Archive Posts
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Watch: Iconic Minnesota Stone Quarried for Lee & Penny Anderson Arena
AthleticsFive floors from the ground – and in the middle of winter – a small army of stonemasons are hard at work on the exterior of the under-construction Lee & Penny Anderson Arena. Affectionately known as “brickies,” these skilled workers are giving the rising University of St. Thomas landmark its signature look. On this particular…
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Pioneering the Future: Federal, State Support Fuels Expansion at Center for Microgrid Research
ResearchWhen Ophelia Loree ’25 MS came to the University of St. Thomas to pursue a master’s degree in electrical engineering, she was betting on a hands-on, practical education. Loree had no idea that within a year, she would help design a brand-new microgrid, and that she would do so in collaboration with the U.S. Army… -
Engineering Peace: Fulbright-Hays Scholar Inspires Next Generation of Tommie Engineers
Social JusticeIt was an ambitious project for a budding oil engineer in Nigeria. Obasesam Okoi – just weeks out of college then – had been tasked with performing a topographical land survey of an oil mining site. His technical training in civil engineering had provided ample schooling for the assignment, but this new grad quickly realized… -
Renewing the Culture Through Catholic Education
Faith and MissionSomething significant is happening in Catholic education today. In their 2023–24 annual report, the National Catholic Education Association shares that “amidst societal upheaval and educational instability, Catholic schools have emerged as beacons of stability, reversing years of enrollment decline.” Yet tucked inside the positive news, Catholic schools increasingly face the challenge Jesus gave the apostles:… -
Love Thy Students
Faith and MissionExcerpt from Logos: A Journal of Catholic Thought and Culture 27, no. 4 (Fall 2024) I once asked a colleague whether he loved his students. “I love them like I love my enemies,” he replied. That was meant as a joke, of course, but there was also something sincere about his reply. For Christians really… -
Yeast or Frosting: Two Competing Visions of Catholic Education
Faith and MissionThe metaphor of “yeast” can serve as a model for Catholic education. Yeast is an agent of infusion, integration and penetration that transforms the flour into which it is introduced. Frosting, on the other hand, does not penetrate the cake, but only layers itself on top. These two metaphors capture in a simple – but… -
Mary in Rome
Faith and MissionI fell in love with Mary while a graduate student visiting the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Standing in front of Simone Martini’s “Annunciation,” I was astonished by the role of Mary in the story of salvation. I stared at the painting, studying Mary’s gaze, until the museum closed. After I began teaching at the University… -
PHOTOS: Catholic Studies Summer Alumni Event
AlumniOn Aug. 23, 2024, more than 350 alumni and their families gathered on campus for a class reunion-style event. Bluegrass music, conversation and joy filled the room. This story is featured in the winter 2025 issue of Lumen. -
Photos and Video: Lee & Penny Anderson Arena Construction Hits Milestone
AthleticsNo longer just a blueprint, the Lee & Penny Anderson Arena at the University of St. Thomas is coming into view. The multiuse facility on the university’s south campus will host the Tommie ice hockey and basketball programs, as well as play host to special campus events like commencement ceremonies and career fairs. Construction teams… -
Building a Legacy of Advocacy and Service: School of Social Work Celebrates 50th Anniversary
AlumniAfter years of serving as the primary caregiver for her grandmother, Florence Wright ’15 MSW developed a passion for working with older adults. “It didn’t take long before I realized that I wanted to help people, and I had this curiosity in understanding their thoughts, feelings and experiences during times of great stress, loss and…