Saint Mary's Newsroom
Campus ConnectionAn update from the president to alumni and parents
Dr. Matt Nowakowski announces retirement
Dr. Matt Nowakowski, vice provost for faculties and academic affairs, shared that he will be retiring at the end of this semester to devote more time to writing, wildlife photography, and travel with his family. His last day will be Dec.16. In his 16 years at Saint Mary’s, Dr. Nowakowski made a number of contributions to help advance our academic mission. He co-founded the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program and served on numerous DBA and Ed.D. dissertation committees. He was named the 2020 Distinguished Lasallian Educator at Saint Mary’s and attended and completed the Buttimer Institute of Lasallian Studies program.
Dr. Matt Nowakowski, vice provost for faculties and academic affairs
“Dr. Nowakowski has willingly taken on several leadership roles as needed, including most recently agreeing to serve as vice provost, a position he has held before,” said Dr. Matthew Gerlach, interim provost and dean of faculties. “The amount of change and the pace at which we are implementing that change to benefit student learning and student success has been tremendous. Dr. Nowakowski is a calm presence and has a deep sense of mission and expertise across academic affairs. His institutional knowledge and commitment to our Lasallian Catholic mission is evident in his work and leadership. We are grateful for his many years of service.”
Dr. Nowakowski stated, ” ‘Together and by association’ has been more than a slogan to me. Serving the Lasallian Catholic mission through teaching and administrative roles for the past 16 years has been an absolute privilege.”
A review of the best way to transition due to Dr. Nowakowski’s retirement news is already underway, and plans will be communicated soon. In the meantime, if you have questions, please contact Dr. Gerlach (provost@smumn.edu or 507-457-8716).
Important dates: Open enrollment, Cardinal Update Live
Open Enrollment
The Saint Mary’s Human Resources Department would like to remind staff and faculty that the open enrollment period for benefits is currently open and will remain open through Friday, Nov. 18. Open enrollment is your annual opportunity to add, change, or remove benefit enrollment elections for the next plan year. Elections made during open enrollment are effective on Jan. 1, 2023. Outside the annual open enrollment period, you may only make changes to your benefits elections within 30 days of a qualifying status change event, such as marriage, birth/adoption of a child, dependent eligibility changes, divorce, death, loss of other coverage, retirement, or other. All elections made during this period take effect on Jan. 1, 2023. No enrollment action is required if you want to continue with the same benefits in 2023 with the exception of flexible spending accounts. Flexible spending enrollment is required annually. All other benefits will continue automatically for 2023.
A virtual open enrollment presentation is available on the Human Resources Department webpage. A 2023 benefit guide is also available.
If you have more questions after viewing the presentation, feel free to contact human resource staff at hr@smumn.edu or by phone at ext. 1508.
Cardinal Update Live
The Saint Mary’s community will gather from 12:10 to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1, for Cardinal Update Live. Staff and faculty are encouraged to gather in the University Center on the Minneapolis Campus and the Toner Student Center Lounge on the Winona Campus. Refreshments will be available at both locations from 11:50 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. We will provide a reminder after Thanksgiving along with the agenda highlights. The virtual Zoom, for those unable to attend live, is: https://smumn.zoom.us/j/81352941600?pwd=d3ZzRXVhWVBLSWlDbHN4dklWOGNJZz09
An extra half day of vacation in thanks and appreciation
In recognition of and gratitude for everyone’s hard work and dedication throughout this academic year, Father James P. Burns is announcing that all faculty and staff will receive an extra half day off in celebration of Thanksgiving. Replacing the already scheduled half day of vacation on Wednesday, Nov. 23, Father Burns hopes the full day off the day before Thanksgiving will provide an opportunity for extra time with family and friends, as well as for respite and relaxation.
As a reminder, closely following Thanksgiving, our Christmas employee gatherings will bring us together in community celebration. You should have all received your invitations to the Winona Campus gathering Thursday, Dec. 1, from 4-6 p.m. in the Alverna Center and our Minneapolis Campus gathering Tuesday, Dec. 13, from 4-6 p.m. in the University Center. Masses will be held from 4-4:30 p.m. on those days. Please RSVP for either or both events; reservations are requested by Nov. 22 for Winona and Dec. 2 for Minneapolis.
Saint Mary’s committed to service
Service has long been a part of Saint Mary’s mission as a Lasallian Catholic University, and our faculty, staff, and students are showing their commitment to bettering their communities in a number of ways.
Saint Mary’s Athletics
Saint Mary’s student-athletes continue to serve as an example when it comes to community service.
The women’s hockey team volunteering during the Think Pink Color Fun Run in Winona.
Over the past year, student-athletes have volunteered at a number of campus and Winona community events that include: the Winona Friendship Center’s fall clean up, the Student Activity Committee’s Trunk or Treat, Minnesota Wild Special Hockey, Lasallian Day of Service, highway cleanups, and the Think Pink Color Run.
Athletes have accumulated nearly 1,400 hours of community service in the last 180 days. The following breaks down the hours accumulated by each team:
Women’s Hockey: 603 hours
Volleyball: 340 hours
Women’s Basketball: 172 hours
Men’s Baseball: 170 hours
Men’s Hockey: 106 hours
As a requirement to participate in athletics, student-athletes are required to complete 10 to 12 hours of community service over the course of the school year.
Campus Ministry
With the COVID-19 pandemic hindering opportunities to get out into the community and serve others, Campus Ministry is excited to reboot many of its volunteering options for students this school year.
Students participate in Lasallian Day of Service.
For example, Campus Ministry has been working to get Buddies Club up and running once again. Buddies Club is a student organization in which students are paired with disabled individuals from the Winona community who are invited onto campus to play games, shoot hoops in the gym, and participate in other activities. The first gathering of Buddies Club is set for this coming Thursday.
Campus Ministry has also been sending students to volunteer every other week at the Catholic Worker House in Winona, which offers outreach to those experiencing homelessness. While at Catholic Worker House, the students help put together meals and serve a community.
Campus Ministry is also pleased to relaunch S.O.U.L. (Serving Others United In Love) trips, which will take place over the university’s spring break. This year, students will have the opportunity to participate in service projects in Arizona and on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana.
Lasallian Day of Service was also a major volunteering opportunity for Campus Ministry, with 90 students taking part in service opportunities. The service projects included the removal of invasive plants in the bluffs, a highway cleanup, and Chore Corps around Winona. Lasallian Day of Service was started by the Saint Mary’s Alumni Association as a day for alumni to volunteer in their communities in the spirit of the Lasallian mission of service to others. Each year alumni from around the nation join together in service on this day.
Alumni association launches new video campaign
In a new video campaign, Saint Mary’s alumni are sharing with audiences why they chose Saint Mary’s and the impact it has had on their lives.
The videos, which are titled “Why Saint Marys,” are a part of an initiative launched by the Saint Mary’s Alumni Association to help connect with current students and alumni. The videos are being shared on the Saint Mary’s Alumni Association’s Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn pages.
“We want a visual presence on social media so our alumni community can see our faces and understand why we serve, give, and share,” said Kerry Edwards, president of the alumni association. “We have a big role to play in telling our story to the world, sharing all that Saint Mary’s was, is, and will become. We are all Saint Mary’s storytellers.”
View examples of “Why Saint Mary’s” videos from Kerry Edwards B’04 and Steve Rice B’79.
Dave Miliotis announces departure for new opportunity
Dave Miliotis, assistant vice president for human resources, announced he will be departing from Saint Mary’s University after accepting the position of senior human resource business partner with St. Croix Hospice. His last day at the university will be Dec. 2.
Dave Miliotis, assistant vice president for human resources
During his time at Saint Mary’s, Miliotis resourced the restructuring of multiple departments, directly recruited new leaders, oversaw the implementation of new systems, and built a strong team of human resource professionals to serve the university’s evolving needs. During the recent past and with great care and compassion, Dave implemented a series of employee reductions as a result of enrollment declines and related financial deficits.
“Saint Mary’s is, and will always be, the place where my team and I have learned to truly flourish as HR professionals. From participation in Lasallian formation programs to consulting with faculty and staff on the human issues of their work to accompanying individuals at all stages of their employment journey here — all of it has been rich with challenge and reward,” according to Miliotis. “May everyone in this Lasallian community, faculty, administrators, students, employees at every level, continue to demonstrate the consideration and kindness for one another in their words and actions that have helped me become a better leader. You have my best wishes for every future success.”
“I am extremely grateful for Dave’s leadership and dedicated service. He brought a great level of professionalism to his work, and built and led a strong team. He has been a strong collaborator with leaders throughout the university in recruiting and developing employees to advance our Lasallian Catholic educational mission. He will be greatly missed,” shared Ben Murray, executive vice president.
A search for Dave’s replacement will be initiated in the coming weeks. In the interim, Abbie Henningson, director of human resources operations, will lead the human resource office and serve as the primary point of contact for matters previously managed by Dave.
With help of students, Saint Mary’s GeoSpatial Services submits testimony used in Supreme Court case
With years of expertise in geographic information systems and natural resource management, Saint Mary’s GeoSpatial Services was tasked with compiling data that was used as testimony in a legal case that went before the Supreme Court in early October.
The case, Sackett vs. the EPA, focuses on a portion of the Clean Water Act that defines “waters of the United States” and whether wetlands apply to that definition.
For the testimony that was submitted to the court, GeoSpatial Services engaged in modeling work that demonstrated what it would mean for wetland environments if the definition of “waters of the United States” were to be modified. According to Andy Robertson, director of GeoSpatial Services, the testimony is a culmination of five years of work mapping and modeling wetlands across the country.
“No other organization nationwide has access to data like this,” Robertson said.
Because GeoSpatial Services employs undergraduate and graduate students, many Saint Mary’s students were involved over the years in collecting this data. Students were also involved in quickly compiling data after GeoSpatial Services was approached to assist in the case, which Roberston says was a quick turnaround.
“It is incredibly rewarding to see the efforts of our students and professional staff contributing to national policy,” Robertson said. “This is a critical case before the Supreme Court and has the potential for nationwide impacts on clean water management.”
While the exact timing is not known, a decision on the case is expected during the court’s current session.
Inaugural Noyce Scholars named, recognized in local media
Saint Mary’s University junior Evelyn Sanchez and senior Simon Warmkagathje, as well as Kelsey Philipsek, who is a student in the M.A. in Teaching program, have been named the inaugural Noyce Scholars.
Saint Mary’s was recently awarded a $1.18 million NSF Noyce Grant in support of the university’s new Inclusive STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Teacher Education Pipeline (ISTEP) project. ISTEP is designed to increase the number of secondary STEM teachers (or teacher candidates) from diverse backgrounds who are committed to teaching in high-need local education schools in southeastern Minnesota.
Both Sanchez and Warmkagathje had their stories shared in the Winona Daily News and La Crosse Tribune.
In the article, Sanchez said she always enjoyed school and even played school as a child with her stuffed animals (and even her grandparents) as her pupils. Sanchez, who hopes to teach math, said it was her grandfather who encouraged her to pursue education as a career. Sanchez believes this opportunity gives her the chance to be a good role model.
“I am not ashamed to say I still struggle with math,” she said. “I want to show future generations that everyone can learn STEM. I also want to share my story on the importance of grit and perseverance.”
Likewise senior Simon Warmkagathje of rural St. Charles, Minn., has always wanted to teach, and throughout his life, others have encouraged him to go into teaching, recognizing the traits of a good educator in the outgoing and personable leader.
“My passion is teaching people how to pursue their dreams, no matter the circumstances,” he said. “For that reason, I believe education is the field in which I can make the biggest impact on my community.”
Philipsek began her career working as a Civil Engineer designing roadways and traffic and transit networks. As she transitioned to teaching, she says her life took on new meaning.
“In my college years I had worked with students in the math tutoring center, I realized confidence and self-worth seem inherently tied with math,” she said. “I want to teach students math because I do not want young people to write off a STEM career because they ‘can’t do math’ or they aren’t ‘good enough’; I do not want math to be a barrier for them to achieve the career they want. I also want to teach math to help students learn there are many ways to be successful and STEM careers come in many shapes and sizes.”
Photo caption: Evelyn Sanchez and Simon Warmkagathje
New videos highlight Saint Mary’s outcomes
A new set of videos produced by the Marketing and Communication Department staff are designed to show the positive outcomes our alumni experience after leaving Saint Mary’s.
Two videos showcase David Dahlstrom B’10, director of investor relations for Hormel Foods Corporation, and Emy Johnson B’07, M’15, chief security officer at Allina Health. Another set of videos highlights the experience of Parker Swanson B’23, a Saint Mary’s senior who gained real-world experience through his internship with Fastenal, a global industrial supply company, headquartered in Winona.
We encourage faculty and staff to share these videos on various social media platforms using the hashtag #Cardinal2Career. Links to the videos can be found below.
David Dahlstrom B’10:
Emy Johnson B’07, M’15:
- I Knew I’d Be Successful
- Slam Dunk
- It’s Never Too Late
- Why Saint Mary’s
- Doing Something For Me
- Forever Grateful
- It Truly Is The Community
Parker Swanson B’23 and Fastenal:
The Rev. James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D.
President
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
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