Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University

Fall 2011 issue of Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis UniversityLongtime faculty Reflections Page 8 new medical center projects Page 14 alumnus comic book crusader Page 22 SLU’s ambassadors show off campus / Page 18 fa l l 2 011 features 8 Institutional Knowledge Ten longtime faculty members share their life lessons. — By Elizabeth Harris Krasnoff 14 Collaboration and Recreation Two new Medical Center facilities encourage student interaction. — By Marie Dilg 18 Walk This Way SLU’s ambassadors show prospective students a personal side of campus. — By Marie Dilg 22 Crusader With a Pen Alumnus Denny O’Neil has been the force behind many comic superheroes. — By Amy Garland depar tments { contents } 2 | On Campus Make a Difference Day • Record enrollment • Professor honored in Ireland • SLU histories online • Expansion in Madrid • World record set 6 | Billiken News Academic honors • Basketball schedules 7 | Advancement News A Q&A with Heather Rich, director of corporate and foundation relations 25 | Class Notes Catch up with classmates. 29 | In Memoriam Remember those members of the SLU community who recently died. 30 | Alumni Events Find SLU alumni activities wherever you live. 32 | Perspective A professor with SLU’s Legal Clinics reflects on his experiences. 33 | the last word Letters to the editor 18 8 22 14 Volume 38, Issue 1 Editor Laura Geiser (A&S ’90, Grad ’92) Contributors Marie Dilg (Grad SW ’94) Amy Garland (A&S ’97) Elizabeth Harris Krasnoff “On Campus” news stories University Communications Medical Center Communications Billiken Media Relations ON THE Cover SLU ambassadors Back row (from left): Mary Michael Daunhauer, Matt Satcher, Dani Trout and Steve Siemborski Middle row (from left): Alyssa Hermann and Grant Podolski Front row (from left): Leila Houshmand, Nikki Pain and Jon Schwendeman Photo by Steve Dolan Design Art Direction: Matt Krob Universitas is published by Saint Louis University. Opinions expressed in Universitas are those of the individual authors and not necessarily those of the University administration. Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs are welcome but will be returned only if accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Letters to the editor must be signed, and letters not intended for publication should indicate that fact. The editor reserves the right to edit all items. Address all mail to Universitas, DuBourg Hall 39, One N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, Mo. 63103. We accept email at universitas@slu.edu and fax submissions at (314) 977- 2249. Address fax submissions to Editor, Universitas. Postmaster: Send address changes to Universitas, Saint Louis University, One N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103. World Wide Web address: www.slu.edu/pr/universitas.html Universitas is printed by Universal Printing Co. Worldwide circulation: 115,100 © 2011, Saint Louis University All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. F A L L 2 0 0 4 W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 Being held back does not have to hold you back. (My first grade teacher failed me for not knowing English. Today, I have a master’s degree in linguis-tics and a Ph.D. in sociolinguistics.) Never back away from a challenge when the best interests of the University are at stake. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. No matter who they are, what they do for a living, where they come from, what language they speak or how you may have encountered them. When SLU students tell you that they want to change the world after they graduate, believe them. Illumination can happen during your lowest moments. Just ask Saint Ignatius. Committees, commis-sions and blue ribbon pan-els are fine, but taking action is what really matters. Always be open to new ideas from unexpected places. Loyalty is a very, very important quality. It is important to cherish every day. Life has so much to offer; there are so many people to meet, so many places to go and so many things to learn. For any community to succeed, education, gov-ernment and business must work together. It’s OK to dream. I have been accused of dream-ing big, and I think it has paid off. A college or university is only as good as the graduates it produces. That’s why SLU is great. (I am not biased, of course.) The Billikens are the best student-athletes in col-lege sports. (Again, no bias.) Trust is a renewable resource, but it must be renewed. It must be earned and then cultivated. It is not a “one and done” commodity. When it comes to health, there is nothing like having good genes. (Both my Mamma and Papa lived to be 98.) The transformative power of a Jesuit education is often realized later in one’s life. Sometimes, you can make sweeping changes that almost no one comments on, but raise parking fees, and you won’t hear the end of it. Too many peaceful people get caught up in the evils of war — something I saw firsthand in Beirut during the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War. Faith with an open and honest heart can bring people together. It can foster hope, understanding and peace. We are all different, but we are also more alike than we might like to admit. True friends not only push you forward, they keep you grounded in reality. There is nothing quite like the unconditional love of a dog, particularly after a long day at work. Lawrence Biondi, S.J. President { president’s message } On page 8 of this issue of Universitas, you will find some of our wise and experienced faculty members offering their insights about what they have learned during their tenure at Saint Louis University. And while I know I have not been here as long as some of them, I do think my 24 years have offered opportunities for growth and better understanding. So, here’s my take on what I’ve learned. 2 U N I V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u f a l l ’ 1 1 U N I V E R S I T A S 3 { on campus } photo by chad williams photo by kevin lowder MAKING A DIFFERENCE Senior nursing student Linda Trinh paints at Gateway Middle School during Make A Difference Day on Oct. 29. More than 3,000 students, faculty and staff partici-pated in SLU’s 2011 Make A Dif-ference Day. This record number of volunteers served at more than 130 area schools, non-profit organiza-tions, churches, individual homes and community facilities, spending the day painting, planting and cleaning up, as well as providing activities at some locations. HOMECOMING FUN: Alumni and their families enjoy the Billiken Tailgate during Saint Louis University’s Homecoming Weekend, Sept. 23-25. More than 3,000 people attended this year’s Homecoming. The weekend also included campus tram tours, faculty lectures, the 50-year Golden Billiken reunion, a soccer game and fireworks. Next year’s Homecoming Weekend will be Sept. 28-30. To view more photos from the 2011 Homecoming, visit the Saint Louis University Alumni Page on Facebook. t h e A R T S a t S L U Quilt exhibition unfolds at SLUMA The Saint Louis University Museum of Art is presenting “Threads of Tradition II: St. Louis Quilters” through Dec. 23. The exhibit displays the work of local quilters. More than 40 quilts, featuring various patterns and quilting tech-niques, showcase the talents involved in the art of quilting. Quilt styles include the charm, the “crazy” and the memory quilt. SLUMA’s hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sun-day. For more information, visit sluma.slu.edu. St. Francis screen, Adrian Kellard, 1985. Latex on wood with hinges. Collection of Antonia Lasicki and William Devia, Niskayuna, N.Y. Bali High, pieced by Pamela Nihiser, quilted by Cheri Vollmer, 2010. MOCRA shows work of Kellard The Museum of Contemporary Religious Art’s latest exhibition is “Adrian Kellard: The Learned Art of Compassion,” on display through Dec. 11. Kellard had six solo shows and was included in more than 25 group exhibitions at the time of his death in 1991. His work has been featured in exhibitions at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and the Center on Contemporary Art in Seattle, among others. MOCRA’s hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. For more information, visit mocra.slu.edu. SLU ranks high on several lists U.S.News & World Report once again has recognized Saint Louis University as one of the top 100 universities in the country. In the 2012 edition of “America’s Best Colleges,” SLU ranked 90th among the more than 280 national universities in the country — a list topped by Harvard, Princeton and Yale. The ranking placed SLU among the top five U.S. Jesuit universities for the ninth year in a row. U.S. News also gave high marks to the undergraduate programs in entrepreneurship (No. 13) and international business (No. 16). Additionally, SLU has earned national recognition for community service by Washington Monthly. In its recent “2011 College Rankings” issue, the magazine named SLU No. 2 on its list of universities that participate in the most com-munity service. Overall, the University was listed 94th out of 258 colleges making a “contribution to the public good.” The Washington Monthly rankings followed the announcement that SLU made the President’s Higher Education Commu-nity Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. New students boost enrollmentS aint Louis University has enrolled one of the largest classes in its history, welcoming 1,707 freshmen and 401 trans-fer students to SLU this fall. SLU’s total enrollment is now 14,073, an all-time record. The freshmen also are among SLU’s brightest ever. The mean grade point average of the class is 3.77, and the average ACT score is 27. The class also includes 246 honor students. The class of 2015 was cel-ebrated during SLU’s annual new student convocation in Au-gust at Chaifetz Arena. Univer-sity President Lawrence Biondi, S.J., was on hand to address the more than 2,700 people in at-tendance and welcome the new students to SLU. Hotel Ignacio garners awards The Landmarks Association of St. Louis has selected Hotel Ignacio as one of the year’s “Most Enhanced Buildings.” The hotel also was named a “Development of the Year” by the City of St. Louis and the St. Louis Development Corp. SLU was one of only five projects chosen by city of-ficials as top developments “that most dramatically convert a catalytic vision for the city into bricks and mortar.” SLU and the Lawrence Group spent nearly a year trans-forming the 100-year-old structure into a boutique hotel. The major rehabilitation project, which began in June 2010, employed four architects, 10 interior designers and 65 differ-ent subcontractors. New students listen to a speaker during convocation. Photo by Jeffrey Vaughn Photo by steve dolan KEY INITIATIVE: In August, SLU officials signed an “All Steinway School Initiative.” The designation recognizes an institution’s commitment to excellence. On hand for the signing in College Church were (from left): Michael Barber, S.J., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Dr. Manoj Patankar, vice president for academic affairs; Gerry Malzone, vice president, Steinway; Susan Lutz, institutional sales director of Steinway and Sons; Dr. Pamela Youngdahl Dees, associate professor of fine and performing arts-music (seated); David Slan, Steinway Piano Gallery president; and Robert L. Hughes, associate professor of fine and performing arts-music. KITCHEN RENOVATION: This summer, SLU’s Campus Kitchen moved to a new location in Reinert Hall. The Kitchen was previously located in DeMattias Hall. The new location provides additional space as well as modern equipment that students and volunteers use to prepare the more than 2,500 meals delivered to those in need each month. 4 U N I V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u f a l l ’ 1 1 U N I V E R S I T A S 5 11 acres of sod planted in the stadium 68 tons of structural and miscellaneous steel used to support the Education Union 1,100 linear feet of copper lines to distribute water throughout the Education Union 1,800 cubic yards of concrete used to construct the Education Union 13,025 tons of materials recycled or reused during construction of the Education Union and stadium 27,000 cubic yards of fill used to construct the stadium SPAIN EXPANSION: The University has purchased a building in Madrid located at Amapolas 3, a half-block from SLU’s Padre Rubio Hall. The new building, named San Ignacio Hall, was acquired this summer from the Marist Fathers and is undergoing interior demolition. It should be completed in July. STREET LIGHTS: New blue lights glow along Olive and Locust streets, signaling to visitors that they have arrived in the SLU-Midtown neighborhood. In partnership with area businesses, the energy-efficient LED lights have been installed on Hotel Ignacio, the West Locust Lofts, Triumph Grill, the Moto Museum, the Drake Apartments, the Field House and other buildings. News Briefs Spanning more than three dozen specialties, 157 doctors from SLUCare were selected for St. Louis Magazine’s 2011 “Best Doctors” list. The list is based on the annual “Best Doctors in America” database, which considers more than one million peer evaluations to create a directory of approximately 30,000 doctors. Dr. Teri Murray (Nurs ’79, Grad ’93, ’97), dean of the School of Nursing, was inducted as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, the highest recognition one can achieve in nursing. The induction took place on Oct. 15 in Washington, D.C. Of nearly 3 million U.S. nurses, only 1,600 are fellows in the American Academy of Nursing. For the third consecutive year, Saint Louis University was selected for G.I. Jobs’ list of “Military Friendly Schools.” The publication’s 2012 list honors the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to embrace America’s veterans and students. Saint Louis University received the Storm Ready University Award from the National Weather Service. SLU is the first school in the metropolitan area to have success-fully completed the program. During the past year several faculty, staff and students became official storm spotters. { on campus } Banpu leaders establish endowe d chair SLU has received a $2 million gift from the Banpu Public Co. Ltd., a fossil energy company based in Thailand, and two of its leaders to establish the Banpu Endowed Chair in Sustainability. Banpu was founded by two alumni: Chanin Vongkusolkit (Grad Cook ’77) and Metee Auapinyakul (Cook ’78). This is SLU’s 64th endowed chair or professorship. “Under the visionary leadership of Mr. Vong-kusolkit and Mr. Auapinyakul, Banpu embraced the notion of corporate social responsibility long before ‘CSR’ became a buzzword in the business world,” University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J., said. “It is clear that their SLU education not only inspired their entrepreneurial spirit,” he continued, “but also instilled in them the Jesuit values to use their remarkable success to make our world a better place in which to live.” Vongkusolkit (left) and Auapinyakul Ireland’s presiden t ho nors SLU professor This summer Dr. Thomas Finan, director of SLU’s Center for International Stud-ies, was invited to present a copy of his book, Medieval Lough Cé: History, Archeology and Landscape, to Ireland’s president Mary McAleese. McAleese selected a number of books that focus on research and scholarship related to Ireland for presentations. Finan’s book is an offshoot of several projects in north-western Ireland that have injected a great deal of revenue into local economies that are primarily based upon pastoral farming. The Kilteasheen Archaeological Project, which Finan has co-directed for the last decade, has had grants and revenues of nearly $300,000, most of which went directly into the local economy for services such as student housing, food and transportation. The Kilteasheen project excavated more than 150 skeletons out of a medieval cemetery of nearly 3,000 graves. Center for Intercultural Studies unveiled SLU has established a new Center for Intercultural Studies and named associate professor of history Dr. Michal Rozbicki its first director. The center’s mission is three-fold: to foster comprehensive, interpretive research on the interactions among distinct cultures; to provide training in intercultural leadership; and to promote the building of bridges among the various cultures of the world. The center aims to become an interdisciplinary degree-granting entity by 2016. BY THE NUMBERS: at the Health Sciences Education Union and the Medical Center Stadium Libra r ies launch digital SLU histo r ies The Saint Louis University Libraries’ newest digital collection, “Saint Louis University Histories,” is now online. The catalog contains six volumes — some long out of print — from the libraries’ Special Collections. Each volume is online in its entirety and full-text searchable. The University histories in the collec-tion feature three works by the late SLU historian William B. Faherty, S.J., including Better the Dream: Saint Louis University and Community 1818–1968; Parks College: Legacy of an Aviation Pioneer; and Men to Remember: Jesuit Teachers at Saint Louis University. The collection also includes the titles Saint Louis University: 150 Years by Rita Adams; Historical Sketch of the Saint Louis University by Walter Hill, S.J.; and Memorial Volume of the Diamond Jubilee of St. Louis University, which is a short history of SLU written in 1904 for the St. Louis World’s Fair. Visit the online collection at libraries.slu.edu. SLU helps St. Louis’ sustainability Thanks in large part to support from SLU’s Center for Sustainability, the City of St. Louis was chosen as one of only 10 cities nationally to participate in the development of the STAR Community Index software platform, a tool that local governments across the globe will use to help create the sustainable cities of the future. The developing organization, the International Council for Local En-vironmental Initiatives, was founded in 1990 at the United Nations’ first “World Congress of Local Governments for a Sustainable Future.” Since then, ICLEI has grown to represent more than 1,200 local governments across 70 countries in sustainable development initiatives, such as the creation of the STAR Community Index software. The software will help St. Louis’ sustainability efforts by measuring and tracking local sustainability assets and barriers, with the goal of integrating the data into a long-term sustainable develop-ment plan for the region. World record set at SLU More than 425 players, parents and fans kicked their way to a Guinness World Record in September. The Great St. Louis Soccer Dribble at Saint Louis University’s Hermann Stadium officially recorded 428 participants and had them dribbling for six minutes — set-ting the world record for the most people dribbling a soccer ball at once. The event was organized by the non-profit America SCORES St. Louis, a program that uses soccer, poetry and service learning to aid urban youth. The University, along with several corporate sponsors and volunteers, provided the resources necessary to shuffle kids and their parents around the SLU field. St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay (Law ’80) was on hand to help count down the six minutes of dribbling required to secure the record. All funds raised from the event benefited America SCORES St. Louis’ youth programs. submitted Photo Photo by kevin lowder Photo by dan donovan Photo by ángel garcía lópez Photo by chad williams Photo by chad williams 6 U N I V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u f a l l ’ 1 1 U N I V E R S I T A S 7 What is corporate and foundation relations? Our office works closely with corporate lead-ers to determine the best available resources to meet the needs of their businesses and industries, whether through recruitment, re-search, education and training, and/or service opportunities. Simply put, we help organiza-tions make the right connections on campus. Our primary focus is identifying and securing support for SLU initiatives. On the front end, we research the funding guidelines and priorities of the funders and build relation-ships prior to submitting requests for funding. We understand that making an investment in the University is an important decision for our partners. Therefore, we strive to provide the great stewardship to ensure long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships. Why is it important for corporations and foundations to support SLU? The days of academic research and scholar-ships fully funded by federal sources are over. This makes support from private funders very important to the University. Faculty research-ers look to corporations and foundations as investors and collaborators to continue advancing knowledge and research in fields such as medicine, engineering, business, theology and many others. Today, corporations look to universities to recruit the best talent for their organiza-tions. A SLU education is unique because students not only receive instruction from skilled faculty, but they also are challenged to become servant-leaders. This preparation offers companies high-potential talent with an ethical foundation. In addition, the University has facilities and equipment that are beneficial to corporations. For instance, Busch Student Center, Chafeitz Arena and the Saint Louis University Museum of Art are great places to host clients and employees. What services and incentives can SLU offer corporations? Our office provides a single access point to all areas of the University. We communicate frequently with the other University offices, such as career services, research develop-ment and services, procurement, and event services. We work closely with deans and ad-ministrators throughout campus. We have a vast knowledge of current research projects, alumni act