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USF News

Dr. Karl Muth Announced as Executive in Residence for Small Business Accelerator

Dr. Karl Muth

Joliet, Ill. – The University of St. Francis (USF) College of Business & Health Administration is pleased to announce that Dr. Karl Muth has joined the USF Small Business Accelerator (SBA) program as the Executive in Residence. Announced earlier this year, the USF Small Business Accelerator will provide equity-free accelerator funds and mentorship to businesses and entrepreneurs in underserved categories. In this role, Muth will lead the SBA advisory committee and will serve as senior mentor and advisor for new accelerator ventures.

“We are excited to welcome Dr. Muth to our USF Small Business Accelerator team,” said Shannon Brown, Ph.D., dean of the College of Business and Health Administration. “Dr. Muth brings exceptional credentials in private equity, firm valuation, and senior-level leadership to the program.”

Muth previously served as an Executive in Residence for the University of Chicago and has served in senior-level positions for a variety of entities including as CEO of a venture-backed financial tech startup, senior mentor at Microsoft Ventures (now called M12), and board member for a major Fortune 250 insurance company. He currently sits on the board of Venture for America, which helps identify passionate young people in underserved groups and underserved cities and connects them with the training, resources, and networks needed to start and scale their business ideas.

The USF Small Business Accelerator program is funded in part through a Grant with the U.S. Small Business Administration. For more information on the USF Small Business Accelerator or to apply for funding (a final round of applications will be accepted through September 20, 2023), please email USFAccelerator@stfrancis.edu or visit stfrancis.edu/accelerator. Interested parties may also contact Bonnie Covelli, Ed.D., at bcovelli@stfrancis.edu or 815-740-5071 with questions.

About Dr. Karl Muth

Dr. Karl Muth studied law at the undergraduate level in the Netherlands (U. Netherlands Ant.) before earning JD and MBA degrees in the United States (the latter with a concentration in Economics from the University of Chicago), and then earned MPhil and Ph.D. degrees from the London School of Economics examining risk mitigation strategies employed among commodities producers. After earning his Ph.D., he was part of the Emerging Leaders program at Harvard University.

Muth has also taught numerous courses in business related policy including: New Venture Strategy, Innovation Management, and Entrepreneurship and Technology at various institutions in the Chicago area. He has also taught Philanthropy and Interdisciplinary Philosophy. He is a sought-after speaker providing testimonies, speeches, and interviews for news outlets, government forums, conferences, and media. His contributions have included media such as: The Financial Times, MIT Technology Review, the Journal of Private Equity, Global Policy Journal, Forbes, IBM Podcast, NPR, HBO, and the Oprah Winfrey Show.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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Paul Erschen: LEACH FIELD Opens at USF Art Gallery

Joliet, Ill. – The University of St. Francis (USF) Art Gallery presents Paul Erschen: LEACH FIELD, which will run from August 24 through October 6. Paul Erschen: LEACH FIELD presents painting, sculpture, and prints informed by midwestern post-industrial and agricultural environments.

The USF Art Gallery is located at 25 E. Van Buren St. in downtown Joliet, and is open to the public every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information on the exhibition or the USF Art Gallery, contact Jennifer Moore, gallery director, at jmoore@stfrancis.edu.

About Paul Erschen

Born in 1975, in Aurora, Ill., Paul Erschen lives and works in Chicago, Ill. Erschen earned a BFA in Painting & Drawing from Northern Illinois University (1998) and an MFA in Painting & Drawing from The Ohio State University (2000). Paul has taught in the Art & Design Department at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Ill., since 2001 and is currently a Professor of Visual Art and Art & Design Department Chair.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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September is National Campus Safety Awareness Month

2023 National Campus Safety Awareness Month

Joliet, Ill. – In 2008, National Campus Safety Awareness Month (NCSAM) was unanimously approved by Congress to encourage a public conversation on important topics in violence prevention at our nation’s colleges and universities each September. At the University of St. Francis (USF), campus safety efforts remain a top priority and have even been recognized by WalletHub, who has ranked USF at #1 in Illinois in the Campus Safety category of its annual college and university rankings list for the past three years.

In recognition of 2023 National Campus Safety Awareness Month, USF has planned a special week of events and activities for students and employees, including:

  • Monday, August 28: 2023 National Campus Safety Awareness Week Kickoff (main campus quad and pavilion from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.)
  • Tuesday, August 29: Campus Trivia & Shattering the Red Zone Tabling (11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. on the main campus quad)
  • Wednesday, August 30: Mocktail Party (Marian Hall Abbey from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.)
  • Thursday, August 31: Self Defense Class with Southwest Chicago Shotokan (Turk Theatre from 7:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.; students and employees wanting to participate will need to pre-register by emailing wlinz@stfrancis.edu)
  • Friday, September 1: Pop-Up Bernie – Call It In (all day on the main campus quad)

USF also has plans to offer an on-campus information table on Monday, September 25t, in recognition of National “If You See Something, Say Something®” Awareness Day through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

“USF’s recognition of National Campus Safety Awareness Month is an opportunity for the university to remind everyone – students, employees, and our neighbors – of the critical role they have in helping to keep our campuses safe while also celebrating their efforts that have resulted in national recognition from WalletHub,” said Dave DiLorenzo, USF Director of Community & Employee Relations.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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The Princeton Review Names USF a Best Regional College

Joliet, Ill. – The University of St. Francis (USF) is one of the 150 best colleges in the Midwest according to The Princeton Review. The education services company lists USF in the Best in the Midwest section of its 2024 Best Colleges: Region by Region listing. The honor marks the sixteenth consecutive year USF has been named to this national listing.

The alphabetically-arranged listing has institutions grouped according to eight different regions: Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast, South, Southwest, West and International. The Princeton Review’s “2024 Best Colleges: Region by Region” recognizes 630 colleges and universities that the organization considers both academically outstanding and a valuable collegiate option.

“USF is dedicated to preparing students to contribute to the world through service and leadership. We continue our work as an institution of higher education to create a shared tomorrow with the communities we serve and the partners with whom we work. National recognitions such as this – a sixteenth consecutive year of recognition by The Princeton Review – demonstrate the University of St. Francis’ longstanding and ongoing commitment to student success in terms of retention and graduation rates and in-field job placements,” USF President Arvid C. Johnson, Ph.D., said.

To learn more about The Princeton Review or to view the listing, please visit princetonreview.com/college-rankings/best-regional-colleges.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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American Red Cross Blood Drive at USF on Tuesday, September 12

Joliet, Ill. – The University of St. Francis (USF) is hosting its first American Red Cross blood drive of the fall 2023 semester on Tuesday, September 12, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Assembly Hall Gymnasium at USF’s St. Clare Campus, which is located at 1550 Plainfield Road in Joliet. The drive is open to the community.

For an appointment, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org and enter “60435” in the red “Find a Blood Drive” box on the home page. You can save up to 15 minutes when you donate blood by using RapidPass. Visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass for more information.

If you are an eligible type O, B – or A – donor, consider making a Power Red donation. Red blood cells are the most commonly transfused blood component.

For more information, please visit redcrossblood.org.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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American Red Cross blood drive - September 2023
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USF Welcomes Br. Michael O’Neill McGrath for “Women in the Church” Lecture Series

Brother Michael O'Neill McGrath

Joliet, Ill. – The University of St. Francis (USF) has announced plans for its 2023 “Women in the Church” lecture series with a closer look at Sr. Thea Bowman, FSPA through the eyes and art of Br. Michael O’Neill McGrath, OSFS. The lecture will take place on Tuesday, October 3, at 7 p.m. in San Damiano Hall, which is located on the third floor of the Motherhouse (520 Plainfield Road in Joliet). The lecture will be preceded by a special Franciscan Transitus Prayer at 6:30 p.m. This free lecture is open to the community. RSVP by Friday, September 29, by phone at 815-740-3398 or by email at afinkle@stfrancis.edu. Walk-ins are also welcome.

About Sr. Thea Bowman

Thea Bowman, FSPA, Servant of God, was a scholar, teacher, musician, liturgist and Black Catholic religious Sister who made major contributions to the ministry of the Catholic Church especially toward African Americans. Gifted with a brilliant mind, beautiful voice and a dynamic personality, Sister Thea shared the message of God’s love through a teaching career.  Later she served as the consultant for intercultural awareness fighting evil, especially prejudice, suspicion, hatred and things that drive people apart.

In 1984, Sr. Thea was diagnosed with breast cancer. She prayed “to live until I die.” In 1989, the U.S. bishops invited her to be a key speaker at their conference on Black Catholics. At the end of the meeting from her wheelchair, at Thea’s invitation, the bishops stood and sang “We Shall Overcome” with gusto. Sr. Thea lived a full life until her death in 1990.

About Br. Michael O’Neill McGrath, OSFS

Br. Michael O’Neill McGrath, OSFS (known as Br. Mickey), paints, writes, and tells stories. He has lived and worked in Camden, NJ since 2009 where he has furthered his art education in the context of social justice and finding beauty in the margins. Visit bromickeymcgrath.com for more information about Br. Mickey and his Bee Still Studio.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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