Alumnae/i in the News

July 20, 2021
Indiana University of Pennsylvania announced that Dr. Lara Luetkehans MALIS ’92, dean of IUP’s College of Education and Communications, will serve as interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. Read more.

July 15, 2021
Virginia Picchietti ’87, PhD, was honored with the Excellence in Advancing Global Learning Award from the University of Scranton. She is a professor of Italian in the Department of World Languages and Cultures and joined the faculty at Scranton in 1995. Read more.

July 13, 2021
Jen Jazwinski MLIS ’08 is a youth services librarian for the Algonquin Area Public Library District. She recently earned over $60,000 during two victorious "Jeopardy!" appearances. Read more

July 7, 2021
Brookline Bank announced that Bryan Manandhar MBA ’06 has been named Business Banking Officer covering Newton and Chestnut Hill in Massachusetts. He has 17 years of banking and financial services experience. Read more.

July 7, 2021
Carl Sirotzki ’76 has been named interim pastor at Family of Christ Lutheran Church in Kearney, Nebraska. Since being ordained in 2015, he has served congregations in southeast Wisconsin and northeast Nebraska. Read more.

July 1, 2021
Margaret Burke MAT ’11 has been hired as the new assistant principal at Franklin Elementary School in Park Ridge. Margaret, a 2021 Illinois Golden Apple finalist, will begin her new position on July 27. Read more.

June 22, 2021
Northern Nevada Development Authority (NNDA) announced that Lynn O’Mara ’78 has been promoted to Vice President of Administration and Programs. Lynn has been with NNDA for the past four years as Director of Communications. Read more.

June 1, 2021
Rashim Lettsome ’08 is returning to McHenry County College (MCC), this time as the Scots' head men’s basketball coach. He played at MCC from 2004–2006 before transferring to Dominican. Read more.

May 25, 2021
The Evergreen Park Public Library Board of Trustees recently voted to hire Frank Murray MLIS ’10 as library director. He has served as director of Itasca Community Library for the past two years. Read more.

May 18, 2021
Matthew Steward MBA ’07 has been elected as a Schaumburg Township Trustee. He currently works as a staff attorney at a Chicago legal malpractice insurance carrier and serves as an Adjunct Professor at Dominican University. Read more.

May 14, 2021
Ivana Sedia (Gentile) ’11, MBA ’16 is the founder of Unida Translation, which delivers both spoken and written word translation services in over 125 languages for projects in the certified, legal, government, medical, and technical fields. Read more.

May 6, 2021
Stephanie Kitchen MLIS ’05 has purchased Chicago bookstore City Lit Books, which closed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Stephanie, a longtime resident of Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood, is eyeing a reopening date of June 19. Read more.

May 5, 2021
Ashley McCall MAT ’14, a third-grade teacher at Chavez Multicultural Academic Center in Chicago, has been presented with the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching. Read more.

May 5, 2021
Joanna Bertucci ’06, MLIS ’09 has been appointed as the new director of the Park Ridge Public Library effective June 1, 2021. She served as the operations manager of the River Forest Public Library since 2016. Read more.

May 4, 2021
Matt Walsh ’97, MSPED ’99 has been named head boys basketball coach at James B. Conant High School. He was previously the head coach at Schaumburg High School from 2009–2014. Read more.

April 23, 2021
Kara Brown MBA ’17, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Lead Coverage, has announced that the Atlanta Business Chronicle recognized Lead Coverage as a "2021 Pacesetter". Lead Coverage landed 90th on the exclusive annual list, which represents the most comprehensive look at private business growth within the Atlanta metro area. Read more.

April 10, 2021
Eugene Giudice MLIS ’07 was awarded the Advocate of the Year Award by the Private Law Librarians and Information Professionals Special Interest Section (PLLIP-SIS) of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL). Read more.

April 2, 2021
A principal at Northwood for two years, Sergio Gonzalez MAT ’13, MAEA ’17 said the remodeled campus is “nothing like he’s ever experienced." The modernized school is designed to enhance student-teacher and social-emotional learning. Read more.

March 26, 2021
Gary A. Piazza ’81, PhD, a highly respected cancer investigator with more than 30 years in the field, has been named the department head and professor for the Auburn University Harrison School of Pharmacy’s Department of Drug Discovery and Development. Read more.

March 24, 2021
Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced Lauren Blanford MLIS ’13 to rethink almost every aspect of her job at Emerson Elementary School in Elmhurst. Among her colleagues, Lauren is known for her ingenuity and for finding ways to bring the world of books to children learning at home. Read more.

March 19, 2021
Schaumburg-based law firm Gardi & Haught, Ltd. announced the hiring of attorney Aaron Novasic ’14. For the last three years, Aaron has practiced law at Goldstein Bender & Romanoff in Chicago. Read more.

March 9, 2021
Stephanie Rossi Pedersen ’08 has launched Squixy, a fun learning tool to help children learn multiplication. Pedersen, who received a bachelor’s degree in American Studies and a certification in elementary education, is the chief learning officer for the product and a fifth-grade teacher for Komarek School District 94 in North Riverside. Read more.

March 8, 2021
Elizeth Arguelles ’20 has been recognized by US Congressman Danny K. Davis as one of the “Top 20 Global Women of Excellence 2021.” She is an advocate for social responsibility and a Lead Organizer with Increase the Peace, an organization that develops young community leaders and promotes peace in Chicago. Read more.

March 4, 2021
In addition to dedicating time at the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Jose Bahena ’18 helps support New Life Centers, a non-profit organization that provides mentoring, education, sports and street outreach for at-risk youths and young adults living on the west side of Chicago. Read more.

January 26, 2021
Joyce Colander ’68, MALS ’69 retired as manager of the Beverly branch of the Chicago Public Library in November 2019. She worked at the Beverly branch for 41 years. Read more.

January 14, 2021
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) has selected Dominique Bryant ’07 as the 2020 Volunteer of the Year. She is a Financial Operations Project Specialist and has been with BCBSIL for seven years. Read more.

January 11, 2021
Joan Dixon ’73, President and CEO of Community Foundation of East Central Illinois, is retiring in June after 20 years in the role. Joan never intended to run an organization that manages and administers millions of dollars in endowed funds. Read more.

In this image from 1964, Sr. Joeann Daley, OP, ’62, MFA ’81 and Kathleen Stagney ’62 are seen creating the mosaic at Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine in Endeavor. They were teaching at Catholic schools in suburban Chicago and were recruited to spend the summer making the mosaic. Read more.

January 5, 2021
Experienced business leader Richard Jesuit ’86 has launched a new business, Fresh Coat Painters of Plainfield. This new franchise offers residential and commercial painting services to Southwest Chicago. Read more.

December 30, 2020
Emily Compton-Dzak MLIS ’07 has been appointed as the new Director of the River Forest Public Library. She currently works as the Assistant Director and Head of Adult Services at Winnetka-Northfield Public Library District and has 20 years of experience in the library field. Read more.

December 23, 2020
Alex Gutierrez MLIS ’19 has been with the Oak Park Public Library since 2016, when he served as a volunteer. In December 2020, he began his new role as Teen Services Librarian. Read more.

December 16, 2020
Marty Carlino ’17 has co-founded The Record North Shore, a digital newsroom that covers Chicago's North Side suburbs. While attending Dominican, Marty served as executive editor of the campus newspaper, The Dominican Star. Read more.

December 2020
Andreas Fleps ’15 is a 29-year-old poet, based near Chicago. He studied theology and philosophy at Dominican University, and his debut collection of poems entitled, Well into the Night (via Energion Publications) was released in December 2020. Read more.

Fall 2020 Dominican Magazine
Roberto Sepulveda MBA ’10, Arianna Salgado ’15 and Suhad Tabahi, assistant professor in the School of Social Work, discuss inequalities in immigration. Read more.

Fall 2020 Dominican Magazine
Binyamin Jones ’07, Berto Aguayo ’16 and Clinton Nichols, assistant professor of criminology, discuss creating peace in Chicago Neighborhoods. Read more.

Fall 2020 Dominican Magazine
Like most large gatherings in the era of COVID-19, Dominican hosted the annual Caritas Veritas Symposium in a virtual format. Shaina Warfield ’20 read an original poem during the plenary session. Read more.

Fall 2020 Dominican Magazine
In March 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic was impacting our campus, Yiping Chen MBA ’08 donated 1,000 surgical masks to Dominican’s Wellness Center. Yiping lives in China and is the Managing Partner of Ruilai Law Firm. Read more.

Fall 2020 Dominican Magazine
"These past four years at Dominican, I have found that my purpose is to help others." - Timiya Ray ’20. Read more.

Fall 2020 Dominican Magazine
Neil Ehmig ’16, BSN, Nancy Rivera ’13 and Tamara Bland, acting executive director of the MacNeil School of Nursing, discuss inequities in healthcare. Read more.

November 30, 2020
Matt Stuczynski MLIS ’09 has been inducted into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame, which was founded in 1991 to honor those who have made significant contributions to the quality of life of the LGBT community in Chicago. The organization held a virtual ceremony on October 13 to honor all 2020 inductees. Read more.

November 6, 2020
Jose Garcia ’10 has been named the boys' basketball head coach at his alma mater St. Joseph Catholic Academy Kenosha. He is a cross-categorical teacher at Jerstad-Agerholm Middle School and president of the non-profit Anointed Hoops, which aims for community outreach through basketball. Read more.

May 2, 1928–October 11, 2020
Anna Marie Garippo Sciaraffa ’49 served as Rosary College’s first lay director of alumnae relations, overseeing what would ultimately become the Annual Trustee Benefit Concert and Gala and the Children’s Christmas Party. She subsequently served as a member of the Board of Trustees. Read more.

November 1, 2020
Michael D. Ruggiero ’91, MBA ’94 has been recognized as a Five Star Wealth Manager in 2020. This recognition will appear in the November issue of the Chicago magazine as well as the December issue of Fortune magazine. Read more.

October 2020
Elizabeth Fischer Monastero ’57 enjoyed a singing career that took her all over the world, from the White House to the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in New York. A professor of voice at Northwestern University for 36 years, Elizabeth is currently working on a memoir. Read more.

October 5, 2020
Christina Bottis BA ’05, Chief Marketing Officer at Coyote Logistics, has been named a Notable Executive in Marketing for 2020 by Crain's Chicago Business. Read more.

October 3, 2020
Alexis Hoskins ’20 is realizing her dream of a law enforcement career as she is now in academy at the Macon County Law Enforcement Training Center in Decatur. She graduated in May and started the process of becoming a sheriff’s deputy in July. Read more.

October 2, 2020
Timiya Ray ’20, known as the artist T.Ray, has released her first EP titled "Eventually". She invested in her own studio equipment and won a grant from Dominican University to finance "Eventually," which is available on major streaming platforms. Read more.

September 28, 2020
As a DACA recipient, Esmeralda Montesinos ’19 cannot vote. But she is doing all she can to make sure Latino immigrants who are now citizens show up at the polls. Read more.

1979–2020
Jeanette Dunning O’Laughlin served as a cherished friend, colleague and most importantly to her family, a beloved wife, mother, daughter and sister. Read more.

September 22, 2020
Kansas State University officials announced that Lori Goetsch MALIS ’82, Dean of Libraries, will retire at the end of the academic year on May 28. Lori has served in the role since 2004. Read more.

September 15, 2020
Sean McCarthy MBA ’10 has been named to the Illinois Manufacturers' Association Board of Directors. He is the Regional Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Initiatives at Comcast. Read more.

September 2020
Giana Galeno '07 currently serves as the Shows Team Lead at Kansas City Zoo, a position she has held since February 2020. She previously worked at Brookfield Zoo (2015–20) and Lincoln Park Zoo (2008–15). Read more.

September 2020
Andre Lodree ’08 has self-published his second poetry memoir, Fear & Faith. Andre's first poetry memoir, Lost & Found, was published in 2013. Read more.

September 2, 2020
Benedictine Sister Vivian Ivantic MALS ’55 was interviewed by Chicago Catholic's Michelle Martin after turning 107 years old on August 28. As part of her 85th jubilee celebration, it was discovered that Sister Vivian is the oldest living Benedictine woman in the world. Read more.

August 31, 2020
Jaime Campos ’13, Team Lead Broker for RE/MAX Loyalty, was featured by Chicago Agent Magazine. Jaime and her sister Augustina co-own RE/MAX Loyalty while also leading their real estate team, The Chicago Property Sisters. Read more.

August 28, 2020
Monica Dombrowski MLIS ’08 has been named the new Director of the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library District. She previously served as the Executive Director of Sycamore Public Library. Read more.

August 27, 2020
Como Magazine interviewed Margaret Conroy MALIS ’86 in its Get to Know series. She is the Executive Director of Daniel Boone Regional Library in Columbia, Missouri. Read more.

August 20, 2020
The Genesee District Library (GDL) has named Katie Badgley MLIS ’95 as the new Branch Librarian at the Linden Library. Her 25-year career in libraries includes 12 years at GDL, six as the Children’s Librarian. Read more.

August 17, 2020
Tiffany D. Hightower MSOL ’11 has been named Executive Director of The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Foundation (ILBCF), the civic/philanthropic arm of the ILBC. Previously, the skilled political strategy consultant served as Interim Director. Read more.

July 24, 2020
David Gayes ’14 is a disability rights activist, Interfaith Youth Core alumnus, whose spirituality and disability are core aspects of his identity. Read more.

July 2020
Jasminum McMullen ’18 has been named the Managing Editor of Mount Island Literary Magazine. She previously served as the magazine's Fiction & Poetry Editor. Read more.

July 9, 2020
A distinguished librarian, Joslyn Bowling Dixon MLIS ’09 brings a wealth and depth of experience working in large urban public libraries spanning more than 20 years. Read more.

June 23, 2020
Samantha Sundquist MLIS ’19 was recently profiled in the LoganSquarist as she founded Sunny's Shared Spines, a free lending library for the Humboldt Park and Logan Square communities. The library is run out of her Logan Square home amid the COVID-19 global pandemic. Read more.

June 18, 2020    
Elizeth Arguelles ’20 came to the U.S. with her family at the age of 8. Now 25, she paid her way through college by working side jobs and selling tamales in Little Village with her mom. Read more.

June 15, 2020
Savannah Kitchens MLIS ’11, director of the Parnell Memorial Library in Montevallo, Alabama, is putting her staff’s sewing skills to use by making free face masks for anyone who needs them to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Read more.

June 12, 2020
Minnesota State Law Librarian Liz Robb Reppe MLIS ’02 is conducting outreach to encourage lawyers to turn to the State Law Library for assistance with legal research. Read more.

June 7, 2020
As a part of its series about leaders who integrate mindfulness and spiritual practices into their work culture, Authority Magazine interviewed Gina Marotta ’98. In 2008, Gina was presented with the Graduate of the Last Decade Award by Dominican University. Read more.

April 2020 Alumnae/i Magazine
For her series The Passion of the Monarca Migrante, Jaqueline Romo ’19 composed 15 prints referencing the Stations of the Cross in a new and provocative way. Read more.

April 2020 Alumnae/i Magazine
John Hannes ’06 claims that his theater training has enhanced his career with Rotary International by teaching him how to draw people out in conversations. Read more.

April 2020 Alumnae/i Magazine
Maryann Dreas-Shaikha ’10, a self-proclaimed lifelong learner, is driven by a desire to tackle inequities in education. Read more.

April 2020 Alumnae/i Magazine
Tyehimba Turner ’16 was part of the first cohort of Peace Corps volunteers allowed into Liberia to restore education systems in the wake of two civil wars and an Ebola crisis. Read more.

May 12, 2020
Concetta Cipriano Gacka ’07 is participating as a designer for RefuSHE’s Fashion Challenge on June 18–20. Concetta's fashion brand, Cettina, is a women's designer clothing line offering made-to-measure cocktail dresses, gowns, and custom bridesmaid dresses. Read more.

May 7, 2020
Kalid Loul MBA ’15 is using the company he founded, GlobalGeeks, to distribute masks to essential workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kalid contacted Dominican University about a donation and GlobalGeeks sent 2,000 masks to campus. Read more.

May 5, 2020
Nora Wiltse MLIS ’03, teacher-librarian at John C. Coonley Elementary School, was honored with the 2020 Elizabeth Futas Catalyst for Change Award from the American Library Association (ALA). Read more.

April 24, 2020
Romney Cirillo ’08, owner of Something Fishy Inc. and Mobile Aquatic Therapy, filmed a video on campus that thanked medical professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more.

April 22, 2020
Neil Ehmig BSN ’16, a member of Dominican's first graduating class of nurses, has been picking up extra overnight shifts since his hospital unit transformed into a COVID-19 battleground. He was the subject of an article titled "Healthcare heroes: No stranger to the front lines." Read more.

April 15, 2020
Berto Aguayo '16 has been selected to receive funding for a two-year fellowship with The Chicago Community Trust to deepen the impact of Increase The Peace. Read more.

Amy Affelt MALIS ’93 is the Director of Database Research Worldwide at Compass Lexecon, a global economic consultancy. She is the author of two books and a Fellow of the Special Libraries Association. Read more.

March 23, 2020  
Analú López MLIS ’17, Indigenous studies librarian at the Newberry Library in Chicago, has been using her “down time” while sheltering at home during the COVID-19 pandemic to live stream videos about treasures from the Ayer American Indian and Indigenous Studies Collection. Read more.

March 19, 2020
Melissa Bernasek MLIS ’06, the director of information and digital services for the Gail Borden Public Library, has been using Facebook Live to reach the library community in Elgin during the COVID-19 outbreak. Read more.

March 12, 2020
Easterseals has named Marcy Traxler MBA '13 Senior Vice President of Network Advancement at its Chicago-based national office. She most recently served as Vice President of Business Development and Service Line Strategy at AMITA Health System. Read more.

March 11, 2020
The Downers Grove Grade School District 58 Board of Education unanimously approved the appointment of Mariana Nicasio ’04, MAT ’09, MAEA ’13 as the new Indian Trail elementary school principal. Mariana will assume her new role in July. Read more.

March 6, 2020
Stephen Davidson MAT ’09 has been selected as the new principal of IC Catholic Prep, the board of directors announced. He begins the new role on July 1. Read more.

February 15, 2020
Joel Shoemaker MLIS ’16 is the director of the Illinois Prairie District Library in Metamora, Illinois. He has been picked to serve on an international board of advisers of NewsGuard's News Literacy Program, a nonpartisan group that judges the accuracy of news websites. Read more.

January 28, 2020
Samantha Slocum ’18 has been named digital media editor at Zoomba Group, publisher of Foodservice Equipment & Supplies (FE&S) and restaurant development + design (rd+d). She earned a degree in corporate communications from Dominican University. Read more.

January 27, 2020 
Michael Starasta MLIS ’06 has been selected as the new Lincoln Library District director. He will start in the position on March 11, 2020. Read more.

January 27, 2020
LaVerne Gray MLIS ’05, assistant professor at Syracuse University's School of Information Studies, has been winning awards for her doctoral dissertation titled, “In a Collective Voice: Uncovering the Black Feminist Information Community of Activist-Mothers in Chicago Public Housing, 1955–1970.” Read more.

January 23, 2020
Kasia Gonnerman MALIS ’​​​​​​03 has been selected as the next dean of Libraries at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, following a national search. Kasia, who is the director of Vanderbilt University’s Central Library, will begin her work at UAB on April 1. Read more.

January 19, 2020
Beth Goncher ’93 will be serving in her position at the chamber as she also consults with her own company, Serenity Lane Enterprises. At her business management consultancy, Beth assists local businesses with developing operations plans to build long-term growth. Read more.

January 2020
As the President of the Konstantinion Research Center, Dr. Ioannis J. Toliopoulos '91 is leading innovative cancer research in Greece. Ioannis has been traveling the world to present on the immunology of cancer. Read more.

December 10, 2019
Rapper and librarian Roy Kinsey MLIS ’17 released his 4th album, Blackie: A Story by Roy Kinsey. He has been featured in major local, national, and international publications like Billboard, NPR, WBEZ’s Vocalo, the Chicago Tribune, WGCI and the RedEye. Read more.

November 2019
Following the devastating fire at the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris, Joanne DiGuido ’86 visited France with her son in November. Read more.

November 26, 2019
Dennis O’Brien ’75 has been appointed by Governor J.B. Pritzker to serve as an arbitrator with the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission (IWCC). He currently serves as Vice President and Secretary of the Springfield law firm of Livingston, Mueller, O’Brien and Davlin. Read more.

November 26, 2019
Laura Ligos MBA ’12 is a New York-based sports dietitian and online real food-based blogger, educator and nutrition expert. She recently published her first book, The Complete Clean Eating Cookbook: 200 Fresh Recipes and 3 Easy Meal Plans for a Healthy Diet. Read more.

November 25, 2019
Matthew McCabe MAT ’12 is on the rise at Noble Network of Charter Schools as he was recently promoted to Chief of Staff & Public Affairs. He will oversee strategy, communications, government and community affairs. Read more.

November 2019 Alumnae/i Magazine
“All that I am, and all that I will ever be is because of my experience at Dominican,” Mary Yu ’79 told her classmates and others in a talk delivered during Alumnae/i Weekend in early June. Read more.

November 2019 Alumnae/i Magazine
Throughout her life, Eileen Willenborg ’69 has remained an avid supporter of her alma mater and has funded two scholarships that are near and dear to her heart. Read more.

November 2019 Alumnae/i Magazine
Michelle Agins ’77, who has worked as a photojournalist at The New York Times for 30 years, delivered the 2019 commencement speech and received an honorary degree from the university. Read more.

November 2019 Alumnae/i Magazine
Through the Georgie Anne Geyer Initiative, Gera-Lind Kolarik's ’75 admiration for Georgie Anne Geyer will benefit budding young foreign correspondents for many years to come. Read more.

November 2019 Alumnae/i Magazine
Anna Dominguez ’09 creates intriguing works of art entirely from multiple layers of colorful adhesive tape. Her work has been commissioned by several celebrities. Read more.

November 2019 Alumnae/i Magazine
“I was raised by my grandparents. They lived their lives by the principles of caritas and veritas.” Alumni continue relationship with Dominican by connecting with a new generation of students. Read more.

November 2019 Alumnae/i Magazine
John Strauss ’82 was inspired to pursue his vocation by another current adjunct instructor and alumnus. Alumni continue relationship with Dominican by connecting with a new generation of students. Read more.

November 2019 Alumnae/i Magazine
"Together, we find how best to navigate through the work, while I strive to show them how they can learn and grow.” Alumni continue relationship with Dominican by connecting with a new generation of students. Read more.

November 2019 Alumnae/i Magazine
“I realized that what I believed in and what I wanted to do in my life had to be one and the same.” Alumni continue relationship with Dominican by connecting with a new generation of students. Read more.

November 2019 Alumnae/i Magazine
Dominican University hosted on August 9–11 Camp Kangaroo, a free weekend camp for children five to 16 years old who have been impacted by the loss of loved ones through gun violence, drugs or terminal illness. Several Dominican alumni participated as counselors for the camp. Read more.

November 2019 Alumnae/i Magazine
Eve L. Ewing MAT ’09 has published her third book, 1919. Ewing is an assistant professor at the School of Social Services Administration at the University of Chicago. Read more.

November 15, 2019
Trenton Carls MLIS ’15 has been hired as the librarian/archivist at the Cape Ann Museum. Trenton joins the Cape Ann Museum following his role as metadata and digital projects librarian at the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston. Read more.

November 4, 2019
Erick Baumann ’93, men's soccer coach at Dominican University, recently earned his 400th career win. Only 20 other coaches in the history of NCAA Division III men's soccer have reached that number and only eight are still active. Read more.

November 4, 2019
Peggy Sarason ’85, regional vice president of Comcast in Schaumburg, was one of the 21 suburban business leaders honored during the 22nd annual Influential Women in Business Awards ceremony on November 1. Read more.

September 30, 2019
Marquette National Corporation announced that Tom Prothero MBA ’95 has been appointed to the Board of Directors. Tom brings over 30 years of experience in operations, credit management, and commercial banking. Read more.

August 30, 2019
A librarian since 1972, John Sayers MALS ’74 currently serves as the director of the Cambridge Public Library. He has held the position since August 2018, not long after he retired from the Kewanee Public Library. Read more.

August 19, 2019
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced that Teresa Hall Bartels MSOL ’04 will continue to serve on the Illinois Executive Ethics Commission. Teresa is the founder of Hallbart Consulting. Read more.

August 12, 2019
Leyden High School Dist. 212 Board of Education hired Eve Muñoz MAT ’07, MAEA ’09 to be the newest dean of students in the district. Her first day on the job was Friday, Aug. 9. Read more.

August 1, 2019
Tamina O'Neill ’91 has been named Chief Risk Officer for Heartland Financial USA, a diversified financial services company with 116 banking locations serving 84 communities across the country. Read more.

July 25, 2019
Cristina Bertolli ’07 is appearing on the TLC reality television show "sMothered." The show focuses on close mother and daughter relationships. Cristina and her mother are very close, and she said viewers can expect "a lot of laughs" in the episodes. Read more.

July 24, 2019
Susan Reynders MLIS ’03 has been hired as the executive director at the Mount Prospect Public Library. Prior to coming to Mount Prospect, she served as executive director at the Lincolnwood Public Library for seven years. Read more.

July 17, 2019
Jeremy Robinson MAT ’09 was recently recognized as a Distinguished Teacher, a newly-created program by The Noble Network of Charter Schools in Chicago. He is an English teacher at Noble’s Rauner College Prep and a Rhodes Scholar. Read more.

July 17, 2019
Judy Cullen BLS ’18 has been named the executive director of the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation (FoxPACF). With the position, Judy returns to St. Louis as well as to her theatrical roots. Read more.

July 16, 2019
Mary Pakosta ’08 has been hired as head coach for the girls' varsity volleyball team at Riverside-Brookfield High School. Mary, who graduated from RBHS in 2004, previously coached the girls' freshman team for six years and then the girls' junior varsity at RBHS the past three seasons. Read more.

July 2, 2019
Mary Iannucilli ’69, Principal of Cardinal Joseph Bernardin Catholic School, retired on June 30 after 11 years at CJB in Orland Hills. CJB has been nationally recognized as a Blue Ribbon School twice while under her leadership. Read more.

June 28, 2019
Brie Martin MLIS ’16 and her husband Dylan have purchased the Southern Oregon Spartans, a junior ice hockey team that plays in the Western States Hockey League (WSHL). Read more.

June 25, 2019
Karen Rubel MAEA ’95 has been named President and CEO of Nathan Adelson Hospice, the largest and only non-profit hospice in Southern Nevada. Read more.

May 29, 2019
Anna Dominguez ’09, a Chicago tape artist named the Queen of Tape, was interviewed by the Chicago Tribune. She recently had her first permanent piece unveiled at the St. Jane Hotel. Read more.

May 24, 2019
Colleen Waltman MLIS ’95 has been hired as the new executive director of the Homewood Public Library. She comes to Homewood from her job as director of Blue Island Public Library, where she has worked since 2014. Read more.

May 23, 2019
After 22 years in the position, Susan Swords Steffen MALS ’76 is retiring as the director of the A.C. Buehler Library at Elmhurst College. Read more.

May 15, 2019
Claire Stewart MLIS ’99, the associate university librarian for research and learning at the University of Minnesota Libraries, is the new dean of libraries at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Read more.

May 5, 2019
The Fox River Valley Public Library District board of trustees has named Lauren Rosenthal MLIS ’08 incoming library director. Lauren joined the Fox River Valley Public Library District staff in 2014 and currently serves as deputy director. Read more.

April 25, 2019
Melissa Connelly MAT ’08, MAEA ’13 has been promoted to CEO at Chicago-based OneGoal, a nationwide coalition of teachers, students, school leaders and education advocates working to close the college degree divide. Read more.

April 22, 2019
Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times photographer Michelle Agins ’77 will serve as the commencement speaker for the undergraduate ceremony, during which she will receive an honorary degree. Read more.

April 16, 2019
John Netherly MSW '10 founded The Bedrock Movement with the goal of inspiring others to recognize the needs of the homeless residents in their neighborhood and realize how a small act of kindness goes a long way. Read more.

April 10, 2019
Jennifer Rodriguez MSW ’16 recently published an eBook on Amazon. The eBook, titled How Mama Says Goodbye: A story about love and readiness for loss, reached #1 in new releases for its genre, Children's eBooks on Death, Grief & Bereavement. Read more.

April 10, 2019
John Signa ’02, MBA ’04, co-founder and Managing Partner at Element78 Advisors, was recently in the news as his business advisory firm moved to Oak Brook, Illinois. Following accelerated growth in 2018, E78 Advisors relocated to larger space to accommodate its growing team and client base. Read more.

April 3, 2019
Fanny Y. Lopez-Benitez ’11, Title V project manager and adjunct professor at Dominican University, was elected a trustee for the Village of Hanover Park. Fanny is the first formerly undocumented Mexican immigrant woman to serve as a trustee for the village and, at age 29, the youngest woman to be elected. Read more.

April 2, 2019
Lisa Badger BLS ’17, MCR ’18 collected the most votes in a five-person field to claim one of three seats on the Springfield Park District board of trustees. Lisa is a community affairs specialist in the state Treasurer’s office and a registered nurse. Read more.

March 25, 2019 
Mary Mulholland ’42 of Hinsdale, who raised four children and sold real estate in the Chicago area for decades, celebrated her 100th birthday. Read more.

March 6, 2019
Kelly (McEndry) Donlevy ’94 (women's volleyball), Michael Kapusta ’11 (men's soccer), Emily Mahoney ’13 (softball), Willis Lamont McGee ’92, MBA '94 (men's basketball) and Megan Vaccaro ’10 (cross country) will be honored June 8. More details.

February 26, 2019
Dr. Carmen Ayala MBA ’87 has been named the 30th State Superintendent of Education, making her the first woman and first person of color to serve as the permanent superintendent. Read more.

February 20, 2019
Colby Burnett MAEd ’16 is the first Jeopardy! contestant to win both the Teachers Tournament and the Tournament of Champions. Read more.

February 5, 2019

After a quarter-century serving patrons at the Oak Park Library, Jim Madigan ’74, MLIS ’00 will be retiring on Feb. 8. Jim currently serves as the Oak Park Library Deputy Director. Read more.

January 28, 2019

The National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) has awarded its highest honor, the Joseph A. Sprague Memorial Award, to Michelle Agins ’77 for her commitment to the craft of visual journalism and to education that advances the profession. Read more.

January 25, 2019
Tekki Lomnicki ’78 is a brilliant solo performer and the creator of Tellin' Tales Theater, which has produced and fostered creative work by people with disabilities for more than 20 years. Read more.

January 3, 2019
David Lawler ’06 has been selected as a finalist for the Marion Chamber of Commerce’s Young Professional Leader Award. Read more.

January 2, 2019
Business Journalist Elaine Low ’07 has been hired by Variety as a senior TV writer. Read more.

January 1, 2019
Tina Beaird MLIS '02 is the owner of Tamarack Genealogy and is a genealogy and history librarian at the Plainfield Public Library. Read more.

December 25, 2018 
Jessica MacPhail MALS ’76, Racine Public Library executive director, came to the library in 1999 and currently oversees a staff of 60 people. She recently sat down with the Journal Times for a Q&A. Read more.

November 30, 2018

Chanelle Bell MSEd ’16 has founded a group called “Positively Melanin,” an initiative that links young people of color with professionals and to spread the message: Mentors are all around you. Read more.

November 30, 2018

Yonhee Choi Gordon ’86, the Chief Operating Officer at JMG Financial Group, has been named a "Woman to Watch" by InvestmentNews. Read more.

November 27, 2018

Cheryl Skender ’80, President of Friends of Prentice, recently helped raise over $700,000 to fund programs for women and infants at Northwestern Medicine Prentice Women's Hospital. The funds were raised Nov. 3 at Friends of Prentice's 33rd Annual Benefit. Read more.

November 14, 2018

When Shannyn Schroeder ’94 isn't busy teaching grammar to licensed practical nurses at Wheeling North Shore College of Health Care, she writes romance novels about realistic relationships. It's something she's wanted to do since taking creative writing and English courses in high school and at Rosary College. Read more.

November 5, 2018

Self-confessed 'library kid' Anthony Auston MLIS ’02 recently took the reins as Wilmette Public Library director. Anthony started at the library on October 31. Read more.

October 23, 2018

Clem Martin SOE ’08, President of Christ The King College Prep School, has helped get a 100% college acceptance rate since the school opened just 11 years ago. Clem was interviewed about Christ the King on WGN Radio. Listen.

October 19, 2018

Ammie Kessem ’98 is running to represent the Illinois House 19th District. The Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board recently sat down with Ammie to find out her views on a range of important issues facing the state of Illinois. Read more.

October 15, 2018

Mariana Bojorquez ’ 16, MLIS ’18 has been named the Latino Engagement Librarian at the Evanston Public Library. She will work to provide library services for the Evanston Latino community both within and beyond the walls of the library, with an extra emphasis on the needs of Evanston's growing population of Spanish speaking residents. Read more.

October 14, 2018

Guy Klinzing MBA ’82, better known as Chef Guy to his legions of fans, is touring with his "Let's Get Cooking" show. The show promises to be full of food, fun, music and humor. Read more.

October 13, 2018

Richard Green ’15, a financial advisor with Northwestern Mutual in Chicago, has been appointed a College Unit Director. Read more.

October 2, 2018

Cheryl Fitzgerald ’04 and Maria Dellanina ’17 made a less fattening and more nutritious alternative to guacamole while in a nutrition class at Dominican. Now, they’ve launched their own business, The Guiltless Garden, and sell their unique product at farmer’s markets around the Chicago area. Read more.

September 4, 2018

Marilyn Jancewicz ’68 was recently profiled in the Forest Park Review. Marilyn has been a volunteer for her alma mater for over 50 years and is a 2018 recipient of Dominican University's O'Keefe Outstanding Volunteer Achievement Award. Read more.

August 27, 2018

Ann Wach-Tomory ’01, a program integrity and evaluation specialist with the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, has been honored with an RRB “Award for Excellence” in the performance of her duties. Read more.

August 14, 2018

Robert Zmudka MBA ’93 has been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Trustees. He had previously served on the Hall of Fame’s Advisory Board. Read more.

August 14, 2018

Susan Fay MBA ’89 has been named the executive director of human resources at The College of Lake County. She comes to CLC from Roosevelt University, where she served for nearly 20 years in the human resources department. Read more.

August 2, 2018

Berto Aguayo '16 has announced his candidacy for alderman for Chicago's 15th Ward, an area including the Back of the Yards neighborhood where he was born and raised. Read more

July 14, 2018

Colleen Zitkus ’15 joined the ranks of the Prospect Heights Police Department June 25, as she was sworn in by Prospect Heights Mayor Nicholas J. Helmer in front of family, friends, co-workers, former colleagues and the Prospect Heights City Council. Read more

July 13, 2018

Maureen Harty MBA ’00 officially began her duties as the third Commissioner of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference on July 2nd. Read more. 

July 5, 2018

Loretta Ragsdell ’75 recently earned the National Council for Higher Education's first Higher Educator of the Year Award. She addressed the National Education Association's representative assembly earlier this month. Read more.

May 17, 2018

For the past seven years, Tiana was the Grants Administrator at DuPage County-based Ray Graham Association (RGA), a provider of services and supports to people with disabilities and their families. More

May 13, 2018

Business owner Breanne Stover ’04 has moved her boutique, Bee & Me, to downtown Griffith, Indiana. More