NOTRE DAME OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY WINTER 2014 FEARLESS AND FAITHFUL The Spirit of Notre Dame LETTERS CONTENTS ear friend, Board of Trustees President’s Advisory Council I am pleased to present the inaugural issue of Universitas, the magazine of Notre Dame Trustees Carroll A. Bodie, retired vice President Patricia J. Mitchell ’69, Chair president and general counsel, of Maryland University. Joan Develin Coley, Ph.D. Brenda Jews, Vice Chair Proctor & Gamble Cosmetics Universitas is a Latin word with several meanings—the whole, the total, the sum of all Vice President for Kathryn B. Freeland, Secretary Ava E. Lias-Booker, managing things, the community, the world, the universe—all of which have obvious significance to Institutional Advancement Stanton G. Ades partner, McGuireWoods Patricia A. Bosse ’81 us. The name reflects our transformation from college to university as well as our reach outward to our Mary Noel Albers, SSND Cynthia Egan, president, T. Rowe Dcommunity and the world. Director of Marc P. Blum University Communications Price Retirement Plan Services It also fits nicely with a meme that’s captured everybody’s imagination on campus: We, the people of Patricia M.C. Brown John Rivera Notre Dame, are fearless and faithful. We hold dear our cherished traditions while confidently moving Edward S. Civera John C. Erickson, founder, Office of Alumni Relations Kathleen D. Cornell, SSND ’69 Erickson Living; chairman and forward to embrace challenges and opportunities the future presents us. This is especially true as we Emilia Poiter The Honorable J. Joseph Curran, Jr. CEO of Retirement Living TV look forward to the imminent announcement of the 14th president of the University. Jessica Angell Joan Davidson ’91 Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick, retired Sina Cook Donna C. Easton ’70 It has been my privilege this past year to accompany Notre Dame of Maryland University on this superintendent of schools, State Mary-Agnes Evans-Moreland ’84 journey. I hope you’ll enjoy reading about it in these pages. Editor of Maryland John Rivera Patricia Flynn, SSND ’64 Taylor L. Foss Patrick Hughes, president, Sincerely, Writers Patricia Hillman ’69 Hughes and Associates LLC Joan Develin Coley, Ph. D. John Rivera The Honorable Irene M. Keeley ’65 Marianne Amoss ‘04 Denise Koch, news anchor, President Marion I. Knott Susie Breaux McShea ‘87 WJZ-TV Channel 13 Carol Vellucci Robert R. Manfredi Patricia M. McCarron, SSND ’84 Richard E. Levine, partner, DLA Designers Nancy E. McColgan ’92 Piper US LLP SDYM M. Marc Munafo Neil M. Meltzer, president and Photographers Patricia Murphy, SSND ’69 CEO, Sinai Hospital; senior vice Howard Korn Anthony N. O’Brien president, LifeBridge Health Bill Denison Frank R. Palmer Fearless and Faithful: The Spirit of Notre Dame Dear reader, Larry Canner Helen M. Passano ’69 2 The spirit that led the School Sisters of Notre Dame 180 years ago Ronald R. Peterson, president, Christine Langr Deborah S. Phelps animates Notre Dame of Maryland University today. The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Welcome to our first issue ofUniversitas ! This new publication of Notre Dame of Maryland University John Rivera will highlight the exciting scholarship, service and campus life that every day make Notre Dame a warm Judith Schaum, SSND ’65 Health System Brian Schneider John C. Smyth The Beacon: Gibbons Hall Readied for Renovation Josh Kuckens 7 Jennifer W. Reynolds, partner and community that educates, enlightens and inspires. Mary Ian Stewart, SSND ’54 The Gibbons Project will enhance our signature building’s historic director, Ward Properties The name Universitas connotes wholeness. We are one University with many elements: colleges, Universitas is published by John K. Tolmie beauty while equipping it to serve students of the digital age. Notre Dame of Maryland University, J. Scott Wilfong Henry A. Rosenberg, Jr., chairman schools and programs, students, faculty, staff and alumnae and alumni. Through our Catholic, liberal Continuing a Literary Tradition Office of Institutional Advancement. Barbara Wolf ’69 of the board, Rosemore Inc. arts tradition, we offer a global and comprehensive Notre Dame education that strives to develop the Publications by Notre Dame English faculty continue the literary 4701 North Charles Street Angela R. Sherman (Faculty 8 legacy of poet and teacher Maura Eichner SSND ‘41. * Patricia J. Mitchell, chair of the whole person. Baltimore, Maryland 21210 Representative) Notre Dame Board of Trustees, The agesp of Universitas will reflect that reality. As we commemorate the 180th anniversary of the 410.532.5546 James W. Constable, Esq. (Ex officio) [email protected] Malaria: Reasearch from the Ground Up serves as an ex officio member of Joan Develin Coley (Ex officio) 12 founding of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, we reflect on the fearless and faithful spirit that has been Notre Dame students and faculty are making an important the Council. The diverse views presented in this Lynette Hodge (Student contribution to the fight against one of the world’s most crippling our legacy from the beginning. We highlight some cutting-edge research that, thanks to collaboration magazine do not necessarily reflect Representative) diseases. among our biology and pharmacy faculty and students, will help millions of people in the developing the opinion of the editor or the Trustee Associates world who suffer from malaria. And we celebrate Notre Dame’s continuing literary tradition with news official policies of the University. University Mission Carroll A. Bodie Reunion 2013 16 Alumnae and alumni returned to campus for a weekend to rekindle Notre Dame of Maryland University of some major recent and upcoming faculty publications. On the cover: Baltimore artist Betty Contino ’89 Robert McClintock’s vibrant portrait of friendships and celebrate community. educates women as leaders to Finally, each issue will feature a guest columnist in a section called “The Last Word.” This month Kathleen O’Ferrall Friedman ’62 Gibbons Hall was commissioned in transform the world. Embracing Kristine K. Howanski includes a reflection by Joshua Parker, a Baltimore County teacher and NDMU alum who was named honor of President Emerita Mary Pat The Year in Review the vision of the founders, the Michael D. Lippy Maryland’s Teacher of the Year in 2012. He writes from a first-person perspective, as a teacher and a Seurkamp. Copies of the print may be 18 Project Homeless Connect, the dedications of the University School Sisters of Notre Dame, the Melissa McGuire ’91 ordered through his Fell’s Point gallery Academic Building and the Otenasek House of the Morrissy Honors University provides a liberal arts father, on how we might improve outcomes for black males in our education system. Vicky Munafo or at robertmcclintock.com. Program and a visit by author Julia Alvarez are some of the education in the Catholic tradition. Mary Anne O’Donnell It is possible you may be surprised by Notre Dame’s many accomplishments. But there is no doubt highlights of an already eventful year. Distinctive undergraduate and Joshua Parker M’10 you will be proud of them. graduate programs challenge Joseph E. Peters Honor Roll of Donors women and men to strive for Mary Louise Preis 22 Sincerely, Recognizing the remarkable leadership of Notre Dame of Maryland intelluctual and professional Robert Sabelhaus John Rivera University’s most generous and faithful contributors. excellence, to build inclusive Christine G. Snyder ’77 communities, to engage in service Director of University Communications Find us online Kathleen D. Solomon The Last Word: Transforming the Education of Black Males to others, and to promote social ndm.edu Diana M. Trout ’97 32 Joshua Parker M’10, Maryland’s 2012 Teacher of the Year, draws on his responsibility. Facebook: www.facebook.com/ experience from the classroom and as a father in urging educators to NotreDameofMaryland make a concerted effort to reach out to young black men. Twitter: @NotreDameofMD Hashtag: #ndmu Universitas 1 FEARLESS AND FAITHFUL The Spirit of Notre Dame By John Rivera and Susie Breaux McShea ‘87 In June 1847, five women led by Mother Theresa Gerhardinger set out from their motherhouse in Munich, Germany, for the port city of Bremen, where they boarded the SS Washington, bound for the United States. These women, vested in the habit of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, faced an uncertain future on a path that would eventually lead to a hilltop campus in Baltimore. They had been invited to start a school in southwestern Pennsylvania. The Benziger and Eschbach Company of Einsiedeln, Switzerland, had purchased the land with the intention of selling plots to emigrating German Catholics and developing a town called St. Mary’s. A certain Baron von Schroeder, sent by the company as an emissary to accompany the Sisters, assured them they would be welcomed upon their arrival by the bishop of Pittsburgh. What could be more auspicious than to begin a new venture in a place named after Notre Dame, Our Lady, the mother of Jesus? But troubles began soon after Mother Theresa and her companions disembarked in New York. The Redemptorist Fathers they visited warned them not to commit to St. Mary’s: it was sparsely populated, and, most importantly, it was not located on a trade route. The town faced a bleak future. Then, on the journey overland, one of their band, a novice named Mary Emmanuel, fell ill in Harrisburg, Pa., and died. The grieving Sisters buried her and continued by coach on the rugged road. According to a diary entry by one of the Sisters, “The muddy water from the puddles through which we drove splashed over our heads and fell upon our clothing. Hanging boughs struck us in the faces; we were sorry-looking objects.” 1873 1876 1895 1899 President Ulysses S. Grant First baccalaureate attends commencement. degrees awarded. Notre Dame of Maryland College of Notre Dame of Collegiate Institute opens.