November 11, 2011
“These three are not just administrators, but true leaders for the St. Mary’s University community. I thank them for their commitment and dedication to fulfilling the University’s mission of service and academic excellence, and congratulate them on the accomplishments of the past three years,” said Charles L. Cotrell, Ph.D., St. Mary’s President.
The Rev. Rudy Vela, S.M., D.Min.
The Rev. Vela has focused on expanding and enhancing programs and activities that foster and promote the University’s Catholic identity and Marianist charism. Under his leadership, the Catholic Intellectual Tradition Lecture Series has attracted scholars in Catholicism of national and international repute as part of the ongoing formation program for the University community. He established an Advisory Committee of Trustees, faculty, staff, students, Marianists and local community leaders to work collaboratively within the University to ensure the Catholic and Marianist character of St. Mary’s. And, as part of the University’s ongoing efforts to engage more students in their faith, he has added worship opportunities in multiple campus locations including Assumption Chapel. Rev. Vela recently supervised renovations of Assumption Chapel that make the space a more inviting place of reverence for all people.
Winston Erevelles, Ph.D.
Immediately upon arriving on campus in 2009, Dean Erevelles began working with faculty in the School of Science, Engineering and Technology to develop initiatives that supported the Vision 2012 strategic plan and the characteristics of a Catholic and Marianist education. As a result, some new programs and degree offerings have been introduced in Environmental Science and Software Engineering. Faculty members are engaged in writing grant proposals and, as a result, the school recently received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for a unique four-year STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Scholars Program providing scholarships for 24 students to live and study together. Under Erevelles’ leadership, youth outreach programs to promote careers in STEM fields have been expanded to include a variety of initiatives led by some of the school’s nationally renowned faculty.
Tanuja Singh, D.B.A.
As dean of the Bill Greehey School of Business, Singh has focused much of her effort on enhancing the visibility and quality of the business school as well as the overall student experience. This includes supporting faculty leadership, publishing and presentations at the regional, national and international levels in prestigious academic organizations and publications. She has developed partnerships with industry and community leaders, resulting in expanded internships and other opportunities for students to experience the inner workings of national and international companies and organizations, and higher quality employment for the school’s graduates. Under her leadership, a high-tech, high-touch learning environment has been enhanced through improvements such as a Video Conference Room and Bloomberg Terminal. Exchange programs for students and faculty have been added in France and Korea, further strengthening the school’s emphasis on global business education. She has reconfigured the Management major to better meet employer needs and expanded the availability of the M.B.A. by offering the program at off-campus locations.