LEFT: Five senior Speech Pathology majors – (from left) Joy Sorells of Jacksonville FL , Yaesha Joseph of Schriever LA, Kirsten Smith of Montgomery AL, Diana DiStefano of Metairie LA and Courtney Brookes of Baton Rouge LA – and Dr. Nancy Martino interact with a local student in Granada, Nicaragua, where they spent two weeks doing developmental speech and language evaluations and hearing screenings for special schools, orphanages, and clinics.CENTER: Peer Deans were out in force to welcome and offer guidance and support to new freshman and transfers arriving on the campus for New Student Orientation and Parent Weekend. RIGHT: New freshman Peyton Williams of Grand Coteau LA gets some help from alums Gerard Williams '84 and Perpetual Williams '96 as she moves her personal belongings into St. Katharine Drexel Residence Hall.

LEFT: College of Pharmacy faculty and students volunteers – (back row, L-R) Tommy Maestri of Metairie LA, Kayla Guerra of St. Bernard LA, Jessica Olivier of Kenner LA, Dr. Jessica Johnson and Emily Gray of Baton Rouge LA, and (front) Dr. Lori Crawford and Dr. Joe LaRochelle – take a break from activities at Camp Victory in Leesville LA, where they served as medical support staff for a summer camp for children with Type 1 diabetes. CENTER: Student editors and their advisers gathered on campus for a two-day yearbook leadership seminar, including (front row, L-R) Liza Georges and Sophie Leopold of Metairie Park Country Day School, Ariel Williams and Marisa Bardwell of Hosanna Christian Academy, and (back row) The Recognition Company president Bill Myers, XU Director of Student Publications Melinda Shelton, Walsworth Co. representative Jaclyn Jorgensen, Trina Derenbecker of Metairie Park Country Day School, Nicole Morello of Parkview Baptist School, and Natalie Chiro and Christy Mackiewicz (Hosanna Christian Academy). RIGHT: Certificate and master’s degree graduates of the Institute for Black Catholic Studies – (at left) Evelyn Wells, Fr. Marcos Leon-Angulo, (at right) Audrey Browder and Tipp Harris – celebrate with IBCS director Dr./Sr. Jamie T. Phelps OP, and XU President Dr. Norman Francis following the conclusion of this year’s summer program.  

LEFT: XU President Norman Francis visits with actors Blair Underwood and Sharon Leal during a break in the filming of the upcoming movie On the Seventh Day, some of which was done on campus and in nearby Gert Town. Keith Smith ’83 is serving as director of photography for the film. CENTER: Participants in this summer’s SOAR 1 take a break from activities in the chemistry segment of the six-week pre-college program to pose for a group photo in the NCF Science Annex Lobby. RIGHT: XU Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Loren Blanchard, makes some new friends at the Qinhuangdao Experimental High School in China. He was part of a delegation of administrators who visited China recently as part of the process to establish a Confucius Institute at Xavier with its Chinese partner institution, Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology in Qinhuangdao City.

LEFT: (from left) XU men’s basketball coach Dannton Jackson ‘92, welcomes Houston Texans wide receiver Jacoby Jones to the Barn, where the New Orleans native and several of his NFL teammates and colleagues put on a celebrity basketball Slam Jam fundraiser in support of XU’s men’s basketball program. CENTER: Extensive renovations are well underway on the new Student Activities Center (a.k.a., the old St. Joseph's Residence Hall). Upon completion this fall, the newly refurbished building will house the Student Health Center and the Counseling Center, along with reading and writing labs and various other student-oriented offices. RIGHT: XU President Norman Francis looks on as Wendy Kopp, CEO and founder of Teach for America, (right) addresses an enthusiastic audience of more than 400 who attended the book discussion and signing event held on campus for her new book, A Chance to Make History.

LEFT: Sister Patricia Lynch, S.B.S., (third from left) who is returning to the Motherhouse after years of service at XU, and other members of the St. Katharine Drexel Chapel Committee get a private tour of the highly-anticipated structure from Landis Construction Co. project manager Chad Horton. CENTER: Work continues unabated on the St. Katharine Drexel Chapel. When completed early next year, the octagon-shaped, energy-efficient spiritual center will house a sanctuary, sacristy, meditation room and garden, day chapel and bell tower. RIGHT: Potential future Xavierites and their alumni parents – (from left) the Vaulx’s [Glenn Jr., Glenn III, Kimmie McNeil ’90, Kamryn] and  the Thompson’s [Patrice Bates ’89, Jerry ’86, JoElle, J. Rashaan] – check out the XU Bookstore. The students are on a college tour sponsored by the Youth Ministry at Metropolitan Baptist Church in Memphis TN.

LEFT: Dr. Leonard Jack, Jr., Director of the College of Pharmacy’s Center for Minority Health, Health Disparities and Education, (left) visits with U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin '79, who was on campus to attend a Delta Sigma Theta Sorority event. CENTER: (from left) Issac Oneal portrays Frederick Douglas and the Rev. Steve Crump portrays Abraham Lincoln during a special presentation of “Lincoln Lives”, which was part of the Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War traveling exhibit, which concluded its run in the XU Library Resource Center this week. RIGHT: Professor Qianfeng Shi, Chairman of the University Administration Committee for the Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, (right) and XU President Norman C. Francis shake hands after signing a cooperation agreement to promote Mandarin instruction at XU and support faculty/student exchanges between the two institutions. The agreement is an important milestone in efforts to establish a Confucius Institute at Xavier.

LEFT: Dr. Roland Pattilo ’55, director of gynecologic oncology at the Morehouse School of Medicine, and wife Patricia, (at right) take a break from his medical convention to revisit the campus. Here they learn about progress on the St. Katharine Drexel Chapel from Institutional Advancement representatives Dr. Kenneth St. Charles and LaJuana Chenier ‘88. CENTER: XU Upward Bound Director Valerie Hicks congratulates newly-minted high school grads (from left) Darren Jones, Alia Fleury and Darielle Cobbs for completing the academic component of the program. All three will attend the Summer Bridge program, then Jones be off to LSU, while the girls are XU-bound. RIGHT:Pre-freshmen (from left) Celeste Coleman of Denver CO, Joshua Jordan of Nashville TN and Dominique Cook of New Orleans are welcomed to Xavier by peer dean Jacob Thomas of Nashville TN during the 2011 Lagniappe Weekend. Close to 350 students and their families attended the orientation preview, an invitational two-day event designed to ease the transition of new students into the college environment.

LEFT: All 22 of XU’s summa cum laude graduates join XU President Norman Francis, keynote speaker Marc Morial, and honorary degree recipients Debra Lee, Camille Hanks Cosby and Herbert Douglas, Jr. backstage just prior to the University’s 84th annual commencement. CENTER: Recipients of this year’s National Knights of Peter Claver student service awards – (from left) Meighan Anderson of Scott LA, Jared Romance of New Orleans, and Lauren Cooper of Los Angeles CA – are flanked by XU President Norman Francis and KPC Executive Director Michael Taylor during the presentation at the 2011 Baccalaureate Mass and Honors Convocation. RIGHT: (from left) Students Nichollas Rayfield of New Orleans, David Collins of Shreveport LA, and Malik Stevenson of Baltimore MD review a city map with group organizer/leader Sister Mary Ann Stachow prior to their departure for Rome. Some 20 travelers are taking part in the university-sanctioned trip to Italy.

LEFT: LSU men’s head basketball coach Trent Johnson (second from right) accepts a memento from (left) XU men’s basketball coach Dannton Jackson, president Dr. Norman Francis and athletic director Dennis Cousin after addressing student-athletes at the annual Xavier Athletics Awards Banquet. CENTER: (from right) Chante Calais of Breaux Bridge LA and Ifeanyi Onor of Nigeria receive the University’s two most coveted service awards – the St. Katharine Drexel Award and the Mother Agatha Ryan Award, respectively – from XU President Norman Francis during the 2011 Baccalaureate Mass and Honors Convocation. RIGHT: Steven Morgan Jr. of Gray LA, Xavier’s top summa cum laude graduate, joins XU President Norman Francis, keynote speaker Marc Morial, and honorary degree recipients Debra Lee, Camille Hanks Cosby and Herbert Douglas, Jr. backstage just prior to the university’s 84th annual commencement.

LEFT: With exams looming, students gather for the traditional Finals Prayer Service sponsored by the Office of Campus Ministry. CENTER: Xavier administrators hit the Dining Hall kitchens and team up with Sodexo professionals to serve up tantalizing dishes for students during the annual Sodexo Chef Cookoff. RIGHT: Study groups are the Xavier way: (from left) junior biology/pre-med majors Veronica Gilbert of Parker CO, Mia Holmes of New Orleans, Jerlicia Gooden of LaPlace LA and Nicholas Alexander of Slidell LA meet in the Library Resource Center to prepare for finals.

LEFT: (from left) Steve Masakowski, jazz guitarist with the modern jazz combo Astral Project, chats with Charles James Jr. ’10 and XU music professor Dr. Wilfred Delphin ’71 during the annual campus Jazz Festival, a three-day series of clinics, workshops and performances by local jazz greats. CENTER: Celebrating the official opening of Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War are (from left) committee members Marilyn Lee, Michele Woods, Eric Joseph, Barbara Sanders and Phyllis Calvin. The exhibit will be on display during regular library hours through June 25. RIGHT: Shirmir Branch of Los Angeles CA (right) explains her research poster presentation to fellow students Jamillia Stokes of Milwaukee WI and Tymire Jenkins of Sacramento CA during the annual campus-wide showcase of scholarly student research. Shannon Taylor of New Orleans also collaborated on the project under the mentorship of chemistry professor Dr. Mehnaaz F. Ali. More than 160 students participated.

LEFT: North Carolina State University College of Education communications director Kylie Cafiero (right) chats with XU students and administrators – (from left) Destini Hill, Mychelle Williams, Pearl Algere-Lonian and Kaitlyn Gaddis – during of a tour of the campus for visitors attending the Education Writers Association national convention. CENTER: Local graduates/candidates of the Penn State Ph.D. partnership program in education visit with XU reps during a special campus reception – (from left) VP for Academic Affairs Dr. Loren Blanchard ’84, Dr. Michelle Early Torregano ’78, Dawn LaFargue-Armelin ’97, Dr. Stephanie Danette Preston ’99, Education chair Dr. Rosalind Pijeaux Hale ’69 and Dr. Larry Napoleon ’03. RIGHT: Seven XU student-athletes – (from left) Iva Bobkova, Brianna Dekine, Danielle Jones, Marchelle Jones, Ashley Taylor, Patrice Hightower and Jamaan Kenner – were inducted as the university’s first members of the Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete Honor Society. More details HERE.

LEFT: Supports for the copper roof that will adorn the 65-foot tall main sanctuary go up, giving the new St. Katharine Drexel Chapel a sense of height. A ring of skylights will allow natural light to be diffused through a screen and illuminate the sanctuary. CENTER: (from left) Lee Gibbs, a senior biology/pre-med major from Shreveport LA (C.E. Byrd High); Tamorah Hawthorne, a senior biology major from Arlington TX (Mansfield High); and Joseph Gallien, a senior biology/pre-med major from Lake Charles LA (Washington-Marion High) – join pharmacy faculty member Dr. KiTani Parker-Johnson in front of the research poster they presented at the 4th Annual Health Disparities Conference. RIGHT: (from left) Florida Memorial University President Dr. Henry Lewis III, keynote speaker for the opening session of the 4th Health Disparities Conference, shares a moment with Xavier’s CMHDRE Director and Program Chair  Dr. Leonard Jack, College of Pharmacy Dean Dr. Kathleen Kennedy, and Louisiana State Health Officer Dr. Jimmy Guidry. The conference is sponsored by the Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education (CMHDRE) and the XU College of Pharmacy.

LEFT: The Architect's Rendering of the university's proposed new Convocation Academic Center. CENTER: It doesn't look like much yet, but the evidence of pile-driving tests signals the beginning of the university’s newest construction project – a Convocation Academic Center – which will be located across Washington Avenue from the main campus on a site bounded by Short, Palm and Stroelitz Streets. RIGHT: People's Republic of China Consul General Madame Gao Yanping, visiting the campus to hear plans to house China’s Confucius Institute program at Xavier, shares a moment with President Norman Francis.

LEFT: Walls for the dome start to go up on the new St. Katharine Drexel Chapel. When completed in 2012, the octagon-shaped, energy-efficient spiritual center will house a sanctuary, sacristy, meditation room and garden, day chapel and bell tower. CENTER: Virginia Pellerin of the Health Center gives some information on cardiovascular disease to students Bryan Cooper and Randie Goff of New Orleans during Wellness Awareness Day on campus. RIGHT: Potential student voters take advantage of Student Government Association election campaigning by scooping up sweets being offered by the candidates.  

LEFT: Dr. Conchetta White Fulton ’85, chair of the XU College of Pharmacy’s Division of Clinical & Administrative Sciences (second from left), visits with (L-R) Dr. Ahmad Hamide ’93, supervisor of the LSU Hospital Pharmacy Department; Dr. Lakeisha George Williams ’02, a XU College of Pharmacy PGY-1 pharmacy resident; and Dr. Ernest L. Terry ’83, ’04, director of the LSU Hospital Pharmacy Department, during a break at the LSU Cancer Committee meeting held in New Orleans. Williams served as keynote speaker for event. CENTER: Kecia Polus of the Office of Student Financial Aid leads a Second Line of university staff and students through the University Center lobby during Financial Awareness Day – one of the key elements of which being to encourage students to file their individual FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) forms.  RIGHT: Lorraine and Terry Scott, owner/operators of the McDonald’s Restaurant on Carrollton Avenue,  are flanked by XU staffers (from left) Dr. Kenneth St. Charles, Joseph Byrd and Dennis Cousin as they present a $10,000 gift check  to the university during the Xavier-Dillard Classic basketball doubleheader.

LEFT: The aging St. Joseph’s Residence Hall – unused since Hurricane Katrina – has been gutted and is currently being transformed into a new energy efficient Student Service Center. When completed, the three-story building will house the Student Health Center, the Counseling Center, as well as the reading and writing labs and various other student-oriented offices. It replaces the Old Student Center – yet another victim of Hurricane Katrina. CENTER: Dr. Judith G. Miranti of the Division of Education (center) leads a group of graduate students in counseling and some of the leaders of the University’s neighboring Gert Town area as they conduct a door-to-door Needs Survey.  RIGHT: (L-R) P2 Phuong Le of New Orleans, freshman Caressa McCord of Pensacola FLA and sophomore Adal Beraki of Gretna LA check out the Library Resource Center’s 24-hour Study Room, which reopened by popular demand in February after a hiatus of two years.

LEFT: XU associate dean of Summer Programs and External Initiatives Dr. Kenneth Boutte, recently returned from a stint as Program Officer for the National Science Foundation, speaks with participants in the NSF Workshop for Historically Black Colleges and Universities hosted by the University following one of his two presentations. (Left to right) NSF representative Omnia El-Hakim, Grambling State University professor Dr. Bobby Burkes, Tougaloo College professor Dr. Bianca Garner ’93, and former XU biology faculty member Dr. Yolander Renee Taylor. CENTER: The new St. Katharine Drexel Chapel begins to take form as workers piece together the building’s steel frame. When completed in 2012, the octagon-shaped, energy-efficient spiritual center will accommodate upwards of 400 visitors and house 11,000 square feet of space to include a sanctuary, sacristy, meditation room and garden, day chapel and bell tower. RIGHT: U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Mary Landry and Lt. Commander Will Watson ’96, chat with XU President Norman Francis during a campus visit to discuss how XU students might benefit from a Coast Guard career, and to discuss the educational opportunities the University might provide to that branch of the military.

LEFT: The Rev. Fernand Cheri III, Associate Director of Campus Ministry, and Father John Morin who served in Haiti for 40 years, lead the service as the Xavier campus observed the one year anniversary of the Haiti earthquake disaster with a Mass of Remembrance at the school's chapel. The earthquake killed more than 200,000 people and severely damaged the countries’ major cities. Photo by Eliot Kamenitz, The Times Picayune. CENTER: Crystal Ashby, executive vice president for BP America, presents a solar-powered buggy donated by the company XU President Norman C. Francis. The XU Police Department will use the vechicle for campus and neighborhood safety patrols. RIGHT: Kaitlyn Gaddis, a junior speech pathology major from New Orleans and chair of Mobilization at Xavier (MAX), accepts a Student Community Service Award from XU President Norman C. Francis during the 25th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Week for Peace convocation.

LEFT: The Gold Rush’s Devin Andrews goes up for two in the men's basketball squad's win over Concordia this past week. Both the men’s and women’s teams have gotten off to exceptional starts this basketball season and both are nationally ranked. Get out and support the home team! Visit HERE for a schedule of upcoming home games. CENTER: Peer deans Mia Holmes and Jared Romance of New Orleans (at right) make themselves available to answer questions and to offer some one-on-one encouragement to new Xavierite Kristen Priestly and her mother Kim Ryan during the Spring 2011 orientation for new incoming freshmen and transfers. RIGHT: Your ad here! Xavier takes its promotional efforts to new heights via billboards posted along heavily-traveled city thoroughfares.