SXU’s Theology South lecture series continues

Catholic theological expert to discuss interfaith dialogue

Chicago (Feb. 29, 2008) Fr. Donald Senior, C.P., will discuss the importance of interfaith communication as part of Saint Xavier University’s Theology South lecture series at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 6 in SXU’s Butler Reception Room, 3700 W. 103rd St., Chicago, IL.

Senior will deliver a lecture titled “Living Together in the 21st Century: The Rationale and Art of Dialogue Within and Beyond the Church.” He is president of the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, the largest Catholic graduate school of ministry in the country. He also serves as a professor of New Testament.

Senior is president of the Association of Theological Schools of the United States and Canada. He was appointed to the Pontifical Biblical Commission by Pope John Paul II in 2001, and reappointed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006.

Senior is a frequent lecturer, widely published writer and serves on numerous boards and commissions. He actively pursues interfaith dialogue, particularly with Jewish and Muslim communities.

The program begins at 9:30 a.m. and runs until 11 a.m. It is open to the public; admission is $6. Coffee will be available beginning at 9 a.m. For more information, please contact Donatta Yates at (708) 422-1635.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact: Rick Ducat
773-298-3325 or ducat@sxu.edu

SXU’s School of Education awards scholarships for 2008

Five students honored for academic and personal excellence

From left: Scholarship Committee Chair Mary Coffey, Stacey Kasprzyk, Shelby Stercic, Nikki Lacy, Jeremy Ekeler, Patricia Smith Adaranijo, and School of Education Dean Beverly Gulley.

Chicago (Feb. 29, 2008) Five students from Mount Greenwood, Garfield Ridge, Addison, Tinley Park and LaGrange have been awarded scholarships for excellence by Saint Xavier University’s School of Education.

Beverly Gulley, dean of Saint Xavier University’s School of Education, recently announced the winners of the 2008 Binder, Davis, Gallagher, Leake and Malin Scholarships. These five scholarships were funded by donors to recognize the qualities exemplified by those for whom the scholarships are named: Dr. Dorothy Binder; Dorothy Davis; Elaine Gallagher; Dr. Lloyd Leake; and Julius and Catherine Malin.

“We are very proud of all those students who applied,” Gulley said. “We thank them for sharing their stories, dreams and plans with the Scholarship Committee. We know that as they continue their journey at Saint Xavier University and in the teaching profession, those qualities highlighted in their applications will continue to be a source of pride for them and the School of Education.”

Jeremy Ekeler, of LaGrange, Ill., was awarded the Dr. Dorothy Binder Endowed Graduate Scholarship, for $1,611. Ekeler, a graduate student in the educational administration and supervision program, was recognized by the scholarship committee for his passion for teaching. A former teacher and coach at Pius X High School in Lincoln, Neb., Ekeler is described as committed to excellence, hospitality, compassion, service and his students.

Stacey Kasprzyk, of Chicago’s Garfield Ridge neighborhood, was awarded the Dorothy Ritter Davis Scholarship, a $7,200 tuition grant funded by the estate of alumna Dorothy Davis. Kasprzyk is a secondary education graduate student whose extensive volunteer work and academic excellence were inspiring to others. She is described as a “born teacher” with an appreciation for diversity.

Shelby Stercic of Chicago’s Mount Greenwood neighborhood was awarded the Elaine Gallagher Scholarship, a $2,000 tuition grant funded by the estate of alumna Elaine Gallagher and donations made in her memory. Stercic is an undergraduate in the biology secondary education program who epitomizes the roles of leader, coordinator, team player and motivator. The scholarship committee recognizes her enthusiasm for teaching science, love of learning, and demonstration of service.

Nikki Lacy, of Addison, Ill., was awarded the Dr. Lloyd Leake Scholarshp, a $2,700 tuition grant funded by the family and friends of the late Dr. Leake for an African-American undergraduate student. Lacy, an elementary education student is described as meticulous, dutiful, and tireless in her efforts to assist others. The scholarship committee recognizes Lacy’s commitment to excellence, service and integrity.

Patricia Smith Adaranijo, of Tinley Park, was awarded the Julius and Catherine Heerey Malin Scholarship, a $4,000 tuition grant funded by the estate of Helen Heerey. A graduate student in the multi-categorical special education program, Andaranijo is active in her church, community and the NAACP, especially in activities combating racism. She is described as an articulate, competent, experienced woman of excellence and integrity.

Students are encouraged to submit entries for next year’s scholarships. Applications will be available in October 2007. For more information about Saint Xavier’s School of Education or the scholarships, please call (773) 298-3177 or visit the School of Education Web site at www.sxu.edu/soe/.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact: Rick Ducat
773-298-3325 or ducat@sxu.edu

SXU Concert Band to perform wind music of 20th -century composers

Performance to be held at Beverly Arts Center

Chicago (Feb. 29, 2008) The Saint Xavier University Concert Band will perform wind pieces from several 20th -century composers at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 6, at the Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th St., Chicago.

Under the direction of Alicia Neal, D.M., director of instrumental ensembles, the evening’s music will include pieces by composers Gustav Holst, Percy Aldridge Grainger, Frank Ticheli and Jan Van der Roost.

The concert is open to the public. Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for seniors and visiting students. Admission is free for all Saint Xavier students, faculty and staff with a valid University ID. For more information, please contact SXU’s Music Department at (773) 298-3421, or view the concert schedule at http://www.sxu.edu/music/concerts.asp.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact: Rick Ducat
773-298-3325 or ducat@sxu.edu

Public invited to Saint Xavier University’s 5th Annual Health Fair on March 28

Chicago (Feb. 27, 2008) – Free health screenings, assessments and information are available at Saint Xavier University’s 5th Annual Health Fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Friday, March 28, in the Shannon Center, 3700 W. 103rd St., Chicago. The fair is free and open to the public.

“It is important that people of all ages have the opportunity to learn how to live and maintain a healthy lifestyle,” said Jennifer Kjos, facility manager of Saint Xavier University’s Shannon Center and organizer of the event. “The SXU Health Fair is a one-stop shop to receive free health screenings, instructions, mini massages and much more provided by local vendors.”

Those attending the fair can take advantage of free screenings and testing services for blood pressure, body mass index, foot screenings, cervical spine screenings, injury assessments, postural assessment, shoe assessments and more. Information will be available on mental health, heart disease and stroke prevention, nutrition and heath and wellness. A body fat screening is available for $15 per person, and vendors will be selling some of their products.

Cholesterol and metabolic panel screenings will be held Tuesday, March 25 and Wednesday, March 26 from 6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Cost is $15 for cholesterol screening and $30 for cholesterol and basic metabolic panel. Appointment is required for screenings! To make an appointment call the Health Fair hotline (773) 298-3592.

Neighborhood vendors will be at the fair to share health information with the community, including Little Company of Mary Hospital, Illinois Department of Public Health’s Office of Women’s Health, Greenwood Chiropractic Care Center, OccuSport, Core Fitness and Physical Therapy, Advocate Christ Hospital Cardiac Rehab, Rainbow Animal Assisted Therapy, Running for Kicks, Pass Health Foods, Veggie Bites, Evergreen Health Care, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Machon & Machon, Great American Bagel, Subway, Panera, Chartwells Energy Zone, Advocate Trinity Hospital, Heartland Blood Center, Well Group Health Partners, TCF Bank, Cook County Department of Health, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Chiro One Wellness Centers, American Heart Association, Jungle Gym, Healthy Dining Chicago, and Accelerated Rehab.

Representatives from Saint Xavier University’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, the SXU Ludden Speech and Language Clinic, SXU Health Center, SXU Employee Services, the SXU School of Nursing, Office of Counseling and Career Services and the Shannon Center will also be present at the fair. Health-related books will be available for purchase at 40 percent off at the SXU Bookstore table.

Refreshments and free mini massages will also be available. For more information, please call the Health Fair hotline at (773) 298-3592 or visit www.sxu.edu/athletics.

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SXU screens environmental documentary “Bullsh*t” on March 4

Environmental film series continues

Chicago (Feb. 27, 2008) A screening of the 2005 environmental documentary "Bullsh*t" will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, in Saint Xavier University’s McGuire Hall, 3700 W. 103rd St., Chicago.

The screening, which is free and open to the public, is the fifth film in the 2007-2008 SXU Film and the Environment Series. McGuire Hall is located in the Warde Academic Center.

Directed by Pea Holmquist and Suzanne Khardalian, the film follows environmental activist and nuclear physicist Vandana Shiva for a two-year period from her organic farm at the foot of the Himalayas to institutions of power around the world. The film explores globalization, patenting, genetic engineering, bio-piracy and suicide.

Shiva battles biotech giant Monsanto when it tries to patent an ancient Indian strain of wheat. She tries to close down a Coca-Cola plant in a conflict involving groundwater pollution.

Film series director Alison Fraunhar, Ph.D, said the film was selected for its emphasis on the environment, as well as to coincide with Women’s History Month.

“It is a film made by women filmmakers about a female environmental hero,” she said.

The film is one hour and 13 minutes and will be projected by DVD. The series is supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, Saint Xavier’s College of Arts and Sciences, and the Department of Art and Design. For more information, please contact Fraunhar at fraunhar@sxu.edu or (773) 298-3083.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact: Rick Ducat
773-298-3325 or ducat@sxu.edu

Watland, Kresse and Lucki publish article in Police Chief

Kate Watland and Bill Kresse, assistant professors at the Graham School of Management, and John Lucki, Chicago Police Detective Sergeant and adjunct professor at the Graham School of Management, published “Business Schools: A New Ally in the Fight against Identity Crime” in the February 2008 issue of Police Chief. The article discusses the various ways in which university business schools across the nation are working with law enforcement agencies to combat identity theft and other frauds. Included in the article is a discussion of Saint Xavier University’s decade-old “Partnership in Education” program with the Chicago Police Department, under which SXU has offered undergraduate and graduate courses at the CPD Academy, and which led to the development of SXU’s unique classroom-based MBA program in financial fraud and management.

Published since 1933, Police Chief is the official publication of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), and is considered one of the premier journals in professional law enforcement. The IACP is the world's oldest and largest nonprofit membership organization of police executives, with more than 20,000 members in over 89 countries. Established in Chicago in 1893, the IACP is the world's leading association of police executives, and is committed to establishing programs leading to more effective and professional policing. Now headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, the IACP's leadership consists of the operating chief executives of international, federal, state and local agencies of all sizes.

SXU Prof. encourages green textiles

Read SouthtownStar Environmental Columnist and Saint Xavier Biology professor Christopher Appelt's Feb. 26 piece encouraging consumers to buy ec0-friendly textiles.

SXU participates in National Woman’s Heart Day Health Fair; School of Nursing provides more than 500 free heart screenings

Chicago (Feb. 22, 2008) The Saint Xavier University School of Nursing provided more than 500 free heart disease risk screenings with follow-up consultation during the 2008 National Woman’s Heart Day Health Fair on Wednesday, Feb. 20, in the lobby of the Merchandise Mart in Chicago.

“The Saint Xavier School of Nursing is delighted to help provide this life-saving health information,” said SXU School of Nursing Interim Dean Kay Thurn, Psy.D., R.N. “This free service and information offers tremendous value to the women of Chicago.”

Sister To Sister: Everyone Has A Heart Foundation, Inc. sponsors the one-day national event annually. Saint Xavier University’s School of Nursing provided a volunteer staff of 25 faculty and 50 students to register participants, provide screenings and conduct counseling for the 1,500 women in attendance. In some cases, women being screened were asked to follow up with their primary care physicians.

Screening tests included body mass index, blood pressure, triglyceride levels, blood glucose and total cholesterol, as well as HDL and LDL cholesterol. Attendees received instant results and a personal health consultation conducted by advanced-practice nurses.

The Chicago National Woman’s Heart Day Health Fair is one of 17 offered around the nation as part of the growing women’s heart health movement. The Sister To Sister: Everyone Has A Heart Foundation is the only national organization that focuses solely on women’s heart disease screening and prevention. The organization was founded by its president, Irene Pollin, wife of Washington Wizards owner Abe Pollin. The couple lost two children to heart disease.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact: Joe Moore
773-298-3937 or jmoore@sxu.edu

New York Times writer calls Shane Longest "favorite" at NFL Combine

New York Times writer Greg Bishop singled out Saint Xavier University place kicker Shane Longest at the NFL Combine this week.

"Of all the players paraded through the media room today at the N.F.L. scouting combine, Shane Longest was my favorite," writes Bishop on his NFL blog, The Fifth Down.

For the full New York Times piece, click here. Also read the Chicago Tribune article by Dan Pompei about Longest.

Click here for more ongoing coverage of Shane Longest.

Saint Xavier University announces co-chairs for President’s Scholarship Ball to be held April 12

Left to right: Ellen Mulaney and Joseph Balasa

Chicago (Feb. 21, 2008) – Saint Xavier University has announced that Joseph and Nicolette Balasa and Charles and Ellen Mulaney will serve as co-chairs for the 23rd Annual President’s Scholarship Ball on Saturday, April 12 at the Hilton Chicago.

“The co-chairs provide significant visibility and help garner valuable sponsorship support for the President’s Scholarship Ball,” said Saint Xavier University President Judith A. Dwyer, Ph.D. “We are very grateful for their ongoing support and personal commitment to the University.”

Joseph Balasa, a Saint Xavier University Board of Trustees member, was named chief operating officer of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce in July 1998. Balasa’s previous experience includes 13 years in property management and exposition operations for The Merchandise Mart and director of Special Events for the City of Chicago for Mayors Richard J. Daley and Michael Bilandic. He earned a bachelor of science degree from DePaul University.

Ellen Mulaney also serves on the SXU Board of Trustees. She teaches common law reasoning and communication and legal reasoning at Northwestern University’s School of Law. She previously was coordinator of a joint initiative between the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services that established an ethics code and ethics training protocol for child welfare professionals. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and her juris doctor degree from Yale Law School.

As part of the Ball ceremonies, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce William M. Daley will receive the Shield of Saint Xavier. Daley became the head of JPMorgan Chase’s Office of Corporate Social Responsibility in June 2007, overseeing and coordinating the firm’s global strategy and efforts in government affairs, public policy, charitable giving, and environmental and community affairs. He also continues his roles as the firm's Vice Chairman, Chairman of the Midwest Region and as Chairman of JPMorgan Chase Foundation.

Daley served as U.S. Secretary of Commerce under President Clinton from 1997 to 2000, overseeing a department of more than 40,000 people. As Special Counsel to President Clinton in 1993, Daley coordinated the successful campaign to pass the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

The President’s Scholarship Ball has raised millions of dollars for the President’s Scholarship Program, which provides financial support to Saint Xavier’s most deserving students. The black-tie event is open to the public. For information or ticket reservations please contact (773) 298-3311 or specialevents@sxu.edu with “President’s Scholarship Ball” in the subject line. For media inquiries, please contact Joe Moore, director of media relations, at (773) 298-3937 or

jmoore@sxu.edu.

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SXU professor comments in Catholic News Service regarding Pope's visit to United States

Saint Xavier University Religious Studies Professor Michael O’Keeffe gives comment in a Catholic News Service story about Pope Benedict XVI’s upcoming visit to the United States.

"I believe that the pope would be well served by speaking to people about this issue and becoming more engaged in helping the church to heal," O'Keeffe said."I might also ask the pope to take the time to hear about the health of the American Catholic Church, not simply from the bishops, but from the people, especially those people that feel they have been pushed to the margins," he said.

U.S. Congresswoman Judy Biggert visits SXU Orland Park Campus

Biggert key to federal funding for Nursing Learning Laboratory at Orland Park


From left to right SXU School of Nursing Interim Dean Kay Thurn; U.S. Congresswoman Judy Biggert, R-13th District; SXU President Judith A. Dwyer, Ph.D.; SXU Vice President for University Advancement Steven Murphy.

Chicago (Feb. 19, 2008) U.S. Congresswoman Judy Biggert, R-13th District, visited Saint Xavier University’s Orland Park Campus on Tuesday, Feb. 18 to view the site of a new nursing learning laboratory for which she helped secure $191,000 in federal funding.

The new lab will allow the SXU School of Nursing to increase class sizes at the Orland Campus and provide new facilities and educational tools, including portable beds, monitoring equipment, anatomical models, diagnostic examination simulators, a simulation mannequin (Sim Man) and video recording equipment.

“We are grateful to Congresswoman Biggert for her support of this much-needed learning laboratory,” said Saint Xavier University President Judith A. Dwyer. Ph.D. “Orland Park will benefit greatly from such a cutting edge nursing education facility.”

The appropriation received bi-partisan support when Senator Barack Obama, D-Illinois, became the sponsor in the U.S. Senate.

Founded in 1935, the Saint Xavier University School of Nursing offered the first baccalaureate nursing program to receive accreditation in the State of Illinois. Today, the school offers baccalaureate and master’s degrees in nursing. Both degree programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

“Patients at every major health care facility in the Chicago area benefit from the care and leadership of Saint Xavier University’s nursing graduates,” said Biggert. “This educational investment will pay dividends for years to come to both nursing students and the Illinois residents they serve.”

The School of Nursing of Saint Xavier University offers its RN-BSN option at the Orland Campus, which began two years ago. The campus is a general education facility with capacity to finish its laboratory spaces to meet specific program requirements.

“This facility will enhance both the quality of the School of Nursing’s RN-BSN instruction and increase the number of students by having fully functional laboratory space for instruction at its Orland Park Campus,” said Interim Dean Kay Thurn, Psy.D., R.N. “Our graduates stay in Illinois, and citizens will benefit from evidenced-based practice that these graduates offer. This space may be utilized for our graduate nursing students to alleviate the tremendous shortage of advanced practice nurses.”

In September, the School of Nursing was recognized as a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education by the National League for Nursing and will carry the designation for the next three years. During that time, Saint Xavier will be available to other schools seeking to move their own programs toward distinction.

Media Opportunity: U.S. Congresswoman Judy Biggert visits SXU Orland Park Campus

Biggert key to federal funding for Nursing Learning Laboratory at Orland Park

Appropriation received bi-partisan support when Senator Barack Obama, D-Illinois, became the sponsor in the U.S. Senate.

Chicago (Feb. 19, 2008) U.S. Congresswoman Judy Biggert, R-13th District, will visit Saint Xavier University’s Orland Park Campus on Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 2:30 p.m. to view the site of a new nursing learning laboratory for which she helped secure $191,000 in federal funding.

The new lab will allow the SXU School of Nursing to increase class sizes at the Orland Campus and provide new facilities and educational tools, including portable beds, monitoring equipment, anatomical models, diagnostic examination simulators, a simulation mannequin (Sim Man) and video recording equipment.

The appropriation received bi-partisan support when Senator Barack Obama, D-Illinois, became the sponsor in the U.S. Senate.

Dean Thurn appears on NBC5 morning news

SXU School of Nursing Interim Dean Kay Thurn, Psy.D., R.N. appeared on Sunday, Feb 17 on NBC5 morning news to discuss Saint Xavier’s role providing free heart disease risk screenings with follow-up consultation offered during the 2008 National Woman’s Heart Day Health Fair from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008, in the lobby of the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. Click here to view the story.

Sister To Sister: Everyone Has A Heart Foundation, Inc. sponsors the one-day national event. Saint Xavier University’s School of Nursing will provide a volunteer staff of 25 faculty and 50 undergraduate and graduate students to register participants, provide screenings and conduct counseling.

SXU Gallery hosts “Strickland vs. Deadboy”

Collaborative pencil and ink art series runs Feb. 28 through April 2

Chicago (Feb. 14, 2008) Saint Xavier University presents a joint exhibit created by two Chicago artists beginning Feb. 28 at the SXU Gallery, 3700 W. 103rd St., Chicago.

The “Strickland vs. Deadboy” series began in 2006 as a collaborative experiment between Chicago artists William Sturgis and Matthew Schommer. In each work, “Strickland,” Sturgis’ character, is responsible for the untimely demise of Schommer’s character, “Deadboy.”

The series encompasses Schommer’s delicate black and white pencil drawings and Sturgis’ colorful pen and ink drawings. The juxtaposition of styles, color and medium reinforces the battle between Strickland and Deadboy while creating a level of harmony.

“We hope “Strickland vs. Deadboy” is appreciated for its craft, two distinctive styles and sense of humor,” Strugis and Schommer said.

The exhibit will be on display from Feb. 28 through April 2. An artists’ conversation and reception will take place at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5.

The SXU Gallery is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, please contact the SXU Gallery at (773) 298-3081.

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Lawrence Cunningham, Ph.D., to lecture at Saint Xavier University on March 4

Final speaker in four-part Catholic Colloquium lecture series

Chicago (Feb. 13, 2008) University of Notre Dame Professor Lawrence Cunningham, Ph.D., will discuss the core mission of Catholic higher education as part of Saint Xavier University’s 2007-08 Catholic Colloquium lecture series at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, at Saint Xavier’s Chicago campus at 3700 W. 103rd St.

The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the Butler Reception Room, located in the Warde Academic Center. Following the lecture, Cunningham will answer questions from the audience.

In his lecture, titled “The Catholicity of Catholic Universities: A Second Look,” Cunningham will draw on recent discussions centering on the Vatican document Ex Corde Ecclesiae. An Apostolic Constitution issued by Pope John Paul II, the document describes the general identity and mission of Catholic universities and provides guidelines to help fulfill this vision.

Cunningham is the Rev. John A. O’Brien Professor of Theology at Notre Dame’s Department of Theology. He won three Catholic Press Association awards for religious writing in 1987, 1999 and 2000. His most recent book is A Brief History of Saints. He has edited or written 16 other books. He is also co-editor of the academic monograph series "Studies in Theology and Spirituality" and serves as an associate editor for a number of scholarly journals.

The lecture is the last in a four-part series over the 2007-08 academic year focusing on the roles and responsibilities of a Catholic university to its students, faculty and staff members as well as the local community and broader Catholic Church community. The Catholic Colloquium lecture series explores the implications of current theological thinking about contemporary moral issues that have arisen since the Second Vatican Council (1962-65).

“Lawrence Cunningham will be an excellent and engaging final speaker for this year’s Catholic Colloquium series,” said Sister Susan Sanders, R.S.M., Ph.D., vice president for University Mission and Heritage at Saint Xavier. “Our nationally renowned scholars have helped us examine the important role Catholic universities can and do play in the formation of our community.”

Sanders and Michael O’Keeffe, Ph.D., associate professor of religious studies at Saint Xavier, organized the Catholic Colloquium series.

The series is sponsored by the Office for University Mission and Heritage. For more information about the lecture series, please contact Kathy Mareska at (773) 298-3981 or mareska@sxu.edu or visit http://www.sxu.edu/.

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Sandra Burkhardt receives 2008 Venerable Mary Potter Humanitarian Award; For embodying ideals, vision and mission of Little Company of Mary Sisters

Chicago–Saint Xavier University is pleased to announce that Sandra Burkhardt, Ph.D., ABPP, professor of psychology, received the 2008 Venerable Mary Potter Humanitarian Award.

Burkhardt was honored at the Little Company of Mary Hospital and Health Care Center’s Crystal Heart Ball held Saturday, Feb. 2, at the Field Museum in Chicago.

The Venerable Mary Potter Humanitarian Award recognizes individuals whose personal and professional accomplishments embody the ideals, vision and mission of the Venerable Mary Potter, founder of the Little Company of Mary Sisters. These ideals include making "a visible and positive difference" in the community by providing services for the needy.

Burkhardt’s award recognizes her support of families of children with autism spectrum disorders. Her work involves research, clinical services and community outreach. She founded Project Respect, an educational and recreational program supported by the Community Outreach Program of the Psychology Department of Saint Xavier University. Project Respect aims at heightening community awareness of autism spectrum disorders and their impact on families.

Burkhardt is a clinical psychologist who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of childhood disorders. She is the first woman in Illinois to achieve specialty board certification in clinical child and adolescent psychology. She is a fellow of the Academy of Clinical Psychology and the Illinois Psychological Association. She is a past recipient of the Saint Xavier Award.

Other distinguished recipients of the Mary Potter Humanitarian Award who have close ties to the University include Sister Rosemary Connelly, R.S.M., (1992), Matt and Rose Lamb (1995), Richard H. Driehaus (1999) and James Tyree (2005).

http://www.sxu.edu/

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact: Joe Moore
773-298-3937 jmoore@sxu.edu

SXU grad marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Former student protested in Selma and Chicago during volatile 1965

Saint Xavier grad Mary Cray (’66) with Senator Barack Obama and Celestial Ministries members at the 2006 Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Jefferson Award Ceremony. From left: Cray, Donnie Graham, Stanley Ratliff, Antoinette Ratliff and Obama.

Chicago (Feb. 6, 2008) In honor of Black History Month, Saint Xavier University graduate Mary Cray recalls traveling with a fellow student to Selma, Ala., where they marched with the Civil Rights movement in 1965. There they met Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as civil rights activists Ralph Abernathy, C. T. Vivian and James Bevel.

“King was great,” said Cray, class of ’66, now a Riverside resident. “He was very interesting and a tremendous speaker. These were some of the greatest civil rights leaders in the country.”

The retired teacher and environmentalist also saw the dangerous side of the movement. She was arrested while marching in Selma and was struck in the head with a rock later that year while marching in Chicago.

“It was very exciting and it certainly influenced my life,” she said. “It opened a whole lot of areas that I was not yet familiar with, especially race and cultural relations.”

Cray and other northern white students had been inspired to travel to Alabama after law enforcement officials’ infamous attack on protesters during attempted marches to Montgomery in 1965. The peaceful demonstrators were subjected to billy clubs, tear gas and bullwhips in the presence of the media.

“Everybody was shocked to see that kind of treatment,” said Cray, who was student council vice president at the time.

The Chicago Area Lay Movement asked the council for volunteers to travel to Alabama in support of the protesters. The council loaned airfare to Cray and Kathy Brown, SXU class of ’65, and the pair headed south less than a day later.

Upon arriving in Alabama, Cray said a young black man drove them to Selma. On the way, the man stopped the car and had the two women hide under blankets because they were entering Lowndes County, Ku Klux Klan territory.

“He said, ‘If I’m seen with you all and you’re seen with me, we’re all going to die,’” Cray said.

Cray and Brown reached Selma unhindered. After several successful marches to the center of Selma, Selma’s mayor banned further demonstrations. Cray was among the many arrested while marching to the mayor’s house in protest.

“[Dallas County Sheriff Jim Clark] looked at me and said ‘Girl, you must be crazy coming down here. I should be taking you to the state mental institution instead of jail,’” she said.

Cray was released from jail after about three days, and she and Brown returned to Saint Xavier. She found the campus “in an uproar” over her trip. Some students were upset Cray and Brown borrowed money from the student council for the trip, while others argued the college should be doing even more in to support civil rights.

“We were very surprised to see the level of debate going on at the school – and very pleased, too,” she said. “I think after that, things were discussed much more openly at Saint Xavier.”

It wasn’t long before Cray saw King again. She and about 5,000 other people marched with King through Chicago later that year as part of the Chicago Freedom Movement.

“Somehow, it was tougher to march here than it was in Selma because you knew these people,” Cray said. “This part of the Midwest is segregated in many ways.”

Indeed, King was met with a surprising level of violence and threats as he and his peaceful demonstrators marched through white Chicago neighborhoods with throngs of people throwing rocks and bottles.

Cray said local gang members, who pledged to behave peacefully, marched alongside the protesters and attempted to catch thrown objects. Despite their efforts, a woman struck Cray‘s head with a rock in Marquette Park on Chicago’s Southwest side.

Cray is no longer directly involved with civil rights but volunteers as a tutor with Celestial Ministries, a group supporting the families of prisoners on Chicago’s west side. Cray said the Civil Rights movement made definite progress, but America still has a long way to go.

“When you get involved with civil rights, it just keeps coming up because it hasn’t ended,” she said. “There’s still a lot to be done in education, affordable housing and other areas.”

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact: Rick Ducat
773-298-3325 or ducat@sxu.edu

Shelter director Angela Hicks to speak at SXU about violence against women

Thursday, Feb. 14 at 6:30 p.m. in the Butler Reception Room, Warde Academic Center

Chicago (Feb. 6, 2008) Director of the Maria Shelter for Women and Children Angela Hicks will give a lecture about violence against women at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 14 at Saint Xavier University’s Chicago Campus, 3700 W. 103rd St.

“Violences against Women: A Shared Concern” will reveal real-life experiences of women who have been victims of violence in its multiple forms and offer hope for transformation and healing.

The lecture is free and open to the public and will be held in the Butler Reception Room, located in the Warde Academic Center.

Director of Campus Ministry Eileen P. Doherty said Hicks is a “passionate speaker and a committed advocate.”

“Through her work with the Institute of Women Today, Ms. Hicks brings vast experience in addressing the root causes of homelessness, especially the violence that women encounter,” Doherty said.

Harmony, Hope and Healing, a creative musical program offering dignity and spiritual healing to the homeless and underserved in the Chicago area, also will perform.

The event is sponsored by SXU Campus Ministry.

For more information about the lecture, please contact Campus Ministry at (773) 298-3000.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact: Rick Ducat
773-298-3325 or ducat@sxu.edu

SXU business master’s program students to visit China

Group will tour Chinese businesses, stay with local family

Chicago (Feb. 5, 2008) Fourteen Saint Xavier University MBA students will get a firsthand look at China’s economic revolution during a weeklong three-credit course this spring in Beijing and Shanghai.

The “Business in Emerging Markets: Focus on China” program is the Graham School of Management’s first master’s level course to take students to another country.

SXU Graham School of Management Associate Professor Al Rosenbloom said the trip will help prepare students to run businesses within the global economy of the 21st century.

“We want our students to experience firsthand the amazing transition that China is undergoing,” Rosenbloom said. “This is no longer a country of rice fields. It is an exploding economy that is already one of the major players of the 21st century.”

Rosenbloom, who has visited China more than a dozen times, said students will tour several businesses, including: W. W. Grainger, the Shanghai Stock Exchange, the Illinois Trade Office, Bao Steel and TBWA.

The students will examine how Chinese companies operate, which can be extremely different from that of an American or Western European company.

“In a globalized world, it is essential that business managers understand the differences between business management as seen from a ‘Western’ perspective in contrast to business management from a ‘Chinese’ perspective,” Rosenbloom said.

Students will get a taste of Chinese culture by spending time with a local English-speaking family in Shanghai. They will also tour famous sites, such as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City where the Chinese imperial family lived, and the Shanghai Art Museum, which is built in the shape of an ancient Chinese cooking vessel.

The trip will take place March 15-22. Students will earn three credit hours for participating.

For more information about SXU’s travel study program, please call the Center for International Education at (773) 298-3780.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact: Rick Ducat
773-298-3325 or ducat@sxu.edu

Renowned Chicago Fiction Writer Stuart Dybek to read at Saint Xavier University; Monday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. in the Butler Reception Room

Chicago (Feb. 3, 2008) One of Chicago’s most revered writers, Stuart Dybek, will read at Saint Xavier University at 7 p.m on Feb. 25 in the Butler Reception Room of the Warde Academic Center.

The author of three books of fiction and two of poetry, Dybek will deliver Saint Xavier’s annual Evangeline Bollinger Lecture, which is free and open to the public. Dybek is the author of I Sailed with Magellan, The Coast of Chicago, and Childhood and Other Neighborhoods. The Coast of Chicago was the 2004 “One Book, One Chicago” selection.

Dybek also has published two collections of poetry: Streets in Their Own Ink, his most recent book, and Brass Knuckles. His fiction, poetry, and nonfiction have appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s, The Atlantic, Poetry, and Tin House, among many other magazines, and have been widely anthologized, including work in both the Best American Short Stories and the Best American Poetry series.

“This is simply an incredible opportunity for members of the community to come see one of our great writers in an intimate setting,” said SXU Creative Writing Professor Karen Dwyer. “Stuart Dybek is without question one of Chicago’s literary gems, and we are very pleased he will be this year’s Evangeline Bollinger Lecturer.”

Dybek will read from his recent publications in Poetry magazine titled “Pink Ocean” and “Milk” as part of a lecture entitled “Love, Modern and Post-Modern”.

Among Dybek’s numerous awards are a MacArthur Grant, the Rea Award “for significant contribution to the short story form,” the PEN/Malamud Prize “for distinguished achievement in the short story,” a Lannan Award, a Whiting Writers Award, an Award from the Academy of Arts and Letters, several O. Henry Prizes, and fellowships from the NEA and the Guggenheim Foundation. He is Distinguished Writer in Residence at Northwestern University and a member of the permanent faculty for Western Michigan University’s Prague Summer Program.

The late Evangeline Bollinger began her career at Saint Xavier in 1957 as an assistant professor of English. From 1967 to 1979, she served as dean of faculty and vice president of academic affairs. As a tribute to the caliber of Bollinger’s teaching, Saint Xavier’s graduate program lecture was renamed the Evangeline Bollinger Lecture Series in 1998. For more information about this free lecture, please contact Karen Dwyer at (773) 341-5939.

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Catholic New World features SXU Staff Mentoring Program

View the Catholic New World news story on Saint Xavier University's unique peer mentoring program for staff.

Saint Xavier University keeps the faith through staff mentoring; Catholic University in Chicago pilots successful staff mentoring program

Chicago (Feb. 4, 2008) – What does a Catholic university do when its student body grows six times larger at the same time that the number of religious sisters who founded the school declines by nearly 90 percent?

To maintain and enhance its Catholic identity, Chicago’s Saint Xavier University, the oldest Sisters of Mercy university in the country, is meeting the twin challenges of declining numbers of religious sisters and an increase of students with less pronounced Catholic backgrounds by piloting a unique mentoring program for staff.

"This is not an approach we've seen anywhere else in the National Network of Church-Related Colleges and Universities," said John Steven Paul, program director of the Lilly Fellows Program in Humanities and the Arts out of Valparaiso, Ind., which provided grant funding for Saint Xavier's peer mentoring program. "Even though the Lilly Fellows Program tends to fund mentoring programs for faculty, it seems so wise to me that SXU is mentoring its full time staff, because they work so closely with new students and faculty."

When it comes to engaging new employees with a university’s Catholic character, faculty mentoring may be common, but mentoring staff members, ranging from custodial workers to administrators, is not. Saint Xavier’s program recognizes that students are significantly shaped by their interactions with staff outside the classroom, including admissions, registration, residence life, mentoring and counseling.

Staff members periodically meet after work in an informal setting to continue a conversation about what it means to work in a Catholic institution. They examine the history and mission of the Sisters of Mercy and core values such as belief in the dignity of the human person, working toward the common good, and commitments to justice, compassion, service and the education of the whole person. They are encouraged to understand and then pass on what it means for students to study and live at a Catholic university.

“It was at one time easier to preserve our Catholic heritage and ensure that our halls were infused with a Catholic spirit,” said Vice President for Mission and Heritage Sr. Sue Sanders, R.S.M., Ph.D, who co-designed the program. “Not only did we have far more sisters walking our halls, but the vast majority of faculty, staff and students would have been committed Catholics.”

Saint Xavier’s enrollment has grown more than six times since 1967 to approximately 5,700 students. During that same time, numbers of Sisters of Mercy on campus dropped by 88 percent to seven with just two working as faculty. This shift reflects the overall reality for the Chicago-based Sisters of Mercy. In 1967, the median age for the approximately 800 sisters in the Chicago congregation was 58. The median age of the 200 remaining Chicago Sisters of Mercy is now 79.

Michael O’Keeffe, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Religious Studies, co-leads the mentoring discussions. Beyond the decline of women in the religious life, he noted that students now come from a culture that has changed dramatically in the past few decades.

“Even the students who are Catholic don’t necessarily have the same faith perspective or identity that students might have had in a pre-Vatican II world,” O’Keeffe said. “Up through the 1950s, the typical Saint Xavier student would have been well-versed in an Irish Catholic life reflected in the largely working-class culture of Chicago. They knew what being Catholic was all about, even if they needed reminders. But just as the 1960s exploded in new ways to consider traditional categories like being an American, a woman or an African American, so too the 1960s introduced new ways to consider Catholicism. Today there is pressing need to clarify what it means to be Catholic, and one of the best places to do so is at a Catholic university.”

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Joe Moore
773-298-3937 or jmoore@sxu.edu

Saint Xavier University’s WXAV 88.3 FM goes on the road to cover SXU Basketball; SXU radio station to expand its broadcasts of Cougar Sports

Chicago (Feb. 1, 2008)– Saint Xavier University student radio station WXAV 88.3 FM Chicago will expand its broadcasts of Cougar men’s and women’s basketball this season by going on the road to cover key Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) match-ups in February. WXAV is a non-commercial station that acts as an outreach arm of Saint Xavier University by promoting its services, activities and events in addition to providing a practical training ground for members of the SXU community, especially students, interested in broadcasting.

In addition to covering all home games at the Shannon Center, WXAV will now also broadcast the following women’s basketball road games next month: at University of St. Francis (Ill.) at 5:15 p.m. on Feb. 2, at Indiana University-South Bend at 7 p.m. on Feb. 5, at Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.) at 1 p.m. on Feb. 9, and at Robert Morris College (Ill.) at 5 p.m. on Feb. 23. The Saint Xavier men’s basketball team will have two road games added to the broadcast schedule as well starting with at Olivet Nazarene University at 3 p.m. on Feb. 9 and at Robert Morris College (Ill.) at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 13.

All broadcasts can be heard by tuning into 88.3 FM within the station’s listening area or via its web-casts available at http://webfiles.sxu.edu/org/wxav/index.html.


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SXU participates in National Woman’s Heart Day Health Fair

Free heart screening, health information available

Chicago (Feb. 1, 2008) The Saint Xavier University School of Nursing will help provide free heart disease risk screenings with follow-up consultation offered during the 2008 National Woman’s Heart Day Health Fair from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008, in the lobby of the Merchandise Mart in Chicago.

Sister To Sister: Everyone Has A Heart Foundation, Inc. sponsors the one-day national event. Saint Xavier University’s School of Nursing will provide a volunteer staff of 25 faculty and 50 undergraduate and graduate students to register participants, provide screenings and conduct counseling.

Screening tests and lab work will measure body mass index, blood pressure, blood glucose and total cholesterol, as well as HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Attendees will receive instant results and a personal health consultation conducted by advanced-practice nurses. At last year’s event, SXU School of Nursing faculty and students conducted heart disease risk screenings for 600 women.

“This free event is extremely important in alerting women to warning signs of heart disease,” said SXU School of Nursing Interim Dean Kay Thurn, Psy.D., R.N. “Its benefits are undeniable, and Saint Xavier’s School of Nursing is eager to continue providing life saving health information."

The Health Fair will include exhibits and demonstrations as well as panel discussions on such topics as menopause, the effects of statins and other cardiac medications, the benefits of heart-friendly exercise and the importance of avoiding obesity.

The Chicago National Woman’s Heart Day Health Fair is one of 17 offered around the nation as part of the growing women’s heart health movement. The Sister To Sister Foundation began in 2000 in Washington, D.C., and now offers events in cities across the country including Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, N.C., Dallas, Detroit, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Fla., Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix and St. Louis.

The Sister To Sister: Everyone Has A Heart Foundation is the only national organization that focuses solely on women’s heart disease screening and prevention. The organization was founded by its president, Irene Pollin, wife of Washington Wizards owner Abe Pollin. The couple lost two children to heart disease.

Last year’s Chicago National Women’s Heart Day Health Fair event attracted more than 2,500 attendees.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact: Rick Ducat
773-298-3325 or ducat@sxu.edu

SXU Gallery hosts “Hero Show – Arts of Admiration”

Digital art exhibit runs Feb. 8 through 18

Chicago (Feb. 1, 2008) The works of 39 Saint Xavier University digital art and design students will be showcased beginning Feb. 8 at Saint Xavier University’s SXU Gallery, 3700 W. 103rd St., Chicago.

The “Hero Show – Arts of Admiration” exhibit focuses on each student’s personal conception of a hero, such as a parent, a close friend or even an interpretation of him or herself.

“Our students examine the idea of heroes from the perspectives of bravery and admiration,” said SXU Art and Design Associate Professor Nathan Peck.

Peck’s students pursue a particular theme each semester, culminating in an exhibition to gain feedback from viewers. They create pieces using computers during the fall semester, including t-shirt designs, posters, magazines and Web sites.

“We hope to draw local art enthusiasts to meet and talk with the student creators, many of whom are first-time artists,” he said.

Previous exhibit themes include “Art of Games,” “Chicago Street Studies” and “Before and After.”
The Hero exhibit will be on display from Feb. 8 through 18. An artist’s reception will take place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Feb. 13 in the SXU Gallery.

The exhibit premiered in December at the Chicago Arts District gallery, located at 1945 S. Halsted St.

The SXU Gallery is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, please contact the SXU Gallery at (773) 298-3081 or visit http://www.sxuhero.com/.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact: Rick Ducat
773-298-3325 or ducat@sxu.edu