Celebrate Saint Mary’s heritage at Founder’s Day April 9

Saint Mary’s will present awards to three Christian Brothers, a faculty member, a Lasallian educator and two outstanding seniors at its Founder’s Day celebration Tuesday, April 9.

Brother Joseph Loewenstein will receive an honorary Doctor of Humanities in honor of his inspiring leadership throughout his 70 years as a De La Salle Christian Brother. He served first as a teacher on the East Coast of the U.S., then as a teacher, vice principal and headmaster in Kenya, and most recently he served more than 30 years in Palestine. Brother Joseph has held a number of positions at Bethlehem University, including president and vice chancellor. In addition, he has heroically responded to the needs of those living in Palestinian refugee camps.

Brother Jean Manuel will receive an honorary Doctor of Humanities in recognition of 58 years of service as a De La Salle Christian Brother, through which he has touched the lives of countless students and families as a school administrator and English teacher. After more than 30 years at Bethlehem University, Brother Jean has made a significant and lasting contribution to the Church in the Middle East and to the world of Lasallian Catholic higher education.

Brother Terence McLaughlin, a 1944 Saint Mary’s alum, will receive an honorary Doctor of Humanities in recognition of his 72 years as a De La Salle Christian Brother, as a champion of racial equality, as an outstanding teacher, mentor and school administrator, and as an author. While serving as its president in 1963, Brother Terence broke ranks with the city’s culture code in Memphis and integrated Christian Brothers College high school, making it the first private school to be integrated in the Memphis region. This award to Brother Terence is being made on the occasion of the sesquicentennial of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Teresa Speck, professor of business, will receive this year’s Brother H. Charles Severin, FSC Award for Excellence in Teaching. The award is given every other year to an undergraduate faculty member who is recognized by both students and other faculty as exceptional in their teaching and engagement of students. The Severin Award recognizes excellence in teaching, communication and delivery, fairness in dealing with students, and the ability to encourage students to value the life of the mind. Speck is an organized and enthusiastic teacher who is always present to her students and colleagues. She is able to reach out to students while holding them accountable for content knowledge.  Her students are well-prepared for careers in accounting and for the professional certification exams. In addition to her role with students, she plans and runs the First-Year Faculty mentoring program.

Tony Piscitiello, senior advancement director, was chosen as this year’s Distinguished Lasallian Educator. These awards are given by Lasallian institutions in the North American-Toronto Region of the De La Salle Christian Brothers to honor contributions and commitment to the Lasallian mission of education. For more than 40 years, Piscitiello has served the mission, as first an admission counselor and later as vice president for admission and executive vice president, and now in his current position in University Advancement. Throughout his career, Piscitiello has demonstrated his Lasallian nature in his continued concern for the welfare of the thousands of students, families and alums he encountered. Piscitiello is a 1969 undergrad alum and earned a master’s degree from Saint Mary’s in 1982.

The Outstanding Male and Female Senior awards will be presented to students who have demonstrated the ideals of scholarship, character, leadership and service. Above all, these men and women have shown genuine concern for meeting the needs of others. The following students are finalists for the 2013 Outstanding Senior awards — Males: Peter Borash, Aaron Henry, Bryan Moore, Jay Olson, and Jake Traxler; females: Sarah Anderson, Constance Budin, Samantha Herbst, Jacinta Jude and Shannon Nelson.

Additionally, every other year the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs awards the Brother Louis DeThomasis, FSC Award to a staff member or fulltime faculty member who has demonstrated sustained excellence in advancing the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs in teaching, entrepreneurship, creativity and/or innovation, while serving as a model of the Lasallian Catholic spirit. This year’s recipient, Gena Bilden, associate vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Services, has become known as a gifted leader who motivates employees and colleagues to strive for the highest levels of efficiency and excellence throughout her 13-year tenure. Among the many innovations that she has championed are Pathways, a community college recruiting program; SMU Central, a one-stop student services department; and Acalog, the online searchable catalog.

Below is the truncated schedule for the day.

• 7:45 to 9 a.m. classes meet 7:45 to 8:35 a.m.
• 9:15 to 10:30 a.m. classes meet 8:45 to 9:35 a.m.
• 10:45 a.m. to Noon classes meet 9:45 to 10:35 a.m.
• 10:45 a.m. – Eucharistic Liturgy, Saint Thomas More Chapel
• 1:15 p.m. – Convocation, Page Theatre
• 3 p.m. – Reception, Toner Student Center, Hall of Fame
• 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. classes meet 3:20 to 4 p.m.
• 1:45 to 3 p.m. classes meet 4:10 to 4:50 p.m.
• Classes that meet anytime after 3 p.m. start at 5 p.m. and end at the discretion of the instructor