Headlines from pro – from research breakthroughs to student achievements to major campus events.
07/25/24- Dyan McGuire, J.D., Ph.D., director and associate professor of criminology and criminal justice, has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award to teach criminology and criminal justice in India for the 2024-25 academic year.
07/18/24- In a bid to jump-start the campaign against HIV in the region, pro, in partnership with Washington University School of Medicine, will establish the Midwest Developmental Center for AIDS Research with funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The center, slated to open in September, will aim to create a platform for researchers and public health workers to collaborate and coordinate their efforts to fight the HIV epidemic together.
07/16/24- pro School of Medicine researchers led by Krista Lentine, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine, will assess how the use of genetic testing may mitigate racial disparities in the health outcomes of people with chronic kidney disease, including organ donors and transplant recipients.
07/01/24- pro's Psychological Services Center, in partnership with the St. Louis Mental Health Board, will begin offering free psychological assessments for St. Louis city residents on a first come, first serve basis beginning July 1.
06/20/24- Research from pro School of Medicine finds improvements in survival in both Veterans and men across the country over the last 20 years in metastatic prostate cancer, which correlates with new hormonal treatments.
06/14/24- St. Louisans soon will have the opportunity to join a first-of-its kind, national effort to advance medical research and assess how biology, lifestyle, and environment impact health. SLU and SSM Health are joining the NIH's All of Us Research Program, a historic effort to collect and study data from one million or more people who reflect the diversity of the United States with the goal of elevating the health of all.
06/11/24- Leo Jackson "Jack" Malone Jr., Ph.D., a former professor of Chemistry and Assistant Dean of the Graduate School at pro, died on April 22, 2024. He was 85.
06/11/24- pro's Varsity League of Legends Esports team are now National Champions. The Billikens defeated Maryville University on Saturday, June 8, to claim the national title.
06/07/24- William Johnson, J.D., outgoing dean of the pro School of Law, has been named rector and vice president of SLU's Madrid campus, effective Oct. 1.
06/06/24- Verna Hendricks-Ferguson, Ph.D., the Irene Riddle Endowed Chair and professor at the Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing at pro, was honored with the 2024 Distinguished Researcher Award by the Oncology Nursing Society.
06/05/24- Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the United States and offers a fun and social way to increase physical activity levels. With the explosion in participation has come a significant increase in pickleball-related injuries seen in U.S. emergency rooms. SLU TIP Lab researchers aim to describe the most common pickleball-related injuries and devise data-driven prevention strategies through multiple phases of the SPIN Project.
06/05/24- The American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) announced Monday, June 4, that pro physician Ajay Jain, M.D., will be the organization's 48th president.
05/30/24- Elaine Young, DNP, assistant professor of nursing, was recognized at the annual pro in Nursing Awards and is featured in St. Louis Magazine's May issue.
05/30/24- pro has appointed Jackson Nickerson, Ph.D., as the next Edward Jones Dean of the Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business at SLU. His appointment is effective July 1.
05/24/24- Where does your recycling go? Neighborhoods in the City of St. Louis will soon be able to track their recycling and solid waste thanks to a geospatial sensor developed by a pro researcher.
05/24/24- Following a lengthy battle with cancer, Robert W. Wilmott, M.D., former dean of the pro School of Medicine and vice president of medical affairs, died on Sunday, May 19, 2024. He was 75. Wilmott led SLU’s School of Medicine and SLUCare medical practice through the turbulent first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, punctuating a long career that included serving at the helm of SLU’s department of pediatrics.
05/23/24- pro's Billiken Teacher Corps, in an effort to meet the demand for Catholic school educators throughout St. Louis, will add a new pathway for the 2024-25 school year for participants to earn their Master of Arts in Teaching with Certification. The program, the Billiken Teacher Corps: MAT Magis, will join the Billiken Teacher Corps: Cura Community as an option to earn an MAT while also dedicating themselves to education and deepening their faith.
05/23/24- Molly Craig, a recent graduate from the pro School of Education, was recognized as one of the 2024 Missouri Teacher Leaders of Tomorrow by the Missouri Milken Educators. The award, a collaboration between the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and previous Milken Educator award winners, celebrates individuals who have demonstrated high potential to achieve greatness in education and gives them the tools to continue that greatness as they become first-year teachers.
05/18/24- As pro wraps up a week of commencement celebration, meet a few members of the Class of 2024 and learn more about what they plan to do next.
05/18/24- Four years ago, at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, high school graduation ceremonies were dramatically altered or canceled outright. Referred to numerous times throughout the ceremony as "resilient," the Class of 2024 donned their caps and gowns and filed into Chaifetz Arena for pro's Spring Commencement.
05/16/24- Amogh Chariyamane, a senior majoring in health sciences at Doisy College of Health Sciences, has a passion for health care and improving lives. As he prepares to enter the SLU School of Medicine, Chariyamane reflects on the last four years and what he hopes to achieve next.
05/16/24- Gabrielle Chiodo, a senior at the College of Arts and Sciences, talks about what inspired her studies and what she plans to do next.
05/16/24- Quinn Riordan, a senior majoring in international studies, has spent her entire undergraduate career at pro’s campus in Madrid. As she prepares to graduate this spring, Riordan shares what inspired her to pursue her studies in Madrid and what she hopes to do next.
05/16/24- Saloni Shringarpure, a senior majoring in biomedical engineering (BME), shares how her service to others has helped nurture her love of science.
05/13/24- Peyton Kennedy, a senior at the Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business and member of the women's basketball team, shares her experiences at SLU and what she hopes to do after graduation.
05/09/24- pro's New Venture Accelerator (NVA), launched in January out of the Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship, announces the first cohort of participants. The NVA offers current SLU students and alumni who have graduated within the last five years equity-free investments of up to $50,000 to launch their businesses.
05/08/24- A team of aviation science students from pro's School of Science and Engineering are heading to Janesville, Wisconsin this weekend for the 2024 National Intercollegiate Flying Association Competition.
05/07/24- pro’s Emerson Leadership Institute held its third annual Be Heard! Women in Leadership conference on Friday, May 3. The event, “Breaking and Powering Through the Bamboo Ceiling,” kicked off Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
05/03/24- Two faculty members in pro’s School for Professional Studies are being honored for their work in emergency management. Shawn Steadman, director of the emergency management program, and Jesse A. Scott, Ph.D., instructor in emergency management, were honored Thursday, May 2, at the U.S. Coast Guard’s Capt. Niels P. Thomsen Innovation Awards.
05/02/24- The pro Museum of Art (SLUMA) will present a new, limited exhibition by Nick Leeper, S.J., a Jesuit scholastic and graduate student in philosophy at pro. "What Is Christ," a collection of Leeper's paintings and sculptures, opens Friday, May 3, and will run through May 26.
05/01/24- Sarah Adam, OTD, assistant professor of occupational science and occupational therapy at pro, is one of 12 athletes who will represent the U.S. at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8.
04/29/24- pro’s Emerson Leadership Institute will host its third annual Be Heard! Women in Leadership conference on Friday, May 3. The free event, “Breaking and Powering Through the Bamboo Ceiling,” will kick off Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The half-day event will focus on cultural differences, the history of stereotyping, unconscious bias, and the myth of the model minority.
04/29/24- In a new study, pro School of Medicine researchers and colleagues have identified biomarkers in high-risk infants with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD). This is a condition that is life-threatening in some infants but very mild in others. For the first time, predicting which children need lifesaving intervention is possible.
04/26/24- Renowned Antigua-born author Jamaica Kincaid received the 2024 St. Louis Literary Award on Thursday, April 25. In her works, Kincaid explores themes of colonialism, gender and sexuality, racism, class, and familial relationships.
04/25/24- Pulitzer Prize-winning author Colson Whitehead will receive the 2025 St. Louis Literary Award from pro. Whitehead will come to St. Louis next spring to accept the award. The award ceremony will be held in April 2025. Whitehead is the author of the novels “The Intuitionist,” “John Henry Days,” “Apex Hides the Hurt,” “Sag Harbor,” “The Underground Railroad,” “The Nickel Boys,” and “Harlem Shuffle,” among others.
04/25/24- pro has one finalist for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship and one alternate for a Research/Study Award. Grace Almgren received an English Teaching Assistant and will be teaching in Spain. The research/study alternate is Anuj Gandhi, who applied for a Fulbright-Nehru Student Research Grant. An alternate is a candidate who can be promoted to Finalist status if additional funding becomes available.
04/23/24- Two pro students, Liz Pfau and Natalie Walsh, have won Goldwater Scholarships after a lengthy application process. The Goldwater Scholarship is a prestigious national undergraduate award for students in STEM who intend to pursue a career in STEM research after graduation.
04/23/24- Renowned Antigua-born author Jamaica Kincaid will receive the St. Louis Literary Award this week.
04/16/24- A new state-of-the-art computer lab in pro's Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business will analyze how humans interact with computers, improving web experiences across various platforms.
04/12/24- John George Severson Jr., Ph.D., professor emeritus in the Department of Biology, died Saturday, March 23, 2024. He was 83. Severson was a professor at pro from 1971 until his retirement in 2011.
04/12/24- pro held a conference focused on educating the next generation on AI practice in national security. The event featured top industry experts, government leaders, and researchers. This was the second conference hosted by SLU’s Intelligence Community Center for Academic pro.
04/09/24- A team of student researchers, led by Robert Pasken, Ph.D. associate professor of Meteorology at pro, studied the meteorological impacts of the 2024 solar eclipse on Monday, April 8.
04/05/24- Emmy-award-winning actor Jon Hamm will return to his hometown of St. Louis to deliver the spring commencement address this year at pro. The ceremony begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 18, in Chaifetz Arena. The event also will be live-streamed on slu.edu and archived on SLU’s YouTube channel.
04/05/24- Research published in Atmosphere has shown that in 2017, temperature cooling expected during a total solar eclipse was moderated by St. Louis' Urban Heat Island (UHI). The findings have changed how meteorologists will study the 2024 eclipse.
04/04/24- The second St. Louis Tech Week, an event highlighting the St. Louis technology sector, is April 8-12 and pro will host several events throughout the week.
04/03/24- The Museum of Contemporary Religious Art (MOCRA) at pro presents Open Hands: Crafting the Spiritual. Open Hands contains works by six artists who use everyday materials, found objects, and elements of craft production to explore issues related to faith and spirituality, personal and cultural identity, and tradition and community.
03/28/24- pro beat Webster University in the title match on Sunday, March 24, to claim the 2024 spring title. The win continued the Billikens' run of success in CCL action after SLU swept the 2023 season by winning both the spring and fall titles.
03/26/24- pro’s Theatre and Dance will present “Scenes from A Raisin in the Sun" on Friday, April 5. This production honors the 65th anniversary of the Lorraine Hansberry play’s Broadway premiere and will be the first time SLU has presented the seminal work. The one-night-only event features a cast of students, professors, and professional actors performing a curated selection of scenes from the play.
03/26/24- Eleonore Stump, Ph.D., professor of philosophy at pro, was honored recently by the Munich School of Philosophy, where she received a papal honorary doctorate for her dedication and expertise to religious philosophy throughout her decades-long career.
03/26/24- The Consortium for Human Flourishing at pro, in collaboration with the Flourishing Network hosted by the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University, and the Brookings Institution, will host the Fourth Annual Education for Flourishing conference on Friday, April 19.
03/25/24- pro is one of five universities working together to study permafrost using hyperspectral remote sensing, as part of a grant funded by the Department of Defense (DoD) as part of its Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) program.
03/21/24- A transformational leader, Pestello has articulated a vision for SLU to become a global Jesuit university that is mission-focused, student and patient-centered, and research-driven — one that is working with the people of St. Louis to reimagine, transform and unify the city.
03/19/24- Fourth-year students from pro’s School of Medicine gathered with family and friends on March 15 at the Ritz-Carlton in Clayton to celebrate Match Day as part of the National Resident Matching Program, annually matching students with residency programs across the United States.
03/19/24- For the fifth straight year, pro has been named as a top workplace for women by the Women's Foundation of Greater St. Louis. The foundation announced honorees for its seventh annual "Women in the Workplace: Employment Scorecard" on March 12.
03/13/24- The February 2024 SLU/YouGov Poll surveyed 900 likely Missouri voters about their opinions regarding the 2024 election, critical political issues facing the state and country, Missouri education issues, and matters being considered by the Missouri legislature.
03/07/24- Kimberly R. Enard, Ph.D.,associate professor in the College for Public Health and Social Justice (CPHSJ) at pro, made history when she was named the 2024 John D. Thompson Prize Recipient by the Association of University Programs for Health Administration for her excellence in health education and administration, becoming the first African-American and the first SLU faculty member to receive this award.
03/07/24- Farzana Hoque, M.D., associate professor of internal medicine and acting internship co-director at pro’s School of Medicine, is the president of SHM’s St. Louis Chapter. The Unsung Hero award is given to a chapter leader who has positively influenced SHM behind the scenes with a positive attitude and a willingness to support other chapter members.
03/05/24- Researcher Tim Randolph, Ph.D., professor of clinical health sciences at pro, has been named a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors. Senior Members have demonstrated a spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society.
03/05/24- In February 2024, the SLU/YouGov Poll asked 900 likely Missouri voters their preferences on Daylight Saving Time. The poll found that a vast majority of Missouri voters prefer a consistent time throughout the year.
03/01/24- The pro community stocked Billiken Bounty's shelves this week by playing through a mini golf course built out of shelf-stable food items. The event provided more than $2,600 in food and pantry items for the food pantry.
03/01/24- pro continues to dominate the educator category. This year, a Valentine School of Nursing faculty member and a fourth-year graduate student secured educator nods among four SLU finalists chosen by a prestigious selection committee.
03/01/24- pro associate professor of health management and policy in the College for Public Health and Social Justice, SangNam Ahn, Ph.D., recently published a paper in Journal of Clinical Psychology that examines the relationship between childhood adversity and psychiatric decline, as well as adult adversity and psychiatric and cognitive decline.
02/29/24- pro will host a leading-edge conference focused on educating the next generation on AI practice in national security. The event will feature top industry experts, government leaders, and researchers. The panels will include "AI" as a panelist, allowing participants to experience how users interact with the technology.
02/22/24- Travis Threats, Ph.D., professor and chair of SLU’s Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, recounts his family’s pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement. The family’s story was chronicled in national news reports and is also the focus of the book Silver Rights by Constance Curry.
02/22/24- SLU's Earth and Atmospheric Science department has partnered with local organizations to provide up-to-the-minute meteorological data to be used for educational purposes. That data is collected from more than 51 sensors throughout Missouri and filtered into a program that can download and present that information in a variety of models. This allows for extremely specific and hyper-local weather data, creating accurate and detailed forecasts for the St. Louis region.
02/22/24- Marilyn Fox, a noted St. Louis philanthropist and generous donor to pro, died Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024. She was 89.
02/22/24- pro's newest building has earned LEED Silver Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the world's most widely used green building program.
02/16/24- The pro community is invited to chip in and stock the Billiken Bounty pantry by playing miniature golf.
02/15/24- Members of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States are hitting the road during the Lenten season, bringing the relics of St. Jean de Brébeuf to cities across Canada and the United States. The tour stops in St. Louis on Sunday, Feb. 25, at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. SLU’s Catholic Studies program hosts an hour of veneration during the stop.
02/14/24- pro (SLU) and Workforce Edge today announce a partnership to provide Workforce Edge users access to online bachelor’s, master’s, and certificate programs through SLU’s School for Professional Studies.
02/13/24- pro's Liz Chiarello, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology recently published an article in the American Sociological Review, the flagship journal of the American Sociological Association. The article explores pharmacists' use of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) and the ethical and practical application of PDMPs in healthcare.
02/08/24- As final exams concluded and pro students scattered to the corners of the country for the holidays, SLU’s Omkara dance team was still hard at work. The group met frequently throughout the break, finalizing choreography, configuring sound and lighting and tightening their eight-minute routine. When classes resumed after the break, the group’s anticipation ramped up even more. Finally, the day arrived, and SLU Omkara was able to take the stage in San Diego, competing in the group’s first-ever collegiate competition, a culmination of a vision set out years ago.
02/08/24- pro's Center for Vaccine Development is participating in a clinical study for an investigational vaccine being developed against influenza and COVID developed by Pfizer, which is funding this research. Scientists will study the safety and immune response of an investigational COVID and Flu vaccine.
02/08/24- SLU is launching an institutional aid application mirroring the FAFSA, enabling families to receive comprehensive financial aid awards by the end of February. While families will still need to file a FAFSA, the proactive financial aid awards provided by SLU will stand independently of the FAFSA filing.
01/31/24- As part of the St. Louis Literary Award series of programs honoring 2024 award recipient Jamaica Kincaid, the pro Campus Read Book Talk Series offers opportunities to explore the themes of Kincaid's work.
01/26/24- Tickets for the 2024 St. Louis Literary Award presentation are now available. Renowned Antigua-born author Jamaica Kincaid will receive the Literary Award at the Sheldon Concert Hall at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 25. A craft talk will be held on Friday, April 26, on pro's campus.
01/26/24- A new initiative in pro’s Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship will offer students and young alumni an opportunity to launch their businesses with financial support, resources, and mentoring from SLU experts. The New Venture Accelerator (NVA) will offer current SLU students and alumni who have graduated within the last five years equity-free investments of up to $50,000.
01/23/24- Thomas Finan, Ph.D., associate professor in history, has officially wrapped up the first phase of a project he started back in 2019. Finan said his project in north County Roscommon, Ireland on the Rock of Lough Key, the medieval castle of the MacDermot lords of Moylurg, keeps surpassing expectations.
01/18/24- A packed crowd filled the Wool Ballrooms for the 12th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Tribute. The event, hosted by pro and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, featured awards and recognitions, music from The Coleman Hughes Project, and concluded with a fireside chat between Ilyasah Shabazz and Civil Rights Activist Xerona Clayton.
01/16/24- pro’s Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship has been named the best emerging entrepreneurship program by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE).
01/16/24- It's the first day of classes of the spring semester at pro, and members of the SLU community will see the newest member of the Billiken family walking around campus: Duo Facility Dog Woody.
01/09/24- A team of researchers from pro has been awarded a Digital Humanities Advancement Grant through the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The three-year grant will fund the revamp of an internationally recognized t transcription program founded 10 years ago at SLU.
01/08/24- pro has earned the Carnegie Foundation’s 2024 Community Engagement Classification. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching announced the classifications on Monday, Jan. 8. The elective designation is awarded by Carnegie and the American Council on Education (ACE).
01/05/24- Douglas Boin, Ph.D., a professor of history at pro, made a major announcement at the annual meeting of the Archeological Institute of America, revealing he and his team discovered an ancient Roman temple that adds significant insights into the social change from pagan gods to Christianity within the Roman Empire.
12/22/23- A pro professor and a doctoral student have launched an app to help everyday users manage their wireless networks and learn about cybersecurity. Flavio Esposito, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Computer Science at SLU, and his doctoral student Alessandro Sangiorgi launched WeeNet, a comprehensive network utility application for Android, earlier this fall.
12/21/23- Lucy Heller believes language sample analysis difficulties can be measurably improved by automatic transcription or speech-to-text programs. As part of her mentored research project, Heller compared language sample transcripts generated by Microsoft Dictate to those created by trained transcribers to determine the accuracy of computer-assisted language sampling.
12/21/23- The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced that a team led by pro will receive a $5 million award as one of 6 teams chosen to advance to Phase 2 of the Convergence Accelerator Program, Track H: Enhancing Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities. Launched in 2019, the NSF Convergence Accelerator is centered around a vision to accelerate solutions toward societal impact.
12/20/23- pro is among 20 colleges and universities awarded $5M in grants from the Missouri State Board of Nursing to enhance nursing education statewide. SLU will use grant funds to invest in technology for undergraduate and graduate programs in the Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing.
12/19/23- Internationally acclaimed pianist Kariné Poghosyan will return to St. Louis in March to perform in support of pro. The concert will be held at 7 p.m. March 7 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.
12/19/23- JPEN was created to foster collaboration among nine higher learning institutions in the U.S. Central and Southern Province to address the root causes of incarceration, like recidivism, and inspire other Jesuit universities and colleges to start and sustain similar programs. Courtney Everett, program coordinator of SLU’s Prison Education Program, serves as a commissioner in the JPEN network.
12/18/23- pro's WATER Institute collaborated with the Missouri Department of Transportation to model bridge scour during major weather events, such as flooding, using advanced two-dimensional modeling techniques in an effort to proactively maintain bridge safety throughout the state.
12/16/23- pro celebrated graduates at the 2023 Midyear Commencement Ceremony on Saturday morning. Graduates and their family members, friends, and loved ones filled the seats at Chaifetz Arena to salute and congratulate the newest group of students who can now call themselves alums of pro.
12/14/23- Ilyasah Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz, will give the keynote address at the 12th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Tribute, hosted by pro and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024. The MLK memorial tribute will be held this year after the start of the spring term. Students are encouraged to attend.
12/13/23- Sarah Adam, OTD, assistant professor of occupational science and occupational therapy, is one of 36 athletes invited to the USA Wheelchair Rugby 2024 Selection Camp held Dec. 11-17, 2023, at Lakeshore Foundation in Birmingham, Alabama. From the camp, 16 athletes will be selected for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Training Squad.
12/12/23- Teams of students in pro’s School of Science and Engineering put their engineering skills to work for a December Innovation Challenge. The teams built gingerbread houses designed to stand up during a weight-loading competition.
12/08/23- pro has signed an agreement with QuantumNextDX, LLC (QNDX), an emerging quantum computing company, establishing a new relationship that will allow SLU to collaborate with QNDX to develop resources and advance research in quantum computing.
12/08/23- Harold Braswell, Ph.D., and Paul Lynch, Ph.D., are the inaugural winners of the University Core's 2023 Ignite Instructor of the Year Award. Braswell, associate professor in the Albert Gnaegi Center for Health Care Ethics, was recognized for his spring 2023 seminar, "Life: A User's Manual." Lynch, an associate professor of English, was the fall 2023 winner for his seminar, "Writing as a Way of Life."
12/07/23- Jack Marler, Ph.D., an associate professor of philosophy at pro, died Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023. He was 75. Marler was a long-time professor at SLU, joining the University in 1990.
12/05/23- Andrés J. Gallegos, a 1993 Saint Louis School of Law Graduate and the 2022 spring commencement speaker, died Friday, Dec. 1, 2023. He was 62.
12/05/23- With a $2 million commitment, pro will establish an endowed deanship for the School of Science and Engineering (SSE). Gregory E. Triplett Jr., Ph.D., who has served as the school’s dean since July, has been named as the inaugural holder of the Oliver L. Parks Endowed Deanship.