Avenues Summer 2026
Welcome to a celebration issue of Avenues, dedicated to the public launch of Ring Out Ring True, the comprehensive campaign to ensure a Catholic, liberal arts education for future Belles. This momentous occasion coincided with Reunion 2026, which brought to campus classes ending in 1s and 6s. At the 179th Commencement, nine students of the Class of 2026 earned valedictory honors. Andrew Pierce, associate professor of Philosophy, discusses his journeys into public philosophy and restorative justice. And you’ll learn how the research landscape is changing at the College, so next we take a deep dive into a female-focused project and an impressive wrap-up of these projects. Enjoy the issue!
Feature Articles
A Community of Faith, Hope, and Love: Commencement 2026
A community built of faith, hope, and love was the abiding theme of Commencement 2026. Valedictorian Abigail Newton told fellow graduates, “as I reminisce about our time at Saint Mary’s, one word rises above all the rest: community.” Commencement speaker and honorary degree recipient Anne Thompson (ND '79) added elements of faith, hope, and love in her address. Over 370 students were awarded their undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Advancement Update
This summer marked an extraordinary milestone in the history of Saint Mary’s College as we officially launched the public phase of our comprehensive campaign, Ring Out Ring True. The energy surrounding our campaign launch, combined with the joy of welcoming hundreds of alumnae home for Reunion, served as a powerful reminder of what makes Saint Mary’s so special: a community united by shared values and a deep commitment to ensuring future generations of women have access to the same transformative experience.
Saint Mary's Launches Historic $200 Million Campaign
On June 6, Saint Mary’s College celebrated the public launch of a historic $200 million comprehensive fundraising campaign—the largest in the College’s 181-year history. Nearly 600 guests filled the Gillespie Center to learn firsthand how the campaign, titled Ring Out Ring True, will strengthen academic innovation, expand access, and elevate women’s leadership.
August 24, 2026
In The Spotlight: Andrew Pierce
Associate Professor Andrew Pierce is the chair of the Department of Philosophy and the Director of Justice Studies. A community justice advocate, Pierce finds moments of peace in family, travel, and a little hobby known as bonsai.
August 24, 2026
Research Focus: Advocating for Women's Health
When Erica Albertin, assistant professor of Exercise Science and Biology, joined Saint Mary’s Biology Department faculty last year as the director of its newest major, Exercise Science, she was excited about the move from college athletics to academia and the opportunity it afforded her to conduct research with her students. This summer, she’s working with Ava Hess ’27 on a project titled Female-Centered Autonomic Physiology: Foundations for Exercise.
August 24, 2026
In Her Words: Remarks from President Katie Conboy Ring Out Ring True L...
On June 6, President Katie Conboy spoke to a large crowd gathered to celebrate the public launch of the Ring Out Ring True comprehensive campaign. "Nearly two centuries ago, a small group of Holy Cross Sisters began something they themselves could not have fully imagined. Yet because they—and those who followed them—dreamed extravagantly, generations of women found their voices." Read President Conboy's full message here.
August 24, 2026
Summer Research Broadens in Scope and Scale
The scope of this summer’s student-faculty research projects at Saint Mary’s spanned from STEM-related topics such as the study of predator-prey interactions in freshwater fish and analysing data of the night sky through photographs taken at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory to liberal arts discoveries into the life of Saint Onuphrius and medieval women in the time of the Crusades.
August 24, 2026
Reunion 2026: Celebrating Sisterhood
Over 880 alumnae and guests from class years ending in 1s and 6s attended Reunion 2026 to celebrate enduring friendships, revisit the beautiful Saint Mary’s campus, take part in programming, and ring in a new era at the College with the unveiling of a bell in the Le Mans Hall tower.
August 24, 2026
Lasting Impressions - Summer 2026
I have been blessed to be part of this Saint Mary’s College community since 1986. While I have spent far more of my life here as a staff member than as a student, my journey began as a student—and it changed the course of my life.