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UP FROM THE ASHES
College Receives Special Grants to Aid Thomas Fire Recovery
In the immediate aftermath of the Thomas Fire, it was evident that damage to the campus of Thomas Aquinas College, although far less than what so many others had experienced, would be significant. Between property damage, lost productivity, and recovery expenses — emergency power generation, air purification, and security and clean-up costs — the total price tag exceeded $3 million. Fortunately insurance coverage proved largely up to the task of meeting the College’s needs, and in the few places that it fell short, friends more than helped make up the difference.
Among them was the Dan Murphy Foundation, a longtime benefactor of the College that, most notably, in 2006 made the lead gift for the construction of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel. In March, the Foundation awarded the College a $511,000 grant to replace trees and irrigation surrounding the campus, especially its lower portion, where the damage is most severe and where the risk of falling, fire-weakened trees has deprived students of praying at the walkable Stations of the Cross and Lourdes Grotto. “Because of the Dan Murphy Foundation’s tremendous generosity, this beautiful, beloved portion of our campus will soon be available to us again,” says Dr. McLean.
Looking to the future, the Trustees of the Edwin L. Wiegand Trust of Reno, Nevada, have supported a grant to protect and preserve Thomas Aquinas College going forward. The Wiegand Trust has awarded the college a $370,000 grant to purchase a backup power system for St. Joseph Commons, which houses the kitchen and dining room. The new equipment will ensure that in an emergency like the Thomas Fire — during which electricity and road access to the campus were curtailed for several days — students will be well-fed, and refrigerated food will not go to waste.
More:
Dan Murphy Foundation grant 
Edwin L. Wiegand Trust grant
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 Charred trees on the campus’ lower portion
 A student worker cleans
St. Joseph Commons after the Thomas Fire
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NEW ENGLAND UPDATE
College Amends Massachusetts Plan,
Seeks Permission to Open Campus in 2019
Since taking ownership, last May, of the former campus of a preparatory school in Northfield, Massachusetts, Thomas Aquinas College has amended its plan for the property. The College now hopes to open a New England campus in August, 2019, contingent upon the approval of the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education.
“When the National Christian Foundation first gave us the Northfield property, we decided, despite admittedly long odds, to try to launch a branch campus in time for the 2018-19 academic year,” says President Michael F. McLean. “It has become clear, however, that the project requires a more generous timeline. As such, we have decided to amend the Northfield plan and delay the prospective opening of a New England campus until August of 2019.”
In pursuit of that goal, the College continues to maintain the beautiful New England property and to work with the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education on its application. “In the event that the College receives the Commonwealth’s approval, we will have more time to raise funds and prepare the campus for occupancy,” says Dr. McLean.
Full story
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SPRING CAREER PANEL
Liberal Education in an “AI” Economy
“This is a fascinating time right now for liberal education, and I will tell you why,” said Rob Neal, a managing partner with Hager Pacific Properties, to an audience of Thomas Aquinas College students at a recent on-campus Career Forum. “Another Industrial Revolution is under way, and that Industrial Revolution is not one of hands meeting implements and machines, like the last one. It’s one of human cognitive ability meeting Artificial Intelligence.… That’s going to create some very interesting opportunities, especially for those who have a liberal education.”
How the College’s students can make the most of those opportunities — by applying the gifts of their liberal education and showcasing them to prospective employers — was the subject of the afternoon forum, sponsored by the College’s Office of Career Advisement. Joining Mr. Neal on the dais was his wife, Berni, a member of the College’s Board of Governors who also serves on the boards of the Catholic Leadership Institute, EWTN, Legatus, and the Magnificat Foundation; and alumna Jane Nemcova (’98), the vice president and general manager of global services for machine intelligence at Lionbridge, a global language services provider.
“In the last three years that I have spent trying to lead the conversation on ethics and the bigger-picture ideas about what’s going on in AI, I see that the industry needs people who are well-formed in philosophy,” said Mrs. Nemcova (’98). “I say ‘philosophy,’ but it’s also math and logic and music — all of the things that give you a broad education — because they’re absolutely fundamental.”
Full story
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Rob Neal,
managing partner with Hager Pacific Properties
College Governor Berni Neal
Jane Nemcova (’98), vice president and general manager of global services for machine intelligence at Lionbridge
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FAITH IN ACTION
Highlights from the College’s Alumni Blog
• Texas Senator Ted Cruz recently announced that he has hired William ‘Billy’ Gribbin Jr. (’10) as his new communications strategist and chief speechwriter, citing Mr. Gribbin’s “experience crafting strong conservative messages,” in Washington, D.C. “I am blessed to be working for Senator Cruz, who routinely stands in the Senate for the sanctity of human life, the nuclear family, and religious liberty at a time when such things are almost universally scorned by our national media and corporate boardrooms,” says Mr. Gribbin.
• Although the Gospels are largely silent about Our Lord’s childhood, medieval devotions to the Christ Child led many believers to seek out apocryphal accounts, which went on to shape the piety of the Middle Ages. An associate professor of English at the University of Tennessee, Dr. Mary Dzon (’95) has thoroughly documented and examined these various accounts in The Quest for the Christ Child in the Later Middle Ages, recently published by the University of Pennsylvania Press.
• Christopher Zehnder (’87) was a recent guest on EWTN’s Journey Home, where he told the story of his conversion to the Catholic faith, and the invaluable role that a fellow alumnus, Kevin Long (’77), played in it. The friendship began when Mr. Zehnder was a sophomore in high school, and Dr. Long was his Latin teacher. “He was a student at Claremont Graduate School in political science, and I found out he went to a rather strange college … called Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula,” Mr. Zehnder recalls. “After a while he and I began to have conversations …”
Faith in Action blog
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William ‘Billy’ Gribbin Jr. (’10)
Dr. Mary Dzon (’95)
Christopher Zehnder (’87) |
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“HONOR THY MOTHER”
A Mother’s Day Novena of Masses
Beginning on Mother’s Day, May 13, and ending on May 21, the chaplains of Thomas Aquinas College will offer a novena of Masses in Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel. “The College has been offering a Christmas Novena for the last four years, as a way for our friends to pray for their loved ones and their intentions,” says President Michael F. McLean. “That novena has been so well received that we thought we would offer one for Mother’s Day, too.”
Each person enrolled in the Novena will receive a beautiful, personalized card from the College. Framed in Marian blue, the card features, on the front, a photo of the statue of Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, that resides above the interior of the College Chapel’s main doors. Inside, the card informs recipients of their inclusion in the Novena, as well as the name of their sponsors. The cost for each card, which includes shipping and handling, is $5.
More than just a Mother’s Day greeting, the Novena card brings the promise of nine Holy Masses and the prayers of the students, faculty, chaplains, and staff of Thomas Aquinas College. “This is a wonderful way for our friends to include all their mothers, godmothers, grandmothers, and aunts in the spiritual life of the College,” says Dr. McLean. “We invite everyone to enroll, and hope all of our friends will join us in our prayers for the devoted women in our lives who give so much.”
Enrollments must be completed by 5:00 p.m.(PDT) on Friday, May 11.
Enroll now: thomasaquinas.edu/mom
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Our Lady,
Seat of Wisdom |
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