News

Alumnus CEO succumbs to COVID-19.
Alumna named CEO of El Paso hospital.
Alumni takes CE position with AVMA.

The Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) Business programs have received reaffirmation of its accreditation through the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), the only organization that offers specialized business accreditation for all degree levels.

In the Democratic runoff for Texas House District 120, Barbara Gervin-Hawkins (MEd ‘09) defeated Mario Salas (MEd ‘99) Tuesday night with 56 percent of the vote.

Ruben Flores earned his MBA and a PhD in Leadership Studies on May 7. Four days later, he received the National Society of Leadership and Success – South Texas College Chapter – Sigma Alpha Pi Excellence in Teaching Award.

Our Lady of the Lake University alumnus, Hector Garza, is one of 15 San Antonio artists who will help recognize Mental Health Awareness Month during “Pinwheels for Change.” The event is sponsored by One in Five Minds, an organization that raises awareness about mental illness and advocates for children in Bexar County.

As a boy in Harlingen, it was hard for Ezequiel Peña to see beyond the Rio Grande Valley. His mother was from Runge (pop. 1,080) in South Texas, his father from Mexico. The fifth of seven children, Ezequiel and his siblings lived for a while on public assistance.

Our Lady of the Lake University is participating in the The Big Give S.A.! A 24-hour day of giving that will take place from midnight to midnight on May 3, 2016.

The Office of Alumni Relations has been working with the Marketing and Communications Office to redesign the ollualumni.com website. The new website will be launching soon.

Randy Dietz, PhD, looks across the classroom in Metz 412 and sees multiple reflections of himself. In this seat over there sits a baseball player. In that one a basketball player.

Ronald and Audrey Crowe were living in Montgomery, Alabama, when an opportunity opened in San Antonio. USAA had offered Audrey a job as a lead trader and the Crowe’s decided to accept.

The new year is here and so is Phonathon! Our students will be back on the phones starting Feb. 28, 2016 for three weeks in an attempt to secure pledges and gifts totaling $25,000. They look forward to speaking with you to update information, inform you of upcoming events, and ask for your much needed support.

The team needs your help to reach fundraising goals
The Saints Women’s Basketball team is on fire! They have been ranked No. 1 in the nation for two weeks in a row in the NAIA coaches’ poll. Our team also has been featured recently in the San Antonio Express-News. Reporter Roy Bragg wrote that they are a “quiet national power” and “will likely go far."

Alumni are invited to begin their Christmas celebrations at OLLU. The University will hold a blessing and lighting of the campus Christmas tree on Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. in the Mall Area. The University choir will sing Christmas carols.

Dr. Diane Melby will be officially installed as OLLU’s ninth president on Friday, Nov. 6. As part of the celebration, a Mass will take place at 9:30 a.m. in Sacred Heart Chapel. The formal installation will take place at 3 p.m. in Thiry Auditorium followed by a reception in Chapel Auditorium.

The Alumni Office would like to extend special thanks to all those who helped support our incoming freshmen on move-in day. Alumni provided water, helped haul bags and boxes and welcomed the newest members of the OLLU family.

View the Sister Jane Ann Slater, CDP, PhD, Tribute Video: "The Light of Providence."

Sister Jane Ann Slater, CDP, PhD
George Williams, dean of Student Success, remembers when a sweet melody sprang suddenly during the dull chatter of Faculty Assembly. While speaking with a Sister of Divine Providence seated next to him, the woman leaned over and began to sing softly in his ear.

Sister Margit Nagy, CDP, PhD, is professor and program head of History and a Fulbright scholar to Japan and Hungary. Born in Budapest, Hungary, she fled the country with her family at age two, lived in German refugee camps until she was six, moved to the U.S. as World War II displaced persons and settled in San Antonio.

1925-2015
Elizabeth Ruth “Betty” Dielmann Breen possessed a remarkable love for Our Lady of the Lake University that spanned more than 70 years. On June 30, Betty went home to be with her Lord. She was 90.

Near the end of the magical evening, after the laughter had waned and tears had been wiped, there was an eruption. A clap of spontaneous celebration filled the banquet room at the Omni Hotel, and touched the night’s honoree, Sister Jane Ann Slater, CDP, PhD.

Verónica Salazar Escobedo and her husband, Rubén Escobedo, have given Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) a $1 million gift to establish the Verónica Salazar Media Center.

Carlos Alvarez has pledged $250,000 to provide continued funding for programs that serve first-generation and Hispanic university students through OLLU’s Higher Education for a New America (HENA) initiative.

Although Our Lady of the Lake University’s Athletics program is young, it has seen its share of success in just eight short years. The 2014-2015 school year is no different with teams, coaches and administration being recognized for their excellence. Below are just some of the accomplishments from the Saints this year.

Thanks to the generosity of more than 580 donors, OLLU raised $24,527 during the second annual Big Give S.A. fundraiser. Since OLLU was the organization with the third highest number of donors, the University received an additional $11,000 in matching funds. This brings the grand total to $35,527 raised in 24 hours.

Although Our Lady of the Lake University’s Athletics program is young, it has seen its share of success in just eight short years. The 2014-2015 school year is no different with teams, coaches and administration being recognized for their excellence.

In anticipation of Valentine’s Day – less than one month away – OLLU is soliciting stories for its second annual “Love At The Lake” Alumni Newsletter. If you fell in love with your spouse at OLLU, or if you met here and fell in love later and got married, we’d like to hear about it.

Experience Mass at the Marian Shrine of Knock, enjoy a guided tour of Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin, and reflect at the Tobernalth Holly Well.

When alumni are asked to cite a favorite or memorable professor, one name mentioned often is James Hall, PhD, chair of the biology department. Dr. Hall knows how to connect with students, stimulate a class and make learning fun.

Jonathan Joss (BA Fine Arts ‘90) admits to awe. In this farewell season of NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation, Joss appears in two episodes with actress and comedian extraordinaire Amy Poehler.

In its quest to find a successor to President Jane Ann Slater, CDP, PhD, the Board of Trustees at Our Lady of the Lake University searched for a leader with proven success in student achievement and fundraising, experience in academic affairs, an understanding of OLLU’s mission and a vision to build upon current momentum.

More than 420 new members joined the OLLU Alumni Association on Dec. 13 when the University held fall commencement exercises. One of the largest classes in recent years, the graduates were cheered by thousands of family members and friends as they crossed the stage at the Freeman Coliseum.

Dr. Antonio Rigual had the eye of a visionary, the persistence of a pioneer. His ear was attuned to wisdom, his heart to the hand of Providence. Dr. Rigual passed away Dec. 9, 2014.

Our Lady of the Lake University’s (OLLU) Master of Science in Psychology with a specialization in Family, Couple and Individual Psychotherapy has received accreditation from The Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). OLLU is one of four universities in Texas with a COAMFTE accredited master’s program. COAMFTE accreditation allows graduates to seek employment as Marriage and Family Therapists within the federal government. The program is offered on the San Antonio and Houston (The Woodlands) campuses of OLLU.

Justin Oxley is a rising star in North East ISD, an award-winning principal at Bradley Middle School who ranks among the best at what he does in South Texas.

Spend Spring Break in Europe! Take the trip of a lifetime to London, Paris, the D-day Beaches, Versailles, and the Loire Valley, March 8-17, 2013.

After serving 24 years in the U.S. Air Force, and another four as a civilian with the government, Kevin Barton thought he might try to teach part time. Newly armed with a Master of Science in Information Systems and Security from Our Lady of the Lake University, Kevin applied for an adjunct professorship at The Lake.

OLLU’s Center for Mexican American Studies and Research (CMASR) will host its ninth annual conference March 22-24.

Dr. Maria “Cuca” Robledo Montecel
No one knew how many students were dropping out of Texas schools until Dr. Maria "Cuca" Robledo Montecel began her ground-breaking research in the mid-1980s. No one knew which counties had the highest attrition rate. No one knew how the dropout rates of the state's Latinos compared with those of Anglos and African-Americans.