News Archive 2019

December 10, 2019

Rapper and librarian Roy Kinsey MLIS ’17 released his 4th album, Blackie: A Story by Roy Kinsey. He has been featured in major local, national, and international publications like Billboard, NPR, WBEZ’s Vocalo, the Chicago Tribune, WGCI and the RedEye. Read more.

November 2019

Following the devastating fire at the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris, Joanne DiGuido ’86 visited France with her son in November. Read more.

November 26, 2019

Dennis O’Brien ’75 has been appointed by Governor J.B. Pritzker to serve as an arbitrator with the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission (IWCC). He currently serves as Vice President and Secretary of the Springfield law firm of Livingston, Mueller, O’Brien and Davlin. Read more.

November 26, 2019

Laura Ligos MBA ’12 is a New York-based sports dietitian and online real food-based blogger, educator and nutrition expert. She recently published her first book, The Complete Clean Eating Cookbook: 200 Fresh Recipes and 3 Easy Meal Plans for a Healthy Diet. Read more.

November 25, 2019

Matthew McCabe MAT ’12 is on the rise at Noble Network of Charter Schools as he was recently promoted to Chief of Staff & Public Affairs. He will oversee strategy, communications, government and community affairs. Read more.

November 2019 Alumnae/i Magazine

“All that I am, and all that I will ever be is because of my experience at Dominican,” Mary Yu ’79 told her classmates and others in a talk delivered during Alumnae/i Weekend in early June. Read more.

November 2019 Alumnae/i Magazine

Throughout her life, Eileen Willenborg ’69 has remained an avid supporter of her alma mater and has funded two scholarships that are near and dear to her heart. Read more.

November 2019 Alumnae/i Magazine

Michelle Agins ’77, who has worked as a photojournalist at The New York Times for 30 years, delivered the 2019 commencement speech and received an honorary degree from the university. Read more.

November 2019 Alumnae/i Magazine

Through the Georgie Anne Geyer Initiative, Gera-Lind Kolarik's ’75 admiration for Georgie Anne Geyer will benefit budding young foreign correspondents for many years to come. Read more.

November 2019 Alumnae/i Magazine

Anna Dominguez ’09 creates intriguing works of art entirely from multiple layers of colorful adhesive tape. Her work has been commissioned by several celebrities. Read more.

November 2019 Alumnae/i Magazine

“I was raised by my grandparents. They lived their lives by the principles of caritas and veritas.” Alumni continue relationship with Dominican by connecting with a new generation of students. Read more.

November 2019 Alumnae/i Magazine

John Strauss ’82 was inspired to pursue his vocation by another current adjunct instructor and alumnus. Alumni continue relationship with Dominican by connecting with a new generation of students. Read more.

November 2019 Alumnae/i Magazine

"Together, we find how best to navigate through the work, while I strive to show them how they can learn and grow.” Alumni continue relationship with Dominican by connecting with a new generation of students. Read more.

November 2019 Alumnae/i Magazine

“I realized that what I believed in and what I wanted to do in my life had to be one and the same.” Alumni continue relationship with Dominican by connecting with a new generation of students. Read more.

November 2019 Alumnae/i Magazine

Dominican University hosted on August 9–11 Camp Kangaroo, a free weekend camp for children five to 16 years old who have been impacted by the loss of loved ones through gun violence, drugs or terminal illness. Several Dominican alumni participated as counselors for the camp. Read more.

November 2019 Alumnae/i Magazine

Eve L. Ewing MAT ’09 has published her third book, 1919. Ewing is an assistant professor at the School of Social Services Administration at the University of Chicago. Read more.

November 15, 2019

Trenton Carls MLIS ’15 has been hired as the librarian/archivist at the Cape Ann Museum. Trenton joins the Cape Ann Museum following his role as metadata and digital projects librarian at the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston. Read more.

November 4, 2019

Erick Baumann ’93, men's soccer coach at Dominican University, recently earned his 400th career win. Only 20 other coaches in the history of NCAA Division III men's soccer have reached that number and only eight are still active. Read more.

November 4, 2019

Peggy Sarason ’85, regional vice president of Comcast in Schaumburg, was one of the 21 suburban business leaders honored during the 22nd annual Influential Women in Business Awards ceremony on November 1. Read more.

September 30, 2019

Marquette National Corporation announced that Tom Prothero MBA ’95 has been appointed to the Board of Directors. Tom brings over 30 years of experience in operations, credit management, and commercial banking. Read more.

August 30, 2019

A librarian since 1972, John Sayers MALS ’74 currently serves as the director of the Cambridge Public Library. He has held the position since August 2018, not long after he retired from the Kewanee Public Library. Read more.

August 21, 2019

Carina Homann-Santa Maria MSW ’11 has been honored as one of Delta Zeta Sorority’s 35 Women Under 35. She is currently the executive director of Shelter, inc., a child welfare agency in the Northwest Suburbs. Read more.

August 19, 2019

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced that Teresa Hall Bartels MSOL ’04 will continue to serve on the Illinois Executive Ethics Commission. Teresa is the founder of Hallbart Consulting. Read more.

August 12, 2019

Leyden High School Dist. 212 Board of Education hired Eve Muñoz MAT ’07, MAEA ’09 to be the newest dean of students in the district. Her first day on the job was Friday, Aug. 9. Read more.

August 1, 2019

Tamina O'Neill ’91 has been named Chief Risk Officer for Heartland Financial USA, a diversified financial services company with 116 banking locations serving 84 communities across the country. Read more.

July 25, 2019

Cristina Bertolli ’07 is appearing on the TLC reality television show "sMothered." The show focuses on close mother and daughter relationships. Cristina and her mother are very close, and she said viewers can expect "a lot of laughs" in the episodes. Read more.

July 24, 2019

Susan Reynders MLIS ’03 has been hired as the executive director at the Mount Prospect Public Library. Prior to coming to Mount Prospect, she served as executive director at the Lincolnwood Public Library for seven years. Read more.

July 17, 2019

Jeremy Robinson MAT ’09 was recently recognized as a Distinguished Teacher, a newly-created program by The Noble Network of Charter Schools in Chicago. He is an English teacher at Noble’s Rauner College Prep and a Rhodes Scholar. Read more.

July 17, 2019

Judy Cullen BLS ’18 has been named the executive director of the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation (FoxPACF). With the position, Judy returns to St. Louis as well as to her theatrical roots. Read more.

July 16, 2019

Mary Pakosta ’08 has been hired as head coach for the girls' varsity volleyball team at Riverside-Brookfield High School. Mary, who graduated from RBHS in 2004, previously coached the girls' freshman team for six years and then the girls' junior varsity at RBHS the past three seasons. Read more.

July 2, 2019

Mary Iannucilli ’69, Principal of Cardinal Joseph Bernardin Catholic School, retired on June 30 after 11 years at CJB in Orland Hills. CJB has been nationally recognized as a Blue Ribbon School twice while under her leadership. Read more.

June 28, 2019

Brie Martin MLIS ’16 and her husband Dylan have purchased the Southern Oregon Spartans, a junior ice hockey team that plays in the Western States Hockey League (WSHL). Read more.

June 25, 2019

Karen Rubel MAEA ’95 has been named President and CEO of Nathan Adelson Hospice, the largest and only non-profit hospice in Southern Nevada. Read more.

May 29, 2019

Anna Dominguez ’09, a Chicago tape artist named the Queen of Tape, was interviewed by the Chicago Tribune. She recently had her first permanent piece unveiled at the St. Jane Hotel. Read more.

May 24, 2019

Colleen Waltman MLIS ’95 has been hired as the new executive director of the Homewood Public Library. She comes to Homewood from her job as director of Blue Island Public Library, where she has worked since 2014. Read more.

May 23, 2019

After 22 years in the position, Susan Swords Steffen MALS ’76 is retiring as the director of the A.C. Buehler Library at Elmhurst College. Read more.

May 15, 2019

Claire Stewart MLIS ’95, the associate university librarian for research and learning at the University of Minnesota Libraries, is the new dean of libraries at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Read more.

May 5, 2019

The Fox River Valley Public Library District board of trustees has named Lauren Rosenthal MLIS ’08 incoming library director. Lauren joined the Fox River Valley Public Library District staff in 2014 and currently serves as deputy director. Read more.

April 25, 2019

Melissa Connelly MAT ’08, MAEA ’13 has been promoted to CEO at Chicago-based OneGoal, a nationwide coalition of teachers, students, school leaders and education advocates working to close the college degree divide. Read more.

April 22, 2019

Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times photographer Michelle Agins ’77 will serve as the commencement speaker for the undergraduate ceremony, during which she will receive an honorary degree. Read more.

April 16, 2019

John Netherly MSW '10 founded The Bedrock Movement with the goal of inspiring others to recognize the needs of the homeless residents in their neighborhood and realize how a small act of kindness goes a long way. Read more.

April 10, 2019

Jennifer Rodriguez MSW ’16 recently published an eBook on Amazon. The eBook, titled How Mama Says Goodbye: A story about love and readiness for loss, reached #1 in new releases for its genre, Children's eBooks on Death, Grief & Bereavement. Read more.

April 10, 2019

John Signa ’02, MBA ’04, co-founder and Managing Partner at Element78 Advisors, was recently in the news as his business advisory firm moved to Oak Brook, Illinois. Following accelerated growth in 2018, E78 Advisors relocated to larger space to accommodate its growing team and client base. Read more.

April 3, 2019

Fanny Y. Lopez-Benitez ’11, Title V project manager and adjunct professor at Dominican University, was elected a trustee for the Village of Hanover Park. Fanny is the first formerly undocumented Mexican immigrant woman to serve as a trustee for the village and, at age 29, the youngest woman to be elected. Read more.

April 2, 2019

Lisa Badger BLS ’17, MCR ’18 collected the most votes in a five-person field to claim one of three seats on the Springfield Park District board of trustees. Lisa is a community affairs specialist in the state Treasurer’s office and a registered nurse. Read more.

March 25, 2019 

Mary Mulholland ’42 of Hinsdale, who raised four children and sold real estate in the Chicago area for decades, celebrated her 100th birthday. Read more.

March 6, 2019

Kelly (McEndry) Donlevy ’94 (women's volleyball), Michael Kapusta ’11 (men's soccer), Emily Mahoney ’13 (softball), Willis Lamont McGee ’92, MBA '94 (men's basketball) and Megan Vaccaro ’10 (cross country) will be honored June 8. More details.

February 26, 2019

Dr. Carmen Ayala MBA ’87 has been named the 30th State Superintendent of Education, making her the first woman and first person of color to serve as the permanent superintendent. Read more.

February 20, 2019

Colby Burnett MAEd ’16 is the first Jeopardy! contestant to win both the Teachers Tournament and the Tournament of Champions. Read more.

February 5, 2019

After a quarter-century serving patrons at the Oak Park Library, Jim Madigan ’74, MLIS ’00 will be retiring on Feb. 8. Jim currently serves as the Oak Park Library Deputy Director. Read more.

January 28, 2019

The National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) has awarded its highest honor, the Joseph A. Sprague Memorial Award, to Michelle Agins ’77 for her commitment to the craft of visual journalism and to education that advances the profession. Read more.

January 25, 2019

Tekki Lomnicki ’78 is a brilliant solo performer and the creator of Tellin' Tales Theater, which has produced and fostered creative work by people with disabilities for more than 20 years. Read more.

January 3, 2019

David Lawler ’06 has been selected as a finalist for the Marion Chamber of Commerce’s Young Professional Leader Award. Read more.

January 2, 2019

Business Journalist Elaine Low ’07 has been hired by Variety as a senior TV writer. Read more.

January 1, 2019

Tina Beaird MLIS '02 is the owner of Tamarack Genealogy and is a genealogy and history librarian at the Plainfield Public Library. Read more.