Message From the Dean: March 2022

03/16/2022

Dear SOE Billiken Alums,

Spring is always a time of rejuvenation and hope. Here in St. Louis – and particularly on Saint Louis University’s campus – it feels like we have finally turned the corner and see signs of hope that the pandemic is retreating into the dark of winter.  As the spring semester quickly progresses, the School of Education is busy making plans for the May pre-commencement ceremony.  And we are pleased that this year’s ceremony will be held for our graduates, once again, in College Church on Thursday May 19, at 10 a.m. We are even more excited to share that Tamiko Armstead, President of our neighboring Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School, has accepted our invitation to serve as our commencement speaker.

In this newsletter, we are pleased to share that the School of Education is offering a new undergraduate scholarship to support the teacher pipeline in our city and region. The Chris Collins, S.J., Future Urban Teachers Scholarship is an endowed scholarship providing tuition support to students in the School of Education who commit to teach in an urban school, with first consideration given to students whose passion is to teach in urban, Catholic schools.

We also highlight the good work that Ronny O’Dwyer, S.J., assistant professor in the School of Education, is doing in the St. Louis education community.  Fr. O’Dwyer has taken a leave of absence from Saint Louis University to become the interim president of De Smet Jesuit High School, a move that will enhance the connection between our two Jesuit schools. Of course, we have missed Ronny this semester, and will continue to miss him, but we are humbled that our friends and colleagues are called upon when the community needs strong leadership.

This spring, we are also continuing our School of Education speaker series presentations. We hope you can join us for these lectures and discussions. 

Indeed, there is a lot going on in the School of Education, and we are continuing to grow! In fact, we have three great job opportunities posted now for faculty and staff. Take a look at these opportunities to become part of our Billiken team, where we have the privilege of pursuing the SLU mission – Higher Purpose, Greater Good – each and every day.

As always, please let us know if there are ways we can support you better or communicate with you more effectively. Please stay healthy and safe, and we look forward to seeing you on campus!

Best wishes,

Gary W. Ritter, Ph.D.

Dean, School of Education