittany who “have always been helpful and understanding. Their support allowed me to pursue my dreams; I could not ask for a better family.”g

facultyfeature When native Houstonian Dr. John Story was winning debates, starring in plays and helping his dad with the family business as a teen, he never imagined he would become a professor.

Transformative College Experience Drew Popular Business Prof to Teaching “I was unfocused and undisciplined, but I loved math and science,” Story said. “I started an engineering training program but a company that needed my skills hired me away to work full time in industrial sales. When I went back in my 30s to finish my degree, I was married and focused – and I realized for the first time how much college taught me and how much it changed me for the better.” Story fell in love with education and with teaching, and he decided in 1991 to pursue a master’s degree. At the time, he lived in Bellville, Texas, had two young children and ran a small windshieldchip repair business to fund school. “It was a great application for the marketing I learned in my undergraduate years, and it was flexible,” he said. “When my students say they can’t get an assignment done because they are too busy with life, I say, ‘I did it. You can, too.’ ” Story came to UST in 2008 from Idaho State, and he now serves as associate professor of management and marketing and interim Burnett Chair in Leadership, having stepped down as department chair last year to focus on research.

“I had lots of experience with Catholic education as a child and with my daughters, and I love that UST is both a faith community and a learning community,” he said. “That creates synergies you can’t find outside a faithbased university. That’s important for our business graduates because they learn to weigh alternatives and make decisions through an ethical filter.” When Story came to UST, he was involved in marketing consulting with global companies, and that was his research focus as well. Today, he focuses on two research streams: brand-health research, which provides a 360-degree view of the brand in the marketplace; and how to manage and reduce friction between different generational cohorts. “The thing I am most proud of in my career is that I feel that I have successfully integrated research with the application of that research in industry,

and I bring everything I learned from that into the classroom to create better classes,” he said. Teaching is a passion for Story, and he loves seeing his students grow during their time at UST. “What I really enjoy is integrating students’ innate abilities and knowledge with new knowledge to create synergistic changes in them,” Story said. “As professors, we get to see students develop academically, professionally and personally – and to prepare them for the real challenges they’ll face when they graduate.” Story said UST graduates offer something special to the marketplace. “Because of their experience here, they bring employers a unique combination of skills, knowledge, integrity and experience vitally needed in the world today.” g

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facultyfeature Every Saturday during tax season, Assistant Professor Ramon Fernandez ’79, his students and even some UST alumni are easy to find: they are in a low-income Houston neighborhood preparing people’s tax returns.

Professor Exposes Students to Real-world Work Experience Fernandez, who has taught at UST since 1982, started the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program just two years later. “I thought students should get a taste of what was really going on in the tax world before they graduated,” Fernandez said. “They learn how to run a tax practice, how to work with others… even how to take a shoe box of papers and turn it into usable information.” Fernandez and the students complete about 1,000 returns a year – more than 30,000 since they started. “We get a lot of repeat business; we go back to the same near-northside neighborhood every year, and the people know us. It’s like a reunion.” In high school, Fernandez spent 100 hours working with the elderly at a nursing home, and it was one of his most fulfilling experiences. His own students tell him the same about the community tax work; some go into tax accounting after that experience, and a good number come back to volunteer year after year. Originally from Cuba, Fernandez and his family moved to Spain, then to Houston when he was 8 years old, where he started his journey through 22

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Catholic schools. Attending UST was the next logical step for him, and with scholarships, he was able to earn his bachelor’s in accounting. “The UST experience was wonderful,” he said, and prepared him for his role at Gulf Oil (now part of Chevron) after graduation. At night, he taught at a local community college. When he was transferred to Pennsylvania, he continued to teach college courses. When Fernandez had the opportunity to move back to Houston, he realized his true passion was teaching. When he finished his MBA at the University of Houston, he began teaching full time at UST, with a focus on tax accounting – and he loves his work as much today as when he started. Fernandez connects his research and his real-world experience to the classroom, to students’ great benefit. “I have a part-time tax practice, and I think that’s one of the things that makes

me an effective teacher,” he said. “I can discuss things I encounter – a client who was denied a deduction I thought was legitimate, an IRS appeal, a client audit. A story that’s real impacts them; that’s much more meaningful than reading it in a book.” The results speak for themselves: UST ranked fourth in 2014 among 61 Texas universities whose students sat for the challenging certified public accountant (CPA) exam – with approximately two-thirds of them passing the test the first time. The national average pass rate is only 40-45 percent. “It’s one of the thrills we get as accounting educators – to see how great our students are doing,” he said. “It’s the reason we teach… to see our students succeed professionally and personally. We are as proud of them as if they were our family.” g

facultyfeature At age 23, Dr. Sidika Gulfem Bayram boarded her first flight ever to travel from Turkey to the United States. After being picked up at the airport by a distant cousin she had never met, she was on her own in a new country. She spoke no English.

Brave New World: Professor’s Personal Story Inspires Students to Achieve Bayram attended an immersion language school, and after a few months, passed the English-language test and the GMAT® exam. She was accepted to graduate school on a full scholarship. At 24, only eight months after starting to learn English, she found herself attending graduate business classes and teaching undergraduates barely younger than herself. “I told the students, ‘I will teach you accounting if you teach me English,’ ” Bayram said. “I asked them to tell me when I mispronounced something, and they did. I fell in love with teaching that first semester.” After earning her MBA, Bayram gained business experience at Wells Fargo and Siemens Business Services. She then returned to Turkey to be closer to her family and friends. Although there is a long heritage of teaching in her family, she never imagined loving it enough to make a career out of it. Bayram started pursuing a doctoral degree in accounting in addition to teaching at a private university in Istanbul. “I had finished all my coursework for my Ph.D. in accounting in Turkey, but I knew that if was going to be a professor, I needed to understand the

global reach. I had to go back to the United States.” So Bayram started her Ph.D. over again – in Texas – switching from accounting to finance and completing her dissertation in behavioral finance. In 2011, Bayram joined UST as an assistant professor of finance. “The minute I stepped on campus, I knew this was where I wanted to be.” she said. Bayram has since collaborated on different research projects with UST faculty members and graduate students, resulting in three journal publications and five conference presentations. Bayram brings knowledge from her extensive travels and international business experience to her courses. “My goal is to show students the extent of global integration in financial markets and prepare them for complex real-world financial issues that today’s businesses face.”

Students see how much Bayram cares about their lives, and they are constantly in her office, asking for her advice. At the end of every semester, she gets a stack of notes and cards, often thanking her for being both tough and caring. Sometimes, at the end of a semester, she’ll tell her story and talk to students about the importance of determination. “Some people say what I did at 23 was brave, and looking back, I guess it was – but it was a calculated risk,” she said. “I believe the biggest risk in life is not taking any. I encourage my students to be brave, to remember the values they learned here, and to take initiative. If they do that, they might just make their dreams come true.” g

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Campaign Nears Critical Goal

Faith IN OUR FUTURE

The Campaign for the University of St. Thomas

UST hopes to open the new Center for Science and Health Professions, which will be closely modeled on this rendering, in 2017.

Numerous high-tech classrooms and student study areas are planned for the CSHP.

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www.ustfaithinourfuture.com

as UST Makes the Case for Growth

emonstrating its faith in the future – and faith in the University of St. Thomas – the Houston community is stepping up in support of an important goal: the construction of a Center for Science and Health Professions. Faith in Our Future: The Campaign for the University of St. Thomas seeks to build on UST’s strengths and bolster the science disciplines and other key programs to create the model of 21st-century learning that students deserve. The comprehensive Faith in Our Future campaign will fund construction of UST’s new Center for Science and Health Professions (CSHP), to be located on the southern boundary of the campus. It will create a “gateway” and additional symbolic campus front door. The CSHP will be built in phases, beginning with the construction of a main building, for which a fundraising goal of $47.3 million has been set. Because the need for this facility is so great, UST hopes to raise this amount by June, at which time the board will consider a vote to break ground this year and open the main building to students in January 2017. As of early March, more than $33 million had been raised – 70 percent of the goal. The main building will accommodate the Department of Biology as well as the Carol and Odis Peavy School of Nursing, which has operated in temporary buildings since it reopened in 2012. As additional funds are raised, phases two and three will commence, adding north and south wings to the main facility to house the departments of chemistry, physics, math, environmental science, computer science and cooperative engineering.

“The CSHP will provide the space and facilities our students need and will serve as a hub for important collaborations with the health and science community,” said Dr. Robert Ivany, UST president. “UST is now a member institution of the renowned Texas Medical Center, and our STEM and nursing programs continue to rise in prominence. We’re gaining recognition from leading health care organizations throughout the region, making a new facility more crucial than ever.” Across the state and nation, the need for skilled STEM and health care professionals is increasing rapidly, with more than 4.1 million health care jobs expected to be added to the national economy between now and 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Hospitals expect to add about 826,000 jobs during the same period, and as many as a third are expected to be for registered nurses. “UST is committed to producing leaders in these vital professional fields,” Ivany said. “But we need the CSHP to accommodate increasing enrollment and interest in the STEM and health disciplines. We thank those who have already contributed to the campaign, and ask for continued prayers and support for a successful result.” To learn more or contribute to Faith in Our Future, please visit www.ustfaithinourfuture.com. g

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Annual Gala Draws Hundreds in Support of Irish Studies The annual Irish Gala benefiting UST’s William J. Flynn Center

for Irish Studies attracted 400 guests and raised more than $380,000. His Eminence Daniel N. Cardinal DiNardo of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston was the honorary chair of the gala. Hosted in November at the Houstonian Hotel, the event honored former board chair Michele Malloy. Kathleen and Larry Miggins and their The gala was family celebrate at UST’s annual Irish Gala. chaired by three friends of Malloy: Maureen Evans, Margo P. Geddie and Lisa Miranda. An active member of the Advisory Board for the Center for Irish Studies since its inception in 2003, Malloy has contributed both her time and treasure. The annual Irish Gala provides scholarships and support for students to study abroad in Ireland and Northern Ireland. It also supports the interdisciplinary academic program. UST’s Center for Irish Studies is rated among the top 10 Irish Studies programs in the country.

Alizeh Yusuf thanks attendees The center’s director, for their generosity. Lori Gallagher, J.D., was recently recognized among the 2014 Irish Education 100 by Irish Voice, an Irish-American newspaper and magazine. This award marks the fourth time Gallagher has been honored for her work with the Center for Irish Studies. During the gala reception and dinner, guests were treated to traditional Irish music by the local band Wyndnwyre and by Celtic balladeer Danny O’Flaherty, who returned to the gala after last year’s warm reception. O’Flaherty also led a much-anticipated singalong over Irish coffee. Special guests included Archbishop Emeritus Joseph A. Fiorenza; Hon. Adrian Farrell, Consul General of Ireland; and Rev. Bill Shaw, director of the 174 Trust in Belfast, Northern Ireland. UST established the Center for Irish Studies in 2003 and named it after William J. Flynn in 2010. Prior to this event, the center had awarded study abroad scholarships to more than 80 students and secured study abroad funding in excess of $300,000. For more information, go to www.stthom.edu/irishstudies. g

Performing Arts Society Tea Raises Funds for Scholarships Fall 2014 Performing Arts Society Membership Tea chairs and honorees (pictured l to r) are Kusum Patel, Rose Cullen, Barbara Van Postman, Marie Bosarge, Marianne Ivany and Susan Osterberg. The membership campaign and tea raised nearly $36,000 for music and drama scholarships. 170 guests attended the event at the home of Mary Gracely. For more information, go to www.stthom.edu/PAS.

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65th Mardi Gras Gala Raises $1.1M for Scholarships UST’s 65th Mardi Gras Gala rocked the Hilton Americas-Houston on Fat Tuesday in February and raised more than $1.1 million in support of student scholarships. Dr. Robert Ivany, UST president and first lady, Marianne, and Mardi Gras Cochairs Trini Mendenhall and Jan and Oniel Mendenhall, MBA ’04, welcomed nearly 700 guests for a fun and festive evening. The event included dinner, dancing and bidding on travel packages and other exciting auction items. A New Orleans jazz band, led by Houston native Leo “The Voice” Polk, set the mood for the program with traditional Mardi Gras music. Mardi Gras Krewe captains led the Second Line March into the ballroom to kick off the festivities.

number of UST alumni who danced into the evening to the great sounds of the Austinbased band, Skyrocket! The UST community also honored longtime benefactor and Houston philanthropist Charlie Thomas and his family. Thomas and his late wife Kittsie are the parents of three UST alumni and were recognized for their extraordinary commitment to UST and to the Houston community. Charlie and Kittsie were married for 61 years before her passing in 2013 and have three daughters and three sons-in-law: Kelly Ann Thomas Alexander ’90, MLA ’93, and Michael Alexander; Robin Thomas Klaes ’84 and Danny Klaes ’85; and Tracy Lee Everist and Jeff Everist – as well as eight – Dr. Robert Ivany cherished grandchildren. Charlie and Kittsie instilled in their children the importance of giving back, and education is a favorite cause. “This was one of the liveliest and the largest Mardi Gras Galas I’ve had the honor to attend,” Ivany said. “We appreciate Juanita Hardy, everyone’s generosity for our deserving senior nursing student, UST students.” led the Krewe and was also recognized during Trini Mendenhall said she was pleased the evening, along with the Mardi Gras with the amazing turnout and was grateful Student King and Queen Alfonso Moreno and to everyone who contributed to this Adrienne Copeland. worthy cause. Writer, producer and journalist Lisa “As the proud parent of a UST alum, ” Malosky served as mistress of ceremonies. she added, “I’ve seen first-hand the lifeHis Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, changing impact UST has on its students. Archbishop of the Archdiocese of It was a pleasure to chair this event with Galveston-Houston and a member of Oniel and Jan. The gala gives us a chance the UST Board of Directors, provided to support scholarships for future leaders, a heartwarming invocation. and I can think of nothing more important!” Ana María Martínez, the Houston To learn more or contribute to The Grand Opera’s Grammy-award winning St. Thomas Fund, visit www.stthom.edu/ soprano, attended the event with a record stthomasfund.

“This was one of the liveliest and the largest Mardi Gras Galas I’ve had the honor to attend.”

A great time was had by all at this year’s Mardi Gras, including UST President and First Lady, Robert and Marianne Ivany (top); honorees, the Charlie Thomas family; and Mardi Gras King and Queen and Krewe Captain, Alfonso Moreno, Adrienne Copeland and Juanita Hardy.

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Passing

Trinidad “Trini” Mendenhall, a UST Life Director and

chair of the Trini and O.C. Mendenhall Foundation, is a soft-spoken, humble philanthropic leader who believes that “to those whom much is given, much is expected.” She combines business savvy and a creative flair with a heart for protecting women and children, strengthening Catholic charities and education, supporting the Hispanic community and finding a cure for diseases that have taken the lives of people she loved. Trini gives of her time, expertise and funds – personally and through her family foundation, for which she is the sole contributor. She is president of Fulton Shopping Center and served as vice chair and later chair of the board for Fiesta Mart, Inc., upon the death of cofounders, O.C. Mendenhall (her husband) and Donald Bonham. The company grew dramatically under her leadership and was sold to Grocers Supply in 2004. Trini and her late husband founded the Trini and O.C. Mendenhall Foundation in July 1997 with just $2,000 and the dream of helping the underserved across Houston. When O.C. died just months later from an asthma-triggered heart attack, Trini took on leadership of the fledgling foundation and began to play a significant role with Fiesta Mart. Through giving and service, Trini has benefited at least 287 different nonprofit organizations, programs and projects since 1997 and has helped raise millions of dollars. In addition to her work on behalf of UST, she serves on the board of Baylor College of Medicine and the Alley Theatre, and is on the advisory councils for the CHRISTUS Foundation for HealthCare and Casa de Esperanza. Her gifts and philanthropic leadership have resulted in millions for student scholarships at UST as well as UST’s Mendenhall Summer Institute, in addition to other community projects including an asthma research laboratory, a youth services center, a diabetes education program focused on Hispanic families, and a food pantry in Fort Bend County.

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A woman of deep faith and a devout Catholic, Trini saw the philanthropic spirit demonstrated daily by her parents. Growing up in San Antonio, her home was filled with love, faith and hard work, but little wealth. Her mother and namesake passed away when Trini was 18, but her father made sure she and her three younger siblings had whatever they needed – even sending them all to private schools and colleges on a master carpenter’s income. When her father, Jesus, couldn’t give financially, he contributed his time and building skills. Her sister Mary Theresa says that long before Trini had a family foundation or owned a grocery chain, she was always giving of herself and sharing her resources. Her family calls it “the Trini way.” Trini has intentionally instilled this same concern for others and a desire to give back in her son Oniel, his wife Jan and her grandchildren. When UST asked Trini to chair the 2015 Mardi Gras Gala (which raised $1.1 million for student scholarships), she agreed – if she could involve Oniel and Jan. “I look across our city at the people who have served Houston philanthropically, and we are in our twilight years,” Trini said. “We must raise up the ones who will take our place.” Trini has begun taking steps toward that goal in her own family. Oniel, who earned his MBA at UST in 2004, now serves as vice chair of the family foundation and manages day-to-day operations, in addition to serving as principal and president of his own company, Triple A Poultry, Inc. The company buys and sells chicken and distributes it to grocery stories and small restaurants; Fiesta is one of Triple A’s largest customers.

Down the Family Legacy of Giving Jan and Oniel, MBA ‘04, Mendenhall and Trini Mendenhall enjoy UST’s record-setting 2015 Mardi Gras Gala, which they chaired.

Growing up, Oniel knew from an early age that his father wanted him to take over the family business. He went to work with him on Saturdays and helped with cleaning and stocking. At age 13, his dad gave him a job in the poultry warehouse, and the drivers would pay him extra money to clean out the “disgusting backs of their trucks. The work was hard, and it gave me a great sense of responsibility.” His dad died when Oniel was away at college, and eventually Fiesta became too much of a burden for Trini. Oniel encouraged her to sell it, and he eventually started his own company – and carried on the hard-work legacy he learned at the knee of his father. Spending time at Fiesta stores also gave Oniel the opportunity to get to know people from different backgrounds, often from impoverished neighborhoods. “I never knew who had money and who didn’t. They were just my friends.” Oniel and Jan, former teacher and dedicated volunteer, are actively engaged with the foundation

and with the community, and education is one of their philanthropic passions. “I like to see the poverty cycle broken,” Oniel said. “My mother definitely came from a poor background, and it inspires me to know how hard my grandfather worked to put four kids through Catholic school on a carpenter’s salary – and to know he gave of his time when he couldn’t give money.” Oniel – a strategic thinker and planner – was recently added to the UST board, and he also serves on the boards of Cristo Rey Jesuit, St. Thomas High School and the United Way of Houston. The Mendenhalls work hard to help the next generation of students succeed – academically and in life. To that end, nearly all participants who complete UST’s Mendenhall Summer Institute become campus leaders, and they are encouraged to give back in every way they can. “We need to give of our funds, but more importantly, we need to give our hearts and our service,” Trini said. It’s the Mendenhall way. g

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news&notables

From Sacred Music to Criminology, UST Offers Four Distinct New Degrees Criminology, Law and Society A new Criminology, Law and Society (CLS) program could accept up to 40 new students for the fall semester, said Dr. Roberto LaCarra, program director and associate professor. The CLS program focuses on the problem of crime and on understanding the social, cultural, political and economic forces that interact with the law. UST’s program is one of only four programs in the nation with this specific blend of fields. The CLS program incorporates Catholic social justice tenets such as concern about the life and dignity of the human person and concern for the poor and vulnerable. “Bringing in the social justice view is a unique and cutting-edge perspective for a criminal justice program,” LaCarra said. The program will offer an optional prelaw track and the opportunity to take courses to better understand the current issues of ethnic minority groups. Typically, criminal justice programs prepare students only for a law enforcement career. LaCarra expects UST program graduates to also be prepared for criminal justice careers such as criminal court judge, public defender, prosecutor or forensic psychologist.

Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling UST will launch a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree in fall 2015 that will prepare graduates to become licensed professional counselors. Dr. Elizabeth Maynard, program director, said the ideal student will have a strong interest in mental health counseling and a strong commitment to social justice and community engagement. “This degree focuses on evidence-based clinical practice, social and cultural diversity, and the ongoing dialogue between faith and reason,” Maynard said. Dr. Jeffrey Kottler, a foremost authority in the field with 90 books published in a dozen languages, will serve as visiting professor and assist in the startup of the program. UST will pursue Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs accreditation in the next five years. Currently, Texas only has five such accredited Clinical Mental Health Counseling programs.

Master of Public Policy and Administration

To inquire about undergraduate or graduate programs admission, call 713-525-3500.

UST began a new Master of Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) program this spring to prepare students for careers in nonprofit administration or public service. Dr. Jon Taylor, chair of political science, said the MPPA degree will prepare graduates to become managers or analysts at all levels of government. The degree was designed for people who work in the public policy sector or are thinking of returning to careers in this arena. “This degree program is aligned with UST’s mission to be Catholic, interdisciplinary and tailored to students’ interests and needs,” Taylor said. The department plans to seek Network of Schools of Public Policy Affairs, and Administration accreditation for the program. The MPPA program will offer three tracks: generalist, public management and public policy.

Master in Sacred Music A new Master in Sacred Music (MSM) degree will prepare students for pastoral liturgical music ministry. “We are proud to be one of the seven universities in the nation, and the only one in the South, that offers this degree program,” said Dr. Glenn Garrido, Music Department chair. Offered this fall, the program will focus on Catholic traditions, but also incorporate traditions of other denominations. Graduates of the MSM program can become music directors, assistant music directors, cantors or organists in various churches. Students are required to complete 36 credit hours, six of which will be taught at St. Mary’s Seminary. The liturgical classes help prepare students to work with pastors, priests and congregations. The program offers three focus areas: vocal performance, conducting, or organ and piano. The program also accepts students without a bachelor’s degree in music if they provide proof of music experience in churches. g

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news&notables

Peavy School of Nursing Earns Prestigious National Accreditation UST’s Carol and Odis Peavy School of Nursing’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program is now accredited by the prestigious Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), said Dr. Poldi Tschirch, dean. The CCNE board officially approved the accreditation in November 2014, and the recognition is retroactive to the beginning of last year – which benefits the first graduating class of May 2014. “CCNE accreditation is the gold standard for nursing education,” said Dr. Dominic Aquila, UST provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. Tschirch said she is proud of the contributions that School of Nursing faculty, staff and students made to the success of the accreditation process. “We all worked together as a team focused on achieving this goal,” she said. “The accreditation team members were

deeply impressed by nursing faculty, staff and students, as well as by the level of support that the nursing school receives from UST.” Tschirch said CCNE accreditation is an external affirmation of the quality and integrity of the school’s curriculum and programs. Holding this national accreditation will allow UST to compete for federal grants, scholarships and loan programs that are only open to nationally accredited schools. Dr. Robert Ivany, UST president, said, “The site visitors expressed their admiration for how articulate our students were in describing the meaning of the program’s holistic healing philosophy. I don’t think any school could receive a higher compliment than this.” For more information on the accrediting body, visit www.aacn.nche. edu/ccne-accreditation. g

Honor Society Ceremony Marks Momentous Occasion for Nursing In December, 22 nursing students from the Carol and Odis Peavy School of Nursing classes of 2014 and 2015, nine faculty members and an alumna were inducted into the UST Honor Society of Nursing (USTHSON). The induction event drew 60 guests who wanted to be on hand for the first such ceremony since the nursing school reopened in 2012. The students were recognized for demonstrating superior academic achievement, integrity, leadership and community involvement. Nursing alumni and faculty members who actively serve the community as nursing leaders were also given special recognition. The goal of the society is to offer professional development opportunities and resources to support students.

“Induction into the honor society sends a message to nursing colleagues and to future employers that these students have demonstrated leadership, scholarship and high levels of integrity,” said Dr. Lucindra Campbell-Law, president of the UST honor society and nursing professor. Prior to the current USTHSON, the School of Nursing was part of the at-large chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. Campbell-Law said the goal of the society is to become a chartered member of that organization. For more information about the Carol and Odis Peavy School of Nursing or the USTHSON, visit stthom.edu/nursing or call 713-525-2163.

UST Joins Texas Medical Center As Organization’s 55th Member In the fall, UST was unanimously approved by the Texas Medical Center board executive committee as the 55th member of this prestigious organization representing the strength of the world’s largest medical complex. UST shares the TMC’s goal to nurture cross-institutional collaboration, creativity and innovation. “We look forward to contributing to the TMC with our outstanding graduates and through partnerships with our fellow institutions,” said Dr. Robert Ivany, UST president. In the resolution supporting UST’s candidacy for admittance, UST was praised for its dedication to “providing scholarly teaching, innovative scientific investigation and state-of-the-art patient care in a learning environment to better the health of society.” Ivany has connected UST to the region’s medical community in other ways, as well, serving as co-chair of the Greater Houston Partnership Healthcare Advisory Committee with Dr. Marc Boom, president and CEO of the Houston Methodist Healthcare System. g

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UST Garners Growing Recognition for Veteran-Friendly Environment

or the 147 veterans and their dependents enrolled in various undergraduate and graduate programs at UST, it was no surprise when G.I. Jobs recognized the campus as a 2015 Military-Friendly School. “This beautiful, close-knit campus offers veterans an environment that is understanding and supportive of nontraditional students,” said Amelia Templeton, senior arts/drama major from Hitchcock, Texas. One key source of support for veterans is Phillip Butcher, director of Transfer Admissions and Veteran Services and an Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran. He believes veteran students should be given the highest level of service, attention and support. “UST takes great pride in welcoming this group to campus, and they are a

huge asset to any organization hiring them when they graduate,” Butcher said. Frederick Heard, a veteran and student at UST, completed 10 years active service in the U.S. Army and is a Command Sergeant Major for the Texas Army National Guard. He chose UST because of the Master of Public Policy and Administration program, which he began in January. Heard said UST has welcomed him, and the professors are approachable and accommodating. “Generally, military students are mature and disciplined, and they look at life through a different perspective than their classmates,” Heard said. Veteran Adrian Cerdedo, a senior business major from the Philippines who plans to complete both his bachelor’s and master’s within five years, said he believes UST will help him grow as a

person of faith and character able to help improve other people’s lives. Qualified veterans are supported in attending UST through the Yellow Ribbon program, which helps pay tuition costs that exceed the Post-9/11 GI Bill’s cap for private institutions. This program is essential in helping veterans attend UST with no tuition costs, which, for some, is the only way they can afford higher education. UST offers veterans several services to help them acclimate to college and professional life, including one-on-one mentorship and community partners that provide resume coaching and other benefits and resources. To learn more about Veteran Services, prospective students can contact Butcher at 713-942-3409 or veterans@stthom.edu. g

UST Ranks Among Best in Texas, U.S. Two organizations have recently ranked UST for its quality and exceptional student experience. UST ranked No. 18 on College Factual’s list of the Best Colleges in Texas. The site ranked 60 colleges across the state based on 11 factors, including average entrance test scores, student-to-faculty ratio, freshman retention rate and percentage of full-time professors. In addition to the rankings, College Factual publishes information about colleges as well as tools to help students and families compare schools and majors. BestColleges.com “These rankings are an named UST No. 12 on affirmation of the quality work its list of the Top 50 we’re doing to educate leaders Colleges for Hispanic of faith and character.” Students across the – DR. ROBERT IVANY United States. Hispanic students make up 37 percent of the student body, and UST is recognized as a Hispanic-serving institution by the U.S. Department of Education.

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According to the BestColleges.com website, many Hispanic students are the first in their families to attend college, making it important for students to find a support system that will help them navigate through their academic career. BestColleges.com first reviewed schools for academic quality, then compared that list to the 242 Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities member schools in the nation to find the best schools for Hispanic, Latino and Chicano students. The site also used the percentage of Hispanic students currently enrolled and the tuition rate as factors in the rankings. Earlier this year, U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” guide ranked UST No. 27 in its 2015 edition of the Best Regional Universities West list – up six spots from the prior year. “These rankings are an affirmation of the quality work we’re doing to educate leaders of faith and character,” said Dr. Robert Ivany, UST president. g

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Women’s Basketball Team Set to Play in Spain in August

his summer, the UST women’s basketball team will have a unique global experience – playing against teams in Spain and making a difference while abroad, said Head Coach Mike Ricks.

“I’ve always wanted to study abroad, but as a student-athlete, it’s been hard to fit it into my schedule,” said Chanté Jefferson, sophomore early childhood education major from Cedar Park, Texas. “This trip is important to the team because it gives us the chance of a lifetime to play overseas, and it will give us better chemistry as we play over the summer while most teams are taking a break.” Jefferson and Rebekah Douglas, junior Spanish major from Houston, have served as co-chairs of fundraising for the Spain trip and as members of a player committee that helps Ricks with special projects that benefit the team. “As a Spanish major, I’m excited to visit a country where I can practice the language I’m studying,” Douglas said. “It is almost equivalent to a mini study abroad trip. More importantly, I might go to Barcelona later in life, but I wouldn’t be able to go to play the game I love. That’s very special.” Coach Ricks and the team, as well as several parents, will be in Barcelona from Aug. 2-10, practicing, playing games, serving the community and, perhaps, doing a little sightseeing.

The trip will be funded by the students and their families, through fundraising and personal contributions. A trip of this type is somewhat unusual for a smaller university, and it is the first of its kind for UST. “I’ve always believed you don’t have to be at the biggest schools to do big things,” Ricks said. “One of my favorite quotes is ‘Make the big time where you are.’” In addition to the extra practices and four exhibition games the students will experience while in Spain, the team also plans to give something back – perhaps offering a free basketball clinic or serving in some other way. Douglas said that type of service is typical for their team and “speaks volumes about our program. We get to spread faith and character – not only in Houston but around the world. We get to show what the university stands for.” This experience will set the tone for the next year, Ricks said. “At UST, we can do things first class. It’s important to me that our girls know that about our program.” This spring, the women’s basketball team qualified for the Red River Conference tournament. Although Ricks said the team has suffered more injuries than he has ever experienced in a season, they have “really battled it. The girls are resilient; no matter what, they will fight it out until the very end. It’s fun to see them stick with it and show a real ‘next woman up’ mentality. They never quit.” Ricks started at UST in fall 2011 after volunteering as an assistant coach for Athletics Director and Head Men’s

Women’s basketball has had a strong spring season, qualifying for the Red River Conference tournament.

Basketball Coach Todd Smith. “We all thought this would be something unique for us to do – helping us create a great basketball program that people want to be a part of,” Ricks said. Individuals who are interested in helping fund the team’s expenses can contact Ricks at 713-525-3537 or ricksm@stthom.edu, or contribute to UST and designate the gift for UST basketball. g

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

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UST Creates Certified Police Force to Bolster Campus Safety

o continue strengthening the safety of its campus, UST has transitioned from a security force to a campus police force and begun hiring a new team of officers. Police Chief James Tate began his new role with UST in February 2014. “I was intrigued by the opportunity to build a police department from the ground up,” Tate said. “After seeing the campus and meeting some of my potential colleagues, I was sold!” Tate served 21 years in the U.S. Army, retiring with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He re-entered civilian law enforcement in 2011 as a police officer with the University of Arkansas Police Department in Fayetteville, Ark. Prior to joining UST, he served as assistant chief at Lamar University in Beaumont. Patricia McKinley, vice president for Student Affairs, said having a dedicated police department prepared for potential emergencies is extremely important in today’s world. “I respect Chief Tate’s hiring and training procedures, and I am pleased he has joined us,” she said. The University Police Department has obtained formal recognition as a Law Enforcement Agency from the City of Houston, Harris County and the State of Texas. While the officers have enforcement authority beyond campus boundaries, their patrol responsibility is the UST campus. In addition to responsibility for campus safety, the department now offers other community services, such as unlocking vehicles. A daily crime log will be publicly available in the department office, located in the Moran Parking Center. The binder will include any event that happened on campus property within the last 30 days. Tate hosted an open house in the spring to give the UST community the opportunity to meet the new officers. Police Sgt. Glenn Shepherd, previously a sergeant with the Houston Police Department Juvenile Division, comes to UST with 32 years of service. His duties include patrol operations, training, uniform crime reports, racial profiling reports and compliance with the Texas Law Enforcement Commission. Police Sgt. Erma Compean joined UST from Fort Bend ISD. She has 29 years of law enforcement service, nine as a police officer. Her duties include investigations, evidence procedures, finger printing and fleet management of vans and police cars. Officer Larry Bogany started at UST in the fall after more than six years service at Pasadena ISD. He serves as the department’s field training officer and is assigned to the evening shift.

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Officer Shanna Brown came to UST after serving seven years with the Houston Police Department. She has completed field training and is assigned to the day shift. Officer Matt Mulroy comes to UST with nearly seven years of experience as Police Chief James Tate a reserve deputy constable with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Dispatcher Patricia James began at UST full time in December. She was a dispatcher at Texas State University in Houston for two years, and her duties include answering emergency phone calls, monitoring radios and fire alarms, and dispatching police officers to the location of crimes and emergencies. McKinley said that UST will maintain security officers in addition to the police force. They will continue to lock/unlock buildings and provide security escort service to the campus community, as needed. Tate said his vision for the UST Police Department is to provide quality police services 24 hours a day, to establish a bike patrol and a solid crime prevention program, and to address issues and concerns of the community in a proactive way. “When you do that, solving crime and improving safety becomes a shared interest, which is an advantage to everyone,” Tate said. g

UST’s new police cars are highly visible and quickly recognizable around campus.

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Professors Test Science Learning Methods; Publish Results in Journal

Cardinal Featured at Second Ecumenical Prayer Service

r. Albert Ribes and Dr. Alexandra Simmons-Nout, assistant professors of biology, recently tested the effectiveness of different teaching models by having some UST students learn about protein molecules in a lecture classroom – and some learn by combining the lecture with time in a lab where they could rotate a three-dimensional protein model onscreen. They designed the experiment to measure the impact of using molecule visualization software on students’ understanding of specific genetic concepts. They were assisted by junior biology major Thao K.T. Nguyen and Dr. Jack Follis of the Department of Mathematics. Their paper chronicling the experiment in an undergraduate genetics laboratory was published in PLoS ONE, a peer-reviewed, open-source science journal. Ribes designed four, three-hour-long teaching modules that he and Simmons co-taught using molecular visualization software to help clarify genetic concepts. Ribes and Simmons tested students enrolled in the genetics lecture class only and students enrolled in both the lecture and the lab.

All students learned the concepts related to genotype, phenotype and mutations in the lecture, but only the students enrolled in the lecture and lab participated in the visualization software activities before taking a test on the topic. Simmons and Ribes found a statistically significant, different grade distribution in students who participated in the visualization module versus those who did not. “I think the module moves the students from a 2-D world to a 3-D world,” Ribes said. “We are trying to establish UST as a place where biology education is approached in a scholarly way,” Ribes said. “We cannot make claims in research unless we have the data to back it up. We are treating education the same way.” g

UST Welcomes New VP of Finance President Robert Ivany named Elizabeth S. Condic as vice president of Finance last November, replacing Jim Booth following his retirement from UST. “Elizabeth has experience in Catholic higher education and the professional expertise to make a major contribution to our students and to our university,” Ivany said. “Please welcome her to our UST family.” Condic served as vice president of financial affairs at University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D., since 2012. U-Mary is a private, Catholic liberal arts-based school founded by the Benedictine Sisters of the Annunciation.

Condic is a CPA and earned a bachelor’s in finance and a master’s in accounting from the University of Houston at Clear Lake. In 2013, she Elizabeth S. Condic completed the Institute for Educational Management program at Harvard University. “As a native Houstonian, it is especially gratifying to return to my hometown and have the opportunity to contribute to such a vibrant city and organization,” Condic said.

His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo gives a benediction at the Second Annual Ecumenical Concert of Praise & Prayer Service held during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity at Lakewood Church in January. g

Marcom Wins Digital Marketing Awards The annual Educational Digital Marketing Awards recently recognized UST’s Marketing Communications and Creative Services offices for their digital marketing pieces. The offices won a gold award for the undergraduate admissions comflow e-blast, a gold award for their animated gif online display ad and a silver award for UST’s safety mobile app. The animated gif online display ad was an example of web advertising designed to reach Catholic audiences. The undergraduate admissions comflow e-blast was an email campaign sent to prospective students. The free safety app, with emergency preparedness resources for the UST community, is available in the Apple App Store and Google Play. Resources include: tips to respond in 20 types of emergencies, campus and building addresses, real-time UST alerts, and important phone numbers for campus offices. Marcom and Creative Services won 31 total awards in spring 2014. g

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Pope Bestows Knighthood on UST’s Clinton Brand

ope Francis has named UST English professor Clinton Allen Brand as a knight of the Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great. Brand was honored for his “invaluable” work incorporating Anglican liturgical rites, prayers and customs into Catholic worship for the Ordinariates, which are former Anglican communities that have entered into full communion with Rome with permission to retain many of their traditions. The award was presented to Brand in February at Houston’s Our Lady of Walsingham Catholic Church during a lunch with Monsignor Steven Lopes of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. Monsignor Jeffrey Steenson, Ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate

UST English professor Clinton Allen Brand (second from right) is honored as a knight.

of the Chair of Saint Peter, said, “Professor Brand brings a precious quality to the work of the liturgist – he listens to the people.” Steenson is a patristics professor at UST and St. Mary’s Seminary.

The Holy See has long conferred papal knighthood as a way to acknowledge significant contributions to the life of the Church by lay members. g

CIS Student Awarded Department of State Internship

ophomore international studies major Durrell Green will get an insider’s view of U.S. international affairs during a two-summer internship in the U.S. Department of State’s U.S. Foreign Service Internship Program. More than 350 students nationwide competed for the prestigious and highly competitive national internship, and only 23 were awarded. While serving in the U.S. Army, Green had tours of duty in Korea, Germany and Afghanistan. His interest in government service was piqued during a tour in Afghanistan, where his operations center duties exposed him to the work of a Foreign Service Officer. “I made it a goal to work for the Department of State after I left the Army,” Green said. “I saw the internship as a good opportunity to get my foot in the door, get the skills I need, and be a good candidate for employment with the State Department in the future.” 36

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The U.S. Foreign Service Internship Program is an intensive, paid internship that allows undergraduate students to participate in the formulation and implementation of U.S. foreign policy. The interns spend a summer training and working in a policy bureau of the State Department in Washington, and a summer working at a U.S. embassy overseas. When it came time to find a college, Green sought a school with a well-established international studies program. He chose UST because of the Yellow Ribbon Program and the community of veterans. Green also benefits from studying with a faculty member who is a former Foreign Service Officer. In the American foreign policy process class taught by Assistant Professor Rick

Sindelar, students take the role of State Department diplomats. “He’s a natural for the Foreign Service, and I would be proud to serve alongside him were I still a serving FSO,” Sindelar said. Green said because his professors know him, they were able to write letters of recommendation. “I feel my professors have a strong desire to see me succeed.” The former soldier desires to serve others. He hopes to be able to have an impact on people’s lives overseas and help them have a positive view of the U.S. government. “I hope I’ll be able to represent UST well,” Green said. “I see this as an opportunity to open the door for UST students and to show them that getting an internship with the State Department is a real option.” g

news&notables

Accomplished Fellows to Help Build Asia-Focused Certificate Program

s part of a new U.S.-Japan Initiative, UST’s Center for International Studies (CIS) appointed two Fellows for 2014-15: Kei Ashizawa and Ginger Koto Vaughn.

“The initiative will build awareness and interest in engaging with Japan, one of our staunchest American diplomatic and trade partners,” said Dr. Hans Stockton, associate dean of Arts and Sciences and director of the CIS. “We are honored to enjoy the support of local community leaders, national figures and the U.S.-Japan Council.” The Fellows will assist the CIS in design, programming and outreach related to the important initiative, which is one component of the new Strategic Areas Certificate Program of the School of Arts and Sciences. The Fellows will dedicate much of their time to building new strategic partnerships. Ashizawa and Vaughn will assist CIS outreach efforts to fund expansion of related curriculum, study abroad and internship opportunities, and to build community awareness. Ashizawa is a managing member of Nichibei Handshake, LLC, a U.S.-Japan Consultancy focused on Texas. She also practices law in the areas of energy and natural resources, real property and business law with a focus on oil and gas. In 2011, she was selected as a delegate in the U.S.-Japan Council Emerging Leader Program. Ashizawa earned her juris doctorate from the University of Houston Law Center, and a Bachelor of Arts in Japanese Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. She studied Japanese language at Kanda Gaikokugo Daigaku and Japanese law at Temple University Law School Japan Campus. Vaughn is a journalist, media consultant and outreach specialist. She started her journalism career in Tokyo in 2002 with NHK, Japan’s sole public broadcaster, reporting on green business and energy, sustainability and natural disasters. From 2005-2007, she served

UST Sends Largest Texas College Group to March for Life Kei Ashizawa

Ginger Koto Vaughn

as a Green Tourism advisor for Japan’s Ministry of Tourism. She is also director of NPO SeaPoet Society, focused on ocean conservation. In 2012, she was a delegate of the U.S.Japan Council Emerging Leader Program and currently serves on the USJC communications board and as a member of USJC Clean Energy/ Technology strategic working group. Vaughn is a doctoral candidate at Waseda University’s Environmental Governance program, where her research examines how social media affects public awareness on climate change. Vaughn earned a bachelor’s in Asian Studies at the University of North Carolina with a minor in Japanese. This Strategic Areas Certificate Program is attracting significant student interest, said Stockton. “Enrollment in classes related to China and Japan are nearly triple those of last year as a result of this program,” he said. Funded by a U.S. Department of Education grant and private donations, the Center for International Studies has been been able to hire full-time Japanese and Chinese language instructors, provide scholarships for students in these languages, and fund the Fellows. Stockton said he is seeking additional funding to support studies abroad in Japan, Taiwan and China.

Celts for Life club joined faculty advisor Sister Damien Marie Savino, FSE, at the March for Life in Washington, D.C. Veronica Arnold of Texas Right to Life said UST sent the largest group from any university in Texas. Jonathon Cruz, senior communication major, said he was surprised about how much larger the crowd was this year – estimated at half a million people – on his fourth March for Life.

“When you go to a march like this, you come back stronger.” – JONATHON CRUZ Senior Communication Major

Sister Damien Marie said the growth is an indication of how much the pro-life movement is taking hold among youth in the United States. “The question of abortion affects our students directly, because many of their generation are missing because of the tragedy of abortion,” she said. “We also pray for those who have had abortions and are suffering with the effects of that.” Cruz encourages more students to attend. “When you go to a march like this, you come back stronger,” Cruz said. “When you come back, you want to do more in your community.”g

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UST Alumna Makes History as

First Hispanic

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= Deceased

etting Cecilia Abbott ’87, M.Ed. 1993, MAT 1994, to talk about herself and her own achievements is quite a challenge because she is so proud of her husband Greg, Texas’s new governor.

Married 33 years, Cecilia and Greg have been best friends since they met at the University of Texas in 1978, and their strong bond has carried them through life challenges that might have destroyed a lesser couple. When they were in their mid-20s, married just three years and brand new to Houston, Greg suffered a paralyzing accident when a tree fell on him while he was out running. “Houston is a very special place,” Cecilia said. “When the accident happened, people lifted us up in so many ways. The city remains a kind of sacred place for us.” Cecilia supported Greg through law school, and when he went to work for a law firm after recovering from his accident, he wanted to support Cecilia in finishing her education.

Cecilia also served 10 years as the managing director of community relations at Harden Healthcare, a network of senior adult health care facilities and services. She continues to deliver Meals on Wheels and is involved in a number of community organizations. A devoted Catholic, Cecilia has a special interest in and love for Catholic education. Audrey, the Abbotts’ daughter, is named after Sister Audrey, Cecilia’s sixth-grade teacher at St. Martin Hall Catholic School in San Antonio, where she attended and her parents taught. Cecilia was born in Houston but grew up in San Antonio, and her parents still live in her childhood home. While those cities are special places for her, she loves all of Texas – a love

and encourager. He praised her and thanked her for her support at his January inauguration. “The path that brought me here… I share today with so many, starting with a woman of genuine warmth and character: my beautiful wife Cecilia,” he said. Cecilia described that day as “magical.” Faith and family are also high priorities for Cecilia, and she was thrilled that more than 100 members of her family attended the inauguration, including her parents, who are in their early 80s.

She visited UST and “immediately felt a connection.” After enrolling, she loved the small classes and her professors. “UST teaches you to appreciate the important values in life. When I graduated, I didn’t want to leave,” she said. She later completed a master’s in education and a master’s in theological studies. Born into a family of educators, Cecilia followed suit. She taught and served as vice principal and principal of several schools across Texas, including six years as principal of the Cathedral School of Saint Mary in Austin. She served on the State Board of Educator Certification from 2001-08.

that deepened as she and Greg hit the campaign trail together. “It was a wonderful experience, and I was blown away by the beauty of the State of Texas,” Cecilia said. “I love the richness, the diversity, the culture.” Because of her past work in education and senior health care, in her role as First Lady, Cecilia will continue to focus on these issues, and in general, care of the vulnerable and promoting community involvement. When she was young, she pictured becoming a wife and mother, but never imagined herself in such a public role. Behind the scenes, however, she has always been Greg’s greatest supporter

“My family is so proud,” Cecilia said. “They love Greg and are so excited for him. For me, being First Lady of Texas is extra meaningful as the granddaughter of immigrants from Mexico. I hope it is something all Hispanics can be proud of, especially Hispanic women.” Just two days after the whirlwind of inaugural activities, Cecilia was at UST for a meeting of the board of directors on which she serves. “This is a priority for me,” Cecilia said. “I love UST and all it has done for me.”

First Lady of Texas

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Kicking It Into High Gear

Olympic Medalist Prepping for Next Challenge Mark Lopez ’05, 2008 Olympic silver medalist in Taekwondo, has experienced a rapid rise in this fiercely competitive sport, and he has set his sights on qualifying for another Olympic games. He is ranked 13th in the world after kick-punching his way from a ranking of 41 less than a year earlier. His achievements are more remarkable considering Lopez had to change his fighting style to adjust to new scoring standards, which emphasize speed over power. Mastering the moves, he became the first American to earn medals in consecutive series events at the World Taekwondo Federation Grand Prix in Manchester, England. Lopez is one of four Sugar Land siblings dubbed the “First Family of Taekwondo.” In 2005 he was among the first three siblings in any sport to win world championship titles at the same event in the same year. The fourth sibling, Jean, was their coach. In 2009, Lopez married someone who fit right into the family – a Taekwondo athlete from Puerto Rico. She readily understood the rigors of working to qualify in the featherweight class. “I normally weigh as much as 170 pounds, but my weight class requires that I weigh about 150,” Lopez said. “The day before weigh-in and competition, I might have to lose 12 pounds or more. My wife understands what it takes to do that and supports me in every way.”

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As passionate as he is about his sport, Lopez has invested just as much discipline and passion in his career in finance, recognizing that his years in competitive Taekwondo are limited. He credits UST for preparing him with the business foundation to become a certified financial planner at UBS, a firm providing financial services for private, corporate and institutional clients in 50 nations. “Even as a kid, I was fascinated by how money works and was interested in saving,” Lopez said. “Each time I won a Taekwondo competition, I put the award money in an IRA.” According to the magna cum laude graduate of UST’s Cameron School of Business, the ingredients TOP: Mark Lopez ‘05 earned the silver medal in for success are the same 2008 and hopes to go for a second one. in any arena. BOTTOM: Former President George H.W. Bush “No matter what you celebrates with 2008 Olympians, including go for – college, sports, UST alumnus Mark Lopez (right). career – success requires discipline, sacrifice and perseverance,” he said. “You must have the will to succeed.” g

www.stthom.edu/alumni

alumnotes 1960s Helen Catherine Walter ’68 has been elected Vice Principal of Linacre College, University of Oxford with a focus on student welfare in the postgraduate College. She is also a member of the College powerlifting team and recently set world records in the World Drug-Free Powerlifting Federation for all lifts for her age and weight category by deadlifting 220 lbs.

1980s Louis “Lou” Pelz ‘80 was recognized by Houston Modern Luxury Magazine as one of Houston’s top Financial Advisors & Money Analysts for 2015. Bill Braun ’81 was promoted to CIO & President of Chevron Information Technology Company in Houston, Texas. Fr. Daniel Garcia ’84, vicar general of the Diocese of Austin, Texas, was named by Pope Francis as the auxiliary bishop of the diocese. Fr. Garcia will assist Bishop Joe Vasquez, who has headed the Diocese of Austin since 2010.

1990s Julie Fry, MBA ’90, was named Cal Humanities’ new President and CEO in February 2015. Cal Humanities is an organization that has played a major role in funding high-quality, award winning radio and film documentaries that explore California’s rich cultures and history. Fry brings more than 30 years of experience in business, philanthropy, and the arts to her new position. Jennifer Bucciero-Boyles ’95 and husband Jim Boyles announce the birth of their daughter, Patricia Rose Boyles, born on Dec. 20, 2013. Maria Munguia Wellman ’95 accepted a faculty position at New Mexico Highlands University, School of Social Work.

2000s Craig Kinsey ’02, co-founder of Splice Records, has signed an exclusive one-year sponsorship deal with Saint Arnold Brewing Company. Kinsey will promote Saint Arnold during tour dates supporting his critically acclaimed album “American Roots & Machines.”

Dr. Andrew Michael Rossi ’07 and Jennifer Richards announce their engagement. Rossi is a practicing periodontist with Periodontal and Implant Surgeons of Houston. A July 2015 wedding is planned in Breckenridge, Colorado. Dawn Ohl, M.Ed. ’08, and Ervin Michael Gaskamp Jr. announce their engagement. Ohl is employed by Alief ISD as a fourth grade math and science teacher. A June 2015 wedding is planned in Needville, Texas. Deborah “Debbie” Price, MBA ’08, was named Vice President, Customer Experience for Frontier Airlines. In the newly created position, she will be responsible for Frontier’s InFlight and Airport Services teams expanding the carrier’s focus on delivering a low fare experience. Joseph F. Colvin ’08 and Mary Caro Colvin announce the birth of their son, William Lawrence Colvin, born on September 19, 2014. William joins his older siblings Julia, Joe and Henry. Marie F. Chen ’11 and Matthew James announce the birth of their son, Henry Edwin James, born on Dec. 24, 2014, in Houston. Jimmy Bjacek ’11 has accepted a new position as the Assistant to the Economic Development Coordinator for the City of Fulshear. Nicole Hickl ’12 accepted a position anchoring Action 4 Sunrise on KGBT Television in Harlingen, Texas. Bonnie Treece ’14 founded The Brain Domain, a specialized tutoring company, in September 2014. The goal of the company is to help children thrive in an individualized academic environment. Several current students and alumni including Dominic Kisielewski ’14 work at The Brain Domain.

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

SAV E T H E DAT E

Deanna Porter, M.Ed. ’02, has been named the principal of Lakewood Elementary School. Porter has worked for Tomball ISD for 20 years.

Mass of Remembrance

Emily J. Hurst ’05 accepted the position as Head of the Research and Education Department at the Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia.

Saturday, Nov. 2, 2015 Chapel of St. Basil 12:30 p.m.

inmemoriam Well-known UST Alumnus Physician, Professor Dies at 76 Lawrence McIvor Ross ’60, a founding supporter of the Carol and Odis Peavy School of Nursing at UST, died March 1 at age 76. Ross, a native of Chicago, moved to Houston in 1955, graduating from St. Thomas High School in 1956. He earned a bachelor’s from UST in 1960 and his doctor of philosophy and medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch-Galveston. He was a faculty member at UTMB from 1968-73 Lawrence Mclvor Ross and at Michigan State University from 1973 to 2000. He then served as an adjunct professor at UTHealth Medical School-Houston from 2000-14. He was also a visiting professor at St. George’s University on Grenada in the West Indies for nine years. Ross was passionate about making a difference in the lives of his students. He is survived by his wife Irene, children and grandchildren, and numerous extended family members and friends.

Deborah Ann Alpers ’95, died Dec. 24, 2014. Robert Bakke, son of Mary Lee Bakke Benedict ’58, died Oct. 4, 2014. John M. Barrera ’84, adjunct faculty member School of Education, died April 14, 2014. Josephine Ivie Bode, mother of JoAnn Ivie Childers ’84, died Oct. 8, 2014. Frances Bruno Hamilton, sister of Ted Bruno ’57, died Dec. 11, 2014. Anthony Canino ’52, died Dec. 30, 2014. Stephen M. Costello ’80, died Nov. 27, 2014. Julia Williams Drury, sister of C. Herndon Williams ’58, died Nov. 18, 2014. Nicholas Liveris ’53, father of Thedore Vincent Liveris ’83, died Jan. 23, 2015. Pamela M. Materanek ’88, died Jan. 13, 2015. Albert George Mathews ’74, died Nov. 1, 2014. Mark Mueller, son of Carol Ann Schmitt Mueller ’55, died on Dec. 4, 2014. Brandon Rasch, brother of Gretchen Rasch Harper ’55, died Oct. 20, 2014 Frank Valouch, brother of Mary Ann Valouch Weishaupt ’52, died Jan. 26, 2015. Maria Luna Venarske ’94, died Oct. 31, 2014. Alexander C. Yokubaitis II, father of Roger Yokubaitis ‘67, died Jan. 31, 2015. To make a contribution in memory of a friend or loved one, contact the Office of Advancement at 713-525-3100.

Please join the University of St. Thomas for the annual Mass of Remembrance. During this Mass we remember beloved alumni, faculty and staff who have passed away throughout the year. This Mass is a special opportunity to remember those who were members of the UST family. If you are interested in serving on the Memorial Mass Committee to help honor UST community members, please contact the Alumni Office at 713-942-3498 or alumni@stthom.edu.

U S T T O D AY

Spring 2015

alumnotes

UST Alumni Chapters Form In Six Locations Across the Nation UST alumni across Texas and around the nation are connecting and networking through geographic alumni chapters, law alumni activities and corporate chapters – and the Office of Alumni Relations hopes more alums will join them.

Geographic Alumni Chapters Alumni chapters are active in three Texas cities – Austin, Dallas and San Antonio – and in Orange County, Calif., Los Angeles and Chicago. The chapters schedule periodic events throughout the year and work together to help recruit students to UST, support scholarships and build connections among alumni. Alumni interested in attending events in their area or helping establish a chapter close to home should contact Hank Emery in the Office of Alumni Relations at 713-525-3111 or by email at emeryh@stthom.edu.

Law Alumni UST alumni who have become attorneys are regularly invited back to campus for continuing legal education (CLE) courses, and they can take the units with other alumni and maintain lifelong connections.

Corporate Chapters Alumni working in a number of businesses and organizations are serving as point people for UST corporate chapters, designed to create networking, friendship and UST engagement opportunities within companies. Alumni interested in started a similar group within a company (where at least 10 alumni work) should contact Emery. Corporate chapters are currently active at: • Bank of Texas • BP • CenterPoint • Chevron • EP Energy • ExxonMobil

• UT MD Anderson Cancer Center • Shell • Sysco • PWC

For more information, contact the UST Office of Alumni Relations, 713-525-3111, emeryh@stthom.edu. g

Classes of 1965 and 1990: Learn about UST’s upcoming 50th and 25th reunions by emailing alumni@stthom.edu!

U S T T O D AY

Spring 2015

UST alumni and friends celebrate a variety of fun and traditional activities during the annual Family & Alumni Weekend in October.

campuscouples High-achieving Celt Couple Work Abroad, Welcoming First Child Soon

Jenna ’13 and Daniel ’99 Elustondo.

Daniel ’99 Elustondo and Jenna ’13 Elustondo were each out with friends when they had an unusual first meeting. He saw her ordering a glass of champagne, alone, and asked what she was celebrating. “I hate men,” she retorted. That started a conversation that led to dating that led to marriage in 2013. Daniel graduated magna cum laude in 1999 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, and Jenna graduated summa cum laude in May 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in liberal arts with concentrations in communication and political science. He graduated from South Texas College of Law in Houston, is a licensed attorney, and now works for Brunei Shell Petroleum Co. as the ethics and compliance manager. Jenna is a marketing assistant at Kickerillo Companies, doing virtual work for the Houston-based builder/developer while living in Brunei. Working overseas for the past year and a half has given the couple the opportunity to travel and see the world, meet new people and experience different cultures including Bali, Hong Kong, Luala Lumpur and Bangkok. But they agree their most exciting life development will arrive in May – their first child, a daughter. Daniel served as treasurer and president of the UST Alumni Association Board of Directors and the latter role allowed him to also serve on the UST Board of Directors for a year. The couple supports UST’s scholarship initiatives, and they lead the UST Alumni International Brunei Chapter – now two members strong! “Attending UST brought lifelong friendships and gave us an unparalleled, faith-based education that has helped us become the people we are today,” Jenna said. g

Volunteering, Working Together on Campus Leads to Couple’s Friendship, Marriage

Joe ’03 Garcia and Angie, BBA/MBA ’04.

Angie, BBA/MBA ’04, and Joe Garcia ’03 met at UST in 1999 when he was a sophomore and she was a freshman. They spent time together and became good friends volunteering for New Student Orientation and Program Council, working in the Office of Volunteer Opportunities, and taking classes together, including business management and epistemology. They eventually starting dating, and in February 2005, Joe proposed. At their wedding ceremony at St. Michael’s Catholic Church on Jan. 28, 2006, they felt fortunate to have a Basilian priest, Fr. James Keon, CSB, officiate. Joe now works as a senior systems engineer at an IT consulting company, and Angie serves as planning department manager for a boutique financial planning firm. They often attend alumni events and volunteer when they can. Joe serves on the board for the Celtic Valor Scholarship, which benefits military veterans attending the university. “UST provided a great educational experience and cultivated several lasting friendships for both of us,” Angie said. “It will always hold a special place in our hearts for bringing us together.” g

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

U S T T O D AY

Spring 2015

The Next Chapter

Successful Chemist Now Writes Stories about Texas History By Dr. C. Herndon Williams ’58

made a number of career

changes since graduating

from UST in 1958 with a B.A.

in chemistry – research, academia, laboratory management, consulting –

all within the field of chemistry. After a satisfying 40-year career in that field, I made an improbable career jump: I now research and write stories about people and events from Texas history.

I wrote about Cabeza de Vaca, faith healer to the Karankawa, and 400 other stories that have been published in two local weekly newspapers and in two books. Emboldened by my success in nonfiction, I am now writing a fiction book and am even dabbling in poetry. All these things I never imagined doing. When I look back on the trail of my life to UST, I realize how mind-expanding that experience was for me. Perhaps the biggest shock came in Fr. Edward Sullivan’s Philosophy 101 class, introducing me to the thoughts of the ancient Greeks. The chemistry, physics and math I learned from John Voss, Jim Sullivan, Fr. Patrick Braden and George Dubay were rigorous and challenging. Fr. Edward Lee’s English classes were in another realm, as was the history class of Fr. Gareth Pupore. Looking back now, I see that the STEM knowledge I received at UST allowed me to compete at the Ivy Leaguegraduate level at Brown University and qualify for Stanford. I also recognize the roots of my writing career at UST. I remember having to struggle with the many papers in philosophy, English and history, and I wrote many technical papers and reports as a chemist. I was surprised to learn

from my collaborators that I was considered a good writer, but I didn’t attribute that success to UST at the time. Now that I’m retired from chemistry and writing professionally, I see clearly the impact my UST experiences and professors had on my first and second careers. John Voss was my mentor at UST, and I could have found others, but I was too shy to seek out the many wise people at my disposal. I appreciated the small-university environment but didn’t take full advantage of it as a young man. However, what I received in class was enough to start me on a career of lifelong learning. I have also continued to think about the philosophical and theological problems I first encountered there and had no inkling how to resolve. I am still studying the Greeks. My intellectual curiosity and attachment to my dog have recently led me down a new path: considering where dogs come from and the evolution of dogs from wolves. I concluded early that wolves domesticated themselves. So I am writing a work of fiction set in Ice Age Europe about the relationship between a young boy and a wolf cub, an initial domestication event. Who knows where this will lead, but I am looking forward to it. g

You can reach chemist, author, Appalachian Trail hiker and deep thinker Dr. C. Herndon Williams at cherndon8695@sbcglobal.net.

U S T T O D AY

Spring 2015

Daughter of Retired Naval Commander Receives First Strake Scholarship

enior communications major Emily Berns considers it an honor to be the first recipient of a special scholarship established by the Strake Foundation for military vets and their dependents. The scholarship is officially named the UST Endowed Scholarship for U.S. Military Veterans Who Served In or In Support of Operation Enduring Freedom and/or Operation Iraqi Freedom, and their spouses and children. Berns’ father, Bernard Berns, retired as a commander from the U.S. Navy, and she has cousins who served in the Navy and the Army. “This scholarship is special to me because I’m really proud of my dad and my other family members who served or are serving in the military,” Berns said. Made possible by the Strake Foundation, the scholarship recognizes the sacrifice and courage

of the men and women who choose to serve in the various branches of service, according to George W. Strake Jr., president of the Strake Foundation, former UST board member and former Naval officer. Berns graduated from high school in a town just outside New Orleans, La., in 2010, and started at UST that fall. She has lived in Guinan Hall all through college. “I love it here,” she said. “All the people are so nice, the professors are willing to help you, and you get individualized attention because of the small classes. I’ve had a lot of challenging courses but managed mostly A’s and B’s.” Berns, diagnosed with spina bifada at birth, has been wheelchair-bound since her sophomore year of college when she became paralyzed from the waist down. She said the UST campus is easy to navigate and is accessible for her. UST’s Catholic intellectual tradition was an important part of Bern’s decision to choose UST. “My Catholic faith has always been a central part of my life, and UST offers activities on campus like daily Mass that have strengthened my relationship with Christ during my time here,” Berns said. “I sing in Mass on Sunday nights, and I stop in the chapel and pray any time I want. It’s always open.” When Berns graduates in May, she plans to move to Florida, where her parents now live, and seek a job in public relations or social media. “My parents have always been there for me, especially after my freshman year when I couldn’t walk and took a year off from school,” Berns said. “They encouraged me to pick myself up and keep going; to never quit.” Financial challenges could have been a barrier to Berns completing her degree, but the Strake Scholarship has helped relieve that pressure. “I would like to thank Mr. Strake again for giving me this scholarship,” Berns said. “It means so much to me.”

To contribute to student scholarships at UST, go to www.stthom.edu/give.

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Spring Has Sprung! The UST campus is beautiful in the spring, and now is a great time to visit. Celebrate Mass with us at the Chapel of St. Basil, enjoy a sporting event or performance, or just stroll our beautiful grounds in the heart of Houston. For a list of campus events, visit www.stthom.edu/calendar.