Ninth-, 10th-graders prepare early to succeed in college

First-generation students from underserved communities
immersed in college life during second year of Saint Mary’s program

WINONA, Minn. — Fifty ninth- and 10th-graders from Chicago; Milwaukee; Minneapolis; Racine, Wis.; and Tucson, Ariz., are getting a head start on college success this summer, thanks to a first-of-its-kind program offered by Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.

From July 16 to Aug. 6, the university’s Countdown to College academic camp is providing these students (and teachers from their home schools) with activities that will help them prepare for successful college experiences. Countdown to College offers free classes, recreation, field trips, and room and board. Countdown to College will boost students’ skills, confidence and knowledge of how to negotiate the social and academic world of college.

Now in its second year, the program is welcoming each class of students for four consecutive summers. Currently 25 ninth-graders are experiencing “college” for the first time at SMU’s Winona campus. On July 30, they’ll be joined by 25 students from last year’s inaugural C2C camp who will return to Winona for two weeks of additional study and recreation. Each year a new group of ninth-graders will be selected to participate in the Countdown to College experience, resulting in a total camp population of 100 ninth- through 12th-graders by the fourth summer.

“To our knowledge, this is the first program in the nation that offers four consecutive years of early immersion in the college experience,” said Dr. Jane Anderson, Countdown to College program director, who helped develop the program.

Why the program is needed

Currently, about one of every two economically disadvantaged youth of color in the U.S. does not graduate from high school. Only a small percentage of Latinos and African Americans have college degrees. This is the reality even as demand is rising for better-educated workers who can function in today’s technologically complex global economy.

“Countdown to College is designed to ensure college success for first-generation students whose parents did not have the opportunity to go to college,” said Dr. Anderson. “First-generation students, many of them students of color from underserved schools and communities, are at an economic and educational disadvantage when it comes to reaching and finishing college. These are all factors that are known to significantly limit their ability to attend and succeed in college.”

Countdown to College highlights

Countdown to College seeks to break down the barriers to higher education by exposing youth directly to the college experience for two weeks each summer for four straight years. The first summer, each day is filled with college orientation and classes in reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, math and leadership. Their schedules also include supervised study halls, academic contests, sports, recreation, and field trips. Other college preparation subjects, such as science, are added in subsequent years.

One of the most distinctive aspects of the program is that it includes a teacher or staff representative from each of the participating students’ schools. They co-teach the classes alongside Saint Mary’s instructors. This helps prepare the university instructors to work with an increasingly diverse population of college students. In turn, the visiting teachers learn how to set their students up for success in college and how to help create a community of support around the students.

The participants in Countdown to College attend schools in the Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Racine, Chicago and Tucson metropolitan areas. Preference is given to graduates of Saint Mary’s middle school partners in the NativityMiguel Network of Jesuit and Christian Brothers’ schools, which are located in those cities.

Countdown to College is funded for 2010-2013 by a generous donation from Jack and Mary Ann Remick of Rochester, Minn., who are long-time supporters of Saint Mary’s University. Mary Ann Remick is also the chairwoman of Saint Mary’s First-Generation Advisory Board and a member of the Saint Mary’s Board of Trustees.

Part of the broader ‘First-Generation Initiative’

Countdown to College is the foundation segment of Saint Mary’s broader First-Generation Initiative to improve college access and success.

"Countdown to College and our First-Generation Initiative reflect Saint Mary’s mission to make higher education accessible to learners, regardless of their financial situations,” said Brother William Mann, president of Saint Mary’s University.

Countdown to College graduates will receive preferential consideration to participate in Saint Mary’s First-Generation Initiative program, which provides college scholarships, and educational support to first-generation students who demonstrate financial need as well as leadership and academic potential. In 2010-11, 13 students received full to partial scholarships through the First-Generation Initiative. These scholarships provide financial support for tuition, room and board, books, computer, spending money, and one semester of study abroad.

“Students participating in Countdown to College may potentially become part of Saint Mary’s First-Generation Initiative scholarship program, which would be a seamless continuation of support for these students,” said Brother Edmund Siderewicz, assistant to the president for First-Generation and Lasallian Initiatives. “Our goal is to provide full scholarships and opportunities for our First-Generation students – study abroad, internships, life to the fullest – because we know these students have the potential to accomplish great things.”

Saint Mary’s University to host LVs Ride participants July 22-24

Bikers raising money to end poverty

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University is hosting and sponsoring the LVs (Lasallian Volunteers) Ride, a cross-country bike ride that is raising money to end poverty in our nation’s underserved communities.

The proceeds of the LVs Ride — which routes from Astoria, Ore., to Long Branch, N.J. — will go to Lasallian Volunteers, a full-time volunteer program serving the nation’s most neglected communities. Lasallian Volunteers is a program of the De La Salle Christian Brothers, and provides dedicated, well-trained volunteers for one or more years of service to schools and agencies whose mission is to serve the poor. Lasallian Volunteers provide over 100,000 hours of service and serve over 8,215 children and families each year.

One SMU alumna, Glenna Kryzyanowski, is joining approximately 14 other LVs Ride participants for the coast-to-coast trip.

A leg of their journey will bring the bikers through Winona Friday, July 22. Saint Mary’s invites the public to meet participants and learn more about Lasallian Volunteers during a picnic on the plaza of SMU’s Winona campus on Saturday, July 23. Burgers and side dishes will be provided for a freewill donation. The picnic will begin at 6 p.m. with the riders doing a demonstration at 7 p.m.

The group will continue on its journey the morning of Sunday, July 24, and are expected to complete their ride on Aug. 14. They left Astoria, Ore., on June 14.

Other cyclists are encouraged to take up the challenge to fight poverty — cyclists are welcome for even a portion of the trip. To donate to this cause or learn more about the LVs Ride, go to www.lvsride.com.

SMU welcomes Flying Foot Forum; two-day workshops culminate in July 23 show

WINONA, Minn. — Joe Chvala and the Flying Foot Forum will present an evening of intricately layered percussive footwork for Saint Mary’s University’s first “Off the Page” event Saturday, July 23.

Audiences are invited to watch what the Minneapolis Star Tribune coined as “fierce exhilarating dancemaking” at 8 p.m. in the Valéncia Arts Center, located at 10th and Vila streets.

The Flying Foot Forum is a vibrant and bold percussive dance/theater company that fuses percussion and percussive dances with many other forms of music, dance and theater, telling unusual tales, creating a wild variety of characters, and exploring universal ideas in inventive and exciting new ways.

Chvala has worked as a director, choreographer, writer, composer, performer, and teacher for opera companies, experimental and nonexperimental theatres, concert dance venues, performing arts academies, and universities. Located in Minneapolis since 1990, Chvala previously worked in New York and Gothenburg, Sweden.

Tickets are $15 for adults or $10 for seniors and students and are available at the SMU Box Office, (507) 457-1715, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays or online at www.pagetheatre.org.

In conjunction with their visit, Chvala and the dancers will present a free lecture/demonstration on the history of tap and jazz dance at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 21, at the Valéncia Arts Center. The artists will also conduct master classes with Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts students July 22-23. For more information, call (507) 453-5500 or go to www.mnconservatoryforthearts.org.

Saint Mary’s University’s “Off The Page” events feature Minnesota artists in venues around town throughout the year. Enjoy additional Page Series-quality performances at other convenient, accessible locations in Winona!

Saint Mary’s is a fiscal year 2011 recipient of an Institutional Presenter Support grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is funded, in part, by the Minnesota arts and cultural heritage fund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on Nov. 4, 2008.

Saint Mary's University purchases south Minneapolis landmark

$2 million anonymous gift helps fund purchase of Harrington Mansion and Events Center, formerly the Zuhrah Shrine property, on Park Avenue

MINNEAPOLIS – Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota announced today that it has finalized its purchase of the Harrington Mansion and Events Center, located adjacent to the university’s Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs (SGPP) in Minneapolis. Saint Mary’s University plans to use the property, formerly owned by the Zuhrah Shriners, for expansion of its graduate programs, community outreach, and alumni event venues.

“This is an investment both in our campus and in the Twin Cities community,” said Brother William Mann, president of Saint Mary’s University. “Saint Mary’s is expanding to meet our growth in educational offerings. We see this as an investment to not only provide educational access to those who increasingly are excluded from it, but also a commitment to help revitalize the Phillips West neighborhood.”

A growing university
Saint Mary’s University opened its Minneapolis campus at 2500 Park Avenue South in 1984 to focus primarily on graduate education, as well as meeting the needs of adult students through baccalaureate degree completion programs. Saint Mary’s helped pioneer the accelerated programming format and has experienced significant growth over the past few decades. Today Saint Mary’s SGPP is enjoying record enrollment, with more than 4,300 students enrolled.

Saint Mary’s latest expansion is the Harrington Mansion and Events Center purchase, which includes the historic mansion, carriage house, modern events center, and 100 parking spaces, encompassing 1.66 acres at 2540 Park Avenue. The mansion and carriage house consist of 30,000 square feet, and the event center has 54,000 square feet. The purchase significantly increases the size of Saint Mary’s campus footprint on Park Avenue. The purchase price of the properties is $2.75 million. A $2 million gift from an anonymous donor made the purchase possible for Saint Mary’s. Saint Mary’s will begin a campaign to raise funds for renovations of the buildings.

The mansion and carriage house will be used for online learning opportunities, office space, gatherings of alumni and friends, and performing and visual arts space. The center will be used for university events and will continue to be available for public rental. The space is ideal for meetings, corporate functions, and receptions.

Harrington Mansion history
The Harrington Mansion is an Italian Renaissance-style home built in 1902 for the family of Charles Harrington, who owned a grain processing and distribution business. The home’s architects were Frederick Kees and Serenus Colburn, who also designed the Minneapolis Grain Exchange Building and the Loring Theater (now the Music Box Theater).

The Harrington family resided in the mansion from 1902 until 1929. The property was then sold to the Zuhrah Shrine fraternal organization, which owned the property until Saint Mary’s purchased it.

“Zuhrah Shriners enjoyed more than 80 years as a vital part of the Phillips West area of Minneapolis,” said Gary Sibben, Potentate of the Zuhrah Shriners. “Rising costs and declining membership have caused us to look for a more suitable home. We are glad the property will remain an integral part of the area’s revitalization.”

The Harrington Mansion was designated historic by the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission in 1988. This designation protects the external integrity of the historic property while allowing Saint Mary’s to make modern internal renovations.

“We are grateful to the donor for enabling us to make this purchase,” said Brother William. “We are proud to become a part of the rich history of the Harrington Mansion. Saint Mary’s University intends to preserve that history while making the property highly functional for today’s learners and guests.”

To view photos, go to www.flickr.com/photos/64409651@N02; To view a fact sheet about the buildings, go to http://saintmary.posterous.com/harrington-mansion-fact-sheet or scroll to the next blog entry. To read a feature from the Minneapolis Star Tribune, go to www.startribune.com/local/blogs/124707849.html.

FACT SHEET Harrington Mansion and Events Center

Overview

· The Harrington Mansion and Events Center, with the historic mansion, carriage house, modern event center, and 124 parking spaces, encompasses 1.66 acres in South Minneapolis. The mansion and carriage house consist of 30,000 square feet and the event center, built in 1990, has 54,000 square feet.

· The Harrington Mansion was built in 1902 by the Pike and Cook construction firm under the architectural direction of Frederick Kees and Serenus Colburn.

· The Harrington Family resided in the mansion from 1902 until 1929, when the property was sold to the Zuhrah Shrine fraternal organization, which owned the property until 2011.

· The Harrington Mansion was designated historic by the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission in 1988.

· Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota owns the property, which is located next to the university’s Minneapolis campus.

Architectural influences

· Architects Kees and Colburn designed the Harrington residence in the Italian Renaissance style. The architectural team also designed the Minneapolis Grain Exchange Building and the Loring Theater, which is now the Music Box Theater.

· While occupied by the Harringtons, the mansion contained a library, drawing room, dining room, den, kitchen, and servants’ hall; the family’s bedrooms were located on the second floor. A ballroom and auditorium filled the third floor, while billiard and card rooms were housed in the basement.

· Each room on the second floor connects with the one adjoining it, so an entire circuit of the house can be made without entering a hall passageway.

· Owner Charles Harrington brought in artisans from Norway and Sweden to perfect the home’s ornamental décor that can still be seen today.

Harrington Family

· Charles Harrington, a native of New York, moved to Minneapolis to work for George Van Dusen, founder of a grain processing and distribution business that would become the Van Dusen-Harrington Company in 1889. From 1889 to 1928, Charles Harrington served as the company president.

· Charles married Grace Ross, also a native of New York, and together they had one child named Laura. Along with the Harringtons, Mrs. Harrington’s sister, Isabel Ross, and three servants lived at the estate.

Zuhrah Shriners

· September 26, 1872, marked the beginning of the Ancient Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (AONMS), which is now known as Shriners International.

· Zuhrah Temple was number 23, chartered in 1886. Today there are 191 temples throughout North America.

· From the beginning, the Shrine was involved with charities. The first Shriners Hospital for Children opened in 1922 and the Twin Cities Unit opened in 1924. Today there are 22 hospitals, 19 orthopedic units, and 3 burn institutes. The services of these hospitals are free to children up to the age of 18 years, regardless of race, religion, or relationship to a Shriner, provided there is a medical need that can be helped.

Zuhrah has had four locations in Minneapolis and moved to its most recent location, 2540 Park Avenue, in 1929. The property was purchased for $25,000, which is less than one-third of today’s property tax burden. Zuhrah Shrine Center has been built and rebuilt twice, but the historic mansion remains intact.

SMU student discovers unknown Lincoln documents

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University history student David Spriegel is making national headlines this week for uncovering two original, previously unknown documents written in 1844 by a then up-and-coming lawyer named Abraham Lincoln.

Spriegel of Gurnee, Ill., was on the second week of his summer internship at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Ill., when he made the discovery.

The following press release was sent by David Blanchette, (217) 558-8970, from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum:

I found two unknown Lincoln documents
on my summer vacation

Presidential Library intern discovers previously unknown documents
written by Abraham Lincoln in 1844

SPRINGFIELD – When the question is asked, “What did you do on your summer vacation,” no one will be able to top one college student’s story.

David Spriegel of Gurnee, Illinois, a student at Saint Mary’s University in Winona, Minnesota, was on the second week of a summer internship at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois, when he discovered two original, previously unknown documents written in 1844 by an up-and-coming lawyer named Abraham Lincoln.

“It was really a surprise,” said Spriegel. “I didn’t think it could be true.”

In late May, when he began to organize a four-inch-tall stack of old documents in the Presidential Library’s Manuscripts Department, Spriegel noticed a small inscription on two of them: “The above memorandum is in the handwriting of Abraham Lincoln. – M. Hay.” Milton Hay had clerked in the Stuart and Lincoln Law Office as a young man and would have recognized Lincoln’s script. Hay’s notations seem to date from late in his life, perhaps the 1880s.

Spriegel called the discovery to the attention of his supervisor, Glenna Schroeder-Lein, manuscripts librarian at the Presidential Library. She immediately contacted experts with the Papers of Abraham Lincoln project housed at the Library. Daniel Stowell and Stacy McDermott of that project confirmed Lincoln’s handwriting, as did James Cornelius, curator of the Lincoln Collection.

The two documents, bearing no other signature or date, are long lists of small parcels of land being bought and sold amongst a variety of early Springfield settlers, including Ninian Wirt Edwards and William Wallace (both of whom ended up as Lincoln’s brothers-in-law), Stacy Opdycke, Jesse B. Thomas, Stephen T. Logan, and others. The papers lay among several land warrantees that had been donated to the Library by a descendant of one of those settlers.

After some research Cornelius determined that the documents were part of the legal case Opdycke et al. v. Godfrey et al., from Christian County, Illinois, and that the lands in question are west of Taylorville, in that county. McDermott believes that Lincoln likely used these two pages of memoranda to prepare a petition he filed to initiate the case in March 1844. The documents will be available this fall for viewing, alongside those from the 5,600 other Lincoln legal cases, at the Papers of Abraham Lincoln website, www.papersofabrahamlincoln.org.

Meanwhile, the two documents join 1,580 other original Abraham Lincoln manuscripts at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

This is not the first time that a young student has made such a thrilling discovery. In 1952, 14-year-old Ron Rietveld, a student helper at the Illinois State Historical Library, the forerunner of the Lincoln Presidential Library, discovered the only existing original photograph of Lincoln lying in his coffin following his assassination. Rietveld later became a professor of history at California State University – Fullerton, where he had a student, Glenna Schroeder-Lein, the same woman who is supervising Spriegel on his summer 2011 internship at the Presidential Library.

“I never dreamed that my summer internship would bring me into direct contact with an original, previously unknown Lincoln document,” Spriegel said. “I’m happy that the discovery will increase our knowledge of Lincoln’s legacy.”

Visit www.presidentlincoln.org for more information about the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

MCA announces summer dance, theatre, music programming

WINONA, Minn. — The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts offers summer programming runs through July 22. Community classes, lessons, workshops and camps are offered for children age 3 through adults.

Theatre division offerings include:

Theatre Day Camp I – Destination Imagination
June 20-24; 9 to 11:30 a.m.; for young people entering grades 2 through 5; tuition: $100.
Students are led through a series of theatre games and exercises designed to encourage and develop their imaginations. Students perform in a final showcase.

Theatre Day Camp II – Broadway Bound!
June 20-24, 1 to 4:30 p.m.; for young people entering grades 6 through 8; tuition: $150.
Students will learn how actors bring unique characters to life using their voice, body and creativity. Students will learn improvisation, acting technique for the stage, theatrical numbers for popular Broadway musicals, and perform in a final showcase.


Music division offerings include:

Music Explorers I
June 27-July 1; 4:15 to 5 p.m.; for students entering grades 1 through 3; tuition: $30.
Learn concepts related to steady beat, duration, pitch, volume, articulation, solfege, and rhythmic and melodic improvisation.

Music Explorers II
June 27-July 1; 3 to 4 p.m.; for students entering grades 4 through 6; tuition: $30.
Students will learn to write their own melodies that include elements of rhythm and meter, pitch and key, expression and form.

Chamber Music Camp
July 18- 22; 2 to 4:30 p.m.; for students entering grades 7 through 12; tuition: $100.
Students will play in small ensemble settings with like instruments and will attend music classes in sight singing, theory, composition, improvisation, and the Alexander technique.

Private Music Lessons: Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Violin, Mandolin, Piano, Voice
Arranged, for students ages 5 to adults; tuition: $75 for 5 lessons, $140 for 10 lessons.

Dance division offerings include:

Nia
June 7, 14, 21, 28; 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.; tuition: $24.
This fitness course offers a dynamic blend of dance arts, martial arts, and healing arts. For teens and adults. No experience necessary.

Clogging For Kids
June 13, 20, 27, July 11, 18, 25; 4:15 to 5 p.m.; tuition: $40.
An Introduction to clogging for students ages 8 through 12.

Clogging I
June 13, 20, 27, July 11, 18, 25; 5 to 5:30 p.m.; tuition: $30.
An Introduction to clogging for teens and adults. No experience necessary.

Clogging II
June 13, 20, 27, July 11, 18, 25; 5:30 to 6:15 p.m.; tuition: $40
Clogging for teen and adults students with experience.

Tour of Dance
June 13, 20, 27, July 11, 18, 25; 6:15 to 7 p.m.; tuition: $40.
Explore different dance genres including ballet, modern, jazz, Irish, and folk for teens and adults. No experience necessary.

Power Piyo
June 13, 20, 27, July 11, 18, 25; 7:15 to 8:15 p.m.; tuition: $50.
Pilates and yoga combination class for teens and adults. No experience necessary.

Ballet Workshops
June 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30; 5 to 7:30 p.m.; tuition: $120.
Ballet/pointe and classical variations for intermediate and advanced dancers

Creative Movement
July 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27; 5:15 to 5:45 p.m.; for children ages 3 to 4; tuition: $30.
Introduction to the dance class setting using creative movement techniques.

Musical Theatre Dance
July 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27; 6 to 7 p.m.; for ages 13 to adult, tuition: $40.
Students will learn basic dance technique for musical theatre performance and explore choreography from Broadway musicals.

“The MCA summer dance, theatre and music offerings are a great extracurricular activity for youth, helping them build self-esteem, expand their creativity, creating a daily venue for movement and exercise, and offering a great place to meet new friends,” said Christine Martin, managing director of MCA.

MCA summer dance and fitness classes also offer excellent opportunities for adults. Additionally, workshops for intermediate and advanced teens and college-aged students are available.

All MCA classes, workshops, lessons, and camps are held at the Valéncia Arts Center, 1164 West 10th St.

Registration for summer programming is currently being accepted. Students may register online at www.mnconservatoryforthearts.org, in person at the Valéncia Arts Center, or registration may be mailed to the center.

For more information and registration materials, visit www.mnconservatoryforthearts.org, e-mail mca@smumn.edu or call (507) 453-5500. The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts is an affiliate program of Saint Mary’s University.

MCA offers Music Explorers classes June 27 – July 1

WINONA, Minn. — The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts will offer Music Explorers June 27 to July 1 at MCA’s Valencia Arts Center, 1164 West 10th St.

Music Explorers are for young people entering grades 1-6 in the fall. These classes encourage music literacy, allowing students to be better listeners and performers of music. The classes are designed to be an introduction, expansion, or review of material encountered in the school music program. Students will listen to, sing and create music as part of each class.

Music Explorers I is for students entering grades 1-3 in the fall. Students in Explorers I will begin to understand and use music concepts and terms. These musicians will listen to, move to and sing music to further experience steady beat, duration, pitch, volume, and articulation. Students will use some solfege (do, mi, sol, and la). Rhythmic and melodic improvisation will also be covered. Music Explorers I is 4:15-5 p.m., June 27 to July 1. Tuition for Music Explorers I is $30.

Music Explorers II is for students entering grades 4-6 in the fall. Students in Explorers II will understand and use music terms, concepts and notation. These musicians will write their own melodies that include elements of rhythm and meter, pitch and key, expression, and form. Some creations may include songwriting with lyrics. Students will also apply solfege (do, re, mi, etc.) to common melodies and explore more complex scores while listening to music. Music Explorers II is 3-4 p.m., June 27 to July 1. Tuition for Music Explorers II is $40.

Music Explorers I and II are taught by MCA Instructor Lindsy O’Shea. Scholarships are available.

Registration is currently being accepted. Students may register online at www.mnconservatoryforthearts.org, in person at the Valéncia Arts Center, or registration may be mailed to the center. For more information, registration materials, or to request a scholarship application, visit www.mnconservatoryforthearts.org, e-mail mca@smumn.edu or call (507) 453-5500. The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts is an affiliate program of Saint Mary’s University.

Five alumni to be honored at SMU’s Homecoming June 24-26

WINONA, Minn. — Each year during summer Homecoming festivities, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota honors outstanding alumni.

This year’s Distinguished Alum Award recipient is Dr. Don Truhlar of Stillwater, Minn.; Lasallian Service Awards will go to Mary Lou (Black) Scheid of Bloomington, Minn., and James and Molly (Crosby) Cave of St. Paul. Additionally, Rob Figliulo of Burr Ridge, Ill., will receive the Alumni Appreciation Award. All five will be honored during a reception Saturday, June 25, on the Winona campus.

Approximately 350 alumni, family and friends will return to their alma mater for Saint Mary’s Homecoming festivities, which begin Friday, June 24, and run throughout the weekend. In addition to the alumni awards ceremony, highlights include a golf outing, the Gilmore Gallop 5K, a 50+ anniversary social, and the alumni picnic. Alumni can go to www.smumn.edu/homecoming for more information.

2011 Saint Mary’s Homecoming Honorees:

Dr. Don Truhlar '65
Distinguished Alum
Stillwater, Minn.

Don Truhlar ’65 switched his major at Saint Mary’s from physics to chemistry because, he said, “The most exciting science on campus” was in carbene research. His research took many turns, but 37 years later, he returned to his SMU roots and wrote two journal articles on carbene chemistry. All together, he has authored more than 900 journal articles, more than 80 book chapters and has edited or co-edited 13 books. Don received a Ph.D. from Caltech in 1970, and he has been on the faculty of the University of Minnesota since 1969 where he is currently Regents Professor of Chemistry, Chemical Physics Nanoparticle Science and Engineering and Scientific Computation. Don also serves as an associate editor for the Journal of the American Chemical Society and editor of Computer Physics Communications. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences of the U.S.A. and the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Sciences and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Physical Society, the American Chemical Society, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the Minnesota Supercomputing Institute, and he has received numerous national and international awards for his research.

Rob Figliulo '76
Alumni Appreciation
Burr Ridge, Ill.

Rob Figliulo ’76 is a lifelong supporter of Saint Mary’s University. He is a former member and chairman of the SMU board of Trustees and is currently serving as chair of the Kabara Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies Advisory Board. He has also served as an active parent while several of his children attended Saint Mary’s. Rob has demonstrated his philanthropy and commitment to the university. He is a charismatic supporter of SMU who has been generous with his time, talent and financial contributions.


Mary Lou (Black '76) Scheid
Lasallian Service
Bloomington, Minn.

It has been the lifelong goal of Mary Lou (Black ’76) Scheid and her husband Stephen Scheid ’76 to volunteer in a Third World country after they retired. Sadly, because of Stephen’s sudden and untimely death, they were unable to carryout their dream together. Undaunted, Mary Lou and her 11-year-old son studied Spanish and moved to Antigua, Guatemala. For three years, Mary Lou served as a surgical nurse and Spanish interpreter. She worked with teams of doctors from the United States, Europe and Canada on a variety of surgeries including orthopedic, cleft lip and palate, hysterectomies and cataract. Mary Lou returned to the United States a few years ago but continues to make several trips each year back to Guatemala with medical teams from the Twin Cities.

James '91 & Molly (Crosby '91) Cave
Lasallian Service
St. Paul, Minn.

Together, James ’91 and Molly (Crosby ’91) Cave are living examples of Lasallian service. Molly, a social worker, community volunteer and advocate for women, uses love and compassion to advocate and empower people in the Twin Cities. Molly was also instrumental in the St. Paul Paint the Pavement program, which promotes community building and “peacemaking” through creating neighborhood art. James is a Catholic schoolteacher and a coach who is a leader and national speaker on Social Justice, Genocide, and the Rwandan Genocide. James leads educational trips for high school students to Rwanda annually. Recently the Caves invited a young man from Rwanda into their home so he could attend junior and high school in the United States. The Caves practice what they preach, and live the lives that most others only talk about.

Quilters Guild show to be displayed at SMU

WINONA, Minn. — The summer show, “Beneath the Covers: The Winona Area Quilters Guild,” will be on display at Saint Mary’s University from June 20 through Aug. 14.

A huge variety of full-size quilts, as well as other quilted pieces — ranging from traditional patterns to very graphic and experimental ones — will be on display.

An opening reception is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, June 20, at the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries, located in the Toner Student Center.

The galleries — free and open to the public — are open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.