Tower Talk - Oct 2022
October 2022
Message from the Alumnae and Alumni Engagement Team
Greetings Alumnae and Alumni,
The leaves are beginning to change, and the campus air has a bit of a chill. Still, if you were on campus for Alumnae and Alumni Weekend, the cool and rainy weather couldn’t stop nearly 200 alumni, family, and friends from celebrating well into the evening. We commemorated classes with years ending in 2s and 7s for their milestone reunions and the class of 1971 for their belated 50th celebration. It was a weekend full of joy, reconnection, and reminiscing. Members of our Student Alumni Leadership Council (SALC) had the chance to participate in some of our programs, and they had the most fantastic time talking with alums and learning from each of you.
We have kicked off our Class Leaders program, where each class member will send out a quarterly newsletter just to their classmates to share updates and gather stories. We are thankful for the 12 alums launching this program with us this fall.
The campus is busy with the semester ramping up for our students. Your Alumni Engagement team is taking this time to focus on planning new volunteer engagement opportunities, recruiting reunion committee members from classes ending in a 3 or an 8, and crafting exciting social, professional, and student-focused events for the spring semester.
If you would like to get involved, please reach out to us at ndmalum@ndm.edu.
Warmly,
Alex & Rose
Your Alumni Engagement Team
Alumnae and Alumni Weekend 2022 Recap
Thank you to all alumni who joined us on September 30 - October 2 for Alumnae and Alumni Weekend! We had over 170 alums come back to campus from the Class of 1952 to the Class of 2022. It was a great weekend of learning from our faculty and alumni presenters, participating in craft sessions, eating good food, dancing the night away to Mood Swings, and most importantly, reuniting with old friends.
A special congratulations is in order for our Alumni Award Winners and Athletics Hall of Fame Inductees. The winners and their awards can be found below, in order of their picture from left to right.
- Athletics Hall of Fame Inductee, Kimberly Myers '09, Volleyball
- Athletics Hall of Fame Inductee, Qiana Smith-Gabriel '06, Volleyball
- Alumnae and Alumni Engagement Award: Chrissy Bolmarcich ’97
- Service to Society Award: Dorothy Pula Strohecker ’52
- The Elizabeth P. Hoisington '40 Distinguished Alumna Award: La Vida Cooper ’03
- Regina Russo Hammel '41 Outstanding Recent Graduate Award: Lyndsay Wright ’19, M’22
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Current and Former Student-Athletes Discuss the Positive Impact of NDMU Athletics
Toni Bower ’82 remembers the support she received from the campus community during home softball games. Whether it was watching entire games or simply catching a few innings after class, the backing from her fellow students was always noticed. Bethani Newbold ’25 shares a connection with Bower as a two-sport athlete for Notre Dame of Maryland University, with both playing for the basketball and softball programs during their time on campus, but she and her softball teammates currently travel to the Dundalk campus of the Community College of Baltimore County for their home games.
Go Beyond: The Campaign for NDMU aims to change that, with a new on-campus softball facility representing a key component of a $3.5 million fundraising goal for the Gators athletics programs. Other goals of the campaign include a turf field for the field hockey, lacrosse and soccer teams, resurfacing and repainting the tennis courts, securing a press box and equipment facility, and providing infrastructure for future athletics growth.
“It would be amazing to have a home field on campus,” Newbold said. “Our current field is nice, but to have one that we could truly call our own, and to make it easier for students and parents to watch you play, it would make a huge difference.”
SALC Fall Semester Updates
The Student Alumni Leadership Council (SALC) is in full swing this semester! So far, the organization has put on two events for our students and has gained two new members that joined in September. SALC President Lina Ibrahim '23 hosted a retreat for all members to discuss goals, plan for upcoming events, and teach the members more about alumni engagement and institutional advancement. The students loved getting to meet so many alumni during Alumnae and Alumni Weekend. They volunteered for the entire weekend, allowing them to form many relationships with alums at their first major alumni event.
If you want to meet these students and learn more about SALC, join them at their alumni and student event, Mugs O' Horror, on October 26 from 5:30-7:30pm. SALC will be providing mugs for participants to paint, all while telling scary stories. If you're interested in attending this free in-person event, sign up here.
Campus News and Updates
The demand for nurse practitioners in the United States has increased dramatically in recent years, and that trend is only expected to grow stronger over the next decade. Notre Dame of Maryland University’s School of Nursing will be positioned to meet that demand, with new Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner and Family Nurse Practitioner master’s programs set to welcome their first students for the fall 2022 semester.
“We’re excited to bring in students that want to improve their reach in the healthcare system and improve their own livelihood in a sustainable way,” said Dr. Rachael Crowe, assistant professor and pediatric nurse practitioner in the School of Nursing and one of four work group faculty members who helped develop the new programs. “We’re hoping that our graduates will be able to give back to the greater Baltimore community. There are a lot of people in the Baltimore area who are in desperate need of healthcare, and our goal is to directly impact the lives of Baltimorians.”
“We’re excited to bring in students that want to improve their reach in the healthcare system and improve their own livelihood in a sustainable way,” said Dr. Rachael Crowe, assistant professor and pediatric nurse practitioner in the School of Nursing and one of four work group faculty members who helped develop the new programs. “We’re hoping that our graduates will be able to give back to the greater Baltimore community. There are a lot of people in the Baltimore area who are in desperate need of healthcare, and our goal is to directly impact the lives of Baltimorians.”
A book detailing Notre Dame of Maryland University’s first 100 years won the 2022 Distinguished Book Award at the Conference on the History of Women Religious last month. Pursuing Truth: How Gender Shaped Catholic Education at the College of Notre Dame by Sister Mary Oates depicts the perseverance of the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) foundresses to establish the nation’s first Catholic college to award women a four-year degree. Published in March 2021 by Cornell University Press, the meticulously researched book examines the University’s rich heritage and SSND legacy.
On August 26, 2022, our newest Gators were welcomed to campus during New Student Move-in Day. Our newest alumni-in-training had the opportunity to connect with alumni, faculty, staff, and student volunteers throughout Orientation weekend and Welcome Week. After move-in was completed, Orientation activities included an outdoor cookout behind Doyle Hall, a Lighting the Way lantern chain event with the entire student body and a wacky waffle extravaganza to conclude the weekend. Welcome Week events consisted of Sushi Making with President Yam, a performance from Baltimore Improv Group, and Trivia Night, hosted by the Student Alumni Leadership Council (SALC).
NDMU Becomes Gender Inclusive
On Sept. 12, 2022, the NDMU Board of Trustees voted unanimously that the University become gender inclusive and enroll men into the traditional undergraduate program starting in fall 2023. The decision came nearly a year after the Board formed an Enrollment Task Force to review the enrollment trends of women’s colleges, as well as undergraduate data nationally and statewide. By becoming gender inclusive, NDMU is honoring and expanding its historical mission to educate leaders to transform the world. This decision will allow NDMU to provide its distinctive model of inclusive transformational education to more women and men.
Several factors informed the Board’s decision. NDMU has historically gone where the need is. NDMU has an opportunity to expand access to its inclusive and transformational education to more women and men. NDMU’s foundresses, the School Sisters of Notre Dame, support the decision to become gender inclusive. President Emerita Kathleen Feeley, SSND Offers Her Reflection on the Board's gender inclusive Decision below.
With a deep sense of responsibility for both the legacy and the future of NDMU, I believe that we should offer our transformative education to everyone who seeks it — women and men alike. I urge all those who value this university as I do to embrace our decision to transition Notre Dame of Maryland University to become a wholly coeducational institution.
Read Sr. Feeley's Full Statement
If you have any feedback to give to the University regarding this announcement, please email coedtransition@ndm.edu.
How Notre Dame Has Helped Alumna Author
Bonnie Tarbert M'12 is from Baltimore, Maryland and earned her Master of Art in Teaching (MAT) Degree from Notre Dame of Maryland University. Prior to this education she had extensively studied the Arts, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Art from Towson University and also studying Interior Design and Floral Design. Bonnie was an Art Educator for the Baltimore City and Baltimore County school systems, and she incorporated the building blocks to reading throughout her lessons.
Bonnie has used the reading strategy tools that she studied at NDMU to create silly and sweet stories, hoping that they will reach many children. You may find scaffolding, rhythm, rhyme, pitch, high order questioning, and integrating listening skills with fine motor activities in her books. She had studied scholarly articles on how ebooks can help children acquire reading skills at a quicker pace during her coursework. Bonnie currently has seven children’s books published: City Mouse Hop, Ice Cream Bop, Snow Friend Jingle, Daddy’s Blues Moon, Momma’s Wings, Little Chef Bop, and The Mermaid Flop! Be on the lookout for more stories to come.
You can read Bonnie’s stories in Baltimore City’s Enoch Pratt Free Library system. Her books are also entering other library databases across the United States. Companies such as Target, Walmart, Barnes and Noble, Books A Million, the world-wide market, and small businesses have picked up her books. She uses her experiences from working with children, as well as her lovely child, to bring inspiration and life to her stories. Bonnie hopes that her publications will touch many hearts, enhance linguistic skills, and enlighten creativity in children worldwide.
Fall Athletics Summary
Field Hockey- Alyson Geckle '25 was added to the CSAC Honor Roll after factoring in both goals for the Gators in September. She assisted on a Jaime Ballard '23 strike Sept. 13 night at Neumann University, and recorded her second collegiate goal during NDMU's home opener against Ferrum College on Sept. 16.
Soccer- Mackenzie Lookingland '25 scored the game's only goal through a 72nd minute penalty kick, and Makaylah Reyes '26 made 10 saves to secure a 1-0 victory for NDMU over Saint Elizabeth University on Oct. 1. The women's soccer program is 3-5 through its first eight games this fall, with a 2-3 mark against Colonial States Athletic Conference opponents. The Gators are looking to advance to the CSAC tournament for a second-consecutive season.
Volleyball- Ciarra Bockstie '25 and Rosemary O'Brien '26 totaled eight kills apiece, leading the NDMU offense in a 3-0 sweep over Keystone College on Oct. 8. NDMU is now the lone remaining unbeaten team in Colonial States Athletic Conference and currently has an eight-match winning streak. They are 10-6 through their first sixteen games this fall, with a 4-0 mark against Colonial States Athletic Conference opponents.
Want more NDMU Stories? Read the Bulletin, a bi-weekly newsletter with more student, staff, and faculty updates!
Save the Dates
Mugs O' Horror
October 26 | 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM | Doyle Formal
Sign up to attend
Join the Student Alumni Leadership Council (SALC) for spooky stories and mug painting. Bring any urban legends, folk tails, or ghost stories you may have. SALC will be ready to do the same and share their favorite spooky stories about Notre Dame. Mugs and paint will be provided. This event is open to all alumni and students.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
October 28 | 7:00 PM | LeClerc Theater
October 29 | 7:00 PM | LeClerc Theater
October 30 | 2:00 PM | LeClerc Theater
October 31 | 7:00 PM | LeClerc Theater
Buy tickets now
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a fun, fast-paced, and family-friendly take on the great American ghost story! Schoolmaster Ichabod Crane arrives in Sleepy Hollow and finds a town that exists on the borders between legend and reality. Ichabod settles in and tries to adapt to day-to-day life amongst the town's curious inhabitants, but the spectre of the headless Hessian horseman haunts his nights! Costumes are encouraged at the October 31 show.
STEM Family Fun Fair
November 6 | 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Doyle Formal
Bring the whole family for a series of fun-filled drop-in events that give kids an opportunity to collaborate with one another to solve engineering and design tasks. Our event is sponsored by NDMU’s School of Education and is run by the Leadership in Teaching: STEM program’s faculty and students. This event is free and open to the public. Please contact Lisa Pallett with any questions.
Upcoming Events
- Jan 156:00 pm - 7:00 pmZoom
Class Notes
Class notes are a way to celebrate any life updates you have with your Notre Dame community. Do you have something you wish to share with us? You can submit any updates for us to share with our community here on Tower Talk.
Oumou Sall ’22 passed her NCLEX nursing licensing exam this summer and will be heading to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, for three months of medical service training. Sall was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant for the United States Army at an ROTC graduate ceremony in May.
Kofi Andoh D'21 is the former national vice president of SNPhA and is currently an interim pharmacy manager at East Madison Hospital as he completes his residency at UW Health.
Quondra Lacif Gaskins '21 has recently accepted a position at The Academy of the Holy Cross in Kensington, MD as the Visual Arts Chair.
Lyndsay Wright ’19, M’22 was recognized in May as the 2022 Nurse of the Year at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center in Baltimore.
Shannon Raum '11 was recently featured on the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) website after concluding a year-long stint in the organization's Emerging Leaders Program.
Yrene Holmes Naling '08 is currently working as an emergency medicine physician at Maine General Medical Center. Naling recently became the Program Director for the Maine General Health Emergency Medicine Fellowship and Assistant Professor in Clinical Emergency Medicine at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Nancy Tarr Hart, PhD WEC'05 retired from her position as Chair and Assistant Professor for NDMU’s Department of Philosophy in May 2022.
Devin Page M’02 was recently selected as the Maryland History Day Middle School Teacher of the Year in recognition of his work supporting students throughout a year-long research competition.
Kristi Fogle Halford '01 is celebrating the three year anniversary of the full-time launch of her consulting practice, C3 Visionary Strategies.
Mary Burch Harmon '93 was selected by the U.S. Department of State for a 10-month fellowship project training teachers and teaching English in Brazil at University of Brasilia. Harmon is one of only 200 U.S. citizens selected for the 2022-2023 English Language Fellow Program.
Mary Grace Concannon '60 won the Art Students League’s Kuniyoshi Printmaking Award in 2022 for two stone lithographs.
Contact Information
Do you have any suggestions for content to include in Tower Talk or ways we can improve? Please contact Rose Glenn at rglenn@ndm.edu.
Any general questions, comments, and concerns not related to Tower Talk can be sent to ndmalum@ndm.edu for a member of the Alumnae and Alumni Engagement Team to assist you.
