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Winona Campus NewsletterHigher education in the headlines
Higher education is a field that is constantly changing. With this roundup, we hope to keep you informed about what is going on at universities and colleges around the country:
- Fontbonne University to Close in 2025 due to enrollment and budget challenges – Inside Higher Ed
- South Dakota ends college tuition reciprocity with Minnesota, what that means for students – Star Tribune
- Minnesota offers free public college tuition, now private schools want help for their students – Star Tribune
Saint Mary’s partnership spotlight
New Smith Schafer partnership fuels intern, scholarship program
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and CPA firm Smith Schafer are pleased to announce that a student from the university’s B.S. in Accounting program is the first official recipient of the scholarship and internship program fostered between the two organizations.
The student will receive a $1,000 scholarship, as well as an opportunity to intern at Smith Schafer’s Rochester office.
Smith Schafer is an award-winning CPA firm. They have been featured on Forbes America’s BestTax Firms list, awarded Best of Accounting Client Satisfaction by ClearlyRated, and named a Top 175 Workplace in Minnesota by the Star Tribune.
New partnership launched with Washburn Center for Children
Saint Mary’s has launched a new partnership with Washburn Center For Children, a mental health center that serves Minnesota children from birth to age 18.
The partnership will include internship and job placement opportunities, as well as a scholarship for current Washburn employees and their spouses.
Largest school district in the state joins Trusted Partner Program
The Anoka-Hennepin School District, the state’s largest school district, has joined Saint Mary’s Trusted Partner Program.
Through the Trusted Partner Program, Saint Mary’s assists partner districts with the attraction, retention, and professional development of staff, while also creating an affordable option for their staff to enroll in programs at the university.
The Saint Mary’s Partnership Collaborative is a new initiative populated with key partners from the Schools of Business and Technology, Health and Human Services, and Education that provide students, faculty, and alumni with opportunities for professional development, research, internships, externships, employee pipelines, targeted accelerator certificates and degree completion. This partnership spotlight is meant to highlight the exciting partnerships Saint Mary’s has entered.
Doctoral research spotlight: Lelna Desta
Lelna Desta has spent the last seven years working in the health insurance world with UnitedHealthcare.
Desta, a student in the Saint Mary’s Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program, has a background in biomedical engineering, and an MBA with a focus on business analytics.
When Desta arrived at UnitedHealthcare, she began working on a tech project where she was placed on an agile team. Agile project management is a methodology used in project management that emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and iterative development. Working on the agile project at UnitedHealthcare, Desta was on a team that was based half in the U.S. and half in India.
“I was just fascinated by how the teams blended together, worked together, and leveraged their expertise to work on an innovative product” she said. “It was a very different type of team and different type of collaboration.”
Because of her experience at UnitedHealthcare, when it came time to pick a research topic for her dissertation, Desta chose to study the lived experiences of dispersed agile software developers working for international companies.
Desta is still halfway through her research but says she has uncovered interesting findings, especially when it comes to how people view dispersed work.
“Usually when researchers and practitioners consider dispersed agile teams, they think about various parts of the world.” she said. “However, a lot of the people I’ve talked to who live in India have said, ‘I’ve never seen my colleagues because they’re in other parts of India.’ So it’s still very much a virtual experience that they have, which I think adds a whole different layer to how you consider dispersed agile teams.”
Desta says between her program cohort and her professors in the DBA program, Saint Mary’s did a wonderful job of preparing her for her doctoral research.
“I learned an immense amount from my professors thanks to their experience and unique approach to teaching,” she said.
Four honored during Saint Mary’s Founders’ Day celebration
In celebration of its heritage, Saint Mary’s University presented awards to one faculty member, one staff member, and two outstanding seniors at its annual Founders’ Day celebration Tuesday, March 19, on the Winona Campus.
Robin Wisniewski, Psy.D., program director of the M.A. in Counseling and Psychological Services program, received the Distinguished Lasallian Educator Award. Presented each year, the award recognizes a member of the faculty, staff, or administration who exemplifies the ideals of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, expressed in the Twelve Virtues of a Good Teacher. The award is given by Lasallian institutions like Saint Mary’s in the Lasallian Region of North America of the De La Salle Christian Brothers to honor contributions and commitment to the Lasallian mission of education. Robin has worked at Saint Mary’s for nearly 15 years – first as the practicum coordinator for the Rochester MA in Counseling Psychology program, then as full-time program director. As program director, she has built many strong collaborative relationships with the Rochester and southeastern MN communities to help increase the number of qualified mental health therapists serving the region. Robin’s contributions across the University include her participation on committees and initiatives. She began a new initiative to expand access to the M.A. in Counseling Psychology program by offering a remote cohort option for students in 2022, which has grown significantly since the first cohort.
Tracy Lehnertz, M.A., assistant vice president for Institutional Effectiveness, received the Bishop Patrick Heffron Award. The Heffron Award — named after the founder of Saint Mary’s University — is awarded every other year to an employee who has contributed positively to the life of the university, has demonstrated a long-term commitment to the values of the university, and has been a model of the Lasallian spirit in interactions with colleagues and students. For over 30 years, Tracy has supported the Saint Mary’s community, serving in various roles, from associate dean for off-campus programs and accreditation liaison officer to interim registrar and assistant to the provost. She has demonstrated exceptional commitment to Saint Mary’s University, its Mission, our students, and staff throughout her years of service. Her attention to detail, research skills, and talent for strategic, “big picture” thinking have elevated the work of presidents, provosts, vice presidents, deans, faculty, and resident life programs throughout her time at Saint Mary’s University.
The university also announced its Outstanding Male and Female Seniors during the Founders’ Day celebration. Outstanding Seniors have demonstrated the ideals of scholarship, character, leadership, service to colleagues and the university community, as well as genuine concern for the needs of others.
This year, the honor went to Patrick Derleth, of Berlin, Wis., and Riley Hall, of Dallas Center, Iowa. The eight other students nominated for Outstanding Senior included Nicholas Kiemel, Noah Kiemel, Mitchell Klatt, and Owen Ziegler, Ryann Aschenbrener, Kirsten Neistadt, Jacinta Nguyễn, and Madeline Patterson.
Hall of Fame Profile: Jenny (Folgers) Baertsch B’05
WINONA, Minn. — Jenny (Folgers) Baertsch B’05 will be the first to admit that she never expected to be among those considered for the Saint Mary’s University Sports Hall of Fame.
Her accolades, however, told an entirely different story.
And now, the most decorated hurdler in Cardinal track and field history is days away from being inducted into the Saint Mary’s Sports Hall of Fame.
Baertsch, along with Jamie (Rattunde) Nelson B’05 and Marc Weisenburger B’75, will be recognized and honored as part of the third annual Cardinal Excellence Fund Dinner, which will be held at Visions Event Center in Winona on Saturday.
“I’ll never forget being surprised with the news I was selected for the Hall of Fame,” said Baertsch. “Since I live in Winona, I was lucky to experience the surprise in-person at my home! At first I was shocked, and honestly a little confused. But now that I’ve had time to process the news, I feel incredibly proud and honored to be selected.”
A four-year letterwinner, Baertsch was a three-year track captain and a cross country captain her senior year. Owner of a combined 10 indoor/outdoor school records, she was the MIAC hurdles champion in 2004 — and qualified for the NCAA national championships in 2003, 2004, and 2005. Baertsch collected eight First-Team All-MIAC honors and added three honorable-mention selections over her storied career, while being named Academic All-MIAC and USTFCCCA All-Academic each of her last three seasons.
“I had the honor and privilege of meeting fellow Hall of Famer Retsey (Ronk) Anderson, class of 1980, who I learned was the first female inducted into the Saint Mary’s HOF in 1990,” said Baertsch. “She shared stories of women’s athletics during the late 1970s, and I listened in admiration and amazement of her accomplishments and how far we’ve come in women’s athletics.
“To be among Retsey and so many other legends is an incredible feeling.”
Hall of Fame Profile: Jamie (Rattunde) Nelson B’05
WINONA, Minn. — Jamie (Rattunde) Nelson B’05 was a force to be reckoned with on the basketball court — and her efforts during her four years as a Cardinal did not go unnoticed.
One of the most decorated women’s basketball players in program history, Nelson is days away from collecting yet another honor, this one on a far grander scale — being inducted into the Saint Mary’s Sports Hall of Fame.
Nelson, along with Jenny (Folgers) Baertsch B’05 and Marc Weisenburger B’75, will be recognized and honored as part of the third annual Cardinal Excellence Fund Dinner, which will be held at Visions Event Center in Winona on Saturday.
When I received the news of my induction, it was a moment of profound honor, a realization that my years of dedication to Saint Mary’s women’s basketball had been recognized in the most extraordinary way,” reflected Nelson. “It was a humbling moment, one that I will forever cherish.”
A four-year regular for the Cardinals, Nelson helped guide the Cardinals to the MIAC post-season tournament each of her four years — including a semifinal appearance in 2004-05. She was a D3hoops.com Second-Team All-Region as a senior, not to mention landing First-Team All-MIAC honors in each of her final three seasons, while being selected to the MIAC All-Defensive Team all four years. Nelson closed out her collegiate career averaging 14.3 ppg and 7.9 rpg, while recording 350 steals and dishing out 385 assists. Nelson ranks first in program history in free throws made (423), free throws attempted (596), and minutes played (3271), while also ranking in the top five in eight other career categories.
“Being inducted into the Saint Mary’s Sports Hall of Fame is a testament to years of dedication, hard work, and passion for athletics,” Nelson said. “This recognition represents not only personal achievements, but also the support and encouragement of teammates, coaches, and the entire community.
“As the newest member, I am humbled and proud to be part of such a distinguished group.”
Vatterott applies classroom experience to real world work
Tom Vatterott’s passion for social justice is evident in everything he does.
A case manager for Minnesota nonprofit Simpson Housing Services, Tom’s work focuses on supporting families experiencing or transitioning out of homelessness. His work is varied, ranging from helping people apply for affordable housing, to driving clients to appointments and providing referrals to other available resources for families in need.
Tom received his undergraduate degree from USC, an experience he is grateful for and acknowledges contributed substantially to his growth as a person. However, USC’s achievement-oriented culture felt like it prioritized personal ambition over social responsibility at times, which didn’t always sit well with Vatterott. He had a different feeling when looking at Saint Mary’s Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) program to continue his education.
“I got the sense that Saint Mary’s aligns with my values, so the university feels closer to home in this regard,” Tom says. “I felt drawn to Saint Mary’s by the affordable tuition and the belief in education as a tool for empowerment, the location, and its culture.”
During orientation, a discussion about the importance of caregiver health and well-being continues to resonate with Tom: an MFT’s health needs to be prioritized first because clients “borrow” the health of their clinicians. This concept has helped him focus more on self-care in his current role so that he can be fully present when supporting his clients.
One of the reasons Tom chose the Marriage and Family Therapy program was because he hoped to make a difference in tackling issues around harmful gender stereotyping and its adverse effects on interpersonal relationships and racial equity.
“I now see MFT work as a form of social justice, but I didn’t start the program thinking that way,” he shared. “I hadn’t thought of my intentions as falling under the umbrella of social justice specifically, but I liked to think that deeper empathy, improved communication skills, self-awareness, and acceptance of discomfort were all important aspects of recognizing privilege and paying attention to underrepresented perspectives.”
Much of what he’s learned in Saint Mary’s Marriage and Family Therapy program is applicable to his current work with equitable housing.
“I’ve started paying attention to where my clients land in the family development life cycle. I feel more attuned to the stressors clients experience during particular chapters of life,” he shares. “I’m able to recognize developmental milestones for my client’s children, and having that context helps me relate to my clients.”
Tom has also begun to notice that his work can be considered a form of activism in itself.
“Relationship systems often change in response to the growth of an individual member,” he shares. “It’s exciting to be able to encourage systemic change simply by being present to my future clients.”
Advocacy continues to play a tremendous role in Tom’s life. He’s been quoted in the Star Tribune and written an op-ed pushing for systemic change for case managers on the frontlines of the housing crisis who are working to end homelessness but struggle to afford rent themselves.
Doctoral research spotlight: Keith Anderson
The culture of an organization and how it shapes an individual’s moral identity has always been of interest to Keith Anderson D’23. So much so, that he made it the topic of his doctoral dissertation.
Anderson, a graduate of Saint Mary’s Doctor of Business Administration program, started his career in chemistry, working as a pharmaceutical chemist. Because of his experience in project management, he was recruited into the IT field. After several years in IT, Anderson received an MBA in accounting and finance.
Wanting to continue his education, Anderson began looking at graduate programs, which brought him to Saint Mary’s.
“I was going into this program with an interest in the behavioral aspects of management and research, and I realized that this program had the flexibility where you could focus on the particular topics of each course but also pivot just a little bit and take on some the topics that I was interested in,” he said. “That’s part of what attracted me to the program.”
When it came time to select a dissertation topic, Anderson fused his interests and focused his research on whether workplace morals influence individual morality.
“So the idea was, if you have a stronger ethical culture, does that strengthen your moral identity and make you less likely to morally disengage or stay true to your moral framework,” he said.
Anderson focused mostly on project management teams due to their nature in an organization. Anderson noted that project managers work with employees from different departments in an organization, which all may have different subcultures and morals as it relates to their work. “Project teams are very temporary organizations,” he said.
“So it seems there isn’t potentially enough time for ethical culture to have an influence,” he said. “But what I’m trying to find is, if you’re trying to raise up the ethicality within an organization, especially when you have multiple subcultures and an overarching culture, do you focus on that at the organization level? Are you focusing at the individual level, trying to build them up? And it takes both. You can’t just have an ethical culture, and then everyone underneath that umbrella is now automatically ethical and moral in their conduct. So I think that just kind of shows there has to be ways to train or encourage individual ethicality, or morality, and then training in that.”
With defending his dissertation behind him, Anderson is looking to publish his research in academic journals. He also plans to continue his education and teach.
“I’d like to teach in an MBA program and focus on behavioral approach and organizational behavior,” he said.
Doctoral research spotlight: Rustam Musevi
Rustam Musevi’s doctoral research dissertation is very personal to him.
Musevi, a student in Saint Mary’s Ed.D. program, was born and raised in Azerbaijan, a former Soviet republic in the South Caucus region of Asia. In Azerbaijan, Musevi studied dentistry and went on to practice as a dentist.
At the age of 24, Musevi immigrated to the United States. After immigrating, he decided to join the U.S. military and was assigned to a dental corps. Once he finished his time in the military, he decided to shift his priorities and go back to school.
“I decided I’m going to start from zero and go back to do an undergraduate degree,” he said.
After graduating with a communications degree from the University of Minnesota, Musevi took the advice of friends and enrolled in the MBA program at Saint Mary’s. Upon completion of his MBA, he decided to “continue my journey” and enrolled in the university’s Ed.D. program.
When the time came to pick a dissertation topic, he knew he wanted to focus on the lived experience of Azerbaijanis who immigrated to the U.S. following the Four-Day War between Azerbaijan and Armenia in 2020.
“I did have multiple ideas in my head but I picked this one because it is my experience,” he said.
As a part of his dissertation, Musevi includes his experience immigrating to the U.S. in the research. To avoid any bias, he plans to interview several Azerbaijani immigrants in the U.S.
“Interviewing Azerbaijani immigrants will be exciting but I’m really looking forward to the analysis,” he said. “I’m interested in comparing because at a personal level, I know what the experience was like because I was a participant in those experiences.”
According to Musevi, the topic presents a number of challenges. First, the Azerbaijani immigrant population in the U.S. is very small and does not have a unifying element, like a common religion. Musevi also says it is difficult to find academic research on the Four-Day War between Azerbaijan and Armenia due to how recently the conflict occurred. However, Musevi says he is excited to be the first to research a topic so important to him.
“This research will help me understand this experience on a personal level and contribute to the academic understanding of this type of phenomenon,” he said.
Jessica Uhlig to depart as dean of academic support services; Scott Walker to serve in interim role at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
Dear Faculty and Staff,
With mixed emotion, we share Dr. Jessica Uhlig’s difficult decision to depart from Saint Mary’s and her role as dean of academic support services. Due to family commitments, she will leave the Saint Mary’s community effective March 13. We appreciate her service and compassion for students during her time with us.
We are extremely fortunate to appoint Mr. Scott Walker, M.A., as interim dean of academic support services. As associate vice president for strategic planning, Scott serves as the main point of support for the university’s strategic initiatives. He has a strong grasp of student success, retention, and first-generation initiatives. A lifelong educator and former high school administrator, Scott is deeply committed to providing all students with academic, social, and cultural support. He was immediately identified as the natural leader to fill this role due to his love of Saint Mary’s and sincere dedication to its mission. We are certain that the sustainability of Saint Mary’s will greatly benefit from his vision, steady hand, and depth of expertise during this time of transition.
As we have been working on strengthening and formalizing the structure of academic support services, we have had the unique ability to assess and analyze team strengths and responsibilities. We are fortunate to have a strong understanding of our future direction, which will culminate in a formal search process in the coming weeks. While we provide this news with some disappointment, we also have an unwavering knowledge that our students will continue to be supported and celebrated with a tremendous team of committed staff and faculty.
Brother William Mann founded the First Generation Initiative (FGI) in 2010 to ensure the academic success of first-generation college students, or those who are the first generation in their family to attend a postsecondary institution. When students – especially first-generation students – understand that they have a well-rooted support network, they have a much greater ability to form bonds and navigate their goals. This is something Dr. Uhlig helped strengthen, and the team she leaves behind is committed to continuing that effort. I want to express my gratitude to all of our faculty and staff for creating our vibrant and caring community at Saint Mary’s.
Thank you,
Max Bonilla, SSL, STD
Provost and Dean of Faculties
Saint Mary’s launches Virtual Career Center
On March 11, Career Services officially launched its new Virtual Career Center with the support of uConnect, a platform specifically designed for higher education institutions that comes with automated features and additional resources to support student’s career development needs.
“On our needs assessment, students across the university indicated a desire to access career development resources, services, and support 24/7, Kerri Carlson Anderson, director of career services, shared. “The uConnect Virtual Career Center platform provides us the opportunity to maximize existing resources, like Handshake, and expand our offerings including career masterclasses, videos, labor market data, and virtual experiences to help develop and expand their skills.”
Individuals using the new Virtual Career Center will be able to:
- Explore open jobs and find employers currently hiring through Handshake
- Find career opportunities and advice specific to your career path
- Job Market Insights Tool – The Job Market Insights tool provides employment data from across the country to help with exploring occupations and industries, salary expectations, skills, competencies, and education needed to identify top employers and job titles.
- Career Masterclasses – Access to self-paced courses with lifetime access to assist with job search, resume and cover letters, LinkedIn, and more.
- Virtual Experiences (Forage) – Explore careers and prepare for the job with job simulations that build real-life skills for real-life roles, offering a window into the company and a preview of their day-to-day. Job simulations are 100% free, open-access, and self-paced.
The Virtual Career Center is live now, and ready to be explored at careerservices.smumn.edu.
The Virtual Career Center can be found easily on smumn.edu in the main menu by selecting “Careers and Internships” under Helpful Links, or by navigating to Career Services on the Offices and Services link in the website’s footer.
Saint Mary’s in the news
From a historic outdoor baseball game in February to faculty experts discussing artificial intelligence (AI), Saint Mary’s has been making headlines in the local press.
WCCO highlights earliest home baseball game ever played
The Twin Cities-based TV station WCCO highlighted the historic February home baseball games the Cardinals played against Bethany Lutheran College and Luther College.
“Being a Minnesota kid you are used to living in the North Pole this time of year, so it’s great,” Cardinals pitcher Eric Stomberg told WCCO about being able to play outside in February.
Jon Ebert, program director of the M.S. in Data Intelligence and Data Analytics program, was recently featured in a panel on AI in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.
The discussion ranged from how AI is influencing the business and technology fields and the pros and cons of AI use in higher education.
Higher education in the headlines
Higher education is a field that is constantly changing. With this roundup, we hope to keep you informed about what is going on at universities and colleges around the country:
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