Inauguration Schedule of Events
Welcome to Saint Mary's. Please note that masking is required at all indoor events, regardless of vaccination status, unless actively eating. Thank you for helping keep our community healthy.
Friday, October 8, 2021
Inauguration Reception and Dinner (by invitation only)
6 p.m. Hilton Garden Inn & Gillespie Conference Center
Fleur de Lis Ballroom
Saturday, October 9, 2021
Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary
9 a.m. Church of Our Lady of Loretto
Luncheon (by invitation only)
11 a.m. Noble Family Dining Hall, Student Center
Installation Ceremony
1:30 p.m. O’Laughlin Auditorium, Moreau Center for the Arts
Reception
Immediately following the ceremony, Cushwa-Leighton Library
Catherine Russell in Concert, jazz and blues artist
Tickets
7:30 p.m. O'Laughlin Auditorium, Moreau Center for the Arts
I love that Saint Mary’s is a place of dreamers and doers, where we can use our imaginations and then roll up our sleeves to get the work done.
– Katie Conboy, Ph.D.
Additional Events
Tuesday, September 28, 2021
An Evening with Jacqueline Woodson
Jacqueline Woodson is the National Book Award-winning author of Brown Girl Dreaming, four time Newbery Honor winner, and MacArthur Fellow. As the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Jacqueline Woodson spoke about her platform of “Reading = Hope x Change (What’s Your Equation?).”
7:30 p.m. O'Laughlin Auditorium, Moreau Center for the Arts
Sunday, October 3, 2021
Saint Mary's Lip Sync Battle (A Student-Led Inauguration Event)
Saint Mary's students, faculty, and staff performed in an epic musical competition. President Katie Conboy took the stage as well.
6 p.m. Carroll Auditorium
Wednesday, October 6, 2021
Representing Holiness: An Exploration of Marian Art
An event dedicated to the many pieces of art that have been installed on Saint Mary’s campus devoted to Blessed Mother Mary. The evening will begin with a reflection and introduction of the artists, their work, and their significance to our College. Followed by self-guided and guided tours with Molly Gower, interim vice president for Mission and Tiffany Johnson Bidler, associate professor of art.
6 p.m. Rice Commons, Student Center
Thursday, October 7, 2021
A Celebration of Belonging
A ribbon-cutting and celebration of two new offices: the LGBTQ+ Center and the Office for Student Equity. Each of these spaces demonstrate the College's commitment to creating a culture of belonging and mattering by fostering an inclusive environment for all. The event will begin in Rice Commons with a brief presentation by representatives of each office. Tours of the new spaces and refreshments followed.
4–6 p.m. Rice Commons, Student Center
Friday, October 8, 2021
Center for Integrated Healthcare Education
Join us on a tour of the newest academic facility—the Center for Integrated Healthcare Education. This state-of-the-art facility will provide students with an interdisciplinary and interprofessional education, with access to the latest in multidisciplinary simulation labs, classroom space, and research opportunities. The first to move into the building was the Department of Nursing Science. As the Center continues to expand, all of Saint Mary’s health science and behavioral programs will be housed under one roof, including autism studies, social work and gerontology, and speech and language pathology.
10–11:30 a.m. Regina Hall
Revere, Revise, and Reimagine Symposium
View Program
This symposium of research and creative works will begin with a selection of performing and visual arts events in Moreau Center for the Arts, featuring music, dance, theater and art students and faculty. Next guests will travel to Spes Unica to take part in several research presentations, including talks and panel discussions. A dynamic student poster session in Angela Athletic & Wellness Complex will round out the afternoon program.
1–5 p.m. Various locations with welcome at the Little Theatre, Moreau Center for the Arts
Sunday, October 10, 2021
Rave Around the World (A Student-Led Inauguration Event)
Saint Mary's students will host the Rave Around the World Silent Disco on the lawn in front of Le Mans. This giant dance party is open to all and will cap the series of events surrounding the Inauguration of President Katie Conboy.
7–9 p.m. Le Mans Green
The College will follow current health and safety guidelines pertaining to COVID-19. While it may not be required at every event, we ask that you have a mask with you at all times.
About President Katie Conboy
Dr. Katie Conboy became the 14th president of Saint Mary’s College on June 1, 2020. As president, she continues our 176-year-old mission of empowering undergraduate women to make a difference in the world through a strong, liberal arts education—and augments that primary mission through judiciously chosen graduate and professional programs. Conboy approaches her role with a deep understanding of our historical identity and enduring focus on innovation. An imaginative and seasoned leader, she encourages collaboration across the College, inviting the community to explore new approaches to every endeavor and challenging students to be creatively curious about how their knowledge, skills, values, and actions can contribute to the greater good.
Prior to arriving at Saint Mary’s, Conboy served as provost and senior vice president at Simmons University, a women’s college in Boston. She earned her Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Notre Dame in 1986, and her BA (with Honors) from the University of Kansas in 1981.