SMU to host interdisciplinary undergraduate conference April 25-26

WINONA, Minn. — On Friday and Saturday, April 25-26, Saint Mary’s will host the second annual Undergraduates, Inc. Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Conference Program that will bring students from North Dakota State, Iowa State, Winona State and other regional universities to present their work in academic panels along with Saint Mary’s students. The conference rotates among the North Dakota State campus, Iowa State and Saint Mary’s.

The public is invited to attend a presentation by Dr. Dometa Brothers, assistant professor of English at Iowa State University, at 5 p.m. April 25 in the Common Room, located on the third floor of Saint Mary’s Hall. Dr. Brothers will speak about “Romantic Math and Science: How Literature Influenced Nineteenth Century Thought,” and her presentation is free and open to the public.

The event continues April 26, as students from several disciplines, including English, history, women’s and gender studies, and communication, make presentations from 9 to 11:45 a.m., followed by a lunch buffet with a keynote presentation by Dr. Hiromi Mizuno, associate professor of history at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Mizuno’s speech, “The Divine Emperor’s Children and Popular Science Culture in Wartime Japan,” will begin at noon in the Common Room. Afternoon student presentations resume from 1:45 to 3 p.m.

The cost of attending the Saturday conference is $30, and those who are interested in attending may contact Dr. Erin Mae Clark at eclark@smumn.edu or (507) 457-6643 or Dr. Tycho de Boer at tdeboer@smumn.edu or (507) 457-6995.

SMU’s Kabara Institute to host Can Do Canines founder

WINONA, Minn. — Al Peters, a 1974 Saint Mary’s University alumnus and founder of Can Do Canines, will speak at his alma mater Monday, April 7, as part of Kabara Entrepreneurial Days.

The event — free and open to the public — will begin at 7 p.m. in Salvi Lecture Hall, located on the third floor of Saint Mary’s Hall. A question-and-answer period will follow.

Can Do Canines is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for people with disabilities by creating mutually beneficial partnerships with specially trained dogs. In 1987 the business incorporated as the Companion Dog Connection, Inc., and over the years it has expanded its services and reach. Specially trained dogs assist individuals throughout the Midwest who are deaf or hard of hearing, those with physical disabilities, seizure disorders, or autism and people with diabetes complicated by hypoglycemia unawareness. All assistance dogs are provided to the client at no charge. Peters services as executive director of the organization.

The Kabara Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at Saint Mary’s is joined by the business, education, psychology and sociology departments in sponsoring this event.

The Kabara Institute aims to incite a passion for entrepreneurial spirit in students across the university, regardless of their major field of study. It also strives to enhance the entrepreneurship program offerings at Saint Mary’s by providing opportunities for students to interact with entrepreneurs and experience entrepreneurship first-hand. And, it fosters a greater understanding and appreciation of the importance of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in our society.  

Former FDIC chair to speak at April 6 Saint Mary’s event

WINONA, Minn. — Each year, the Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership sponsors a forum that brings an internationally renowned leader to Saint Mary’s University’s Twin Cities campus for a keynote address. This year, the keynote address will be live-streamed to Saint Mary’s Winona campus on Tuesday, April 8.

The public is invited to hear the Honorable Sheila Bair, former chair of the FDIC during the Great Recession. Bair is an exceptional leader, speaker and commentator on the fiscal health of the United States and beyond, and was named the second most powerful woman in the World by Forbes magazine in 2008. Her address is titled “Main Street vs. Wall Street and the New Financial Paradigm.”

In addition, Chris Policinski, CEO of Land O’Lakes, will be awarded the Hendrickson Medal for Ethical Leadership. The event will be moderated by Fred de Sam Lazaro, director of SMU’s Under-Told Stories Project and a correspondent for PBS NewsHour.

The community is invited to watch the event live in three locations at SMU: Page Theatre, Room 9 of the Toner Student Center, or the Common Room, located on the third floor of Saint Mary’s Hall.
       
The full event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. The welcoming remarks and presentation of the Hendrickson Medal for Ethical Leadership will occur between 11:30 and 11:50 a.m. Bair’s remarks will take place from approximately 12:10-1:15 p.m. (There is a break in the event from 11:50 a.m. to 12:10 p.m.)

For more information, go to www.smumn.edu/HendricksonForum.

Public invited to MLK Day events at Saint Mary’s

WINONA, Minn. — The public is invited to join the Saint Mary’s University community in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 20. The remembrance begins Sunday, Jan. 19, with a 9 p.m. Mass in Saint Thomas More Chapel. Guest musicians will be vocalist and pianist Scott Patterson of Baltimore and vocalist Adia Dobbins of Detroit.

On Monday, Xavier Wilson, a 1998 Saint Mary’s alumnus and assistant director of housing and residence life at Winona State University, will present Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech in the Toner Student Center Dining Room at 12:45 p.m.

At 7 p.m. Monday, the public is invited to attend an ecumenical prayer service, hosted by the Saint Mary’s Office of Campus Ministry, in the Toner Student Center Lounge. A reception is then planned at 7:45 p.m. in the lobby of the Performance Center.

Everyone is then invited to a “Freedom Day Concert” at 8:15 p.m. in Figliulo Recital Hall, also located in the Performance Center. Guest musicians Patterson and Dobbins will again perform. This event is hosted by the Office of Student Life at Saint Mary’s.

Public symposium April 16 at SMU to address societal expectations of gender

WINONA, Minn. — A public symposium titled “In the Looking Glass,” hosted by Saint Mary’s University’s Saint Teresa Institute on Tuesday, April 16, is designed to increase awareness of how the media influences societal expectations of women and men.

The event will be held from 5:15 to 8:15 p.m. in the World Room, located in SMU’s Hendrickson Center.

The evening will begin with the film, “Miss Representation,” a documentary film that explores how mainstream media contributes to the under-representation of women in influential positions by circulating limited — and often disparaging — portrayals of women. The film will be followed by dinner and a small group discussion.

Participants can then choose from several breakout sessions including:

• Who Wants to be a Porn Star? Sex and Violence in Today’s Pornography Industry— with Rosa Edholm, president of the Saint Teresa Institute and an SMU senior. (Must be 18 or older due to graphic nature.) This video slideshow offers an incredibly disturbing glimpse into the correlation between objectification, pornography and rape culture.

• Unrealistic expectations and Body Image Distortion— with Kelsey Brekke, Bridget Ryan, and Lexi Assimos of the Body Image Collaborative Lab at SMU. This discussion will focus on media influence on development of unrealistic body image ideals and subsequent body image distortion. Current research will be considered, as will the repercussions of body image distortion in eating and health behaviors.

• Gender as Portrayed in News and Entertainment Media — with Dr. Steven Schild, associate professor of social science at SMU. There’s no question that there’s gender bias in at least some media portrayals. That bias, though, isn't always as one-dimensional as you might think. Schild will examine and discuss items from news accounts as examples of gender bias that cuts two ways.

• The Image of Pageantry — with Serica Rowley, Miss Winona and a current SMU student.

What images comes to mind when you think of the Miss America or the Manhunt beauty pageants? Were you even aware of the Manhunt pageant? Join Miss Winona for this session to explore the myths and truths of beauty pageants.

At 7:45 p.m., the event’s keynote speaker, Dr. Trisha Karr, assistant professor of psychology at SMU, will tie the evening’s themes together. Karr has done extensive research on the body image of athletes.

For more information or to register online, go to www.smumn.edu/lookingglass by April 10. SMU students will be admitted for free; others are asked to pay a $12 dinner fee.

Saint Mary’s to host panel discussion about global education issues Nov. 14

On Wednesday, Nov. 14, the Under-Told Stories Project, Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting and Saint Mary’s University will host a forum on “Closing the Global Gap: The complex issue of education in a global era.”

In America today, there is concern about a persistent achievement gap in our education system. Whether it is a drive to maintain global competitiveness or a desire to catch up, efforts are underway in many countries to rethink and modernize education. The mastery of reading, writing and math are no longer enough. Students need to think critically, reason, problem-solve and communicate effectively in a global economy. 

The public forum — scheduled for 7 to 8:30 p.m. — will include a digest of the latest reporting on issues associated with youth education. International journalist Fred de Sam Lazaro will lead a distinguished panel and moderate a discussion with the audience. De Sam Lazaro is director of the Under-Told Stories Project, a program that combines international journalism and teaching at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. He is a regular contributor to PBS’ “NewsHour” and the network’s “Religion and Ethics Newsweekly.”

Panelists will include:

• Nathalie Applewhite, managing director of the Pulitzer Center

• Dr. Efe Agbamu, executive director, English Language Learners, St. Paul Public Schools

• Brother. Ed Siderewicz, assistant to the president for First-Generation and Lasallian Initiativs, Saint Mary’s University

The event is free and open to the public and will be held in Figliulo Recital Hall, located in the SMU Performance Center. For more information, go to www.smumn.edu/globalgap.

Saint Mary’s guest speaker Sarah Gee to provide entertaining business perspective

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University will host workshop facilitator, improv actress and alumna Sarah Gee onto campus Thursday, Nov. 1, to discuss “How to Survive and Prepare for the Business World in Today’s Economy.”

Gee, a 1995 graduate, has a unique background — serving as both a senior facilitator of MJ Learning, a full-service management training company, as well as a long-time improv actress with The Second City of Chicago (through which she has worked with Martin Short, Tina Fey and Eric Idle).

She is also the co-author of “Business Improv,” a book that blends experiential learning and the improvisation activities practiced in the world of theatre into a collection of activities designed to get people engaged and help them overcome the many obstacles and barriers that get in the way of creative problem-solving discussions.

The event begins at 5:30 p.m. in Page Theater, located in the SMU Performance Center. The presentation, sponsored by the Saint Mary’s Business Office, is free and open to the public.

Speaker to discuss Holocaust in literature Sept. 13 at Saint Mary’s

WINONA, Minn. — A public presentation titled, “The Holocaust and the ‘Subject’ of Fiction,” will begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13, at Saint Mary’s University.

The guest speaker is Dr. Emily Budick, Ann and Joseph Edelman Chair in American Literature and Chair of the Program of American Studies at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel, and Phyllis Greenberg Heideman and Richard D. Heideman Fellow with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Budick is researching the role of Holocaust fictions in grappling with the events of World War II. The lecture will deal with the ways in which Holocaust fictions frame the problem of subject position, forcing the reader to confront the ways in which even horrific historical events can become subjects of fantasy and projection.

The event will be held in the President’s Room, located in the Toner Student Center.

Dr. Budick will also speak to Saint Mary’s “Seminar in Holocaust Literature” students Thursday afternoon.

The presentation is made possible by the Campus Outreach Lecture Program of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies, supported by the generosity of the Jerome A. Yavitz Charitable Foundation, Inc. and Arlyn S. and Stephen H. Cypen.

Social media in health care marketing to be addressed at Saint Mary’s Sept. 20

WINONA, Minn. — A Gundersen Lutheran Health System representative will discuss the use of social media in health care marketing on Thursday, Sept. 20, at Saint Mary’s University.

Marna Holley, manager of digital marketing at Gundersen Lutheran, will begin her presentation at 7 p.m. in Salvi Lecture Hall, located in Saint Mary’s Hall.

Holley, who began her communications career in print journalism, has held a variety of positions at Gundersen Lutheran for more than 20 years, and had headed the organization’s social-media operations since they began about two years ago. She’ll discuss some of the ways Gundersen Lutheran has used Facebook, Twitter and other social media, highlighting what’s worked well and what hasn’t been as effective.

Holley’s talk, free and open to the public, is sponsored by Saint Mary’s Mass Communication Program. For more information, contact Steve Schild at (507) 457-1753 or sschild@smumn.edu.

Saint Mary’s hosts Undergraduate Research Symposium in Biology

Winona, Minn. — The Saint Mary’s University Biology Department will host the 39th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium in Biology on Friday, April 20, in the Adducci Science Center.

Students from Saint Mary’s Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics departments and students from colleges and universities in the tri-state region will present the results of their undergraduate research projects. Registration is free and begins at 8 a.m. Presentations begin at 8:20 a.m.

The symposium presents all attendees the opportunity to experience the process of open collegial assessment of experimental findings, the opportunity to encounter discoveries from a variety of scientific disciplines, and an excellent environment to develop personal contacts and acquaintances.

Dan Keyler, professor of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy and Graduate School, will present the R.V. Kowles Lecture at 1:45 p.m. in Figliulo Recital Hall, located in the SMU Performance Center. Professor Keyler is a noted expert in the field of envenomations, actively publishing and presenting lectures on venomous snake bites. He serves as the director of Research for Animal Venom Research International and as a consultant to several groups including the Minnesota Poison Control System and the United States Armed Forces. The title of his presentation is “Toxicology & Snakes: Passion and a Career.”

The public is invited to attend the lecture, as well as the student presentations, free of charge. Morning refreshments will be provided.

Congresswoman McCollum among panelists at March 13 Event On World Population Impacts

MINNEAPOLIS – Congresswoman Betty McCollum, award-winning journalist Dennis Dimick from National Geographic, and Saint Mary’s University professor David Opp will come together on March 13 to lead a discussion on global population issues and how the world’s rapidly growing population of 7 billion people is impacting our lives.

“Our panelists bring perspectives and insights as varied as they are deep to the issue of population. We hope to bring home the relevance to our community – students in particular – of what might seem like a distant issue,” said Fred de Sam Lazaro, director of the UnderTold Stories Project at the Minneapolis campus of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. De Sam Lazaro will moderate the event, “Population in Perspective.”

Congresswoman Betty McCollum is recognized among her colleagues for addressing issues in some of the world’s most densely populated, impoverished regions. She is the founder and co-chair of the Congressional Global Health Caucus, a bipartisan group that studies and educates people about international public health issues. She serves on the U.S. Congressional International Conservation Caucus, which promotes natural resource conservation to support habitat and biodiversity protection, poverty alleviation, economic development, and regional safety. Congresswoman McCollum has also been an outspoken advocate for global human rights as a member of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus.

Dennis Dimick, executive editor for the environment at National Geographic magazine, leads the publication’s coverage of energy, climate and sustainability issues. He guided its creation of a year-long 2011 series, “7 Billion,” focused on global population and its impact. (The world’s population exceeded 7 billion in October 2011, according to the United Nations.) The series delved into issues including demographics, food security, climate change, fertility trends, and biodiversity – all as they relate to population. Dimick has overseen projects that have been recognized by the Overseas Press Club, the Society of Environmental Journalists, and Pictures of the Year International.

David Opp teaches global economics and sustainable development in the MBA program at Saint Mary’s University.

The public is invited to this free event at Saint Mary’s University Event Center at 2540 Park Avenue in Minneapolis from 6-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 13.

For more information and to RSVP, visit www.smumn.edu/populationforum. The event is sponsored by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, National Geographic, Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership, Saint Mary’s University, PBS NewsHour, UnderTold Stories, and the Minnesota International Center.

About the Under-Told Stories Project

The Under-Told Stories Project is a collaborative project involving international journalism and teaching. It produces high-quality, multimedia reporting from around the world for public and commercial news outlets. It also engages students from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota in courses, internships and mentoring opportunities to help them reflect on the world’s under-reported news stories and gain hands-on skills in media production.

Saint Mary’s to host panel discussion on population

National Geographic editor serves as guest panelist

WINONA, Minn. — How can we sustain a planet that has 7 billion people and is expected to have 9 billion inhabitants by 2050? The public is invited to discuss “Population in Perspective: How Will 7 Billion People Change Your Life?” Wednesday, March 14, at Saint Mary’s University.

The event’s special guest Dennis Dimick, executive editor on the environment for National Geographic, was architect of a year-long 2011 National Geographic series called “7 Billion” on global population and its impact.

Dimick will join panelists Fred de Sam Lazaro, director of the “Under-Told Stories Project” and a correspondent for PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer; Josephine Marcotty, environmental reporter for the Minneapolis Star Tribune; and Dr. David Lynch, chair of the SMU Department of Social Science.

This critical discussion — featuring a digest of the latest reporting on issues associated with population growth — is from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Page Theatre, located in the SMU Performance Center.

This event is sponsored by Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership, the Under-Told Stories Project, and the Minnesota International Center, as part of a collaboration with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, PBS NewsHour and National Geographic.

The “Under-Told Stories Project,” produced by and in partnership with Saint Mary’s University, shares stories from some of the world’s most remote locations through PBS NewsHour and other media organizations. The partnership brings de Sam Lazaro to the university’s Minneapolis campus, provides new learning opportunities to Saint Mary’s students, and is intended to raise awareness for the local ramifications of global issues.

For more information, contact Sabrina Kelly at skelly@smumn.edu or (612) 238-4507.

Oberton to share ‘The Fastenal Story’ Nov. 17 at Saint Mary’s University

Will Oberton, CEO of Fastenal (an international provider of industrial and construction supplies based in Winona), will present “The Fastenal Story” at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, at Saint Mary’s University. The public is invited to Salvi Lecture Hall, located on the third floor of Saint Mary’s Hall.

Oberton joined Fastenal in 1980 as a part-time warehouse worker. Since then he has served in various sales, operational, and, ultimately, management roles, including chief operating officer, vice president, and executive vice president. He was named president of the company in July 2001 and has served as CEO since December 2002.

The event is sponsored by the SMU Business Office.

Saint Mary’s to host panel discussion on food insecurity

Nationally recognized journalist Fred de Sam Lazaro to report on trip to East Africa

WINONA, Minn. — The public is invited to experience a real and emotional taste of the dire conditions of East Africa during a discussion on “From the Famine Frontline: The Complex Issue of Food Security” Thursday, Nov. 17, at Saint Mary’s University.

Fred de Sam Lazaro, director of the “Undertold Stories Project” and a correspondent for PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, and his team will have recently returned from the famine frontlines of East Africa. Joined by other panelists, de Sam Lazaro invites the public to participate in a discussion about how to feed a complex world whose population will climb to 9 billion by mid-century.

“East Africa’s crisis demands our immediate attention but the famine’s causes are a deep and complex web of economics, politics, conflict, climate uncertainty and social indifference — a threat that could persist well into the future,” he said.

The event will be moderated by Jon Sawyer, executive director of the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. Other panelists will include Dr. David Lynch, chair of the SMU Department of Social Science, and Sharon Schmickle, foreign affairs and science correspondent for MinnPost.com.

SMU will host two of these critical discussions. The first will be on its Twin Cities campus, and the second is from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, on the Winona campus. The event will be held in Salvi Lecture Hall, located on the third floor of Saint Mary’s Hall.

For more information and to reserve a seat, go to www.smumn.edu/foodinsecurityforum.

The event is sponsored by Saint Mary’s University, the Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership and the Under-Told Stories Project, in conjunction with the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting.

The “Under-Told Stories Project,” produced by and in partnership with Saint Mary’s University, shares stories from some of the world’s most remote locations through PBS NewsHour and other media organizations. The partnership brings de Sam Lazaro to the university’s Minneapolis campus, provides new learning opportunities to Saint Mary’s students, and is intended to raise awareness for the local ramifications of global issues.