Fall 2021 Campus Briefs

Mother Pauline’s Food Pantry

For the third year, Mother Pauline’s Food Pantry has opened to lessen food insecurity on campus. This free service delivers perishable and nonperishable food items, toiletries, and hygiene products directly to students, and works like a typical, convenience delivery service. Students fill out an online form to request items from the pantry. Orders are filled and delivered to the front desk of the student’s residence hall each week. The packaging is non-descript, to help maintain students’ privacy. To date, organizers say the program has helped 651 students, which does not include packages arranged for breaks when the dining hall is closed.

College Names Two Vice Presidents

Holly C. Johnson joined the College October 25 as vice president for advancement. Johnson comes to Saint Mary’s from Culver Academies, where she has served as chief advancement officer since 2016. There, her team delivered record-setting fundraising results and spearheaded work to develop consistent branding and messaging for internal and external audiences. Prior to her work at Culver, Johnson was vice president of development for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. At Saint Mary’s, she will oversee all fundraising and advancement efforts, alumnae relations, and marketing.

 

Redgina Hill has been named vice president for inclusion and equity, continuing her cross-college work, further developing the Office for Student Equity and the LGBTQ+ Center. Also added to her areas of responsibility are Multicultural Student Services, the Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative (WEI), and the new interdisciplinary maker-space currently under development, called “The Hatchery.” Hill was previously the executive director of the Office of Inclusion and Equity.

Clearer Focus on Common Good

The Office for Civic and Social Engagement has a new name and, according to its leadership, a clearer focus. Now called the Office for the Common Good, its programming is dedicated to building strong civic values and facilitating community engagement in the South Bend area.

Rebekah Go, director, and Kris Arizmendi Choinacky, assistant director, continue to lead the office, but with a more targeted focus on advocacy and activism. This year’s paid fellowships serve St. Margaret’s House, Girls on the Run and Dress for Success. Student fellows provide eight hours of work each week during the academic year to enhance their professional experience while assisting these local organizations.

On the advocacy front, the office’s latest sustainability program, Belles on Bikes, helps reduce Saint Mary’s carbon footprint by providing bikes, helmets, and locks for students to use throughout the day.

Ready, Set, Innovate

In September, the Center for Academic Innovation (CFAI) opened its doors to a new location on the third floor of the Cushwa-Leighton Library. Faculty can gather to discuss methods, research, and professional development in the expanded center. Associate Provost Colleen Hoover leads the center’s team that includes its new director, Terri Hebert. Serving as a research fellow is Laura Elder, associate professor in the Department of Global Studies. Katherine Higgs-Coulthard, assistant professor in the Department of Education, joins as pedagogy fellow. Patti Doyle ’69 continues to serve the team as the interim coordinator of sponsored programs. To learn more about the CFAI, click here.