• The University of St. Thomas received approval from the Texas Board of Nursing on July 21st  to offer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) pending expected program accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
  
  

• The University of St. Thomas is committed to providing an accessible and affordable private, liberal arts education to all students.
  
  

• As a student at Reagan High School, Fernando Moreno didn’t think much about college. But after attending two Project GRAD College Institutes and being urged by his high school counselor to go on an overnight visit to the University of St. Thomas, Moreno said he knew immediately this was where he wanted to be.
  
  

• For one week in June, two University of St. Thomas students forged lifetime friendships and brightened the lives of children with neuromuscular diseases.
  
  

• This year, the University of St. Thomas will award about $104,000 in scholarships to Hispanic and low-income students who are pursuing an online Master of Education degree in educational leadership or special education.
  
  

• As legislators continue to slash public school funding across the state and nation, teachers face an increasingly uncertain and competitive job market. University of St. Thomas Class of 2011 graduate Kendall LeJeune, who earned a bachelor’s degree in music education, was excited to find a job as a band director almost immediately after graduation.
  
  

• University of St. Thomas junior education student Christina Vargas has a unique perspective on her bilingual-education teacher training. From kindergarten to her sophomore year of high school, Vargas took classes in Spanish and English at the Helms Community Learning Center, a dual-language school that had a unique partnership with UST.
  
  

• University of St. Thomas student-athletes are held to the highest standards on the field and in the classroom. In the fall, the St. Thomas men’s soccer team will welcome an elite student-athlete who is on the top of his game athletically and academically.
  
  

• Amelia Galiunas, one of the five Class of 2011 graduates of the University of St. Thomas School of Education GRACE (Gulf Region Academy for Catholic Educators) Program said teaching wasn’t her dream job when she moved to England for her undergraduate degree. But seven years, three degrees and a conversion to Catholicism later, she’s happy to be teaching and credits the GRACE program for much of her success. 
  
  

• The University of St. Thomas Athletic Department has accepted an invitation to become the newest member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Red River Conference.
  
  

• The rush of performing in front of fans, the fulfillment of living their dance dreams, the sense of purpose in community outreach, the pride in representing their city and the numerous networking opportunities – University of St. Thomas senior Nicole Hickl and 2011 graduate Michelle Lewis said cheering on the Houston Texans Cheerleader Squad last season was an incredible experience that they wanted to repeat.
  
  

• Meris Chaumont sips a tall iced chai latte at her local Starbucks. She wears a grey dress, a pink scarf looped around her neck and silver glitter canvas shoes. Visiting Starbucks is one of her favorite things, but she’s about to give up spur-of-the-moment trips to the coffee house and glitter accessories – along with all of her worldly possessions – to join the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, a teaching order in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
  
  

• Mallory Wendell, University of St. Thomas Class of 2011 graduate, has been awarded a summer internship at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, where she will work for former First Lady Laura Bush.
  
  

• While many University of St. Thomas class of 2011 graduates ponder graduate school and job searches, Alan Llanas and Linh Tran have a job waiting for them. They will step off the commencement stage ready to serve their country. As cadets in the UST Reserve Officers Training Corp (ROTC), Llanas and Tran will commission as officers in the Army and Air Force respectively.
  
  

• Being accepted into medical school is one accomplishment; not having to pay for it is another. For James Doan, doing undergraduate research in biochemistry helped him earn a full-tuition, merit scholarship to the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine in El Paso, where he will start in the fall.
  
  

• All you have to do is look at their faces and you know – there is no denying the family resemblance between Ashley, Mychal and Brandi English. Appearance and genetics aside, their University of St. Thomas education is yet another common thread that links the three siblings.
  
  

• Students at the University of St. Thomas studying the fine and performing arts are using facilities that are literally bursting at the seams, prompting the University to undertake the large task of building a Performing Arts and Conference Center.
  
  

• A study of national college graduation data by the American Enterprise Institute reveals that the University of St. Thomas exceeds the national graduation rate among Hispanic students. UST’s Hispanic graduation rate also outpaces all Catholic universities in Texas.
  
  

• At the University of St. Thomas, International Studies major Hiba Haroon learned to look at the world through new eyes. Participating in the Center for International Studies Social Entrepreneurship Program (formerly known as the MicroCredit Program) presented Haroon with opportunities to put her passion to help others into action.
  
  

• Jodi Mahardi, vice consul for economic and protocol affairs at the Indonesian Consulate in Houston, and his wife, Chiara Sari, will complete their Master in Liberal Arts degrees with concentrations in international studies and graduate together in May.
  
  

• Class of 2011 graduate Lukas Simon will begin work on his doctorate at the Baylor College of Medicine Structural and Computational Biology and Molecular Biophysics graduate research program in fall.
  
  

• The UST Cameron School of Business joins an elite group of institutions that have achieved business accreditation from The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). UST is the only private university in Houston to achieve accreditation on both undergraduate and graduate business programs.

• At the University of St. Thomas, we believe it is our responsibility to support those who have served our country. Our University President, Dr. Robert Ivany, was a Major General in the U.S. Army prior to his retirement in 2003, and is committed to assisting men and women who have dedicated their lives to service.
  
  

• Heath Whitaker, a UST MBA graduate, was selected for a summer internship at Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center last summer. Whitaker learned first-hand how finance and the health care industry can work hand-in-hand. The internship gave Whitaker a new career direction and invaluable experience for his job search after graduation.
  
  

• Adding to the growing pool of UST graduates working at Big 4 public accounting firms, UST BBA/MBA students Michael Pair and Sabrina Akhter have secured a full-time position at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, and Christian Brillantes and Elizabeth Houche have been hired at Ernst &Young LLP. 
  
• Despite the challenges of moving to a new country and learning a new language, University of St. Thomas international student Yari Yarzagaray has found help, encouragement and success at UST. She will graduate in May 2011, and has been accepted to both Baylor College of Dentistry and the University of Texas Dental Branch in Houston.
  
• Crew Ginn has found that life, like a video production, often requires many “takes” to get it right. At one time, Ginn needed a “do-over” after failing out of UST. With the support of his family and friends, and the guidance of UST faculty and staff,  he returned more determined than ever to succeed.
  
• In our continued efforts to spotlight the accomplishments of UST students, faculty, staff and alumni, the Office of Marketing Communications has reached a milestone of 100 success stories published online in the last year since November, 2009.
• The University of St. Thomas has created a first-generation student group to encourage and provide first-generation students with helpful information about scholarship opportunities, skills to help them succeed and a venue to meet other students.  
  
• Former Mexico President Vicente Fox’s historic visit to the University of St. Thomas on Nov. 23 set the stage to establish a partnership between UST’s Center for International Studies Social Entrepreneurship Program and Fox’s El Centro Fox.
  
  
• Doris Vela is among the first class of students to benefit from convenience, flexibility and scholarship opportunities of the University of St. Thomas Online Master of Education Degree Program.
  
  
• Continuing the tradition of academic and athletic excellence, the University of St. Thomas sent both the Lady Celts Women’s Volleyball team and the Men’s Soccer team to the opening rounds of the National Association of Intercollegiate Institutions (NAIA) Championships on Nov. 20.
  
  
• Over the past 10 years, an estimated 1,000 University of St. Thomas students from at least 18 different departments and programs have benefitted from experiential learning opportunities through the University’s Service Learning Program.
  
  
• View a psychology class in which Dr. Jo Meier-Marquis discusses the subject of dating and relationships. See how she engages her students in the topic by exploring the science behind interpersonal attraction.
  
  
• View a general biology class on the nature of the cell and learn more about how Dr. Maia Larios-Sanz, an assistant professor in the Biology Department at University of St. Thomas, who inspires her students with her own passion for the subject.
  
  
• View a class on the integration of mathematics and literature where Dr. Rick Krustchinsky, an education professor, uses costumes and props to keep his students engaged and interested in the topics he teaches.
  
  
• Since 2002, Nicole Casarez, attorney and University of St. Thomas communication professor, and her students worked diligently to prove the innocence of former death row inmate Anthony Graves. The team succeeded, and Graves was set free on Oct. 27.
  
  
• UST graduate Michelle Shannahan comes from a family of six children, all of whom were home-schooled. With a family that values individualized education, Shannahan was highly selective in making her next educational move.
  
  
• Erich Schoeffler  transferred to the University of St. Thomas in May 2010, to find an academic setting that redefines his educational goals,  keeps him motivated, caters to his needs as a veteran and provides  leadership opportunities.
  
  
• The U.S. Department of Education has awarded the University of St. Thomas in Houston a $3.25 million grant to increase the number of Hispanic and economically disadvantaged students through the development of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program.
  
  
• On the same day he was elevated to the College of Cardinals, Cardinal-designate Donald W. Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington D.C., came the University of St. Thomas campus to speak about “Religious Faith’s Role in Building a Good and Just Society.”
  
  
• Watch the new UST video to get a sneak peek into the high caliber of academics and campus life at the University of St. Thomas. Hear about UST directly from those who know UST inside and out.
  
  
• The University of St. Thomas Center of Irish Studies, and its director, Lori Gallagher, JD, will take center stage at the 2011 Houston Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
  
  
• The University of St. Thomas hosted a somber salute to the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on Friday, Sept. 10. The student-organized event, “9-11: Never Forget,” paid tribute to nearly 3,000 victims of the terrorist attacks, their families and the many service members who have served their country since that day.
  
  
• University of St. Thomas students will have the unique opportunity to earn a minor in Catholic Studies in one semester while studying abroad in the Holy Land and Italy.
  
  
• Over the last six years, Natalia Pecora has gone from learning to speak English to landing a full-time job with an exclusive Baker Hughes leadership training program.
• Dr. Malcolm Rector, University of St. Thomas assistant professor of music, began playing and composing music at the age of four and has been creatively expressing himself through music, writing, and film his entire life.
• As urban gardens continue to sprout up across the city, state and nation, St. Thomas is sowing the seeds of a new community garden project this fall.

• In a competitive music world, music students dream of touring internationally.  University of St. Thomas  graduate Michael Whitebread is living that dream.

• University of St. Thomas graduate, Felix Peña, Receives Prestigious Award from Boston Conservatory

• Houstonians can take a three-day vacation to Italy without stepping foot on an airplane. The sights, sounds and mouth-watering aromas of Italy will once again beckon thousands to the picturesque, centrally-located University of St. Thomas campus. The 32nd Annual Festa Italiana will be held for three days from Friday to Sunday, October 15 to 17.

• Over the last three years, the University of St. Thomas Mendenhall Summer Institute has bridged the gap between high school and college for incoming freshman. The program began with 25 students in 2008, 44 in 2009 and 31 in 2010.

• Ashley Easterwood has achieved more major life milestones in the last two and half years than many people experience over the span of a decade.

• The University of St. Thomas has awarded five incoming freshmen with the Father Vincent J. Guinan Scholarship, which covers full tuition for four years. This year’s awardees are Kelsey Boor, Gregory Heerensperger, David Markus, C.J. Miller and Dominika Snodgrass.

• For the past 22 years of her life, Ana Lopez has spent every August in preparation for the upcoming school year, readying herself for classes, books and homework.

• The notorious first year of teaching – Lauren Barnes describes it as the hardest, but the best year of her life.

• University of St. Thomas students will have the unique opportunity to earn a minor in Catholic Studies in one semester while studying abroad in the Holy Land and Italy.

• The MBA special topic International Trade and Negotiations is an innovative summer course that Adjunct Professor Dr. Habib Chamoun-Nicolas is pioneering at University of St. Thomas Cameron School of Business. 

• Faith Avilene “Avi” DePano thought she had college all planned out—study graphic design at Loyola University-New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina had other plans.

• University of St. Thomas alumna Marty Thompson believes character counts. If you make a commitment, you better deliver.

• For the last two years, the first cohort of the Gulf Region Academy for Catholic Education (GRACE) has lived in community while simultaneously finishing a master’s degree in Catholic education, teaching in a Catholic school, and deepening their spiritual lives.

• People say timing is everything, but Stanley Harris doesn’t buy it. He doesn’t wait for the stars to align, for a sign or the perfect moment to make the next move.

• Emily Calasanz is a hands-on learner. Whether she is researching white flies, scrubbing in at an exclusive surgical internship, or giving vaccinations to impoverished children in El Salvador, Calasanz has become enthusiastically invested in an eclectic range of learning experiences.

• View a MBA class on outsourcing and learn more about Dr. Beena George, a specialist on sourcing management. George not only teaches outsourcing in her class, she also has led study abroad trips to India to expose students to the evolving impact of globalization. The students were able to visit a broad spectrum of organizations including IBM, CISCO, Wipro and Accenture. Her classes are in tune with current developments in the industry.

• View a philosophy class on metaphysics focusing on The Nature of Love and learn more about Dr. Ted Rebard, a philosophy professor whom students rave about.  Students have changed majors after taking his classes.

• View a physics class focusing on conservation of angular momentum and learn more about Dr. James Clarage, a physics professor whose dramatic flair for explaining the most fundamental principles of nature occasionally prompts him to wear a toga.

• Up to 148 million cable television viewers worldwide may get a closer look at the University of St. Thomas when Eternal Word Television (EWTN) dedicates an hour-long talk show to UST on April 22.

• When educators in the Cypress-Fairbanks and Aldine areas learned they could earn a Master in Education degree from the University of St. Thomas without the drive into town, they applied in record numbers.

• In these tough economic times, one of the top questions on a college student’s mind is, “Will I be able to afford this school?” In fact, Stamats, Inc., an integrated marketing and communications company that provides services for university admissions, recently found that the new No. 1 factor for students deciding on a school is affordability over a school's reputation.

• The National Science Foundation has awarded the University of St. Thomas a $575,000 grant to provide scholarships to undergraduate students obtaining degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) over the next five years.

• The U.S. Department of Education awarded the School of Education a $2.8 million Title V Grant to fund the Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans (PPOHA) Program.

• The University of St. Thomas is working to change this trend and has been recognized in Center for Student Opportunity’s 2011 College Access & Opportunity Guide, a comprehensive college guidebook designed to help low-income, first-generation college-bound students make their college dreams a reality.

• The University of St. Thomas has been named as one of 21 top Catholic colleges and universities by the Cardinal Newman Society for the second time.

• For the 16th consecutive year, the University of St. Thomas has been named to the top tier of the U.S. News & World Report’s, “America’s Best Colleges” list of universities offering master’s degrees in the Western region of the United States.

• The University of St. Thomas was named as one of the best colleges and universities in the West by The Princeton Review.

But, hey, who’s counting?

We are.