THE MAGAZINE OF SPRING 2015 EAC PPOSSIBLEE Flying High – Student Athletes Achieved Numerous Feats On and O the Field this Spring (p.. 22) Spring 2015 2 Dear Readers, the Mock Trial Team had another successful year. Our campus media, including e Flyer, Please fi nd throughout this continue to garner regional and national Lewis University Magazine a number of recognitions, including for “Best in Class,” interesting updates on the 2014-15 academic layout, general excellence and sports reporting year just concluded. It proved to be highly for the newspaper. e same is true for our successful by any measure. e culture and television and radio broadcasting. e theatre accomplishments of the University community program receives many accolades and the are such that it goes without saying that we student actors are frequently recognized for always expect student success and overall outstanding performances. e University has excellence in all that we undertake for their been listed on the President’s Higher Education benefi t. Our Mission is clear and broadly Community Service Honor Roll in light of our embraced, the identity of Lewis as a Catholic students’ volunteer services at 120 diff erent university in the Lasallian tradition is fi rm, and not-for-profi t agencies. e Flight Team once the University continues to give evidence of the again is off to the national championship advantages to our students of our being a mid- PRESIDENT’S competition. In addition, various academic sized university, neither too small nor too large. PERSPECTIVE departments can brag of the recognitions their Moreover, as the late Cardinal Francis George students regularly receive, including Computer once commented in a public forum, in his Science, Information Security and the Natural Sciences. Lastly, the University has been judgment, “Lewis University is a quintessential have a total of 156 sophomores moving into ranked #91 among the most environmentally Catholic university.” that building, with more than half arriving in responsible campuses in the United States. e quality of a Lewis University education the fall of 2015 and the rest in the fall of 2016. is has been an exceptional year for can be measured in a variety of ways, and yes, Planning is far advanced for the NCAA intercollegiate teams here at Lewis, it is assessed frequently and in every category. former Science Building renovations and perhaps the most accomplished year in recent One telling measurement is the amount of transformation. It will house additional science memory. 207 of our 380 student athletes external funding that the University receives labs and classrooms, the Lewis University remarkably received recognition for highest in support of its Mission and of student Center for Scientifi c Innovation, Computer honors, with an average GPA of 3.61 on a engagement. For the fi rst time ever, Lewis will Engineering and other programs. A complete scale of 4.0. Moreover, the women’s basketball receive a substantial grant ($613,000) from the modernization of the Aviation and Aerospace team for fi ve weeks was ranked #1 nationally National Science Foundation (NSF). A second complex is underway, including the large for NCAA Division II and advanced to the NSF grant is expected shortly. In addition, our hangar and workshop areas, classrooms and Elite Eight. As of this writing, our men’s long-time patrons and very generous friends, labs, as well as all the technology. Furthermore, volleyball team is ranked #1 nationally and the Lewis Family and the Lewis Foundation, preliminary thought is being given to a major we are hosting the championship tournament have notifi ed the University of a grant for addition as various academic programs for the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball $500,000 to establish an Endowed Scholarship are developed and the student population Association. In addition, like so many of our Fund in celebration of the ethical leadership grows rapidly. other students, Lewis student athletes render and generous philanthropy of Edward and We also hope to move forward on the much volunteer service. at is certainly the Philip Lewis. Still further, a recently deceased transformation of the Sancta Alberta Chapel case for many Service Learning classes, and our alumnus, James Sczepaniak (’60), has left as we raise another $1-$1.5 million for that University Ministry sponsors a large multitude more than $400,000 in his estate for the project. We are hoping to add a new facility of volunteer service opportunities, in addition Endowed Scholarship Fund which he earlier for weight training and exercise equipment to more than a dozen annual retreats. established and generously funded. Shortly to address the mushrooming enrollment of ank you for your ongoing pride in, before his death, he also committed to funding the University, including residential students, appreciation for and support of this excellent a wonderful statue, bench and sitting area in NCAA student athletes and the many new club University. We have together accomplished the middle of campus to celebrate the many sports teams (16 currently). Other proposed tremendous good, for the benefi t of our students, contributions of nearly 110 Christian Brothers projects include a Center for Student Success their families and communities, the Church dating back to 1960 who are now serving or and Enrichment, to advance further our and society in general. With the Lord’s ongoing who have served at the University. already impressive retention rates. presence, we are confi dent and grateful for Various pivotal projects on campus are Many honors are coming to our students the privilege of doing even more in the future. now underway or are in the planning stage. and their faculty mentors. For instance, more Indeed, each year we are achieving more together, e fi nal third of the Saint Charles Borromeo than 300 students exhibited their research and the world is a better place for it. Center is under construction and renovation. and creativity during the Fourth Annual We expect to be able soon to move the School Celebration of Scholarship in mid-April. Sincerely, for Professional and Continuing Education Many of those same students made scholarly and the Offi ce of the Dean of Graduate Studies presentations of that same impressive into that large structure. ey will be joining research at various regional and even national the growing College of Business and Graduate conferences. Our Mediation Team earned Brother James Gaff ney, FSC School of Management. In addition, we will fi rst place in an international competition and President lewisu.edu/publications/magazines The Magazine of Lewis University 1 THE MAGAZINE OF SPRING 2015 IS PEACE POSSIBLE IN 6 | UNIVERSITY UPDATES 2 | THESE VIOLENT TIMES? SOARING TO 3 | NEW HEIGHTS 16 | FACULTY NEWS 17 | AWARDS & RECOGNITION 22| ATHLETICS 27 | GIFTS, GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS 34 | ALUMNI NEWS The Magazine of Lewis University is published by RESOURCES Thanks for taking our survey! the Office of Marketing and Communications. Letters Admission to the Editor and alumni news submissions are (800) 897-9000 We recently asked you to complete a survey welcome. Send letters, news and address changes (815) 836-5250 on The Magazine of Lewis University. The to: The Magazine of Lewis University, Unit 196, One Alumni magazine is still the primary medium through University Parkway, Romeoville, IL 60446-2200 or e-mail (815) 836-5472 which readers stay current about Lewis [email protected], / Dr. Ramona LaMontagne, STAFF Graduate Admission University, followed by the website. Readers Executive Director of Marketing and Communications; Jim (800) 897-9000 Cowan ’04, Graphic Design Director/Production Manager, (815) 836-5610 of all ages prefer the print version of the EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS / Matthew Brendich; Allison Athletics magazine, and most said they would like both Rios; Kelly Kolton; Bridgette Robles; Dr. Kurt Schackmuth (815) 836-5247 print and online. For those of you who would ’98 ’02; Kathrynne Skonicki ’12; Derrick Sloboda; Philip Lynch Theatre rather read the magazine online, we have a Kyle Hayes ’14, PHOTOGRAPHY / Marissa Gonzales; Box O ce site where you can read the current magazine, Jerry Daliege; Sylvain Goyette; Ron Molk Photography; (815) 836-5500 as well as archived issues. Eileen Ryan Photography; Steve Woit Photography; Steve University Advancement Woltmann / PRINTING / ABC Printing (815) 836-5244 Visit lewisu.edu/publications/magazines Spring 2015 2 EAC PPOSSIBLEE lewisu.edu/publications/magazines The Magazine of Lewis University IS PEACE POSSIBLE IN THESE VIOLENT TIMES? 3 On February 13, 1982, Brother James Miller, FSC, was preparing to patch a wall outside the Casa Indigena De La Salle when he was shot several times and killed. BY KATHRYNNE e classroom environment was ere are hundreds more martyrs that SKONICKI ’12 a stark contrast to the world Brother deserved recognition as well, he said. Paul was describing. Furniture still e Christian Brother shared a dozen On a day in February, the smelled new from recent renovation stories of other innocent people slain auditorium became silent. In and the PowerPoint slides were shown while he served in Guatemala. addition to faculty and staff , on large projection screens in a nice, Brother Paul then turned to the the seats were fi lled with young safe environment. audience of Lewis students, faculty Lewis University students, Brother Paul, the former Regional and staff and brought the issue closer who had just put down their Superior for Guatemala, began to home. He asked, “When you are cell phones and closed their to speak about his friend Brother suff ering political oppression or laptops to hear a story about James (Hermano Santiago) Miller, reputation assassination, who do you a country they had never seen FSC, sharing their brief experience turn to?” and people they had never working together as missionaries Days after his presentation, met. Brother Paul Joslin, in Huehuetenango, Guatemala.