May 10, 2023 Newsletter

Presidential Inauguration

Join us this Friday, May 12, for the inauguration of the 16th president of the University of St. Thomas: Robert K. Vischer.

This inauguration serves to gather our university community in celebration, providing an opportunity to hear from our new president and celebrate this exciting time for our institution. Join the St. Thomas community for a Mass, community lunch, the inauguration ceremony, and a late afternoon student-run celebration with music, food trucks and entertainment.

Check out the schedule of events or join virtually. The inauguration ceremony will be available via livestream.

Tales from the Archives: Interesting Facts About Past St. Thomas Presidents

As the St. Thomas community prepares to celebrate the inauguration of President Robert Vischer May 12, take a moment to review some other interesting facts about former St. Thomas presidents. Find out how long the oak desk in the President's Office has been in use, and discover which St. Thomas president was the only leader to welcome a sitting U.S. president to campus.
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Featured

STELAR Brings Virtual Reality and AI Into the Classroom

On a spring evening at the University of St. Thomas, two dozen MBA students learned what the task ahead of them was: to give feedback on a project to Jeremy, a valued member of their team. Spread across Schulze Hall on the Minneapolis campus, the students prepared for their turn to chat with Jeremy, who…
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Counseling Across Cultures: Studying Psychology in Singapore

Students in Singapore.
From hailing a taxicab to sitting down for a meal with brand-new friends, some of life's biggest lessons are found outside the classroom – especially when it comes to understanding the human condition. For a group of University of St. Thomas counseling psychology students, their recent J-Term trip to Singapore has proved invaluable in their…
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Life at St. Thomas: April 2023

Life at St. Thomas is an ongoing feature highlighting the images that capture what daily life on campus is like. Check out some of the images from St. Thomas photographers taken during April 2023.
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More News

2023 Faculty Undergraduate Research Awardee: Thomas Hickson

Each year, the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program recognizes a St. Thomas faculty member who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to supporting undergraduate research and faculty/student scholarly collaboration. This year's awardee is Thomas Hickson, professor and program director for the Geology Program. Hickson's research interests include microbialites, applications of low-cost computing in environmental monitoring and low-cost methods for detecting lead in drinking water. Congratulations, Professor Hickson!

Tommie Choice Awards Honors Student-Athletes

The second-annual Tommie Choice Awards were presented this week on campus at the OEC auditorium. A packed house of St. Thomas student-athletes celebrated some of the many positive stories and feats of the 2022-23 school year in Tommie athletics. Check out the full list here.

In Our Prayers: Professor James Ahler

James Ahler obituary.
James Gerhard Ahler, a longtime assistant professor of sociology at St. Thomas, died peacefully at 86 years of age on March 15, 2024. Ahler was born and raised in Burlington, Wisconsin. After high school he enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he was trained as a simultaneous German interpreter. Ahler earned his undergraduate and master's…
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Plan Ahead: Campus Parking Closures

The presidential inauguration and upcoming move-out week will bring changes and disruptions to parking. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding as we work to accommodate additional guests on campus and assist in helping our residents pack up for the summer.

Thursday evening, May 11
The Anderson Student Center Garage and the Frey Residence Hall Ramp will be reserved for attendees of the Presidential Inaugural Dinner. (Learn more)

Friday, May 12
The Anderson Student Center Garage and the Frey Residence Hall Ramp will be reserved for Board of Trustees, VIP and handicap parking. ASC contract parkers can find alternate parking in any of the red/yellow surface parking lots or the Anderson Parking Facility. Hourly parking is available in the Anderson Parking Facility. (Learn more)

Week of May 15-21
Lots B, C and D will be restricted to students moving out only. Faculty, staff and students who normally park in these lots will need to find alternate parking in the center or south campus parking lots (I, K, O) or the Anderson Parking Facility. The lower level of the Tommie East Garage will also be restricted to move-out parking only. (Learn more)

Faculty/Staff Commencement Volunteers Needed

Commencement is one of those special events that celebrates the culmination of a student's St Thomas experience. We are looking for staff and faculty to assist in hosting this year's commencement for our students, families and friends. To learn more and sign up for an available time slot, click here.

Volunteer for ThreeSixty Journalism Boot Camp

Join ThreeSixty Journalism this summer and assist high school students write personal essays at College Essay Boot Camp. Writing coaches and editors guide the storytelling process and offer feedback as students write their stories and find their voices.

Camp is held at the St. Paul campus, and open shifts include:
Writing coach from noon-3 p.m. on Tuesday, June 13, AND Wednesday, June 14
Editor: 9 a.m.-noon on Thursday, June 15

ThreeSixty provides training for its volunteers. To apply and learn more, click here.

In Our Prayers: John Heintz

John Heintz obituary.
Please remember in your prayers John Heintz, who passed away on April 29, 2023. John joined the University of St. Thomas in 2003 as a reference librarian and served in various roles throughout his time at the St. Thomas Libraries.

Read more In Our Prayers.

COVID-19 Dashboard: 3 New Cases Reported

The university reported three new COVID-19 positive cases for the week ending May 5, 2023. See full dashboard details on the COVID-19 webpage.

Seen Around St. Thomas

Students celebrate at Campus Life STAR event Halfway There Fair on John P. Monahan Plaza. (Mark Brown/University of St. Thomas)

In the News

Media Highlights: Engineering professor John Abraham spoke with NBC News about a temporary El Niño pattern expected to contribute to more intense storm systems and exacerbate the impacts of climate change.

Mahmoud Kabalan, director of the Center for Microgrid Research and Maria Dahmus, Director of the Office of Sustainability Initiatives and the Sustainable Communities Partnership, spoke with Upstream about a wide range of sustainability-related work happening at the university.

Buffy Smith, dean of Dougherty Family College, recently spoke with the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder and the Sheletta Show about DFC's affordable two-year associate degree program and their upcoming block party event aimed at raising awareness.

Paul Mellick, health and exercise science professor at the Morrison Family College of Health, recently joined Angela Davis with MPR News to discuss the decline in life expectancy across the U.S.

Read St. Thomas "In the News" stories.

In Case You Missed It

St. Thomas Day Recognizes Six Outstanding Tommies
13 DFC Students Awarded Full-Tuition Scholarships to St. Thomas
St. Thomas Teams Deliver Strong Showing at e-Fest

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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