Blue&Gold

WINTER 2003

Melba’s Mission

A Vision for the Neighborhood

More Than Passing the BuckAppraising St. Mary’s Economic Impactin San Antonio

Touching Eternity

Call of the Wired

PRESIDENTCharles L. Cotrell, Ph.D.

(B.A. ’62, M.A. ’64)

UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENTVICE PRESIDENTThomas B. Galvin

UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONSEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dianne Pipes

EXECUTIVE EDITORCandace J. Kuebker (B.A. ’78)

ASSOCIATE EDITORSAnastasia Cisneros-Lunsford

(B.A. ’92)Rob Leibold(M.A. ’03)

PUBLICATIONS DIRECTORSteve Weed

PHOTOGRAPHYMelanie Rush Davis

Tommy HultgrenLuis Rodriguez

CONTRIBUTORSPat Abernathey

University CommunicationsKaren Persyn and

Will Elliott (B.A. ’93)Advancement Services

Gold & Blue is produced for alumniand friends three times a year by theUniversity Communications staff.

Contents © 2003 by St. Mary’sUniversity. All rights reserved.

One Camino Santa MariaSan Antonio, Texas 78228-8575

www.stmarytx.edu

personal attentionPOWERFUL PROGRAMS

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Melba’s Missionby Charles L. Cotrell, Ph.D., President

News from Around the Grove

A Vision for the Neighborhoodby Candace J. Kuebker

More Than Passing the BuckAppraising St. Mary’s Economic Impact in San Antonio

by Anastasia Cisneros-Lunsford

Touching Eternityby Patricia Dargin Padilla

Call of the Wiredby Charles “Chuck” Garrison, Ph.D.

Class Notes

In Closing

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CONTENTS From the Editor

Everyone at St. Mary’s—students, facultyand staff alike—are thrilled with the openingof Java City on the Quad. As the San AntonioExpress-News reported in December, “It’s theperfect venue to get wired and go wireless atthe same time.” While enjoying specialtycoffee drinks and pastries, students can log onto our wireless network. And, theamphitheater that flanks the coffee shop willoffer a unique setting for campus events.

Java City on the Quad is one more additionto the technology advances on campus. In“Call of the Wired,” Director of AcademicTechnology Services Chuck Garrisonprovides insight into the excitingopportunities the SBC Center for InformationTechnology that opened in September isproviding the St. Mary’s and surroundingcommunities.

Many of you have met Melba Fisher overthe years. She’s retiring in February, and her40 years of service to St. Mary’s—the past 25as assistant to the president—are unparalleled.President Cotrell has a few things to sharewith you about her.

The economic impact a university has inits community isn’t something most of usthink about often. Readers will be surprised—and impressed—at the extent to whichSt. Mary’s University affects San Antonioeconomically.

One area highlighted in the economicimpact report is the impressive list ofSt. Mary’s alumni. You’ll read about severalof them in this issue, including Drs. DollieHudspeth and Felix Almaraz, who recentlywere named Piper Professors. These twooutstanding teachers have dedicated morethan 75 years to their calling. Maj. Gen.Alfred “Freddie” Valenzuela is looking tomake an impact in education in San Antonio,too, once he retires from the Army.

A lot has been happening on campus. Mostvisible is the Gateway to Historic St. Mary’sUniversity project, and you can read anupdate about it in News from Around theGrove. By next summer, the main entrance toSt. Mary’s will look remarkably different.

Thanks to all of you who update yourrecords and provide items for Class Notes.We welcome your feedback on the magazineand are happy to entertain your thoughts andideas about features and profiles. And, wewish you health, happiness and prosperity in2004.

—Candace Kuebker

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On the Covers

On the front cover, students meet at Java City on the Quad, the new campus

coffee shop that offers speciality drinks and pastries, and wireless connection to

the Internet. On the back cover, students and student-athletes join together at

Midnight Madness, the annual November pep rally to support Rattler athletics.

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Melba Fisher came blessed withincredible talents when she walkedthrough the door at St. Mary’sUniversity 40 years ago. She offersthem to us generously and with candor.

In a sense, Melba has been aninstitution herself. She first joinedSt. Mary’s in 1958, and, after a briefdeparture, she returned to campus in1963 and soon moved from the libraryto secretary for the vice president ofStudent Development. In 1978 shetransferred to the President’s Office,where she has served five ofSt. Mary’s 12 presidents.

But this and much more would nothave been possible without keeping theMarianist charism in her heart. AsMelba prepares for retirement thisFebruary, we are thankful for theinexhaustible contributions sheaccomplished because of her spiritualgifts of poise, efficiency and devotion.

Greg Crane (B.B.A. ’55), who servedon the Board of Trustees from 1988 to1997 and for five of those years aschairman, says herelied on Melba andadmired herindomitable workethic.

“She is a sticklerfor details,” he says.“Melba has alwaysbeen loyal to herpresidents; she is ashonest as the day islong; and herintegrity can neverbe questioned.

“She also was asounding board tothe presidents. Theyhad confidence in herand would bounceoff ideas on her. Sheoften offered adviceand kept the lines ofcommunication openbetween the boardand the University.”

Over the years,Melba has cultivated

many great friendships. Pat Egan, whoserved seven vice presidents assecretary over 35 years until herretirement in 1995, calls Melba her“forever friend.” The pair can pick uptheir camaraderie just where they leftoff.

Egan says poise gives Melba theability to pick up and carry on anyproject.

“Melba is an outstanding person.What matters is how willingly she has

given of herself to the University,”Egan says. “Melba always knew howto adjust to serving differentpresidents. As Assistant to thePresident, she knew it was about whatthey want. She could pick up the loadand do what was best for theUniversity.”

It is Melba’s commitment to theMarianist mission that rewards usmost. She expanded her role at theUniversity as a lay Marianist. In 1983she was the first woman to receive theMarianist Heritage Award, the highesthonor conferred on a lay person by theMarianists at St. Mary’s. For the pastseven years, she also served as co-director of the Marianist Forumalongside the Rev. George Montague,S.M., S.T.D.

The Rev. John A. Leies, S.M.,S.T.D., Theology departmentchairman, depended on Melba’s talentswhen he was president in the 1980s.

“I saw her amiability, patience,goodness and religiousness. I saw this

day after day,”Leies says.“St. Mary’s hasbeen Melba’scalling, hermission.”

Her mission for40 years has beenone of love forSt. Mary’s, theMarianists and thecampuscommunity.

Melba soon willhave more time forher husband, Dan,her family andherself. We wanther to know thatwe are grateful toher for makingSt. Mary’s themission she chosein life. We’ll missyou. n

Melba’s Missionby Charles L. Cotrell, Ph.D., President

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N E W SF R O M A R O U N D T H E G R O V E

n Short Subjects

Bar Passage Rate ClimbsSt. Mary’s law graduates who took

the Texas Bar exam for the first timethis past July experienced a 74.37percent pass rate, the best in recentyears.

The improvement indicates thatprograms and processes undertaken bythe faculty and administration tostrengthen academic standards at theSchool of Law are working.

By 2006, the law school’s goal is tosurpass the state bar passage rateaverage, placing St. Mary’s in the toptier of Texas law schools.

Texas Criminal CourtConvenes on Campus

The Texas Court of CriminalAppeals heard arguments in a capitalmurder case and a discretionary reviewof a driving while intoxicated case atthe School of Law on Sept. 18.

It was only the third time thehighest state court for criminal appealshas heard cases away from itscourtroom and in a university setting.

Three of the four attorneys whopresented cases before the court arelaw alumni, and one, StephanieStevens, is currently a clinicalprofessor of law at St. Mary’s.

Latina ConferenceExplores Roots

Scholars, writers and artistsgathered at St. Mary’s in July for the“Latina Letters” Conference, theseventh such meeting hosted oncampus. This year’s conferenceexplored the theme “Our Bodies, OurRoots” (“Nuestros cuerpos, nuestrasraíces”). Participants discussed howrace and ethnicity affect self-perception.

The conference includes academicdiscussions and workshops, artists’displays and performances. English

ProfessorGwendolyn Diaz,Ph.D., is conferenceco-director.

RecruitingCampaignGets Bold,New Look

St. Mary’s isactively recruitingstudents withconsistent, bold

messages. The new ad campaignhighlights St. Mary’s uniqueaccomplishments and studentsuccesses with “proven” statements ofquality. The ads have been appearingin selected San Antonio, Texas, andout-of-state high school newspapers,sports programs, magazines andnewspapers, and soon will beshowcased on small billboards inselect areas.

Silent Film Star Brought to Life

Bernadette Hamilton-Brady,director of Theatre at St. Mary’s,brought Hollywood’s Golden Agesilent film star PolaNegri to life in “HisPolita.” The one-woman show,performed in ReinboltTheatre in October,captured the actress’essence and actingstyle and related herunique relationshipswith, among others,Charlie Chaplin,George Bernard Shaw and “the love ofher life,” Rudolph Valentino, whonicknamed her “Polita.”

University ThanksDonors at ‘Showcase’Event

President and Mrs. Charles L.Cotrell hosted donors on Nov. 7 in theUniversity Center.Benefactors wereinvited to campuswhere students, andfaculty and staff,offered them a tasteof the St. Mary’sexperience. Variousinnovative programswere showcased viainteractive exhibits,visually excitingdisplays, and studentcontact.

Donors view students’ photographycontest entries during PresidentCotrell’s appreciation reception inNovember.

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St. Mary’s Ranks HighFor the eighth

year, according toU.S. News &World Report’slatest rankingsin their annual“BestColleges2004” edition,St. Mary’s is among the bestcolleges in the West in thepublication’s quality rankings. Also,Hispanic Business magazine recentlyranked St. Mary’s University School ofLaw among the top 10 law schools inthe country for the fifth straight year.

Undergrads Clinch Top Honors

Two St. Mary’s sophomores wonfirst-place honors for posterpresentations at the Annual BiomedicalResearch Conference for MinorityStudents held in San Diego, Calif., inOctober.

More than 1,000 undergraduatestudents participated in nine sub-disciplines at the national conference,the purpose of which is to encouragestudents to pursue careers inbiomedical research.

Annie Arguello, a physics majorfrom San Antonio, won for her poster,“Initial Characterization ofDeterminants of Metal Coordinationand Selectivity in Chimeric MetalSenor Proteins Staphylococcusaureus CzrA and Mycobacteriumtuberculosis NmtR,” whileMelissa Moreno, a biology majorfrom El Paso, took top honors forher poster, “Phenotypic Screeningfor Cancer Drug Discovery.”

Pulitzer Prize Winner Speaks

Andres Oppenheimer, LatinAmerican editor and foreignaffairs columnist at The MiamiHerald, launched the 2003-2004

Lin Great Speakers Series inNovember. The theme for this year’sseries is “Exploring the Challenges ofGlobalization.”

Oppenheimer won the 1987 PulitzerPrize as part of The Miami Heraldteam that uncovered the Iran-Contrascandal. His “Oppenheimer Report”appears twice weekly in more than 40U.S. and Latin American newspapers.He’s a regular political analyst withCNN en Español, and a frequent gueston The Jim Lehrer News Hour on PBS.

Oppenheimer’s books, including“Castro’s Final Hour: An EyewitnessAccount of the Disintegration ofCastro’s Cuba,” have gained nationaland international recognition.

Migration and RefugeesFocus of InternationalEducation Week

“Peoples in Motion: WorldMigration and Refugee Problems” wasthe focus of this year’s InternationalEducation Week held in November.

Activities included a photo exhibitand contest, displays, musicalperformances, panel presentations anda study abroad fair, among others.

To kick off the week, John CarlosFrey, the writer, director, producer andstar of the film “The Gatekeeper,”presented his movie and answeredquestions afterwards. The filmexplores the universal truth thathumanity knows no borders.

President’s PeaceCommissionContemplates Bioethics

The Fall 2003 President’s PeaceCommission presented “Bioethics:Everything You Wanted to Knowabout Life and Death but Were Afraidto Ask,” during its October program.

The three-day program featuredpanel presentations by faculty, staff,students and special guests thatincluded a variety of timely topics,including “From Dolly to the Boys ofBrazil: Cloning Human Beings,”“Powerful Cells: Embryonic Stem CellResearch,” and “When Doctor DeathPulls the Plug: Euthanasia andPhysician-Assisted Suicide.”

The President’s Peace Commissionfosters an ethical commitment toparticipate in the establishment ofworld peace and social justice.

Law Students CaptureLone Star Mock TrialChampionship

School of Law students took tophonors for the third consecutive year atthe Lone Star Classic National MockTrial competition, held at the BexarCounty Courthouse.

The team of third-year law studentsJessica Macklin, Scott Mechler,Sandrine Shelton and Chris Terrilldefeated a team from Florida State

University, receiving allfive of the judge’s votes.Macklin was named thebest speaker of thechampionship round andsecond best speaker ofthe tournament. Theteam was undefeatedduring the three-daytournament.

Twenty-eight teamsfrom 18 law schools in12 states competed forthe championship,including the law schoolsof University ofConnecticut, John

Marshall, Loyola, St. John’s, SouthernMethodist, University of Houston, andWilliam and Mary.

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n Newsmakers

Community HonorsCotrell

The West San Antonio Chamber ofCommerce presented St. Mary’sPresident Charles L. Cotrell, Ph.D.,with its Doctoral Achievement Awardin October. The chamber recognizescitizens who have committedthemselves to attaining a higher levelof education and who work to makeSan Antonio a better community forall.

Also in October, Cotrell waskeynote speaker at La PrensaFoundation’s awards gala, whichrecognizes outstanding individualsfrom various fields in the community.In his talk, Cotrell emphasized theurgent need for scholarships like the$150,000 given annually to deservingcollege students by La PrensaFoundation.

Judge Honored asDistinguished LawGraduate

Retired District Judge CarolHaberman Knight-Sheen (J.D. ’56),pictured above, was named this year’sSt. Mary’s Law Alumni AssociationDistinguished Law Graduate. She isthe 33rd graduate to be so honoredsince the inception of the award in1973.

Haberman retired recently after 25years as judge of Texas’ 45th DistrictCourt. More than 400 members of SanAntonio’s judiciary and others in thelegal community were present torecognize Haberman for herdistinguished accomplishments.

Two Oyster BakeLeaders Take Honors

Two Fiesta Oyster Bake leadersreceived top accolades during the 2003Texas Festivals and Events AnnualConference in July. Herman Ahr(B.B.A. ’62), far right, was namedVolunteer of the Year, and SteveRosenauer (B.A. ’92, M.A. ’96),executive director, was selected as theCarson Watt Professional of the Year.

The Fiesta Oyster Bake was namedas the Best Event to Benefit a Charity.

Board Welcomes FiveNew Members

Stephen Dufilho (M.A. ’69),chairman and CEO of Compass Bank-San Antonio; Jack Paul Leon (J.D.’59), attorney at law in San Antonio;Donato Ramos (B.B.A. ’68, J.D. ’71),attorney at law in Laredo; ChiefJustice Alma Lopez (B.B.A. ’65, J.D.’68) of the Fourth Court of Appeals;and James St. Ville, M.D. (B.A. ’79),an orthopedic surgeon who ispresident of Hawthorne & YorkInternational, Ltd., Phoenix, Ariz.,have been elected as members of theSt. Mary’s University Board ofTrustees. Each will serve a two-yearterm.

Dufilho, a certified publicaccountant, is rejoining the board aftertwo years, having served as chairmanfrom 1997 to 2001, and as a boardmember from 1993 to 2001.

Throughout his 43-year lawpractice, Leon has primarily focusedon litigation practice, includingcriminal law. Recently, he hasconcentrated on white collar andfinancial related cases. Leon wasrecognized as a St. Mary’sDistinguished Law Alumnus in 1985.

A native of Laredo, Ramospractices law in his newly founded lawfirm, the Law Offices of Donato D.Ramos. A specialist in oil, gas andmineral law, he is admitted to practicelaw before the Texas Supreme Court,

the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appealsand U.S. Supreme Court.

Lopez, who in January 2003became the first Hispanic woman totake over as chief justice of the FourthCourt of Appeals, was appointed to thecourt in 1993 by then-Gov. AnnRichards to fill an unexpired term. Shewas elected to a six-year term in 1994and, again, in 2000. Lopez receivedthe St. Mary’s University AlumniAssociation’s 2003 DistinguishedAlumna Award.

Through a sub-contract, St. Mary’sstudents conduct research using St. Ville’s patented VolumetricallyControlled Manufacturing concept. St. Mary’s adopted VCM to completethe development of hip stemreplacements for arthritic hip joints. St. Ville is a 1999 St. Mary’s AlumniAssociation Distinguished Alumnus.

Fee Waivers for Alumni ReferralsRecommend a high school senior or transfer student to St. Mary’s, and if that

student applies for admission by March 1, the $30 application fee will be waived.Alumni simply call the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at (210) 436-3126, givethe name and address of the student being referred, and request the Alumni Waiver.

DUFILHO RAMOS LOPEZ

LEON ST. VILLE

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n Good Deeds

Gateway ProjectProgresses; Flags toHonor Donors

The Gateway to Historic St. Mary’sproject is moving forward due togenerous gifts from alumni, trusteesand foundations.

The most recent major gift wasmade by Benjamin F. Biaggini (B.S.’36), and his wife, Anne, in the amountof $300,000. Biaggini retired aspresident and CEO of Southern PacificCo. in 1983. He served on theSt. Mary’s University Board ofTrustees from 1968 to 1970, wasawarded an honorary doctorate bySt. Mary’s in 1965, and was honoredby the Alumni Association in 1973 asits Distinguished Alumnus. Anarchway leading into the Universitywill be named in honor of Mr. andMrs. Biaggini.

Trustee Nancy Loeffler helpedsecure a $25,000 grant from the Joanand Herb Kelleher CharitableFoundation for the project. This is thefirst award from the foundation,established by chairman of the boardfor Southwest Airlines Co., HerbKelleher and his wife, Joan.

Trustee Bill Greehey (B.B.A. ’60)and his wife, Louree, have pledgednearly $200,000. And, trustee RonHerrmann (B.A. ’57, J.D. ’59), whoalso serves as trustee of the Roger L.or Laura D. Zeller Foundation, secureda $100,000 gift to dedicate MemorialPlaza—one element of the project—inmemory of 1st Lt. Edwin FrankDietzel Jr. (B.S. ’41), who lost his lifeover Tokyo during World War II.

The U.S., Texas, and St. Mary’sflags that fly over Memorial Plaza willbe sponsored, respectively, by Boardof Trustees Vice Chairman RubenEscobedo (B.B.A. ’60) and his wife,Veronica Salazar; trustee NancyLoeffler and her husband, the Hon.Tom Loeffler; and trustee Robert L.

A 60-ton crane swings a Sabol Texana to its new site near the Camino Santa Mariaentrance. The tree’s roots were wrapped in burlap and moved to its new location by aglobal positioning system. Weighing almost 30 tons, the palm now rests in front of St.Louis Hall, and is among dozens of new and relocated trees and other flora that are partof the beautification project.

Elizondo (B.S. ’67) and his wife,Anna. Gifts of $25,000 came fromeach of the three trustees.

Trustees Jack Biegler (B.B.A. ’67)and David Biegler (B.S. ’68) also eachcontributed $50,000 to the project.

Greehey ProfessorshipAnnounced; CEOFeatured in PhilanthropyMagazine

Valero Energy Corp. and itsemployees pledged more than$600,000 to establish the Bill GreeheyProfessorship of Business Ethics andCorporate Responsibility at St. Mary’sto honor their chairman, who alsoserves on the St. Mary’s Board ofTrustees.

Recently, Greehey’s vision,leadership and philanthropic effortswere recognized in a special feature byPhilanthropy in Texas Magazine.

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S.A.L.E. Awards MoreScholarships

San Antonio Livestock Exposition,Inc., gave St. Mary’s another $100,000scholarship gift this fall. A total of 20students—10 freshmen and 10sophomores—receive the four-yearawards. The students, who major inbiological science, receive $2,500 eachyear.

Trustees Nancy Loeffler and RubenEscobedo (B.B.A. ’60), and formerboard chairman and trustee JohnDewey (B.B.A. ’67), helped secure thegift. With it, St. Mary’s became thefirst private university in Bexar Countyto receive S.A.L.E. scholarships.

DOD Grant FundsResearch Training andEducation

St. Mary’s has received a $192,738equipment grant for student researchand training from the U.S. Departmentof Defense Instrumentation Programfor Hispanic-serving colleges anduniversities.

The University is among 17institutions to receive a one-year grantaward, the purpose of which is toenhance science programs indisciplines the Defense Departmentconsiders critical to national security.

Faculty members in thedepartments of Physics, Chemistry andBiology will participate in the grantprogram, and the new scientificequipment will be used for teachingand undergraduate research projects aswell.

New InitiativeAlumni Bob Boerner (B.B.A. ’49)

and the Rev. Bernard Lee, S.M., Th.D.(B.A. ’54), are spearheading the newHeritage Club Giving Program forgraduates of 50 years ago and before.Funds raised from this group willbenefit the St. Mary’s Fund, an unrestricted fundthat touches every student on campus.

Each April during HomecomingWeekend, the University presidenthosts Heritage Club members at areunion.

n Sports Corner

Men’s Soccer Highs and lows marked the men’s

soccer season, which ended with an 8-9-2 record.

The Rattlers could not get a breakas they started the season 0-5-2 underfirst-year head coach Que Willis (B.A.’01). Close losses and frustrating tiesput the Rattlers in a tough positiongoing into a stout schedule stretch.

But St. Mary’s responded with afive-game winning streak that includeda 2-1 home win over nationally ranked(No. 3) Incarnate Word. The Rattlersplayed for the Heartland ConferenceChampionship, but fell in thetournament final.

Named to the 2003 Heartland All-Conference Team were ChristopherAlvarado, goalkeeper; Brent Jacobson,defender; Forrest Long and Juan DiegoVidalon, midfielders; and NickHankins, forward.

Women’s SoccerThe women showed flashes of

brilliance but the team, whichcompiled a 7-12 record, never seemedto string that brilliance together for anextended period.

Defenders Summer Allen and LauraBoutwell, along with midfieldersAnnelisa Galaviz andKelly Gonzalez, werenamed to the 2003Heartland All-Conference Team.

Women’sVolleyball

The Rattlervolleyball team startedthe season slowly,getting off to a 1-6start, but roared back tocontend for a regionalplayoff berth.

Big wins overnationally ranked WestTexas A&M andRockhurst, plus astrong schedule, helped the Rattlersreach No. 7 in the South CentralRegion with a 19-15 record. TheRattlers won seven in a row before keyinjuries took their toll.

Outside hitter Yasmin Eklhatibmade the Heartland All-ConferenceTeam.

Cross Country The cross country team advanced to

the NCAA D-II South CentralRegional Meet in only their secondyear of competition.

The season saw many milestonesreached under first-year coach RicardoGuerra. The highlight was a first-place

finish in the D-IIdivision of theWhataburger/UTSAInvitational.

Cheyenna Villarrealand Leslie Hartmanpaced the Rattlersthroughout the season,and both were named tothe Heartland All-Conference Team.

ScoreboardScrolls on NewWeb Site

If you’re interestedin keeping track ofRattler sports, a rollingscoreboard of all games

is now available online atwww.rattlerathletics.com.

Besides giving Rattler fans up-to-date game scores and team statistics,the Web site, which debuted in August,is the information source for all sportsat St. Mary’s. Online information is

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updated constantly, providing Rattlerfans with player biographies,individual statistics, photos, news andgame summaries.

Game results are posted immediately,and game photos are a major focalpoint of www.rattlerathletics.com.

Rattlers Favored to WinHeartland Title

League coaches picked the St. Mary’s men’s basketball team torepeat as Heartland Conferencechampions. The women’s team, whichwon the conference tournament lastseason, was picked second in thewomen’s poll behind Drury University.

Pedro Brito and Billy White from themen’s team and Erin Griffin from thewomen’s team were selected aspreseason All-Heartland Conferencepicks.

Golf Teams Advance inNational Rankings

Golfstat.com recently ranked St. Mary’s golfer Kate Meyer the No. 1female player in NCAA Division II. Inanother Golfstat.com ranking, the

Rattler women’s team was ranked No.3 in the nation, while the men’s golfteam was No. 5.

Meyer and team member NicoleWyne, a junior, along with alumnaJillian Wyne, who graduated last May,were named to the National GolfCoaches Association All-AmericanScholar Golf Team in August.

To view a complete list of nationalrankings for all divisions, visit TheGolf Channel’s Web site atwww.golfchannel.com.

Midnight MadnessRocks the Arena

Students wore their school colors atMidnight Madness, the annual peprally to support St. Mary’s athletics,that rocked Bill Greehey Arena onNov. 13. A tailgate party kicked off thenight, and door prizes,contests and the chance to wina semester of tuition were upfor grabs this year.

Gold Rush Fever Grips St. Mary’s The men’s and women’s Rattler basketball teams experienced a “Gold Rush” at the Nov. 19 men’s openeragainst Tarleton State University and the women’s game during the St. Mary’s Tip-Off Classic on Nov. 21.Planned by the Athletics Department and supported by the student body, Rattler fans were asked to wear goldshirts to the games. A “Blue Crush” will rally the Rattlers on Jan. 31.

n CalendarJan. 24Retiring Jerseys CeremonyHalftime (approximately 8:15p.m.), men’s basketball game v. St.Edward’s University, jerseysretired of former point guardsHerman A. “Buddy” Meyer Jr., No.44, and Anthony Houston, No. 14,Bill Greehey Arena, AlumniAthletics & Convocation Center

Feb. 17Lin Great Speakers Series Featuring Philip Jenkins, Ph.D.,Distinguished Professor of Historyand Religious Studies atPennsylvania State University,“Exploring the Challenges ofGlobalization.” St. Mary’sUniversity Center, 7 p.m.; free andopen to the public

Feb. 28Athletics Hall of Fame Luncheon andInduction Ceremony 11:15 a.m., Doubletree Hotel, SanAntonio; 2004 inductees includeDarren Brunson and ElliottHenderson, basketball; Pete Magre,baseball; Pete Palacios, golf; SusanCarter, women’s basketball; andDoug Wealty, associate; callspecial events, (210) 431-4378, forticket information

April 1Distinguished Alumni Dinner andAwards Ceremony6 p.m., Oak Hills Country Club;call alumni relations, (210) 436-3324, for information

April 2-5Homecoming Weekend

April 16, 17Fiesta Oyster Bake

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Maj. Gen. Alfred Valenzuela —Freddie to his friends — hasplans . . . big plans. There’s abook to write—maybesomething like “The Life andTimes of a Soldier” . . . andthere are frequent motivationalspeaking engagements thatencourage kids to stay in school. . . and, perhaps mostimportant, there’s that itch togive something back to hishometown.

Freddie Valenzuela was born inRefugio 55 years ago. His familymoved to San Antonio’s West Sidewhere Freddie attended elementaryschool and ran the streets with hisfriends. Occasionally, he ran into a bitof trouble. Fortunately, he also startedhanging out at the Boys Club on 19thStreet and joined the Boy Scouts.

Seizing opportunities a change ofscenery could afford, Freddie’s parentsmoved to San Antonio’s then-NorthSide where the young Valenzuelacontinued Boys Club and scoutingactivities. It was at Jefferson HighSchool that Freddie—an averagestudent in the classroom—became asuperior cadet who thrived on thestructure and spirit of competition hefound in Army ROTC.

“The Army saved me,” Valenzuelastates matter-of-factly, adding that hislifeblood while at Jefferson andSt. Mary’s was the ROTC program. “Itwas the guidance of my professors andthe discipline of ROTC that helped getme through.” Valenzuela earned hisB.A. and M.A. in political science atSt. Mary’s, in 1970 and 1979,respectively.

“(Professors) Ken Carey, ‘Doc’Crane and Charlie Cotrell—those threedid a lot for me. If not for them, Iwouldn’t have made it,” Valenzuelasays. He also fondly remembersphilosophy class with Brother John

Totten, S.M., as well as the firstfreshman English assignmenthe got back from BrotherFrancis Greiner, S.M. “It was awake-up call—I figured therewas nowhere to go but up!”

And Valenzuela has soared.His 33 1/2 years of Armyservice have taken him on 25different assignments, oftenwithout family accompaniment,including stints as remote asKuwait, Grenada and Somalia.With each assignment cameincreased duties andresponsibilities, most recentlyas Commanding General of theU.S. Army South, which hehelped move from Puerto Ricoto Fort Sam Houston.

Now back in San Antonio,Valenzuela plans to focus onhis family. He and Esther, his wife of33 years, will spend more time withtheir two children, Lori (J.D. ’98), andAlfred II (B.A. ’96), and their firstgranddaughter, Madison.

“Esther raised our kids; the Armykept me away a lot,” Valenzuela says.“Now I’ll do things with mygrandchild I wasn’t able to do with myown kids.”

As he contemplates retirement froma career where this “average” studenthas been on the fast track for threedecades, Valenzuela is looking within.“I’ve motivated young soldiers for along time,” he says. “Now I have todecide how I can make the biggestimpact.”

That thinking has caused the itch.There is something Freddie Valenzuelathinks he can do to help the SanAntonio community.

“In World War II, a high schooleducation wasn’t required to get intothe military. That generation—TheGreatest Generation—is also the mosteducated because soldiers returningfrom war had the GI Bill. But now,” headds, “you can’t join the militarywithout a high school diploma.”

His big plan? To develop a school onthe West Side—where Hispanics dropout in disproportionately high

numbers—that prepares students forthe military and for college.

“What we know is if you’re aminority kid and you’re given a chanceto go into the military, you’re morelikely to stay in,” says Valenzuela.“And, while you’re in, you can earnmoney for college.

“I know my ‘next career’ will bededicated to children and education,”says Valenzuela, who serves assecretary of the St. Mary’s UniversityBoard of Trustees. The Boys Club(he’s a member of their Hall of Fame)and Boy Scouts helped him begin toforge a path, he says.

“And, the education I got atSt. Mary’s, and the training andopportunities I got in ROTC and theArmy, changed my life. Bycapitalizing on existing organizations,and putting together the right peopleand resources, I believe we can start aschool on the West Side that will givekids a shot at both a career and aneducation,” he says.

Maj. Gen. Alfred Valenzuela’svision and determination propelled himto the top ranks of military leadership.Freddie Valenzuela, the civilian, cansurely use that leadership and tenacityto carry out his vision for the youth ofSan Antonio. n

A Vision for theNeighborhoodby Candace Kuebker

10

ppraising St. Mary’s

University’s value in

the San Antonio

economy begins with the

tuition dollar.

That $1 passes through

the University’s finance

system and ends up on

employee Jane’s paycheck.

Jane cashes her check and

takes that $1 to a discount

department store where she

buys a blouse on the

clearance rack for 70 percent

off. That same $1 then funds

someone else’s salary, and

the cycle continues ad

infinitum.It was a cheap buy, but it was an

investment. What Jane’s buck did wascause a ripple effect in San Antonio’seconomy. Like any organization orbusiness, a university also plays aneconomic role in the community itserves. According to a studycommissioned to identify St. Mary’seconomic contribution to thecommunity, the University’s totaleconomic impact for the 2001-2002academic year exceeded $100 million.

“Most people think of businesses ascontributing to the economy, but theyforget to look at the educationalinstitution and the impact it has on theeconomy,” says Brooke Envick, Ph.D.,director of the Meadows Center forEntrepreneurial Studies at St. Mary’sSchool of Business andAdministration.

Boosting the Local EconomyAnnually, St. Mary’s attracts

millions of dollars in contributions,grants and tuition revenues from insideand outside of San Antonio, helping toincrease the size of the local economy.The University also spends most of itsincome locally, in wages to itsemployees and in purchases from SanAntonio businesses.

Trinity University professors MaryE. Stefl, Ph.D., and Richard V. Butler,

Appraising St. Mary’sEconomic Impact in San Antonioby Anastasia Cisneros-Lunsford (B.A. ’92), Associate Editor

More Than Passing the BuckA

many St. Mary’s alumni whoshine in their careers and in theircommunity—from writers toneurosurgeons, teachers in theclassroom to CEOs in theboardroom, and congressmen,coaches and columnists.

Alumni Manifest Service“This is an abbreviated list of

graduates, representing civic,business, judicial, corporate, smallbusiness, education, religion,leadership, the arts and ourneighborhoods,” Cotrell says ofthose mentioned in the report.“We found the list so credible thatit would be difficult to imagine

San Antonio without thecontributions these people make. Inthat sense, they manifest so much ofthe professional accomplishmentsshaped by a disposition that inclinesthem to serve and make a differencein their professions and theircommunities.”

Envick says the number ofbusinesses started by alumni says alot about the impact St. Mary’s hasin San Antonio. “The list of alumninames is remarkable. So is what theydo to improve and enhance society,and to give back to the community,”she says.

St. Mary’s Assistant Chancellor,the Rev. Bernard J. Lee, says thereport is important because it clearlyexplains the social connectionbetween St. Mary’s and the AlamoCity. He describes it as social capital,borrowing from the book “BowlingAlone: The Collapse and Revival ofAmerican Community” by HarvardUniversity professor Robert D.Putnam, Ph.D.

“In his book, Putnam discussessocial capital or connections amongindividuals and individual groups,social networks, saying ‘These arethe norms of reciprocity andtrustworthiness that people’s livesare made more productive throughsocial capital,’” Lee says.

The assistant chancellor says acommunity really functions whengroups of people meet andaccomplish goals that are good forthe community.

Ph.D., conducted the study andcompiled St. Mary’s economicimpact figures. The pair also hasmanaged other similar studies forsome of San Antonio’s leadingindustries, including economicimpact studies of the aerospace,biomedical, bioscience andinformation technology industries.

“It was an unusual assignmentto study a single enterprise, but itwas an eye-opening experience forus since St. Mary’s is our sisterinstitution,” Butler says.

The economic impact of auniversity comes from the incomeit generates, the study says. Thisincludes not only tuition but alsoincome from contributions, grants andcontracts, and from a variety ofauxiliary enterprises, such as residencehalls, the University Bookstore, diningservices and more.

When St. Mary’s or its employeesspend money on local goods andservices, these businesses receiveincome above and beyond the amountsthey would have received otherwise.They, in turn, use the additionalincome to pay wages and buy otherlocal goods and services.

“Purchases go around the SanAntonio economy several times,”Butler says.

Multiplier Effect Adds to Impact“Export” sales also are an injection

of new money into the local economy.Therefore, when St. Mary’s generates$1 of new income from outside SanAntonio—like when a student travelsfrom St. Louis, Mo., to attendSt. Mary’s—it produces nearly $2.25of additional activity in the localeconomy. This is called a multipliereffect.

“The $2.25 multiplier effect isrelatively high,” Butler says.

Since nearly 40 percent of theSt. Mary’s student body in 2001-2002came from other places, the multipliereffect of their tuition payments issizeable. The economic impactattributed to tuition increased byalmost 77 percent, from $39 million in1991-1992 to more than $69 million in2001-2002.

Stefl says the $100 million figure,which has grown considerably over thepast decade (increasing by 51.3 percent

1991-1992 1996-1997 2001-2002

$100

$80

$60

$40

$20

$0

Economic Impact of St. Mary’s University(Millions)

$66.3

$83.8

$100.3

11

from 1991-1992 to 2001-2002), shouldgrab hold of the community’s attentionand raise its consciousness of theinstitution.

The Human Story UnravelsThe University’s economic impact

is impressive, but what St. Mary’scontributes to society cannot beaccomplished by just simply followingthe money. With the economic impactstudy as a basis, St. Mary’s produced areport that goes beyond fiscal figuresand puts a human face on what $100million looks like.

St. Mary’s President Charles L.Cotrell, Ph.D., says contemporaryimpact is not only determined indollars and cents but also calculated incontributions in civic life, business,neighborhood leadership andinformation technology.

“We need to think of the humanbeings and their contributions ascapital,” Cotrell says. He identifiespeople, especially St. Mary’s alumni,and their way of thinking as capital.

In the report, alumni success isestablished as the basis of humancapital in our community. The studyfound that nearly half of St. Mary’sbaccalaureate alumni remain in SanAntonio, as do 31 percent of its lawschool graduates and 43 percent ofthose earning a doctorate degree. ButSt. Mary’s contributes more than itsgraduates to the San Antonio economy.

Of the 34,000 dynamic, committed,involved St. Mary’s University alumni,more than 18,000 live in San Antoniowhere they energize the city inhundreds of ways every day. Theeconomic impact report highlights

and current students acrosscampus.

She says the news ofSt. Mary’s economic impactalso is good for raising theUniversity’s profile in thecommunity and increases thepotential for more businesspartners and donors.

“People want to contribute,to be a part of something that issuccessful. The report says alot. It says we’ve grown, and itcould say we’re content, butthat’s not the mindset here.”

St. Mary’s as a GiftThe report re-emphasizes

St. Mary’s mission as aMarianist institution establishedin the traditions of academicexcellence and communityservice. The University long hasblazed a pathway of opportunityfor generations of SanAntonians and has attractedthousands more who studiedthen stayed in the city to

become productive citizens of thecommunity.

The assistant chancellor says thereciprocity between St. Mary’s andSan Antonio is evident, considering theeconomic impact St. Mary’s has on thecity, the kind of jobs and resourcesavailable, and the beautiful location thecity provides for St. Mary’s.

“Capital is what you can invest andwhat’s good for the community,” Leesays. He says the word “community”often is overused today, but it’s centralto the rich story of the Society ofMary. “In the Marianist and Catholicsense, a community is gathered andsent to make things better. We gathertogether because of our ties.”

The tie in San Antonio is St. Mary’sUniversity, an institution of higherlearning that fosters the Marianistidentity with help from brothers,priests, sisters and the lay community,Lee says.

“And that’s the gift that keeps ongiving.” n

The complete St. Mary’s EconomicImpact Report is available online atwww.stmarytx.edu/impact.

Intellectual CapitalCommunicates Knowledge

Besides focusing on alumnisuccess, community outreachand cultural awareness, theeconomic impact reportdiscusses how St. Mary’sdirectly affects businesses inthe city. On-campusconstruction, food services,electricity and technology aresome of the ways St. Mary’scontributes to business growthin San Antonio. The Universitypartners with hundreds ofvendors each year to aidcampus operations, and paysmore than $10 million annuallyto San Antonio businesses andcorporations for services of$10,000 or more. St. Mary’salso deals with 139 minoritybusinesses that are members ofthe San Antonio HispanicChamber of Commerce.

But another primary portionof the report concentrates onintellectual capital atSt. Mary’s. Knowledgeable professors,life-enhancing research and thought-provoking symposiums and speakerevents are some examples of thestimulating intellectual capital atSt. Mary’s that communicate value andinnovation in the community. Thereport lists some of our acclaimedfaculty members who often areresources for editors and journalists,and citywide committees seekingexperts on a wide variety of global,national and local issues and topics.

“Capital is a significant value orasset, and the work of our facultymembers transforms knowledge toprofession and affects the lives of SanAntonio residents,” Cotrell says,adding that there is currently cutting-edge research in hip stem replacement,cancer and diabetes occurring atSt. Mary’s.

“That research capability finds itsway back to the community andhopefully makes our lives better.”

Universities Advance City’s Future Cotrell says people also contribute

to the ripple effect.“It’s important to think what San

Antonio would be without anyuniversities. Leadership ranksthroughout generations would be

depleted. Having universities here asthe source of intellectual capital resultsin a better future for people in thecity,” Cotrell says. “St. Mary’s putsgreat emphasis on nurturing studentsto be change agents. We do it well andwe’ve been doing it for a long, longtime.”

St. Mary’s enduring mission is toserve society as a beacon of access andeducational transformation. Througheducation and service, the Universityalso is called on to enter communitypartnerships with business,government, nonprofit organizationsand neighborhood associations toresolve challenges and enhance life inSan Antonio.

“The University is always a goodsource of information and knowledge,”Envick says. “The University is aknowledge base for professionals. Itbetters their companies with moreknowledge and expertise.”

The network of alumni also isvaluable in the community, she says.

“Former students ask for guidanceand information on starting up abusiness,” Envick says, adding thatEntrepreneurial Studies is proposing ahands-on approach to starting a newbusiness that would partner graduates

12

$80

$70

$60

$50

$40

$30

$20

$10

$0

1991-1992 1996-1997 2001-2002

St. Mary’s University Expenditures in San Antonio(Millions)

Sala

ry

Bene

fit

Othe

r Exp

ense

s

Tota

lSa

n An

toni

o

13

Oscars, Grammys, Heismantrophies—there are plenty of awardsfor excellence in those fields in whichcelebrity and affluence are the norm.Most professions, however, requiremore than fleeting moments of shiningachievement. To sustain superiorperformance in a field with lessvisibility but infinitely more influenceis the greatest test of mettle.

Awards for that kind ofperformance may escape recognition inPeople magazine; after all, therecipients do not live the lifestyle ofthe rich and famous. They simplytouch lives in a manner bothmeaningful and profound. Teaching issuch a profession and, thanks to theefforts of people of vision, Texas hasits own “Academic Academy Awards”program.

Piper FoundationExtols Excellence

Randall Gordon Piper and his wife,Minnie Stevens Piper, to supportscientific and educational endeavors,founded the Minnie Stevens PiperFoundation. The foundation hasrecognized superior teaching at Texascolleges and universities—public orprivate—since 1958. Honored eachyear are teachers who have proven tobe particularly effective in theirclassrooms and in personal contactwith their students. And, according tothe foundation, they also must“demonstrate an unusual dedication tothe profession of teaching . . . andinspire respect and admiration in theircolleagues.”

Receiving a nomination for the PiperProfessor Award is itself anaccomplishment. To be chosen is anhonor and distinction conferred onfew.

This year, E. Dollie Hudspeth,Ph.D. (M.A. ’75), and Felix AlmarazJr., Ph.D. (B.A. ’59, M.A. ’62), jointhe ranks of an elite cadre whosemembership also includes 11 formerand current St. Mary’s professors.

Former Teachers Shape Hudspeth’sVocation

Dollie Hudspeth credits her ownteachers with her success. It wasthey—the speech coach who boughther a dress for a competition, theteacher who helped her withscholarship paperwork—who inspiredher to become what she is: a dedicated,warm and compassionate professional.

“I want to share with my studentsthe wonderful experiences I have hadbecause of the wonderful teachers inmy life,” Hudspeth says. “Teaching isthe noblest profession one canundertake.”

And, Hudspeth does more than talkthe talk. She has spent the last 25 yearsat St. Philip’s College, part of theAlamo Community College District,teaching English courses that rangefrom the developmental and freshmanlevel to American Literature andLiterature of American Minorities.She’s also served as department chair,faculty senate member, and honorsociety sponsor, among otherresponsibilities.

With a B.A. in English fromHuston-Tillotson College, Hudspethattended St. Mary’s for her master’sdegree. During her studies, she tookclasses with two of St. Mary’s ownPiper Professors, Brother LouisSchuster, S.M., Ph.D., and the Rev.John G. Rechtien, S.M., Ph.D.

Hudspeth remembers FatherRechtien making the less-than-appealing subject of linguistics muchmore palatable. Another St. Mary’sprofessor, Sister Ann Semel, S.S.N.D.,Ph.D., figured strongly in Hudspeth’seducation. “Sister Ann had written astudy guide on African Americanliterature for Monarch Notes. It reallypiqued my interest, and I used it as anoutline the first time I taught thecourse.”

Students EnergizeEnglish Professor

The knowledge and enthusiasmgained from teachers in Hudspeth’slife have assisted her in her ownvocation, which she, in turn, shareswith her students. A highlight of hercareer thus far was when a recentstudent relayed greetings from thatstudent’s high school English teacher,herself a former St. Philip’s studentwhom Hudspeth had in class. “I hadtaught her Robert Frost’s ‘The RoadNot Taken,’ ” recalls Hudspeth, “andshe had passed it on to her students.”

Just as she emulated the teachers inher own life, Hudspeth’s studentsemulate her, passing on the poetry andcompassion she has shared with them.

Hudspeth’s education did not endwhen she earned her Ph.D. inLeadership Studies from Our Lady ofthe Lake University in 2002. She has apassion for learning and trying newthings to achieve greater studentsuccess and, after 32 years ineducation, she is ready for more.“What keeps me going is my students.They get younger, I get older, but theycontinue to energize me.”

by Patricia Dargin Padilla (B.A. ’78)

TouchingEternity

I want to share with my students thewonderful experiences I have had because

of the wonderful teachers in my life.

Joseph W. Schmitz, S.M. “A friendtold me, ‘You’re lucky. Brother Joehas taken you under his wing.’ He wasdemanding and prepared me for therigors of academic life. (He) taught methat every generation of scholars mustwrite its own history, that teaching andresearch must go together as the twosides of a coin.”

History Professor Adds to Storehouse ofKnowledge

Almaraz adds that he discovered thereeding edge of that coin ispublication. And, for decades, he hasbeen researching, writing, publishing,teaching, giving back to thatstorehouse, for the benefit of his ownstudents and their students to come.

Almaraz spent three years teachingat St. Mary’s after completingcoursework on his doctorate at theUniversity of New Mexico. “I havefond memories of St. Mary’s. I knew afew of the Piper Professors, and I tookclass with Dr. Bill Crane. He wasdynamic and eccentric (referring toDoc Crane’s alleged penchant forchanging residencesevery six months.) Hedidn’t teach his studentswhat to believe, but hedid teach them to act ontheir beliefs, and thattakes courage.”

Of his own award,Almaraz says, “It’s agreat honor, but also agrave responsibility. Therecipient must personify(the values of the award)and continue to do so.You cannot receive thelaurel and then sit down.”

Far from resting,Almaraz’s currentchallenge is coordinatingan internationalconference on theFranciscan Presence inthe Borderlands of NorthAmerica, a topic onwhich he has written. Hewould like to round outhis career at about the50-year mark byreturning to his alma

Marianist Brother Influences AlmarazFelix Almaraz Jr., Ph.D., expresses

a similar sentiment regarding histeaching career. “I don’t play golf. I dowork out at the Y, but teaching is myrecreation. It is very therapeutic.”When asked why he teaches, Almarazresponds, “Why climb the mountain?Because I thoroughly enjoy it. I must,since I’ve been doing it for 43 years.”

Almaraz currently teaches at theUniversity of Texas at San Antonio,and he regrets that he will get to knowonly a small number of his students inhis large classes (over 400!). But,undoubtedly, they will remember theenergy and enthusiasm hecommunicates. And, like DollieHudspeth, Felix Almaraz gained someof his thirst for knowledge from histeachers at St. Mary’s.

Felix Almaraz was StudentGovernment President at St. Mary’s in1958, where he earned both hisbachelor’s and master’s degrees inhistory. “I was privileged to be there ata time when the history departmenthad several productive scholars,” hesays.

Particularly influential was Brother

mater to teach, to research in the St.Mary’s library—“a veritable treasuretrove”—and to write.

American writer and historianHenry Brook Adams said, “A teacheraffects eternity; he can never tell wherehis influence stops.” Thus ProfessorsHudspeth and Alvaraz continue toaffect eternity, as will their students,and their students, without end. n

Patricia Dargin Padillabegan her 23-yearteaching career at CentralCatholic High School in SanAntonio. She spent sixyears at Holy Cross HighSchool and 13 years at

Memorial High School in San Antonio’sEdgewood Independent School District.Currently, Padilla teaches English to highschool sophomores at the Healy MurphyCenter in San Antonio. She is an accomplishedmusician and is pursuing several writingprojects.

14

St. Mary’s University students have been blessed to havenumerous Piper Professors in the classroom over the past sixdecades. Their names, titles and the year in which they wererecognized as Piper Professors follows.

*Brother William Hamm, S.M., Ph.D., Professor Emeritus ofPhysics, 1958 *Brother James Gray, S.M., Ph.D., Associate Professor ofMathematics, 1961 *Bill. G. Crane, Ph.D., Professor of Government, 1965 *Brother Louis Schuster, S.M., Ph.D.(B.A. ’37), Professor of English, 1971*Brother Anthony Frederick, S.M., M.A., Professor ofEnglish, 1973 Brother Charles Cummisky, S.M., Ph.D., Professor ofChemistry, 1979 Homer D. Fetzer, Ph.D. (B.S. ’54), Professor Emeritus ofPhysics, 1983 Larry G. Hufford, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science, 1983 *Rev. John G. Rechtien, S.M., Ph.D.(B.A. ’59), Professor of English, 1988 Rev. Norbert Brockman, S.M., Ph.D., Professor of History,1997 Bahman Rezaie, Ph.D., Professor of Engineering, 2001

*deceased

It’s a great honor, but also a grave responsibility. The recipientmust personify (the values of the award) and continue to do so.

15

New CenterOpened in Fall

The newest addition to ouradvancements in the technology arenais the SBC Center for InformationTechnology. At a Sept. 12 grandopening, that latest structural additionto the St. Mary’s University campusopened its doors. The state-of-the-artfacility will serve as yet anotherresource to our own students, whilealso providing support to a diversepopulation of area students, educatorsand the greater San Antoniocommunity.

The center was made possible bygenerous contributions from The SBCFoundation, a major donor, andseveral other benevolentorganizations, including the Albertand Margaret Alkek Foundation, theFrost Bank Charitable Foundation,Houston Endowment Inc., the MinnieStevens Piper Foundation, the MyraStafford Pryor Charitable Trust, andthe Scanlan Foundation.

Included in the building are hightech classrooms for academic use,which are intended to supportactivities of our campus and thesurrounding community. Oneclassroom is now being used by theSt. Mary’s Department ofEngineering as part of its “InfinityProject,” an outreach program thatencourages high school students toenter the engineering profession.Some engineering courses are held inthe center because of the electronicequipment available to students.

by Charles H. “Chuck” Garrison, Ph.D., Director of Academic Technology Services

Callof the

Wired

St. Mary’s students are wired. Freshmen begin college life

with Dell notebook computers. All students can read e-mail

and use the Internet just about anywhere on campus, from

their rooms in the residence halls, to the libraries, to a

wireless network at the newly opened Java City on the Quad.

And, the learning opportunities that technology provides

keep expanding.

1616

infuse technology into theteaching/learning environment so thatour graduates will be highlycompetitive in today’s job market. Ourplan includes faculty training,classroom renovation, notebookcomputers in the hands of each of ourfull-time undergraduate students, andnew technology requirements for allstudents.

Title V GrantEnhances Technology

In 1999, the University applied forand received a Title V grant from theU.S. Department of Education. Withthose funds we designed threesemester-long trainingworkshops for faculty. Thetraining helps them develop newpedagogy and increaseefficiency with computers andother technology in theclassrooms. More than 100 ofour faculty will have completedone or more of these workshopsby the end of the 2003-2004academic year.

During that same time framewe have renovated 26classrooms, equipping themwith technology teaching aids.Adding multimedia equipmentand Internet connections are thetwo areas of major innovation.Currently we have more than $1million of teaching equipment in ourclassrooms, most of which are similarto the rooms in the SBC Center forInformation Technology.

Beginning in Fall 2000, we beganissuing all freshmen a notebookcomputer. This was the start of ourphased implementation plan, and as ofFall 2003, all full-time undergraduatestudents had been issued laptopcomputers. At the same time, we haveincreased the number of ports—placeswhere computers can connect to theInternet—in the library, in residencehalls and in classrooms. Our networkhas been made more robust and ourconnection to the Internet has growntenfold, from 1.5 megabytes persecond in 1999, to 15 megabytes persecond currently.

Answering the CallWe have put computers

in the hands of the students,made wired and wireless connectivityreadily available, furnished classroomswith high technology teaching aids,trained the faculty to make use of thatequipment, and modifiedcourses requiring studentsto use technology toenhance their learningexperience.

And, while the “call of thewired” has been answered, we willcontinue to grow, enhance and expandthose technologies that will makeSt. Mary’s University graduates the

best prepared in the workplace. n

Classrooms Wiredfor High Tech Teaching

Beginning in January, several otherclassrooms in the facility will be usedfor regular classes. We expect thatbecause of the high tech teaching aidsavailable in those rooms, they will bein high demand. If an instructor hasprepared a presentation on a computer,has a videotape or DVD movie, orwants to watch an educationaltelevision program, the equipment isalready there.

Each classroom is designed withvarious input devices, including VHS(video player/recorder), DVD, satelliteTV, document camera, and computerscreen, all of which are set up to beshown through the projector. Evenbetter, the instructor can switch fromone device to another easily andquickly. For example, while using aPower Point presentation from thecomputer, the instructor can show avideo clip, then return to the PowerPoint presentation seamlessly.

In fact, the ability to show a “splitscreen” enables the instructor tocompare or contrast two input sourcesat the same time, such as the computerscreen and TV or video. The instructoralso can make in-class assignmentsand have the students accessing theInternet via the wireless Internetservice throughout the building.

Creating a StimulatingLearning Environment

Several years ago I rememberhearing a member of the MichiganBoard of Education speaking of “oursterile classrooms.” Her question was,“How can we expect to keep theattention of our students long enoughto teach them, if the classroom has nostimulation?” If students leave theirhomes or residence halls—where theremay be a stereo, TV, VCR, CD player,DVD player, computer, and more—and go to classrooms with little or nosimilar equipment, will they bestimulated to learn? The SBC Centerfor Information Technology is onelocation where that question shouldnever surface.

St. Mary’s has developed acomprehensive collaborative plan to

Chuck Garrison is the director of Academic Technology Services.Before becoming an educator, Garrison spent 14 years as a Churchof Christ minister, where his B.A. in psychology and M.A. incounseling served him well. He also has a master of science degreein computer science and earned his doctorate in informationtechnology from Wayne State University in Michigan. He taughtcomputer science at Saginaw Valley State University for 13 yearsbefore joining St. Mary’s in 1999.

A LEGACY OF SUCCESS

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