School of Business ranked among the nation’s elite

The Leavey School of Business has joined the nation’s elite business schools, as it is included for the first time in the annual “Top Business Schools” list published in April by U.S. News and World Report magazine.

In addition, in a separate ranking by the magazine of the nation’s parttime MBA programs, SCU vaulted into the list of top 10 graduate schools.

The overall business school rankings also reported that SCU’s business school received the 14th highest score in a national survey of business recruiters.

“The distinguished scholarship of our faculty, along with the quality of our students, and the recognition of our many alumni who lead dynamic, profitable organizations contribute to the growing recognition for the Leavey School of Business,” said Barry Z. Posner, dean of the business school and professor of leadership.

The University is in the midst of a $350 million fundraising campaign, a centerpiece of which is a new $40 million business school. The number of applications for the school’s MBA program has increased for two consecutive years.

In recent years, the business school added Saturday classes and an executive MBA program. This fall, the school will offer a master of science in information systems.

School of Law named among top 100 in country

Santa Clara University’s School of Law was again named one of the top 100 law schools in the country by U.S. News & World Report. The annual graduate school ranking also listed the law school as one of the five most diverse programs in the country.

“The high ranking is a reflection of our outstanding faculty, which includes many nationally recognized legal scholars, dedicated staff, and our intellectually rigorous program,” says Donald Polden, dean of the School of Law. “Moreover, our consistent high ranking is reflected in the more than 5,300 applications to the 2004 entering class.”

Applications to the SCU School of Law have more than doubled since 2001.

The survey also found that 93 percent of SCU law school students were employed nine months after graduation- an increase of 3 percent over 2003 employment figures.

“The synergy created by our location, our well-connected alumni, and our close association with the technology and business communities in the valley is invaluable for our graduates-especially in this economy,” Polden adds.

The magazine also reported that the School of Law is one of the most racially and ethnically diverse in the U.S. Out of 200 nationally accredited law schools, only three were considered as having a more diverse student body.

The survey also ranked SCU’s intellectual property and high technology law program as one of the top 15 in the country.

Ignatian Award recipients honored for service to their communities

On March 13, the SCU Alumni Association bestowed its highest honor on four alumni whose lives reflect the ideals of excellence, judgment, worldliness, and service. Established in 1981, the Ignatian Award recognizes those alumni who have been a credit to the University for outstanding achievement in service and humanity.

Kathleen (Habing) Anderson ’72

As an active participant in the SCU Alumni for Others program, Kathleen Anderson ’72 leads the annual Inner City Tutoring Program in Los Angeles. In this program, SCU alumni and friends tutor inner-city students preparing for the Catholic high school entrance exam. Anderson organizes all of the adult volunteers, assigns them to classrooms, and conducts training sessions. In this last year alone, more than 300 students from 30 inner-city middle schools in the Los Angeles area benefited from this program. She is also executive director of the Catholic Education Foundation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Bro. James Siwicki, S.J., director of community service and spiritual programs for SCU’s Alumni Office, says he can think of “few persons who more fully embody the qualities we hope our graduates will exhibit” than Anderson.

Michelle Benedetto ’97

Michelle Benedetto is an Equal Justice Works Fellow at the Legal Aid Society of San Diego, where she created the Youth Outreach Project. Through clinics in drop-in centers and soup kitchens, the project provides direct civil legal services to emancipated youth and youth aging out of foster care. In addition, the project connects at-risk youth to pro-bono attorneys in San Diego County, providing mentoring relationships and legal services. The project is the first of its kind in the nation, and it has sparked interest in many other large cities. While a student at SCU, Benedetto ran a program for homeless teens.

Philip Ernstrom ’52

Philip Ernstrom is a retired physician who worked as a general surgeon at Valley Medical Center and O’Connor Hospital for 30 years. Since 1995, Ernstrom has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, where he works at the construction sites, trains and mentors new volunteers, and serves as chair of the building committee. Ernstrom is also a dedicated volunteer and supporter of his parish, St. Mary’s in Los Gatos, where he serves as a lector, eucharistic minister, and RCIA sponsor. Ernstrom’s daughters, Natalee ’81 and Patricia ’88, say their father’s “character and commitment to lifelong learning, spirituality, and community service exemplify the Ignatian ideals central to Santa Clara’s educational philosophy.”

Brian Mack ’92

After graduating from SCU, Brian Mack worked for two years in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Seattle, serving first as an advocate for the homeless at the Downtown Emergency Service Center and then as a teacher at Seattle Preparatory High School. During that second year, Mack began working with developmentally disabled adults through the L’Arche Community in Seattle, and he continues to volunteer there today. For several years, Mack has helped coordinate the Interfaith Peace and Justice Center’s “Seattle Urban Plunge,” an annual community service day. At Seattle Prep, Mack coordinates community service programs, creates “urban plunge” service days, leads spring break Habitat for Humanity projects, facilitates retreats, organizes food, clothing, and blood drives, and teaches in the classroom. Sean Walsh ’00 says Mack “more than anyone I have ever met…lives his Catholic values in every aspect of his life. Each decision he makes seems based on justice and a desire to do what Jesus would do.”