Azhley Rodriguez
Staff Writer
Glena Temple was inaugurated as Dominican’s 11th president this month, after a week of events leading up to the event.
The rainy day began with a ceremonial Mass in Rosary Chapel. It was multilingual with feature songs sung in Spanish, and prayers translated in languages including Arabic, Hebrew and Hindi.
Then, more than 800 students, faculty, trustees, alumni, staff and community members united in the Lund Auditorium or via Zoom livestream as Temple – who doesn’t like being the center of attention – thanked everyone for being present.
“I just want to say thank you for the warm welcome. We are here today to celebrate Dominican University,” Temple said. “I am moved to see a full auditorium, in the busy time of the semester, who come to celebrate with us.”
The ceremony began with a procession of professors, staff and alumni decorated in their regalia as they walked into the auditorium to their assigned seats.
Evelyn “Gigi” Benitez, alumna and member of the Alumni Leadership Council, delivered the invocation.
Other notable mentions featured Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa sponsor council liaison Sister Judith Schaefer to deliver the litany, chair of the Alumnae/i Leadership Council Vanessa Jackson, a poetry reading by senior Prayer Childress and others.
Junior and President of the Student Government Association Gabriela Corral narrated the symbolic exchange of the Candle and Rose ceremony between retired president Donna Carroll and Temple.
“The rose, also in the Dominican shield, holds the promise of Caritas. The candle symbolizes the light of knowledge and the ancient motto of the Dominican order, Veritas,” Carroll said. “Dr. Temple, as you assume the office of the president, may you take and protect this light of knowledge, respect the wisdom of those who have come before you, keep the search for new learning ever burning in your heart and mind and do the truth always.”
Temple was also presented with a medallion by Anne M. Kohler, chair of the board of trustees. “Wear it as a symbol of the authority and responsibility you accept and hold as president of Dominican University,” Kohler said.
The ceremony concluded with a speech from Temple marking her official inauguration.
“A significant component of my sense of calling in higher education is to be part of the mission of strong religious women who have demonstrated time and time again how they step up and lean in to meet the needs of communities and support the marginalized among us,” Temple said.
She also discussed ongoing efforts to invest in the institution and in the education of current and future students.
Temple comes to Dominican from Viterbo University in Wisconsin, where she served as president of the university since 2017.
Inauguration week featured a series of events leading up to the ceremony focused on the four pillars of the Dominican community: prayer, community, service and justice.
Tuesday featured an evening of prayer in Rosary Chapel and livestreamed on Zoom. The holy preaching was performed by Sister Barbara Reid, president of Catholic Theological Union and presider Sister Marci Hermesdorf, assistant professor emerita of English.
Wednesday began with the annual Graduate and Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Investigations ((G)URSI) event in Parmer Atrium where students highlighted their research projects.
Thursday’s festivities were the highlight of the week featuring the inaugural Mass and ceremony.
To conclude the week, Friday featured a series of events and guest speakers centered on service.
The first event was in Little Village at “Pan de Vida,” a hunger outreach and food distribution initiative of New Life Centers of Chicago.
A virtual event hosted by Rush University Medical Center, discussed hyperlocal vaccination clinics in the Chicagoland area.
Then, author Dr. David Ansell virtually discussed the struggles of inequality and the importance of treating it like any other major illness.
Then, the Rebecca Crown Library also featured an art gallery from, “Project Fire,” a trauma recovery program for youth injured by gun violence in Chicago.
Finally, a separate, “Trauma Informed Mindfulness,” three-part virtual program in navigating trauma was offered.
