Archive Posts
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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.…
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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… -
From the Farm to Corporate Law: Alumnus Embraces Interdisciplinary Life
Faith and MissionSelf-proclaimed “farm kid,” Leah (Miller) Koch ’15, ’18 JD/MA has traveled a career path from law clerk to city attorney to in-house counsel at Land O’Lakes. Integrating Catholic Studies into her legal education as a JD/MA student and Murphy Scholar helped her reach her goals of being more human, more Christ-centered, and a better thinker.… -
Dante’s Tombs in Ravenna and Florence
Faith and MissionWe often think of cemeteries and graves in terms of finality – the grave is our domus ultima, our “final resting place.” But the etymology of the word “cemetery” shows it was originally meant to suggest a sleeping place, a “dormitory,” as Jesus says of Lazarus, “Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going… -
The Innovator’s Mindset: Dr. Kundan Nepal and the Future of Engineering
Humans of St. ThomasSchool of Engineering Professor Kundan Nepal sits in the data visualization studio by a 32-foot curved LCD panel that displays 3-D graphics. His students at the University of St. Thomas don goggles to immerse themselves with interactive images, examining engineering structures as if they were right in front of them. Dr. Nepal said watching students… -
The Road to 2030: St. Thomas’ Strategic Plan Builds Momentum
University NewsWhat is the true measure of a college education in the 21st century? For some, the answer is job titles and starting salaries. While helping students discover what they will do professionally matters, leaders at the University of St. Thomas argue that’s not enough. The university’s newest five-year strategic plan, St. Thomas 2030, adds another… -
President Rob Vischer Q&A: Walking Alongside Students
St. Thomas 2030The University of St. Thomas has reached one of the most pivotal moments in its 140-year history. The university just welcomed its largest-ever class of incoming students, successfully opened the state’s newest nursing program, completed a historic transition to Division I athletics and officially introduced its latest five-year strategic plan. St. Thomas has a rising… -
Tommies on the Rise: A New Era of National Impact
AthleticsThere are many transition stories in college athletics, but few reflect what the University of St. Thomas has accomplished by completing its unprecedented leap from NCAA Division III to become a fully eligible Division I athletics program. “This was never about just moving up to another division,” said Phil Esten, vice president and director of… -
Reimagining Schools for Teacher Flourishing: Q&A with Dean Amy Smith
Health & EducationUnder the leadership of Dr. Amy F. Smith, dean of the School of Education at the University of St. Thomas, the school is deepening community partnerships, strengthening educator preparation, and rethinking how K-12 schools can be designed to better support both teachers and students. Smith looks to one question posed by the Next Education Workforce at…