January 1, 2013 OPINION: The Lives of Girls in Indiana (South Bend Tribune) Last week, Saint Mary's College released a comprehensive study on the health and well-being of Hoosier girls, ages 10-19. The report, called "The Status of Girls in Indiana 2013," highlights various aspects of a young woman’s life, including health and education, and the challenges they face. The South Bend Tribune's Editorial Board met with Saint Mary's President Carol Ann Mooney and Kristin Jehring, assistant professor of mathematics, about how the report was compiled and their hope as to how it's used as a resource to help Hoosier girls. January 1, 2013 College Announces New VP for Finance and Administration Saint Mary's College is pleased to announce that Susan K. Bolt has joined the College as the Vice President for Finance and Administration. Bolt has 26 years of experience working in finance in higher education settings, including at Kettering University in Flint, Michigan and the University of Hartford in West Hartford, Connecticut. January 1, 2013 National Recognition for Center for Women’s Intercultural Leadership Last night, on behalf of the Center for Women’s Intercultural Leadership (CWIL) at Saint Mary's College, Senior Vice President and Dean of Faculty Patricia Fleming accepted the Diversity and Inclusion Award from the National Council for Research on Women (NCRW). CWIL was recognized at the opening night reception of NCRW’s annual conference held at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. NCRW is a network of 120 leading research, policy and advocacy centers committed to improving the lives of women and girls. January 1, 2013 2012 McMahon Aquinas Lecture Announced Saint Mary’s College proudly announces that renowned philosopher John Haldane will give the 2012 McMahon Aquinas Lecture titled “Life, Mind, and Evolution: A Tale of Two Thomases” on Wednesday, September 5 at 7 p.m. in the Student Center Lounge. The event is free and the public is encouraged to attend. January 1, 2013 Saint Mary's SPARKS Women-owned Businesses (WSBT-TV) Local women interested in entrepreneurship are encouraged to attend a screening for the SPARK program. SPARK is an eleven-week entrepreneurship training program intended to assist under-resourced, high-potential entrepreneurs to SPARK businesses. Those interested must apply in person at a screening on Friday, February 22 from 8 to 11 a.m. in Spes Unica Hall, room 334. SPARK is run through the Women's Entrepreneurship Initiative at Saint Mary's College. January 1, 2013 Social Entrepreneur to Address Graduates (The Observer) Social entrepreneur Kyle Zimmer will speak at Commencement on Saturday. Zimmer is founder, president, and CEO of First Book, a non-profit organization that provides books to children in need. Under her leadership, the organization has distributed over 100 million books to children nationwide. “I think we each have an obligation to [support] social justice,” Zimmer said. “It is critical for each of us to leave a positive mark on the world. In my case, I left my career as a lawyer to tackle the lack of books and resources available to kids in need." January 1, 2013 Alumna/entrepreneur to Receive Doctorate (The Observer) Jennifer Mathile Prikkel, former Saint Mary’s Board of Trustee member and alumna, will receive an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from the College during the commencement ceremony Saturday. Prikkel is a partner at Mathile Family Enterprise, founder and president of Bridging Hope Farms and a member of the Board of Trustees for the Mathile Family Foundation. She said she is thankful for her Saint Mary’s education because it has shaped her many successes. January 1, 2013 ROTC senior commissioned as officer (The Observer) As most members of the Class of 2013 move on to employment and further education, the participants in the University of Notre Dame’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) will be commissioned as officers in the United States Military. Saint Mary’s senior and Navy ROTC midshipman Devon Graham ‘13 said she greatly enjoyed her ROTC experience. “I couldn’t be happier than I am in the NROTC program at Notre Dame. The friends and contacts I have made are unforgettable,” she said. January 1, 2013 Seniors Share Post-Graduate Plans (The Observer) As the Class of 2013 eyes life after the cap and gown, most Belles report they will join the workforce after graduation rather than graduate school or other pursuits. That's according to the recent graduation destination survey. Stacie Jeffirs, director of the College’s Career Crossings office, administered the survey. She told The Observer that an estimated 60 to 75 percent of graduates indicated they will be employed full time, while an estimated 30 percent reported they intend to pursue some form of graduate degree.