Faculty and staff celebrate end-of-academic year with awards, retirees, and promotions

With tassels turned, mortarboards tossed, and 2025–26 Commencement officially adjourned, last week St. Catherine University faculty and staff turned their attention to another set of traditions.

Each year, the University celebrates the accomplishments of faculty and staff with a range of awards and conferrals. This spring, to allow greater attendance after the academic year-end, the festivities were organized as part of an Faculty-Staff Institute. In addition to the customary  addresses from leadership and professional development workshops, colleagues gathered in Rauenhorst Ballroom throughout the day for awards, promotions, and recognition of retiring colleagues.

At the awards ceremony, President Marcheta P. Evans, PhD, recognized faculty and staff reaching milestone years of service, with special gratitude to those passing the 30-year mark with St. Kate’s this year. Provost Denise Baird, PhD, Dean Marc Manganaro, PhD, and Dean Sean Fitzpatrick, PhD, presented the annual awards recognizing a range of accomplishments such as writing, mentoring, commitment to mission, and faculty and staff excellence.

Lacey Chu, PhD, received both the Carol Easley Denny Award and the Patricia O’Connor Myser Award for Excellence in Faculty Mentoring, two of the University’s most prestigious faculty awards. Chu, a member of the economics and political science department, was also tenured and promoted to associate professor rank this year, among the 23 faculty members receiving promotions and six receiving tenure.

The day of celebrations concluded with a reception honoring the seven St. Kate’s colleagues entering retirement — all faculty members this year: 

• Tarik Michael, MD (Sonography, 8 years of service)
• Lisa Rovick, EdD, Cert’17 (IPE, 16 years of service)
• Dorothea Hansmeyer ’04, MSN’10 (Nursing, 20 years of service)
• Joyce Yukawa, PhD (Library and Information Science, 20 years of service)
• Sook Lim, PhD (Library and Information Science, 22 years of service)
• Holly Clynch MAOL’02, DPT’08 (Physical Therapist Assistant program, 28 years of service)
• Cort Cieminski, PhD (Doctor of Physical Therapy program, 33 years of service)

At the ceremony, President Evans bestowed faculty emeriti status on Cieminski, Clynch, Lim, Rovick, and Yukawa. Jaynie Bjornaraa, PhD (Doctor of Physical Therapy program), who retired in 2022, also received professor emerita status this year.

“I can think of no better way to conclude our Spring Faculty-Staff Institute than by pausing together to honor colleagues whose dedication, talent, and service have shaped St. Catherine University in lasting ways,” said President Evans, who thanked the retirees “for believing in our students, for believing in our mission, and for giving so much of yourselves to this community. Your legacy will continue long after today.”