The award, earned by 203 NAIA member institutions nationwide, honors schools that demonstrate a strong commitment to character-driven athletics . Institutions earn points in five key areas: character training, conduct in competition, academic focus, character recognition, and character promotion . This Gold-level recognition highlights the University’s commitment to the core values of integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership .

BenU Mesa’s achievement reflects the dedication of its student-athletes, coaches, and staff to excellence both on and off the field. Points are awarded based on factors such as outstanding student-athlete GPA achievements and maintaining high standards of sportsmanship with minimal or no ejections throughout the academic year.

Read more about this achievement on our athletics site:

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Attendees explored the collection, which was generously loaned by a ����TV alumnus. Highlights included correspondence and items connected to John Hancock, John Jay, James Madison, John Quincy Adams, George Clinton and others.

The collection belongs to Chris, a 1988 BenU alumnus who asked not to use his last name in order to protect the documents.

“I started collecting the papers and the documents. I would say probably 20 years ago,” Chris said. “The John Hancock piece was the centerpiece of my collection.”

Among the items on display was a land grant signed by George Clinton, a Founding Father who served as Vice President and was New York’s longest-serving Governor. The exhibit also included a John Hancock property document dated Dec. 13, 1771, and an original print of a 1776 magazine.

The event also featured lively entertainment. Choral-Aires delivered a lively barbershop performance, and Maze the Artist captivated the crowd with a live painting celebrating America’s legacy. The artwork created during the event will remain on campus as a lasting tribute.

The celebration extended beyond the lobby as well. In addition to the indoor exhibit in the Daniel L. Goodwin Hall of Business Lobby, the Benedictine Four Corners community came together to create a striking outdoor display. This collaboration, which includes ����TV, St. Procopius Abbey, Villa St. Benedict, Benedictine Sisters, and Benet Academy, resulted in 250 American flags being placed across the intersection of College Road and Maple Avenue. The display added a vibrant visual tribute to the celebration. It was a powerful symbol of what the Four Corners can accomplish when they work together, extending the event’s reach and inviting the entire community to participate in this historic commemoration.

����TV President Joseph J. Foy, PhD, reflected on the significance of this collaboration.

“The Benedictine Four Corners represents something truly special about this community,” said Dr. Foy. “For generations, these institutions have shared a commitment to faith, education, and service. Events like this remind us of the strength we find when we work together. We are deeply grateful for our fellow Four Corners partners and look forward to continuing to strengthen these relationships in the years ahead.”

The University also extends its gratitude to the sponsors, volunteers, and all who attended for making this celebration so meaningful. The strong community turnout demonstrated the enduring interest in America’s founding history and the value of bringing such rare collections to the public.

The event drew attention from local media. NBC Chicago visited the exhibit and spoke with Chris about his collection, offering viewers a glimpse of the rare documents and the story behind them. WGN Radio also covered the event, highlighting the significance of bringing such historical treasures to the western suburbs.

To view the NBC Chicago segment or listen to the WGN Radio coverage, please visit the links below.

NBC Chicago:
WGN Radio:

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In an official notification to ����TV, ACEND wrote, “On behalf of the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics Board, thank you for the program’s engagement throughout the accreditation process. This letter is to notify the Didactic Program in Dietetics at ����TV of the accreditation decision made by the ACEND Board to continue full accreditation for a seven-year term ending June 30, 2033.”

The accreditation followed a rigorous evaluation process, including the program’s self-study report and a comprehensive site visit. The ACEND Board cited the program’s full compliance with ACEND Accreditation Standards.

“Achieving this milestone validates the wisdom of our shared vision evident in the Didactic Program in Dietetics, which is our Undergraduate Nutrition and Dietetics Major at ����TV,” said Paula M. Sochacki, EdD, MPH, RDN, LDN, Director of the DPD program in ����TV’s Department of Nutrition and Public Health. “The ACEND site visit team was extremely impressed with our DPD Program and shared that the enthusiasm, support, and pride was clearly evident amongst everyone. Earning ACEND re-accreditation is a defining milestone and a powerful affirmation for the quality of education we build upon every day.”

The Didactic Program in Dietetics at ����TV provides students with the foundational knowledge required to pursue supervised experiential learning and are eligible to apply for acceptance into accredited Dietetic Internship programs. After successful completion of the accredited Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics, students are eligible to take the Dietetic Technician, Registered exam. Additionally, the undergraduate nutrition major provides a solid knowledge base for those who plan to enter Medical or Chiropractic Schools or pursue graduate school in Nutrition, Nursing, Exercise Physiology, or other allied health programs.

The program emphasizes evidence-based practice, community engagement, and holistic approaches to health and wellness.

Congratulations to Dr. Sochacki on this well-deserved accomplishment. Her leadership, vision, and dedication have been instrumental in achieving this prestigious accreditation and advancing nutrition education at ����TV. For more information about ����TV’s Didactic Program in Dietetics, please visit ben.edu/degree_programs/nutrition-and-dietetics/ or contact Dr. Sochacki at psochacki@ben.edu.

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Before graduates crossed the stage, both campuses held separate Nights of Honor and Gratitude. On Friday, May 8, the Lisle community gathered in Goodwin Auditorium at 5 p.m. to recognize supporters and honor outstanding graduates with academic awards. The evening included an Interfaith Convocation and Awards Ceremony celebrating the diverse faiths on campus.

On Tuesday, May 12, the Mesa campus held its Night of Honor and Gratitude in Gillett Hall at 5 p.m., beginning with a Mass in the Catholic and Benedictine tradition.

Then came Commencement. On Saturday, May 9, the Class of 2026 walked across the stage at the Rice Center Arena in Lisle, leaving behind the offsite Rosemont Theater that had hosted previous graduations. The shift brought the celebration back to the heart of the University. Approximately 400 undergraduate students crossed the stage during the morning ceremony at 10 a.m., followed by 150 graduate students at the 1:30 p.m. ceremony.

In Mesa, graduates held their Commencement Ceremony on Wednesday, May 13, at the Mesa Arts Center. An additional 75 graduates were honored in a celebration distinct to their campus community.

After the final cheers, the new alumni stepped off the stage as graduates of a community they called home.

Relive the week through our official photo albums. View the Lisle Campus album and the Mesa Campus album using the links below.

Watch the recorded live streams. View the Lisle Commencement Livestream and the Mesa Commencement Livestream using the links below.

Congratulations to the ����TV Class of 2026. Welcome back. And welcome to your beginning.

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For 27 years, Professor Joel Ostrow, PhD, has led Benedictine University’s Model UN program. This year marked the University’s 59th year participating at NMUN-New York. Dr. Ostrow praised the team’s leadership and work ethic.

The recognition signals that the delegation successfully represented its assigned state, Georgia, delivered informed speeches, and passed detailed resolutions through collaboration with other delegates.

“This award demonstrates that we were able to work together as a team and collaborate with others to get our ideas across,” said third-year delegate Afrah Zahid.

For the students, the honor also represents something larger. Kaylee Ludwig, a second-year delegate, noted the program’s 60-year history at BenU.

“Any sort of recognition for our program does not only benefit us, but it is a key program that has stood within our University for over 60 years now,” Ludwig said. “It shows how Benedictine as an institution throughout challenge and development has maintained this pivotal program in enhancing students’ educational experience.”

A Program Open to Everyone

Students emphasized that BUMUN is a high impact practice open to all majors, not just political science or international relations students. Simal Mansoor, the team’s head delegate, is a Health Science student who will be attending medical school. She said BUMUN is the thing she will remember most from her college years, and she credits the program with helping her develop public speaking, leadership, and advocacy skills.

Samuel McNamara, a three-year participant, reinforced that message.

“Model UN is a very unique class that offers students the opportunity to push themselves both academically and socially, which is really only possible while in college,” McNamara said. “In many ways, people who are outside of the world of politics gain more from the experience as they have to try to understand and communicate a policy or opinion that they may not understand or agree with. When they go into their respective fields, it will seem easy to advocate and understand concepts they are familiar with.”

Ludwig echoed that the program benefits students from any background.

“The class helped me build my confidence, and in doing so I have become not only a better public speaker and collaborator, but a better student able to conduct myself in a manner that I hadn’t before,” she wrote.

Building Skills and Community

Students described how BUMUN transformed their public speaking, research, and collaboration abilities.

Zahid recalled the difficulty of public speaking at first.

“Every single class, I would be praying that I wouldn’t be called up to give a speech. Public speaking on a whim was never my thing,” said Zahid. “Looking back, I don’t think any other class taught me to condense information and research the way BUMUN did.”

Es Ronquillo described a similar breakthrough.

“I was honestly never a good public speaker, and if I was asked before this class to speak in front of hundreds of people, I would’ve refused,” Ronquillo said. “However, when I got to the conference, I spoke in a large committee of at least 300 people at a time. Without this class, I definitely would’ve never gained, or taken much longer to gain, the confidence to speak in front of that many people.”

Rahman Svoboda noted how the program built practical career skills.

“It also helped me improve skills like negotiation, teamwork, leadership, and critical thinking in a way that feels much more real than a normal classroom environment,” Svoboda said.

Beyond skills, students spoke of the deep community BUMUN creates on campus. For some, it was their first real sense of belonging in college.

“I’ve personally been in three different universities so far and never have I thought I’d have so much camaraderie with people,” Ronquillo wrote. “I never really stayed after class to talk to people, never did fun things outside of class with anyone I went to school with, but that changed with this class.”

Svoboda agreed.

“One of the best parts of BUMUN has been the people. Preparing for the conference together, traveling together, and supporting each other throughout the week created a really strong sense of community within our delegation,” said Svoboda.

Exposure to the World

The conference in New York also gave students exposure to peers from across the country and around the world. Umang Jain, an international student, described the experience as transformative.

“New York City has an energy unlike anywhere else, and being there as a delegate, walking into that conference, representing Benedictine University on a national stage was something I could not have imagined when I first started this journey,” Jain said. “It was intense, it was exciting, and honestly it was one of the best weeks of my college experience.”

Svoboda noted the value of meeting other dedicated students.

“One of the most impactful parts of BUMUN was meeting students from universities across the world and seeing the level of passion and professionalism they brought into the committee. It was motivating and, honestly, a bit eye-opening at times,” Svoboda said. “The conference pushed all of us to improve not only academically, but personally as well.”

Why BUMUN Matters

Students hope the Benedictine University community understands the lasting value of the program.

“BUMUN isn’t simply a class or a club, but it consists of every hallmark that Benedictine University offers and hopes to reflect upon students,” said Ludwig. “Its value is that it ensures exactly what most should be hoping for within an institution which is new, exciting, scary, and rewarding experiences that you will remember when you reflect upon your overall college experience.”

Jain addressed alumni and supporters directly.

“To the alumni and supporters, BUMUN is one of those experiences that is hard to fully explain but easy to feel the impact of. It shapes students in ways that go far beyond a resume line. It builds character, and I think that is what makes it so special.”

Sebastian Delatorre put it simply.

“Being a part of multiple different clubs and playing a sport, Model UN is THE event that I look forward to the most,” Delatorre said. “Meeting new people whether they’re in my class or from another country in conference has been an eye-opening experience. These are students that I will never forget because of the bond we had during class and conference.”

Zahid offered a final thought.

“BUMUN will definitely be a core memory,” she wrote. “I want everyone to know that it truly is an experience of a lifetime.”

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Established in 2011, URSA was created to expand opportunities for undergraduates to lead or collaborate on research projects alongside faculty mentors. Now in its fifteenth year, the event has grown into a cornerstone of BenU’s academic calendar, and the 2026 symposium proved to be one of the most vibrant yet.

From noon-4:30 p.m., Goodwin Hall hosted a packed schedule of oral presentations across three rooms (211, 212, and 213) with three concurrent time blocks running from noon until the late afternoon. Topics ranged from police perceptions of community-oriented policing and the role of music in Native American identity to existentialist analyses of eating disorders, echo chambers on social media, CAR-T cell therapy for solid tumors, and the racialized lens of medical illustration. The presentations reminded all in attendance that URSA interprets “scholarship” in the broadest possible sense.

Meanwhile, the first-floor lobby transformed into a bustling gallery of discovery during the poster session held from 12:30-2:30 p.m. Poster topics ranged from Wolbachia bacteria in arthropods and the neurotoxic effects of microplastics on the brain to AI-driven goose deterrent systems for Lake St. Benedict, the relationship between personality traits and social deduction games, and a winter clothing drive supporting survivors of domestic violence.

Students from the natural sciences presented research findings on large-format posters, while peers from the humanities and arts displayed original creative work, including visual art installations and descriptions of original musical compositions.

Faculty, staff, and students filled the hallways and session rooms, offering thoughtful questions and enthusiastic support. For many presenters, URSA served as a vital “dry-run” for larger regional conferences later this spring. But for all involved, the event was a celebration of what happens when BenU students are given a stage to share their curiosity.

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Sponsored by Lilly Endowment Inc. and administered through the , the Lilly Faculty Fellows Program is designed to nurture faculty leadership, strengthen the integration of faith and learning, and support the development of mission-centered teaching and campus programming. Fellows participate in multi-year cohorts that provide structured mentoring, attendance at national Lilly conferences, collaborative seminars, and resources to design high-impact projects that advance institutional mission, faculty formation, and student learning.

As Lilly Faculty Fellows, Drs. Granic and McCarthy will lead a campus initiative titled “Serving Together: Benedictine Leadership Through Community Action.” The project brings together faculty from the humanities and the sciences on both the Lisle and Mesa campuses to model interdisciplinary leadership grounded in the Rule of St. Benedict and Catholic Social Teaching. Through a series of presentations, roundtable discussions, and collaborative workshops with academic mentors and community partners, the initiative will generate innovative curricular approaches that integrate ethical reflection, service learning, and evidence-based inquiry. Faculty participants will work across disciplines and across ����TV’s Lisle and Mesa campuses to develop assignments that encourage students to practice deep listening, hospitality, shared decision-making, and responsible action for the common good.

This recognition is especially meaningful for BenU as a Catholic institution rooted in the Benedictine tradition. The Lilly Faculty Fellows Program directly supports the University’s mission by fostering faculty leadership that integrates intellectual rigor, moral formation, and service to others. Drs. Granic and McCarthy’s project reflects core Benedictine values—Community, Ora et Labora, Respect for Persons, and Stewardship—while strengthening collaboration across disciplines and campuses. Their work will help form students not only as skilled professionals but as ethically-grounded leaders inspired by faith, reason, and a commitment to the common good.

����TV congratulates Drs. Granic and McCarthy on this significant achievement and looks forward to the lasting impact their Lilly Faculty Fellowship will have on faculty, students, and the wider University community.

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Over the years, he has maintained research collaborations and visiting faculty appointments with those two institutions as well as the Synchrotron Radiation Center associated with the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Dr. Marin maintains a vibrant research agenda with over 50 peer-reviewed publications. As a spectroscopist truly working at the boundary between physics and chemistry, Dr. Marin’s work has ranged from ultrafast photophysics to radiation-induced fast kinetics, radiation- and photo-induced radical chemistry, and vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy. He has served on various committees and in many roles for the American Chemical Society (ACS), both at the local and national level, including Chair of the Chicago Section and member of the National ACS Council.

A strong supporter of the liberal arts tradition in Catholic higher education, Dr. Marin enjoys exploring the “great questions” that lie at the interface of science, theology, and philosophy. To that end, he also serves as Vice President and founder of the Chicago area chapter of the Society of Catholic Scientists. In his spare time, Dr. Marin is busy is a semi-professional musician and serves as musical director, arranger, and bassist for the Nite Hawks jazz combo, the Tim Marin Orchestra, and the Chi-Town Showstoppers R&B/soul band.

“I am honored to be elected to this role. The Lilly Network has been a true friend to ����TV, generously supporting programs that bring our Catholic and Benedictine mission to life,” said Dr. Marin. “Serving on their National Board is a meaningful way for me to give back and to express my gratitude for the remarkable generosity they have shown both to the University and to my own professional journey.”

Dr. Marin’s appointment as a Lilly Faculty Fellow is a point of great pride for BenU. His selection reflects the very integration of rigorous scholarship, faithful exploration, and dedicated service that we strive to embody as a Catholic and Benedictine institution. Dr. Marin’s work in advancing scientific discovery and in thoughtfully engaging the dialogue between science and faith exemplifies our commitment to educating the whole person and contributing to the greater good. We are confident he will bring valuable insight to the Lilly Network and are delighted to see his exceptional contributions recognized in this national forum.

Founded in 1991, the (formerly the Lilly Fellows Program) seeks to strengthen the quality and shape the character of church-related institutions of higher learning through a variety of fellowships and regranting efforts. The Lilly Network is based at Christ College, the interdisciplinary honors college of Valparaiso University in Northwest Indiana, and is sustained by the generous support of Lilly Endowment Inc. ����TV joined the Lilly Network in 1999.

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The official notification arrived confirming that the program has been granted the maximum five-year initial accreditation, a significant achievement that reflects the program’s high quality and rigorous standards.

“Receiving the news that the DNP in Executive Leadership program received its initial CCNE accreditation is a testament to all the nursing faculty, staff, and administrators who collaborated to launch ����TV’s first doctoral nursing program,” said BenU Professor and Graduate Program Director for Nursing Alison Ridge, DNP, RN, CNE. “I am incredibly proud of the work our doctoral students and recent alumnae (cohort 1 graduated in August) are doing to improve patient and population health. They are exceptional leaders who are well positioned to advance nursing and shape healthcare now and into the future.”

The accreditation process is a comprehensive review of a program’s curriculum, academic support, faculty, and student and program outcomes.

Receiving accreditation demonstrates that BenU’s DNP program meets the highest national standards for nursing education and provides students with exceptional preparation to become transformation leaders of nursing practice and healthcare.

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The schedule commenced on Wednesday with Journeys in Leadership with BenU alum Kelly Carlson, MBA, ’91, and continued on Friday with the Alumni Achievement Awards. Saturday, Oct. 4, featured both academic and traditional activities. The morning began with the return of the Organizational Developlment (OD) Lecture Series featuring David Jamieson, PhD, a nationally-recognized thought leader in OD, who led a session on building adaptive organizations and leading change with clarity.

Following the lecture, the focus shifted to the annual Homecoming Tailgate in the Rice Center Parking Lot. Alumni from various classes, including the honored Golden Eagles from the Class of 1975, gathered at tents hosted by the Goodwin College of Business and Liberal Arts, the College of Science and Health, the Black Alumni Network, the Eagle Club, and BenU Library and Archives. The Homecoming football game against Rockford began at 1 p.m., where the Eagles secured a decisive 42-9 victory.

In addition to the tailgate and football game, there was also a dedicated evening event for the Golden Eagles. Classmates and guests gathered in The Pub at Coal Ben for music, dinner, and camaraderie. The class of 1965 had a similar event on the fifth floor of Kindlon Hall as well.

The weekend served as a successful occasion for the ����TV community to celebrate tradition and reinforce connections between the University and its alumni.

To view photos from this year’s Homecoming, click on the link

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