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Winona Campus NewsletterSaint Mary’s spotlight on Niki Peterson
The Marketing and Communication Office will be profiling Saint Mary’s University leaders regularly in the Cardinal Update. Our goal is to showcase those overseeing and guiding key areas important to our strategic initiatives. This week, we feature Niki Peterson, dean of students on the Winona Campus, a position vital to student satisfaction and a successful overall student campus experience.
Name: Nicole (Niki) Peterson
Title: Dean of students
How long have you worked at Saint Mary’s?
Niki Peterson, dean of students
Collectively, I’ve worked at Saint Mary’s for almost 5 years. I was a graduate assistant softball coach from 2003-2005, volunteer assistant coach from 2017-2019, and now I’ve been dean of students for 10 months.
How would you describe your role at Saint Mary’s?
The dean of students provides leadership and vision for the Office of Residence Life, Office of Student Affairs, student judicial process, and student advocacy.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
Interacting with students and our residence life staff. The best part of my day is when students stop by to chat.
As an alumna, what’s it like working at Saint Mary’s?
It is interesting being on the other side of the desk and witnessing the amount of collaborative work that goes into keeping Saint Mary’s running smoothly.
What are your hopes for the future of Saint Mary’s?
I would like to see our residential community grow and prosper. The pandemic was a challenging time for our residents and our staff. We’re working on rebuilding our programming model and providing a fun, welcoming residential student experience. I’m looking forward to seeing our hard work pay off.
What is your proudest professional accomplishment?
At Saint Mary’s, it would be surviving my first housing lottery last spring with minimal issues. However, over my entire career, I would say assisting the FBI, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Iowa Division of Intelligence in the successful recovery of two abducted children is my greatest professional accomplishment to date. In 2010, I was a criminal intelligence analyst for the state of Iowa. We received a call from the Illinois State Patrol that there was a non-custodial abduction and the cellphone of the alleged abductor pinged in a suburb of Des Moines. I began researching the subject and discovered he had a connection to that area. I called our FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force agent and sent him to that location. He discovered the suspect and the victims there. The suspect was arrested, and the victims were returned to their mother in Illinois.
Looking at the “Declaration on the Lasallian Educational Mission,” which of the 12 declarations resonates with you the most? Why?
The declaration which speaks the most to me in my role is “We believe in the transforming capacity of education.” While classroom education is vital, we also appreciate the learning that occurs outside of the classroom.
The Office of Student Affairs is student-centered and student-focused. We are here to support students in their holistic growth as they move from first-year students to graduates. Intellectual, physical, spiritual, and emotional growth is fundamental to developing the whole person, and we wish to be a part of our students’ journey through it all.
On goal: Junior soccer player balances three majors, remote internship
Jacob Clements has always been fascinated by mathematics-centered problem solving.
“Everything has to be right or wrong,” Clements said. “There’s an objectiveness and logic to it.”
Clements has found a workable algorithm for his busy schedule of his junior year at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.
The Holmen, Wis., native is currently working on three majors (software design, cybersecurity, and mathematics) — while also serving as a starting midfielder on the men’s soccer team.
On top of that, he is working 15 to 20 hours a week as a remote software development intern out of his dorm room for Trane Technologies based out of La Crosse, Wis. His shifts begin most days at 6 a.m. so he can have real-time communication with his team members, some of whom live in India.
Furthermore, Clements estimates that he devotes 16 hours a week to soccer-related activities — and that does not include any time traveling for road games.
Yet, you will not find Clements complaining one bit about his daily schedule on the Winona Campus, after he found the ideal university that had the combination of being Catholic, close to home, with the majors he wanted, and the opportunity to play soccer at the collegiate level.
“All the things I wanted fell into one place,” said Clements, who also appreciates the small class sizes and the sense of brotherhood he has with his teammates at Saint Mary’s. “I took a tour here, and I just fell in love with the campus.”
Opportunity knocks
His internship with Trane also fell into place. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the computer science internships that he was searching for had seemed to all disappear, given the new unprecedented challenges that companies suddenly faced. He jumped on the opportunity to apply at Trane when the ad appeared.
Clements began his internship in May after finishing his sophomore year. In the summer, he worked 40 hours from his family home, where he began adding features to computer-aided design (CAD) software called TRACE 3D Plus. Trane — who manufactures HVAC and building management systems — uses the software to let clients create their own buildings, and then run various simulations to determine estimated costs.
“It will tell you how much the building upkeep will cost and how much energy is spent to make you optimize the best building,” Clements said.
Donald Heier, D.Sc., professor of computer science and director of the M.S in Cybersecurity program, has taught Clements in several courses.
“He will find solutions because he likes to learn — not because I am forcing him to,” Heier said. “He wants to learn, so he takes it on himself and does a good job.”
Clements said that Heier is one of the faculty members who has made the most significant impact on his academic career because of the way he approaches teaching.
“He wants you to struggle, because he knows when you struggle through something you’ll actually learn and remember it more,” Clements said.
Upon his anticipated graduation in the spring of 2023, Clements plans to be a software developer — and he would not mind continuing his journey with this current employer.
With a year and half left in his college career, Clements is grateful for the opportunities he has to continue working and learning at Trane, and wherever the future leads him, he’ll be ready to hit the ground running and score a fulfilling and challenging career.
Featured image: Jacob Clements has been working as remote software development intern for Trane since May.
Business mentorship yields useful internship for Saint Mary’s student
Saint Mary’s University student Brady Lindauer didn’t know what to expect when his Business Intelligence and Analytics professor Michael Ratajczyk suggested he call alumnus Joe Hettinger ’87, a member of the university’s Business Advisory Council (BAC).
During the very first phone call, the two talked for an hour about life and business — and a valuable connection, mentorship, and friendship was formed.
Hettinger soon shared Lindauer’s résumé with several Winona business leaders, and, as a result, Lindauer landed an internship at Merchants Bank. After working at the bank full time last summer, bank officials asked Lindauer to continue working on a big project part time this semester. He’s also receiving elective credits toward one of his majors.
Growing up near Chicago, Lindauer wasn’t familiar with Saint Mary’s until he was recruited to play on the men’s hockey team. In addition to the opportunity to play at the college level, he thought the business program looked good, but a visit to the Winona Campus sealed the deal. He fell in love with the campus, the overall atmosphere, and especially the people.
With athletics and coursework, the junior is extremely busy and gaining excellent time management and leadership skills by serving as a hockey team captain; taking challenging classes for his double major of Finance and Business Intelligence and Analytics; and working 12 hours a week at Merchants Bank, gaining knowledge and experience that will pay dividends after graduation.
“I loved my internship at Merchants Bank, and it’s been super beneficial. The culture is great, and they treat me very well,” said Lindauer. “It’s a great learning opportunity, and everyone goes out of their way to help me, including Mr. (Greg) Evans, the CEO, and Stephen Swenson, the bank’s CIO.”
Lindauer credits his instructors, including Ratajczyk, Matt Klosky, and Andrew Scott, for teaching him the skills he needed to be successful during his internship. He feels they truly care about and focus on developing their students, and he was pleased to see the things he’s learned in class, such as business terminology, in practice at Merchants Bank.
“When I first talked to Brady we discussed his résumé, his interest in industries and companies, his coursework, and his passion for education and learning,” said Hettinger. “I could see Brady knew the importance of networking and building his résumé, and his desire to gain experience in a real-world situation. He’s an impressive young man with a great future in front of him.”
Lindauer and Hettinger continue to connect regularly via texts or phone calls, discussing classes, the importance of leadership, and more. Despite the fact that Hettinger lives in Chicago and both have hectic schedules, they also meet for coffee when Hettinger is in Winona.
Hettinger notes how impressive it is for Lindauer to be named a team captain as a junior, and stresses the responsibility that comes with it. Lindauer has taken this responsibility to heart and is beginning to take a mentorship role with younger players who are just entering the hockey program and the Saint Mary’s community.
Lindauer greatly appreciates the opportunity to learn from Hettinger, and hear his memories of his time on campus. Likewise, Hettinger appreciates the opportunity to help Lindauer navigate the business world. He believes it’s a great way to give back to the school he loves, and that gave him a great experience in so many ways — including meeting his wife, Ann Marie (Brooks) Hettinger ’85.
“The BAC was established to help business students like Brady with their résumé development, mentorship programs, internships, networking with alumni, and ultimately possible job placement,” Hettinger added.
“The best thing Joe told me is, ‘Be interested or interesting. Not many people are truly interesting. Never stop learning. Be inquisitive. Ask the right questions, and you’ll learn about life,’ ” Lindauer said. “The highlight of my Saint Mary’s experience is the relationship piece — teammates, coaches, students, and teachers — and alumni like Joe. Those relationships will last a lifetime.”
Sam Wersch: MCA and its collegiate impact
By Kathryn Bates, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota senior public relations major
Musical theatre is composed of three important skill sets: singing, acting, and dancing.
As an affiliate of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts (MCA) has fostered a learning environment in all three of these facets for college students in Winona.
At Saint Mary’s, students are given the opportunity to pursue a dance minor, one that can only be completed by taking several dance classes at MCA.
Sam Wersch is a junior musical theatre major and dance minor at Saint Mary’s. Originally from Aurora, Colo., Wersch stumbled upon the school almost accidentally, seeking out their musical theatre program.
Growing up, Wersch did not realize that theatre performance, or anything like it, was an option.
“I wanted to go into music education, and maybe viola performance, but in the fall of my senior year I realized that I could try theatre,” Wersch said.
Once he started at Saint Mary’s, Wersch quickly realized that in order to be successful in his major, he would need to develop skills in dance, so he dove in head first.
Once Wersch took all of the beginning level classes that were offered on the Saint Mary’s Winona Campus, he began taking classes at MCA.
“The classes at MCA gave me the opportunity to catch up to my peers in the field and in my program at Saint Mary’s,” Wersch said, adding that he had always wanted to dance and regrets not starting sooner.
Wersch’s first ballet class was Ballet I with Tammy Schmidt, director of dance at MCA and the dance program coordinator at Saint Mary’s.
“It was such a good introduction to learn how to approach ballet and movement. Tammy taught us how to approach dance, especially since we are older. She is an amazing teacher,” Wersch said.
Ballet quickly became his favorite style of dance. He finds the most challenge with it, and the most reward.
“I did it because I need the skills for my career, but I didn’t expect to find so much love in it,” Wersch said. “It was a welcome surprise, even if it came so late in my life. I keep doing it because I like to do it. It is challenging but there is such a big reward when I get to see my own progress.”
Wersch’s experiences dancing at MCA have amplified his education tenfold.
“If MCA wasn’t there, I wouldn’t be getting a well-rounded theatre education,” Wersch said.
He has more opportunities for performance, as well as vital access to dance educators, facilities, and resources that otherwise wouldn’t be available to him and other students at Saint Mary’s.
An important part of MCA that Wersch does not take for granted is the ability to meet and build relationships with Winona community members. Wersch takes his classes with local high school students and Winona State University students.
“Meeting the other dancers at MCA has offered me more perspective into dance. They approach their classes differently than I do, but I love learning why they love it, it has helped me learn to love it in different ways,” Wersch said.
He highlighted the other skills that participating in MCA programs has taught him so far in his time dancing with them.
“I’ve learned how to be healthier and better to myself, how to understand physical movement for acting, and my perspective has widened when it comes to the industry as a whole,” Wersch said.
In regards to his future, Wersch is looking forward to opportunities that will further his abilities in dance.
“I’m not as prepared as I would like to be just yet, but I know that when I graduate I will have a great foundation to build on,” Wersch said.
He is very excited to take Musical Theatre Dance, a course that Saint Mary’s offers for their theatre majors and minors.
“My interactions with everyone that I dance with at MCA has made me feel content with where and who I am individually.” Wersch said.
Wersch landed several roles in the upcoming MCA show “Scenes from the Nutcracker,” premiering on Dec. 1, including the Dew Drop Cavalier.
For more information about the Nutcracker, visit mca.smumn.edu.
Performances will run Dec. 1-5 at the Page Theatre at Saint Mary’s. Ticket information will be available soon.
Alumna impacts community through health, wellness, and serving others
Minister Dr. Ni Ora Hokes D’17 has been working to improve health outcomes among her fellow African Americans in Minneapolis since the 1970s, and she’s not slowing down yet.
“When I speak to groups and share with my place of worship, I say, ‘You know, it wouldn’t do a pastor any good to preach to an unwell congregation. We need everybody healthy in mind, body, and spirit, so that you can do the work,” says Hokes, who is a member of Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in south Minneapolis. “I want to keep you healthy so that I can work with you, because we’re all servants. We’re supposed to be out on the highways and byways.”
Hokes, trained as both an educator and a minister, lives that mentality in her community and city every day. In her career, she’s worked in nonprofits, as a teacher, in state government, and as a health and wellness consultant. As a volunteer, she supports the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, and the FAITH (Fostering African American Improvement in Total Health) Program at the Mayo Clinic, among other community health organizations. Plus, she’s a doula and has trained in storytelling as part of a local Black Storyteller’s Alliance.
In the educational leadership doctoral program at Saint Mary’s, Hokes appreciated that there were evening classes to balance her busy schedule and the small class sizes and Catholic mission. These days, she often utilizes the research and editing skills from her dissertation, which was about the role of the African American church in community health and wellness throughout history, in her work when she is drafting presentations or business documents.
No matter what Hokes is working on, health and wellness are her focus, and her place of worship is often the home base for these efforts. Since 1992, she has been part of the church health outreach program that provides free flu vaccinations and mammograms. They were able to use that infrastructure to offer the COVID-19 vaccine in their community in spring 2021, supported by the White House Faith and Community Engagement Partnership. Hokes represents her church on the partnership’s weekly meetings with White House staff. In 2001, alongside others from the church, she co-founded Friendship Academy of Fine Arts Charter School, where her daughter has been a teacher for 15 years.
Hokes also serves on the Unity Community Mediation Team in Minneapolis, a collaborative effort with the city’s police department that aims to increase positive police-community relations. One way they do that is by hosting forums with youth, law enforcement, and government leaders, including the chief of police, the commissioner of public safety, and the mayor — “all individuals that normally young people would not have access to,” Hokes points out.
Hokes was part of the original convening of the Unity Community Mediation Team in 2003, and they renewed their efforts in 2020 after the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. The group is in the process of establishing themselves as a nonprofit, and Hokes is inspired to work with the next generation of leaders, including her granddaughter, LaZya Smith, a ninth grader who serves on the team.
“You have to instill into the young people the knowledge that the world is in their hands. They have a voice. We’re not waiting for them to be an adult to be engaged, but that they can be engaged right now,” Hokes says. “Because they’re to be an example to other young people. That adage, ‘Each one reach one. Each one teach one,’ that’s what we’re trying to do.”
By Maura Sullivan Hill
Jauman discusses the future of remote work on Saint Mary’s podcast
In the pilot episode of Saint Mary’s Currents, the university’s official podcast, Amy Jauman, the program director for the M.A. in Human Resources program, joins podcast host Ben Rodgers to discuss how the shift to remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic has altered our perceptions of the traditional workspace. You can listen to the episode in the audio player below.
Introducing Saint Mary’s Currents, a podcast
Saint Mary’s University’s Marketing and Communication Department is launching a new podcast series on current topics relevant to the world of work and life. Welcome to the first edition of Saint Mary’s Currents, where we address issues that are trending, relevant, and yes, sometimes divisive or controversial. Just as current is a flow of positive electric charge, the goal of Saint Mary’s Currents is to find a positive path forward.
The pilot episode, which has been recorded, is an interview with M.A. in Human Resource Management program director Amy Jauman, joining podcast host and communications specialist Ben Rodgers to discuss how the shift to remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic has altered our perceptions of the traditional workspace. You can listen to the episode in the audio player below. If you would like to listen to future episodes, subscribe to Saint Mary’s Currents on your favorite podcasting platform, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.
These podcasts will be posted on our website, on social media, and for public relations outreach. We encourage you to consider ways to share compelling and relevant content to your audiences — prospective students, alumni, and benefactors. Reach out if you would like to discuss ways that you might share this contact.
As we prepare future episodes, we invite other faculty whose areas of academic interest line up with current trends and topics and who would be willing to sit down for a half-hour conversation. Our goal is to accrue up to a dozen more podcasts in the next six months. If you have a topic idea or interest in being a guest of Saint Mary’s Currents, please contact Rodgers at 507-457-1481 or brodgers@smumn.edu, Deb Nahrgang at 507-457-6966 or dnahrgan@smumn.edu, or Geoffrey DeMarsh at 507-457-1496 or gdemarsh@smumn.edu.
Imbuing character and virtue into the classroom
On Oct. 18, guest speaker Michael Lamb, Ph.D., defined character and articulated its importance in college and university classrooms to the very Saint Mary’s educators who are defining and articulating character within their own classrooms.
While on the Twin Cities Campus, Lamb led a seminar for 20 faculty members from across the university centered on character development in higher education, focusing on his recent article “How is Virtue Cultivated? Seven Strategies for Postgraduate Character Development,” published in the Journal of Character Education. Later in the day, he presented “Several Reasons why it is Good to form Character within the University” to faculty, staff, and students.
Lamb is executive director of the Program for Leadership and Character and assistant professor of politics, ethics, and interdisciplinary humanities at Wake Forest University. He is also a research fellow with the Oxford Character Project. His research focuses on leadership, character, and the role of virtues in public life. He is currently a principal investigator for several grants related to character education with the John Templeton Foundation, Kern Family Foundation, and Lilly Endowment.
“Michael is a true leader in this field,” said Michael Hahn, Ph.D., program director of character and virtue education in the school of education. “Beyond his many and impressive academic and professional accomplishments, he models leadership and character and we are delighted to welcome him to Saint Mary’s to expand our understanding of what university character education means today.”
Lamb’s visit to Saint Mary’s was made possible through the $1.7 million grant awarded to the university by the Kern Family Foundation to support the school’s renewed and invigorated focus on character and virtue education. Lamb complimented Saint Mary’s on the work it is already doing to make character and virtue a central part of the student experience while at the university.
“Historically, character education has been central to the mission of many universities, but for a variety of reasons, character has become less central over the last few decades. Yet in recent years, a number of universities — including Saint Mary’s and Wake Forest — are now recovering a focus on character to address some of the challenges of our age. I am excited to see how this shift will shape higher education in the decades to come,” Lamb said.
Attendees said they see themselves using the issues discussed during his visit in their daily work for the university.
“I’m in the starting stages of evaluating our classes and thinking about how we embed ethics and virtue into our MBA program,” said Mary Jacobs, assistant dean of graduate and MBA programs in the School of Business and Technology. “The lecture is the start of a journey for me of listening to his philosophy, reading his articles, and kind of embedding that into Saint Mary’s philosophy and thinking about how that all ties together and what more can be done in our MBA classes.”
Many view imbuing character and virtue into the classroom as something that will set Saint Mary’s apart in the higher education landscape.
“When you attend a college or university, a lot of it is so focused on academia and content, so by us putting this as a priority, having learners really look inside and develop who they are at their core, I think that’s a huge difference between the experience you get at Saint Mary’s with character and virtue versus what you might find at other institutions,” said Sarah Haugen, M.Ed., an associate program director in the Master of Education in Teaching and Learning program.
For Matt Gerlach, Ph.D., vice president for character, virtue, and ethics and endowed director of the Hendrickson Institute, the opportunity for professional development surrounding the topic of character and virtue is paramount to Saint Mary’s mission.
“A lot of times, we’re so busy with meetings and emails and the work of teaching that we don’t have those times to set aside and reflect on our larger mission and purpose and why we’re doing what we’re doing and how to do it better,” Gerlach said.
Saint Mary’s will continue providing opportunities for faculty, staff, and students — as well as the general public — to learn about character and virtue education. Julie Nagashima, Ph.D., of North Central College will present “Faculty Perceptions of University Character Education” on Wednesday, Nov. 10.
Reputation, visibility, and connections
Thought leadership is an important strategy as we seek to enhance our reputation and therefore our brand. Thought leadership ranges from placing opinion pieces and editorials in the media to keynote speeches, and panel and conference presentations, to sponsorships that advance our strategic goals and highlight our academic excellence.
Having our faculty and staff attend, present, and engage publicly assists with recruiting, partnerships, networking, and visibility. Here are just a few upcoming ways we are showcasing our talent and education leadership.
Saint Mary’s School of Business and Technology is sponsoring two events in December. On Friday, Dec. 3, the Minneapolis Saint Paul Business Journal’s “Leadercast Women” event is focused on “exceptional female leaders.” Michelle Wieser, Ph.D., dean of Business and Technology, will present on her MBA and gender equity research. On Monday, Dec. 6, Twin Cities Business will announce their “Person of the Year.” Each December, the publication shares its list of the 100 People to Know in the coming year. These newsmakers, innovators, and trailblazers will be featured in the December/January issue and revealed for the first time at a live event, culminating with the magazine’s choice for Person of the Year.
Wieser also just spoke to the Greater Rochester Advocates for Universities and Colleges about the next normal in higher education and business. This was an important visibility opportunity tied to initiative 6a of the strategic plan.
The ongoing WE Forum in Rochester brings together women in business to share knowledge and resources in support of new business creation and growth. This forum is a partnership between Saint Mary’s Kabara Institute, Collider, RAEDI, SCORE and the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce.
Amy Jauman, Ed.D., program director in the M.A. in Human Resource Management program, is emceeing the Ignite Session at the I.C.E. Exchange Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 17. The I.C.E. audience is credentialing professionals who are both potential Saint Mary’s students and professional partners.
Ann Schissel, Ph.D., assistant core faculty in the Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology Program, is presenting “Understanding Suicide: Approaches in Psychotherapy” virtually on Saturday, Oct. 30, free to all current Saint Mary’s University School of Health and Human Services students and faculty. The event is 7:45 to 11 a.m. RSVP.
Andrea Carroll-Glover, vice provost for online strategy and programs, and Carrie Wandler, Ed.D., manager of online learning product development, are speaking at three fall conferences during which they will be information sharing with other higher education administrators and those interested in micro credentialing:
- Association for Continuing Higher Education Conference 2021 on Oct. 12: Boldly Going Where No Catholic University Has Gone — Celebrating Student Success and Achievements Through Digital Badges
- University Professional and Continuing Education Association Regions 2021 (a joint session with Southern New Hampshire University) on Thursday, Oct. 21: Education Unbundled: Building Workforce Relevant Skills Through University Initiatives and Digital Badges
- Council for Adult and Experiential Learning on Wednesday, Nov. 17: Unbundling Education: Preparing Learners for Career-focused Self-Advocacy
“What’s really most important is we’re demonstrating that small places can do big things,” Wandler said. “Saint Mary’s is really on the cutting edge of credentialing because we are so student centered. We think not only about what students need to know and do in the classroom, but also what they’re going to need to know and do as they step out the door and enter into an increasingly competitive job market. Digital credentialing sets our Saint Mary’s students apart and gives them the tools to advocate for themselves in terms of skills they bring to day one of the job.”
Saint Mary’s honors generosity of two couples with Heritage Awards
Saint Mary’s University recognized the generosity of two alumni families — Anthony ’59 and Sandra Adducci and Robert J. ’49 and Lucille G. Stiever— with the Heritage Award for Transformational Philanthropy on Oct. 15.
The Heritage Award, given annually at the university’s Celebrating a Tradition of Philanthropy benefactor dinner, recognizes special individuals whose exceptional philanthropy has significantly transformed the university and positioned Saint Mary’s for a second century of excellence in education.
Anthony ’59 and Sandra Adducci
Anthony J. Adducci ’59, a pioneer in Minnesota’s medical device industry and a trustee emeritus, dedicated his life to the sciences. The Adducci Science Center on Saint Mary’s Winona Campus (now known as Aquinas Hall) was named in honor of the Adducci family in 1987 in recognition of Anthony Adducci’s success. Soon after his graduation from Saint Mary’s, Adducci was hired as an engineer by Medtronic and helped teach doctors how to implant pacemakers. In 1972, he helped found Cardiac Pacemakers (now Guidant). The company went on to develop the first lithium battery-powered pacemaker and was a leader in cardiovascular technology. After selling his stake in Cardiac Pacemakers to Eli Lilly & Company, Adducci worked as a private venture capitalist in the Twin Cities. He was president of Technology Enterprises and director of North American Banking Company and Capsule Design, and he established the Adducci Family Foundation, which provides grants to programs serving children, battered women, and seniors.
The award recognizes Anthony (posthumously) and Sandra Adducci, longtime philanthropic supporters of Saint Mary’s for their dedication to furthering the needs of our students. Most recently, they established the Anthony ’59 and Sandra Adducci Family Makerspace, a hands-on lab in Aquinas Hall that will transform the learning experience for students.
Robert J. ’49 and Lucille G. Stiever
Robert J. ’49 and Lucille G. Stiever’s generosity will also transform the lives of students at Saint Mary’s today and in the future with their $5 million estate gift, the largest estate gift in university history. Both Stievers were lifelong learners and avid readers. It was their desire that their estate gift be used for undergraduate students on Saint Mary’s Winona Campus with financial need so more students would be able to afford a college education.
Preceding his wife in death, Robert Stiever was an economist and accountant for the USDA Commodity Credit Corporation and the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service and retired after 40 years. After 30 years, Lucille Stiever retired from her position as the office and property manager for the Ramsey County Public Library.
Though the Stievers will never hear the thanks or get to know the many students who will benefit from the scholarship support generated from this gift, this is exactly the way this humble and generous couple would have wanted it.
Bishop Quinn receives Presidential Award for Outstanding Merit
On a night dedicated to recognizing the generosity of benefactors and supporters of Saint Mary’s University, the Most Rev. John Quinn, AFSC, D.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, was surprised with the Presidential Award for Outstanding Merit for serving as an inspiring leader, engaging shepherd and teacher, and genuine friend of the university.
During Saint Mary’s annual Benefactor Recognition Dinner Oct. 15, Bishop Quinn was recognized for supporting Catholic education at all levels, serving as the director of Catholic Education for the Archdiocese of Detroit for more than a dozen years, regularly teaching in the Theology Department on Saint Mary’s Winona Campus, being a member, as well as serving as chair of, the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops Committee on Catholic Education, and serving as chair of the Catholic Higher Education Working Group.
An ardent supporter of education, Bishop Quinn has earned three graduate degrees, written and published scholarly and pastoral essays as well as book chapters, and received an honorary Doctor of Education from Saint Mary’s in August 2012.
Inspired by the mission of the De La Salle Christian Brothers and the Lasallian Catholic educational mission of Saint Mary’s, Bishop Quinn was named an affiliated member of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools earlier this year.
In addition to his support of the university’s mission, Bishop Quinn has also demonstrated his dedication to its students by gifting his teaching stipend back to Saint Mary’s for scholarships for students in need of financial assistance.
Student spotlight: Jose Canchaya pursues lasting sustainable development
Committed to implementing lasting, systemic change that directly combats climate change head on, Jose Canchaya decided to pursue his DBA at Saint Mary’s University to further elevate the impact potential that his research and approach on sustainability can have across the globe.
As an MBA degree holder and economist, Canchaya worked to develop his entire professional career within the sustainable forest management industry, specifically within the Rainforest Amazon Region. He has had the opportunity to lead the oldest FSC Certification in Peru for sustainable timber harvesting, and achieved the first carbon credit project to be validated in a sustainable productive tropical forest in the entire world.
On a more personal level, Canchaya is especially interested in environmental education for children to ensure that the impact of the carbon compensation will truly be long-lasting and sustainable.
We had the opportunity to sit down with Canchaya to learn more about his work and goals.
Tell us about your research interests and what you are currently working on.
Overall, my focus is on sustainable development. My approach will be focused on the key role that values like empathy play in this objective, and how promoting children’s positive exposure to nature can assure creating environmentally responsible citizenship in adulthood. I’m eager to explore how market mechanisms could be an innovative — and so far, unexplored — road to achieve these outcomes.
How will your research make an impact?
We face a common challenge against climate change. We see it daily in the news with ever more frequent natural disasters. Actions are being taken, but mainly taken at governmental level and with specific actions targeting climate issues alone.
The gap, quite simply, is a personal commitment at an individual level. This, I believe, is what will make the biggest impact. By approaching sustainable development with a focus on youth education, including frequent and positive exposure to nature, we can implement significant, lasting change.
One of the primary goals of my research is to overcome challenges around resources and accessibility and build initiatives and market mechanisms that will allow this approach to be expanded quickly across the globe.
What factors helped you determine that Saint Mary’s DBA program was the right fit for you?
Saint Mary’s had everything I was looking for. From academic excellence and applied research to students with diverse background around the world, I knew that I’d have the opportunity to expand my perspective and ways of thinking.
What are your long-term career goals?
Either within the private or higher education sectors, I hope to continue to develop my career within the sustainable industry.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I love playing tennis and soccer (go Loons!) and traveling with my family.
How can others connect with you?
Others can connect with me on LinkedIn.
Saint Mary’s to host Cardinal hockey Ice Breaker Day Oct. 23
Featuring an opportunity to adopt puppies from Alma Tails of Hope Animal Rescue (last hosted in 2019, which resulted in all the puppies being adopted)
WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary’s University athletic department will be hosting the second annual Cardinal hockey Ice Breaker Day on Saturday, Oct. 23. The free event will include activities for kids, yard games, adoptable puppies, and a pair of collegiate hockey games.
Ice Breaker Day schedule
- 2 p.m. Women’s hockey exhibition game against Marian. Toppers Pizza will be available to purchase in the concessions. WNB Financial will provide a free T-shirt to the first 50 kids.
- 4 p.m. Skate with the Cardinals — bring your skates and spend an hour on the ice with members of the men’s and women’s hockey teams. There will also be an autograph session.
- 5 to 7 p.m. Pumpkin patch and pumpkin carving, yard games, fire pits, hot beverages courtesy of Chartwells, Rubio’s Mexican food truck, and adoptable puppies from Alma Tails of Hope Animal Rescue.
- 7 p.m. Men’s hockey exhibition game against University of Wisconsin-Stout. Toppers Pizza will be available to purchase in the concessions. WNB Financial will provide a free T-shirt to the first 50 kids.
COVID-19 protocols
All event participants and game spectators must wear masks inside the ice arena and in the lobby. Hand sanitizing stations will be available for use.
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