commentary
Commentary
Large-Scale Data Management and Its Interdisciplinary Relevance
12 Jun 2013 by Bradley Rubin / 1 Comment
Graduate Programs in Software faculty member Dr. Bradley Rubin uses his corporate background to inform his cross-departmental research on big data.
The Scroll: My Italian Playlist
21 May 2013 by Lisa Weier / 1 Comment
Lisa Weier wrapped up her Rome Catholic Studies semester by dancing to “L’amore Verrá” with a classmate and their teacher, “a sassy and confident Italian woman named Marta.” Weier writes about the experience – one of many great memories of her semester in Rome – today in The Scroll.
Final Thoughts: Friends All
20 May 2013 by Father Dennis Dease / 1 Comment
You have been kind beyond description – to me and to St. Thomas. I will forever carry fond memories of those kindnesses, which I know were borne out of a genuine desire to make this a better university and to help us provide the best possible education for our students.
The Scroll: What a Good Man is and What He Does
14 May 2013 by Dave Nimmer / 1 Comment
Dave Nimmer has many fond memories of Father Dennis Dease and the 22 years they have worked together at St. Thomas. As Dease prepares to retire next month, Nimmer pauses to offer his thanks today in The Scroll to “a man of uncommon decency.”
The Weigh-In: Architecture Outside the Classroom
10 May 2013 by Victoria Young, Ph.D. / No Comments
Students travel to New Orleans to research local architecture, Frank Gehry and the lasting impact of Hurricane Katrina.
The Scroll: A Sense of Potential and Possibility
07 May 2013 by Dr. Salina Renninger / No Comments
May is a month ripe with possibilities, and it always evokes “a sense of celebration” for Dr. Salina Renninger, director of training in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology. The arrival of spring brings “a sense of potential and possibility,” she writes today in The Scroll, whether it be the trees becoming full with leaves or our graduates celebrating their accomplishments and embarking on a successful path beyond St. Thomas.
From the Dean: Calculating the Return on Investment: Part 1
02 May 2013 by Terence Langan / No Comments
As a dean, I often hear talk about the “return on investment” from a college education, especially for students majoring in the liberal arts. As an economist, I do not have a particular problem with this concept, so long as the returns on education are measured broadly and completely enough.
The Scroll: The Rainbow Experience
26 Apr 2013 by Susan Alexander / No Comments
Have you ever had a “Rainbow Experience”? Susan Alexander writes today in The Scroll about three (so far …) she has had this month. The first two were not that all enjoyable but, arm in sling and with encouragement from her friends, the self-described “klutz” has learned to grin and bear it, and it won’t be long before she is typing with both hands.
Depth of Field: Kites
25 Apr 2013 by Mike Ekern '02 / No Comments
Lance Ramm flies a kite on the John P. Monahan Plaza as part of an event celebrating St. Thomas’ wind power initiatives and Earth Week April 25.
Active Service
24 Apr 2013 by Christopher Puto, Ph.D., Dean of the Opus College of Business / No Comments
Perhaps the most motivating members of our student body are the military veterans who have chosen to earn their degrees after they complete active duty. Whether they choose to begin or continue an undergraduate business degree or pursue an M.B.A. or other graduate business degree, these individuals bring a wealth of experience, deeply held convictions and a great sense of responsibility to their studies.
To Share or Not to Share
23 Apr 2013 by Amanda Wagner ’12 M.B.C. / No Comments
According to Facebook’s website, its mission is “to make the world more open and connected. People use Facebook to stay connected with friends and family, to discover what’s going on in the world, and to share and express what matters to them.” But is this really true?
The Scroll: The Pros and Cons of Online Learning and MOOCs
22 Apr 2013 by Dave Nimmer / No Comments
Massive, open online courses (MOOCs) are creating a stir in higher education, and for good reason, says Dave Nimmer. But as advantageous as they may seem on the surface, he still prefers “the lively, interactive nature of a well-taught class” on campus, he writes today in The Scroll – a richness “not always available from a 24-by-20 inch screen, a dozen icons and a blinking cursor.”
The Weigh-In: A Strange and Gothic Tale of Cannibalism by Consent
17 Apr 2013 by Charles Reid Jr., Ph.D. / No Comments
Charles Reid researches the disturbing case of two German computer scientists whose actions raise critical legal issues about morality, consent and human dignity.
The Scroll: Walking to Work
16 Apr 2013 by Susan Alexander / 1 Comment
Susan Alexander believes she gets her best ideas – as well a jump-start on her daily tasks – when she walks to work, and she also picks up empty cans and bottles along the way. “My synapses are firing!” she declares. You can read how she pulls all of this off in The Scroll.
The Weigh-In: March Madness at Rutgers
10 Apr 2013 by John Tauer, Ph.D. / 1 Comment
The videos showing former Rutgers head men’s basketball coach Mike Rice physically and emotionally abusing his players were outrageous and disgusting, in large part because they run so counter to the messages we hope our student-athletes learn from intercollegiate athletics.
Feminist Legal Theory, Disability Rights and Consumer-Credit Regulation
09 Apr 2013 by Elizabeth Schiltz / No Comments
Elizabeth Schiltz has always gravitated to kids who seem to have special needs, having helped organize a volunteer tutor program at an inner-city elementary school as an undergraduate at Yale University. The kids reminded her of her older brother.
The Weigh-In: Why Does Cyprus Matter?
08 Apr 2013 by Lalith Samarakoon, Ph.D., FCA, CFA / No Comments
The small island nation may have averted bankruptcy, but that’s just the beginning of its problems.
The Scroll: It’s Impossible Not To
05 Apr 2013 by Carol Bruess / No Comments
Carol Bruess is seeing a little more foot traffic around her home these spring days, and the visitors are stopping to “oooooo and “ahhhhh” at her Little Free Library. You should check it out, too, she suggests today in The Scroll.
Working With Adolescents and Discovering the ‘Voice of the Youth’
03 Apr 2013 by Andrea Nesmith / No Comments
In the beginning of Andera Nesmith’s social work career, she worked with issues pertaining to runaways, homeless youth, youth with incarcerated parents and older youth in foster care. She has since discovered a common thread that attracted her to these populations — youth who were separated from their parents, either by their own actions or the actions of others.
Depth of Field: In Defense of Winter
02 Apr 2013 by Mike Ekern '02 / 1 Comment
By now winter is the season we despise with the fiery passion of a thousand suns. We shouldn’t let that stop us from taking a look back at what winter was before it became the March and April bully.
The Scroll: Nutella, Inspiring Humility Since 2013
28 Mar 2013 by Lisa Weier / No Comments
Lisa Weier was, in her own words, “a mess.” Breakfast covered the hand of The Scroll’s Rome correspondent, in the Eternal City this semester for studies as a St. Thomas junior, and Pope Francis hovered near by. What was she to do? Read The Scroll today to find out.
A Scholarly Endeavor in India Marked the Start of Katarina Schuth’s Lifelong Research Journey
21 Mar 2013 by Sr. Katarina Schuth / No Comments
Sr. Katarina Schuth conducted her first significant research while completing her doctoral degree in cultural geography, which led to her dissertation, “Patterns of Literacy in Villages of South India.” After months of preparing for field work, which entailed lugging volumes of “The Census of India” back and forth from the Syracuse University library to Minnesota, she finally was ready for the adventure of a lifetime.
The Scroll: Recovery, Redemption, Resurrection
19 Mar 2013 by Dave Nimmer / No Comments
Dave Nimmer still remembers a Good Friday service a decade ago when Christ’s words touched him and those who asked Jesus to remember them when he came into his kingdom. “I was watching all of humanity, through eons of time, pass in front of me: the young and old, the youthful and fragile, the saints and sinners,” he writes today in The Scroll, and “I knew all was well with my soul.”
Wulf Kaal’s Diverse Education Informs the Work He Does – In and Out of the Classroom
14 Mar 2013 by Wulf Kaal / No Comments
KaaI’s unique background enables him to seek socially optimal solutions to real-world problems independent of political or economic pressure.
Habemus Papam: St. Thomas Community Reacts to the Selection of Pope Francis
13 Mar 2013 by St. Thomas Newsroom / No Comments
Dr. Don Briel, Dr. Charles Reid Jr., Dr. Massimo Faggioli and Monsignor Aloysius Callaghan offer their initial thoughts on the election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as the 266th Pope. St. Thomas students celebrate on campus.