Dumestre named vice president for Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs

Saint Mary’s welcomes Marcel J. Dumestre, Ed.D., as vice president for the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs and professor of Education. Dr. Dumestre will begin his new position on June 1.

Dr. Dumestre comes to Saint Mary’s from Regis University, Denver, Colo., where he served as professor and academic dean of the College for Professional Studies since 2006. Dr. Dumestre supervised the deans of four schools within Regis University College for Professional Studies, comprised of 12,000 students and 700 faculty, and had oversight of all distance education offerings on seven extension campuses with 5,000 students enrolled in totally online degree programs.

Dr. Dumestre holds a Doctor of Education degree from Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn., a Master of Religious Education from Loyola University, New Orleans, La., and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from The Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fla. He is published in the areas of educational philosophy, religious education and educational technology.

“We are extremely pleased to have Dr. Dumestre join us in this important leadership role,” said Brother William. “He brings energy, enthusiasm and a wealth of experience that will help the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs continue our tradition of excellent education and help existing and new programs grow in significant ways.”

Dr. Dumestre will supervise a leadership team at the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs that includes Linka Holey, associate vice president for Academic Affairs; the deans of the SGPP: Dushan Knezevich, Merri Moody, Tracy Lehnertz, Don Winger, Rebecca Hopkins and Gena Bilden; and Lindsay McCabe, director of the Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership. Dr. Dumestre and the leadership team have responsibility for graduate and professional programs administered from both the Twin Cities and the Winona campuses.

MPR to broadcast from Cardinal Club Monday

Saint Mary’s is cosponsoring the Minnesota Public Radio “Play it Forward” used musical instrument drive this April. Around the state, listeners are being urged to donate their used and unwanted instruments at various collection points. They will be passed along to schools and school children with financial need. At Saint Mary’s, instrument donations are being accepted at the Toner Student Center Info Desk, the Valéncia Arts Center and four graduate program locations. Other collection points in Winona include Cotter High School, St. Martin’s Lutheran School and Winona Senior High School.

At the conclusion of the drive, MPR will host a live, two-hour broadcast from the Saint Mary's Cardinal Club, featuring MPR artists-in-residence, the Parker Quartet. MPR hosts will also interview Saint Mary’s faculty and staff and Winona music teachers. All are welcome to stop by the Cardinal Club during the public performance and broadcast. The show runs from 1 to 3 p.m., Monday, April 26. Tune in to KLSE at 101.9 FM to listen.

For more information, go to: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/services/cms/features/2010/02/play-it-forward/

SMU hosts several outdoor track and field events

The new outdoor athletic complex will host several track and field events over the next several weeks including:

• Saint Mary’s Open — Saturday, April 24, 10:30 a.m
• MIAC Championships — Friday, May 14, 1 p.m.
• MIAC Championships — Saturday, May 15,10:30 a.m.

‘Let’s Do Lunch’ raises $324; checks for $3,000 sent to Haiti

The last ‘Let’s Do Lunch’ tailgating party sponsored by athletics raised $324. The Volunteer Committee hosts these fundraising events that are open to all faculty and staff. Stay tuned for “Let’s Do Ice Cream” events this summer.

The Volunteer Committee has presented a $2,100 check, and students are sending a $900 check from the Polar Plunge. Both checks will benefit an orphanage in Haiti.

Students to help spruce up Winona

Pulling weeds at Madison School are from left: front, Kelsey Brekke, Dan Streefland; back, DeShanda Morley, Maggie Lynch and Rhea Fosco.

In recognition of “Spruce Up Winona Day,” Saint Mary’s Volunteer Services organized a group of student volunteers to help out Winona non-profit agencies. Workers helped with spring cleaning, yard work and a variety of other tasks. Approximately 175 Saint Mary’s students teamed up from 1 to 5 p.m.

Saint Mary’s to host fourth Row, Ride, Run Triathlon

The fourth Saint Mary’s “Row, Ride, Run Triathlon” will take place on Saturday, April 24, at 9 a.m.; check-in begins at 7:30 a.m. on the west end of Lake Winona.

Participants will canoe or kayak a 2.5-mile loop around Lake Winona, then bike 14 miles from Lake Winona to the SMU campus. Once on campus, racers will run 3.1 miles through the bluffs surrounding the university.

Proceeds assist Serving Others United in Love (SOUL), a program of SMU’s Office of Campus Ministry. Through SOUL, members of the Saint Mary’s community participate in national and international service trips.

Racers are responsible for bringing their own bikes, and are required to wear helmets for the bicycling leg of the event. Canoeists and kayakers are required to wear life jackets; a limited number of canoes and kayaks are available to rent for a suggested donation of $5.

For more information, visit www.smumn.edu/rowriderun or call Ext. 7268.

Senior art show to run through May 8

Saint Mary’s senior art students will present the next art show, “Figuring It Out,” through Saturday, May 8, at the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries. Artists displaying will include: Ryan Anderson, Valerie Koch, Joe Krause, Tatiana Martinez, Brandy Munson, Lincoln Nguyen, Zach Olberding, Ben Olson, Mariana Sanchez and Smith Thongbai.

The galleries — free and open to the public — are open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily in the Toner Student Center.

Hendrickson Forum, seminar tickets available

A limited number of complimentary tickets are available to SMU faculty and staff for the Hendrickson Forum and Seminar on Wednesday, April 28.

If you'd like one of these faculty/staff tickets, e-mail Terri Nye at tnye@smumn.edu. Once the complimentary tickets are gone, tickets are $20 for the forum and $10 for the seminar for staff and faculty.

More information on both events is available at HendricksonForum.smumn.edu. For more information, contact Barb Hall at (612) 238-4517, bhall@smumn.edu.

Radio show to raise money for Habitat Women Build

Jeff Hefel and Joe Dulak are planning a special marathon KSMR broadcast of “The Black Hole of Radio” on Thursday, April 29, as part of the fundraising effort by Saint Mary’s Habitat Women Build team. Hefel and Dulak will take to the airwaves from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; special guests and many surprises are planned.

Known as “So bad they’re good,” Hefel and Dulak are regulars on KSMR. Hefel, known for playing ’70s and ’80s favorites, says Dulak plays music no one has ever heard of. Tune in to play a special edition of “Name that Tool” in honor of the Women Build. To listen off campus, tune in to 94.3 FM. On the Saint Mary’s campus, tune in to KSMR at 92.5 FM. KSMR also plays in the background of local access Channel 19 on HBC.

This event will also include a silent auction, featuring a large variety of gift baskets and community gift certificates, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in SMU’s Toner Student Center game room. The public is invited to bid on auction items that range from Harley Davidson attire to a personalized mosaic house number. The game room will also host a variety of tool-related games including “Tool IQ” and “Hammer Time,” a nail-driving contest. Games cost $1 to play, and prizes will be awarded.

For $5, donors can get “5 minutes of fame.” Guests will be invited to use their 5 minutes to promote events, request songs or have Hefel and Dulak roast/toast someone special on the air.

This event will also include a public ice cream social on the campus plaza from 2-3 p.m. The ice cream will be donated by Chartwells, and freewill donations will be accepted. In case of rain, the social will move to the game room.

The Saint Mary’s Women Build team has 42 members and is one of 18 teams raising money and building Winona County’s 41st Habitat home. The purpose of the Women Build program is to involve more women in the construction of Habitat homes in order to move more people, especially children, out of substandard housing and into safe, decent and affordable shelters. Each team is asked to raise $5,000 and put in 100 volunteer work hours for the Women Build home. A total of 1,500 Habitat homes have been built by crews of women nationally.

To contribute to the silent auction, contact Adrianne Olson at aolson@smumn.edu or Ext. 7870. For more information, go to www.jeffandjoe.wetpaint.com.

Students, faculty, staff receive student life awards

Scott “Zhe” Song of Xi’an, China receives the Student Service Award from Chris Kendall, vice president for Student Development.

Saint Mary’s recognized outstanding students, faculty and staff Thursday, April 15, at the Student Life Awards Ceremony. Several awards were handed out to students who made a noticeable impact on student life at SMU. Awards included:

Brother Finbar McMullen Award (presented to an SMU community member who demonstrates him/herself to be an individual who unselfishly meets the needs of the undergraduate students of Saint Mary’s) — Brendan Dolan, Student Development graduate assistant and residence hall director, of Winona.

Charlene “Char” Tjaden Outstanding Resident Assistant Award — Stephanie Valentine, daughter of Gregory and Anne Valentine of Omaha, Neb.

Club and Organization Advisor of the Year — Dr. Jeanne Minnerath, associate professor of Biology and director of the Allied Health Program, of Winona.

Organization of the Year — students accepting the award for the International Students Club included Lingshan Tian of Xi’an, China; Dongyang Xie of Xi’an, China; Long Chen of Xi’an, China; Yiyun Wang of Xi’an, China; and Scott “Zhe” Song of Xi’an China.

Intramural Official of the Year — Amanda Mueller, daughter of Thomas and Pamela Mueller of Milwaukee, Wis.

Volunteer of the Year Award — Beth Leister, daughter of Mary and Daniel Leister of Milwaukee, Wis.

Outstanding Student Senator of the Year Award — Vanessa Grams, daughter of Jean and Gregg Grams of Little Falls, Minn.

Winona Community Service Award — Emily Merchlewitz, daughter of Mark and Ann Merchlewitz of Winona, Minn.

Brother James Miller Award (presented to a student who has dedicated his/her college experience to promoting the legacy of Brother James Miller, spreading the compassion of God and continually serving the community) — Betsy Baertlein, daughter of Scot and Cheryl Baertlein of Mazeppa, Minn.

Student Service Award — Scott “Zhe” Song of Xi’an, China.

Outdoor Leadership Recognition Award — Gary Borash, son of Ron and Ann Borash of Rowlus, Minn., and Betsy Baertlein, daughter of Scot and Cheryl Baertlein of Mazeppa, Minn.

Brother Charlie Burke Award (presented to a faculty or staff member who has made significant contributions to the entire Student Life Department. This individual has promoted the growth of the whole student through their exemplary standard of ethical service, dedication to creating developmental relationships, and their desire to promote lifelong learning) — Jason Richter, assistant dean of students for leadership, service and activities, of Rollingstone, Minn.

To see all the photos from this event, go to www.smumn.edu/studentserviceawardphotos.

Chamber Singers, Concert Choir to perform April 24

The SMU Chamber Singers and Concert Choir, under the direction of Dr. Patrick O’Shea, and Women’s Choir, under the direction of Lindsy O’Shea, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 24, at the Chapel of Saint Mary of the Angels, located on the Saint Teresa campus.  The concert will also include several selections performed by the Winona Area Youth Singers, also under Lindsy O'Shea's direction.

Works on the concert include Mozart’s Missa Brevis in D Major, K. 194, Mass No. 3 by Russell Woollen, the haunting Carols of Death by William Schuman, as well as arrangements of folk songs and spirituals.
 
Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students and seniors and are available at the SMU Box Office, Ext. 1715, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays or online at www.pagetheatre.org.

Dance Repertory Company spring concert April 23-24

The Dance Repertory Company’s performance season will conclude with a recital titled “An Evening with Benny Goodman,” at Saint Mary’s. This performance will take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 23, and at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 24, in Page Theatre.
For more than three decades, the Dance Repertory Company has delighted the Winona community with quality dance productions featuring local dancers in classical and contemporary works. This year, the DRC presents contemporary dance to the timeless music of Benny Goodman.

Heidi Draskoci-Johnson, Christine Martin, Andrea Mirenda, Juliana Piscitiello and the company’s artistic director, Tammy Schmidt, choreographed this year’s concert featuring tap, jazz, contemporary ballet, swing and modern dance.

The dancers of this performance currently train at the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts and at Saint Mary’s.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens. The Page Theatre will admit children ages 5 and older to the April 23 evening performance. The April 24 afternoon performance is considered a family event and children ages 2 and older are welcome. At this time the Page Theatre/SMU Performance Center facilities and programs are not equipped to serve the needs of infants. Tickets are available online at www.pagetheatre.org or by calling the SMU Performance Center at (507) 457-1715 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays.

Study Abroad Photo Contest winners announced

The third annual Study Abroad Photo Contest winners have been announced.

• Ania McNamara got first place for “Railroad to Auschwitz” ($50)
 
• Courtney Keyler won second for “Venetian Alley” ($25)

• Rachel Elbert won third for “Waiting on the World” ($15)

To see these photos, go to www.smumn.edu/studyabroadcontestphotos.

Five students take a ‘summer vacation’ in the research lab

SMU students, from left: front, Thomas Briese, Jennifer Koezly; back, Brian Kasel, Timothy McDonald and Luke Baertlein are spending their summers doing research at laboratories.

Two sophomore physics majors, two junior physics majors, and a senior biochemistry major will spend their summer doing research at laboratories in Minnesota, Michigan and Illinois:

• Jennifer Koezly, a junior double major in Chemistry and Engineering Physics from Ham Lake, was accepted into the Lando/NSF Summer Research Program in the chemical sciences at the University of Minnesota;

• Brian Kasel, a junior Biophysics major from Saint Anthony, landed a position in the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center Summer Fellowship Program;

• Luke Baertlein, a sophomore Biophysics major from Mazeppa, will work at the Mayo Clinic in the Department of Health Sciences Research - Epidemiology Division, funded through Mayo’s Undergraduate Research Employment Program (UREP); and

• Timothy McDonald, a sophomore double major in Chemistry and Engineering Physics from Ham Lake, and Thomas Briese, a senior Biochemistry major from Rochester, will both be working with Paul Nienaber SJ, associate professor and chair of physics, as part of the MicroBooNE neutrino experiment at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, IL. Funding for these students is provided by a Research at Undergraduate Institutions grant from the National Science Foundation.

“This is a singular contribution to undergraduate research in the sciences at Saint Mary’s,” noted Dr Nienaber. “These students are talented and well-motivated, and they’ve worked hard to get where they are. Placing this many students in these sorts of research projects at major universities and laboratories speaks volumes about the quality of the science program at Saint Mary’s University.”

Staff, students to attend Lasallian Convocation

Saint Mary’s students and a staff member will attend the Lasallian Convocation on the Rights of the Child April 25-27 at the United Nations in New York City.

Tim Gossen, dean of students, and students Shannon Nelson and Danielle Strebel will join with other representatives of Lasallian schools and colleges in the United States and Toronto, Canada, in their call for universal ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

The Lasallian Convocation at the United Nations on the Rights of the Child is facilitated by the U.S.-Toronto Region of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in partnership with the Friendship Ambassadors Foundation, Inc., formally associated with the UN Department of Public Information and an NGO in operational relations with UNESCO.

Workshop combos to perform at Acoustic Café

Three jazz workshop combos directed by Dr. John Paulson and Eric Heukeshoven of the Music Department will present a free concert Sunday, May 2, from 2-4 p.m. at the Acoustic Café, 77 Lafayette St. This event will feature student musicians who have been playing together all year and it will serve as their “final exam.” They’ll be playing well-known jazz standards by composers like Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Miles Davis as well as some unique arrangements of popular jazz tunes by Heukeshoven and others. There will even be some blues harmonica in Heukeshoven’s combo.

Student Chamber Music Recital set for Sunday

Four student ensembles will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 25, in Figliulo Recital Hall. Everyone is invited to a free afternoon of chamber music by Dvorak, Mozart, Purcell and others. Ensembles performing include the SMU Chamber Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Flute Quartet and Brass Ensemble. The ensembles are led by music faculty members, Janet and Eric Heukeshoven.

MCA offers free stage combat workshop April 26

The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts is sponsoring a free stage combat workshop titled, “On the Edge of a Noodle: Safety in Stage Combat,” on Monday, April 26, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Valéncia Arts Center, 1164 West 10th St.

This workshop focuses on acting and safety challenges that arise when theatrical violence is required during a scene. Using pool noodles, students will explore action and reaction, safety and the appearance of danger in the context of a “West Side Story” rumble/knife fight. The class will end with a presentation of choreographed stage combat routines.

This workshop, taught by instructor Mike Speck, is open for anyone age 15 and older; younger students are welcome by invitation only, and observers are also welcome.

To register, e-mail mca@smumn.edu with the names and ages of those attending the workshop and a contact phone and e-mail address. Parent/guardian signatures are required for students under the age of 18.

For more information about this and other MCA programming, visit www.mnconservatoryforthearts.org or call Ext. 5500.

Alum’s thesis accepted for publication

A manuscript based on Bridget Emmett’s ‘08 undergraduate thesis [“The Response of a Piscivore (Micropterus salmoides) to a Venomous Prey Species (Noturus gyrinus)”] has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Freshwater Ecology. This will be the 25th publication authored or coauthored by a student from the Biology Department since 2000. Emmett was an Environmental Biology major at SMU. Currently she is a first year graduate student at the University of Washington in Seattle working on a master’s degree in Marine Affairs, a blend of natural and social science.

She will be going to the Philippines this summer to do her thesis work with a local nongovernmental organization, the Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation. She will be conducting interviews with local subsistence fishermen who have gathered community support to establish a Marine Protected Area (a no take zone). She also will be presenting a paper at the Coastal Society conference in June “An Evaluation of the Marine Protected Area Planning Process in Washington State,”and serves as student editor for the Coastal Management Journal.

Irish Dance Recital scheduled for April 30

The Saint Mary’s Ceili Class will join the Flanagan Irish Dancers in a spring recital on Friday evening, April 30. The event, being held at the Valéncia Arts Center at 7:30 p.m., is free and open to the public. Both groups are under the direction of Dr. Kate Flanagan in the Department of Theatre and Dance.

Benefit for Henthorne scheduled for May 22

Coral Henthorne, Development and Alumni Relations, has been diagnosed with Lupus and has gone and will continue to go through extensive medical treatments. Her family and friends are hosting a benefit for her. Tickets for the benefit are $5 and available at the Business Office windows, Saint Mary’s Hall. The event will be held 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 22, at the Winona VFW Club, 208 E 3rd St. A silent auction, bake sale, food and music are planned.

Kowles gives presentations at Winona State

Dick Kowles, Professor Emeritus in Biology, gave two presentations at Winona State University on April 9. The title of his talk was “The Importance of DNA Endoreduplication in the Developing Endosperm of Maize.” The presentations highlighted the culmination of his research on maize endosperm tissue. He also included the data collected by nine of his Saint Mary’s students who did their undergraduate research and thesis under his supervision.

Fox Appointed to Task Force

Mary Catherine Fox, Ph.D., professor of Interdisciplinary Studies has been appointed to the 10-member Regional Implementation Task Force for the United States/Toronto Region of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. The Task Force will address the details of implementation of the new schematic at the national/regional level. The proposed new structure is responding to the call from the Regional and International Assemblies (Fox was an elected  U.S. delegate to both) and the 44th General Chapter. The new structure is being established to give voice and vote to both Lasallian Partners and Brothers and is intended to help ensure that our various ministries remain strong and responsive to the critical needs of the persons we serve.

SMU Faculty to Perform in Rochester for Jazz Fest

Several SMU faculty members will be performing this weekend at Michael’s Restaurant, located at 15 S. Broadway in Rochester. Michael Pappas has decided to put together two nights of musicians who have proven to be area favorites. The music runs 6:30 to 10 p.m. both nights and the groups include:

Friday, April 23
John Paulson, sax and flute
Eric Heukeshoven, piano
Bob Gardner, acoustic bass
Cliff Jack, guitar

Saturday, April 24
John Paulson, sax and flute
Larry Price, piano
Miles Johnston, drums, vocals and cornet
Mike Sloane, acoustic bass

Call Michael's for reservations at (507) 288-2020.

Heukeshoven and Paulson will also perform Saturday, April 24, from 2 -5 p.m. at the Salem Glen Vineyard & Winery at 5211 60th Ave. SW in Rochester.

May featured in Bluff Country Studio Art Tour April 23-25

Monta May, Office of Communication and Marketing, is one of the featured artists in the 10th annual Bluff Country Studio Art Tour. The Bluff Country Studio Art Tour will be held from Friday, April 23, through Sunday, April 25. Visit her at 854 W. 5th St.

May’s art features an exploration of the ancient and the contemporary. The Bluff Country Studio Art Tour is held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information or to receive a free brochure, contact Historic Bluff Country at (800) 428-2030, www.bluffcountrystudioarttour.com.

Reminder: Next week is last ‘Campus Notes’ of semester

Look ahead on your calendars. Next week is the last edition of ‘Campus Notes’ for the academic year. The deadline for the April 30 edition is Wednesday, April 28. Keep in mind that the Office of Communication and Marketing can still help you promote events, speakers, awards or other news throughout the summer.