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Merry Christmas and happy holidays! University offices will have limited staffing during winter break, with the majority of offices closed, from Tuesday, Dec. 23, through Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. Operations resume Monday, Jan. 5. Dining Services will close late afternoon on Dec. 19 until J-Term begins. View the dining schedule for more information. The Newsletter will resume in January. |
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Christmas Message From the President: 'You Are Loved'
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President Rob Vischer offers a video message of hope and peace for Christmas and the holiday season.
Watch video. |
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Rachel Obeakemhe Selected for 2026 Tommie Award
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Rachel Obeakemhe '26 is your 2026 Tommie Award winner. Olivia Keller '26 and Jack Taggart '26 rounded off the lists of finalists out of 43 nominees. They represent the heart of St. Thomas through their leadership, scholarship and commitment to community. Learn more about them based on their applications and nomination letters.
Read more
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From Rondo Classrooms to Entrepreneurs, $12.3M Gift Expands St. Thomas' Impact
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Enabling human flourishing is at the heart of the University of St. Thomas' partnerships with underserved communities. Now, thanks to a gift from Twin Cities philanthropists Gary and Pat Sauer, Minnesota's largest private university is expanding efforts to support those communities by strengthening pathways to economic mobility and enhancing educational resources for local K-12 students.…
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St. Thomas Nursing Center for Simulation Earns International Accreditation
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The University of St. Thomas has received international praise for providing top-tier simulation education for the next generation of nurses. The Society for Simulation and Healthcare (SSH) has awarded full teaching and education accreditation to the Susan S. Morrison School of Nursing simulation lab. St. Thomas is the second higher education institution in Minnesota to…
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Tune In: St. Thomas Christmas Concert Airs on Public Television
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Choral and instrumental musicians from the University of St. Thomas take center stage in the 38th annual St. Thomas Christmas Concert, which will air on Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) from Dec. 23-25 and will be shared with public television affiliates nationwide. Titled "A St. Thomas Christmas: Love Divine," the concert with nearly 300 student…
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Dec. 18-19: Design an Ornament for Gratitude Tree
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Design your own ornament with the Off-Campus Student Life and Diversity Activities Board. Faculty, staff and students are invited to write a message of gratitude and hang it on the Gratitude Tree. This event is every day through Dec. 19 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Anderson Student Center, Room 218.
Learn more |
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Jan. 15: Register for Health Equity Breakfast Series
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Registration is now open for the Morrison Family College of Health's Health Equity Breakfast. Attendees are invited to share and learn about cultural traditions and practices that foster resilience. They will hear how health providers are changing practices, policies, and physical spaces to use a whole-person approach that recognizes culture and community as a foundational aspects of overall health and healing.
Learn more |
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St. Thomas Hosts Fireside Chat With St. Paul Mayor-Elect
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When St. Paul Mayor-Elect Kaohly Vang Her sat down with University of St. Thomas President Rob Vischer for a recent fireside chat, the conversation touched on the role education has played in her life. For Her, a current doctoral student in educational leadership at St. Thomas, higher education has been both a personal lifeline and…
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Paola Ehrmantraut Named Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at St. Thomas
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Dr. Paola Ehrmantraut has been appointed as Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at the University of St. Thomas, effective Jan. 1, 2026. Ehrmantraut currently serves as Endowed Chair in the Humanities, director of the MA in Diversity Leadership, and associate professor of Spanish. She brings to this role a distinguished record of academic leadership, curricular…
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Engineering Majors Tackle Real-World Challenges at Senior Design Clinic
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Inside the Schoenecker Center, Jalon Jones '25 paged through documents to explain the civil components to guests visiting his team's station at the Senior Design Clinic. He was one of six civil engineering majors at the University of St. Thomas paired with RJ Ryan Construction Inc. to create a blueprint for a state-of-the-art car dealership.…
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Three Engineering Faculty Receive Industry Honors
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Congrats to our School of Engineering faculty who received honors in November. From left to right:
Electrical and Computer Engineering Associate Professor Mahmoud Kabalan and Bright.Green director of the Center for Microgrid Research was honored by his alma mater with the Carl T. Humphrey Award from the Villanova University Engineering Alumni Society for demonstrating exceptional leadership, management excellence and significant technical contributions to the field. Read more.
Civil Engineering Assistant Professor Alison Ling was named to the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists (AAEES) 40 Under 40 list. This national recognition honors professionals under 40 who have made significant contributions to advancements in environmental engineering through innovation and leadership. Read more.
Manjeet Rege, professor and chair of the Department of Software Engineering and Data Science, has been selected Tech Educator of the Year by the Minnesota Technology Association (MnTech). It recognized him as part of this year's Tekne Awards, a celebration of the excellence and innovation within Minnesota's technology ecosystem. Read more. |
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St. Thomas Names Gretta Macdonald as Head Coach of Women's Soccer
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Gretta Macdonald will serve as the next head coach of the University of St. Thomas women's soccer program, Vice President and Director of Athletics Dr. Phil Esten announced on Dec. 17. Macdonald, who spent 12 seasons as the head coach at St. Cloud State University, will be the fifth coach in program history at St.…
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2026 Innovation Fellows Announced
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The Office of the Provost is pleased to announce the 2026 cohort of Innovation Fellows. The Faculty and Staff Innovation Fellows program is a prestigious, competitive fellowship created to enhance a culture of innovation at St. Thomas. It seeks to build a culture of organizational change and risk-taking while recognizing that, at times, failure is a normal outcome of experimentation.
Learn more |
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St. Thomas AI Officer Selected for Global SheBuilds Competition
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Jena Zangs, chief data and AI officer at the University of St. Thomas and lead of the research and development working group of the Institute for AI for the Common Good, has been selected to participate in SheBuilds, a global 48-hour AI hackathon hosted by Lovable, an AI-powered software development platform. She and her partner…
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2025 Photos of the Year
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This past year was filled with highlights, from the largest incoming class to the final commencement ceremony in the field house to the opening of the stunning new Lee & Penny Anderson Arena. Staff photographers Mark Brown and Brandon Woller '17 captured all these events and more in over 10,000 images. The gallery below is…
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With the setting sun on the horizon, we witness an aerial view of the St. Paul campus after a snowy week in December. (Mark Brown / University of St. Thomas).
See full video |
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Media Highlights:
David Grenardo, professor of law, spoke with Reuters about whether civility oaths can change lawyer behavior, emphasizing how professional accountability and cultural expectations may influence conduct.
Manjeet Rege, professor and director of the Center for Applied AI, spoke with KARE 11 about the national push to standardize AI oversight, emphasizing the need to balance innovation with ethical and regulatory guardrails.
Tyler Schipper, associate professor of economics, spoke with USA Today about how inflation is shaping gift buying, emphasizing how higher prices are prompting consumers to rethink budgets during the holiday season. He also spoke with CNN about jobs.
Buffy Smith, dean of Dougherty Family College, spoke with WCCO Radio about responding to food insecurity amid uncertainty around SNAP benefits, emphasizing the role of campus-based support systems and community partnerships in meeting student needs.
President Rob Vischer spoke with Religion News Service about what defines a Catholic university today, emphasizing the importance of mission driven education, intellectual tradition, and service to the common good.
Director of Career Development Mark Sorenson-Wagner spoke with Minnesota Public Radio about job hopping versus job hugging, and how economic uncertainty and shifting workplace values are shaping career decisions.
Read more St. Thomas "In the News" stories. |
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Know of anything or anyone interesting around the university that would make for a good Newsroom feature story? Let us know at news@stthomas.edu.
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