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Business Students Visit Chicago Board Options Exchange
In March, the Finance & Investments Club organized its inaugural field trip to Chicago and the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE).
Prior to the trip, students spent considerable time in the classroom learning about the history of the CBOE, how it works, and options trading strategies. Students had the opportunity to see the day-to-day work of traders on the floor of the exchange – an invaluable opportunity to get a glimpse of “Wall Street” in action.
A Jump-Start on a Better World
Many of our students begin the work of building a more Just and Compassionate world well before graduation.
During his senior year, Mathias Lemos Castillo ’18 served as the Diversity and Inclusion Assistant with CUNA Mutual Group in Madison, where he was in charge of several projects including assisting with the Inclusion Institute, programming with the Employee Resource Group, and organizing the FOCUSS program, where students compete on research proposals to contend with a 2018 challenge faced by the Credit Union and its members.
A Community Scholar (seen here in February at the 10th Anniversary celebration of that program), Mr. Castillo was named a recipient of the 2015 Dominican Heritage Award, the 2016 Dominican Justice Award, and the 2017 Dominican Leadership Award.
In May Mr. Castillo graduated with a double-major in Political Science and Sociology.
Class Project Makes Community Impact
A class from the Social Innovation and Sustainability Leadership program has claimed second place in the Clean Lakes Alliance Reimagining Warner Beach design contest. The first and third place awardees are both professional design firms.
Made possible with the support of a Madison Community Foundation 75th Anniversary Year of Giving grant, the contest asked amateur and professional designers to come up with plans for Warner Beach that focused on improving water quality, sustainability, community access, and placemaking to promote community health, happiness and wellbeing.
The second place award, and a $4,000 prize, went to the program’s “The Great 58” plan. Team members were from the Urban Community-based Sustainable Development class.
Eboo Patel Delivers 2018 Siena/Common Reading Lecture
In early March, Dr. Eboo Patel delivered the 2018 Siena/Common Reading lecture ‘Crossroads of Inheritance and Discovery – Inspiring Interfaith Action.’
Patel is the author of Acts of Faith, the 2017-’18 Common Reading selection for Edgewood College. He is the founder of Interfaith Youth Core, an organization built on the idea religion should be a bridge of cooperation rather than a barrier of division. He is inspired to build this bridge by his identity as an American Muslim navigating a religiously diverse social landscape. Patel holds a doctorate in the Sociology of Religion from Oxford University, where he studied on a Rhodes scholarship.
“The American Promise is we grant not only equal rights but equal dignity to all these identities and communities,” Patel said to a very full Anderson Auditorium. “And the American genius is that when you grant equal rights and dignity to a variety of identities, those communities build up the nation.”
Patel spent a full afternoon and evening on campus, meeting with students, faculty and staff.
The 2018 Siena/Common Reading Lecture is sponsored in part by the Heideman Crossing Educational Boundaries Fund.
Olympians Throw out First Pitch for Eagles
The Eagles’ baseball doubleheader in late April had a distinctive Olympic flair. Team USA Olympic curlers Nina (Spatola) Roth ’12 and Becca Hamilton ‘14, tossed the ceremonial first pitches for the matchup with Aurora University.
Ms. Roth (on the right in the smaller photo) and Ms. Hamilton represented the United States at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The United States women’s team finished with a 4-5 record, just missing qualification for the semifinals. Hamilton also competed with her brother Matt in the inaugural mixed doubles competition at the Games.
Ms. Roth graduated with a degree from the Henry Predolin School of Nursing. Ms. Hamilton earned her degree in Education.
Gilda’s Club Names Student Organization Community Partner of the Year
The Child Life Association at Edgewood College has been named Gilda’s Club of Madison’s Community Partner of the Year. The student organization was recognized at a special event on Sunday, April 22, 2018.
The Child Life Association began its work at Gilda’s Club in 2009. Since that time “they have been the backbone volunteer group of our Children and Family Program, especially with Family Night,” Carissa Hodgson, Youth Program Manager at Gilda’s Club said. “Without them, Family Night would not be possible. The group has consistently increased their partnership with Gilda’s, getting more involved with creating and leading workshops and socials for kids, teens and their families.”
“The Child Life Association at Edgewood College is the perfect partner to Gilda’s Club,” Ms. Hodgson said, “as their students are preparing to work with kids and their families during periods of medical stress. Students are authentically excited to engage with kids and they make the energy in the room brighter and lighter at the same time.”
Gilda’s Club Madison is a cancer support community where men, women and children living with cancer – and their family and friends – can join together to build social and emotional support. Gilda’s Club Madison provides professionally-facilitated emotional support groups, educational workshops, lectures, and social events. All programs are offered free of charge. For more information, please visit us at www.GildasClubMadison.org.
Foundation Names Edgewood College 2017 Tree Campus USA®
Edgewood College has been honored with 2017 Tree Campus USA® recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to effective urban forest management. This is the second consecutive year the College has earned this distinction.
“If ever there was a time for trees, now is that time,” Dan Lambe, President of the Arbor Day Foundation said in his letter to President Flanagan. “By earning Tree Campus Recognition, your campus has shown its commitment to protecting and preserving its valuable tree resources and will reap their benefits for generations of students to come.”
Tree Campus USA is a national program created in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation. The distinction honors colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and for engaging students, faculty and staff in conservation goals. Edgewood College achieved the title by meeting Tree Campus USA’s five standards, which include maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance and student service-learning project.
Commencement 2018
It was a fitting celebration to mark the close of the 90th academic year of Edgewood College.
More than 300 graduates, their families, fellow students, friends, faculty and staff descended on the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Madison on Sunday May 20 for Commencement, to share in the joy of the day, and in the hope for a more just and compassionate tomorrow.
Katie Rickert ’18 spoke on behalf of the graduates earning their baccalaureate degrees. Ms. Rickert earned her degree Magna Cum Laude with a major in Spanish Teaching. An outstanding student, Ms. Rickert is the recipient of the 2016 Dominican Heritage Award, and the 2017 Dominican Leadership Award. She has recently returned from Mexico, where she served as a student teacher.
“My fellow classmates, today, my message to you, is to not feel pressured by time,” she said. “Of course, we can never fully rid ourselves of the obstacles, deadlines, barriers, and hectic schedules of our society. But, we have the ability to embrace the joys and the challenges that come in the day to day. Don’t forget to take small moments to celebrate your accomplishments, and don’t forget to take mental pictures of those big moments that move you to tears, change your life, or make a difference.”
Ms. Rickert closed her address by way of her own slam poem – We feel it will be worth your time!
NIFEL Recognized with Governor’s Award
The National Institute of Financial and Economic Literacy (NIFEL) recently received the 2017 Governor’s Financial Literacy Award, as selected by the Governor’s Council on Financial Literacy. NIFEL, a summer program that enhances Wisconsin high school teachers’ financial literacy curricula, is hosted each year at Edgewood College. NIFEL is one of 18 individuals and organizations honored this year.
“These individuals and organizations are to be commended for their dedication to helping citizens of all ages enhance their personal financial knowledge and skills,” Governor Walker said. “Financial literacy is about equipping people with the tools they need to be financially secure and achieve their goals.”
The recipients were selected from 29 nominations submitted for consideration. Criteria considered during the screening process included innovative implementation, demonstrated measurable results, collaboration with partners, and whether the effort was focused on needs-based groups.
“It’s such an honor to have NIFEL recognized in this way,” Erin Bykowski ‘07, MA ’12, Director of Financial Literacy Services at Edgewood College, said. “The institute has provided instruction, support and resources to more than 1,000 educators. I am proud that Edgewood College continues to make a meaningful community impact by being a part building financial literacy in the State of Wisconsin.”
Celebrating a Decade of Support
Since 2008, Edgewood College has been honored as an annual grant beneficiary of Henry J. Predolin Foundation. An $800,000 gift received December 2017 marked the tenth gift following thirty years of generous support by the late Henry Predolin, totaling nearly $8 million from his foundation.
Henry Predolin began his service to the College as a Board Trustee in 1988. He advocated for a new master plan—one celebrating learning in and out of the classroom, dedicated to excellence, and providing for tremendous growth. As a result, in his time, student enrollment increased from 300 to over 2,400—the greatest growth period in the College’s history.
Henry had an ability to recognize opportunity and see it developed through the students of Edgewood College. He was happy to meet with the recipients of his Predolin Scholarships and encouraged them, and others, to work hard and pursue their dreams. He believed his higher education philanthropy would make a difference at Edgewood College. He saw how a gift to one area of the College could improve the whole campus and affect the entire student body.
As the impact of his gifts will continue for generations, the College awarded Henry the honorary degree of Doctor of Law, presented to his nephew in 2009. Henry J. Predolin Foundation continues his legacy by supporting capital and equipment purchases and undergraduate student scholarships for each of the Predolin Academic Areas of Business, Nursing, and Science.
Capital
Prior to his death in 2007, Henry Predolin had provided substantial funding for the Henry J. Predolin Humanities Center. Other sites benefitting from his generosity through Predolin Foundation include DeRicci Hall, the Henry Predolin School of Nursing, Mazzuchelli Hall, the Sonderegger Science Center, and the new School of Business Classroom in East Regina Hall.
Equipment
Much of our investment in equipment in the last ten years has been made possible by grants from Predolin Foundation, building on Henry’s vision to bring life to learning in the classroom. Simulation mannequins in the School of Nursing provide lifelike clinical experiences for students. A table for virtual dissection brings anatomy to life for all students in the biological sciences. And state-of-the-art classroom space with new technology allows our Business students to integrate course content and practice real-life scenarios.
Scholarships
Predolin Scholarships are among the largest and most far-reaching benefactor-supported scholarships offered at Edgewood College. In addition to funds for equipment, more than 90% of the most recent grant award was distributed as scholarships. Since 2008, Predolin Foundation has provided over $3.1 million in scholarship support to over 325 students majoring in Business, Nursing, or Science. Here, Malina Manivong ’18 presents her pilot study “Learning to Use Eyetracking Equipment and Software to Support Future Research” during Edgewood Engaged 2018. A Predoin Scholar herself, Ms. Manivong was awarded an Engaged Learning Scholarship from Predolin Foundation, and the eye-tracking equipment she used for her research was purchased with Predolin funds.
Reaccreditation and an Invitation to the Public
Edgewood College will host a visit on October 29-30, 2018, from a team of peer reviewers representing the Higher Learning Commission. The team will review the institution’s ongoing ability to meet HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation. Edgewood College has been accredited by HLC since 1958.
As part of the process, Edgewood College is seeking comments from the public about the College in preparation for its periodic evaluation by its regional accrediting agency.
Comments must be in writing and must address substantive matters related to the quality of the institution or its academic programs. Submit comments to HLC at hlcommission.org/comment, or mail them to the address below.
All comments must be received by September 28, 2018.
Public Comment on Edgewood College
Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, IL 60604-1411
More details about both the visit and the reaccreditation process may be found at www.edgewood.edu/HLC.
