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Winona Campus NewsletterA message from the chairman of the Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Board of Trustees
Dear Friends,
Many of you know that the Saint Mary’s University Board of Trustees had its fall meeting this past Thursday and Friday (Oct 12 and 13) on our Winona campus. Many of the Trustees are graduates of the College, as are some of their spouses, children, and now grandkids! We all marveled at how beautiful Winona and our campus are during autumn.
I am writing this note to share with the entire Saint Mary’s community the Board’s sincere and profound gratitude for all you have done and continue to do to fulfill our educational mission, on all our campuses and online.
The past 18 months have been incredibly challenging for all of us. As you might recall, the Board of Trustees mandated Father Burns to create and carry out a plan to help ensure Saint Mary’s could continue its mission for decades to come. That called for many very difficult decisions with unavoidable and admittedly painful outcomes across the university that affected both people and programs. Most of that was directed at the College level, though previous significant adjustments had been made at the graduate level before that. I know he is now working with his team to further explore ways to streamline processes and develop a new way to generate greater interest and increased student numbers in the Graduate Programs, applying some of what we learned at the college to the Minneapolis environment, because this new direction is working!
Now, nearly a year and a half later, we can be grateful and relatively sure that we have turned several necessary corners. Happily, we can celebrate welcoming more than 300 new students (first-year students, transfers, and international) to the College. This is a higher number than we have had for a number of years and nearly 25% above what we had cautiously budgeted. With this news to buoy us, and lessons learned as I said previously, we are in the midst of a similar effort to “turn around” enrollments (head-counts and credit-counts) of our graduate, bachelor completion, and online programs.
Another very positive indicator of our efforts over the past 12 months is our record-setting fund-raising efforts in virtually every category: annual fund, major gifts, pledged commitments, estate gifts, and so on (the most in a single year ever $47 million). We are well on our way to meeting the $25 million dollar challenge to raise (in addition) $100 million. Clearly, people believe in what we are doing. People believe in what YOU are doing.
In the name of the Trustees and all of our past, current, and future students, I want to offer a sincere and profound thank you to all of you for all you have done to support these efforts and carry out our Lasallian Catholic educational mission.
Sincerely,
Mr. Terrance Russell, B’76
Chair, Board of Trustees
Hoping to help others on a large scale
Dr. Gideon Nyakundi B‘16, M’17, senior manager of clinical engineering at the University of Maryland Medical System, will tell you he was born to work in healthcare — and especially to help others.
Back in his community in Africa, where healthcare is a challenge, he watched as his mother dispensed free medicine and herbs to those in need. As a young boy, emulating the service and empathy he saw, he would remind his mother when it was time to take her diabetes medication.
“That humanity developed in me to be a people person, to help out,” he said. “When I ask others why I went into healthcare, they say, ‘You were born to be a helper.’ ”
Dr. Nyakundi attended college in Africa, but he longed to work in clinical engineering and was frustrated by the lack of opportunities in healthcare and technology, so in 2005, he came to the United States to pursue his dream of helping others on a larger scale.
In the U.S., he soon began working in technology and manufacturing, gaining valuable experience with the manufacturing of pacemakers and endoscope reprocessors and working as a medical ventilator forensic analyst. “When the recession came, I lost my job, and I found myself with a lot of experience but no formal educational training, so I struggled,” he said.
After working at Mayo Clinic as a healthcare technologist, Dr. Nyakundi joined Hennepin County Medical Center as an open heart surgery technologist. Because of a desire to grow into a leadership role, he began studying at Saint Mary’s, earning a bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Management in 2016 and then a master’s in Health and Human Services Administration in 2017.
He originally chose Saint Mary’s because it was flexible. During the day, he continued to gain technical training. And in the evenings, he could attend class and study.
He found the research he was doing as part of his coursework was very applicable to his future career endeavors in leadership. And, he uncovered a community of supporters within the faculty, staff, and administration of Saint Mary’s, all working together to help him succeed.
“I had wonderful teachers. Those teachers are very close teachers, advisers, and friends,” he said. “In any area I had a challenge, they were there with me to support me. I feel indebted to Saint Mary’s. It has that family touch.”
After finishing his master’s, individuals at Denver Health Medical Center reached out to Dr. Nyakundi. They wanted someone with hands-on experience in clinical engineering but also leadership training. In 2017, he was hired as director of biomedical and clinical engineering. While working in Denver, in 2022, he obtained his doctorate in Healthcare Administration from Walden University and did his doctoral research on the use of Hester Davis Falls Risk Assessment Scale in medical surgical patients.
“I did all my coursework for my doctorate in one year,” he said. “I was prepared because I had learned a lot from Saint Mary’s, which prepared me very well.”
He also returned to his home in Africa to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
“Back where I was born, they faced a big challenge during COVID-19; it took a long time for the vaccine to reach Africa. There was also a stigma attached to the vaccine,” he said. “People were dying, and I felt I had an obligation to do something.”
With the help of Delta Airlines which airlifted supplies for free, he shipped medical equipment and supplies to Africa. “We did four airlifts of 20 containers,” he said. For a year and a half, Dr. Nyakundi conducted massive meetings, where, in their native language, he advised individuals to get the vaccine. “I told them how to prevent the spread. There was a stigma that if you get a COVID-19 vaccine, you’re all going to die,” he said. “We had great, great success with immunizations and with education,” he said. “It was a great achievement.”
Now in his current role at Maryland Medical Center, Dr. Nyakundi is working to improve healthcare systems for better patient outcomes.
“I want to envision a healthcare system where everyone has access to healthcare,” he said. During COVID, a lot of people died; many people didn’t have access to the vaccine for many months. There was an inequality. I would like to have a future where we all have access to healthcare.”
“Second, technology has to change,” he added. “We should tap into machine learning and artificial intelligence to improve healthcare. If IT is used in the right way, we will be able to save so many lives. A lot of inventions are yet to be discovered. The old school of guessing is gone. We need to use data analytics to improve patient care. That’s the healthcare of today and tomorrow, and that’s what we should be working toward.”
Dr. Nyakundi said he appreciates that Saint Mary’s is founded in Christianity and its mission has deeply resonated with him. “It aligned to me very well, the ethics and service to community, I found it spoke to me,” he said. “It was very important to me, because that’s what I’m doing with my life.”
Business alumnus excelling in area of ESG consulting
Scott Song B’10 grew from an undergraduate international student, unsure and a little overwhelmed in a new country, to working nationally and internationally for a Big Four accounting firm, where his diverse background and experiences are an advantage.
“We talk to stakeholders from different cultures, and within the U.S., our colleagues also have different backgrounds. Nowadays, the world is flat and everyone is connected,” he said.
The Xi’an, China, native had taken one year of university courses when he transferred through a cooperative agreement to Saint Mary’s undergraduate campus in Winona.
“At the beginning, the first semester was really tough with the language and culture barrier, and I didn’t know anyone there,” he said. “But Saint Mary’s is super friendly so it’s almost like a safe bubble for international students to practice social skills and learn about the culture.”
Gradually, Song, a marketing and sport management major, immersed himself in college life, serving as a resident assistant, starting the international student club, serving as a student senator, and getting involved in mission and volunteer work — for starters.
“The opportunities provided by Saint Mary’s broadened my horizons and helped me grow in leadership and see education in a different way,” he said.
When Song applied to the MBA program at William & Mary right out of college, he discovered they required two years of work experience, and he didn’t meet that criteria. They asked Song how he could compete with others who did.
“I was able to articulate what I did for student engagement and compare it to a real-life work experience and how it gave me a mindset of servant leadership and helped me grow my management skills,” he said.
Once accepted, Song said he felt academically prepared for graduate school as well. “I felt like I had an advantage compared to a lot of other students. What I learned at Saint Mary’s was 100 percent aligned with my coursework, and in some ways, what I was learning in grad school was somewhat repetitive,” he said. “If it weren’t for my Saint Mary’s experience, I would have never been able to go to William & Mary and be where I am today.”
Song earned both an MBA and a Master of Accounting degree from William & Mary and soon began working at EY, which provides audit, consulting, tax, business risk, technology and security risk services, and human capital services worldwide.
Working from Washington, D.C., Song now serves as the senior manager of climate change and sustainability services through which he consults with clients on technical sustainability and ESG reporting and advisory capabilities.
ESG stands for environmental, social and governance, which is often called sustainability. Jobs revolving around ESG work are increasing dramatically as
businesses are being asked to publicly disclose progress being made on goals and commitments on environmental sustainability, social issues, and corporate governance.
“ESG is one of the big topics for the coming years,” he said. “Climate change, human capital, and sustainability governance are on the agenda for government regulations. Universities are beginning to offer ESG related fields as a new major. The ESG strategy has to link to business strategy.”
Song, who returned to campus in October, spoke to Saint Mary’s business students about the growing market and how it’s tailored to finance and accounting students.
“A new trend is impact investing, such as investing in infrastructures, DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) projects, environment projects, and the social impact businesses bring to society,” he said. “A methodology is in place and there are industry regulations. Gen Zers are more passionate about the environment. Being a CPA isn’t that sexy anymore, but the area, including carbon accounting, pulls students back into their interests.”
Song, who has worked in both Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Frankfurt, Germany, tells business students there are many opportunities for career choices, and though he wasn’t an accounting major, he’s a CPA now. “You never know where life is going to take you,” he said. “No matter your business major, marketing, finance, accounting… It gives you a basic skill set. The important part is to be well rounded.”
His advice to international students? “Be comfortable being uncomfortable and work outside of your comfort zone,” he said. “Embrace the opportunities Saint Mary’s will offer.”
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.
Saint Mary’s awarded National Science Foundation Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity Grant
The Saint Mary’s community is pleased to announce that it has received an Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity (EPIIC) Grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that will be used to launch the university’s Center for Business Analytics.
Faculty, staff, and administration worked tirelessly to secure the grant since March and learned the university would be a recipient of the $400,000 grant in September.
With business analytics being among the most sought-after majors and programs within the School of Business and Technology, Saint Mary’s leaders see launching the Center for Business Analytics as an opportunity to embrace the university’s goals to build distinctive, mission-aligned programs that raise our visibility.
“This is very exciting as we look at what’s next for Saint Mary’s when it comes to areas of study that focus on technology, business intelligence, and artificial intelligence and how we can raise our profile and be seen as thought leaders in those areas,” said Michelle Wieser, dean of the School of Business and Technology.
According to Michael Ratajczyk, program director for the M.S. and B.S. Business Intelligence and Data Analytics program and associate professor in the School of Business and Technology, the Center for Business Analytics will focus on two main areas: workforce development and strengthening the regional economy.
“The center will focus on providing workshops, seminars, and webinars from industry leaders and experts, and will also partner with regional businesses to provide vocational training opportunities for our students,” Ratajczyk said. “We see this as a win-win for our students and the communities we have campuses in.”
With the NSF grant secured, Ratajczyk says the university is positioned to pursue grants to help move the Center for Business Analytics forward.
“The NSF saw the vision behind the center to be very strong and they loved our project,” he said. “There is an expectation that we will be applying for more NSF grants.”
Efforts are underway to begin the launch of the Center for Business Analytics. Questions about the center and the process of the launch can be directed to Ratajczyk.
New partnership with Benedictine allows Saint Mary’s nursing students on-the-job work experience
A new partnership between Saint Mary’s University and Benedictine will allow the university’s students to train as certified nursing assistants and work at the health system’s local senior living facility.
With the new partnership, Benedictine will be able to use the Sandy Adducci Nursing Skills Lab on the Winona Campus to train certified nursing assistants and offer CPR certification courses. The first certified nursing assistant training program that will use the nursing lab will begin on Oct. 9. The courses are open to both the general public and members of the Saint Mary’s community.
“This is a win-win situation for everyone involved,” said Sister Agnes Mary Graves, RSM, DNP, director of the nursing program at Saint Mary’s. “Our nursing students will have the ability to experience work in their vocation prior to graduation, and our top-notch nursing laboratory will truly be a community asset.”
She added, “As a Lasallian Catholic institution, we’re also pleased to partner with a Catholic healthcare organization like Benedictine, which shares our mission and understands the importance of comprehensive healthcare, which means looking at the whole person, body, soul, and mind.”
For more than 30 years, Benedictine Living Community-Winona has offered a certified nursing assistant program onsite. The program, which has graduated just over 6,000 students, offers an instructor-led track with 75 hours of class completed in person with a registered nursing instructor and a blended learning option with 40 hours of class completed independently by the student online and the remaining required hours completed in person with an instructor.
“We are excited to collaborate with Saint Mary’s University and provide an excellent educational experience for those looking to enter into the nursing field beginning with certified nursing assistant training,” said Carol Ehlinger, executive director of Benedictine Living Community – Winona. “Our focus is to continue the hands-on experience of learning and developing nurses with our mission in mind.”
The Sandy Adducci Nursing Skills Lab offers an advanced nursing suite that includes access to hospital beds, patient manikins, and other top-notch training technology.
Empowering others to advocate for mental health and suicide prevention
While Elizabeth Fleming M’13, D’19, was pursuing her doctorate at Saint Mary’s, the unthinkable happened. She lost a close friend to suicide.
“When it happened, I went through all of the emotions, ‘Why didn’t I know what was going on’ or ‘Why didn’t I say something,’” said Fleming, who was a Psy.D. student at the time. “I found myself, someone with a master’s and seeking a doctorate in psychology, who didn’t know what to say. I thought if I don’t know what to say during a time like this, others probably don’t either.”
It was this experience that pushed Fleming to join the board of the Suicide Prevention Collaboration. The Suicide Prevention Collaboration was formed in 2010 after several teens died by suicide in Washington County. For the last 13 years, Suicide Prevention Collaboration has provided advocacy and education about mental illness, the warning signs of suicide, and the need for professional treatment.
“Our goal is to provide people with the right tools and the ability to ask the right questions to take the steps to prevent suicides,” she said.
Now serving as the board chair for the organization, Fleming says she regularly uses the skills she gained while going through both Saint Mary’s programs.
“One thing about Saint Mary’s Psy.D. program is that it’s very holistic, it looks at the whole person, not just one part of them,” Fleming said. “And I think that holistic part of it really helps me look at things from a lot of different angles. For example, when we’re doing advocacy or collaboration with other organizations, we look at whether an organization just focuses on mental health. Do they also focus on physical wellness or financial wellness?”
Fleming, who is a course-contracted professor at Saint Mary’s, has also encouraged Saint Mary’s graduate students to get involved in the Suicide Prevention Collaboration’s work. And for Fleming, their engagement has been a success for the organization.
“I’m so proud of these students,” she said. “They have made such an impact on marketing, and training, providing education, and creating fun events for us.”
Photo credit: Suicide Prevention Collaborative
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.
McClure named dean of the School of Education, Hines to lead Ed.D. program
Saint Mary’s is pleased to announce that John (Jack) McClure, Ph.D., has been named dean of the School of Education. McClure has served as interim dean since March, following the departure of Michael Lovorn.
Before coming to Saint Mary’s in 2006, McClure worked as counselor and manager in the healthcare industry for sixteen years. At Saint Mary’s, he began as an assistant professor in the Ed.D. program, then was named to associate professor and core faculty in 2011, and in 2013 became professor and program director for the Ed.D. program. During this time, McClure has published many works in the field of education, served on numerous committees and administrative appointments, and received many awards and recognitions for his contributions to Lasallian education, including Distinguished Lasallian Educator for Midwest Region in 2018.
McClure has a BFA from Drake University, an MS from the University of Wisconsin, and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota.
“I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. McClure as our permanent dean of the School of Education. After a nation-wide search in which we reviewed highly qualified candidates with impressive backgrounds, it became clear to us that Jack was the best fit, not only for his strong support of the Lasallian Catholic mission at Saint Mary’s, but because of his experience with the educational landscape in Minnesota, as well as his leadership qualities. I am grateful to Jack for stepping up to take on the interim role, but more so for stepping forward to lead the School of Education as our new dean,” said Dr. Max Bonilla, provost and dean of faculties.
With McClure being named dean of the School of Education, Sue Hines has been appointed program director for the Ed.D. program. Hines has been a part of the Saint Mary’s community for 18 years, serving as director of CELT, an Ed.D. faculty member, and interim director of curriculum and instruction.
Saint Mary’s welcomes Dr. Liz Gulliford for Cardinal Virtue lecture
On Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, Saint Mary’s will welcome Dr. Liz Gulliford for a Cardinal Virtue lecture on “How Gratitude and Related Virtues Help Students and Teachers to Flourish.” This lecture presents gratitude as central to the other virtues and human flourishing. The Cardinal Virtue lecture will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 19 in Aquinas 200 and is open to the entire Saint Mary’s community.
Earlier in the day, Dr. Gulliford will facilitate a conversation with faculty on the virtues of servant leadership. The faculty conversation will be at 4:15 p.m. in the President’s Room in the Toner Center.
On Wednesday, Sept. 20, Dr. Gulliford will facilitate another conversation on the virtues of servant leadership on the Minneapolis campus. This conversation will be at 3:30 p.m. in Brother Louis Hall room 105, and is open to all faculty, staff, and students.
Dr. Gulliford is an associate professor in psychology at the University of Northampton (UK). She is also an honorary research fellow at the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues at the University of Birmingham as well as a senior psychology advisor with the Oxford Character Project.
Saint Mary’s experiences historic philanthropic year
As the financial books closed this summer, it’s time for the Saint Mary’s community to celebrate a number of record-breaking donations in FY ’23 that were acquired through the work of the Office of Advancement.
In FY ’23, the university saw a historic $47.2 million raised – the most money ever committed to the university in a fiscal year – donated through gifts, pledges, in-kind donations, and estate commitments. The previous record for gift commitments was set in 2014, with $19 million committed.
“With a historic philanthropic year for the university, one thing has been made clear: our alumni and benefactors believe in Saint Mary’s and our mission and vision,” said Gary Klein, vice president of advancement. “With these transformational gifts, many generations of students will benefit from a Saint Mary’s education — and, in turn, society will benefit from graduates who are both skilled and demonstrate strong moral and ethical character.”
As a part of this historic year, Saint Mary’s received its largest gift commitment to date of $25 million. While the benefactors wish to remain anonymous, they shared they felt compelled to invest in Saint Mary’s, stating how much they appreciate the hard work of the president and administration to boldly address the future course of Saint Mary’s. They see the university as one of the few that have a clear plan to steer through the turbulent waters facing all in higher education today.
As a stipulation of the gift agreement, in order to inspire others to step forward to provide support, the family challenged the university to raise an additional $100 million beginning June 1, 2022. This also marks the largest philanthropic challenge in university history, surpassing the $5 million challenge for Aquinas Hall on the Winona Campus.
The Saint Mary’s Fund also saw the most money committed in a single year in FY ‘23, with more than $1.8 million committed. In addition, the Office of Advancement secured the final $4.5 million to complete the fundraising for Aquinas Hall.
Staff and faculty announcements
Ayers departs from Saint Mary’s for dean position at Edgewood College
Carolyn Ayers has accepted an appointment for a new position as dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Edgewood College in Madison, WI. While she will be greatly missed at Saint Mary’s, we wish her heartfelt congratulations and blessings as she takes on this new and more expansive leadership role.
Dalle to join Saint Mary’s as professional advisor for bachelor completion programs
The Saint Mary’s community is pleased to welcome Jullie Dalle as the professional advisor for bachelor completion students within the School of Graduate and Professional Programs.
Dalle comes to Saint Mary’s with extensive expertise in the areas of student support and success. Her previous experience includes teaching for Groves Academy, where she instructed and mentored students with diverse learning challenges. At Saint Mary’s, Dalle will replicate this student-focused support approach by providing advising services to our online adult learners, including course selection, program completion, academic resources, and individual coaching.
Faculty members from B.S. in Criminal Justice Leadership receive promotion within MPD
Two faculty members from the B.S. in Criminal Justice Leadership program received promotions to assistant chief of police with the Minneapolis Police Department. Christopher Gaiters was promoted to assistant chief of community trust, while Katie Blackwell was promoted to assistant chief of operations.
Mastin publishes book
Justine Mastin, M.A., a course-contracted professor in the M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy, recently had a book she co-authored with Larisa Garski released by Penguin Random House. In The Grieving Therapist, Mastin and Garski explore what it means to be a therapist during tenuous times that may feel like the end of the world.
Bedtke to assume interim senior vice president role; departments divided into three tracks
With an eye on stability and proven leadership skills, the Very Rev. James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D., Saint Mary’s president, announced James (Jim) Bedtke will assume an interim senior vice president role October 16. On August 23, Benjamin (Ben) Murray’96 announced he had accepted the role as CFO of the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) and has since worked closely with key leadership to prepare for his October departure. The office of the president will launch a national search for a permanent chief financial officer by the end of the month.
Murray currently leads the finance, human resources, IT, institutional effectiveness, facilities planning, and campus operations teams. Upon his departure, departments will be divided into three tracks. Bedtke will oversee the departments of finance, IT, facilities
James Bedtke
planning, campus operations, and geospatial services, while the departments of human resources and strategic planning will report directly to the president’s office. Institutional effectiveness will report to the provost’s office.
“It is a bittersweet time for us as we show appreciation for all that Ben has done and been about. As he begins this exciting next chapter in his vocational journey, we know he will be greatly missed at Saint Mary’s. That is why, when determining the next best steps about this time of transition, we turned to Jim Bedtke. Jim has provided us with interim leadership through various transitions in the past and will provide stability for our university today. He knows what needs to be done and is devoted to the success of Saint Mary’s and our faculty, staff and students.” said Father Burns. “Jim is a loyal and trusted leader, who has consistently demonstrated his love for Saint Mary’s and our mission. I am personally grateful to him for stepping into this role while we embark upon a formal search for a chief financial officer at Saint Mary’s.”
“I am honored to serve the president and the university with the accumulation of experience that I have gained during my 40 years at Saint Mary’s. I actually started as a faculty member in the Business Department, where I taught marketing and international business. Brother Louis DeThomasis, the president, promoted me to be dean of the School of Business, Computer Science, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. Later, I served as vice president for Winona-based graduate programs, associate vice president for academic affairs of the College, associate provost, and vice president for SGPP,” said Bedtke. “For decades, the alumni of our university have demonstrated the value and impact of the Lasallian Catholic education they receive at Saint Mary’s. That remains at the core of what makes Saint Mary’s special to all of us.”
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