To preach and teach effectively in contemporary culture, our graduates must be conversant not only with the traditional disciplines of philosophy and theology but also with contemporary issues in secular society in disciplines outside the compass of the School's curriculum, such as the political and judicial process, economics, business, the sciences, bio-medical research, technology, media and the arts. To address this need, in 2006 DSPT established the College of Fellows. The Fellows are Catholics of eminence in their own professions who are affiliated with DSPT to offer analysis of contemporary issues from the perspectives of their work.
By reflecting upon the Catholic faith in the light of their secular vocations, Fellows of the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology contribute to the Church’s understanding of her secular mission, and are offered a forum to influence that mission through the education of leaders in the Church and the academy. In their discussions and presentations, the Fellows are enriched by their conversation together, even as they contribute to the mission of the School.
To date, ten Fellows have been named to the College: André Delbecq, McCarthy University Professor at Santa Clara University, former Dean of Fellows of the American Academy of Management; Edward "Ned" Dolejsi, Executive Director of the California Catholic Conference; Barbara Elliott, founder and President of the Center for Renewal, Houston, Texas; Raymond Flynn, former Mayor of Boston and U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See; Richard Gallagher, head of Epidemiology and of the Cancer Control Research Program at the British Columbia Cancer Agency; Dana Gioia, Fellow of the Aspen Institute, former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts; Peer Portner, developer of the Novacor Heart Assist System, used in the world’s first permanent artificial heart implant; Velma Richmond, author and English scholar, former Dean of Holy Names College; Kevin Starr, historian, University Professor at the University of Southern California, Librarian Emeritus of the State of California; Gleaves Whitney, Director of the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies, Michigan. More information about each of the Fellows may be found on the DSPT website (www.dspt.edu).
On Friday, May 22 at our Commencement, four new Fellows will be inducted into the College: His Eminence, James Francis, Cardinal Stafford, Major Penitentiary of the Catholic Church, who will serve as Dean of the College of Fellows; Hon. John Noonan, senior Justice of the Ninth Circuit Court; Ron Hansen, novelist, Gerard Manley Hopkins, S.J. Professor in the Arts and Humanities at Santa Clara University; and Michael Naughton, Director, John A. Ryan Institute for Catholic Social Thought, University of St. Thomas, Minnesota. Cardinal Stafford will be our Commencement speaker.
The Fellows of DSPT are undertaking to examine their professions through the lens of what they have termed a “Catholic imagination”, to propose what society might become, informed by a Catholic view of the world. They propose together to publish a book on this subject. On Thursday, May 21 at 2:00 p.m. at a convocation of the College of Fellows, Andre Delbecq, Ned Dolejsi, Velma Richmond and Kevin Starr will offer their reflections on this topic in the DSPT Gallery. The event is open to the public, and we hope that many of our friends and benefactors will join us.
