Alumni
Wanted: Educated Workforce
As vice president of education policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Cheryl Oldham (J.D. ’93) influences U.S. education policy on behalf of the nation’s business interests from her office in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Globetrotter
Charles Merkel’s lifelong fascination — some might call it an obsession — with travel can be traced back to a Christmas gift he received more than 50 years ago.
Alum Represents America to the World, One Person at a Time
Being a Foreign Service Officer means representing the United States abroad for diplomatic purposes. But Anne Claire Andaya-Nauts (M.A. ’06) knows it’s much more than that.
Alum Wants Community Farming to be About More Than Food
Cristina Dominguez-Eshelman (B.A. ’02) is a foodie, but not the cooking-show-watching, dinner-party-hosting kind of foodie. She’s passionate about food’s role in public health, as well as its impact on social justice issues.
Pack Your Bags: Alumna Spreads Commitment to Travel and Common Good Through Blog
When Christina Ekleberry (B.A. ’11, M.A. ’12) graduated from the International Relations graduate program at St. Mary’s University, she was certain of one thing; “I simply wanted to go into the world,” says Ekleberry.
Every day is an adventure
As an interpretive park ranger at Yellowstone National Park, Lianna Duran (B.A. ’11) gives educational tours and shows visitors the majesty of a natural environment that is home to countless animals, plants and natural resources.
Diplomacy Through Education
At her core, Beverly Lindsay, Ph.D., Ed.D. (B.A. ’69), is a diplomat. “Diplomacy occurs in so many ways – through international relations, economics, sports,” Lindsay said.
The Unknown Cost of Agent Orange
As a co-founder of the nonprofit organization United States Military Veterans with Parkinson’s (USMVP), Gonzalez is lobbying for research and support for veterans with service-connected Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders.
Called Out of Retirement
By the time Leland T. Blank, Ph.D. (B.S. ’67), stepped down in 2005 as Dean of American University of Sharjah (AUS) College of Engineering, he had helped shape the fledgling engineering school into one of the premier institutions in the United Arab Emirates.
A Camera is Not a Weapon
Alicia Wagner Calzada (J.D. ’10) spent two decades behind her camera lens as a photojournalist, capturing some of the most devastating, exciting and momentous events for magazines and newspapers.
Homer’s Space Odyssey
Thirteen months after graduation, Homer Ahr was on mission control of NASA’s Apollo 11 — the 1969 mission that landed the first man on the moon — working as a computer programmer. A year later, he was working on Apollo 13. It was the beginning of what would become a 37-year career with IBM, which at the time was a NASA contractor.
Peace Corps Volunteer Finds Family 9,000 Miles From Home
There’s no electricity in the hut that Samantha Bezdek (B.A. ’10), a Peace Corps volunteer, calls home. Stationed in the impoverished coastal village of Manafiafy, Madagascar, Bezdek gets fresh water from a well down the road, and any chores not completed before nightfall are done by candlelight.
Read More Stories
St. Mary’s Spanish professor wins major Peruvian literary award
Christian Elguera Olórtegui, a novelist who teaches Spanish at St. Mary’s University, has won a top literary prize in his home country of Peru, the Copé Award.
St. Mary’s Law clinic students help keep our community housed
Eviction prevention is the focus of the St. Mary's University School of Law Consumer Protection Clinic and the Real Estate Clinic.
Peruvian student helps fellow international students
When she was a high schooler in Lima, Peru, Brissa Campos Toscano never imagined she would one day attend college in the United States. After arriving at St. Mary’s University in 2021, she made it her mission to help other international students.