Contact Information:
Buff Lindau, Public Relations
802.654.2536
blindau@smcvt.edu
Some 553 new first-year students and 28 transfer students will be welcomed to Saint Michael's College August 26 to begin a four-day orientation program before classes begin on Monday, Sept. 1. With the largest applicant pool in the college's history, Saint Michael's admitted a class of 283 (51 %) women and 270 (49 %) men, with 20 percent of them coming from outside New England. The 28 transfer students include 16 women and 12 men.
"We achieved gender balance based altogether on the quality of applicants," said Jerry Flanagan, Saint Michael's vice president for enrollment. "We are very fortunate to have such a balance, even though 58 percent of college students nationwide are women."
The new class has two valedictorians and four salutatorians in its ranks, with over half the incoming class ranked in the top 25 percent of their high school class. Fully 75 percent of the new students participated in community service, campus ministry or another volunteer program. And 38 of the new students are recipients of the Saint Michael's College Book Award for Scholarship and Service.
"This is a very good group of students selected from our largest applicant pool ever," Flanagan said. "We look forward to welcoming thme to our community and, given their statements of civic involvement, we expect that they will make excellent contributions to our community."
GEOGRAPHIC SPREAD
The students come from the following states: Massachusetts, 191 students (34.5 %); Vermont, 83 students (15 %); New Hampshire, 64 students (11.6 %); Connecticut, 62 students (11.2 %); New York, 58 students (10.5 %); Maine, 24 students (4.3 %); New Jersey, 19 students (3.4 %); Rhode Island, 8 students (1.4 %); and the rest, over 20 percent, from outside New England, including California, Colorado, Florida, Minnesota, Tennessee, Washington and Wyoming.
MOVING IN
New students and their parents will be arriving to banners and balloons of welcome waved by upper level students at entrances to the college campus. Students will check in at Ross Sports Center from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 28, and will then be moving into the residence halls, which accommodate fully 100 percent of Saint Michael's students. Moving-in day is highlighted by complimentary lunch, photos, residence hall meetings, buffet dinner, New Student Convocation, dessert reception, a fun-for-all get-acquainted event and more.
NEW STUDENT CONVOCATION
President John J. Neuhauser will welcome new students and their parents at a convocation featuring full academic regalia on Thursday evening, August 28, at 7 p.m. in the Chapel of Saint Michael the Archangel.
The convocation features a brass music processional by students of Professor Susan Summerfield. This will be followed by a call to order and welcome by Dr. Karen Talentino, new vice president for academic affairs, a biologist who joined Saint Michael's this semester, coming from Stonehill College. Next will be the invocation by Rev. Brian J. Cummings, SSE, welcome by Student Association President Stephen O'Neil, welcome by Alumni Association President Gerry Gould, and principal address by English instructor Dr. William Marquess, 2007 Joanne Rathgeb Teaching Award Recipient.
There will be a ceremonial Receiving of the Class of 2012 as Vice President for Admission Jerry Flanagan presents the class to Dean of the College, Dr. Jeffrey Trumbower, and the Class if 2012 takes a pledge to honor the academic pursuits of Saint Michael's College. There will be a ceremonial Presentation of the Class of 2012 to the faculty and a welcoming response by faculty senate moderator, Dr. Joseph Kroger, professor of religious studies. The singing of the Alma Mater, led by associate professor of music, Dr. Nathaniel G. Lew, will be followed by brief remarks from President John J. Neuhauser, followed by the closing benediction by Anna Lester of campus ministry.
NEW COURSES
A sampling of new course offerings this semester at Saint Michael's College:
Latin Elegiac Poetry to be taught by Dr. Daniel Sheerin, visiting distinguished scholar from Notre Dame (emeritus) in classics.
Women, War and Society in Great Britain, special history seminar, to be taught by visiting assistant professor of history, Dr. Jennifer Purcell.
France: Radicals and Royalists, special history seminar, to be taught by Timothy Blake.
African Music, new course to be taught by ethnomusicologist, percussionist, Josselyn Price.
Terrorism, new senior seminar in political science, to be taught by Dr. John Hughes, professor of political science.
Latin American and Caribbean Politics, in the political science department, to be taught by Moise St. Louis, director of multicultural student affairs.
NEW TENURE-TRACK FACULTY
Dr. Diane M. Lander joins the faculty as an associate professor of business administration to teach courses in finance. She earned a doctorate in finance at the University of Kansas, an MBA from the University of North Texas, and a bachelor's degree in genetics with honors from the University of California, Davis. She has taught since 1997 at Babson, the University of Southern Maine, and Southern New Hampshire University.
Dr. Shane Lamos joins the faculty as an assistant professor of chemistry to teach general and organic chemistry. He earned his doctorate in chemistry in 2006 from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and his bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Saint Michael's in 2000.
Dr. John O'Meara joins the faculty as an assistant professor of physics to teach astronomy, electrodynamics, and more. He earned his doctorate from the University of California, Santa Clara, in 2004 with focus on cosmology. He taught previously at Penn State, Worthington-Scranton campus.
NEW VPs
Dr. Karen Talentino, former dean of faculty and professor of biology at Stonehill College, is Saint Michael's new Vice President for Academic Affairs, as of August 2008. Dr. Talentino has over 30 years of experience as a faculty member and academic administrator. Prior to joining Stonehill, she came up through the ranks at Simmons College as a faculty member, department chair and academic administrator.
Cheryl Stanley, vice president for institutional advancement, joined the college February 1, 2008, with some 30 years experience in development, having been most recently a senior consultant to colleges and non-profits with Semple Bixel Associates of Nutley, N.J.
Nancy Rowden Brock, vice president for finance, joined Saint Michael's in mid-August 2008. She has served as chief financial officer for Rock of Ages in Barre most recently, was CFO for five years for Green Mountain Power, and prior to that was CFO for Suss Advanced Lithography, and for Chittenden Corporation. She also worked for seven years for Ford Motor Company.
NEW 'GREEN' POMERLEAU ALUMNI CENTER
Saint Michael's will break ground on the Pomerleau Alumni Center in mid-September. Completion of the 'green,' LEED-certified meeting space and welcome center is expected for summer of 2009. The multi-use, environmentally friendly structure was made possible through the generosity of The Tony B. and Rita M. Pomerleau Foundation and alumni contributions. "The Center will provide a way to recognize the college's strong connection to our graduates," said President Jack Neuhauser.
The building is to be situated near Prevel Hall, set back from Route 15, between the President's Residence and the Holcomb Observatory. It will provide facilities for alumni events as well as office space for the Alumni and Parent Relations staff, and some Institutional Advancement staffers. The 6,500-square-foot structure will contain seven first floor offices and six upstairs offices, and a spacious function room for dinners, socials, alumni board meetings, and more.