Universitas - Issue 34.1 (Fall 2007)

Fall 2007 issue of Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University. This is a special issue on Fr. Biondi's 20th anniversary as University President.

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Universitas - Issue 34.1 (Fall 2007)
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description Fall 2007 issue of Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University. This is a special issue on Fr. Biondi's 20th anniversary as University President.
publisher Saint Louis University Libraries Digitization Center
publishDate 2007
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spelling sluoai_alumni-74 Universitas - Issue 34.1 (Fall 2007) Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University St. Louis University St. Louis University -- Periodicals; Universities and colleges -- Missouri -- Saint Louis -- Periodicals; Biondi, Lawrence, 1938- Biondi, Lawrence, 1938- Fall 2007 issue of Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University. This is a special issue on Fr. Biondi's 20th anniversary as University President. 2007 2007 PDF utas_fall_07 universitas 2000 LD4817 .S52 U5 Copyright Saint Louis University. All rights reserved. Saint Louis University Libraries Digitization Center text eng Saint Louis University Marketing and Communications Inside A DuBourg Hall Makeover { page 14 } Library Treasures { page 16 } Student on a Mission { page 20 } Celebrating Father Biondi’s Anniversary { page 8 } U NI V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S F A L L 2 0 0 7 1 Fall leaves frame O’Donnell Hall, home of the Saint Louis University Museum of Art. Photo by Kevin Lowder 20 Years and Counting A Q&A with University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J., as he marks a milestone anniversary at SLU. By Laura Geiser Photo by James Visser Volume 34, Issue 1 E d i t o r Laura Geiser (A&S ’90, Grad ’92) C o n t r i b u t o r s Allison Babka Marie Dilg (SW ’94) Lauren Olson (Intern) Nick Sargent “ O n C a m p u s ” n e w s s t o r i e s University Communications Medical Center Communications Billiken Media Relations De s i g n Art Direction: Matthew Krob Universitas is published by Saint Louis University. Opin-ions expressed in Universitas are those of the individual authors and not necessarily those of the University ad-ministration. Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs are welcome but will be returned only if accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Letters to the editor must be signed, and letters not intended for pub-lication should indicate that fact. The editor reserves the right to edit all items. Address all mail to Universitas, DuBourg Hall 39, 221 N. Grand, St. Louis, Mo. 63103. We accept e-mail at utas@slu.edu and fax submissions at (314) 977-2249. Address fax submissions to Editor, Universitas. Postmaster: Send address changes to Universitas, Saint Louis University, 221 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103. World Wide Web address: www.slu.edu/pr/universitas.html Universitas is printed by Universal Printing Co. and mailed by Specialty Mailing. Worldwide circulation: 121,408 © 2007, Saint Louis University All rights reserved. Cover photo by James Visser 􀀓􁌀􀀁􀄀􀀝􁴀􀀝􁴀􀃊􌨀􀃓􍌀􀃤􎐀􀃤􎐀􀁻􇬀􀃊􌨀􀃊􌨀􀃊􌨀􀀷􃜀􀀖􁘀􀀠􂀀􀀯􂼀􀀍􀴀􀀬􂰀􀃊􌨀􀃓􍌀􀃤􎐀􀃤􎐀􀁸􇡂 Because University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J., is sharing his thoughts in a Q&A that appears on pages 8-13 of this issue, he begged off his usual president’s message and asked me to write an editor’s message instead. From 1900-1908 Saint Louis University was led by William Banks Rogers, S.J., a visionary who is said to have transformed SLU. In just eight years as president, he Ameri-canized and modernized SLU’s academic struc-ture, re-established the School of Medicine, ex-panded the campus, rebuilt the athletic program and made plans to open a School of Law. Rogers had a brief but groundbreaking ten-ure marked by his prophetic grasp of future trends, including his early understanding of the importance of public relations, his em-phasis on alumni development and his commitment to the St. Louis community. In Better the Dream, a history of Saint Louis University by William Barnaby Faherty, S.J., Rogers is dubbed the “Second Founder of Saint Louis Univer-sity.” Clearly he was a fascinat-ing, driven man. I have been intrigued by Rogers’ story since stumbling across his achievements many years ago. But there are prob-ably very few other people on campus (except maybe our archivists) who even know his name. You see, his legacy is not widely known at SLU today. Yes, SLU once had a Rogers Hall, but that building is now known as Jesuit Hall. And, yes, Rogers’ portrait does hang on the second floor of DuBourg Hall, but it is just one of 30 paintings of past SLU presidents that adorns the long hallway. Someday a portrait of our current president, Lawrence Biondi, S.J., will hang there, too — his legacy for time and history to decide. Perhaps one day, Biondi will be known as the “Founder of the Modern Saint Louis Univer-sity.” It’s certainly possible. Like Rogers before him, Biondi has done his share of transforming Saint Louis University during his 20 years here. Of course, his ef-forts to improve SLU’s physical campus come to mind first. But there’s more to his tenure than that. Just as Rogers did, Biondi has em-phasized academics, established new schools, re-energized the athletic program and made SLU a force in the community. (Read about his reflections on his years at SLU beginning on page 8.) Of course, Biondi would be quick to tell you that he didn’t do it alone. And as I speculate Rogers would agree, Biondi knows his legacy is not about him — it is about leaving an out-standing university for his successor to lead. The concept of “legacies” brings to mind a story I heard from Father Biondi’s former as-sistant, Mike Isaacson (A&S ’86, Grad Cook ’96), a Broadway producer whom I interviewed for the summer issue of Universitas. “You know, the interesting thing about work-ing for a university is that universities are liv-ing in a weird world,” Isaacson said. “They’re about today, and they’re about 200 years from today at the same time. And, when you think about the legions of people who have worked for Saint Louis U., and you walk through those halls, you can kind of feel history. “I remember once, early on with Biondi, we were leaving a meeting, and it had gone hor-ribly. He was so frustrated. “We were quietly walking in DuBourg Hall through the second-floor hallway that has all the paintings of past SLU presidents. We get two-thirds down the hall, and Biondi just stops, and he points at one of them and says, ‘Who’s that?’ And I say, ‘I don’t know.’ And he says, ‘My point exactly, so let’s just keep going.’ “It was that sense of even though you may be heading an institution, the institution is far bigger than you will ever be, and time leaves your name in the dust. Your obligation to here and now is to leave the lights on when your time is through.” Maybe that portrait they stopped at was of Father Rogers; maybe it wasn’t. In any case, I do know the lights are on at Saint Louis Uni-versity — both literally and figuratively — il-luminating the good works, scholarly achieve-ments and personal successes of our 12,309 students, our 5,436 faculty and staff members and our 108,110 alumni around the world. For that light, we can thank Biondi, Rogers and 29 other Jesuits who have served as SLU presidents and understood the real meaning of legacy. – Laura Geiser, Editor EDITOR’ s Message FE ATURES DEPA RTMENTS 2 On Campus Sword of Loyola honors artist Grant explores children’s health New blogs offer inside view of SLU New mall at Medical Center Portrait of DuBourg Kranz back on campus 6 Billiken News Billiken broadcasts online Basketball schedules Billiken mascot ranked No. 1 7 Campaign Update A conversation with David Nolda, director of annual giving programs 22 Off the Shelf Eight books from the SLU community 23 Class Notes Catch up with classmates 29 In Memoriam Remembering those members of the SLU community who recently died 30 Alumni Events Find SLU alumni activities wherever you live 32 Perspective A SLU soccer player learns a lot from those she is teaching 33 The Last Word Letters to the editor 14 Grand Once More DuBourg Hall’s fourth floor is restored to its turn-of-the-century glory. By Allison Babka 16 Treasures to Behold … and to Be Held A look inside the University’s rare book and manuscript collection. By Marie Dilg 20 A Woman for Others Student Rachel McCullagh is living SLU’s Jesuit mission. By Lauren Olson William banks rogers, S.J. 2 U NI V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S F A L L 2 0 0 7 3 Of Father Biondi’s 20 62 SLU-owned buildings in 1987; 127 in 2007 0 Annual full scholarships awarded in 1987; 30 in 2007 113 SLU-owned acres in Midtown St. Louis in 1987; 234 in 2007 » years as SLU president TA SLU makes two national rankings Saint Louis University is one of the top schools in the country for under-graduate education, say two of the nation’s leading college guides. In August, SLU received honors from both U.S.News & World Report and The Princeton Review. The 2008 edition of U.S. News’ “America’s Best Colleges” ranked SLU No. 82 among 262 national universities. According to the magazine, SLU is ranked as one of the top five Jesuit universities in the United States. U.S. News ranked SLU’s undergraduate engineering programs No. 31 and under-graduate business programs in the top 100. The undergraduate entrepreneurship pro-gram ranked No. 21. In addition, SLU was listed in the 2008 edition of The Princeton Review’s “Best 366 Colleges” guidebook, published by Random House. Only about 15 percent of the four-year colleges in America and two Canadian colleges were chosen for the book. SLU also was named to The Princeton Review’s “Best in the Midwest” list. Sword of Ignatius awarded to Project Compassion artist Saint Louis University presented its highest honor – the Sword of Ignatius Loyola – to Kaziah Hancock, founding artist and president of Project Compassion, at the DuBourg Society dinner, Nov. 3. During the last four years, Hancock has painted hundreds of portraits of American servicemen and servicewomen who have been killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The paintings are given to the families of the fallen soldiers free of charge. To date, Hancock and four other Project Compassion artists have completed more than 750 paintings. The Sword of Ignatius Loyola is named for the founder of the Society of Jesus, Inigo Lopez de Loyola. Symbolic of the Ignatian vision of service, the sword is awarded to those who have given themselves to humankind for the greater glory of God. Past recipients include Harry Truman, Jacques Cousteau and Jackie Joyner- Kersee. Major grant will improve children’s health The National Institutes of Health selected the city of St. Louis and Macoupin County, Ill., as sites for the National Children’s Study, the largest study of child and human health ever conducted in the United States. The extensive population-based study looks at the health and development of children by following them from before birth to adulthood. Saint Louis University School of Public Health is partner-ing on the project with Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University Edwards-ville School of Nursing, Southern Illinois Univer-sity School of Medicine in Springfield, Washing-ton University School of Medicine in St. Louis and St. Louis Battelle Memorial Institute. As the lead institution, SLU School of Public Health has received a $26 million, five-year contract from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and a consortium of federal agencies includ-ing the National Institute of Environmen-tal Health Sciences, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Envi-ronmental Protection Agency. Saint Louis University is one of 22 new study centers added to the Na-tional Children’s Study, which will follow a representative sample of 100,000 children from before birth to age 21. The study seeks informa-tion to prevent and treat some of the nation’s most pressing health problems, including autism, birth defects, diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Check out ‘True SLU’ via new blogs Want the true story about Saint Louis University? Read the True SLU blogs. Blogger Alyssa, a sophomore studying abroad at SLU’s Madrid campus, will tell you her story. So will Jennifer, a nutrition and di-etetics instructor who bikes 6 miles to work every day, and Jared, a member of Legion 1818 who paints his face and puts on a kilt to support the men’s soccer team (when he’s not reading history books or playing trumpet in the pep band). The blogs are just one part of the Univer-sity’s comprehensive student recruitment effort. Aimed at prospective undergraduates and their parents, the True SLU blogs give an accurate, authentic depiction of what life is like for Saint Louis University students, fac-ulty and staff. Each blogger posts at least once a week, and new bloggers will join them during the year. To read the blogs, visit www.slu.edu and click the “True SLU Blogs” box in the lower left-hand corner. During the summer, the College of Public Service was restructured in an effort to lead to new efficiencies and synergies. Educational studies, educa-tional leadership and higher education, so-cial work, counseling and family therapy, and public policy studies have joined to cre-ate a new academic unit: the College of Edu-cation and Public Service. Formerly independent units, RegionWise, the Stupp Geographic Information Systems Laboratory and Center for Organizational Leadership and Renewal are now part of the public policy studies department and remain in the college. The Counseling and Family Therapy Clinic also remains with the college, and University officials hope to create more collaborations between the clinic’s research-ers and social work faculty. Dr. Marla Berg-Weger, senior associate provost for academic affairs, continues to serve as interim dean of the college as a na-tional search is conducted for a permanent replacement. The communication sciences and disor-ders department and its associated clinics have moved into the College of Arts and Sci-ences. Research methodology is now part of the Graduate School. The School for Professional Studies, which joined the college in 2004, has again become a separate unit under the leadership of Berg- Weger. She will continue to direct the school long term. College of Public Service reconfigured, renamed SLU scientists conduct groundbreaking research — literally This summer, a Saint Louis University team was part of a group of scientists drilling deep into the San Andreas Fault in California to better understand what causes earthquakes. It’s research that could have implications back at SLU, which is near the New Madrid Fault. As part of the project known as San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD), a team of scientists has drilled a 3-kilometer, or nearly 2-mile, hole directly into the fault midway be-tween San Francisco and Los Angeles. SLU geology professor Dr. David Kirsch-ner, senior Tim Keenan and recent graduate Eric Sandusky (Pub Ser, A&S ’07) were part of a scientific team that studied the unearthed rock material as part of the SAFOD project. Kirschner has been involved in the massive undertaking for several years and has received three grants from the National Science Foun-dation for research related to the project. Portrait of DuBourg returns home In June, Saint Louis University welcomed William Page Dame III and his wife, Beverly, to campus to mark the Dames’ gift of a portrait of Bishop Louis-Guilliame- Valentine DuBourg, founder of SLU. The portrait was painted not long after DuBourg was consecrated a bishop. The oil painting is thought to date to 1815 and is believed to have been painted in Rome, where DuBourg had journeyed to be consecrated by Pope Pius VII as the Bishop of Louisiana and the Floridas. In 1817, Bishop DuBourg moved to St. Louis. He established the St. Louis Latin Academy (now Saint Louis University) in 1818, initially run by the diocese. In 1826, DuBourg invited the Jesuits who resided in Florissant, Mo., to take over the administration of the college. In 1829, Peter Verhaegen, S.J., became the first Jesuit president of St. Louis College. In 1832, the college received its charter from the state of Missouri. The portrait has been installed in the Père Marquette Gallery of DuBourg Hall. SLU alert system in place Saint Louis University now has a new emergency communication tool designed to quickly alert the entire SLU community about an imminent public danger, campus disaster or other major crisis. SLU recently signed an agreement with St. Louis-based GroupCast to provide a mes-sage broadcast system that can notify all students, faculty and staff by office, home and cell phones within minutes of an emer-gency situation. It also sends text messages. Co-founded by a SLU alumnus and located in Fenton, Mo., GroupCast provides similar services to other colleges and universities. 4 U N I V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S F A L L 2 0 0 7 5 Of Father Biondi’s 20 9 University-sponsored sports teams in 1987; 18 in 2007 0 Faculty/staff mission-related programs in 1987; 24 in 2007 53 SLU public safety officers in 1987; 103 in 2007 94 Doctorates awarded in 1987; 157 in 2007 years as SLU president The deputy surgeon general of the U.S. Air Force hosted guests from England’s Royal Air Force at Saint Louis Univer-sity’s Center for Sustainment of Trauma and Readiness Skills (C-STARS) on Oct. 6. During the visit, dignitaries had the opportu-nity to observe a simulation, in which students treated an artificial, computerized patient in a lab designed to look like a real field hospital. The two-week C-STARS program at Saint Louis University is one of only three of its kind in the country that provides Air Force medical personnel with real-life, hands-on trauma ex-perience. Through clinical rotations with SLU trauma doctors and nurses and weekly simula-tion exercises, students have the opportunity to sharpen and refresh their trauma care skills prior to deployment. Former NASA mission control commander Gene Kranz (Parks ’54) returned to SLU for a special ribbon-cutting ceremony at McDonnell Douglas Hall during Homecoming Weekend in September. Kranz was on hand as officials unveiled a wall display honoring the 80th anniversary of SLU’s Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology. Divided into three sections, the colorful, three-dimensional, illustrated timeline of Parks’ history runs the full length of McDonnell Douglas Hall’s main corridor. Stretching 370 feet wide and towering 11 feet high, the display features a stainless steel timeline that connects all three sections. Black and white photographs and other images representing the key people, news and technology from Parks’ history are displayed above the timeline. Below, aerial shots fade into each other, illustrating the changes to Parks’ former campus in Cahokia, leading to the SLU campus, where Parks has been located since 1997. Gass receives Literary Award The Saint Louis University Library Associates presented the 2007 Saint Louis Literary Award to noted writer, critic and philosophy professor William H. Gass on Oct. 24. Gass joined an impressive list of writers who have been recognized for their legendary contributions as novelists, essayists, poets and playwrights. Recipients of the Saint Louis Literary Award include Saul Bellow, Eudora Welty, John Updike and Joan Didion. During a writing career that spans nearly five decades, Gass has been recognized for his works of fiction and nonfiction as well as sto-ries and essays. He has received many awards and honors, including the American Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award for Criticism and the Mark Twain Award for Distinguished Contribu-tions to Literature in the Midwest. As the David May Distinguished Professor in Humanities at Washington University in St. Louis, he taught philosophy for more than 30 years and founded the univer-sity’s International Writers Center. More than 1,000 students, faculty, family and friends gathered at the Medical Center on Oct. 12 to remember and give thanks to the several hundred individuals who donated their bodies this year to Saint Louis University School of Medicine’s Gift Body Program. First-year medical students planned the memorial service, which included reflections, prayers, songs and words of appreciation to the donors’ family members and friends in attendance. “The ceremony is a sign of our thanks for those who have donated their bodies so we could learn. It also provides an opportunity for their family and friends to understand why they made this decision,” said Tom Heffner, a first-year medical student. “For me personally, the ceremony is an opportunity to give thanks to my first patient for the opportunity to work on him and learn from him.” Body donors remembered at service New mall enhances Medical Center Saint Louis University has increased the beauty, safety and accessibility of the Medical Center with a new pedestrian mall. The area along Vista Avenue between Grand Boulevard and Carr Lane Avenue has been transformed into an urban oasis that mimics green space near the Doisy College of Health Sciences building as well as parts of campus north of I-64/Hwy. 40. The section is bordered by the School of Medicine complex on the north and the building that now houses the department of neurology and psychiatry on the south. Pedestrians are welcomed to the mall by one of SLU’s signature red brick monuments, and landscaping, trees and flowers provide a parklike atmosphere. Safety also has been enhanced, as city streetlights were replaced by upgraded lighting that shines brightly on the mall. News Briefs Dr. Boyd A. Bradshaw (Grad ’05) was recently hired as SLU’s vice provost for enrollment management. He oversees undergraduate admission, student financial services, the registrar’s office, student academic services and the international center. From 1997 to 1999 Bradshaw was program coordinator and assistant director of admissions at SLU. Most recently he was assistant university provost for enrollment management at the University of Louisville. Dr. Raul Artal, chairman of obstetrics, gynecology and women’s health at the School of Medicine, has received a “Preggie” award for his pioneering work that supports exercise for pregnant women. The award, given by FitPregnancy magazine, recognizes those who have improved the welfare of pregnant women, new mothers and young children. Dr. Govindaswamy Chinnadurai, professor at SLU’s Institute of Molecular Virology, has been as selected as a member of a study section of the Center for Scientific Review, which reviews applications for grants from the National Institutes of Health. In October, Dr. Patricia Monteleone (Med ’61, Pub Hlth, Grad Cook ’91), dean of the School of Medicine, received an award from the St. Louis Business Journal for her lifetime achievement as a “Health Care Hero.” In April, Saint Louis University’s student-run Relay for Life event to raise money for the American Cancer Society saw more than 1,700 members of the SLU community raise $193,000. It was the fourth-highest amount raised among universities in the nation, per capita. This year’s event raised $60,000 more than the previous year. Dr. Donald Stump is now associate provost for undergraduate affairs. Director of the nationally recognized Micah Program, Stump is focused on advising, retention, learning communities, early intervention for students having academic problems, and fostering connections between faculty and students outside the classroom. Kranz helps unveil Parks timeline ★★ C-STARS program attracts military leaders ★★ ARENA UPDATE: Work continues on Chaifetz Arena, the University’s new multipurpose event facility. More than 75,000 cubic yards of earth and more than 1,000 tons of steel have been used to form the shell of Chaifetz Arena and the adjacent practice facility and office building. The project is on schedule to be watertight in November, allowing crews to finish the interior during the winter. There are about 200 people working on the site to reach the scheduled construction completion date by April 2008. Dedication of Chaifetz Arena is scheduled for Saturday, May 3, 2008. Photo by Kevin Lowder Photo by Kevin Lowder Photo by Sara Savat Photo by Steve Dolan kranz the parks timeline Photo by Kevin Lowder Date Opponent Site Time Fri., Nov. 2 UMSL (exh) St. Louis 7:30 p.m. Hispanic College Fund Challenge - UNIV. OF PITTSBURGH Fri., Nov. 9 vs. North Carolina A&T Pittsburgh 3:30 p.m. Sat., Nov. 10 vs. Houston Baptist Pittsburgh 5:30 p.m. Sun., Nov. 11 at Pittsburgh Pittsburgh 5 p.m. Wed., Nov. 14 Detroit St. Louis 7 p.m. Sat., Nov. 17 Furman St. Louis 7 p.m. Wed., Nov. 21 at Missouri State Springfield, Mo. 7:05 p.m. Sat., Nov. 24 Pacific St. Louis 7 p.m. Wed., Nov. 28 at Kent State Kent, Ohio 6 p.m. Sat., dec. 1 Long Beach State St. Louis 1 p.m. Tues., dec. 4 at Boston College Chestnut Hill, Mass. 6 p.m. Sat., dec. 8 Sam Houston State St. Louis 7 p.m. Sat., dec. 15 Southern Illinois St. Louis 6:30 p.m. Wed., dec. 19 Loyola (Chicago) St. Louis 7 p.m. Sat., dec. 29 IUPUI St. Louis 7 p.m. Thur., jan. 10 at George Washington* Washington, D.C. 7 p.m. Sat., jan. 12 Dayton* St. Louis 7 p.m. Thur., jan. 17 Rhode Island* St. Louis 7 p.m. Sun., jan. 20 Temple* St. Louis 1 p.m. Sat., jan. 26 at La Salle* Philadelphia 1 p.m. Wed., jan. 30 at Dayton* Dayton, Ohio 6 p.m. Sat., feb. 2 Massachusetts* St. Louis Noon Thur., feb. 7 Xavier* St. Louis 8 p.m. Sun., feb. 10 at Richmond* Richmond, Va. 1 p.m. Wed., feb. 13 George Washington* St. Louis 7 p.m. Sun., feb. 17 at Massachusetts* Amherst, Mass. 1 p.m. Wed., feb. 20 Fordham* St. Louis 7 p.m. Sat., feb. 23 at Charlotte* Charlotte, N.C. 6 p.m. Thur., feb. 28 at Saint Joseph’s* Philadelphia 6 p.m. Sat., mar. 1 St. Bonaventure* St. Louis 1 p.m. Sat. mar. 8 at Duquesne* Pittsburgh 6 p.m. mar. 12-15 at A-10 Championship* Atlantic City, N.J. TBA Date Opponent Site Time Fri., Nov. 2 UMSL (exh at Scottrade) St. Louis 5 p.m. Wed., Nov. 7 Missouri-Baptist (exh) St. Louis 7 p.m. Sun., Nov. 11 Hampton University St. Louis 2 p.m. Wed., Nov. 14 at Akron Akron, Ohio 6 p.m. Sun., Nov. 18 Wyoming St. Louis 2 p.m. Tues., Nov. 20 at Tennessee State Nashville, Tenn. 7 p.m. Sat., Nov. 24 Morehead State St. Louis 2 p.m. Tues., Nov. 27 at Tennessee – Martin Martin, Tenn. 6 p.m. Thurs., Nov. 29 at UMKC Kansas City, Mo. 7 p.m. Sun., dec. 2 at Kansas Lawrence, Kan. 4 p.m. Fri., dec. 7 at Missouri State Springfield, Mo. 7 p.m. Sat., dec. 15 at Arkansas Fayetteville, Ark. 2 p.m. Wed., dec. 19 Canisius College St. Louis 7 p.m. Sat., dec. 22 at Florida Gainesville, Fla. Noon Battle at the Border Tournament - Univ. of TX-Pan American Fri., dec. 28 Lafayette vs. UTPA Edinburg, Texas 6 p.m. Saint Louis vs. Lamar 8 p.m. Sat., dec. 29 Consolation Game 5 p.m. Championship Game 7 p.m. Wed., jan. 2 at Chicago State Chicago 7 p.m. Sat., jan. 12 at Fordham* Bronx, N.Y. Noon Wed., jan. 16 Duquesne* St. Louis 7 p.m. Sat., jan. 19 at Charlotte* Charlotte, N.C. 6 p.m. Wed., jan. 23 Rhode Island* St. Louis 7 p.m. Sat., jan. 26 Richmond* St. Louis 2 p.m. Jan., jan. 30 at Xavier Cincinnati 11 a.m. Sat., feb. 2 Charlotte* St. Louis 7 p.m. Wed., feb. 6 at Saint Joseph’s* Philadelphia 6 p.m. Sun., feb. 10 La Salle* St. Louis 2 p.m. Sat., feb. 16 Massachusetts* St. Louis 2 p.m. Wed., feb. 20 at George Washington* Washington, D.C. 6 p.m. Sun., feb. 24 at St. Bonaventure* Olean, N.Y. Noon Wed., feb. 27 Temple* St. Louis 7 p.m. Sat., mar. 1 at Dayton* Dayton, Ohio TBA mar. 7-10 at A-10 Championship* Philadelphia TBA billiken beat Saint Louis University led all league schools with 123 student-athletes named to the Atlantic 10 Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll for the spring 2007 semester. Student-athletes named to the A-10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll completed the spring semester with a 3.5 grade point average or better. In all, 1,118 student-athletes in the A-10 were named to the Commissioner’s Honor Roll. Former Saint Louis University men’s basketball center Ian Vouyoukas has signed a three-year contract with Olympiakos BC in the A1 Greek Basketball League. Olympiakos finished 21-5 last season and reached the league’s championship game. And former SLU women’s basketball standout Tyler McIlwraith has signed with AutoCAD Amazone in Holland for the 2007-08 season. Senior associate director of athletics Doug McIlhagga is overseeing the operations of the department of athletics until a new athletic director is named. Former athletic director Cheryl L. Levick resigned this summer to take a position at the University of Maryland. The Saint Louis University women’s basketball team posted the 17th-best GPA among NCAA Division I programs in 2006-07, according to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). The Billikens’ 3.336 GPA put them on the list. Follow the Billikens wherever you live Billiken fans everywhere can now keep up with Saint Louis University’s athletic teams online with the All-Access pass available at www.slubillikens.com through CSTV. The SLU All-Access pass costs $9.95 per month or $79.95 for the entire year. Billiken athletic events to be broadcast online include a minimum of 15 fall events in addition to select men’s and women’s basketball games. Programming also will include press conferences, men’s basketball features, video blogs from student-athletes and coaches as well as other special features. “The All-Access pass allows more of our student-athletes and coaches to showcase their talents and personalities across a broader spectrum,” said Kosha Irby, associate athletics director. The SLU All-Access pass is compatible with both PC and Macintosh platforms. How-ever, Mac users must use the Safari Web browser to receive the feed. Pay-per-view program-ming will be available to annual subscribers for free, while monthly subscribers will be required to pay an additional fee. Season ticket holders and alumni may qualify for a discounted annual price. Call the Billiken ticket office at (314) 977-4758 for coupon information. Billiken named best mascot in the NCAA The Saint Louis University Billiken was selected as the No. 1 college mascot by the Web site SPMsportspage.com. The site listed the Top 100 College Nicknames/Mas-cots among NCAA Division I schools. The column, writ-ten by Larry Nauss, stated: “A nickname or mascot must be fairly unique, captivating and somewhat imaginative, and/ or have some particular significance to the geographic location of a school. He [the Billiken] was a rock star before there even were rock stars, in the early 1900s. The rest is history, and it’s still the premier nickname/mascot in all of college sports.” 6 U NI V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S F A L L 2 0 0 7 7 You’ve probably received a phone call from a Saint Louis University student eager to talk to you and to encourage you to make a gift to SLU. David Nolda (A&S ’95), director of annual giving programs, sheds some light on those callers and on the importance of giving. Who are the student callers? It’s important to know that the students making the calls are current Saint Louis University students. We have 26 calling stations and hire approximately 80 federal work-study students to fill those spots. We have a diverse range of years, majors and states represented by our student callers. They work on campus for the convenience, but as they quickly find out, calling alumni to ask for support is not always easy. They have to want to work here. We’ve had many former callers tell us that their job as a student caller was a great résumé builder and that many potential employers focused on that experience during the interview process. Why do students make the best phoners? There is a natural relationship between current SLU students and our alumni. On any given night, I can walk around the call center and hear conversations with a 1947 School of Law alumnus or a 2006 graduate of the psychology department. Who knows the SLU experience better than the students currently living it? Sure, the campus and faculty may have changed, but the mission of SLU — to educate women and men for others — has remained constant since 1818. Our student callers also seem to possess an important quality that is essential to this job: They have no fear. They are not afraid to have a genuine conversation, make the ask or face rejection. If 25 percent of their calls each night result in a gift, they are masters of their craft. Does your office solicit anyone besides alumni? Obviously, alumni are our most natural prospective donors. We also contact parents of current and former students as well as faculty, staff and friends of the University. We even have a Student Class Gift Program aimed at current SLU students, which educates our students about the importance of giving back. Without the generosity of our donors, our students would not be able to enjoy the SLU experience offered today. Alumni received an e-mail solicitation from SLU this summer. Is that something you’ll be doing more of? E-mail communication saves the University a great deal of money. It’s not only the easiest and most cost-effective way to ask for support, it also provides the easiest method for donors to make gifts. Those gifts go to work benefiting our students right away. In the past year, we’ve used more graphics and technology in our e-mails than ever before. We were able to convey a lot more in a 45-second video e-mail last December than any direct-mail piece. The commencement-themed video e-mail we sent in May elicited the most emotional responses that I’ve seen in my 13 years at Saint Louis University. Obviously we hope that those e-mails result in gifts for our students and programs, but they’re also a way for us to keep our alumni connected to their alma mater. For so many of our alumni who do not live in St. Louis, it’s a great way for them to “see” the growth and changes to the campus. Alumnus Richard Chaifetz just gave SLU $12 million. How does a gift of $50 compare? Think about this: Last year, SLU received 15,608 gifts of $100 or less totaling $760,125. Three quarters of a million dollars — that’s a huge sum of money from many people who probably asked themselves, “Does my $10, $25 or $50 really make a difference?” To our students, it makes a world of difference. As for gifts such as Dr. Chaifetz’s, those donors didn’t just make million-dollar gifts out of the blue one day. Many of the five-, six- or seven-figure donors began with modest gifts of $25 or $100 in support of their school or team 25 or 30 years ago. Why is participation important? Participation at all levels is vital to the SLU experience. U.S.News & World Report measures alumni giving for national rankings, and corporations also evaluate alumni participation before deciding to make gifts to SLU. We need to be able to show that more of our alumni support SLU each year. Not only is the funding necessary, but alumni giving helps boost SLU’s reputation in national rankings and, ultimately, enhances the value of our degrees. To make a gift online, visit giftform.slu.edu. Make a gift by phone by calling (314) 977-3781, or use the envelope enclosed in this issue of Universitas to make a gift via mail. Vouyoukas mcilwraith Billiken Men’s basketball 2007-2008 Schedule Billiken woMen’s basketball 2007-2008 Schedule Photos by Bill Barrett 8 U NI V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S F A L L 2 0 0 7 9 Saint Louis University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J., and I have just walked back into his office after a hurried lunchtime inter-view, and in no time at all, three members of his staff have gath-ered around his desk. I’m still trying to ask some questions for this sto-ry celebrating his 20-year anniversary as president, but there is immediate business that demands his attention — letters to sign, meeting agendas to ad-just and a stack of phone messages to return. Still, I keep firing questions at him, hanging onto the few minutes I supposedly have left. But it’s hard to get a word in. He wants to answer me (I think). But he is back in his world now, busy and focused, and I know that the interview is over. It really comes as no surprise. Biondi is very much in demand. He routinely speaks to groups on and off campus, he travels to visit donors and alumni clubs across the country, and he averages 25 meetings a week. Because most of his meals are really meetings spent discussing the University, it’s no exaggeration to say he eats and breathes SLU. This interview was no different. We met at a new Mexican restaurant on campus named for one of Biondi’s dogs, Iggy. We both ordered the “Biondi Burrito.” (How could he resist? And, frankly, how could I?) It didn’t take long before we were inter-rupted several times. First by students who wanted to know if he came up with the recipe for the bur-rito. (No.) Then by the restaurant owner. Then by some SLU staff members dining nearby. When we finally got up to head back to DuBourg Hall, Bi-ondi noticed the owners of the nearby Coronado apartments across the room, so he promptly went over to say hello. Because he can’t talk to everyone personally (though he sure tries), here’s a candid conversa-tion with Biondi about his 20 years at Saint Louis University. Photo by James Visser – By Laura Geiser Biondi in his office with his dogs Gancia (left) and Iggy. UTAS: Did you ever imagine you’d be doing this for 20 years? BIONDI: No, the years have flown by since 1987. This may sound bad, but I never thought that I’d be here this long because, frankly, I’m usually only good for seven or eight years before I get antsy. But there’s such variety to this job — every day is a new experience, and I don’t think any day has been the same. So I’ve never been bored. So much of what I have to do every day is actually exciting and, most of the time, rewarding. Sure there are days when it feels like two decades, but most days it does not. There is still more that needs to be done, contributions that I can make before moving on. U: Has the job changed much in 20 years? B: The issues are different, but the problems are often similar. I really like the book Good to Great [by Jim Collins]. In it there is an analogy of an organization being like a bus, and the president is the bus driver. It’s the driver’s job to get the right person in the right seat so everybody can do his or her job and get the bus moving in the right direction. You may not know the direction for the first few miles, but eventually you’ll figure it out as everybody starts to collaborate, contribute and determine the direction. SLU’s like that. The bus hasn’t changed. My job of getting the right passengers hasn’t changed. But sometimes our routes do vary. U: How have you personally changed? B: Well, my physical changes are evident — I’ve got less hair, more wrinkles and a few extra pounds. I have less energy, and I can’t work 15-hour days without having some time on some weekends to relax, reflect and recoup. But that’s just surface stuff. How I’ve really changed is that — believe it or not — I’ve grown more patient with people. I don’t get excited about small problems anymore. I like to have them solved, of course, but in the past I would disproportionately spend a lot time on them. Now I’m trying to concentrate on bigger issues — the bigger picture for SLU to become the best. I can’t say honestly that the small things don’t bother me, but I’m less focused on them. I think I’ve learned that only through experience. U: How has SLU changed? B: There’s a greater openness to creativity, to new ideas and to thinking outside the box. I also think the quality of our faculty and their commitment to teaching and research has improved and that the quality of our students is fantastic. They’re much more giving, invested and competitive than ever before, which is a hallmark of a Jesuit education. In fact our whole University community is more dedicated to service, volunteering 780,000 hours last year — and that wasn’t always the case. I think the changes here are due to a combination of several things, including a greater awareness of SLU’s mission and vision, plus a greater articulation of what we expect from faculty, staff and students. I think that expectations have been articulated in a way that good-hearted people want to collaborate and to help reach our goal of becoming the finest Catholic university in our country. U: How has the mission and the vision that SLU become the finest Catholic university in the nation changed this place? B: When the North Central evaluation team [a national educational accrediting group] came here in 2002, they said the vision of the University is not only articulated well, but embraced by the students, staff and faculty. More importantly, the evaluators were surprised to find that our faculty and staff know our mission and our vision by heart and talk about it. They hadn’t seen that anywhere else. Here our mission and our vision have vibrancy — they’re not just words. And the vision is becoming a reality. In fact, I know our vision is ingrained because when students want something significant — for example, when they wanted the expansion of the Simon Recreation Center — they say to me, “In order to be the best Catholic university, you’ve got to do this.” They said the same thing about the renovation of Busch Student Center. So they have adopted our vision, they’re aware of it, and they’re pushing the staff, faculty and administrators to get there too. I certainly hope our alums and supporters agree that Saint Louis University has changed for the better. Of course, the physical campus has seen the most visible 10 U NI V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S F A L L 2 0 0 7 11 changes. I inherited a weak infrastructure, but the financial resources have improved significantly. I’ll always be grateful to [former SLU president] Father Tom Fitzgerald, S.J., for making the hard decisions that left SLU financially sound and positioned us to move forward positively and definitively. But, as I’ve said before, I am most proud of what is not as visible: the quality of our academic programs, the quality and depth of the research being conducted, the care that we offer our patients, the quality and contributions of our students and alumni, the loyalty and commitment of our faculty and staff, and especially the fact that our Jesuit, Catholic mission continues to be our guiding and driving force. SLU has undergone a remarkable transformation, moving ever closer to that vision of being the country’s finest Catholic university. I am very proud of this, but I know that it took many, many University people working together for years to build the SLU of 2007. U: What have been your biggest successes? B: I’m proud of many things. In particular, I’m pleased with our higher academic standards and reputation, our $970 million endowment as well as the impressive credentials of our faculty and staff. Our Madrid campus is one of the premier programs in Europe. And overall campus beautification — though I hesitate to focus on it — has really transformed our campus life for our students. I think the Edward A. Doisy Research Center and the growth in our funded research efforts are setting an excellent standard for even greater success. And the sale of the hospital to secure the future of our School of Medicine is something I look back on and view as a success story. Of course, I’m proud of our great leadership teams over the years — the vice presidents, provosts and deans — who helped me achieve my goals for SLU. Also I’m pleased that in the business community locally, and to a certain extent nationally, we’ve enhanced our image. Business leaders have recognized and acknowledged SLU’s growth and accomplishments. We also have a cooperative, strong relationship with the civic leaders in St. Louis. One of the biggest tests that we’ve passed is a credibility gap for the University at all levels. In terms of financing, Standard and Poor’s, Moody’s and others have acknowledged that we have a very good debt ratio to our endowment. We set goals, and we accomplish them. For example, we said we were going to raise the funds we needed for the Doisy Research Center and Chaifetz Arena, and we did. We’re very credible. U: What, if anything, do you wish you could redo? B: I don’t think in those terms. You take 10 steps forward and fall back three, but you’re still ahead. I make decisions with information and counsel and advice from others. If 80 percent are good decisions, then I believe that I have succeeded. Although not a redo, I am disappointed that being president prevents me from having more contact with students. I miss those relationships. But there are only so many hours in a day, and I have to devote my time to what will bring about the greatest change. I simply have to make choices. It’s hard for our students to understand this. Students come and go in four years. What I try to do is invest in their future, in the long-term strategic plan, so that when I leave and when they leave, something is left that will continue to attract quality students. I look at this as an investment. All this building we’re going through right now — that’s an investment for the year 2010 and beyond. You can’t think about just the here and now. It’s a strategic investment in the University to maintain it and to strengthen it for the future. So growing the endowment also is very important. Building up our SLU tradition and culture of values and ethical behavior is also important, as is continuing to attract highly qualified and committed people to teach and learn — and transforming the right kind of leaders to become dynamic champions for social justice. U: When you took this job 20 years ago, were you apprehensive? If so, how did you overcome that fear? B: In a way, I was intimidated by the knowledge that I had full responsibility for SLU and was accountable for it to the trustees, the Jesuits, almost 100,000 living alumni, Lawrence Biondi, S.J., has been president of Saint Louis University longer than SLU’s current freshmen have been alive. While he’s been at SLU, four U.S. presidents have served the nation, five governors have served Missouri and four mayors have served St. Louis. During those 20 years, Saint Louis University has undergone many changes. Most obviously, the physical campus has grown and greened. But it’s the improvements you can’t show on a map that really show the impact of Biondi’s presidency. 1987 2007 Average ACT score of entering freshmen 22.7 26.4 Student-to-teacher ratio 16-1 13-1 Endowed chairs and professorships 16 51 Full-time ranked faculty 718 1,297 Total student enrollment 9,869 12,309 Number of freshmen 1,077 1,604 Residence hall occupancy 1,992 3,446 Annual donations to SLU $15.6 million $66 million Grant, contract and research revenue $8.96 million $65.8 million University endowment $93 million $970 million Net assets $504.3 million $1.4 billion Biondi at his inauguration on Sept. 30, 1987. 4,000 or so faculty and staff and more than 10,000 students. I had been a SLU trustee for three years, so I knew there were some significant challenges, but I also believed that there was great potential for SLU. But, I was never trained to be a president of a major university. And I had to start somewhere. I jumped right into this job from being the dean of the large College of Arts and Sciences at Loyola Chicago, where we had more than 400 faculty. Traditionally, a person is at least an academic vice president before becoming a president, but I skipped that step. Also, there was a definite learning curve to understand SLU’s culture because I was not from St. Louis or a graduate of Saint Louis University. I had only been a SLU trustee for three years, which really gave me a limited amount of knowledge and experience — attending quarterly board meetings did not amount to a lot of time spent on SLU’s campus. Eventually I got over my apprehension by listening: I listened to a wide variety of people and their problems. At that time, there were some people who were jockeying for me to confide in them. I needed to listen, to distinguish facts from fiction, so I decided to give myself more time to understand what motivated them. I listened to distinguish an individual’s legitimate concern for SLU from a self-serving one. Taking on the presidency at SLU was a big challenge. But I had good mentors and role models: Father Tom Fitzgerald, Dan Schlafly, Bucky Bush, Joe Adorjan, Mike Shanahan, Barry Beracha and other SLU trustees and friends whom I learned to trust and in whom I confided. U: After 20 years in St. Louis, you’re now something of a celebrity here — a very recognizable face. How does that affect you? B: I don’t consider myself a celebrity, but I know some people watch carefully what I do and say. So I’m more careful. Of course, I try to be as natural as possible. But I think I’m much more on guard with the business community and with people I meet for the first time because they’re evaluating me on what they’ve heard about me as a person or about my role as president of SLU. But I’m more like myself with students. I like to joke around with them, which sometimes surprises them. U: What are the differences between your public persona and the “real” you? B: I have a reputation for being direct, tough and outspoken with a “take no prisoners” approach to business situations. But those who know me well would probably describe me as quiet, somewhat introverted. I really enjoy time alone with my two golden retrievers [Gancia and Iggy], especially at the end of the day. So believe it or not, I’m actually a bit shy; I have to work at making small talk. And it would probably surprise people to know that I am very casual and prefer informal to formal. At home, I am most comfortable in a T-shirt, walking shorts and Birkenstocks. I’d rather eat dinner with my Jesuit brothers at Jesuit Hall than in a five-star restaurant. Oh, and, yes, I’m told I have a weird sense of humor. U: What in your childhood indicated that this is what you’d be doing? B: Nothing. I flunked first grade because I grew up speaking Italian and wasn’t as fluent in English as I needed to be as a first-grade school kid growing up in the northwest side of Chicago. I was one of those kids in the shadows. My leadership qualities really came about when I became chairman of the department of modern languages at Loyola Chicago. Prior to that, I just had my values, of course, and the honesty and directness that have gotten me into trouble my whole life. U: How did your parents prepare you for this job? And what did they think when you got it? B: My parents certainly didn’t cut me any slack. They certainly kept me in my place. Once I got this job, my mother would often say, “You’re the president of the university. You can do what you want because you are not teaching anymore. So you can come up to Chicago and visit me more often. You have no teaching commitments.” She was happy for my success, but I don’t know if she ever fully understood my obligations and the 12 U NI V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S F A L L 2 0 0 7 13 challenges of the job. I know that both of my parents were very proud of me for my commitment to my priestly life. And I’m sure that if my mother were still alive today, she would continue to chastise me and say that it’s inappropriate for a Jesuit priest to go around without wearing socks during the summer! U: Is it possible to separate yourself from your work? Do you even try? B: It is difficult to separate myself from work because I am, for many in the external community, the face of SLU. And since I live on campus, students, alumni and faculty, all of whom expect different things, often stop me when I walk on campus. And I notice everything — so when I’m out, even walking my dogs or driving them around campus in my golf cart, I make mental notes of things around campus that need attention. U: What do alumni mean to SLU? What can they still do for SLU? B: I hope our alumni are proud of their alma mater and rely upon their Saint Louis University education in their personal and professional lives. I hope they value the relationships, the friendships, that helped them become informed and transformed into better individuals. I also want them to remember that there is still more to be done and that SLU needs their support and involvement. U: You’ve had a successful career. Do you have any personal goals left? B: I am always trying to find ways to have balance in my life so I can continue to direct my energies to my work. I want to renew and strengthen my own spirituality, which will help me discern my future. I also need to exercise more and eat less. When I am tired I fantasize about traveling to places I’ve only seen and read about in National Geographic. But, honestly, traveling to distant places would only give me two or three weeks of enjoyment, because then I’d get antsy. U: You are SLU’s second-longest tenured president: to what do you attribute your longevity? What’s the secret? B: Italian, Tuscan genetic DNA. Seriously, I was 48 years old when I became president, a bit younger than many of my recent predecessors — so youthful energy may have something to do with my longevity. God has given me good health, abundant energy and a good team of administrators and deans to help me. U: Do you have a timeline for retirement or perhaps a career change? B: Retirement is not in my vocabulary! I guess a career change is always a possibility. As I remind my staff, Charles de Gaulle once said: “Cemeteries are filled with indispensable people.” Sure, I think about the future. There certainly are days when being a parish priest or teaching high school Spanish are very appealing. But, frankly, I don’t have much time to ponder my personal future while I am still so focused on SLU’s future. U: When you finally do retire or change careers, what do you hope is your legacy? B: That I leave my successor with a university that is recognized across the nation as the finest Catholic university in the United States. That is my vision for SLU and, I hope, my legacy. For one day I’d like to trade places with: Pope Benedict XVI If I couldn’t have my present job, I’d love to be the: Owner of a Tuscan, Lucchese cuisine restaurant in Midtown St. Louis My dream vacation: Three weeks on a deserted island in the Bahamas I’d like to meet: The Dalai Lama The best advice my mother ever gave me: Don’t talk so much, and eat your food! My proudest moments: Training my dog Iggy not to do his business in the house. Seriously, making people happy whenever I can do so reasonably. Guilty pleasure: Cigars (occasionally!) Pet peeves: People who drive slowly in the left lane and talk on their cell phones Favorite food: Maryland steamed crabs A book I’d recommend: Good to Great by Jim Collins Favorite TV show: The Sopranos A quote to live by: “Holding resentment in is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. It doesn’t work.” We didn’t ask his favorite color, but we did want to know what makes University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J., tick. So here’s a revealing glimpse of the man behind the collar. Clockwise from top left: SLU men’s basketball coach Rick Majerus with Biondi in April 2007; Nasrallah Peter Cardinal Sfeir, patriarch of Antioch and all the East, with Biondi in June 2006; Biondi with his late mother, Albertina, at the ceremony recognizing Biondi as St. Louis’ Citizen of the Year in April 2006; Women’s basketball coach Shimmy Gray- Miller and Biondi at the groundbreaking of Chaifetz Arena in August 2006; Biondi talking with students at sophomore dinner in September 2005; Honorory degree recipient Yogi Berra with Biondi at the 2007 commencement; Biondi greeting a family following the 2007 Baccalaureate Mass. 14 U NI V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S F A L L 2 0 0 7 15 Grand Once More DuBourg Hall’s long-dormant fourth floor has undergone a transformation. Covered in boxes and dust for years, one of the oldest and grandest locations on the Saint Louis University campus was restored to its former luster this fall. Used as storage for many decades, the fourth floor of DuBourg Hall, which was the entire University when the building opened in 1888, received a multimillion-dollar makeover this year. SLU’s growth and demand for office space caused the administration to take the space out of moth balls. And the results are stunning. Since fall 2006, SLU’s design and construction team has been renovating the uninhabited space into offices and hallways resembling — and even improving on — their glory days. Though replaced and updated, the tall, arched windows remain, and new plaster and wood improve the structure and safety of the space. The biggest change, though, can be seen in the Grand Hall. Located at the southern end of the Grand wing, the cavernous hall is filled with the solid craftsmanship of the 1800s. Architectural detailing abounds throughout the windows and floor, and the wooden vaulted ceiling gives the illusion of being in a cathedral. During the storage years, the hall grew dim with grime. Now, though, wood that’s more than 100 years old is taking center stage as the room hosts important events and meetings. The hall was once home to SLU’s museum, which contained oil paintings brought from Europe, Native American relics, geological specimens and mementos from the history of the University, among other items. At its peak in the late 1800s, the museum was considered a must-see for anyone visiting St. Louis. It closed in the 1930s, and the space then housed physics labs. Later it was was used for storage, its majesty long forgotten. “We’re going back to the natural wood look, rehabbing the existing conditions to match what was originally intact in the 1800s,” said project manager Dave Florek. “Everyone is excited about what’s going on up there.” Florek also said that as crews continued renovating DuBourg Hall, they realized that they were witnessing something special. “The renovation consisted of a vast uncovering of incredibly detailed architecture that would not be economical today,” Florek said. “The materials that were uncovered would be considered high-end materials, even in this age of construction.” Now that the craftsmanship on the fourth floor is shining through, the new occupants are appreciating the beauty of wood from a bygone era. “The Grand Hall is magnificent! The amount of work that went into redoing the wood is hard to imagine,” said Mary Ann Fox, staff assistant in the provost’s office. In addition to the Grand Hall and new offices, the fourth floor now boasts men’s and women’s restrooms, conference rooms and a kitchen prep area. A new elevator on the western end of the Lindell wing allows easy access. — Allison Babka Left: The University Museum, circa the 1890s. Above: The restored Grand Hall today. Photo by Steve Dolan 16 U NI V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S F A L L 2 0 0 7 17 Books not kept in the vault are in closed stacks like those in the St. Louis Room on the third floor of Pius, where Pass is display-ing several of the collection’s treasures. He places them on soft gray book rests to protect their bindings. From the shelf he has pulled: Several volumes by Athanasius Kircher, a 17th-century German Jesuit scholar who published broadly, most notably on Chi-na, Egypt, geology, science and medicine. SLU has a rare 1667 copy of Kircher’s China Monumentis — complete with fold-out maps and rich illustrations of Chinese dress. This book provided the West with some of its earliest images of China. Also in SLU’s collection is Kircher’s Sphinx Mystigoga, an early attempt at deciphering hieroglyphics that remained the standard work on the subject until the 19th century. Five manuscript leaves from the famous 15th-century Llangattock Breviary (a liturgi-cal book of prayers and hymns) illuminated in Italy. SLU has one of the largest concen-trations of leaves from this book. A second edition of Oliver Twist printed in 1839 in three volumes (known as a triple decker) with original illustrations. First edition copies of Mark Twain’s Huck-leberry Finn and Life on the Mississippi with original illustrations and publishers’ deco-rative bindings. Pass believes these books are important to preserve in their original form, not only for the texts they contain but also because of the physical attributes of the objects themselves — the binding, paper, typography and illustra-tions. Together these elements influence how the texts originally were read and circulated. “You can go into any bookstore and buy a copy of Huckleberry Finn,” Pass said. “It’s a very common text. But if you’re an English professor trying to help your students under-stand how the novel was read and how it fit into society, it’s much more effective to show them a first edition copy with original illus-trations and binding. “You’re holding history.” Dr. Phillip R. Gavitt, associate profes-sor of history, agrees that the artifacts have educational impact. Gavitt joined SLU 15 years ago in part because of the holdings in Special Collections. Access to them greatly benefits his research into medieval and early modern Italian history. Treasures to Behold and to be held – By Marie Dilg Those who believe you cannot judge a book by its cover could learn a little something from Dr. Gregory A. Pass. He is in the basement vault of Pius XII Memorial Library carefully holding a small book with a well-worn cover. The volume, a New Testament in Syriac bound together with a lexicon of Syriac and critical notes, is a rare and important early printed edition in the history of the Bible. “These books were printed between 1664 and 1667, and bound together in 1686, as indi-cated by the date stamped in gold on the cover. The top, bottom and front edges of the pages have been elaborately gilded, and the entire volume is bound in vellum. Vellum generally is less expensive than leather, but the gold-stamped designs on the cover and the elegant details suggest this volume did not belong to a starving Syriac scholar. The gauffered (tooled) edges of the pages also indicate that someone with considerable means would have owned this.” Pass slides the book back onto a shelf in the vault that is filled with thousands of ancient volumes. To Pass, however, these are not just old books. They are artifacts. His mission as head of Special Collections is not only to preserve these artifacts and their texts but also to make them accessible to SLU students and to scholars worldwide who are interested in exploring how the written word was produced, consumed and understood over the centuries. Page Turner Evidence indicates SLU began a separate collection for its rare books around the time of the Civil War. Some of the books were purchased. Some were donated. Many came to the Univer-sity from monasteries and mission houses when they closed. In all, the University has collected approximately 12,000 volumes printed before 1820 and 15,000 after 1820. Librarians use 1820 as the dividing line because books were printed on hand presses un-til around 1820 and then increasingly on steam-driven presses at a higher volume and with greater uniformity after 1820. SLU’s rare book collection is strong in Catholic theology, history and philosophy, includ-ing various editions of works by St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine. It contains numer-ous titles by members of the Society of Jesus, including Ignatius Loyola, Francis Xavier and Francisco Suárez. Nearly half of the collection is in Latin. The collection also has strengths in American history, the Civil War, St. Louis area history, American Catholic Church history and Jesuit missionary activities in the Americas. Dr. Gregory pass Photos by James Visser 18 U NI V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S F A L L 2 0 0 7 19 Gavitt said he soon realized that Special Collections could be a wonderful teaching tool as well. He regularly brings his students to the library for tours and lectures to help them appreci-ate the importance of using primary sources in research. “It amazes students to have these books at their fingertips,” he said. “When they touch a piece of animal skin that someone wrote on more than 600 years ago, there’s a sense of awe. It awakens them from their dogmatic slumber and inspires fresh thought. “I also believe that it’s one thing for students to read what historians have said about a particular work, but to see that original work and to interpret it for themselves teaches critical thinking in a way nothing else can.” Treasures in Microfilm Rare books and manuscripts are only one part of Special Collections. The department also includes the University Archives, which serves as SLU’s memory — documenting its history from before its founding in 1818 to the present with a wide variety of materials including of-ficial records, photographs, publications and personal papers (notably the archives of the late University Professor Walter J. Ong, S.J.). Also under the Special Collections umbrella is the Knights of Columbus Vatican Film Li-brary (VFL), an unparalleled resource for scholars in the United States. The roots of the VFL go back to the early 1950s, when Lowrie J. Daly, S.J., then a 37-year-old associate professor of medieval history, proposed the University seek permission to make microfilm copies of rare and ancient manuscripts in the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Vatican Library) in Rome to facilitate research by scholars in the Western hemisphere. The Vatican Library possesses one of the most important collections of Medieval and Re-naissance manuscripts in the world — containing some 75,000 codices representing just about every aspect of the Western European intellectual and artistic experience. Pope Pius XII granted permission for the project. And, with generous financial support from the Knights of Columbus, Daly headed to Rome. He oversaw a team of Italian technicians as they captured thousands of high-quality images of the manuscripts. Nearly every month from 1951 to 1957, the team sent back to SLU microfilm reels contain-ing roughly 1,000 manuscripts. “It was a remarkable project,” Pass said. “Before this time, microfilm was limited largely to military or industrial purposes. The impact of using microfilm on such a large scale for this project, capturing 12 million manuscript pages, was in some ways comparable to the applica-tion of computing technology to the humanities over the past 10 to 15 years.” Big Draw When the VFL opened in 1953 in DuBourg Hall, scholars traveled from throughout the world to see the microfilmed treasures. They still do. “We often have European scholars visiting, even some from Italy, who find it easier to work with our resources than with the originals in the Vatican Library. This is partly because of the high demand on the Vatican Library’s limited reading space, but also because of the limited Message from His Holiness Pope Pius XII January 2, 1953 To Our Beloved Son Paul C. Reinert, S. J. President of Saint Louis University It is with sincere pleasure that We reply to your letter, beloved son, thanking Us for the extraordinary permission granted to Saint Louis University, of which you are the worthy President, to make microfilm copies of extensive portions of the Vatican Library. With pleasure, We say, because We are gratified to learn from your letter of your further plan that these priceless treasures, the wealth of centuries of scholarship and learning, are to find a fitting home in a new and ample university library, which will thus become a center for scholars throughout your vast land. Such a plan strikes a sympathetic chord in Our own heart, intent as We are, and as the Church has always been, on fostering knowledge and wisdom. Heartily then do We approve your plan, beloved son, with the hope that you and your colleagues will find many who are ready and eager to co-operate in an enterprise so advantageous to the cause of Catholic culture in America. We are happy to note that Our beloved sons, the Knights of Columbus, have generously made possible an important step towards the realization of your plan, by defraying the expenses of the microfilming. May this be a bright omen of the final and happy consummation of your dream, a university library which will be a spacious temple of learning, a storehouse of the good, the true, the beautiful. Willingly then do We accede to your filial request that this new library be designated the “Pius XII Memorial Library.” As an earnest of abundant heavenly blessings on this important work, We impart to you, beloved son, to your benefactors, your faculty and your students, the Apostolic Benediction. number of manuscripts that scholars are allowed to consult in a single day,” Pass said. “We’re preparing for an even greater influx of scholars with the temporary closing of the Vatican Li-brary in Rome.” (See sidebar on page 18.) The VFL is unique to SLU and was the catalyst for construction of Pius XII Memorial Li-brary. Although the initial microfilming project ended in 1957, the VFL did not stop acquiring material. It continues to assemble a comprehensive reference collection of books, serials, micro-forms, electronic materials and other media in all areas of manuscript studies — illumination, paleography, codicology, book production, library history, etc. It now has more than 37,000 manuscripts on microfilm — slightly better than half of the Vatican’s collection. Among the most significant holdings are: Codex Vaticanus, one of the oldest surviving manuscripts of the Bible written in Greek some-time during the middle of the 4th century. Vergilius Romanus (The Roman Virgil), produced between the 5th and 6th centuries. It is one of the oldest surviving copies of the works of Virgil and one of few surviving examples of Roman miniature painting. Commentaries written in the hand of St. Thomas Aquinas. Poetry written in the hand of Petrarch, the famous Italian scholar, poet and Renaissance humanist. Sunspot observations by Galileo. Greater Access The VFL hosts a fellowship program (another is offered by SLU’s Center for Medieval and Re-naissance Studies) and an annual manuscripts conference to help achieve its mission of making its abundant resources available to scholars. For the past 50 years, it has edited and published Manuscripta, a scholarly journal devoted to research on medieval and Renaissance manuscripts. It is the only journal of its kind in North America. Two years ago, Special Collections hired its first rare book cataloguer to make the collections more accessible through rare book records input as part of the University libraries’ online cata-logue. As a result, the number of rare book queries from researchers worldwide has increased substantially. The recent addition of a rare books librarian will further expand knowledge of the collections and the ability to assist patrons. All of this activity fits with the University libraries’ ambitious five-year strategic plan, which includes for Special Collections expanding its reading room, creating climate-con-trolled storage areas, increasing acquisitions budgets and providing digital access to its materials. But while digitization allows wider access, University Archivist John Waide believes that nothing beats the real thing. “Vision is just one of our senses,” said Waide, as he holds a journal handwritten in the 1850s by Pierre-Jean DeSmet, S.J. “We also have touch and smell. Holding this book is a total sensory experience. I’m not the first reader. I’m sharing it with someone who lived 100 years before me. You can’t fully appreciate that unless you hold the book in your hands. These are true treasures on our campus.” Scholarly Scramble When the Vatican Library in Rome announced during the summer that it was closing for a three-year renovation, scholars panicked at the prospect of being cut off from their crucial research sources. The Vatican apologized for the short notice, but it said the decision was unavoidable. The wing of the 16th-century building where the library and reading rooms are located is sagging due to age and the sheer weight of the books and manuscripts. Luckily for scholars and for Saint Louis University, about half of the Vatican Library’s collection is on microfilm in the University’s Vatican Film Library (VFL). Ambrogio Piazzoni, vice prefect of the Vatican Library in Rome, said he is referring scholars to Saint Louis University to pursue their research during the shutdown. “A lot of people plan their research agenda several years in advance,” said Dr. Thomas Madden, director of SLU’s Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies. “If they’re applying for grants or students are writing dissertations that require documents found in Rome and the materials are no longer available to them, the only other place in the world where they are available is here at SLU.” Dr. Gregory Pass, director of the VFL, said he already has had a number of inquiries from researchers who had planned to study at the Vatican and needed to rearrange their plans. He said applications for VFL fellowships are up noticeably, and efforts are under way to increase the number of fellowships offered to accommodate additional scholars. Pass and the staff of the VFL are preparing for the anticipated influx of scholars by making the collection more accessible and by expanding its Web site. “This is a wonderful opportunity for us to draw greater attention to our collection and to seek outside funding that could help us add to our already significant holdings,” Pass said. {on page 16} Llangattock Breviary (Ferrara, 1441–48), St. Louis, Saint Louis University Library, MS 2e {A} Aegidius Gutbier, Novum domini nostri Jesu Christi Testamentum Syriacè (Hamburg, 1664), bound with Lexicon Syriacum (Hamburg, 1667) and Notae criticae in Novum Testamentum (Hamburg, 1667) Microfilm readers in SLU’S Vatican Film Library {B} Athanasius Kircher, China Monumentis (Antwerp, 1667), frontispiece {C} Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (New York: Charles L. Webster and Company, 1885) {captions} {A} {b} {c} U N I V E R S I T A S F A L L 2 0 0 7 21 hopes that recipients would become advocates for social justice. With the scholarship and her acquired classroom knowledge about what it means to be a woman for others, McCullagh was prepared to fulfill the hopes of the Puleo family. Summer in Nicaragua Voluntarily leaving behind the comforts of the United States, Mc- Cullagh immersed herself in the Nicaraguan culture for two months this summer. She lived with a family of eight in a small house that had no air conditioning or running water. Every morning she woke up, sweat dripping down her back and bugs crawling on the floor. Every day she ate a bowl of rice and beans for breakfast, lunch and dinner. “You learn the most by living someone else’s life — by putting yourself in someone else’s shoes,” McCullagh said. Lacing up a pair of her own shoes every morning at 5:30 a.m., McCul-lagh began her daily routine with a jog along a dirt path through the city. By 7:30 a.m. she was taking a 15-cent bus ride to work in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods outside of Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. McCullagh spent her mornings working with a group of children, ages 2 through 10, at a tutoring program. In addition to teaching basic letters and numbers, she was in charge of feeding the children, most of whom were malnourished. She was often handed a 10-pound bag of rice with the task of removing anything that moved. “I picked out animals, anything from small mice to one-inch ants,” McCullagh said. “I thought, ‘I can’t cook this food for these kids.’ But they don’t have anything else. They have to eat it.” McCullagh was experiencing everything a Third World country had to offer, both the good and bad, when her Nicaraguan routine was drastically interrupted. After treating her host family to dinner at a restaurant with a $20 bill, which would have been enough to feed that family for a week, a queasiness came over McCullagh. Things took a turn for the worse the following morning, as she passed out at church and awoke in the hospital. Diagnosed with an intestinal and urinary tract infection caused by parasites in the food or water, she was given antibiotics and sent back to her host family. “I realized how lucky I was that I had enough money to go to the hospital,” she said. “If I were a Nicaraguan, I couldn’t have done that.” Through her illness, McCullagh learned the true meaning of de-pendence. “I’ve never been in a state where I couldn’t take care of myself,” Mc- Cullagh recalled. “I would sit up in bed and get sick all over the floor, and my host mother would clean it up. This lady had nothing. She stood over me, held me and fanned me with a piece of paper just to make me feel a little bit better. “They don’t have much to give, but everything they have, they’re just so happy to give to you.” Out of concern, McCullagh’s father flew to Nicaragua with the intent of returning to America with his only daughter. With three weeks of the trip left, McCullagh was faced with a difficult decision: return to the States for a proper recovery or struggle through her ill-ness and complete her mission to help Nicaraguans in need. “I really wanted to finish my experience. My parents really wanted me to come home,” McCullagh said. “I decided to stay.” A New Perspective In the end, McCullagh’s decision to finish what she started gave her a new perspective. After two months in a Third World country, McCullagh still de-scribes herself as passionate, but now, she said, with a healthy dose of practicality. Some advocates of social justice strive to make a differ-ence through protests, grassroots organizations or the Peace Corps. McCullagh has a different path in mind. She hopes to use her SLU John Cook School of Business degree to initiate economic change across the globe. “The problem with Nicaragua is that they have no way to make money, except sweatshops,” she said. “They have no oil, poor leader-ship and few exports.” Inspired by her SLU education and her summer abroad, McCul-lagh feels a newfound obligation to solve that problem. “If you want to actually make change, you need a profession,” she said. “Volunteering is great, but having the tools to make a difference is key.” By working to support initiatives such as NAFTA (North Ameri-can Free Trade Agreement) or CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement), McCullagh believes she can pioneer policy change and improve the standard of living in Third World countries. Walking along the dirt roads and through the city dump of Nicara-gua, McCullagh made a promise to herself and to humanity that just might change the future: “No one should live without running water or electricity,” she said. “That should be a standard. “No one should live in a trash dump. That should be a standard.” If McCullagh has anything to say about it, it will. 20 U NI V E R S I TA S w w w. s l u . e d u As Rachel McCullagh watched a group of children rummage through mounds of trash filling a city dump in Nicaragua, she came to an eye-opening realization: These kids weren’t just looking for used toys, they were living in this landfill. Standing in that Nicaraguan dump, Mc- Cullagh vowed to change things for the homeless boys and girls in front of her. “No one deserves to live like this,” Mc- Cullagh said. “No one.” Wandering through garbage in Nicaragua on a Saint Louis University theology summer immersion program is just one way McCul-lagh has opened her eyes to the importance of social justice and diversity. Growing up with a father of Irish descent and a mother from the Philippines, McCullagh’s childhood overflowed with cultural distinction. To add to her worldliness, she was born in Malaysia and has lived in seven different countries — mostly Third World — before her family settled in the United States when she was 12. McCullagh, a senior from Sugar Land, Texas, is putting her diverse upbringing to work with her three majors: international business, international studies and Spanish, plus a minor in theology. “My friends always make fun of me because I’m so all over the place,” McCullagh said. “I’m just so passionate about so many things!” Another passion of McCullagh’s can be found outside of the classroom, between the lines of the tennis court. As a member of the Billiken tennis team, she ranks 13th on the SLU singles career win list and 16th on the doubles win list. Still, it’s service, not serves, that gets Mc- Cullagh most excited. As a theology minor, McCullagh stumbled upon an opportunity that transformed her life: the Mev Puleo Scholarship. Puleo (A&S ’85) brought awareness to the dignity of the poor by living in solidarity among the people of Latin America. At the age of 32, Puleo’s voice for the underprivileged was silenced by a malignant brain tumor. In her honor, Pu-leo’s parents established a scholarship that would send SLU students to Nicaragua in SLU student Rachel McCullagh plans to change the world. – By Lauren Olson McCullagh’s photos from her summer in Nicaragua. Photo by Steve Dolan 22 U NI V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S F A L L 2 0 0 7 23 ’39Dr. Howard Schlossman (Med) teaches medical students and residents in psychiatry at Hackensack University. He lives in Englewood, N.J., and has a part-time practice. ’40Keith Gunther (A&S) has been inducted into the St. Louis Media Hall of Fame for his contributions to St. Louis television. ’45Leona (Baumler) Janitell (Nurs) is retired and lives in Littleton, Colo. ’46Dr. Harold Haley (Med) and his wife live in Roa-noke, Va. They have five children. Dr. Elias Neuren (Dent) is retired from an oral surgery specialty practice in Colum-bus, Ga., and lives in Boca Raton, Fla. ’51George Keck (Parks) is re-tired in Coarsegold, Calif. He previously worked in McDonnell Ram Jet lab testing, Boe-ing Flight Test Center Operations, Pacific Plastics marine division man-agement, the U.S. Air Force and spent 28 years in Lockheed’s marine and aerospace program management. Richard Rapp (IT) lives in Lakeside, Ca-lif., and has eight children. ’52Dr. Lawrence Blazina (Med) got remarried in May 2005 and lives in Mer-ced, Calif. Boyd Fellows (A&S) won the Olympus “Capture It All” photo contest. He lives in Sturgeon Bay, Wis. John Simanella (A&S) was elected to the Ohio State Bowling Hall of Fame and bowled in the U.S. Bowling Congress Tournament. He lives in Cleveland. Mark Zimmer (IT) lives in Miami and is retired from the National Hurricane Center. He is now involved in hurri-cane and tropical storm consulting for national corporations. ’53Barry Saunders (IT) re-tired as the associate di-rector of the Utah Divi-sion of Water Resources and lives in Salt Lake City. Roland Wegmann (Law) marked the 43rd year of his general practice, the Wegmann Law Firm in Hillsboro, Mo. ’54Anne (Sullivan) Cambria (Doisy) lives in Staten Island, N.Y., and works part time as a gerontology nurse. Hubert Miller (Grad Pub Ser) recently toured Peru and visited Inca sites in Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu. He lives in Austin, Texas. ’55Joseph Sanders (Cook) is retired from a manage-ment position with As-traZeneca Pharmaceuticals and owns a general insurance agency with his son. He lives in Elgin, Ill., and has five children and 21 grandchildren. William G. Schneider Jr. (Parks) retired in 1990 as a senior base manager for Boeing at Edwards Air Force Base. He spent 35 years in their flight test or-ganization. He enjoys golf, travel and working with his Rancho Bernardo (Calif.) homeowner’s association. ’56Gene Hummel (Parks) re-tired from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida after 42 years. He lives in Murphy, N.C., with his wife, Jean. ’57David Fox (Parks) lives in Williamsburg, Va., and is a retired marine piping designer from the Coast Guard’s Eng-lish headquarters. Dr. William S. Sly (Med) received an honorary degree from Washington University in St. Louis. He is the Alice A. Doisy Professor, chairman of the Edward A. Doisy Department of Bio-chemistry and Molecular Biology and a professor of pediatrics at SLU. Rev. Leo F. Stelten (Pub Ser ’57, Grad ’70) is a volunteer in the library at Car-dinal Muench Seminary in Fargo, N.D. The Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, which he edited, is in its seventh print-ing, and his translation of the Epitoma Rei Militaris of Flavius Vegetius Rena-tus was dedicated to Dr. Chauncey E. Finch, a former SLU professor. ’58John M. “Jack” Rielley (IT) retired from Smurfit- Stone after 48 years in the corrugated packaging industry. He lives in St. Louis. Leo V. Ryan, C.S.V. (Grad Cook) re-ceived a Medal of Merit from the Pol-ish government for his civic and educa-tional contribution to greater Poland. Also, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland, declared May 12 “Professor Brother Leo V. Ryan Day” to honor his 80th birthday. Dr. Kate (DeClue) Schejbal (Nurs ’58, Grad ’70, ’81) teaches BSN programs at Maryville University and lives in Ballwin, Mo. ’59Robert Braun, O.M.I. (Grad) has been a priest for 56 years. He is the chaplain and spiritual adviser to the Poor Clare Nuns in Belleville, Ill. David Spitznagel (Cook ’59, Law ’65) ob-tained his alligator trappers license and caught two alligators on Lake Hipochee, Fla. He lives in Key Largo, Fla. ’60Herbert Hickey (Parks) retired from Wright-Pat-terson Air Force Base in 1999 and is now an aerospace consul-tant. He lives in Dayton, Ohio. Mary Ann (Connors) Larkin (Grad Pub Ser) has published two chapter books of poetry, most recently Gods and Flesh. She lives in Washington, D.C. Charles Turner (IT ’60, ’64) is the girls’ soc-cer coach at Waterloo (Ill.) High School. ’61Donald Arndt (Parks) is president of PEI Midwest. He lives in St. Charles, Ill., is married and has five children and 12 grandchildren. Albert Hoffman (Grad Cook) lives in Chicago. ’62Dr. Merle Gibson (Med) is a physician in fam-ily practice in Vandalia, Ohio. His grandson, Jonathan Gibson, attends SLU’s School of Medicine and plans to take over his solo practice. Barbara (Martin) Matte (A&S) has had her work published in a college literary magazine and is writing a novel on the Vietnam era. She lives in Paso Robles, Calif. Richard Range (Cook) lives in Chester-field, Mo., and retired after 38 years in the insurance business. He winters in Naples, Fla., and enjoys golfing, sing-ing in the church choir and spending time with his four grandchildren. Dr. Gerald Schiffhorst (A&S ’62, Grad ’63), professor emeritus of English at the University of Central Florida, co-authored the textbook, Grammar, Etc.: The Handbook For Writers, which can be downloaded free from freeloadpress. com. He lives in Winter Park, Fla. ’64Dr. Mal Brewer (Med) is retired from ophthal-mology practice. He and his wife, Peggy, live in Portland, Ore. John Corkery (A&S) is dean of the John Marshall Law School in Chicago, which is Illinois’ largest law school. ’65Theodore Biondo (IT) lives in Rockford, Ill., and is chairman of the board of trustees of Rock Valley Col-lege. He and his wife, Pat, have been married for 43 years and have two children and five grandchildren. Dr. George M. Bohigian (Med), professor of clinical ophthalmology at Washing-ton University School of Medicine in St. Louis, spoke at the second Interna-tional Medical Congress in Armenia in June. His lectures were part of an eye medical/surgical mission to Armenia. Michael Hudyma (Parks) is a flight engi-neer for Federal Express. He is retired from the U.S. Air Force and lives in Rocky Mount, N.C. ’66Dr. William C. Gaylord (Grad) served in the U.S. Air Force Dental Corps, attaining the rank of captain. He is president of the American As-sociation of Orthodontists and has a private orthodontic practice in Flag-staff, Ariz. John Jordan Moore (A&S) is a columnist for the Grand Prairie Union News and has published a collection of essays, Millennial Outrages To the Tender Sensi-bilities of Decent, Right-Thinking People. He and his wife, Linda, live in Bloom-ington, Ill., and have a grandson. Kenneth Weindel (A&S ’66, Grad ’71) is a reference librarian at the St. Louis Public Library and is president of the Greater St. Louis Chapter of the Cath-olic Library Association. Bill Wuest (IT) retired from AT&T in 1998. He and his wife, Peggy, live on a golf course in San Antonio, where they enjoy golfing, traveling and visit-ing with their children and grandson. ’67Dr. Lynn Beckwith (Grad ’67, ’83) serves on the board of directors of the St. Louis County Library. Joseph P. Conran (A&S, Law ’70) is a commercial litigation attorney with Husch & Eppenberger in St. Louis. He was named in the 2008 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Jim Godsil (A&S, Grad ’69) has written a booklet of poetry titled My Milwaukee. Sarwar A. Kashmeri (Parks, IT ’71) wrote the book America & Europe after 9/11 and Iraq: The Great Divide. He is the host of “Road to the White House,” a series of conversations with the 2008 New Hampshire presiden-tial primary candidates for the Eagle Times of Claremont, N.H. He also is a fellow of the Foreign Policy Associa-tion and lives with his wife, Deborah Ellis, on a farm in Reading, Vt. Holy Paws By Jeannine C. Fox (Cook ’64) | Royal Works Publishing Avictim of childhood abuse, Fox writes how her dog, Baby, who was abused as a puppy, gave her the courage to face her past. Fox presents her own story while hoping to inspire the reader to discover a personal account of God’s love and healing presence in his or her own life. The New York Postcard Sonnets By Philip Dacey (A&S ’61) | Rain Mountain Press In his series of sonnets, Dacey relates his experiences as a man from the Midwest living in New York. Making his way through the city, he notes bits of dialogue and integrates these with his own interpretations and thoughts to create poetry. Wretched Sisters By Mary Welek Atwell (Grad ’69, ’74) | Peter Lang Publishing In offering analysis of the circumstances that determine why a small number of women are sentenced to the death penalty, Atwell focuses on 11 women who have been put to death for murder. She takes up each case individually, involving their personal stories and unique elements. Diamond Quality Leadership By Mark Hinderliter (Cook ’81) | iUniverse This book tells the story of a manager who has trouble leading effectively and balancing his work and home life. As he works with an executive coach, he learns six qualities of leadership that help him improve his work performance and reclaim his life. Book of Beginnings By David A. Stuckey (Grad ’95) | Robertson Publishing In this autobiographical collection of essays, Stuckey gives us a portrait of himself as a young man coming into adulthood. In the wide-ranging stories, he describes his childhood adventures and misadventures, triumphs, failures, first loves and most painful losses. Spelling Love with an X By Clare Dunsford (A&S ’74) | Beacon Press Dunsford chronicles her experience as a carrier of the fragile X permutation and as mother to her 21-year-old son, J.P., whose full mutation of fragile X has resulted in his mental retardation. Throughout her story, she draws from classic poetry to reflect on love, parenting, disappointment and persistence. How Big Is Your God? By Paul Coutinho, S.J. (Grad ’90, ’96) | Loyola Press In this collection of short essays, Coutinho challenges readers to grow deeper and stronger in faith by embracing a God whose love knows no bounds. His writings are drawn from his own Catholic faith blended with the Eastern religious traditions he learned while living in India. In a Fly’s Eye By C.S. Callahan (Grad ’73) | Bezalel Books Jay C.’s last wish is to know what people really think about his life, so he hires Barney, a lackluster writer, to delve into his past. Along the way, they discover their own truths in a story that will make the reader ask, “Who do people say that I am?” This summary of books is meant for informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement of any work. Following this issue, Universitas will no longer include self-published books. 24 U NI V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S F A L L 2 0 0 7 25 David Reiser (Parks) is in diaconate forma-tion for the diocese of Charlotte, N.C. ’75Matthew Boenker (Parks) is an aerospace engineer working for Avion Inc. as a support contractor to the U.S. Army. He lives in Huntsville, Ala., and is trying to start his own vineyard and winery in St. Louis. Dr. Dorothy Corrigan (A&S ’75, Nurs ’03, Grad ’07) is a board-certified geronto-logical nurse practitioner and is a clinical researcher for the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center of the Washington Uni-versity School of Medicine in St. Louis. Barbara Feldman Geffen (Law) is the managing director of Campus- CURES, a division of the Agos Group dedicated to risk management strate-gies for higher education. Janet (Newman) Hodel (Doisy) moved from Oregon to Anchorage, Alaska, in 2005 with her husband, Ron, and daughter, Heather. She is a physical therapist at Alaska Regional Hospital. William Schmidt (Cook ’75, Grad ’77) is executive vice president and re-gional director for Momentum and is responsible for the firm’s St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit and Milwaukee of-fices. He lives in St. Louis. ’76Mark Harter (Parks) is a flight captain for Ameri-can Airlines and lives in Belleville, Ill. Cecilia Stodd (A&S) is a financial spe-cialist in the department of popula-tion health sciences at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine. ’77Debra (Beasley) Brown (SW ’77, ’78) earned her doctorate in ministry from the Assemblies of God Theologi-cal Seminary in Springfield, Mo. She lives in Kansas City, Mo. David Eschmann (Cook) is an I.T. data warehouse specialist for Thermadyne Corp. in St. Louis. Ann (Angie) Sellenriek (Grad) lives in Palm Harbor, Fla., and is a residen-tial supervisor for a shelter that serves clients who are 10-17 years old. She plans to move to Memphis, Tenn. Pete Stabnick (A&S) received the Ex-emplary Advocate Award from the Council for Exceptional Children Di-vision on Visual Impairments for his support of teachers and professionals in the field of blindness. He has been involved in the printing and distribu-tion of the Division on Visual Impair-ment Quarterly for 17 years. He lives in Little Rock, Ark. Denise Wondolowski (Parks ’77, Grad Cook ’80) is a senior portfolio man-ager for U.S. Bank private asset man-agement in St. Louis. ’78Larry Valene (Parks) lives outside of Memphis, Tenn., and is an MD-11 captain with FedEx as a line check airman. ’79Leonard Bobrowski (A&S) is a music specialist at St. Charles Borromeo School in St. Charles, Mo., and direc-tor of music at Blessed Teresa of Cal-cutta Church in Ferguson, Mo. He will also have two choral pieces pub-lished by World Library Publications. Dr. George Dolson (Med) is on the fac-ulty of Baylor College of Medicine and is chief of the renal section of the VA Medical Center in Houston. ’80Ronnie Dixon (Law) is a deputy district attorney in the Fulton County dis-trict attorney’s office and the head of the trial division. He lives in Lithonia, Ga. Joseph T. Eckelkamp (Cook ’80, Grad Cook ’93), owner of Eckelkamp & Associates CPAs in St. Louis, has re-ceived the Personal Financial Special-ist credential from the American Insti-tute of Certified Public Accountants. He also has been interviewed several times on St. Louis’ KTVI-TV. Dr. Nancy Lindo-Drusch (Med) has a two-person family practice and is the director of the ThedaCare Hospice. She lives in Appleton, Wis. Marjorie Soffer-Wood (PS) and her hus-band, Charles, are retired and live in St. Louis. Marjorie was an army jour-nalist. She has one son, Charlee. ’81Kenneth McGarrahan (A&S) and his wife, Holly, have two daughters and live in Fenton, Mo. Kenneth has worked at AT&T for 25 years. Charlann Winking (A&S) has retired after 20 years as a public defender in Minnesota and has moved to Victoria, B.C., Canada, with her husband. When crisis struck the crew of Space Shuttle Atlantis on a mission to the International Space Station, it was Kelly (Bond) Beck (Parks ’88) — feet planted firmly on the ground, as usual — who helped to bring order to the seven-person crew millions of miles away from home. When news broke that Atlantis had a torn heat-shield blanket, space observers could not help but think of the tragedy that struck Space Shuttle Columbia on re-entry four years earlier. It was on the mind of Beck — the mission commander — and the rest of the NASA staff, as well. Since the Columbia tragedy, no one takes chances at Mission Control — every precaution is implemented, Beck said. Whenever an anomaly arises, there is a team led by its own flight director that begins looking at solutions from every conceivable angle, and those possible solutions are then tested on the ground. The tests concluded that sewing the blanket with stainless-steel wire was the best option over other choices, such as duct tape that didn’t hold up to the vacuum of space. After a successful space walk under the guidance of Beck, Atlantis returned safely to Earth on June 22. Even as the eyes of the world focused on Atlantis and Mission Control in Houston, Beck and the crew kept their calm and resolve. “We’re so well trained we’re not under pressure or stress. It’s how our training programs have geared us to respond,” Beck said in a telephone interview. “I think it’s similar to an air traffic controller: You just do it.” Beck’s journey to NASA seemed destined to make a pit stop at Saint Louis University. When she was growing up in Cahokia, Ill., her grandmother worked in the cafeteria at Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology, and Beck was always drawn to the science and math classes she would eventually need to be a successful engineer. “I think it’s the purity of mathematics and being able to solve the problems and move to a higher level that I like about math,” Beck said. “And a lot of my math and science teachers would get you interested. I also can think of my biology and physics teachers that made it interesting — same with my chemistry teachers.” In those classes, as in her career, Beck was one of the few women in the room. But it’s something that’s never really mattered to her. “I never perceived it to be a problem or a hindrance,” she said. “I know I have to go do my job very well no matter what. Maybe it was just that I wasn’t paying attention to feel intimidated because I was woman.” Her recent work as mission commander is not the final frontier for Beck. She sees her career continuing up the ladder at NASA. She already is the deputy chief of flight directors and thinks an opportunity for chief of flight directors might be in her future. But there is one goal she thinks is out of her reach. “I’d love to see a manned mission to Mars,” she said. “I really think that eventually we will be like Star Trek, with easy access to space. It’s just a matter of when, but probably not in my lifetime.” — Nick Sargent Kelly Beck photo courtesy of NASA John Schweitzer (A&S) is the CEO of SkyDev Technologies in St. Louis. ’68Marvin Martin (Parks) is a chief test pilot for Northrop Gumman Inte-grated Systems, west region, in Palm-dale, Calif. Robb Scoular (Law) was listed in the Los Angeles Business Journal ’s “Who’s Who in L.A. Law.” He was named one of South-ern California’s “Super Lawyers” by Los Angeles Magazine and Law & Politics Management and is a member of the “Bil-lionaire’s Club,” according to California Law Business. He is the founding manag-ing partner of the Los Angeles office of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal. He also is president and chair of the board of directors of the Los Angeles Area Coun-cil of the Boy Scouts of America. Robert Telfer (A&S) is a partner in a law firm Cianfrogna, Telfer, Reda, Faherty, and Anderson in Titusville, Fla. ’69Dr. Joe Robustelli (A&S), director of the educa-tional opportunity pro-gram at SUNY-Cobleskill, received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service in May. He has worked there since 1984. ’70Kenneth Chaplin (A&S) is the president of the North Jefferson County Catholic Credit Union, a Quickbooks pro adviser and a certified management accountant. He lives in Arnold, Mo. Janet Folkl, C.D.P. (A&S, Grad ’75) is general superior of the Sisters of Di-vine Providence, an international con-gregation of women religious. She lives in St. Louis. William Hall (Cook) and his wife of 37 years, Rose (Failoni) Hall (A&S), live in Fort Worth, Texas. They have three sons and four grandchildren. William previ-ously was the director of accounting at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth. Mary (Higgins) Klein (SW) practices psychotherapy in Costa Mesa, Calif. She is married to Dr. David Klein (Med ’71), who practices oncology and hema-tology in Newport Beach, Calif. Dr. Richard Koesterer (A&S ’70, Grad ’75) retired from the biology department at Coastal Carolina University after 28 years of service. He lives in Conway, S.C., but plans to move to Trinidad. Dr. Theresa (Nangle) Obermeyer (Grad ’70, ’76) and her husband, Thomas S. Obermey-er (Grad Cook ’76), live in Anchorage, Alaska. They have four children: Thom-as Jr. and Jimmy are pursuing careers as medical doctors, and twins Margaret and Matt are at Rockhurst University. Warren Sazama, S.J. (A&S ’70, Grad ’73) has completed his first year as pres-ident of Marquette University High School in Milwaukee. Sharen Selleck Rice (Nurs) is a clinical nurse specialist at the VA outpatient clinic in Columbus, Ohio, where she works with veterans who have post-traumatic stress disorder. She and her husband have four children and two grandchildren. Ron Simmons (A&S) is retired after 36 years in the information technol-ogy field, the last 25 with TTX Co. in Chicago. He and his wife, Mary Ellyn, spend their time hiking, biking, travel-ing and seeing their four children and six grandchildren. ’71Joseph Forgue (Grad) re-tired this year after 12 years as a chaplain at the federal correctional institution in El Reno, Okla. Michael W. Forster (A&S ’71, Law ’74) is the managing partner of the firm Sandberg, Phoenix & von Gontard in St. Louis. G. Tracy Mehan III (A&S ’71, Law ’74), a principal of the Cadmus Group Inc. and former assistant administrator for water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has been appointed to the Wa-ter Science and Technology Board of the National Academies’ National Research Council in Washington, D.C. Dr. Daysi Mejia (Grad SW) is chair of the Catholic Charities board of direc-tors in the Diocese of Venice, Fla. She is on the faculty of Florida Gulf Coast University. ’72Gwendolyn Cheatham (Pub Ser) wrote a book titled Give Your Teacher This Note – Parents Say the Funniest Things. She lives in Fayetteville, Ga. Ruth (Onsum) Kraushaar (Nurs) was a nursing educator and developer of new community programs. She lives in Springfield, Ore., near her two chil-dren and two grandchildren. Lou McCabe, S.J. (Grad) is the assistant to the provincial for vocations for the Jesuits of the Missouri Province. He is happy to be back in St. Louis. Otis Miller (Grad) has been retired for nine years and works part time. He lives in Belleville, Ill. Dr. Janet I. Pisaneschi (Grad) is the pro-vost and vice president for academic affairs at Western Michigan University and received the 2007 Distinguished Woman in Higher Education Leader-ship Award. She was dean of WMU’s College of Health and Human Ser-vices for 17 years prior to her current position. David Podeschi (A&S) is Blockbuster’s senior vice president for merchandis-ing, distribution and logistics. He lives in Dallas. ’73Dr. Ted R. Anderson (Grad) wrote Biology of the Ubi-quitous House Sparrow: From Genes to Populations. He is emeri-tus professor of biology at McKendree University and lives in Kingston, Wash. Bob Johnson (A&S) retired from the EEOC in St. Louis this spring after 28 years. He is now of counsel to Sedey- Harper. In April, SLU’s School of Law gave him the Clarence Darrow Public In-terest Advocate Award. He also is a fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. He and his wife, Sandy Johnson (A&S), are enjoying being grandparents. Elbert Luh (Cook ’73, Law ’88) lives in De Soto, Mo., and works with church youth groups. Raymond F. Wacker (A&S), the Emerson Electric/Charles Groennert Teaching Excellence Professor at Southern Il-linois University Carbondale, received the 2007 Outstanding Educator Award from the Illinois CPA Society in May. ’74Dr. Stephen H. Daniel (A&S ’74, Grad ’78) has been appointed to the Murray and Celeste Fasken Chair in Distin-guished Teaching in the Liberal Arts. He is a professor of philosophy at Texas A&M University and a scholar in the field of modern philosophy. Dr. David F. Dinges (Grad) is the chief of the division of sleep and chronobiology and director of the unit for experimen-tal psychiatry in the department of psychiatry at the University of Pennsyl-vania School of Medicine. He received the 2007 Distinguished Public Service Medal from NASA, the agency’s highest award for nongovernment personnel. Patricia (Turk) Horvath (Nurs) is the director of health and wellness, health care solutions and analytics for Unit-edHealthcare’s central region and lives in Kirtland, Ohio. classnotes 2007 homecoming highlights Don’t miss Homecoming 2008, scheduled for Sept. 26-28. Mark your calendar now and make plans to be there. Photos by Steve Dolan 26 U NI V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S F A L L 2 0 0 7 27 Dr. Dan Zabrowski (A&S) is the global head of Roche Pharma Partnering, overseeing Roche’s network of alli-ances with biotech companies and cre-ating new alliances. He lives in Mont-clair, N.J. ’82Karen Fox (Doisy) and her husband of 21 years, Don, have three boys. She is a home health physical thera-pist in the western suburbs of Chi-cago. Stephen J. Stapleton (Nurs) is an assis-tant professor of nursing at the West Suburban College of Nursing in Oak Park, Ill. ’83J. Daniel Sabio (A&S) is president of Sabio Fi-nancial and Insurance Services and serves on the Midwest BankCentre South County Regional Board. He lives in St. Louis. ’84Paul D’Agrosa (A&S ’84, Law ’89) was named “Best Lawyer” by the Riv-erfront Times, was featured in St. Louis Magazine and has been a legal expert for KMOV-TV. His office is in Clay-ton, Mo. Brian Kinsey (Parks) is the airport assis-tant director for marketing and busi-ness development at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. He is in charge of expanding the number of air carriers and air service. Margaret Kitzmiller (Grad) is the re-lationship manager and principal of Commerce Bank of Oregon. She has been in financial services for more than 20 years. She enjoys volunteering her time tutoring students in reading and writing. ’85Patrick Fallon (Parks) is a regional manager for corporate real estate with U.S. Airways in Philadelphia. Kathleen Hardesty (Nurs ’85, Pub Hlth ’97) is director of patient services for QHR Consulting Services. She lives in St. Louis. John Harmon (Grad Cook) is the execu-tive vice president and chief operating officer of Abraxis Pharmaceutical Products. He and his wife, Jean Ann, live in Barrington Hills, Ill., and have two children. Dr. Wayne V. Polek (Med) was re-elect-ed to the Illinois State Medical Soci-ety board of trustees. He is a board-certified anesthesiologist affiliated with Kane Anesthesia Associates in Geneva, Ill. classnotes Thomas E. Rutledge (A&S), an at-torney with Stoll Keenon Ogden in Louisville, Ky., received the National Association of Secretaries of State Medal in recognition for his work in modernizing Kentucky’s business entity laws. Teresa Tolle (Law) is a Dallas County criminal court judge. Mark Wilhelm (Grad Cook) is president-elect and chief underwriting officer at Safety National Casualty Corp. in St. Louis. He also is vice chairman of the board of trustees at Saint Louis Uni-versity High School. ’86Mark Birsinger (A&S) is the president of M.A. Birsinger & Co., a small business consulting firm in Wild-wood, Mo., where he and his wife, Lynn, live. ’87M. Colleen Beckemeyer (Cook) earned a certifi-cate in retirement plan-ning from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She is a retirement planning specialist at AXA Advisors in St. Louis. Daniel Davis (Cook) and his part-ners have formed Level One Bank in Farmington Hills, Mich. He and his wife, Maureen (Blubaugh) Davis (A&S ’88) live in Novi, Mich., with their three children, Rylie, Joe and Cameron. Mary Dorsey (Law) is a member of the firm Ahlheim & Dorsey and a chair of the St. Louis County Board of Equal-ization. Karen Kirk-Schlorff (Cook) has been in health care since graduation and has worked in California and Kenya, among other places. She lives in Lock Haven, Pa. John Novelli (Parks) is director of opera-tions engineering at American Airlines in Fort Worth, Texas. ’88Michael A. Castellano (Grad Cook) is chief ex-ecutive officer of Esse Health, St. Louis’ largest independent physicians group. Dr. Gregory Oetting (Med) is a neurosur-geon in Augusta, Ga. ’89Michael Grisanti (Hosp) is an assistant clinical pro-fessor of medicine at SU-NY- Buffalo. He is also the president of Buffalo Rheumatology, chairman of the institutional review board of Mer-cy Hospital and medical director of the Buffalo Osteoporosis Center. Kendra (Boll) Lynn (Cook) is vice presi-dent and chief administrative officer at UTG Inc. in Springfield, Ill. She and her husband, Brian, have two daugh-ters, Gabrielle and Isabelle. Dr. Gregory Saboeiro (Med) has been named one of New York City’s best doctors by New York Magazine. He is the chief of the division of interven-tional radiology and CT at the Hospi-tal for Special Surgery. ’90Frank A. Bottini (A&S) formed his own law firm, Johnson Bottini, in Feb-ruary and married Nina Kramps of Dusseldorf, Germany, in May. They live in San Diego. ’91Sarah Elizabeth Campbell (Law, Pub Hlth) has relo-cated to Dallas, where she is the director of policy management in the ethics and compliance depart-ment at Tenet Healthcare Corp. Tammy Gummersheimer (A&S) is an as-sociate professor in the mathematics, science and technology department at Schenectady (N.Y.) County Com-munity College and received the 2007 Foundation Award for Excellence in Faculty Service. She also has been recognized by the American Chemical Society for her service to the college and to the field of chemistry. Jennifer Quinn Williams (A&S), owner and founder of Saint Louis Closet Co., was named one of the Top Influential Business Women in St. Louis for 2007 by the St. Louis Business Journal. She also was featured in the August issue of CEO magazine for her next entrepre-neurial venture, Saint Louis Cellars. ’92Michael Albrecht (Cook ’92, Law ’96) is the di-rector of operations for HDS Group, a Beverly Hills, Calif.- based real estate developer and home-builder. He and wife, Lauren, have two children, Alexander and Maggie. Julian Eckles (A&S) is a social studies teacher in the Riverside Ohio School District and was recently named Teacher of the Year. He also is a varsity football coach, and his team reached the Ohio state playoffs in 2006. He and his wife, Katie (English) Eckles (A&S) have three children, Emily, Sar-ah and Charles. Stefan Hussenoeder (A&S) has wel-comed a new daughter, Megan Angela. He is the technical research lead at Exxon Mobil Upstream Research Co. in Houston. ’93Dinah (Tillotson) Evans (SW) is a coordinator for Family Partnership Center Mental Health and provides services for kinship families. She lives in Hilmar, Calif. Brian Ricardo (Parks) has been an Amer-ican Airlines pilot for 10 years. He and his wife, Beth, live in Corinth, Texas, with their children, Jacob, Nicholas and Brianna. Heidi Scheuermann (Pub Ser) is a state representative in the Vermont House of Representatives. She is also the coordinator at the James M. Jef-fords Institute at the University of Vermont. Kevin Spenner (A&S) was married in July. He has been teaching fifth grade for 13 years in Meridian, Idaho. ’94Terry Bowden (Parks) has been the chief engineer at RAM Aircraft for three years. He has six children and lives in Moody, Texas. He enjoys flying his 1946 Taylorcraft and researching early Parks College history. Michael Fell (A&S) lives in Colby, Kan., and is the vice president and director of operations for Rocking M Radio. John Headrick (Law) is the inspector general for the office of the Illinois Auditor General. He lives in Spring-field, Ill. Traci (Halverson) Nolan (A&S) and her husband Bruce Nolan (Cook ’93) had their first child, Brennan Raymond, in April. They live in Maryville, Ill. David Piltz (Parks) is a managing part-ner with the Learning Key Inc. in Washington Crossing, Pa. He and his wife, Jessa, live in Bristol, Pa. ’95David Franklin (Law) has joined the patent firm Amin, Turocy & Calvin and works from Cincinnati with a fo-cus on patents in the software, electri-cal and medical device arts. Randy Gori (A&S ’95, Law ’98) is a partner in the law firm of Goldenberg, Heller, Antaguoli, Rowland, Short and Gori in Edwardsville, Ill. John H. Lamming (Grad) is the corporate counsel for patents for E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. in Wilmington, Del. He lives in Hockessin, Del. Dr. Chad Voges (A&S) has joined St. John’s Mercy Physician Group at the Piper Hill Family Medicine clinic in St. Peters, Mo. ’96Dr. Craig Boyd (Grad) at-tended the first Open Theology and Science Seminar hosted by Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, Mass. He is a pro-fessor of philosophy and the director of faith integration at Azusa Pacific Uni-versity in Azusa, Calif. Cindy (Diel) Modrosic (Pub Ser) and her husband Bill Modrosic (Cook ’97) welcomed a son, Liam Joseph, on May 26. Bill is a captain with the Spring-dale Fire Protection District in Fen-ton, Mo., and Cindy is an audiologist at Metro Ear, Nose and Throat in St. Louis. David Morera (Parks) and Ana Ruiz de Apodaca (Cook) have a son, Daniel. David leads the IT services division of Siemens in Bilbao, Spain, and Ana is a bank trader at Barclays Bank in Bilbao. ’97Matthew Blevins (Doisy ’97, Law, Pub Hlth ’03) is the director of business development for St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, Ill. Elizabeth Herbst-Collins (Doisy) is the director of the cardiovascular disease reversal program at Providence St. Jo-seph Medical Center in Burbank, Calif. ’98Erin Anderson (Doisy) married Adrian De’Ath in May in Antigua, West Indies. She owns a pediatric therapy company in Chicago. Courtney Boettcher (SW ’98, Grad SW ’99) is the field practicum associate at the School of Social Work at Wichita State University. She also practices medical social work. Kevin G. Daniel (A&S) and Cynthia T. Curry-Daniel (A&S ’98, Grad Cook ’00) are relocating from St. Louis to Wash-ington, D.C., where Cynthia will work with the board of governors of the Fed-eral Reserve System. Sean Goding (Parks) received the 2007 Leadership Award from the National Business Advisory Council and is a property and licensing specialist with Drury Inns Inc., where he also is an apprentice to the president. He is also a member of the advisory board of Martin Aviation Group and president of Pangea Development, a real estate company. He lives with his wife of 10 years, Lori, in Mascoutah, Ill. Michelle (Dover) Hass (Pub Ser) and her husband, Aaron, welcomed their sec-ond child, Jenna Clare, in May. They live in Olathe, Kan., with their son, Drew. Michelle is a speech language pathologist in private practice working primarily with autistic children. The freshmen and their alumni relatives. Michelle Hasan and her dad Asif (Grad Cook ’76) of Laguna Hills, Calif. “I got a really good scholarship here,” Michelle said. “I’m looking into studying psychology and premed.” Nick Boxdorfer and his dad Jim (Cook ’80) of St. Louis. “I’m so proud of him,” Jim said. “And I told him when we were walking up here that I still marvel at the changes to campus.” Megan Gibbons and her dad Patrick (Cook ’73) of St. Louis. “I have wanted to come to SLU since the eighth grade to study nursing,” Megan said. “Dad had nothing to do with it.” Photos by Steve Dolan Daniel McCulley (Grad Cook ’86) and his daughter Kathryn of Columbia, Tenn. “It’s great she came to SLU,” Daniel said. “We lived here for seven years, and I really enjoyed my time at SLU.” Fred Sackbauer (Cook ’40) of St. Louis and his granddaughter Amelia Blanton of Lubbock, Texas. “SLU is wonderful,” Amelia said. “Plus, it’s nice to know that he’s nearby in case I need anything.” For almost 20 percent of the freshman class, Saint Louis University is all in the family. That’s because 291 first-year students have a parent, grandparent, sibling, aunt or uncle who graduated from SLU. Each year the alumni relations office holds a luncheon in honor of these “legacy” students during Wel-come Week. On Aug. 23, the stu-dents and their alumni family mem-bers met in the Shanahan Atrium of John and Lucy Cook Hall to take a break from move-in and meet their new SLU family. 28 U NI V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S F A L L 2 0 0 7 29 Brett Honerkamp (Cook), his wife, Mag-gie, and daughter, Isabel, welcomed son, Wyatt Robert, on Aug. 23. They live in Ballwin, Mo. Roger Mitch Nasser (A&S) is director of residence life at McKendree University. He lives in O’Fallon, Ill. ’99Fernando Abilleira (Parks) and his wife, Sarah Hub-bard Abilleira (Doisy ’02, ’04), welcomed son, Owen Michael, on May 14. Fernando is a mission engi-neer in the Mars Exploration Program Office at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. Sarah is a physical therapist at Genesis PT in Simi Valley, Calif. Courtney Graf-Jones (Pub Ser) and her husband, Jason, welcomed a daughter, Emerson Ann Marie, in June. They also have a son, Jack, and live in Trem-ont, Ill. Courtney is a financial analyst for Caterpillar Inc. Emily Hathcoat (Grad Cook) and her husband, Carl, welcomed a son, Nich-olas Robert, in June. The family lives in Chicago, where Emily is the market-ing director for CNA Financial Corp. Sarah Collins Hill (Doisy) and her hus-band, Charlie, have welcomed a son, Owen Charles. Sarah is the assistant administrator of health information in the ENT department at Washing-ton University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Dr. Tonya (Buckner) Long (A&S) gradu-ated from Southern Illinois Univer-sity Edwardsville School of Dental Medicine and practices in southeast-ern Missouri. She is married to Rev. Henry Long. Michelle Pouso (Parks) is a dispatcher for Southwest Airlines in Dallas. Jason P. Vest (A&S) runs his own re-cording studio, Antelope Studios, and lives in Boulder, Colo. ’00Carla (Steger) Muller (A&S, Cook) married Patrick Muller in St. Louis in July 2006. They live in Bos-ton, where Carla works in benefits for Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. ’01Katherine Cox (A&S) taught high school in Oakland, Calif., for two years and received her master’s in theol-ogy in May. She is attending law school. Gregory Halvachs (Cook) married Anne Siebe in 2006, and they live in Columbia, Ill. He is a derivatives trade analyst at NISA Investment Advisors and is pursuing an MBA at SLU. Rodney Kutz (Parks) earned his MBA from Washington University and lives with his wife, Jacqueline Ruhmann (Cook ’03), in Maryland Heights, Mo. He is an engineer at Boeing. Dr. Jason Skyles (A&S ’01, Med ’05) married Kristin Payton at St. Francis Xavier College Church in July. They live in Winston-Salem, N.C., where Jason is a radiology resident. ’02Emily Bratcher (A&S) was named to the Alaska Jour-nal of Commerce’s 2006 “Top 40 Under 40.” She works in real estate development and management for JL Properties Inc. in Fairbanks. Dr. Bryan McIntosh (Med) graduated from a general surgery residency at the Hospi-tal of St. Raphael in New Haven, Conn., in June. He is now in a three-year plastic surgery residency at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, N.Y. Dr. Terrence Wandtke (Grad) is an associate professor of literature and film at Judson University and is also the founder and director of the Imago Film Festival. The Amazing Transforming Superhero! is his first book. He lives in Belvidere, Ill., with his wife, Anna (Warning) Wandtke (Grad ’00), and their children, Bella and Ripley. ’03Kati Castello (A&S) and her new husband, David Johnson, live in South St. Louis County. She is a personal banker for Arsenal Credit Union and is active in the theater community. Brenda Rhoads Herivel (Grad SW) has been an officer with The Salvation Army for 23 years and is serving a three-year appointment to Eastern Europe as the divisional secretary for Russia. She and her husband, Rich, live in Moscow. 
 Dr. Owaise M.Y. Mansuri (A&S) gradu-ated from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield and has a fellowship at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami. Dr. Lynn M. Seidenstricker (A&S) gradu-ated from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield and has a pediatrics residency at the Uni-versity of Tennessee College of Medi-cine in Memphis. ’04Stephanie Blume (Nurs) and her husband Chris Blume (Cook ’02) wel-comed daughter Taryn in July. Chris works for Medtronic Spinal and Bio-logics in Huntsville, Ala. Stephanie is on maternity leave from her job as a recovery room nurse at the Surgery Center of Huntsville. David Hoban (Parks) and his wife, Lau-ra, live in Kiel, Wis. He is an engineer at Manitowoc Cranes. Deborah Meyer (Cook) is a financial consultant for Financial Management Partners in Clayton, Mo., and lives in St. Louis with her new husband, Bryan. Michelle Vaughan (A&S) earned a mas-ter’s degree in media communications management and lives in Wentzville, Mo. Amy Cathleen Wodarek-O’Reilly (A&S) earned a master’s degree from Ohio State University in June. She works for Mathematica Policy Research Inc. in New Jersey. In June she mar-ried Joseph Michael O’Reilly in Clayton, Mo. ’05Andrea Barrale (Grad) is the principal of Sullivan (Mo.) Middle School. Tiffany Bentley (Cook) has joined Burns & McDonnell as a security consultant. She lives in St. Louis. Lindsay Chapman (Law) is an associ-ate in labor and employment law at Whyte, Hirschboeck, Dudek in Mil-waukee. Nicholas Gillies (A&S) and Katherine Novotny (Pub Ser) were married in July 2006 at St. Francis Xavier Col-lege Church and live in Chicago. Nick works in human resources for Deloitte Services, and Katie is a high school English teacher at Niles North in Skokie, Ill. She is beginning her gradu-ate degree at the University of Illinois- Chicago. Rose Newport (A&S) is the director of selection and Kristin Kelley (A&S ’05, Grad ’07) is the director of market-ing and communications, both with Northwestern Mutual Financial Net-work, the Hempstead Group, of Clay-ton, Mo. Burton St. John (Grad) is an assistant professor of communications at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va. In 2006, he was named a Page Leg-acy Scholar through the Arthur W. Page Center at Pennsylvania State University. John Van Osch (Parks) is a flight sys-tems test engineer (F-18) for Boeing at the U.S. Naval Base in Patuxent River, Md. ’06Constance Eller (SW) is the development director at Our Lady’s Inn and also is chair of Missouri Right to Life- Eastern Region. She lives in St. Louis. David Hunt (A&S) has begun a five-year doctoral program in clinical psychol-ogy at the Chicago School of Profes-sional Psychology. ’07Michael McMahon (A&S) received a Fulbright U.S. Student scholarship to Spain to teach English as a foreign language. TELL CLASS NOTES UNIVERSITAS Class Notes Saint Louis University DuBourg Hall 39 221 North Grand Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63103 fax: (314) 977-2249 e-mail: utas@slu.edu Making a good impression? Mr. A. Hamilton Strong (Law ’31) Mr. Lawrence Schwartz (Cook ’32) Mr. John Hammet (Parks ’35) Mr. Clifford Karvinen (Parks ’36) Mr. August Griesedieck (Law ’37) Dr. Wilson West (Med ’37) Dr. Edward Hellwig (Med ’38) Mr. Bernard Winkeler (Cook ’38) Mr. Robert Mudd (A&S ’39) Dr. M. Cecelia (Reichert) Paszkiewicz (Doisy ’39) Dr. Gustaf Sweet (Med ’39) Mr. Adrian Callier St. Louis University (St. Louis, Mo.), http://www.geonames.org/4407081 http://cdm17321.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/alumni/id/74

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