36212 Voices Cover:36212 Voices Cover

St. Benedict’s Rule for Monks begins with
a powerful imperative: Listen. And at
Benedictine University, we believe in the
importance of listening to one another.
We therefore have named our magazine
Benedictine Voices. We pledge that within
these pages, members of the Benedictine
community will speak with candor about
issues facing our University and our world.
We cordially invite you to enter into
dialogue with us.
Benedictine
The News From Benedictine University
Winter 2008 | Volume 37 | Number 2
Executive Director of Marketing and Communications
Mercy Robb, M.B.A.’02
Editor
Linda A. Hale
Contents
Vision
Writers
Phil Brozynski
William J. Carroll
Rita A. Dougherty
“Your vision will become clear only when you can look
into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams;
who looks inside, awakens.”
— CARL JUNG
1 • William J. Carroll, President
The Passing of a Modern Day Founder
2 • Monastic Perspective
Looking at the Genealogy of the Masters
Values
“Great things are not done on impulse,
but by a series of small things brought together.”
— VINCENT
philanthropy
VAN GOGH
9 • Donations In Action
4 • Educare Ball Raises More Than
$150,000 for Student Scholarships
6 • President’s Associates Recognized
for Commitment to University
• Ancient Triptych Artwork Donated
to Fund Campus Art Gallery
7 • Scholarship Donors, Recipients Honored
During Annual Recognition Dinner
• Phonathon
10 • Homecoming 2007
• Wireless Hotspots Now On Campus
17 • Buddhist Temple Bells Ring Out
as a New Country Emerges
18 • Catholic Perspectives On Women
• New Box Broadcasts Energy
Produced by Birck Hall Solar Panel
• External Review Gives Kudos
to O.D. Program
20 • Reflections by Fr. James Flint, O.S.B.:
A Procopian Pioneer
21 • Freshmen Ready to Embrace Challenge
• University’s Enrollment Increase
Shatters National Projections
22 • Change for the Sake of No Change
• Team Benedictine
annual report 2006-2007
Photographers
Krystal Barrett
Stephan Bates
Phil Brozynski
Nadia Darwish, C07
Jeff Knox
Julie Nelligan, M.S.M.O.B.’06
Mercy Robb, M.B.A.’02
Debbie Smith
12 • Alumni Briefs
14 • Alma Matters: Robert Koller
• Giving Back: Bill Carroll
educate a menace to society.”
16 • Coal Ben is New Center of
Campus Social Activity
Allan Gozum
Douglas Hoffman, C79
Rachel Huska, C08
Virginia McCarthy
Julie Nelligan, M.S.M.O.B.’06
Debbie Smith
Denise West
Art Director
Mary Kay Wolf, Wolf Design
11 • Upcoming Events
“To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to
university news
Contributors
Pina Arnone
Krystal Barrett
Dave Beyer
Brad Carlson
Nadia Darwish, C07
Fr. James Flint, O.S.B.
Irene Gendel
alumni news
8 • Gift of Stocks Benefits University
and Donor
Vitality
Linda A. Hale
Fr. David Turner, O.S.B.
— OLIVER
WENDELL HOLMES
24 • Asking the Experts: What Changes
Need to Occur in Higher Education
in the Next Five Years?
25 • Fast Facts: Benedictine Partners
with COD to Offer New Academic
Program in Fine Arts
26 • Families With Loved Ones In Iraq
Offered the Use of Video Conferencing
class/faculty notes
26 • Class Notes
28 • Faculty Notes
• A Look at the Past
• Ostrow’s Book Explores Russia’s
Path to Dictatorship Under Putin
eaglescenter
31 • Excellence in the Classroom
and on the Playing Field
• Time Out: Sports Highlights
Address Corrections: For address corrections, please
contact Advancement Services at (630) 829-6099.
Benedictine Voices is published three times a year by
the Office of Marketing and Communications.
Reproduction in whole or in part without written
permission is prohibited. Distributed free to alumni,
students and friends of the University.
Opinions expressed in Benedictine Voices are not
necessarily those of Benedictine University, its
administrators, faculty or students.
Letters to the Editor must be signed, and letters
not intended for publication should be so indicated.
Please address all mail to:
Benedictine Voices
Benedictine University
5700 College Road
Lisle, IL 60532
b e n e d i c t i n e
Vision
Vision
“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your
own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens.”
— CARL JUNG
by William J. Carroll, President
The Passing of a Modern Day Founder
Joseph Kindlon
1925-2007:
A Prince Among Men
In past columns I have written about the modern day founders of Benedictine University.
Institutions like Benedictine were founded by great individuals with high energy, vision
and a passion for what might be. However, for an institution to become the best it can
be, the “founding” is not a one time event but rather an on-going process whereby the
modern day founders are needed as much as the original ones. Today, I write this column
amidst joy and sadness — the joy being the resumption of a school that has produced
more Benedictine students than ever before — the sadness being to report the death of
one of the 21st century founders, Joseph Kindlon.
J
oe’s death I find particularly hard
because he was Board Chairman upon
my selection as president, and he was
my friend and mentor. As I think about
Joe, I am well aware that we seldom
meet a man like him. He was a
long-time friend of Benedictine University.
His interest in higher education began in
1976 when he served on the President’s
Advisory Council. He became a Trustee in
1978 and continued in that role until his
death on August 9, 2007, after a long illness.
Whether engaged at a University Board
meeting, playing golf or fishing in
Florida, he was an exceptional man.
He lived by his motto — “When you
have a lot as I do, you have to give
something back.” Joe supported
many educational and health
enterprises as past Chairman of the
Benedictine University Board of
Trustees. As past Chairman of the
Marianjoy Rehabilitation
Center, he directed their
fundraising drive from
1981 to 1983, which
doubled the size of the
institution. He was a
Board Member of the
First DuPage Bank,
served on the DuPage
Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the
Board of Central DuPage Hospital. He was on
the Boards of the DuPage Historical Society,
the Humane Society and the DuPage
Community Foundation.
Because of his gregarious nature, Joe had many
connections with politicians, CEOs and people
from all walks of life. He would think nothing
of meeting a person for the first time and after
a bit of conversation, saying “You are just the
person I need for such and such a project,” and
most often that person joined Joe in his project.
Joe and his wife (of almost 65 years), Bess,
worked together for many years, promoting
each other’s charities and encouraging friends
to become active in charity work.
The Kindlons have been very generous to
Benedictine and gave a lasting gift in the
Joseph F. and Bess Kindlon Hall of Learning.
The building houses five floors of the library,
numerous classrooms and labs, as well as
University offices. It is the tallest building on
campus and anchors the campus quadrangle.
Joe received an honorary doctorate degree from
Illinois Benedictine College (now Benedictine
University) in 1986, and Bess received an
honorary doctorate from Benedictine in 1999.
Born the son of an Irish immigrant in the hotel
business, Joe never graduated from college, but
he certainly became a good businessman. He ➤
Winter 2008
1
worked his way from Albany, N.Y.,
to an assignment as a regional director
for Continental Can Company in
Chicago. While there, he became
interested in boxes and founded the
corrugated shipping container company,
Commander Packaging Inc. in Lisle.
He moved the company to Bedford
Park in 1965. He turned Commander
into a national conglomerate and later founded Kindlon Partners,
an investment and finance firm.
Joe, Bess and their sons established a racing stable, the Dundalk
5, a name taken from his father’s ancestral home in Ireland, as
well as the reason he wanted to race horses. He delighted in
naming his horses after family members and friends and watching
them compete at Arlington Park.
I recently spoke with Doug Kindlon, Joe and Bess’s youngest
son, who described his Dad as a caring and giving man — also
a disciplinarian. Even though Joe was financially successful, he
encouraged his three sons to earn their way in the world and to
have a good work ethic. Joe loved his family and as their family
grew with grandchildren and great-grandchildren, he was always
happy to have them around. This past September 29 would have
been his 82nd birthday.
Doug said that his mother threw a surprise 80th birthday party
for Joe with the entire family present. Each of the grandchildren
stood up and told Joe what he meant to them. It was an
emotional time for Joe. Those same grandchildren and
great-grandchildren stood with their parents in the receiving
line at their grandfather’s wake, greeting people who came
to pay their respects to their grandfather.
Abbot Hugh Anderson, O.S.B., Chancellor of the University
during most of Joe’s years on the Board, described him as a
“man without guile, always interested in you, not in himself.”
Abbot Hugh had the pleasure of fishing with Joe in Florida
and said that he was the consummate host, also insuring that
you were having a good time.
But why do I call Joe a modern day founder of Benedictine
University? I started this essay being happy with the largest
enrollment in the history of the University. But things were not
always this bright. For instance, 1997 was a particularly bleak
year. The enrollment was not good, the campus was in desperate
need of new buildings and there seemed nowhere to turn. I took
two proposals to the Board for action: one to close the place
with honor, the second to vote on its future and to move ahead
with a dramatic building campaign. Joe Kindlon had the energy,
the passion and the vision to see then what we so clearly see now.
He moved to vote on the institution’s future and backed that
motion with his own very generous gift that made The Kindlon
Hall of Learning possible. Because of Joe’s courage, vision and
support the University is what it is today; he truly is a “founder”
of Benedictine University.
Joe, thank you for your support, friendship and the
inspiration for us to be all we can be. ✝
2
Benedictine Voices
monastic
Looking
at the
Genealogy
of the
Masters
by Fr. David Turner, O.S.B., Ph.D.,
Assistant to the Provost for
Institutional Mission
I
n the mid 1990s, a
number of American
Benedictine monks were
approached by the
Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers
in Chicago relative to their
plan to issue a two-volume
work, The Encyclopedia of
Monasticism, during the year
2000. The purpose of this
work was to examine a variety
of topics related to
monasticism, whether
Christian, Buddhist or any
other expression within the
field of world religions. One
of the areas the general editor
hoped to examine was the
matter of “Benedictine
Schools and Universities.”
The problem was that the
editor hoped that the subject
could be covered “briefly.”
Naturally, the question rose
in my mind, “How does one
cover some 1,500 years
“briefly?”
In thinking back over my own
lifetime, I recalled that some
55 years ago I bade farewell to
a high school teacher who was
assigned by his religious
congregation to the
“Generalate” office located in
Rome, Italy. Here he would
have the archives collected
from the very beginning days
of that community’s founders
and would easily be able to
put together various historical
descriptions of the work done
b e n e d i c t i n e
Vision
Ceremony of Light.
This is the Benedictine
tradition of celebrating the
new school year by “Passing
The Light” from one
generation to the next.
perspective
by those members. It made so
much sense when one could
find all the needed details in
one place. The matter of a
search also made me think
back relative to the work done
by our Fr. James Flint, O.S.B.,
who was able to find the
appropriate materials related
to a historical question: most
of what he needed was in the
Vatican or the British archives.
The problem with
Benedictines is that we have
never been a religious group
with a central government.
We have no “Generalate.”
There is no central archival
office. The various independent
monasteries have arisen and
fallen over the ages. Libraries
and archives have been
destroyed by a variety of
groups and situations:
Saracens, Lombards, political
groups, earthquakes, and, yes,
even Allied bombs.
In the early years of
the 18th century,
Fr. Magnoald Ziegelbauer,
a scholarly European monk
who ended his days in 1750,
began collecting what data he
could and eventually it found
its way into a four-volume
work published posthumously
by his associate Fr. Oliver
Legipont (Historia Rei
Lierariae Ordinis Sancti
Benedicti). Our late Fr. Vitus
Buresh, O.S.B., kept his eyes
open some years ago and
managed to secure a copy
of the original four-volume
work in its very elegant white
leather binding. The work
rests now in our own abbey
archives.
Fr. Magnoald attempted to
identify what he could of the
various Benedictine monastics
who did scholarly work in
scripture, patristics, theology,
canon law, history, genetics,
physics and medicine. One of
the articles in The Encyclopedia
of Monasticism by Fr. Ambrose
G. Wathen, O.S.B., attempts
to identify some of the
scholars responsible for
significant work done over
the ages.
While the past may be
important, I began wondering
what we might do relative to
our present. One of our
alumni had a great idea a
few years ago and had T-shirts
made that said, “St. Procopius
College, Illinois Benedictine
College, Benedictine
University: Three Names,
One Tradition!” That
expression got me thinking:
“What might we do to fill in
our own blanks? What model
from the past might we find
that would preserve at least
our history?” It is true that
most of us will not be able
to cover the lengthy past, but
we perhaps can find a model
that may help us share the
wonderful past with our
contemporary students.
The idea I propose is to use a
model that was discussed in
old manuscripts by Patricia A.
Quinn, Ph.D. (now with the
University of Wisconsin at
Eau Claire). During her
research on the education of
the boy oblates in Benedictine
monasteries between the sixth
and 12th centuries, she
discovered the development of
“The Genealogy of the
Masters.” This was a process
where individual monastic
schools would make lists of
the “masters,” in other words,
who was it who taught whom.
Over the years we have tried to have
Virus Buresh, Maur Dlouhy,
Brendan McGrath and so
many others. Beginning with
the 1950s, we, of course,
would begin with the lists
of the lay professors and
non-Benedictine clergy who
played a part in our programs.
If each of us were to start our
own genealogical ladder,
whose names would we
include? It may be a good
time to start thinking on this
topic. Naming our “masters”
will also help us in our desire
to express our gratitude and
may open the doors for the
students of the future.
our University magazine, Voices,
Perhaps we will need to look at the
contain reflections from alumni. This
Ceremony of Light we celebrated as
annual report issue shows the many
we opened the school year. Each
who have offered their support which
entering new student was given a
has made it possible for Benedictine
small candle by the relatives of some
University to be what it is today.
of our deceased donors as they
However, it may also be the time
walked down the aisles of the abbey
for us to begin “listing” the masters
church passing on the light. President
so that we might have a true
Bill Carroll stressed in his remarks
“genealogy” that would show who
that we always must remember those
gave life to whom.
who made it possible for us to be who
We can truly look back to
Fr. Cosmas Vesely, O.S.B.,
who began stressing education
in the sciences and led to all
the scientific work of Frs.
Hilary and Edmund, Frs.
William and Richard and Rose
Carney, Fr. Luke Ouska, Leo
Vancura, Adolph Hrdlicka,
we are, to know what we know, and
to experience the successes we have.
The “masters” — many though they
be — will always be an important
part of our lives. ✝
Winter 2008
3
Values
“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small
things brought together.” — VINCENT VAN GOGH
Educare Ball Raises More Than
$150,000 for Student Scholarships
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conver
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past November. It was
on the
others
a jungle out there —
from the Fireside Lounge, to the
elevator, to the cafeteria — the
Krasa Center was transformed
into a safari expedition.
e
4
Benedictine Voices
Upon
entering
the
second
floor,
guests exp
erienced a
tropical ra
native flora
in forest al
l arrangem
ong with
ents. Dick
University
and Sue La
Trustee an
mb,
d chaircou
greeted ev
ple (picture
eryone and
d above),
sent them
journey. Kal
safely on th
eeya Furlow
eir safari
, C08, sang
while food
a variety o
was being
f songs
se
The menu
rved by th
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consisted
of a salad
team.
roasted co
of shrimp,
rn, d
plantains an ates,
d currants
.
The entrée
was aprico
t and
couscous st
uffed guin
ea
hen along
with tender
loin
of beef. Th
e dessert co
nsisted
of tear dro
p chocolate
and
fresh berri
es.
p h i l a n t h r o p y
Values
The Office of Alumni Affairs
would like to thank the
underwriting sponsors
who made this fundraising
event possible:
James and Ann Beatty
Benedictine University
Alumni Association
Brookfield Zoo
Calamos Investments
William and Marietta Carroll
DLR Group
Financial Strategies &
Solutions Group
First DuPage Bank
Paul and Helen Gauvreau
Duane and Lisa Gengler
Willis and Dayle Gillett
Dan and Carol Goodwin
HRMS, LLC
Ice Miller, LLP
King Family Foundation
Richard and Sue Lamb
Paul, M.B.A. ‘78 and
Coleen Lehman
Dorcas Pearcy and Robert
Marschalk, C73
The silent au
ction was ve
ry
active until cl
osing time at
which point
Donna
Hrozencik, M
.D., C82, offe
red a short
presentation
crediting Bene
dictine Unive
and its supp
rsity
orters for he
r success as
physician. Sh
a
e then oversa
w a quick liv
auction aski
e
ng everyone
to contribute
to the schola
directly
rship fund w
hi
ch
than $27,000
raised more
. New this ye
ar was a raffl
offering thre
e
e trips: The w
inner of “The
Tanzania” —
a private tour
of Brookfield
was Michael
Zoo —
Birck; the win
ner of “Hakun
Matata” — a
a
trip to New Yo
rk to see the
King on Broa
Lion
dway — was
Emily King; an
winner of “T
d the
he Serenget
i” — a five-da
to Disney’s A
y trip
nimal Kingdo
m — was
Catherine Arn
old, C84.
Kevin and Marilou McGirr
Minuteman Press
Moser Adult Accelerated
Programs
The Naperville Sun
National City Bank
National Van Lines
NICOR
Reed IL
Dan and Cindy Romano
Sodexho Campus Services
Sodexho Food Services
Tellabs
Pete and Judy Whinfrey
to
ey came
The journ h dancing
wit
a close
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See more photos
of this event
online at
ben.edu/alumni.
Special thanks to Decorative
Accents for providing the
accessories for this exciting
safari adventure.
Without all of these generous
contributors, it would not
have been possible to raise
more than $150,000 for
student scholarships.
Please join us in November
2008 for the 43rd Annual
Educare Scholarship Ball. ✝
Winter 2008
5
President’s Associates
Recognized for
Commitment to
University
B
enedictine University honored members
of the President’s Associates Society
during the third annual appreciation
event on August 3. Society members
have committed themselves to the
betterment of the University by contributing
at least $1,000 during the previous academic
year. These donations are essential to the
University.
The 85 donors in attendance were treated
to a live performance by Irish singer Gavin
Coyle. Coyle’s talents were exhibited
through his performance with music ranging
from Irish folk songs to more contemporary
ballads.
Benefits to being a President’s Associate
include: preferred parking and seating at
University special events; invitations to
special President’s Associates receptions;
prominent listing in the University Annual
Report and all other donor recognition
publications; involvement and access to the
leadership of the University and the
President’s Associates Council; use of
University Library; discounts at University
Book Store; Liberty Mutual Group Savings
Plus (group discounts on auto, home and
tenant insurance) and special pricing and
benefits on moves with National Van Lines.
A commitment to this society has a
tremendous impact on Benedictine by
helping the University not only reach its
goals, but in providing the necessities
required to operate a school of higher
education. For more information on the
President’s Associates Society, please contact
Denise West at (630) 829-6027 or
dwest@ben.edu. ✝
Ancient
Triptych
Artwork
Donated
to Fund
Campus
Art
Gallery
Fr. Michael Komechak, O.S.B.,
curator of the Benedictine University
art collection, has received many
gifts from former students, friends
and corporate donors since he began
collecting art in 1951. These
wonderful pieces of art are displayed
throughout campus.
But the recent gift of a triptych he
received from Gail Donovan and her
late husband, Paul, is unique in that
it was not meant to be displayed on
campus, but rather to be auctioned
off for the development of an art
gallery at Benedictine.
The triptych, a three-paneled piece,
featuring the Madonna and Child
with Saint John the Baptist and
Saint Peter, with depictions of
the Crucifixion and the Virgin
Annunciate, had an estimated value
of up to $500,000. The piece, a
work by Florentine artist Niccolo Di
Tommaso (c. 1343- c. 1376), is one
of a group of devotional works
produced by the artist in Italy.
Classrooms:
Donations Matter
6
The rooms donated by the Piazza family
(Birck Hall Lecture room 218) and the class
of 1965 (Kindlon lobby and study area) were
sponsored to support student learning
and teacher innovations.
Donations for classrooms matter.
Benedictine Voices
Per the donor’s request, the
proceeds from the auction will fund
the establishment of a permanent art
gallery on campus. Paul Donovan
was a former student of Fr. Michael’s
at Benet Academy. The two always
maintained a close friendship.
“Before he died, Paul told his wife,
Gail, that he would like to give
something to me,” said Fr. Michael,
who has spent many years acquiring
and hanging the Benedictine art
collection throughout campus.
“The proceeds will go toward
establishing an art gallery
at the University.”
The 650-year-old piece of art was
sold this past November by Christie’s
of New York to a private collector
for $300,000.
“I am absolutely delighted,”
Fr. Michael said. “We will be able
to honor Paul’s wishes and create a
place to display more of the artwork
from our collection.” ✝
p h i l a n t h r o p y
Values
Scholarship Donors,
Recipients Honored During
Annual Recognition Dinner
M
ore than 80
scholarship donors,
recipients and their
families were
honored at the annual
Benedictine University
Scholarship Donor Dinner held
October 19 in the Krasa Center
dining room. This was a
wonderful time for the students
who have been able to pursue
their dreams to meet the people
who made it possible. This
event can be life-changing for
both the donors, who see firsthand how their generosity has
helped another person’s life,
and the recipients, as they see
how having someone care
about your well-being makes
all the difference in the world.
Trustee Will Gillett (right) and
August Kapellas, who flew in
from Arizona to attend and
meet his scholarship recipient.
The guests were greeted by
William Carroll, president of
Benedictine University, and
Willis M. Gillett, chairman
of the Board of Trustees at
Benedictine. Carroll
recognized the level of
academic achievement attained
by the scholarship recipients
and thanked the donors for
making it possible for the
students to achieve their
dreams.
“The generosity of these
donors lifts a financial burden
from these students and their
families and allows the
students to focus on what
college should be…the pursuit
of academic excellence, a time
of personal growth and
preparation for a future of
service to the community,”
Carroll said.
This year’s participants
were as follows:
Sheryl Christy of Naperville
and Atif Ahmed Jagirdar of
Elmhurst, recipients of the
Edward Hospital Physician’s
Scholarship and the Edward
Hospital Medical Staff
Pre-Med Endowed
Scholarship.
Johanna Dara Felde, recipient
of The Margaret M. Gillett
Memorial Scholarship in
Education, as well as the
Dr. Luz and Malcom Berd
Endowed Scholarship, and
scholarship donors Willis M.
Gillett and Dr. Luz Berd.
Scholarship, and donors
Richard Lanser and Tony,
C72, and Monica, C78,
LaScala.
Linda and Primo Riva on
behalf of the Molex Endowed
Scholarship for International
Business, and recipient Anne
Elisabeth Perkins of New
Lenox.
Aheed Siddiqi, M.D., C98,
and Omer Sultan, C97,
founders of The Muslim
Alumni Endowed Scholarship,
and scholarship recipient
Amina Waheed of Lisle.
Sara Ann Sanchez of Lisle,
recipient of the National City
Bank Endowed Scholarship
for Business Majors, and
National City Bank
representative Thomas
Harazim.
Miriam Medhkour of Sylvania,
Ohio, recipient of The Mtanis
and Ajia Haddad Memorial
Scholarship in the Natural
Sciences, and scholarship
donor Donna Haddad.
Courtney Ann Mikesh of
Brookfield, recipient of the
President’s Scholarship, and
Dr. James Baker, representing
the Estate of Bernice Kolak.
Scholarship donor August
Kapellas, for the Kapellas
Entrepreneurial Scholarship in
International Business and
Economics, and recipient
Christine Hyun Ahn of
Hinsdale.
Cheryl B. Richardson, Ph.D.,
’01, donor of the Dr. Cheryl
B. Richardson Scholarship
Award, and recipients Sharena
Sanchelle Sigmon of Chicago
and Cora Denise Sigmon of
Chicago.
Angela Vitto of Muskegon,
Mich., recipient of the
Bernardine M. Lanser
Memorial Scholarship for
Teachers, as well as the
Anthony L. LaScala
Leadership Endowed
Gabrielle E. Tufano of Glen
Ellyn and Cynthia Lovel of
West Chicago, recipients of
the Scarlato Family
Scholarship Award for Young
Artists, and scholarship
founder Alicia Cordoba Tait
(Front) Aheed Siddiqi, M.D., C98;
Omer Sultan, C97, and his wife,
Shazia; (back) student Amina
Waheed, and her parents
Mohammed and Rafath
Waheed; and University Dean
Marie de la Cámera, Ph.D.
and supplemented by
William Scarlato.
Robert and Pam Cebrzynski
for the Cynthia Cebrzynski
Memorial Scholarship, and
recipient Jillian Renea
Kaskavage of Oregon, Ill.
Jeremy Brooks of Naperville,
recipient of the Albert R. and
Mary Rita Brusek Memorial
Scholarship for Freshmen
Students of Recognized
Potential, donated by James
M. Brusek, C69, and June
Macchiaverna.
Ed and Mary Ann Allen
Memorial Scholarship
representatives Tom, C91, and
Beth Allen, and recipients
Steve Montalto of Lisle and
Pam Montalto of Westchester.
John Locher Memorial
Scholarship donors Richard
and Mary Locher.
If you are interested in
establishing a scholarship
and changing the life of a
student, contact Denise
West, executive director
of University Relations,
at (630) 829-6027 or
dwest@ben.edu. ✝
Winter 2008
7
Gift of Stocks Benefits University and Donor
B
enedictine University
needs people like
John Spelman, C60,
Mathematics, in order
to stay vital, up-to-date
and influential for generations
to come. Spelman’s consistent
generosity toward the school
and its students has had a
lasting impact over the years,
and the method in which he
donates has benefits for him
as well. He makes his
unrestricted gifts by means
of electronic transfer of stock.
His gifts, made consistently
for the past 14 years and for
a total of more than 30 years,
have enabled Benedictine
University to provide
additional scholarships
for students and support
non-budgeted projects
as well.
When asked why he chooses
to make his gifts in this
manner, Spelman said, “It’s
simple mathematics. There are
additional tax benefits by
giving appreciated stock
instead of cash. I am able to
give the stock, claim the full
market value for the tax
deduction, plus I avoid the
capital gains taxes that I
would otherwise have to pay
when selling the stock, while
the recipient receives full face
value of the stock.”
Spelman gives to Benedictine
because he feels the school
impacted his life and he wants
to make sure other students
have the chance to experience
it as well. “The school gave
me my future. I am happy to
give something back in return.
My fondest memories are of
Rose Carney (a math professor
who recently passed away).
She had a lot to do with
shaping my thinking,” said
Spelman.
After a three-year stint in the
Army, 18th Airborne Corps,
Spelman started on his degree
at Benedictine in January of
1956. He met his wife,
Jacqueline (Jackie), that
8
Benedictine Voices
Baltimore where he and his
family currently reside. One
of Bendix’s military programs
was to develop technology
to detect the presence of
chemical warfare agents. The
developed technology, Ion
Mobility Spectroscopy (IMS),
is now also found at major
airports to detect explosives.
d o n o r
f o c u s
John Spelman, C60
spring and they were married
in August of 1957, in the
middle of his sophomore year.
Being a married man did not
leave much time for campus
activities, but he did finish his
second year on the football
team before entirely
acquiescing as a full-time
married man and father of two
prior to graduation. But, as he
fondly remembers, it is the
only time that he is aware of
when the school won two
football games within the
same week.
In addition to giving back
financially to the community,
the Spelmans feel volunteer
work is very important. For
the last eight years, Spelman
has served as Chairman of the
Board of Directors of
Prologue, a not-for-profit
organization serving the
mentally ill and homeless. He
is grateful and proud that
Prologue recently completed a
successful $5 million building
campaign. His wife is a
volunteer with Our Daily
Bread which is an organization
supported by their parish. It
provides meals for more than
900 people daily.
The couple has three
daughters and seven
grandchildren. Lisa is the
eldest and has two boys and
lives in the Baltimore area.
Lori, their middle daughter,
was diagnosed with
schizophrenia in 1980 upon
her return from her
sophomore year of college.
She is successfully dealing with
her illness and strongly
influenced Spellman’s
involvement in Prologue.
Terri, the youngest, proved to
surprise the family by having
five children.
Spelman’s career included
20 years with the Bendix
Corporation as president and
general manager of their
instrumentation business,
which was headquartered in
In 1996, Spelman purchased
the commercial rights to this
technology from Bendix and
formed his own company,
Molecular Analytics LLC.
The instrument developed
by Spelman’s company found
a key market niche in the
manufacturing of computer
chips. The presence of
ammonia, a ubiquitous
compound, at the low parts
per billion level, has an
adverse affect upon chip
manufacturing. Chip
manufacturers needed an
alarm to determine when
the ammonia level within the
manufacturing area exceeded
seven parts per billion. It
would then require a filter
change. The IMS instrument
could do this. Since a filter for
this process cost in excess of
$250,000, changing it too
soon was expensive, changing
it too late resulted in costly
rejects. The instrument
presented real added value to
the manufacturing process.
Now, all major producers of
computer chips in the world
rely upon this instrument to
assure quality control at their
manufacturing facilities. The
company was sold in 2002.
Today, in addition to his
volunteer work, Spelman
engages in furniture
woodworking as well as
enjoying golf. ✝
To learn more about how
stock donations can help the
University and your bottom
line, please contact Denise
West at (630) 829-6027 or
dwest@ben.edu.
p h i l a n t h r o p y
Donations In Action:
Unrestricted Gifts
Most of the unrestricted gifts go to support students through
the General Scholarship Fund. This fund is essential in helping
students, who might not otherwise be able to afford an
education, receive all the same opportunities as others. However,
a substantial amount of these donations goes to help the students
in other ways that might not be
as apparent.
For instance, although most
students have their own
computers, the University does
not require students to do so.
Some students who use campus
computers cannot afford their own
and would have no other means to
do research and school work.
Other students may have
computers at home, but find it
convenient to stay on campus and
utilize the computers for their
school needs. In 2006-07, unrestricted gifts enabled Benedictine
to spend more than $240,000 on new computers for student
use. The computers were placed in the atrium at Kindlon Hall,
the main floor of the Krasa Center and in computer labs in
Kindlon and Scholl Hall. Many of the new computers replaced
old ones, while others were added where needed. Unrestricted
gifts to the University made this project possible.
Another example of donor contributions in action is the new
safety alarm and card entry access system, costing about $15,000,
which was purchased for use at the Moser Center in Naperville.
This off-site building now offers the security students need in
our modern world.
These are just two examples of the many ways donations matter
to the University, its students, staff and faculty. To learn more
about putting your unrestricted gifts to work, contact Denise
West at dwest@ben.edu or (630) 829-6027. ✝
Scholl Courtyard:
Donations Matter
Benedictine University thanks the hundreds of people who give
unrestricted gifts annually. These gifts are essential to the University,
but many times donors will ask, “Where does the money go?”
Online Giving Now Available
Values
The courtyard in
Scholl Hall
has been
beautifully
transformed into
a reflective thinking
space for students, faculty,
staff and visitors. The courtyard
is filled with beautiful landscaping,
benches and a lovely fountain.
Donations for campus beautification matter.
WE ARE THE STUDENTS WHO WORK AT THE
BENEDICTINE UNIVERSITY PHONATHON.
We will be calling alumni
and asking if you can
contribute to the scholarship
fund at the University. Many
students, including all of us,
benefit from the generosity of
Phonathon donors like you.
Let us know how a
Benedictine education made
a difference for you by
sharing your story with us.
From left: BERNARDINA
MORENO, freshman from
Chicago; KIAYONDA LOVE,
sophomore from Justice,
Ill.; and CLAIRE MCCARTHY,
Freshman from Bartlett, Ill.
Please support
Benedictine University
and its students
by answering our call.
www.ben.edu/giving
Support Benedictine
University’s Annual
Fund by giving online.
Easy. Quick.
Appreciated.
Winter 2008
9
Fun for
all ages
.
HOMECOMING 2007
Go Eagles!
Friday, September 28 — Alumni gathered for a fun “after-hours”
at Quigley’s in downtown Naperville to kick off the Homecoming
weekend. Alumni from many different class years joined in the fun
to talk about everything from how the campus had changed to
their former roommates. A lot of laughs were shared by all.
Afterward, alumni headed back to campus to join students for
the bonfire. One alumnus quipped, “While it wasn’t to the same
standard as OUR bonfires, it was a lot of fun getting acquainted
with the students and enjoying a beautiful night.”
Saturday, September 29 — what a beautiful fall day to “Paint the
Campus Red!” The sun was bright in the sky and the temperature
was hovering in the 70s. The Krasa parking lot was filled with
tailgaters, all of whom were alumni families and friends. At
1:00 p.m. the group witnessed the kickoff of the football game
between the Benedictine Eagles and the Lakeland College
Muskies. It was a “nail-biter” to the end, but the Muskies
overran the Eagles by a score of 21–7.
After the game, alumni gathered for their class reunions in the
Krasa Center. The classes of 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987 and 1992
gathered for food and great stories.
Other activities for the day included an alumni baseball game
where alumni played other alumni from men’s soccer, women’s
soccer and women’s volleyball.
All in all, it was a great weekend of activities enjoyed by alumni,
students and friends. Mark your calendars for Homecoming 2008
which is scheduled for October 17 and 18. ✝
10
Benedictine Voices
a l u m n i
n e w s
Values
Welcome Back Alumni!
Stay Connected
Upcoming University Events
JANUARY 26
Men’s and Women’s Swim
and Dive Reunion
FEBRUARY 2
Sweetheart Club Dinner/Dance
f 1982
o
s
s
a
l
n—C
o
i
n
u
e
rR
25 Yea
FEBRUARY 16
Men’s and Women’s Basketball
Reunion
FEBRUARY 19
Alumni Board Meeting
MARCH 12
Fitz’s Pub Alumni “After-hours”
MARCH 29
Volleyball Alumni Reunion
APRIL 6
Men’s Baseball Alumni Event
APRIL 16
Downtown Loop Alumni
“After-hours”
APRIL 18
College of Science
Alumni Reunion
APRIL 25
History, Philosophy and
Religious Studies Awards
Dinner/Reunion
APRIL 27
Men’s and Women’s Alumni
Tennis Round Robin Reunion
Football Alumni
MAY 3
Department of Music
Awards Dinner/Reunion
MAY 18
Commencement and
Golden Eagles Reunion
MAY 20
Alumni Board Meeting
See more photos
of this event
Please refer to www.ben.edu/
alumni for additional details
and events.
Julie Nelligan (630) 829-6077
1965
Class of
Debbie Smith (630) 829-6080
online at
ben.edu/alumni.
Winter 2008
11
Reunion Fun: Left: Jason Ward, C03, Torian Richardson, C99
and Darryl Hobson, C91. Center: Tony Ryan, C65, Rich Brusko,
C65, Tom Brophy, C65, John Zigmond, C65 and Terry Burns,
C65. Right: Coach Bill Barz, Coach Tony LaScala, C72, Coach
Tom Beck and Coach Jon Cooper.
First Football Reunion a Success
A rainy Saturday afternoon ushered in the First Football
Alumni Reunion on August 18. The Benedictine University
Eagles scrimmaged, despite the weather, to give the alumni
a sneak preview of the upcoming season. A reception was
held in the newly renovated
Krasa Center cafeteria for the
nearly 70 attendees including
a l u m n i
former Eagles coaches Bill Barz,
Tom Beck and Tony LaScala.
Coach Jon Cooper spoke to the
group recounting the successes
they have had in recruiting
players and his vision for the
upcoming season. Cooper said
he looks forward to building the
team and encouraged the alumni
to come out and support them.
There was a lot of catching up
and glory day stories at this event.
Look for another Football Alumni
Reunion in August 2008. ✝
Swanson Retirement Party and Scholarship
On September 8, alumni, colleagues, family and friends
gathered in the Krasa Center to celebrate Jon Colby Swanson’s
20 years of teaching at Benedictine University. The retirement
celebration was organized by Alan Gorr, Ph.D. and the Master
of Public Health (M.P.H.) Leadership Committee chaired by
Taniya Henry.
Evening highlights included a slide show highlighting Swanson’s
teaching career and family, a song about him sung to Bob
Hope’s “Thanks for the
Memories” written by alumnus
Cathy Gavin, and favorite stories
b r i e f s
shared by several alumni. The
evening was capped off with the
presentation of the “Jon Colby
Swanson Endowed Scholarship
for Master of Public Health.”
www.ben.edu/alumni
The Scholarship will be awarded to a
student pursuing a M.P.H. degree, who
has completed a minimum of six credit
hours in the program, has a minimum
G.P.A. of 3.0 and who has demonstrated
financial need.
Liberty Mutual Helps
New Graduates Obtain
Renters Insurance: Alumni
Offered Additional Savings
Liberty Mutual has unveiled a new Web site,
youcovered.com, which offers a quick and easy
way to find out more about renters insurance.
Without even giving their name, renters can
use an estimator tool to determine how much
their belongings are worth and how much it
would cost to cover these possessions with a
policy. Recent graduates may be surprised to
learn that they can buy a policy for as low as
$10 per month — the cost of a pizza or 10
music downloads. Even better, Benedictine
alumni are eligible for Group Savings Plus ®,
which gives an additional discount. To learn
more about this great way to protect your
assets, visit youcovered.com. ✝
12
Benedictine Voices
Jon Colby Swanson
It was no surprise that more than 100
people attended the farewell dinner.
Swanson has been amongst the most
popular professors at the University. Apart
from his academic interests, he is noted
for his expertise in chess, wines, Sherlock
Holmes and classical Latin texts. He is
known across the campus for his keen wit,
caring nature and photographic memory.
To donate to the scholarship, please
contact
Judi Gavlin at
(630) 829-6072.
To learn more
about the M.P.H.
Leadership
Committee
please e-mail
thenry@ben.edu. ✝
a l u m n i
n e w s
Values
Help “Carry the Light”
to the next generation.
Gift of time or talent?
Contact Julie Nelligan at (630) 829-6077.
Gift of treasure?
Contact Denise West at (630) 829-6027.
Alumni Affairs/Career Development Workshop
Class of 1962 - 45th Reunion Weekend
“What happened to my resume after I hit send?” was the
theme of this very informative workshop. A collaborative
effort between the Offices of Career Development and
Alumni Affairs, this workshop was offered to alumni,
students and the community for anyone seeking a job or in
job transition. Two panels were created, one of job seekers
and one of human resource professionals, to assist people on
how to network, market themselves, be proactive in their job
search strategies, research, how to make connections in their
potential job field and write a more effective resume.
Forty five years ago, 72 men graduated from St. Procopius
College. On Friday, October 12 and Saturday, October 13,
20 of them gathered to celebrate their 45th reunion with
various activities. On Friday, some played golf while others went
to lunch and did some sightseeing. On Saturday, tailgating began
at 11:00 a.m. in the Krasa Center parking lot followed by a
football game between the Benedictine University Eagles and the
Aurora University Spartans. The classmates witnessed a doubleovertime win by the Eagles 20-17. Afterward, everyone gathered
for dinner in the Krasa Center and shared pictures and stories
from the past 45 years. It was a great time with
this group of fun-spirited men. When asked,
C62
“What would you like to do for your 50th
reunion?” the reply was “be alive!” ✝
Job seeker panelists included: Patrice Kucia, C91, M.B.A.
’96, auditor for the U.S. Department of Treasury; Jane Abe,
vice president of business development, Downers Grove
Chamber of Commerce; and Susan Ross, C79, assistant to
the president at Morton Arboretum.
Human resource panelists included: Thelma Welton,
M.S.M.O.B.’04, owner of the consulting firm Welton
Technologies; Jennifer Struif, C98, manager of human
resources-corporate support for OfficeMax; and Shaira
DeLeon, M.S.M.O.B.’06, human resources manager for
Sears Holdings Management Corporation.
More than 25 participants attended this event and all walked
away with several great ideas on how to better present
themselves in a competitive marketplace. They also met and
networked with fellow job seekers and many stories were
shared along with contact information.
We thank our panelists for a job well-done. ✝
Class Notes Winners from Fall 2007
Make
u
sure yo
your
send in
otes!
class n
Christopher Comes, C94
Suzanne Gallo, C01
If your name is listed here, then you have won a prize
from the Office of Alumni Affairs. Congratulations!
In upcoming issues of Voices, three people who
appear in the Class Notes section of the magazine
will be randomly chosen to win an alumni prize.
(One win per person during duration of promotion.)
Michael Gallagher, C72
If you are one of these lucky winners, please
contact Julie Nelligan BEFORE February 20 to
collect your prize. Good luck and keep sending
in those class notes! ✝
Winter 2008
13
a l m a
m a t t e r s
Robert Koller, C50, Philosophy
Robert Koller is one of Benedictine
University’s best-known graduates. He
has been the owner of Koller Dodge in
Naperville for more than 30 years. Koller
is known around campus because of his
continued involvement in fundraising
activities and his undying support of
his alma mater.
K
oller is frequently seen at University
activities, particularly at the Annual
President’s Invitational Golf Outing
and at the Educare Scholarship Ball.
His name is visible on campus in
the form of a plaque honoring his contribution
to the Benedictine 2000 capital campaign,
which provided support for the archives room
in the library.
Koller was raised in Downers Grove, and
in high school he worked part-time at a
local Chrysler-Plymouth dealership. After
graduation, he enlisted in the Air Force during
World War II and was assigned to airplane
maintenance and repair. When he returned
from the war, he enrolled at St. Procopius
College (now Benedictine University).
Koller’s fondest memories of the University
include the priests. He feels they were crucial
in helping to shape his values and his view on
life, especially Fr. Luke, Abbot Kucera and the
Jurica brothers. “The school formed the
direction of my life,” said Koller.
The Alma Matters feature highlights alumni
who have chosen to donate their time, talents
and/or finances to Benedictine in order to
support the school’s goals and needs.
14
Benedictine Voices
While at the University, he became
president of the DuPage Catholic Youth
Federation. This was a social group that
organized youth activities on a rotating
basis at various west suburban parishes.
He continued his membership and
involvement after graduation and met
Jane Case, who became his wife in 1952.
When Koller arrived at Benedictine, he
thought seriously about becoming a
dentist. However, the owner of the car
dealership where he worked persuaded
him to go into car sales. This shaped his
future as a business owner. Koller was
exposed to all aspects of running a
dealership. In 1963, a very small Dodge
dealership became available for sale and
he bought it. He built that tiny dealership
into the very successful Koller Dodge of
the western suburbs.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Koller was an
active member of the President’s
Associates Council and attended many
campus events. He keeps abreast of
changes at the University and he is
impressed with how much Bill Carroll has
accomplished during his time as president.
Koller leads an active life and doesn’t let
being in his 80s stop him from golfing
and riding his motorcycle. He is now a
widower, but family life is very important
to him. He has three daughters, Mary,
Margaret and Bernadette, and two sons,
Robert Jr. and David, C75, as well as
17 grandchildren.
Benedictine University appreciates
Robert Koller’s continued involvement
and support. ✝
Does your Alma Matter?
If so, let us know how and why you
support the continuing efforts of the
University. Contact Linda Hale at
lhale@ben.edu or (630) 829-6092.
lumnus Bill Carroll
has stayed connected
to Benedictine
University since his graduation
not only by being involved in
alumni affairs and fundraising
efforts, but by living a life in
balance — a life that reflects
the idea of the Benedictine
Pedagogy. Here he answers
some questions about his life
and why giving back is
important to him.
A
What are you currently doing
in your career?
I have owned Blue Island
Travel Services since 1977.
We specialize in cruises,
destination weddings, group
trips and family travel. I am
also the president and CEO
of C&H Development, an
industrial real estate and
development company in
Orland Park.
With what charitable organizations
are you involved?
I am currently the Southwest
Regional Board Chair for
Catholic Charities of the
Archdiocese of Chicago. I
have been a board member
since 2001 and chair since
2003. The southwest area
takes in 50 parishes in the
territory. As a board member,
our responsibilities vary based
on the needs of Charities
clients. In 2002 the board
made a commitment to host a
weekly supper for those in
need in the southwest area.
A supper is provided every
Wednesday at St. Blasé parish
in Summit for anyone who
would like a hot meal. The
board members work to
underwrite each weekly
supper. Each board member
hosts a supper yearly, many
do as many as one per month.
We are currently looking at
other locations on the
southwest side to fill the need
of a weekly hot supper. Last
year, Catholic Charities served
1.1 million individual clients
a l u m n i
g i v i n g
n e w s
Values
b a c k
Bill Carroll, Political Science, C73; M.B.A.’80
Living the Benedictine Pedagogy
with 165 different programs.
Also there is a full-time staff at
St. Blasé that administers a
food pantry, early childhood
development program, various
nutrition programs and a
health fair. As a not-for-profit
organization, we are
responsible for raising funds
to help pay for these
programs.
When my family moved to
Orland Park in 1995, I
became involved at St. Francis
of Assisi, which was a new
parish at the time. There were
many opportunities to assist in
the growth of the church. I
began as a member of the
liturgy commission, moving
on to the committee to
establish a parish council. I
also helped to raise funds for
new parish buildings. I believe
it is important for church
members to become active
participants in their parishes.
It serves a need in the
community and in oneself.
I was also a longtime member
of the Kiwanis Club of Blue
Island. I currently sit on the
board of directors for the Blue
Island Chamber of Commerce.
Why have you decided
to give back to others?
I cannot think of any one time
where I decided to give back
to others. It is not like there
was some great revelation one
day that I should do it, but
rather an opportunity to assist
someone who had a need —
whether it be one individual
or working on behalf of one
million people through
Catholic Charities — I felt
that as long as I have been
blessed with good health and
good fortune why shouldn’t
I help someone in need?
It is interesting that your request for an
interview came so soon after Dr. Carroll’s
article in Voices regarding the Benedictine
University Pedagogy. Several of the seven
My wife Ann (Norton), C74,
assists me in many of these
projects by both participating
in them and understanding
the time I devote to them.
One of our Catholic Charities
board members once said at
our fundraiser that we are all
only one catastrophe away
from being on the receiving
end instead of the giving end.
That statement has stuck with
me for all these years. I use it
often to very succinctly sum
up why I do what I do. I
don’t look for any
acknowledgement or
recognition for what I do, I
simply feel good about it and
go on from there. After each
accomplishment you look for
the next need or opportunity.
Benedictine values he speaks of
summarize my charitable work.
A TRADITION OF HOSPITALITY; welcoming
the stranger is what I do through my
efforts. The stranger is God among us.
My charity work is amongst strangers;
charity for all regardless of race, origin
or religious belief. While Dr. Carroll speaks
of an appreciation of working and living
in community on the collegiate level, I,
and many others, carry this value with us
each and every day throughout our daily
lives. When there is a need you respond.
THE CONCERN FOR THE DEVELOPMENT
OF THE PERSON; I try to work to improve
the lives of others through example,
giving of time, talent and treasure.
STEWARDSHIP OF THE EARTH; we are
Did your experience at
Benedictine help you decide
to do charitable work?
working to bring completeness to an
My experiences at Benedictine
did help me to decide to give
back. I was involved in many
activities which were what I
will call “for the betterment
of the community.” I received
the Service Award in 1973 for
service to the college
community, an award while
appreciated, was not necessary.
I took away far more from the
Benedictine tradition than I
ever felt I contributed. I take
with me every day the
relationships that were built
and stood the test of time.
Those years were indeed
special and I would not trade
them for anything.
who will follow. A LIFE LIVED IN BALANCE;
individual, but more importantly that
they pass on this completeness to others
for myself, personally, I cannot ask for
or want anything else. I am truly blessed
with the materials and the time to share.
But more importantly, I have a very
satisfying inner peace and contentment
of the human spirit.
Carroll has supported the
University as a member of the
Alumni Board since 1988, as
well as through financial
contributions including
donating funds for a room in
Kindlon Hall. He and his
wife, Ann, have been married
for 28 years. Their son, John,
graduated from Benedictine
in 2003 with a degree in
Psychology. Their daughter,
Caitlin, graduated from
Marquette University in
2005 with a degree in
Exercise Science and is
currently pursuing her
doctorate to be a physical
therapist. Carroll attributes
his family’s support of his
charitable work and their
willingness to participate in
his efforts as the reason he
has been able to do so much
to give back to others. ✝
If you know someone who
has given of him or herself
to help others in the
Benedictine spirit of giving
back, please e-mail
lhale@ben.edu. Through
these stories we hope to
encourage others to give
back as well.
Winter 2008
15
“To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to
Vitality
educate a menace to society.” — OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES
Wireless HotSpots
Now On
Campus
Benedictine University
Wireless HotSpots
are available in a
number of campus
locations. Wherever
you see signs with
“Spot,” the Wi-Fi mascot, you can be sure there
is a wireless signal available.
The Office of Information Technology (I.T.) installed
dozens of wireless access points across campus.
COAL BEN
is New Center of Campus Social Activity
Access to these HotSpots is free to anyone with
a Benedictine University network logon account.
For more information, please visit the I.T. web page
at www.ben.edu/it/wifi/asp. ✝
During the early days of St. Procopius College, the coal-fired
boilers housed in the old powerhouse heated the campus. Coal
was stored in an adjacent coal bin.
As the University became less reliant on coal, the red-brick
structure was increasingly used to store furnishings from
Benedictine’s beginnings. Among those furnishings were
remnants of the “Pub,” a wildly-popular gathering spot
housed in the late Benedictine Hall.
The new “Coal Ben” taps into Benedictine University’s history
while providing a place for today’s students to gather, eat, drink
and socialize. The “Coal Ben” was unveiled following a ribboncutting ceremony on November 14.
Housed in the old coal bin next to the Krasa Student Center in
the heart of campus, the “Coal Ben” features food, plasma TVs,
Wi-Fi, an outdoor patio and a venue for dances, movies and live
entertainment. At the “Coal Ben,” students can relax in a casual,
rustic atmosphere while studying or working on class projects.
“We are excited about providing our students with a place where
they can socialize with other students, eat, study or just kick back
between classes,” said Marco Masini, associate vice president of
Student Life at Benedictine. ✝
16
Benedictine Voices
Homecom
in
Spread the g
Red Lunch
campus
u n i v e r s i t y
Buddhist Temple Bells Ring Out
as a New Country Emerges
by Rita A. Dougherty
The sound of temple bells surprised me. No, I wasn’t in China.
But University President William Carroll was there September 18
to September 28, and captured the sound of the temple bells on
his cell phone. The peaceful sound is reminiscent of the pagodas
and serenity we associate with China.
However, that serenity is
usually only felt in outlying
areas. China’s cities are
bustling, noisy places where
huge cranes crowd the streets
constructing skyscrapers,
apartment houses and
subways. Those cities are
beginning to look like
Chicago or New York. Luxury
cars, bicycles and people
navigate the streets at the
same time with no stop signs
or stop lights. Carroll says that
China is experiencing an
economic explosion that may
well surpass many developed
countries in the near future.
Why was President Carroll in
China? When Benedictine
University entered the 21st
century, it became very clear
that globalization would mark
this journey. The puzzle was
how could a medium-sized
university in the Midwest
wrap its arms around the
world and do a good job?
There are not sufficient
resources for a single
institution to be all things to
all people. So, Benedictine
decided to focus on a single
country and put its
globalization resources into a
single enterprise. Thus,
Benedictine’s China Institute
was born.
This unique Institute seeks to
advance relations between
China and the United States
through education and
business, so that the political,
economic, cultural, business
and ideological forces that
shape our relationship become
transparent.
To maximize the usefulness to
both countries, the Institute
sponsors lectures, seminars,
workshops, language and
cultural institutes. The first
step of the partnership was to
partner with two Chinese
universities to offer
Benedictine degrees in China
and to facilitate business and
student exchanges between
the two countries.
Elsie Yuan (second from left
in photo), director of the
China Institute, said that the
first Master of Business
Administration (M.B.A.) class
began at Shenyang University
of Technology in northeast
China in 2004, two classes
began in 2005, one in 2006
and two new classes in 2007.
Benedictine’s Master of
Science in Management
Information Systems
(M.S.M.I.S.) is taught at
Shenyang Jianzhu University
in northeast China with five
classes thus far, and two
classes graduated in 2007.
n e w s
Vitality
not only cultivated the
relationship, but also
discovered more opportunities
toward new cooperation
during every discussion. Most
important is that we sincerely
appreciate the partnership.”
“Our programs are fully
visible in China,” said Carroll.
Benedictine’s Master of Public
Health (M.P.H.) has been
approved but the site has not
been finalized. And the
Benedictine M.B.A. program
began in November 2007 in
the Business School of Hohai
University in Nanjing, a city
west of Shanghai and south of
Beijing. It is one of the four
great ancient capitals of
China. Three M.B.A. classes
will begin there each year
beginning in 2008.
Lee Lu, Ph.D.’05, recruits
students in China to attend
Benedictine’s programs there,
but he has also recruited 10
Chinese students who are now
on Benedictine’s campus in
Lisle. Six more will begin
classes in January, and he is
hoping for 40 students to
come to Benedictine during
2008. Lu teaches some of the
M.B.A. classes in China, and
gives seminars in different
universities and cities in China
to acquaint the Chinese with
Benedictine University.
The president of Shenyang
University of Technology,
Rongde Li, recently wrote to
Yuan and told her, “Indeed,
through recent contacts and
deeper discussions, we have
further understanding
between each other. I hope
more cooperation will be
carried out through both
side’s efforts.”
Will Gillett, chairman of
Benedictine’s Board of
Trustees (center, in photo
above), who accompanied
Carroll on this trip, said that
he was in China in 1996-97
when he was a supplier for the
McDonald Corp., and it is
now an entirely different
place. “There is vitality among
the people, and the growth
there is unbelievable. We have
a fabulous partnership
with China.”
Yuan continued the thought,
“I believe that the face-toface interaction has truly
brought us closer. Our visits
to our China partners have
Carroll calls China an amazing
country. “You feel the
tremendous sense of history. I
walked on the Wall of China,
and then walked the streets of
Benedictine China Institute
several noisy, modern cities. A
new China is springing from
an insular and traditional past.
China’s farmers are flocking to
the cities, for you go where
the jobs are, as evidenced in
our own 1931-1939 ‘Dust
Bowl’ when the drought
brought many American
farmers into cities for jobs.
It’s a kind of intellectual
investigation taking place, for
people are preparing for jobs
that are now available, and
future jobs when they become
available. Benedictine
University can help them do
that. China is a country born
anew before our eyes.” ✝
OD Summit Conference: Live!
from Birck Hall to China
In September, Therese Yaeger,
Ph.D., and Peter Sorensen,
Ph.D., Organization
Development (O.D.),
presented the first O.D.
Summit Conference to
students and colleagues in
Shenyang, China live from the
Birck Hall’s Tellabs Lecture Hall.
Keynote speakers and
participants included College
of Business faculty Sandra Gill,
Ram Tenkasi and James
Ludema. Technology for this
special event was orchestrated
by Rudy Dardy from the Office
of Information Technology. ✝
Winter 2008
17
catholic Perspectives
on Women
by Rachel Huska, C08
B
visiting scholar In
catholic
on Women
catholicPerspectives
thought series
enedictine students,
professors, religious leaders
and community members
gathered this past October
in Scholl Hall for the latest
speaker in the Visiting Scholar in
Catholic Thought Lecture Series.
18
Benedictine
This semester’s presenter was
Melanie M. Morey, Ed.D. Morey is
the senior developer of research at
NarrowGate Consulting, a division of
the Catholic Education Institution in
the Bronx, N.Y. Her presentation
was titled, “Catholic Perspectives on
Women.” Her topics included
“Women Religious and American
Catholic Culture: Leadership and
Legacy” and “Women Religious and
Cultural Change: A Cautionary
Tale.”
Discussions included the roles of
women in the Catholic Church and
tradition, with emphasis on the roles
of sisters in their parishes, and how
their role has evolved. Morey
explained that sisters are a crucial
part of the Catholic faith as not only
a symbol of the religion, but also as
community leaders. According to
Morey, the sisters may be decreasing
in numbers, but their importance in
the church grows more and more
every day. She believes this issue
affects Catholics of all ages. She
explained that without their habits,
they may be less identifiable as a
religious symbol, but they are still
running Catholic schools and
churches. It is more work for the
sisters now because their numbers are
less and there are not many young
people waiting to take their place. As
the church changes and more
college-aged students call themselves
“spiritual” rather than “religious,”
the sisters’ responsibilities to be a
visible symbol grows even more.
Morey spoke about how sisters
taught American Catholics how
to be Catholic. She noted these
hard-working nuns have been a
Voices
driving force in the Catholic Church,
even though they may not have been
given the credit for it. She spoke of
the resistance to women in the
Catholic Church, and how many
sisters and women parishioners may
always remain bitter because of this.
She hopes now that Pope Benedict
put the first woman ever in a
leadership role, that soon all Catholic
women will be able to have equal
roles in the church.
Many Benedictine students attended
these sessions. When asked why he
attended the evening and afternoon
sessions of this event, sophomore
Marcus Pass stated, “This is an
important issue because women
should be treated as equally as men,
especially in the church.”
Morey also discussed how important
it is for a university like Benedictine
to acknowledge and further its
Catholic identity and culture.
“Catholic and non-Catholic students
can both benefit from these
presentations, because they have
the ability to create enriched
conversation and increase knowledge
and understanding of one another,”
she said.
Network Box
Broadcasts
Energy
Produced by
Birck Hall
Solar Panel
T
hree years ago,
Benedictine University
received a grant from
the Illinois Clean Energy
Community Foundation,
Commonwealth Edison, the
Foundation for Environmental
Education and the Illinois
Department of Commerce
and Economic Opportunity
to install a 5 feet by 15 feet
solar panel next to the Birck
Hall of Science.
External
Review
Gives Kudos
to O.D.
Program
She encouraged students to get
together and create their own
community. “They need to actively
know that the future of the church
and the world is in their hands,” she
said. “My time at Benedictine has
been absolutely wonderful. I have
never met a group of students who
were more respectful, attentive and
generous.”
The Ph.D. in Organization
The next Visiting Scholar will be
Sister Eva Mary Hooker with her
presentation of “Literature and the
Catholic Imagination” on February
20 and 21. For more information,
contact Maria de la Camara at
mdelacamara@ben.edu. ✝
was completed in Summer 2007
Development (O.D.) at Benedictine
University has received many
accolades over the years and this
latest one proves it has not lost its
edge. An external program review
and here are some of the quotes
from the review.
u n i v e r s i t y
The system provides only a modest amount of electricity, but it
signaled the University’s commitment toward exploring more
environmentally friendly ways to meet the nation’s energy needs.
The Illinois Clean Energy Foundation recently provided funds to
install a network box on the unit. The box broadcasts the
amount of energy being produced by the panel. The Foundation
hopes to monitor all the energy being produced by the solar
panels it has funded to monitor the effect of its investment.
“Now we have a way to view the output of the panel any time
we want,” said John Mickus, Ph.D., professor of Biology.
Benedictine University pursued the initial grant to use the solar
panel to teach the concepts of renewable energy in some of its
general physics courses, and as part of its science education
program so that teachers could learn about renewable energy.
Compared to depletable energy sources such as coal, oil and
nuclear, solar energy offers a clean renewable form of energy.
Solar cells convert sunlight directly into electricity (photovoltaic
system) through the use of semiconductors such as silicon.
When sunlight strikes these semiconductors, the solar energy
knocks electrons loose from their atoms allowing the electrons
to flow through the material to produce electricity.
Quality of faculty
“Benedictine University has
an outstanding faculty and a
superb group of core visiting
scholars. In addition, its
distinguished visiting scholars
provide exposure to the best
in the field coming from many
different perspectives. This
mix of talents offers the
students the broadest platform
for learning O.D. and
stimulates a broad range of
contributions to the field.
The faculty model is a
distinguishing feature of
Benedictine’s program and
has allowed the University
to leverage its full-time
faculty beyond what could
normally be achieved at
most universities.”
Appropriateness
of curriculum
“The curriculum and course
syllabi are very thorough and
impressive. The course
coverage is up-to-date and
representative of the field.
The curriculum is also
n e w s
However, many obstacles
remain to widespread use of
solar energy. While a 5
kilowatt system employing a
17-by-17 solar panel can
meet all the needs of a
typical American home, the
cost of the panel, the
hardware needed to convert
the electricity generated by
the panel into useful power
and installation can cost
more than $30,000. “The
unit does produce energy
even when it’s dark by
absorbing light from stars,
but it’s just a trickle,”
Mickus said.
Vitality
The output of the solar panel at
Benedictine University can be
viewed at the following link:
http://view2.fatspaniel.net/
Sunair/benedictine/AdminView.
Even staunch supporters of renewable energy recognize that
more research and development is necessary before coal, oil and
nuclear power can be replaced as primary sources of energy.
“Currently, solar panels are between 12.5 and 15 percent
efficient,” Mickus said. “Once we improve on that and make
solar energy more cost effective, we can start replacing fossil fuels
as an energy source. And if we can replace fossil fuels, we should
be able to replace nuclear energy. I think we have an obligation
to invest in the use of renewable energy.” ✝
appropriately weighted with
inquiry, research and methods
courses preparing students
for their contribution to
knowledge roles. It is clear
from the syllabi that the
faculty are demanding in
terms of the amount of
material they require and
the intellectual rigor they
expect — they make it clear
the program is both
demanding and fast paced.”
students have been more
active and visible in presenting
and publishing their work
than any other executive
O.D. doctoral program to
our knowledge.”
Contributions to the field
“The program’s faculty and
students have unquestionably
contributed to the field in
both research and service.
Its students have also
contributed enormously to
the organizations they work
for, or consult to, as able
practitioners. The program’s
faculty have been highly
visible contributors and/or
leading many initiatives within
the field, professional
organizations, O.D.
conferences and key
publications. The program’s
Program Overview
Comparison/evaluation
with other doctoral
programs in O.D.
“Benedictine has been and
remains a leader in executive
doctoral programs in O.D.”
T
he Ph.D. Program
in O.D. has achieved
its goal of becoming a
stellar program in
the field. While doing this, it
has remained consistent
with the mission and values
of Benedictine University.
In 1996, the Benedictine
University Ph.D. program
started with 15 students. The
program now has more than
100 alumni and students
including O.D. executives in
major Fortune 500
corporations and leading
not-for-profit organizations.
Alumni include executives
from Hewlett Packard, the
American Cancer Society,
CNN-Turner Broadcasting,
Johnson-Diversey, the
University of Chicago
Hospitals and the first
non-Polish president of a
leading Polish university.
The Benedictine University
list of Distinguished Visiting
Scholars includes more than
70 leading scholars in the
O.D. field including four
presidents of the Academy of
Management, top five national
and international scholars in
O.D. including Peter Senge,
Geert Hofstede, Flemming
Poulfelt, Chris Argyris, Edgar
Schein and Chris Worley,
among others.
To learn more about this
stellar program, contact
Phyllis Meyers at
pmeyers@ben.edu. ✝
Winter 2008
19
Reflections by Fr. James Flint, O.S.B.
A Procopian Pioneer
L
ast February, the
Benedictine University
community mourned
the death of Rose
Carney, Ph.D., our first
full-time female faculty
member. About a decade
before her death, Rose met
with Wayne Wesolowski,
Ph.D., who at that time was
with the Department of
Chemistry, to discuss her
career here, on tape.
She first encountered
St. Procopius College (SPC)
through Francis Shonka,
Ph.D., of the Physics
Department, when both were
working on the Manhattan
Project at the University of
Chicago during World War II.
Rose also served as an
instructor at DePaul
University, and there she met
Frank Shonka’s two brothers,
Fr. William and Fr. Richard,
who were teaching at DePaul
due to the lack of students on
the Lisle campus during the
war years.
In 1948, Fr. William
offered Rose a position at
St. Procopius as a teacher
of mathematics and physics.
“The goal of Fr. William and
myself,” she recalled in 1996,
“was to enable young men to
prepare for a career in science
by studying in a Catholic
environment.”
As the only woman faculty
member during her early
years on campus, Rose was
“tested,” as she put it, but in
time accepted as “one of the
boys.” To the point that when
the school moved to become
coeducational in the late
1960s, students “complained
so much to me, about how we
would be going down the
tubes, especially science was
going to be ruined, when the
college took in girls. And it
never, never dawned on them
that they were insulting me!”
over the years, Rose admitted
some concern that the
distractions available had
changed the students’
approach. It used to be that
while she and Fr. William were
setting up labs for the week on
Sunday afternoons, they would
be swamped by students asking
for extra help. That “problem”
had gone away, she was sorry
to say.
Rose could laugh both about
that and her membership on
the faculty hockey team that
used to compete with student
teams on the slough: “I was
goalie. I couldn’t skate, and
Fr. William said, ‘Well, you’ll
make a perfect goalie. All you
have to do is fall down when
you see the puck coming!’”
One faculty role that Rose
took on willingly was to travel
with Fr. William and selected
students to Illinois and
Indiana Catholic high schools
to attract recruits for the math
and physics programs. Often,
while the two
professors would
talk with the
priests or sisters
running the school,
the students they
had brought along
would do the real
recruiting, telling
the high school
seniors about
St. Procopius.
Still, Rose took a justified pride
in the success of so many of
the students, men and women
alike, she taught over better
than four decades. She cited
some notable examples “of
what we were trying to
accomplish: putting a Catholic
person in a leadership role in
science,” she said.
After retirement in 1990, Rose
remained in the Lisle area and
interested in the development
of Benedictine University. She
continued to manifest the
concern that comes across in
an anecdote from Wesolowski’s
own time as a St. Procopius
student during the 1960s.
Benedictine Voices
“I was studying like crazy
for a math final in one of the
little research labs in the old
science hall,” Wesolowski
remembered. “There was a
gentle rap at the glass window
in the door. It was Rose.
‘Are you planning to take the
final?’ she asked me in that
sweet but firm tone. ‘Yes, of
course,’ I replied. And then
I looked at my watch. I had
studied right through the first
twenty minutes of the test —
and she had come looking
for me. That was SPC and
Rose Carney.” ✝
While admiring all the
technological progress
the school had made
campus
Move in
.
day: before
20
Fr. William Shonka, O.S.B.,
and Rose Carney, Ph.D., with
an X-Ray machine that was
set up in the northeast corner
of the Radiation Lab, a
separate 24' x 24' building at
the northwest corner of
Procopius Hall (the old science
hall, torn down c. 1987).
Move in
day: after.
campu
us
u n i v e r s i t y
n e w s
Vitality
Smarter, Faster, Brighter
Freshmen Ready to Embrace Challenge
Benedictine University’s Fall 2007 freshman class is not only the largest
in the school’s 120-year history, it ranks among the most scholarly.
Four hundred three freshmen began fall classes at the University, compared to 383 who started the
fall term one year ago. Forty-five percent of this year’s freshmen ranked in the top third of their high
school graduating classes, their average GPA was 3.3 (on a 4-point scale) and their mean ACT test
score was 23.
“It is exciting to welcome such a quality freshman class to campus,” said Kari Gibbons, associate
vice president of enrollment management. “These students reflect the type of academic reputation
Benedictine University enjoys, the
opportunity for admission to
graduate school we create and
the foundation for professional
success we provide.”
University’s Enrollment Increase
Shatters National Projections
Although Benedictine’s overall
student body is more than 57 percent
female, 53 percent of the freshmen
enrolled were male. Thirty-two
percent of the freshmen are minorities
with Asians comprising the largest
group at 18 percent. Most are from
the suburbs of Chicago and attended
public school (both 78 percent).
Forty-three percent of the freshmen
who responded to a survey of the field
of interest indicated science as their
No. 1 choice. ✝
4,573
total enrollment
More than 4,500
students enrolled in
undergraduate and graduate
programs at Benedictine for
the Fall 2007 term.
The total enrollment of
4,573 students represents
a more than 16 percent
increase over the Fall
2006 enrollment of 3,924.
National projections were
set at 11 percent.
Benedictine has 1,958
full-time undergraduate
students (compared to
1,692 in 2006) and 1,035
part-time undergraduate
students (compared to 965
one year ago) for a total
undergraduate enrollment
of 2,993 students.
The University also has 511
full-time graduate students
(compared to 275 one year
ago) and 1,069 part-time
graduate students (compared
to 968 a year ago) for a total
graduate enrollment of
1,580 students. (The figures
do not include students
enrolled in Benedictine
University’s Master of
Business Administration
(M.B.A.) and Master of
Science in Management
Information Systems
(M.S.M.I.S.) programs
in China.)
403
freshmen
“I believe our enrollment
increase mirrors our efforts
to improve and broaden our
academic offerings and our
overall effort to improve
and upgrade what we can
offer students in terms
of facilities, amenities
and support services,”
said Charles Gregory,
executive vice president
at Benedictine.
Benedictine also remains
one of the most diverse
campuses in the Midwest
with nearly 30 percent of
the students of either Asian,
African or Hispanic descent.
Forty-three percent of new
students at Benedictine
choose science as a major,
but a growing number can
be found in business,
psychology and elementary
education. The University
added two new majors this
fall — global studies and
bilingual journalism — and
partners with College of
DuPage and Triton College
to offer a Bachelor of
Science in Nursing degree
completion program for
registered nurses.
The University also has
satellite locations in
Springfield and Naperville,
the latter where
Benedictine’s Moser College
of Adult and Professional
Studies serves a growing
adult student population.
16%
enrollment increase
Additionally, the
three-year-old Village
of Lisle-Benedictine
University Sports Complex
contributed to a 21 percent
increase in the number of
student-athletes.
The challenge for
Benedictine and other
private colleges is
maintaining enrollment in
the face of dire predictions
for the number of students
who will graduate from high
school in Illinois and
throughout the Midwest
through 2018. According
to the Chronicle of Higher
Education, Illinois will
experience a 2 percent
annual decrease among
high school graduates
over the next 10 years.
Neighboring states like
Michigan (9 percent
decrease), Iowa and
Wisconsin (6 percent
decrease) are also expected
to see a dip in the pool of
potential college students.
“We must continue to
provide quality academic
programs, first-rate athletic
programs and diverse
student activities to attract
new students to campus,”
Gregory said. “We must also
reach out to new markets
and continue to grow while
maintaining the community
feeling that makes
Benedictine unique.” ✝
Winter 2008
21
M
CHANGE FOR THE SAKE OF NO CHANGE
Douglas R. Hoffman, University Trustee, C79
Memories are strange things. They often offer seemingly
disjointed glimpses of one’s personal history. Some memories
are like a fine wine that often improves with age; while others
are more like photos whose details fade with time. Yet, others
are elusive. They get stored away in the attic of the mind and
are forgotten. Sometime later, we rediscover them.
Opinions About Change
O
ne memory that fits
into the latter
category is about
change. It is not about
experiencing change but rather
thinking about change and
forming an opinion of it. This
occurred while I was serving a
funeral Mass. It was just after
Mass had changed from Latin
to English. So many of us,
including I suspect many
priests, were getting fresh
insights on what was
happening in the liturgy.
During the Mass, the priest
read something to the effect
that “with death, life is
changed not ended.” Upon
hearing these words, I glanced
in the direction of the new
widow, draped in black. It was
clear, even to a kid, that she
would rather be doing
anything other than having to
say farewell to her best friend
and life partner of more than
50 years. As she wiped tears
from her eyes, I concluded that
if death is merely change, then
I do not care for change.
My opinion of change has not
changed very much over the
years. I generally do not like it.
A survey of my barber, tailor
and mechanic would confirm
this to be true. In fact, about
the only time that I like change
is on those rare occasions when
I am the author and chief
proponent of it. At other times,
I am at best skeptical of it.
There are even times when I
am openly hostile to change.
An example of this, for me at
least, occurred not so long ago
when the Chicago aldermen
assembled to enact a ban on
the sale of foie gras in
restaurants. I happen to like
foie gras — a lot. So, banning
the sale of it in my hometown
did not please me at all. My
hostility to the ban caused me
to formulate constitutional
arguments as to why the
aldermen had no “legitimate
interest” in adopting the
ordinance; and thus, it had to
be void. I wondered what
would possess our elected
officials to waste time with foie
gras, when there are hungry
Team Benedictine
In an ongoing effort to keep campus
beautiful, Team Benedictine (made up of
faculty, staff and students) spent a day
this fall planting bulbs and
cleaning up planting beds.
The University-wide effort
brings the Benedictine
community together while
working on a project that
benefits everyone.
22
Benedictine Voices
people in Chicago who have
no place to live, or who have
no real future due to failure of
the city’s educational system.
I prayed, yes prayed, that God
would inspire voters to rise up
during the recent aldermanic
run-off elections and throw
out the author of this law
because it reduced Chicago to
a laughing stock among the
gustatory capitals of the world.
I suspect that you are like me.
You probably do not get
worked up as much as I do
over fat and cholesterol.
However, there is no doubt
that some things work you up.
Most likely these things involve
change; particularly, change
affecting things for which you
have a great deal of fondness
— like your alma mater.
In less than 40 years, your alma
mater has changed its name —
twice! It has admitted women
and more than a few nonCatholics as students. It has
torn down a beloved building
and replaced it with others
that have reshaped the campus.
And while the place for almost
five decades had Benedictine
priests as presidents, it has
had two lay presidents and
it seems inevitable that the
trend will continue.
My classmates and I came to
the school not long after the
first of the big changes;
namely, admitting women
students and changing the
name of the college to
something almost secular
sounding — Illinois
Benedictine College or IBC.
In those days, the school
newspaper was called The Flux
because the world, certainly
IBC’s world, was in flux.
We were aware of these
changes but were too busy
creating our own universe to
be bothered with what
appeared to us as trivial
matters. The universe we
created was on a scruffy
campus where we attended
meat and potatoes classes
taught by abbey monks and a
dedicated lay faculty. We ate in
a dingy basement cafeteria
located in Benedictine Hall.
Conversations tended to be
frank and somewhat earthy.
Those of us who lived on
campus resided in spartan
dorms. Basically, it was a no
nonsense place for no nonsense
people, and we loved it!
We earned our no-nonsense
bachelor’s degrees, the only
type of degree awarded by the
college at that time. Then we
left to make our way in the
world, confident that our
college education and
memories would sustain us
for many years to come.
b e n e d i c t i n e
It all worked for a while. Then
certain memories began to fade
and life began to demand more
of our attention. It became
easier to forget about good old
IBC and it was convenient to
do that as well. The place
seemed to be changing from
the way we remembered it.
Rather than learning what the
changes were really about, it
was a lot easier to put fond
memories, particularly those
that had gotten better with
age, into storage where we
would not deal with them.
That’s what I did anyway. So,
I became a lapsed alumnus.
From Lapsed Alumnus
to University Trustee
T
his all changed over a
three hour lunch with
Dr. William J. Carroll,
the president of the University.
Somehow, and I’m not certain
how, I was pulled back into the
middle of things. Three plus
years have passed since then
and I have just completed my
first term as a trustee of the
University and I have signed
up for another three years.
As a trustee, I have critically
examined the changes that
have occurred at the University
over the last few decades
and it has afforded me the
opportunity to reconcile
them with my memories.
Unfortunately, not all alumni
will have the opportunity
I had, but perhaps sharing
some of what I have learned
may be a good substitute.
Often, when I speak of
Benedictine with fellow
alumni, I hear some form of,
“The place has changed and I
don’t know it anymore.” There
is no doubt that the place has
changed. Any institution of
higher learning that has not
radically changed both its
curriculum and its teaching
methods in the last 15 years
(while simultaneously sprucing
up its campus and adding
creature comforts) will not be
around for the next 15. This is
a result largely of our own
making, for we have raised our
children to be savvy buyers of
educational services. They are
demanding more from
institutions of higher learning,
and the institutions that want
to survive are changing to
meet those demands.
The University is doing better
than holding its own in this
area. It is definitely stronger
from an academic viewpoint,
than it was when I was a
student. It has become an
innovator and a leader.
Consequently, it is the envy of
many colleges and universities
both large and small, both
Catholic and non-Catholic.
Priceless Assets:
Identity and Heritage
S
urprisingly, the areas
where Benedictine is
often accused of
changing the most, in reality,
have changed the least. These
areas are the school’s Catholic
identity and its Benedictine
heritage. Both of these
hallmarks are precious. They
are among the greatest assets
of Benedictine because they are
the very essence of the place.
We, as alumni, understand this
because we are the beneficiaries
of this treasure.
Until recently, it was my belief
that the school was at risk of
losing these priceless assets due
to the declining number of
abbey monks. However, the
University identified the risk
and has affirmatively chosen to
do something to maintain its
treasure. This decision was
made by the Board of Trustees
and senior administration. I am
pleased to report that it also
has been embraced by faculty,
students and staff.
As an example, Pope John Paul
II issued an apostolic
constitution, called Ex Corde
Ecclesiae, which established
norms for Catholic universities
and colleges throughout the
world. Ex Corde has been
extensively studied and
discussed throughout this
university community. There is
a faculty task force charged
with its application, and a
committee of the Board of
Trustees is charged with
oversight responsibilities to
ensure compliance. I have
personally had conversations
with trustees of larger and, in
some ways, better known
Catholic universities and have
found that their institutions are
either not involving the
trustees or are not as aggressive
as Benedictine University
regarding the application of
Ex Corde.
Furthermore, the University
has a well established program
for hosting visiting Catholic
theologians. While hardly a
unique concept at many
Catholic universities, it is
nonetheless a change from
when I was enrolled as a
student at IBC for no such
program existed then.
Back then, in the “good old
days,” Mass was celebrated on
campus every Sunday and on
weekdays during the school
year. A handful of people,
many of them faculty members,
attended regularly. Today, Mass
is offered on campus every
Sunday and on weekdays
during the school year, and
attendance is about the same as
it was 30 years ago.
The campus ministry program
is still directed by an abbey
monk, and today the program
is very robust. In addition to
liturgies, campus ministry
organizes speakers, community
service projects and other
programs such as Koinonia,
which was reinstated this past
year. If anything, campus
ministry is more active today
than when I was an IBC
student. Given the status of the
various programs and the
Vitality
changes that have been
consciously made there is no
doubt in my mind that the
University takes its “Catholicity”
much more seriously today
than it did when I was a
student 30 years ago.
Progress toward the
maintenance of the University’s
Benedictine heritage is equally
impressive. Steps have been
taken to understand what
makes the University’s heritage
its heritage. Accordingly, the
concept of Benedictine
pedagogy is now discussed
with regularity. In fact, the
University has again taken the
lead by calling a meeting of all
(U.S.) Benedictine institutions
of higher learning to discuss
and understand the essence
of Benedictine pedagogy.
Through a thorough analysis of
the subject, the University will
be able to preserve its treasure.
None of these changes came
about by accident. They are
the result of a careful,
conscious decision to discover
what Benedictine University is,
and an unswerving
commitment to maintain and
enhance those things that are
important. It gives me great
comfort to see woven into the
very fabric of the institution,
the threads that will preserve
what we have, not only for
ourselves, but for future
generations of students and
for the community at large.
Change to Remain the Same
B
enedictine has changed
largely due to external
demands and pressures.
If you, like me, are skeptical of
change or just plain don’t like
it, comfort yourself with the
knowledge that your alma
mater, whether you know it as
St. Procopius College, Illinois
Benedictine College (IBC) or
Benedictine University, has
changed — so that it can
remain the same. ✝
Winter 2008
23
Asking the Experts:
What changes need to occur in higher education in the next five years?
John Zigmond, Ed.D.
Director of the Alternative Certification Program,
Moser College of Adult and Professional Studies.
(This program prepares adults changing careers from
engineering, math and science to teaching math or
science at the secondary school level.)
aving worked in the
School of Education at
Benedictine for the past
six years following 35 years at
the high school level, I feel
there are at least three major
challenges that the next
generation of teachers will
face, and a fourth one
specifically for Benedictine
school educators. All these
areas can and should be
addressed by higher
education.
H
First of all, we at the
University level need to better
serve students challenged by
language deficiencies as well as
intellectual and emotional
disabilities. For example,
several DuPage County
schools in particular now serve
an increasing percentage of
Latino students whose first
language is not English.
Secondly, we need to model
“student-centered” classes,
which practice a constructivist
approach with “hands-on”
activities, as opposed to
“teacher-centered” classes
featuring lectures. We know
that many novice teachers
imitate their college
professors. So as to ensure
more student involvement,
we need to “show them the
way” in their college courses.
While still presenting lectures
in certain instances,
instructors can “build on”
students’ knowledge base
and “construct” learning.
Thirdly, we need to resist
the grade inflation trend and
not enable young adults with
our own form of “Social
Promotions.” Outstanding
work and participation merit
24
Benedictine Voices
the top grade; anything less
than that deserves a lesser
grade. While students are
often overly-concerned about
their grades along with their
transcripts and resumes, our
mission is still about
educating, learning and
growing. We need to
objectively assess the work
students produce and issue the
respective grade(s) they
rightfully earn.
Finally, as Benedictine
educators and administrators,
we are entrusted daily to
model the peaceful and
reflective Benedictine spirit,
and eventually lay a solid
foundation for students of
today’s harried and sometimes
unfocused world. ✝
Julie M. Moreschi, M.S., R.D., L.D.N.
Dietetic Internship Director, Department of Nutrition
n the field of food and
nutrition, things are always
changing, which makes the
profession very enjoyable.
There are several major trends
that will affect this area over
the next five years and
beyond. They include:
I
• Concerns over escalating
obesity rates in the United
States and globally.
• The safety of food supply —
relative to foodborne illness
and related to how food
production takes place.
• The health care needs of
the “baby boomer”
generation as they get older.
• Many registered dietitians
are pursuing master’s level
education and this may also
become a requirement for
nutrition professionals from
the American Dietetic
Association.
• Continued concerns about
health care costs, with a
continued expansion on
prevention.
• Increased use of alternative
therapies by the general
public.
• Movement of the provision
of nutrition care from the
acute care setting to
outpatient and community
venues.
• Creation of long distance
nutrition intervention
utilizing technology.
Higher education will be
challenged to keep pace with
the rapidly changing health
care environment. Professors
would be well-served to
collaborate with colleagues
from a variety of work
settings, to gather input into
enhancements to curriculums.
As many nutrition
Alice Sima, M.S.N., M.B.A., R.N.
Director of the Pre-Professional Health Programs, College of Science
n advising the pre-professional
students and handling all of
the practica, I can say there
is definitely a continued
interest in medicine and an
increase of interest in dental
and pharmacy. In order to
succeed in the fast-growing
fields of optometry, physician’s
assistant, physical therapy,
occupational therapy, podiatry
and chiropractic, there is a
need for a degree which is
strong in the sciences, as well
as in having a well-rounded
education. As competition in
these fields increase, it is
imperative for students to
stand out. The professional
schools are also looking for a
strong background in
volunteering through the
I
university, home and
community — and not just in
the student’s career choice —
but for the human community
that we live in everyday.
There is always an interest
to help people, but now
students understand the need
for more doctors in rural and
urban areas.
Under my department are the
allied health programs,
including Clinical Laboratory
Science, Diagnostic Medical
Sonography (18 months),
Nuclear Medicine Technology
and Radiation Therapy. These
programs provide the student
a career to begin once they
complete their three years at
Benedictine University: one
year of education; clinicals (at
the hospitals); and graduation
with their bachelor’s degree.
This encourages students to
go into these fields.
There is also the large increase
of the aging population/
“baby boomers” that is
contributing to the growth of
these fields, not just because
they require more health care
as they age, but because they
are looking to retire soon and
will leave large gaps in the
workplace. These gaps need to
be filled quickly so there is no
decrease in available medical
assistance. People are also
living longer, and this dictates
the need for more health
professionals.
f a s t
professionals pursue advanced
degrees, this gives universities
the opportunity to recruit and
expand enrollment into master’s
level programs. Also, many
health professions will continue
to seek specialization into areas
that will enhance their ability to
assist their clients, and this
could be a great opportunity for
academic institutions to offer a
variety of certificate programs.
Finally, with expansion of
community programming
focused on nutrition and
wellness, faculty members
will be provided with
opportunities to collaborate
with these programs and
to assist them in obtaining
grant funding to support
program implementation
and research related to
program effectiveness. ✝
BENEDICTINE
PARTNERS
WITH COD
TO OFFER
NEW
ACADEMIC
PROGRAM
IN
FINE ARTS
f a s t
t
Vitality
facts
hrough a partnership with the College of
DuPage (COD), Benedictine University
offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in
Fine Arts which provides a visual arts
education rooted in the liberal arts with an
emphasis on the Benedictine values of a
balanced life, the stewardship of intellectual
and artistic gifts, and an appreciation for the
artist’s role in society.
although several of the required upper level
Benedictine courses will be completed on the
COD campus.
“The program utilizes the assets of both Benedictine
The program allows students to engage in
the intellectual and spiritual discovery of the
self through a chosen medium and benefit
from the knowledge and experiences of both
Benedictine University and College of
DuPage faculty.
University and College of DuPage to provide a seamless
educational experience for developing artists,” said
Higher education needs to
provide these students with
job security. They need to
know they will have a job
once they graduate. Students
need to be made aware of
their commitment to this long
process of education and to
the fact that they will likely
be in debt up to $200,000.
They need to know they can
provide for a life after their
education is complete. It is
very true these professionals
do look at what their income
will be once out in practice,
but they also chose these
professions because they
care for the well-being of
society. We need to continue
to encourage and support
them in taking on these
roles of great respect and
responsibility. ✝
f a c t s
William Scarlato, M.F.A., professor of Fine Arts at
Benedictine University. “The program combines the
professional training of the visual arts with a rigorous
liberal arts curriculum.”
The program is designed for students who
have completed two years of study and
earned an Associate of Fine Arts (A.F.A.)
degree at COD. Upon completion of their
A.F.A. requirements, students will then have
the opportunity to attain a Bachelor of Fine
Arts through the completion of an additional
two years of study at Benedictine University.
Students will complete some humanities,
math and sciences courses along with Art
History and Studio courses at the College of
DuPage. Students will complete core courses
and advanced art courses at Benedictine,
Students must complete three courses from
sculpture, painting, ceramics, jewelry,
printmaking, photography and graphic design
as part of their A.F.A. requirements, then
complete three courses from the remaining
four areas to earn their B.F.A.
The faculty in the Department of
Communication at Benedictine University
is comprised of some of the finest teachers
and artists in the metropolitan area. A
student who graduates with a degree in
Fine Arts can pursue a career in studio art,
advertising, graphic arts and many more
arts-related fields.
“The program will be taught from a variety
of philosophical and stylistic approaches to
contemporary art,” Scarlato said. “Students
will be prepared for either continued study
in a Master of Fine Arts program of their
choosing or an exhibition career and the
life of an artist.”
For more information about the Bachelor of
Fine Arts in Fine Arts program, contact the
College of Liberal Arts at (630) 829-6247. ✝
Winter 2008
25
n
Class of 1950
Martin A. Skelly,
M.D., Pre-Medicine,
and his wife, Yvonne,
retired in 2000 and
have moved to a retirement center
in Strasburg, CO.
Illinois Benedictine
College Alumni
Class of 1976
Don Pope-Davis,
Psychology, has been appointed
by the University of Notre Dame
Board of Trustees as vice
president and associate provost.
He is a professor of psychology at
the university and had been
serving as the dean of the
graduate school. Pope-Davis is the
co-author of three books,
“Multicultural Counseling
Competencies: Assessment,
Education, and Supervision,”
“The Intersections of Race, Class,
and Gender in Multicultural
Counseling,” and, most recently,
“Handbook of Multicultural
Competencies in Counseling and
Psychology.”
Spirit
Bill Lisowski, Literature and
Communications, M.B.A.’83,
announces the publishing of
the first book in his three book
Success Series. The book is
titled “Positioning Success:
Key Questions for Managing
and Growing Your Business”
and co-authored by John
Mengelson.
Class of 1979
Timothy J. Healy, Physical
Education, has been named
Special Agent in Charge of the
Intelligence Division of the
FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Class of 1991
Irene Strejc, Nursing, M.P.H., has
joined Galesburg Cottage
Hospital as chief nursing officer.
She is responsible for the delivery
of patient care services
throughout the hospital. Strejc
formerly served as vice president
of nursing services and chief nurse
executive for the Rockford Health
System.
Leroy (Lea) Stahr, M.S.M.I.S.,
was elected to the Shorewood
Village Board in March 2007. He
was also promoted to corporate
system integrator for worldwide
Linux systems in January.
What was
your favorite
Benedictine
University activity
while on campus?
Tell us about a favorite
memory of your time
at Benedictine.
E-mail lhale@ben.edu.
Benedictine Voices
e
Class of 1978
opening a clinic providing
individual, couples and group
counseling.
campus
One
l
oo
1950
O ne
St. Procopius Alumni
Tim O’Donohue, M.C.P., is
26
1940
class
notes
Class of 1995
Resident
Life Day.
1930
ition
The program in which
Benedictine participated
is part of the Freedom
Calls Foundation’s
“Operation Hometown
Link,” in which
universities, hospitals
and corporations around
the country make their
video conferencing
facilities available to
military families closer
to their homes. ✝
1920
ad
The University offered
free, half-hour video
conferences to families
whose loved ones were
stationed at any of five
camps in Iraq — Camp
Taji, Al Asad Air Base,
Camp Fallujah, Camp
Victory (Baghdad) and
Camp Taqaddum.
St. Procopius 1887-1971
1910
Tr
Benedictine University
teamed up with the
Freedom Calls Foundation
in December to put the
families of servicemen
stationed in Iraq in touch
with their loved ones
during the holiday season.
1900
O
Families With
Loved Ones in
Iraq Offered
the Use of Video
Conferencing
1890
Sch
1880
Benedictine University
Alumni
Class of 1996
Linda Ohringer,
M.B.A., M.S.M.O.B.’98,
M.P.H.’98, has been added to the
executive team as a health care
solutions specialist with Integrated
Project Management Company,
Inc. (IPM). Prior to joining IPM,
Ohringer spent 15 years with
Insight Health Services
Corporation, where she was
director of professional
services/managed care for the
company’s magnetic resonance
center in Berwyn. She is a
member of the American College
of Healthcare Executives and
the Healthcare Financial
Management Association’s
Managed Care Committee.
Class of 1997
Joe Capesius, Finance,
has created a Web portal,
SalonSensation.com, where Web
surfers can find their own salon or
spa, select a package of gift-card
services and write reviews of their
visits to the salon.
Class of 2006
Ryan Lemberg, M.Ed., has been
selected as assistant principal at
Nelson Prairie and Nelson Ridge
schools, New Lenox, for the
2007-08 school year. As a teacher
in Plainfield, Lemberg played an
integral role in the district’s
balanced literacy initiative and
the implementation of Everyday
Mathematics — a comprehensive
pre-kindergarten through
sixth-grade mathematics
curriculum which New Lenox
implemented this past fall.
1960
1970
1980
1990
Illinois Benedictine College 1971-1996
✻
2000
2010
Benedictine University 1996-present
James Kuefler, SPA C44,
births
SPC C51, passed away in
August 2007.
Benedictine University Alumni
Education C98, and her husband,
Roger A. Perry, SPA C50,
Philosophy C54, passed away
in June 2007.
Steve Hecker, Finance C88,
Rev. Anthony Tuma, Philosophy
announce the birth of their
daughter, Bridget Faith, on July
23, 2007. The family currently
resides in Bartlett.
C27, passed away in November
2006.
Julie (Payton) Hecker, Special
Benedictine University Alumni
Noreen Maher, Special Education
✝
C96, passed away in March 2007.
in memory
n o t e s
Vitality
class notes Matter
Do you
remember
your
graduating
class?
Well, they are
wondering
what you’ve
been up to!
Patrick M. Mulcahy, Religious
Studies C86, passed away in
May 2007.
St. Procopius Alumni
William P. Bowman, English C68,
passed away in June 2007.
Dolores Newsham, Religious
Studies C83, passed away in
August 2007.
Jack Figel, C57, passed away
in August 2007.
Robert S. Hanke, IFM Certificate
C70, passed away in April 2006.
Donald R. Hudson, C65, passed
away on September 16, 2007.
c l a s s
New
at Ben.edu
The Endowed Scholarship page at ben.edu/endowmentgiving.
The Class of 1962 page at ben.edu/alumni/classes/1962.
Everyone loves reading class notes, so let us
know where you are, where you have been and
where you are going. Are you busy in your career?
Busy at home with your children? Earning
another degree? Getting a great new job?
Starting a new business venture? Met that
person of your dreams? Finally retired? What
are you doing with your time?
Send in your class notes today and keep
your fellow classmates informed on all the
happenings in your life.
Even after you graduate,
you are still connected here.
we want your class notes
Tell my classmates that . . .
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promotion? Have you been published or honored? Let us know!
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Address
Last Name
Major
Class Year
City
State
Zip
Home Phone
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Work Phone
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Please clip and mail to:
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or e-mail news to:
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❏ Check here if you are interested in mentoring students or helping fellow alumni through
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the AlumNet program.
Winter 2008
27
faculty/staff notes
Attention
Alumni: Refer
a Student
If you know someone
who would make a
good addition to the
Benedictine student
community, help them
complete the alumnireferred prospect
student form online at
www.ben.edu/referral
and their application
fee will be waived.
For more information,
contact the Enrollment
Center at (630) 829-6300
or admissions@ben.edu. ✝
Bonnie Jean Adams (Communication Arts) participated
in a panel at the Engineers Without Borders Great
Lakes Conference and Workshop at the University of
Illinois at Chicago in September. Adams spoke about
the challenges of communicating with another culture
with particular focus on initiating contact and keeping
the channels of communication open. Adams also
presented her paper, “First, Be Uncomfortable —
Facing the Challenge of Action Research in the
Classroom. Why is it especially important for freshmen
to learn?” in November at the Fall 2007 conference
of The Society for the Philosophical Study of Education
in Chicago.
Barbara Alagna and Eileen Kivlin (College of Science)
attended the October workshop sponsored by the
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and School
and Community Assistance for Recycling and
Composting Education (SCARCE) titled “Safe
Chemicals in Education.” SCARCE is a local team
whose mission is to inspire people through education
and to care for and preserve the Earth’s natural
resources while working to build sustainable
communities.
Edna Bautista (Communication Arts) coordinated
the media pedagogical competition Great Ideas For
Teachers program at the Association for Education in
Journalism and Mass Communication conference in
August in Washington, D.C. Bautista also was
nominated for a Hall of Fame award for her service
as a convention program chair and editor of The
Community College Journalist quarterly publication.
Sharon Borowicz (M.B.A.), Kevin Doyle (M.B.A.),
Ralph Meeker (Computer Science and Information
Systems), Jeremy Nadolski (Mathematics), Lee Ann
Smith (Biology) and Jim Pelech (Teacher Education)
participated in the Fourth Annual Associated Colleges
of the Chicago Area Scholarship of Pedagogy
Symposium at Lewis University in October. Smith
presented “Encouraging Investigative Learning and
Writing in a 300-level Neurobiology Course.” Doyle
and Meeker presented “Team Projects and Peer
Evaluations.” Nadolski presented “Teaching 300-level
Probability and Statistics: A Practical Approach.”
Craig Broeder (M.S.C.E.P.) began his tenure as
President of American College of Sports Medicine’s
Midwest Chapter (MWACSM), which services Illinois,
Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, in
October. Broeder also gave the keynote address on
“The Effects of Calcium Supplementation for
Promoting Weight Loss” at the annual MWACSM
conference in October at Ohio State University in
Columbus. Benedictine University will also host the
first MWACSM video conference in which Broeder
will be speaking on “The Benefits of Fitness in an
Aging Population.”
Peter Charcut (Campus Services) was selected as the
Spirit of Sodexho Education Facilities Division winner
for the category of Customer Satisfaction and Client
Retention. He attended the Sodexho Education Market
Awards Dinner to receive his award in October in
Orlando, Fla.
Timothy Comar (Mathematics) organized and
presented at a minisymposium, “Preparation and
Engagement of Undergraduates in Biomathematics
Research,” at the annual meeting of the Society of
Mathematical Biology. He was also elected to the
organization’s Education Committee. Comar also
organized an 18-page, Contributed Paper Session
“Biomathematics in the First Two Years” at the 2007
MathFest in San Jose, Calif. in August. MathFest is the
Ostrow’s Book Explores Russia’s Path to Dictatorship Under Putin
Joel Ostrow’s book would
never see the light of day in
Russia. Ostrow, chair of the
Political Science Department
has co-authored a book titled,
“The Consolidation of
Dictatorship in Russia: An
Inside View of the Demise
of Democracy.” The book
seeks to explain how Russia
has moved away from the
path of democratization
when hopes for democracy
were so great.
28
Benedictine Voices
“Many people are under the
misguided notion that Russia
is a democracy, or at least that
it remains in the process of
democratization,” Ostrow
said. “That is simply not true.
Unfortunately, when someone
speaks out against the
government, they are either
murdered or they disappear.”
Nearly 100 investigative
journalists, an average of two
per month since Putin rose to
power, have been murdered.
No one has been charged or
convicted of any of those
crimes. Journalist Anna
Politkovskaya, an outspoken
critic of the Putin regime,
was found shot to death in
the elevator of her apartment
block in central Moscow.
Former Federal Security
Service officer and Kremlin
critic Alexander Litvinenko
accused Putin of personally
ordering the assassination of
Politkovskaya. Litvinenko died
in London of acute radiation
poisoning shortly after
meeting with two former
KGB agents.
f a c u l t y / s t a f f
n o t e s
Vitality
Voluntary Subscriptions
to Voices
annual summer meeting of the Mathematical
Association of America (MAA). His talk during this
session was titled, “Biocalculus and Beyond at
Benedictine University and College of DuPage:
Reaching Biology Students.” Comar was also the
research advisor for Joy Holowicki and Hunan
Chaudhry, sophomore students in the 2007 Summer
Research Program in the College of Science. Holowick
and Chaudhry presented papers based on their research
during the student paper sessions at MathFest.
Chaudhry’s paper is titled “Regular Stick Numbers of
(2n,2)-Torus Links.” Holowicki’s paper, “Impulsive
Two-Prey, One-Predator Model Dynamics,” won an
MAA student speaker award.
Andrea R. DiOrio (Music) won a one-year position
for Utility Clarinet (bass clarinet/Eb clarinet) with
the Quad City Symphony Orchestra and will be the
second offstage clarinet for all performances of
“La Traviata” during the 2007-2008 season at the
Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Mardelle Fortier (English) published a short story,
“Sunday,” in the summer issue of Bibliphilos, a literary
journal in West Virginia. In “Sunday,” an English
professor struggles to maintain the loving memory of
her mother despite the parent’s changes of personality
due to medication and Alzheimer’s. The editor of
Bibliphilos has referred to Fortier as “our resident
reviewer of poetry chapbooks.” Fortier also published a
poem in the Summer 2007 issue of “Rambunctious
Review” titled “Multiple Mirrors.” Fortier received
three prizes in the 2007 Chicagoland Poets
and Patrons contest. She received first prize in formal
verse for a sonnet, “Cinderella on Ice,” second prize in
experimental verse for a villanelle, “Gifts of Ice,” and
honorable mention in religious verse. Fortier attended
“The Consolidation of
Dictatorship in Russia”
seeks to explain not merely
what Russia did and the
consequences of those
decisions, but also why
Russia’s leaders made the
choices that undermined
democratic political
development.
The book is co-authored by
Ostrow and Russian political
veterans Georgiy A. Satarov
and Irina M. Khakamada.
Satarov and Khakamada
are among Russia’s most
an awards banquet and ceremony at the Harold
Washington Library in Chicago in October.
Sandra Gill (Dean, College of Business) has been
named one of 22 “Influential Women in Business”
for 2007 by The Business Ledger. The honorees were
feted at an awards luncheon in October in Glen Ellyn.
Gill joined Benedictine in 2001 as chair of the Master
of Business Administration program following 30 years
in leadership roles in education and health care. She
was named dean of the College of Business in 2005.
Under Gill’s direction, courses offered by the College
of Business annually exceed national benchmarks for
teaching excellence, achieving course objectives,
course excellence and enthusiasm. College of Business
programs are offered in traditional classroom settings,
online and through partnerships with universities
in China.
Charles Gregory (Executive Vice President) was
interviewed for the “Leaders Think Out Loud”
segment of the July/August 2007 edition
of Business Officer. Gregory was interviewed while
participating in the WACUBO Winter Management
and Leadership Institute and NACUBO Endowment
Management Forum.
Laura Tobias Gruss (Biology) had an article, “Limb
length and locomotor biomechanics in the genus
Homo: An experimental study,” published in the
American Journal of Physical Anthropology: Volume
134, Issue 1, 2007, Pages: 106-116. For an abstract,
visit www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgibin/abstract/
114278644/ABSTRACT.
Beth House (Communication Arts) attended the
International Association of Master Penmen, ➤
prominent democratic
activists and were participants
in the events that led Russia
away from the path of
democratization. They
share a unique perspective
and knowledge of what
happened and why.
“Conventional Western
wisdom assumed that
democracy was inevitable
in Russia,” Ostrow said.
“Instead, Russia has moved
from one dictatorship to
another.” ✝
You can help supplement the cost of
publishing and mailing Benedictine
Voices, the alumni magazine. Your
tax-deductible gift of $15 helps
defray these mounting costs of
production. This is strictly voluntarily.
You can enclose your donation in the
attached contribution envelope. ✝
2008
Distinguished
Alumni
Recognition
Awards
Nominees
Needed:
The Alumni Association is
accepting nominations for
the 2008 Distinguished
Alumni Recognition Awards:
■
■
■
distinguished
alumni award
alumni service
award
benedictine
spirit award
Submit nominations to
the Office of Alumni Affairs,
Benedictine University,
5700 College Rd. Lisle, IL
60532 or at www.ben.edu/
alumni/awards.
a look at the past
let us know
If these gals look
familiar to you,
let us know!
Contact us at
alumni@ben.edu.
29
ben.bkstore.com
Engrossers and Teachers of
Handwriting 58th Conference in
July in Kansas City, Mo. Besides
the formal penmen’s script,
“Copperplate,” House studied
“Spencerian Script” taught by
White House calligrapher Pat Blair,
“Engrosser’s Script,” “Painting
Techniques for Calligraphers,”
“Etiquette” taught by White House
calligrapher Rick Muffler and “The
Business of Calligraphy.” A new
handwriting style popular with
home schoolers, “American
Cursive,” was introduced by its
designer, Michael Sull.
Get Your
Alumni
Gear
Theodore J. Hogan (Master of
Public Health) was elected to serve
as Director-At-Large on the
ACGIH® Board of Directors.
He began his three-year term on
January 1, 2008. Hogan has been
an ACGIH® member since 1998.
ACGIH® is a member-based
organization that advances
occupational and environmental
Select Benedictine
health. Hogan was also among the
speakers at the 19th Annual
alumni items are
Chicagoland Safety and Health
Conference in September in
available on the
Naperville. Hogan presented
“Understanding Chemical Hazards:
bookstore Web site
From Drain Cleaners to
Nanoparticles.” His speech
at ben.bkstore.com.
addressed how chemicals get into
the body and what happens when
For a greater selection
they do. He discussed what makes
one chemical more hazardous than
another. The presentation covered
visit the store in the
the basics of industrial toxicology,
using example chemicals everyone is
Krasa Student Center.
familiar with (such as drain
cleaners). It also introduced the
subtle hazards of advanced materials
becoming common in every
workplace such as epoxy resins, isocyanates and nanoparticles.
Luis Loubriel (Music) performed with members of the Chicago Symphony
Orchestra Brass Section, Millar Brass and Lyric Opera of Chicago Brass at
the “Vincent Cichowicz Memorial” service held at Northwestern
University’s Pick Staiger Hall. Besides researching 19th century brass
treatises at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, England, Loubriel attended the
International Trumpet Guild Conference at the University of Massachusetts
in Amherst.
Tim Marin (Chemistry) was notified by the American Chemical Society
(ACS) Committee on Education that the Benedictine University chapter
was awarded a Certificate of Achievement for its activities during the 20062007 academic year. The Benedictine chapter was noted for the size of its
chapter relative to the number of chemistry majors, its work in assisting the
Science Olympiad, its representation at the national ACS meeting, and its
efforts to coordinate field trips and outside speakers.
Ralph Meeker and Dan Nohl (Computer Science and Information Systems)
collaborated on and presented a paper titled “Using a Practicum Experience
in Your Database Course” at the 14th Annual Consortium for Computing
Sciences in Colleges (CCSC) Midwestern Conference in September at
Miami University (Ohio), Hamilton Campus. The paper was published in
the October 2007 issue of “The Journal of Computing Sciences in
30
Benedictine Voices
Colleges.” Nohl authored the six computer problems used in the 2007
CCSC Programming Competition that took place September 29. Nohl also
delivered a presentation on “Using OTTER, an Automated Reasoning
Program, to Connect Logic Topics in Discrete Mathematics to Computer
Science” at the 17th Annual Kansas City Regional Mathematics Technology
Expo at Rockhurst University, Kansas City, Mo., in October.
Jeremy Nadolski (Mathematics) gave a contributed poster at the 2007 Joint
Statistical Meetings in July in Salt Lake City, Utah. His research involved
work from a student researcher and collaboration with Lee Ann Smith
(Biology) titled “Stalactite Plot for Outlier Detection in the Presence of a
Computationally Singular Covariance Matrix.” This research was the result
of the Benedictine University’s Natural Science Summer Research program.
Christine M. Palumbo (Nutrition) was named the recipient of the 2007
Outstanding Nutrition Entrepreneur Award by the Nutrition Entrepreneur
Dietetic Practice Group. Palumbo was honored in October at the annual
American Dietetic Association Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo in
Philadelphia, Pa. Palumbo has appeared as a nutrition expert for various
forms of media including the “Oprah” show and writes a nutrition column
for Allure magazine. She is a past Chair of the Nutrition Entrepreneurs
Dietetic Practice Group and currently serves on the board of directors of
the American Dietetic Association.
James Pelech (School of Education) spoke at the Constructivist Conference
of the Learner Centered Resource Collaborative in July. His presentation,
“Using Problem-Based Learning to Deliver Constructivism,” focused on
using ill-defined authentic problems to deliver instruction. Pelech will also
have his review of the book, “Current Practices in Quantitative Literacy,”
published in the September issue of the Mathematics Teacher.
Mercy Robb (Marketing and Communications) was invited to participate
as a mentor in Women Unlimited, an organization of leading men and
women who serve as mentors to others. Robb was a panelist on the topic
of “The Fine Art of Managing Teams” at the organization’s December
meeting in Oak Brook.
Niina Ronkainen-Matsuno (Chemistry) participated as an evaluator and
rapporteur for water monitoring and infrastructure proposals in Security
and Defense Security Research and Development’s call for funding by the
European Commission. The evaluation process and consensus meetings
took place in Brussels, Belgium in July.
Alicia Cordoba Tait (Music) performed as Principal Oboe in the world
premiere of Roberto Sierra’s “Variations on a Souvenir” for piano and
orchestra in October with the Sinfonia da Camera in the Great Hall of the
Krannert Center for the Performing Arts in Urbana. The orchestra also
performed the piece as well as other works by Sierra at the Carlsen Center
for the Performing Arts in Overland Park, Kansas. Tait (oboe), Andrea
DiOrio (clarinet) and Anne Kreft (flute) of the Benedictine University
Faculty Woodwind Quintet performed with Amy Rhodes (bassoon) and
Daniel Fackler (horn) in the 2007 Tuba Bach Chamber Music Concert
Series in October in Big Rapids, Mich.
Ram Tenkasi (Organization Development) was invited to serve as a Program
Review Member of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research
(NWO), Social Sciences Research Council. The aim of the NWO Social
Research program is to encourage high quality and innovative research
proposals in the Social Sciences in the Netherlands. As program review
member, Tenkasi is part of a panel that reviews funding requests from the
NWO Social Science Research Council.
A number of faculty from Benedictine University played a major role at
the 2007 Annual Meeting of the National Academy of Management.
Tenkasi completed his tenure as chair of the Organization Development
and Change Division. Jim Ludema (Organization Development) chaired a
session on the history of Appreciative Inquiry and its contribution to the
field. Members of the symposium included a number of major contributors
to Appreciative Inquiry. Therese Yaeger (Master of Science in Management
and Organizational Behavior) chaired a session on the 50th anniversary of
the work of Douglas McGregor. Members of the symposium included some
e a g l e s c e n t e r
of the top contributors to the
field including Edgar Schein
(MIT), Warner Burke
(Columbia),
Peter Sorensen (Organization
Development), Tim Goodly
(CNN-Turner Broadcasting)
and Philip Anderson (Abbott
Laboratories). Benedictine faculty
also made contributions through
panels, presentations and
symposia. In September, Yaeger
and Sorensen also presented the
first Organization Development
Summit Conference to students
and colleagues in Shenyang,
China live from the Birck Hall
Tellabs Lecture Hall. Other
keynote speakers and participants
included College of Business
faculty Sandra Gill, Tenkasi
and Ludema.
Excellence in the Classroom
and on the Playing Field
Fall sports athletes Danielle Mikos
(volleyball, pictured left) and Kiera
Vizza (women’s soccer, pictured right)
were both elected to the ESPN The
Magazine Academic All-District team
for their respective sports. The award
is selected by the College Sports
Information directors of America and
recognizes excellence in both the
classroom and in athletics.
Thomas Wangler (Mathematics)
announced that student Debra
Witczak was selected as one of
the Illinois Council of Teachers
of Mathematics Scholarship
recipients for the 2007-2008
school year. The scholarship
award was presented to her at the
ICTM Annual Meeting in Peoria
in October. This scholarship is
made available to students in
colleges and universities of Illinois
who are pursuing a mathematics
major and an education minor.
by Dave Beyer
Randy Williams (Information
Technology) presented a paper
at the Association for Computing
Machinery Special Interest Group
on University and College
Computing Services Fall
Conference in October in
Orlando, Fla. The title of his
paper was, “What Happens at
the End of the Outsourcing
Contract?” It is the story of
Benedictine University’s
insourcing experience and
recommendations on what to
do when you plan to outsource.
Williams cited some reasons for
outsourcing and some of the
reasons for why it does not live
up to its expectations. He looked
at the history of one institution
that decided to abandon its
outsourcing decision, and
examined the consequences
of the decision to move from
an outsourced information
technology provider to an
in-house staff. ✝
Vitality
Men’s Golf
Women’s Soccer
The Eagles finished second in the Northern
Athletics Conference (NAC) championships, just
seven strokes away from the team title, with a
roster that returns intact for next season. Andrew
Delaney placed tied for third and R.J. Schwalbach
was ninth place, as both earned all-conference
status. Head coach Frank Janczak’s team was
predicted to finish fifth in the NAC pre-season
coach’s poll. ✝
The Benedictine women’s soccer team
enjoyed one of the most successful
seasons in the program’s history by
finishing the year with a 10-5-1 mark
under head coach Robyn Serge. The
Eagles, after starting the year 1-4,
went on a 10-match unbeaten streak
before losing in the first round of the
NAC tournament.
Men’s golfer Andrew Delaney
earned a third-place finish overall
at the 2007 Northern Athletics
Conference championships and
All-NAC status for his finish.
Benedictine placed fourth in the
regular season for the 13-team
NAC schedule.
Women’s Tennis
Playing with just one returning player from the previous season, the women’s tennis team
completed its season by finishing 8th in the Northern Athletics Conference. Freshman Andrea
Oliva finished 4th at No. 4 singles.
Under the guidance of first-year head coach – and former Benedictine standout studentathlete – Mandy Semenik in 2007, the Eagles’ team showed individual competitiveness
against a top-flight schedule. With no seniors and five freshmen among the roster players,
Semenik has laid the foundation for a bright future for the program. ✝
Cross Country
At the NAC championships, head coach Jon Wolcott’s Eagles women’s team placed fifth
and the men’s team eighth. Junior Hannah Miller earned all-conference honorable mention
status with her 21st place finish in the six-kilometer women’s race, as did Jennifer Murray
with her 26th place finish. ✝
The Benedictine team has made great
strides during the two seasons of
Serge’s guidance, going from not
winning a game the year before she
arrived to the 10 wins this year.
Additionally, the women’s program
had not just improved numbers on its
roster, but improved quality as well.
Since the 2006 season, the Eagles
more than doubled their number of
goals scored (24 to 50) and lowered
their goals against average by nearly
three-quarters of a goal per match
in 2007. ✝
Winter 2008
31
Football
Benedictine’s football team finished the
year with a .500 record (5-5) for the first
time since the 2001 season. The Eagles
placed third in the Illini-Badger Football
Conference (IBFC).
It was also the third consecutive year –
all since the arrival of Jon Cooper as head
coach – that the team has enjoyed an
improved won-lost record.
Sophomore tailback Ryan
Schwartz had the best season
by an Eagles’ running back in
a decade as he rushed for 898
yards and scored seven
touchdowns on the ground.
One of the highlights of the 2007 football season came when
freshman placekicker Brian Goff (81, above) drilled a 38-yard
field goal in the second overtime to defeat archrival Aurora
University, 20-17. The kick did more than just get a win for the
Eagles; it erased a 14-year victory drought versus the Spartans.
It was also the longest field goal by a Benedictine player in
Sports Complex history.
Eagles Volleyball
The Benedictine University volleyball team
finished the 2007 season with an overall
record of 27-7, the best record in head
coach Jennifer Wildes’ three seasons at the
helm. The Eagles placed third in the
Northern Athletics Conference (NAC)
regular season and were second in the
NAC’s post-season tournament.
Benedictine’s players were rewarded
handsomely for their outstanding season
on the NAC volleyball post-season awards
list. Three Eagles – freshman Kayla
Leyden, senior Danielle Mikos and senior
Angela Vitto – were all named to the AllNAC First Team. Additionally, Leyden (one
of just two freshmen on the first team list)
was named to the NAC’s All-Rookie Team
32
Benedictine Voices
and cited as the “Rookie of the Year,” as
well as earning All-Midwest Region
honorable mention from the American
Volleyball Coaches Association.
Leyden had an amazing inaugural
collegiate season. She averaged 4.3 kills,
5.1 digs and 0.56 aces per game, playing
in 110 of a possible 119 games. Her
attack percentage was .248 and she
averaged 0.37 blocks per game. She was
the MVP of the Aurora Invitational.
It was the third all-conference honor for
Mikos, who had a career season in 2007.
The 5’11 middle hitter averaged 3.36 kills
and 0.94 blocks per game, while sporting
a team-leading attack percentage of .349.
Vitto, a setter, was a repeat member of
the NAC first team all-conference list after
Offensively, sophomore tailback Ryan
Schwartz rushed for 898 yards despite
battling nagging injuries along the way. On
defense, sophomore linebacker Devin
Montgomery was far and away the team’s
leader in tackles with 93 “stops.” Fellow
sophomore linebacker Alex Dewey had 63
tackles and senior defensive back Anthony
Borsellino closed out his career with 63
tackles.
The Eagles’ “Bob” tandem – McLearen
and Corey – at defensive end accounted
for the bulk of the squad’s sacks total.
McLearen had a team-high 7 ½
quarterback sacks, while Corey booked
4 ½ sacks.
averaging a sterling 11.09 assists per
game as well as 2.95 digs per game.
Junior Sarah Flores was tabbed on the
NAC honorable mention list. Flores
averaged a team-high 6.39 digs per
game and 0.28 service aces per game. ✝
Freshman phenom Kayla
Leyden had one of the most
outstanding inaugural college
seasons in Benedictine history
in 2007. Leyden earned several
all-tournament awards —
including MVP at the Aurora
University Invitational — and
was also selected All-NAC first
team, NAC All-Rookie Team,
NAC “Rookie of the Year” and
AVCA All-Midwest Region
honorable mention.
The football program also enjoyed its
largest roster with 115 players turning out
on opening day. Benedictine players were
also rewarded for their fine 2007 season
with post-season honors from the IBFC,
the final such rewards from the league
as it will disband and the bulk of the
teams begin play in the Northern Athletics
Conference in 2008 (of which most of
the schools were already members in
other sports). ✝
Men’s Soccer
Although head coach Rob Kettle came on
board just prior to the season to fill the
coaching vacancy for the program, he
attacked the season with energy and a
positive attitude that will make the Eagles’
men’s soccer program better each year.
Kettle inherited a depleted roster, yet
still had his team competing in most
every match.
The squad said good-bye to two seniors –
Jason Maestas and Scott Hall – from
this year’s team, leaving much promising
young talent around which Kettle can
build for the future. ✝
The Top
10 Reasons
Benedictine University
Deserves Your Support
10 IRanking
Benedictine University is consistently ranked among the top colleges
and universities in the country by U.S. News & World Report ®.
8 ICommunity Involvement
9 ISuccess
Our undergraduate business students
participate in a number of service projects
including the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
program, which provides free income tax
assistance to senior citizens and the poor.
More than 98 percent of undergraduates have obtained
a full-time position or are enrolled in graduate school
within a year after graduating from Benedictine University.
7 INew Programs
Preparing students to succeed in an increasingly global society,
Benedictine University now offers undergraduate programs in
bilingual journalism and global studies.
5 IEnrollment
Benedictine University
had a record number
of freshmen enrolled for
the third consecutive year
in Fall 2007.
6 IAthletics
Two Benedictine students were named conference
“Athletes of the Year” in their respective sports and the
women’s volleyball team won the inaugural Northern
Athletics Conference tournament championship.
4 IWorld Mission
The Benedictine community responds whenever there is a need — whether
it is taking in students displaced by Hurricane Katrina, sending student
missionaries to work with the poor in Bolivia, or students helping to rebuild
New Orleans by providing manpower and other aid.
3 IAwards
The Center for Educational Policy Research (CEPR)
named two chemistry classes as “exemplary” and
The College of Business was recognized for
achievement, growth and community involvement
with an Annual Award for Business Excellence
by The Business Ledger.
and,
the number
1 reason is
our Students.
2 ILegacy
Your gift creates a personal legacy of philanthropy
that has made it possible for past and present
graduates to earn a Benedictine University degree.
To make a contribution to the 2008 General Scholarship Fund, please contact the
Office of Annual Giving at (630) 829-6366 or e-mail Jill Poskin at jposkin@ben.edu.
* Remember you can answer student Phonathon calls to make your contribution as well.
Upcoming Events – 2008
Join us at these upcoming alumni events.
January 26
Men’s and
Women’s Swim
and Dive
Reunion
February 2
Sweetheart Club
Dinner/Dance
February 16
Men’s and
Women’s
Basketball
Reunion
February 19
Alumni Board
Meeting
March 12
Fitz’s Pub Alumni
“After-hours”
March 29
Volleyball Alumni
Reunion
April 6
Men’s Baseball
Alumni Event
April 12
Downtown
Loop Alumni
“After-hours”
April 18
College of Science
Alumni Reunion
April 25
History, Philosophy
and Religious
Studies Awards
Dinner/ Reunion
Receiving Duplicate Issues of Voices Magazine?
If you are receiving more than one issue of Voices
per mailing, please let us know so we can reduce
the cost of our mailings as well as to eliminate
any inconvenience to you. Please take a moment
and call (630) 829-6099.
April 27
Men’s and
Women’s Alumni
Tennis Round
Robin Reunion
May 3
Department of
Music Awards
Dinner/Reunion
May 18
Commencement
and Golden
Eagles Reunion
May 20
Alumni Board
Meeting
June 29
2008 Alumni
Picnic
July 21
14th Annual
President’s
Invitational
Golf Outing
Stay Connected.
For more information about these and
other University events, visit our awardwinning Web site — www.ben.edu.
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and economical!
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