In the News

Avery Bourdonnay admits a part of her was a bit fearful before her recent visit to Meteti, Panama – she had never been outside of the United States before and wasn’t sure what to expect.

What she got, she says, was one of the best experiences of her life. The Destrehan native traveled as part of a medical mission trip via LSU’s Global Brigades program. The program sees volunteers with its medical school travel to help under-served countries. The student-led health initiative spends the year fundraising and collecting supplies for the seven to 10-day trip.

Students in STU Global Brigades recently travelled to Panama where they broadened their perspectives, gained cultural awareness, and developed real-world skills—while making a difference.

During the trip, STUdents visited a rural community where they collaborated with a community bank, teaching basic financial concepts like loans, interest calculation, and savings accounts, along with leadership skills to encourage bank usage in the community. They also hosted financial literacy workshops and one-on-one business training, which helped one woman start her own business.

In response to the rising costs of college tuition and the increasingly diverse and non-traditional student population, Hyejin Cho, PhD Icon, Jing Betty Feng, PhD, and Ebru Ulusoy, PhD explored a case study on a virtual service-learning project with Global Brigades, Inc.. This initiative connected undergraduate students in North America with small business owners in Central America, fostering cross-border interactions and practical learning experiences. We show that virtual service-learning proves to be an effective alternative teaching approach.

Marquette University’s 143rd Commencement was held Saturday, May 11, with 1,586 undergraduates, 758 master’s degree recipients, 437 professional studies graduates and 71 Ph.D. recipients celebrating at Fiserv Forum., featuring Global Brigades Co-Founder and CEO, Dr. Shital Vora as the commencement speaker.

Dear alumni and friends of the College of Health Sciences,

Welcome to the first digital issue of Marquette Health Sciences. This new way of storytelling will deliver outstanding, personal stories of the work students, faculty and staff perform in the college and be sent right to your email inbox multiple times each year. We hope you enjoy the new format!

Maddy Burke stood in an elementary school classroom in rural Guatemala, assisting a doctor with two patients, a mother and daughter. The mother said that her daughter hadn’t eaten properly in two years, and the mother was suffering from abdominal pain.

“The only thing the doctor could do was prescribe vitamins for the girl. Vitamins weren’t really going to help her, but it was the best he could do,” said Burke, a senior in biological sciences. “And for the mother, the doctor realized she had cholecystitis, which is an inflammation of the gallbladder. So, she needed to go to the hospital to get her gallbladder removed, but the nearest hospital was an hour away, and the mother might not have the money or means to travel there. I really saw the differences between what they had compared to the medicine we have in the United States.”

MILWAUKEE —Marquette University will recognize the 2,852 members of its 143rd graduating class with Commencement ceremonies to be held Saturday, May 11, at Fiserv Forum.

Undergraduates will be recognized in a ceremony at 1 p.m., and graduates of the Graduate School and Graduate School of Management will be recognized in a ceremony at 5 p.m.

Students form relationships, make impact on local businesses in Panama

The tilapia swam in a large tub that looked like an above ground swimming pool, gliding past the group of onlookers. A pump made of PVC piping deposited fresh water into the tank, providing the fish with a regular supply of fresh oxygen. Leonardo, the man who earned his livelihood from the tank’s temporary residents, stood beside a group of Marquette students, walking them through his operation.

Congratulations to the nearly 100 Milwaukee School of Engineering students who were nominated for leadership awards this year. The following awards were announced at a Student Awards Celebration on April 30, 2024.

Outstanding Student Award: Christian Garcia was chosen as the 2024 recipient of the Fred F. Loock Outstanding Student Award. This award is presented annually to the MSOE senior student, who, in the opinion of the faculty, most notably combines an excellent academic record and has at the same time demonstrated leadership and professional bearing in extracurricular or community service activities.