Alumni
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.
A Rancher’s Call
Sometimes, when he’s driving through South Texas, Rafael Ricardo “Rick” Ramirez feels his jaw clench and his grip tighten on the steering wheel. Rick Ramirez and his horse It happens when he’s spotted a pasture that hasn’t been tended to in years, left to bake in the sun.
What Does it Take to Become a CEO?
“My undergraduate degree got me the job, but it’s the liberal arts that got me the CEO chair,” said Ed Speed (B.B.A. ’70, M.A. ’86), who completed master’s and post-master’s programs in theology.
A Q&A with a Texas Journalism Icon
After 40-plus years in print journalism, Rick Casey (B.A. ’68) is tackling television. His show airs on San Antonio’s public broadcasting affiliate KLRN, where he presents the week’s most important stories, people and issues in depth. We chatted with him about his career, which took root at St. Mary’s.
Denver Daredevil
The scene unfolds rather predictably whenever Dan Weyland tells someone he owns a race car. “They look at me,” the 73-year-old says, “and they say, ‘You’re doing what? Do you mean you own a team?'”
Alum Made His Mark in the Movie Theater Business
In 1900, L. Frank Baum published the children’s novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In the story, it is revealed that the Wizard isn’t an all-powerful master as others believe; he’s just a man behind a curtain, pulling levers to create an illusion of majesty.
Read More Stories
St. Mary’s University welcomes its first student to the Nursing Program
If the scrubs fit, wear them. Paige Severson is the first student to officially enter St. Mary’s University’s new Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program.
St. Mary’s launches Rattler Records, an on-campus recording studio
The St. Mary’s University Department of Music and Theatre Arts is creating Rattler Records, an on-campus recording studio.
Novel English class explores AI and the digital humanities
Graduate students explore how to use and the ethics of using the emerging tech In science fiction, artificial intelligence is often viewed as a threat to humanity. Look no further than examples of Isaac Asimov’s book I, ...