Archive Posts
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DFC at 10: Access Is Only the Beginning
Philanthropy in ActionAs higher education confronts demographic and economic challenges, Dougherty Family College's first decade shows what it takes to turn college access into opportunity. Renee Sandy took a chance in 2017 on a college that had never had a graduating class. She was part of the inaugural cohort at Dougherty Family College, the University of St.…
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From Discovery to a Legacy for the Common Good
Philanthropy in ActionMike Ciresi ’68 and Roberta Walburn turned a shared commitment to the common good into a program to cultivate future leaders – culminating with a record-breaking gift to St. Thomas On Sept. 17, the Ciresi Walburn Foundation and the Michael V. and Ann C. Ciresi Foundation announced an $82 million gift to St. Thomas for… -
Looking Back, Building Forward: Honoring the Leaders Who Shaped the School of Education
For 75 years, the University of St. Thomas School of Education has prepared educators and leaders who have shaped classrooms, schools and communities across Minnesota and beyond. What began in 1950 as the university’s first graduate degree program – with about 30 students enrolled in evening, weekend and summer classes – has grown into a… -
St. Thomas Engineering Becomes a College as It Marks 40 Years
University NewsAsked to explain the 40-year history of engineering education at the University of St. Thomas, Don Weinkauf, who has served as Engineering dean since 2008, starts with the unexpected. “We taught our first engineering courses in a strip mall in Chaska,” Weinkauf said from his office overlooking the neatly manicured south quad outside O’Shaughnessy Science… -
St. Thomas Law: 25 Years Forward
AlumniWhen the University of St. Thomas School of Law opened its doors in 2001, the founders had "high aspirations and a deep mission." What they didn't have was any idea what would happen, not even knowing how many students would show up for the first day of class. Turns out 120 students came, and the… -
A Career Connected by Purpose
Business & LawThrough what has so far been an incredibly diverse career, Lara Marion ’07 J.D. seems to always find herself “at the intersection of something.” Just where she likes to be. That’s because being right in the center of things like industry and policy, or industry and academia allows her to do what she loves doing… -
New Professor Morgan Gray Brings Expertise in AI to St. Thomas Law
Business & LawThe University of St. Thomas School of Law is expanding its leadership in technology and legal education with the addition of Morgan Gray, a scholar at the forefront of artificial intelligence and the law. Gray, who joined the faculty this past year as an assistant professor, brings expertise in AI, specifically natural language processing and… -
Dr. Boyle Receives Papal Award
University NewsWhen the announcement was made on March 9 that Pope Leo XIV had bestowed papal honors upon Dr. John Boyle, phones in Sitzmann Hall started to ring, email inboxes were filled, and social media channels lit up. Reactions from students, colleagues and friends were overwhelmingly consistent: Boyle has made a significant impact on their lives.… -
Dr. Kidd Delivers Annual Thought & Culture Lecture
Faith and MissionIn April, Dr. Erika Kidd presented “Augustine the Teacher” for the annual Thought & Culture Lecture. Based on her recent book, Intimacy and Intelligibility: Word and Life in Augustine’s De magistro (University of Notre Dame Press, October 2025), Kidd shared that Saint Augustine has a lot to say about teaching. He writes memorably in his… -
Catholic Studies Alumni: A Habit of Being
Faith and MissionEditor Sally Fitzgerald once wrote that Flannery O’Connor not only developed what Jacques Maritain called a “habit of art” in her writing, but she developed a “habit of being” by “living in accordance with her formative beliefs.” With God’s help, Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas seeks to pass on more than a…