Archive Posts
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St. Thomas Students Paint Mural with Families at Catholic Charities Center
Arts & HumanitiesA recent story from Bob Timmons of the Minnesota Star Tribune followed some of the students from the University of St. Thomas at the Family Service Center in Maplewood, where students helped children receiving shelter services paint a mural on a bare wall. From the story: University of St. Thomas freshman Anayaiah Mason could relate…
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Hans Gustafson Pens Chapter in Book on Belonging at Catholic Universities
Professional NotesHans Gustafson, PhD, director of the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies and senior adjunct professor of theology, published the chapter “Engaging Religious Diversity: Radical Hospitality in Catholic Universities for the Common Public Good” in Beneath the Roar and Tumult: Promoting Radical Hospitality and Belonging in College Classrooms (Liturgical Press, 2025). Building on this work, Gustafson delivered the invited… -
St. Thomas String Orchestra Tours Cuba
ArtsThis summer, the St. Thomas String Orchestra traveled to Cuba to undertake an extraordinary performance tour. The group was led by Dr. Matthew George, professor in the Department of Music, Film and Creative Enterprise and director of bands and orchestra at St. Thomas. The students explored the vibrant streets of Old Havana, a UNESCO World… -
St. Thomas Celebrates $25.5 Million Gift to Benefit the Liberal Arts and Athletics
AlumniA major gift is set to help advance interdisciplinary and intercultural education – as well as the future of athletics – at Minnesota’s largest private university and newest NCAA Division I program. The University of St. Thomas announced the anonymous $25.5 million gift on May 14 at a campuswide celebration. More than half of the… -
A New Generation of Tommie Filmmakers Blends Art and Entrepreneurship
Arts & HumanitiesAva Justin blends in with the crowd of students crossing the quad during the day on the University of St. Thomas St. Paul campus. But Justin is uniquely accomplished for a first-year student. She arrived at St. Thomas to major in business and minor in film after already starring in, co-writing and producing a feature… -
In Celebrating Emily Dickinson: Alone, We Shall Not Be
Tommie ExpertsOn the first day of my Emily Dickinson seminars, I always ask students what they’ve heard about the poet. The answers are often the same: she wore white dresses, her poems are all about death, and she never left her house. That last point usually leads to speculation about Dickinson’s mental health, followed by nods… -
From St. Thomas to Spotify: The Value of Networking
AlumniWhen Scott Henkemeyer ’97 steps into a content strategy meeting at Spotify, there’s a good chance at some point that day he’ll be serenaded by a mashup of bubblegum pop, indie rock and punk. That mix is not mandatory listening at headquarters but appears on his Spotify playlist, which contains throwbacks he listened to in… -
An ‘Amen’ to Empathy: Finding Power in Understanding the ‘Other’
University NewsRabbi Sharon Brous, a co-founder and lead rabbi of the IKAR Jewish congregation in Los Angeles, has some ideas for people who are feeling disconnected, isolated, and polarized: Be brave with your pain, and brave when you meet people who are hurting (or who have hurt you). Be present. Seek encounter. And make time for… -
Innovation Scholars Present Research to NASA
Business & LawFour students from various majors came together to gain hands-on experience working on technology for NASA. Through the Innovation Scholars program, students Olivia Keller ’26, Sam Mahannah ’26, Ilham Mohamud ’27 and Breanna Ranglall ’26 presented on how NASA should use its new technology. The group was led by Luke Nilles, an MBA student, along… -
St. Thomas Music Course Reaches Through the Generations
ArtsTommies enrolled in MUSC 230: Music of the United States, taught by Professor Sarah Schmalenberger, had the unique opportunity fall semester to engage in an intergenerational collaboration with residents at Episcopal Homes, a senior living community in St. Paul. This experiential learning partnership, part of the Academic Community Engagement (ACE) initiative at the University of…