Archive Posts
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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…
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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… -
Tales from the Archives: Building a Law School with Purpose
Business & LawOn Aug. 20, 2001, the University of St. Thomas School of Law opened its doors and with them, a long-awaited chapter in the university’s history. The inaugural class of 120 law students and 10 faculty members marked the culmination of decades of vision and hope to bring legal education back to St. Thomas. The story… -
St. Thomas Designs Nursing Education Around Real Lives
AlumniAs a nurse practitioner who still works urgent care shifts while directing the Master of Science in Nursing program at the University of St. Thomas, Dr. Ashley Walker has seen firsthand who doesn’t get served by traditional daytime nursing programs: working adults, parents, career-changers and students already embedded in health care roles who can’t easily… -
Silver Jubilee: CSMA 25th Anniversary
Faith and MissionThe Catholic Studies MA program (CSMA) is celebrating 25 years of amazing growth, both in terms of the program’s scope and number of students. Recent college graduates, mid-career folks, and retirees find their way to this transformative program through a variety of paths, but in the program they all find a new depth of integration of their learning with their faith and all of life. Under the leadership of Dr. Mary Reichardt, the first program director, CSMA… -
Silver Jubilee: Bernardi Campus Turns Twenty-Five
Faith and MissionCatholic Studies was still in its earliest years on the St. Paul campus when the first group of students spent a semester in Rome. But the accommodations were temporary and not conducive to community life. Thanks to a gift from the Bernardi family, St. Thomas purchased a 20,000-square-foot home from a group of Spanish nuns and renovated the interior. In 2000, Catholic Studies students moved into the Bernardi Campus,… -
Silver Jubilee: 25th Anniversary of Guadalupe’s Scholars
Faith and MissionFor the past 25 years, Catholic Studies has been home to the Guadalupe’s Scholars Program where faithful student leaders are invited to engage the Catholic intellectual tradition in the context of the growing Hispanic Church in America. Beginning with just one student in 2000, there are now 49 Guadalupe’s Scholars in this program built upon four pillars: rigorous academics, strong community, faith… -
One Cup at a Time
Faith and MissionWhen you drive by Karol Coffee Co. in St. Paul’s Como neighborhood, you might want to stop and check it out, even if you have already had your cup for the day. Its freshly painted facade and welcoming interior signal that someone has breathed new life into this old building. That “someone” is a married couple with deep Catholic Studies roots. Megan (Hastings) ’13 and Nate Whipple ’25 CSMA were married in 2020 when Megan was studying… -
The Emery and Karen Koenig Legacy Society in Catholic Studies
Faith and MissionSince its founding in 1993, the work of Catholic Studies has been sustained by the prayers, encouragement, strategic advice, and generosity of our donors. In every way, Emery and Karen Koenig have participated in this work. For the past 20 years, the Koenigs have made Catholic Studies one of their philanthropic priorities through annual giving as well as with a generous planned gift. Emery served as chair of the Advisory Board for nine years and…