Spring 2013
CEO Saves Taxpayer Dollars, Improve Lives
Few people’s to-do lists include training flight surgeons, setting up military computer networks, and responding to life-threatening pandemics. But these are only a sampling of a routine day for Mary Ellen Londrie (B.B.A. ’92), CEO of P3S Corporation—a San Antonio-based company that provides solutions for the government’s day-to-day operations needs.
The Secret to Their Success
For almost 30 years, a federally funded program with a long name and lofty goals has been quietly helping talented St. Mary’s University students find their purpose in research careers toward which they might not otherwise have gravitated.
Healing and Innovation Go Hand-in-Hand
When Mark Bagg (B.A. ’81) looks back on his 26-year career as an orthopaedic hand surgeon in the United States Army, he has plenty to be proud of. Perhaps the most high profile of his accomplishments is the now-retired colonel’s role in the development of the Center for the Intrepid, a world-class $65 million facility built in San Antonio to rehabilitate wounded warriors dealing with burns and amputations.
From the Ground Up
You could say that watching grass grow is as exciting as, well, watching grass grow. But for Zack Valdez (B.S.’10), it is not only stimulating work but also the focus of his high-profile research fellowship from the National Science Foundation.
From At-risk Undergrad to Chief Mentor
Tina Garza (B.S. ’91) came to St. Mary’s University as a third-generation American, but a first-generation college student from a family with an income she delicately described as “of a certain level.” Garza was what higher education professionals considered at-risk for not returning for her sophomore year, and perhaps a long shot for graduating at all.
Alumnus Known as Retail Trailblazer
Bjorn Dybdahl is big in San Antonio, but he’s a giant in the world of consumer electronics. Dybdahl (B.A. ’70), the founder of Bjorn’s Audio Video, entered the Consumer Electronic Association Hall of Fame in October.
Marketing Professor Takes His Role as Mentor to Heart
Mathew Joseph, Ph.D., enjoys taking an active role in the lives of his students. Case in point: In just the time it took for this short interview, a line of students formed outside his office.
Form Meets Function
Biological sciences professor Marshall McCue, Ph.D., wants to learn not just how living things work, but why they work the way they do. Why can a snake survive without food for up to one year whereas some birds can only tolerate one day of fasting? What happens when bats sleep?
Pursuing Her Passion
Ewa Nowara, a junior Biophysics major and a citizen of Poland, had wanted very much to perform undergraduate research at St. Mary’s. However, because most undergraduate research is funded by federal agencies whose primary mission is to aid American students, professors are often bound by strict hiring criteria that exclude international students.
Risks and Rewards
David Sommer, Ph.D., knows that good risk management is essential to business success and survival. Bad risk management Well, that’s what happened in 2008.
MBA Director Uses Business and Ethics Experience in the Classroom
With more than 30 years of management and executive experience, Earnie Broughton is not your typical college professor. He followed a business career path, rather than an academic one. Before coming to the University in August 2011, he spent 11 years as the Ethics Program Coordinator for USAA on the front lines of one of the hottest business issues in generations.
More Than Meets the Eye
Biological Sciences Professor Colette Daubner has a doctorate in biological chemistry and spends hours squinting at spectrophotometer readings to find clues about how enzymes influence ways the human brain works.
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Military veteran turns legal interest into second career
Using his military mindset and 20 years experience as a combat medic in the United States Army, David Louis would excel in his studies as he made the leap to St. Mary’s School of Law.