Commencement schedule announced for May 10

On Saturday, May 10, the Winona campus will hold a joint ceremony including both Winona undergraduate and graduate students. A baccalaureate Mass will begin at 8 a.m. in Saint Thomas More Chapel, and the commencement ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. in the gymnasium. The ceremony is expected to last approximately two hours. A reception will follow in the Plaza (or in case of inclement weather, Gostomski Fieldhouse).

Limited parking will be available. A shuttle service will be provided from a nearby parking lot. For more information, go to www.smumn.edu/commencement.

Handicapped parking is available on campus. Anyone needing special accommodations for seating in the gymnasium should call Barb Schmidtknecht at Ext. 6678 to make arrangements. In order to honor all handicapped section seating requests, only one additional guest may sit with the individual requesting handicapped seating. A sign language interpreter will be at the ceremony.

View recent event photos

Spruce Up Winona volunteers

Relay for Life participants

It’s been a busy April; to view photos from the Employee Service Awards, Celebration of Scholarship, the Honors Convocation, Admitted Student Day, the Benefactor Recognition Dinner, Spruce Up Winona or the Relay for Life, go to www.smumn.edu/photos. If an error message occurs, try using another browser such as Chrome.

Dance Repertory Company to present 40th anniversary concert April 25-26

The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts’ Dance Repertory Company will present a special Spring Dance Concert this year in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the dance division. The event is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 25, and 3 p.m. Saturday, April 26, at the Page Theatre.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens and are available online at www.pagetheatre.org or by calling the box office at Ext. 1715 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

For four decades, the Dance Repertory Company (DRC) has delighted the Winona community with quality dance productions featuring local dancers in classical and contemporary works. This year the DRC presents a production of restaged works from past shows as well as some new works, paying homage to history of the organization and its founder, Stefannié Valéncia Kierlin. The DRC is the pre-professional performance group of the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts. Company members participate in rehearsals, technique classes and stage performances.
 
The production will feature pieces from numerous genres of dance including hip hop, modern, jazz, tap, ballet, and pointe. Performed by the dancers who currently train at the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts, Saint Mary’s University, and Winona State University, the 40th anniversary celebration concert showcases their effervescent spirit, vibrant energy, and technical and artistic abilities that continue to inspire audiences year after year. In addition to the production, alumni events are scheduled throughout the weekend to commemorate the history of the organization.

For more information about The Dance Repertory Company and other arts programming at the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts, visit www.mnconservatoryforthearts.org, e-mail mca@smumn.edu, or call 453-5500.

On Friday, April 25, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and during intermission of the production, a silent auction of a commemorative quilt, created by Lori McCarrick Vietor, an alum parent, will be offered.

Featuring past production T-shirts designs, as well as the current 40th commemorative design, this quilt represents the past, present, and future of the school.

This quilt will be displayed at the Page Theatre during the production and 15 percent of the proceeds will benefit the MCA Scholarship Fund, so come on out and bid. (Cash or check only please and a reserve price will be set prior to the start of bidding.)

April 25-26 is interdisciplinary undergraduate conference

On Friday and Saturday, April 25-26, Saint Mary’s will host the second annual Undergraduates, Inc. Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Conference that will bring students from North Dakota State, Iowa State, Winona State and other regional universities to present their work in academic panels along with Saint Mary’s students. The conference rotates among the North Dakota State campus, Iowa State and Saint Mary’s.

The public is invited to attend a presentation by Dr. Dometa Brothers, assistant professor of English at Iowa State, at 5 p.m. April 25 in the Common Room. Dr. Brothers will speak about “Romantic Math and Science: How Literature Influenced Nineteenth Century Thought,” and her presentation is free and open to the public.

The event continues April 26, as students from several disciplines, including English, history, women’s and gender studies, and communication, make presentations from 9 to 11:45 a.m., followed by a lunch buffet with a keynote presentation by Dr. Hiromi Mizuno, associate professor of history at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Mizuno’s speech, “The Divine Emperor’s Children and Popular Science Culture in Wartime Japan,” will begin at noon in the Common Room. Afternoon student presentations resume from 1:45 to 3 p.m.

The cost of attending Saturday (conference, lunch and speaker) is $30 although students are invited to attend the presentations free of charge; those who are interested in attending may contact Dr. Erin Mae Clark at eclark@smumn.edu or Ext. 6643 or Dr. Tycho de Boer at tdeboer@smumn.edu or Ext. 6995.

Let’s Do Lunch to be hosted by athletics April 25

The next Let’s Do Lunch fundraiser will be a tailgate lunch, hosted by the Athletic Department, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, April 25, in the hockey arena lobby. Proceeds will be used for students in Nairobi. Enjoy burgers and brats on the grill and don’t forget an extra buck for chuck a puck!

End-of-the-year dinner is May 8

The faculty and staff end-of-the-year dinner will be held Thursday, May 8. Hors d’oeuvres and cocktails begin in the dining room at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m. RSVP to campus box 30 by Monday, April 28.

SMU in the news

Here are some ways SMU is making headlines this week:

• MPR re-broadcast Sheila Bair’s 2014 Hendrickson Forum keynote address on April 14.
• Sunday’s Star Tribune included a business section front-page feature article by Neal St. Anthony on Sheila Bair’s 2014 Hendrickson Forum speech. The article included quotes from the event and mentioned Saint Mary’s University and the Hendrickson Institute: www.startribune.com/business/254991831.html.
• Other “earned media” from the Hendrickson Forum included a pre-event MNPost op-ed by Matt Nowakowski and a preview by Neal St. Anthony in the Star Tribune.
• Jack and Mary Ann Remick’s recent $8 million pledge for First Generation scholarships at Saint Mary’s was featured in the Winona Daily News: bit.ly/1tD033u.
• Sadie Lange and members of her family were coincidentally featured on the April 13 edition of “The Amazing Race” as they assisted one of the teams on the Spanish Steps in Rome.
• Lisa Truax, Randy Krainock’s wife Kristie Shappell and senior Bethany Schmidt’s mother Judy Schmidt were among the nearly 32,500 runners Monday in the Boston Marathon. Truax and Shappell were interviewed by the La Crosse Tribune: http://bit.ly/QF4YS3.

Joint forum about finance, IT and academics is April 30

A joint forum on finance, IT and academics is planned for 3:45 p.m. Wednesday, April 30, in the Common Room. Come for an informative session on the progress of university initiatives. Updates will come from Ben Murray, vice president for financial affairs; Scott Cowdrey, CIO; and Dr. Donna Aronson, vice president for academic affairs.

The joint forum will be recorded on Tegrity and available for those who cannot attend.

Celebration of Faculty Scholarship is April 29

The School of Humanities and Sciences is hosting the Celebration of Faculty Scholarship Tuesday, April 29. Invites have been distributed. The event begins at 3:15 p.m. in the President’s Room, with presentations by Rose Beal, Demian Cho, Brooke Lenz and Matthew Rowley beginning at 3:30 p.m.

Saint Mary’s to host special science events April 26

On Saturday, April 26, Saint Mary’s will host the 81st Minnesota Academy of Science annual meeting and the 26th Winchell Undergraduate Research Symposium in conjunction with the NC3 District annual meeting of Beta Beta Beta, the National Biological Honor Society.

Students from colleges and universities in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa will present their research in the fields of cellular and molecular biology, chemistry, earth science, ecology and environmental science, economics, engineering, math and computer science, physics, neuroscience, organismal and physiological sciences and social sciences. The keynote speaker will be Kevin Kenow, research wildlife biologist from the Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, who will speak about Minnesota loons. The cost of attending the entire conference (does not include lunch) is $10, and those who are interested in attending may contact Dr. Debra Martin at dmartin@smumn.edu.

Students recognized at Honors Convocation

Saint Mary’s recognized outstanding senior students Friday, April 11, at the annual Honors Convocation. Highlights of the evening included the announcement of graduate and professional school acceptances, grants and fellowships, and the awarding of the following special honors:

National Delta Epsilon Sigma Awards — National DES undergraduate scholarship, Melissa Radermacher, daughter of Tim and Amy Radermacher of Plymouth, Minn.; National DES graduate scholarship and National DES Student Award, Matthew Traxler, son of Timothy and Jeanne Traxler of Le Sueur, Minn.

Lasallian Honors Program Outstanding Senior Awards — Grace Hoffman, daughter of James and Julie Hoffman of St. Paul; and Evan Shockley, son of Steven and Lisa Shockley of Omaha, Neb.

Creative Spark Award (art and design award) — LeiLani Oas, daughter of John and Joan Oas of Minnesota City, Minn.

Kevin Martineau Award and Outstanding Accounting Major (business awards) — Gabriel Thiel, son of Brian and Debra Thiel of Berlin, Wis.

Outstanding Entrepreneurship Student (business award) — Brooke Bartelt, daughter of David and Connie Bartelt of New Prague, Minn.

Outstanding Human Resource Management Student and Outstanding Marketing Major (business awards) — Kaylee Bunne, daughter of Dominick and Kathi Bunne of Le Roy, Minn.

Outstanding International Business Student (business award) — Cassandra Kujawa, daughter of Chris and Judy Kujawa of South Milwaukee, Wis.

Outstanding Sport Management Student (business award) — Tyler Grabau, son of David and Jean Grabau of Wabasha, Minn.

American Institute of Chemists Award (chemistry award) — Erika Reith, daughter of Theresa Pirozzoli and Kelly Reith of Watertown, Wis.; and Jillian Martin, daughter of Michael and Jennifer Martin of Owatonna, Minn.

American Chemical Society Award (chemistry award) — Eric Amerling, son of Steve and Bobbijo Amerling of Fond du Lac, Wis.

De La Salle Outstanding Preservice Teaching Awards (education award) — Kaitlyn Keefe, daughter of Daniel and Suzanne Keefe of Chatfield, Minn.; and Katherine Wall, daughter of Michael and Michelle Wall of Aurora, Ill.

Outstanding English Paper — Katie Sonnek, daughter of Daniel and Kathleen Sonnek of Lake Crystal, Minn.

History Department Distinction Award and Brother J. Robert Lane Historical Essay Award (history awards) — John Soucheray, son of John and Kate Soucheray of Woodbury, Minn.

Brother Leo Northam Award (math award) — Grace Zachman, daughter of DonEva McPherson of Maple Grove, Minn.; and Evan Shockley, son of Steven and Lisa Shockley of Omaha, Neb.

Brother Laurence Walther Founder’s Award and Performance Award (music awards) — Augustine Esterhammer-Fic, son of Chris and Mary Esterhammer-Fic of Chicago.

Saint Thomas Aquinas Award for Excellence (philosophy award) — Andru O’Brien, son of Scott and Tera O’Brien of Bloomington, Ill.

Father Andrew Fabian Scholarship (philosophy award) — The Hoang, son of Thieu Hoang and Mai Nguyen of Owatonna, Minn.

Brother Jerome Rademacher Award (physics award) — Evan Shockley, son of Steven and Lisa Shockley of Omaha, Neb.

Psychology Distinction Awards — Heidi Martin, daughter of Mark and Sallie Martin of Ankeny, Iowa; Ellie Niedbala, daughter of Richard and Barbara Niedbala of Geneva, Ill.; Amanda Weber, daughter of Lawrence and Anne Weber of White Bear Lake, Minn.; and Shelby DeWall, daughter of Jerry and Sue DeWall of Caledonia, Minn.

Mille Harrison Spirit Award (theatre award) — seniors Alexander Akers, Anthony Balamut, Charlotte Deranek, Julie Frederickson, Timothy Gleason, Alexander Green, John Goblirsch, Alyson Kriz, Taylor Marshall-Miernicki, Elyssa Mattson, Lydia Munroe, Natasha Nelson, Brian Pipal, Katherine Sapper, and Matthew Schneider.

Grove Bree Holman Award (theatre award) — Katy Kosiek, daughter of James and Judith Kosiek of Hanover Park, Ill.; Hans Heukeshoven, son of Eric and Janet Heukeshoven of Winona; and Mary Klinghagen, daughter of Charles and Carla Hansen of Crystal, Minn.

Michael G. Flanagan Ghost Light Award (theatre award) — John Goblirsch, son of Michael Goblirsch and Mariana Ginder, Minneapolis; and Charlotte Deranek, daughter of Suzanne Zablocki Deranek of Winona.

Gerald Sullivan Outstanding Theatre Major Award (theatre award) — Katie Sapper, daughter of Steven and Cynthia Sapper of El Cajon, Calif.

Faculty, student make presentations in New York

Bryan Lampkin ’15 and Drs. Joe Tadie and Kyle Black presented at an international conference in New York City April 10. They shared their experiences sharing soccer with area youth through a Living Learning Community at the international conference called “Soccer as the Beautiful Game: Football’s Artistry, Identity and Politics,” held at Hofstra University. Tadie, Black and Lampkin presented on “Pelada and Pedogogy: An Experiment at Living, Learning and Community.”

Tom Farren Golf Outing planned for July 20

The Tom Farren Memorial Golf Outing will be held Sunday, July 20, at Cedar Valley Golf Course. This is the sole fundraiser for the men’s and women’s golf programs and honors former SMU golf Coach Tom Farren

It will be a scramble format. Sign-up information and flyer will be available soon.

Seniors display art through May 10

Sam Pflughoeft and his work

The Saint Mary’s Senior Art Exhibition titled “9 Artistas” will run through Commencement Day Saturday, May 10 in the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries.

Graduating seniors include Kaitlyn Bryant, Andrea Hillesheim, LeiLani Oas, Carla Olivares, Abi Osborne, Sam Pflughoeft, Angie Powell, Chelsea Pumper, and Tommy Robaczewski.

A variety of media is on display, including graphic design, photography, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, paintings and multimedia installations.

Dick Kowles’ book a finalist for Midwest Book Award

The latest book published by Dr. Dick Kowles, SMU professor emeritus in biology, has been chosen to be a finalist in its category in the Midwest Book Awards. “A Passion To Teach. Fifty-Eight Years of Humorous, Weird, and Engaging Tales” is a trade book geared toward readership of both educators and the general public.  Winners of each book category will be announced at a gala celebration in Saint Paul on May 14.

May’s work featured in Bluff Country Studio Art Tour

Monta May ’04, Office of Marketing and Communication, is one of the featured artists in the Bluff Country Studio Art Tour, Friday through Sunday, April 24-27. Visit her at 854 W. 5th St.

May’s art features an exploration of the ancient and the contemporary. Visitors to her studio will see mosaics, sculptures, drawings and paintings done by May and her daughter, Emerald Hulsing ’09. May will be doing mosaic-making demonstrations all day, each day of the tour.

The Bluff Country Studio Art Tour is held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, go to www.bluffcountrystudioarttour.com.

Cardinal Corner comes to a close today

Your last chance to visit the Cardinal Corner is 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today!

Each semester, undergraduate entrepreneurship students manage a not-for-profit retail store located in a small corner of the basement of Toner Student Center. Aptly named the “Cardinal Corner,” the store sells products chosen by students who also sell items for on-campus organizations as part of a course within the entrepreneurship major.

The class is broken into management teams and sales staff.  Students apply lessons learned in many courses such as marketing, economics, and management.  Each team experiences product sourcing, pricing, promotion and placement.  The decisions that the students make throughout the semester are experienced first-hand and result in financial success or failure.

This semester the students chose five new products to sell at the store: a vintage sporting shirt, a fleece sweatshirt, a glass, and iPhone cases.

The members of the class chose a different beneficiary to receive the store’s profits, the American Cancer Society.

Led by Assistant Professor Michael Ratajczyk, the members of this semester’s class are: Alexander Bakke, David Barry, Samantha Borawski, Trevor Erickson, Courtney Euerle, Audrey Ferris, Jacob Holzer, Mackenzie Klimek, Patrick Krieger, Brandon Larsen, Christopher Malay, Jacob Merkle, Benjamin Meyer, Kevin Miley, Darcey Rice, Molly Robinette, Jocelyn Thompson, Camden Webster and Colton Wolf.

Thank you to all who have visited with us this semester.  We appreciate your support!

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

The annual Saint Mary’s University “Row, Ride, Run Triathlon” will take place on Saturday, April 26, beginning at 9 a.m. at Lake Lodge in Winona and finishing on Saint Mary’s Winona campus. About 150 athletes from throughout the Midwest are expected to register for the race.

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 collaborative program between a student organization and Saint Mary’s Office of Campus Ministry. Through SOUL, students are able to connect with diverse communities by participating in national and international service trips.

Registration is $35 per individual or $70 per team. Teams can be made up of two, three or four members. The deadline to register was Sunday, April 20, and racers must provide their own canoes or kayaks.

Awards will be presented to the top three fastest individuals and the top finishing teams.
Participants must be 10 or older to row or run and 15 or older to bike.

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

Windley-Daoust publishes ‘Theology of the Body’

Dr. Susan Windley-Daoust, assistant professor of theology, just published “Theology of the Body. Extended: The spiritual signs of birth, impairment, and dying,” through Lectio Publishing, a new Catholic theology academic press.

If anyone is interested in buying a copy at a reduced rate, Dr. Windley-Daoust has a limited supply available at http://tobextended.tictail.com. Otherwise, the book is available for order through the campus bookstore, the publisher's site, and major online retailers.

Last ‘Campus Notes’ next week

Look ahead on your calendars. The last ‘Campus Notes’ edition of the academic year will be Friday, May 2. The deadline is the prior Wednesday. The next edition will be June 13. The newsletter will come out every other week throughout the summer to update the SMU community on all the news and events that occur on campus June through August.

Chamber Orchestra concert is Sunday

The Saint Mary’s University Chamber Orchestra will perform a concert titled “Mastery & Majesty” 3 p.m. Sunday, April 27, in Figliulo Recital Hall.

The orchestra, under the direction of Dr. David Leung, will perform music by Philip Glass, Georg Philipp Telemann, Antonio Vivaldi and Joseph Haydn.

Special guests include Dr. Jason Sah, professor of Juan N. Corpus University, Bogota, Colombia, on viola; and Dr. Kyle Black, assistant professor of modern and classical languages at Saint Mary’s, with a sonnet recitation.

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.

Leung, Sah visit DeLaSalle High School

Dr. Jason Sah, professor of violin from Juan Corpas University, Colombia, and Dr. David Leung, Music Department, visited DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis recently. Per the invitations of the faculty, they spent the day performing in many music and Chinese classes, interacting with the students, recruiting for SMU and the July summer string camp, and presenting in English and Mandarin on the Lasallian network, Chinese music, Western music, cultural exchange and musical travels, and more. The two will combine for a performance at 3 p.m. Sunday at Saint Mary’s; 2 p.m. Saturday at St. Anne Hospice; and 4 p.m. Saturday at Sugar Loaf Senior Living.

Thank you Chat, Chow, & Web 2.0 participants!

Thank you to everyone who presented as part of the Chat, Chow, & Web 2.0 series this year for spreading ideas, building community, and reflecting on the role of technology in our daily lives. Topics this year included: teaching online courses, accessibility and technology considerations, Blackboard enhancements, SMU technology updates, e-portfolios in action, flipgrid, poll everywhere, Google docs, and blended learning through flipped instruction.  The willingness of presenters to share their successes and struggles is greatly admired by many.

The 2013-2014 presenter list included: Josh Lallaman, Blake Pickart, Elizabeth Seebach, Valerie Edwards Robeson, Karen Hempker, Kelsi Watters, Erik Qvale, Ryan Ballanger, Jason Spartz, Tianna Johnson, Scott Cowdrey, Mario Casa de Calvo, Trisha Karr, Dean Beckman, Jesus Martinez, Lisa Truax, Janel Schultz, Rose Beal and Nathan Lien.

With great appreciation, a thank you also goes out to Chartwells for the food arrangement and delivery, Casey Ingvalson and Donny Cisewski for presentation support and setup, as well as to the students and library staff who willingly allowed use of the McEnery Center every month. The Chat, Chow, & Web 2.0 session coordinators include Ruth Ann Torstenson LeMasters, Tianna Johnson, and Jason Spartz.  Please feel free to contact them with your topics and ideas for participating in a session opportunity next year!

Employee service award congratulations

Dr. Wes Miller and Dr. Paul Weiner celebrate their 30-year anniversaries.

This year's retirees include Dr. Jim Towers, Dr. Ting Ni and Denny Grandl. Not pictured is Bruce Hill.

The 2014 employee service awards were handed out Wednesday. Five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 45-year honorees were recognized.

Celebrating their 30-year anniversaries are: Les McElmury, Dr. Wes Miller and Dr. Paul Weiner; celebrating 35 years is Fritz Speck; and celebrating 45 years is Tony Piscitiello.

Congratulations also go to retirees Denny Grandl, maintenance (30 years); Bruce Hill, maintenance (37 years); Dr. Ting Ni, history department (17 years); and Dr. Jim Towers, education department (26 years). For more photos, go to www.smumn.edu/photos.

Congratulations to Logan family

Maleigha Pearl Logan, daughter of Coral (Development and Alumni Relations) and Sean Logan was born Friday, April 11. The Saint Mary’s community extends its congratulations to the Logan family.

Sympathy to Pollock, Mear families

Stanley Wells Pollock, 71, of Winona died Tuesday, April 15. Dr. Pollock taught sociology at Saint Mary’s from 1971 to 1998 and returned as a researcher from 2000 to 2006 in the assessment office. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 4, at Tau Center Rotunda on Saint Teresa campus, 511 Hilbert St. Memorials can be directed to Mayo Clinic Cancer Center for Head-Neck Cancer Research. Words of sympathy or remembrance may be left at www.fawcett-junkerfuneralhome.com.

Chris Hallock, sister of Sister Margaret Mear, retired Art & Design Department faculty member, died April 2 from cancer.

The Saint Mary’s community extends its sympathy to the Mear and Pollock families.