A quiet voice . . . a global turning pointSee page 6

A quiet voice . . . a global turning pointSee page 6

Notre Dame de Namur University MAGAZINE I Summer 2005V O L U M E 5 | N U M B E R 3

This is an excitingissue of NDNUMagazine as it speaksvery directly to theUniversity’s missionand the mission of theSisters of Notre Damede Namur. Indeed, thecover story on Sr.Dorothy Stang ’64,describes the ultimatecontribution of ser-vice to others. Manyof the articles in thisissue demonstrate

that our students and our faculty live out the mission of social justice in a variety of ways. Oneoutstanding example is the article on page 9 aboutthe Sr. Julie Billiart Alumni Award and this year’srecipient, J. Gordon Loughlin ’81. His lifelong com-mitment to helping others will make you proud of him and proud of what NDNU is all about. You will enjoy reading that one of our May graduateswas honored with a new award from the City ofBelmont (see page 13). These three individuals – Sr. Dorothy Stang ’64, J. Gordon Loughlin ’81, and Yasmine Kury ’05 – illustrate eloquently theessence of NDNU and the mission of the Sisters of Notre Dame.

In this issue we welcome new faculty and staffand bid farewell to others who have contributedmuch to the University. You will also enjoy articlesabout the opportunities and contributions of ournew and departing staff and faculty.

The President’s Gala in April was our most successful ever, with nearly $30,000 raised for ourtheatre program, and we honored one of Belmont’sfinest citizens, Pamela Clarke. It was an elegantevening with a champagne toast, talented studentperformers with highlights of Oklahoma and otherBroadway music, and a fabulous dinner and auction

in Historic Ralston Hall Mansion. It was a night toremember for those who attended.

Our scholarship program continues to grow and to make a difference in the lives of the stu-dents who are recipients. In this issue we profile Dr. Elaine Cohen, who is pictured with the recipi-ent of her scholarship, Fonny Chandra, a graduate student in piano performance who grew up inIndonesia and played in several major cities as aprofessional pianist. Fonny is a bundle of talentwho has impressed audiences on several continents.We welcome more endowed scholarships; a gift of$25,000 will create a named fund that will exist inperpetuity. There is no better investment than inour students and the promise they hold for thefuture.

My energies over the next few weeks will be on finalizing my vision for NDNU for the next fiveyears, and I will be reporting on that in the nextissue of the Magazine. I was honored in April whenthe Board of Trustees asked me to accept a reap-pointment for another five years as president. Thetransition from College of Notre Dame to NDNUhas moved us to a position of increased visibilityand stature. Our move to the NCAA (see page 12)will provide us with further recognition and is theright step to take at this time in our history.

Finally, we need your support to continue toprovide our values-based education. There is anenvelope in this magazine for your contribution.Thank you for helping us to make a difference in the lives of our students and alumni.

Sincerely,

John B. Oblak, Ph.D.President

L E T T E R F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T

M A K I N G A D I F F E R E N C E

PUBLISHERSteve Kinney ’98, ’02MANAGING EDITOR

Karen PlesurASSOCIATE EDITORLeslie Baikie-Khavari

COPY EDITOR Mary Beech

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSMickey EllingerPam Gullard ’06

Katherine Mills ’99

Letter From the President .........2

Development News ..................3

Campus News .......................4-5

Feature Story:

Sister Dorothy Stang ...........6-7

Alumni News.........................8-9

Faculty News .......................10-11

Athletics .................................12

Student News.........................13

Class Notes..........................14-15

C O N T E N T SNDNU Magazine, Vol. 5, No. 3

CLASS NOTESMirna Michelle Sazo ’04

PRODUCTIONJeanene Denegri-Nielsen

Jeanne GomezForte Press

PHOTOSNDNU Public Relations Archives

SPECIAL THANKSto all who contributed

to this magazine.

2 NDNU I 2005

Cover: A tribute to Sister Dorothy Stang ’64by Sister Terry Davis ’71, SND

2005 I NDNU 3

D E V E L O P M E N T N E W S

Donor Profile:

The Elaine L. Cohen Graduate Endowed Scholarship

s the Dean of the Graduate School at (then) College of Notre Dame from 1984 to 2001, Elaine Cohen helpedto shape and nurture 15 master’s degree programs,four credentials in education, and eight professional

certificates. Elaine came to Notre Dame in 1975 as a facultymember and quickly assumed increasing administrative respon-sibilities. When she retired in 2001, her many friends and col-leagues created an endowed scholarship in her honor, as a wayto recognize her outstanding contributions to the University.

Elaine’s parents, who were immigrants with no formal education, encouraged her to pursue higher education, as theybelieved education was the means of achievement in America.An only child, she fulfilled her parents’ dream, following an edu-cational path that crossed the country. She received her BS inelementary education from the University of Pennsylvania, herM.Ed. from Trinity University in Texas, and her Ed.D. from theUniversity of San Francisco. She spent 14 years teaching in vari-ous school districts ranging from Ardmore, PA, to San Antonio,TX, and to Millbrae and Pacifica, CA, before joining theUniversity.

While immersing herself in developing and strengthening the graduate programs at Notre Dame, she continued to lead a busy life as a wife, mother, and community activist. “I believe in giving back to my community,” Elaine stated recently. Sheparticipated in community organizations and educational insti-tutions while maintaining a full-time career. In addition to

publications and presentationsat national and regional con-ferences, she has initiated orassisted in fundraising for theUniversity of Pennsylvania,Mills Peninsula HospitalFoundation, the HillsboroughSchools Foundation, and Notre Dame de Namur University.

Elaine and her husband, cardiologist Dr. George Cohen,have three children and fourgrandchildren. She currentlydevotes her energies to theMission Hospice of San MateoCounty, where she recentlyassumed the duties of presi-dent of the board. Her personal interests include playing bridge,hiking, collecting art glass, and attending art exhibits and sym-phony performances. With a special fondness for travel, Elainehas traveled the world over, from the Galapagos to Ukraine, toTibet, and to South Africa. On one of her recent trips, she metwith NDNU alumni in Bangkok, Taipei, and Hong Kong. Dr. Elaine Cohen’s dedication, energy, and perseverance havemade a significant impact at NDNU; this endowed scholarshiprecognizes and honors her contributions.

A

Elaine Cohen with scholarship recipient, Fonny Chandra ’06 (Masterof Music and Piano Performance).

paintbrush and easel are never farfrom Quinton Jones McCurine’s ’08, reach. The 25-year-old fresh-

man, who is primarily self-taught, isenrolled this summer in a five-week classfocusing on Italian cinema and photographyat the American Institute for Foreign Studyin Italy.

“I hope to come back with a dozen pleinair landscapes and portraits,” says Quinton,adding that while in Rome he intends topaint the Coliseum. “Maybe I’ll even do afew cafe scenes, like Van Gogh. It’ll begreat.”

After graduating from high school in his hometown of San Diego, Quintondecided to live on his own for a while andattended Platt College, where he receivedan associate’s degree in multimedia. Hethen joined the United States Coast Guard,quickly moving up the ranks to become anelite honor guardsman. After the CoastGuard, his family encouraged him to con-tinue his education and was supportive ofhis decision to enroll at NDNU. Quinton’s

artistic talent earned him an NDNU Emerg-ing Artist Scholarship worth $10,000 a year.

“Higher education is very central to myfamily,” said Quinton, adding that his fatheris a U.S. magistrate judge in southern Cali-fornia and his mother is a professionalartist. “My grandfather on my mom’s sidewas one of six African-American fire chiefsto be elected west of the Mississippi River.He received a score of 99 percent on hisTuskegee Airman exam while serving as apostal clerk during WWII. Unfortunately,his captain thought blacks were unfit to flyand refused his transfer request for thenow-famous air school.”

Quinton’s uncle, Charles Rucker, a popular artist in his own right on the EastCoast, helped hone Quinton’s talent. “Hetaught me a lot of theoretical concepts inregard to art.” Although acrylics, spray paint, and sculpture are Quinton’s passion, he has worked with oil recently. In fact, he painted an oil on canvas of Pope John Paulat the request of a colleague and friend.

“There’s a museum dedicated to PopeJohn Paul on the East Coast,” Quintonexplained. “I’d love to give it to them.”

In the meantime, Quinton will continueto master different styles of painting. “I amthankful every day that I have use of themagnificent art studios on campus. I trulybelieve that the Madison Art Center is themost beautiful place on earth.”

AMastering His Passion

Quinton Jones McCurine

4 NDNU I 2005

C A M P U S N E W S

he Board of Trustees of Notre Dame deNamur University voted at their recentmeeting to reappoint Dr. John B. Oblak

as president for five moreyears through June of 2010.

Members of the Board com-mented on the success of theUniversity during Dr. Oblak’sleadership. This includes thename change from College ofNotre Dame to Notre Dame deNamur University, the estab-lishment of four academicschools, restructuring of theenrollment planning process,completion of a new residencehall, efforts to professionalize the University’sdevelopment and business operations, and revi-talizing the focus on student learning by the

division of student affairs and campus life. The Board further commented on the positiverelationships that have been developed with

the Belmont community, andthe larger region of San MateoCounty.

Chairperson Cressey Nakagawaand the Board of Trustees havealso recommitted themselvesto fundraising for the Univer-sity and will support Dr. Oblakas he addresses new chal-lenges. “We all look forward tosuccess in the next five yearsas we continue to build on thelong history and the successful

accomplishments of Notre Dame de NamurUniversity,” stated Nakagawa.

President Reappointed

rovost Lucille H. Sansing, Ph.D., left Notre Dame de Namur Univer-sity in June to assume the role of

president of Argosy University in SanFrancisco. She brings strong leadershipskills to Argosy. In her eight years atNDNU, Dr. Sansing worked successfullyto help lead NDNU in a number of impor-tant initiatives, including two successfulaccreditation visits from Western Asso-ciation of Schools and Colleges (WASC)and the transition from College of NotreDame to Notre Dame de Namur Univer-sity. Dr. Sansing was also instrumental inimplementing a new academic structure for the University’s four schools and helped institute the University’s four centers ofexcellence that extend the mission ofNDNU to the upper-division major

courses and grad-uate programs. Dr. Sansing alsoworked with col-leagues to nurturethe sponsorshiprelationship withthe Sisters of NotreDame.

“I have had theprivilege of being at NDNU during an important peri-od of its history, and I am grateful for theopportunity to contribute to the signi-ficant changes that have taken place,”states Dr. Sansing. “I wish the NDNUcommunity a robust and prosperousfuture.”

In commenting about her appoint-ment, Dr. Sansing said, “In many ways, my move to Argosy University is a returnto a central passion of mine – workingwith adult students. I look forward to thisleadership role and to being able to stay in the Bay Area.”

avid Catherman joined the NDNUfamily as the Executive Director ofDevelopment in May. David spent

the last four years at Santa Clara Univer-sity on their development staff as an asso-ciate director of“The Campaign forSanta Clara.” He hasalso served in thedevelopment officesof Bellarmine Col-lege PreparatorySchool, DillardUniversity, and theUniversity of Texas.He has a bachelor’sdegree from Eisen-hower College of the RochesterInstitute of Technology and workedtowards his master’s degree in journalismat Columbia University. David is a provenfundraiser, and the University welcomeshim as he joins our fundraising efforts.“Advancing a university is a challengingprocess,” said Catherman. “It turns, inpart, on a clear institutional mission;engaged alumni, parents, students, faculty,and others; adequate resources to do thejob; reliable stewardship; and foremost,determined presidential and trustee leadership. I’m excited to be joining theNDNU community, as we move ahead to realize its required resources.”

Welcome David

A Fond Farewell

P

udith Maxwell Greig, Ph.D., will serve as interimprovost for the academic year 2005-2006. Greig,a tenured professor, has been an integral part of

NDNU for the past 17 years, serving as dean of theSchool of Education and Leadership for the last twoyears, as senior advisor to the president, and as chairof the faculty senate.

“From the day I walked onto campus I loved thepeople and the mission of the institution,” Greig said.

“I take great pride in how well we have prepared ourstudents for their lives as teachers. The entire facultyis deeply concerned that students be thinking andcaring, competent and confident, ethical and wholehuman beings. I am honored by the the challengesthat lie ahead.”

(See page 10 for Interim Dean.)

Interim Provost

Lucille H. Sansing, Ph.D.

Judith Maxwell Greig, Ph.D.

David Catherman

J

DT

2005 I NDNU 5

C A M P U S N E W S

2005 I NDNU 5

he 2005 President’s Gala was held onApril 9 with the theme of “BringingBroadway to Belmont.” Approximately

145 guests of the black tie event were treated to a musical review featuring selections fromNDNU’s production of Oklahoma! The SecondAnnual NDNU Community Spirit Award waspresented to Belmont business woman andeducator Pamela Clarke. A fabulous dinner in historic Ralston Hall Mansion was catered by Le Papillon of San Jose, followed by live andsilent auctions, and dancing. This was the firstyear for the auction. The gala and auction raised over $28,000 to benefit the NDNUTheatre restoration.Generous sponsors suchas Sungard Collegis,Bank of America, Yvonneand Angelo Sangiacomo,BFI, and IKON helpedmake this event a hugesuccess.

Top right: Members of thepresident’s gala committee.Left to right, back row: JamieRose ’01, Cindy Pettinelli,Carla Repetto Webster ’70, ’73Honorary Chair, Bob Webster,Barbara Kinney, MarianneChung, Mary Lou Putnam ’79Honorary Chair. Front row:Janiece Bacon Oblak, Debra Lambert, Pamela Clarke (2005 Community Spirit Award recipient),Maureen Freschet ’98, Carol Loughlin Honorary Chair, Denise Winkelstein ’74.

Left: President Oblak presents the Community Spirit Award to Pamela Clarke.

Bottom right: Bid calling champion, Joe Putnam, auctioneer for the gala.

President’s Gala

T

n September 2004 the NDNU School of Sciences was accepted as a partnerin the Virtual Development Center

(VDC) of the Anita Borg Institute, thatpromotes collaboration between industryand academia in the design and creationof useful new technologies. Immediatelyfollowing acceptance into VDC, NDNUstudents and faculty set their sights onpresenting a project at the next nationalconference in Boulder, Colorado, in April2005. The VDC requirement for a projectwas that the students work with a com-

munity partner to solve a technical prob-lem for them.

In the spring semester, the seniorcomputer science project class partneredwith the Peninsula Conflict ResolutionCenter (PCRC), to improve their website,making it possible for volunteers to signup for training and carpools.

Three NDNU seniors presented theproject at the conference. Dave Cruz and Chris Wehman, from the computerscience class that had addressed the tech-nical aspects of the project, and Shelina

Miranda, a psychology/sociology major,worked directly with the staff at PCRC to determine their informational needs.The NDNU presenters joined studentsand faculty from several prestigious universities across the nation, includingUniversity of Washington, University ofTexas, Purdue University, and Universityof California, Berkeley. Gloria Montano,the VDC director, made a point of com-plimenting the NDNU team, stating that the NDNU students had done “exceptional work.”

IComputer Science Project Lauded at National Conference

In the lawless outpost of the town of Anapu, shetaught desperately poorfarmers how to harvest thehardwood rain forest with-out logging it. She alsotaught them to stand upagainst the powerful ranchers and logging companies who burned theirhouses and tried to take over theirsmall plots. Enraged, wealthy land-owners sent her and other environ-mentalists death threats.

Slight, soft-spoken, 73-year-oldSister Dorothy became cautious as shewalked to the 21 small forest stationsshe helped build and where shetaught workers to employ such sus-tainable agricultural methods as pro-cessing nuts, drying fruit, and millingbanana pulp into flour. Despite thedanger, she was undeterred. “I don’twant to flee,” she wrote to her NotreDame de Namur sisters back inDayton.“[These farmers] have thesacrosanct right to aspire to a betterlife on land where they can live andwork with dignity while respectingthe environment.”

Sister Dorothy died for thesebeliefs.A cross of branches marks thespot by the highway where she wasshot in the face one rainy Februarymorning, 2005, by an agent of thelarge landowners.This simple crossmay well mark the global turningpoint in the violent conflict to savethe rain forest and to restore therights of its poorest inhabitants.

The international communityraised an outcry at Sister Dorothy’smurder. Sixty organized groups petitioned the Brazilian governmentto stop the violence. Rev. LucasRodriquez, a priest who worked with Stang, told an Associated Pressreporter,“Maybe with her blood she’llaccomplish in death what she couldn’taccomplish during her life.”

For decades Brazilian PresidentLuis Inacio Lula da Silva, called sim-ply Lula, seemed to turn a blind

eye to the bloody conflict.According to the PastoralLand Commission (CPT),the Catholic agency forwhich Sister Dorothyworked, 1,237 rural workersdied in Brazil from 1985 to2001, murdered for theirsimple desire to make a liv-ing. Just days after SisterDorothy’s death, Lula tookdrastic steps to end themurders and preserve therain forest, a remarkableturnaround.

He restored restrictionson logging, and he strength-ened his country’s environ-mental agency, calledIBAMA, by protectingIBAMA agents with thou-sands of military troops. In

the past, IBAMA workers were oftenmet with gunfire as they landed in the jungle to enforce regulations. Lulaalso announced 8.15 million acres ofnew reserves and established a parkspanning 1.1 million acres in Para,the province where Sister Dorothyworked.These hardwood forests pouroxygen into the global atmosphere,and they protect the planet’s bio-diversity. Sister Dorothy’s quiet voicehas revolutionized rain forest environ-mentalism, but most importantly, sheimproved the lives of countless sub-sistence farmers, her friends.

She was not born to greatness,but as one of the oldest of nine chil-dren on farmland outside of Dayton,she was probably born to command.“She was called ‘the little general’,”says her sister Norma with a laugh.“She always knew what to do.”

Soft-Spoken Nun Made Global Difference

ver twenty years ago SisterDorothy Stang’64, a native ofDayton, Ohio,first traveled therutted, red mudhighway into the heart of theBrazilian rainforest.

Oby Pam Gullard ’06

Their Air Force colonel father andhard-working mother taught all thesiblings self-reliance. Nothing waswasted on the land.The family usedtire treads to resole shoes and savedapple and potato peels for compost.They made soap, fixed broken win-dows and fences themselves, grew andcanned their own vegetables, and evenmade their own underwear.That is,the girls wore undergarments sewnfrom flour sack material.“We got somad,” remembers Norma.“The boysgot theirs from Sears.” She adds thatthey all respected their farmland.“Weused to gripe about having to pullweeds, but we lived off the land, andDad taught us how important the land was.”

As a junior high student just afterWorld War II in 1948, Dorothy founda place to put her organizing talentsto work. She joined the Sisters ofNotre Dame de Namur communityand for five years taught elementaryclasses in Illinois inner-city schools.In 1964, she earned her bachelor’sdegree from Notre Dame de NamurUniversity here in Belmont.

Her next assignment was nearPhoenix, where she taught elementaryschool and ministered to migrantworkers in outlying areas.This pre-pared her for her long journey in1966 to northeast Brazil, where shefirst spent years developing schools and catechism classes. In the early1970s, the government offered173,000 acres of land to families whowould settle in the Amazon area. Shefollowed 400 of them into the rainforest to provide education and com-munity support.The promised landdeeds never materialized, however,

and Sister Stang became increasinglyconcerned about defending the rightsof the disenfranchised.

At her funeral, the families shetouched remembered her with deepfondness. Grief-stricken mourners car-ried saplings behind her coffin as theycrossed the footbridge spanning theAnapu River.The branches symbol-ized her fight for the rain forest andfor the families trying to live inde-pendent lives under its canopy. Theyspoke with affection of the womanwho loved pancakes, ice cream, andsports.They remembered her infec-tious smile as she greeted children or rode around town on her bicycle.Even when her life was threatened,she was irrepressible.

This spirit lives on, as Sister JoanBurke remarked in her moving com-mencement address on May 7, 2005,commemorating Sister Dorothy’swork. Sister Joan represents the Sisters of Notre Dame to the UnitedNations, chairing a committee thathighlights the impact of governmentalpolicies on poor people. Sister Joannoted that the Anapu villagers hon-ored Sister Dorothy’s work as theirintermediary with powerful factions.At Sister Dorothy’s funeral, a farmerfrom her village said that she was notburied, but rather was planted in theearth so that justice could sprout andtake hold.

Sister Joan Burkeencourages graduates to make a difference in the world.

Dorothy Stang’s sister, Norma,accepts a posthumous degree inDorothy’s honor from NDNUPresident Dr. John B. Oblak.

A L U M N I N E W S

8 NDNU I 2005

n Saturday, February 5, 2005, theAlumni Association honored Dr.Mary Ellen Boyling, Dr. Elizabeth

Center and Dr. Don Stannard-Friel with an award for outstanding service and ded-ication to the students of Notre Dame deNamur University. These three current andformer faculty members were the first

recipients of this new award given by the Alumni Association. In addition to the awards presentation and dinner, asilent auction raised $1,400 for the AlumniAssociation Scholarship Fund and $175 forthe Friends of Ralston Hall. It was a mem-orable evening enjoyed by all.

Alumni Association Honors Faculty

O

Shakespeare in Ashland

Dr. Center’s students, left to right: Alexander Agopovich ’92, Renee Polizotto ’90, Kirk Wilcox ’89, Dr. Center,Dennis Hobby ’82, Christina Armijo ’91, and Susan Horstmeyer ’90.

CND Class of 1970 35-year Reunion

Caesar’s Restaurant

in San Francisco

Saturday,October 8, 2005

Please contact

Carla Repetto Webster ’70,

at crepetto@aol.com or

(415) 885-6097 if you are

interested in attending.Alumnae from the class of 1955 receive certificates of recognition and medallions with the University seal.Sr. Roseanne Murphy awards certificates to (left to right) Joan Trombatore White, Kathleen Sullivan,Carole Williams, and Barbara O’Sullivan.

White Gloves in Hand

eservations for the Shakespeare Trip are coming in so if you wouldlike to join the trip August 2-6 in

Ashland, please let Sr. Roseanne know.This year the plays are King Lear, Comedy of Errors and Much Ado About Nothing.For more information, please contact Sr. Roseanne Murphy, (650) 508-3551 or email rmurphy@ndnu.edu.

R

EngravedCommemorativePavestonesPavestones offer a great gift

opportunity. For details on how

to order, visit the Website at

www.ndnu.edu/development

or contact Manny Nungaray

at (650) 508-3442.

2005 I NDNU 9

A L U M N I N E W S

n 1998 NDNU established the Julie Billiart award for out-standing community service, to be given to an alum whohas demonstrated an outstanding concern for people in need, who has worked toward solutions to human

situations needing correction, and whohas shown creativity, managementskills, and leadership in making a bet-ter community. St. Julie Billiart was the foundress of the Sisters of NotreDame de Namur over two hundredyears ago. Her concern for the poor and dispossessed is a model that gives impetus for the mission of working for peace and the establishment of justice in society.

This year’s recipient was J. GordonLoughlin, who earned a master’s degreein art therapy in 1981. From the timeGordon was a child, he was concernedabout those less fortunate than he. Heused to give his toys to children whohad less than he and often took themto the movies with his allowancemoney. As an adult, his interest andconcern for those in need continued.

In 1963, aware that there were no special education classes for the emotionally disturbed students on the high school campus where he taught art, he decided to start one.

Fueled by the needs of these children, he decided toacquire his life credential for teaching the learning handi-capped and severely handicapped, autistic and schizophrenicchildren. After teaching for a period of time, he realized that

there must be another way to reachthem, and it was then that he decidedto pursue his master’s in art therapy. His was in the first class to achieve thatdegree.

While still teaching, he also volun-teered his time at the Santa Clara CountyJuvenile Hall, the Catholic Social Servicesskill center, as well as at the veteran’shospital in Palo Alto.

In the 1980’s he volunteered with theJesuits in Mexico, in their relief effortafter the earthquake in Mexico City.

In the 1990’s Gordon spent time withthe Missionaries of Charity sisters inCalcutta, India. He was allowed to workwith the children in the Shisho Bhavanhome for neglected and orphaned chil-dren and had the privilege of getting to know Mother Theresa of Calcutta.

Throughout his life he has shown hiscompassion for those in need, especially

for those who suffer the rejection of society. It was an honorto give J. Gordon Loughlin the Julie Billiart award for out-standing community service for 2005.

J. Gordon Loughlin ’81

IJulie Billiart Alumni Award

Gordon accepts award during commencement.

otre Dame de Namur University is proud to announce our new alumni on-line community! All alumni can use thiscommunity to view alumni associate events, update

addresses, find old friends, search for people by career and com-pany, post class notes, and much more! Please visit the on-linecommunity today at www.ndnu.edu/alumni and click on AlumniCommunity! Stay connected today!

“Continue the spirit and mission of NDNU by helping to make this world

a better place . . . one student at a time.”

Join the Cunningham Heritage Society by including NDNU in your estate plans.

For more information, contact Sr. RoseanneMurphy, Executive Director of Planned Giving,

(650) 508-3551 or rmurphy@ndnu.edu.

Alumni On-Line Community

N he NDNU Alumni Association is pleased to announce thethird Southern California museum trip during the MLK Jr.Weekend in January 2006. The first two trips to the J. Paul

Getty Center in fall ’99 and spring ’00 were sold out in weeks, sothis trip is expected to fill quickly. The group will be staying inthe vibrant city of Pasadena and will have private tours of both theHuntington Estate and Gardens and the Norton Simon Museum.There is an optional visit to the Getty Center as well. Reservationsare now being accepted accompanied by full payment. Total cost is $575 for single occupancy and $825 for double occupancy andincludes round trip airfare, hotel for two nights, transportation,and museum fees. For more information, please visit the Alumniwebsite at www.ndnu.edu/alumni or call the Alumni Office at(650) 508-3515. E-mail inquiries may be sent to the trip coordina-tor – Alexander Agopovich – at ndnumuseumtrip2006@yahoo.com.

Alumni Travel OpportunitiesOpen to All!

T

FA C U LT Y N E W S

10 NDNU I 2005

Faculty CornerTeaching Excellence It has been a memorable summer for Dr. Rossi, who has just been appointedinterim dean of the School of Educationand Leadership for the 2005-2006 year,and received the prestigious George M.Keller Teaching Excellence Award at thisyear’s commencement ceremony. Estab-lished in 1995 with an endowment pre-sented by the Chevron Corporation tohonor the long-standing commitment and service of George M. Keller to the

University, the KellerTeaching ExcellenceAward is presentedannually to an out-standing full-timefaculty member whohas taught in under-graduate or graduateprograms at the Uni-versity for at leastthree years. A com-

mittee comprised of the four School deans,previous recipients of the award, and theprovost, selects the outstanding facultymember from nominations submitted bystudents. The award carries an honorari-um of $4,000. Dr. Rossi was selected fromamong 33 nominees and nominated 52times. One student wrote on her votingballot, “She is the most loving, helpful,caring professor. She prepares all her stu-dents well and really cares for everyone’ssuccess. She is like a mother to all students.”

Accomplished PoetDirector of MAE program JacquelineBerger won the AghaShahid Ali Prize inPoetry for her bookThings that Burn. Hervolume was selectedby this year’s judge,former U.S. Poet Lau-reate Mark Strand. Inthis evocative collection Berger dissects in ardent language and rich imagery theways that hunger and longing propel usthrough our lives, offering the reader apost mortem of passion and desire. She

also wrote The Mythologies of Danger, winnerof both the 1997 Blues-tem Award and theBay Area Book Reviewers AssociationAward.

WelcomeJan Lawrence joins the NDNU commu-nity as Director of the Early LearningCenter. She is a NDNU alumna who completed her Montessori training here.For many years she was a Montessoriteacher in Italy and Mexico, as well as atNeighborhood Montessori in San Mateo.Ms. Lawrence has created many fascinat-ing experiences with young children,including enrichment activities such asbilingual education through cooking andart, and a community outreach program in Mexico. Mostrecently she served as a child develop-ment instructor inboth English andSpanish at CañadaCollege. “I look for-ward to continuingand expanding thevision for quality inearly childhood edu-cation and exploring ways to develop our usefulness to the University as a laboratory school,” she said. “Montessori’swork parallels much of what currentresearch now considers innovative in thefield. We will be integrating Spanish, thearts, and gardening into the curriculum aswell as implementing family groups in thecoming year.”

Democracy and Global IslamHistory and politicalscience professor Ali Ferdowsi, Ph.D,joined an interna-tional roundtable discussion at the“Democracy andGlobal Islam” confer-ence at UC Berkeleythis April. Accordingto Ferdowsi, most aca-demic studies focusing on Islam fall into

one of two categories: area studies(Middle East, Central Asia, etc.) or Islam-ology – the study of Islamic religion andhistory. The goal of the conference was togo beyond the boundaries of existing aca-demic fields to study the relationsbetween Muslims, globalization, the reinterpretation of Islam, and democracy.

“It was a very successful conference in that it brought together scholars, pol-iticians, and Muslim leaders from Europeand the United States,” Dr. Ferdowsi said. “As a rare transatlantic meeting, itallowed us to have a lively exchange ofexperiences and ideas regarding the waysin which Europe and the United States are similar or differ in their perception of their respective relationships withMuslim countries and their domesticMuslim communities in an increasinglyglobalized setting.

Co-sponsors of the conference includedthe Institute of Governmental Studies, theCenter for Middle Eastern Studies, and theCenter for Southeast Asian Studies.

E-LearningDr. Roger Goodson, Professor of Busi-ness and Management, took a sabbaticalrecently to research on-line learning,focusing on whysome teachers rejectthe use of electronictechnology in theircourses. Other thansimple resistance tochange, Goodson dis-covered that distrustand disinterest intechnology, alongwith a fear of losingcontrol over the students, and the intrin-sic rewards resulting from face-to-face performance, made on-line learning anunfavorable choice for some professors.However, his research suggests that thechanging profile of students makes on-line learning very necessary: Many tradi-tional undergraduate students have towork more during the academic year tosupport their education than was the case in the past. This means that an any time,

continued on page 11

Dr. Joanne Rossi

Jan Lawrence

Dr. Roger Goodson

Ali Ferdowsi, Ph.D.

Jacqueline Berger

2005 I NDNU 11

FA C U LT Y N E W S

etty Friedman, Art DepartmentChair, is presenting a solo exhibit of her intaglio prints on handmade

paper in September at the recently openedTula Prints Art Gallery in Cordoba, Spain.

Betty is showing 15 prints,both one-of-a-kind mono-types and several pieces ofeditioned work that sheproduced at her studio in

Oakland during the past year. She is par-ticularly enthusiastic about showing herwork in Spain, which has a great tradi-tion of printmaking and graphics. Spanishartists Picasso, Miro, and Tapias have madean enormous contribution to the art of theprint. “There is a large commercial printindustry in Spain that interests me as agraphic designer,” Friedman said.

Betty Friedman’s Exhibit in Spain

B

Betty’s prints to be displayed in Spain this summer.

any place option to learning is not onlyattractive to many, but is necessary if theyare to remain in tertiary educational insti-tutions. Dr. Goodson’s research indicatesthat on-line learning is now a high growthindustry; in order to remain consumer-oriented and competitive traditional uni-versities will have to accept its importanceand effectively integrate it with face-to-face course availability.

Summer OperaKatherine Mills, Theatre Arts lecturer, is the costume designer for Orfeo ed Euridicand for four evenings of scenes fromoperas for BASOTI, the Bay Area SummerOpera Theatre Institute. She is workingwith David Ostwald who has directed several operas for NDNU for which Millsdesigned costumes, most recently Orpheusand Dido and Aeneas. BASOTI, based in

San Francisco, trainsopera singers whoappear in their Julyproductions whichincludes a total ofthree operas in addi-tion to the eveningsof scenes.

The Science Education of American Girls Interim Chair of Advanced Studies in the School of Education and Leadership,Kim Tolley, received an award and a men-tion in Time Magazine for her latest book,The Science Education of American Girls: AHistorical Perspective. Dr. Tolley won honor-able mention in the New Scholar BookAward, presented biennially by the

American Educa-tional ResearchAssociation. Her bookis the first publishedhistorical study com-paring the scienceeducation of adoles-cent girls and boys.She explores the ori-gins and developmentof the sciences and

mathematics and notes the fact that sci-ence was originally considered a girls’ sub-ject. In the 1890s girls outnumbered boysin public high school science courses.School records show that girls outper-formed boys in physics in the mid-19thcentury. It was only in the 20th century,when lucrative opportunities began toopen up in the sciences, that boys startedto excel in that area as well.

Katherine Mills Kim Tolley

Save the Date! September 30 – October 2, 2005Family Weekend will take place at NDNU in celebration of the new academic year. Parents, guardians, siblings, and

grandparents are all invited to campus for a weekend of fun, food, and friendship. Some highlights of the weekend will include a reception with Deans and faculty members, and the Wiegand Gallery exhibit and reception featuring

Countdown to Eternity, a photo documentary of Dr. Martin Luther King, and the civil rights movement.

Save the Date! September 30 – October 2, 2005

Phot

o: J

ohn

Ang

ell G

rant

AT H L E T I C S

12 NDNU I 200512 NDNU I 2005

Women’s Soccer – 16-2-3, 6-0 in confer-ence. Won its 4th Cal Pac Championship,advanced to the NAIA Region II Champ-ionship game. Joe Silveira was named theCal Pac Coach of the Year. Yang Zhou ’06,was named the Cal Pac MVP, an NAIA AllAmerica Honorable Mention, and AllRegion II selection.

Men’s Soccer – 17-4-2, 4-0-2 in confer-ence. Advanced to the NAIA Region IIsemifinals for the first time, had two AllRegion and NAIA All America HonorableMention selections in Mike Whittaker’04, and Anthony Putrus ’07.

Volleyball – 22-11, 16-2 in conference.Danielle Dooly ’05, was named the Cal Pac MVP and Ana Marie Hannah ’05, was an NAIA All America Scholar-Athlete selection.

Men’s Cross-Country – Cal Pac champions, qualified for the NAIANational Tournament and Regionals. Jose Gonzalez ’07, was the individual Cal Pac champion and was an NAIA All Region selection. Jesse Torres wasnamed the Coach of the Year.

Women’s Cross-Country – Secondstraight regional appearance, second placein Cal Pac and second overall finisher inthe Cal Pac championships in BrittneyBallin ’08. Men’s Basketball – 18-13, 13-3 inconference, finished in second place, beatthree ranked teams. Had one Cal Pac AllConference selection in Jason Billie ’05.

Women’s Basketball – 9-21, 8-8 in con-ference, finished in fifth place. Had two

NAIA All America Scholar-Athletes inTamsen Lee ’06, and Elise De Groot ’05.Had one Cal Pac All Conference selectionin Tamsen Lee and one Honorable Men-tion selection in Amanda Monteith ’08.

Men’s Golf – Placed 14th in nation inNAIA. Joe Larson ’05, qualified for theNAIA National Tournament and was an NAIA All America Scholar-Athlete selection.

Women’s Golf – Jennifer Van Dyke ’05,led the team all season and was a NAIAAll America Scholar Athlete.

Softball – Finished the season 28-24.Under Coach Rianda the Argos have finished over .500 every season. Alicia

Braner ’06, Amber Brazier ’05, NicoleBrazier ’05, Jami Padilla ’05, JessicaCuillier ’06, Erika Miyahira ’05, SkylarTokomine ’05, and Chelsea Walton ’06are NAIA All America Scholar-Athletecandidates.

Lacrosse – Finished the season 14-3. Atone point this season were ranked ninthin the nation and were led by team MVP,NDNU Male Athlete of the Year, goalieMike Ferrari ’07. T Mike Prescott ’08,freshman. He was the male newcomer of the year at NDNU.

Pictured at the NDNU athletics sports banquet, from left to right: Awardees Brittney Ballin ’08, cross-country;Mike Ferrari ’07, lacrosse; Marisa Zambetti ’08, soccer; Mehdi Taieb-Brahim ’08, cross-country; Doug Locker,athletic director; Amanda Monteith ’08, basketball; Jennifer Van Dyke ’05, Joe Larson ’05, and Mike Prescott’08, golf.

2004-05 AthleticWrap-Up

otre Dame de Namur University has announced its inten-tion to move to the NCAA, participating at the Division IIlevel, with the start of the 2005-2006 school year.

Formerly an NAIA member participating in the Cali-fornia Pacific Conference, NDNU will become a member of thePacific West Conference, beginning its first provisional year July 1,2005. The addition of NDNU is the first of many steps that theconference has taken to re-establish itself to full voting status inthe NCAA Division II.

“We were looking for a conference that was a good fit for the University and the Pacific West Conference was perfect,”

said NDNU Athletic Director, Doug Locker. “We are excited towork with such a dedicated and professional group of individualsas we move from the NAIA to the NCAA. We believe this movewill provide our student-athletes with the highest level of competi-tion available.”

NDNU President Dr. Jack Oblak agreed that the University is very enthusiastic about the move to the NCAA. “We feel it is in the best interest of our students and the institution,” said Dr. Oblak. “We look forward to new competition in the NCAA.”

NNDNU Announces Move to NCAA Division II

2005 I NDNU 13

S T U D E N T N E W S

his is one of the most rewarding experiences I’veever had the opportunity to participate in. It’s farexceeded my expectations and can only get better.”

Brad Katherman, Class of ’07, is talking about hissummer job interning in the Tempe, Arizona, office of SenatorJohn McCain. As one of two summer interns working along-side the four full-time staff members, Katherman answers letters and phone calls from McCain’s constituents. He can’tviolate confidentiality by describing details of the calls, but it’s his job to convey callers’ views on legislation to SenatorMcCain, and to help constituents solve problems dealing with agencies of the federal government. If someone is havingtrouble reaching the appropriate person in an agency or get-ting a response to his inquiries, Katherman works with theconstituent and the agency to try to resolve it. The workenhances Katherman’s written and oral communication skillsas he works with constituents on the phone and drafts lettersfor the senator.

“People care very passionately about their own problemsand views,” says Katherman. “You’re always on high alert. Time goes by very quickly.”

Katherman wanted to go to college out of state and wasrecruited to the Notre Dame soccer team, where he plays defender, by coach Joe Silveira. He came to college undecided

on a major, although he’salways been interested in his-tory. He credits Sister PatMcGlinn’s introduction toAmerican government classand the encouragement of hisadvisor Professor StephenCole with inspiring him todeclare a double major in his-tory and political science.

The internship wasKatherman’s own idea. “I havea lot of respect for SenatorMcCain. I looked on his web-site, found out about intern-ships, and applied to his office in Tempe.” He’s looking for-ward to having his picture taken with McCain, and getting the senator to sign a copy of Why Courage Matters.

Katherman is unsure of his career plans, although he leanstoward graduate school and a career in law enforcement. Hisrespect for McCain’s “sense of dignity and integrity” and hisinternship experience have increased his interest in politics as a possible career as well.

Brad Katherman ’07

“TMaking a Difference, One Constituent at a Time

t this year’s graduation ceremony, graduating senior YasmineKury received the City of Belmont Student Community Serviceand Leadership Award for her outstanding service work with-

in the City of Belmont. Throughout her term at NDNU, Yasmine focused her attention on

the City of Belmont and its residents. She represented NDNU at theSave the Music Festival in 2003 and 2004. Yasmine also participatedin last year’s Community Collaborations Day, working with the city

of Belmont to paint curbs and pave-ment. This year she organized mem-bers of the student senate to donatetools and help plant a vegetable andherb garden at the Center for theIndependence of the Disabled. Shealso participated on the Belmont/NDNU Advisory Board WorkingCommittee and as a Resident Asso-ciation Senator, advising studentsabout the opportunities available to them in Belmont.

Yasmine’s example may serve toinspire other students to seek serviceopportunities within their univer-sity’s host city.

City of Belmont Service Award Student Interns

A

Yasmine Kury ’05

DNU students Kelly Archibald, AnnMary Astrinos,Christopher Monk, and Jami Padilla interned withIntuit Corporation. Nationally, 80 percent of gradu-

ating seniors have some work or internship experience.NDNU’s Career Center has an extensive database of intern-ship opportunities for non-profit and for-profit companies tomeet student’s diverse needs. It provides opportunities forstudents, alumni, faculty, staff, and the business communityto connect, helping students discover possibilities and makeinformed career decisions.

NLeft to right: Kelly Archibald ’06, AnnMary Astrinos ’07, Christopher Monk ’07,and Jami Padilla ’06.

’64 Margaret W. Govednik, BA

History, recently graduated from the School of Pastoral Ministry inthe Oakland Diocese and currentlyworks in the areas of social justice,adult formation, and lay presiding.Much of her inspiration andcourage to engage in the work of the Churchhas been fostered by the teaching and examplesof courageous and enlightened women of theSisters of Notre Dame de Namur whom sheencountered during her four years as a studentat NDNU.

Judith “Jae” Duckhorn, BA English, had abook published, “The Reading Game - EarlyReading - And I Mean Early.” It is a lightheartedbut thorough look at how to use a few fun min-utes a week to catapult your toddler to literacythat lasts.

’66, ’75 Eileen Riley, BA in English and MA in Teaching,

retired after serving as principal of Ernie PyleElementary School in the Fresno Unified SchoolDistrict. She is enjoying her retirement and is

going to travel to parts of Mississippi, Alabama,and Georgia soon. She will also be visitingRussia in June and is currently taking a water-color art class to develop her artistic skills.

’73, ’74, ’78Diane Quiery Sexton, BA, Credential, MAT,

has been teaching for 31 years in the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District. She started inAugust 1974. She is married to Stephen and theyhave one son named Andrew.

’78 Joseph A. McGhee Jr., BA English, married

Ms. Linda LaBrot on August 7, 2004, in CulverCity, California. Joe is a special ed teacher inLos Angeles.

’82 Doris M. Boyd, BS Business, says

her graduation from College ofNotre Dame in ’82 added a wholenew dimension to her life. Althoughshe took an early retirement fromwork in ’86, she continued herlearning process, visiting other

countries and getting involved in community projects.

Julianne (Gans) Stokes received her musicdegree and is working on her MA in Theologythrough CDU. Julianne and her husband Jonhave eight children. She is active in religiousclasses and sings at her parish.

’83 Kathleen Gans and husband Todd have nine

children. Kate recently wrote a research paperon Father Junipero Serra and his positive con-tribution to the history of the AmericanWest.Kate is active in religious classes and sings ather parish.

14 NDNU I 2005

C L A S S N OT E S

Keep your fellow alums up-to-date! Send your news to theAlumni Office, Notre Dame de Namur University, 1500 Ralston Ave.,Belmont, CA 94002, or the Alumni Homepage at www.ndnu.edu.Please include your name at the time of graduation, your graduationyear, your degree, and your phone number. You can also help us keepour records current by including your occupation and title, your workand home street addresses, and your work and home e-mail addresses.

Give Us Your Class Notes

hether they’re in need of food, financial assistance or just akind ear to listen, clients at the C.A.L.L. (Christian Action LifeLine) Primrose Center have a friend in Mary Watt.

For the past six years, as executive director of C.A.L.L.Primrose, a non-profit social service agency based in Burlingame, Mary hasassisted individuals with food and emergency financial assistance throughoutthe mid-Peninsula.

The NDNU alumna, who graduated in ’98 with a bachelor’s in human servicesand in ’01 with a master’s in public administration, has always had a passionfor helping people. Mary recalls that her mother, who passed away when shewas young, instilled a sense of civic responsibility in her children as she wasvery active in the PTA, Pioneer Girls, and their church.

“I learned by example,” said Mary, who lives in San Carlos with her husband,Roman. They have two grown boys, Justin, 26, and Ryan, 22. “I always thoughthelping others was something you do. NDNU also fosters a real passion for giv-ing back to your community, and it had a definite influence on me as well.”

Every day, a variety of people who are down on their luck walk into C.A.L.L.Primrose for assistance and are greeted with a warm smile from one of their 50trained volunteers. Last year the non-profit distributed more than 12,000 bagsof food to needy individuals and families. According to Mary, these days fewerpeople are unemployed, but their dollars just aren’t stretching far enough. “Wecontinue to see an increasing number of people in our food program. We serve

everyone from the homeless to seniors on a fixedincome to families in need,” she explained, addingthat besides monetary donations the center canalways use non-perishable items, canned food, dairyproducts, and meat, as well as travel-size toiletries.

Besides providing food and emergency financialassistance, C.A.L.L. Primrose helps individuals get on a path toward self-sufficiency. “We look at the whole picture,” Mary said. “We have a senior clientwho was sick this winter and needed to turn on her heat. She ran up a large billthat we will help her pay, but we’re also going to encourage her to take a classto learn budgeting skills so she doesn’t get into that situation again.”

Students from NDNU’s MPA graduate program recently created a survey forC.A.L.L. Primrose clients and other volunteer agencies associated with the cen-ter. In addition, an NDNU grant writing class conducted an independent studyat the center earning them a $3,500 grant.

“I still have great ties with NDNU,” Mary reminisced. “I remember my very firstclass with Deb Cash – Introduction to Human Services. We all picked an agencyto create a project with. The message was that you’ve got to get out there andhelp others, and that’s what we all have to do.”

Mary also stays busy by volunteering with the American Red Cross, theYosemite Fund, and the Yosemite Association, and serves on the SecondHarvest Food Bank Services Advisory Committee.

Mary Watt ’98, ’01

WLiving by Example

C L A S S N OT E S

2005 I NDNU 15

’86, ’87 Jessica A. (Silva) Clary, BA English, Special

Education Credential, is now in her eigh-teenth year of teaching at La Gloria School.She works as a master/mentor teacher, andhas two children, Matthew, age 11, andAmanda, age 8.

’88 Barbara Leiberman, BA in English, Cum

Laude, graduated in '88 and then from the University of Colorado at Boulder LawSchool in 2004 and is now studying for thebar exam. She enjoyed her philosophy classtaught by Diana Fee, and English literatureby Dr. Boyling.

’90 Dr. Andrew Michael Hararah, BS Biology,

is a physician in private practice in LongIsland, New York. He is married with twochildren ages 7 and 5.

’00 Danica Damian, BS Business, moved to

Las Vegas where she purchased a home andworks for Wells Fargo Bank as a financialanalyst.

’02 Rafael Santiago, BA Social Science, says he

and his wife, Stephanie, have a 10-month-oldson named Mateo Elias.

BIRTHS

Amy Canillo Laguna ’98 BA PoliticalScience, and Oscar Laguna ’98 BACommunications, welcomed their first child,a girl, on March 30, 2005. Marcella GraceLaguna is a blessing and they are so happy to have her in their lives. Amy and Oscar metat NDNU, fell in love, got married, and nowhave a child together! Oscar says, “It’s amaz-ing for us to see how far we have come insuch a short period of time and how it allstarted at NDNU.”

(zIn MemoriamCatherine Ruhl ’30

Joanna Avalli ’64

Dorothy Flaherty ’85

Melissa Quan ’91

Derrick Robinson “Doc” ’98

alking to Iftikhar Shirazi, it’s hard to imagine that he sat in a corner atfreshman orientation, too scared and

shy to introduce himself. These days Ifti,with his father and two brothers, managesPakistan’s Atlas Group of eleven compa-nies, with more than 5,000 employees andassets of more than 700 million dollars.

He laughs. “It was the first time I hadgone abroad for education, and I had noidea what to expect, how I would do. ButSister ‘RJ,’ Rosemarie Julie, may she rest in peace, came up to me and patted me onthe back. She was always telling me, ‘Youhave to come out of your shell, make yourown decisions, learn to lead.’ And by thetime I left Notre Dame four years later, Ihad become a grown man, full of confi-dence.” He credits other teachers as well –Ardy Davaran, Deb Cash, Sister RoseanneMurphy, and “Mrs. C.”

Shirazi was born in 1960, the eldest offive. After education in Pakistan and sum-mer courses at Cambridge in the UnitedKingdom, he wanted to go to college inthe United States.

He chose Notre Dame. “I was lookingfor a college that would groom me, helpme grow. I didn’t want to go to a big uni-versity and get lost.”

From his begin-ning as a shy fresh-man, Shirazi madefriends quickly. Hestill maintains con-tact with friends,among them BradleyNitschneider ’85, ’91,Mark Berberich ’86,and Anne Riley ’85.He played tennis,studied English,joined the Inter-national Club, andby the time he grad-uated was president.“Notre Dame was anexciting cross-cultural environment.There were students from all over Asiaand Europe, all over the world.” Heremembers the Club’s annual dinner,where students prepared culinary spec-ialties from their home countries – sushi,curries, lumpia – and served them toappreciative students and faculty.

After graduating from Notre Dame, Ifti worked for two years at the Bank ofTokyo in London and in 1988 joined thefamily business, founded by his fatherYusuf in 1962. In 1994 he did graduatework at Harvard Business School.

These days Ifti travels all over Asia and Europe as CEO of Shirazi Invest-ments, a holding company of Atlas Group

of Companies which monitors the perfor-mance of ten companies in the Group. He and his brothers are determined tokeep it going as a family business for manygenerations. He is married. He and hiswife Uzma have four children rangingfrom seven to fifteen years in age.

Shirazi says, “Notre Dame’s alumni areits best ambassadors. They help marketthe institution, let others know about it.Any way the University can encourage itsinternational alumni to join together isgood for the institution.

“I learned from Notre Dame that withhard work, honesty, and ambition, at theend of the day you will be successful.”

T

Iftikhar at home with his family.

“NDNU Gave Me theConfidence to Lead”

An Interview with Iftikhar Shirazi ’86

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage

PAID Permit No. 44

Belmont, CA 94002

1500 Ralston Avenue, Belmont, CA 94002-1908

AD D R E S S SE RV I C E RE Q U E S T E D

Nigerian Sisters Receive Donationor the last three years NDNU in collabora-

tion with the Sisters of Notre Dame has

hosted two SNDs from Nigeria who have

become well-known members of the NDNU com-

munity. Both Sr. Christi and Sr. Cordelia, who have

been head mistresses of primary schools, (the

equivalent of the elementary school principal)

were selected by the Nigerian Province to com-

plete their education by earning B.A. degrees and

advanced teacher certifications so they may return

to Nigeria to provide leadership in educating

Nigerian children. They recently graduated at

NDNU, earning their BA degrees and are now

enrolled in the Master of English program. The

Sisters have given the students, faculty, and staff

a unique opportunity to explore and learn about

Nigerian culture, especially a need for educational

materials and supplies that are taken for granted

in the United States. In keeping with the mission

of the Sisters of Notre Dame to educate those

in need, the Black Student Union and black staff

collaborated in donating $500 to the SND-Nigeria

Fund. Sr. Carol, a member of the Nigerian Prov-

ince leadership team, says, “This generosity will

provide our schools with much needed supplies

such as paper, crayons, and pencils, the basic

things for our students.” Camille Smith ’06, pres-

ident of the BSU, reported, “The BSU decided

raising money for the Nigerian Province would

be a meaningful service-learning project that

would impact the lives of children. We hope

to make a donation each year.”

F

Left to right: Steve Kinney ’98, ’02; Raymond Jones;Carol Wetli, SND; Christiana Sidi, SND ’05, ’06;Cordelia Onyenagubo, SND ’05, ’06.