News & Notables

FIVE PRE-MED STUDENTS ACCEPTED INTO PRESTIGIOUS ADMISSION PROGRAM

UST tied its own record for the number of students accepted into Texas’ coveted Joint Admission Medical Program in a single year. St. Thomas leads the pack of participating private universities, with five students entering the program in 2019: juniors Noah Ortiz, Jenny Tran and Viet Tran, and seniors Cecilia Nguyen and Nicole Fakes (missing from photo).

UST CREATES TAIWAN STUDIES PROGRAM WITH GRANT FROM TAIWAN

University of St. Thomas Center for International Studies will establish a Taiwan and East Asia Studies Program with the generous support of the Ministry of Education of Taiwan.  Understanding the importance of international education, the Ministry has donated and pledged $280,000 through 2023 to support the creation of the Center for International Studies’ newest program. In combination with other donations to date, the program will have a total of $500,000.

NEW CAREER SERVICES DIRECTOR, NEW DIRECTION

Paula Marsh ’09, ’10, joined UST as director of Career Services in December. Marsh holds a business degree and an MBA in international business from the Cameron School of Business. Career services are available to alumni by appointment. Alumni can access Career Services, including Handshake, the online job board, by registering at JoinHandShake.com.

MEN’S BASKETBALL FINISHES SEASON STRONG

In their final year competing at the Division I Level of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes (NAIA), the men’s basketball team ended with a bang by winning the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Tournament Championship.

In the fall, UST will begin competing in the National Collegiate Athletics Association Division III as a provisional member.

DR. MAURO FERRARI NAMED VP OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES & COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

World-renowned nano medicine pioneer, Dr. Mauro Ferrari, previously chief commercialization officer and executive vice president of Houston Methodist Research Institute, has joined the University of St. Thomas as executive vice president of strategic initiatives and community partnerships.

Lori Gallagher

LORI GALLAGHER NAMED ONE OF HOUSTON’S 50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN OF 2018

Lori Gallagher, J.D., director of UST’s William J. Flynn Center for Irish Studies, is among the latest to be named as one of Houston’s 50 Most Influential Women of 2018 by Houston Woman Magazine.

“WHAT CAN YOU DO IN ONE DAY?” 

That was the big question blasted out on email, social media and radio to promote the UST’s first annual Giving Day on April 24 — a 24-hour campaign to raise funds for scholarships and other needs. The UST community responded by uniting to give a total of more than $102,000! Donors were able to pick specific causes that had special meaning for them, or make a general contribution to an area of greatest need. They had the option of supporting 18 different causes, ranging from scholarships to new batting cages.

CENTER FOR FAITH & CULTURE CELEBRATES 25 YEARS

The Donald S. Nesti, CSSp Center for Faith & Culture celebrates its 25th anniversary with a year of events. The Center was founded in 1994 in response to Pope John Paul II’s 1982 creation of the Pontifical Council for Culture. Along with offering a Master of Arts in Faith and Culture degree, the Center holds seminars on spirituality and embraces ecumenism and interreligious dialogue.

View the calendar of anniversary events at StThom.edu/CFC.

UST PARTNERS WITH LONE STAR COLLEGE 

Thanks to new program-to-program articulation agreements, students can begin at Lone Star College (LSC) and transfer to UST. These agreements align the courses required for students to earn their associate degree at LSC and their bachelor degree at UST, ensuring a seamless transfer and minimizing unnecessary courses. LSC students who are interested in transferring to UST may now visit with UST counselors at the LSC-University Center at The Woodlands.

UST RANKS AMONG TOP 20 MOST DIVERSE U.S. COLLEGES

The website Study.com published its 2019 rankings of the most diverse colleges in the U.S., and UST is ranked 17 out of 50. This ranking places St. Thomas in the top 20 most diverse colleges in the country.

TOWARD A BETTER FUTURE: TRANSFORMING THE CLIMATE CRISIS
Climate change is affecting the global community rapidly with serious environmental and community impacts. The Rothko Chapel and the University of St. Thomas Biology Department and Campus Ministry held a three-day symposium, “Toward a Better Future: Transforming the Climate Change,” Feb. 28 to March 2, 2019, with a focus on the human costs and responsibilities related to climate change.

UST IS A TOP PRODUCER OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN GRADUATES

Black Issues in Higher Education recently ranked University of St. Thomas as a Top Producer of African American Graduates. The School of Education Master of Education program ranked 35th in the country. Twenty-three percent of students enrolled in the program are African-American. Overall, 16 percent of UST graduate students are African-American.

NEWS WORTHY

UST STARTS BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS IN DANCE

Houston Chronicle’s neighborhood Examiner newspaper reported on UST’s introduction of a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance for the spring 2019 semester. METdance, one of Houston’s largest dance companies, collaborates with UST to offer this degree.

CATHOLIC COLLEGE PRESIDENTS MARCH AGAINST ABORTION

The National Catholic Register, a national Catholic publication, published a story written by Kelly Salomon of the Cardinal Newman Society on Catholic college presidents who attended the March for Life Rally in Washington, D.C. in January, of which Dr. Richard Ludwick was one. Salomon wrote, “The witness of these presidents to the sacredness of human life extends all year long.”

ST. THOMAS ATHLETICS MOVES TO NCAA DIVISION III

The Houston Chronicle and chron.com reported on St. Thomas’ acceptance as a provisional member in NCAA Division III.  The Celts will participate in the Southern College Athletic Conference, which includes Austin College, University of Dallas, Southwestern University, Texas Lutheran and Trinity University.

“Membership in the NCAA validates the efforts and vision of our former student-athletes who committed themselves to a young Athletic Department with unlimited potential,” St. Thomas Athletic Director Todd Smith said. “I am very excited for the future of UST athletics.”