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February 2025
Dear Faculty, Staff and Students in the Klingler College of Arts & Sciences,
February greetings! This month’s Mission Week kickoff luncheon featured three A&S alumnae—a mother and two daughters—who are healthcare
professionals; at Marquette they studied biological sciences, psychology, sociology
and Spanish. Their cross-disciplinary work, informed by their shared Catholic faith,
deeply integrates these areas and shows how the difference is in the and. Their panel discussion reflected impressive professional accomplishments and deep
care for others, both qualities much in evidence across our college.
February has found me continuing my pilgrimage of hope. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote: “We must accept our unwanted and unfortunate circumstance and yet cling to a radiant
hope.” Of late, our hope has been tested by external factors. In some ways, that is
nothing new, although the recent challenges have stirred up extraordinary anxiety
in a short period of time. Amid this tumult and uncertainty, something that will not
change is Marquette’s unwavering commitment to our Catholic, Jesuit mission and everything
it entails. Of note are the two Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Society of
Jesus featured in Marquette’s strategic plan: “walk with the excluded” and “care for
our common home.” A letter this month from Pope Francis to the U.S. Bishops reflected these holy and hope-filled
commitments: “[A]n authentic rule of law is verified precisely in the dignified treatment
that all people deserve, especially the poorest and most marginalized.” We must, the
Pope writes, “take a step forward in the construction of a society that is more fraternal,
inclusive and respectful of the dignity of all.”
A pilgrimage is an activity, something one does. It entails practices. What are some
practices that evince walking with the excluded? They could be as simple as offering
a coat or sharing a meal (Lk 3:11). What about practices that deepen care for our
common home? They could include riding the bus or walking rather than taking a car,
which saves fossil fuel and creates opportunity for more caring interactions with
strangers than driving generally does. Caring for our common home most fundamentally calls upon us to strengthen
our relationships with one another. One simple hope-filled practice you may consider
is stopping by the Haggerty Museum of Art to see the exhibit “Parallel Play: The Art of Science and the Science of Art,” co-curated by Dr. Deanna Arble from Biological Sciences; here is a short related video.
The care for others and professional accomplishments among our faculty shine through
in this season of annual performance reviews. Congratulations to our colleagues who were promoted or honored with emeritus status or who received
Way Klingler Awards. We’ll have the chance to celebrate all of them at the upcoming
Distinguished Scholars Reception on March 27 and our all-Colleges faculty and staff
meeting on April 28.
Support from our benefactors signals their hope for our future. This month we secured
significant gifts for faculty support in Chemistry, for our Catholic Schools and Parishes initiative and for mission-based innovation across the College. I’m so grateful to our University
Advancement team—including Molly Eldridge, Siena Boutelle and Matt Engelien—for their
work with our donors and collaboration with many of you to keep the college strong.
Such support is never more appreciated than when our pilgrim journey finds us on rocky
terrain. Recent events have likely eroded our optimism, but they cannot corrupt our
hope. Practices will keep it alive.
As always, please feel free to contact me with questions, concerns or suggestions. I appreciate hearing from you and exploring
ways we can all work together for the common good.
Dr. Heidi Bostic
Dean, Klingler College of Arts and Sciences
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