Saint Mary's Newsroom
Campus ConnectionAn update from the president to alumni and parents
Speaker presents on living the values of respect, unity, and diversity
Sister Victoria Battell, RSM will present Radical Hospitality: Living the Values of Respect, Unity, and Diversity on Thursday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m. in SLC 200. All students, faculty, and staff are invited.
Sister Victoria is a Sister of Mercy from the United Kingdom currently ministering in Albany, N.Y., as vice president for Mission at Maria College. She also chairs the Mission Officers Council for the Conference for Mercy Higher Education. An experienced educator, Sister Victoria teaches social justice ethics, cosmology, and spirituality. She is a speaker and published spiritual writer. Sister Victoria has more than 12 years of experience in spiritual formation and working for mission and institutions led by values.
Saint Mary’s University announces new Business Advisory Council
WINONA, Minn. — With the help of skilled regional and alumni businessmen and women, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota has formed a Business Advisory Council (BAC), which will support and help the university’s School of Business on its Winona Campus.
The BAC’s goal is to advance the learning experience of Saint Mary’s students and contribute to the quality of teaching and research of its faculty through their support. Innovative programs, recruitment and placement, and the competitive undergraduate business environment are among the topics that the council will provide insight on. The council is further subdivided into three committees with specific goals: Winona Business Community Committee; Internships, Co-ops, and Mentoring Committee, and Development Committee.
Members of the Saint Mary’s BAC, a volunteer group of dedicated professionals, include:
- Jerome A. Colletti, managing partner, Colletti-Fiss, LLC, Scottsdale, Ariz.
- Terri L. Evans, VP/correspondent mortgage account manager, Merchants Bank, Winona
- Roger Haydock, law professor, William Mitchell College of Law, Spearfish, S.D.
- Sheryl Lisowski, controller, CAO, and treasurer, Fastenal Company, Winona
- Todd Paulson, chief financial officer, RTP Company, Winona
- Dick Pope, chairman, WinCraft, Inc., Winona
- DJ Prideaux, program manager, Sensata Technologies, Saint Paul, Minn.
- Randy Skarlupka, vice president of operations, Miller Ingenuity, Winona
- Maggie Sonnek, marketing professional and business owner, Mill City Creative, Wabasha, Minn.
- Angela Steger, retired financial representative, Northfield, Ill.
- Cathy Walsh, broker associate, Jameson Sotheby’s International Real Estate, Hinsdale, Ill.
Foley and Lowe interviewed on Cardinals’ Nest [videos]
New Saint Mary’s Women’s Basketball Head Coach David Foley and Swimming and Diving Head Coach Amber Lowe were the latest guests on The Cardinals’ Nest, which airs on Winona’s local cable access HBC TV 25.
Watch Foley’s interview:
Watch Lowe’s interview:
GeoSpatial Services kicks off North Dakota project
During the week of Nov. 12-15, GeoSpatial Services (GSS) staff members Kevin Stark, Nick Lemcke, and Al Rabine traveled to North Dakota as they conducted fieldwork and met with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) officials regarding the current National Wetland Inventory (NWI) update. The scoping meeting, held at the USFWS office in Devils Lake, N.D., included discussions of mapping the prairie pothole region, farmed areas that have been heavily ditched/drained, soil conditions including saline and sodic soils, and other unique areas. The first series of NWI updates will include seven counties in northeastern North Dakota. GSS staff members were able to get out in the field to check pre-selected sites and analyze preliminary wetland classifications, identify vegetative species, and examine aerial photo signatures.
Photo caption: GSS staff members Nick Lemcke (left) and Kevin Stark (second from right) met with USFWS staff during a wetland site visit in North Dakota.
Important conversation around inclusivity promotes unity in diversity
Students in the Field Methods course in partnership with Fitzgerald Library staff recently held The Race Card Project to discover more about our campus climate in various dimensions of human diversity. The project invited participants to write their thoughts around important topics such as race, ethnicity, and cultural identity in six words or less. The notes were then displayed on a board in the library Oct. 28-Nov. 7. A candid, follow-up conversation was held on Nov. 9 where a panel discussion was led by students Tyler Aliperto, Logan McCabe, and Stanley Wright, Jr., and moderated by Laura Oanes, Fitzgerald Library director, and Valerie Edwards Robeson, Human Services program coordinator and associate professor of Social Science.
Photo caption: The Race Card Project board that was on display in the library. Photo courtesy of Yohanan Urbina.
‘President’s Update’ newsletter to be transformed
In support of a strategic planning and key initiatives process, the university is undergoing several changes, including some that were announced last week. As we review areas of the university and seek strategic realignment and operational effectiveness, we are also reviewing the ways in which we communicate news internally. As part of these changes, we have decided to discontinue publishing the current form of the “President’s Update” newsletter.
The “President’s Update” began under the direction of Brother William Mann, FSC, president emeritus. It was created as an effort to enhance communication at the university level announcing important events, strategic initiatives, and other news. The messages have been used to highlight ways we advanced agendas for the university in alignment with priority planning. The President’s Office and the Advancement and Communication Office are assessing communication efforts and establishing how we can best keep the university, our community, and our partners informed. We will be creating what we believe will be an even better and more enhanced universitywide update system which will include pertinent information from across the academy, not just from the president.
As we work together in the coming months to shape the future of Saint Mary’s, we will continue to send updates, especially about the strategic planning process, while also sharing important university news as is helpful in other ways. Again, I’m grateful for your continued and thoughtful collaboration and your ongoing commitment to our shared mission.
Saint Mary’s University faculty member named a Wiley Education Services Fellow
WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota faculty member Michael Ratajczyk has been named to the Wiley Education Services Fellows Program and will collaborate on an artificial intelligence (AI) project, which is aimed at enhancing student engagement.
Using artificial intelligence, Ratajczyk — assistant professor of Business at the undergraduate College in Winona and program director for the university’s M.S. in Business Intelligence and Data Analytics program — plans to create a type of online chat box, where a student can ask questions 24 hours a day. The AI will be programmed to ask appropriate follow-up questions and then provide resources to best address the question.
“With our online M.S. in Business Intelligence and Data Analytics courses, it’s an eight-week environment where we don’t work with students face to face, and the content is very hands on, which can be challenging,” Ratajczyk said. “Additionally, because many of our adult students have day jobs, they may be completing assignments outside of regular office hours. The AI will be a resource to address that. Our goal is to get students the information they need without having to wait until their teacher logs in. It’s about getting them the information they need, when it is needed, instead of delaying their progress. Ultimately, it’s all about student-centered learning.”
Wiley Education Services Fellows are a small, select group of distinguished faculty, program directors, or administrators from the network of Wiley partner schools. The program aims to honor educators and advance their innovative work via collaboration with one another and Wiley.
The program officially began on Nov. 14, and the project’s duration is expected to last about a year.
Saint Mary’s Page Theatre invites children to audition for ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’
WINONA, Minn. — Children ages 7-12 who are under five feet tall are invited to audition for the upcoming Page Series production of ODC/Dance’s “The Velveteen Rabbit.” Auditions will be held Saturday, Dec. 8, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Valéncia Arts Center at 1164 W. Howard St.
ODC/Dance brings to life Margery Williams’ classic tale of a well-worn nursery rabbit that becomes real. Told through music, dance, and a powerful narrative, “The Velveteen Rabbit” celebrates the unique relationship between a little boy and his stuffed rabbit and the enduring power of love. “The Velveteen Rabbit,” a narrated production set to selections by Benjamin Britten, is brimming with wit, festive costumes, and madcap characters.
Dancers wishing to audition should be capable of remembering choreography and dancing in unison. Rehearsals for this 70-minute professional production will take place throughout January; selected dancers will be expected to attend all rehearsals. Performances will be Sunday, Jan. 27, at 3 p.m. and Monday, Jan. 28, at 10 a.m. (school matinee).
Visit pagetheatre.org for more information about the production or to preregister your child. Watch this video to get a sneak peek of “The Velveteen Rabbit.”
Presentation of “The Velveteen Rabbit” is supported by the Arts Midwest Touring Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Crane Group.
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
2nd annual Cardinal Fest is Saturday, Nov. 17
All Saint Mary’s University students, faculty and staff, alumni, and their families are invited to take part in the 2nd annual Cardinal Fest celebration on Saturday, Nov. 17, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Gostomski Fieldhouse. Join in on the fun, food, games, and giveaways.
Cardinal Fest is a collaborative effort between the Office of Student Activities, Alumni Relations, Student Athletic Advisory Committee, Student Activities Committee, Future Alumni Committee, Chartwells, Maintenance Department, WinCraft, and HBC created to bring the entire campus community together to celebrate the upcoming end to the fall semester. Last year more than 500 members of the Saint Mary’s community came out and enjoyed the event!
You can expect:
- ENTERTAINMENT — A variety of inflatables (Dodgeball Defender, a Bootcamp Challenge obstacle course, the Titanic Slide, and Boulder Dash) will be available. Challenge yourself or your friends! A dunk tank will give you a chance to drop some of your favorite faculty and staff members.
- A CARNIVAL AND RAFFLE — Teams, clubs, departments, and offices on campus will host Minute-to-Win-It-style carnival games. Winners of these games will be entered into a raffle for prizes (including one grand prize to be given at the event). Don’t worry if you don’t win right away, you’ll still get candy just for playing!
- GIVEAWAYS — 500 custom Saint Mary’s scarves will be given away throughout Cardinal Fest.
- FOOD — A carnival-themed lunch will be offered. This will be the only spot on campus food will be served at this time.
The Rev. James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D.
President
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
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