CDU Blog

Dr. Marianne Evans Mount was recently appointed as a consultor to the Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education. This 5-year assignment recognizes her many years of service in the innovative realm of Catholic distance education. Dr. Mount is the only American to receive this honor, and Catholic Distance University is the only U.S. institution represented.

She was also invited to prepare an article for the Congregation for Catholic Education’s quarterly academic journal, educatio Catholica. Her article was published in the latest issue; its theme is Distance Learning in Ecclesi-
astical Universities and Faculties.

On August 2, 2022, Dr. Marianne Evans Mount will serve on a panel at the International Federation of Catholic Universities’ General Assembly being held at Boston College. The panel will address ways that Catholic universities serve the common good. She will speak about CDU’s prison ministry program, mission scholars program, and CDU’s institutional mission to provide online, very affordable digital education throughout the world on the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Christendom College will honor Dr. Marianne Evans Mount with its St. Catherine of Siena Award for distinguished service to the Church and Catholic education
at its 45th anniversary convocation on Saturday, September 17, 2022. We are proud of our president for her many contributions to Catholic education throughout her nearly 40-year career with CDU and congratulate our friends
at Christendom College on their milestone anniversary.

The 39th annual gala will be held at the St. John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, November 17, 2022. We look forward to seeing you in person as we honor Founder’s Award recipient The Most Reverend Salvatore Cordileone, Archbishop of San Francisco. The event’s Master of Ceremonies is The Very Reverend Joseph R. Gibino, who is both a Pastor and the Vicar for Evangelization and Catechesis of the Diocese of Brooklyn. The evening will begin with a Mass and graduation for CDU’s class of 2022. A cocktail hour, dinner, and remarks from Archbishop Cordileone will follow. Save the date, tell your friends, and get excited for an event that you will not want to miss.

Dr. Elizabeth Shaw was named associate dean of accreditation. She currently teaches philosophy and is also associate editor of the quarterly journal The Review of Metaphysics.

Cynthia Stalcup, a 2020 honors graduate of CDU’s MA in Theology and Educational Ministry program, joined the staff as catechetical subject specialist and Student Life coordinator. Stalcup has been active in parish youth ministry since 1992 in the Diocese of Arlington. She currently serves as a catechist at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Ashburn, Virginia, and is also CDU’s Outstanding Graduate of the Year.

Stephanie Garrett is our new librarian. With more than 30 years of business, development, and leadership experience, she will engage and support students while growing the digital library. She previously served as executive director of Tenn-share, a Tennessee library consortium in Nashville. Garrett has a Master
of Science degree in Information Sciences from the University of Tennessee and also earned a BA in Theology from Aquinas College in Nashville, where she graduated with honors.

A retirement celebration for Dr. Charles R. Wasaff was held on June 10th and hosted by the Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of Arlington. Dr. Wasaff, a trustee since 2012 and chairman from October 2017 until March 15th, was honored for his strategic leadership. As the first elected lay chairman of the Board of Trustees, he led CDU through rigorous accreditation processes, and accreditation with ATS was granted under his tenure.

Reflecting the love of Christ, he recognized that we have the tools and expertise to educate not only those who serve but also the underserved. This vision gave rise to CDU’s Mission Diocese Scholars program, which enables areas without local Catholic universities to employ CDU graduates to evangelize and inspire the peripheries. He also initiated CDU’s digital prison ministry program. Jesus says, “you will know them by their fruits.” We are grateful to Dr. Wasaff for the bountiful harvest he created for CDU.

CDU welcomes Brian Maher to the Board of Trustees. After a 33-year career with the Exxon Corporation and post-merger ExxonMobil, Maher’s vast executive-level financial management experience will benefit CDU. Maher is an honors business graduate of Dartmouth College and received an M.A. in International Economics from The Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy. Maher serves on multiple boards and lives in Naples, Florida, and Basking Ridge, New Jersey, with his wife Shelley.

We welcome Michael Miotto to the Board of Trustees. He is an innovative IT executive with state-of-the-art experience in multiple industries, including higher education. Most recently, he led Ford Motor Company through the Industry 4.0 revolution by enabling industrial IoT, cloud computing, virtual/augmented reality, and artificial intelligence fueled by big data and analytics. He has also served as
CIO at American Public University System and Credit Acceptance Corporation
and CTO at e-Chemicals and MRM Digital Ad Agency. We look forward to benefiting from his extensive expertise to keep CDU on the cutting edge of technology.

After nearly 20 years as Dean of Catechetical Programs, Sister Mary Margaret Ann Schlather, SND, has returned to the Sisters of Notre Dame in Chardon, Ohio, for a well-deserved retirement. She also successfully led accreditation efforts and has left a legacy of joy.

Sister Rebecca Abel, theological librarian since 2015, retired recently as well. The online library blossomed under her direction, and she showed great devotion to serving students. We wish her a blessed retirement with the Sisters of St. Benedict in Ferdinand, Indiana.

Sister Mary Brendon Zajac, SND, DMin, Assistant Academic Dean at St. Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology, retired from the Board of Trustees in June. Her experience in accreditation greatly benefitted CDU, and we are grateful for her selfless hard work.

On Tuesday, August 17th, CDU held its first Live Zoom Open House for prospective students. The event offered an opportunity to learn about CDU’s programs, courses, and what sets CDU apart from other online universities from admissions director Todd Nolan, dean Dr. Pete Brown, faculty chair Dr. Marie Nuar, Professor Chris Padgett, and Student Life director Mary McKay.

Q&A sessions were held in two breakouts sessions for the graduate and undergraduate programs, and prospective students used the chat feature to introduce themselves. This live opportunity to interact with prospective students was successful and will now be offered three times per year.

Beginning with the 2021-22 academic year, five terms will be offered instead of six, which will allow for more breaks between terms and several recesses throughout the year, including one during Holy Week. This change was made in response to student feedback indicating a desire for final exam periods that do not extend into the next term and greater accommodation for the many students who assist with sacramental and liturgical preparation just before Easter. Now, just one summer term will be offered rather than two.

Drawing upon tremendous success in working with local ex-offenders, Gatekeepers—a nonprofit based in Hagerstown, Maryland—is producing a video series that will take their “Business of Living” re-entry program into state and federal prisons.

The 14-part series prepares the incarcerated for reentry into society with step-by-step instruction. This innovative program is being digitally reproduced and distributed by CDU’s digital prison ministry team in partnership with the Order of Malta Federal Association’s prison committee and will be offered online in prisons this Fall.

CDU’s educational outreach to the incarcerated, which began 38 years ago, continues to be strong with the loving support of Marguerite Trainor. Serving prisoners with Catholic courses has a profound impact on lives as exemplified in recent notes from students.

“These few words are to express my thanks for all your work and assistance with my religious education. May God continue to bless you and the ministry... On May 5, 2021, I was officially received into the Order of Preachers... I am expected to make my life promise in about one more year... Becoming a Dominican and working for God has been the best thing that has happened in my life!”—Mr. Harold R., O.P.

“Your institution is the center of my life. You have brought me to a place in my life which I had never envisioned, and for that I am grateful. There won’t be a time in my life in which I will not be learning with you and from you.”—MS

We are grateful to be able to serve the incarcerated Church and for the donations and grant support that enables us to serve the underserved.