Blogs

As Brother Ray Fitz, S.M., steps down this summer as the Father Ferree Professor of Social Justice, I chatted with him about the University of Dayton’s role as an anchor institution in our community — and why our civic engagement matters.

In a partnership with the Marianists, business students will support the dreams of budding entrepreneurs — mostly women — in one of the least-developed parts of the world by awarding microloans to support start-ups and small business expansion.

When alumni travel home for Reunion Weekend, they’ll see big swaths of the city devastated by tornadoes and even bigger hearts reaching out in countless ways as the people of Dayton have come together in a can-do spirit of resiliency.

Rachel Carr ’20 traveled 1,200 miles from home to attend a university in Texas because she wanted to open up her world. Only her world, she discovered, is actually right here in her hometown on the University of Dayton’s campus.

“Hey, who took my parking spot?” Visitors to Daniel J. Curran Place, home of the University of Dayton Research Institute, are doing a double take when they realize a gigantic Hercules C-130 aircraft has spread its wings in a corner of the spacious south parking lot.

“Is this the first time on campus for anyone?” Lizzy Craft, admission and financial aid counselor, asked a roomful of trustees and administrators. We all laughed, but, because we were being treated like visitors, it felt like the first time.

I love this time of the academic year, with all its pomp and circumstance — and its great joy. It’s always a touching weekend, one that will be made even more special this year when the University awards an honorary doctor of fine arts degree to Ro Nita Hawes-Saunders, CEO of the world-class Dayton Contemporary Dance Company.

This is an inspiring story about the American dream. Lived by a Chinese immigrant. It’s a real-life narrative about perseverance, hard work, ingenuity, honor, selflessness — and gratitude.

When I walked into Daniel J. Curran Place for the building’s long-awaited dedication and blessing, the realization hit me full force. This property — with its grand facade adorned with Dr. Dan’s name, a prairie taking root under the solar arrays on the massive front lawn, and Appalachian redbud trees blooming along the lagoon in Old River Park — is a metaphor for new life.