Spring 2013
Law Grad Looks to Move People Back to the City
Terry Mitchell (J.D. ‘83) doesn’t want to talk about the woeful realities of modern city living, like stark landscapes and excessive traffic snarls.
What Does it Take to Become a CEO?
“My undergraduate degree got me the job, but it’s the liberal arts that got me the CEO chair,” said Ed Speed (B.B.A. ’70, M.A. ’86), who completed master’s and post-master’s programs in theology.
A Q&A with a Texas Journalism Icon
After 40-plus years in print journalism, Rick Casey (B.A. ’68) is tackling television. His show airs on San Antonio’s public broadcasting affiliate KLRN, where he presents the week’s most important stories, people and issues in depth. We chatted with him about his career, which took root at St. Mary’s.
In the Movies, Life Does Not Imitate Art
It’s the kind of happy ending that makes Patricia Owen, Ph.D., shake her head. The 1998 blockbuster “A Beautiful Mind,” starring Russell Crowe, depicts a brilliant mathematician obsessed with his work who mentally deteriorates to the point of hallucinations and paranoia.
Engineering a Better World
Among her areas of study, Amber McClung, Ph.D., lists creating models for high-temperature polymer-matrix composites. Stay with me here.
Denver Daredevil
The scene unfolds rather predictably whenever Dan Weyland tells someone he owns a race car. “They look at me,” the 73-year-old says, “and they say, ‘You’re doing what? Do you mean you own a team?'”
Professor Keeps to the Shadows While Pushing Students to the Light
Plenty of people can tell you about the work that St. Mary’s University Physics Professor Richard Cardenas, Ph.D., is doing on the campus and in the community.
Law Alum Says No to Graffiti, Yes to Giving Back
Burke Marold (J.D., MBA ’11) is a young, entrepreneurial attorney full of ideas and plans for the future. He is taking it upon himself to stimulate corporate philanthropy in the legal community, and he intends to do it leading
Professor Asks, “Why Do Mammals Have Big Brains?”
Scientists have wondered for decades why mammals’ brains are so large relative to their body size, but for the most part all they could do was guess. The fossils that could give paleontologists clues to the earliest development of the mammalian brain are hard to come by.
Alum Made His Mark in the Movie Theater Business
In 1900, L. Frank Baum published the children’s novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In the story, it is revealed that the Wizard isn’t an all-powerful master as others believe; he’s just a man behind a curtain, pulling levers to create an illusion of majesty.
Twenty Years of PREP Work
For more than 14 years, San Antonio teacher Marisa Medellin (B.A. ’00) has spent her summers teaching technical writing to promising middle and high school students. But for Medellin, it’s not just about giving these kids a leg up in math and science. It’s about giving them the same chance she was given 20 years ago.
At the Top of His Game
Tim Duncan, Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford: Three names that are synonymous with the San Antonio Spurs’ championship successes. But there’s another name you might not know, that of a St. Mary’s grad who has been there for every one of those title runs.
Other Issues
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Study highlights benefits of Catholic higher education
Wanting to show how religious-affiliated universities, like St. Mary’s, offer more than just an education, Jason King, Ph.D., partnered with market research group YouGov to see how graduates of Catholic institutions fare against their secular school counterparts.
Biology major looks at healing in holistic way
Nadia Abdulbaki has always been fascinated with the medical field and helping others since childhood. That's why the Biology major and member of the St. Mary's University Honors Program hopes to go into the medical field after graduation.
Alumnus creates venture capital firm focused on the Southwestern U.S. and Mexico
Overcoming barriers. Closing deals. Rowing oceans. Whatever phrase you want to use for persisting through all manner of strenuous challenges, Andy Vargas-Hernandez (B.B.A. ’14) has done just that, though his favorite wording might be removing borders.