Correction: Part-time Faculty Award winner
The correct winner of the Part-Time Faculty Award for Creativity in Teaching is “Alissa McCurtain.”
We apologize for the error.
The correct winner of the Part-Time Faculty Award for Creativity in Teaching is “Alissa McCurtain.”
We apologize for the error.
Congratulations to OLLU Sports Information Director Patty Constantin! PRSA San Antonio is honoring her with the 2024 Tex Taylor Lifetime Achievement Award.
A public relations professional since 1986, Constantin has worked as an assistant editor for a Navy magazine in Washington, D.C., written for the Kelly Air Force Base newspaper and worked in public relations at the Institute of Texan Cultures and SeaWorld San Antonio. She began the sports information department at OLLU in 2006.
Three times she has been named Sports Information Director of the Year in the Red River Athletic Conference. Other honors include the Sea World Award for Creativity and Innovation in 2004, the PRSA Professional of the Year Award in 2011 and the OLLU Unsung Hero Award in 2012.
Earlier this month, Jacob Friesenhahn, PhD, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, published a poem titled “holy saturday” in As Surely As the Sun Literary Journal (Issue IV, April 2024).
This poem is about the dynamic of death/life we all experience.
More recently, Dr. Friesenhahn published a poem titled “prediction” in The Big Window Review (April 19, 2024). This poem is about our attempts to face the future. A link to this poem is below:
The annual Faculty and Staff Awards dinner was held April 18 in Chapel Auditorium.
The following are award winners:
Stell-Ball Award – Amanda Brown
Robert Davis Award for Service to Students – Scarlett Alonzo
1895 Commemorative Award for Faculty Excellence – Renelinda Arana Bressler, PhD
Robert Davis Award for Community Building – Antonio “Mike” Aguilar
Excellence in Service-Learning Faculty Award – Allegra Montemayor
Rose Mary Saenz Award for Staff Excellence – Rosa Arce
Agnes M. Gloyna Faculty Award for Technological Innovation in Teaching and Learning – Vanessa Clark, PhD
Rose Mary Saenz Award for Customer Service – David Gonzalez
2023-2024 Moody Professor — Brittany Chozinski, PhD
Sister Jane Ann Leadership Faculty Award – Daniel Cheshire, PhD
Sister Jane Ann Leadership Staff Award – Robert Muñoz
Francine Fleming Endowed Award for Teaching Excellence – Valerie Martinez, PhD
Passing on Moye’s Legacy University Award – Jacqueline Walter
Faculty Team of the Year Award – Census Working Group
CTE Champion Award – Jessica Hajek, PhD
Word on the Street Reserved Parking Spot Award – Emily Sauers, PhD
Part Time Faculty Award for Creativity in Teaching – Alissa McCurtain
Fantastic Five – Dr. Belinda Schouten
OLLU Senior Writer/Media Relations Manager Ken Rodriguez won first place in sports features in the annual Texas Managing Editors Awards competition.
Writing in the 2A division for the San Antonio Report, Rodriguez won for a piece published on Aug. 23 about former San Antonio Spurs star Sean Elliott marking the 24th anniversary of a kidney transplant.
The judges commented, “The story is rich in detail, draws you in with vivid storytelling and effectively weaves in some of the author’s personal experiences with a medical emergency and Elliott as a young prospect.”
The story can be seen here:
Rodriguez also won first place in sports features last year for a story about the secret philanthropy of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.
The university is excited to announce a call for presentation proposals for the 2024 OLLU Adelante Training and Development Conference, taking place on May 22 and 23. Sponsored by Staff Assembly, the conference will focus on training and development for OLLU employees working in roles outside of the classroom. All concurrent presentation sessions will take place on May 22 and will include a hybrid option for Houston and RGV participation. All employees are welcome.
Submit a Presentation Proposal Here
Priority deadline for proposal submission is today, Monday April 22.
Employees are encouraged to develop proposals for presentations that will share information, advance learning opportunities, and support professional growth for our OLLU community.
Proposed Conference Agenda
Wednesday, May 22
8:30-9:00 Breakfast
9:00-9:10 Opening and Prayer
9:10-9:20 President Welcome Address
9:30-10:15 Keynote
10:30-11:15 Concurrent Sessions
11:30-12:15 Concurrent Sessions
12:15-1:15 Lunch on Your Own
1:15-2:00 Concurrent Sessions
2:15-3:00 Concurrent Sessions
3:15-4:00 Synergy Session
4:15-5:00 Social
Thursday, May 23
Employees will have an opportunity to participate in one of the following half-day trainings:
All trainings are tentative, and will be confirmed by May 1, 2024
Half-Day Training Topics:
For questions about the proposal submission process or conference, please contact Mary Scotka at mscotka@ollusa.edu or Staff Assembly Leadership at sac@ollusa.edu
Congratulations to the following faculty:
• Leda Barnett, PhD, Political Science, attained Tenure
• Maria Cabaniss, MSLS, Library, was promoted to Associate Professor
• Vanessa Clark, PhD, Computer Information Systems and Security, was promoted to Professor
• Alegnta Felleke PhD, Social Work, was promoted to Associate Professor
• Yvette Lozano, M.A., Communication Sciences and Disorders, was promoted to Clinical Professor
• Ezequiel Pena, PhD, Psychology, was promoted to Professor
• Octavio Quintanilla, PhD, English, attained Tenure
• Carlos Ramos, PhD, Psychology, attained Tenure and was promoted to Associate Professor
• Rosa Robledo, MA, Communication Sciences and Disorders, was promoted to Clinical Associate Professor
• Wallace Sanborn, PhD, English, attained Tenure.
The university is excited to announce a call for presentation proposals for the 2024 OLLU Adelante Training and Development Conference, taking place on May 22 and 23. Sponsored by Staff Assembly, the conference will focus on training and development for OLLU employees working in roles outside of the classroom. All concurrent presentation sessions will take place on May 22 and will include a hybrid option for Houston and RGV participation. All employees are welcome.
Submit a Presentation Proposal Here
Priority deadline for proposal submission is Monday, April 22.
Employees are encouraged to develop proposals for presentations that will share information, advance learning opportunities, and support professional growth for our OLLU community.
Proposed Conference Agenda
Wednesday, May 22
8:30-9:00 Breakfast
9:00-9:10 Opening and Prayer
9:10-9:20 President Welcome Address
9:30-10:15 Keynote
10:30-11:15 Concurrent Sessions
11:30-12:15 Concurrent Sessions
12:15-1:15 Lunch on Your Own
1:15-2:00 Concurrent Sessions
2:15-3:00 Concurrent Sessions
3:15-4:00 Synergy Session
4:15-5:00 Social
Thursday, May 23
Employees will have an opportunity to participate in one of the following half-day trainings:
All trainings are tentative, and will be confirmed by May 1, 2024
Half-Day Training Topics:
For questions about the proposal submission process or conference, please contact Mary Scotka at mscotka@ollusa.edu or Staff Assembly Leadership at sac@ollusa.edu
The second annual Dean of Academics Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity will be held on Wednesday at 4 p.m. on the second floor of the Sueltenfuss Library.
The event is a platform for esteemed faculty to showcase their research, creative projects, grants, and awards, all within the last 12 months.
This year’s presentations will follow a dynamic format with a 5-minute limit, encouraging presenters to embody the B-IDEA principle: Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility.
Heavy appetizers will be served.
The event concludes at 6:30 p.m.
Nominations for the annual Staff and Faculty Awards must be received by Wednesday. Selected recipients will receive recognition and a monetary award during the Staff and Faculty Appreciation Awards Dinner on April 18 in Chapel Auditorium (more details to come).
Our Lady of the Lake University encourages the recognition of performance excellence and high achievement. Each year, a member of the OLLU staff and a member of the OLLU faculty are selected by a committee to receive the Sister Jane Ann Slater Leadership Award. The award recognizes individuals who have had a positive impact on the university by building unity and community through their generosity of spirit and heart, exceptional leadership, enthusiasm, respect, and optimism.
Eligibility:
One staff member will be selected for each of the four awards listed below:
Eligibility: