Archive Posts
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Jodee Kozlak ’85: A Journey of Leadership
AlumniMeet the New Chair of St. Thomas Board of Trustees. When Jodee Kozlak ’85, nee Zahariades, accepted the 1985 “Tommy of the Year” award, she said since the St. Thomas activities she participated in were team-oriented “any recognition should be shared.” That compassion demonstrates why she was chosen as the senior who best exemplified leadership,…
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The Rise to the C-Suite
AlumniSt. Thomas Alumnae Who Climbed Past the Broken Rung Offer Advice for Getting Ahead. When Karen Julian, who was raised in Lakeville, Minnesota, first set foot on the University of St. Thomas campus in 1989 as a first-generation college student, she knew she wanted to pursue a career that incorporated her interests in business, finance… -
A Champion for Race and Equity
Diversity, Equity and InclusionDr. Paola Ehrmantraut, the Endowed Chair in the Humanities and director of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, has had a busy year. It’s no wonder her faculty peers at St. Thomas selected her as the 2022-23 St. Thomas Professor of the Year – an honor that recognizes excellence in teaching, scholarship and service. As faculty… -
Ernie Owens: A Builder of Community
Diversity, Equity and InclusionIf you spend more than a few minutes with Dr. Ernie Owens, be prepared to talk motorcycles. The Opus College of Business professor attended his first motorcycle convention in 2001. Since then, he’s not only learned how to ride, but he’s also spent countless hours tinkering away, building antique bikes in his garage. “And that’s… -
The Path They Chose: Two Chief Diversity Officers Took the Road Less Traveled
Diversity, Equity and InclusionU.S. Bank’s Greg Cunningham and Best Buy’s Amelia Williams Hardy have a few things in common. They are both chief diversity officers, or CDOs, at Minneapolis-based Fortune 500 companies. They both obtained a bachelor’s degree from a historically Black university before securing their MBA elsewhere. And both sit on advisory boards at the University of… -
Proud to Support Veterans
The naming of the Paul and Sarah Karon Veterans Resource Center at St. Thomas was unveiled last fall on the lower level of Murray-Herrick Campus Center. And while the center’s namesakes didn’t serve in the military, supporting those who chose that path is a way of paying it forward. Paul Karon ’85 attended the University… -
Making a Difference: Meet Our DEI Fellows
Diversity, Equity and InclusionWith 297 strategic priorities on the Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to-do list, ODEI Associate Vice President for Inclusive Excellence Kha Yang can’t check them all off alone. “To be more inclusive happens at all levels and includes everyone – faculty, staff, as well as students,” she said. Approximately 40 ODEI Fellows and Ambassadors… -
Diverse Voices Walking Together
Diversity, Equity and InclusionAs scholars of Latin America, Professors Paola Ehrmantraut and Kari Zimmerman are passionate about an interdisciplinary project they developed approximately three years ago that uplifts immigrant voices while showcasing student research. Walking Together, a digital research hub officially launched at the University of St. Thomas in August 2021, is designed to celebrate the history of… -
Connecting Alumni Through Affinity Groups
AlumniEngaging with alumni, especially those who are less involved with the university, is one of the priorities of the Alumni, Career and Corporate Engagement unit, which was created in 2021 by combining those services into one department. Research shows that alumni who are Black, Indigenous or people of color (BIPOC), and those who are gay,… -
Lee Anderson: Son of Reuben
Lee Anderson no doubt picked up some of his business acumen from his father, Reuben. Reuben, who lost both of his parents by the age of 14 and stopped his education at eighth grade, was a self-made businessman with a knack for making a deal. The entrepreneur started a small plumbing company in 1926 in…