Avenues Fall 2025
This year, Le Mans Hall, the Tudor gothic centerpiece of Saint Mary’s College, turns 100 years old. Le Mans, often called “The Castle” by alumnae, has been home to thousands of women over the past century at a pivotal point in their lives. Time may separate them, but their experiences of spending four formative years there connects them across generations. We also celebrate the growth of the Department of Business Administration and Economics at the half-century mark and feature James Rogers as our Faculty Spotlight. Alumna Josephine Clark-Curtiss '68 is honored by her loving husband and research partner Dr. Roy Curtiss III through an endowed professorship in Biology. Enjoy the issue!
Feature Articles
Endowed Biology Professorship Honors Pioneering Alumna
Josephine “Josie” Clark-Curtiss ’68 was a woman of many firsts. Her career spanned five decades of tireless work to combat the spread of infectious disease through her pioneering discoveries in microbiology and molecular genetics research. Among her many firsts: Clark-Curtiss was the first researcher awarded a National Institutes of Health grant for the genetic analysis of the mycobacterial pathogens that cause leprosy, tuberculosis, and the M. avium infection, which afflicts patients with HIV. She was also the first scientist to perfect a way to disrupt bacteria that have rigid, tough cell walls to isolate high molecular weight DNA, revolutionary at a time before genetic sequencing and synthesis became standard. Clark-Curtiss made this discovery with a President’s Fellowship from the American Society of Microbiology at the Medical College of Virginia, now Virginia Commonwealth University.
In The Spotlight: Jim Rogers
Associate Teaching Professor Jim Rogers is the chair of the Department of Business Administration and Economics. He taught his first class at Saint Mary’s in the fall of 2014 and hasn’t looked back. It’s evident that his students value his blend of academic knowledge and real-world application—he mentors over 100 per semester. Recruited by beloved economics professors Jerry McElroy and Richard Measell, he has also served as a Professional Specialist at ND’s Mendoza College of Business. “But nothing compared to the culture of Saint Mary's College in my mind, ever,” he says. “I like teaching, but I love teaching here.” Rogers recently sat down with us to talk about his storied career.
November 18, 2025
Lasting Impressions
Adriana Trigiani’s latest novel, The View from Lake Como, was published in July to great acclaim. She shared with President Katie Conboy some of the background and the process involved in writing the novel.
November 17, 2025
Celebrating 50 Years of the Department of Business Administration and ...
The ’70s marked an era of transformation for Saint Mary’s. In 1972, Dr. Edward L. Henry became the College’s seventh—and both first lay and male—president. Between 1972 and 1974, Henry propelled the College forward by establishing the Department of Business Administration and Economics and the Department of Psychology. Dr. Henry’s primary objective was to provide students with career orientation within a liberal arts curriculum.
November 12, 2025
A Centennial of Home
This year, Le Mans Hall, the Tudor gothic centerpiece of Saint Mary’s College, turns 100 years old. Le Mans, often called “The Castle” by alumnae, has been home to thousands of women over the past century at a pivotal point in their lives. Time may separate them, but their experiences of spending four formative years there connects them across generations. Deep within the College archives are myriad stories that keep this brick behemoth pulsing with life.