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
This 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.
Alumna Rose Mustain’s work at NASA is supporting deep space exploration.
Rose Mustain ’95 is reaching for the moon and beyond. The Saint Leo alumna plays a key role in NASA’s Gateway program, which will be an outpost orbiting the moon in support of long-term human presence on the lunar surface and as a staging point for deep space exploration.
“The Gateway program allows for NASA to prove technologies and mature systems necessary to live and work on another celestial body—the moon—before embarking on multi-year missions to Mars,” Mustain explained. The Gateway is part of NASA’s larger Artemis program.
At NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Mustain serves as the information management and solutions lead within the Gateway Program Planning and Control Office to protect and structure data, including Information Technology (IT) systems and solutions, cybersecurity, configuration management, data management, meeting services, and privacy implementation.
Mustain earned her bachelor’s degree in 1995 in human resource management from Saint Leo University’s Langley Air Force Base Education Center in Virginia. While she started in human resources, the technical aspects of the job soon won her heart and her career took a big leap to information technology.
“My NASA career began in the Training and Education Branch, Office of Human Resources, at NASA Langley Research Center as a secretarial cooperative education student with Thomas Nelson Community College (TNCC),” she said.
After earning her associate degree, she attended Saint Leo. “Shortly after graduating with my bachelor’s degree, I landed an employee development specialist position in the office where I began my career,” Mustain said.
She was responsible for training NASA and contractor employees in several computer courses ranging from Microsoft Office products to HTML and Java web programming. Mustain then was asked to create and establish the Office of Human Resources’ first website.
“Working with the graphics team, I learned how to program using HTML to accomplish this goal,” she said. “I loved it! The fun of working across several different offices and combining ideas into a final product was challenging, yet fascinating. I was able to organize the data and assemble the information for users to understand the Office of Human Resources’ products, services, and people that deliver those items to Langley Research Center.”
By creating the website, Mustain learned a new skill and launched opportunities to work on process improvement and automation projects for the center director’s office. This led to her becoming an IT specialist in the Office of Chief Information Officer, leading the web and database systems.
“I have had three major transformations during my career at NASA—secretary, employee development specialist, and information technology specialist,” Mustain said. “All relied heavily on education, taking chances, and successfully implementing the skills taught by professors. My dream was to work on the Mission Directorate side of the organization, yet rarely did those organizations have information technology specialist positions. The Crew Exploration Vehicle, now Orion, posted a job in 2005. I went home and spoke to my husband, David, and our young sons, Matthew and Jacob, about the opportunity. Without qualm, all three said I had to take the chance and apply for the position. When I was offered the job, there was no hemming and hawing about moving 1,100 miles to Johnson Space Center.”
Rose Mustain (left) receives the Johnson Space Center Director’s Innovation Award from Ellen Ochoa, who is a retired NASA astronaut and a former director of the center.
For Mustain, space exploration and discovery will always foster learning. “I am excited to see what we discover about our technologies and ourselves,” she said. “Before the first moon landing, there were no cell phones, microwaves, or compact (laptop) computers. I have seen the evolution of technology over the years brought on by the exploration outside Earth. I cannot wait to see what the next phase of space exploration presents to humanity.”
Dealing with the Data
Mustain predicts the future of information management is, “in the enhancement of using automated intelligence to delve into the yottabytes (1 followed by 24 zeros) of data that will exist.
“Humans must adapt and get assistance diving through the overabundance of data to determine the relevant data needed to solve tomorrow’s problems,” Mustain continued. “Just as the World Wide Web and search engines such as Google and Yahoo transformed the availability of information, augmented intelligence will allow discovery of relevant data where humans can then leverage the knowledge gained to determine goals and objectives to solve integrated and complex problems.”
As for what excites Mustain about her job, she said it’s working with a team of individuals focused on exploration beyond low earth orbit. “The team challenges each other with ideas, investigates and learns from previous programs, and struggles with defining the concepts for securing a space vehicle and the systems housing the data from the mission,” Mustain said. “The joy gained by the team in reaching a resolution, implementing a new approach, and seeing the efficiencies from those decisions excites me.”
Lessons Learned at Leo
Mustain recalls how one of her Saint Leo sociology professors helped to challenge her thinking. The professor charged the class to think of where they learned their bias from and to consider what drives people to interact with one another in hostile or peaceful ways. While at first these questions frustrated Mustain, in the end, it helped to broaden her thinking.
“She awakened my realization that my misconceptions, yes, mistaken notions, about myself and others, only limited me,” she said. “Those self-imposed restrictions impacted my chosen limited interactions with other humans.”
Saint Leo’s business administration degree program required courses that Mustain said she incorrectly assumed were not necessary: courses in theology, sociology, and “soft skills.” Mustain said that while her concentration was in human resources, the general education courses were equally valuable.
“Those are the courses where I learned the most and began my fascination with organizational change and transformation,” Mustain said. “How do you establish programs that inspire employees to change their behavior? What can be done to have all organizational members focus on an objective and achieve it? These are lessons I still use today as NASA and the Gateway program aspire to embrace the fluidity of data instead of PDFs and documents that inhibit the ability to adjust quickly.”
Illustration showing a close-up of the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) with the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE), one of the elements of Gateway.
Fast Facts
Who influenced/influences you or played a big role in your life and your career?
Personally, my mama, Jackie Willett; my husband, David; and my two grown sons, Matthew and Jacob. The four of them supported my career goals and inspired me to believe in myself, used tough love when I faltered on goals, and helped me through several classes and challenging job situations.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Spend time with my husband and sons on our small farm that has cows and chickens as well as several cats and two loving dogs.
What was your first job?
I was a skee ball attendant at Buckroe Beach Amusement Park. The wooden balls and the iron machines would need some influencing from time to time since they were more than 40 years old.
What is something you would like to learn more about?
Cybersecurity—it is an ever-changing environment with outbursts of attacks and chaos. It reminds me of when I started learning about information technology programming languages—the learning never ends.
If you could do anything now, what would you do? Why?
Go to the Greenbrier State Forest in Caldwell, West Virginia, because the serenity and peace of the river are always rejuvenating to my mind, body, and spirit.
A Note from the President’s Corner of the Alumni Association
On behalf of the Saint Leo University Alumni Association Board of Directors, it is my honor to welcome the Class of 2019 as valued members of the Saint Leo Alumni Association. I also want to welcome all students who are beginning or returning to their studies at Saint Leo. It is important for you to get to know about our association, too. Whether this is your first or 15th year as a Saint Leo alumnus or alumna, I challenge you to get connected and get involved. There are a number of ways to meet this challenge. Join an alumni chapter in your area, come to campus for homecoming weekend, suggest Saint Leo to a prospective student, or be a part of the conversations on the alumni social media channels from the comfort of your home. With more than 95,000 alumni worldwide, the Saint Leo alumni community is a network worth your time.
As a note of interest, this year begins a new chapter in our alma mater’s history with the inauguration of Dr. Jeffrey D. Senese as our 10th president.
The strategic vision he has for Saint Leo is already becoming a reality with new academic programs, new education center locations, and the largest
freshman class ever at University Campus. I encourage you to stay informed of everything that is
happening across the university, and I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Go, Lions!
John E. Holladay ’75
President, Saint Leo Alumni Association
New Alumni Chapters Established
We are excited to announce that two new regional alumni chapters are up and running. Welcome to the pride, Ocala and Jacksonville!
If there is not an alumni chapter in your area, we’ve got you covered. Check out our new virtual alumni chapter to connect with alumni from across the globe.
Details about all of our alumni chapters, along with a full calendar of events, are available online: your.saintleo.edu/chapters
Connect with your Saint Leo Career Services Office on Handshake
The Saint Leo Career Services office can be a resource to alumni well beyond graduation, helping you find new opportunities and connecting you with fellow Lions:
Services for Alumni
Whether you’re a recent graduate searching for that first job or a working professional looking to advance, Career Services offers a wide range of valuable resources online or in person. The team can help review your résumé, help you prepare for interviews, or provide you with access to job-search tools. Use the information below to connect with Career Services by phone or email, or come in for a one-on-one appointment. Career Services is located on the first floor of Kirk Hall at University Campus. Engage with Current Saint Leo Students
Give back to your alma mater by leveraging your network to help current students. Here are a few ways you can help them achieve their career goals:
Become a mentor and share your experiences, insights, and network.
Host students in your place of work for informational interviews, job shadowing, or credit-bearing internships.
Facilitate an information session or career workshop for a group of Saint Leo students.
Advocate that your organization’s Human Resources department recruit at Saint Leo.
Direct job and internship opportunities (student, entry-level, and experienced hires) through Handshake.
A look at our university’s forefathers and foremothers
While many of us with strong connections to Saint Leo may know that the university was founded by monks from the Order of Saint Benedict, what may be lesser known are the particulars of what it means to be a Benedictine community.
Benedictines are known for lives of prayer, work, and study, as prescribed by the founding monk, Saint Benedict (480-547) of Italy. Also, the work of Benedictines is often practical and tied to the community. Historically, some Benedictine monasteries in Europe were centers for learning and teaching. These factors help explain why Benedictines became involved in starting and running universities in the United States.
Benedictines, from their founding days, have also been known for their hospitality, which at the time literally meant sheltering people who had nowhere else to go whether because of economic need or dangerous political upheaval. That persists now as a tradition of providing a welcoming environment for prayer and learning for everyone, no matter what background or affiliation.
The Saint Leo Abbey Church is an integral part of the campus community.
The Benedictine Monks of Saint Leo Abbey
Spiritual support of Saint Leo enjoys a long history, as a Benedictine abbot founded Saint Leo as a college in 1889.
A physical representation of this is the beautiful white Abbey Church, surrounded by University Campus. The church remains in the care and ownership of the Benedictine Monks of Saint Leo Abbey. While many community and university events take place there each year, the Mass of the Holy Spirit is one of the most celebrated events, led by Abbot Isaac Camacho, OSB, ’95, for the benefit of the university community at the start of a new academic year. Everyone is welcome in the tradition of Saint Benedict.
“We believe that every student at the university has the same dignity that God has given to us, as we claim that he is the creator of us all,” explained Abbot Isaac.
The abbot and the monastic community also pray daily for all those who work and study at the university, in keeping with being a Benedictine community.
“It is only when we have peace that we can share with others what we are and have,” shared Abbot Isaac. “That is why we pray for all in our Saint Leo community. This is the importance of a Benedictine community—to care for each other, to respect all because they are the image of Christ, to grow in wisdom in the eyes of men and God as we embrace our personal development. This can be done with integrity. As we live in this community and as we depart, we become responsible stewards in the fields that we have come to embrace. Excellence is our goal.”
Volunteers help prepare a Thanksgiving dinner with the Benedictine Sisters by peeling potatoes, among other tasks.
Benedictine Sisters are visible in community service
Today the Benedictine Sisters of Florida have “a different kind of day-to-day involvement” with Saint Leo than in the days when they housed and fed students and occupied other roles at the college level, explained Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB, ’57, prioress.
The sisters are involved in a variety of community works, true to their commitment of responding “with the compassion of Christ” to the needs of people. Students sometimes become engaged with the sisters in community projects. A classic example is a community Thanksgiving dinner that the Benedictine Sisters host with nearby Saint Anthony Parish. Undergraduates in the Social Work Club take part annually in preparations and fundraising.
“One thing we pride ourselves on is that we serve real mashed potatoes, so we have to peel 100 pounds of potatoes,” said Sister Roberta. More than 250 meals are served with just more than 100 delivered to people who are homebound. One of the sisters runs Daystar Hope Center in Dade City, where students can volunteer in the clothing thrift shop and food distribution center. Helpers are always welcome in the sisters’ aquaponics project, a self-sustaining fish farm with indoor and outdoor gardens.
The Benedictine Sisters are sometimes asked to help with the temporary hospitality needs of graduate international students. And last summer, they provided short-term lodging for a graduate student from out-of-state so that she could attend a weekend academic conference. Her stay affected her greatly.
The Cross of Saint Benedict is found on buildings throughout campus as a way to call for God’s blessings and protection.
“The sisters were incredibly nurturing and service-oriented. Though not Catholic, I even decided to attend prayers and Mass,” the student wrote. “It was definitely God’s plan for me to be here … Being cared for and cared about by the sisters, prayer, time to be introspective, walks in the gardens, talking to God, and sleeping soundly, have [all] brought me back to what is important.”
Dr. Douglas M. “Doug” Astolfi, professor emeritus of history, passed away on June 14, 2018, at his home. He was 75 and had been ill with kidney cancer. He joined Saint Leo in 1997 as vice president of academic affairs, following a progression of administrative and teaching positions at other institutions.
He taught history courses at all levels and was a specialist in American history and modern Chinese history. At the end of April, the Saint Leo Board of Trustees awarded him the title of professor emeritus in recognition of his work elevating the stature of the university and enriching the lives of Saint Leo students.
Dr. Astolfi was known as a challenging but supportive teacher and mentor who kept in touch with many of his students.
On November 9, the Saint Leo University Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies hosted noted Holocaust historian and author Victoria Barnett, PhD, who spoke about those who resisted the Nazi efforts, including a theologian.
Dr. Tanya L. Higgins, who taught sociology at the Fort Eustis Education Office in Virginia from 1999 to 2010, passed away on August 5 in Williamsburg.
Marc Newberry, a University Campus rising junior who was majoring in management, passed away on April 28, following a boating accident near his home in Naples, FL. Marc was well known in his hometown for his talents as a high school football player. The Naples community remembers him as “the man with the hard hit and the big heart.” Regarding the accident, Marc’s father, John Newberry, explained, “He died doing what he loved to do, and that’s out and about having fun with his friends.”
Roberta Frazier Wright, a business administration student at the Savannah Education Center, passed away on March 23. She had been a Saint Leo student since summer 2015. Her daughter, Malaysha Hall, also is a Savannah Education Center student.
Not everyone can say his thesis made an impact on an entire country. Mpho C. Mophuting ’95 can back up that claim. Now a major general with the Botswana Defence Force, Mophuting’s topic for his 2003 thesis for his master’s degree at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, was “Expanding the Shield and Facing the Challenges: Integration of Women in Botswana Defence Force.”
At that time, Botswana was one of the few countries in the world (and the only country in the South African Development Community—SADC) where females were prohibited from joining the military. Mophuting’s thesis, which looked at the role of women in the U.S. armed services, Canadian Armed Forces, and the South African National Defence Forces (SANDF), helped set the stage for women to join the Botswana army in 2007.
At first, women joined the army as officers, Mophuting said. Then in 2015, the Botswana Defence Force began enlisting female recruits.
“I was able to see some sort of [thesis] payback,” Mophuting said, smiling.
Mophuting joined the Botswana Defence Force as a cadet officer. Following high school graduation, he was sent to Greece to serve and train. “I was about 20 years old, and I felt like I wanted to go to college next,” he said.
His superiors agreed, and offered to pay for his education if he attended a university in the United States, the United Kingdom, or Australia. “I wanted a place that was not cold,” he said. “I didn’t want a big university, and I wanted one a little bit away from town, and I wanted a Catholic university, too.”
Saint Leo was the perfect fit.
During his time at University Campus, he waspresident of the Black Student Union, which partnered with the University of South Florida to present famed poet, author, and actress Maya Angelou, and filmmaker and actor Spike Lee. He enjoyed the Catholic community of Saint Leo and often helped at the abbey and monastery. He played soccer for Saint Leo as a midfielder and sometimes as a forward, with current Athletic Director Fran Reidy as his coach.
Mophuting earned his bachelor’s degree from Saint Leo in physical education and sport management with a minor in business management. Dr. Frank Arnold, now professor emeritus, and Dr. Michael Moorman, professor of computer science, encouraged him to pursue a business degree.
“Saint Leo was such a big springboard for me,” Mophuting said.
After earning a master’s degree in international security and civil military relations and an MBA with a concentration in supply chain management, Mophuting now is pursuing a doctorate in political science.
During a visit to Saint Leo in January—he had not been at University Campus in 22 years—he said he “jokes back home that the U.S. gave me a wife and a daughter.”
He met his wife, Kuki, who also is from Botswana, when she was a student at Alabama A&M University, and their daughter, Natasha, was born in Alabama. “We sent her to the United States for high school,” he said. She graduated from Northern Arizona University and began her graduate studies in 2017 in Hawaii.
Mophuting, 47, hopes his son, Kagiso, now in what would be the equivalent of his sophomore year, will attend his alma mater. “I want him to come to Saint Leo so bad,” he said. Perhaps a Mophuting legacy is in the works.
Alex “Pancho” Carrera, a junior at University Campus, passed away on September 11, 2016. A graduate of Fort Pierce Central High School, he was born in Guerrero, Mexico. Fellow students remember him for his “huge smile and contagious happiness.”
Brother Benedict Cooper of Saint Leo Abbey passed away on December 30, 2016. He lived on the Abbey grounds following the death of his wife, and he made his oblation in 2011. The monks of Saint Leo Abbey remember him for his smile and happy demeanor. He dutifully worked in the sacristy, keeping everything orderly and clean, and he prided himself on being a singer in the St. Petersburg cathedral choir.
Nicholas Cusson-Ducharme (aka Nickk Cusson) passed away on December 31, 2016 near his home in Winooski, VT. A senior majoring in accounting, Nickk took classes at University Campus and online. He was active in the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity.
Clarence H. Johnson, an MBA student at the Tampa Education Center, passed away on October 31, 2016. He was a resident of Temple Terrace, FL. Before enrolling at Saint Leo, he earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Florida. An enthusiastic traveler, he found joy in music, food, and art.
This 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.
Whether this is your first or 15th year as a Saint Leo alumnus or alumna, I challenge you to get connected and get involved. There are a number of ways to meet this challenge. Join an alumni chapter in your area, come to campus for homecoming weekend, suggest Saint Leo to a prospective student, or be a part of the conversations on the alumni social media channels from the comfort of your home. With more than 95,000 alumni worldwide, the Saint Leo alumni community is a network worth your time.
The Saint Leo Career Services office can be a resource to alumni well beyond graduation, helping you find new opportunities and connecting you with fellow Lions:
Dr. Douglas M. “Doug” Astolfi, professor emeritus of history, passed away on June 14, 2018, at his home. He was 75 and had been ill with kidney cancer. He joined Saint Leo in 1997 as vice president of academic affairs, following a progression of administrative and teaching positions at other institutions.
Marc Newberry, a University Campus rising junior who was majoring in management, passed away on April 28, following a boating accident near his home in Naples, FL. Marc was well known in his hometown for his talents as a high school football player. The Naples community remembers him as “the man with the hard hit and the big heart.” Regarding the accident, Marc’s father, John Newberry, explained, “He died doing what he loved to do, and that’s out and about having fun with his friends.”
Roberta Frazier Wright, a business administration student at the Savannah Education Center, passed away on March 23. She had been a Saint Leo student since summer 2015. Her daughter, Malaysha Hall, also is a Savannah Education Center student.
Alex “Pancho” Carrera, a junior at University Campus, passed away on September 11, 2016. A graduate of Fort Pierce Central High School, he was born in Guerrero, Mexico. Fellow students remember him for his “huge smile and contagious happiness.”
Brother Benedict Cooper of Saint Leo Abbey passed away on December 30, 2016. He lived on the Abbey grounds following the death of his wife, and he made his oblation in 2011. The monks of Saint Leo Abbey remember him for his smile and happy demeanor. He dutifully worked in the sacristy, keeping everything orderly and clean, and he prided himself on being a singer in the St. Petersburg cathedral choir.
Nicholas Cusson-Ducharme (aka Nickk Cusson) passed away on December 31, 2016 near his home in Winooski, VT. A senior majoring in accounting, Nickk took classes at University Campus and online. He was active in the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity.
Clarence H. Johnson, an MBA student at the Tampa Education Center, passed away on October 31, 2016. He was a resident of Temple Terrace, FL. Before enrolling at Saint Leo, he earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Florida. An enthusiastic traveler, he found joy in music, food, and art.