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St. Thomas Day Spotlights Six Tommie Honorees
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On St. Thomas Day May 6, the University of St. Thomas recognized and celebrated Tommies who are sparking meaningful change in the world as they live and extend the St. Thomas mission. These Tommies are making an incredible impact on campus, in the local communities, across the country and around the world. The 2026 recipients…
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2026 Tommie Award Winner: Helping Everyone Feel at Home
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Whether Rachel Obeakemhe Theophilus is mentoring 40 first-year residents as R.A. of Dowling Residence Hall, organizing gatherings, or simply stopping to say hello between classes, she moves across the University of St. Thomas with a quiet but intentional purpose of making sure people feel seen. She is the student who remembers your name, checks in…
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New VP of Strategic Enrollment Management Announced
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We are excited to welcome St. Thomas' next Vice President of Strategic Enrollment. Paul Mueller has spent more than two decades at the University of Notre Dame in a range of enrollment leadership roles while also teaching courses in public policy and civics. He starts July 1.
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Excellence in Advising 2026 Award Winners Announced
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Congratulations to Opus College of Business Professor Christopher Michaelson, Barbara & David A. Koch Endowed Chair in Business Ethics, and Betsy Lofgren, academic counselor to undergraduate students, for being the 2026 winners of the Excellence in Advising awards. Both are long-standing members of the St. Thomas community who were nominated for their commitment to helping students succeed in preparation for their careers after graduation.
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Saying Farewell to Father Chris Collins
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All faculty and staff are invited to gather in wishing Father Chris smooth sailing as he begins his next journey in Belize! Stop by Iversen Center for Faith (ICF LL16) on Monday, May 18, from 3-5 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided.
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Celebrate the Career and Retirement of Mark Vangsgard
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On Wednesday, May 13, from 3–5 p.m., come celebrate the remarkable career and retirement of Mark Vangsgard, Vice President for Business Affairs and Chief Financial Officer, who first joined St. Thomas in 2006. To honor this milestone, campus colleagues and those who know Mark are invited to gather in gratitude to share stories and memories of the many ways he has shaped and strengthened our community. Location: Scooter's, ASC. Wear purple.
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DFC's First Alums Reflect on Finding Belonging
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Alum Mesum Haider '19 AA, '22 wasn't searching for Dougherty Family College. But once he heard about it, he knew it was the right college for him. "At Dougherty, it wasn't about being tolerated," he said. "It was about being embraced." Before arriving on campus, Haider had spent his K-12 years feeling out of place…
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Commencement 2026 Is Almost Here!
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For the first time, commencement will be held in the new Lee & Penny Anderson Arena on the St. Paul campus. All students participating in commencement will receive five tickets to share with guests. Livestreaming of the ceremonies will be available through the commencement website.
School of Law Commencement
Saturday, May 16, 2026, at 1 p.m.
Commencement Mass and March Out of the Arches
Friday, May 22, 2026
4 p.m. – March Out of the Arches – meet by the Arches
5:15 p.m. – Commencement Mass and Blessing of the Graduates at Lee & Penny Anderson Arena
Undergraduate Commencement
Saturday, May 23, 2026
9 a.m. – Opus College of Business
12:30 p.m. – College of Arts and Sciences
3:30 p.m. – Morrison Family College of Health, School of Education, School of Engineering
Graduate Commencement
Sunday, May 24, 2026
9:30 a.m. – Morrison Family College of Health, Opus College of Business
12:30 p.m. – College of Arts and Sciences, School of Divinity, School of Engineering, School of Education
Dougherty Family College (DFC) Commencement
Sunday, May 24, 2026 at 3:30 p.m.
Learn more about commencement ceremonies |
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Ella Cook Named Player of the Year
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Ella Cook becomes the first St. Thomas Softball athlete to receive the Summit League Player of the Year honor. She also made the All-Summit League First Team along with teammates Laken Lienhard and Avery Wukawitz. Three Tommies – Ava Kleinfeldt, Kameron Monson and Cassidy Carby – made the All-Summit League Second Team.
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May 7-9: Softball Championship Chase
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The Summit League 2026 Softball Championship double elimination tournament is in full swing. Tommie softball is the second seed and has an opportunity to earn an automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Division I Softball Tournament. St. Thomas hosts this year's tournament at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium in Minneapolis. The Tommies begin their tournament quest Thursday, May 7, and could potentially play through May 9.
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May 14-16: Baseball Hosts NDSU
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Come out to Koch Diamond and cheer on the St. Thomas Baseball team. The Tommies are facing off against the North Dakota State Bison for a doubleheader on Thursday, May 14, with the first game at noon and the second at 3 p.m. These two foes square off twice more on Friday, May 15, at 3 p.m., and Saturday, May 16, at 1 p.m. Admission is complimentary.
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May 8: Summit Avenue Review 50th Anniversary Party
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Come pick up a copy of the 50th anniversary issue of the Summit Avenue Review literary arts magazine, hang out with editors past and present, and hear writers read their pieces. Also, learn who won the Lon Otto Creative Writing and Leslie Miller Poetry Prize this year. Event held at O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library (Room 108) from 3-4:30 p.m., Friday, May 8.
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May 8: Summer Goals Workshop With U.S. Bank
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Join U.S. Bank Goals Coach Barry Saeger to spend time setting summer goals so you can have a plan ready to go! Event is held at MHC from noon-1 p.m. and includes a free lunch.
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May 8: Discussions on Feminism With Student Speakers
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This forum creates space for participants to connect and engage in shared learning through open dialogue. Each session features speakers who offer a brief presentation or guided conversation, followed by informal discussion and community building with attendees. This month's speakers are graduating seniors JoLee Karnz and Rose Hissom. The forum is held from 3:15-5 p.m., Friday, May 8, at the Luann Dummer Center for Women on the first floor of the OEC.
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May 8: Rosary Walk Every Friday at 8 p.m.
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Campus Ministry invites Tommies to pray the rosary at 8 p.m. weekly on Fridays. Meet in front of the Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas.
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May 9-10: String Ensemble, Orchestra and Bands in Concert
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Experience an unforgettable weekend of live music as the St. Thomas String Ensemble, Orchestra and Symphonic Bands take the stage in vibrant showcases of talent and energy. All events are free and open to the public.
May 9: String Orchestra, 7:30-8:30 p.m.
The St. Thomas String Orchestra, under the direction of Dr. Matthew George, presents its May concert at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, May 9, inside Schoenecker Center Performance Hall (SCC 106).
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May 10: String Ensemble, noon-1 p.m.
The St. Thomas String Ensembles, under the direction of Dr. David Auerbach, present their spring concert Sunday, May 10, inside the Schoenecker Center Performance Hall (SCC 106) beginning at noon.
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May 10: St. Thomas Bands in Concert, 2-3:30 p.m.
The Symphonic Band and Symphonic Wind Ensemble present their spring concert at 2 p.m., Sunday, May 10, in The O'Shaughnessy at the University of St. Catherine.
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May 11: Many Voices, One Community Celebration
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The Student Diversity & Inclusion Services and Diversity Activities Board invite Tommies to come together to remind them how community is built through a willingness to see, know and honor one another. The celebration runs from 5-6:30 p.m., Friday, May 11, in James B. Woulfe Alumni Hall North in Anderson Student Center.
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May 11: Musical Theater Performance Showcase
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The students of MUSC 297 have been studying musical theater performance all semester and will present songs and scenes from the world of musical theater at this showcase. Come and enjoy the talent of your fellow Tommies in Schoenecker Center Performance Hall from 5:30-6:30 p.m., Monday, May 11.
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May 13: Documentary Highlights Relationship With Water
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Join local nonprofit Freshwater, Aquinas Scholars, the Theology Department, School of Engineering, The Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies, and Earth, Environment, and Society for an evening of multidisciplinary insight and cinematic inspiration as we explore the evolving relationship between humanity and water. The event starts with a reception and is held at the Owens Science Hall (Room 150) from 5:30-7:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 13.
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A Wellness Club Helps Students GLOW
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Abby Hutchinson '26, co-founder of the student group Girls Living Out Wellness (GLOW), still remembers touring the University of St. Thomas for the first time. "I found myself comparing every school to the University of St. Thomas," she said. Hutchinson immediately felt a sense of belonging that stayed with her, even as she formed one…
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Augie Stewart '26: Committed to the Common Good
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Augie Stewart '26 moved more than a thousand miles to attend the University of St. Thomas because of its commitment to help students serve the common good. Originally from suburban Phoenix, Stewart first heard about St. Thomas from his godfather, who is an alum. The university was also attractive to him because of the work…
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Journalism Under Pressure: Major Garrett at Finding Forward
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Major Garrett still remembers what it felt like to walk into a newsroom and see the morning paper waiting on his desk. "It's about this thick," he said, demonstrating with his fingers set apart. "Five sections. Pictures are great, the headlines are great, the story selection is amazing. And you look around the newsroom… and…
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Father Chris Collins celebrating with Minnesota Twins mascot T.C. Bear after throwing the first pitch at St. Thomas Night on April 28, 2026, in Minneapolis. (Brandon Woller '17 / University of St. Thomas) |
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Media Highlights:
Dougherty Family College Dean Buffy Smith spoke with Sheletta Brundidge and Vineeta Sawkar at WCCO Radio about rising tuition costs and the barriers they create for many families.
Jena Zangs, chief data and AI officer, talked with TechTarget about the growing need for stronger governance as organizations adopt agentic AI.
Manjeet Rege, director of the Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence in the School of Engineering, shared his perspective in the Minnesota Star Tribune on the rapid expansion of data centers across the state.
School of Law Professor Rachel Moran spoke with MPR News about concerns regarding Minneapolis police collaborating with a regional Homeland Security Task Force.
David Deeds, an entrepreneurship professor in Opus College of Business, spoke with the Minnesota Star Tribune about a Minnesota start-up pivoting its business model to stay afloat.
Associate Professor of Economics Tyler Schipper talked with KSTP about why gas prices can vary widely across the metro, even between stations located close together.
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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