Donnelly Digest
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Donnelly College Digest Winter 2019 | donnelly.edu Donnelly Digest TO TRUST MYSELF Plus: BUILDING BRIDGES | SHINE 2019 | PRESIDENT'S REPORT Monsignor Swetland leads faculty, staff and students from campus to the Cathedral of St. Peter for Donnelly's annual Convocation Mass to kick-off the new academic year. IN THIS ISSUE cover story 10 TO TRUST MYSELF spotlights BUILDING BRIDGES 8 Dedicated friends provide cornerstone gift SHINE 2019 14 Celebrating 13 years of SHINE PRESIDENT’S REPORT Highlighting the 2018-2019 16 academic year INVESTORS & SUPPORTERS Gifts received 20 7/1/2018 - 6/30/2019 WINTER 2019 | 1 SPOTLIGHT From Comfort to Potential Two guest speakers inspire students to step out of their comfort zones osting guest speakers is a Econoline van to minimize expenses while earning a Hwonderful way to enliven graduate degree. campus culture and expand student In Ilgunas’ public talk, presented in partnership experiences. Donnelly College has with American Public Square, the author talked about a rich history of bringing guest the 1,700-mile journey he describes in “Trespassing speakers to campus dating back to Across America.” Interspersed with accounts of the early 1960s, when Donnelly battling foot injuries and a fear of cows, Ilgunas told co-founder Sr. Jerome Keeler of the people and places he encountered while hiking invited poet Robert Frost to speak the entire route of the Keystone XL pipeline from to students. This tradition of Alberta, Canada to the Gulf Coast of Texas. He also bringing engaging and relevant described what he learned about the pipeline’s impact guest speakers to Donnelly on both the people and the places along its path. continues to this day. Ilgunas encouraged Donnelly students to go To kick off the 2019-20 on a journey of their own, and, like McCormick, academic year, former U.S. Army he suggested that students need to get out of pilot Elizabeth McCormick visited their comfort zone and, in his words, “experience campus to share her inspirational discomfort.” According to Ilgunas, goals should be story of becoming the first woman considered sacred, and discomfort is the price that to pilot a Blackhawk helicopter. students need to be willing to pay if they want to As McCormick described achieve their goals. D her journey from standing outside a fence at her husband’s military base looking at helicopters on a landing site to flying those very helicopters, she encouraged students to move from their “comfort zone,” where they currently operate, to their “potential zone,” where the “magic happens.” By leading students in a series of fun, interactive activities, McCormick helped them experience firsthand the power of mind over matter. “Be curious,” McCormick advised the students. “Your future is your responsibility.” A few weeks after McCormick’s presentation, author and environmentalist Ken Ilgunas also visited campus. Ilgunas is the author of “Trespassing Across America,” the book that was selected as Donnelly’s Common Read for the 2019-20 academic year. In his presentation to students, Ilgunas recounted humorous anecdotes from his first book, “Walden on Wheels.” Students were able to relate to Ilgunas’ stories of how he worked as a dishwasher in a remote Alaskan village to pay off his undergraduate student loans before moving into a 1994 Ford 2 | DONNELLY DIGEST C S E R V I N N I G A P I N S S I T H I T V U E T L I O T I N T · · T N I T O L I E T U V T I H T I S S P N I A N G I N C I V S E R Transforming Lives Through Education Donnelly College awarded $3 million Title V grant from the Department of Education n September 2019, Donnelly was Americans and other underrepresented Ione of only 42 institutions of higher populations. education in the United States awarded a To be eligible for a Title V grant, a Department of Education Title V grant. college or university must have a federal Entitled “Transforming Lives designation as a Hispanic-Serving Through Education,” this five-year, Institution (HSI). To be named an $3 million grant will allow the College HSI, an institution's enrollment of to expand and strengthen the Nursing undergraduate students must be at least and Baccalaureate programs, by 25 percent Hispanic. Donnelly’s most investing in equipment, technology and recent President’s Report data (pages personnel. The initial expenditures will 18-19 of this issue) shows Donnelly be to expand test-preparation support College currently has a Hispanic student for our Nursing students, provide new population of 35 percent. In addition, College-wide professional development grant applicants must show that at least opportunities for faculty, staff, and 50 percent of their institution’s degree- administrators, and hire curriculum seeking students received financial specialists to help revise, expand, and assistance under the Federal Pell Grant, update courses in the Baccalaureate Federal SEOG, Federal Work Study or programs (Information Systems and the Federal Perkins Loan Programs. Business Leadership). Dr. Melissa Lenos, Associate Professor Title V is the federal program created of English, has been named Project in 1998 to provide grant funding to Director. Dr. Lenos has been at Donnelly institutions of higher education to for eight years, and most recently served strengthen institutional programs, as Director of the Liberal Arts and facilities, and services to expand Sciences program. D educational opportunities for Hispanic WINTER 2019 | 3 SPOTLIGHT rian McKiernan is a lifelong resident of Kansas BCity, Kansas and the Donnelly neighborhood. After concluding his studies at Donnelly by earning an AA degree, he moved to the University of Kansas where he earned a BS in Journalism, a BS in Physical Therapy and a PhD in Physiology. For the past 31 years, Dr. McKiernan has taught physical and occupational therapy students at the University of Kansas Medical Center, Rockhurst University and the University of St. Mary. Since April of 2011, Dr. McKiernan has served as a Commissioner for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas and representing District 2. 2019 DONNE LLY COLLEGE Dr. McKiernan has been active at Bishop Ward high school and in the Cathedral of St. Peter parish and in a variety of roles including music ministry at Sunday Mass. “I absolutely received an excellent education at Donnelly that laid the academic foundation for all I have earned and accomplished since. It was at Donnelly that I more fully grasped the importance of acting in service of others and using my education to benefit my community as much as possible.” D Alumni Hall of Fame INDU CTEES Brian McKiernan 4 | DONNELLY DIGEST Judith Van Rest udith (Judy Hook) Van Rest was born and Jraised in Kansas City, Kansas. Following graduation from Donnelly with an AA degree, she received a BS degree in journalism from the University of Kansas in 1968. Judy began her career in a variety of communications positions, working in advertising and newspaper reporting. She moved to Washington, DC in 1976 where she began a lifelong career in politics and public service. 2019 DONNE LLY COLLEGE Among the positions she held were Regional Director at the Peace Corps, Senior Advisor for Governance for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad, Iraq, Chief-of-Staff at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, as well as positions at the White House and the Smithsonian Institution. She began her international career 25 years ago as a Regional Director at the International Republican Institute (IRI) and she is currently Alumni Hall of Fame IRI’s Executive Vice President. Judy is the founder of IRI’s Women’s Democracy Network and is a member of the Women’s Initiative Policy Advisory Council at the George W. Bush Institute. “During my time at Donnelly, I not only received an excellent education, but also learned the strong values and discipline that has guided INDU CTEES me throughout my work. Donnelly was essential to my transition to life in so many ways." D To learn about all of our honorees, please visit donnelly.edu/hall-of-fame WINTER 2019 | 5 SPOTLIGHT Meet the Dean: Lisa Stoothoff isa Stoothoff was recently named Vice President Entrepreneurship and Multicultural Leadership Lof Academic and Student Affairs (VPASA) and in our Business Leadership program. The College Dean of the College. Originally from New Jersey, has added a full-time faculty member in the fine she and her family have lived in Kansas City for arts and expanded our nursing faculty as well. Our 15 years and attend St. Michael the Archangel parish Admissions Office now offers Spanish Information in Overland Park. Stoothoff is a devout Catholic sessions and our Campus Ministry is thriving with with a heart for service and a passion for education. an active Pro-Life Club. And yes, I am chaperoning What inspires you to serve at Donnelly? the March for Life trip again and looking forward to The dedication of the faculty and staff inspires me the 26 hours I get to spend with students on the bus every day to be a better person and to serve others. ride to Washington, DC! Their unselfishness and time commitment to our How does academic rigor at Donnelly compare students is unparalleled. Msgr. Swetland is an to other colleges? outstanding leader at the college and his focus on The rigor is the same as at any other college; the serving the underserved and marginalized is the basis difference at Donnelly is that we offer culturally for all decisions. Having a priest as the President is just relevant curricula to enhance the learning experience. so special for the students.