Fall 2010 The Arts & Sciences OF INNOVATION imagithen impacte you can make Your gift to the Annual Fund provides scholarships and Rachael Chesley ’11. as a Jumped into Saint Mary’s life by joining the Class Gift Campaign and working as a phonathon caller. as a sophomore Lived “La Dolce Vita” with other Saint Mary’s women in Rome. as a junior Pioneered Saint Mary’s new student exchange program in Seoul, South Korea, as the first student to participate and recruited other students for this transforming experience. as a senior Leads the campus community as Student Body President while using her experience abroad to create a mentoring program for international students on Saint Mary’s campus. Saint Mary’s students are dynamic women determined to change the world. Saint Mary’s provides the academic foundation and spiritual focus they need to build a better tomorrow. Read more about Rachael at saintmarys.edu/rachael-chesley. You can give our Saint Mary’s students the scholarships and financial aid that sets it all in motion, just like you did for Rachael. you make education possible for our students. Visit us online at saintmarys.edu/give or call 800-SMC-8871. The Annual Fund volume 85, number 3 fall 2010 The Saint Mary’s College Courier (USPS 135-340) is published four times a year by Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN 46556-5001. Periodicals postage TABLE OFCONTENTS paid at the Post Offi ce at Notre Dame, IN 46556 and at additional mailing offi ces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Alumnae Relations, Saint Mary’s College, 110 Le Mans Hall, features Notre Dame, IN 46556-5001. Copyright 2010 Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Reproduction 5 Teach, Learn, Teach in whole or part is prohibited without Why Good Teachers Need to written permission. The opinions Do Good Research expressed are those of the authors or their subjects and are not necessarily shared by the College or the editor. 8 Reunion 2010 Shari Rodriguez Saint Mary’s Rolls Out Vice President for College Relations [email protected] the Welcome Back Carpet Karen Zagrocki McDonald ’76 PAGE 5 Acting Assistant Vice President 10 Alumnae Awards Integrated Marketing Communications teach, learn, teach [email protected] Courier Staff 12 Staff Student Alumnae Kay Kenney Grit, Working in the Dining Room, Editor Earning a Degree [email protected] Shannon E. Brewer ’03 16 Where the Fire Burns Hottest Staff Writer Ann Jacobson How to Take a Leap into the Unknown Contributing Writer and Editor Sarah Miesle ’07 17 Animal Instinct Sports Information Director Shaping a Conundrum into Art Christina Duthie Graphic Designer Matt Cashore 18 The Groundskeepers’ Legacy Janet Graham PAGE 8 Zara Osterman Joe Raymond reunion 2010 21 There’s No Place Like Rome Photographers Study Abroad Program Enters its 41st Year Letters Send letters to the editor to: Courier Editor 22 The Fan Sister Louisita Welsh, CSC Saint Mary’s College 303 Haggar College Center Notre Dame, IN 46556 (574) 284-4578 or email [email protected] departments Class News Send alumnae class news to: Alumnae News Editor 4 Inside Saint Mary’s 110 Le Mans Hall Saint Mary’s College 24 Avenue News Notre Dame, IN 46556-5001 PAGE 18 or email [email protected] 25 Belles Athletics Alumnae Association Staff groundskeepers’ legacy Kara O’Leary ’89 26 For the Record Director of Alumnae Relations 28 Club News [email protected] Jessica Stuifbergen ’99 30 Class News Assistant Director of Alumnae Relations [email protected] on the cover 32 Excelsior The Mission Laura Williamson Ambrose, Saint Mary’s College is a Catholic, residential, women’s college in the Assistant Professor, Humanistic Studies liberal arts tradition. A pioneer in the Photo by Matt Cashore education of women, the College is an academic community where women develop their talents and prepare to back cover make a difference in the world. Founded by the Sisters of the Holy Remembering Bruno Schlesinger Cross in 1844, Saint Mary’s promotes Photo by Matt Cashore a life of intellectual vigor, aesthetic appreciation, religious sensibility, and social responsibility. All members of the College remain faithful to this mission and continually assess their response to the complex needs and challenges of the contemporary world. The Alumnae Association Board of Directors Honorary President Carol Ann Mooney ’72 insidesaintmary’s President Linda Kawecki ’79 6948 Lakeshore Drive Dallas, TX 75214-3550 (214) 327-9355 • [email protected] Vice President Rebecca Votto Bennett ’93 600 Monterey Blvd. Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 (310) 597-9210 • [email protected] Secretary Karen McNamara Weaver ’91 513 Southwest Gentry Lane Lees Summit, MO 64081 (816) 761-4374 • [email protected] Directors Christine M. Bodewes ’87 4696 Snow Hill Road Salisbury, MD 21804-1516 (217) 971-0923 • [email protected] The Arts and Sciences of Innovation Sarah Brown ’05 704 Churchill Drive by Kay Kenney,College Editor Charleston, WV 25314-1743 (202) 413-5083 • [email protected] Jill Moore Clouse ’99 While the faculty at Saint Mary’s College most often are 3202 North Paulina Street, 2S Chicago, IL 60657 praised for their teaching skills, they also serve on the College’s (773) 348-2124 • [email protected] committees, lead travel abroad programs, and act as faculty Mary Sue Dunn Curry ’85 5434 Flowering Dogwood Lane representatives for student athletics and clubs. Just as important Charlotte, NC 28270-3729 (704) 814-7967 • [email protected] to the College is the understanding that our faculty are scholars in their own right. Nora Barry Fischer ’73 Th eir research, conference attendance, and sabbaticals support their love of learning, U.S. Post Offi ce and Courthouse 700 Grant Street, Suite 5260 and in turn, our students’ learning experience. In this issue, Courier addresses the why Pittsburgh, PA 15219 judge_nora_barry_fi [email protected] and how of faculty research as a key to providing students a quality education. Kathleen Gibboney ’73 13 Evergreen Circle At the beginning of her presidency, Carol Ann Mooney laid out a strategic plan Cincinnati, OH 45215-1368 (513) 771.1162 • [email protected] for the College in her visionary document entitled “Th e Path to Leadership 2012.” Annette H. Isom ’83 Specifi cally, President Mooney said Saint Mary’s would provide “education excellence 25019 Taylor Road Glen Ellyn, IL 60137-6823 equal to the best colleges in the country.” To accomplish this goal, President Mooney (630) 790.0397 • [email protected] mentioned the College’s Center for Academic Innovation (CFAI), one of Saint Mary’s Angeline Johnson ’07 114 South Varsity Drive three Centers of Distinction, as the venue through which the College can nurture and South Bend, IN 46615 [email protected] direct academic excellence. CFAI programs include faculty research, student research, Monica Stallworth Kolimas, M.D. ’74 curriculum development, and student and faculty research collaboration. 20361 Kings Crest Boulevard Hagerstown, MD 21742 (240) 527-3220 • [email protected] CFAI also creates opportunities for innovation and discovery, which are essential Elizabeth Bermingham Lacy ’66 for our faculty to update their knowledge in their fi eld and to nurture their own 505 Welwyn Road Richmond, VA 23229-8015 scholarly work. Students benefi t from the faculty who impart this sense of innovation (804) 741-5301 • [email protected] and inquiry in the classroom or in collaboration on a research project. One of the best Kathryn Wiedl Mettler, M.D. ’63 715 Registry Lane NE examples for supporting faculty who research was in an email sent by a rising senior Atlanta, GA 30342-2865 (404) 262-7454 • [email protected] thanking Isabel Larraza, assistant professor of chemistry. Th e student realized during Priscilla Karle Pilon ’86 her internship at Dow Chemical Company that her research project with Larraza 5478 Doliver Drive Houston, TX 77056 prepared her for the real world of chemistry. Ultimately, it’s important to recognize (713) 622-3438 • [email protected] that our faculty are excellent teachers because they are excellent scholars. Lisa Maxbauer Price ’99 3088 Pinveview Drive Traverse City, MI 49684 (917) 518-4345 • [email protected] Dawn Parker Santamaria ’81 2 Gravel Hill Road Asbury, NJ 08802-1347 (908) 735-6716 • [email protected] Barbara Wolfston Urrutia ’74 423 Bark Drive Redwood City, CA 94065-1101 (650) 593-4958 • [email protected] Phyllis Sullivan Van Hersett ’62 10507 Jaguar Drive Littleton, CO 80124-5200 (303) 790-9265 • [email protected] Abby Van Vlerah ’04 95 Beekman Avenue, Apt. 517H Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591 (307) 399-0652 • [email protected] Student Member Jingqiu Guan ’11 374 Regina North Saint Mary’s College Notre Dame, IN 46556 (574)-339-9709 • [email protected] 4 | Fall 2010 COVER STORY Teach, Learn, Teach WHY GOOD TEACHERS Need to Do GOOD RESEARCH by Kay Kenney Isabel Larraza, assistant professor of chemistry, researches ways to create greener, less environmen- tally toxic methods to synthesize pharmaceutical intermediates, chemical compounds that create a reaction to promote new compounds. Last year she and chemistry major Kara Joseph ’11 were awarded a Maryjeanne R. Burke and Daughters Student Independent Study and Research (SISTAR) Grant, funded through the generosity of the Burke family. The SISTAR allowed Larraza and Joseph to research individual aspects of a subject entitled “Hexabro- moacetone: A Green Path to Drug Intermediates.” Although both worked independently, Larraza was only a few steps away in the lab to mentor Joseph through the research process. For Joseph, the summer was spent gaining not only lab experience, but also lessons in patience, persist- ence, and endurance—all necessary to weather the realities of working as a chemist. For Larraza, guiding her student continued Ÿ Courier | 5 Teach, Learn, Teach through the crucibles of post-graduate-level research felt like research is important for other reasons.