Author

University Brand Marketing & Communications

Browsing

Saint Leo University Center for Online LearningIn 1998, Saint Leo was one of the first universities in the United States to begin offering online degree programs. Now 25 years later, the university continues to offer a robust online learning program, with more than 30 degrees, and is top-ranked for its efforts to offer students schedule flexibility, course variety, and accomplished, accessible faculty.

Saint Leo University earned honors in four categories for providing the best online bachelor’s and master’s programs in the United States, according to the 2023 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Online Programs edition, released in January.

The university received honors in the Best Online Bachelor’s Programs in Psychology (ranked 36th); Best Online Bachelor’s Programs (124th); Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans (ranked 75th); and Best Online Bachelor’s Programs in Business (127th) categories.

“Saint Leo is celebrating 25 years of offering online education so it’s particularly fitting that the university is being honored for providing outstanding online degrees,” said Dr. Edward Dadez, Saint Leo University president. “In 1998, the university took a risk and entered the online field. Through online classes, students can study anywhere and anytime that is convenient for them. It was an investment that paid off for the university and especially for its students.”

Saint Leo University is now home to an ice hockey club team. Competing as part of the Collegiate Hockey Federation, the Ice Hockey Club is comprised of 11 students, faculty, and staff who have a love for the game.

The ice hockey club team had its first competition in April against the University of North Florida at the AdventHealth Center Ice in nearby Wesley Chapel, FL. The team won 9-4.

Saint Leo University is celebrating 50 years of providing higher education to the U.S. military, with 2023 being our landmark year. In 1973, Saint Leo University stepped up to serve college courses and degree programs to the military — before many U.S. colleges and universities recognized active military, veterans, and their families as an important student community.

The university kicked off its anniversary celebrations the week of Veterans Day with a special event for the university community and the public. The event featured retired U.S. Army General Raymond A. “Tony” Thomas III, former commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command, headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.

Saint Leo University faculty are transforming the lives of students and making significant contributions to their fields of study. Take a look at some of the most recent accomplishments from our faculty.

Christina CazanaveChristina Cazanave, director of internships and instructor for the Undergraduate Social Work Program, was appointed legislative chair for the NASW-Florida Chapter. In this five-year, statewide leadership position, Cazanave works closely with NASW-FL lobbyists to develop legislative proposals, collaborates with the chapter board to set legislative priorities, tracks bills relevant to social work practice, prepares testimony on critical bills, assists members in communicating issues to their elected officials, and builds relationships with other supportive organizations.

This role allows Cazanave to support Florida social workers, lobby for social justice and equitable policies, and mobilize the profession in Florida to engage in voter and civic engagement. This work includes creating a statewide voter engagement toolkit and leading the charge in voter activities across Florida.

Cazanave has served as co-chair for the Social Work Programs’ LEAD Day committee and as chair of the university’s Why Vote? campaign. Additionally, she demonstrated her passion for civic engagement by conducting workshops, conference presentations, and discussions on civic engagement and expanding advocacy within the social work practice.

Passard DeanDr. Passard Dean, interim dean of the Tapia College of Business, was appointed to the Institute of Management Accountants Committee on Ethics (IMA® CoE).

“The purpose of the IMA Committee on Ethics is to encourage IMA members, their organizations, and other individuals to adopt, promote, and execute superior business practices consistent with IMA’s mission in management accounting and finance and its Statement of Ethical Professional Practice by advocating the highest ethical principles,” according to the IMA. 

“The objectives of the Committee on Ethics are to advance these principles by regularly contributing meaningful insights, perspectives, opinions, and analysis to ethical issues, activities, publications, and networking opportunities, as well as membership compliance, brought before or identified by the committee.”

Stephen OkeyDr. Stephen Okey, associate professor of philosophy, theology, and religion, contributed to a story for The History Channel on the history of exorcisms. Written by Dr. Elizabeth Yuko, a bioethicist and journalist, the story examined the centuries-long practices of expelling evil, and it was published and posted just in time for Halloween. 

“According to Okey, the term ‘exorcism’ is most commonly associated with Christianity, especially Catholicism, partly because of the numerous explicit references to Jesus casting out spirits in the Gospels,” the story stated. “In 2017, Pope Francis told priests that they ‘should not hesitate’ to call on a Vatican-trained exorcist should they need one.”

Dr. Matthew Tapie and Rabbi David Maayan

Dr. Matthew Tapie and Rabbi David Maayan, director and assistant director of the university’s Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies, will work with the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Vatican, and other organizations to host a conference on the newly opened archives from the Pontificate of Pope Pius XII. The conference, New Documents from the Pontificate of Pope Pius XII and their Meaning for Jewish-Christian Relations: A Dialogue Between Historians and Theologians, will be held at the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome in October.

Dr. Jacci WhiteDr. Jacci White, professor of mathematics in the School of Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Data Science (CARDS), received the prestigious Mathematical Association of America’s (MAA) National Meritorious Service Award in 2022. 

The award was established by the MAA Board of Governors in 1983 and is given once every five years to one recipient in each section — Saint Leo is in the Florida Section. It is awarded in recognition of extraordinary service to the MAA and the section.

“White is known for her dedicated teaching, providing student-centered education, and implementation of innovative teaching techniques,” the MAA noted. “At FL-MAA meetings, she often can be found surrounded by students who give presentations, participating in student competitions, and giving talks.”

For her distinguished teaching, White previously was awarded the 2007 MAA Florida Section Teaching Award.

Dr. Tammy Lowery ZacchilliDr. Tammy Lowery Zacchilli, professor of psychology, was elected as the Southeastern regional vice president of Psi Chi, the international honor society in psychology, beginning in July 2022. 

Psi Chi has more than 800,000 members and is one of the largest honor societies in the United States. Zacchilli works with chapters in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, and West Virginia. In this role, she coordinates Psi Chi programming at the Southeastern Psychological Association Conference. She also serves on committees, reviews for awards, and serves as a liaison between the southeastern chapters and the Psi Chi Board of Directors. 

Zacchilli has served as the Psi Chi faculty advisor at Saint Leo University since 2010 and has served as an associate editor to the Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research since 2017. She also was the 2015 recipient of the Psi Chi Faculty Advisor Award for the Southeastern Region and has recently served as a psychology expert on WTVT, FOX 13, several times.

Did you see Saint Leo University on Good Morning, America and The Today Show? What started as a video on TikTok, went viral last year and brought national attention to Saint Leo University and its commitment to employees and our core values.

Ashley Webster, former assistant Saint Leo University men’s basketball coach and mother of baby Aiden, created a TikTok video about the support she received as a mother and coach.

The adorable video shows Aiden interacting with players, students, head coach Lance Randall, and others, and notes that when Webster was offered her dream job of coaching, she was worried about accepting the position as she needed to care for her newborn son. Coach Randall’s response: “Bring him to work, too!”

In addition to national television networks, Webster’s video captured the attention of platforms such as Barstool Sports, Upworthy, and other big players in social media. It garnered thousands of views.

(Select a photo to view caption)

Mission-Driven Leaders: Conversations On Purpose event speakers
Mission-Driven Leaders: Conversations On Purpose alumni speakers (left to right): Colin Bryant ’15, U.S. Navy Reserve Rear Admiral Ingrid M. Rader ’14, ’21, Isaac Henderson ’17, and Rose Mustain ’95

Mission Driven Leaders logoThis past year the university welcomed home four alumni to speak at its Mission-Driven Leaders: Conversations On Purpose series. The goal of the program is to engage the university community and the public about the significance of mission-driven leadership.

During the program, leaders are asked to share how they are leading with purpose and making a difference in their professions and society at large.

Speakers have included Colin Bryant ’15, president of Max Deal Sports; U.S. Navy Reserve Rear Admiral Ingrid M. Rader ’14, ’21; Isaac Henderson ’17, division vice president in the Jacobs Critical Mission Solutions – Advanced Engineering, Research & Operations Business Unit; and Rose Mustain ’95, information management and solutions lead within NASA’s Gateway Program Planning and Control Office.

Rabbi Rudin posing with Bishop Mark O’Connell and his medal of the Order of St. Gregory.
Rabbi A. James Rudin receives the medal of the Order of St. Gregory from Bishop Mark O’Connell, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Boston, on behalf of Pope Francis.

In November, Rabbi A. James Rudin, one of the co-founders of the university’s Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies, became the third American rabbi in history to be honored with the Papal Knighthood of the Order of St. Gregory for his work in interfaith relations.

In a ceremony held at Saint Leo University, Rudin received the medal of the Order of St. Gregory from Bishop Mark O’Connell, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Boston. O’Connell conducted the investiture ceremony on behalf of Pope Francis in recognition of Rudin’s decades of work in building positive Catholic-Jewish relations throughout the world, fostering interreligious dialogue and understanding.

Rudin is the American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) senior interreligious adviser, having previously served as its interreligious affairs director. He also is a distinguished professor of religion and Judaica at Saint Leo University.

“It is an honor and privilege to accept this extraordinary award,” Rudin said. “To be selected for a papal knighthood is a highlight of both my professional and personal life.”

On April 12, Saint Leo University celebrated a successful day of giving, upholding an important university tradition. The Day for Saint Leo campaign surpassed its goal, raising more than $500,000 by receiving 655 donor gifts, marking the 10th annual giving day as one of the best in Saint Leo’s history. Special thanks to Saint Leo University Board of Trustees member John Picciano ’69, CEO of Oglethorpe Inc., for donating $127,735, to bring total dollars raised from $372,265 to $500,000.

Student speaking with a Moffitt employee at a table.
At the inaugural Moffitt & Saint Leo University Community Expo, senior Maurice Ferguson, a computer science major, talks with Jennie Jones, director, cancer registry/surveillance informatics at Moffitt Cancer Center, about the cancer registry profession and the Certified Tumor Registrar® exam.

Saint Leo University hosted the first Moffitt & Saint Leo University Community Expo on April 14 to showcase career and educational opportunities.

As Moffitt plans construction for its massive Speros FL medical research park in Pasco County, it is partnering with the university to create job, internship, and educational opportunities not only for Saint Leo students, but also for surrounding community members. Both institutions are committed to developing and supporting people as a whole in body, mind, and spirit, so collaborating seemed ideal.

The community expo was open to the public and offered resume reviews; a career fair; wellness and mindfulness activities; a networking lunch; and informational sessions including discussion of Saint Leo’s nursing, medical humanities, biology and natural sciences, and social work programs as well as career opportunities at Moffitt. Participants had the opportunity to engage in discussions about partnership opportunities with Pasco County and Saint Leo and learn about the exciting cancer research being conducted by Saint Leo students and faculty and by Moffitt personnel and students.

Saint Leo University faculty are transforming the lives of students and making significant contributions to their fields of study. Take a look at some of the most recent accomplishments from our faculty.

Dr. Daniel DuBois, assistant professor of history, is serving as the 2022-2023 president of the Florida Conference of Historians. The organization is dedicated to promoting scholarship and collegiality among historians teaching history in Florida’s colleges and universities. In February, Saint Leo University hosted the group’s 2022 annual meeting at University Campus. The conference featured panel and individual presentations on a wide variety of topics from state, national, and international history. Additionally, DuBois was recently selected as one of only 20 participants from hundreds who applied nationally for a weeklong summer workshop on teaching American Civil War history, led by Dr. Gary W. Gallagher, author and professor emeritus at the University of Virginia.

Dr. Kathryn Duncan, professor of English, is the author of Jane Austen and the Buddha: Teachers of Enlightenment, a work of literary criticism recently released by McFarland Books. Duncan was inspired by a realization that the popular English novelist Jane Austen and the religious teacher and thinker had ideas in common about human nature and happiness. Duncan became a faculty member in the English Department in 2001.

Dr. Phillip Neely Jr., director of the Doctor of Criminal Justice program, recently published a book entitled, When the Watcher Becomes the Watched: The New Policing. Released by Paramount Publisher, the book delves into how technology, such as the cameras worn by police officers, has fared at law enforcement agencies and examines if its use has been effective. Prior to becoming a faculty member at Saint Leo, Neely worked in law enforcement for 21 years, serving in progressively responsible leadership and field positions at local agencies.

Dr. Matthew Tapie, associate professor of theology and director of the Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies, is co-editing a new series at The Catholic University of America Press, entitled Judaism and Catholic Theology. The Judaism and Catholic Theology series aims to further Catholic theological reflection on Judaism and the Jewish people for scholars, the lay faithful, and interreligious leaders. The first of several books in the new series was published in February 2022. Additionally, Tapie is co-editing a collection of 14 essays on the challenges of theological dialogue for the Catholic University of America Press. The essays were originally presented at the Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies’ online symposium in 2021.

Gianna Russo, assistant professor of English and creative writing, recently published a new book of poetry entitled, All I See is Your Glinting: 90 Days in the Pandemic. The book features poems and photographs that document each day of the last quarter of 2020 during the pandemic, capturing the small and meaningful moments of daily life. The book is available through Madville Publishing. Russo, who was named the inaugural Wordsmith of the city of Tampa in 2020, will wrap up her work in the role at the end of 2022.

Dr. Moneque Walker-Pickett, professor of criminal justice, was selected as one of 38 American Council on Education (ACE) Fellows for the 2020-2021 class. The ACE program is the longest-running leadership development program in the United States and offers participants interactive learning opportunities and visits to campuses and other higher education-related organizations. Walker-Pickett joins other ACE fellows from institutions such as Georgetown University, Purdue University, Ohio State University, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and more.

In November, Saint Leo University served as a sponsor of Social Venture Partners (SVP) Tampa Bay’s Fast Pitch competition. At the event, leaders from eight Tampa Bay area nonprofit organizations told their organization’s story in three minutes before a panel of judges, including Dr. Mark Gesner, Saint Leo vice president of Community Engagement & Innovation, and an audience of SVP mentors and community members.

Saint Leo sponsored the People’s Choice Award, won by Florida 1.27, an organization that supports churches committed to addressing the foster care crisis among children. Saint Leo also sponsored an in-kind award that went to the Florida Holocaust Museum, which received consulting services and complementary courses from the university’s Center for Alternative Pathway Programs (CAPP).

Saint Leo University welcomed Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany Andreas Siegel to University Campus in February. The visit was part of a trip organized by the Pasco Economic Development Council to introduce the consul general to the area and explore opportunities for partnerships.

While at the university, the consul general received a tour of the campus and enjoyed
a lunch and panel discussion with Saint Leo faculty, staff, and students from Germany.

Saint Leo University and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office Florida Forensic Institute for Research, Security, and Tactics (F1RST) have joined forces to fight human trafficking regionally, with a concentration on three counties near University Campus.

The two organizations have helped form the Mel Greene Institute to Combat Human Trafficking, which is named for the late Spring Hill, FL, resident and philanthropist Melvin T. “Mel” Greene. Greene passed away in 2020 at the age of 92 after a life spent helping others in his adopted state of Florida, and beyond. Friends and associates decided that directing some grant resources to this new venture would be a fitting way to carry on his legacy.

Dr. Karin May, assistant professor of criminal justice, is directing the university’s involvement and public-facing programs. “Human trafficking has continued to be a horrible crime that is present within Florida, as well as within national and international borders,” May said.

“But those of us in criminal justice and public safety administration have seen that concentrated attention does help raise awareness of the dangers involved and the means that criminals use to trap children and adults,” May added. “It makes sense for us to focus regionally on Hernando, Citrus, and Pasco counties to heighten and maintain that level of awareness among the public. We are also delivering new learning to college students who are interested in public safety careers and to current law enforcement practitioners who want and need updated material about detection and prosecution of criminals.”

Saint Leo University’s Social Justice Committee hosted its first Saint Leo Run Toward Justice 5K on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 17), with the goal of benefiting local organizations that promote social justice initiatives throughout the community. This year, the proceeds from registration fees went to the Migrant Education Program (MEP), which provides services to migrant students and their families through Hillsborough County (FL) Public Schools.

Saint Leo staff member Toni Winn participates by walking Hardy Trail in Dade City, FL.

Because of COVID-19 safety protocols, the event was virtual this year, but the Social Justice Committee hopes to make this an annual event. In addition, the Social Justice Committee held a supply drive in the fall to benefit the Migrant Education Program. School and cleaning supplies and personal care items were collected at the university to be donated to the MEP.

Participants were able to complete the 5K any day between January 1, and January 21, 2022, and they could run, walk, or use any mobility assistance device to complete 3.1 miles. The first Saint Leo Run Toward Justice 5K had 80 participants and raised $2,480 for the MEP.

“We are very excited to be able to support the Migrant Education Program with a monetary donation as well as all the supplies we collected during November and December,” said Heather Johnson, assistant director of program approval for the College of Education and Social Services, who also was one of the event organizers.

Saint Leo’s Social Justice Committee is comprised of students, faculty, and staff who
are working to explore issues of racism and move the university forward with honest conversations and initiatives.


Social Justice Matters at Saint Leo

To learn more, visit www.saintleo.edu/social-justice-matters.

Saint Leo hosted a kickoff event in January at University Campus for Homes For Our Troops (HFOT), a nonprofit organization dedicated to “building houses and rebuilding lives” for the country’s severely injured post-9/11 veterans.

HFOT builds single-level homes that are equipped with more than 40 special adaptations to assist injured veterans. These include widened doorways, lowered countertops, roll-under cooktops and sinks, and roll-in showers, all designed for wheelchair accessibility. The organization builds homes and provides assistance after delivery of the home to help rebuild the person’s life.

The organization is building a home in San Antonio, FL, for Michael Monthervil, a retired U.S. Army specialist who was wounded in 2014 in a training exercise while deployed
in Afghanistan.

In the coming months, the Saint Leo University community will have more opportunities to support Monthervil as his home is built.

Saint Leo’s sporting clays team and coaches.

Saint Leo’s Sporting Clays Team competed in the ACUI Collegiate National Championships March 19-26, at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio, Texas. The ACUI Clay Targets program was established in 1968 and is the oldest collegiate shotgun sports program. The team is coached by Mike D’Ambrosio with Richard Bon
as the assistant coach.

Daniel Konesky, a criminal justice-homeland security major, is nationally ranked, and in 2021, he placed fifth in the high school division of the American Trap Team National Championship.

Elizabeth Harper takes aim during a practice session at Tampa Bay Sporting Clays.

Recent graduate Scott Schludt also is one of the team’s top shooters, having been named to the All-American Kreigoff team, the Junior Olympic team, and earning first in class in the FITASC 12-guage contest at the National Sporting Clays Association national championship in 2021. He is majoring in marketing.

Rounding out the team are Kacyn Hartley, an education major, who placed first on February 16 in the Fourth Annual BAMA Clay Shoot for Veteran’s Education; Nicholas Fiore, a criminal justice major; Elizabeth Harper, a marketing major; Isaac Standridge, a communications major; and Rylee Standridge, a criminal justice major.

Tampa Education Center Director Rod Kirkwood presents the stuffed animals to members of the Tampa Police Department.
Nearly 250 stuffed animals were collected.

Some cuddly teddy bears and other stuffed animals will join the Tampa Police Department (TPD) thanks to Saint Leo University. On December 16, at the university’s Tampa Education Center, Interim TPD Chief Ruben Delgado, Assistant Chief Lee Bercaw ’21, members of the department’s new Behavioral Health Unit, and other TPD members, received nearly 250 stuffed animals.

Spearheaded by the university’s Tampa Education Center and supported by the Student Government Union and East Pasco Education Center, Teddy Bears for TPD collected the stuffed animals from November 9 through December 13 at the university’s Tampa location and at its residential campus in Pasco County.

Kirkwood sends off the stuffed animals with Tampa Police Department Assistant Chief Lee Bercaw and Interim Chief Ruben Delgado.

The new Behavioral Health Unit, along with the Major Crimes, Sex Crimes,
and Domestic Violence units, will now have teddy bears and stuffed animals in their vehicles that they can give to provide comfort to children in stressful situations, Bercaw said.

Law enforcement officers often encounter children on the scene of a crime, accident, or other situation. “When police arrive on scene, they’re the first people to see children in a traumatic situation,” Delgado said. “Giving them a teddy bear or a stuffed animal helps calm them. It really makes a difference.”