Pictures of Success - Creighton University

Pictures of Success:
Campaign Transforming Creighton
Probing Micro Mysteries
Spring 2009
Critical Thinking & the Well-Reasoned Life
View the magazine online at:
www.creightonmagazine.org
SPRING 2009
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Creighton Leads Boldly Into the Future........................... 8
A new era has begun at Creighton University, ushered in by the unprecedented support of
the transformative Willing to Lead campaign. The campaign surpassed its $350 million goal
with more than $395 million so far in gifts and commitments, expanding the University’s
boundaries — academically, physically and spiritually — and breaking all kinds of records.
Probing Micro Mysteries.................................................20
8
Creighton University undergraduate students are working shoulder-to-shoulder with faculty
researchers at Creighton thanks to a national grant through the IDeA Networks of Biomedical
Research Excellence (INBRE). Their investigations could shed more light on a range of issues
from osteoporosis to cancer.
Critical Thinking and the Well-Reasoned Life.................24
To grab the attention of a nation weary from a constant barrage of messages, political
candidates too often resort to glib one-liners or catchy sound bites — leaving little to no room
for well-reasoned discourse. What would some of the great philosophers think? And how is
Creighton preparing engaged citizens who can apply much-needed critical thinking to today’s
most challenging issues? Philosophy professor Kevin Graham, Ph.D., examines.
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A Greener Creighton Magazine
Editor’s Note: With our spring 2009 issue of Creighton University Magazine, we’ve
stepped forward with more green initiatives in its production. The magazine has
long been designated “recycled and recyclable” and “printed with soy ink,” but now
we’ve added more.
Today, the magazine carries the Forest Stewardship Council designation, as well
(see logo at the bottom left on this page). According to the FSC website, products
carrying the FSC label are independently certified to assure consumers that they
come from forests that are managed to meet the social, economic and ecological needs
of present and future generations. Creighton University Magazine uses paper made of
30 percent post- consumer waste, which decreases Creighton’s carbon footprint.
University News........................................................................ 4
Alumni News.......................................................................... 28
On the Cover: front, senior Neil Bhattarai, with Opus Hall; biology professor Mary Ann
Vinton, Ph.D., with the Hixson-Lied Science Building; middle, soccer player Chris Schuler,
with Morrison Stadium; Creighton president the Rev. John P. Schlegel, S.J., with Criss/Beirne
Endowed Chair in Nursing Joan Lappe, Ph.D.; Casper Professor in History John Calvert,
Ph.D., with the Rev. Henry Casper, S.J.; top, second-year medical student Dan Reznicek, with
James Manion, M.D., Shea Family Endowed Chair in Anesthesiology; and sophomore Amber
Bennett, with Mordeson Endowed Chair in Mathematics John Mordeson, Ph.D.
CONTACT US: Editor — Rick Davis, (402) 280-1785, richarddavis@creighton.edu • Associate Editor — Sheila Swanson, (402) 280-2069, bluenews@creighton.edu
View the magazine online at: www.creightonmagazine.org.
Message
from the
University
President
Extraordinary Times, Extraordinary Opportunities
As we enter the latter stages of this decade, we face new economic,
social and political realities that pull at the very fabric of our society.
Indeed, the challenges that lie ahead are numerous, complex and real.
Creighton University and higher education in general are not
immune to these external forces, which have shifted the ground
beneath us like tectonic plates.
But, as I emphasized in my convocation address to the campus
community, these extraordinary times also present extraordinary
opportunities. I remain bullish about Creighton. The state of the
University is solid, and the future is promising. Guided by our
mission, animated by our people and strengthened by our tradition
of transforming the institution to meet the challenges of the day,
we face the future with strong faith, renewed spirit and bold
confidence.
Lighting our path is a commitment to and vigorous engagement
in strategic planning. Renewing our understanding of who we are
and where we want to take our collective enterprise gives us the
strength to persevere and thrive in the face of both anticipated and
unforeseen events.
Change is assuredly afoot in our society and our world. There
is a sense of cautious optimism. The challenges we face as a
nation and a world — now more than ever — require the critical
thinking and ethical decision-making skills that suffuse a Creighton
education.
Our Catholic and Jesuit identity and tradition provide a stable,
faith-based foundation, through which our students, faculty and
graduates are emboldened to ask the difficult questions and seek
solutions that will create a more just world. We will not waver from
being guided by that Catholic and Jesuit mission in our intellectual
pursuits, patient care and service.
Our vision is both simply stated and ennobling: Creighton
University will be a national leader in preparing students to enrich
and renew society through professional distinction, responsible
leadership and committed citizenship.
Our strategic commitments, which focus on meeting that vision,
include:
• Enriching and advancing our Catholic and Jesuit identity, with
a call for greater involvement of lay faculty and staff, especially in light of the declining number of Jesuits on campus.
• Improving the way we do our business by being more flexible,
more proactive and more entrepreneurial. With limited
financial resources, we must become more efficient in meeting
the demands of our constituents.
• Strengthening and delivering transformative education. This
may take the shape of greater integration of assessment
activities, continued focus on student recruitment and
retention, expansion of co-curricular activities that enhance the
classroom experience and increased integration of technology.
• Enhancing our engagement
in academic
scholarship,
with an
emphasis on
funding student
research
opportunities.
• Attracting and
retaining the top faculty,
staff and administrators,
who are committed to
helping the University fulfill
its vision.
As mentioned earlier in this column, the global economic meltdown
has placed stress on higher education. Creighton University has been
proactive about addressing these economic issues. You can read more
about the economy’s impact on Creighton and our strategies to move
forward in this uncertain environment on Page 5. Suffice it to say,
the economy has had a real impact on Creighton, but I believe the
steps we are taking will allow us to weather the storm and come out
stronger for remaining focused.
Finally, I would like to publicly thank and acknowledge our
alumni and friends for their unprecedented support of the Willing
to Lead campaign. The campaign’s funds have infused our academic
mission and revitalized our physical environment. We set a bold and
ambitious goal of $350 million, and you responded — with more than
60,000 individuals contributing more than $395 million so far in gifts
and commitments. Read more about the campaign on Page 8.
As I told those gathered at convocation, we are not done! We are in
a new era of philanthropy and growth for this University. Creighton
must never settle for what is, but always aspire for the more. As St.
Paul writes in a letter to Timothy: “God did not give us a timid spirit
… but a spirit of courage.”
May that spirit of courage enliven and fill us — as community and
as individuals — as we move forward in hope and confidence, blessed
by a God who loves us.
Please know that you and your families are in my prayers during
this spring season. May God’s grace sustain and renew us during this
time of rebirth.
John P. Schlegel, S.J.
President
University News
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Volume 25, Issue 1
Publisher: Creighton University; Rev. John P. Schlegel,
S.J., President; Lisa Calvert, Vice President for University
Relations. Creighton University Magazine staff: Kim Barnes
Manning, Assistant Vice President for Marketing and
Public Relations; Rick Davis, Editor; Sheila Swanson,
Associate Editor; Pamela A. Vaughn, Features Editor;
Cindy McMahon, Senior Writer.
Creighton University Magazine (USPS728-070) is published
quarterly in the spring, summer, fall and winter by
Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE
68178-0001. Periodicals postage paid at Omaha, Neb., and
additional entry points. Address all mail to Marketing
and Public Relations, Omaha, NE 68178. Postmaster: Send
change of address to Creighton University Magazine, P.O.
Box 3266, Omaha, NE 68103-0078.
For more enrollment information, contact the
Undergraduate Admissions Office at 1-800-282-5835,
admissions@creighton.edu.
To make a gift to the University, contact the
Office of Development at 1-800-334-8794.
For the latest on alumni gatherings, contact the Alumni
Relations Office at 1-800-CU-ALUMS (800-282-5867) or
check online at www.creighton.edu/alumni.
Update your mailing address or send alumni news
(births, weddings, promotions, etc.) electronically through
www.creighton.edu/alumni, call 1-800-334-8794 or
mail to Office of Development, Creighton University,
2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178.
View the magazine online at
www.creightonmagazine.org
www.creighton.edu
Copyright © 2009 by Creighton University
Recycled and Recyclable
Printed with Soy Ink
Creighton University Magazine’s Purpose
Creighton University Magazine, like the University itself, is
committed to excellence and dedicated to the pursuit of
truth in all its forms. The magazine will be comprehensive
in nature. It will support the University’s mission of
education through thoughtful and compelling feature
articles on a variety of topics. It will feature the brightest,
the most stimulating, the most inspirational thinking
that Creighton offers. The magazine also will promote
Creighton, and its Jesuit, Catholic identity, to a broad
public and serve as a vital link between the University
and its constituents. The magazine will be guided by the
core values of Creighton: the inalienable worth of each
individual, respect for all of God’s creation, a special
concern for the poor, and the promotion of justice.
4
Spring 2009
e
Zetterman Named
Creighton Medical
School Dean
Rowen Zetterman, M.D., has been named
dean of the Creighton University School of
Medicine. Zetterman, who has served as chief
of staff for the Veterans
Affairs (VA) NebraskaWestern Iowa Health
Care System since
2002, assumed his new
position with Creighton
in early January.
“Creighton University
is extremely fortunate
to have someone with
Zetterman
the leadership and breadth of experience in
academic, research and clinical disciplines
needed in our School of Medicine to meet
an increasingly competitive and demanding
health care environment. As an internationally
known medical leader, Dr. Zetterman is at the
top of his game and will be instrumental as we
move our health sciences agenda forward,”
said Robert Heaney, BS’47, MD’51, interim vice
president for Health Sciences.
Zetterman comes to Creighton with a
wealth of academic, clinical, research and
administrative experience and an extensive
knowledge of the health care environment in
the Omaha metro area. He has held several
appointments with Creighton University, the
University of Nebraska Medical Center and
the VA system since 1977.
He served as chief of medicine for the
Omaha Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 19982002, and as chief of staff for the Nebraska
Health System, 1997-2000. Zetterman joined the
faculty of Creighton’s Department of Internal
Medicine in 1977, becoming a clinical professor
of internal medicine in 1986.
“For me, the opportunity to serve as a
medical academic dean, bringing my expertise
to bear on the transformation of young
minds, is the opportunity of a lifetime,” said
Zetterman.
An internationally known researcher, his
research interests include the care of all types
of liver transplantation patients and the
evaluation and care of patients with primary
bilary cirrhosis, alcoholic hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis and chronic liver disease.
In 2008, Zetterman received the Berk/
Fise Clinical Achievement Award, the
highest award from the American College
of Gastroenterology (ACG). He served as
ACG president in 2000. In 2007, he received
the Alfred Stengel Memorial Award for
Outstanding Service from the American
College of Physicians (ACP). This award,
given by the nation’s largest medical specialty
organization and the second largest physician
group in the United States, recognizes
loyalty and exceptional contributions to
the ACP’s mission.
Zetterman graduated from Shickley Public
High School in Shickley, Neb. He earned
his medical degree from the University of
Nebraska in 1969 and completed a medical
internship and a residency in internal medicine,
both at University Hospital, University of
Nebraska College of Medicine; and fellowships
in gastroenterology, University of Nebraska
College of Medicine, and hepatology and
nutrition, New Jersey College of Medicine
at Newark.
Creighton Unveils New Crest
Creighton President the Rev. John P. Schlegel, S.J., has
unveiled a new University crest that includes elements
representing the Creighton family, Creighton’s Jesuit
tradition and the Omaha Archdiocese. The crest is for
ceremonial use.
The gold stripes on the red field, in the upper
left-hand quadrant of the shield, comes from the family
coat of arms of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the
Society of Jesus or Jesuits. The lion rampant comes from
the Creighton family coat of arms and the three seashells
on a field of sable and red comes from the Wareham family coat of arms — giving nod to
Creighton University’s founding families. The design for the shield’s final quadrant, in the
lower left, comes from the coat of arms of the Archdiocese of Omaha. The starburst behind
the shield comes from the seal of the Society of Jesus.
University News
Creighton Degrees
Conferred at Winter
Commencement
More than 225 students received degrees
during commencement ceremonies last
December. The University also recognized the
following individuals and organization for their
contributions to education and the community.
Alumni Achievement Citation
Robert Townley, MD’55, received the
Alumni Achievement Citation. Townley has
been a pioneer in the study, research and
practice of allergy and immunology for the
region with a lifelong career goal of finding a
cure for asthma. He has spent the majority of
his professional life at Creighton University,
serving as chief of the Division of Allergy/
Immunology from 1969 to 2000.
Honorary Degree
John Gottschalk, chairman of the Omaha WorldHerald Co., received a Doctor of Laws, honoris
causa, for his dedication and commitment to the
city of Omaha and the state of Nebraska and for
his longstanding service to
Creighton University and
not-for-profit organizations
and agencies throughout
the nation. During his
remarks at the ceremony,
he reminded students that
you “make a living on
what you have; you make
Gottschalk
a life on what you give.”
Presidential Medallion
Robert Townley, MD’55, and the Rev. John P. Schlegel, S.J., at December commencement.
Creighton Responds to
Economic Climate
Like most industries, higher education
has been affected by the national economic
downturn. Creighton University, while not
immune to these stresses, has taken proactive
steps to address today’s economic realities.
Creighton University’s approach has been
multifaceted. While several aspects of the
2009-2010 budget are still being finalized,
of primary concern for the University is
keeping a Creighton education affordable for
students and their families. In recent years,
Creighton University has experienced historic
enrollments, and freshman retention recently
hit an all-time high. Preliminary indicators for
the 2009 freshman class remain positive.
The University has taken deliberate
steps to continue those trends. Creighton’s
undergraduate tuition rate will increase by
a modest 3.5 percent next year — the lowest
increase in 46 years. Recognizing that any
increase will represent a challenge to some
students and their families, Creighton is
adding $2.4 million to its financial aid pool.
In addition, members of the President’s
Cabinet have agreed to an average 4 percent
contribution from their 2009-2010 salaries to
create a financial assistance fund for returning
students needing additional aid or resources.
“These steps are needed to assist students
and their families so they can continue
to afford a quality Creighton education
during these challenging economic times,”
said Creighton President the Rev. John P.
Schlegel, S.J.
Other cost-saving measures have included
hiring restrictions, a voluntary separation
program, financial enhancement plans from
each division, a restriction on capital projects,
and no increase in nonsalary expenses for
next year.
The significant effect of market declines
on university endowments has been widely
reported in the media. The value of collegiate
endowments nationally has declined anywhere
from 25 percent to 35 percent for the last half of
2008 alone.
During his convocation address to the
The Rev. Arturo Aguilar, SSC, regional director
for the Missionary Society of St. Columban, USA,
accepted the University’s Presidential Medallion on
behalf of the Society, which is celebrating the 90th
anniversary of its founding. Since 1921, the Society’s
United States headquarters have been in the Omaha
area, adjacent to Bellevue, Neb. Today, nearly 700
Columban missionaries — priests, seminarians and
lay people — work in Australia, New Zealand and
countries in Europe, Asia, southeast Asia and South
America, in addition to Mexico and the United States.
A community of religious women, the Columban
Sisters, often work alongside the missionaries.
University community, Fr. Schlegel said he is
confident that the University will achieve its
budget objectives. He then asked all faculty,
staff and administrators to remain vigilant.
“Everyone has some part to play in our
success, whether that is welcoming prospective
“These steps are needed to assist
students and their families so
they can continue to afford a
quality Creighton education
during these challenging
economic times.”
— Rev. John P. Schlegel, S.J.
Creighton President
students and their families, preparing the
campus for visits or even turning off light
switches and watching our spending,” Fr.
Schlegel said.
Spring 2009
5
University News
Creighton University Arts and Sciences
senior Danae Mercer of Omaha has received
the opportunity of a lifetime — and she
plans to make the most of it. She is the
recipient of the Davies-Jackson Scholarship
for postgraduate study at the University
of Cambridge in Cambridge, England, in
the fall of this year, the only student in the
United States to receive the award.
Mercer is quick to credit Creighton for
helping her achieve the honor, but her
mentors are just as quick to acknowledge
her own grit and determination in
overcoming tremendous odds.
“I’m so grateful to my mentors at
Creighton,” Mercer said. “I have developed
such strong bonds with faculty and staff
here. They have become my family and will
be part of me for the rest of my life.”
Each year, the Davies-Jackson
Scholarship is awarded to one student
who is a first-generation college graduate;
it is valued at $50,000. After two years of
study in sociology, psychology and political
science at Cambridge’s St. John’s College,
Mercer will be awarded the Cantab degree,
which is viewed as the equivalent of a
master’s degree in the U.S.
The hardships Mercer has faced in her
life — and her response — were likely
part of the reason she was awarded the
exclusive scholarship.
Mercer’s undergraduate credentials are
impressive: With a double major in political
science and journalism and a minor in French,
she writes for the student newspaper, The
Creightonian; is a leader with the International
Relations Club and the Model United Nations
team; and is accomplished in math and
statistics with published research. Mercer has
held multiple part-time jobs throughout her
college years, including a current internship
with US STRATCOM as a policy designer and
Photo by Jim Fackler
Student Awarded
Scholarship to
Cambridge
Mercer is the recipient of the Davies-Jackson
Scholarship, given to just one U.S. student annually.
researcher. For the past two years, Mercer has
received Creighton’s Presidential Mentoring
Scholarship, which supports students who
are planning to apply to prestigious national
and international colleges or universities for
graduate study.
But what sets Mercer apart from many
top achievers is that she has achieved
her collegiate goals — and then some —
without family support. She was raised by
her mother, who had been ill for several
years before passing away after Danae’s
freshman year in college.
Mercer said her family had “… bounced
around the country, moving from state to
state, and I hardly stayed in any one spot
— let alone any one school — for more than
three years.” She said her mother had not
completed high school.
“School was a place where I belonged,
where I found room to stretch my mind
in new and exciting ways, where answers
weren’t easy but always worth pursuing.
Although I sacrificed much for academics,
there had always been balance in my life.”
Yet, after her mother’s death, she found
this balance changed as she became not
only completely responsible for herself,
but the primary caretaker for her younger
sister.
“I discovered I was too academic-focused.
Several faculty members stepped in and
counseled me to take a break,” she said.
“Danae is an amazing young woman
and a great example to all students who
may have faced challenges over the years,”
said Lisa Brockhoff, associate director of
career development in Creighton’s John P.
Fahey Career Center. “She has definitely
endured more hardships than anyone her
age should have to experience, but she
keeps a positive attitude, stays focused and
continues to work hard.”
Photo by Dave Weaver
Creighton Students Fight Hunger
6
Spring 2009
More than 150 Creighton University students participated in
a food-packing event on campus in March to assist those in Haiti
struggling with malnutrition, starvation and hunger-related
diseases. Working in teams, the students put together 47,520 food
packages — each containing six nutritionally complete meals
that can be mixed with water. The event was sponsored by the El
Legado de Compasion student organization through Kids Against
Hunger, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to significantly
reducing the number of hungry children worldwide. Each meal
cost only 13 cents.
University News
Creighton Awarded
$3.2 Million to Explore
Other Causes of
Osteoporosis
Creighton Receives National Award
Creighton University’s new Catholic School Leadership (CSL) certificate has received the
President’s Award from the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA). The award was
presented by NCEA president Karen Ristau, Ed.D., at the Archbishop’s Dinner for Education this
past fall. Pictured from left are Ristau; Creighton President the Rev. John P. Schlegel, S.J.; Timothy
Cook, Ph.D., associate chair of Creighton’s Department of Education; Monsignor James Gilg,
superintendent of Catholic schools for the Archdiocese of Omaha; and Daniel Curtin, director,
Department of Chief Administrators of Catholic Education, NCEA.
Creighton to Continue Landmark Study on
Vitamin D and Cancer Risk
The National Institutes of Health has awarded Creighton University $4 million to continue
its landmark study linking vitamin D to a reduction in cancer risk.
The study’s findings, reported in June 2007, showed for the first time in a clinical trial that
postmenopausal women consuming calcium as well as vitamin D3 supplements at nearly
three times U.S. government recommended levels could reduce their risk of cancer by
60 to 77 percent.
“The vitamin D3 finding was a secondary goal in the original study,” said Creighton
researcher Joan Lappe, Ph.D. “We must now confirm these findings with a clinical trial
specifically designed to look at calcium, vitamin D and cancer. Confirmation is necessary
in order to have evidence solid enough to change public policy regarding intake levels for
vitamin D.”
Lappe, holder of the Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss and Drs. Gilbert and Clinton Beirne
Endowed Chair in Nursing at Creighton and a professor of medicine, was the principal
investigator for the landmark study. She will also head the new study.
Kroeger Elected to Creighton Board
The Creighton University Board of Directors elected Terry Kroeger to
the Board on March 2. Kroeger is president and chief executive officer of
The Omaha World-Herald Co. and publisher of the Omaha World-Herald.
He will serve a four-year term. An Omaha native, Kroeger has been part of
The Omaha World-Herald Co. for more than 20 years, beginning his career
as assistant purchasing agent and property manager in 1985. Prior to being
named vice president, Kroeger was publisher of The Record, a newspaper
in Stockton, Calif. He returned to Omaha in 1999 to lead the construction
Kroeger
of the Omaha World-Herald’s production facility. In 2001, he assumed
management of production, circulation, sales and administration, and in 2005 was named president
and chief operating officer.
Why do some women develop osteoporosis
even when their bone mass is good, they
exercise regularly, and they consume plenty
of calcium? It is a medical mystery that the
Creighton University School of Medicine
hopes to unravel with the help of a $3.2 million
grant recently awarded the University by the
National Institutes of Health.
While bone density is an important factor in
determining a person’s risk of osteoporosis —
a condition in which bones become fragile and
prone to breakage — it is not the only factor,
said Robert Recker, M.D., the study’s principal
investigator and director of Creighton’s
Osteoporosis Research Center.
“Bone quality defects, other than low bone
density, account for more than half of the
patients who suffer from osteoporosis and are
at risk of low-stress fractures,” Recker said.
“These defects have been described but not
yet fully explored. We hope to characterize
these defects in bone quality and identify how
they contribute to low-trauma fractures in
postmenopausal women, the population most
at risk of osteoporosis.”
The five-year study will include 120
postmenopausal women between the ages of
45 and 70 who have osteopenia, considered
a precursor to osteoporosis, in which the rate
of new bone formation is abnormally low.
Participants will include 60 women, who have
suffered low- or no-trauma fractures during
the previous four years, and a control group
that has similar bone density but has not
experienced low-trauma fractures.
For the study, Creighton will identify the
women who have osteopenia through a series
of tests and bone biopsies. The biopsies will
then undergo examination by researchers
from University of California, San Francisco;
Johns Hopkins University; INSERM in Lyon,
France; Columbia University in New York;
and University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of
Engineering.
“We believe this will be the most
comprehensive examination to date of bone
quality defects that cause bone fractures in
otherwise healthy, postmenopausal women,”
Recker said.
Spring 2009
7
Creighton
Leads
Boldly
Into the
A
Future
new era has begun at Creighton University,
ushered in by the unprecedented support of the
transformative Willing to Lead campaign. The
campaign surpassed its $350 million goal with
more than $395 million in gifts and commitments thus far,
expanding the University’s boundaries — academically,
physically and spiritually — and breaking all kinds of
records.
“This is an incredible milestone in the life of the
University,” Creighton President the Rev. John P. Schlegel,
S.J., said. “It is the result of many gifts — small, medium
and historically large — all of which are testimony to the
affection and respect with which this institution is held by
our alumni and friends.”
Fr. Schlegel emphasized that the Willing to Lead
campaign is not a concluding event, but the beginning of a
new era of philanthropy and growth for the University.
“Our task is not yet complete,” Fr. Schlegel said. “Let me
say in no uncertain terms — we are not done. Our Board
and donor community are enthusiastically pushing us
forward. They are calling on us to double our efforts —
encouraging us to build on this unprecedented momentum
and reach for our vision with renewed vigor and purpose.”
Lisa Calvert, vice president for University Relations, said
the support of donors nationwide is allowing Creighton to
realize its vision of securing its place at the forefront of the
leading Catholic, Jesuit universities in the United States.
8
Spring 2009
Creighton President the Rev. John P. Schlegel, S.J., celebrates the success of
the Willing to Lead campaign with students at a Feb. 11 event.
The multi-year campaign, which began its public phase in
December 2005, received historic gifts and participation, with more
than 60,000 individuals contributing (more than half being new
donors). Creighton also experienced a record number of
$1 million or greater gifts and the largest donation in its history, a
transformational $50 million gift from an anonymous donor.
More than half of the campaign’s contributions infused the
University’s academic mission by providing funding for hundreds
of student scholarships and endowment for faculty, programs
and service projects — including 14 endowed faculty chairs, five
professorships and innovative programs such as the nationally
recognized Werner Institute for Negotiation and Dispute
Resolution.
The remaining portion of the extraordinary Willing to Lead results
allowed Creighton to achieve key elements of its award-winning
campus master plan. The campus has grown by 40 acres and has
been revitalized to create a 21st century learning environment that
now spans 130 acres. Numerous buildings have been renovated or
constructed to support academics and student life.
“We have an extraordinary journey ahead of us, with
extraordinary challenges and extraordinary opportunities,” Fr.
Schlegel said. “I truly believe that more than a few transformative
opportunities lie ahead of us.”
Photo by Jim Fackler
“We have an extraordinary journey ahead of us,
with extraordinary challenges and extraordinary
opportunities.” – The Rev. John P. Schlegel, S.J.
Creighton University is supported and encouraged by the
members of its Board of Directors and donor community, who,
mindful of the current economic environment, are pushing the
University to build on the momentum and continue the Willing to
Lead campaign — citing that Creighton’s mission is more vital than
ever.
“I am a believer in our future. … Our bold tomorrow is here, and
an even bolder tomorrow awaits us!” Fr. Schlegel said. “I invite you
to join us on this journey, to help us write the next chapter in the
unfolding history of Creighton University.”
Willing to Lead … By the numbers
$395 million
Amount received in gifts and commitments,
as of Feb. 10, 2009
$ 350 million Campaign goal — making it the largest fundraising initiative in Creighton’s history
$50 million
The campaign’s largest gift and the single largest gift in Creighton’s history
14 and 5 Number of endowed faculty chairs and professorships, respectively, established through the campaign
60,000 Number of contributors to the campaign – more than half were new donors
142,000 Number of gifts received during the campaign (some donors gave multiple times)
On the following pages, we share stories of those who are, and
continue to be, impacted by donor support and those whose gifts
represent a response to this historic call. More can be found online
at creighton.edu/development.
40 Number of acres added to campus during the campaign, increasing Creighton’s campus footprint to 130 acres
52 Percentage of campaign dollars directed toward academic priorities; 48 percent directed to land acquisitions, new buildings and renovations
Spring 2009
9
Allison Kinney-Walker
Rev. Andy Alexander, S.J.
Education with a Higher Purpose
W
hen the Rev. Andy Alexander, S.J., listens to students
talk about their Creighton experience, he is heartened
and inspired by what he hears. He joyously shares
some of their observations:
• What happened to me is I learned to reflect here …
• What happened to me is I found that I was invited to be a woman for others …
• I didn’t expect that when I was going through my rotations, someone would show me how to pray with patients …
“That’s what students learn here,” Fr. Alexander said. “That’s
what makes it a very special place.”
Dan Reznicek was drawn to Creighton and its spirit of cura
personalis — or care of the individual person. The Cadillac, Mich.,
native earned a business degree from Creighton in 2006 and is
now attending Creighton medical school. He has found, both at
the professional and undergraduate level, a faculty and student
body truly concerned about his success.
Creighton also has afforded him opportunities to share his
talents with others less fortunate. This past summer, Reznicek
and nine other Creighton medical students traveled to Romania
as part of Project CURA (Creighton Medical School United
in Relief Assistance). Project CURA is a student-founded and
student-organized effort to provide health services to those in
need domestically and abroad.
“We got to shadow doctors and help out with the clinics in the
10
Spring 2009
Dan Reznicek
area,” Reznicek said. “It was an amazing experience.”
Allison Kinney-Walker, BA’06, had been involved in service
while in high school. But at Creighton, she found something more
— a call to act for justice.
“What that means to me is going beyond just serving or helping
people, or trying to fix a problem, but really trying to understand
the issues that make that service needed,” Kinney-Walker said.
She said her Creighton experience — which included several
spring and fall break service trips, along with volunteering at a
homeless shelter and teaching English as a second language — has
emboldened her to “be a voice for those who are often unheard.”
The theology and justice and peace studies major is currently
attending graduate school at Creighton with the hopes of someday
establishing her own “social business that works to bring about
financial stability, financial education and financial empowerment
for low-income people.”
Fr. Alexander said the experiences of Kinney-Walker and
Reznicek, while powerful and life-affirming, are not unique.
“Our purpose, in the Jesuit tradition, is to help our students
become women and men for others,” Fr. Alexander said. “We help
them become people of conscience; we help them become people
of compassion; we help them grow as people who can make a
difference in this world.
“Alumni will tell us, ‘I may not have become some deeply
spiritual person while I was at Creighton,’” Fr. Alexander
explained. “‘But when I faced a crisis … something deep in
my experience at Creighton held me together and allowed
me to find God.’ And that’s the great jewel in the Creighton
experience.”
Creighton Leads Boldly Into the Future
Dedicated to Patients, Students, Research
C
reighton University maintains unique strengths in the health sciences, with schools of medicine,
dentistry, nursing, and pharmacy and health professions. Across these disciplines, Creighton
is educating the health care professionals of tomorrow, contributing to new research and
innovations, and providing quality patient care in the Jesuit tradition of cura personalis — or care of the
individual.
Rowen Zetterman, M.D., dean of the School of Medicine, said Creighton is dedicated to providing
the finest medical education in the world. He added that Creighton must stay at the forefront of
new discoveries that lead to a healthier society. And Creighton must continue to deliver quality,
compassionate care to those suffering from pain, sickness and disease — especially the underserved,
the vulnerable and the needy. But, he added, the medical school, as well as Creighton’s other health
sciences schools, cannot do it alone.
Through philanthropic support, Creighton and its health sciences schools can provide the support
necessary to attract the best and brightest students, faculty and scientists. Endowed scholarship support
allows students more freedom upon graduation to pursue careers caring for the underserved. Endowed
chairs and professorships and enhanced facilities can attract the top researchers, scholars and teachers.
Creighton is poised to address the critical shortages of health care professionals and to bring a full
complement of health care research, treatments and prevention to new levels of excellence and impact.
“Progress to improve human health in the last 100 years has been astonishing,” said Robert Heaney,
BS’47, MD’51, interim vice president for Health Sciences and the John A. Creighton University
Professor. “Creighton’s scientists, faculty-scientists, scholars and students have contributed to the
advancement of health in these critical areas: cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, obesity, neurosciences and
cardiovascular disease. Philanthropic support for research at Creighton University is an investment in
our shared future, as we seek new discoveries, new treatments and new options to improve lives.”
Joan Lappe
Robert Heaney
Rowen Zetterman
A Healthy Endowment
Helps Build Healthy Bones
A
s the first to hold an endowed chair in nursing at
Creighton University, Joan Lappe, Ph.D., MS’85, is
keenly aware of the importance of endowed chairs at a
university.
“Endowed chairs are a symbol for how universities value
scholarly endeavors,” said Lappe, who was installed as the
first holder of the Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss and Drs. Gilbert
and Clinton Beirne Endowed Chair in Nursing at Creighton in
2007. “Pragmatically, endowed chairs help to attract and retain
distinguished faculty and outstanding students.”
Lappe and her colleagues in the Osteoporosis Research Center
at Creighton are conducting cutting-edge research in the area of
osteoporosis and bone health; Lappe is the principal investigator for a
landmark study linking vitamin D to a reduction in cancer risk.
Spring 2009
11
Creighton Leads Boldly Into the Future
Sarah Fredrick
Budding Scientist, Well-Rounded Person
S
arah Fredrick absolutely loves science. And thanks to several
scholarships, the senior chemistry major from Denver has had
plenty of hands-on opportunities to engage in scientific research
and inquiry during her undergraduate career at Creighton.
But, she says, her Creighton education has provided her something
even more.
“I’ve appreciated the well-roundedness in my Creighton experience,”
Fredrick said. “I’m not leaving here with a science degree. I’m leaving
here as a well-rounded human being.”
And that’s what she really loves about Creighton — even more than
the science.
As part of her Creighton education, Fredrick spent three weeks in a
small, poor community in El Salvador — studying theology, learning
about the culture and doing service work.
“Creighton’s hard and it’s been tough academically, but I’ve also been
challenged emotionally and spiritually,” Fredrick said. And she’s thankful
for that.
“I think the opportunities I’ve had at Creighton have pushed me in
amazing ways. I’ve been able to pursue my dreams of science, but also
have had the best of social justice and theology.
“All of that has been so important for my personal development —
constantly pushing me to do more, to be more, to be better.”
Fielding Athletic Success
A
s one of only four NCAA Division I men’s soccer programs
in the country to have appeared in the NCAA tournament
17 consecutive times — and counting — Creighton is in elite
company.
And, thanks to the Willing to Lead campaign, Creighton soccer
now has a facility that matches that stature — with the Rev. Michael
G. Morrison, S.J., Stadium. A gift from Suzanne and Walter Scott Jr.
helped make the stadium a reality.
“It’s pretty hard not to be impressed with Morrison Stadium,” said
Creighton men’s soccer coach Bob Warming. “It’s a first-class facility
representing a first-class institution.”
“The first time I saw Morrison Stadium was on my recruiting
visit,” said Chris Schuler, a junior MIS (management information
systems) major from Aurora, Ill., and a second-team All-American
defenseman for the Jays. “I flew in at night. I came out on the field;
the coach had the lights on. It was an amazing experience.”
The facility has enlivened Bluejay spirit on campus; Creighton
men’s soccer ranks second nationally in attendance among Division I
schools. Morrison Stadium, named after Creighton’s 22nd president,
is also a community asset — hosting Nebraska’s high school state
soccer championships as well as outdoor concerts and other activities.
It has been a welcome environment for Creighton’s men’s and
women’s soccer teams.
Creighton University athletics, as a whole, has found equal success
12
Spring 2009
Chris Schuler,
Bob Warming and
Seth Sinovic
inside the classroom — earning national recognition from the NCAA.
“Creighton is a great institution,” said Seth Sinovic, a senior
economics major and midfielder from Leawood, Kan., who earned
second-team Academic All-American and all-conference honors
last season. “The faculty is extremely supportive.”
For Coach Warming, support for Creighton — whether for
scholarships, for facilities or for programs — is a wise investment.
“What you’re investing in at Creighton is social capital, because
you are investing in the future of America.”
Juggling Life, Pursuing Justice
S
cholarships have helped Lecia Robinson Wright, BA’07, juggle a busy
life as a wife, mother and second-year Creighton law student. She is a
recipient of the Frances Ryan Scholarship and the John P. Fahey Annual
Law Scholarship.
“That has really helped me because we’ve had a lot of expenses as a young
couple,” Wright said. “It’s enabled me to remain at Creighton — which is the
institution that I love — and has helped me pursue my career goals.”
And those goals are lofty.
Wright has dreamed of attending law school since she was about 12 years
old. The Bellevue (Neb.) East High School graduate hopes to use her legal
degree to tackle issues relating to civil rights and race relations.
“I’m very passionate about civil rights and race relations and having the
scholarship has enabled me to pursue that career path and make a difference,”
Wright said.
Wright came to Creighton for her undergraduate education on a Creighton
University Diversity Scholarship. She earned her undergraduate degree in
psychology and sociology in 2007. When she began investigating
law schools, Creighton was a natural choice.
“It’s just an atmosphere that’s very welcoming,” Wright said.
Lecia Robinson Wright
Anthony Hendrickson
Steven Friedrichsen
Creighton Education Seeks ‘The More’
W
ith nine schools and colleges and more than 70 undergraduate, graduate and
professional programs, Creighton University is the only institution of its size to offer
such a broad range of academic opportunities. However, in this diverse environment,
Creighton heralds a common commitment: to seek the magis — or “the more” — in its
education, service, research and patient care.
“We think we do a superb job of giving our graduates that education to go out and be very
successful in today’s business environment,” said Anthony Hendrickson, Ph.D., dean of the
College of Business. “But above and beyond that, we believe in building extraordinary lives.”
For Hendrickson, that means a Creighton business graduate, perhaps nearing the end of her
or his career, could look back and reflect with pride: “Yes, I was financially successful and did
the things that I wanted to do from a business standpoint, but I also had the right relationships
with my faith, my friends, my family, my community. I gave back in some way.”
The Creighton School of Dentistry is considered a national leader in preparing dentists for
practice, which hasn’t gone unnoticed by interested students. Nearly a third of the nation’s
dental school applicants last year applied to Creighton. Steven Friedrichsen, D.D.S., dean of
the School of Dentistry, said clinical excellence is only part of the equation: “We really want our
students to view dentistry … as a vocation in service to mankind.”
Donor support allows Creighton’s deans to pursue new academic initiatives, expand critical
research, attract and retain world-class faculty, and draw the best and brightest students.
“My dream is that the best of the nation’s dental students who walk across the stage at
graduation, walk across at Creighton,” Friedrichsen said.
Spring 2009
13
Creighton Leads Boldly Into the Future
John Calvert
Professorship Bridges Cultural Divide
A
s a leading scholar in the study of the modern Middle
East, with a particular focus on Islamic fundamentalist
movements, Creighton history professor John Calvert,
Ph.D., believes he has an opportunity to bridge the gap between
cultures. Being chosen as the first to hold the Fr. Henry W. Casper,
S.J., Professorship in History has allowed him to more robustly
pursue that goal.
“It’s really important that Creighton establish relationships
with scholars from other cultures,” Calvert said. “We live in an
increasingly pluralistic and multicultural world. Not only are
School of Law Service and Justice Fund
S
everal years ago, law professor Ron Volkmer, BS’66, JD’68,
heard this momentous call: “Students … must let the gritty
reality of this world into their lives, so they can learn to feel
Ron Volkmer
14
Spring 2009
Americans more and more going out into the world, to make
their careers and so forth, but the world is coming to us in all
kinds of ways.”
The Casper Professorship was established through a $1 million
gift from Wayne, BS’49, MS’51, and Eileen Ryan. The gift honors
the late Fr. Casper, a former history professor at Creighton.
Calvert said the professorship has allowed him to bring worldclass speakers in the area of Middle East studies to Creighton,
where they have delivered public lectures and met face-to-face
with students.
“This professorship has really allowed me to bridge the gap
— create bridges — between the United States and the Islamic
world,” Calvert said. “And I think the fruit of that has been a
widening of knowledge.”
In addition to being quoted in the national media, Calvert
is the author of Islamism: A Documentary and Reference Guide and
co-editor and translator of Sayyid Qutb’s A Child from the Village,
and he recently submitted a manuscript for a new book on the
radical Islamic thinker Qutb. He added that the professorship
has been “invaluable” in advancing his scholarship.
“I think endowed professorships are very important in
retaining quality faculty at the University,” Calvert said.
“I think these professorships also gain Creighton a national
reputation.
“Quality professors stay at the University; they produce
nationally, internationally renowned work; and that enhances the
reputation of Creighton at a national level. It also helps to attract
and draw students to the University.”
it, think about it critically, respond to its suffering and engage
it constructively.” For “when the heart is touched by direct
experience, the mind may be challenged to change.”
The speaker was then the Very Rev. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach of
the Society of Jesus, and Volkmer took these words to heart. How
could he bring this gift of vision to his students? How might he
inculcate in them the fact that most of the world lives in poverty
— and why should it matter to the students at Creighton law?
These questions inspired Volkmer, who began taking lifechanging cultural “immersion” trips with students to the
Dominican Republic. Funds for the trips were always cobbled
together, until a Creighton law alumnus came knocking on
Volkmer’s door. He wanted to do something special for the law
school to honor his favorite professor. Volkmer’s response?
“I said that whatever the alumnus did would be wonderful,
but if he wanted to know what I was passionate about for the
students and the school, it would be related to social justice.”
And that’s exactly the kind of gift the donor has made to the
school in Volkmer’s name, without fanfare — or, for that matter,
even attribution. The anonymous gift, which honors Volkmer,
established the new Service and Justice Fund in the School of Law.
Creighton Leads Boldly Into the Future
Endowments at Work on the Prairie
S
enior Abby Locke had a unique opportunity to study tallgrass prairie this summer as
a full-time research assistant to Creighton biology professor Mary Ann Vinton, Ph.D.,
thanks to the Ferlic Summer Scholarship for Undergraduate Research.
The scholarship provides funding for 10 to 15 undergraduate students in the sciences to
work shoulder-to-shoulder with Creighton faculty on research full time during the summer.
It was established during the Willing to Lead campaign through the generous support of
Creighton alumnus Randolph Ferlic, BS’58, MD’61, and his wife, Teresa Kolars Ferlic.
“Tallgrass prairies are one of the most endangered ecosystems,” Locke explains, while
looking out over her “lab” — a beautiful expanse of prairie located on the outskirts of
Omaha. “Invasive species can greatly alter the native landscape and displace the native
biota and animals. We want to understand how these invasive grasses invade and work, so
we can better understand how to prevent them from displacing native plants.”
Creighton has been recognized nationally for providing opportunities for undergraduate
students to engage in research.
Vinton said that undergraduate research, supported by endowments, helps prepare
students for a variety of disciplines, as they learn to sift through and analyze evidence and
ask critical questions.
“I really think it enriches the Creighton experience for our students,” Vinton said.
Neil Bhattarai
Abby Locke and
Mary Ann Vinton
Enhancing the Campus Environment
S
ince 2000, Creighton University has invested about $225 million into
campus improvements, through the renovation and construction
of facilities, and added 40 acres to its physical footprint — with one
primary goal in mind.
“They were all done to directly enhance the student experience,” said Dan
Burkey, vice president for Administration and Finance. “I can probably best sum
up the reaction that we get from various people who come to campus as, ‘Wow!’”
“I think the expansion and modernization of the facilities have really added
to the Creighton experience,” said Neil Bhattarai, a senior biology major.
Bhattarai is the current president of IRHG, Creighton’s inter-residence hall
government, and lives in Opus Hall. He said the new town homes for juniors
and seniors — Opus Hall and Davis Square — have been “extremely popular”
with students. Opus Hall was made possible by a generous gift from the Opus
Corporation and Creighton alumni Mark Rauenhorst, BA’75, a member of
Creighton’s Board, and his wife, Karen Dolan Rauenhorst, BSN’75, a 2008
Alumni Achievement Citation recipient. Davis Square is named for Thomas
Davis, one of Omaha’s early business leaders, and is funded by the Davis
and Lauritzen families, founders and top executives of First National Bank of
Omaha.
Bhattarai said that living on campus allows him to be more available to
freshman and sophomore students and use his leadership skills to serve as
a mentor to those students adjusting to college life. He added that, living in
Opus, he can more fully participate in campus events and activities and enjoy
the feeling of community.
Scholarships Open Opportunities
for First-Generation Students
A
Amber Bennett
s the first member of her family to attend college, scholarship
recipient Amber Bennett feels a sense of pride and responsibility in
attending Creighton University.
“Being a first-generation college student, I do have a lot of expectations
placed upon me,” said Bennett, a sophomore from Omaha and a recipient of
two scholarships, including the Haddix Scholarship, established by George
Haddix, Ph.D., MA’66, and his late wife, Sally Hansen Haddix. “My family
is extremely proud that I attend Creighton. It was actually their number one
choice, and they’re very proud that I am here.”
Bennett, a sociology major, eventually hopes to attend law school. “I
want to be a voice for those who have to face discrimination, inequality and
injustices,” she said.
Bennett said that without scholarship assistance, she would not have been
able to attend Creighton. “This has given me an opportunity to further my
education, to advance as a person, and not fall into some statistical category,”
she said. “The education I’ve received at Creighton thus far has been
excellent. It’s amazing.”
Waite Leadership Scholars Program,
Chair in Jesuit Education
“A
nna and I are big believers in education,” Donald Waite,
BSC’54, said by phone from his California office. “This is
what we want, not just for our kids but for everyone.
“When it comes to dollars that could be put to use for others, the
leadership program was just a wonderful idea. And we owe that idea
to Creighton and people like Bob Moorman (Ph.D.) in the College of
Business. Dr. Moorman just took this idea and carried it to fruition.”
When Don Waite and his wife, Anna, approached Creighton
several years ago to fund a program in Creighton’s College of
Business, the idea of building leadership skills throughout a
student’s college career was a perfect match for them. What’s more,
the Waites wanted those skills to reflect a Jesuit education, with its
underpinnings of ethics and service to others. And they wanted to
help meet students’ expenses during each undergraduate year.
Today, that dream the Waites sowed with their generous funding
is being realized … in the lives of the hundreds of students who
have gone through the Anna Tyler Waite Leadership Scholars
Program. This year alone, 20 scholarships are funding students as
they develop the values and skills needed to lead effectively in a
socially responsible way.
The Waites also see very clearly the character that the leadership
program can build, as students develop confidence in their decisions.
It’s a trait that Don believes Creighton naturally builds in its students.
But the Waites have not stopped giving to Creighton — and
society — with the Leadership Scholars Program.
16
Spring 2009
Students at the
Waite Leadership
Symposium
Chair in Jesuit Education
“Anna and I wanted to do more,” Waite said. “So, we approached
Fr. Schlegel, asking, ‘How can we continue to help?’”
The Creighton president’s answer was quick and forthright: a
chair in Jesuit education. And that’s what the Waites have funded.
The Anna and Donald Waite Chair in Jesuit Education will bring
qualified Jesuit scholars and teachers to Creighton beginning this fall.
To be inaugurated when the Rev. Frank Brennan, S.J., an
Australian Jesuit lawyer and aboriginal rights specialist, comes to
the Creighton School of Law, the Waite Chair will be filled through
the years with outstanding Jesuits from around the world.
Thanks to the Waites, the Creighton University community will
be infused with the best the world has to offer in Jesuit scholarship,
spirituality and mission.
Creighton Leads Boldly Into the Future
Leo and Joy McCarthy
McCarthy Endowed Scholarship
T
he years Leo McCarthy, BSBA’59, JD’63, spent at Creighton
University made a lasting impression on him. “Leo was very
grateful to Creighton for the education the University gave
him,” said his wife, Joy Westendorf McCarthy of Dubuque, Iowa.
McCarthy, an attorney for 43 years in Dubuque prior to his
retirement, passed away in December 2006. The Leo and Joy
McCarthy Endowed Scholarship Fund was established in 2007 by
bequest and is designated for three School of Law students per year.
The McCarthys stipulated that scholarships be awarded to first-,
second- and third-year students each year who demonstrate high
academics and financial need.
“Leo was most appreciative of the scholarship help he received
as a Creighton student,” said Joy McCarthy, “and he took the
opportunity to return the favor.” The McCarthy Endowed
Scholarship Fund will continue to give in perpetuity.
Joy recalled a childhood memory that has been a primary
motivator in the couple’s philanthropy: “Years ago, my
grandmother and mother were visiting about a local school board
referendum that would raise the taxes in their small town. Mother
asked Grandma if they were going to vote for it, since their children
were raised. Grandma replied, ‘When we were young, we were
unable to afford all the education our children needed, and the
older generation helped us. Now it is our turn to help.’ That left
a lasting impression on me. It has to be the older generations that
help the younger ones. Leo and I have tried to instill that idea in our
children.”
Two of the McCarthys’ three children attended Creighton: Scott,
BSBA’87, MBA’00; and Jill, BSBA’96; as well as Scott’s wife, Laurie
Williams McCarthy, BA’88, MBA’91. The McCarthys’ second son,
Ross, also attended a Jesuit university.
One of the couple’s earlier gifts to Creighton was the Leo
McCarthy Endowed Book Fund, which provides books for the
law library. Leo was also generous with many organizations in the
Dubuque area, helping foster numerous nonprofits. The community
honored him as First Citizen of Dubuque in 2006 in tribute to his
charitable spirit.
Werner Institute Making a Difference
L
ocated in the School of Law, but attracting professionals from a variety of fields,
the Werner Institute for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution is one of the fastest
growing and most prestigious centers of its kind in the nation.
The Werner Institute offers graduate programs in a variety of specialties — from
health care to education to international negotiation. The Werner Institute was
established through a gift from Omaha businessman C.L. Werner and his daughter, Gail
Werner-Robertson, BA’84, JD’88, a member of Creighton’s Board.
“My hope is that Creighton and Omaha become a major center in all the world
for the study and advancement of approaches to conflict resolution,” said Arthur
Pearlstein, the Institute’s director, “dealing with disputes both at the very personal,
local level — family conflict, for example — to the international level — peace-building
and peace-building processes.
“And I think we’re well on our way to realizing that dream, where Creighton is very
much on the map in the world of conflict resolution.”
For Elisabeth Cortese, her reasons for enrolling in the Werner Institute were personal.
Her father died in 2002, after battling leukemia and health care bureaucracy. He needed
a bone-marrow transplant that, at the time, was considered experimental. His insurance
company, after weeks of discussions, refused to pay for the transplant. He eventually
paid for it himself. The transplant was a success, but, his body weakened, he contracted
a viral infection and died at the age of 61.
“I never want to feel that helpless again,” said Cortese, who is pursuing both a law
degree and health care collaboration and conflict resolution specialization.
Arthur Pearlstein
Elisabeth Cortese
Spring 2009
17
Creighton Leads Boldly Into the Future
Building on Our Success
A
By Lisa D. Calvert, Vice President for University Relations
s vice president for University Relations, I have
been privileged to witness our alumni and friends
enthusiastically answer Creighton University’s bold call,
through the Willing to Lead campaign, to “dream big” and to
transform this University.
We thank you for being such great ambassadors for Creighton
University and for helping us to reach a defining milestone in a
remarkable journey. Thanks to you, Creighton is securing its place
at the forefront of the leading Catholic, Jesuit universities in the
United States.
In December 2005, the Rev. John P. Schlegel, S.J., Creighton’s
president, publicly announced the launch of the Willing to Lead
campaign. With a $350 million goal, the campaign represented the
largest fundraising effort in the University’s history.
Our alumni and friends responded in dramatic fashion. Our
benefactors embraced Creighton’s vision of being one of the
outstanding Jesuit universities in the United States and displayed
an outpouring of love and commitment that exceeded our dreams.
We are inspired and humbled by this generosity and are very, very
grateful.
For Creighton to realize this successful campaign is the result
of many gifts — small, medium and historically large — all of
which are testimony to the affection and respect with which this
institution is held.
Creighton is also very fortunate to have an engaged and
Lisa Calvert
dedicated Board of Directors and campaign leadership. Now
our Board and donor community are pushing us to build on this
momentum — to move forward confidently in pursuing our
vision and mission. As Fr. Schlegel has said, this campaign is not a
concluding event, but the beginning of a new era of philanthropy at
Creighton.
Indeed, colleges and universities today, especially in these
economic times, face extraordinary challenges. But these are also
times of tremendous opportunity because our mission is needed
more than ever. We thank you for your support, we are optimistic
that more transformative opportunities lie ahead, and we look
forward to your continued partnership as we realize Creighton’s
ambitious dreams for tomorrow.
Thank You to the Campaign Steering Committee
“Creighton has long believed that through the power of vision we could achieve great things. Those of us with
big dreams continue to have the opportunity to wed our imaginations to our resources and make choices that will
bring Creighton to a place of national prominence.” — Bruce Rohde, BSBA’71, JD’73, Chair, Campaign Steering Committee
Left to right: Charles Heider, BSC’49; Kenneth Stinson; Lisa Calvert; Bruce Rohde, BSBA’71, JD’73;
Rev. John P. Schlegel, S.J.; Mimi Feller, BA’70; and William Fitzgerald, BSBA’59.
18
Spring 2009
Creighton Leads Boldly Into the Future
Moving Forward, the Journey Continues
By the Rev. John P. Schlegel, S.J., Creighton University President
“S
cholarship and philanthropy are each, separately, among
the most powerful forces at work shaping the future of
our society. In combination, they are unsurpassed in their
capacity to improve the human condition,” stated former University
of Oregon President William B. Boyd.
When I announced the Willing to Lead campaign in 2005, no one
could have foreseen the depth of your commitment and support
for this wonderful University. Your enthusiasm has allowed us to
dream big dreams and reach unprecedented heights. You have made
it possible for Creighton to embrace its potential and expand its
boundaries — academically, physically and spiritually.
Together, through your generosity, we have secured Creighton’s
place on the national stage as a University recognized for quality
education, groundbreaking faculty research, remarkable student
accomplishment and consistent athletic success. Thank you for
bringing Creighton to this defining moment.
However, this task is not yet complete; let me say in no uncertain
terms — we are not done. The Willing to Lead campaign will
continue. Creighton must never settle for what is, but always aspire
for the more, the magis, as St. Ignatius of Loyola called it. We have
known from the outset that this campaign would not be a concluding
event but the beginning of a new era for this great University.
We are harnessing your energy and good will. We will remain
vigilant and continue to secure the philanthropic support needed
to address new strategic initiatives. We will do so mindful of the
economy’s impact across higher education and sensitive to what it
means for our donors, as well as for our students and their families.
It is encouraging to note that you, our donors, continue to give
generously.
Our Board and the Creighton community, at all levels, are pushing
us to build on our momentum. With the complexity of the issues we
face today as a nation and world, we are being challenged to look
beyond what we have achieved and pursue several transformative
opportunities that lie ahead. Our Catholic, Jesuit mission calls us to
redouble our efforts to provide the fertile ground from which our
students, graduates, scholars and scientists can address major issues
facing our economy and humanity.
Indeed, institutions today face extraordinary challenges.
Universities confront cuts in public funding, decimated endowments,
new pressures on student financial aid and rising capital costs.
Hospitals and academic medical centers have the added burden of
rapidly shifting health care economics. But these are also times of
tremendous opportunity. Our Board and the Creighton community
have clearly stated that the University’s mission is more vital than
ever.
Over its 131-year history, Creighton has provided an
educational and research climate that supports and encourages
the critical thinking, ethical decision-making, new discovery and
entrepreneurial spirit necessary to move our world forward. I have
Rev. John Schlegel, S.J.
“We have known from the outset that this
campaign would not be a concluding event
but the beginning of a new era for this great
University.” – The Rev. John P. Schlegel, S.J.
faith and confidence in the power of a Catholic, Jesuit education.
We develop, empower and embolden students and graduates to
become leaders who face and solve the challenges of today and
tomorrow and create a more just world.
In the short-term, by increasing general contributions for
current use, and in the long-term, by growing a robust endowment,
philanthropy will allow us to continue to retain and attract the best
and brightest teachers, scholars and students. We must continue to
assist students and their families who seek the quality education
Creighton provides during these challenging economic times.
These and other emerging priorities are among the academic
imperatives Creighton is pursuing, as part of a focused
and strategic process. We will continue our dialogue with
you, our Creighton community, listening to your interests,
recommendations and concerns and capitalizing on the
momentum created by the Willing to Lead campaign to boldly
address the challenges facing our nation and world.
For my part, I believe in our future and know the human genius
can grasp and solve problems. I believe each member of the
Creighton community — including our benefactors — has a role to
play and a responsibility in moving Creighton’s mission forward.
I invite you on this journey. Our bold tomorrow is here, and an
even bolder tomorrow awaits us! Together, let us write the next
chapter in the unfolding history of Creighton University.
Spring 2009
19
Probing
Micro
Mysteries
By Eugene Curtin
Nationally funded program has
undergraduate students working
in the lab with faculty mentors
W
hile the riddles of the micro-world — that cellular universe
of miracle and mystery — can be inscrutable, Creighton
University researchers are hot on the trail of some of its secrets.
Funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH),
Creighton professors and students are stretching cells with
laser beams, spying on pathogens that kill plants, tracking
cell clusters that mold the embryonic human heart, and
testing the breakthrough proposition that gene-regulating
riboswitches, previously discovered only in plants, fungi
and micro-organisms, might also exist in mammals.
The investigations carry significant implications for
the treatment of osteoporosis (too little bone tissue) and
osteopetrosis (too much bone tissue); for understanding
20
Spring 2009
how pathogens cause disease in the human body; how
smoking — and even nicotine patches — can damage a
developing human heart; and how a better understanding
of a genetic “messenger” known as a riboswitch might offer
more effective antibiotics and perhaps even new cancer
treatments.
These are the kinds of investigations the U.S. government
hoped to inspire through its IDeA Networks of Biomedical
Research Excellence (INBRE) grant program, a project of the
NIH that is currently established in 22 states and Puerto Rico.
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Reedy and his student
team expose early stage chicken embryos to a level of nicotine
more in line with what a heavy smoker might impart to
her fetus. They then assess nicotine’s effect on the ability of
neural crest cells to migrate to the heart. Since early heart and
neural crest development are quite similar between birds and
mammals, information obtained from the chicken embryo
studies will serve as the basis for subsequent experiments in
mouse or rat embryos.
Olley, a junior, said his involvement with INBRE has given
him a “profound” sense of purpose and inspired him to seek a
Ph.D. in coming years.
“The opportunity to conduct research as an undergraduate
has revolutionized my college experience,” he said. “The
experience I have gained will propel me to the forefront of
scientific discovery. I will definitely pursue a doctorate in the
field of biology.”
Tran is interested in how the neural crest cells operate
during normal development, which involves studying the
Natalie German, Julie Soukup, Ph.D., and Kelley Wanzeck are
investigating genetic “messengers” known as riboswitches.
Lan Tran, Mark Reedy, Ph.D., and John Olley are studying nicotine’s effect
on the developing heart in chicken embryos.
Nicotine and the Developing Heart
mechanisms involved in guiding their migration to the
developing heart.
Her involvement, Tran said, has introduced her to the world
of research, experience and learning she hopes to use as she
pursues a career as a physician.
“It’s taught me how to do experiments and how to interpret
results,” she said. “I’m hoping that I can continue to be
involved in research as a physician.”
Photos by Brandon McKenna, BA’95
Julie Soukup, Ph.D., BSChm’93, associate professor of
biochemistry, said the INBRE program has contributed about
$1.5 million to Creighton’s undergraduate programs since
the University first became involved seven years ago.
The program works on several important levels, she said,
since the scientific community receives valuable research
results and students gain critical laboratory experience.
“To be a really good scientist, you need as much lab
experience and training as you can get,” Soukup said.
“A key part of this program is that (the students) spend
part of the time at a Ph.D.-granting laboratory, so they get a
good idea of what graduate school will be like — working
all summer, weekends, really diving into the project,
and having them work around graduate students and
postdoctoral fellows.”
The INBRE program also pays the students for their
work, which allows them to focus on their studies rather
than work in an unrelated job, and funds the purchase of
equipment.
Senior Lan Tran and Junior John Olley are busily boosting
their resumes under the INBRE program. They are helping
Associate Professor of Biology Mark Reedy, Ph.D., study the
migration mechanisms of cells and whether the absorption of
nicotine, through smoking or nicotine patches, damages the
development of the fetal heart. And if so, how.
Reedy and Olley are studying a cluster of cells known
as neural crest cells that are critical for transforming the
embryonic heart from a simple tube into a fully functioning
heart. Specifically, they want to know whether nicotine
prevents the neural crest cells from doing their job properly,
thus causing heart defects in newborns.
“Most previous research has been on nicotine’s effect on
the developing central nervous system, but the research has
tended to use nicotine exposure levels far in excess of what we
might reasonably expect a fetus to encounter,” Reedy said.
Instead, in collaboration with Philip Brauer, Ph.D., in the
‘Stretching’ Bone Cells
A stream of students has worked with Mike Nichols, Ph.D.,
associate professor of physics, over the past five years trying
to understand the mechanics of a process that was codified
as Wolff’s Law in the 19th century. Developed by German
anatomist Julius Wolff (1836-1902), the law states that bone
mass strengthens or weakens in response to the pressure, or
lack of pressure, placed upon it. This, Nichols said, is why
exercise is deemed critical to bone health.
Spring 2009
21
Probing Micro Mysteries
22
But Nichols and senior Timothy Smith want to know
how Wolff’s Law works. They want the three types of bone
cells known to be involved in the process to yield their
secrets. Which cell is the “mechanosensor” — responsible
for directing the increase or decrease in bone mass? Are all
three mechanosensors? The answers to these questions could
conceivably lead to drug therapies that might stimulate
particular cells to strengthen bone mass, thus striking a blow
against osteoporosis.
Their key investigative tool is an optical stretcher that uses
laser beams to stretch bone cells. The pressure exerted by the
stretching stimulates the cells, thus allowing the research team to
test the degree of their elasticity as well as observe what they do.
There is another possible benefit to the research, Nichols
said, relating to cancer.
“Cancer cells need to become elastic in order to migrate to
other parts of the body,” he said. “Measuring the elasticity of
cells can potentially be a cancer detector in the very early stages.”
The earlier that unusually elastic cells can be identified, the
data and assisted in simple experiments. In the second year,
he was given his own project, and 18 months later worked
during the summer with a professor on even more complex
experiments.
“My education at Creighton has been primarily in the
biophysics lab and the INBRE program,” he said. “As an
aspiring physician, the most important thing I will take
with me is the ability to think critically, a skill that has been
developed through reading scientific papers and carrying out
experiments.”
The research of Mike Nichols, Ph.D., and Timothy Smith on bone-cell
elasticity could yield benefits in areas from osteoporosis to cancer.
McKenzie Jarecki and Karin van Dijk, Ph.D., are investigating how the
plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae causes cell damage.
better the chance of identifying and treating cancer, he said.
Being able to identify such cells among the billions of cells
in the human body would be a major challenge for future
researchers, Nichols said, but if the principle of elasticity can
be confirmed, then a major step will have been taken.
Smith said the opportunity to engage in research, after being
recruited as a freshman, led him slowly but surely into the
world of medical language, something that will serve him well
in his effort to become a physician researcher.
“As a freshman, it appeared to me that the older students
and professors were speaking another language,” he said.
“The papers I was being asked to read were beyond anything I
had encountered.
“As time progressed, though, I became more comfortable
and developed the ability to dissect technical writing for the
necessary information.”
As a freshman recruited to the program, Smith processed
While Pseudomonas syringae is a plant pathogen and poses no
danger to humans, the process by which it causes cell damage
is similar to the method used by some human pathogens and
can therefore be instructive, van Dijk said.
“As soon as you know how a pathogen causes disease then
in the future you could potentially design drugs that target the
proteins that allow the pathogens to do their damage,” she said.
Jarecki said the Pseudomonas syringae project is part of a “hot
area” in biological research and is helping her decide what
area of study she would like to pursue in the future.
Jarecki applied for the INBRE program. Since being
accepted, she said, she has had a solid introduction to what
life is like for a graduate student. Weekend trips home, for
example, have become rare.
“In the past, I would go home almost every weekend,” she
said. “But sometimes, INBRE projects, especially when you’re
trying to troubleshoot and get some results, can take many
Spring 2009
Prodding Plant Cells
While chicken embryos and bone cells are keeping some of
Creighton’s INBRE research teams busy, Karin van Dijk, Ph.D.,
assistant professor of biology, and junior McKenzie Jarecki are
poking, prodding and bombarding plant cells.
They are picking on the imposingly named Pseudomonas
syringae, a plant pathogen (a germ or bacterium) that causes
plant disease by “bombarding” plant cells with proteins.
Probing Micro Mysteries
hours. There just isn’t time for that during the regular week, so
it has to be the weekend.”
Uncovering the Secrets of Riboswitches
Soukup, in addition to being Creighton’s voice on the
INBRE governing panel, is a participant, working with
two students on projects that propose the existence of a
mammalian riboswitch. While this might be just medical
jargon to anyone outside the biological sciences, for those who
have ears to hear, this could be a very big thing.
Riboswitches are known to play an important role in genetic
expression, though so far their presence has been proved only
in bacteria, plants and some forms of fungi.
Soukup is working on two INBRE projects connected to
riboswitches — one with senior Natalie German, the other
with junior Kelley Wanzeck.
Soukup and German are trying to map the threedimensional structure of a whole new class of riboswitch that
came to the attention of biologists in the past two years. If they
can create that map — if, in the language of biologists, they
can determine where small molecules bind to RNA molecules
— then the door might eventually swing open to stronger and
more effective antibiotics for humans.
The project involves a very high-resolution technique that
seeks to identify every atom in a biological molecule.
If successful, Soukup said, “you might be able to design
drugs that would be able to target bacterial infections currently
resistant to known antibiotics.”
German said her involvement with INBRE has honed her
problem-solving skills.
“Whenever the results aren’t as expected, or a reaction doesn’t
work, I get the opportunity to try to make sense of the issue at
hand,” she said. “The biochemical research I’m involved in is
challenging, mentally stimulating and really enjoyable.”
In a second assault on the secrets of the riboswitch, Soukup
and Wanzeck are investigating the intriguing possibility
that mammals might also have riboswitches, not just plants,
Program Inspires Graduates to
Continue Scientific Pursuits
Rachel Patterson, BS’07, Rebecca Meyer, BS’07, and Ann
Jizba, BS’08, are all graduate students — Patterson at the
University of California-San Diego, Meyer at Emory University
in Atlanta, and Jizba at UCLA. All are also Creighton alumni
who attribute their desire to pursue graduate studies largely
to the INBRE program.
“It significantly impacted my academic career,” Patterson
said. “That program gave me the chance to become a
scientific investigator involved in carrying out a project,
troubleshooting, critically analyzing results and presenting
data at conferences. It’s a large part of why I am a secondyear graduate student in biology at UC San Diego.”
For Meyer, INBRE was the road to a realization of what
she wanted to do with her life. “I realized that the lab was the
bacteria and fungi.
No mammalian riboswitches have yet been identified,
which would make the discovery a notable event.
Soukup said the project came about accidentally while
listening to a presentation about a mammalian biological
system important to cancer cell growth. While certain
mechanisms of the system seemed puzzling, “It sounded like a
riboswitch to me,” she said.
So she and Wanzeck are looking into things, trying initially
to determine if the puzzling mechanism has the molecularbinding attributes of a riboswitch.
“The INBRE program has been a
tremendous opportunity to get involved
with biomedical research as an
undergraduate.” — Kelley Wanzeck
There lies a long road ahead, but the potential payoff is a
new way to regulate genetic expression, which could lead to
new cancer therapies, Soukup said.
For Wanzeck, the opportunity to gain experience in genetics
and nucleic acid biochemistry, the two disciplines she intends
to study in graduate school, was irresistible.
“The INBRE program has been a tremendous opportunity to
get involved with biomedical research as an undergraduate,” she
said. “I am really excited about the project I am working on. Its
focus on the potential mammalian riboswitch is of great interest.”
And so it goes for Creighton students fortunate enough to
be accepted into Creighton’s INBRE program: An introduction
to the world of biological research, a taste of life as a graduate
student, lost weekends and summers, long hours, an
opportunity to present findings at state and even national
conferences, and a jump on other students entering the
demanding world of biomedical research.
place I wanted to be,” she said. “I was able to become involved
in research that fascinated me.”
And, Meyer pointed out, INBRE funds not only allowed
her to focus on her studies but also enabled her to travel to
conferences and major scientific meetings.
“These meetings inspired me to be a better scientist as I
was able to see the phenomenal research being performed
at institutions around the country and had the opportunity to
present and defend my own work.”
Jizba is convinced that she was far more prepared for
graduate school because of INBRE than other students in her
first-year Ph.D. class.
“The presentations we had to give for the summer INBRE
conference were a good introduction to how scientists share
their research,” she said. “It was fantastic preparation for
graduate school. I feel that because of the INBRE program
I am more prepared for graduate school than many other
people in my starting class here at UCLA.”
Spring 2009
23
Critical
Thinking
24
Spring 2009
Photo/Illustration by Mike Kleveter
&
What images come to mind when you
read the phrase, “political debate”?
Do you think of political pundits facing
off against one another on television
talk shows, vying to interrupt, insult or
shout down each other?
Do you picture candidates for public office seeking
engage in political debate that is serious, substantive
grab the attention of the viewing public for five or
It is common to blame the news media, political
the glib one-liner or catchy sound bite that will
and likely to shape our nation’s public policy.
10 seconds on the evening news? Or do you recall
consultants or public officials themselves for the
ads from the past election cycle that tried to cause
to keep in mind, however, that it is hardly surprising
some of the countless 30-second political television
us to view one candidate more positively only by
impoverishment of political debate. It is important
that journalists seek to cover politics in ways that
viewing her or his opponent more negatively?
will attract viewers and readers; that political
the majority, of what passes for political debate in
candidates they serve and against their opponents;
Such examples make up a great portion, perhaps
our society today. Our nation faces great challenges
economically,
environmentally,
socially
and
diplomatically around the world. Now more than
ever, citizens of our democracy need to wrestle with
consultants seek to motivate voters to vote for the
or that public officials seek to sway public opinion in
support of their projects and against their opponents’
projects. All of these people can be counted on to try
to achieve their goals as effectively and economically
these challenges and to help determine how the
as possible. If we, the citizens, do not demand a
ever, our political debate is so deeply impoverished
deserve the impoverished, superficial political
United States will confront them. Yet now more than
that it seems unimaginable for ordinary citizens to
richer, more substantive political debate, then we
debate that we get.
the
Well-Reasoned Life
By Kevin Graham, Ph.D.,
Associate Professor of Philosophy
Left: Creighton philosophy professor Kevin Graham, Ph.D., positioned between
television images of political pundits Chris Matthews and Bill O’Reilly, writes
that our political debate today is “deeply impoverished.”
Critical Thinking and the Well-Reasoned Life
Creighton University seeks to educate its students to be
engaged students who will be prepared to lead society in
accord with Jesuit ideals and values. But how optimistic
should we be about the chances of our students’ success in
this effort, given the impoverished state of political debate in
contemporary discourse? Different political philosophers in
the Western tradition have taken conflicting views about the
subject.
Plato’s Take
The Greek philosopher Plato (427-347 B.C.E.) took a
fundamentally pessimistic view about the possibility of
engaging citizens in broad, rational political deliberation. In
Plato’s dialogue Republic, the character Socrates describes an
ideal city, or political association, as being divided into three
classes: the majority, who are farmers, laborers, artisans and
merchants; a smaller class of soldiers, who defend the city
from its external enemies; and an elite class of guardians,
who rule the city by virtue of the wisdom gained from their
liberal education. Socrates argues that his ideal city is just,
because each of the three classes minds its own business,
without interfering with the functions of the others. Political
deliberation is solely the responsibility of the guardian class:
It would be unjust for any other citizen to participate in such
deliberation because he or
she would lack the necessary
wisdom.
Socrates describes political life
using the metaphor of a cave in
which the majority of citizens
live their entire lives. Average
citizens sit imprisoned in fetters
and shackles, unable to turn their
heads, facing a wall — upon
which political leaders cast
shadow-puppet shows. Socrates
suggests that the leaders will
deceive the citizens into believing
that
the shadows are real. Only citizens who break free of their
chains and escape the cave will be able to discover the true
nature of reality — what is real and what is simply a shadow
on a wall. They then can return to the cave to govern, from a
more enlightened point of view, those who remain imprisoned.
Plato’s Socrates is pessimistic about the possibility of a city
or political association governing itself democratically because
he believes that the majority of citizens are disqualified by both
nature and education from deliberating about the common
good. Socrates believes that the elite ruling class of guardians is
capable of governing the money-making class and the soldiers
from an enlightened viewpoint. He doubts, however, that
the elite can share their enlightenment with average citizens,
allowing them to participate in governance.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Writing more than 20 centuries later, French philosopher
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778 C.E.), whose life overlapped
the American Revolution, developed a theory of political
26
Spring 2009
deliberation that contrasts sharply with Plato’s. The key
concept of Rousseau’s view is the “general will,” which is a
will shared by all citizens of a single political association for the
common good. According to Rousseau, all citizens, regardless
of class or education, are able to help discover what the general
will is through political deliberation. Rousseau argues that
if all the citizens of a political association are well-informed
about the challenges that confront them and assemble together
to deliberate as one body, without breaking into factions or
political parties, they will discover the general will.
While this may sound encouraging, Rousseau believed
that strict conditions must be met in order to achieve success.
For one, he thought that all citizens must regularly convene
in plenary assemblies, where they could deliberate together,
face-to-face, in a single venue about the common good. For this
reason, he argued that the size of a political association should
be sharply restricted, preferably to the size of a single small
city.
For Rousseau, the election of legislative representatives
to deliberate on behalf of the citizens would not serve as an
adequate substitute for the plenary deliberative assembly.
Instead, he argued that the creation of representative
government was an attempt to
alienate the political sovereignty
of the citizens and confer it
on the representatives. Since
Rousseau believed that the
citizens cannot alienate their
sovereign legislative power, the
attempt to alienate this power is
tantamount to a suicide attempt
by the political association.
Rousseau’s views about
political deliberation may seem
more optimistic than Plato’s —
with all citizens contributing
to the discernment of the common good. But the conditions
under which Rousseau believes that citizens can discern the
common good are so unlikely to be realized in modern nationstates that, for practical purposes, he seems equally pessimistic
about the prospect of citizens governing themselves in, say, the
contemporary United States.
Creighton’s Commitment
Despite the evident pessimism of some of the leading
thinkers in the Western philosophical tradition, Creighton
University is committed to the ideal that actively engaged
citizens can help to discern and achieve the common good.
The Creighton Credo states, in part, “We believe that laws
exist for the benefit and well being of individual persons,
that legal systems must express the common good, and that
all government must be subject to the courageous, though
respectful and loyal, criticism of intelligent and responsible
citizens.” Creighton University expresses its commitment to
this democratic ideal by striving to educate its students for
engaged citizenship in the service of the common good.
The University’s commitment to this ideal is deeply rooted
Critical Thinking and the Well-Reasoned Life
in Jesuit and Catholic values. A Creighton education is meant
to form students as men and women for others, who place
the common good above their own private interests — in
effect, living out the faith that does justice. In order to help our
students contribute to the discernment and achievement of the
common good, we prepare them to seek the union of hearts
and minds across the many barriers of race, gender, class, creed
and ideology that divide our society. This is how we educate
the young women and men who walk through our doors to
emerge as agents of change in the world.
Our commitment to the ideal of engaged citizenship in the
service of the common good is not naïve to the challenges that
lie in the way. Plato was surely right to think that political and
social leaders are capable of deceiving citizens. Creighton is,
however, committed to the idea that students can learn to think
critically about efforts to deceive and manipulate them, and
thus become able to act as citizens participating in their own
self-government.
Likewise, Rousseau was surely right to think that the size
and scope of modern nation-states create serious challenges
to fostering meaningful political deliberation about the
common good. Creighton is, however, committed to the goal
of preparing our students to think creatively about how 21st
century social and political institutions can surmount these
challenges.
The first step toward helping our students to realize these
learning goals is to teach them how to think critically — across
a variety of academic disciplines. Our Critical and Historical
Introduction to Philosophy course, for example, introduces
undergraduate students to basic logical concepts and methods
of analyzing and evaluating arguments.
Students learn to look for clues to identify when a speaker or
writer is presenting them with evidence in support of a certain
conclusion. For instance, consider the following statement:
“Since the Democrats hold large majorities in both houses of
Congress, the president’s budget is likely to pass.” The word
“since” serves as a “premise indicator,” suggesting that the
statement immediately following it is being offered as evidence
for a further conclusion.
Our students also work on distinguishing the premises of
the argument from the conclusion. Consider the following
passage: “Republicans generally oppose both tax increases
and increased spending on entitlement programs. Therefore,
Republicans are likely to oppose the president’s budget.” Here,
the word “therefore” delineates the conclusion of the argument
— that “Republicans are likely to oppose the president’s
budget” — from the premise that precedes it.
Finally, students learn to discriminate between strong
arguments, which provide good evidence for their conclusions,
from weak or fallacious arguments. Consider the following
argument: “If you support radical Islamist terrorist
organizations, then you oppose the policies of former President
George W. Bush. Many Democrats oppose the policies of
former President Bush. Therefore, many Democrats support
radical Islamist terrorist organizations.” This form of reasoning,
called affirming the consequent, is fallacious. Even if the first
premise is true, it tells us nothing about what is generally true
about those who oppose the policies of President Bush; it tells
us only about what is true of those who support radical Islamist
terrorists.
Acquiring these critical-thinking skills helps students to
steel themselves against the kind of manipulative political
discourse found in Plato’s Republic. As a result, our graduates
are prepared to demand a culture of political debate that relies
less on manipulation of our emotions and more on arguments
and evidence to establish conclusions.
Creighton University also seeks to prepare its graduates
to think creatively about how our 21st century society can
overcome the obstacles to meaningful political deliberation.
Sociology courses, such as Professor Jim Ault’s Technology
and Human Values, help our students to reflect on how and
whether new media and information technologies can serve as
barriers or catalysts to sound political deliberation. Journalism
and mass communications courses, such as Jeff Maciejewski’s
In order to help our students contribute
to the discernment and achievement of the
common good, we prepare them to seek the
union of hearts and minds across the many
barriers of race, gender, class, creed and
ideology that divide our society. This is how
we educate the young women and men who
walk through our doors to emerge as agents
for change in the world.
Media Ethics, help students to reflect on how journalists
can promote political deliberation rather than impede it.
Political science courses, such as Graham Ramsden’s The
American Presidency and Richard Witmer’s Congress
and the Legislative Process, examine to what extent the
institutions of U.S. government can surmount the challenges
that Rousseau perceived. And philosophy courses, such as
my own Classics of Political Thought, examine and evaluate
what political philosophers from Plato to Marx have said
about the conditions under which human beings can govern
themselves effectively.
In 2000, the Very Rev. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J.,
former Superior General of the Society of Jesus, called on
the American Jesuit colleges and universities to rise to the
challenge of educating the whole person for solidarity with
the real world. One way in which Creighton seeks to meet
this challenge is by preparing all of its students to think more
critically about the perils of political debate and to think
more creatively about how to overcome them. In this way, we
hope to help our students to become agents for change in the
world, for the greater glory of God.
Spring 2009
27
Alumni News
Alumni Items
48
James “Jim” Bristol, JD,
Waukon, Iowa, has retired
after 60 years of practicing law. He was
a partner at the law firm of Jacobson,
Bristol, Garrett and Swartz in Waukon.
52
Ann Lammers Lasek, MD,
Toledo, Ohio, was awarded a
50-year Distinguished Life Fellowship
from the American Psychiatric
Association for her many years of service
to the psychiatric profession.
55
William E. Ramsey, BS,
Omaha, co-wrote the book,
Doorway to Freedom: The Story of David
Kaufmann-Merchant-Benefactor-Rescuer,
published in June by Mosaic Press.
59
James F. Arens, MD,
Bayfield, Colo., was presented
the 2008 Distinguished Service Award
by the American Medical Association
for his support of health care quality
and patient safety in the field of
anesthesiology. Bruce E. Haney,
BSBA, Omaha, celebrated 50 years
in the investment industry. John M.
Peck, BusAd, Columbus, Neb., retired
from First National Bank and Trust in
Columbus. He currently remains on the
board of directors for the bank.
60
Sr. Mary Virginia Daly,
R.S.M., BA’45, MA, Omaha,
celebrated 60 years in the Sisters of Mercy
on Sept. 7, 2008. John L. Grady, MD,
Benton, Tenn., was honored with the title
of “Count of the Holy Roman Church” by
the Sovereign Pontiff Pope Benedict XVI.
61
James D. Reardon, MD,
Waiuku, New Zealand, has
joined Mental Health Services Awhinatia
Health in Auckland, New Zealand, as a
consulting psychiatrist.
64
❂ Frank D. Kapps, BS’60,
MD, North Oaks, Minn.,
has retired after 42 years in the field of
pathology.
67
Carol Muske Dukes, BA,
Los Angeles, has been named
California’s poet laureate by Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger. Matt Reres, BA’64,
JD, Chantilly, Va., has received the rank
of Presidential Distinguished Executive,
the highest civilian award for a senior
executive in the federal government.
69
Gregory D. McElroy, BA,
St. Paul, Minn., has received
the MAP Board Star Award for his
work as a volunteer board member
with the West Bank School of Music.
MAP for Nonprofits is a management
service organization that provides board
recruitment services and consulting to
other nonprofit organizations.
28
70
Spring 2009
Mary Mincer Hansen,
BSN, Panora, Iowa, has
become a full-time associate professor
at Des Moines University. She joined
the university as a part-time professor
last fall. Paul J. Strawhecker, BA,
Omaha, has received the Outstanding
Lifetime Achievement Award from the
Nebraska Chapter of the Association of
Fundraising Professionals.
74
Louis A. Gamino, BA,
Temple, Texas, has received
the national Clinical Practice Award for
excellence in clinical care of the dying
and the bereaved from the Association
for Death Education and Counseling.
Hon. Gary B. Randall, JD, Omaha, has
been elected chair elect of the National
Conference of State Trial Judges.
Thomas J. Sanders, BASOC, Wichita,
Kan., became a fellow of the American
College of Healthcare Executives.
Fellow status represents achievement
of the highest standard of professional
development.
76
✽ Daniel P. Chesire, JD,
Omaha, was inducted into
the American College of Trial Lawyers.
Rory J. Conces, BA, Omaha, an
associate professor at the University of
Nebraska at Omaha was a Fulbright
Scholar teaching conflict resolution at the
University of Pristina in Kosovo during
the fall of 2008.
77
Mary Pat Statz McCarthy,
BSBA, Leawood, Kan., has
been named executive director of
KPMG, LLP Audit Committee Institute
in Kansas City, Mo.
78
Mark L. Ells, JD, Lincoln,
Neb., project leader and
research assistant professor in the Center
on Children, Families and the Law at
the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will
oversee a five-year, $8.7 million grant
from the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services Children’s Bureau to
establish the Midwest Child Welfare
Technical Assistance Implementation
Center. Gregory L. McClinton, BA,
Honolulu, has been named senior trial
attorney for civil rights/employment
litigation at the U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission in Honolulu.
80
Patricia Kell Doyle, BS,
Worthington, Ohio, has been
named president of the Diocesan
Council at the Society of St. Vincent
DePaul. Dennis P. Lee, BA’77, JD,
Omaha, has been inducted into the
2008 Nebraska Horse Racing Hall of
Fame for lifetime achievement. Mark
S. Wisniewski, BA, Lake Peekskill,
N.Y., had his short story “Straightaway”
published in The Best American Short
Stories 2008.
81
Brig. Gen. David G. Ehrhart,
JD, Dayton, Ohio, has retired
after 33 years in the U.S. Air Force.
Jeffery M. Hurst, BA’77, DDS,
Lakewood, Colo., has been named
president of the Colorado Dental
Association. Richard L. Lavery,
BSBA’78, JD, Evanston, Wyo., has been
elected president of the Wyoming State
Bar. Kevin J. O’Brien, BA, Baltimore,
has been appointed as the first president
of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps.
82
Kevin J. Wiley, BSBA,
Chicago, has been appointed
chief executive officer of Interlink
Electronics, Inc., in Camarillo, Calif.
83
Jean E. Faure, MA, Great
Falls, Mont., has been named
attorney and managing partner at
Faure Holden Attorneys at Law, P.C.,
in Great Falls. Hon. J.E. Sullivan, JD,
Morgantown, W.Va., has joined the
Social Security Administration as a U.S.
administrative law judge.
84
Joseph G. Castelli Jr.,
BSBA’83, MBA, Northville,
Mich., has been named vice president
of light commercial vehicles and fleet at
Nissan North America in Farmington
Hills, Mich.
85
Steven J. Paul, BA’81, JD,
Colorado Springs, Colo., has
joined Dewhirst & Dolven, LLC, as
special counsel. David R. Schieffer,
BSBA, Shawnee Mission, Kan., has
joined Resources Global Professionals as
director of recruiting.
86
Eileen Lechner Phillips,
MBA, Lawrence, Kan., has
received the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Award from Archbishop Joseph
Naumann. The award recognizes the
contributions of adults who serve
Catholic youth through Girl Scouts.
88
Diana Kelly-Pecha, BA,
Bellevue, Neb., has been
promoted to captain with the Omaha
Police Department.
89
Steven Budd, BA, Nutley,
N.J., is founder and medical
director of the nonprofit organization
Solaid International based in Kampot,
Cambodia.
90
Lt. Cmdr. Steven C.
Clifford, BSChm, Storm
Lake, Iowa, has been promoted to
lieutenant commander in the U.S.
Navy. Kandace C. Gerdes, BSBA’89,
JD, Denver, has received the Lifetime
Achievement Award from the Catholic
Lawyer’s Guild of Colorado. Steven
J. Sanchez, BA, Fenton, Mo., has been
named assistant provost of Saint Louis
University in St. Louis.
91
Sr. Theresa Betz, S.N.D., MA,
Clearwater, Fla., is ministering
with her religious community in Bataan,
Philippines, where the community is
building an International Novitiate
Retreat Center.
93
Barbara Cronin Faber,
BSN, Melbourne, Fla., has
been named performance improvement
coordinator at Health First.
95
Owen E. Girard, JD, Omaha,
has been named senior vice
president of Fidelity National Title
Group, a subsidiary of Fidelity National
Financial. Tory L. Lucas, JD, Bellevue,
Neb., will serve as a visiting professor
at Stetson University College of Law
in Gulfport, Fla., during the 20082009 academic year. Lucas also will
serve as associate director of Bellevue
University’s Center for American Vision
and Values. Kathleen Schumacher
Marble, BA, Omaha, wrote and
illustrated the children’s book, What
Kind of Dinosaur Are You?, published
through Outskirts Press. Daniel J.
McCann, BA, Omaha, wrote the
children’s book, Balloon on the Moon,
which was released in May 2008. Susan
Coyle Naatz, MS, Omaha, was the
recipient of the 2008 Sophia Wisdom
Award from the Knowles Mercy
Spirituality Center in Waterloo, Neb.
Travis Sing, BA, Omaha, is the author
of Creighton University Athletics: A History
in Photographs, a photographic journey
through Creighton athletics. More
information on the book can be found
at www.osageorangepublishing.com. Amy
Friedman Wilson, PharmD, Omaha,
has been promoted to associate professor
Edward and Mary Lucretia Creighton Society
The Edward and Mary Lucretia Creighton Society is Creighton
University’s premier donor recognition club. Donors at the Creighton
Society level sustain the University through their unrestricted annual
gifts. These generous contributions to the University are crucial to
ensuring that Creighton is a leader in providing the highest quality
Catholic, Jesuit education to our students. Alumni donors recognized
at the Creighton Society level are identified as follows:
† – Ignatian Circle ($10,000 and above)
❂ – Jesuit Circle ($5,000 to $9,999)
❖ – Founders’ Circle ($2,500 to $4,999)
✽ – Sustaining Circle ($1,000 to $2,500)
Alumni News
with tenure at Creighton University’s
School of Pharmacy and Health
Professions. She is currently the director
of the Center for Drug Information and
Evidence-Based Practice.
97
Laura Rodman Huaracha,
BA, Beach Park, Ill., has joined
Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis., as
an assistant professor of communication
and digital media. Mark A. Kelehan,
BSBA, New York, has received his
Master of Business Administration
from the Tuck School of Business at
Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H.,
and joined J.P. Morgan in New York as
an associate for investment banking.
Christine Meis McAuliffe, Esq., BS,
Tempe, Ariz., has been named partner
at the Scottsdale law firm of Holme,
Roberts and Owen, LLP. Frank A.
Oliverio, JD, Morgantown, W.Va., has
joined the Mountaineer Athletic Club at
West Virginia University as director of
development.
98
M. Susan Cannella, BSBA,
Omaha, has joined DAAKE
Design as an account executive.
Christina Hassing Farrow, BSBA,
Honolulu, has been named president
of Pacific Aisles, Inc., a wedding
consultation and design company in
Hawaii. James M. Humphrey IV,
JD, Parkville, Mo., was selected as a
Missouri and Kansas Rising Star by
Super Lawyers magazine. Michael
R. Weitl, BS, Combermere, Ontario,
Canada, has made final promises of
poverty, chastity and obedience in the
Madonna House Apostolate.
99
Carmen Kwong Gaston,
JD, Portland, Ore., has been
named assistant vice president of alumni
relations and planning at the University
of Portland. Samuel T. Lopez, DPT,
Charlotte, N.C., has been named director
of multicultural academic services at
the University of North Carolina at
Charlotte. James A. Mello, MBA,
Lebanon, Conn., has been promoted to
assistant provost for financial planning
at the University of Hartford in Hartford,
Conn. J. Kevin Miller, JD, Fort Myers,
Fla., has been promoted to shareholder
and senior attorney at the law firm of
Becker & Poliakoff, P.A.
00
Christopher M. Gibbs, MD,
Loves Park, Ill., has joined
Rockford Gastroenterology Associates,
Ltd., as a gastroenterologist. Capt. Erica
R. Iverson, BA, Columbia, S.C., has
received the Meritorious Service Medal
for completing 18 months of Company
Command at Fort Jackson, S.C., and has
been selected for a one-year government
interagency fellowship. She is currently
working at the State Department
in Washington, D.C. Patrick E.
Jankowski, DDS, Eudora, Kan., has
earned his fellowship in the Academy
Online alumni news
Ramsey Brings History to Life
Computers abound in this suite of offices,
but certainly not on one desk. Here, an old
typewriter, circa 1940, is ready for a sheet of
paper and the clickety-clack of the keys. It is
the tool of the trade for Omaha public relations
fixture and author Bill Ramsey, BS’55, of Bill
Ramsey Associates. His latest book, with Betty
Dineen Shrier, chronicles the extraordinary
life of David Kaufmann, a German Jew who
immigrated to Nebraska in the early 1900s.
alumni.creighton.edu/jay2jay/bramsey
of General Dentistry. Meghan Beatty
Klassen, BA, Austin, Texas, was
featured in Rare Magazine for her work
with students with disabilities at the Rise
School in Austin. Michael W. O’Hare,
BSBA’97, JD, Elkhorn, Neb., has joined
O’Hare Tax & Financial Services Inc.
in Omaha as an accountant. Lorna L.
Perez, BA, Buffalo, N.Y., has joined
Buffalo State College as an assistant
professor of English.
01
Amy Gruber Dunn, DPT,
Dodge City, Kan., has been
promoted to director of therapy services
at Western Plains Medical Complex.
Renee Ross Keller, BSBA, Jackson,
Miss., has been named manager of
management reporting at Cellular South
in Ridgeland, Miss. Steven D. Mahlen,
PhD, Bothell, Wash., has become a
certified diplomate of the American
Board of Medical Microbiology.
Kathleen M. Malloy, BA, Colorado
Springs, Colo., has joined T. Rowe Price
as a trainer.
02
Mark J. Bergeron, MD, St.
Paul, Minn., has received his
Master of Public Health degree from the
University of Minnesota and completed
his neonatal-perinatal medicine
fellowship. He is currently practicing
neonatology with Associates in
Newborn Medicine in St. Paul. Jennifer
R. Falbo-Kilgore, BFA, Columbia,
Mo., has joined Stephens College in
Columbia as assistant professor of
lighting design. Karen L. Frizzell,
MA, Omaha, has been named associate
curator at Durham Museum. Sarah C.
Lukas, BA, Omaha, has been named
senior public relations account executive
at Ervin & Smith Advertising and Public
Relations. Christopher A. Sievers,
JD, Omaha, has joined the law firm of
Engles Ketcham Olson and Keith, P.C.
03
Rachel Schlak Alexander,
BA’00, JD, Vermillion, S.D.,
has been named director of legal writing
at the University of South Dakota
School of Law. Kristin Myers Gerber,
BSBA, Boston, has received her juris
doctor degree from Boston College law
school and has joined Brown Rudnick
Berlack Israels, LLP, as a first-year
associate. Ryan M. Luetkenhaus,
BSBA, MBA, Bennington, Neb., has
received his Master of Science in taxation
from Golden Gate University in San
Francisco. Thomas L. Sanchez, BA,
Los Angeles, produced and directed
his first independent Spanish-speaking
feature film, “La Navaja de Don Juan.”
04
Ann Burkhardt, OTD, New
York, has been named director
of the postprofessional master’s degree
program in occupational therapy
in the School of Health Sciences at
Quinnipiac University in Hamden,
Conn. David S. Ebenhoh, MA, St.
Louis, has joined StillWater Speaks
Consulting as a consultant and executive
coach. Joseph D. Kohout, BA’98,
JD, Omaha, has joined Kissel/E & S
Associates in Lincoln, Neb., as a partner.
Lt. Cmdr. Jennifer J. Lyon, PharmD,
Anchorage, Alaska, has been promoted
to lieutenant commander in the United
States Public Health Service. She is
currently a pediatric pharmacist at the
Anchorage Native Primary Care Center.
05
Adam A. Rolf, BS,
Independence, Mo., has joined
Centerpoint Medical Center as an
outpatient physical therapist. Adam
K. Tschuor, BSBA, Muncie, Ind., has
been named director of ticket sales for
intercollegiate athletics for Ball State
University.
06
Robert J. Osborne, BSBA,
Omaha, has joined Frankel
Zacharia, LLC, as a senior accountant.
Rachel L. Theilmann, BA’03, JD,
Denver, has joined Moye White, LLP, in
Denver as an associate attorney.
07
Randall R. Schwartz II,
BSBA’05, JD, Orland Park,
Ill., has joined Baker & Daniels, LLP, in
the firm’s Chicago office as a corporate
finance attorney. Amanda Prescott
Smith, JD, Sioux Falls, S.D., has joined
Davenport Evans Hurwitz & Smith,
LLP, as an associate attorney. Traci
R. Swartz, OTD, Atlanta, has joined
Georgia Institute of Technology as a
research scientist. Natalie M. Thomas,
BSN, Papillion, Neb., has received The
Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nurses
at Children’s Hospital and Medical
Center in Omaha. The Daisy Award is a
national program to recognize hospital
nurses and support evidence-based
nursing research.
Spring 2009
29
Alumni News
Williams Found ‘Special Spirit’
at Creighton School of Medicine
was a special spirit of cooperation and support.”
Residency in internal medicine at Cook County Hospital in
Chicago and a surgical nutrition support fellowship
focused Williams’ interest in bioethics. It was her fellowship
When September Williams, MD’84, was a girl, the medical
at the University of Chicago’s MacLean Center for Clinical
drama series Ben Casey, was her favorite television show. At
Medical Ethics that spawned her pursuit of filmmaking. She
that time, being a physician was not on her radar, but the
began to explore the impact of film and nonprint media on
scripts the TV doctor and his colleagues followed planted
cross-cultural expectations of medicine and science. She next
seeds in her.
studied in master’s programs in directing and screenwriting
Williams, a physician, clinical medical ethicist and
at Columbia College Chicago and screenwriting at Boston
filmmaker, has combined her interests into a multi-faceted
University.
career. As an attending physician at the San Francisco
Williams’ public-medicine career of 25 years is symbiotic
Department of Public Health’s
with her film work. She is
Laguna Honda Hospital and
committed to providing best
Rehabilitation Center, Williams
practice to the sickest, poorest
has an impressive resume in
patients. Her film work, through
internal medicine, geriatrics,
Ninth Month Productions, gives
palliative care and clinical
voice to those most affected by
medical ethics. But there is
lack of access to care, the need
more to the Creighton School
for appropriate use of technology
of Medicine graduate than
and the application of bioethics
remarkable medical credentials.
in medicine.
In 1978, having just completed
Williams has been a consultant
her bachelor’s degree in science,
to filmmakers and television
which she had financed through
directors, producers and
writing, dancing and photography,
writers. She has appeared in,
Williams was faced with her
and provided research for,
grandfather being terminally ill.
movies and television programs,
She was impressed by the care he
including Frontline, AIDS Report
received from oncology intern/
and Nightline. She has consulted
writer/actress Lynn Baker, M.D., in
with the Centers for Disease
Los Angeles. Williams’ grandfather
Control and Prevention and the
died of cancer, but his end-of-life
Harvard AIDS Institute, among
process launched her medical
others. Along with feature film
career. “I took the MCAT on the
scripts and shorter pieces, she is
day of my grandfather’s memorial
the writer/director of the
service,” she said.
medically based short films
Creighton alumna September Williams, MD’84, has combined
“I went into medicine for the
Shared Decisions, A Conversation on
a passion for public medicine with a passion for filmmaking —
same reason I later went into
Moral Intuition, Dance for Joy and
gaining national acclaim for her work.
clinical medical ethics and film,”
the feature-length documentary
Williams related. “I wanted to have a way to enhance the
When We Are Asked, the source material for The Robert Wood
humanity around caring for people with life-threatening
Johnson Foundation-funded APPEAL project (A Progressive
illnesses. I also wanted the tools to convince people there
Palliative Care Educational Curriculum for the Care of Africanare ways to prevent getting some life-threatening illnesses.”
Americans at Life’s End). She is submitting several scripts to
Like Williams, Baker also had a dual arts-science
the Sundance programs this year.
background. As a mentor, Baker recommended Creighton
“We need to communicate that palliative care is part of
as an environment that would embrace Williams’ atypical
medicine — that medicine is not just curative. Medicine has
cross-disciplinary talents. Williams trusted Baker’s
to promote health, cure, and when it’s time, prepare people
assessment, in part, because Sandra Organ, the first Africanfor life’s end,” Williams said. “Creighton was already ahead
American ballerina of the Houston Ballet and daughter of
in teaching end-of-life care in the early ‘80s. End-of-life care
the renowned former Creighton chief of surgery the late
is a natural extension of faith-based education.
Claude Organ, MD’52, MSM’57, had danced at Creighton.
“When is it appropriate to stop medicine based on
Williams said when she arrived at Creighton, “Things stood
curative care and start medicine that is based on palliative
out,” in her professors and her fellow students. “Creighton
care? It is sometimes hard to say, but as a filmmakerpeople were, as a group, remarkably kind and humane. There
physician-clinical ethicist, I work on communication tools
that strive to say it better.”
30
Spring 2009
Alumni News
08
Emily E. Brush, JD, Omaha,
has joined Lamson, Dugan and
Murray, LLP, as an associate attorney.
Colleen L. Byers, BA’05, MBA, JD,
Winston Salem, N.C., has joined the
law firm of Bell, Davis & Pitt, P.A., as an
associate attorney. D. Ashley Frison,
JD, Omaha, has joined the law firm
of Baird Holm, LLP, as an attorney
in the education section. Angela J.
Miller, BA’03, JD, Omaha, has joined
Lamson, Dugan and Murray, LLP, as
an associate attorney. Claire Fredricks
Osborne, BSBA’06, JD, Omaha, has
joined Croker, Huck, Kasher, DeWitt,
Anderson & Gonderinger, LLC, as an
associate attorney. Cole A. Smith,
JD, Sioux Falls, S.D., has been named
vice president at Traco Medical, Inc.,
an international medical equipment
refurbishing and brokering company.
Daniel J. Waters, JD, Omaha, has
joined Lamson, Dugan and Murray, LLP,
as an associate attorney.
Marriages
72
Sonya S. Stejskal, BA, and
James Mercer, Aug. 8, 2008,
living in Omaha.
83
91
93
95
96
97
Annette Corriveau and James
D. Dati, Esq., JD, Aug. 22,
2008, living in Bonita Springs, Fla.
Jolie B. Palensky, BSMth, and
Alex J. Beckey, BSBA’93, Sept.
29, 2007, living in St. Paul, Minn.
Rachel A. Wilkins, BA, and
Henry J. Morales II, Oct. 7,
2007, living in Aberdeen, S.D.
Christine M. Block, BSBA,
and Todd J. VanDorn, Nov. 3,
2007, living in Omaha.
Robann T. Thomas, BS, and
Jason Spencer, March 19, 2005,
living in LaVista, Neb.
Jodi M. Fougeron, BA, and
David Seevers, Oct. 19, 2007,
living in Gretna, Neb. Lisa A. Hughes,
BSEvs, and James C. Warren, May
19, 2007, living in Denver. Laura M.
Rodman, BA, and Ernesto Huaracha,
June 14, 2008, living in Beach Park, Ill.
Lori A. Wies and Mark A. Kelehan,
BSBA, June 28, 2008, living in New York.
98
99
Meghan A. Hurley, BSBA,
and Timothy Thompson, June
14, 2008, living in Dallastown, Pa.
Jennifer L. Gradoville,
BSBA’99, and Stephen R.
Gardner, Oct. 18, 2008, living in Omaha.
Teddi Ann Miskulin, BA’96, JD, and
Nicholas A. Barry, June 7, 2008, living in
Avon, Colo. Julie F. Oswald, BA, and
Jose Bautista, Sept. 27, 2008, living in
Kansas City, Mo. Meredith Shepard,
BS, and Matthew Geiger, April 19, 2008,
living in Omaha.
00
Sarah Bradford, BA, and
Jeffrey Hunter, Sept. 13, 2008,
living in Omaha. Renee E. Mellen,
BS, and Steven P. Hahn, July 7, 2007,
living in Omaha. Jennifer Roberts,
BA’97, JD, and Michael Creager, Sept.
19, 2008, living in Commerce City,
Colo. Katie Weckman and David J.
Wenthold, BSBA, July 26, 2008, living
in Bloomington, Minn.
01
Molly A. Krahmer and Ryan
M. Zabrowski, BSBA, May 16,
2008, living in Omaha. Kristin Meiser,
BSW, and Joshua Kaplan, July 25, 2008,
living in Washington, D.C.
02
Kennina Ceasar, BSBA, and
Kenard Killingsworth, Aug. 23,
2008, living in Olympia Fields, Ill. Marla
Eck, BA, and Aaron Althaus, Sept. 27,
2008, living in Plano, Texas. Sarah Eipe
and Scott A. Yahraus, BSBA, April
26, 2008, living in Woodland Hills, Calif.
Melanie A. Perry, BA, and Michael
T. Lotspeich, Nov. 14, 2008, living in
Omaha. Leanne N. Schumacher,
BSBA, and Joseph Gehlen, Nov. 3, 2007,
living in St. Louis Park, Minn.
03
Bridget Bazal, BSBA, and
Enrico Johnson, Aug. 16, 2008,
living in Inver Grove Heights, Minn.
Kimberly Carlson, BSN, and Michael
Olsufka, May 10, 2008, living in Omaha.
Emily A. Janda, BA’01, MA, and Jack
Monteiro, Aug. 2, 2008, living in Bryan,
Texas. Sarah R. Russell, OTD, and
Alphonse Fouche, June 28, 2008, living in
Glenwood, Iowa.
04
Capt. Rebecca Hopmann,
BSN, and Andrew I.
Christensen, Aug. 30, 2008, living in
Omaha. Erin T. Koncak, BSBA, and
Timothy J. Sleddens, Oct. 18, 2007,
living in Prairie Village, Kan. Lindsey
Martinson, BSBA, and Joshua J.
Boesch, BSBA, Sept. 13, 2008, living in
Omaha. Megan M. Van Hecke, BS,
and Anthony J. Hanson, Sept. 28, 2008,
living in Chaska, Minn.
05
Leslie B. Herrmann, BSN,
and Nathan D. Lee, BA’03,
MD’07, May 26, 2007, living in Phoenix.
Christine N. Johnson, BA, and
Jamie R. Stogdill, Feb. 28, 2004, living
in Omaha. Stacia A. Slezak, BA, and
Seth A. Luther, May 10, 2008, living in
Omaha.
06
Jennifer L. Cornelius, DDS,
and John C. Boain, DDS,
Aug. 15, 2008, living in St. Charles, Mo.
Sarah M. Lewis, BA, and Brian A.
Gockley, BS’05, Dec. 15, 2007, living
in Stephenville, Texas. Michelle L.
Walding, BA’03, OTD, and Thomas J.
Craig, BSBA’04, Sept. 22, 2007, living
in Omaha.
07
Kelly A. Lukas, BS, and
Matthew B. Dennis, June 20,
2008, living in Omaha. Kathleen A.
Manion, BS’03, MD, and Samuel A.
Dubrow, MD, June 21, 2008, living in
Port Jefferson Station, N.Y. Amanda
S. Portner, BA, and Thomas C.
McGannon, BSBA, Aug. 30, 2008,
living in Kansas City, Mo. Amanda
M. Prescott, JD, and Cole A. Smith,
JD’08, Nov. 17, 2007, living in Sioux
Falls, S.D. Andrea R. Robbins, BS, and
Michael D. Boyd, June 14, 2008, living
in Mission, Kan. Amanda “Mandy”
Squire, BSN, and Jordan J. Arens,
BS, Aug. 1, 2008, living in Memphis,
Tenn. Katherine M. Trautschold,
BS’01, MS, and Craig P. Christenson,
Nov. 7, 2008, living in Omaha. Victoria
S. Ward, BSChm, and Daniel J.
Jasion, BSChm, Aug. 8, 2008, living in
Irvine, Calif. Megan A. Wegner, BA,
and Anthony “A.J.” Steele, BA, Aug.
16, 2008, living in Omaha.
08
Claire Fredricks, BSBA’06,
JD, and Robert J. Osborne,
BSBA’06, Aug. 30, 2008, living in
Omaha. Jill M. Olson, BA’05, JD,
and Brandon D. Mason, BSBA’05,
JD, Aug. 16, 2008, living in Omaha.
Kimberly K. Ryan, BSN’04, MS,
and Scotty Hagner, June 7, 2008, living
in Omaha. Heather Sexe, MBA’07,
PharmD, and Jonathan R. Hancock,
BSBA’03, MBA’05, Aug. 9, 2008, living
in Omaha.
Births
84
Vito J. LaBella, BA, and Kim
Jalet LaBella, Brooklyn, N.Y., a
daughter, Morgan Jalet, Aug. 18, 2008.
88
Hon. John E. Huber, BA’85,
JD, and Kristin Amend
Huber, JD’00, Omaha, twin sons,
Andrew Robert “Drew,” and Brody
Lawrence, July 25, 2008.
90
Lt. Cmdr. Steven C.
Clifford, BSChm, and
Shawna McKenna Clifford, BS’93,
Storm Lake, Iowa, a daughter, Cailin
Mae, July 25, 2008. Tri H. Tran, BS,
and Tami C. Tran, Omaha, a daughter,
Elizabeth Helene “Liz,” June 18, 2008.
92
Patrick T. O’Rourke, BA, and
Robin Doughty O’Rourke,
BA, Highlands Ranch, Colo., a son, Ryan
Terrence, Dec. 22, 2003, and a daughter,
Rachel Anne, March 15, 2007. Chad
C. Ueding, BSBA, and Michelle M.
Ueding, BA, JD’95, Omaha, a son,
Aiden Jeremiah, June 10, 2008.
93
94
William J. Ostdiek, BS, and
Colleen Ostdiek, Omaha, a son,
Samuel Joseph “Sam,” Sept. 17, 2008.
Sergio M. de Lourenco,
BA, and Amy de Lourenco,
Colorado Springs, Colo., a daughter,
Aviana Regina, Aug. 12, 2007.
✽ Michael S. Freimuth, DDS, and
Ann Workman Freimuth, BSBA’90,
Lakewood, Colo., a daughter, Elizabeth
Jane “Betsy,” Jan. 10, 2008. Brett Mason
and Lori Nickla Mason, BA, St.
Helens, Ore., a daughter, Devon Victoria,
July 6, 2008. James K. Mogler, BSBA,
and Jobeth Mogler, Aledo, Texas, a
daughter, London Rose, Sept. 15, 2008.
95
Tim Carr and Amy
Wunderlich Carr, PharmD,
Lawrenceburg, Tenn., a son, Maxwell
Anderson, May 14, 2008. Christopher
M. Chmiel, BS’91, DDS, and Melanee
A. Chmiel, St. Paul, Minn., a son, Henry
Christopher Richard, Feb. 29, 2008.
Joseph Dey and Mary C. Dey, BA,
Wheaton, Ill., a son, Peter William, April
23, 2008. Gregory G. Eckert, BS’91,
MD, and Molly Dougherty Eckert,
BA’93, Omaha, a daughter, Clare
Shiuvaun, May 30, 2007. Matthew
P. Franzese, BA’92, JD, and Sydney
Franzese, Wheaton, Minn., a son,
Andrew Pascal, June 26, 2008. Paul
Kaspar and Jackie Rybin Kaspar,
BSBA, Bedford, Texas, a son, Joshua,
Sept. 14, 2008. Kevin S. Mar and Julie
Knott Mar, BSRT, Elkhorn, Neb., a
daughter, Chloe Kathryn, July 3, 2008.
Andrew Warren and Ann Dougherty
Warren, BA, West Des Moines, Iowa,
a daughter, Kathleen Ann, Sept. 4, 2008.
Andrew T. Wilson and Amy Friedman
Wilson, PharmD, Omaha, a daughter,
Caroline Rose, March 3, 2008.
96
Clifton L. Brunt, BA, and
Christina Mushi-Brunt,
BA’97, Indianapolis, a daughter,
Evangelina Grace, Oct. 15, 2008. Douglas
E. Pittman and Anne Luebbert
Pittman, BSBA, Olathe, Kan., a son,
Drew William, Sept. 18, 2008. Peter B.
Rastrelli, BA, and Candice Thiele
Rastrelli, ARTS, Round Lake, Ill.,
a son, Miller Pierson, Aug. 29, 2008.
Tony Solliday and Julie Conover
Solliday, BSBA, San Clemente, Calif.,
a son, Anthony James, July 12, 2008.
Erin D. Underwood, BS, and Jody
Raymo Underwood, Centerville, Ohio,
a daughter, Emily Marie, June 27, 2008.
Joseph Y. Williams III and
Carrie Critchfield Williams, BA,
Austin, Texas, two sons, Joseph Yates
“Yates,” Feb. 2, 2007, and Levi Field,
June 18, 2008.
97
John A. Cheney, BA, and
Anne Cheney, Corvallis,
Ore., a son, Gavin Milo, Sept. 11, 2008.
Nathaniel F. Chua, BA, and Kelly
Finnicum Chua, BA’99, Indianola,
Iowa, a son, Alexander Franklin
“Alex,” Oct. 8, 2008. Kurt Claussen
and Cristen Wuebben Claussen,
BSBA, Omaha, a son, Benjamin David,
June 17, 2008. Michael J. Freivogel,
BSBA, and Mary Carstensen
Freivogel, BSChm’98, Littleton, Colo.,
Spring 2009
31
Alumni News
a son, Nolan John, June 27, 2008. Scott
Hanson and Kindra A. Ramaker, BA,
Rochester, Minn., a daughter, Zurich,
April 8, 2008. Matthew Petrick and
Kristin Hill Petrick, BA, Omaha, a
daughter, Madeline May “Madie,” Jan.
25, 2008. Peter Pirsch and Lori Mueller
Pirsch, BSBA, Omaha, twin sons, Allen
Dean and Maxwell Edmund “Max,”
Sept. 15, 2008. Sherif Tewfik and Angela
Dahms Tewfik, BA, Grimes, Iowa, a
son, Hassan Sherif, May 29, 2008. Yusuf
Yazici and Angela Tetmeyer Yazici,
PharmD, Hastings on Hudson, N.Y., a
daughter, Leyla Brynn, May 28, 2008.
98
Frederick Emmetsberger
and Molly Tighe
Emmetsberger, JD, Denver, a
daughter, Lila Shea, Feb. 16, 2008. David
Freund and Nicole Cannon Freund,
BA, Wichita, Kan., a daughter, Dale
Kathryn Cannon, Jan. 25, 2008. Steven
C. Haskett, BS, and Amy Rasmussen
Haskett, BA, BSOT’01, Kearney, Neb.,
a daughter, Olivia Delaney, Sept. 28,
2007. Brad J. Hilliard, BSBA, and
Carri Hilliard, Charlotte, N.C., twin
sons, Brody James and Davis Finley,
Jan. 16, 2008. Nick Knudtson and Lisa
Dispense Knudtson, BS, Lone Tree,
Colo., a son, Dylan Nicholas, Oct. 23,
2008. Joshua P. Kollars, BS, and
Catharine Kollars, Ypsilanti, Mich., a son,
Jacob Joshua, Aug. 30, 2008. Gerald L.
Kratochvil, JD, and Andrea Babic
Kratochvil, BSBA’93, MBA’94, JD,
Overland Park, Kan., a son, Wesley
James “Wes,” Oct. 2, 2008. Howard
Oubre Jr. and Elizabeth Kohout
Oubre, BSN, Lafayette, La., a daughter,
Meredith Catherine, Aug. 21, 2008.
Adam Pfab and Alissa Berry Pfab,
BSBA, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a daughter,
Eleanor Marie “Elly,” July 21, 2008.
Ron A. Skelton, BSBA, and Julie
Ortman Skelton, BSN, Littleton,
Colo., a son, Thomas Vincent “Tommy,”
Nov. 10, 2008. Joel Weber and Amy
Thiele Weber, BA, Dorchester, Neb., a
daughter, Sophia Marie, Sept. 11, 2008.
99
Michael I. Brandon, BS,
and Lisa Brandon, Bellevue,
Neb., a son, Irick David, Feb. 12, 2008.
Mark Butcher and Michelle Weigand
Butcher, BS, Grain Valley, Mo., a
son, Zachary Owen, June 24, 2008.
Mark Clifft and Kristie Davis Clifft,
BSOT, Fairway, Kan., a son, Cooper
James, Dec. 11, 2007. Jonathan Eames
and Stephanie Mader Eames,
BA, Portland, Ore., a daughter, Molly
Jane, June 30, 2008. Patrick Gaston
and Carmen Kwong Gaston, JD,
Portland, Ore., a son, Maxwell Victor
“Max,” June 29, 2007. Matt Geiger
and Meredith Shepard Geiger,
BS, Omaha, a daughter, Sydney
Rowan, Aug. 28, 2008. Dave Heinen
and Amy Haas Heinen, BS, Lenexa,
Kan., a son, Issac Joseph “Ike,” Sept.
32
Spring 2009
26, 2008. Christopher Hoffman and
Colleen Maley Hoffman, BS, East
Stroudsburg, Pa., a daughter, Caitlin
Charles, Aug. 7, 2008. Ricardo Pradez
and Ann M. Schneider, BA’93, MA,
Chicago, a son, Oliver Schneider, Dec.
24, 2007. Joseph A. Quattrocchi
Jr., BS’95, DDS, and Vickie Allen
Quattrocchi, BSN’95, Omaha, a
daughter, Josie Victoria, Aug. 19, 2008.
Todd M. Sauer, MD, and Margaret
“Megann” Walker Sauer, BS’98,
MD’02, Omaha, twins, a son, Peter
Joseph, and a daughter, Margaret
Caroline “Maggie,” Aug. 6, 2008. Brett
Wright and Melissa M. Schultz,
BSChm, Wooster, Ohio, a daughter, Lila
Rosemary, March 23, 2008.
00
Charles D. Boone Jr., BSBA,
and Elizabeth Crouchley
Boone, PharmD, Omaha, a son,
William Edward, Sept. 29, 2008. Ryan
L. Fogt, BSATS, and Andrea Stirm
Fogt, BA’02, Longmont, Colo., a
daughter, Anna Mae, June 27, 2008.
Christopher M. Gibbs, MD, and
Lori Gibbs, Loves Park, Ill., a daughter,
Paige Keller, Sept. 20, 2008. Jacob M.
Kusmak, PharmD, and Amy Trankle
Kusmak, BA’97, JD, Marshfield, Wis.,
a son, Luke Donald, July 14, 2008. Robert
Schrempp and Samantha Mason
Schrempp, BSChm’95, PharmD, Oak
Creek, Wis., a son, Mason Alexander,
Aug. 19, 2008. Rob C. Swaney,
PharmD, and Erin Swaney, Omaha, a
son, Braden Christopher, June 23, 2008.
Raymond J. Taddeucci, BS’95, MD,
and Katie Shamblin Taddeucci, Lincoln,
Neb., a son, Vincent Florio, April 11,
2008.
01
Jeffrey Bertrandt and Lindsay
Spilinek Bertrandt, BA,
Milwaukee, a son, Carson Davey, May
30, 2008. Andrew C. Cromwell, DDS,
and Meghan Johnson Cromwell,
DPT’02, Anaconda, Mont., a son,
Teague Francis, Jan. 29, 2008. Matthew
E. Eck, BSBA’99, JD, and Brandy
Chambers Eck, BS’00, BSN, Omaha,
a son, Alex Charles, July 28, 2008. Victor
Fazzino and Melanie S. Weseman,
JD, Stuart, Fla., a daughter, Alexandra
Noel, March 7, 2008. John Janulewicz
and Erica Shonsey Janulewicz, DPT,
Urbandale, Iowa, a daughter, Leah
Marie, Aug. 14, 2008. David L. Jones,
BA’97, DDS, and Alicia Knott Jones,
BS’97, DPT, Council Bluffs, Iowa, a
daughter, Eva Muriel, Aug. 14, 2008.
Thomas P. Keating, BA’96, DDS, and
Jennifer Keller Keating, BSN’97,
Henderson, Nev., a daughter, Nora
Marye, Aug. 8, 2008. Joshua I. Leighr,
PharmD, and Tara Stamp Leighr,
BSN’00, Kansas City, Mo., a daughter,
Katelyn Elizabeth Louise “Katie,” July
31, 2008.
02
Justin P. Ahern, BSBA,
and Patricia Ahern, Omaha,
a son, James Patrick, March 13, 2008.
Carl R. Anderson and Natalie S.
Freed, BS, Cleveland Heights, Ohio,
a daughter, Elaine Noelle “Lainey,”
Oct. 11, 2008. Jason P. Caplan, MD,
and Jane McCabe Caplan, MD’01,
Tucson, Ariz., a son, Evan Liam, July
13, 2007. Jonathan W. Cramer, BS,
and Katrina Robertson Cramer,
BA’01, Jeffersonville, Ind., a daughter,
Erin Elizabeth, Sept. 19, 2008. Patrick
S. Cross, DPT, and Audrey Mroczek
Cross, OTD, McCook Lake, S.D., a
daughter, Chloe Audriana, Oct. 29, 2008.
Philip M. Higa and Lynnette Pascua
Higa, BS’00, BSN, Mililani, Hawaii, a
daughter, Madison Elyse Pascua, April
8, 2008. Ryan B. Jacobsen, PharmD,
and Melissa Jacobsen, Iowa City, Iowa,
a son, Logan Michael, July 9, 2008. John
Liebert and ✽ Carmin D. Ballou,
JD, Chicago, a son, Samuel Ballou,
June 14, 2008. Stephen P. McAvoy,
BS’98, MD, and Heather Sorensen
McAvoy, BA’01, Milwaukee, a
daughter, Claire Caroline, Oct. 9, 2008.
Mark S. Sudeta, BSBA’98, MBA,
and Amber Sudeta, Omaha, a son, Luke
Patrick, June 27, 2008. Grant Turner and
Kay C. Turner, DPT, Sitka, Alaska,
a daughter, Mia Von, Oct. 12, 2007.
John Weland and Jaime R. Weland,
PharmD, Omaha, a daughter, Jaclyn
Elizabeth, Aug. 3, 2008. Jeff Zoucha and
Christine Barrett Zoucha, PharmD,
Sacramento, Calif., a daughter, Madeline
James, June 9, 2008.
03
Sebastian O. Fischer,
BSBA, and Leslie Morrow
Fischer, BA’02, Rolling Meadows,
Ill., a son, Maximilian Klaus “Max,”
July 23, 2008. Steven R. Kelly, BS’96,
MD, and Kristine Gruidl Kelly,
BA’96, Woodbury, Minn., a daughter,
Kathryn Elizabeth, Sept. 27, 2007. Doug
Moore and Megan Steffensmeier
Moore, BSBA, Wisner, Neb., a son,
James Douglas, May 23, 2008. Philip
Walleck and Abby Goettsch Walleck,
BSBA’01, JD, Milford, Iowa, a son,
Simon Arthur, Oct. 26, 2008.
04
Michael L. Cantrell Jr.,
JD, and Ariana Jimenez
Cantrell, JD’03, Brandon, Fla., a son,
Eli Thomas, Aug. 12, 2008. Michael C.
Danahay, BS’00, DDS, and Jillianne
Muller Danahay, BSN’00, Omaha,
a daughter, Madeline Claire, Nov. 3,
2008. Brian D. Ehrhart, BA, and Kara
Grimsley Ehrhart, BA’02, Eielson
Air Force Base, Alaska, a daughter,
Mia Christine, Aug. 26, 2008. Amos
M. Ferguson, BA, and Ashlee A.
Ferguson, Sioux Falls, S.D., a daughter,
Ezzie Lynn, July 18, 2008. Christopher
P. Hogrefe, BS, and Amy Lux
Hogrefe, BSN’03, North Liberty,
Iowa, a son, Carter Sherman, July 30,
2008. Glen M. Palmer, BA’01, JD, and
Victoria Faust Palmer, BS’01, Omaha,
a daughter, Lilliana Frances “Lily,” July
26, 2008. David C. Semerad II, BA’00,
MD, and Lauren Worth Semerad,
BA’02, DDS’06, Dupont, Wash., a son,
Maxwell Donald, Feb. 17, 2008. Corey
J. Thieman, PharmD, and Aysha
Motilla Thieman, PharmD, Dakota
Dunes, S.D., a son, Gavin Matthew,
June 18, 2008. Joshua Wells and Kellie
Wasson Wells, JD, Phoenix, twin
daughters, Brooklyn Kate and Reagan
Emily, Sept. 28, 2008.
05
Olaf Kaufman and Diana
Hoover Kaufman, BS’01,
MD, Omaha, a daughter, Rowan Kay,
July 12, 2008. Shane A. Schutt, BS’01,
MD, and Melissa Williams Schutt,
BSN’02, Mission, Kan., a son, Elliot
James, June 12, 2007. Jamie R. Stogdill
and Christine Johnson Stogdill, BA,
Omaha, a son, Jackson Robert, Nov. 22,
2004, and a daughter, Lauren Ann, Nov.
8, 2006. Chad A. Wissler, DPT, and
Megan Weibel Wissler, DPT, Nashua,
N.H., a son, Brayden Robert, July 10,
2008.
06
Adam B. Smith, MD, and
Melissa A. Smith, BSN,
Omaha, a son, Spencer Mark, Sept. 20,
2007.
Deaths
37
38
Andrew G. Balk, Arts,
Plymouth, Minn., Oct. 3, 2008.
Millard F. Beeson, BSC,
Denver, July 28, 2008. Ruth L.
(McClintock) Carnall, SJN, Atlanta,
Aug. 6, 2008. Gertrude M. Pedersen,
BA, Omaha, Nov. 4, 2008.
39
40
Sarah M. (Gemma)
Lohrman, BusAd, Omaha,
Aug. 2, 2008.
Capt. Arthur C. Mullen,
U.S. Navy (retired), Arts,
Chesapeake, Va., April 17, 2008.
Frederick Saunders, MD, White
Plains, N.Y., July 9, 2008. Louis B.
“Westie” Westendorf, DDS, Carroll,
Iowa, Aug. 11, 2008. Sr. Mary Martina
Woulfe, RSM, BSN, Johnston, Iowa,
June 22, 2008.
41
Florence (York) Hyberger,
SJN, Beatrice, Neb., Nov. 12,
2007. † Rosemary (Mulligan)
McCann, BSC, Portland, Ore., Nov.
10, 2008.
42
Dorothy M. Jackson, PhB,
Ridgecrest, Calif., Nov. 1, 2008.
Merle L. (Ballard) Pettigrew, SCN,
Salida, Calif., Aug. 15, 2008.
43
John Eustermann, MD,
Mankato, Minn., Nov. 1, 2008.
Jim Farlee, BSC, Kansas City, Mo., May
Alumni News
Reflections on a Presidential Journey
What’s life like on the national campaign trail, working to elect a
candidate for president of the United States? For 24-year-old
Creighton alumna Katie Bradley, BA’07, who worked on President
Barack Obama’s campaign, it was the opportunity of a lifetime. It
wasn’t all glamorous, as Bradley will quickly tell you. There were
long hours and seemingly endless details. But for Bradley, the
rewards were well worth it — a chance to put her ideals into action
and, to some degree, influence not only a political election but the
direction of this nation. She shared her personal thoughts on her
experience with Creighton University Magazine. You can read an
excerpt from her reflection below and her entire essay online at
www.creightonmagazine.org.
Creighton alumna Katie Bradley, BA’07, worked on
President Barack Obama’s campaign, served on his
presidential transition team and is now the deputy
associate director in the White House’s Office of
Management and Administration.
31, 2008. Stephen J. Kappenman,
DDS, Sioux Falls, S.D., Sept. 25, 2008.
45
Robert W. Gorham, BusAd,
Naples, Fla., July 20, 2008.
Susan Potter, BSN, Fresno, Calif.,
Nov. 28, 2008. Corwin D. Rogers, BA,
Omaha, September 2008.
46
Thaddeus T. Bozek, BSM’45,
MD, Iowa City, Iowa, Nov.
12, 2008. Dorothy J. (Peter) Faulk,
BS, Omaha, Aug. 25, 2008. Robert F.
Tokarski, Arts, San Mateo, Calif., Nov.
7, 2008.
47
Robert L. Brietenbauch,
BSC, Omaha, Aug. 11, 2008.
Donald E. Crocker, MD, Orange,
Calif., Sept. 8, 2008.
48
James E. Barrett, JD, Reston,
Va., Oct. 5, 2008. Donald H.
Erickson, JD, Omaha, July 11, 2008.
Eugene Ingold, BS, San Diego, June
21, 2008. Hugo F. Mann Jr., BSC,
Arlington, Neb., Aug. 21, 2008. John
G. McBride, BA, Lincoln, Neb., Aug.
28, 2008.
If you watched the 2008 presidential election on TV, you saw the
confetti cannons and the red carpet, but what remained after the
confetti was swept away and the CNN trucks headed home?
I had the unique opportunity to see a candidate behind the scenes.
I spent weekends delivering yard signs, missed family birthdays, rang
in the New Year on an all-staff conference call, ate delivery pizza six
nights a week ... and loved every minute of it. Behind the glitz and
glamour TV version of the election, I saw real people who were
suffering; I saw that real change was possible; and I felt that what I
was doing was really going to make a difference.
I had the privilege of working on Barack Obama’s historic presidential
campaign. I began as a volunteer in the state where it all began —
Iowa — and then moved into a paid position with the campaign,
setting up and taking down offices across the country.
My most enduring memory of this two-year odyssey will always be
captured in the campaign’s motto: Respect, Empower, Include.
49
Robert G. Meserschmidt,
BSC, Albuquerque, N.M., Aug.
15, 2008. John W. Mossman, BSC,
Omaha, July 27, 2008. Robert E. “Bob”
Sherman, Pharm, Council Bluffs,
Iowa, Sept. 27, 2008.
50
Dwayne W. Brown, BS,
Omaha, Dec. 18, 2008. Robert
W. Campbell, BSC’49, JD, Calgary
Alberta, Canada, Aug. 29, 2008. Robert
P. Gruber, Arts, Omaha, Nov. 26, 2008.
Richard C. Hill, BSPha, Omaha, Sept.
23, 2008. John J. Kane, BSC, Omaha,
Nov. 21, 2008. Eugene “Gene” R.
Retz, JD, Overland Park, Kan., July 5,
2008. Edmund J. Sobetski, BusAd,
Omaha, Sept. 11, 2008.
51
Sheldon J. Harris, JD,
Omaha, Nov. 9, 2008. Patrick
C. Lemmers, Arts, Omaha, June 26,
2008. Philip Lubman, BS’48, MSEdu,
Omaha, July 2008. Sr. M. Paula
Radosevich, RSM, BA’44, MSEdu,
Johnston, Iowa, July 14, 2008. Sr. M.
Stephen Purcell, MSEdu, South
Bend, Ind., June 16, 2008.
52
Vital E. Haynes Jr., MD, San
Diego, Aug. 7, 2008. Donna
(Clapp) Skomal, Arts, Omaha,
September 2008. Henry H. Urashima,
BSPha, Kailua, Hawaii, Nov. 26, 2008.
53
Nicholas L. Nelson, MD,
Seattle, July 22, 2008. William
E. Vacek, BSC, Hermosa Beach, Calif.,
July 5, 2008.
54
A. Lee Bloomingdale,
BSC’52, JD, Omaha, Dec. 2,
2008. Grace (Haniszewski) Goldman,
Arts, Omaha, July 6, 2008. Dolores
(Koley) “Dee” O’Leary, SCN, Mesa,
Ariz., Aug. 8, 2008. John “Jack”
Tooley, MD, Issaquah, Wash., March
17, 2008.
55
William J. Gouger, BSPha,
Omaha, Sept. 16, 2008. Milton
H. Lloyd, BS’50, MS, Oak Ridge,
Tenn., Aug. 15, 2008. Doris M. “Dorty”
(Maher) McDonald, SCN, Omaha,
Dec. 10, 2008. Frances M. (Schwartz)
Wingert, SJN, Saylorsburg, Pa., Sept.
27, 2008.
56
John S. Broz, MD, Omaha,
Oct. 23, 2008. Col. Jack G.
Hastings, DDS, Elmore, Ala., Oct.
25, 2008. Donald M. Hrella, DDS,
Vancouver, Wash., June 30, 2008. Lynn
L. Leibel, BS’51, MD, Council Bluffs,
Iowa, June 26, 2008. William V. Pryich,
MD, Rock Springs, Wyo., June 20, 2008.
57
James R. Avis, BSPha,
Pueblo West, Colo., March 13,
2008. Bernadine C. (Wise) Burley,
BSMT, Omaha, Oct. 1, 2008. Edward
F. Kenney, BS, Omaha, Aug. 4, 2008.
Joanna K. (Franco) Vacanti, BS,
Omaha, Nov. 23, 2008.
58
59
Fred L. Friedrichsen, BSBA,
Glenville, Minn., June 24, 2008.
Hon. James A. Buckley
Jr., JD, Omaha, Aug. 7, 2008.
William P. Leonard, MA, Cedar
Rapids, Iowa, Dec. 10, 2008. William A.
Nelson, Law, Omaha, Nov. 28, 2008.
Daniel C. Sims, BSBA, Bellevue, Neb.,
Oct. 3, 2008. James J. Theisen, DDS,
Omaha, Oct. 21, 2008. Herbert E. von
Spring 2009
33
Alumni News
Message
from
Estate and
Trust Services
Benefactors’ Careful
Planning Yields
Impressive Results
“Today, I am
pleased to announce
that, as of Feb. 1,
Creighton University
has received
more than $395
million in gifts and
commitments to
the Willing to Lead
campaign.” With
these words, Creighton President the Rev.
John P. Schlegel, S.J., announced at the 2009
Founders Week Convocation that support
from the University’s many alumni and
friends had surpassed the campaign’s
$350 million goal.
As with prior campaigns, deferred gifts
Rusten, DDS, Oakland, Calif., July 5,
2008. Janice R. Wendl, BA, Omaha,
Sept. 19, 2008.
60
Dr. William J. Kanger Jr.,
BS, Green Valley, Ariz., Aug.
8, 2008. Ralph H. Lutz, BSBA, Omaha,
Dec. 12, 2008. Maj. Gen. David C.
Morehouse, U.S. Air Force (retired),
JD, San Antonio, July 15, 2008.
61
William J. Mangen, BusAd,
Omaha, July 3, 2008. Leland
A. Mick, BSBA, Newton, Kan., Aug. 9,
2008. James R. Ray, BS, Omaha,
Nov. 23, 2008.
Maurice Hart, JD, Waukon, Iowa,
April 14, 2008. William E. Manhart,
Arts, Omaha, Nov. 9, 2008. Keith W.
Teague, MBA, Council Bluffs, Iowa,
Aug. 2, 2008.
66
67
68
Clayton E. Jones, DDS,
Pueblo, Colo., Aug. 10, 2008.
Michael M. Collins Sr., MD,
Omaha, Aug. 5, 2008.
Zita (Eutenuer) Holzbach,
SJN, Vienna, Va., June 28, 2008.
Col. John P. Madden, U.S. Army
(retired), DDS, Spokane, Oct. 27, 2008.
69
64
Stephanie K. Gillespie,
BSMT, Omaha, Nov. 1, 2008.
Georgia J. “Jo” (Loeffler) Jung, BA,
Red Bluff, Calif., Sept. 14, 2008. John
F. Nilsson Jr., BSPha, Omaha, July 8,
2008. Sr. M. Audrey Tramp, O.S.B.,
MA’62, MSGuid, Yankton, S.D., Sept.
16, 2008.
65
John F. Goldoni, BSBA,
Urbandale, Iowa, July 18, 2008.
Joseph A. Reida, BA, Omaha,
Aug. 12, 2008.
62
Bruce F. Anderson, JD, San
Rafael, Calif., Sept. 7, 2008.
Louis L. Oswald Sr., BSBA, Louisville,
Ky., Aug. 18, 2008.
Mary K. (Hoevet)
Downing, BSN, Blair, Neb.,
July 6, 2008. Thomas Vander Woude,
BS, Nokesville, Va., Sept. 8, 2008.
Constance J. Catherall,
BSBA, Fairbury, Neb., Nov.
24, 2008. Sr. Marjorie Hart, RSM,
MSEdu, Johnston, Iowa, June 3, 2008.
34
played a key role in helping Creighton to exceed
the campaign goal, and I am pleased to report
that of the $395 million goal, $87 million came
from deferred gifts. The foresight and planning of
individuals providing these gifts not only linked
their legacy with that of the University, but also
helped to augment vitally needed operating
support, as well as having a major impact on
building the endowment.
In light of tax legislation that became effective
Jan. 1, 2009, and current economic conditions,
now is an opportune time to review your estate
plans and beneficiary designation forms and
consider a charitable bequest to Creighton. In
2009, the first $3.5 million of your estate is exempt
from federal tax, up from $2 million in 2008.
The pairing of this large increase in the
exemption amount, coupled with today’s
current economic conditions, could have drastic,
unintended consequences. Typically, a wellcrafted, tax-savvy estate plan includes a provision
to place 100 percent of the exempt amount in
a so-called “credit shelter trust.” While this
trust often provides the surviving spouse with
steady income, there usually is limited access
to the principal. If the majority of your assets
are allocated to this trust, ultimately it could
compromise your spouse’s standard of living.
Regardless of your financial situation, now
is the time to evaluate your estate plan and
Spring 2009
71
72
73
74
beneficiary designation forms. The most
effective way to make a significant future
impact on Creighton students and programs
is to name Creighton as a beneficiary of your
IRA, 401(k) or other qualified retirement plan.
(Retirement assets generally are subject to
income taxes, regardless of the size of your
estate, so they are ideal contributions.)
I encourage you to review your estate
plan and to explore your dreams for the
University’s future with us or with your
qualified professional adviser. If you already
have included Creighton in your estate, I
extend my personal thanks and invite you to
join the Creighton University Heritage Society
— our recognition group for those who have
remembered Creighton in their estate plans.
If you would like to learn more about how,
through careful estate planning, your legacy
can help advance the mission of Creighton
University, or if you are interested in
becoming a member of the Heritage Society,
please call 402.280.1143 or 800.334.8794. The
Office of Estate and Trust Services provides
confidential assistance with your plans. It will
be our pleasure to be of service.
Larry L. Feldhacker,
BA’67, MA, Papillion, Neb.,
Dec. 12, 2008.
William Parsons, BA,
Omaha, Nov. 10, 2008.
Steven R. Hahn, JD,
Burlington, Iowa, Dec. 10, 2008.
Maj. Mary E. McGrath, BA, Marietta,
Ga., Aug. 24, 2008. Ronald E. Walters,
MSGuid, Santa Fe, N.M., June 12, 2008.
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Richard K. Kitchin, BSBA’73,
JD, Omaha, Dec. 9, 2008. Mary
J. (Mullin) Masters, MSEdu, Omaha,
Sept. 7, 2008. Anthony F. Porto Jr.,
MD, Mission Hills, Kan., June 21, 2008.
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Robert C. Brown, DDS,
Cheyenne, Wyo., Sept. 28, 2008.
Richard D. Cost, MBA, Des Moines,
Iowa, Aug. 17, 2008.
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Gary N. Barker, BSN,
Canton, Ohio, May 14, 2008.
Radcliffe O. Eastman, DDS, Auburn,
Calif., Sept. 10, 2008. Bro. Norman L.
McCarthy, F.S.C., MSCHRSP, Tulsa,
Okla., Oct. 13, 2008.
Steve Scholer, JD‘79
Executive Director of Estate
and Trust Services
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Dianne (Lenert) Hurrell,
BSN, Sugargrove, Ill.,
Jan. 20, 2007.
Susan Nagel, BSN, Santa
Ana, Calif., Nov. 29, 2008.
Sr. Marcia A. Guest, O.S.M.,
MMin, Omaha, Aug. 31, 2008.
Robert J. McQuillan, BA’84,
MD, Omaha, Jan. 3, 2009.
Diane (Harris) Bruderer,
BSOT, Omaha, July 7, 2008. H.
Claire Murphy, PhD, Omaha,
July 1, 2008.
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Raymond D. Krysh, JD, Elk
Grove Village, Ill., Dec. 7, 2008.
Rev. Jeffrey “Jeff” Voorhees, BA,
Zeeland, Mich., Nov. 21, 2008.
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Mary L. Dettman, BSOT,
Aurora, Neb., July 10, 2008.
Daniel Jamela, BSN, Omaha,
July 1, 2008.
Eric J. Will, JD, Omaha,
Aug. 10, 2008.
“I strongly support Creighton’s initiatives for Catholic schools.
American bishops and all recent national reports including one
published by the White House agree that Catholic university
partnerships are vital to the future of Catholic elementary and
secondary schools. Creighton has already demonstrated leadership
in this field and their national vision for the proposed institute
will greatly benefit a diocese like ours, which does not have a local
Catholic university. I am particularly pleased that this initiative
includes plans for online coursework and professional development
for leaders and teachers, as well as ongoing research on critical
issues.”
The Most Rev. Blase Cupich
Bishop of the Rapid City, S.D., Diocese
“Strong K-12 Catholic schools have a positive and irreplaceable
impact on the vibrancy of the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese
of Omaha and on the vitality of their local communities. We are
blessed to have a strong Catholic university like Creighton in our
own backyard as well. Creighton’s initiatives for K-12 Catholic
schools are a tremendous service to the Church as they provide
resources, expertise and support that are essential for our Catholic
schools to flourish in the future.”
The Most Rev. Elden Curtiss
Archbishop of the Omaha Archdiocese
“We are blessed to have two Magis teachers this year at St. Patrick’s
School in North Platte (Neb.). They are positive, enthusiastic and
responsive to fellow teachers and the students. They are committed
to their Catholic faith and are excellent role models for our students,
their fellow teachers and parents. Magis and other Creighton
Catholic school initiatives are a godsend, especially to Catholic
schools in rural areas.”
Left to right, the Most Rev. Blase Cupich, the Most Rev. Elden
Curtiss and the Most Rev. William Dendinger
Proposed Creighton Institute Supports
Catholic Education
Creighton University’s proposed Institute for Catholic School
Initiatives is a unique, multifaceted endeavor aimed at preparing the
next generation of teachers and leaders for the specific apostolate of
Catholic education.
Initiatives include a nationally award-winning, online leadership
certificate program for Catholic school administrators not educated
in Catholic schools; Magis Catholic Teacher Corps, in which students
earn a master’s degree in education at Creighton tuition-free while
working in under-resourced Catholic schools; and one of the nation’s
only certification programs for Catholic school religion teachers.
Learn more about Creighton’s Institute for Catholic School
Initiatives online at: www.creightonmagazine.org/CurrentIssue/
CatholicSchool.pdf.
The Most Rev. William Dendinger
Bishop of the Grand Island, Neb., Diocese
www.creighton.edu/development
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2009
Omaha, NE
Creighton University Reunion Weekend for
the College of Arts and Sciences,
College of Business, Graduate School,
School of Law, School of Nursing, and
School of Pharmacy and Health Professions
Reunion Weekend
Oct. 1 - 4, 2009
For information on the Reunion Weekend schedule of events,
visit http://alumni.creighton.edu.
Destination Creighton
CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY | REUNION WEEKEND 2009