Avenues Spring 2026
We open with Poems of Witness by Associate Professor of Latin American Culture and Literature Marelys Valencia. The PACE Center opened in January, offering curriculum to career services all in one location. Our Faculty Spotlight is Professor of Social Work Frances Bernard Kominkiewicz, inaugural director of the Masters of Social Work program. Lorraine Sheehan Wilson ’85 and her husband Chris Wilson (ND ’85) recently established the Wilson-Sheehan Scholarship Fund, the largest scholarship gift in Saint Mary’s history. Travel abroad to the Ecuadorian Amazon with Associate Professor of Biology Vanessa Hilliard and her students. In closing, Elizabeth Palmer ’13 shares how Saint Mary’s prepared her for her rewarding career as a hospital chaplain. Enjoy the issue!
Feature Articles
Keeping PACE With Today’s Expectations
Melainey Lowe’s academic plans appeared set when she entered Saint Mary’s College. However, as often happens when students test their early ambitions, those plans evolved. Lowe, now Director of Football Operations for the Indianapolis Colts, immersed herself in her initial major, found clarity, and ultimately shifted direction.
Scholarship Gift Expands the Saint Mary's Circle
Lorraine Sheehan Wilson ’85 and Chris Wilson (ND ’85) recently endowed the Wilson Sheehan Scholarship Fund, the largest scholarship gift in Saint Mary’s College history. This multi-million dollar gift aligns with the Wilson Sheehan Foundation’s mission to support families and reduce poverty by creating educational opportunities. Students with demonstrated financial need will receive these scholarship funds as part of their financial aid packages, many for all four years at the College, beginning in the 2027-2028 academic year.
May 11, 2026
A Deeper Dive into the Ecology of Ecuador
In summer 2025, students studying abroad in Ecuador spent two weeks conducting research, including one week at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station (TBS), and the second week across several sites in the Ecuadorian Amazon, including a day at the Yanayacu Biological Station. “One of the biggest pros is that it gets students out into the world in a place that they're not likely to go at any other point in time; to a place that not a lot of people get to go,” said Vanessa Hilliard, assistant professor of Biology, who leads the research experiences.
May 11, 2026
Lasting Impressions
Elizabeth Palmer ’13 graduated from Saint Mary’s College with degrees in Biology and Psychology. She earned her Master of Divinity from Loyola University, Chicago in 2018. Palmer completed her chaplain residency at the University of Michigan Hospital, and is currently a Certified Educator Candidate in Palliative Care. She’s also the author of the blog Holy Thresholds: Reflections as a Hospital Chaplain.
May 11, 2026
Experiential Learning in the World’s Most Biodiverse Region
The existing scientific literature regarding the yellow-footed tortoises in Ecuador is both limited and outdated. Most published data on this threatened species are at least 40 years old and are from the Brazilian Amazon. Vanessa Hilliard, associate professor of Biology at Saint Mary’s College, aims to change that narrative when she, along with Sofia Dahl-Santoro ’27, ventures to Ecuador this summer to study the ecology of the planet’s most biodiverse region.
May 11, 2026
In the Spotlight: Frances Bernard Kominkiewicz
Frances Bernard Kominkiewicz, PhD, is a professor at Saint Mary’s, and inaugural director of the Master of Social Work program. For 25 years, she was the director of the Bachelor of Social Work program, where she oversaw the first national CSWE accreditation for the program and two perfect CSWE reaffirmations. She is also former chair of the Department of Social Work and Gerontology.
May 11, 2026
First Impressions
Marelys Valencia is an Associate Professor of Latin American Culture and Literature. She recently presented poems from her book, Sanctuary of Fasting Daffodils, along with unpublished works, at Instituto Cervantes in Frankfurt, Germany, and at Aluna Art Foundation in Miami. Sanctuary of Fasting Daffodils is available at the Saint Mary’s College bookstore.