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The Online Magazine for Alumni and Friends of Siena Heights University
Siena Heights student-athletes earned a 3.09 GPA in the fall 2016 semester. Leading the way was the women’s golf team with a 3.61 GPA, followed by the softball team (3.57). Every women’s team earned a 3.0 or higher, with an aggregate GPA of 3.33 on the women’s side. The men’s teams were led by the men’s soccer team with a 3.42 GPA. The men’s aggregate GPA was a 2.91.
Basketball
Women: The Saints (24-10) fell to No. 11 Morningside (Iowa) 90-73 in the opening round of the NAIA National Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa. SHU also dropped a 77-39 decision to No. 7 Davenport in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference tournament championship. Senior April Watson was named a first team NAIA All-American, the first player in program history to earn the honor. The forward/center averaged 19.4 points, 11.3 rebounds and two blocks a game this season. Watson finished eighth all-time in scoring with 1,073 points in just two seasons with the program. She also finished first in scoring average (16.8) and sixth all-time with 661 total rebounds. Watson also holds the single-season rebounding record with 383, set this season. She also completed her career with a SHU record 129 career blocks. Watson was also named to the All-Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference first team and also garnered a spot on the all-defensive team. Senior guard Jaaliyah Arrington earned a spot on the All-WHAC second team, as well as on the all-academic team. Demi Russell was named to the conference’s all-freshman team, with Avery Chezem the team’s Champions of Character recipient. The Saints, who appeared in the national tournament for the fourth time, finished 23rd in the final NAIA Top 25 poll.
Michael Donovan Chooses a Retirement of Helping Others on Chicago’s South Side
Michael Donovan ’75 chooses to see the best in humanity, even when it is at its worst.
As someone who witnessed the World Trade Center attack on that tragic day of Sept. 11, 2001, Donovan had no choice but to watch the horror unfold from his Manhattan IRS office just across the street from Ground Zero.
However, when he retired at age 50 after a distinguished nearly 30-year IRS career, he did have a choice. He could do pretty much whatever he wanted during his retirement years. But instead of spending his time sitting on a beach in Florida, Donovan moved to Chicago to volunteer in prison ministry and restorative justice efforts.
“I knew it was time to give back,” said Donovan of his decision to get involved in helping those involved with violence and conflict. “I absolutely felt I did not have the time while I was working to give back. I wanted something substantive, and jail ministry and working in the inner city seemed like the right thing to do.”
For the past 13 years, he spends most of his days visiting prisoners at penitentiaries around the State of Illinois, and nights helping with the Precious Blood of Reconciliation ministry in Chicago’s infamous South Side. Donovan, a devout Catholic, said he believes this is what he was called to do.
Editor’s Note: This is an occasional Reflections series, and this issue features Siena Heights chemistry graduate Dr. Amir Tamiz ’92, who heads the Division of Translational Research for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes (NINDS) in Washington, D.C..
Could you describe your current role and some of the duties and responsibilities you have on a day-to-day basis?
“I work at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), which is focused to seek fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease. The NINDS is one of 27 institutes at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Within NINDS, I head the Division of Translational Research, which is tasked with accelerating the preclinical discovery and development of new therapeutic interventions for neurological disorders and stroke. We provide funding and resources (approximately $100 million annually) through grants, cooperative agreements and contracts to academic and industry researchers to advance basic research technologies, devices and therapeutic programs to first in human clinical trials and commercialization, with the hope to get therapies for patients who need them. DTR helps academic and industry researchers create a bridge through which discoveries made in the lab lead to new and improved medical treatments and options for patient care. We offer a variety of programs that support the design, implementation, and management of research activities critical to translational challenges in the treatment of neurological disease and stroke.
