St. Mary's University Gold & Blue | Summer 2010

SUMMER 2010

New V.P. in the Right Place

St. Mary’s Gateway District Makes Its Debut

Recruiting and Keeping the iGeneration

Student-Run Business Sells TLC

How Fortune Cookies Led to Austria

Texas Supreme Court at St. Mary’s School of Law

On the front cover:Law students at St. Mary’s got to hear oral arguments

made to the Supreme Court of Texas firsthand in Marchwhen the jurists traveled to campus. Read about the case

that’s been getting a lot of attention in News FromAround the Grove on page 3.

On the back cover:The fashion craze at this year’s Fiesta Oyster Bake?

Rain boots! With nearly three inches of rain recordedduring the two-day event, the grounds certainly were damp

but not the spirit of Fiesta revelers.

PRESIDENTCharles L. Cotrell, Ph.D.

(B.A. ’62, M.A. ’64)

CHIEF OF STAFFAND COMMUNICATIONS

Dianne Pipes

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

ASSOCIATE EDITORNicolette Good

PUBLICATIONS DIRECTORSteve Weed

PHOTOGRAPHYJohn Davenport/San Antonio

Express-News/ZUMAMelanie Rush Davis

Jeff HuehnTommy Hultgren

CONTRIBUTORSBeth Barbee

Jessie CasaresLauren MadridLucha RameyDerek Smolik

WEBJake Salazar

(denotes degree from St. Mary’s University)

Gold & Blue is produced for alumniand friends three times a year by the

Office of University Communications.

Contents © 2010 by St. Mary’sUniversity. All rights reserved.

MISSION

St. Mary’s University,as a Catholic Marianist University,

fosters the formation of people in faithand educates leaders for the common good

through community,integrated liberal arts and professional education,

and academic excellence.

MakingConnections

With the click of a mouse,you can stay up-to-date onSt. Mary’s groundbreakingnews and reconnect with

old classmates. St. Mary’s isnow on Facebook, Twitter,

YouTube and Flickr, andyou can even subscribe to

your favorite St. Mary’s RSSfeeds. To get started, be

sure to visit:

www.stmarytx.edu/socialmedia

summer 2010 Gold Blue& 1

From the Editor

As a freshman in 1974, St. Mary’s was a lotdifferent. Many Marianists were in theclassroom and the executive leadership of theschool was comprised almost exclusively ofprofessed religious. Over the years, as religiousprofessions ebbed, laypersons began filling vicepresidencies and deanships.

In 2001, St. Mary’s inaugurated its first laypresident in Charles L. Cotrell, Ph.D. I believepart of his legacy will be the diversity he hasbrought to the University. Today, St. Mary’sexecutive team includes four women, aHispanic, and an African-American. Heading upacademic affairs, André Hampton is the firstUniversity officer to come from the School ofLaw. I couldn’t agree more with Cotrell’srecommendation and the Board of Trustees’unanimous vote to take the “interim” out ofhis title.

When St. Mary’s Woodlawn campus opened116 years ago, there wasn’t much here on the“West End” except scrub brush, mesquite treesand, of course, rattlesnakes. After World War II,and in the shadow of St. Mary’s, single-familydwellings and small businesses popped uparound campus with streets named after collegesand universities – Notre Dame, Fordham, Duke,Marquette – perhaps as a symbol of theresidents’ belief in the importance and power ofeducation. The city grew up and out to surroundthis part of our world, and as often happens inlarge cities, urban distress set in. For threeyears, we’ve reported about the University’sneighborhood revitalization efforts. Things havebegun to snowball, and we’re extremely excitedabout the progress that’s being made. We thinkyou will be, too.

When I was an undergrad, I worked forCafeteria Director Bob Wall as a banquet serverto earn a little spending money. Students ontoday’s vibrant campus are starting their ownbusinesses while earning their degrees, therebygetting a jump on future careers. Moreover, thetechnology and communications strategies usedto recruit students to St. Mary’s in the first place– and then to keep them here – are incrediblysophisticated. Part of what keeps studentsengaged are opportunities they have tointernationalize their educational experience.The law school was the first to dip its toe in theinternational pool and this summer its Innsbruckprogram hits a milestone.

Enjoy reading this issue of Gold & Blue andenjoy your summer!

—Candy Kuebker

CONTENTS2

New Chapter Begins for Graduates, Incoming Classby Charles L. Cotrell, Ph.D.

3News From Around the Grove

10Right Where He’s Supposed to Be

An Interview with André Hamptonby Candace Kuebker

13Welcome to the St. Mary’s Gateway District

by Nicolette Good and Candace Kuebker

16Recruiting (and Keeping) the Best of the Best

Enrollment Management in a Digital Ageby Suzanne Petrusch

18A Little TLC

Student-Managed Business Takes Offby Lucha Ramey

20Sometimes, It’s Not Just Lunch

Law School Celebrating 25 Years in Europeby Geary Reamey

21Class Notes and Notables

In Memoriam

New vice presidentsmaking an impact

For the first time in the University’shistory, a member of the law faculty hasbeen appointed to the ExecutiveCouncil. André Hampton, J.D., is ournew vice president for AcademicAffairs. André had served in the vicepresidency on an interim basis for nearlytwo years before his appointment inFebruary, and he’d already made hismark by collaborating with faculty fromour five schools on many importantinitiatives. It was apparent that he wasthe best person to fill the post and Iknow he will be an excellent leader.(Learn more about Vice PresidentHampton in an interview on page 10.)Joining him on the Council as vicepresident for University Advancement isPaul “Rocky” Kettering, who returns toSt. Mary’s where he served as executive

director of Development from 2007 to 2009. I am confidentin Rocky’s ability to successfully complete the Extendingthe Tradition of Excellence campaign for scholarships andthe Outdoor Sports Complex.

During the spring, we spent time assessing our progresson the strategic plan, Vision 2012. While assessment isnever easy, being able to clearly see where we started andwhere we are today relative to the agreed-upon goals is animportant exercise and one that is energizing and helpful inplanning for the future. I’m happy to report that we havemade significant progress on the plan in most areas.

Far-reaching progress in revitalizationOne of those goals is to extend boundaries beyond our

campus and it’s among those producing especiallysignificant results. Neighborhood revitalization is a majorcomponent of the goal and you can see all that’s happenedso far in a feature on page 13. We were honored to bepicked by the Department of Housing and UrbanDevelopment’s Office of University Partnerships as a modelprogram for revitalization. More than 200 HUD conferees intown came to St. Mary’s in April to hear about our effortsand successes and they left with a very good impression.Their visit is strong affirmation of the progress we aremaking to revitalize the neighborhoods surroundingSt. Mary’s.

Be sure to keep in contact by visiting our websiteoften. As always, I am grateful for your support ofour mission.

ast month, traditional Maygraduation ceremonies returnedto St. Mary’s and were held inBill Greehey Arena. Graduation

brings full circle our undergraduatestudents’ experience while at St. Mary’s.As freshmen, they were inducted into ourcommunity of scholars during AcademicConvocation in the arena, a somber ritethat included an academic procession incap and gown, introduction to thesymbols of academia, and a candlelighting ceremony during which studentscommitted themselves to the pursuit ofwisdom. In May, these same studentsreturned to receive their diplomas in theplace where their academic aspirationsbegan. While it is bittersweet to see ourgraduates leave us, we know their futuresare bright and that they will be exemplarycitizens and professionals. And withoptimism and excitement, we lookforward to the fall semester when wewelcome another talented group of students to campus.

Freshman applicant pool largest ever Suzanne Petrusch, vice president for Enrollment

Management, reports an explosion in freshman applications(read her feature on page 16). Due in large part to a state-wide online application program, the nearly 3,600applications received by early May vastly surpassed anyapplicant pool in our history.

Benefiting the incoming freshman class is AccessSt. Mary’s 2010, the second iteration of a program that paysfull tuition for students meeting academic and needrequirements. We remain grateful to the Alumni Associationthat again committed $100,000 per year for four years to ournext freshman class. With their support of Access St. Mary’slast year and this – totaling $800,000 – and combined withthe nearly 80 students receiving scholarships from theAlumni Scholarship Endowment Fund, in 2010 some 250students will receive financial help from the Association toattend St. Mary’s. Special thanks to the Alumni Associationand its leadership, especially President Jim Forkenbrock(B.A. ’63), his executive team and the Board of Directors.

www.stmarytx.eduGold Blue&2

by Charles L. Cotrell, Ph.D.

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

New Chapter Beginsfor Graduates,Incoming Class

L

NEWS


issue debated was whether the $5 taxon patrons at clubs serving alcoholwith nude entertainment violates theFirst Amendment’s free-speech clause.

After oral arguments were heard,law students were treated to a questionand answer session during which theJustices fielded questions and talkedcandidly on a variety of topics.

Archived arguments are available atwww.stmarytx.edu/itunesu.

School PaperEarns Top Prizes

The Rattler student newspapercaptured two awards at the TexasIntercollegiate Press Association 2010convention in March. The Rattler won1st Place Best of Show for overallexcellence for student newspaperspublished bi-weekly or less. Editor-in-Chief Sarah Mills won the Frank W.Buckley Scholarship, named in honorof TIPA’s first executive director. Theannual convention included more than

SHORT SUBJECTS

Supreme Court MakesCampus Visit

St. Mary’s law students had a rareopportunity to experience the SupremeCourt of Texas firsthand when the ninemember court spent the day on thecampus in March.

The Court, seated in Austin,periodically hears argumentselsewhere. Justice Paul W. Green is a1977 St. Mary’s School of Lawgraduate.

The St. Mary’s Courtroom waspacked with law students, faculty andinterested parties who intentlyfollowed along while the Court heardoral arguments on three cases. TheJustices’ visit to St. Mary’s madeheadlines across the country becauseof one case in particular. In SusanCombs and Greg Abbott v. TexasEntertainment Association Inc., the

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

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www.stmarytx.edu/gold&blueBaby Bake Beckons ThousandsOn a nearly perfect night in late March, more than 7,000 St. Mary’salumni, faculty, staff and students gathered in the Pecan Grove forHomecoming Oyster Bake, where, along with oysters, they enjoyeda cornucopia of tasty offerings.

The Rich Get Richer:Rigney Examinesthe Matthew Effect

Flores Honoredfor Civil Rights Advocacy

Vibrant ViewbookHits the Markwith Prospective Students

Rattler SuccessStudents Succeeding

Greehey ScholarHits Wall Street

St. Mary’s CapturesHigh PerformanceComputing Lab

Celebrating StudentAchievement

For Your Virtual Enjoyment…Homecoming and FiestaOyster Bake


President’s Honor RollRecognition Continues

The Corporation for National andCommunity Service announced thatSt. Mary’s was named to the 2009President’s Higher EducationCommunity Service Honor Roll, thehighest federal recognition a college oruniversity can receive for itscommitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement.St. Mary’s has been named to theHonor Roll every year since itsinception in 2006.

450 participants from nearly 50colleges and universities throughoutthe state.

In addition, The Rattler washonored with a Mark of ExcellenceAward in a regional competitionsponsored by the Society ofProfessional Journalists in the categoryof Best All-Around Non-Daily StudentNewspaper at a Four-Year College orUniversity.

The Rattler won four awards innational and state competitions thispast school year.

Also this spring, St. Mary’s washonored at the Bexar CountyOpportunities Industrialization Center(OIC) Breakfast of Champions forvolunteer and community engagementefforts in the San Antonio area.

Security Focus of SeriesLectures sponsored by the Graduate

School this spring focused on globalsecurity.

Global human security will be therecurring general theme of a newlecture series introduced by theGraduate International RelationsProgram. The series’ first two lectureswere delivered by Elizabeth Ferris andaddressed the responsibility of theinternational community in respondingto natural disasters and what protectionof civilians means to differenthumanitarian, political and militaryentities. Ferris is a Senior Fellow inForeign Policy and co-director of TheBrookings Institution—University ofBern Project on Internal Displacementin Washington, D.C.

Peace CommissionExplores “The Other”

The spring President’s PeaceCommission (PPC) program themewas “The Other: The Challenge ofHuman Diversity.” According to thePPC, within societies, groups of peopletend to define themselves in terms ofqualities or characteristics that setthemselves apart from others.Problems can emerge when a dominantgroup views its qualities andcharacteristics as superior, leading tofear and hatred of “The Other.” TheChurch has consistently upheld therights and dignity of the human person,calling us to the obligation to “love ourneighbor.”

During the three-day program,topics of discussion included thehistorical perspectives of diversity inthe United States, the challenges ofphysical and mental disabilities,exploring scientific advances that alterhuman diversity, sexual orientationand discrimination, and more.

The PPC also presented its annualArt of Peace Award to Terri Hendrix, aSan Antonio-native and San Marcos-based artist. Hendrix is an independentsinger/songwriter who writes protestsongs, humorous songs, and songsabout spirituality and faith.

Bake Goes Green

San Antonio Mayor Julián Castrohad a color in mind for this year’sFiesta—green! Fiesta Verde was theMayor’s idea to make Fiesta moreenvironmentally friendly by promotingrecycling efforts at most of the majorevents. Fiesta Oyster Bake answeredthat call and ‘one upped’ it by alsousing solar power to light some of thevendor booths.

Fiesta Oyster Bake ExecutiveDirector Steve Rosenauer andDistinguished Alumnus Bob Corbo(B.B.A. ’65) came up with the idea.Corbo is the president of CorboElectric Co. Inc., the electricalcontractor for Oyster Bake. With thehelp of Engineering Chair BahmanRezaie, Ph.D., Rosenauer and Corbofound some enthusiastic engineeringstudents to take on the project.Luckily, juniors Nathan Churchwell,Supratim Srinivasan and StephanieCrowell hadn’t chosen their seniorengineering project yet. Corbo Electric

financed the project and provided anexpert to advise them, along withRezaie, their faculty adviser.

In a short time, the students built a1.4-kilowatt solar panel and batterystorage system to provide electricity tolight 14 food booths for 40 hours. Theimpressive eight solar panel system,affixed atop a 14-foot-tall steel pole,stood next to their Institute ofElectrical and Electronics Engineers’(IEEE) Frito pie booth. Even with thecloudy skies and rain leading up to andduring Oyster Bake, the students’system lit an entire row of booths,including President Cotrell’s chickenfajita booth.

The students are quick to point outthat their system was capable ofpowering a lot more, but with theirfirst time out, they opted to beconservative.

“These are small first steps,”Churchwell said. “The potential forthis technology is great...for the longterm, solar is the way to go.”

The students’ success wasshowcased in the San Antonio Express-News and on San Antonio televisionstations, getting the attention of theFiesta Commission and the Mayor’sOffice. And the students’ extra creditwork for Fiesta Verde may lead to agreen competition for Fiesta 2011.

That’s fine by Churchwell,Srinivasan and Crowell. They’ll beworking between now and next year tomake their system bigger, better andmore efficient, with the ability topower more booths.

Who knows? Maybe one year all ofFiesta Oyster Bake will be solarpowered.

Crowell, Churchwell and Srinivasan


Returning to the Board is Ruben M.Escobedo (B.B.A ’60) who previouslyserved on the Board from 2001 to2008, including as Chairman from2006 to 2008. St. Mary’sDistinguished Alumnus in 1976,Escobedo managed his own company,Ruben Escobedo & Co. CPA, for 30years before retiring in 2006. Heserves on numerous boards and chairsthe board of the Historical CentreFoundation.

Also returning to the Board are theRev. James F. Fitz, S.M., and BrotherWilliam Campbell, S.M. Fitz alsoserves on the boards of the Universityof Dayton and the Association ofMarianist Universities. Campbell,associate executive director of theElementary School Department of theNational Catholic EducationAssociation, has served on numerousboards, including the University ofDayton and Chaminade University inHonolulu where he was chairman.

Joining the Board ex officio fromthe Marianist community is the Rev.Martin A. Solma, S.M., Provincial ofthe Marianist Province of the UnitedStates. As such, he will serve asChancellor of St. Mary’s University.Brother Joseph Kamis, S.M., AssistantU.S. Provincial, is also joining exofficio.

In addition, elected to lead theBoard for a third year is RobertElizondo, Chairman, and PhilipPfeiffer is the new Vice Chairman.Maj. Gen. Alfred Valenzuela, USA(Ret.), is Board Secretary.

Two Key LeadershipPosts Filled

At its February meeting, theSt. Mary’s University Board ofTrustees unanimously confirmed therecommendation from PresidentCharles L. Cotrell, Ph.D., to appointAndré Hampton, J.D., as vice presidentfor Academic Affairs. Hampton hadbeen serving as the interim vicepresident since June 2008.

Hampton surfaced as the topcandidate after a comprehensive andthorough search process. (Read moreabout Hampton on page 10.)

In addition, Paul T. “Rocky”Kettering, Ed.D., was unanimouslyapproved by the Board of Trustees inApril as the vice president forUniversity Advancement upon

Newsmakers

New Trustees ElectedNine new members were elected to

the St. Mary’s University Board ofTrustees during the Board’s AnnualMeeting in April. New membersinclude alumni, philanthropic businessleaders and members of the Marianistcommunity.

Harvey E. Najim is the CEO ofSirius Computer Solutions, and isnationally known for his philanthropicefforts. In 2006, Najim established theHarvey E. Najim Family Foundation tohelp children’s organizations in thegreater San Antonio area that advanceeducation, medical treatment, medicalresearch for illnesses and diseases, andother charitable purposes.

Michael Casseb (J.D. ’76) is thesole practitioner in the law firm,Casseb & Casseb, started with his late

father, Paul E. Casseb Sr. (B.A. andJ.D. ’41). Casseb’s family has a longconnection to St. Mary’s, with manyattending as undergraduates or theSchool of Law.

Jeffrey Davis (J.D. ’91) is presidentof the St. Mary’s Law AlumniAssociation. Davis started his lawcareer as a trial attorney with the U.S.Department of Justice, then worked asan attorney with Thornton Summersand as a partner in the White & Davislaw firm and Malaise & Davis LLP,before opening the Davis Law Firm inSan Antonio.

James Forkenbrock (B.A. ’63) isthe current president of the St. Mary’sAlumni Association. He served astreasurer of the association from 2003to 2008. Also during that time heserved on the Investment Committeeof the Board of Trustees. Forkenbrockwill join the board when his term asassociation president ends this fall.

Four Alumni Distinguish Themselves Each year, as part of the annual Homecoming Week activities, theSt. Mary’s Alumni Association hosts the Distinguished Alumni Dinnerto honor alumni who exemplify what it means to be a Rattler –dedication, fortitude and heart. The 2010 St. Mary’s DistinguishedAlumni are: (back row, from left) Michael J. “Mike” Dipp Jr. (B.B.A.’64, M.A. ’67), Plaza Partners, El Paso; Gonzalo Garza, Ph.D. (B.A.’53), retired public school educator and administrator, San Antonio;Paul Saenz (B.A. ’79), Founder, Physician Sports Medicine Associatesof San Antonio and Team Physician for the San Antonio Spurs andSan Antonio Missions; and accepting for the late Paul Andrew “Andy”Mireles (B.A. ’72, J.D. ’75), Judge of the 73rd District Court, were(front row, from left) son Jonathan (B.A. ’07), wife Margaret (B.A.’74), and son Matthew (B.A. ’07).


Raabe NamedFirst BiagginiChair

Timothy Raabe,Ph.D., current chairand professor ofBiological Sciences,

has been named the first Benjamin F.Biaggini Endowed Chair of BiologicalSciences at St. Mary’s University.

Raabe’s research focuses on theproper functioning of the nervoussystem. He works with his students toexamine signaling between differentcell types found in the nervous systemthat ensure proper development duringembryonic stages and that may bedisrupted during diseases states. Bystudying a specific type of growthfactor, Raabe and his students areworking to unlock the potential oftherapeutic benefits of these growthfactors that could lead to treatments fordiseases such as multiple sclerosis anddiabetic neuropathy.

Benjamin F. Biaggini received hisB.S. in Mathematics from St. Mary’sin 1936. He was president and CEO ofnow Southern Pacific TransportationCo., previously known as SouthernPacific Railroad. Biaggini served on

member of both the Texas TrialLawyers Association and the TexasAssociation of Criminal DefenseLawyers, and a past president of theSt. Mary’s Law Alumni Association.St. Mary’s named him a DistinguishedLaw Graduate in 1986.

The Hon. David A. Ezra, District ofHawaii, United States District Court,delivered the commencement address.Ezra earned his B.B.A. fromSt. Mary’s and was a top law schoolgraduate in 1972. He was appointed tothe U.S. District Court for the Districtof Hawaii in 1988, becoming theyoungest federal judge in Hawaiianhistory. Judge Ezra was awardedSt. Mary’s Rosewood Gavel Award forhis contributions to the adjudicationof justice.

The law school also presented twoawards to those who have madeexceptional contributions to the legalprofession and education. WallaceB. Jefferson, Chief Justice of theSupreme Court of Texas, receivedthe Rosewood Gavel Award. TheSt. Thomas More Award waspresented to Patricia S. Castillo,executive director of The P.E.A.C.E.Initiative.

Cotrell’srecommendation.Kettering first cameto St. Mary’s in 2007as the executivedirector ofDevelopment after anational searchprocess. He left

St. Mary’s in 2009 to become the vicepresident for InstitutionalAdvancement at Our Lady of the LakeUniversity.

As St. Mary’s executive director ofDevelopment, Kettering helped todevelop the strategy for the Extendingthe Tradition of Excellence campaignfor academics and athletics, and secure$6 million from Bexar County venuetaxes for the Outdoor Sports Complex.As vice president, he will oversee theDevelopment and Alumni Relationsoffices, and serve as the senioradministrator and liaison with theAlumni Association.

Leon Honored forLifetime Achievement

On May 15, during its 76thcommencement exercises, St. Mary’sSchool of Law honored Jack PaulLeon, a local attorney and former ViceChairman of the St. Mary’s Board ofTrustees, with the Lifetime

Achievement Award. A 1959 lawschool graduate, Leon went intoprivate practice in 1962 after serving inthe Korean War and as a prosecutorwith the Bexar County DistrictAttorneys Office. He is a charter

Graduation Back on CampusMay graduation was held on campus for the first time since beforeWorld War II. Bill Greehey Arena, the site of the 158th SpringCommencement Exercises, was filled to capacity as family and friendswatched graduates receive their diplomas for bachelor’s, master’sand doctorate degrees. For the first time in decades, all graduationceremonies – in both December and May – were held on campus.

Leon

Kettering Raabe


The Marianist Trust wasestablished in 1972 by Marianistsworking at St. Mary’s who, during the1970s and 1980s, put most of theirsalaries into the fund. Today, the Trustcontinues to grow and each year 80 to90 students benefit from scholarshipassistance.

Current members of the MarianistTrust Board are Brothers CharlesCummiskey, Fred Halwe, TerryO’Connor, Mike Sullivan, and JosephMarkel (Province Officerepresentative), and the Revs. John A.Leies and Richard Wosman.

Matching GiftsMany employers give back to the

community by matching employeegifts to qualifying charitableorganizations. A dollar for dollarmatch means your $500 gift is worth$1,000 to St. Mary’s. Some companieswill match at a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio.ExxonMobil falls into the lattercategory. Gifts from alumni andfriends of about $13,000 were matchedby the ExxonMobil Foundation for afinal gift total of nearly $40,000. Besure to stop by your human resourceoffice or visit your company website tosee if your employer matches gifts.

A benefit to donors is that matchinggifts are added to your annual gift totalfor recognition on the Honor Roll ofDonors and may result in invitations tovarious special events, including theannual President’s Dinner and FiestaPresident’s Reception.

Gifts to Law SchoolMount

Generous gifts to School of Lawscholarships have come in recently.New scholarships have beenestablished by Guillermo Benavides ofLaredo, whose $30,000 gift createsThe Benavides Family LawScholarship, and a $25,000 gift fromTinsman & Sciano Inc. creates TheDeni and Daniel Sciano Scholarship.

Also among recent donations arenumerous gifts and pledges to theDean Charles E. Cantú Endowment,including: $100,000 pledge from James K.“Jimmy” Jones (J.D. ’81) $50,000 gift from the SemmesFoundation Inc. $50,000 pledge from an anonymousdonor $20,000 gift from Arturo BenavidesSr. $10,000 gift from the Arturo TomásBenavides Property Management Trust $10,000 gift from the HonorableCarlos Benavides Jr.

the St. Mary’s University Board ofTrustees, was awarded an honorarydoctorate by St. Mary’s in 1965, andwas honored by the AlumniAssociation in 1973 as a DistinguishedAlumnus.

Upon Biaggini’s death in 2005,former colleagues and friendsestablished the endowed chair with a$1 million gift as a lasting legacy toBiaggini’s ideals of supportingacademic excellence and scholarlyresearch in the biological sciences.

Alumna is First FemaleChair of UT Regents

Colleen McHugh(J.D. ’81) is the firstwoman to be electedto chair the Universityof Texas System’sBoard of Regentssince it wasestablished in 1881.She was unanimously

elected to the post by her fellowregents at the Board’s March meeting.McHugh has served as a regent since2005 when she was appointed to a six-year term by Gov. Rick Perry.

An attorney from Corpus Christi,McHugh has blazed plenty of trails forwomen heretofore. Among them: shewas the first woman to lead the boardof directors for the State Bar of Texas,and she was the first woman to serveon the Texas Public SafetyCommission, having been appointed tothat agency in 1998 by then-Gov.George W. Bush.

Good Deeds

Marianist Trust PledgeExceeds $300,000

During its annual meeting in April,members of the Board of Trustees ofthe Marianist Trust of St. Mary’sUniversity met on campus to considerfinancial allocations for the 2010-2011academic year. As a result, a total ofnearly $302,000 will supportscholarships and the MarianistLeadership Program.

The largest part of the gift,$260,600, is designated forundergraduate scholarships. Inaddition, $20,000 has been allocatedfor graduate scholarships and theremainder will support the MarianistLeadership Program.

McHugh

Stock Rises for Greehey ScholarFreshman Greehey Scholar Hayden Edwards (far right) at the NYSEafter closing bell. He won this opportunity as part of a contest at theYouth About Business’ Advanced Summer Business Camp, aninvitation-only program, where students have the opportunity totake on real world business experiences.Read more about Edwards in Web Extras at www.stmarytx.edu/gold&blue.

senior from El Paso, who received firstteam All-Heartland Conferencerecognition.

The Rattler women’s team won itsthird straight Heartland ConferenceChampionship and advanced to theNCAA South Central RegionTournament again in 2010.

On the men’s side, Kevin Kotzurfrom La Vernia was named HeartlandConference Freshman of the Year andNewcomer of the Year, as well asbeing the only freshman to receive firstteam All-Heartland Conferencerecognition. In addition, JeffCampbell, a sophomore from Allen,was named Defensive Player of theYear and senior Curtis Mitchell fromMilwaukee, Wis., also received secondteam All-Heartland Conferencerecognition.

The Heartland Conference namedHead Coach Jim Zeleznak Coach ofthe Year.

Softball ReclaimsConference Crown

The Rattler softball team returnedto the top of the Heartland Conference,winning the league title for the ninthtime in 10 years.

St. Mary’s defeated hostSt. Edward’s University 8-7 in thechampionship game, capping a perfect


Sports Corner

ConferenceHonors BasketballPlayers

When the HeartlandConference announced itsbasketball honors for the2010 season, St. Mary’splayers were front and center.

From the women’s team,Kristin Williams, a juniorfrom Kansas City, Mo., wasnamed Heartland ConferenceNewcomer of the Year.Joining her were Liz Boydfrom San Antonio’s AntonianCollege Prep who receivedthe Freshman of the Yearaward, and Chastity Noble, a

run through the tournament. SeniorTaryn Muñoz of Bulverde receivedtournament MVP recognition for herplay, while junior Kelly Baker ofArlington, senior Arlynda Flores ofUvalde, junior Lauren Miller ofBaytown and junior Chelsea Wenskeof Shiner were named all-tournament.

With the tournament title, theRattlers advanced to the NCAA SouthCentral Region Tournament for theninth time since moving to NCAADivision II in 2000. Although they lostin the second round of the regionaltournament, for the 30th time in 32seasons, the Rattlers produced awinning record on the softballdiamond.

For their play during the 2010season, seven Rattlers were named All-Heartland Conference. Miller andfreshman Katie Nichols of San Marcoswere named to the first team.Receiving second team recognitionwere Baker, Flores, Muñoz, juniorAlyssa Alfaro of Eagle Pass, andfreshman Christina Rodriguez of SanMarcos. Nichols was one of only twofreshmen to make the first team.

Baker and Flores also were namedCollege Sports Information Directorsof America (CoSIDA)/ESPN TheMagazine Academic All-District forexcelling in athletics and academics.

Baseball Wins Multiple Honors

The Rattler baseball team won itsfirst Heartland Conference title since2002, finishing the regular season witha record of 39-15. Head Coach CharlieMigl was named Heartland ConferenceCoach of the Year for the fourth timein his 24 seasons at the helm.

Earning first team all-conferencerecognition were Alfonso Maldonado,a senior from Laredo; Ryan Morrow, ajunior from Bulverde; James Hipp, asenior from Uvalde; and JoshMcElroy, a sophomore from SanAntonio. Maldonado was also namedNCAA Division II All-South Centralby Daktronics Inc.

Meyer Enters NAIA Hall of FameOn March 16 at a ceremony in Kansas City, Mo., former St. Mary’sUniversity men’s basketball player and coach Buddy Meyer was inducted intothe NAIA Hall of Fame for his stellar career as a player, coach, and mentor,and for exemplifying the NAIA’s “Champion of Character” traits. Hisinduction took place in front of more than 1,000 guests and players on theeve of the national championship tournament that Meyer and his team wonin 1989. Other Rattlers in the NAIA Hall of Fame and their years ofinduction are Baseball Coach Elmer Kosub (1972); Basketball All-AmericanRobert Reid (1986); Basketball Coach Ed Messbarger (1990), and SoftballAll-American Leticia Morales-Bissaro (2000).

Kevin Kotzur

Lauren Miller

Head CoachJim Zeleznak

Kristin Williams

Coach Buddy Meyer


Named to the All-HeartlandConference second team wereCourtney Behrend, a senior fromComfort; Weston Baros, a junior fromSan Antonio; Reagan Moczygemba, ajunior from Bulverde; Jason Garcia, ajunior from Falfurrias; and GregHerbst, a junior from San Antonio.Baros also was named CoSIDA/ESPNThe Magazine Academic All-Districtfor his excellence in athletics andacademics.

In addition to the All-Conferenceteam, the Heartland Conferenceannounced a Gold Glove Team for thefirst time in 2010. Named to the teamwere Matt Holland, a junior pitcherfrom Shreveport, La., Morrow andGarcia.

The Rattlers received a bid to theSouth Central Region Tournament,where they were seeded fifth. Theylost in the tournament’s third round, 9-8, in a 13-inning battle against AbileneChristian after an almost three-day raindelay.

Vela Clinches HeartlandIndividual Title

Matt Vela took medalist honors atthe Heartland Conference Men’s GolfChampionship where St. Mary’sfinished second as a team, two strokesbehind St. Edward’s University.

Vela, a junior from San Antonio,won his first Heartland ConferenceChampionship after finishing secondeach of the last two years. He beatteammate Jeff Rein, also a SanAntonio junior, by two strokes. For thesecond straight season, the Rattlersplaced first and second at theconference championship.

For their play, both Vela and Rein,along with sophomore Sam Jernigan,earned All-Heartland Conferencehonors. Vela and Rein also werenamed PING/NCAA Division II All-

South Central Region by Golf CoachesAssociation of America for their play.

Ursula Perez received all-conference recognition on thewomen’s side.

New VolleyballCoach Named

Jenny Warmack-Chipman recentlybecame St. Mary’seighth volleyball headcoach. She comes toSt. Mary’s afterspending the last 10years as the headcoach at NCAADivision III Muhlenberg College inAllentown, Pa., where she also servedas assistant athletic director, seniorwoman administrator and adviser tothe Student-Athlete AdvisoryCommittee.

Before coaching for Muhlenberg,Warmack-Chipman was an assistantcoach at Southern MethodistUniversity and Wichita StateUniversity. She is a 1996 graduate ofthe University of Texas, and while astudent at UT, she played on aLonghorn team that was ranked No. 1in the country.

Tennis Players NetConference Honors

Both the men’s and women’s tennisteams posted their best records in atleast eight years this past spring, andfor their efforts, four players werenamed All-Heartland Conference for2010.

Senior Vanessa Sholles ofParamaribo, Suriname, and juniorCimen Soy of Gothenburg, Swedenrepresented the women on the all-conference team. They were joined onthe men’s side by sophomore MarcinMarczewski of Warsaw, Poland, andsenior Marcos Villarreal of CorpusChristi.

Matt Holland

Matt Vela

Head CoachCharlie Migl

Vanessa Sholles Cimen Soy Marcin Marczewski Marcos Villarreal

Warmack-Chipman


Right Where He’sSupposed to Be

by Candace J. Kuebker, Executive Editor

André Hampton, J.D.,

St. Mary’s new vice

president for

Academic Affairs, has

his ear to the ground

for what’s “happening.”

shaping me in my religious thoughtsand views. Being here requires me torespond to my better angels – it’sbecause of the people here and whatthe institution is that deepens myappreciation for Catholicism and callsme to continue my journey.

I got into teaching reluctantly. Aftergraduating, my plan was to never setfoot in a law school again. But UTkept calling, asking me to teach as anadjunct law professor and one day Isaid yes. That’s how it started.

At the time I was practicinghealthcare law so I taught a seminar inthat area. I was teaching something Iliked and wound up having the besttime of my professional career. You dobest in a job when you don’t have tochange who you are. Teaching in theclassroom, I could be me.

Editor: How was it that you arrivedat St. Mary’s University School ofLaw?

Hampton: In the early ’90s, lawfirms were downsizing. I saw thewriting on the wall so I left the firm,leased an office and started my ownsmall practice. I was catering to ahealth law clientele, but I wanted tocontinue to teach so in 1992, I calledSt. Mary’s to ask if they would like meto teach a healthcare law seminar. Iwas teaching full-time by 1994.

Editor: You got involved in theFaculty Senate and assumed the toppost in that body. Was it hard tonavigate school lines?[Editor’s note: The Faculty Senaterepresents the faculty in thegovernance of the University and iscomprised of senators from St. Mary’sfive schools. Hampton became only thethird law faculty member to lead theSenate since its inception in 1966.]

Editor: In your own words, tell thejury a little bit about your background.

Hampton: My dad was in theArmy, so we moved around a lot. I wasborn in Los Angeles and lived abroadand all over the states, but my fatherretired in Houston. That’s where Ifinished high school. Military brats geta good education, and you learn how toadapt quickly and get along withpeople from all backgrounds.

From an early age, I knew I wantedto ‘be something.’ I attended theUniversity of Texas in 1975 in theirPlan II honors liberal arts program andstayed in Austin for 19 years. After mybachelor’s, I went to law school andalso earned a master’s degree in PublicAffairs. Then I joined a private sectorlaw firm where my areas ofresponsibility were corporate business,litigation and real estate. I was whatyou would call a ‘projects-oriented’attorney; one that provided everythingthe client needed.

Editor: How did law as a careerpath lead to teaching law?

Hampton: Growing up I wasexposed to the civil rights movementand discrimination. My plan was to bea civil rights lawyer and to representthe rights of the oppressed anddowntrodden. I was interested inconstitutional law as a vehicle forchanging society.

However, I could have easilybecome a theologian. I spent a lot oftime thinking about God and theology.When our first child was born, Iconverted to Catholicism. I don’t knowhow other people approach theirreligion, but I’m in a constant dialoguewith God; I’m a work in progress. Icame to St. Mary’s to get a job but I’vegotten much more. I feel the institution

Hampton: My reputation in the lawschool was as a mediator, so I guessthat’s why my colleagues voted meonto the Faculty Senate in 1998. Ithink members appreciated how Iaddressed issues in an orderly andreasoned fashion – like a lawyer. I waselected vice president and thenpresident, a post I held for five years.Being relatively new to St. Mary’s, Ididn’t have any preconceived notionsof “us” and “them” with regard to theschools, and that may have helped meget elected.

My focus as president was to havethe Senate become a more effectivevoice for the faculty. I must’ve likeddoing it to stay with it for so long but,again, it’s the institution – being herecalls me to do things that I never sawmyself doing.

Editor: You filled the academicaffairs vice presidency on an interimbasis in 2008. Why do you thinkPresident Charles Cotrell thought youwere the best person for the job?

Hampton: It’s kind of amazing.Without intending to, I guess I’d builtup a reputation as a mediator and Ithink Charlie needed someone able tohelp with the transition. He may haveseen that I’d built up a degree of trustwith the faculty – people knew me tobe an honest person, which I trulyvalue. I’d developed administrativeabilities as associate dean at the lawschool, and Charlie knew me prettywell because of my Senate experience.I planned to serve as interim vicepresident for one year and then goback to the law school. Sometimes,plans change.


People wouldbe surprisedto know…I have a secret desire to be the first black

owner of a NASCAR team. For a long

time I wanted to be a driver, but I’m too

old for that now. But to own a team—I

think that would be a hoot.

For a man who never intended to teach, letalone climb to top-level educational leadership,landing the job of vice president for Academic Affairs– the number two spot in St. Mary’s administration –may seem a bit far-fetched. Add the fact that he’sthe first executive officer in University history tocome out of the School of Law and you might ask,“What are the odds?” But, after chatting withAndré Hampton, it’s clear he’s right where he’ssupposed to be.

12 &Gold Blue www.stmarytx.edu

Editor: So even with the posts’inherent challenges, its positive aspectsmade you decide to apply for the vicepresidency?

Hampton: As interim, I had tolearn more about the University. Ithought I knew a lot already, but asinterim I saw what people were doingevery day. We have terrific, dedicatedpeople doing highly commendablework. While interim vice president, Ieven became more in love with St. Mary’s. I evolved from thinking,“I’ll come in, serve a year and try notto do any harm” to “maybe there’ssomething I can bring to the table tohelp us.”

I also discovered that a special kindof student is attracted to St. Mary’s –one whose orientation is on service.Certainly students come here becauseof our strong academics, but I believeour reputation as a university that caresbrings them here.

Editor: Do you believe thatSt. Mary’s mission calls youpersonally to take on this leadershiprole?

Hampton: It’s significant to methat “Mary” is in our name and Ibelieve this place is magical.Personally, when I come to St. Mary’s,I feel like I’m working at a churchbecause it’s such a spiritual place. Theinstitution and the people in it – weaffect one another. Everything I’vedone over the past years shaped me forthis. I believe I’m the right person forthe right time. It’s really about havinga job that you love and a place youlove being.

Editor:After your appointment, youwrote a memo to faculty thanking themfor their support. In it you stated: “Wewill need to respond to a new andchallenging landscape in highereducation…Our academic programs

will need to be relevant to acontemporary reality, to a newgeneration of students with newexpectations, different learning styles,and different means of accessing andprocessing information. In short, weare going to need to be more‘happening.’” What is your vision formaking St. Mary’s more “happening”?

Hampton: I don’t see myself as avisionary; rather, I think about myselfas someone who recognizes andcultivates good ideas, and helps peopleimplement those ideas. The“happening” is an invitation to peopleUniversity-wide to come forward withtheir best ideas – to enliven theenvironment – and to believe that ittakes all of us to do that. The leaderdoesn’t bring the vision to the people,the leader brings the vision out of thepeople.

We need to look at new ideas. Weneed to review programs anddetermine which are successful andwhich may need to be tweaked, andalways with an ear to the ground tofind out what the exciting, newacademic programs might be.

But it’s not enough to identify newprograms; we have to be able todeliver them while staying true to ourreputation and heritage – offeringquality programs that address thewhole person in St. Mary’s fashion.We’re only at the point where we candream about the future because of thehard work that got us here.

Editor: Do you have specific goalsyou’d like to implement in your newrole?

Hampton: I’m excited about ourschools – we’ve got exceptionalleadership in the deans. I’ve worked toimplement an associate dean structureso the deans can do more externaldevelopment instead of being restrictedto their offices, and they’re excited.

What we must preserve is ourlegacy of being good teachers. Ourfoundation is built upon studentsknowing they can come here and get agood education from excellent teacherswhose commitment is to them. That, inand of itself, will carry us far.

Editor: What are the biggestchallenges to your leadership role?

Hampton: In our missionstatement, we say we want to providean integrated liberal arts andprofessional education. And thatcomes down to the core curriculum.Integrating these two goals is difficult.We are also being pressured from theoutside. Everyone wants educationquicker and cheaper. Our challenge isto balance a properly understoodliberal arts education with the fact thatwe promote and offer professionaldegrees. We have to move forward butwe don’t want to abandon what got ushere.

Some will say our core curriculumis too big, but it’s big because it’simportant. The core discussioncaptures our biggest challenge in anutshell – to respond to the realities ofthe modern environment withoutabandoning our identity. We’ll getthrough this task, but it’s going to takea lot of hard work.

The other big challenge, of course,is that there are always too many greatideas for the resources available. Partof my job is to find innovative ways tofund some of these great ideas.

Editor: What makes you want tocome to work every day?

Hampton: The funny thing aboutthis job is that you don’t know what’sgoing to happen on any given day. Ijust know that whatever it is, I’m goingto enjoy doing it.

You do best in a jobwhen you don’t have tochange who you are.

Part of my job is tofind innovative waysto fund some of thesegreat ideas.

13&Gold Bluesummer 2010

On warm summer afternoons,Jason rode his bike along St. Mary’ssidewalks like they were an extensionof his own driveway one block northof the University.

“St. Mary’s was right there,” recallsJason Cox (B.B.A. ’98). “It was part ofthe family, and it actually felt like partof our house.”

University Park, the neighborhoodthat shares a fence with St. Mary’s, hadthe right ingredients for years of manyfond memories.

“We never locked our doors.Everyone just looked out for oneanother,” Jason says.

When he visits his parents at homenow, Jason still senses the neighborhoodcharm he witnessed as a child. But anewcomer might tell a different story.

Renters have replaced many of theoriginal longtime homeowners; straydogs rummage through morning trashin search of breakfast; and whitepicket fences are tagged withgraffiti painted by school kids.

Now Jason’s mother, Jo Cox,does more than watch out for kids

by Nicolette Good, Associate Editor, and Candace Kuebker, Executive Editor

St. Mary’sGATEWAY DISTRICT

playing in the street, thanks to a powerfulpartnership among St. Mary’s University and keyplayers committed to revitalizing the neighborhoodher family has known for decades.

The seeds of neighborhood revitalization wereplanted in 2002 when St. Mary’s helped found theUniversity Park Neighborhood Association(UPNA), of which Jo was its first president andcurrent vice president. Ever since, the UPNA hasheld monthly meetings on campus where it can tapinto the intellectual capital of St. Mary’s faculty, staffand students.

A few years later, while President Charles L.Cotrell, Ph.D., drafted St. Mary’s strategic plan,Vision 2012, he had revitalization in mind.

Vision 2012’s goal to extend boundaries callsSt. Mary’s to become more active in communityoutreach, development and improvement. So inMarch 2007, Cotrell led the formation of theNeighborhood Revitalization Project with a Task

Force that would collaborate with neighbors oninfrastructure and quality of life

improvements, commercial transformationand housing rehabilitation.

The Task Force’s greatest boon is itsdiversity of talents, resources and

expertise. Chaired by Ramiro Cavazos(M.P.A. ’04), president of the SanAntonio Hispanic Chamber of

Commerce (SAHCC), itsmembers include longtime

University Park residents like JoCox, passionate individuals from

the University and city government,and experienced community activists.

Welcome to the[ ]


Partnerships have been the hallmarks ofthe Project’s success. With a nearly$600,000 three-year grant from the U.S.Department of Housing and UrbanDevelopment (HUD), St. Mary’s hiredRevitalization Project Director Steve Nivin,Ph.D.

Augmented by grants from the city,St. Mary’s Alumni Association andfoundations, the HUD grant helped Projectpartners plant trees, hold public meetings

and small business summits, publish a semi-annual newsletter for the Phase 1 area, andsurvey neighbors about desires forcommercial redevelopment.

In 2009, things really started movingwhen the on-campus NeighborhoodCenter opened in the AT&T Center forInformation Technology. It’s now a placewhere residents and business proprietorsaccess home ownership and creditcounseling, home repair assistance, and

economic development resources.In the Catholic and Marianist spirit,

St. Mary’s asked the community first-handwhat was needed. A Task Force committeesurveyed nearby residents while theSAHCC – in conjunction with a Universityclass project – conducted surveys ofbusinesses along Culebra and BanderaRoads’ commercial corridors. Anotherclass donned their economist hats togather consumer habits and commercial

38,151people live inall fiverevitalizationareas

$1.3 millionin tax returns cameback to the areathrough St. Mary’sVITA program

5,646are emp

50%of residentshave Internetaccess

Nivin directs the Neighborhood Revitalization Project, buthe also puts his background as Chief Economist for the Cityof San Antonio to work as director of the SABÉR ResearchInstitute. Learn how this bolsters revitalization efforts atwww.saberinstitute.org[ ]

30.8%ofresidents arerenters

Bike LanesThe Councilman’s office

constructed new bike lanesto promote a bikeable

community.

Curb Appeal Residents along Woodlawn Ave. enjoyinfrastructure improvements, like their newlypaved streetscape, outfitted with uniformcurbs, repainted lanes, and yards with freshturf.

On a RollResidents wait at a new bus stopon the corner where theRevitalization Project hopes topursue a second pocket park.


interests of University faculty, staff andstudents.

In 2010 alone, the Revitalization Projecthas seen tangible signs of its progress. Apocket park in University Park wascompleted in April, with the help of thecity, UPNA, District 7 Councilman JustinRodriguez and Preferred Landscaping andLighting. This green space serves as amodel for future parks that will entirelytransform the street view.

Major infrastructure improvements nearcompletion on Woodlawn Ave., CulebraRoad and Bandera Road have already put anew face on the area. In addition, theOffice of the Councilman is installing bikepaths, crosswalks and a turning lane onNW 36th Street into the campus—projectsthat will make the vicinity safer and moreaccessible.

As the anchor of San Antonio’sNorthwest side, it is St. Mary’s duty to use

its resources—time, visibility, skills,talents—to lead efforts that improve thelives of people who live, work, study andplay here. Even in its fledgling stages, theNeighborhood Revitalization Project hasreached many milestones and is poised toachieve many more.

It just goes to show that when peopleput their minds and energy together, greatthings can, and do, happen.

47%ofresidents attendOyster Bake

846 businessesare located in therevitalization area

6 people ployed here

$370,000wasawarded forcommercialrevitalizationover six years

The UPNA newsletter encourages neighbors’participation in revitalization, educational and culturalactivities. They clip out passes to St. Mary’s athleticgames, coupons to nearby retailers, and reminders forevents like National Night Out. [ ]

Pocket ParkAt the intersection ofCincinnati, Tulane andStonegate, this one-timetraffic island is theProject’s first pocket park.Completed in April, itoffers a beautiful greenspace for residents.

32.1%donot have ahigh schooldiploma

If You Lived Here,You’d Be Hereby Now “As a San Antonio AlternativeHousing Corp. housing counselor, Ihelp first-time home buyers get afoot in the door—literally,” says LitaAvalos whose office is in theNeighborhood RevitalizationCenter. “Down-payment assistance,credit counseling and home repairclasses are provided at no cost tothe client.” A lucky first-timehomeowner is constructing a newhome one block west of campus.

Eat Wherethe Locals Eat La Estrella Bakery, run by a husband-and-wife duo, is a small business along onBandera Road’s bustling commercialcorridor. The success of the more-established Lisa’s Mexican Restaurant (top)is testament to the opportunity that awaitsup-and-coming entrepreneurs and businessproprietors.


Today, college recruitmentprofessionals are dealing with how torecruit the best and the brightest whoseattention is in constant demand. Addthe competition between schools tofinding a diverse and well-preparedgroup of students, and recruitmentbecomes very complicated.

But St. Mary’s is staying on thecutting edge by focusing efforts andusing new media to reach prospectivestudents. That translates into enrollingand keeping the best of the best atSt. Mary’s.

Then and NowCollege recruitment has changed

drastically since the 1970s. St. Mary’s,in its quest to recruit qualified

students, is operating in a hyper-competitive environment that extendsbeyond the local and regional markets.Many states have decreasingpopulations of high school students.Colleges and universities in thesestates are looking to Texas, where thenumber of students is projected togrow 40 percent by 2018-2019.However, the growth is generallyamong those least prepared to tacklethe rigor of a four-year universitycurriculum. We would be mistaken toassume that more graduates will easilytranslate into higher enrollment.

When we talk to our colleaguesabout their schools’ enrollment goals,everyone says some variation of“we’ve been charged with enrollingmore students with higher test scores,better grades and class rank, and whoreshape our demographic profile withincreased racial/ethnic, geographic andsocioeconomic diversity.” Compoundthis with the rule in Texas that dictatesadmission for applicants graduatingfrom public high schools in the top 10percent of their classes, and you seethat schools are all vying for the samegroup of top students.

Even in a competitive arena andwith current economic challenges,St. Mary’s is weathering the storm.Freshman applications are at an all-time high, totaling nearly 3,600 by

early May 2010, a 55 percent increasecompared to this same time last year.

Prospective students are applying tomore schools, but the applicationgrowth we are experiencing surpasseseven national trends. The biggestfactor contributing to the explosivegrowth in applications for the nextfreshman class was our decision tobecome part of the commonapplication for the state, ApplyTexas.With the ease of applying through thisnew channel, we recognize theseapplications will be softer—a termcommonly used in admission todescribe students who will have alower propensity to enroll atSt. Mary’s—than what we wouldreceive through our traditionalapplication methods.

Building Relationshipsis Key

While we cannot directly apply ourhistorical models to predict enrollment,even if we experience a lowerenrollment rate among ApplyTexasapplicants, we strongly believe ourpresence on the site keeps theSt. Mary’s name in front of morecollege-bound students.

To successfully market St. Mary’sto prospective students for whom webelieve the school offers an

Recruiting (and Keeping) the

Best of the Bestby Suzanne Petrusch, Vice President for Enrollment Management

EnrollmentManagementin a Digital Age

High school students are bombardedevery day with text messages,online banners, TVcommercials and more.Easily they consume many morebits of information than anyprevious generation. So howcan you be heardthrough all the noise?


outstanding fit, we must excel inbuilding relationships with our desiredconstituent group. While we mustaddress the facts and figures, from sizeof the student body to the price ofattendance and demonstrated return oninvestment, it is incumbent upon us toelicit an emotional response from eachcontact with the prospective student.Marketing to the mind and the heart isthe most effective way of creating abond that helps prospective studentsunderstand what makes St. Mary’sspecial.

Recruiting 2.0Every recruitment cycle, we refine

our comprehensive communicationplan. When we remain agile enough todeploy data-driven changes during anygiven cycle, we perform at our bestlevel. Our multi-channelcommunication mix continues toexpand. Beginning with StudentSearch, the process by which wecommunicate with thousands of highschools students whose names wepurchase from a combination of testingagencies and research firms, we usetargeted print and electroniccommunication to drive students to alanding page that contains interactivefeatures including a scholarshipcalculator and video clip. Students cancomplete a traditional business replycard, a short online inquiry form, orconfirm their interest via text. Studentswho are part of the digital generationoverwhelmingly choose thetechnology-based options.

Our new recruitment endeavors in2009-2010 include a presence onYOUniversityTV.com, a site that

offers online video tours of collegesand universities nationwide and thelaunch of Mobile Updates, an opt-intext message service for students andparents. The average teen now sends orreceives almost 3,000 text messagesper month compared to 191 calls.Texting has increased 566 percent injust two years, and nearly two-thirds ofall U.S. teen mobile subscribers saythey prefer text messaging to calling.Thirty-four percent say texting is thereason they acquired their phone.(Source: Nielsen 2009, “How TeensUse Media”)

Ten years ago, some enrollmentmarketing professionals predicted thatprint publications would becomeobsolete, but we find the tactileexperience of holding a glossyviewbook in your hand cannot bereplaced. Instead, print materialsshould continue as an important andrelevant component of the overallcommunication mix. Partnering withThe Lawlor Group, a leadingenrollment-focused communicationsolutions firm, we completelyredesigned our two primary printpublications for use in recruiting theclass of 2010. We invite you to accessthe Gold & Blue Web Extras so youcan browse a PDF of the vibrant newviewbook.

Making CollegeAccessible

It is one thing to recruit newstudents to the University. It is anotherto demonstrate our commitment torecruiting future St. Mary’s alumni.

The powerful impact of AccessSt. Mary’s on the outcome of our 2009recruitment efforts was widely touted.We knew it would be critical to helpthese students make a smoothtransition from high school to college.Under the creative leadership ofRosalind V. Alderman, Ph.D., assistantvice president for RetentionManagement, we sought faculty toserve as Faculty Academic Mentors tohost Access students for meals severaltimes during the semester. Theopportunity to make a connection withat least one faculty member outside ofclass can influence a student’s decisionto stay at an institution.

“Because of the Access St. Mary’sprogram, I am able to attend a school Icould not have afforded otherwise,”said Brenda Montoya, a student in theAccess St. Mary’s program. “Theexperience has enabled me to try myhardest to keep my grades up and to bean example for others.”

Brenda is also in the new RattlerSuccess program – designed to offersupport to students who did not meetthe qualifications for scholarshiprenewal at the end of their first year.Read about her and other students inthe Gold & Blue Web Extras.

Students in Access St. Mary’s had afall-to-spring retention rate of 98percent compared to a retention rate of93 percent for the entire fall 2009freshman cohort. There is a long roadahead of Brenda and her classmates,but they are one step closer to walkingacross the stage at graduation with aSt. Mary’s degree in hand. We will becheering as loudly as their families.

St. Mary’s produces printed recruitment materials (left and center), recognizing that the tactile experience of viewing such publications isirreplaceable. In addition, electronic communication (right) has become an important part of the mix for today’s digital generation.


Rattler Enterprises, a student-managed business, has beenthree years in the making. As the students will tell you, it’sbeen a labor of love filled with lots of trial and error, twistsand turns, and highs and lows. It was not only the students’determination and dedication, but also a little TLC that saw itthrough to fruition.

The idea for astudent-run business wasfirst proposed in 2007 bythen Bill Greehey Schoolof Business Dean KeithRussell, Ph.D. Marketingmajor and E-ScholarDyana Garcia was one ofthe students in theoriginal group thatworked on Russell’s ideaof a Bangladesh importbusiness.

“The words student-managed business,operated by the studentsfor the students, soundedlike a great learningexperience,” Garcia said.“I learn by doing. Ithought this would be agreat opportunity and Iwanted to be a part of it.”

After Russell’suntimely death, studentsre-evaluated their ideaand, instead, decided tofocus on the needs ofUniversity offices andstudent organizations.Their idea – a copyingand printing business –was short-lived as theyquickly realized that both services were already available oncampus. But the students didn’t give up. They againexamined what was used regularly on campus, but notoffered as a service. They found the answer written on thefront of every student in the Quad or sitting in class – T-shirts!

Rattler Enterprises unique amonguniversities

Once the idea was decided upon, Dyana along withpsychology major Lindsi Wilson, E-Scholar and triplebusiness major Stephanie Baumgart, and two other studentswho have since graduated, quickly jumped into action. Withsupport and guidance from then Interim Dean Jim Welch,Ph.D., the students researched screen printing equipment,identified a potential location and wrote a business plan thatincluded market analysis, revenue projections and a safety

and environmental impact study.There are only a handful of student-managed businesses

nationwide, including Flyer Enterprises at St. Mary’s sisterschool, University of Dayton. Stephanie, Dyana and Lindsivisited Dayton and met with its student executive team to get

insight and advice onestablishing RattlerEnterprises – the firststudent-managedbusiness at a Texascollege or university.

According to theirbusiness plan, St. Mary’sstudents project a $7,500profit in the first full yearof operation. Initially,profits will be reinvestedback into the T-shirtcompany so they can filllarger orders, like theAlumni Association’sFiesta Oyster Bake T-shirts. As revenues andthe business grow,student employees fromall academic disciplineswill be hired. Eventually,the Rattler Enterprisesumbrella will grow toinclude more businessdivisions. As part ofRattler Enterprises’mission, profitsexceeding $200,000 willbe donated back to theUniversity forscholarships.

Alums step up to finance business planThe comprehensive business plan was presented to alumni

Tom (B.B.A. ’88) and Leti (B.A. ’89) Contreras – anotherlayer of TLC in the story – and their banker Steve Villarreal(B.B.A. ’89). The Contrerases, who own Texas SecurityGeneral Insurance Agency Inc., are long-time supporters ofSt. Mary’s and Tom has often participated in the businessschool’s Professor for a Day program.

“They say the first impression is always the bestimpression and mine was really good,” said Tom of thestudents’ presentation. “The students were phenomenal; theyhad it all together and backed up their business plan withenthusiasm. I was very impressed. I remember thinking‘Wow, things have changed since I was a student!’”

Leti, a teacher education major while at St. Mary’s, wasinterested in the experiential learning the business wouldprovide. “It feels good to be able to give this opportunity tostudents. I was lucky enough to get real-world experience

S T U D E N T - M A N A G E D

Sometimes all a concept needs to growinto reality is a little tender loving care,

and for St. Mary’s latest student initiative,TLC came in more ways than one.

by Lucha Ramey, Media Relations Director

Leaders in the effort to establishRattler Enterprises’ first businesswere (from left) StephanieBaumgart, Lindsi Wilson andDyana Garcia.

through student teaching. I’m excited to be able to give thissame experience to business students.”

The Contreras’ generously donated $50,000 to thestudent-managed business in 2008, and with a nod to itsbenefactors’ initials, TLC Tees wascreated.

Now that the students had theseed money, the real challenges ofstarting a business still lay ahead.

Originally, the T-shirt designbusiness called for using atraditional screen press. Theequipment is big, loud and smellyfrom the chemicals used, and whilethe students had accounted for thesechallenges in their safety andenvironmental analysis, it meantconstruction was needed on existingspace in the Albert B. Alkek Business Building toaccommodate the equipment.

By the summer of 2009, leadership of Rattler Enterpriseswas in place. CEO and Director of Finance StephanieBaumgart, Director of Marketing Dyana Garcia, and Directorof Human Resources and Operations Lindsi Wilson put theidea of the custom T-shirt business temporarily on hold toconsider businesses that would capitalize on the opening ofthe University’s new freshmen residence hall. The studentswrote a new business plan, including market analysis andrevenue projections, for operating a convenience store inFounders Hall. Unfortunately, the idea presented morechallenges than could be overcome in a reasonable amount oftime.

Success grows out of perseveranceBut through it all Stephanie, Dyana and Lindsi persevered,

injecting their own TLC into Rattler Enterprises every step ofthe way. Just when they thought they were stymied, theylearned of new T-shirt printing technology that made TLC

Tees viable again. The new equipment – essentially a giantinkjet computer printer adapted for T-shirt printing – was lessexpensive, more compact and not as messy. They couldbegin operations immediately.

Finally after three long years,Rattler Enterprises’ first initiative,TLC Tees, officially opened forbusiness in February of this year,and it’s been more of a learningexperience than the students everthought it would be.

“I never imagined it would be somuch work,” said Dyana, “but ithelped me grow and find out what Iwas capable of doing. I also learneda lot about the St. Mary’scommunity; everyone was alwaysthere to lend a helping hand. I

realized we really are a family.”Reflecting back on the experience, Stephanie said,

“Everything doesn’t always go right, but nothing always goeswrong. What separates the success stories from the forgottenchapters is perseverance. We faced many hurdles … andthere were many occasions when we thought we had hit adead end. Instead of accepting failure, we just worked harderand kept looking for new paths to our ultimate goal.”

In just four short months, TLC Tees has filled 11 orders,made 300 T-shirts, generating nearly $3,000 in revenues.

Stephanie and Lindsi graduated in May, but not beforehelping new CEO Dyana hire four new students to come onboard over the summer as Rattler Enterprises’ new executiveteam.

“My advice to the next team of students is to not sweat thesmall stuff,” said Lindsi. “Everything comes in waves and aslong as the lines of communication are open, you canaccomplish anything and everything together.”

And it doesn’t hurt when there’s a little TLC in themix either.


B U S I N E S S T A K E S O F F

The students werephenomenal; they had it all

together and backed up theirbusiness plan with

enthusiasm. I was veryimpressed.


n 1985, Vincent Johnson and I were promoted to AssociateProfessor. To celebrate, we joined my wife, Kay, at a Thairestaurant for lunch. Our conversation turned to travel,

and we chatted about how nice it would be to teach in aforeign study program, but quickly concluded that we wereunlikely to receive such an invitation.

Spring rolls lead to international partnershipMaybe, we thought, we should start our own program. Ideas

about possible locations for the venture flew around the lunch table.If we had been older, wiser, and more cautious, the idea might haveended where it started – with spring rolls. Instead, we proposed theidea to then Dean James Castleberry, who found the idea veryappealing. It was agreed that Vincent and I would do all thegroundwork, present it to the faculty, and – if there was support – beincluded in at least the inaugural faculty for the new program.

That summer, after we had researched possible sites for ourprogram, Vincent was dispatched to Europe where he touredfacilities and met with law deans of several European universities.His warmest reception was by Professor and Dean Fritz Raber of theUniversity of Innsbruck, Austria. An ardent supporter ofinternational partnerships, his response to a possible partnership withSt. Mary’s was very encouraging.

After further discussions and faculty approval, the first sessionwas set for July of 1986. Twenty-five students, including four fromother American law schools, attended the first program. Ours wasone of only 40 summer foreign law study programs offered that yearand the curriculum included several classes on Texas law – quite anodd offering for the Alps!

Supreme Court Justices are faculty mainstaysSince then, much has changed. Always committed to a serious

course of summer study, we attracted some of the best law teachersin the United States and other countries, and tailored our courseofferings to focus on hot topics in international law. Vincent and Ibegan a long, uninterrupted period as directors of the program,although he eventually moved on to other projects. The reputation ofthe program grew, and soon we were attracting 100 or more studentsfrom schools across the U.S. and several foreign countries eachsummer.

Now among more than 200 summer foreign study programs,St. Mary’s remains one of the most recognized and longest-running.Seven Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court have taught in theprogram, several of them multiple times. The late Chief JusticeWilliam Rehnquist was on the faculty four times, and only failinghealth prevented a scheduled fifth appearance. Judges andprosecutors from the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslaviahave lectured, too, as have many well-known international lawpractitioners, foreign law professors and local experts.

Innsbruck results in internationalizationof curriculum at home

What else has come from that lunch conversation? Thousands oflaw students from St. Mary’s and more than 130 other American lawschools have studied in Austria, taking courses not usually found onhome campuses, and enjoying travel and cultural opportunities theymight never have had. More than half of our own law faculty haveprepared and taught courses in international law due to this program.Our international curriculum has expanded exponentially as a result,and we now offer a Master of Laws in International andComparative Law at home. Our faculty exchange program with theUniversity of Innsbruck has allowed more than a dozen facultymembers to teach and learn in a foreign country, and St. Mary’s BillGreehey School of Business started its own Innsbruck program afterwe began.

This year, we celebrate 25 years of success in internationalizingour curriculum, faculty, students and campus through the Innsbruckprogram. All because of a little idea at lunch. So, the next timeyou’re tempted to skip lunch, remember: It’s not just food; it’s anopportunity to do something whose impact can endure.

Professor Reamey teaches primarily in the area ofcriminal law and procedure, but has also taughtcourses in constitutional law, international humanrights, jurisprudence, and domestic relations, andhas served as a supervising attorney in theSt. Mary’s clinical program. He joined St. Mary’sSchool of Law faculty in 1982, after several yearsin private practice.

by Geary Reamey, Professor of Law

Sometimes,it’s notjust lunch.

ILaw School Celebrating

25 Years in Europe

Extending the Tradition of Excellence

Rho Betas’ Team Leads Fundraising Effort to BuildOutdoor Sports Complex, Challenges Other Organizations to

Get in the GameThe Extending the Tradition of Excellence campaign to raise $23 million for scholarships and the

Outdoor Sports Complex is 80 percent complete, and first among fundraising teams is RhoBeta Gamma fraternity. So far, their team has raised $300,000 towards their $500,000 goal!

Rho Beta and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Robert Elizondo (B.S. ’67) and Trustee and Campaign Co-Chair Dave

Dickson (B.B.A. ’68) – also a Rho Beta – are captains of the fraternity’s team. The group’s commitment to St. Mary’s

most recent campaign is nothing new. For decades, Rho Betas have served St. Mary’s through

leadership in the Alumni Association and on the Board of Trustees.

With a game plan of breaking ground in less than a year for a sports complex that will provide facilities

and fields for baseball, softball, soccer and tennis, the members of Rho Beta challenge all St. Mary’sGreeks, and social and service groups to step up to the plate by organizing a fundraising team.

It’s easy to get in on the action. Just go to

www.stmarytx.edu/winningtraditionsto create a team or to join an existing one.

The Outdoor Sports Complex will open in summer 2012,becoming the latest site for Rattler sports teams to build on winning traditions!

One Camino Santa MariaSan Antonio, Texas 78228-8575

www.stmarytx.edu

Address Service Requested

Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDSan Antonio, Texas

Permit No. 787

Scenes from Fiesta Oyster Bake 2010

St. Mary's University Gold & Blue | Summer 2010

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