Fall 2021 Opening Day celebration began with UST faculty and staff cheering as UST President Richard Ludwick kicked off the first of many events to come in celebration of the University of St. Thomas’ 75th anniversary year and the 200th anniversary of the Basilian Fathers.

Lenny the Lion mascot made an appearance in the stirring 75-year-history “Celtflix” video that ran through clips of famous movies from the 1940s to the present.

Faculty Excellence Awards

More than 300 attendees raised a glass to excellence in faculty teaching, service and research. Dr. Jim Clarage, Physics, and Dr. John Palasota, Chemistry, received the St. Thomas Aquinas Excellence in Teaching Awards; Dr. Javoris Hollingsworth, Chemistry, received the Joseph M. McFadden Excellence in Service Award; and Dr. David Schein, Cameron School of Business, received the Saint Edith Stein Excellence in Research Award.

Six professors were the recipients of the first annual TOAST (The Teach Online Awards to Spur Transformation) Awards. Dr. Catherine Barber, Education; Dr. Angelina Chambers, Nursing; Dr. Habib Chamoun, Business; Dr. Anne Gichuri, Education; Dr. Richa Chandra, Chemistry; and Dr. Richard Sindelar Political Science.

In addition, 19 new faculty members stood to be recognized including:

• Vanessa Arline, Nursing
• Eric Botts, International Studies and Modern Languages
• Ashley Daniel, Clinical Mental Health Counseling
• Lauren Delumpa, Nursing
• Andres Garcia, Ed.D program
• Brandon Green, Ed.D program
• Francesca Guerri, History
• Joshua Hren, Creative Writing
• Ivan Irizarry, Clinical Mental Health Counseling
• Deborah Klesel, Nursing
• Jill Laughlin, Nursing
• Priya Majmundar, Nursing
• Aaron Pomerantz, Psychology
• Christopher Stanley, Psychology
• Terese Verklan, Nursing
• Mary Anne Vincent, Nursing
• James Wilson, Creative Writing
• Cesare Wright, Communications
• Yung-Chun (Nicole) Hsiao, International Studies and Modern Languages

In addition, attendees applauded more than 100 new staff members who have joined the University from April 2020 to August 2021.