Steve Murphy in Washington Post

Vice President for University Advancement Steven Murphy is quoted in an Aug. 27 Washington Post article about the lobbying efforts of Hunter Biden, son of Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden.

SXU presents new students with university medallions

Chicago (Aug. 25, 2008) Saint Xavier University Associate Dean for Undergraduate Nursing Phyllis Baker, Ed.D., presents a new student with a University medallion on Aug. 22 at SXU’s annual Medallion Ceremony. The ceremony welcomes new students to the University and invites them to share in SXU’s commitment to academic achievement and Catholic values.

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

SXU offers non-credit Irish Studies at Chicago and Orland Park Campuses

Students will receive $30 discount if they register for more than one class

Chicago (Aug. 25, 2008) Registration has started for Saint Xavier University’s highly successful non-credit Irish Studies certificate program this fall at the Chicago and Orland Park campuses.

Students explore Ireland’s heritage through an interdisciplinary program of history, the Gaelic language, literature, art, film and music.

Saint Xavier, which traces its roots to the Sisters of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland, offers the program at both campuses through the School of Continuing and Professional Studies. Registration for a single class is $185, and students will receive a $30 discount if registering for more than one class per semester.

Classes begin in October and will include “Irish Women Writers: Contemporary Short Stories by Women from Ireland,” “Daring Irish Drama: The Plays of John Millington Synge,” “Irish History” and “Ireland Since WWII.”

For more information or to register for Saint Xavier’s Irish Studies program, please call (708) 633-4711 or e-mail casillas@sxu.edu. For a complete course description, you may also visit the School for Continuing & Professional Studies home page (http://www.sxu.edu/cps/) and click on the link titled "Certificate in Irish Studies."

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

Trinity United Church of Christ pastor to discuss “Faith, Social Justice, and the Next U.S. President” at Saint Xavier University

The Rev. Otis Moss, III, kicks off SXU’S 2008-09 Catholic Colloquium lecture series Sept. 10

Chicago (Aug. 22, 2008) The Rev. Otis Moss, III, will kick off Saint Xavier University’s 2008-09 Catholic Colloquium lecture series with a speech about faith and social justice at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 10 at SXU’s Chicago campus, 3700 W. 103rd St.

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

Moss will deliver a lecture titled “Faith, Social Justice, and the Next U.S. President” to discuss what people of faith, particularly those in the black community, say should be on the policy agenda if the nation’s next president paid attention to key principles of Catholic social teaching.
Among those principles are: human dignity; the common good; solidarity with those who suffer, especially the poor; and subsidiarity, involving those closest to a problem in the decisions about how to solve those problems.

Moss’s lecture is the first of the four-part Catholic Colloquium series for the 2008-09 academic year. This year’s lectures focus on Catholic social teaching and explore the thoughts of leaders from various communities about how America’s next president might approach public policy.

“We are excited to welcome Rev. Moss to Saint Xavier,” said Sister Susan Sanders, R.S.M., Ph.D., vice president for University Mission and Heritage, the sponsoring office of the Catholic Colloquium Lectures. “Key principles of Catholic social teaching reach well beyond Catholicism, and we asked Rev. Moss, as a relatively new pastor in a prominent and neighboring faith community, to address the connections he sees between religious convictions and public policy.”

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

SXU professor named regional director of The International Emergency Management Society

Jim Hagen to serve three-year term

Chicago (Aug. 20, 2008) Saint Xavier University Professor Jim Hagen, Ph.D., was recently elected regional director for North America of The International Emergency Management Society.

Hagen is the architect and director of the Disaster Preparedness and Management Certificate Program at SXU’s Graham School of Management. He was elected to serve a three-year term as regional director in June at TIEMS’ 2008 conference in Prague, Czech Republic. He previously served a one-year term as an interim board member. Their next meeting will be in Istanbul, Turkey in 2009.

TIEMS is a not-for-profit international network of people within emergency and disaster management working to use innovative methods and technologies to improve humanity’s ability to avoid and respond to natural and technological disasters. Members are involved with many large-scale events worldwide, such as security for the Beijing Olympics and the Indian Ocean tsunami.

“I’m proud to continue in a leadership role for this truly dynamic organization,” Hagen said. “I look forward to furthering disaster preparedness around the world.”

Hagen has many plans for his tenure, including creating a database of all TIEMS members in North America, creating a media strategy to increase awareness of TIEMS in business and academic communities and determining with which disaster relief organizations TIEMS should affiliate.

While in Prague, Hagen delivered an academic paper titled “Emergency Management Structure for Use in the Alaska Native (AN) Elderly Population,” which focused on: long-term care issues in the “nation within a nation” AN population; the AN culture’s need for emergency preparedness and disaster management; and culturally-specific characteristics that must be addressed to allow for protection of these elders. His paper was recently chosen for publication in a special issue of the International Journal of Emergency Management.

For more information about Saint Xavier University’s Disaster Preparedness and Management Certificate Program, please visit http://www.sxu.edu/gsm/grcert_dpm.asp or call (800) 462-9288.

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

SXU professor to co-chair Golden Apple Award selection committee

Eileen Quinn Knight, Ph.D., will select winners for teaching award

Chicago (Aug. 20, 2008) Saint Xavier University faculty member Eileen Quinn Knight, Ph.D, has been chosen to co-chair the Selection Committee for the 2008-09 Golden Apple Teaching Awards.

The Golden Apple Foundation is dedicated to recognizing and developing excellence in teaching in the Chicagoland area. Last year, there were more than 850 nominations for outstanding teachers.

Knight, an education professor at SXU, will direct the committee in selecting 10 winners. She has served the Golden Apple Foundation for 13 years and directs SXU’s Golden Apple Scholars program, which provides tuition money for education students.

Six SXU alumni have received the Golden Apple award since its inception in 1986. SXU alumnus John Nieciak of Mount Greenwood received a Golden Apple in May of this year.

“I am honored to serve as co-chair of the Golden Apple Award selection committee,” Knight said. “These awards recognize the very best of those pursuing the noble profession of teaching.”

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

Annual Cougar 5K Run/Walk kicks off Homecoming weekend

Homecoming football game against Walsh University (Ohio)

Chicago (Aug. 18, 2008) Help kick off Saint Xavier University’s Homecoming weekend with the 8th annual Cougar 5K Run/Walk at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4.

The race will start and finish at Saint Xavier’s Chicago campus, 3700 W. 103rd St., and travel through the heart of Evergreen Park. All participants will receive a long-sleeved T-shirt and a free ticket upon request to the homecoming football game against Walsh University (Ohio).
“Since the inaugural race in 2001, this event has not only been a part of the SXU Homecoming Weekend but also become a community tradition,” said Jennifer Kjos Quinlan, facility manager of Saint Xavier’s Shannon Center.

Participants can register online at www.signmeup.com/60059. Individual registration fees are $20 for runners/walkers and $15 for SXU students. Purchase a pair of running or walking shoes at Running for Kicks from Sept. 1 to Oct. 1 and receive $10 off the registration fee. For more information, call Running for Kicks at (708) 448-9200.

Day-of-race registration will be held from 7: 30 a.m. to 8: 30 a.m. for $25, ($22.50 each for CARA members) and $20 for SXU students at SXU’s Shannon Center.

“The Cougar 5K Run/Walk caters to all age groups who enjoy running or walking. This event kicks off a fun-filled day for the entire SXU community,” Kjos Quinlan said.

Complimentary refreshments will be provided for all participants, including bagels, muffins, fruit, cookies, coffee and water. Race participants may also enjoy free services such as chair massages, blood pressure checks and stretching. Tastee Freez will be onsite selling ice cream and frozen bananas.

Sponsors of the Run/Walk include Gilhooley’s Grande Saloon, Chartwells, SouthtownStar, OccuSport, Pepsi, Greenwood Chiropractic, SXU Alumni Association, Running for Kicks, Village of Evergreen Park, Chicago Area Race Association (CARA), Gallagher Investments, Core Fitness and Physical Therapy, GO Promotions, Jimmy Johns, Machon and Machon, Pizza Man, Shannon Center members, and 21st Century Chiropractic.

For more information, please visit www.sxu.edu/athletics or call the race hotline at (773) 298-3592.

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SXU Gallery hosts photographic artist Marita Gootee

“The Journey with Sand and Water” exhibit runs Aug. 25 through Sept. 16

Chicago (Aug. 14, 2008) Photographic artist Marita Gootee’s work will be showcased beginning Aug. 25 at Saint Xavier University’s SXU Gallery, 3700 W. 103rd St., Chicago.

“The Journey with Sand and Water” pinhole photography exhibit portrays fleeting memories and the journey from the present to the past.

Gootee said the dreamlike images are a blending of time and self-reflection.

“I do not portray the chaos of dreams nor the non-representational design of total abstract thought,” Gootee said. “It is my goal to bring the moment back to the surface so others may share the experience of the mountain trail or the child in the ocean.”

The exhibit runs through Sept. 16. It is free and open to the public.

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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SXU successfully completes $2.5 million Mercy Challenge Endowment campaign

Endowment to ensure continuation of Catholic identity, Mercy mission

Chicago (Aug. 13, 2008) Saint Xavier University has successfully completed the Mercy Challenge Endowment campaign, resulting in a $2.5 million endowment to advance its Catholic identity and Mercy mission through the Office for University Mission and Heritage.

“The University community is grateful to the Sisters of Mercy and to all who supported this endowment campaign,” said President Judith A. Dwyer, Ph.D. “This ongoing financial foundation will allow the Office of Mission and Heritage to extend its programs, reaching even more students, faculty, staff, and others inside and outside the University.”

The Sisters of Mercy, Regional Community of Chicago, donated $1 million to endow the Office for University Mission and Heritage in 2006. With this generous gift came the Mercy Challenge; match the $1 million in donation before June 30, 2008.

After completion, the Sisters of Mercy contributed an additional $500,000 to the endowment, bringing the total to $2.5 million. This endowment will ensure the continuation and enhancement of the Office for University Mission and Heritage, allowing it to increase its activity and effectiveness in ensuring the University’s Catholic identity and Mercy mission.

A celebration to honor those who took part in this campaign, especially the Sisters of Mercy, will be held on Mercy Day, Wednesday, Sept. 24.

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

Saint Xavier University receives $2 million U.S. Department of Education grant

Grant is from the Strengthening Institutions Program (Title III)

Chicago (Aug. 13, 2008) Saint Xavier University recently was awarded a nearly $2 million U.S. Department of Education grant from the Strengthening Institutions Program (Title III).

The five-year, $1,968,970 grant supports the development of an engaged learning community at SXU, including meaningful first-year academic experiences; effective student intervention strategies; community-based and collaborative learning experiences; technology-rich learning opportunities; and imbedded assessment for continuous project improvement.

Title III funds will cover 100 percent of the cost of the project. The University will assume the cost for continuing the programs at the conclusion of the grant.

“The Strengthening Institutions Program is an extremely competitive, peer reviewed grant program,” said SXU President Judith A. Dwyer, Ph.D. “Our selection as one of a limited number of schools to receive this grant is a reflection of our continued growth as a leading comprehensive Catholic university.”

The goal of the project is to increase student engagement in learning so that students have a greater chance of successfully completing their undergraduate education. The Office of Academic Affairs will manage the project and will involve the efforts of faculty and staff from across the University.

SXU was identified as the 8th fastest-growing private university in Illinois in 2005, and continues to be recognized as a national leader in serving students from diverse ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds.

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

SXU’s Copy Cats Printing Services goes green

New equipment uses less electricity, releases no emissions

Chicago (Aug. 13, 2008) Copy Cats Print Services is going green, the latest in a series of environmentally friendly initiatives at Saint Xavier University.

Copy Cats, which serves the SXU community with all printing and photocopying needs, has collaborated with the industry’s greenest printer manufacturer, Océ North America.

The new Océ VP2110 Titanium Production Digital System uses 45 percent less electricity, emits 48 percent less heat, releases no ozone or particle emissions and is lead-free. Clients can expect offset press-like print quality with outstanding gray scales for all monochrome printing needs.

SXU has made several commitments to environmentally friendly operations. The University was the first school in Chicago to sign the Presidents Climate Commitment, a pledge by colleges and universities across the nation to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions. SXU is also a member of the Illinois Higher Education Sustainability Compact, which has pledged to accomplish multiple environmentally sound goals by Dec. 31, 2010.

SXU’s Arthur Rubloff Hall was Illinois’ first university building to receive the coveted LEED Gold designation from the U.S. Green Building Council. A new residence, also being built to LEED Gold standards, will open this fall.

Saint Xavier also recently announced that it will soon begin its unique GreenBike program, also being launched this fall, will allow SXU students, staff and faculty to borrow bikes for free in increments of 15 minutes from 14 computerized docking stations around the Chicago Campus. SXU is the first in the country to import this proven concept, which is designed by Veolia Transportation subsidiary Veloway and extensively used in Europe.

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

Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn highlights SXU at 3rd Annual Sustainable University Symposium

Quinn discusses SXU’s bike sharing program, green innovations

Chicago (Aug. 11, 2008) Illinois Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn highlighted Saint Xavier University’s environmentally friendly innovations and programs on July 29 at the 3rd Annual Sustainable University Symposium at the University of Illinois-Chicago.

Quinn commented on Saint Xavier’s unique GreenBike bicycle sharing program to open this fall. He noted the “great things” being done by the University, such as SXU’s Arthur Rubloff Hall, Illinois’ first university building to receive the LEED Gold designation from the U.S. Green Building Council, and other green construction on campus. The event was sponsored by the Illinois Green Governments Coordinating Council.

Quinn also cited SXU as one of the signing members of the Presidents Climate Commitment, a pledge by colleges and universities across the nation to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions. SXU President Judith A. Dwyer, Ph.D., was the first university president in the city of Chicago to sign the Climate Commitment.

Paul Matthews, SXU assistant vice president of facilities management, outlined the GreenBike program at the symposium during his presentation on sustainable transportation.
The GreenBike program will allow students, staff and faculty to borrow bikes in increments of 15 minutes from 14 computerized docking stations around the Chicago Campus. SXU is the first in the country to import this proven concept, which is designed by Veolia Transportation subsidiary Veloway and extensively used in Europe.

For more information about SXU’s Green Bike program, please visit http://www.sxu.edu/SharedDocuments/CAM-Facilities_Mgmt/bike.pdf.

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More than $115,000 raised at Saint Xavier University’s 12th Annual Golf Classic; Former Chicago Bears attend record setting event

Photo from left to right: Otis Wilson, SXU President Judith A. Dwyer, Ph.D., Wendell Davis, Mickey Pruitt, Bruce Herron.

Chicago (Aug. 7, 2008) A group of former Chicago Bears players spent the day on the links at Saint Xavier University’s 12th Annual Golf Classic on Aug. 5 at Silver Lake Country Club in Orland Park. The golf outing and dinner drew more than 180 participants and raised more than $115,000, a Golf Classic record, with proceeds going to student scholarships.

Former Bear Bruce Herron joined guests’ foursomes along with Wendell Davis, Mickey Pruitt and former Superbowl champ Otis Wilson.

The event also included a live auction and raffle. Prizes included: premium sets of golf clubs; a 42-inch plasma TV; a party for 25 at Balmoral Park; a gift package at the American Club in Kohler, Wis.; premium seats at Sox and Cubs games; an overnight stay at the New Trump Tower International; and airline travel for two on Southwest Airlines.

“We are simply delighted by the growth and support of the SXU Golf Classic,” said SXU Vice President for University Advancement Steven Murphy. “Our thanks go out to the many generous sponsors, students, alumni and friends who participated in this worthy event.”

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

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Elie Wiesel tickets going fast at Saint Xavier University

Chicago (August 7, 2008) – Tickets are going fast for Nobel Peace Prize recipient and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, the third speaker in the highly successful SXU Voices & Visions Speaker Series at Saint Xavier University in Chicago. More than 1,200 tickets have been sold to hear Wiesel speak at 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 25 in the SXU Shannon Center.

Prior to his lecture, Wiesel will conduct a special classroom discussion with Saint Xavier students.

“We are thrilled by the overwhelming response to Mr. Wiesel’s Sept. 25 visit to Saint Xavier University.” said Robert Tenczar, vice president for University Relations. “This third SXU Voices and Visions promises to be a truly special evening.”

Elie Wiesel was born in 1928 in Sighet, Transylvania, which is now part of Romania. He was 15 when he and his family were deported by the Nazis to the concentration camp, Auschwitz. His mother and younger sister perished, but his two older sisters survived. Wiesel and his father were transported to Buchenwald, where his father died shortly before the camp was liberated in April 1945.

Later as a journalist, he was persuaded to write about his experiences. The result was his internationally acclaimed memoir, “La Nuit” or “Night,” which has since been translated into more than 30 languages.

General admission tickets are $15 each and are available by visiting TicketWeb or by calling (866) 468-3401. A limited number of $200 V.I.P. priority tickets also are available and will include priority seating and admission to an exclusive post-lecture wine and cheese reception with Mr. Wiesel.

Saint Xavier students, faculty and staff are free but must obtain a ticket. Students may contact Campus Life (L-103) at (773) 341-5060 and faculty and staff may contact the Office of Special Events at (773) 298-3311. Tickets for may be picked up with a valid Cougar Card in Campus Life (L-103) or in the SXU Diner weekdays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

For more information about the event, please call (773) 298-3311 or e-mail specialevents@sxu.edu.

Reporters interested in covering Wiesel’s lecture or taking advantage of a special media opportunity the day of the lecture should contact Director of Media Relations Joe Moore at (773) 298-3937 or (cell) (773) 203-6671.

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SXU professor's book about the effect of television on baseball featured on Foxbusiness.com, Dayton Daily News and Northwest Indiana Times

FOXBusiness.com, the Northwest Indiana Times and the Dayton Daily News have featured the new book co-authored by SXU Professor James R. Walker, Ph.D., Center Field Shot: A History of Baseball on Television. Read the FOXBusiness story here. Read the Dayton Daily News story here. Read the Northwest Indiana Times story here.