Class Notes

1930s and 1940s

Alumni look through displays of memorabilia during April 2004 Homecoming

Sister Martha Ann Kirk, CCVI, BA '68 displays the Peace Pole in front of Brackenridge Villa that her family dedicated to the memory of her mother, Ada Koenig Kirk, BA '43, MA '65 last March.

A Peace Pole was dedicated March 28 on the lawn of the historic Brackenridge Villa on the UIW campus. More than 200,000 monuments with the words "May Peace Prevail on Earth" stand in over 180 countries. An oak tree and the Peace Pole are in memory of Ada Koenig Kirk (1923-2003), BA '43, MA '65, an educator, community leader, and creator of peace who organized over 100 students and citizens in the first Peace Pole ceremony in rural south Texas in Cuero, May 1998.

Margaret Belluomini Knopp, BA '49 received the Volunteer Award from the Epilepsy Association of Southeast Texas last year.

1950s

Incarnate Word Academy celebrated the completion of a new addition to the campus in St. Louis on Sept. 20. The building houses a new library, as well as science laboratories and performing arts studios.

Sister Mary [Agnesine] Hanick, CCVI , BM ‘48, one of the first IWA graduates and a former faculty member and Piper Professor of the university, offered reminiscences of her early days as a student on the Normandy campus at the event.

Sister Margaret Patrice Slattery, CCVI, BA '52, was present to join in the dedication of the seal of the academy placed in the lobby of the new building in memory of her sister, Betty Slattery O'Brien, IWA alumna of 1940.

Joining in the dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting were many alumni of the university, including members of the OBrien and Buchek families and UIW Vice President Sister Kathleen Coughlin, CCVI, BSN '67. Sister Helena Monahan, CCVI, BA '68, expressed appreciation and congratulations on the part of the congregation to all who directed and contributed to the capital campaign that made the building a reality. Sister Carol Byrd, CCVI, spoke on behalf of the Board of Trustees of the academy and offered an expression of gratitude.

Dorothy Afflerbach Psencik-Ferrell, BS He '53, MED '82, offered a session on dining etiquette in March to about two dozen UIW students, including her own grandson, Alan Psencik. "Putting Your Best Foot Forward" was very much appreciated by students who will be expected to ""perform"" at business dinners and social functions after graduation. Dorothy observed that ""Most students are so used to fast food. They put a box on a table, then put whats left in a bag."

Class of 1954 representatives Mary Starr Joseph Campbell, bachelor of science in education; Ann F. Nancy Kealey Chiburis, bachelor of science in home economics; Hilda Guajardo Duncan, bachelor of science in medical technology; Lorelle Hoffman Jacobs, bachelor of arts in business; Blanca Sanchez-Navarro Materne, bachelor of arts; Julia F. Alcorta Vargas, bachelor of science in nursing, Lily Lee Chinn, bachelor of arts in chemistry, were the Golden Girls at the May 2004 graduation.

1960s

UIW Vice President Sister Kathleen Coughlin, CCVI, alumna Sister Carol Ann Jokerst, CCVI, and trustee Patty Mueller at the ADCaP Corpus Christi reunion on March 17, 2004 at the Mueller home.

Beadie Long Cambardella, BSN '65, was elected to membership in Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society in Nursing as a nurse leader through Alpha Epsilon chapter at Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University in Atlanta. Cambardella was a graduate of St. Paul School of Nursing and came to Incarnate Word on a scholarship from the United States Public Health Service. The requirement was that she work two years as a RN, and she has been working for 41 years.

Elaine Slaughter Lewis, BSN '65, is a weekend charge nurse in a long-term care facility in Marble Falls and would love to hear from folks to catch up on the news. E-mail elena1431@msn.com

Sister Kathleen Coughlin, CCVI, BSN '67, UIW vice president for Institutional Advancement, received one of the 2004 Profiles in Leadership Awards in San Antonio on May 21. This annual award ceremony recognizes the often-unheralded contributions of San Antonios most dedicated volunteers. Established in 1989 by Doug Scarborough of Scarboroughs Photography, the awards are in their 10th year of sponsorship by the Mission City Business and Professional Women. Sister Kathleen was honored for her work as a board member with the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word; Santa Rosa Healthcare Corporation; Baptist/St. Anthony Health System, Amarillo; St. Michaels Health Care Center, Texarkana; and Health Careers Foundation, St. Louis.

Irene Villarreal-Stewart, BA biology '68, successfully defended her dissertation and graduated from the University of Kentucky in May. Irene joins a long line of Hispanic IWC science graduates of the 1960s to go on to earn doctorates.

1970s

Alumnae Martha Baker and Dina Dugi Martinez and children Abigail, Karissa and Isabella Martinez of Floresville visit during Homecoming 2004 in April.

Susan Fruchnicht Bean, BS He '70, has had more than her share of personal loss. First, her husband was murdered a few years ago during a robbery, and then we received this sad note from Sue: "I have some more bad news. My son, Jacob Bean died on Feb. 11 in his sleep at the age of 33. College friends Ann Polka and Carol Rickhoff helped me get through this trying time. Good news is that my daughter, Theresa Bean, is pregnant with a son she will call Jacob. Keep us in your prayers." E-mail stbean6@aol.com sbean@bexar.org

Pat McCauley Hogan, BA '70, is now living and teaching in Fuquay Varina, N.C., having moved there from Spokane, Wash. Pat retired from the school district in Palm Beach Florida in 2002 after 20 years of service, five in Pennsylvania where she grew up. She moved to Washington to be near her daughter, son-in-law and two grandsons. The teaching jobs there were scarce and the economy was not healthy. She had an offer in North Carolina and the family said they would move to where she found a job. And they did. The son-in-law is now in the Internet business.

Ann Goetz, BSN '71, IWHS '65, was promoted to director of surgical and support services at Methodist Hospital in San Antonio. Ann has served in the role as nurse manager for the Special Amenities Suite while also supervising ET, IV therapy and palliative care the past few years.

Rita Fox Duggan, BA '76, IWHS '73, is the Air Force Director, 311th Human Systems Wing, Brooks City-Base Project Office in San Antonio.

Frances Strodtbeck, DNS, RNC, NNP, FAAN, BA '76, BSN '77, was promoted to full professor and granted tenure at Baylor University in Waco.

Sandra Hansen Cornyn, BBA '79, lives in Virginia with her husband and St. Marys alumnus, U.S. Senator John Cornyn. Sandra and John have been married for 23 years, and they have two daughters, Haley and Danley.

1980s

Dr. Louis J. Agnese, Jr. presents the 2004 CCVI Spirit Award to faculty member Dr. Patricia Lonchar on Incarnate Word Day, March 2004.

Alumni Don Ewers, BA '80, MA ‘85 and Lorraine Ewers, BBA '02 ADCaP, were thrilled to welcome home their son John to Fort Hood from Iraq on Feb. 22. a month earlier than they expected, to which Don observed, "It looks like, once again, he will be a preemie." (He was born two months premature.)

Sister Jo Michele Sierra, SSCJ, MA '81, has been with the San Antonio Housing Authority since 1988 and is the program manager of Senior Resident Services. July was the 40th anniversary of her profession as a Sister of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She has taught at the boarding schools of her congregation in San Antonio and then worked in the field of pastoral and religious education in the Rio Grande Valley for 12 years, plus various educational and spiritual experiences in Austin, Corpus Christi, France, Italy, England, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma, and then back to San Antonio in 1988.

Melanie K. Cummings, BA '82, is the product manager for Kerstin Florian International and recently moved to Irvine, Calif.

Paul Algueseva III, BA '85, has a new Web site of his current work at http://photos.yahoo.com/paulomino

Henrietta Wilson Hoper, BBA '85, recently received the Presidents Special Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her volunteer work. This award is reserved for those who have volunteered 4,000 or more hours in their lifetime. Officially retired as director of human resources for the San Antonio Light, most of Hopers work is now with Dare To Love, an organization that serves children who, because of abuse or neglect, have been referred to Texas Family and Protective Services. Visit www.Dare-to-Love for more information.

1990s

Jack Dieckmann, BA '90, was accepted to Stanford Graduate School of Education, in a doctoral program in mathematics education. He is especially thrilled because he received four-year, fully funded fellowships from Harvard and Stanford. In other news, he and his wife, former Esther M. Peralez, have been married for 12 years, and actually met at Incarnate Word, where Esther would cantor at daily mass.

"My work in mathematics education started when I got my degree in math from UIW. I also worked at PREP, which UIW hosted every summer. Over the years, I have stayed in contact with UIW and its faculty. In my present work at IDRA (an educational advocacy group), I have led two middle school math teacher institutes for local districts, and have had UIW both donate meeting space and have had faculty present to the teachers (Pat Watkins, Judy Beauford and Elizabeth Kreston). These institutes, like all of my work in education have revolved around the mission of improving learning opportunities for diverse and poor children. Also, I usually attend the Spring Research Colloquium for the Math Ed doctoral program because I want to see what is the latest research coming out in the field, and I want to know the future leaders in the field. Incarnate Word provided a strong foundation for my professional accomplishments. More than anything, my university experience taught me that knowledge, when put at the service of others, could make a difference in the world. This is how we can put our faith to work.""

Linda Calvert Jacobson, BA '90, had a ribbon cutting and open house for her Casa de Linda Art Studio in New Braunfels May 7-9. There was an art exhibit by Linda and her students. Casa de Linda is at 239 W. San Antonio in New Braunfels and her Web address is www.casadelinda.com

Dr. Keith Patrick Steinhurst, M.D., Med, '93, reports recent news of note on him via this NASA link: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/solar_system/features/ambassador-steinhurst.cfm\ . "This time last year I was north of Baghdad, was evacuated for respiratory distress and subsequently medically retired (disability). I am now assigned as a Department of Defense Civilian at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground as Installation Readiness Officer and Emergency Operations Program Manager. Chanda, his wife and former UIW student, is assigned as resource coordinator (NICU) at Yuma Regional Medical Center, and daughters Grace (8) and Abi (6) are doing well. Would like to relocate closer to SA so that I can get the daughters in the Brainpower connection."

Desiree Kornrum Byrne, BBA,' 94, has completed the requirements for the doctoral in Higher Education Leadership and Administration at the University of Texas and will defend her dissertation this fall.

Linda Quintana Gianotti, MBA '94 and M.Ed '01, has been admitted into the doctoral program in Curriculum and Instruction at Texas A&M University, College Station. Her coursework began this summer.

Grace Moreno, MA '95, is an academic adviser and adjunct faculty member for St. Leo University at the Naval Air Station Ingleside Center in Texas. She also hopes to be teaching online for them by next summer. The majority of the students are active duty sailors, but they also have spouses and civilians as students. Classes are available on the base or online.

Teresa N. Miller-Trevino Sanders, BS, '95, IWHS '90, received the doctor of veterinary medicine degree on May 14 from Colorado State University.

Ricardo Antonio Chavira, BA '96, is about to have a regular role this fall in an ABC series according to Express-News columnist Jeanne Jakle: ""Another former San Antonian, University of the Incarnate Word graduate Ricardo Chavira, was happy to hear the news that ABC had picked up the pilot he shot for the fall, ‘Desperate Housewives. He plays one of the husbands living on a Los Angeles cul-de-sac, and he predicts he will be experiencing some desperation of his own as the series progresses. However, as a vet of the Hollywood acting game, the 30-something actor isnt about to count his series chickens before theyre hatched. After all, his former shot at a regular role in a series —the Fox comedy ‘The Grubbs never made it to the air. ‘I'm very much a realist,' said Chavira, who also did a memorable turn on ‘Six Feet Under and had a sizable role in ‘The Alamo. He said he lives by a phrase that his grandfather used to wield frequently: ‘con el dinero en la mano, or ‘with the money in hand."

Anna Abud, BA '97, MAA '99, and Margaret Pickering Douglass, BA '42, both of Houston, spoke to 75 prospective students and parents about Incarnate Word at a session last February hosted by the UIW Admissions Office.

Patricia Potyka-Paredes, MA '97, moved back to Austin, where her husband, Raymund, was appointed commissioner of higher education for Texas.

Br. Ha Minh Tran, SCJ BA '98, enjoyed and learned a lot from his years at UIW. " I also liked the mission and approach of the Sisters of Charity to education and justice. May God continue to bless their religious community and their missions." He has been working in pastoral care at St. Josephs Indian School (www.stjo.org) in Chamberlain, S.D., since March 2003. His community runs this elementary school and a high school program for Native American students.

Kenneth D. Williams, BM '99, writes, "This is a joyous occasion. I have finally left the Middle East. I arrived the first night of the OIF and got to witness the capture of Hussein many long and trying months later. The armpit of the world is now behind me. If I never go back, it will be too soon yet I know I probably will. I looked at the Red Sea one last time in marvel as I do each time I'm in it. I'ts a massive body of water I cannot fathom someone separating down the middle. You cant help but wonder in amazement while picturing Moses (aka Charlton Heston) leading the gypsies to the other side. It's amazing like the locusts and frog thing. There are no locusts and frogs over
there yet they appeared out of nowhere. Yet with all its marvel, I'm glad it's behind me. I'm looking forward to returning to Europe. My mother would be happy to know I'm in a much much safer position than I was this time last year. I finally get to go to Italy, home of the opera. I would have gone last March if Saddam had not decided to act a fool and mess with my plans. I want to see an opera and take a picture with the Pope. That would complete my yearlong odyssey and I could truly say Ive met people of all walks of life. When this is all said and done, I dont see myself straying far from home for a long, long time. Now I'm preparing to go from the hot desert to the European winter. I hope to see most of yall in the spring. Enjoy every day you wake up in your bed, it's a blessing many take for granted. Ill let yall know if I get a picture with the Pope or not."

2000s

Brenda Martinez Beltran, BA '00, began a new adventure as the administrative assistant at St. Lukes Parish in San Antonio. Prior to that she had been at Mission San Jose.

Jason Hernandez, BBA ADCaP '00, kindly designed the UIW Web page for online giving and the annual Swing-In Golf Tournament and Auction. Hernandez is the IT systems developer for the Scooter Store in New Braunfels.

Michelle M. Longanecker Herrera, BS '00, is an account executive with Myriad Genetic Laboratories based in Salt Lake City, and she has the San Antonio and Austin territory.

Arnulfo [Arnie] Maldonado, BA '01, designed clothes for a one-man show titled, "Protest Against Sentence as Traitor," based on Robert Emmets trial (the Irish Revolutionary). It was staged at the Kennedy Center as part of their Millennium Stage Series. It was an evening of work presented by the Alberto Vilar Global Fellows. Maldonado was also included in an exhibition at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio and this was an exhibition of student work that traveled to Prague last summer, as part of the Prague Quadrennial. The U.S. entry, which was a collection of trunk displays from design schools from around the country, was on display at the McNay. In March of 2002, Maldonado won the Alberto Vilar Global Fellowship for complete graduate studies at New York University.

Michaela Himes Rangel, BA '01 and the first recipient of the Mary Louise Mueller Award in Religious Studies, graduated in May from Vanderbilt University and received Deans scholarships to both St Marys and Southern Methodist Universities Schools of Law. She will be attending Southern Methodist.

Sonia Ybanez, BBA '02, was one of 41 candidates selected in 2003 for a full-time civil service job with the U.S. Army that also allows her to go to school full-time. She is scheduled to earn her MBA in December, and then she is on to job training and a guaranteed promotion every year for the next four years.

Anna Femat, BBA ADCaP '03, is a partner with a team of financial advisors at Merrill Lynch, and her primary areas are financial planning, retirement planning and private banking.

Megan Morton, BM '03, acquired a music therapy position at Methodist Hospital Pediatric Transplant Unit in San Antonio through a two-year grant from the hospital.

Elizabeth [Liz] Silver, BAAS '03 ADCaP, is a banquet manager for a hotel in San Antonio and is trying to get into human resources as a corporate trainer. She is working on her masters in organizational development.

Juaquin A. Soliz, BA '03, is an on-campus catering assistant for UIWs Sodexho Food Service. He has been working with the campus food service for the past four years.