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2023 USF Student Art Exhibition Open to the Public

Joliet, Ill. – The University of St. Francis (USF) Art & Design Department recently held its 2023 exhibition and competition. The annual competition is open to all USF students from any major. All students were eligible to receive all prizes regardless of major, with the exception of the Coleman Scholarship, which is awarded to an Art major.

The exhibition is open to the public from now through April 13, 2023, during regular USF Art Gallery hours, which are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (with the exception of holidays and University breaks). The USF Art Gallery is located at 25 E. Van Buren Street (on the corner of Van Buren Street & Scott Street).

The results from the competition include:

  • Coleman Scholarship (awarded to an Art major): Jaclyn Duske
  • Presidential Purchase Award* (cash purchase award and artwork added to the University’s permanent collection): Jaclyn Duske, Under the Sea (digital photography)
  • Dean’s Choice Award* (cash purchase award and artwork added to the University’s permanent collection): Harlie Mast, Spot Light (photography)
  • First Place ($50 gift card): Vada Arndt, Willow Springs, IL, oil paint
  • Second Place ($50 gift card): Lilliana Guitierrez, Frank, wire, paint, paper mâché
  • Third Place ($50 gift card): Tatiana Ruiz, Drained, paint on canvas board
  • Award of Excellence ($25 Visa gift card): Darcy Ancel, Grey Hound, silver print (traditional photography); Spencer Baird, Untitled, oil paint (painting); Karly Ceci, Old Bones, New Snake, crochet (non-traditional Media); Samantha Gonzalez, View of Joliet, acrylic paint (color theory); E. Porter, Infinity Wave, ceramic (ceramics); Issac Rodriguez, Gone, wire & paper (experimental media), and; Nathaniel Smith, Old Route 66, photography (digital photography)
  • Honorable Mention (art supplies): Gianna Barbaro, Frog Prince, pewter (metal) ; Emily Eagan, Chinook, stoneware ceramic (ceramics); Ayla Gilmer, Mushed Rooms, screen print on cardstock (screenprint); Jareset Lagunas, Do Not Enter, black and white film (Don & Surrealism); Mary Grace McGrath, Self Portrait, acrylic paint (self-portrait); Kadixamayrin Mireles, Vulnerable Heart, wire, paint, paper mâché (sculpture); Nicholas Munafo, Will We Ever be Free, linoleum print (screenprint); Mazi Niezgoda, Old Love, photography (studio photography); Sarah Piane, Focus, acrylic paint (Realism); Fatima “Flynn” Villagomez, Ramblings of Students, wire & paper mâché (sculpture), and; Alana Wendel, Emile, watercolor (watercolor).

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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USF Online Programs Recognized in 2023 Rankings by The Princeton Review

Joliet, Ill. – The Princeton Review, a national ranking agency that provides admissions resources for college and graduate school-bound students, recently recognized two online programs offered at the University of St. Francis (USF). USF’s online Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership and its online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs were included in The Princeton Review’s Best Online Doctor of Education Programs for 2023 and Best Online Nursing School Master’s Programs for 2023 listings, respectively.

Online Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership Program

The online Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership program at USF brings together practitioner-scholars to support doctoral candidates in learning and scholarship. The program is a combination of research, experiential learning, and shared knowledge about the key skills needed to lead, inspire, and educate. The program degree is designed for master’s prepared professionals from every career path.

“Our online programs are designed to provide students from all over the country exemplary learning experiences that equip them with the knowledge and skills necessary to advance their careers and contribute to the world in a meaningful way.  The courses challenge and support the students in the learning process and offer them an opportunity to interact with other professionals and exceptional faculty members. To have our online doctoral program recognized in this manner is an indication and a validation that we are realizing our mission to develop high quality leaders who can have a significant positive impact on their communities,” said John Gambro, Ed.D., dean of the USF College of Education.

Visit stfrancis.edu/educational-leadership-edd for program information and options. Visit princetonreview.com and search the keywords “online Doctor of Education” to view The Princeton Review’s Best Online Doctor of Education Programs for 2023 listing.

Online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Program

Advanced practice nurses are often called on to assume leadership roles in the profession and in health care delivery. Graduates of the USF MSN program will incorporate their education and research into a practice that is reflective of the dynamic needs of a diverse population.

“Our Master of Science in Nursing programs offer knowledge, skills, and resources to enhance careers available to members of our community across Illinois and the Midwest by using online learning platforms. The competencies developed in our programs are evident by the care that is given back to the community by our graduates. However, we do not prepare our students just for a career. Our MSN students enhance their passion to actualize the core values of serving others as advanced practice nurses. Besides being well-trained, skilled, and confident in their areas as advanced nurse practitioners, they are compassion-rooted providers at all times, most especially during the most vulnerable times,” said USF Leach College of Nursing dean Yeijin Yeom, Ph.D., RN, CNE.

Visit stfrancis.edu/msn for program information and options. Visit princetonreview.com and search the keywords “online Master of Science in Nursing” to view The Princeton Review’s Best Online Nursing School Master’s Programs for 2023 listing.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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USF Part of $10 Million Will County Heroes Scholarship Program to Boost Teaching and Nursing Recruitment

Will County Heroes

Joliet, Ill. – Will County officially launched the “Will County Heroes” scholarship program earlier this month to support students seeking careers in teaching and nursing. The County is investing $10 million in American Rescue Plan (ARPA) dollars to increase recruitment in these high-demand fields and incentivize future graduates to work in Will County.

“Will County is proud to be empowering the next generation of heroes within our schools and hospitals,” said County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant. “By working with partners throughout the county, we are supporting both quality education and long-term career success for students. I urge students to consider this scholarship opportunity as they plan for their future.”

Will County allocated $2.5 million to each higher education partner to implement the scholarship grant: Governors State University, Joliet Junior College, Lewis University, and University of St. Francis. Eligible students at each institution can receive $2,500 per semester or $5,000 an academic year to support their pursuit of a teaching or nursing degree.

A key goal of the program is to incentivize teaching and nursing graduates to grow their career in Will County. The program will aim to create an active pipeline to employers throughout the county after they graduate. The pipeline partners will support students as they grow their career after graduation, connecting them with a working environment that will foster positive career development.

“The University of St. Francis is privileged to support this strategic and visionary investment by Will County to address the critical demand for teachers and nurses to meet our present and future needs,” said Arvid C. Johnson, President of University of St. Francis. “We are proud to join with our higher-education partners – at JJC, Lewis, and Governor’s State – in bringing this vision to reality in a way that will positively impact the county for years, if not decades, to come.”

Ascension St. Joseph and Silver Cross Hospital will act as the inaugural pipeline partners for nursing students. The Will County Center for Economic Development and Workforce Center of Will County will also support the development of career pipelines.

Will County Heroes aims to address shortages in the teaching and nursing profession, which were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible students include those pursuing teacher certification for elementary education, special education, and secondary education, along with students interested in becoming a Registered Nurse, either through a Bachelor of Science in Nursing or an Associates Degree in Nursing.

Will County has been allocated $134.1 million in ARPA funding as part of the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. The Will County Board approved the $10 million investment in scholarships as part of a $23.5 million allocation into countywide economic development. All ARPA funding must be spent by Fall 2026.

Students can learn more about and apply for the Will County Heroes scholarship by contacting a USF admissions counselor at stfrancis.edu/admissions-counselors/. A full listing of program contacts for applications can be found at willcountyillinois.org/heroes.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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USF Announces 2023 Sister Clare Award Winner

Joliet, Ill. – The University of St. Francis (USF) Women’s History Month Committee annually solicits nominations for, selects and awards the Sister Clare Award. The award, presented during Women’s History Month every March, recognizes women of vision who have transformed the world in their time, is presented each year to a deserving recipient by USF in the spirit of our sister, Clare. USF congratulates Kathryn “Kathy” Giegerich on being selected as this year’s award recipient.

Giegerich is the sole owner/operator of Blackburn Giegerich Sonntag Funeral Home in Joliet. She started working at the family funeral home when women were starting in the business, and there were very few female funeral directors. She was mentored by her father, who instilled in her the philosophy that the funeral home is not just a business; it’s a service that provides help for people going through a difficult time. Giegerich accepted the award during a special ceremony at USF on March 22, 2023.

Giegerich is committed to serving the community. Her parents believed in giving back to the community and taught their children to do the same. She joined Childerguild at Silver Cross Hospital in the mid-1980s, volunteering as a sales clerk at the hospital gift shop. She was chairperson for several of the black-tie galas and has served as president of the organization. Additionally, Giegerich has held positions on the Guardian Angel Community Services and Our Lady of Angels Retirement Home boards. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Joliet, Lightways Hospice Guild, and most recently, The Visitation and Aid Society. Zonta International and the recognition of women’s rights have been and continue to be important to Kathy. She has served as president of the Joliet chapter of Zonta.

USF’s inaugural Sister Clare Award was presented in 2013 during Women’s History Month to the university’s founding congregation, the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate. Other honorees have included Diane Nilan (2014), Cleopatra Pendelton (2015), Bernice Sandler (2016), Mona Purdy (2017), Petra Jamie (2018), Nancy Economu (2019), Roxiana Fuqua (2020), Dr. Ngozi Ezike (2021), and Patricia Alvarez (2022).

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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USF Awarded $100,000 IBHE Nursing School Grant

Joliet, Ill. – The University of St. Francis (USF) Leach College of Nursing (LCON) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a $100,000 Nursing School Grant through the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE). The grant will be used to address equity gaps in enrollment and course completion for USF nursing students in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and BSN Completion programs, of which approximately half are African American, Latinx, low-income, first-generation, from rural communities, and/or working adults. With the grant funding, LCON will purchase equipment, including a medication dispensing system and simulation cart, and increase 24 additional hours per week of simulation labs for BSN students to accommodate working students and remediation on evenings and weekends to reinforce preparation our students for clinical practice; the LCON expects increasing the retention rate of students. As a result, highly competent and well-prepared students maximize their employment opportunities while benefitting patients in Illinois. The expected outcomes of the grant-funded objectives also align with the Leach College of Nursing’s goals for 2019-2024, which include strengthening communities of learning to provide all members a sense of belonging, and increasing completion and graduation rate in all programs. “We are very grateful for this IBHE Nursing School Grant, which will allow our nursing students to spend more time and build trust with faculty, have more engagement in their learning by attending additional SIM and skills labs, and optimize their use of available resources. In addition, achieving our proposed outcomes will help to address health equity in our community by fostering a more diverse nursing workforce,” said USF Leach College of Nursing Dean Yeijin Yeom, Ph.D., RN, CNE. : : The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu. University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose. # # #
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USF Welcomes International Speaker Br. Michael Perry for Sustainability Presentation

Joliet, Ill. – The University of St. Francis (USF) welcomes international speaker Br. Michael Perry, OFM, for a special one-hour sustainability presentation to the community on Tuesday, April 25, beginning at 7 p.m. The presentation, Addressing Sustainability: Becoming Partners with Creation for the Sake of the Poor and the Planet, will take place in the Moes/Presidents Room in Tower Hall on USF’s main campus, which is located at 500 Wilcox Street in Joliet. Virtual access through Zoom will also be offered. “Pope Francis told me the only way forward for humanity is for people to abandon the temptation to exercise control over land and peoples and to pursue the path of holiness, the path of becoming saints. That path, said the Pope, that journey, is made by seeking sincere human friendship, fraternity and solidarity. I suggested this is what it [means] to becoming ‘Saints.’ The Pope told me this is a very good thing to do,” Perry said. The presentation is being made possible through the Catholic Franciscan Charism Council and Sustainability Committee efforts, free of charge. RSVP for the event (both in-person and virtual) no later than April 20th by contacting Arlene Finkle at 815-740-3398 or afinkle@stfrancis.edu. About Br. Michael Perry, OFM Brother Michael Anthony Perry, OFM, is a Midwestern American Franciscan friar who from 2013-21, served as General Minister of the Order of Friars Minor, the 120th successor of St. Francis of Assisi.  Currently, he is the Franciscan Scholar in Residence and Director of the Laudato Si’ Center for Integral Ecology at Siena College in New York. Perry also worked at the International Office of Justice and Peace at the United States Conference of Bishops and at Catholic Relief Services, and at Franciscans International, which works on human rights, poverty, peace, and integral ecology at the United Nations.  For ten years, Perry also worked in the manner of St. Francis as a missionary in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He also taught cultural theology and global Catholicism at Washington Theological Union in Washington. : : The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu. University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose. # # #
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