Staff Report

The four Catholic colleges located within the Archdiocese of Cincinnati have each made new in recent weeks. Here’s a look at what’s happening at each school.

Dayton building boom

The University of Dayton is investing $17 million during the next two years to build and upgrade housing in its distinctive student neighborhoods, home to most of the school’s juniors and seniors.

Beth Keyes, vice president for facilities and campus operations, said that between now and August, 2017, the University will complete a $6 million renovation of the Garden Apartments on the south side of East Stewart Street, build $5 million of new infill housing and construct a new $6 million mixed-use facility on the site of the McGinnis Center in the heart of the south student neighborhood.

The two-year program will accommodate a growing student population and strong student demand for University-owned housing, Keyes said. The new housing will be certified green, with features such as insulation, energy-efficient furnaces and appliances, tankless water heaters and airtight windows.

Next year, Keyes also expects to start construction on a $6 million multi-use facility on the site of the 90-year old McGinnis Center, which will be removed. The current concept is for a structure similar in design to the Caldwell Street apartments. It’s envisioned to provide housing for 96 students on three floors above ground-floor multipurpose space for student services and meetings, including student worship gatherings.

New degrees at XavierMembers of the Xavier University Board of Trustees have approved two new graduate programs created in direct response to the growing demand for business professionals trained to gather and analyze data.

A Master of Science in Health Economic and Clinical Outcomes Research (HECOR) will begin in Fall 2015.  A Master of Science in Customer Analytics (CA) will begin in Fall 2016.

The HECOR degree is for professionals with a passion for solving problems using the latest health data to improve care. It offers students a foundation in health economics and health services research and is designed to train students to conduct both clinical and economic evaluations to make the best health care decisions. Employees in this field examine the risks and benefits of interventions including drugs, medical devices and biotechnology.

The CA Master’s degree is designed to help meet the growing local, regional, national, and global demand for strong analytics professionals. Research by McKinsey Global Research Institute forecasts a 50% to 60% gap between the supply and demand for people with deep analytic talent, affectionately known as “data geeks.”

Chatfield graduates largest class yetChatfield College in St. Martin and Cincinnati held its 44th commencement exercises on Saturday, May 16, honoring 79 graduates – the largest graduating class in the college’s history.

The ceremony was held at St. Veronica Church in Mt. Carmel, OH. The graduates included students from both the St. Martin and Cincinnati campuses who either completed the requirements for graduation or will complete the requirements during the summer session.

The Honorable Jack Sherman, retired US Magistrate Judge of the US District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, gave the commencement address.

Mount St. Joseph Lion roars way into NFL

John Peters became the first Mount St. Joseph University football player to sign a NFL contract earlier this month.

“J.P. has worked extremely hard for this opportunity,” said Rod Huber, head football coach for the Mount. “Getting a chance to play in the NFL was a goal he set several years ago. He is 6-foot-8 which makes him a great target at the tight end position for any NFL team but being a member of the Cincinnati Bengals would be a dream come true.”

Peters, who took off spring semester from studying for his degree in sport management to train, worked with Dan Yost, Mount assistant professor of sport management who is not just his advisor, but also an attorney and sports agent.

Yost helped Peters find a training facility that would get him ready for the NFL Combine, but Peters suffered an injury so he didn’t get a chance for scouts to see him play. Peters was able to get a local tryout with the Bengals’ Rookie Mini-Camp, and the result was a signed contract.

“He’s the first Lion to sign a NFL contact,” said Huber. “We’re all very proud of him.”

 Posted May 27, 2015