91快活林

The following students were named to the spring 2025 Dean's List at 91快活林.

91快活林 President Sandra Cassady, Ph.D., has been named one of Kansas City鈥檚 2025 Women of Influence by the Kansas City Business Journal.

As the fall semester ended, so too did senior Molly Morris鈥� competitive cross country career.

The shouts of "Habemus Papam!" broke out as soon as the white smoke appeared from the chimney, visible to the massive crowd gathered to witness the papal conclave at ground zero in St. Peter鈥檚 Square in Vatican City. Among them was Sister Allison Zink, 鈥�18, a member of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Recognizing a need to provide opportunities for those affected by ongoing reductions in force at federal agencies, 91快活林 officials have announced a new tuition discount program designed to provide retraining and educational opportunities for recently displaced members of the U.S. federal workforce.

It鈥檚 been a storybook season for 91快活林鈥檚 women鈥檚 tennis team, and like a lot of good stories, one of redemption. In 2024, the squad fell to the University of Indianapolis in the Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament and narrowly missed out on a NCAA tournament bid. Jamie McDonald, head coach for the team, said that loss helped motivate the team coming into its next season.

The area where 91快活林 and the University of Missouri Kansas City are located include hundreds of neighbors as well as approximately 15,000 college students. That means a lot of people walking back and forth across the busy Troost Avenue, each day. On May 9, city and university officials together dedicated a new stoplight at the intersection of 51st Street and Troost to make all of that pedestrian travel safer.

More than 600 students earned their degrees from 91快活林 at its annual commencement ceremony May 10. The culmination of those students鈥� academic lives to date in Kansas City鈥檚 Municipal Auditorium is a chance for graduates to celebrate with each other and loved ones as their degrees are officially conferred.

Summary

James Brown, known to many as JB, is no stranger to Kansas City. He said he has visited the city many times as a longtime broadcaster on 鈥淭he NFL Today鈥� on CBS and elsewhere. He knows the Chiefs, obviously, but also local landmarks like the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and has opinions on barbecue (but also knows enough not to pick a favorite).

U.S. News and World Report released its Best Grad Schools 2025 rankings Tuesday, with several programs in the College of Business and Technology ranked among the nation鈥檚 best, along with several of 91快活林鈥檚 health sciences programs.

Hoping to offer another unique opportunity for students and further enhance the gameday experience for spectators, 91快活林 athletics today announced the addition of pep band to its slate of offerings starting in fall 2026.

Yu Liu, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry, knows that organic chemistry has a bit of a reputation. It鈥檚 an innately difficult subject; a crucible for generations of science majors at Rockhurst. Despite being the face of what many consider Rockhurst鈥檚 most difficult class, Liu was named Faculty of the Year by students at the Festival of Student Achievement in April. How does he do it?

91快活林 has been recognized in several categories as among the best in the country by Colleges of Distinction.

Each spring, a handful of students in the University鈥檚 criminal justice program are invited to be part of the Innocence Project course. This small group spends their semester reviewing a case where an incarcerated person has raised questions of innocence. Their goal is to review the case and report to the Kansas City-based Midwest Innocence Project whether they believe a case for innocence exists.

Denny Thum, a 1974 graduate of 91快活林 who spent 36 years with the Kansas City Chiefs during one of the franchise鈥檚 most successful periods, will be honored by his alma mater with the Rashford-Lyon Award for Leadership and Ethics as part of the 91快活林 Leadership Series on Wednesday, April 2.

Recommitting itself to its students, staff, faculty and alumni, and redefining its place in higher education, 91快活林 has unveiled updated branding and messaging including its new tagline, 鈥淟ead with Courage. Live with Purpose.鈥�

Students, faculty, staff and community members alike are invited to take part in a recognition Friday, Jan. 24, of the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

For almost a quarter century, Bill Kriege has been a part of the spiritual journey for countless 91快活林 students.

91快活林 has announced the dean鈥檚 list for the fall 2024 semester. This honor recognizes students who have achieved a grade-point average of 3.5 or above.

The world is about to get more Jesuit-educated health care, education and business professionals. That鈥檚 after a series of hooding and pinning ceremonies Saturday that marked the completion of studies for more than 200 students in several 91快活林鈥檚 graduate degree programs and its Bachelor of Science in nursing program.

For many years, lacrosse was life for Dominic Diaz, who is about to graduate with his Occupational Therapy Doctorate. He knows the history of the sport, its regional variations, and the strategy behind the game itself. He played at the collegiate level and coached at all levels up to high school.

91快活林 has received the NCAA Presidents' Award for Academic Excellence for achieving four-year Academic Success Rates of 90% or higher for the 14th consecutive year.

鈥淗oliday Touchdown: a Chiefs Love Story鈥� is an all-new Hallmark Channel feature film that, as the title implies, is set in and around Kansas City and revolves around the Kansas City Chiefs. It鈥檚 set to premiere Nov. 30, complete with a red-carpet premiere, and features familiar locations in the city. Among them is an antique store on the Independence, Missouri, Square called The Keeping Room that has a connection to Rockhurst.

Jacob Scallorn, 鈥�15, has a lot to be thankful for 鈥� and he鈥檒l be the first to admit it. About 15 years ago, he was a deep in the cycle of addiction. He had lost seven jobs in eight months and wrecked his car twice. 鈥淕od put me on the bench,鈥� is how he puts it. But then something amazing happened 鈥� Scallorn said he entered rehab and it changed not just his physical health, but his mental wellbeing. He began to say 鈥測es鈥� to doing hard things and to devoting time and effort to accomplishing goals.

On Friday, leaders from 91快活林 and Kansas City University signed a pivotal new agreement establishing and accelerated pathway for high school students and others to earn KCU鈥檚 medical and health care degrees.

In a recent study, two members of the 91快活林 community 鈥� an alumna and a faculty member 鈥� sought to glean lessons from how one veterans service organization approached inspiring young vets to stay connected and continue to serve after their military careers were over.

Ben Winbinger had experience with robotics. But when it came time to look for a community work study position through 91快活林 helping mentor younger students in robotics wasn鈥檛 an opportunity he knew existed. But he took a chance.

The Best Colleges 2025 list from U.S. News and World Report is out today, and in it, 91快活林 has entered the top 10 on the list of best universities in the Midwest.

Music Sacra Chorus and Orchestra, the ensemble-in-residence 91快活林, is a unique musical entity.

On Wednesday, 11 new Hawks joined 91快活林鈥檚 worldwide alumni network. And in receiving their associate of arts in liberal studies degrees, these students earned another distinction 鈥� they became the first graduates of the University鈥檚 Companions in Chillicothe program at Chillicothe Correctional Center, located about an hour and a half northeast of Kansas City.

What was on your summer to-do list? Beach time? Internship? Visiting friends? For an unprecedented number of Hawks in 91快活林鈥檚 graduate programs, the answer was 鈥済et started on my future.鈥� A total of 1,023 students were enrolled in graduate programs at the University during the summer term.

The Missouri Department of Conservation and the Missouri Community Forestry Council recently announced 91快活林 has been awarded a 2024 Missouri Arbor Award of Excellence in the business and institution category, recognizing the outstanding efforts by the University to improve and preserve the natural environment on campus and beyond.

Phil Hageman, 鈥�13, passed away tragically and suddenly in December 2021. On Tuesday, members of his family 鈥� parents Tom and Vicki and sister Naomi, 鈥�17, 鈥�19 CSD 鈥� helped members of the University community dedicate a new site on campus that honors his passion and his memory.

The votes are in. On Monday, Kansas City Favorites, a magazine published by the Kansas City Star that ranks the best in everything from restaurants to law firms in the area, named 91快活林 the top higher educational institution in the Kansas City metro.

The J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation has given 91快活林 a $900,000 challenge grant to fund the construction of a new campus chapel.

91快活林 has announced the dean鈥檚 list for the spring 2024 semester. This honor recognizes students who have achieved a grade-point average of 3.5 or above.

91快活林鈥檚 Saint Luke鈥檚 College of Nursing and Health Sciences will once again expand its specialized nursing certificate offerings with the launch of the Registered Nurse First Assistance program starting in fall 2024.

Close to 800 undergraduate and graduate students walked across the stage at Kansas City鈥檚 Municipal Auditorium as part of 91快活林鈥檚 annual commencement ceremony on Saturday.

Representatives from 91快活林 are part of a select delegation from higher education invited to the White House today to help unveil a national strategy to increase equity in the STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine).

Half a century after 91快活林 started its first women鈥檚 athletic programs, female sports are stronger than ever.

Two specialty graduate business programs at 91快活林鈥檚 College Business and Technology are ranked among the top 30 in the nation, alongside rankings for occupational therapy, physical therapy and communication sciences and disorders, in the Best Grad Schools list released today by U.S. News & World Report.

91快活林 Leadership Series guest Kevin Roose said AI is changing the landscape of the workforce, but gave three pieces of advice to those in the audience who felt uneasy about this technology

On Saturday, hundreds of 91快活林 students will receive their degrees in front of family members and friends during the spring commencement ceremony at Municipal Auditorium. Below, a few members of the Class of 2024 tell their stories.

As part of the 91快活林 Leadership Series event Tuesday night, the University honored Dave Harrison, 鈥�81, founder and president of VanTrust Real Estate, with this year鈥檚 award. In more than 40 years in commercial real estate, Harrison company has left a recognizable mark on Kansas City and beyond.

A premier Kansas City educational institution with deep roots in whole-person learning, leadership and service and a local business are announcing an exciting new partnership to elevate their brand, tell their story and welcome more students.

Senior Caroline Knopke said she grew up diving 鈥� 鈥渋t's the only sport I've really ever known,鈥� she said 鈥� and competed through high school. When it came time to choose a college, she found herself drawn to 91快活林. But that meant the end of her competitive diving career (though she would still coach a local girls鈥� team). Until this year.

Niche, one of the largest online college search resources for students, has ranked 91快活林鈥檚 nursing program as the best in Missouri in their Best Colleges 2025 rankings.

Nhukha (鈥�21) and Nhukim (December '22) Nguyen are many things, but first and foremost they are sisters and best friends. Born two years apart, they are also the daughters of Vietnam immigrants, as well as student and community leaders, Buddhists, and Rockhurst Hawks.

The University prides itself in living out the slogan 鈥淎 Home for All,鈥� which includes different faiths and diverse backgrounds. Its faith tradition is 鈥渙ne of invitation and inclusion, not of expectation or requirement.鈥� 

LaTisha Davis may have a business card that says 91快活林 Director of Multicultural Belonging and Engagement, but her role can be simplified to one thing for students: She鈥檚 here to be your person if you need one.

Everyone needs a support system and to feel like they鈥檙e included, and before she was the University鈥檚 first director of the office, Davis was a first-generation student from a marginalized background trying to fit in at Wichita State University.

It鈥檚 completely normal for a college student to see something they want and decide it鈥檚 too expensive 鈥� especially shoes. And especially Nike Air Jordans, which can run into six figures depending on what you鈥檙e looking for鈥� unless you can make them yourself and sell them to musicians and athletes.

There was a unique addition to the Thomas More Dining Hall that may have caught your eye this year. Renovations to the dining hall during the summer of 2021 brought with it the introduction of a hydroponics grow room offering an alternative to soil gardening.

Hydroponic gardens produce more plants quickly with less space and less water than soil gardening. This system utilizes nutrient-rich water and recycled soda bottles as a mesh-type medium that serves as the soil alternative to support the roots of the plants in grow towers.

91快活林 will honor Alvin Brooks, longtime Kansas City leader in social justice and civil rights, with the establishment of the Alvin Brooks Center for Faith-Justice on campus. The center will house many of the university鈥檚 faith-justice related efforts, including a chapel, mission and ministry programs, and diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Work has begun to raise funds for the center and to identify a location and construction and design partners.

As the August 18-20 move-in days approach at Rockhurst, students are using videos to encourage incoming Hawks to be sure they are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Since 2004, 91快活林 has marked the solemn occasion of Yom Hashoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, with an interfaith ceremony in partnership with the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education.

This year, in addition to a ceremonial reading on Kinerk Commons of names of those killed by the Nazis during the Holocaust 鈥� a list that includes 152 members of the Society of Jesus 鈥� the day included another symbolic gesture of interfaith cooperation and companionship.

91快活林 Companions,

After securing all but nearly $1 million of the expected $23 million cost, 91快活林 will begin construction on the renovation of a campus cornerstone, Sedgwick Hall, into the future home of the Saint Luke鈥檚 College of Health Sciences at 91快活林.

Spanning centuries, styles and places of origin, the Van Ackeren Collection of Religious Art at 91快活林 is something of a treasure on campus.

Each piece in the collection has a story behind it, but unfortunately are currently unavailable for viewing both because of ongoing renovations to Sedgwick Hall (the pieces are currently being safely stored offsite) and a citywide stay at home order to combat the spread of covid-19.