University of the Incarnate Word

WORD
the
Summer 2014
Texas State
Representatives live
the Mission of service
A special letter from Dr. Denise Doyle, chancellor of UIW.
President Dr. Louis Agnese has just returned from a sabbatical.
“There is a feeling
Dear Friends:
admiration and
There is a feeling you get at UIW when commencement is upon us. It is a sense of
anticipation! The campus is abuzz with grounds men blowing leaves and trimming
hedges. Everything is being spruced-up for family and friends attending ceremonies on
the campus. There are students taking pictures, posing in caps and gowns. There are
groups of friends mugging together, perhaps for the last time. There is a gathering of
fond memories as students look back on their years on campus. There is the hint of farewell in the air.
There is a feeling you get at UIW when graduating students march between their faculty on the way to commencement! It is a sense of mutual admiration and mutual success. Each student has accomplished a dream and perhaps a series of challenges along
the way and has prevailed. Each faculty member has contributed his or her knowledge,
inspiration, and guidance to the ultimate goal of these students reaching graduation. It
is a wonderful feeling of success, and congratulatory greetings abound! For retiring faculty (see p. 22) these are some of the memories they will cherish.
There is a feeling you get at UIW as the semester is ending. It is the move from a rush
of activities that mark the end of another semester, to the slower pace of summer. It is
the gradual thinning out of crowds of students, as dorm rooms are emptied and exams
are finished. Suddenly there are more parking places open and fewer students waiting
for shuttles. The tension of a crowded calendar of year-end events is gradually released.
So when the summer starts, those of us who work over the summer take a deep collective breath and enjoy the rest. We wander across campus and see the space left by
graduating students, retiring faculty friends, and the inevitable changes that summer
brings. We enjoy a less hectic pace and more parking. But it doesn’t take too long before
the fatigue of the spring semester is replaced with anticipation of the fall semester, the
new Fine Arts Building, new students and faculty, and the return of familiar faces. These
are the cycles of the university by which we set our semester clocks. Enjoy the summer,
Cardinals, and come back soon!
mutual success.”
Sincerely,
you get at UIW
when graduating
students march
between their
faculty on the way
to commencement!
It is a sense
of mutual
Dr. Denise Doyle
Chancellor
contents
16
2
Campus News
8
Texas State Representatives live
the Mission of service
12
Wild about silk
14
First of their kind
16 UIW’s Lion Dance connects a
community
28
22
32
14
18
Man on a mission
20
Revolutionizing medical science
22
UIW bids farewell to retiring faculty
24
University Collective
26
Class Notes
31
Moment for Reflection
32
Alumni Events
12
12
6
Contributing Writers
Rudy Arispe ’97 BA
Brance Arnold ’10 MA
Jeff Berry
Coordinator
Brance Arnold ’10 MA Rudy Dominguez
Ashley Festa
Art Director
Margaret Garcia
Michael Hood
Steve Hemphill ’13 MAA
Brian Hudgins
Graphic Designer
Crystale Lopez
Marisol Martinez
Shane Meling
Photography
Valerie Bustamante
Todd Drexler
Adela Gott
Steve Holloway
credits
Managing Editor
Debra Del Toro
Dr. Louis J. Agnese Jr.
President
Dr. Lisa McNary ’91 BA,’95 MA
Director of Alumni & Parent
Relations
Sr. Kathleen Coughlin ’67
Debra Del Toro
BSN
Vice President for Institutional Director of Public Relations
Advancement
The Word is published by the
Vincent Rodriguez
Chief of Staff to the President Public Relations Office of the
University of the Incarnate
Word for the alumni, parents,
benefactors and friends of the
Incarnate Word community.
Board of Trustees
Dr. Louis J. Agnese Jr.
Ernesto Ancira
Charlie Amato
Tracy Avery
Scott Beckendorf
Michael Belz
Doyle Beneby
Gayle Benson
Mike Beucler
Sr. Brigid Marie
Clarke
Sr. Martha Estela
Perez Curiel
Catherine Dulle
Veronica Edwards
John Feik
Gary Henry
Sr. Mary C. Henry
Winell Herron
Gary Joeris
Betty Kelso
Nancy Kudla
Jack Lewis
Stephen Lucke
Charles Lutz
Sr. Teresa Yolanda
Maya
Sr. Rose Ann
McDonald
John Miller
William Moll
Carmen Nava
Ramona Parker
John Peveto
Bobby Rosenthal
Richard Schlosberg
Sr. Yolanda Tarango
Sr. Gloria Ortiz
Villalon
campus news
2014 Cutting Edge Fiesta®
Fashion Show
A crowd of nearly 800 guests were on hand at San Antonio’s
Marriott Rivercenter Hotel on April 16 for UIW’s 34th Annual
Cutting Edge Fiesta® Fashion Show. The show is dedicated to
Kathleen Watson in recognition of her work and support of
the UIW Mission. Watson was instrumental in transforming a
small, annual student fashion show into today’s successful event
showcasing student talent and creativity while raising funds for
scholarships in the UIW fashion department.
The annual event, produced entirely by students, featured
garments illustrated, designed and constructed by seniors in the
university’s fashion design program. The 2014 student designers were Alexandra Peña, Tessa Moss, Allison Speakmon, Loren
Cruz, Liana Beth Hinojosa, Vanessa Angelica Lopez and Carla
Gonzalez. These collections are judged by industry professionals and put on public display in the annual show, a high-energy
New York style runway show produced by students in UIW’s
fashion show production class.
UIW student designer Loren Cruz took home the top
prize, the 2014 Kathleen Watson Award for Best of Show. This
award is determined by the garment scored highest by a panel
of judges and includes a $1,500 scholarship from the Watson
Foundation. Cruz’s collection, inspired by urban street art,
was also the third place winner for construction and first place
winner in design. Vanessa Angelica Lopez took second place in
design and first place in construction and Liana Beth Hinojosa
came in third place in design and second place in construction.
The Cutting Edge Fiesta® Fashion Show is an official Fiesta®
event. Proceeds provide scholarships for UIW fashion management students. Since 2006, the fashion show, its sponsors and
supporters have awarded more than $50,000 in scholarships
to fashion management students. The 2014 scholarships were
awarded to Patrick J. Martinez and Esperanza Silguero.
A model dons student designer Loren Cruz’s garment at
the Cutting Edge Fiesta® Fashion Show. Cruz won the 2014
Kathleen Watson Award for Best of Show.
New Music Building
Construction on the University of the Incarnate
Word’s (UIW) new music building commenced last
summer and is scheduled for completion in July.
The facilities will be ready for use in the Fall 2014
semester. The building is part of the new Fine Arts
Complex at UIW that will contain over 55,000 square
feet of space devoted to arts education.
2 THE WORD | SUMMER 2014
campus news
Graduates earning their bachelor’s
and master’s degrees attend the commencement ceremony at the Joe and
Harry Freeman Coliseum on May 11.
UIW celebrates the Class of 2014
The University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) conferred degrees to 982 graduates at two spring commencement ceremonies on May
9 and 11.
The first ceremony was held in the Alice P. McDermott Convocation Center on campus. The evening’s commencement honored
graduates of the university’s Ph.D. and professional doctoral programs. The keynote speaker was Sam Witkin, who recently retired as
executive director of Project Interchange based in Washington D.C. Founded in 1982, Project Interchange is an educational institute
of the American Jewish Committee that brings influential opinion leaders and policy makers to Israel for a week of intensive travel
and learning.
The second commencement ceremony was held in the Joe and Harry Freeman Coliseum and honored students earning their
bachelor’s and master’s degrees. The 2014 Alumna of Distinction for Service in Mission, Jennifer Staubach Gates ’88 BSN, served as
commencement speaker. Dr. Lopita Nath, associate professor of history, was awarded the Moody Professorship for 2014-2015. The
Spring 2014 undergraduate class, as enlightened and concerned citizens, together have given back nearly 28,000 hours in service to
the San Antonio community.
2014 Alumna of Distinction for Service in Mission
The 2014 Alumna of Distinction
for Service in Mission was Jennifer
Staubach Gates ’88 BSN. A lifelong
Dallasite, Gates was elected to her
first term as a Dallas City Council
Member in 2013. She currently
serves as the vice chair of the Budget, Finance and Audit Committee
and sits on the Public Safety Committee as well as the Arts, Culture
and Libraries Committee. Gates
has extensive nonprofit experience
managing the $125 million annual
2014 Alumna of Distinction budget for the Catholic Foundation,
and serving on the Diocesan EducaJennifer Staubach Gates.
tion Endowment that awards more
than $600,000 per year in education scholarships. She also serves
as the chair for the Domestic Violence Taskforce, and holds
regular meetings that help to bridge communication between the
Dallas Police Department, the District Attorney’s Office, judges,
and community partners; this collaboration aims to strengthen
the forces fighting to end domestic violence in Dallas.
In 1988, Gates earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing
from Incarnate Word College, where she received the Dr. Amy
Freeman Lee Scholastic and Service Recognition Award. Upon
graduation, Gates worked as a school nurse and is still a licensed
Registered Nurse today.
From serving as a Girl Scout troop leader to serving on boards
for leading education and religious institutions, Gates has been
an active leader in the Dallas community for decades. She continues to serve the UIW community as an alumna by hosting Dallas
Alumni Network events in her home and speaking on behalf
of UIW at Dallas area events. She assists with Incarnate Word
recruitment efforts in the Dallas area and continues to be a strong
supporter of the UIW nursing program.
Gates has been married to John Gates for more than 30 years.
Their youngest daughter, Jordan, attends the University of Texas at
Austin, and their oldest daughter, Jessica, and her husband, Will,
live in Dallas. The Gates family attends St. Rita Catholic Church,
where Jennifer also serves as a Eucharistic minister. In her spare
time, Gates enjoys running, reading, traveling and spending time
with her grandson, Gambill.
To view video of Gates speaking during the
commencement ceremony, please visit the
Campus News page of The Word Online at
www.thewordonline.org
THE WORD | SUMMER 2014
3
campus news
UIW presents first annual
CLARION Case Competition
Pictured L-R: Amber Ferrand, physical therapy student; Dr. Blair
Sarbacker, assistant professor of pharmacy instruction; Kimberly
Smith, master of health administration student; Dr. Amy Crocker,
assistant professor of physical therapy; Dr. Chris Garcia, associate professor of health administration; and Jan Ramos, pharmacy
student. Ferrand and Ramos competed at the national CLARION
Case Competition held at the University of Minnesota.
The University of the Incarnate Word’s (UIW) first annual CLARION
Case Competition was held Feb. 28 in the Mabee Library Auditorium.
Three inter-professional student teams consisting of UIW students from
the H-E-B School of Business and Administration’s Masters of Health Administration program, Feik School of Pharmacy, Ila Faye Miller School of
Nursing and Health Professions and the UIW School of Physical Therapy
presented case study analysis findings and recommendations on how to
deliver quality care to Harlan, a married, retired mechanic, suffering from
congestive heart failure.
A panel of San Antonio healthcare practitioners and community leaders
judged the competition. The winning team members included Jan Ramos
from the Feik School of Pharmacy and Amber Ferrand from the School of
Physical Therapy. Though they did not place, the winning team competed
at the national CLARION Case Competition in April at the University of
Minnesota for the chance of winning one of the top three awards.
Students interested in participating in the next cohort for CLARION,
contact Dr. Chris Garcia at dcgarcia@uiwtx.edu.
UIW Cardinals for Kids host
Dodge for a Cure event
UIW’s Cardinals for Kids (CFK), a student run philanthropy organization sponsored by University Mission and
Ministry, hosted its first Dodge for a Cure dodge ball tournament on March 28 in the Richard and Jane Cervera Wellness Center. Proceeds benefited the Children’s Hospital of
San Antonio with more than $900 raised. Over 110 players
participated including students from St. Mary’s University.
The event included a special presentation to Josh Bratton,
a Children’s Miracle Network child. Bratton has been receiving treatment at Children’s Hospital of San Antonio since he
was four months old. Holden Labradors, a local breeder, donated a 7-week-old black lab for Bratton who battles spina
bifida and requires the use of a wheelchair. The dog will be
trained by BarkSA at no cost to Bratton.
The winning team comprised of students with the UIW Fellowship
of Christian Athletes (FCA) displays their trophy at the Dodge for
a Cure tournament in the Wellness Center on March 28.
4 THE WORD | SUMMER 2014
Members of the Asian Culture Club perform during the International
Festival of Colors.
UIW celebrates spring with the
International Festival of Colors
In vivid fashion, students hailed the beginning of spring by coloring
each other with multicolored powder in recognition of Holi. A spring
festival, also known as the festival of colors, Holi is an ancient Hindu
religious tradition representing the start of spring in India.
This year’s International Festival of Colors was held March 20 on
Dubuis Lawn and was collaboratively sponsored by Campus Life, International Affairs, the Institute of World Cultures, University Mission
and Ministry, and ELS Language Centers. Approximately 400 attendees
enjoyed a live DJ, food truck, henna tattoos, art, a zip line, and a dance
performance by members of the Asian Culture Club.
Students participated in four rounds of throwing the dyed powder at
one another and were encouraged to share “before and after” photos on
social media.
In its third year, the event also celebrates the many cultures represented at UIW and provides an opportunity for students, domestic and
international, to share their diverse traditions and heritage.
View more photos of UIW’s International Festival of
Colors on the Institute of World Culture’s Facebook
page at www.facebook.com/uiw.iwc
campus news
UIW students, faculty
and staff give back during
Spring Break 2014
From March 10-14, University Mission and Ministry (UMM)
held its fifth annual Alternative Spring Break. The initiative was
directed by Sr. Walter Maher, CCVI, vice president for UMM, and
organized by Dr. Chris Edelman, assistant professor of philosophy,
and Dr. Craig McCarron, assistant professor of mathematics.
UIW student, faculty, and staff volunteers served the San Antonio community each day during the break by painting and making
minor exterior repairs to houses inhabited by individuals and families that lacked the resources to accomplish the work themselves.
The houses were identified by Sonny Saenz, assistant director of the
Frank Garrett Community Center. Between 30 and 40 volunteers
participated each day with many serving for multiple days. Collectively, the volunteers painted five houses and made a number of
repairs to shutters, building steps, doors, trim and siding. Material
donations from DeWalt Power Tools, Southwest Exteriors, and
Home Depot made the repairs possible.
Jon Johnston, religious studies student, led one team of painters
and Mike Forrest, associate professor of business law, led the other.
McCarron led the carpentry team.
Breakfast was provided by the School of Mathematics, Science,
and Engineering and the Ila Faye Miller School of Nursing and
Health Professions and lunches were provided by the Rosenberg
School of Optometry; the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social
Dr. Michael Forrest (fourth from left), associate professor of business
law, joins students during the Alternative Spring Break project
offering painting and carpentry services to homes in need.
Sciences; and the H-E-B School of Business and Administration.
Florio’s Pizza and Firehouse Subs also supported the week’s efforts
by providing in-kind donations.
Following lunch, Fr. Tom Dymowski, UIW chaplain, led volunteers in a guided reflection designed to help them gain a deeper
understanding of the meaning of their service.
The event received media coverage by the San Antonio Express News and was featured on local news broadcasts by KSAT 12 and
KABB. Planning for next year’s Alternative Spring will begin in
January 2015.
Incarnate Word Day at UIW
Administrative Assistant to the Provost and
CCVI Award Recipient Itza Casanova (left)
showcases her CCVI Award during the Parade
of Values with Greek Life Coordinator
Mercedes Moreno.
On March 25, the UIW community celebrated Incarnate Word Day with the
Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, its founding congregation. The annual
celebration was held in observance of the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed
Virgin Mary and the Incarnation of the Eternal Word, God.
An evening prayer and presentation by Dr. Tim Milinovich, assistant professor of religious studies, was held in Our Lady’s Chapel on March 24 to kick-off
Incarnate Word Day events. Festivities the following day included the presentation of the CCVI Spirit Awards during a Mass in Our Lady’s Chapel; the Parade
of Values: Golf Cart Parade; a BBQ hosted by Campus Life; student presentations
demonstrating preparation of prayer beads, rosaries, and information on their
significance in varying traditions on Dubuis Lawn; a presentation by Dr. Adrienne
Ambrose, assistant professor of religious studies, in Mabee Library’s Special Collections Suite as well as a discussion on the Annunciation of Mary and the women in
the Quran and Bible.
The 2014 recipient of the CCVI Spirit Award was Itza Casanova, administrative
assistant to the provost. The award recognizes a member of the faculty, administration or staff who has demonstrated in service to the university and/or to the
broader civic community, the spirit of the Sisters.
The 2014 Student CCVI Spirit Award, presented to a student who is recognized
by peers, faculty and staff as living the Mission of the Sisters, was awarded to
Amira Alsareinye, junior biology student; it is the highest award a student can earn
at UIW.
THE WORD | SUMMER 2014
5
campus news
UIW welcomes new vice president for information resources
Dan Duffy has joined the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) as
the new vice president for information resources. Duffy leads the Information Resources Division (IRD)
comprised of the staff in the J.E. &
L.E. Mabee Library, Instructional
Technology, Institutional Research,
Information Technology, and Web
Development.
Duffy earned both his BS and
MBA in computer information
systems from Suffolk University
Dan Duffy
in Boston, Mass., and is currently
pursuing a doctoral degree in educational leadership from Seattle
University. His experience in higher education began in undergraduate admissions and enrollment management, and eventually parlayed into administration and faculty roles at private and
public institutions including Suffolk University, Bentley University, Dean College, University of Washington, Seattle University
and Bellevue College. He has worked in the insurance, corporate
and state government sectors as well as run his own information
technology consulting company.
“I had a sense of the type of institution I was looking for and it
really was a Mission focused one such as UIW,” said Duffy.
He seeks to continue enhancing the existing positive IRD
partnerships with administration, faculty and staff across UIW’s
multiple campuses, both physical and virtual, to better serve
students. Duffy plans for the division to continue to develop opportunities for the library to thrive as the university’s academic
core by defining a service catalog with a focus on educating the
campus about library services and by efficiently integrating and
supporting the libraries of all UIW campuses with main campus. He aims to continue Institutional Research’s acceleration of
turning data into information that meets the expanding needs
of UIW decision makers, especially in regard to the values of a
Catholic education, and to establish a “data warehouse” in order
to gain a 360 degree view of the student through all university
data systems, thus enabling UIW to provide the appropriate
services to support the student in their academic journey. He
is overseeing the Web Development team’s redesign of UIW’s
main website; implementation of a new Content Management
System (CMS) to more easily and quickly communicate through
university websites while continuing to mobile-enable university
processes; and enhancement of the campus portal, My Word, to
better meet the personalized needs of students, faculty, administration and staff. Duffy will also be involved in helping to finalize
Information Technology’s movement of the university’s network
and systems technology to a new Data Center to optimize governance frameworks and maintain protection of the university’s
technology systems.
In terms of Duffy’s overall vision for IRD, he explained,
“Internally, we will rely more and more on partnerships between
our teams and extend those partnerships outward with the community to enhance the resources we provide students. IRD needs
to partner with academic and administrative areas to serve our
customer, the student.”
“And because I have run the gamut of higher education, I have
an appreciation
for the administrative, faculty,
non-traditional
and traditional
student perspectives,” Duffy
added. “And I
strive to keep all
of those in mind
in moving forward
A Hot Aisle Containment system in UIW’s new
with IRD.”
Data Center that will house the university’s
network and systems technology. The new
Data Center will be operational by the close of
summer.
UIW ranked #3 on Military Times Best for Vets: Business Schools 2014 rankings
On March 10, Military Times announced its Best for Vets: Business Schools
2014 rankings. The Extended Academic
Programs (EAP) - School of Extended
Studies was ranked number three on the list
of 64 schools.
The organization, comprising Army
Times, Navy Times, Air Force Times and
Marine Corps Times, focused on culture
and curriculum that caters to military
veterans when conducting and scoring
the second annual Best for Vets: Business
Schools survey, a highly respected, nearly
80-question analysis of a school’s complete
offerings for veterans.
6 THE WORD | SUMMER 2014
“As with all of the Best for Vets rankings, Best for Vets: Business Schools is an
editorially independent news project that
evaluates the many factors that make an
institution a good fit for military veterans,”
said Amanda Miller, editor of Military
Times EDGE magazine.
“What a huge honor! With only 64
schools in the rankings, it is gratifying to
have made the top of the list. UIW has
always done everything we can for our active duty and veteran population, so to have
scored at the top of this group is reflective
of all of the hard work and commitment
shown by staff and faculty alike,” said Dr.
Cyndi Wilson Porter, vice president for
EAP.
Best for Vets provides service men and
women a gauge by which to judge whether
a school or program will truly benefit them.
The rankings factor in academic quality,
outcomes and policies, school culture,
student support, and cost.
For the full Best for Vets:
Business Schools 2014
rankings, go to: militarytimes.com/bestforvetsbizschools2014.
campus news
UIW hosts annual 2014 Tech Fair
Sponsored by UIW’s Instructional Technology department,
more than 500 students, faculty and staff as well as representatives from other local universities attended this year’s 2014 Tech
Fair held April 9. The fair featured 24 presentations at three
venues:
• The Vendor Spotlight - Vendors such as McGraw/Hill,
Cengage, Blackboard, Lumens, and Tableau as well as other
technology companies, gave presentations on how they are
using technology in the classroom.
• UIW Focus – UIW faculty showcased how they are
integrating technology such as smartphones, iPads, and
Blackboard to engage students.
• The Digital Stage - Students and faculty shared digital poster sessions on such diverse topics as iPads, video game
development, and financial aid.
There were 17 vendors in attendance, along with representatives from UIW schools, organizations, and services; the participants were spread throughout Marian Hall Ballroom and the
Student Center Lounge.
In addition, the fair featured a ghost keynote speaker from
Apple who presented on the topic of “Mobility in Higher Education.” Due to Apple policy, the speaker’s name could not be
promoted publicly.
See more from this year’s Tech Fair as well
as photos and video highlights by visiting
sites.uiw.edu/techfair/
Ben Rosebrock (right), senior director of digital infrastructure and
user services, greets students as they take the UIW 2014 Tech Fair
survey on tablets.
(Pictured L-R) Dr. Robyn Madson and Dr. Norman Gevitz
share a photo following his presentation in Mabee Library’s
Special Collections Suite.
Founding dean of UIW’s
School of Osteopathic Medicine
welcomes Dr. Norman Gevitz
to UIW
Dr. Robyn Madson, founding dean of the UIW School of
Osteopathic Medicine, welcomed Dr. Norman Gevitz, professor of history and sociology of medicine and vice president of academic affairs at A.T. Still University in Kirksville,
Mo., to UIW on March 18. Gevitz gave a presentation on
the history and relevance of osteopathic medicine in Mabee
Library’s Special Collections Suite.
Author of “The D.O.s: Osteopathic Medicine in America,”
Gevitz is a medical historian who has written numerous
books and papers on the history of medicine in the U.S.
and England. He has served as an educator, researcher and
leader for more than 30 years in both private and public
institutions, including the New York Institute of Technology
(NYIT), Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic
Medicine, the Illinois Institute of Technology, and the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine.
“Osteopathic practice is consummate with Catholic social
justice,” said Gevitz, “producing physicians with a full scope
of practice developed over many years who work with the
underserved. Osteopathic medicine is about treating the
whole person.”
UIW’s School of Osteopathic Medicine is set to open in
2016.
THE WORD | SUMMER 2014
7
Texas State Representatives
live the Mission of service
By Rudy Arispe ’97 BA
T
hey are two rising stars in a state-wide political arena; one Democrat, the other
Republican. Yet, each shares the same vision of greater good for their respective
constituents.
Texas House of Representatives Justin Rodriguez ’97 BBA (D-San Antonio) and Jose
M. Lozano ’05 MAA (R-Kingsville) are University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) alumni.
They have taken to heart the Mission of service to others that they have carried with them
since leaving the university, and which they exemplify in their roles as trusted leaders.
As a “voice” for all Texans, the state representatives have a duty to share, discuss and
debate citizens’ concerns over taxes, transportation, affordable housing and the environment among their bi-partisan colleagues in the Texas Legislature, in order to help and
improve the lives of the more than 26 million residents of the Lone Star State.
Both credit UIW for preparing them for their chosen career paths. Their time at the
university instilled in them the knowledge, thought and confidence they have come to rely
on in their respective roles as Texas legislators.
State Rep. Justin Rodriguez (D-San Antonio) remembers riding his bike as a kid with
his two brothers to a local university a half-mile or so from his West Side neighborhood,
and treading their tires on the campus’ sidewalks and curved walkways that made perfect
biking trails.
“We would see these young adults going to college, so it became an expectation to do
the same, or the type of goals we should have,” Rodriguez said.
As he grew older, Rodriguez came to realize that education was his ticket to bigger and
brighter things outside of his West Side bubble, especially since his mother, a single parent, wished for her three sons prosperous and promising futures.
“She worked nights and weekends for a janitorial service,” he said, “and worked to put
8 THE WORD | SUMMER 2014
State Rep. Justin Rodriguez
us through Catholic school.”
After graduation from high school, Rodriguez enrolled at
UIW, where he earned his BBA. Since then, his education has
carried the 39-year-old Alamo City native from his humble
West Side roots – an area considered one of the poorest school
districts in Texas – all the way to Austin, where as a state representative he oversees District 125, and, in fact, has made education for Texas and his constituents a priority.
“Texas has tremendous challenges regarding education,” he
said. “We have a problem with equity and funding. We need to
make sure a kid from the poorest school district has the same
opportunities as a kid in the wealthier districts.”
Indeed, education has been a driving force for Rodriguez.
While still an undergrad, he always knew he wanted to go to
graduate school, but wasn’t certain about what major to pursue.
It was through a professor’s nudging that he chose law.
“I was never drawn to the legal field, but I enjoyed writing,”
he said. “I remember we had a writing assignment in a business
law class. I came back and professor (Dr. Bob) Lamb, (UIW
associate professor of business law), passed out what a model
answer was. It was my answer. He told me I should look into law
school. He said I had a good writing style, and a lawyer not only
has to be vocal and assertive, but also has to have good writing
skills.”
Not long after, Rodriguez earned an academic fellowship
to the University of Wisconsin Law School. Although he was
ecstatic, he wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of moving so far away
to a place he imagined so vastly different from the warmth and
familiarity of South Texas.
And as for law school?
“It was rigorous,” he said. “What made it even more challenging was after going to a small, Catholic university with 20
students in class, I was at a bigger university with 250 students
in my classes from all over the country: NYU, Columbia, University of Michigan and UC Berkeley.”
After graduating in 2000 with his JD in law, he returned
home and was hired by the Bexar County District Attorney’s
Office as a juvenile prosecutor. The experience proved to be
“eye-opening and emotionally draining,” he said, from dealing
with offenders as young as 12.
Still, Rodriguez enjoyed his work and focused on helping juveniles, who found themselves in the court system, understand
that they still had an opportunity to turn their life around.
His time in the DA’s office encouraged Rodriguez to do more
for others, especially at-risk, underprivileged youth, which is
why he ran and was elected to the San Antonio Independent
School District Board of Education. But it was through his
election in May 2007 to the San Antonio City Council that
Rodriguez found that he could have a greater impact on the
community.
Dr. Timothy Henrich, UIW professor of human performance, said it has been wonderful to see his former student
excel in both his personal and political life.
“I have been so excited to watch Justin’s success, earn his
law degree, become a City Council advocate for parks and
now a state representative,” Henrich said. “Justin was quiet and
(Pictured L-R) Assistant Professor
at the School of Physical Therapy
Dr. Jennifer Kish, Founding Dean
of the School of Physical Therapy
Dr. Caroline Goulet, Physical
Therapy (PT-3) student Jenny
Chavez, Rep. Justin Rodriguez,
PT-3 student Melissa Alanis, PT-3
student Jacklyn Aguilar and PT-3
student Sergio Martinez pose for a
photograph at a Coffee with Congress event. Students with UIW’s
School of Physical Therapy invited
Rodriguez to share a dialogue with
representatives of the Alzheimer’s
Association and the community in
March 2014.
THE WORD | SUMMER 2014
9
thoughtful in class, and he is a lesson to us all that you will
never know how successful your students are going to be once
they graduate.”
Rodriguez experienced a banner year in 2012. He had
recently come off his second and final term at City Hall. Voters
catapulted him to an even bigger stage by placing him in the
House of Representatives. His decision to run for state office
required a lot of soul searching, he said, because he and his wife,
Victoria, were raising their three young children. He also was
coming off four years with City Council. He questioned whether
or not he wanted to continue as an elected official.
He’s glad he did.
“The legislative work we do is wonderful, but it’s very different working on statewide issues, and it can be challenging to
build a consensus,” said Rodriguez.
Democratic colleague and fellow State Rep. Trey MartinezFischer of San Antonio said he has been impressed with
Rodriguez’s ability to present himself in a strong and confident
manner as he did when he first began working in the House
chamber.
“People say he has big shoes to fill since he replaced (U.S.
Rep.) Joaquin Castro, but his skill set in political making and
political maturity sets him apart. He’s not afraid to push back
and go out on a limb if it means fighting for his constituents.
He can walk into a situation and assess it, and know when to
keep quiet and just listen. He understands what role to play and
when, and that’s hard to do.”
Today, Rodriguez makes the frequent trips down the I-35
corridor to Austin and back home to the West Side of San Antonio to a home right next door to the one he grew up in.
“I always knew I wanted to move back to my neighborhood,”
he said. “Now my three kids are growing up here. Inner-city
neighborhoods are the
heart of a city.”
Fellow alumnus
State Rep. Jose M.
Lozano (R-Kingsville)
is also committed to
serving Texas as a state
legislator.
Lozano was 12 years
old, when he accompanied his father, Dr. Jose
Lozano, Sr., on a hunting trip with 10 other
individuals. One of
those guests was a state
senator with whom
the young boy was
intrigued and engaged
in conversation.
“I listened to them
speak about policy
and how to better the
community by providState Rep. Jose M. Lozano
ing medical care for the
10 T H E W O R D | S U M M E R 2 0 1 4
indigent,” Lozano recalled. “That’s when I knew I wanted to be a
legislator. I remember my dad telling me if you’re a good public
servant, you can help just as many people as a doctor.”
Fast forward to 2009, when Lozano launched his first political campaign and was elected to state office in March 2010. Now
in his second term, he oversees Texas House District 43, which
encompasses Bee, Jim Wells, Kleberg and San Patricio counties,
and includes some 165,000 residents.
“My first campaign involved a lot of door-to-door,” he said.
“I used to go on house calls with my dad, so decades later I was
going door-to-door to a lot of the same homes. I also did events
for those who didn’t know me. I had to combat a lot of voter
apathy because they think every politician is the same.”
Just as he watched his father treat the sick and elderly in Premont, Texas, Lozano now gives back on a local and state level
as a public servant committed to creating jobs, ending lawsuit
abuse, and protecting the South Texas oil and gas industry,
among other issues.
For instance, he is a staunch advocate of small business and
quite familiar with the challenges that small business owners
can encounter, considering he is one too. In 2005, while Lozano
was finishing up graduate school at UIW, he acquired franchise
rights to a trio of Wingstop Restaurants in Kingsville, Corpus
Christi and Alice.
“I’ve seen lives changed with a stable job,” the restaurateurturned-representative said. “I’ve helped employees put down a
deposit on apartments because they didn’t have a good credit
score. UIW helped me help society. It was instilled in me all the
time (while I was there).”
Being a small business owner has also helped him to be fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars.
“When you’re a legislator, you’re dealing with people’s taxes,”
Lozano said. “It’s not your money. We can’t spend more money
than (what the state) brings in. It takes a lot of fiscal discipline,
and you learn that from owning a business.”
His commitment to the conservation of energy resources is
evident with his re-appointment to the Energy Resources Committee, which oversees the natural resources of Texas. He was
also appointed vice chair of the International Trade Committee
and serves on the House Republican Caucus Policy Committee
and as vice chair of the House Energy Caucus.
Patty Johnson, Republican county chair for Bee County, said
Lozano is passionate about his constituents and his district’s
needs.
“He’s very approachable and makes sure he understands their
problems,” she said. “Otherwise, he or his staff will go above and
beyond to make sure someone can help them. As an up-andcoming Hispanic Republican, he has a strong future with the
party and the state.”
Lozano has also never forgotten his graduate years at UIW,
which, he said, helped shape him to become the man, business
owner and politician that he is today.
“When I got to UIW and learned about service to others, I
started to understand what service meant,” he said, “so I want
to give back as much as I can, especially with kids because that’s
when you can affect someone’s life. UIW allowed me to focus on
who I was as a person and my faith.”
Dr. Gary Keith, associate professor and pre-law advisor of the
Department of Government and International Affairs, said Lozano
is always happy to promote the university whenever he can.
“When UIW students traveled to the state Capitol to talk with
legislators about financial aid, Rep. Lozano went out of his way to
praise UIW and affirm his willingness to help UIW on any matter
that we need him to,” Keith said. “He is an enthusiastic alum.”
Operating three busy restaurants while fulfilling his full-time
duties as state representative combined with keeping abreast of the
latest in Texas politics and never-ending issues of the day require
Lozano to multi-task, at which he has become quite adept.
“When I’m not in a meeting or on the phone, I’m listening to the
news or reading,” he said. “I also have a good team in place. They
help keep me in touch with my districts.”
And then there’s family time, which is just as important for Lo-
zano, 33, his wife, Abby, and their three children. That sense of
family was most likely nurtured from the close-knit relationship
he had with his parents and five sisters, and friendly familiarity
with the humble people in the rural community where he grew
up.
“One time my father treated a patient, and the next day that
patient came to our house with a goat. He couldn’t afford to
pay,” Lozano said. “I remember the genuine gratitude that man
had, and that’s one of the things that put me on the pathway of
wanting to help people. That’s what I love the most about being
a legislator.”
Both Rodriguez and Lozano embody the very Mission
instilled by the university’s founding congregation the Sisters of
Charity of the Incarnate Word and continue living this Mission
through service to Texas as proud alumni of UIW.
Dr. Renee Moore (third from
left), dean of campus life;
Dr. Gary Keith (third from
right), associate professor
of government and international affairs; and UIW
students share a photo with
Lozano (center) at the Texas
State Capitol in February
2013. Students traveled to
the capitol to meet with representatives and senators to
lobby for Texas Equalization
Grant (TEG) funding, which
provides financial aid to
students to enable them to
attend private, non-profit
colleges or universities in
Texas.
THE WORD | SUMMER 2014
11
Wild
D
about
silk
By Crystale Lopez
Handwoven shawl from Assam
composed of eri and muga silks.
Property of Dr. Lopita Nath.
12 T H E W O R D | S U M M E R 2 0 1 4
r. Richard Peigler, professor of biology at the University of the
Incarnate Word (UIW), has been an entomologist since he was
three years old and collected insects in jars. A passion for science,
nature, and insects – particularly moths – led Peigler to a world of ethnographic treasures he has shared across the globe through articles, various
textile pieces, and books. Most recently in 2013, he co-authored the book,
“Eri Silk: Cocoon to Cloth,” published by Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal
Singh.
“I have been gathering information for 15 years for an encyclopedia
type book on wild silks of the world [produced from wild silkmoths and
silkworms],” he said. “I also collect wild silk textiles from places such as
India, Nigeria, China, Ethiopia, and Madagascar, to contribute to institutional collections.”
It was during a quest of purchasing eri silk scarves for a collection when
Peigler met Kiran Badola, a textile designer and fellow co-author of the
book. The two discovered they had knowledge of eri silk that complimented each other.
“It was not difficult for me to contribute text and images for the book,”
Peigler said. “I took the chapter on eri silk from my larger encyclopedia
book project and selected what I wanted to share.”
Peigler said his agenda is to gather and distribute as much information as possible on the silks and textiles, and to get them preserved in institutional collections,
not only at UIW, but at universities and museums across
the country. He explained that a lot of the wild silk textiles he
has been collecting are being lost through globalization,
cultural change, and habitat destruction.
“I feel very passionate about preserving these textiles so it is
very gratifying work,” he said. “These pieces of material culture
from Indigenous Peoples are truly ethnographic treasures. Not all
students have access to see these types of things so I send them all over for
teaching purposes, exhibits, or even just to be safe and stored away.”
Peigler has shared textile pieces with universities near and far, from his
alma mater at Clemson University in South Carolina, to Montana State
University, the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Texas A&M, and he
once assembled an exhibit in UIW’s own Mabee Library. A few years ago,
he also installed a textile display at the UIW AT&T Science Center in the
showcase in the hallway focused on fair trade and poverty alleviation, with
help from Sr. Martha Ann Kirk, CCVI, professor of religious studies.
Peigler said Incarnate Word has supported his research through many
avenues. In 2003, UIW published his book, “A Revision of the Silkmoth
Genus Samia.” He has also found it beneficial to include his colleagues and
students in his work when the opportunity presents itself.
“Dr. Lopita Nath grew up with these wild silks in her home
state of Assam, India,” Peigler shared. “She has pieces in her
family, and has modeled pieces for my book such as the Mekhela
Chaddar created from muga silk, one of the traditional dresses in
her culture.”
Nath, associate professor of history at UIW, explained the
muga is found naturally only in Assam, which has an exclusive
patent for the silk. “I have grown up wearing muga,” she said. “As
such, it was fascinating for me that a professor at UIW was doing
research on that and knew so much about a fabric that is indigenous to a remote state in India so far away from San Antonio.”
Nath said being from Assam, she wanted to take the opportunity to model the textiles in the forms they are worn in her home
state. “It made me feel close to home in a foreign country,” she
said. “I also think it is beneficial for our students to see the different textiles and the cultures that are associated with them.”
Caterpillars of cecropia and promethea moths, two wild silkmoths
found in Texas.
To learn more about Peigler’s wild silk
textiles in the Mississippi Entomological
Museum, visit mississippientomologicalmuseum.org.msstate.edu//AnthroEnt/Textiles/SilksList.html
A Japanese wild silkmoth hanging on its cocoon from which it
has just emerged.
Arthur Barrera, biology major at UIW, took Peigler’s entomology course and modeled a scarf and vest for his recent book on
eri silk. “Dr. Peigler showed me some textiles during an office
visit and when he told me what they were made of I was immediately interested,” Barrera said. “Many of the silks were hand
woven with their own intricate designs. It made me reflect on
how much hard work and creativity each silk must have taken.”
Peigler said his collections and sharing of textiles is a project
that truly took on a life of its own from a unique angle. “I am
most interested in the ecology and taxonomy of moths, and the
silks are a spin off to this topic,” he said. “Most researchers who
study silks and textiles focus on one particular country, but no
one seems to have the big picture of the silks from all over the
world as I have captured.”
Peigler said he hopes to continue leaving a legacy to preserve
these important cultural textiles for future generations.
Pictured L-R: Ricardo Mata, biology student; Dr. Richard Peigler;
Dr. Lopita Nath; Arthur Barrera; and Dr. Neeta Singh, professor of
nutrition. Mata wears a shirt from India of tasar silk; Peigler a suit of
tussah silk from China and a shirt and tie of eri silk from India; Nath
a mekhela chaddar of muga silk from Assam, India; Barrera a fagara
silk jacket from Java, Indonesia; and Singh a sari made of eri silk
from India.
THE WORD | SUMMER 2014
13
UIW’s Men’s Swimming and Diving Team
gather at a championship celebration on
March 19.
The first of their kind
By Raul Dominguez, Jr.
U
niversity of the Incarnate Word (UIW) senior Thiago Parravicini has competed internationally for the Brazilian national
swimming team. So, when he says the Cardinals can have
success on a larger stage, he speaks from experience.
It’s not just a hunch.
The Rio de Janeiro native has put the theory into practice with
UIW’s fledgling NCAA Division I program.
The Cardinals men became the university’s first team to win an
NCAA Division I conference title when they won the 2014 Coastal
Collegiate Swimming Association Swimming and Diving Championships on Feb. 22.
While there are obvious differences between football, baseball,
basketball and volleyball, Parravicini says the swim team’s conference
title should serve as an inspiration of what is possible.
“The conference title that we won is not just a title for the swim
team, it’s a title for the entire school,” Parravicini said. “Even if you’re
not swimming, you’re going to feel proud. The campus is happy. Who
doesn’t want to be a champion?”
Becoming a champion takes a lot of hard work and a lot of help,
both of which the swimming and diving team have gotten plenty of.
“We worked harder than everybody else,” UIW head swimming
coach Phillip Davis said. “We set goals and worked hard to reach
them. And we got great support from the academic advisors.”
The Cardinals’ swimming and diving team was successful in
Division II, regularly competing and succeeding against Division I
programs. Still, the leap into the NCAA’s premier division wasn’t an
easy one.
14 T H E W O R D | S U M M E R 2 0 1 4
The competition is deeper
and greater in Division I,
but Incarnate Word wasn’t
UIW head swimming coach Phillip
intimidated. In fact, even
the Cardinals freshman class Davis speaks during the championship
celebration.
proved unshakeable.
“Since the first day of
practice (the freshmen) were like, ‘Ok, we are here to win,’ ” Parravicini said. “Who are we going to swim against? Texas A&M? Ok, we
want to beat them. Are we going to swim against UT-Austin? Ok, we
want to beat them.”
“I think that’s the right mentality. We know we are not on the
same level as them, because they are traditional programs at huge
schools. They have a lot of tradition in swimming, multiple NCAA
titles, but every program started with a first step. That’s the step we
were taking. It’s good to inspire, recruit better swimmers and make
people believe it’s possible,” Parravicini added.
The recruitment and the tone are set by Davis, and the Cardinals
are a chlorine clear reflection of him. His faith, competitiveness and
belief in family flow over the team like a warm body of water.
“None of this is possible without the man upstairs pulling some
triggers,” Davis said.
Davis has built a family with his team, albeit a team from around
the world.
In addition to keeping swimmers and divers from talent-rich
Texas in the state, Davis has brought athletes from Ukraine, Morroco, Brazil and Mexico to San Antonio.
It’s not an easy transition.
Parravicini said he could not speak any English when he arrived
at the school’s campus to compete in the breaststroke and individual
medley.
He was a junior and senior Brazilian and South American champion, so becoming a valuable member of the team came naturally.
Becoming part of the family proved easy, too.
“I think one of the best things for me was coming here to the
United States and joining the team,” Parravicini said. “All the years I
was here, I was in an environment with 50 to 60 friends. They were
more than friends, it was a like a big family. They are always there
to help you. All the time they want you to have success. They treat
us well because they know we are so really far from home. We don’t
have family here. Sometimes we have problems with language (and)
problems with the culture. So they try to make us feel comfortable
here.”
Davis, diving coach Tommy Law and assistant coaches Scott
Trompeter, Chris O’Linger and Anders Storvik have proven to be
dynamic recruiters. UIW is losing 12 highly decorated seniors this
year between the men’s and women’s teams, but the Cardinals’ staff
has signed 30 athletes, including some from Ukraine, Hungary and
Brazil.
While the team’s coaching staff is looking for great swimmers
and divers, they are also looking for quality individuals. It’s a tough
journey, but one Davis said is often a guided one.
“God sends us the people that we are supposed to have and it’s up
to us to use 100 percent of their genetic potential,” Davis said.
While Davis is extremely proud of the men winning the university’s first Division I conference title, he is even prouder of the teams’
academic success.
The women’s team has a 3.4 GPA and the men’s is 3.3.
Like a proud papa, he is quick to mention Cody Armstrong was
accepted to UIW’s Rosenberg School of Optometry and Megan Murata was accepted to veterinarian school at Texas A&M. Parravicini
graduated with a bachelor’s in business administration and is going
to be a graduate assistant with the team.
If anyone expects the Cardinals to have a letdown after winning
their first title, they obviously have not spent any time around Davis.
2013-14
MEN’S BASKETBALL
REVIEW
• 21-6 record in first year of NCAA Division I
• 14-1 home record with only loss coming on a last second
shot
• 9-5 in Southland Conference action with three losses by
four points or less
• Team finished eighth in the nation in scoring (82.1 ppg),
14th in field goal percentage (48.8%), 28th in three point percentage (38.9%), 11th in rebounds per game
(39.5), and third in defensive rebounds per game (28.5).
• The team played twice on television at the
McDermott Center and defeated Sam Houston State,
85-74 and Abilene Christian, 80-68.
• Junior guard Denzel Livingston had a fantastic season
earning Southland Conference Second Team and All Defensive Team honors. He was the conference player
of the week on Jan. 27 and Feb. 10 and was also
recognized as the College Sports Madness Mid-Major
Player of the Week on Jan. 27. He finished the season
ranked 20th in the nation in scoring (20.3 ppg) and
seventh in steals per game (2.52). He became the
14th player in school history to score 1,000 points in a career when he scored 36 in a win over Houston Baptist
on Feb. 8.
• Ian Markolf and Kyle Hittle were each named Southland
Conference All-Academic Second Team.
UIW’s Men’s Swimming and Diving Team at the 2014 Coastal Collegiate
Swimming Association Swimming and Diving Championships on Feb. 22.
Photo courtesy of Todd Drexler.
THE WORD | SUMMER 2014
15
UIW’s
Lion Dance
connects a
community
By Brance Arnold ’10 MA
Pictured L-R: Qihao Feng (Anson); Jianhong Zhang (Kevin);
Mingzhi Chen (Eddie); Misty Chen, director of the Institute of
World Cultures; Ao Li (Leo); and Chenlian Li (Kyle).
I
t is the Year of the Horse! Jianhong Zhang and Mingzhi
Chen, also known as Kevin and Eddie, were filled with
nervous energy and palpable excitement before performing the lion dance for the first time publicly at the Institute of
World Cultures’ (IWC) Asian New Year celebration, held annually at UIW. The IWC Lion Dance Team’s newest members,
Kevin and Eddie, along with their more experienced teammates, practiced fervently for two months in preparation for
the most important celebration in Asian tradition.
In November, Kevin, a business administration graduate
student, and Eddie, a marketing sophomore, joined seasoned
teammates Ao Li (Leo), international business senior; Qihao
Feng (Anson), philosophy senior; and Chenlian Li (Kyle), international business senior; to round out the team’s lineup.
Origins of Lion Dance at UIW
UIW’s Lion Dance Team was established by Misty Chen,
director of the IWC, and Dr. Patricia Watkins, vice president
emeritus and consultant to the president. Originally, Chen
would invite the San Antonio Lion Dance Association (SALDA) to perform at the annual UIW Asian New Year celebration, presented by the IWC.
“When we would plan the Asian New Year celebration, we
wanted to incorporate Asian activities and here in San Antonio
there wasn’t a large Chinese community. So we asked them to
come perform for us,” recalled Chen.
To best benefit students and faculty, the event had to be
scheduled for a weekday. However, the members of the SALDA
had professional obligations during the week and were unable
to perform.
“We struggled. We reached out to Austin and Houston,
but that was more complicated. It got to the point where we
decided we should start our own team,” Chen said.
In 2007, Chen traveled to Guangzhou, China to purchase the
lion costumes without yet having team members in place.
16 T H E W O R D | S U M M E R 2 0 1 4
14
“I personally picked them out,” said Chen. “I chose red,
white and black to represent the school colors and the other
costume I wanted to have bright, festival colors.”
History and Performance
Alive and well at UIW, the colorful, vibrant tradition is deeply rooted in Asian culture with the art form recorded as early
as the third century AD in China. Though the lion is not native
to China and the dance may have originated in India or Persia,
the lion was introduced via traders from the West who used the
Silk Road to China for trade and brought lions as gifts during
the Han Dynasty. Various forms of the lion dance are found
throughout Asia, including Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Tibet, and
Taiwan, among others.
Each lion costume is typically operated by two dancers. Performers mimic the movements of the lion to represent moods
and emotions, usually those of an uplifting nature.
“With the control of body movements, you are expressing
emotion,” said Chen. “Asian culture is very into the idea of luck.
It’s all about happiness. It’s all about hope.”
Lion dance movements are fundamentally inspired by
martial arts, particularly Kung Fu and Wushu. There are two
primary forms of Chinese lion dance, the Northern Lion and
the Southern Lion. The Northern is acrobatic and performed
mainly as entertainment, where the Southern is ceremonial and
symbiotic, summoning good fortune and luck while guarding
against evil spirits.
The dance is also about connecting with family and community.
“It’s not only about celebrating the coming of the New Year
but also about family. You can see at one point in the performance one lion crouches while the other performs. After the
lion performs, he comes over to the sitting lion and the two
communicate and then dance together,” explained Kevin.
UIW’s Lion Dance Team, which embodies more of the
Southern form, performs as two lions, with Leo and Kyle performing in one costume, and Eddie and Kevin in another, accompanied by drummer Anson. The accents played on the drum and
voice commands from the drummer guide the lions’ movements.
“The drummer is the key feel among the team,” said Chen, “like
a team captain who directs the dancers through changes in tempo
and intensity.”
“The two lions follow the beat of the drums during the performance which continues for about 10 minutes,” said Kevin.
“We have one person who acts as the lion’s head and the other as
the lion’s tail. The tail follows the head during the whole performance.”
The lion dance remains a staple at the Asian New Year celebration and continues to grow in popularity. During the performance, the main duty of the lion is to “catch the green” or
“cai qing” which literally translates to “plucking the green.” This
custom entails the “green” being tied together with a red envelope
containing money or fruit and placed on a pole for the lion to
catch, thus bringing good fortune.
as part of their tradition and culture,” said Marcos Fragoso, vice
president for international affairs. “At UIW we welcome diversity
and want to celebrate it every time we can, one of the ways to do
so is by allowing students from different countries to perform and
dance according to their traditions.”
“The New Year celebration is one of the most important
festivals in Asian countries where they celebrate the Lunar New
Year,” said Chen. “Most of our Asian students would never be
able to go home and be with their family for this most important
time.” Chen said the IWC’s Asian New Year celebration including
the lion dance bring a “home feel” to international students so far
from their homeland.
A member of the team for two years, Anson said he feels more
connected to his home and culture through the tradition: “Lion
dance makes me feel I love my country and becomes a very important part of my spiritual practice.”
The Team
Though the team currently numbers five, Kevin said it generally is made up of eight to 10 members, with five to perform and
three to five serving as substitute members.
In order to prepare for the Asian New Year celebration, one of a
number of events at which the team performs, the members train
at the SALDA every Sunday for two hours under the guidance of
one of the association’s members. Additionally, they train in the
ICC Auditorium on their own. None of the team members had
previous experience performing the lion dance before joining the
team.
“We work hard and improve together through learning the lion
dance,” said Kyle, a team member for two years. “Every member
tries his best.”
Though the current roster is composed entirely of students
from China, the team welcomes those of all cultures and has, in
fact, had members from various backgrounds.
“Anyone can join,” added Chen. “We are hoping to spread the
word and make the call to the community welcoming everyone
whether girl or boy; domestic or international; faculty, students,
or friends. Come experience the culture, learn an entry level of
martial arts, make connections, and feel proud when you perform.” Chen remains committed to preserving the Lion Dance Team
at UIW for years to come, but confessed she will need to recruit
new members to carry on the tradition.
“Kevin and Eddie plan to continue next year, but the other
members are set to graduate and return to their home country.
The reality is, students graduate,” Chen said.
Chen also stressed that support from the UIW community is
integral to the preservation of the team. The team is not a university funded organization and team members are devoted to
the practice of lion dance purely for love of the art form and to
celebrate UIW as an international community.
To view video and additional photos of UIW’s
Lion Dance Team, visit The Word Online at
www.thewordonline.org To learn more about the
Lion Dance Team and how to participate, visit IWC
on Facebook at www.facebook.com/uiw.iwc or by
calling (210) 805-5820.
Cultural Significance At UIW, the team plays a key role in celebrating the Asian New
Year and the wide range of cultures visible on campus. “The lion dance represents not only a Chinese tradition and
culture, but other Asian countries that also have the lion dance
2014 Asian New Year
Celebration
Approximately 500 students, faculty, administrators, and
San Antonio community members attended this year’s Asian
New Year celebration, sponsored by UIW’s Institute of World
Cultures, on Feb. 15 in Marian Hall Ballroom. In addition to
UIW’s Lion Dance Team, performers included Mary Martha
McNeel and Michael Graves (Tai Chi instructors at UIW);
Chinese student, Crystal Yi (Belly dancing); Jones Korean
Dance Group (Korean Folk Dance); among others. The event
also included booths featuring Japanese calligraphy, Japanese
origami, a Chinese tea ceremony, and much more.
THE WORD | SUMMER 2014
17
15
F
Student Staff Sgt. Jen Lee won the gold medal at the 2014 Paralympics
held in Sochi, Russia.
Man on a
Mission
ive years ago, Jen Lee’s goal was to walk again.
Five months ago, he was racing toward a vastly different goal –
he wanted to see the U.S. flag raised high as the national anthem
was heard loud and clear by thousands of Russian citizens.
Lee and his teammates on the U.S. sled hockey squad carried out
that mission by defeating host Russia 1-0 in the gold-medal game of
the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games. Lee, the backup goaltender,
cherished the moment that he and his peers had worked for so ardently.
“Having our flag raised on top and hearing the anthem played was
emotional,” Lee said. “I serve in the military and then I am representing
the country in a different way. To hear the anthem on foreign soil, you
are doing it for your country.”
Staff Sgt. Lee is an active duty student who is pursuing a bachelor’s
degree in athletic training at the University of the Incarnate Word
(UIW). Lee was born in Taiwan and moved with his family to San Francisco, Calif., when he was 8 years old. Track, tennis and basketball were
all part of Lee’s teen years on the West Coast. He enlisted in the Army
and went through basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C. His individual
training included learning the ins and outs of becoming a Blackhawk
helicopter mechanic.
Lee was stationed in Savannah, Ga., in Spring 2009 when he went
for an off-duty motorcycle ride in Jacksonville, Fla. with a group in his
platoon. The group was heading home when a collision with another
driver left Lee’s cycle totaled as he fought for survival on the ground.
The result: Lee lost a leg above the knee.
“You are going through a roller coaster,” he said. “You don’t know
what is next or what is going to happen. I was 22 when the accident
happened. I had been able-bodied for 22 years. First … I had to accept
being disabled.”
When Lee transferred to the Center for the Intrepid, he found out
the center works alongside Operation Comfort to give patients a chance
to play sports.
“I had never tried ice hockey and I wanted to see what this sport is
about,” Lee said. “Your main goal is to walk or run again. It would not
be right if I didn’t take advantage of opportunities.” That included the
opportunity to become a member of the San Antonio Rampage sled
hockey team. Sled hockey is a sport designed to allow participants who
have a physical disability to play the game of ice hockey by utilizing a
sled with two skate blades on a metal frame.
By Brian Hudgins
Lee and two of his teammates rented bicycles to visit Sochi venues
outside of the Olympic Village.
18 T H E W O R D | S U M M E R 2 0 1 4
The Sochi Experience
Lee poses with teammates during the Opening Ceremony in Sochi.
The initial opportunity further developed after Lee gained several
months of experience at sled hockey. The environment made Lee feel like
he was part of a team again. He quickly realized the other players were
not just there for fun or therapeutic benefits. They want to beat you. Lee’s
coach, Lonnie Hannah, suggested that he consider taking on the challenge of the national team trials. Lee went on to make the 2011 national
team. “Every year, you have to try out,” Lee said. “It’s not like you are set
for the next four years. You have to work hard on and off the ice.”
That training process included Lee working with Ali Barrera, a certified CrossFit trainer, at Alamo CrossFit. Several sled hockey athletes have
worked out there with the goals of improving stamina and upper body
strength – two necessities in sled hockey.
“We do a lot of lifting and squats,” Barrera said. “It’s hard for people
with both legs. But your center of balance is thrown off when you are using a prosthetic (leg). So you have to work to get athletes to squat to the
proper depth depending on the point of amputation.” Barrera noted that
Lee’s ability to progress to a full-depth squat was a strong illustration of
the strength and agility that served him well in Sochi.
Lee characterized the U.S. team defeating Russia as a surreal experience. Sochi was a 45-minute train ride from the Olympic Village. As the
train traveled past the Black Sea, the Americans had a mass of Russian
fans waiting for them. The home crowd produced a sound that drowned
out the family members who were there supporting the U.S.
“When we won, it was like, ‘are you kidding me?’ It was something
you don’t expect. You just reflect on the training, sweat and time you put
in on the ice.”
Lee is appreciative that his professors at UIW have helped him fulfill
his military and Paralympic commitments while providing academic
guidance in the classroom. “The professors are willing to work with me
one-on-one on catching up on missed lessons,” Lee said. “Granted, I had
to show them that my traveling was also part of my military assignment,
but everyone was very supportive when I told them I was (also) training
for the Paralympics.”
Lee was thrilled to go home after the Paralympics…once he was
actually able to get home. He had to make a stop in Colorado at the team
training facility before driving back home to San Antonio. Lee returned
home with a new goal – becoming a motivational speaker. “I just want
to educate people and be a motivation to kids who think they can’t do
things because of a disability.”
An inspirational moment for Lee came when he and his fellow Paralympic and Olympic athletes met President Barack Obama at a ceremony
in April at the White House
“The military veterans, including me, received a personal coin from
him,” Lee said. “That meant a lot, especially because I’m still currently
serving my country. Meeting the President is one of those moments you
cherish forever.”
Sam Sanders ’07 BA,
National Public Radio
(NPR) producer, spent
three weeks in Sochi,
Russia for the 2014 Winter Olympics held from
Feb. 7-23. Sanders was
among five NPR journalists covering the games.
“It was a blast,” said
Sanders. “I covered
mainly freestyle events
such as snowboarding and skiing.” Though access to the
(Olympic) Village was restricted, he had the opportunity
to interview many of the athletes including some from
the Ukraine, ostensibly an important topic at the
moment.
Located on the coast of the Black Sea and near the
Caucus Mountains, Sanders said he found the two very
diverse climates and terrain to be unique.
“Because of its location, the Sochi games had a mountain cluster and a coastal cluster,” Sanders explained. “The
games would take place at venues on the coast and then
of course at locations in the mountains. I enjoy running
and would run in 60 degree weather on the coast and
then travel by bus or train to cover events in the mountains.”
Due to the nine hour time difference between the U.S.
and Sochi, most of his coverage was pre-produced and
aired later. He did, however, conduct a number of live
broadcasts with a typical workday starting at 11 a.m. and
lasting until midnight.
While covering the games, he had the opportunity to
attend some of both the opening and closing ceremonies.
“I kept thinking how amazing this must look on television because it was so spectacular and I could only see
things from my particular viewpoint,” said Sanders.
Despite some of the negative press surrounding the
games, Sanders said he was very impressed with Russia
and its people while in Sochi.
“I was very surprised at how well the Russians hosted
the games,” said Sanders. “It was well managed. The venues looked great. And the people were very hospitable.”
Sanders said his experience in Sochi was inspiring, so
much so that he has placed himself on the list to potentially cover the summer games in Rio de Janeiro Brazil in
2016, but with one caveat.
“My goal would be to work the games, but then take an
extra week to really soak up the culture of the country,”
shared Sanders. “I spent 36 hours in Istanbul during my
coverage of the winter Olympics, but definitely needed
more time to truly take it in.”
THE WORD | SUMMER 2014
19
Revolutionizing
medical science
By Ashley Festa
Student researchers Joanna
Ortega and Pompeyo Quesada
prepare to run a protein gel in
order to evaluate protein levels
during regeneration.
W
hat began as a love for catching bugs in the great outdoors turned into a career path that has the potential
to revolutionize medical science.
Dr. Robert Miranda ’04 BS ’06 MS admits he never wanted to
be a medical doctor. But after earning his Ph.D. in biology and
now working as the University of the Incarnate Word’s (UIW)
first postdoctoral fellow, his research may provide clues toward
great advances in human health.
He’s studying the Lumbriculus variegatus, sometimes known
as the California blackworm, an aquatic invertebrate with the
20 T H E W O R D | S U M M E R 2 0 1 4
ability to regenerate a lost head, tail or midsection from only a
few remaining segments. The research project is funded through
a three-year, $617,000 grant Dr. Veronica Acosta, assistant professor of biology, earned from the U.S. Department of Defense,
which hopes to one day change the prognosis for millions of
wounded veterans.
“The overall goal is to understand how this worm has this
ability to regenerate itself,” Miranda said. “Most animals have
the ability to regenerate to some extent. Humans regenerate tissue, but it’s usually scar tissue, so it’s not useful.”
(Pictured clockwise) Alumnus Dr. Robert Miranda, postdoctoral fellow; student researchers Travis Parker, Javier Arjona-Soberón, Pompeyo Quesada,
Joanna Ortega, and Janaye Dews; and Dr. Veronica Acosta (center), assistant
professor of biology; share a photo in the team’s research lab.
When she received the grant, Acosta knew she would need
help with the research. Though the stipulations didn’t require a
post-doctoral assistant, Acosta wanted someone who could “be
a good mentor for undergrads and who had good research skills
to get the work done that the U.S. government expected us to
get done.” After reviewing several strong applicants, she hired
Miranda as UIW’s Postdoctoral Fellow in Cell and Molecular
Biology.
Miranda and Acosta, along with three teams of student
researchers, have set out to investigate the worm’s regenerative
ability and, hopefully, harness it to advance human medical
procedures. Though other scientists have researched regenerative abilities, this project is rare because the model uses a species
with a more complex central nervous system.
“The military is taking a big interest because they want to use
it for veterans who suffered some traumatic injury,” Miranda
said. “That’s a research goal: to help regrow limbs or restore
function.”
Acosta, of course, has the same research objectives, but she
also set other goals for her collaboration with Miranda. She
views the post-doctoral fellowship as an opportunity to mentor
a young professor on what it’s like to work at a small undergraduate institution.
“We’re expected to be good teachers and good researchers,”
Acosta said. “I wanted to help someone transition and balance
teaching, research and service.”
Being a former postdoctoral fellow herself, Acosta values the
opportunity the experience can provide. “The idea is to mentor
someone in the life of a professor so you can be productive and
also enjoy what you’re doing.”
Not only does Miranda get to work alongside UIW faculty,
he also takes on a mentorship role himself with the undergraduates who assist with the research.
“My favorite part is working with the students in the classroom and also working in the lab, teaching them to be good
scientists,” he said. “It’s wonderful to see their growth and
enthusiasm. I still get to dabble around the lab, but I get to help
these students the most.”
Miranda started the position in August, but already he’s been
successful at rousing students’ excitement.
“Dr. Miranda is an outstanding researcher, professor and
mentor. The quality of work that he performs has inspired me to
perform at a higher level,” said Pompeyo Quesada, a senior who
will graduate in December. “The fact that he was once in my
situation here at UIW allows him to better reach the students,
since we are able to directly connect with him. His dedication to
his work, to his students, and to the field of science inspires me
to reach excellence.”
With plans to become an orthopedic surgeon specializing
in sports medicine, Quesada foresees that this research may
transform his future career. “Maybe one day I can help patients
recover from a spinal cord injury,” he said, acknowledging that
current medicine offers few options to such patients.
When his fellowship is complete in July 2016, Miranda plans
to pursue his own research projects, possibly in the realm of
environmental preservation. He’s open to allowing his research
take a new direction, but hasn’t ruled out remaining in the field
of human health.
He will also consider teaching and credits Acosta for preparing him for the classroom, fulfilling one of her personal goals
for the project: “the improvement of STEM opportunities for
underrepresented minorities so we can mentor these students to
survive in academia,” she said. “Whether they become professors or medical doctors, they’re being productive members to
this field of biology.”
“She has been a great mentor,” Miranda said. “She’s trained
me to have my own lab and my own students at a small institution like UIW. I’ve come full circle.”
Acosta conducts a California blackworm dissection under a microscope.
THE WORD | SUMMER 2014
21
(Pictured L-R) George Burnett, Dr. Sara Kolb, Dr. Chris Paris, Dr. Jessica Kimmel, Dr. Bernadette O’Connor and Dr. Mary Elaine Jones take
a moment for a photo at the 2014 Faculty Awards on April 25. Each of the faculty members were awarded emeriti status.
UIW bids farewell to retirees
As another academic year comes to a close, the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) would like to extend a warm farewell and thank
you to several long-time members of the UIW community who collectively hold over 200 years of service to the university.
George Burnette, emeritus director of technical theatre, joined
the university in 1979 as an actor with then Incarnate Word College’s resident theatre company. Performances were produced in
the Fine Arts Building’s basement during that time and no one
was overseeing the technical direction of productions. Burnette
decided to assume responsibility of technical direction among
his many other duties. As the program moved into the Coates,
Downstage II, and Halligan-Ronald Ibbs theatre facilities, the
demands of technical support grew. Throughout his career, Burnette has run the box office, designed scenery and lights, directed
shows, built props and, of course, acted. He retired on May 31,
2014 as the technical director of UIW’s theatre department.
He hopes to continue acting and occasionally serve as a scenic
designer.
Debbie Bussineau-King, emerita
professor of music, came to UIW in
1980. She studied voice with Leona Witter, earned a BM from Michigan State
University, studied voice, opera performance and staging at the University
of Texas at Austin, and earned an MM
from Southwest Texas State University.
Bussineau-King has sung major oratorio
and operatic roles with the Lansing
Debbie Bussineau-King
Symphony, The Austin Symphony, The
Chatauqua, New York Opera Association, and the San Antonio
Symphony, among others. She represented UIW in Taiwan in
22 T H E W O R D | S U M M E R 2 0 1 4
1996 and 1998 where she sang in Taipei, Kaohsiung, and Tainan.
In 2008, Bussineau-King was elected president of the South Texas
Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, which
she was a founding member. She served as chair of the music
department from 1993-1999.
Dr. Jessica Kimmel, emerita professor of education, has served
as a faculty member since 1990. Kimmel first came to Incarnate
Word College in 1980 to study for Texas Teacher Certification.
She earned a BA in English and history and MA in English from
Trinity University. Kimmel received her doctorate from Texas
A&M in education specializing in adult education. She has taught
composition and rhetoric at Trinity, San Antonio College (SAC)
and Texas A&M. While at UIW, she has taught all manner of
courses in education, served as director of teacher education,
revitalized the adult education program with innovative courses
and schedules, and taught in the doctoral program. Specializing
in women’s studies, Kimmel served as a delegate to the United
Nations’ Executive Board of the World Congress in 2013 and
2014.
Dr. Sara Kolb, emerita professor of nursing, joined the university in 1986 in a joint appointment with Santa Rosa Medical
Center and assumed a full-time faculty position in the Incarnate
Word School of Nursing in 1987. She holds a BS in nursing from
the University of Arizona, an MS from Boston University, and a
Ph.D. in nursing from the University of Texas at Austin. At UIW,
Kolb has served as BSN curriculum chair and the MSN program
chair. She developed the MSN nursing concentration curricula
for education and administrations and coordinated the National
League of Nursing Self-Studies. She has served several roles in the
Ministerio de Salud project, providing primary and secondary care
health services to the underserved elderly using a Parish Nurse
Model. Kolb was selected as Moody Professor in 2006-2007 and
has received many accolades throughout her career. She plans to
remain in San Antonio after retiring this spring and hopes to still
teach special topics courses at UIW.
Dr. Mary Elaine Jones, emerita professor of nursing, graduated from Incarnate Word College in 1963. After retiring from the
University of Texas at Arlington School of Nursing, she was appointed to the Brig. Gen. Lillian Dunlap Endowment Professorial
Chair in Nursing at UIW in the fall of 2002. Soon after arriving
at the university, Jones led a Nursing Research Team that established a program addressing cardiovascular risk. Her other areas
of research included a qualitative investigation of management of
stress among retired military nurses active duty during a war and
managing interpersonal conflict in the workplace among nursing
students and other disciplines. UIW’s annual Red Dress Fashion
Show and Health Fair is an outgrowth of the Nursing Research
Team as well as the Dunlap Chair, a campus-wide funded initiative through the National Institutes of Health to create an Office of
Research Development at UIW and recently a three year demonstration project in interprofessional education and collaborative
practice on San Antonio’s Eastside.
Sr. Sally Mitchell, OSF, religious studies faculty for UIW Online, entered her
Franciscan community after high school
where her three-year novitiate training
afforded her two years of college, which
allowed her to teach as she earned her
degree. Mitchell taught high school history and education while working toward
her master’s degree from the University
of Iowa. She began teaching speech and
Sr. Sally Mitchell, OSF theatre at the university level after earning her degree. After seven years of technical and direction work,
Mitchell transitioned into administration. She moved to North
Carolina where she continued her education toward earning an
Ed.S. in developmental education. Mitchell then came to Texas
where she worked for nine years in the area of enrollment development at what was then Incarnate Word College (IWC). This move
also gave Mitchell the opportunity to earn an MA in religious
studies from IWC. Mitchell then returned to Iowa for three years
before returning to UIW as dean of preparatory programs, overseeing both St. Anthony Catholic High School and Incarnate Word
High School. She served as dean for five years. During this time,
Mitchell began teaching online. She is retiring as fulltime faculty
but will continue to teach one course per term for UIW Online.
in English and history and certification to teach at the secondary
level. O’Connor taught high school for five years in institutions
sponsored or staffed by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate
Word. After earning her graduate degree from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pa., she taught philosophy at St. Michael’s
College in Winooski, Vt. and St. Mary’s University in San Antonio,
Texas. O’Connor was encouraged to apply for dean of the Division
of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences while representing the
Sisters on the IWC board of trustees in 1990. She served as dean
for three years and has taught full-time since 1993.
Dr. Chris Paris, emeritus professor of English, joined Incarnate
Word in 1986 as an instructor for three years and again returned
to the university as an instructor in Fall 1991. Paris became an associate professor of English in 1994. He has taught many English,
rhetoric, composition, and literature courses while at UIW. He
served as assistant director of teaching services and chaired the
JumpStart Program. Paris chaired the UIW First-Year Experience
and the Academic Literary Rhetoric Program as well as served
as assistant dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social
Sciences. He has published a book of poetry, short stories, several
individual poems and numerous reviews. He has represented UIW
on panels and as an individual presenter, delivering papers on his
administrative experience at international conferences.
Robert Sosa, director of foundation,
corporate, and government relations,
has played an integral role in numerous
capital campaigns that have secured more
than $80 million since 1992. They include
the Mabee Library, AT&T and Bonilla
science centers, and the Feik School of
Pharmacy. Sosa also successfully led a
campaign to raise $8.3 million for the
Bowden Eye Care and Health Center on
Robert Sosa, director San Antonio’s Eastside. Recently, he had
of foundation, corpo- taken the lead in raising the funds needed
rate, and government for UIW to build a School of Osteopathic
relations
Medicine. Sosa has taught as an adjunct
instructor of marketing, advertising, and writing composition
and literature at UIW, San Antonio College (SAC), UTSA, and St.
Mary’s University, among others. He earned both his bachelor’s
and master’s degrees in English from St. Mary’s University.
UIW wishes these prestigious retirees well in the next phase of
their life journeys and thanks them for their many years of invaluable service to the university.
Dr. Bernadette O’Connor, emerita professor of philosophy,
graduated from the Brainpower Connection schools of St. Peter
Prince of Apostles in 1957, Incarnate Word High School in 1961,
and Incarnate Word College (IWC) in 1966 with a double major
THE WORD | SUMMER 2014
23
university collective
Dr. Eric
Akuta, assistant professor
and program
coordinator of
criminal justice, Extended
Academic
Programs (EAP), had his
paper, “Using the Cost Element
Model to Explain Perpetrators’ Perceptions to Combat
Cybercrime in Cameroon: A
Structural Equation Model
Approach,” published in “The
Journal Research in Peace,
Gender and Development,”
March 2014, Vol. 4 (2).
The University of the Incarnate
Word’s (UIW) Provost Dr.
Kathi Light hosted the annual
Faculty Appreciation Luncheon
on April 23. Faculty awards
and recognitions included:
President’s Teaching Award:
• Dr. Brian McBurnett, associate professor of chemistry
Moody Professor of History:
• Dr. Lopita Nath, associate
professor of history
Provost’s Legacy Teaching
Awards:
• Dr. Christopher Edelman,
assistant professor of
philosophy
• Yvonne Davila, instructor of
nursing
• Dr. Matthew Gonzalez, EAP
assistant professor of information systems
• Dr. Yutaka Maki, assistant
professor of optometry
Retiring Faculty Awarded
Emeritus status:
• George Burnett, director
emeritus of technical theatre
• Debbie Bussineau-King,
professor emerita of music
• Dr. Mary Elaine Jones, Brig.
Gen. Lillian Dunlap endowed
professor emerita of nursing
• Dr. Jessica Kimmel, professor emerita of education
• Dr. Sara Kolb, professor
emerita of nursing
• Dr. Bernadette O’Connor,
professor emerita of philoso24 T H E W O R D | S U M M E R 2 0 1 4
phy
• Dr. Chris Paris, associate
professor emeritus of English
• Dr. Caroline Spana, assistant professor emerita of
nursing
Faculty Awarded Sabbaticals
for 2014-15:
• Dr. Christy MacKinnon,
professor of biology, Fall 2014
• Sr. Martha Ann Kirk, CCVI,
professor of religious studies,
Spring 2015
• Dr. Steve Liu, associate professor of communication arts,
Fall ’14 –Spring ’15
Dr. Jessica
M. Ibarra,
assistant
professor
of biology,
received the
following
honors and
awards: fellow, 2014 Archive
Vision and Change Scholar
Program, The American
Physiological Society; recipient
of the UIW Faculty Development Award to attend the 2014
Experimental Biology Meeting
in San Diego, Calif., April 2330, 2014; published in the 2014
“Quirk,” visual arts entitled
“Bella 1”; and recipient of the
2013 Inspirational Leadership
Award at the Women’s Leadership Awards from the San
Antonio Business Journal.
Dr. Ryan Lunsford, associate
professor of business administration, Extended Academic
Programs (EAP), had his
“Onshoring: An i-Opener for
Apple, Inc.” paper published in
the April 2014 issue of the “International Journal of Trends
in Economics Management &
Technology.”
Dr. Bernadette
O’Connor,
professor of
philosophy,
has a chapter
UIW bids farewell to Dr. Andrew Buzzelli,
dean of the Rosenberg School of Optometry (RSO), as he leaves the university to
assume the role of founding dean of the
Kentucky College of Optometry at the
University of Pikeville this July. Buzzelli
joined the university in June 2011. He was
presented with the Educator of the Year
award by the Texas Optometric Association
at the organization’s 112th Annual Convention in 2012. At UIW, he oversaw the opening of the Bowden Eye
Care and Health Center, providing eye care to vulnerable populations on San Antonio’s Eastside. As founding dean of the Kentucky
College of Optometry, he will continue his efforts in serving the
underserved by providing access to full scope optometric care for
rural Appalachia and Kentucky.
“It is the ability to deliver access to not only health care but also
health care education to the rural population, a skill I learned at the
University of the Incarnate Word. It is not a skill I brought here but
a philosophy I leave with,” said Buzzelli.
UIW is proud to announce the appointment of Timothy A. Wingert, O.D.,
F.A.A.O. as dean of RSO. Wingert assumed
the position of dean on July 1. Wingert is
a tenured professor and served as associate dean for Academic Affairs at RSO. He
came to the university in 2012 after 23 years
at the University of Missouri – St. Louis,
where he currently holds the position of
professor emeritus. “The Rosenberg School
of Optometry is a jewel at UIW and I expect that it will continue to
grow in excellence under Dr. Wingert’s leadership,” said Dr. Kathi
Light, provost.
entitled, “Toward a Metaphysics of Human Amor Fou,”
included in the book, “Love
and Friendship: Maritain and
the Tradition,” published by
The Catholic University of
America Press, Aug. 14, 2013,
and a chapter entitled, “Maritain’s Dissymmetry Solution,”
included in the book, “Aquinas
& Maritain on Evil: Mystery
and Metaphysics,” published
by The Catholic University of
America Press, Nov. 1, 2013.
Margaret Mitchell, professor of theatre arts, received
the Herbert G. Greggs Award
from Broadway Press and
the United States Institute for
Theatre Technology (USITT)
for her article, “A Costume
Correspondence, the Theatrical
War Effort of Charles Ricketts,”
published in 2013 in “Theatre
Design and Technology.” She
was given the award at the
March annual USITT conference in Fort Worth, Texas.
Mitchell also received an award
for volunteerism from the McNay Art Museum in April.
Dr. Gerald
Mulvey’s,
meteorological instructor,
latest paper,
“Resources
and Guidance for Ethics and Personal
Conduct in Meteorology,” was
university collective
published in the “Bulletin of
the American Meteorological
Society,” Hill, Jerry D., Gerald
J. Mulvey, 95, 164–167, January
2014. He was accepted for the
third annual AMS Climate
Studies Diversity Project workshop in Washington D.C., May
18-23, 2014. This workshop is
designed to bring climate studies introductory-level courses
to minority-serving institutions
and attract underserved students to the geosciences. View:
www.ametsoc.org/amsedu/online/climateinfo/diversity.html
Rosenberg
School of
Optometry
(RSO) faculty
member, Dr.
Srihari
Narayanan,
associate
professor and director of
Cornea and Dry Eye Service,
was granted tenure at the UIW
board of trustees meeting on
March 7.
Dr. Raul
RodriguezBarocio,
distinguished
professor of
finance, has
been named
chair of the
board of directors of the U.S. Mexico Foundation, a philanthropic organization dedicated
to improving the symbiotic
relationship between the two
countries by expanding opportunity for the people of Mexico.
Dr. Kara Tison will be joining
the pediatric optometry staff
at the Rosenberg School of
Optometry (RSO). She will
complete her residency in
pediatrics at Southern College of Optometry in July and
begin an academic career as a
senior clinical instructor with
RSO. Tison will enable RSO
to keep up with the pediatric
responsibilities inherent in the
Affordable Health Care Act
at the Bowden Eye Care and
Health Center. She will also be
assigned to lecture and laboratory roles at RSO’s Datapoint
location.
Dr. Lila
LaGrange,
associate professor of pharmacy practice,
served on and
attended the
fall meeting
of the American Physiological
Society Education Committee
to plan for 2014 activities to
promote excellence in physiology education and the development of young scientists,
Bethesda, Md., Nov. 24-26. She
served as chair of the AACP
Biological Sciences Section
Strategic Plan Task Force with
the task of providing recommendations on the current
strategic plan, Nov. 2013-May
2014. LaGrange served as a
member of the Council of Sections (COS) Strategic Plan Task
Force with the task of writing a
COS strategic plan, Nov. 2013Nov. 2014.
In March,
students in
Professor of
Education Dr.
Mary Ruth
Moore’s Instruction and
Assessment
classes, visited Carroll Early
Child Center in SAISD for a
garden lesson and to visit with
the 19 Head Start classrooms
there. The school is a part of
the SAISD Early Childhood
Education Program. Students
taught a lesson on “Peter Rabbit” in the garden where they
read the book and learned
about the parts of a plant. This
garden is an outgrowth of the
community garden located at
UIW. During spring break, Dr.
Jeffrey Crane, assistant dean
for the College of Humanities,
Arts, and Social Sciences, and
Stephen Lucke, UIW graduate student, along with one of
Moore’s students, Kaimie Roe,
planted the garden with the
children. A former student of
Moore’s, Alejandra Barraza ’05
MAT serves as director of the
Carroll Early Child Center.
Wesley Harvey, instructor of
art, has had a piece of his artwork accepted into the 20th San
Angelo National Ceramic Exhibition held at the Museum of
Fine Arts in San Angelo, Texas.
Harvey won Best of Show in
the ceramics competition with
a prize of $2,000 and an invitation to participate in an artist
workshop in Montreal, Canada
next year with juror Leopold
Foulem. During Contemporary
Art Month (CAM) in April, he
served as curator of the 5th Annual Cookie Jar Exhibition at
Lily’s Cookies in San Antonio’s
Monte Vista neighborhood.
Sr. Eilish
Ryan, CCVI,
professor
of religious
studies and
director of
the Pastoral
Institute, was
in Rome April 27-May 3 participating in the Ecclesiology
and Spiritual Renewal Program
for Health Care Leaders, which
is sponsored by the Catholic
Health Association in the U.S.
The program included presentations on theology, sponsorship, and Catholic health care,
plus visits to various Vatican
offices which oversee Catholic
health care, education and consecrated life. Before returning
to the U.S., the group visited
the birthplace of the founding
congregation, the Sisters of
Charity of the Incarnate Word,
in Lyons, France.
Dr. Cheryl Horlen, associate professor of
pharmacy practice and residency program
director, Feik School of Pharmacy (FSOP),
was appointed as assistant dean and chair
of the Department of Pharmacy Practice at
FSOP, effective Jan. 1, 2014. Horlen joined
the FSOP faculty in June of 2007. She graduated from the University of Texas with a
Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 1999. She
completed an ASHP-accredited pharmacy
practice residency at Texas Tech University
Health Sciences Center in Lubbock, Texas, followed by a specialty
residency in primary care at the University of North Carolina Hospitals in Chapel Hill, N.C. After completing her residency training,
Horlen joined the faculty of Campbell University School of Pharmacy in Buies Creek, N.C. In addition to her teaching responsibilities at Campbell University, she also served as preceptor for students
on the required ambulatory care rotation, as well as assistant director
for the primary care specialty residency. She is a member of several
professional organizations, including the American Association
of Colleges of Pharmacy, American College of Clinical Pharmacy,
and American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. She is also a
board certified pharmacotherapy specialist. Horlen’s areas of interest include anticoagulation, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and
women’s health.
THE WORD | SUMMER 2014
25
C lass
notes
Eileen Burke-Faught ’87 BA received the
Irishman of the Year award from the Harp
and Shamrock Society.
The window of UIW’s success stories!
Submissions: alumni@uiwtx.edu
Photos submitted for Class Notes may be included
on the online alumni community site.
1990s
1970s
Christine Condren ’72 BA recently retired
as director of special education from the
North East Independent School District in
San Antonio, Texas. She had worked as a
teacher and administrator in special education for 40 years.
Mary Betty Callender ’76 BSN retired
from Ohio Health home care in Columbus, Ohio after 18 years in home infusion
therapy, the last 15 years as manager of
clinical services. She recently moved to her
dream home, a log cabin, in the mountains
of Southern West Virginia. She and her
husband plan to enjoy hiking, kayaking and
golfing with friends as well as their golden
retriever, Grady.
Abe Cortez ’78 BBA has been selling world
famous cowboy hats at Paris Hatters off
Broadway and Houston in San Antonio,
Texas and has served as the number one
Stetson dealer in the United States.
1980s
Viola Benavente ’84
BSN is an assistant
professor in the
William F. Connell
School of Nursing at
Boston College. She
is also active in the
National Association
of Hispanic Nurses among other professional nursing organizations.
Aline Harbison ’86 BA has been named
associate director for catechetical leadership
in the Archdiocese of New Orleans and will
work with administrators and teachers in 86
elementary and secondary Catholic schools.
26 T H E W O R D | S U M M E R 2 0 1 4
president. The largest professional nursing
organization in Ohio, the ONA provides
registered nurses a variety of services,
including continuing education opportunities, information on nursing practice and
standards of care, legislative advocacy and
collective bargaining.
Carla Cristadoro Fresquez ’87 BM and
Juan Fresquez ’87 BS share a photo with
their son, 2014 UIW graduate Diego Fresquez after his senior recital.
Dan Kirkpatrick
’87 BSN, a clinical instructor at
the Wright State
University–Miami
Valley College
of Nursing and
Health, was
recently elected
president of the
Ohio Nurses Association (ONA). He received a two-year
term. Kirkpatrick previously served on the
association’s board of directors as first vice
Dr. Maria Falcon-Cantrill ’01
BS currently serves as a pediatric
oncologist at Pediatric Specialists
of Texas. She volunteers for the
St. Baldrick’s Foundation where
volunteers shave their heads to raise
awareness and funds for pediatric
cancer research. Falcon-Cantrill
also serves as a board member of
Camp Discovery, a summer camp
for children with cancer. Camp Discovery is referred to as the ‘greatest
place on earth’ by the volunteers
and planning committee members.
When the stress and pressure of
her work builds, Falcon-Cantrill
said she is reminded of her guiding
principle: “Faith is the ability not to
panic.”
Raúl R. Calvoz
’90 BA became
a partner in the
Central Texas law
firm of Tuggey
Calvoz LLP.
Rebecca Ford ’90 MS practiced as a certified clinical nutritionist while continuing
to work as a registered nurse. She recently
attended Southwest College of Naturopathic
Medicine in Tempe, Ariz. and now lives in
San Antonio and owns Integrative Medicine
Consultants of Texas.
Linda Calvert Jacobson ’90 BA was
accepted to exhibit her contemporary
wildflower paintings at Artexpo 2014, held
in New York City, N.Y. April 4-6. This summer, Jacobson has been invited to have a
solo show at the
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower
Center in
Austin, Texas.
Jacobson is
represented by
several national
galleries around
the country,
including galleries in Stowe,
Vt.; Jackson, Wyo.; Las Vegas, Nev.; and
Carefree, Ariz. Her paintings have also been
licensed for reproduction on products in the
U.K., Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
Pablo Pena ’06 BBA ’08 MAA is currently working as an account manager for
Cardtronics in Houston, Texas and is working on his dissertation proposal completion
in the fall.
Sgt. Maj. Jose M. Picon ’95 BBA ’98 MBA
(second from left) is currently on his second
tour of Afghanistan, and third deployment
currently assigned as a contracting officer
representative in Kabul. He works with the
Intelligence and Security Command that
oversees the interpreters’ contract.
Ronald Wojnar ’99 MA is an assistant
professor and program coordinator of digital
video and cinema production at Northwest
Vista College.
Lorena Mello ’07
BA is currently the
director of human
resources at the
Kickapoo Lucky
Eagle Casino Hotel
in Eagle Pass, Texas.
Cesar Alvarado ’09 BA recently started
working with the Better Business Bureau as
their regional public relations director and
is currently working with several publications to collaborate with weekly, bi-weekly
or monthly columns.
2000s
Adriana Rocha Garcia ’00 BA ’02 MA
completed a Ph.D. in advertising from the
University of Texas at Austin in May. Her
dissertation, “Delivering Value Through
Social Networking,” is an interactive qualitative analysis of the undergraduate experience
and using social media experience.
Lisa (Hutzler) McNary ’86 IWHS ’91 BA
’95 MA earned her Ph.D. in strategic leadership with a concentration in strategic foresight from Regent University in May.
Christine Mendez ’91 BA is the deputy
for public relations and test control officer
for the Fort Sam Houston Army Education
Center at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam
Houston. She is also a licensed professional
counselor and counsels service members and
veterans on college, career and transition
options.
Marianne Rodriguez ’91 BA is celebrating
her fifth year as a Pampered Chef consultant.
Mary Anne Schweers ’91 BBA ’93 MBA is
now director at Gimmal LLC.
Laura Vaccaro ’91 BBA has been promoted
to the Valero Energy Foundation.
Francine B.
Piña ’01 BBA
and ’13 MAA
along with her
husband, W.
Jonathan Piña,
and their two
children, Vivien (age 4) and
William (age
1), returned to
San Antonio,
Texas. Piña is the new director of communications for the American Heart Association
and the American Stroke Association.
Rose Smith ’01 BBA started work with
Amega West Services, a subsidiary of Carpenter Technology Corporation.
Michael E. Dodd ’03
BSN ’13 MHA is now
serving as the executive
director of the 10th floor
Sky Tower for University
Health System.
Allen Wilson ’09 BA graduated magna cum
laude from Baylor Law School with a specialization in administrative practice. Since that
time he has worked as an associate attorney
for the law firm Sanderford & Carroll, P.C.,
which specializes in construction litigation
and federal procurement law.
2010s
Christopher Coignet ’10 BS began his first
full-time job in meteorology in February.
He now serves as environmental consultant
for Source Environmental Sciences, Inc.
in Houston, Texas. He previously worked
at UIW as a laboratory technician for the
meteorology department.
Ashley Enriquez ’10 BA is now working
in private practice as a marriage and family
therapist associate. She specializes in helping
THE WORD | SUMMER 2014
27
couples to get back on track in their relationships by overcoming infidelities, managing conflict, strengthening friendship, and
rebuilding trust and understanding. She also
works with individuals who struggle with
depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, caregiver issues and other everyday stressors.
Kirsten Horne
’11 BS recently became
the weekend
meteorologist
for the 7NEWS
Weather Team
in Denver, Colo.
Elizabeth M. Jauregui, MT-BC ’11 BM
recently conducted a presentation on the
benefits of music therapy to directors, nurses
and specialists at the Texas Visiting Nurse
Service, LTD; a CLASS (Community Living
Assistance and Support Services) program.
The presentation resulted in a contract to
acquire music therapy services for any client who is approved to receive specialized
therapies in the Rio Grande Valley through
TVNS. Jauregui is a board certified music
therapist and will be among the first and few
to offer music therapy to people with disabilities across the Rio Grande Valley.
Marc Harrison ’12
BA was appointed to
the VIA Metropolitan Board of Trustees
in December by the
City of San Antonio.
Harrison is an operations supervisor for
Greyhound Lines,
Inc., where he manages staff members
and handles training and hiring.
Mauricio Sanchez ’12 BBA is serving as
the CEO and founder of a local nonprofit
corporation, The Allocative Efficiency Fund
(www.taef.org).
Kathryn Marie Laskowski ’13 BS has been
accepted to the University of Texas Medical
Branch at Galveston and will begin medical
school Fall 2014.
Katie Rivera ’13
BA served as Miss
Bexar County for
Fiesta 2014.
Anna-Alizette Ruiz ’13 BA MA was recently
promoted to assistant project manager at
HeartFire Media.
Travis Patterson ’12 MAA is currently
teaching as an adjunct faculty instructor
at Brown Mackie College and as a visiting
lecturer at Texas State University. He is currently working on several publications and
research projects including a publication on
“Medical Treatment disguises the Pseudoscience of the 21st Century” and research on
“Assessing the Organizational Psychology of
Non-Profit Blood Banking: Non-medical issues relating to lower volunteer blood donor
return rates.”
Holly Rodriguez ’13 MAA was recently
promoted to assistant vice president at Wells
Fargo and is now leading an operational risk
department in the bank’s Default Servicing
organization.
Mariana Veraza ’13 BA MA currently serves
as a video journalist at Univision.
Five UIW alumnae have been
inducted into the
2014 San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame:
Rebeca Maria Barrera ’69 BS,
cultural visionary, Tres Rebecas
Veronica Muzquiz Edwards ’92 MBA,
founder and CEO of InGenesis, Inc.
Christine Luna Gonzalez ’91 MA,
regional director of volunteer services,
CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health Systems
Yolanda P. Torres ’57 BA,
retired secondary school English teacher
Brittany Valadez ’11 BA works as entertainment correspondent for Latina Magazine
and recently interviewed alumnus Ricardo
Chavira ’96 BA at the American Latino
Media Arts (ALMA) Awards. Check out the
clip here: http://m.latina.com/entertainment/
buzz/watch-2013-alma-awards-red-carpetinterviews
28 T H E W O R D | S U M M E R 2 0 1 4
Leticia M. Vacek ’09 BAAS ’12 MAA,
San Antonio city clerk
A Career Conversation
with Elisha Skorman:
Marketing Graduate Turned
LA Actress and Producer
By Jeff Berry
For 2003 marketing graduate Elisha Skorman (her adopted screen name), the dream
was clear: “I knew from a young age I
wanted to move to Los Angeles and pursue
acting.” But the path didn’t start where you
would expect it.
“I was really introverted growing up, I
was shy,” said Skorman. “I was always hiding behind my mother’s legs.”
So, how does a modest youth go from
using a maternal barrier to being nominated for Best Actress at the Madrid International Film Festival? In a word: persistence.
As a teen, Skorman began attending acting school in Austin and made appearances
in several marketing campaigns in San
Antonio, including a spot in the ubiquitous
1990s Taco Bell commercial “Taco Bell Has
Done It Again.” These experiences laid the
groundwork for Skorman as she received
In Memoriam
Chita Sue Thompson Gates Wilson ’39
BA
Jane Long Clark ’40 BS
Maxine Whitten Blount ’42 BA
Marian Seng Tschoepe ’43 BA
Margaret J. Garcia Saenz ’43 BSN
Lucille T. Althoff Shultz ’45 BSN
her first break.
“I was asked to be in a music video and
the director needed me to cry,” shared Skorman. “I couldn’t just cry on command, so it
took several takes and some coaching, but
finally, I just let go. I screamed as loud as I
could and the tears started coming down. I
knew in that moment this is what I wanted
to do.”
As any artisan can tell you, your calling
doesn’t always pay the bills. While moonlighting as an actress, she worked part-time
at a beauty salon and attended the University of Incarnate Word’s (UIW) H-E-B School
of Business and Administration full-time.
Long days and even longer nights finally
paid off as Skorman crossed the stage with
degree in hand, but the celebration was
mixed; it was time to make decisions.
“My mom wanted me to stay in San Antonio, but I always knew I wanted to be in
Los Angeles. As soon as I got my diploma,
I packed my car and took off for the West
Coast. I didn’t know anyone in the area, but
I knew that’s where I belonged,” explained
Skorman.
Although not a novice to the acting profession, Skorman struggled to find employment in her chosen career: “Everyday in LA
was spent trying to find a job, any job. I had
to make it happen though, so I took a job as
a waitress with no experience whatsoever.”
As stated in many a career advice guide,
Skorman “paid her dues” and in 2004
found herself attached to a talent agency,
as she slowly crept into the industry. The
same year, she landed a minor role in the
comedy short “The Plight of Clownana,”
subsequently leading to appearances on
“The Young and the Restless,” “CSI: NY,”
and “Dealership.” By 2012, Skorman had
produced a lengthy portfolio as an actress,
but her next project would also put her on
the other side of the camera.
In her first visit back to UIW in over a
decade, she reminisced about her experience as a Cardinal.
“I can’t believe how much the campus
has changed since I was here. All these
new buildings, but it still feels the same,”
said Skorman, who came home to attend a screening of her new independent
film, “Autumn Wanderer,” at the Blue Star
Contemporary, which features Skorman
alongside her husband Nathan Sutton.
Developed from a short story written by
Sutton, “Autumn Wanderer” is a product
of the couple’s independent production
company, Mohawk Street Productions.
Now as an executive producer, Skorman
has come full circle from delivering SWOT
analyses in the classroom to employing her
education in social media strategy, public
relations and selecting venues to promote
the film.
“I wanted to get that edgy, hometown
feel. We needed to pick a location that was
outside of the box, so we laid out the opportunities and the threats and decided on
(Blue Star) an art gallery that would attract
an audience that would be interested in
our film. We’re branding ourselves in order
to retain a certain audience,” Skorman
explained.
Skorman has played many roles, but her
new position as marketing coordinator has
allowed her to reflect on her classroom encounters, particularly her capstone project.
“Capstone was a really important part
of my academic experience. The teamwork
involved, strategizing to reach a solution; I
definitely gained a lot of practical experience from the project,” Skorman elaborated.
Although Skorman took the road less
traveled, the skills and knowledge gained
from studying marketing at UIW have assisted her in following her passion. When
asked to give advice to current and future
Cardinals, Skorman reiterated a path of
persistence: “Study hard, (UIW) will get
you all the help you need to be successful. There’s no reason you can’t live your
dream.”
Marion Joyce Lane Tillotson ’46 BA
Ellen Toren de Tournillon ’50 BA
Jo Ann Johnson Mandriotta ’56 BSN
Claudia Jean Lugo Messner ’57 IWHS ’61
BSN
Sr. Mary Benedict Broderick ’57 BSN
Dorothy A. Garten Wohlfeil ’59 BA
Dr. Carole Edland ’59 BSN
Viola Diana Irvin Cavallini ’60 BA
Frances Ann Gabelich Ramirez ’64 BSN
Col. Jessie W. Bynum ’66 BSN
Robert Foard Townsend ’68 MA
Elaine Johnson Darden ’70 BA
Sr. Carmen Roche, CCVI ’70 BS
Linda Jo Work Perry ’72 BSN
Sr. Eva Regina Martin, SSF ’73 MA
Dr. Franklin J. Chinn, Sr., benefactor
THE WORD | SUMMER 2014
29
Weddings and Engagements
Future Cardinals
Marianne Rodriguez ’91 BA is blessed and
happy to announce the arrival of Danielle
Rose, born Sept. 16 at 7 pounds 11 ounces
21.5 inches.
Tony Ramos’ ’02 BS son Tiago Antonio
was born on May 28, 2013 at 5:19 a.m. at 6
pounds 5 ounces.
Aline Harbison ’86 BA is engaged to
Michael Frederick.
Sandy Hernandez ’02 BA became engaged
to David Zamora, on Dec. 19, 2013.
Elizabeth M. Jauregui, MT-BC ’11 BM
and Oscar C. Linares were engaged on Jan.
12, 2014. They met while attending music
courses at UIW in 2011.
Roxanne Mayorga ’09 BA is engaged to
Johnny “Rick” Silva, Jr. who is a sushi chef
at Koi Kawa Japanese Restaurant and Sushi
Bar. They will be getting married March 29,
2015 in the McCombs Center Rosenberg
Sky Room. She has been working on her
Ph.D. in general psychology through Capella
University. She also serves as an adjunct
faculty member at San Antonio College as
well as UIW’s ADCaP program.
Carmen Torres Leos ’05 BA ’13 MAA and
Alex Leos, Jr. welcomed Dominic James and
Jack Ryan to the world on Jan. 16, 2014.
What UIW faculty member made
the biggest impact on you?
Linda Jewell ’10 BS and John Eric Gomez
’08 BS married on Dec. 21, 2013.
Rose Valenzuela ’13 BA will marry David
Schroeder on Jan. 31, 2015.
Connect
more with
UIW!
30 T H E W O R D | S U M M E R 2 0 1 4
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter
and Instagram.
Facebook.com/uiwcardinals
Twitter.com/uiwcardinals
@uiwcardinals
Instagram.com/uiwcardinals
@uiwcardinals
Are you pinning? Follow us
on Pinterest at UIWpride.
Pinterest.com/uiwpride
If a UIW faculty member made a
difference in your academic career,
please let us know! Just email Alumni
Relations at alumni@uiwtx.edu with
the name of the faculty member and
a brief description of how they had a
positive influence on you as a UIW
student.
The Word Online
has a new home!
Visit us at www.thewordonline.org to
view the magazine online as well as
additional content. Don’t worry, if
you visit the old location at
www.uiw.edu/thewordonline/,
you will be redirected automatically
to our new site.
UIW’s Extended Academics Programs (EAP)
offers new innovative programs
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN CYBER SECURITY (BSCS)
DIGITAL FORENSICS CONCENTRATION
The Bachelor of Science in Cyber Security (BSCS) encourages students to gain knowledge of cyber terrorism based on
a mixture of disciplines to include the management of information technology, psychology, security policy analysis and
assurance, criminology, and business. The degree is aimed at
candidates who are already in the field and require further development of comprehensive methods to plan, analyze, design,
develop and implement cyber security strategies, policies and
governance standards. Upon completion of the undergraduate
degree, graduates will engage in a Capstone project encompassing intelligence and practical security applications, which can
further lead to post graduation certifications such as the CISSP.
Input from the National Security Agency’s (NSA) was sought
throughout the building of the BSCS curriculum.
The scope of Digital Forensics is a shared concentration
of the Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration
and the Bachelor’s of Criminal Justice, jointly developed
by the faculty of undergraduate business administration
and criminal justice programs. Candidates studying digital
forensics will pursue a hands-on approach to criminology
and cyber terrorism threats by learning topics such as ethical hacking, investigations and forensics as they pertain to
the legal issues faced by private and public organizations.
An eye on the National Security Agency’s (NSA) advancements and changes are integrated throughout the curriculum. Input from local government and technology experts
was sought throughout the building of the Digital Forensics
curriculum.
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN INTERNATIONAL SPORT COACHING
The Master of Science in International Sport Coaching is designed to allow individuals with very specific job requirements to
advance their career as a competitive sport coach, manager and leader. Coaches’ typical working hours are from 3 p.m. until well
into the evening in most cases and therefore they cannot attend traditional evening classes. This degree is designed as a sport
specific cohort curriculum for online delivery in order to meet the specific needs of coaches or program administrators, including general leadership, management and decision making skills both in the organization and in the physical training of athletes.
Specifically the course content areas are management, leadership, research and organizational behavior and planning. The scientific areas cover the lifespan and psychosocial aspects of children, preadolescences and adults. The physiological, mechanical and
neuromotor control aspects of movement are covered in this case in very sport specific courses and require the use of cinematographic and other technologies. The Capstone course will require an entire audit of the organization in terms of organizational
effectiveness, the application of science and technology and demonstration of an effective season planning process.
Visit http://adulted.uiw.edu/ to learn more or contact EAP at (800) 318-1876/(210) 757-0202 or eapadmission@uiwtx.edu
Moment for Reflection
By Sr. Teresa Maya, CCVI
Sr. Teresa Maya was officially installed
as the new Congregational Coordinator
of the Sisters of Charity of the
Incarnate Word on July 13.
The Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate
Word are called to make God’s love a real and
tangible presence in the world. I often reflect
on how “presence” can be an integral part of
our busy hurried lives. Are we truly present
even to our friends and family? This has been
a soul searching issue for me, yet presence is
a simple everyday thing. Here is how I found
out.
About a year ago, I was ordering a cup of
coffee at a Starbucks. The cashier, a strong
woman clearly in charge, asked, “Room?” And
I drew a blank, “Excuse me?” And again she
just said, “R-o-o-m?” I tried to wake my brain
up without the coffee and all the images in my
mind were, of course, of bedrooms, so I said
shyly, “You mean as in bedroom?” And she
was exasperated, “I mean do you want r—o—
o—m in your coffee cup for milk.” Relieved,
and now educated in Starbucks lingo, I nod-
ded and then quickly got away from the long
line of regulars.
The “room” in my coffee cup every morning is my simple reminder of all the cups of
my life that need more room. There is my
cup of prayer, always filled to the brim with
worries, difficult situations, people who are
suffering, but no room for God. And there
is my cup of friendship, when I gather with
friends and leave wondering if I left room to
really listen to the struggles of their lives. The
cup of family, do I have room for them or do I
assume they will always be there as they have
been in the past. The cup of citizenship, how
often do I leave room to participate in local
non-profits as a volunteer or to join my voice
to advocacy efforts.
Presence requires “room” for the Divine to
pour Grace gently into the cups of our daily
life.
THE WORD | SUMMER 2014
31
Alumni Events
Alumni & Family Homecoming
UIW Alumni Theatre series
Save the date for Oct. 23-26! Mark your calendar and come
visit UIW. Our Alumni & Family Homecoming has an event
for everyone! Make sure to visit the alumni and parent website at www.uiwalumni.org for more information!
Join UIW alumni at the Majestic Theatre for our “Broadway
Across America” series as we plan to watch:
“Beauty and the Beast” - Sept. 30
“Dirty Dancing” - Nov. 4
Save the dates above and keep checking back at the
Cardinal’s Nest to purchase tickets at www.uiwalumni.org
Additional Summer and Fall dates
to keep in mind
Friday, July 18 - Lion & Rose Double Decker Bus
Friday, Aug. 15 - First Annual UIW Alumni & Parent
Beer Tasting
September (TBD) - Young Alumni Mixer
UIW Alumni Red Zone tailgates
Saturday, Aug. 30 - UIW Red Zone Tailgate
Saturday, Sept. 27 - UIW Red Zone Tailgate
Saturday, Oct. 25 - UIW Homecoming Tailgate
Saturday, Nov. 8 - UIW Red Zone Tailgate
32 T H E W O R D | S U M M E R 2 0 1 4
Update your email with the alumni office!
Have you missed a few alumni events recently and wish you
had known about them? If so, please update your contact on
the Cardinal’s Nest at www.uiwalumni.org. You can login for
the first time by clicking on ‘first time login,’ finding your
last name and then entering your old student ID number. If
you don’t remember it, call us at (210) 829-6014 and we can
help get you signed in.
A Passion
for Education
By Brance Arnold ’10 MA
A
passionate belief in education and the mission of proFink said that when Sr. Kathleen Coughlin, CCVI, first
viding youth an opportunity to achieve their academic
assumed the role of vice president for institutional advanceaspirations is what inspires Rick Fink ’88 MA and his
ment, she invited the development board members to her
wife, Marion, to maintain a deep connection with the Univeroffice to meet with them. Upon learning Fink had a degree in
sity of the Incarnate Word (UIW) and play an integral role in
gerontology, she suggested he serve on the board of directors
its advancement.
for The Village at Incarnate Word, where he served two threeFink, who earned his master’s degree in social gerontology
year terms. While on the board, Fink chaired the construcfrom what was then Incarnate Word College, said his journey
tion committee for the expansion of the Dubuis House at the
to the university was one of chance.
retirement facility.
“I was a career Air Force Officer
An Alamo Heights Rotarian, Fink
and when I retired I received a job
is instrumental in organizing Alamo
offer at what was then USAA Towers,”
Heights Night, a popular festival during
said Fink. “Through the orientation
Fiesta, which funds the rotary’s largest
process they had an education office
single, non-profit donation to local
and I stopped in and found a brocharitable organizations. The event is
chure for a gerontology program at
now held on UIW’s main campus.
Incarnate Word, which they no longer
Most recently, Fink and his wife
offer.”
contributed a major gift to UIW’s Fine
Fink phoned the number on the
Arts Campaign to help ensure the
brochure and after speaking with Sr.
building of the Fine Arts Complex, set
Margaret Rose Palmer, CCVI, began
to open in the fall. The couple said that
the program. Establishing a top-rated
their contribution to the campaign was
retirement community as the director
based on need.
of USAA Towers, he said his educa“That’s what they needed at the
tion at UIW helped to facilitate his
time,” explained Marion. “They needed
career success.
to finish the building. We said, why not.
“I knew a lot about management
If that’s where you need it, that’s where
Rick Fink at his home in San Antonio, Texas.
but not a lot about dealing with the
the funds should go.”
elderly population,” Fink said. “It was
Fink and his wife said their conneca unique program.”
tion to UIW is reinforced by their participation in the develTwo years after graduating he was asked to become a
opment board’s many social activities. In particular, they look
member of the UIW Development Board, on which he has
forward to interacting with students who often attend these
served for over 20 years. He and Marion contribute regularly
events and sometimes give presentations to the board.
to UIW’s annual fund at the Associate Level. Fink and his
Fink, who is also a retired master gardener and taught
wife, who are from upstate New York, both attended small
vegetable gardening under a state supported program at the
colleges and said they felt a strong connection to UIW beBotanical Gardens for almost 15 years, was even asked to visit
cause of the kind of students who attend the university.
the UIW Community Vegetable Garden and provide sugges“We both attended small colleges, we both lived at home,
tions in growing the garden.
we were scholarship students, and the first in our families to
Overall, giving back to students who want to succeed acago to college,” said Fink. “The more we learned about Incardemically toward achieving a fulfilling career is what is most
nate Word, the more we learned they had students similar to
important to Fink and his wife. And now with a third generaus.”
tion including eight grandchildren, who have either earned
Fink became the first executive director of The Forum at
degrees or are currently pursuing them, the Finks believe
Lincoln Heights after leaving USAA Towers, a position he
education to be critical.
held for 10 years. Though he is now retired, he continues to
“It’s a top priority,” said Fink. “Every year when the annual
provide hiring and marketing consulting to fellow alumnus
campaign comes up, we do not hesitate. It is just something
J.B. Gouger ’97 MA, who owns five small assisted living comwe do. And we are grateful for the fact that we can make
munities in South Texas.
those decisions.”
University of the Incarnate Word
4301 Broadway
San Antonio, Texas 78209
Guests donned their
best hats and Southern
attire at this year’s
Kentucky Derby themed
Swing-In Auction
Party and Golf
Tournament!
Over 500 guests attended
the auction party on
May 1 in the McCombs
Center Rosenberg Sky Room
and more than 300 golfers
participated in the golf
tournament held at Republic
Golf Club on May 2. More
than $400,000 was raised for
scholarships, the most
in the event’s 37 year history.
Thank you to all who made
this year’s Swing-In such a
tremendous success!
Non-Profit
Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
San Antonio, Texas
Permit # 1822