St. Mary's College of Md. News Briefs


St. Mary's College student Amanda Siskey '19. St. Mary's College student Amanda Siskey '19.

Student Amanda Siskey '19 Participates in 10-week Summer Internship at UMBC

St. Mary's College student Amanda Siskey '19, participated in a 10-week internship at University of Maryland, Baltimore County's Summer Research Program in Baltimore at the Interface between Science and Art (SCIART). The program is meant for high performing science and engineering undergraduate students with a diverse background and strong interest in art conservation science and engineering.

According to Siskey, "I worked in a student-led research team under Zeev Rosenzweig and Dan Rowlands in the chemistry department and partnered with the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. Along with conducting research in a laboratory setting, I also was given the opportunity to get a 'behind the scenes' look at various art museums in the nation: Walters Art Museum, Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where I was able to tour the conservation labs and get a hands-on look at the various machinery conservation scientists use to analyze and preserve the works of art.

The specific research I did in the program had to do with a problem that conservation scientists deal with on a day-to-day basis: removing tarnish from gilded silver objects with both mechanical (cosmetic sponges) and chemical (acidified thiourea solution) methods. Through my internship, I learned how closely related conservation science was to analytical chemistry, which will be my main focus when I apply to graduate school."

St. Mary's College Graduates Among those with the Lowest Average Student Loan Debt in the United States

For the third consecutive year, LendEDU has completed an annual Student Loan Debt by School by State Report, a comprehensive analysis of student loan debt statistics for over 1,000 colleges and universities throughout the United States.

According to the report, St. Mary's College of Maryland is ranked #1 in lowest average student loan debt among public institutions in the state of Maryland for the class of 2017. St. Mary's College graduates benefit from one of the lowest average debt figures in the United States, ranking #135 out of all 1,080 institutions analyzed and #70 amongst all similar public schools.

St. Mary's College is ranked #28 Among Top Liberal Arts Colleges by 2018 Washington Monthly College Guide, #1 in Peace Corps Volunteers among small colleges, #6 among the Top 50 Green Colleges and listed among Best 384 Colleges by the Princeton Review, included in the 2019 Fiske Guide to Colleges, recognized as a 2018-19 College of Distinction, and ranked among the Best Colleges of Maryland by Schools.com.

St. Mary's College of Maryland is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education through 2024-2025. St. Mary's College, designated the Maryland state honors college in 1992, is ranked one of the best public liberal arts schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Approximately 1,600 students attend the college, nestled on the St. Mary's River in Southern Maryland.

The third annual Student Loan Debt by School by State Report can be found here: lendedu.com/blog/average-student-loan-debt-statistics

St. Mary's College Ranked 28 Among Top Liberal Arts Colleges in 2018 Washington Monthly College Rankings

For the past thirteen years, Washington Monthly College Guide has ranked colleges "not based on what colleges do for themselves, but on what they do for their country." In the rankings released today, St. Mary's College of Maryland is ranked 28 among the top 30 Liberal Arts Colleges in the United States.

The ranking was established to recognize "smart, well-run colleges that enrolled students from all walks of life and helped them earn a high-quality diploma at an affordable price. Colleges that instilled a sense of service and public obligation while producing groundbreaking research."

Washington Monthly rates schools on three equally weighted criteria: social mobility, research, and public service. "Instead of rewarding schools that reject 95 percent of applicants, we give high marks to colleges that enroll lots of low-income students and help them graduate and earn a good living without too much debt. We factor in pure research spending and the number of undergraduates who go on to earn PhDs. And we give extra weight to colleges that send their graduates out into the world to serve the community at large."

St. Mary's College is ranked #1 in Peace Corps Volunteers among small colleges, #6 among the Top 50 Green Colleges and listed among Best 384 Colleges by the Princeton Review, included in the 2019 Fiske Guide to Colleges, recognized as a 2018-19 College of Distinction, and ranked among the Best Colleges of Maryland by Schools.com.

St. Mary's College of Maryland is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education through 2024-2025. St. Mary's College, designated the Maryland state honors college in 1992, is ranked one of the best public liberal arts schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Approximately 1,600 students attend the college, nestled on the St. Mary's River in Southern Maryland.

St. Mary's College of Maryland Welcomes Largest Entering Class Since 2011 During 2018 Convocation

First-time and transfer students and their families were welcomed by President Tuajuanda C. Jordan, faculty and staff, on the Campus' Townhouse Green during the 2018 Convocation ceremony. With more than 500 students, it's the largest number of first-year and transfer students choosing the College since 2011 and an increase of 17 percent when compared to fall 2017.

President Jordan addressed the crowd on a sunny afternoon overlooking the St. Mary's River, "You are joining a rigorous community of scholars that aspires at all times to be just and supportive of an inclusive and diverse community. You bring to this community a wide range of life experiences. You will encounter individuals who have had both similar and dissimilar experiences. Celebrate the similarities and rejoice in the differences. Study and learn from them. Respect them."

Vice President of Enrollment David Hautanen described the incoming class: "You hail from 14 states and the District of Columbia, as well as 23 of the 24 counties here in Maryland. You represent a wide range of school types and have found your way from 181 different high schools and 44 colleges including 21 community colleges. Your most recent home was as close as St Inigoes down the street and as far away as Germany with Australia being the furthest country of citizenship. Baltimore is the most common home town, with 22 students from Baltimore. More than 20 percent of you are among the first in your family to attend a four-year college. More than 15 percent of you are continuing the St. Mary's tradition in your family, including a few of you who are the third of your siblings to attend the College. There are 209 men and 294 women. There are 126 varsity athletes with field hockey having the largest number. And, if your first name is Alexander or Emily, these are the most common first names."

Following his remarks, Hautanen presented two scrolls listing the names of the Fall 2018 enrolling class to Provost/Dean of Faculty Michael Wick and Vice President of Student Affairs/Dean of Students Leonard Brown, symbolizing the passing of students from admissions to academia and student life.

Student Government Association President Andrew Messick '19 said, "I also encourage all of you, I even challenge you to reach beyond who you were in high school. Don't let your last four years define who you are here at St. Mary's. You all have the ability to go beyond that, to create change here, to create a new version of who you are."

By Sunday, August 26, all new and returning Seahawks were moved in to campus with classes beginning on Monday, August 27.

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