FALL 2021 Introducing our 13th President Kathleen A. Getz, Ph.D. P. 2 Inside this issue: Re-envisioning the Motherhouse P. 4 Historic graduation season P. 12 Legendary Coach Schaetzle to retire P. 19 The Centennial Countdown P. 23 1 A Message from Chair NeCastro There are some strange things about serving as an interim university president. Take this column, for instance. It’s my frst chance to address the Lastly, the Mercyhurst Mercyhurst community in this forum, and it’s also my last. Although this community always looks is such an unusual role, it’s been one of the most engaging and inspiring to the future with a sense chapters in my professional and personal life. of optimism. This is an infectious quality, one that As I write these words, I’m happily anticipating the arrival of our new makes all of the hard work president, Dr. Kathleen Getz. And by the time you read them, she will have we do feel justifed and assumed the presidency. This period of waiting gives me a chance to refect meaningful. Presiding at on the last six months and all that has transpired. commencement gave me a When I began this brief journey, my goal was simply to keep the trains true sense of this excitement for the future, and for what we do and why we running. I wanted to help us all to move beyond the uncertainty of a change do it. We prepare our students for the future, and there is almost nothing so in leadership and to encourage this team of professionals to get back to important. Further, a presidential search is all about the future, and we’ve what they do best — provide an outstanding college experience for those selected a leader who will help us achieve our vision for that future. I feel this lucky enough to pass through our gates. optimism and excitement from one end of campus to the other. But the world of higher education, and at Mercyhurst in particular, stands As we look ahead toward our second century, we are fully aware that our still for no one, interim or not. There was much to be done, and every day work is never done. Dr. Getz will have no shortage of opportunities and brought new opportunities and challenges for the occupant of the ofce of challenges to manage. But she will inherit a rich tradition founded in the the president. In these moments, I learned more about Mercyhurst than I Mercy Mission, a history of successful innovation, and a talented and had learned in my prior 46-year afliation with the school. hard-working team to make her successful. I have every confdence that Here are the three most important things I’ve learned. Mercyhurst will thrive under her leadership and that we are well positioned for the next 100 years. First, and this probably goes without saying, there is something really special about this place. One of our Core Values states that we are “compassionately Let me close by thanking everyone for your warm welcome, your hospitable.” I was warmly welcomed to the university and to my interim role unfagging support and your hard work. A special thanks to the cabinet, by everyone I met. More importantly, we welcome everyone in this way, and who pulled together in a time of uncertainty and transition and continued it leaves a lasting impression — on students, families, staf, and faculty. This to move Mercyhurst forward; and to my assistant, Stacey, for taking on the is truly a great place to call home. As you welcome Dr. Getz to her new home, difcult task of trying to make me look good. I am proud to have been a I’m certain that you’ll make her feel this sense of hospitality as well. member of this team. Second, we are part of a community that embraces hard work. Our mission In anticipation of my return to the board, I look forward to watching our statement says that we have an “appreciation for the dignity of work and a progress, and will do so with pride, afection, and a belief that the best is yet commitment to serving others.”The people at Mercyhurst live this every day. to come. Please know that serving as the interim president of Mercyhurst Every time I asked someone to take on additional work or a special project University has been one of the greatest honors of my life. or to help me work through a difcult situation, they accepted the challenge without hesitation. In Gratitude, Rather than let COVID-19 waylay graduation plans for our students, we planned and executed fve diferent socially distanced commencement exercises over one weekend. We made great strides in our diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, we continued to renew campus facilities, and even forged some new partnerships along the way. And, lest we forget, Joseph G. NeCastro we successfully concluded the search for a new president! Chair, Mercyhurst University Board of Trustees ON THE COVER: ’ Meet Kathleen A. Getz, Ph.D., who assumed her duties as Mercyhurst's 13th president on July 12, 2021. A formal investiture will be held on Saturday, Oct. 2. Complete details will be posted to the university s inauguration webpage at mercyhurst.edu/inauguration. (Photo by Leena M. Clint ‘16) ’ 2 Mercyhurst Magazine is a publication of the Ofce of Marketing and Public Relations. Magazine Editors Deborah W. Morton [email protected] 814-824-2552 Sean Cuneo [email protected] 814-824-2118 Design Leena M. Clint ‘16 [email protected] 814-824-3677 Contributing Writers Kristian Biega ’20 Brandon Boyd Craig Butler Susan Hurley Corbran ’73 Inside this issue Deborah W. Morton Contributing Photographers 2 Brandon Boyd Craig Butler MERCYHURST WELCOMES Leena M. Clint ’16 NEW PRESIDENT Lauren Esper Read a profle of President Getz as she describes her Ben Friesen vision and message of hope. Ed Mailliard Deborah W. Morton 4 Director of Alumni Engagement Lindsay Cox Frank ’12 ’14M THROUGHOUT TIME, [email protected] THERE FOR EACH OTHER 814-824-2330 University, Sisters of Mercy seek path forward on future of Mercy Motherhouse. Director of Annual Giving Mitchell Marsh ‘20 [email protected] 12 814-824-3625 MERCYHURST CELEBRATES HISTORIC GRADUATION SEASON Send changes of address to: Read how Mercyhurst marked graduation for the Alumni Relations Classes of 2020 and 2021. Mercyhurst University 501 East 38th Street 6 University Prepares New 23 Historic Memorabilia Sought Erie, PA 16546 Home for Nursing in Countdown to Centennial [email protected] 7 Bidding Farewell to 24 Remembering Them Fondly St. Mary’s Chapel 25 Police Academy Graduate If you haven’ t been receiving the 8 MIAC Ushers in Star-Studded Season Strives to ‘Be the Change’ bi-monthly Alumni eNewsletter, Mercyhurst does not have an 9 Welcome Newcomers 26 An Educator Ahead of Her Time active email address for you. Visit 10 Project Celebrates Rich Heritage of 27 New Partnership Takes mercyhurst.edu/alumni/update to African Americans in Erie Cyber to Next Level update your information and reconnect. 16 Grads Pave Way for New Generation 28 Admissions Introduces of Financial Analysts New Regional Rep Initiative We’d love to hear from you! 18 Athletics — From Tourneys 29 Alumni Adventures in to Triumphs Ireland & Africa Send your story ideas, suggestions and 22 Artist Proves You’re Never Too Old 30 Class Notes comments to [email protected]. to Follow Your Dreams 1 Kathleen Getz named 13th president of Mercyhurst University By Deborah W. Morton Dr. Kathleen A. Getz assumed the ofce of Mercyhurst University’s 13th president on July 12, 2021, with a level of self-confdence that belied her calm, almost serene demeanor. “I may not have been the best president for Mercyhurst at diferent times in its history, but I believe I am now,” she said in an interview last summer. “I think the partnering of Kathy Getz and Mercyhurst University will make us both better.” Getz is well known as a strategic thinker, but where she shines is in communicating her thoughts in a way that is straightforward and easily digestible. Her frst order of business is to “deeply engage” with the college community as an active listener. From there, she thinks, “we’ll need to talk about stabilizing and growing the enrollment. We’ll want to decide which new programs we should be investing in and address opportunistic challenges like planning for our Centennial. And that’s just for starters.” As for the proverbial “frst 100 days,” she said, “I will deem mine successful if we have a shared sense of how we are going to move forward to address our challenges and to inspire all of our stakeholders with optimism that the best is yet to come.” Getz comes to Mercyhurst with 18 years of senior leadership experience in major business schools, including 10 years at Catholic universities. Prior to at American University from 2006 While her senior Mercyhurst, she was dean of the Sellinger School to 2011 and chair of the Department of leadership experience of Business and Management at Loyola University Management from 1999 to 2002. She also served as and many accomplishments — Maryland, a Jesuit Catholic institution whose a professor of management at all three institutions. among them being named one of Maryland’s business school is home to nearly 2,000 students, Top 100 Women for 2018 — position her well for 55 full-time faculty, and 13 full-time staf. From “As a mission-driven, servant leader, Kathy Getz Mercyhurst’s top job, it was her connection to the 2011 to 2014, she was dean of the Quinlan holds a strong record of service to students and university’s values that most appealed to her.