Saint Mary's Newsroom
Campus ConnectionAn update from the president to alumni and parents
Women’s hockey featured on Cardinals’ Nest [video]
The new Cardinals’ Nest is available, and this week it features Women’s Hockey Head Coach Greg Moore. Hear him discuss his second year as head coach and expectations for the team, which has started out the season 2-0. The Cardinals’ Nest airs weekly on Winona local cable access HBC TV-25.
Studio ‘S’ dedication on Nov. 9
Join the Saint Mary’s Music Department for the dedication of Studio “S” in Saint Yon’s Hall on the Winona Campus. This new state-of-the-art recording studio will be dedicated in honor and memory of Robert (Bob) Scurio ’57, whose generous estate gift made this addition to the Music Department possible. Scurio was a founding member of the Saint Mary’s Marinotes and lifelong musician, and his love of music will play on in Studio “S.” Several of his fellow Marinotes will be playing with our current students during the event.
- When: Friday, Nov. 9, 4-5:30 p.m.
- Where: Saint Yon’s Hall
Photo caption: John Koenig ’58, aka “Cheetah,” washing the 1938 LaSalle hearse, one of the vehicles used by the Marinotes for transportation. Koenig was the Marinotes’ piano player.
Sympathy to Heukeshoven and Leisen families
Bertha Norby, mother of Janet Heukeshoven (Music Department), died Oct. 25. Other family at Saint Mary’s includes Janet’s husband, Eric (also of the Music Department), and their sons, Max and Hans. Notes of condolence for the Heukeshoven family can be sent to campus box #158. View her obituary.
Mary Leisen, mother of Daniel Leisen (Campus Safety) died last weekend. Notes of condolence can be left at the Campus Safety desk.
3+2 Mayo Clinic PA program launches
Saint Mary’s is excited to announce the launch of a new 3+2 Physician Assistant (PA) Program, a collaborative effort between Saint Mary’s and Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences. Beginning in fall 2019, students chosen for this highly competitive program will spend three years studying on the Winona Campus followed by two years with Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences, with most graduate courses being held at Saint Mary’s Cascade Meadow facility in Rochester. Those two years will include substantial clinical experiences at Mayo Clinic in Rochester and throughout Mayo Clinic Health System.
At the completion of this program, students will receive a bachelor’s degree from Saint Mary’s and a Master of Health Sciences degree in PA Studies from Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences. The ultimate goal of the program is to create a pipeline of talented PAs who will work for Mayo Clinic locations throughout the Midwest, responding to a national need. It is particularly prestigious since these new PA students will train at the No. 1 ranked hospital in the nation. Mayo is also ranked No. 1 in more specialties than any other hospital. For more information about the program and how to apply, visit smumn.edu/PAprogram.
Learning to become an informed voter
Faculty, staff, and students gathered for a panel discussion on informed voting last week on the the Winona Campus. Panel members included faculty members Dean Beckman, Communication Department; Brother Pat Conway, FSC, Interdisciplinary Studies Department; Dr. Patricia Calton, Philosophy Department; Dr. Joyce Bautch, Theology Department; and Dr. Josh Lallaman, Biology Department. These faculty members represent various disciplines, which brought a unique perspective to what it means to be an informed voter. Panel members discussed how to become an informed voter by learning to discern and sift through the vast amount of information available. This event was sponsored by the Student Senate Executive Board.
Coaches participate in classroom panel
Pictured are, from left: David Foley, women’s basketball head coach; Jen Miller, softball head coach; Neil Cassidy; women’s soccer head coach; Greg Moore, women’s hockey head coach; Samantha Borawski, softball assistant coach.
Five Saint Mary’s University coaches were recently panelists in a classroom discussion on gender in sports. The coaches shared their experiences from youth and college as student athletes. They also shared their views on coaching women’s sports. Topics covered during the discussion included Title IX, approaches to communication, professional opportunities for female coaches, workload issues, advice for those going into coaching, and pay equity. The panel was part of Associate Professor Dean Beckman’s Sport Communication class, a freshman Anchor Course in the new Integrated General Education Program.
Saint Mary’s visits partner school in China
Pictured are, from left: Dr. Yan Li, XPU associate dean of School of Management; Tao Ning, XPU party chief of School of Management; Tracy Lehnertz, Saint Mary’s associate dean of International Programs; Dr. Gao Ling, XPU president; Brother Robert Smith, FSC, chief academic officer and vice president of the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs; Professor Chen Lixia, XPU director of International Office; Chao Hong, current Saint Mary’s Ed.D. student and international recruiting assistant; Hongyan Cong, XPU professor in School of Art Engineering and prior visiting scholar at Saint Mary’s; and Dr. Xianfeng Sun, XPU professor in School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering and prior visiting scholar at Saint Mary’s.
Brother Robert Smith, FSC, Ph.D., chief academic officer and vice president of the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs, and Tracy Lehnertz, associate dean for International Programs, recently visited Xi’an Polytechnic University (XPU) in Xi’an, China, one of Saint Mary’s partner universities. The visit included meetings with XPU International Relations staff and the XPU president about how to deepen and enhance the relationship; participation in a two-day student recruitment fair; and attendance at XPU’s 40th anniversary celebration. Suzanne Deranek, director of College admission, also made the trip for the XPU recruitment fair. Chao Hong, a current Saint Mary’s Ed.D. student and international recruiting assistant who lives in Xi’an, China, accompanied them throughout the trip to help with translation.
The Saint Mary’s visitors engaged with staff and faculty from XPU to further the partnership and draw on commonalities between the two universities, such as the importance of character education — developing the whole person in light of morality and virtue. The Saint Mary’s Winona Campus has hosted visiting faculty members from XPU the past two years. Dr. Fan Yang, faculty member in the XPU School of Management, is the current visiting scholar collaborating in the Saint Mary’s Business Department. Saint Mary’s has also enrolled students from XPU over the past eight years. Saint Mary’s and XPU have agreed to continue their partnership in hopes of creating more opportunities for students and faculty exchanges in the future.
Saint Mary’s inaugurates The Rev. James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D., as 14th president [video]
A crowd of approximately 1,500 gathered on the Winona Campus to congratulate Father James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D., as he was inaugurated as Saint Mary’s University’s 14th president on Oct. 5 — a day that showcased Saint Mary’s University for its strong educational reputation and its welcoming atmosphere, all while introducing its new leader. Read the full story.
Applications now being accepted to Saint Mary’s for 3+2 Mayo Clinic PA program
WINONA, Minn. — Students interested in becoming a physician assistant (PA) are invited to apply for a new 3+2 PA Program, a collaborative effort between Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences.
Beginning in fall 2019, select students chosen for this program will spend three years studying at Saint Mary’s University’s Winona Campus (or the University of Minnesota Rochester, which is also offering this program) followed by two years with Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences, with most graduate courses being held at Saint Mary’s Cascade Meadow facility in Rochester. Those two years will include substantial clinical learning experiences at Mayo Clinic in Rochester and throughout Mayo Clinic Health System.
At the completion of this program, students will receive a bachelor’s degree from Saint Mary’s University (or the University of Minnesota Rochester) and a Master of Health Sciences degree in PA Studies from Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences.
A total of 24 students (18 from Saint Mary’s; six from UMR) will be admitted into the program each year; therefore, the application to Saint Mary’s is a competitive process that includes a personal interview, an essay, and evaluation of these characteristics:
- Academic potential — Candidates must have a cumulative high school GPA of 3.5 or higher; an ACT composite score of 24 or higher or SAT equivalent of 1170 or higher; and meet admission requirements of Saint Mary’s University and Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences.
- Commitment to health care and familiarity with the PA role — The ideal candidate will have volunteered in the healthcare field and will understand the role and responsibilities of the PA.
- Character — Preference will be given to candidates who demonstrate leadership, commitment, maturity, resilience, compassion, and service.
“We believe this program will be highly advantageous for students who plan to become PAs and who wish to potentially work at Mayo Clinic, which for many will be their ultimate career destination,” said the Rev. James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D., president of Saint Mary’s. “These students will receive the attention, preparation, and skills they need to be successful, receiving high quality instruction from knowledgeable professors at Saint Mary’s and from Mayo Clinic educators, who are among the best in the nation. Further, our program seeks to align our students with our mission to develop highly competent professionals who are ethically prepared and morally sound in judgement.”
The ultimate goal with this prestigious program is to create a pipeline of talented PAs who will work for Mayo Clinic locations throughout the Midwest, responding to a national need. Forthcoming PA students will train at the No. 1 ranked hospital in the nation, ranked No. 1 in more specialties than any other hospital.
“Being a PA is an extremely rewarding career,” said Dr. Michael Huckabee, director of Mayo Clinic PA Program. “The beauty of this profession is that PAs can move from specialty to specialty. Within my career, I’ve worked in rural family medicine, emergency room medicine, and pediatrics. This opens so many ways for PAs to have a direct and meaningful impact on the quality of their patients’ lives.”
For more information on how to apply, go to smumn.edu/PAprogram. The deadline to apply is Dec. 7, 2018.
The Rev. James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D.
President
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
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