Notre Dame de Namur University v o l u m e 3 | n u m b e r 1 magazine i Summer 2011

inside:2011 CommencementNew Strategic PlanNDNU Honored for Community Service

NDNU's Gen 1 Program:a Leg up for First Generation Students

NDNU BOARD OF TRUSTEES

mrs. anne Hannigan '70, '72, Chairmrs. Carol Simsarian-Loughlin,Vice Chair

Sr. ann Bernadette Barnes '59mrs. marie Batton '37ms. gloria R. Brown '94Dr. elaine Cohenmr. Carlos Collazo mr. andy Cresci mr. marc Desautels mr. Chester Fisher Sr. Sally Furay, RSCJ Dr. Richard giardina Dr. Judith maxwell greigmr. Frank L. Hannigmr. Joseph J. Heinen mr. Richard Huetteman Sr. Donna m. Jurick, SnDden Sr. mary Laxague, SnDden '58 mr. Charles Lynch mr. James mcgovern Dr. Lizah mcLaughlin '91 mr. Richard Roche '82 Sr. Barbara Thiella '64 mr. Raymond "Dee" P. Tolles ii mr. Robert Webster

The sisTers of NoTre Dame De Namur were fouNDeD as a teaching order to serve the underrepresented population of their day: young women. That heritage continues to inspire our actions to this day, and nowhere is it more evident than in the “Gen 1” program NDNU launched last year with the help of a $100,000 CIC/Walmart College Success Award grant,

supported by an equal grant from the Bill Hannon Foundation. That program provides an opportunity for students who are the first in their families to go to college to obtain the additional support they need to succeed. As the story that begins on page 9 illustrates, the program has been a striking success. It is an achievement that makes us all very proud because it means the spirit of the sisters still lives in our community. NDNU is officially recognized by the federal government as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), meaning more than 25 percent of the undergraduate student body is Hispanic. This makes us eligible for federal grant funds that may help us expand this unique program in the future. This issue also reports on the creation of NDNU’s new three-year strategic plan, which will position us to expand access to higher education while we continue to pursue excellence in academics, and introduces you to some of the faculty, staff and students who are helping us shape a very bright future.

Sincerely,

Judith Maxwell Greig, Ph.D. President

PuBLiSHeR michael Romo

eXeCuTiVe eDiToR Richard Rossi

managing eDiToR Karen Plesur

aSSiSTanT eDiToR Claire Karoly

aDVanCemenT eDiToR manuel nungaray

ConTRiBuTing WRiTeRS Scott Kimmelman

Kate Smith

CLaSS noTeS Kaia eakin

Letter From the President ......... 2Commencement 2011 .............. 3around Campus ....................... 6Strategic Plan............................8 Feature: gen 1 Program............9

Faculty Corner ........................ 12Student Spotlight ................... 13alumni ................................... 14Scholarships............................18Calendar of events ....... ..........20

c o n t e n t s

NDNU Magazine, Summer 2011

p r e s i d e n t ' s M e s s AG e

2 ndnu I 2011

PHoToS: nDnu PuBLiC inFoRmaTion archives Special thanks to all who contributed to this magazine.

PRinTing: St. Croix Press

2011

Sparkling capS, colorful leiS, Supportive cheerS and wordS of thankS:

These were just a few of the things seen and heard on May 7 as more than 350

members of the class of 2011 took the stage on Koret Field to receive their degrees.

Faculty members Melissa McAlexander and Stephen Cole were recognized for their

excellence in teaching and graduates Diana Enriquez and Jesus Garcia received

awards from the City of Belmont for their service to the community. Undergraduate

speaker Rachel Brunson and graduate speaker Amy Stratton spoke about how NDNU

changed them and prepared them for the journey ahead. Sister Roseanne Murphy

delivered a nostalgic commencement address that reminded all of us of how we came to

love NDNU, and the university conferred an honorary degree on Reverend Father John

J. Lo Schiavo, S.J. for his lifelong commitment to Catholic education. Then the tassels

were turned, and we released another NDNU class to make its mark upon the world.

Commencement

Correction: On page 6 of the Spring 2010 issue of the magazine, Eli Latimerlo was identified as the director of the Dorothy Stang Center for Social Justice and Community Engagement. The article should have read that he is co-director of the Center along with Dr. Cheryl Joseph.

nDnu is a large part of Sr. Roseanne

murphy’s life – she’s been here over 50

years – so it was fitting that she speak to

the class of 2011 about the events and

changes she’s seen at the university. Here

are some highlights from her commence-

ment address:

n on the “Rome ‘70” semester abroad:

“i have often said that it was either the

bravest thing i have ever done or the

dumbest. Walking down the street in

Rome with 31 beautiful college women

and one male student was an indescrib-

able experience. i heard enough ‘hey,

babies’ to last a lifetime.”

n on writing the biography of Sr.

Dorothy Stang: “it was one of the most

profound experiences of my life to stand

at the spot in the amazon Forest where

Dorothy was murdered.”

n on teaching: “We want you to be

smarter; but more than that, we want

you to be better people – more compas-

sionate, more caring, more giving, more

understanding of others who may have a

different background than yours.”

n on her long tenure at nDnu: “i

want to be part of a place that cares and

is bringing a message of hope to our

students. We Can make a difference in

this world that needs our love and caring

so much.”

Sr. Roseanne Murphy

Rachel Brunson

Diana Enriquez and Jesus Garcia received City of Belmont community service awards.

"When all is said and done, there is more to be said and done. Now it's our turn to change the world."

"Be proud of what you have done for yourself and allow yourself to dream where it will take you."

"I am confident that among those of you sitting out in front of me there are some heroes and heroines."

Dr. Stephen Cole received the Keller Teaching Excellence Award. Students describe him as having an “endearing desire to enrich the minds of students” and that he “pushes them to achieve greater illumination than ever before.” He is “a professor that one remembers for the rest of one’s life.”

Reverend Father John J. Lo Schiavo, S.J. with President Greig

amy Stratton

noTre Dame De Namur University has received national recognition for its

community service programs, one from a federal agency and one from its athletic conference. In May, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) honored Notre Dame de Namur University as a leader among institutions of higher educa-tion. CNCS admitted NDNU to the 2010 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with distinction for its strong insti-tutional commitment to service and compelling campus-community partnerships that produce measur-able results for the community. NDNU was recognized for three of its many community service pro-grams:

• Serving the homeless in cooperation with Shelter

Network, where NDNU students provide more than 10,000 hours of service.

• An annual collaboration between NDNU and several

social service agencies in the San Francisco Tenderloin.

• A science education project with Nesbit School in

Belmont that brings NDNU stu-dents into the classroom to help teach science to K-3 students. In June the Pacific West Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association announced NDNU has been named a co-recipient of its 2010-11 Community Engagement Award. NDNU was honored for 10 pro-

grams in which NDNU athletes participated in order to give back to their community, including coach-ing and mentoring young athletes through the Bay Area Women’s Sports Initiative; volleyball, basket-ball, soccer and lacrosse clinics in the Tenderloin; supporting breast cancer research and other projects. The PacWest noted that the pro-gram undertaken by NDNU’s stu-dent athletes was part of a campus culture of service that results in NDNU students devoting approxi-mately 100,000 hours a year to com-munity service through classroom and volunteer activities.

the wilkie aparTmeNT complex on campus, reserved for hous-ing for upperclassmen, is

undergoing its first renovation since it was built nearly 50 years ago. The balconies were closed off during summer 2010 due to struc-tural concerns, and will be com-pletely removed and replaced with large windows during the renova-tion. Since the structural integrity of the building is excellent, most of the changes will be interior and

include cosmetic, safety and effi-ciency updates. Changes include a larger stove and full-size fridge, as well as a more open floor plan. Each unit will be fitted with new appliances and fixtures, and a new life and fire safety system will be installed. Renovations are expect-ed to be completed by the end of the fall semester and ready for move-in in the spring semester. The Kane and Carroll buildings will be renovated in the future.

A r o U n d c A M p U s A r o U n d c A M p U s

2011 I ndnu 76 ndnu I 2011

Apartments Get a Makeover

A Year of Firsts The ArgonAuTs experienced mAny firsTs this year with the school’s first lacrosse league championship; the first Division ii all-american athlete; the first individual golf Tournament winner; and the nCaa statistical leader. The men’s soccer team finished with the best record in school history, compil-ing a 13-3-2 overall record. Cristobal montes became the school’s first nCaa Division ii all-american among other honors after a stellar junior season. armando garcia was named the PacWest Freshman of the Year as well as Second Team all-Conference and Second Team all-Region, and Christian Rosales and oswaldo Hernandez were selected to the PacWest First Team. isiah Castro became the first argonaut to lead the nCaa in a statistical category with a .470 goals against average, allowing just seven goals in 18 games. Christina Villamayor earned First Team all-PacWest honors in volleyball after finishing in the top five in the conference in kills and points while ranking 11th in the nation with 359 kills. Ryan Sheffer be-came the first golfer in school history to win a non-conference event, taking home the individual title at the Sonoma State invitational. additionally, Sheffer earned his fourth straight all-Conference award and finished 11th at the nCaa Regionals. The argonauts rode a 7-1 Western in-tercollegiate Lacrosse association (WiLa) record to win the league’s inaugural title. Ten argonauts earned all-WiLa honors: sophomore Kevin nguyen earned WiLa offensive Player of the Year and senior matt Fredericks was named WiLa Defen-sive Player of the Year. Junior Robyn araujo shattered the nDnu record books with the best softball season in school history while being named First Team all-PacWest and Sec-ond Team all-Region. araujo set school records in homeruns (15) and RBis (51) while hitting .432 for the season. Junior Janae Reyes earned the PacWest new-comer of the Year award.

online programs coming in spring 2012

nDnu announced in april that it was partnering with Deltak edu, inc. to provide master’s degrees in Public administration (mPa) and management (mSm) online. online classes will be offered beginning in the spring 2012 semester. These convenient programs can be com-pleted in two years, and students will be supported by nDnu profes-sors who bring real-world experience to their teaching. although the programs are online, an advisor will guide each student through the education process and provide career advice to maximize the stu-dent’s online learning.

iT may be summer, buT The music doesn’t stop for our vocal per-formance students. Heather

Orth ’13 and Samantha Bruce ’12 were cast in the two female leads in Gypsy earlier this summer with Broadway By The Bay, to be per-formed in September. Samantha was also very busy throughout the

singing through the summer

Luther simon '13 and neal pascua '11 in ndnU's production of RENT.

ndnU earns top Honors For community service

semester, performing in Boeing Boeing with Sierra Repertory, Strike Up The Band with 42nd Street Moon and The Drowsy Chaperone for Diablo Valley Theatre. In July, Neal Pascua ’11 appeared in The Wizard of Oz with Diablo Valley Theatre, and Laura Woodruff ’12 and Daniel Lloyd Pias ’09, ’11 were in the cast of The Music Man with Broadway By The Bay. Luther Simon ’13 took his skills overseas to Germany, performing with The Young Americans. Kelly Jean Hammond ’10 returned to the Bay Area for ACT’s Training Congress, and Francesca Camus ’05 is enjoy-ing her music career in Las Vegas, performing “Joanne Jefferson” in RENT at Green Valley Ranch Ovation Room. Martin Rojas-Dietrich ’09 was “Brian” in Avenue Q with San Jose Stage and his perfor-mance in San Francisco Opera’s Cyrano de Bergerac was broadcast on KDFC earlier this summer.

ThE NDNU AlUmNi AssociATioN is cAlliNg...

every five years, the nDnu alumni association prints an alumni directory, and the 2011 directory project is about to begin! over the next couple of months, Publishing Concepts, inc. will be contacting nDnu alumni and friends via mail, phone and e-mail to request that you update your information.

For additional information contact alumni@ndnu.edu.

reinvigorate the spiritual life of the campus with a “campus spirituality program which honors the religious heritage of NDNU while bridging faith traditions for all students and provides support for faith, spiritual and personal development, especially as it relates to the institutional core values and Hallmarks.” Finally, through an updated enrollment plan and a new advancement plan, the doc-ument creates the foundation to sup-port NDNU's continued growth and development. The 18 members of the Planning Council and about 35 members of the NDNU community who acted as a Review Committee, spent eight months producing the current strate-gic plan, which has four strategic ini-tiatives, 14 objectives with their asso-ciated strategies and approximately 30 operational plans that will be implemented over the next three years. The full plan may be seen on the NDNU webite at www.ndnu.edu/strategic plan.

ndnU Adopts new Logo

nDnu unveiled a new logo last month that makes the name of the university more prominent. “We initially thought it would be better to just use the initials nDnu because it was easier for people to say and remember than notre Dame de namur. However, that strategy resulted in less name recognition for the university than we need to mar-ket effectively,” said Director of Communications Richard Rossi.

s t r At e G i c p L A n

1I

n the more than 200 years since their founding, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur have

been true to one ideal: to provide educational opportunity for those who need it most, and that has been one of the guiding principles of the Notre Dame de Namur learning communities. Today that principle receives its expression in NDNU’s Gen 1 program. The program is designed to provide first generation students—students who come from households where neither parent received a bachelor’s degree—with the extra help many need to succeed in college. By any measure the NDNU program has been a huge success. Students who have gone through it praise the impact it has already had on their college careers, and pre- and post-testing shows that students who went through the Learning Strategies classes showed significant gains in critical reading and comprehension skills. Moreover, first gen students who went through the program had a much higher rate of retention than students who did not. “First generation students encounter many new challenges when entering college,” said Dr. Peggy Koshland-Crane, Director of NDNU’s Academic Success Center, and Director of the Gen 1 program. “Students whose parents went to college came to a university setting better prepared to succeed because, in many cases, their parents have at least made an attempt to prepare them for the rigors of college. They have a better idea of what kind of academic background their children will need to succeed and have generally encouraged them to take college prep courses.

pursuing excellence: the new ndnU strategic plan

t HIS PAST MAY THE NDNU Board of Trustees approved a strategic plan designed to advance the twin goals of continuing to pursue academ-ic excellence while remaining true to NDNU’s mission of providing access to underrepresented students. The plan is built around four main strate-gic initiatives which, together with the academic plan approved the previ-ous year, lay the groundwork for sharpening the university’s academic profile, enriching the student experi-ence, fostering a more collaborative community and enhancing fiscal sus-tainability. While this plan stands on its own, it builds on the prior strate-gic plan and the academic plan approved in 2010, further developing the initiatives contained in those plans and extending them into new directions. “We began from a point of view that the direction set for the universi-ty by the work done over the previous four years continued to be the right one,” said Hernan Bucheli, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Chair of the Planning Council. “Our job was to refine and add what-ever elements were needed to strengthen the plan and determine what new strategies were needed to take us further. Personally I am very proud of the work the committee did; this is a very solid plan.” Providing access to the underrep-resented has always been a major part of the mission of all Notre Dame de Namur learning communities and the strategic plan recognizes that by investing in programs to increase aca-demic support services for all stu-dents while continuing to stress rigor

in all courses. In addition, the plan provides new challenges for academi-cally gifted students by instituting an honors program. Because faculty is responsible for the academic product, the plan increases support for faculty development, research and scholar-ship. The Dorothy Stang Center is charged with the responsibility of providing leadership to assure that NDNU becomes a regional leader in community based and social justice-related education, service and research and achieves the Carnegie classification as a Community Engagement Institution. “Balancing access and excellence is a difficult job for any institution,” said NDNU President Dr. Judith Maxwell Greig. “This plan, with its emphasis on strengthening academic services for students who need assistance while providing a rigorous environ-ment for students who would like to be further challenged, and giving the faculty the support it needs to serve both, puts us in a position to achieve both goals.” The plan also provides programs to strengthen the connection between NDNU alumni and current students, to create an environment that fosters intellectual, personal, physical and spiritual growth of the student body. The document calls for a program to

Hernan Bucheli

8 ndnu I 2011 2011 I ndnu 9

NDNU's Gen Program:

a Leg up for First Generation Students

The program was launched in fall 2010 with a Council of Independent Colleges/Walmart College Success Award, a two year $100,000 grant designed to help fund first-generation programs. Those funds have been supplemented by a $100,000 grant from the Bill Hannon Foundation. The funds are needed because NDNU is serving more and more first genera-tion students every year; 60 percent of the students in the fall 2010 fresh-man class were first generation students. That’s about double the percentage just five years ago. Many of those students are Hispanic, which helps NDNU maintain its status as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), a federal government designation that means that at least 25 percent of un-dergraduate students are Hispanic. “We will be taking steps to expand

the program in future years because so many of our

incoming students are first generation. So we are leverag-ing our status as an HSI to apply for more federal

grants to better serve our students,” said

Hernan Bucheli, Vice President for Enrollment

Management. He noted that the university has been pleasantly surprised by the big jump in first generation students over the last two years. “When we initially designed the Gen 1 program, we expected about 40 incoming students to apply for it.

successfully Bridging the Gap “A typical first generation student comes to us with very little prepara-tion on what it means to be a college student living on a campus. Of course they’ve had the coursework neces-sary to meet the university’s entrance requirements and most have received good advice from teachers and coun-selors in high school. But rarely has there been anyone at home who could answer their questions about college or serve as a role model or source of information in regards to what college life is all about. They come here, some a little behind the curve academi-cally, and many unprepared to manage finances, college loans, and their own time. “So those are the gaps that the Gen 1 program is designed to fill. It provides them with academic support, especial-ly in the area of study skills, life skills. It also provides support by way of special seminars and other program-ming, and crucially, role models in the form of mentors, upperclassmen who take several students under their wings.” Maria Galindo, a first generation student who went through the program, echoed that assessment. “I know in my senior year in high school I was stressed out about college. The school did help some but it was a big school with a lot of students so I didn’t get all the help I needed.”

Peggy Koshland-Crane briefs a group of mentors and future mentors.

Bianca Madrid '12

A Mentor's perspective

When I fIrst heard that ndnU Was start-ing a first generation student scholar-ship, I asked if I could apply right away. However, when I found out that you had to be freshman to apply I sought a different way to get involved. I applied to be a mentor in the program. As the semester began, I was a bit over-whelmed; I was assigned 10 students to mentor throughout the academic year on top of my already busy schedule and heavy workload. I was excited and anx-ious but I did not know where to start. It turned out to be a wonderful experi-ence. Though we had several workshops and meetings on how to "mentor" our students, I found that the best advice was sharing my personal experiences with my freshmen students and most importantly, listening to them. As we got to know one another better, we all became much more comfortable around each other. The most fulfilling aspect of the program is when my mentees confided in me to ask for advice or share a personal experience/dilemma with me. I felt very privileged to share these kinds of moments with students who were complete strangers to me at the start of the semester. I enjoyed our weekly and bi-weekly meetings where I would catch up with my students and listen to them express their happiness, frustrations, or even stress. Overall, I would highly recommend the Gen 1 Program to other first generation freshmen to join as well as other qualified mentors to apply for.

We ended up with nearly twice that number,” he said. What those students were treated to was a carefully structured program that provided them with academic support, socialization to the college experience, and specific information about how to handle finances, manage time and other aspects of college life they may not have been prepared for. The program’s main elements:

• A Learning Strategies course that met three hours a week and focused on improving reading and study skills, using the same materials students used in class. This course equipped students with the tools that enabled them to become efficient and indepen-dent learners. Topics covered included goal setting, time management, note taking, test taking, reading, writing, utilizing learning support services and stress management. All students were administered a pre and post informa-tional reading inventory in order to assess their reading skills. Most made significant improvement in most mea-sures of reading and study skills.

• A speaker series that provided practical information, such as manag-ing finances and financial aid, as well as support from alumni and faculty who shared their experiences with the students.

• A mentor program that paired senior and junior students, most of whom were first generation themselves, with a small group of first gen students. The mentors were like older brothers and sisters, responsible for providing the

kind of one-on-one advice that only another student can. They also were responsible for arranging small group activities for their mentees that were tied to academics, the Hallmarks, family support systems or other areas that were consistent with the Gen 1 program. (See sidebar on page 10)

• A $1,500 scholarship for their sophomore year for students who participated in the program and main-tained a 2.5 GPA for the full year. “I found the whole program really helpful,” said Galindo. She said the learning strategies classes were use-ful because they used their own text books. “So if you didn’t understand something, you got help on the spot.” “I know I improved a lot in reading comprehension.” “But having a mentor was really the best part for me. She was someone I could talk to one-on-one and she un-derstood because she had been in the same position as me when she started.

She taught me a lot of things, but I think the best advice she gave me was that I had to manage my time wisely. Now we’re like best friends.” Ashley Novosad, who happened to be Galindo’s mentor, found the experience just as rewarding, as did most of the mentors. Novosad said her main focus with all her mentees was to get them to participate fully in the life of the school and use all the services NDNU has, such as the writing and the tutorial centers. “They came in scared to put their feet in the water, so I tried to reas-sure them that it was OK to get out and go to events and participate. I felt that as a mentor it was my job to push them to get involved.” She must have been successful be-cause all her mentees came through the year in good shape academically and socially and, she proudly reports, one is even going to be on the NDNU Programming Board next year.

60 percent of the students in the fall 2010 freshmen class were first generation students

2011 I ndnu 1110 ndnu I 2011

stephanie Biehl '12

WheN morgaNNa hayes, a juNior from Hawaii, came to NDNU, she

found a huge family waiting for her. On the island, a place where large families are the norm, it’s just her and her mom, but there’s no shortage of family. “I have 50 uncles and 50 aunties, but none of us are related,” laughs Morganna. “Your friends are your family. When you don’t have a big family to rely on, it’s impor-tant to have that familial bond with others.” Morganna credits her mom as her inspiration, but at NDNU, she has many moms. “We all call Nurse Karen mom, we call Stacey [Haynes] mom,” she says. "I was afraid that if I went to a big school I wouldn’t know anyone but at NDNU you know everyone’s name in 10 minutes. It reminded me of the tight community at home.”

And she’s making quite a mark on the NDNU community, living our social justice mission through a variety of projects. This semester she used her position as a residence assistant to encourage residents to donate cloth-

ing and other items that they weren’t lugging home for the summer, items that they’d otherwise throw out. This drive, “No Place Like Home,” garnered a carload of donations for Redwood Family House. “I thought, ‘Why are people throw-ing this stuff away when so many homeless shelters would be thrilled to have it?’” says Morganna. “This drive showed that just because we’re college students doesn’t mean we don’t care. I was overwhelmed by the response.” Morganna, who also stars on the tennis team, plans on organizing the drive again, and hopes someone will take it over when she graduates. With all this spirit to help others, we have just one thing to say about Morganna, the same words she used to describe her mom. “She’s pretty awesome.”

Morganna Hayes '13

s t U d e n t s p ot L i G H t

2011 I ndnu 13

DR. VINCE FITzGERALD HAS BUTTERFLIES IN his stomach, and it’s not because he’s nervous. “Every single September I get very excited when the new freshman class arrives,” says Fitzgerald. “It’s new and exciting. Every time there’s a new class, the university evolves a little bit.”

Fitzgerald has seen many new freshmen classes — he’s been at NDNU since 1994 — but he always wakes up ready to take on the chal-lenge of shaping the latest young minds. “There’s an old saying, ‘Character is destiny.’ I’m reaching young people when they are first developing their adult character, taking their baby steps into adulthood,” says Fitzgerald. He says, quite seriously, that one of his reasons for being on earth is to engage with stu-dents. He often tells them, “You are an important part of the meaning in my life. When you are not doing your work, you are robbing me of my meaning.”

And he takes that meaning to heart. Fitzgerald remarks with a wry smile on a time when he asked a fellow English professor why he never took a sabbatical. That professor replied, “I never take a sabbatical from tennis. I love tennis.” Fitzgerald is at NDNU doing what he loves to do.

That love of teaching carries on outside of the classroom. Twelve years ago, Sr. Roseanne Murphy approached Fitzgerald to be a fac-ulty participant on a school trip to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, and since then he and other faculty, students, alumni and university friends have gone to Ashland each year to see a few plays (“some wonderful productions, some real clunkers”) and

enjoy the week together. “The best part is interacting with the stu-

dents after the plays and seeing what they thought about how the pages were brought to life on the stage,” says Fitzgerald. “We always hang out afterward. It doesn’t make sense to see a play and then go back to the hotel and go to sleep. We find the words for our own experience of the play and we share them with one another.”

Another of his passions is sharing the mis-sion of NDNU with freshmen students, an opportunity he receives each year through the First Year Experience (FYE) Program, which he’s

been with from the beginning. “The program teaches students that they are not simply here to jump through hoops,” says Fitzgerald. "They are invited to become participants in a mission and find their place in it.”

Each year he takes students to a migrant farm worker camp in Soledad, CA to throw a carnival for the children. FYE students plan and put on the event, and often, children who didn’t have college on their radar see something of themselves in our college students, and the possibilities are awakened. The process works both ways. “Our students see themselves through the eyes of young people, and are often touched by the experience,” says Fitzgerald. It’s those experiences that really shape an NDNU graduate. “What fascinates me,” says Fitzgerald, “is to see those wonderful young people crossing the stage, and how much they’ve grown. They’re self-confident, prepared to go out and do well and do good. You recognize that this place really works.”

dr. Vince Fitzgerald

FAc U Lt Y c o r n e r

What's Up With Faculty?Printmaking in Spain

The Escuela de Arte de Cadiz, one of the oldest art schools in Spain, invited Betty Friedman, chair of the Department of Art and Graphic Design, to teach a weeklong course on printmaking. “I was honored as there is such a great tradition of printmak-ing in Spain from Goya to Tapies,” says Friedman. Friedman taught the course in Cadiz, Spain during NDNU’s spring break, covering monotype and drypoint print-making techniques with the school’s facul-ty. Friedman describes the experience as “a wonderful cultural exchange that we hope to continue.”

Moving Up: Six Faculty Promoted The NDNU Board of Trustees approved

the promotion of five faculty members to full professor and one to associate profes-sor. The new full professors are

• Dr. Stephen Cole, History; • Dr. Marianne Delaporte, Religious

Studies;• Dr. Helen Marlowe, Psychology; • Dr. Bobby Vaughn, Sociology and • Dr. Sujata Verma, Business

Administration. Dr. Monica GuhaMajumdar, Biology,

was promoted to associate professor. Dr. Marlowe also was granted tenure.

Spring Colloquium Every year the spring colloquium gives

NDNU faculty members an opportunity to share research with their colleagues. Dr. Melissa McAlexander reported on a stu-dent project. “Tales from the Creek: Engaging Students in a Water Quality Research Project” detailed work by one of her classes in tracking the changes in the quality of water in a local creek.

Dr. Cheryl Joseph's presentation “Putting Sociology to Work: Practical Pursuits for Majors” outlined findings from research about the ways former sociology majors used their degrees in their work.

12 ndnu I 2011

Your life isN’T compleTe uNTil you’ve been graced with the Steph Biehl

pose. It’s not so much a strict arrange-ment of the body as much as an expres-sion and a lifestyle: one that’s eclectic, energetic, and a little bit erratic.

You can’t help but admire her zest for life. “I never stop talking, moving, laugh-ing, dancing, yelling, and being outright spastic,” says Biehl. But it’s her love of

running that keeps her in check. “Running pretty much epitomizes my life,” says Biehl. “It’s liberating, the pace and tempo are often rapid but can be slowed down. It’s a vast mental game, and always a challenge. Every single stride you take when you run is different and each one is an accomplishment; you never truly know how you are going to feel out there on the course until you start running the race.”

Biehl ran the election race for student body president in the spring semester and came out the victor. Unlike many candidates for student office, she didn’t give a laundry list of all the changes she’d make at NDNU over the year. “I didn’t make any promises to the student body while campaigning,” says Biehl, “except one, which is my general hope for my time as president: I promise to efficiently and effectively lead the stu-dent body the only way I know how: through the student voice and my repre-

sentation and activism thereof.” Before she starts her term as presi-

dent, however, she’s improving the NDNU experience for the university’s newest members as an orientation lead-er. “O-team gives me a chance to assist other people in obtaining, or striving to obtain, the overwhelmingly incredible experience that I have had here at NDNU,” says Biehl. And what better person to fill them in; she’s been a tutor, a co-editor of the school newspaper, The Argonaut, office manager for the Student Life and Leadership Office, an RA, wom-en’s cross-country team captain, an offi-cer and member in a variety of clubs, and a site leader for Call to Action Day, just to name a few of her campus activities.

Maybe the Steph Biehl pose will take over as an expression of Argo pride. After all, as she says, “You simply cannot beat NDNU, and this is why I love it so much.”

1940's constance Govi '42 writes, “I will

always remember and cherish the wonderful two years I spent at College of Notre Dame. The beloved Sisters were an inspira-tion and the education tops.”

Maxine Lannin cohen '45 is hap-pily retired from the Tiburon School District where she worked as a resource specialist. Remem-bering her days at CND she said, “We lived in the Mansion. I attended the College of Notre Dame from 1943-45 during World War II. Sister Barbara was in charge! I befriended a sailor who helped set up the dining room on

Sunday nights. What letters we wrote to friends in the services."

1950'sMary Monart cravalho MA ’54

writes, “My husband, Clarence, and I have been married over 50 years. We have downsized to a

condominium in San Mateo and love it. Our four children and 11 grandchildren keep us busy with ballgames and events. We also enjoy traveling.”

1960's

elizabeth pelaez norris '67 is the Chair of the Modern Language Department at St. Joseph Notre Dame High School, and has pub-lished her first collection of poetry, entitled “Inner Voices.” It received the 2010 Literary Cultural Award from Artists Embassy Interna-tional. Elizabeth is also the faculty adviser for SJND’s literary maga-zine, “Prisms.”

Martha singer ’68 writes, “I became an attorney in 1991 and enjoy my Sacramento practice. I have three

What is new with you? We would love to hear! Please send us

an e-mail at alumni@ndnu.edu or call us at (650) 508-3515 or stop

by the Alumni Office at RH301 (third floor of Ralston Hall) and let

us know what you have been doing since you left campus. You can

also help keep our records current by including your work and

home addresses, phone numbers, and e-mails. Stay in touch!

class notes What about you?

OR HER THIRD BIRTHDAY, Emily Wu didn’t wear a pink party dress or ride a pony. She didn’t blow out three glowing

candles or paint her face with choco-late frosting. For her third birthday, Wu went to a concentration camp, and met her father for the first time. The Chinese government, then led by the infamous Communist Party Chairman Mao zedong, imprisoned Wu’s father in 1958 for being an intel-lectual after it denounced him as an ultra-rightist. While Wu and the rest of her family escaped prison, she was still a victim of the starvation, persecution and abuse that was common during the Cultural Revolution. In the eyes of Communist China, Wu was part of a “black" family, a term used to denote those who were educated or had been land owners, the lowest of the low. Every day, Wu awoke to a new horror. Her family apartment ransacked. Her father publically beaten by Red Guards. She was bullied, attacked, molested. And then her family was uprooted to a rural, remote peasant village leaving behind any trace of the free life they used to know. But that child grew up. A family in Palo Alto spon-sored Wu and her family to move to the United States, and she studied at NDNU (then CND), graduating cum laude in English in 1983. She went on to receive an

MBA from Golden Gate University and worked in the electronics industry in Silicon Valley while rais-ing a family. In 2006, Wu shared her story with the world in Feather In The Storm: A Childhood Lost in Chaos, her memoir told in her voice as a child in China. The book continues to be banned in China but has met with great acclaim in the United States and has been translated into

nine languages, including Chinese, German, French, and Thai. In 2007, the Chinese American Librarian Association named Feather the “Best Book of the Year.” Wu continues to tell her story, as one of three fea-tured children of the Cultural Revolution in the docu-mentary Up to the Mountain, Down to the Village. The film chronicles Wu's return with her American-born chil-dren to the village where she was sent by the Mao regime as a teenager to learn socialist values by working on farms with the peasants. Wu currently lives in Los Angeles but occasionally travels to China, despite her history with the country. In 2008, Wu enjoyed reconnecting with alumni, faculty, and staff from NDNU and in 2009 was happy to be a guest author at an NDNU alumni book club meeting. She continues to write short stories for Chinese and American newspapers, magazines and anthologies.

F

emily Wu ’83

Conquering Chaos

A L U M n i

14 ndnu I 2011

grandchildren and my youngest child is attending Lafayette College in Pennsylvania on a soccer scholar-ship (goalie).”

1970's Luann sauer ’72, MAt ’73 is enjoying

retirement after a career as a foreign language and math teacher.

Michael Villalta ’73 writes, "after retiring from 31 years in education with the Los Banos Unified School District in 2005, I was elected Mayor of Los Banos in 2010."

Kelly solis-navarro ’73 writes, “After my graduation, I began to work as a freelance artist. One of my first jobs was to illustrate the book, DNA Replication. Later, I worked on the book Genes and Genomics. Not only have I been dedicated to painting, but I am also a Spanish tutor. I think that education is the sure route to progress in the search of peace and love for humanity. I am also working on the second edition of my book, Castilian/Spanish Basic Grammatical Rules. I try to leave small seeds of peace and kindness along my journey.”

Jeanette Vonier ’73 is the proud owner of Elegant Images Photography in San Rafael: eleganti-magesphoto.com. She is also direc-tor and founder of the nonprofit Pinups for Purpose, which recently published a calendar to raise funds for breast cancer charities. Jeanette writes that this is an elegant and fun retro-style calendar featuring breast cancer survivors in 1950’s style whimsical pinups. The experi-ence “helps the models embrace their new self image and celebrate their lives while inspiring others with similar challenges.” Visit pin-upsforpurpose.com.

1980's Anne-Marie Lemoine ’80, MA ’90

taught French at Palo Alto High School from 1986-2002 and is cur-rently working on a chapter for a French textbook. Anne-Marie is on the Board of the American Association of Teachers of French and recently presented a paper on the history of La Martinique. “I enjoy returning to NDNU whenever I can, especially for concerts in

Ralston Hall.” Anne-Marie also appreciates being able to use NDNU’s library as an alumna which she says, “offers a great variety of resources, especially in French.”

david starr-Glass MBA ’82 is an adjunct faculty member with the European Division of the University of Maryland (UMUC) and won the Provost Award for best online edu-cation research in 2009. His paper addressed the field of instructor authenticity in the context of online learning. He also serves as an adjunct professor with the Center for International Programs at Empire State College (State University of New York) and has worked in Prague, Czech Republic. In 2010-11, he was elected as the Scholar Across the College, an award that allows him to visit cam-puses in Athens, Thessaloniki, Tirana, and Omsk to conduct work-shops on international education. David sends his greetings to the NDNU community.

saipale Fuimaono ’84, MAt ’90 is currently working as a pediatrician in his native Samoa for the Department of Health, studying communicable diseases. The Samoan government is partnering with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control on a study of a disease called Filariasis “I owe everything to NDNU. I am proud to be a graduate!”

Grace rim MBA ’85 began studying art at Stanford University in 1991 after working in the airplane leasing business (and getting many pilots’ licenses along the way). She went on to study at the San Francisco Art Institute, receiving an MA from Hong-lk University in Korea, and another MA from New York University. Grace is now a widely celebrated contemporary artist described as abstract, impressionist, and working in multi-media includ-ing painting. Her work is exhibited all over the world including Poland, Korea, San Francisco, and New York. Grace recently had a solo exhibit entitled “108 Bows for 108 Anxieties” which showed at the Tenri Gallery in New York followed by the NOMA Gallery in San Francisco. Grace recently visited with friends at NDNU on campus and toured the Wiegand Gallery. She fondly remembers the campus, especially Sisters Roseanne and Rosemarie Julie.

hether It’s her golden locks or her peppy, Southern drawl, it’s no surprise that Erica Lee has been called “Sunshine” since she was a child. Her voice perks you up like orange juice in

the morning, and her country tunes are a ray of light for those who have a hitch in their gallop. She’s a drop of sunshine, letting her musical passion shine everyday. Lee has stirred up the Bay Area with her country flair since she came to visit her sister for the summer over ten years ago. A Georgia native, she instantly fell in love with California and made the Peninsula her new home. Lee, who graduat-

ed with a business administration degree in 2003, took on a new nickname as a student at NDNU. “No one called me Erica, they all called me ‘Georgia,’” says Lee. “My time at NDNU was a whirlwind and I made such a cool network of friends that I still appreciate.” After graduation she worked as a recruiter for a local company, but within a year, her lifelong itch to sing became impossible to not scratch, so in addi-tion to her busy work schedule she gigged at night with a band, covering classic rock songs and per-forming at weddings. “I was sick of the mundane 8-6, chained to my desk,” says Lee. When she was laid off from her day job, she made the most of it, starting her own band and writing songs. “It was an opportunity to make a living doing what I love.” And her fans love her back. Many connect to the real-life stories she tells through her music. “I want people to appreciate the music and relate to it, so they can get through their own similar situa-tions,” says Lee. "Check Please," off her fourth album, Walk of Shame, was just released in June. Erica recently returned from a worldwide tour of Fiji, New zealand, Thailand, and Samoa. Although her home base continues to be Burlingame, she spends most of her time in Nashville when not touring. We hope to hear her tunes for many years to come, because as the Bill Withers song says, “Ain’t no sun-shine when she’s gone.”

erica sunshine Lee '03

A Drop of Golden Sun

A L U M n i

2011 I ndnu 15

W

class of 1961 50th reunionoctober 9, 2011

class of 1966 45th reunionseptember 16-18, 2011

Martin rojas-dietrich ’09 plays Brian in San Jose Stage’s June pro-duction of Avenue Q. He repeated his Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award-winning performance as “The Padre” with Symphony Silicon Valley in March. A radio broadcast of his role as ‘Montfleury’ with San Francisco Opera last fall was recently aired on KDFC. The worldwide broad-cast follows this fall. He directs two children’s musicals for Hillbarn Theatre this summer.

2010's Kelly Jean Hammond ’10 is

Marguerite in The Scarlet Pimpernel with Camelot Theatre in Ashland, and was Ernesta in The Billy Goats Gruff for Rogue Opera’s tour, 2011. She has been accepted to American Conservatory Theatre’s Summer Acting Congress for 2011.

Laura Guluzzy ’11 enjoyed her class-

es in Human Services at NDNU and found them very helpful in her work for the City of Belmont Parks & Recreation Department in Senior Services. Laura hopes to raise awareness about the chang-ing demographic in American Society toward aging citizens. "Within the next 18 years over half of US households will have no children in them. Seniors will have the voting majority, Intergenera-tional communication in business and elsewhere will be paramount. People who understand the needs of senior citizens and how to talk to them will increasingly be in high demand."

Mary F. Delaunay '32

Patricia Ondrasek '48

Laida L. Bakich (Garibotta) '50

Mary V. Lotz (Flynn) '50

Anna Marie Terry (Erro) '58

Darcy Reynolds '59

Sally Bullock (Welch) '61

Diane K. Passalacqua (Coppi) '64

’

Francesca camus ’06 is in Las Vegas, performing weekly at the Venetian/Palazzo Hotel in “Streetmosphere” and gigging with her blues band. She is currently playing Joanne Jefferson in RENT at Green Valley Ranch Casino in the Ovation Room, and performs cabarets for Cirque du Soleil. She recently performed for the Human Rights Campaign red carpet event for the Oscars.

carol schick ’06 writes, “I first went to college several decades ago, but left because I just did not feel that college was for me. When I came to NDNU, the faculty made me feel valued and important. The special attention I received at NDNU enabled me to succeed. I especially appreciated Sr. Roseanne Murphy and Dr. Don Stannard-Friel. NDNU is a life-altering experience that is indescribable.”

ed Wood ’06 received a BS while working full-time as a police com-mander in Belmont. In 2007, he joined the Burlingame Police Department as a Captain and in June 2011 he was sworn in as Burlingame’s police chief.

saree Mading MpA ’07 has served as the Dean of Students at the East Palo Alto Charter School for the past 4 years. She was elected to the Ravenswood City School District Governing Board in 2008 and was recently promoted to Director of Student Services for Aspire Public Schools in Oakland. Saree lives with her family in East Palo Alto.

tanaia Keyes ’09 was recently named Youth Sports Recreation Coordinator at the Palo Alto Jewish Community Center.

Minh Vu ’09 will be entering the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico, School of Optometry this fall where he will obtain his Doctor of Optometry degree. He recently closed down his luxury dessert business, “Simply Minh.” His last catering event was a wed-ding where he provided the party favors of honey-lavender truffles. He is excited for this new chapter of his life, but he knows he will miss everyone at NDNU.

Jan otey edwards MM ’86 has per-formed at International Music Workshops throughout Europe. Closer to home, she is a soloist for the Music Teachers’ Association of California and often performs for the Fortnightly Music Club of Palo Alto. Jan coaches students for spe-cial piano performances and tests. She and her husband, Stoney, have established a nature photography business and website which receives worldwide attention including a BBC Award nomina-tion. Jan is delighted that all four of her grandchildren play musical instruments.

Jennifer (Hillman) dizon ’87 has been a partner at Hood & Strong LLP since 2004. She currently serves on the Board of the Youth and Family Enrichment Services and was recently named to the statewide board of the national Association of Women Business Owners. She and her husband live in Redwood City and enjoy travel-ing and professional sports in their free time.

1990's stephanie caviglia ’97 writes, "I am

currently working as a file/calen-dar clerk in San Francisco for the LeClair Ryan law firm, and enjoy every minute of it. For 7.5 years I worked as a legal assistant for an attorney serving the Hispanic community and I hope someday to work as a paralegal in an immigra-tion law firm. I also would like to write a book one of these days. I hope to enjoy the rest of my life devoting myself to the field of law.”

Kerry Breuer ’99 writes, “I’m enjoy-ing managing two Stanford neuro-science labs and teaching Indian bhangra fitness dance at Core Fitness in Los Gatos. I also study Mandarin Chen-style Tai Chi and sword dance and voice at Stanford. I strive to empower youth through the world peace organization, Soka Gakkai International.”

dan smith MpA ’99 has served on the Redwood City Police force for the past 17 years. He is active with

the Police Activities League, the Peninsula Sunrise Rotary, American Legion Post 105, Little League and the Elks Club. He lives in Redwood City with his family.

2000's Kristen Mcdonnell MpA ’00 One of

the recent highlights of my career has been sharing a bag of M&M's with one of the world’s most famous living nuns. Sister Helen Prejean's "Dead Man Walking School Theatre Project," co-found-ed with Tim Robbins, is among my many nonprofit and arts clients, for whom I create customized websites. It has been a great privi-lege to work with the vibrant Sister Helen, from whom I have learned a great deal about social justice and tolerance.

reese Leyva ’01 works as an accountant for a local Tibetan Buddhist monastery, and volun-teers as a mentor for first-time entrepreneurs. When her love of Hawaiian hula turned professional, she started a booking and produc-tion company for her troupe of Polynesian dancers, belly dancers, fire performers and musicians. She serves on the Board of GoInspireGo.com, a website using social media to affect social change, and she's the co-founder and CFO of EarthHalfFull.com, a marketplace for mindful living. Most recently, she founded the Shine Your Light Speaker Training, for public speaking and effective communication.

Manny nungaray ’01, MBA ’05 received the Sr. Veronica Skillin Award of Excellence in the spring of 2011 for his work as the Director of Development at NDNU. For the last 11 years, he has served the uni-versity in a variety of roles in the Advancement Office.

Michelle Koski ’02 went on to earn her master’s degree in Library and Information Science from San Jose State in 2005 and has worked as a school librarian since. She contin-ues to create costume designs for theatre venues large and small in her spare time. In 2007 she was

delighted to be named Assistant Librarian at Carondelet High School, her alma mater. In addition to librarian duties, Michelle also works with their after school the-ater program as a costume design-er and shop supervisor.

nicole Macdonald Mcp ’03 is a therapeutic herbalist and holistic counselor practicing in downtown San Carlos as “The Neighborhood Herbalist.” She creates custom formulas tailored to her clients' unique concerns and constitu-tions. When not counseling oth-ers, Nicole loves gardening with her family. Nicole enjoyed being Vice President of Student Affairs during her time at NDNU.

phyllis outzen ’04 writes, "My youngest son, Richard, is back at the Pentagon, home from Iraq and Afghanistan. He is a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army and I just got back from visiting him and his family in Burbank, Virginia and Washington, D.C., where he showed me around. Very interest-ing and inspiring."

eric shapira MA ’04 is currently serving on San Mateo County’s Grand Jury and has three works of art displayed in the “Plein Aire – Past & Present” Coastal Art League Museum & Gallery in Half Moon Bay.

Katherine patterson ’05 writes, “I recently purchased a home in Half Moon Bay. I received my master's in counseling psychology from JFK University in 2010. I am heading off to India and Southeast Asia for a few months to experience other cultures.”

tino sacasa BA ’05, MA ’10 writes, "I am enjoying my work as a Marriage & Family Therapist intern for the Santa Clara County Department of Mental Health. My clients are referred through the mental health hotline, child pro-tective services, and other county departments. My education through the Graduate Art Therapy Department at NDNU has pre-pared me to provide mental health services to children and their fami-lies using art therapy as a vehicle for healing."

in Memoriam

A L U M n i A L U M n i

class of 2001 10th reunionnovember 18-20, 2011

class of 1986 25th reunionoctober 22-23, 2011

2011 I ndnu 1716 ndnu I 2011

Bill owen ’11 and esmeralda Montenegro MpA ’11 The mem-bers of the Class of 2011 are very close and have formed many last-ing friendships. Some members are so close, in fact, that they’re . . . married! Esmeralda Montenegro MPA ’11 and Bill Owen BS ’11 enjoyed being in school together although they did not share any classes. Bill received his BS in Human Services this Spring and enjoys hearing the perspectives of his fellow students. He is a Realtor in the Gilroy area and says his practical experience helps inform his academic work. Esmeralda is a broadcast journalist who last worked as an anchor woman for Univision in the Monterey Bay Area. She is delighted to be receiving her MPA which she says will help her extend her journalist skills to the organiza-tional side of the business.

neal pascua ’11 joined the cast of The Wizard Of Oz for Diablo Valley Theatre in July.

N BELO CIPRIANI’S first graduate writing class at NDNU, he shared a short person-

al essay about the mixed emotions he’d had the day he met his latest room-mate – who, coincidentally, lay peacefully snoozing under the desk. That essay became the foundation of Cipriani’s first book, Blind: A Memoir, which was pub-lished in spring 2011.

Although the book does briefly address the tragic incident that took Cipriani’s sight in 2007 at the age of 26, the heart of the story is Madge, a yellow Labrador who became his guide dog, roommate, and closest companion. Most of the chapters focus on Cipriani’s adjustment to everyday life as a blind person and, eventually, his learning to let go of his fear and to trust Madge’s guidance.

When the pair arrived at NDNU in 2009 to begin Cipriani’s graduate work, however, he was able to turn the tables on Madge and do a little guiding of his own. He was no stranger to NDNU, having spent four years here before graduating with a BA in Communications in 2009. “I was familiar with the campus,” he explains, which was a major factor in his choos-ing to return to NDNU to pursue an MA in English.

“I came back a different person physically,” he says. “What I appreciated most was the staff’s willingness to work with me. Everyone basically had the attitude, ‘We’re not sure how to do this, but it’s going to happen.’”

And things certainly have been happening for Cipriani since he completed his master’s degree a year ago. He is a freelance writer and editor, having recently contributed to, among oth-ers, Inside Pride, Wired, and NPR. “I’m at the point in my career where I’m getting called," he says. “People are seeking me out to invite me to literary events and festivals.”

That includes UCLA’s Lambda Literary Fellowship, a three-week program under New York Times editor Ellery Washington, during which he plans to work on his second book, Faceless, due in 2013.

“I believe my writing was heavily influenced by my teachers and NDNU's ability to accommodate my creative curiosity,” Cipriani says. “Criticism is something all novice writers struggle with, and I feel that all of my instructors played a key role in preparing me for the competitive world of writing and publishing.”

For the future, Cipriani is looking at doctoral programs in English. “I want to contribute more to the disability movement in literature,” he explains. “Books are immortal, and in many instances they affect society’s view of the disabled. I want to offer a new lens through which people can look at disability.”

IBelo cipriani BA '09 MA '10

Jan L. Orme-Driscoll '66

Marie T. McShane (Changnon) '70

Chap D. Riese '76

Daniel R. Jayo '77

Earl M. Kane '83

Robert L. Gadient MBA '89

Dolly S. Steyer '73, MAT '93

the cunningham-Mccarthy endowed scholarship

this eNDoweD scholarship bears the name of two branches of one

influential San Francisco family, but it really honors the 15th President of (then) College of Notre Dame, Sr. Catharine Julie Cunningham, who served as president from 1956 until 1980. During her tenure, she oversaw the development of the evening divi-sion (now known as the Evening/Intensive Program), the admission of men, alumni expansion, a faculty development program, and a national-ly publicized Peace Symposium. Sr. Catharine Julie initiated the process

s c H o L A r s H i p H i G H L i G H t

of professionalizing the governance structure of the College (now known as the Board of Trustees). She insti-tuted a major building campaign, including the expansion of the dining facilities, the construction of the library, St. Joseph’s residence hall, student apartments, the Toso Residences for the teaching sisters, and the construction of Memorial Chapel, which was named Cunningham Memorial Chapel sever-al years later. Of Irish-American descent, Catharine Daley Cunningham was born in San Francisco in 1910. Educated by the Sisters of Notre Dame at the elementary and high school level, she led an active family life that included travel and cultural activities. She liked being physically active and enjoyed playing basketball as a student. After graduating from Berkeley in 1932 as a history major, she was drawn to the spirit of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, and came to Belmont where she became a member of the congregation in 1935. Later on, while serving as a teacher and a principal in Alameda, San Jose, and Belmont, she completed a mas-ter’s degree in history and philoso-phy from Catholic University by tak-ing summer courses. Not long after

completing that degree in 1953, she was appointed president of CND. Sr. Catharine Julie’s warmth of personality, her quiet spirituality, sense of humor, and openness as a person attracted many people, includ-ing Norman Cousins, writer and edi-tor of the Saturday Review, whose interests focused on world peace, world governance, justice and human freedom. Mr. Cousins paid tribute to Sr. Catharine Julie with the following words: “You seem to know instinc-tively how to let your light shine and I am grateful to have come within the radius of that light.” Upon her retirement at age 70, the Sister Catharine Julie Cunningham Chair was established to bring in out-side scholars and outstanding acade-micians. She was appointed presi-dent emerita and chancellor of CND, with special focus on restoration of historic Ralston Hall Mansion. She died just days short of her 74th birth-day, surrounded by Sisters of Notre Dame and her dear friends. Her fami-ly established the Cunningham-McCarthy Endowed Scholarship, which assists many students each year. It is a fitting tribute to a woman who “knew how to let her light shine” and who devoted her life to CND/NDNU.

sr. catharine Julie cunningham

"I wanted my teachers to know me for who I am."Ashley novosad 2012

Because of you, Ashley Novosad is closer to reaching her dream of becoming an Art Therapist. She is one of nine NDNU students receiving the Cunningham-McCarthy Endowed Scholarship. This scholarship is NDNU's largest endowed scholarship, with over one million dollars, and has assisted hun-dreds of students since its inception. To learn how to set up an endowed scholar-ship, call (650) 508-3442 or email mnungaray@ndnu.edu.

remember ndnU!Learn everything there is to know about gift planning; what to give and how to give. Read about our donors who have left nDnu in their will. Plan your own will and use the planned gift calculator. There are many tools and resources which can all be used from the comfort of your home. Join those who have designated nDnu in their will or trust and become a member of the Cunningham Heritage Society. if you intend to remember nDnu in your estate plans, let us know and we can help.

To learn more, please contact the Planned giving office at (650) 508-4161, Sr. Roseanne murphy, rmurphy@ndnu.edu, or visit www.ndnu.edu/giving.

Because of you.

Because of you, Brendan Jin has graduated

with a BS in Business Administration. He is

one of over 350 graduates from the Class

of 2011 benefitting from an NDNU degree.

Because of you, Brendan received a

values-based education to build character,

competence and confidence.

NDNU Annual FundThe 1851 Society www.ndnu.edu/giving(650) 508-4161annualfund@ndnu.edu

"NDNU has provided me with some of the best educational opportunities."

18 ndnu I 2011

september 1-3ndnU theatre & dance Festival

NDNU Theatre

11classical cabaret Gala concertralston performers series

NDNU’s professional faculty performRalston Ballroom, 4 p.m.Reception Follows

17-18class of 1966 45th reUnion

28Accelerated & evening degree completion information Forum

Ralston Mansion, 6:30 p.m.

october 8-9class of 1961 50th reUnion

13 ndnU Annual Golf tournament Crystal Springs Golf Course

14-23three sisters by Anton chekhov

Directed by Michael B. ElkinsNDNU Theatre

17Graduate information Forum Ralston Mansion, 6:30 p.m.

20-22, 27-29Master Class Hillbarn Theatre, Foster City

22-23 class of 1986 25th reUnion

30 ralston performers series Ralston Ballroom, 4 p.m.

november.

31851 reception

Ralston Ballroom, 5 p.m.

3-6Master Class Hillbarn Theatre, Foster City

9Accelerated & evening degree completion information Forum Ralston Mansion, 6:30 p.m.

12Fall preview day for prospective undergraduate students

1-4 p.m.

13 ralston performers series Ralston Ballroom, 4 p.m.

19-20 class of 2001 10th reUnion

20 Home for the Holidays

Ralston Mansion

Events Calendar September-November 2011

Events, times and dates subject to change. For a full and current listing of events, visit www.ndnu.edu.

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage

PAIDNotre Dame de

Namur UniversityNotre Dame de Namur University1500 Ralston AvenueBelmont, CA 94002-1908

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