College of Saint Mary President Dr. Maryanne Stevens, RSM, Receives CASE VI Chief Executive Leadership Award
Omaha, NE – College of Saint Mary (CSM) President Dr. Maryanne Stevens, RSM, was honored on Monday, January 12, 2015, with the Chief Executive Leadership Award at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District VI Conference held in Denver, Colorado. CASE District VI presents this prestigious award yearly to an outstanding president, chancellor, head master or system head of one of the 240 District VI CASE member institutions.
Richard Jeffries, J.D, CSM Board of Directors Chairman and Partner at Cline Williams Wright Johnson & Oldfather, L.L.P, nominated Dr. Stevens for this honor stating, “When Dr. Stevens took the helm, CSM had literally mortgaged its land and incurred debt that threatened to impair the College.” He went on to say, “…Dr. Stevens eliminated CSM’s debt and enhanced its academic offerings. A tenacious fundraiser, Dr. Stevens has upgraded every academic space on campus, secured the construction of a student commons and attracted the $11 million necessary to build Madonna Hall, where single mothers may live and learn with their children in community.”
Deborah Macdonald, J.D., CSM Board of Directors Treasurer and Retired President of Kinder Morgan Natural Gas Pipeline Group, supported Jeffries nomination stating, “In my opinion, Dr. Stevens truly embodies the mission of CSM as a Catholic University dedicated to the education of women in an environment that calls forth potential and fosters leadership.” She continued, “Dr. Stevens is a personal advocate for the underserved minorities in not only the community of Omaha but also the community of women at large…I have been touched and impressed by her innovative programs to reach out to ensure the education of singles mothers; women in our Hispanic and African American communities; undocumented immigrants who have spent their lives in the U.S. school system, with fine academic credentials but without the ability to borrow money to attend college; and any student with the academic potential to successfully complete a CSM education but without the means to do so.”
Dr. Stevens became president of CSM in 1996. College of Saint Mary is the region's only Catholic university for women. Dedicated to creating an environment to call forth potential and foster leadership, College of Saint Mary has developed several innovative programs under the leadership of Dr. Stevens, specifically: a special residence hall allowing college-age single mothers to live with their children on campus; Marie Curie Scholarships for women majoring in biology, chemistry and mathematics; and the development of a unique doctoral program for educators in the health professions. Dr. Stevens serves on several community boards and has made numerous presentations to local and national professional groups on women's issues, the value of gender-specific education and the value of meaningful work.
Dr. Stevens holds a bachelor's degree in math and sociology from College Misericordia in Dallas, Pennsylvania; a master's degree in theology from St. Louis University; and a Ph.D. in religion and education from Boston College.
