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Luanne McKinnon, PhD, BA ’77, has donated a personal collection of fine art scholarship to UD collected over a lifetime career in art.

Since earning a graduate degree from the University of Dallas in 2000, Rich Kelly has shared the fruits of his UD education in humble and faithful service to the church.

During their engagement in 2000, Joseph Burkett and his then-fiancée Alethea would meet up to roast marshmallows, read, talk and make maple syrup.

Math champ Isaac Hellerman, BS ’23, came to UD with an interest in liturgical song as well.

“UD is known for that wonderful classical liberal arts education that the church prizes so much,” said seminarian Wyatt Parlow, BA ’23.

As a business major, Bridgette Claire Alpar, BA ’23, appreciates UD’s moral grounding.

“I ended up at UD entirely by Divine Providence,” said Alexa Hassell, BA ’23.

Coming out of high school, Larissa Elena Ramirez, BA ’23, wanted to find a university that valued both the body and the mind.

“The more I learned about the university, the more I fell in love with the rigor of the Core Curriculum and its strong Catholic identity,” said Harrison Vetter, B.A. ’23.

After being medically discharged from the United States Coast Guard Academy, happenstance brought Megan Scott, BA ’23, into contact with a passion for Plato.

Magda Rogg, BS ’23, contributed to two articles in anthropology journals as a coauthor and one as a primary author.

Budding writer Elise Williams, B.A. ’23, plans to continue honing her skill in the 4+1 program.

Mary Hochberg, BA and BS ’23, had never intended to double major in chemistry and philosophy.

The UD stalwart is finishing a 57-year career of not standing still.

Art professor and UD pioneer Lyle Novinski, MFA, showed a remarkable skill for creating art that belongs.

Trustees, faculty and students gathered on Thursday, Nov. 17, in honor of the newly established Cowan-Shillingburg Endowed Scholarship benefitting first-generation students attending the University of Dallas.

Amazon may have displaced many independent bookstores, but there is nothing quite like the experience of strolling through shelves of books with the possibility of discovering a new favorite author or an old classic you can give as a gift. Inspired by her experience, UD alumna Katy Lemieux, BA ‘05, is setting out to open a new bookstore called Talking Animals in Grapevine, Texas, this winter.

The University of Dallas has, for the past 15 years, quietly and with steadfast determination been developing a sophisticated astronomy/astrophysics program under the direction of Professor of Physics Richard Olenick, Ph.D.

Given the state of debate within and around the academy today, it can be easy to forget that the sciences and mathematics have a greater claim to being liberal arts than do the humanities. At the...

The generosity of these donors and foundations indelibly enriches our pursuit of wisdom, truth and virtue here at the University of Dallas. It Goes Past Generations "It’s the...

Sixteen years ago, General Al Zapanta and his family moved back to Irving. After serving in four presidential administrations in Washington D.C. and a career that included heroic military service...

When the three children of legendary University of Dallas Professor of English John E. Alvis, BA ’66 MA ’69 PhD ’73, considered how to honor and perpetuate their father’s legacy at UD, they knew it would need to involve the Braniff Graduate School of Liberal Arts Institute of Philosophic Studies, to which Alvis had been devoted.

The son of Department Chair and Associate Professor of Philosophy Matthew Walz, Ph.D., MBA ’20, Damien Walz, BA ’22, grew up around UD and fell in love with its liberal arts curriculum. The decision to come to UD was a relatively straightforward one, but which major to pursue was not: Walz changed his mind approximately seven times before settling on politics.

Catherine Schwenk, BA ’22, intended to double major in psychology and philosophy. However, after taking Principles of American Politics in the fall of her freshman year, she knew that politics was what she really was meant to study.

Joseph Galasso, BS ’22, initially considered other science majors at UD but ultimately decided on biology; the program allowed him to pursue his interests beyond the classroom.

Thomas Thompson, BA ’22, had planned to go to the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, where one of the professors astounded him “with his piercing intellect and charismatic lecture.” However, this professor was a UD alumnus who persuaded Thompson to look more closely at UD.

First-generation college graduate Jeanine Dorrough, BA ’22, hadn’t even planned on going to college — then she received a postcard from UD in the mail and felt pulled to apply.

Entering into UD, Faith Starnes, BA ’22, planned to be a biology major, on a pre-physical therapy track. As a sophomore, she added a theology concentration, which opened her eyes to the beauty
of theology and made her realize her deep love for the discipline.

As a homeschooled student, Elizabeth Regnerus, BA ’22, chose to skip her last year of high school, starting her freshman year at UD instead, a decision for which she is eternally grateful.

About midday of Friday, May 27 — a frightfully hot but otherwise ordinary day — at the North American Martyrs Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, something remarkable occurred, at once unusual in the...

This is the address delivered by Jonathan J. Sanford, Ph.D., on the occasion of his inauguration as 10th president of the University of Dallas on Oct. 1, 2021. Your Excellency, and Chancellor of...

Noah Torres, BA ’21, always knew he wanted to study theology and politics. In seventh grade, he found himself fascinated by the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. This interest only grew through high school, and he found himself at UD on the recommendation of his theology teachers, who were themselves UD grads.

At the University of Dallas, students learn to grapple with the great thinkers of history. Natalie Villafranca, BA ’21, discovered a passion for something else ancient and all too often overlooked: our coral reefs.

It is common for new college graduates to still be a bit unsure what they want to be when they “grow up.” Veronica Rose Garcia, BA ’21, is not that sort of person. At a time in life when many people are simply looking toward their first job and hoping for the best, Garcia has detailed five- and 10-year plans for achieving multiple additional degrees and an ambitious career that will be of great service to the country and to the world.

As a high school student in Sri Lanka, Amandhi Mathews, BS ’21, found UD on the internet. She was drawn to the idea of a “Catholic university for independent thinkers'' and decided to apply, even though she did not know that Dallas is in Texas. Knowing that she wanted to study science, the liberal arts education with an opportunity to read classic literature was an added bonus.

Though she was unable to attend, Patrick McNeely’s Canadian sister first put the University of Dallas on his radar. His interest in the school continued to rise thanks to cheerful friends and mentors he met through The Grade, a program for high school boys in San Antonio.

When Claire Haley, BA ’21, was growing up, the University of Dallas was already a part of her life. Her father traveled around to different colleges to recruit teachers for the local Great Hearts Academy school in her hometown of Phoenix, and what he had to say about UD impressed her.

The Schneider family learned about UD from a family friend who at the time was in the seminary and is now a priest. He knew several people who attended UD and encouraged Blaise Schneider, BA ’21, to visit.

Like many UD students, Maureen (Mo) Shumay, BA ’21, first heard of UD through one of her older siblings, a sister who graduated in 2013. Initially, Shumay wasn’t keen on attending UD because she wanted to avoid following in her sister’s footsteps and being compared to her once again. She also had a somewhat subpar campus visit the Monday after Groundhog, though she now appreciates why everyone on campus looked so exhausted!

“Today more than ever, medicine needs physicians who understand the duality of the person and can attend to both aspects of the human person,” said John Rolwes, BA ’21. “If one is only able to assist the physical needs, then the underlying, spiritual/mental causes will continue to prevent the patient from fully recovering. UD has helped me understand this relationship well, and the education I’ve received will help me be a physician who can attend to both.”

The first letter German Lopez, BA ’21, received from a college came from the University of Dallas his junior year of high school. He hadn’t heard of the school before and didn’t give the letter much thought until he mentioned it to his friend and confirmation sponsor, Jonathan, who was a year older and in the midst of the college search process. Jonathan told Lopez that UD was his No. 1 school! After hearing this, Lopez gave the small school in Irving a little more attention.

When deciding which college to attend, Meg McDonough, BA ’21, was determined to forge her own path and therefore set on not attending the University of Dallas. McDonough’s parents met at UD, and her two older siblings are proud alumni as well. However, despite her desire for finding her own way in the world, McDonough visited the campus and fell in love with UD’s “central focus on classical texts, which are rejected by other schools for their lack of utility.”

His first step was to enroll in physician’s assistant school at Baylor’s College of Medicine, a career trajectory to which he had aspired since his early childhood. Nowadays, Jonathan Cunningham, BA ’17, is dedicated to the vocational pursuit of comfort and healing at MD Anderson in Houston, among the...

Cathleen (Gilmore) Guinn, BA ’91, Milagros “Millie” Lozano, Ph.D., BA ’91, and Anna (Gordon) Torres, BA ’91, met at the Cap Bar in November 2018, almost 30 years after their spring 1989 Rome semester. Excited to see each other (and Super Dave), inspired...

It is not uncommon for the University of Dallas (UD) and the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) to get confused, and Adella Klinte, BA '20, was unfortunately subject to that confusion. When she applied to UD, Klinte thought she was applying to UTD.

Given his strong UD legacy, Bill Bennett, BS '20, was practically destined to attend the University of Dallas. Stories about UD's Rome Program and rugby were essential aspects of Bennett's childhood given that both of his parents, as well as many...

When it came time for Ana Henriquez, BA '20 and Class of 2020 valedictorian, to pick a college, she knew she wanted a small, Catholic, liberal arts university that offered both biology and Latin. That sounds like UD in a nutshell, and she thought so too.

Sitting in her bedroom at home, away from UD for her last weeks of college, Mary Rose Corkery, BA '20, cannot help but think about being on campus. She wishes for more of her favorite moments, like sitting on the Cap Bar patio after an...

For many people, traveling over 8,000 miles to school might be too far, but not for Yeabkal Wubshit, BS '20. Hailing from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Wubshit came to UD at the recommendation of a friend who was a current student at the university. The first...

When COVID-19 hit, Maria Rossini, BA '20, was disappointed to have to leave her friends so suddenly, especially during her last semester at UD. And although she may have more time on her hands now, she says that "capturing the energy and support of...