Tag: community partners

USF News

USF, Kodo Pharmacy partner to help vaccinate the community

Joliet, Ill. – The Franciscan values of service, compassion, integrity and respect are lived through word and action each day at the University of St. Francis, as well as in the community through USF students and employees. In response to the need created by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, these values were recently demonstrated in the community by USF Leach College of Nursing (LCON) students and staff as they partnered with Kodo Pharmacy in Joliet to administer vaccine doses to those in need in the community.

“As most of us aware, the task of administering the COVID-19 vaccine to the community is monumental. The LCON staff reached out to the USF Wellness Center and the idea of making contact with Kodo Pharmacy in Joliet was addressed. Talking with Chad Kodiak, owner of and pharmacist at Kodo Pharmacy, the idea was presented that the pharmacy could secure the vaccine through ICares and the Will County Health Department, and that nursing students could assist in vaccine administration,” said Phyllis Peterson, USF Wellness Center Coordinator.

After receiving their own vaccine for protection as well as being in the 1A allocation of the vaccine, a USF team of employees and student nurses worked with Kodo Pharmacy to administer the vaccine to residents at the Joshua Arms Senior High Rise and Trinity Services, along with clients of Cornerstone Services and the Will County Health Department clinic. In three days, the USF student nurses administered over 1660 vaccines. The students also provided COVID-19 testing for approximately 200 Will County residents.

Kodiak stressed his appreciation for the assistance from USF.

“We are so thankful for USF and its nursing students. They have been unbelievable and completely professional. It is no exaggeration to say the COVID vaccines that have been administered in Will County would not have been possible without the help of the USF nursing students. We continue to receive compliments about how professional they are, how skilled they are, and how wonderful they are at doing their job,” he said.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 51,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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USF News

Art & Design Program Connects with Gary Galassi Stone & Steel

Joliet, Ill. – Educational institutions are regularly seeking ways to partner with local businesses and organizations as a way to enhance course offerings for students. For the University of St. Francis (USF) Art & Design Department, a new relationship with Gary Galassi Stone & Steel in Romeoville is creating new and exciting opportunities for students taking courses with instructor Paul Erschen, MFA.

Erschen takes regular notice of the company’s facility during his daily commute to and from USF and decided, one day, to stop in and introduce himself.

“I pass the company on my daily commute to and from Chicago. I did some research into the company and decided to stop by last month and introduce myself,” Erschen said.

He is certainly happy he decided to do so.

“General Manager Chris Galassi couldn’t have been friendlier. He gave me a tour of their facility and even invited our students for a post-pandemic site visit,” Erschen added.

During Erschen’s visit, Galassi Stone & Steel also gifted several beautiful limestone pieces to Erschen. Those pieces will be used as part of an upcoming project in the three-dimensional design course Erschen teaches at USF.

“Limestone is a traditional sculptural and architectural material, so we will use the stones as part of a ‘Reductive Sculpture’ project. Students will learn how to accurately translate two-dimensional drawings into three-dimensional, hand-carved forms. Students will use traditional stone carving tools throughout the process,” Erschen said.

Erschen also plans to share the students’ completed works with Galassi once they are completed.

“On a practical level, high quality stone is very expensive and difficult to source. In terms of an institutional relationship, this is a great way for our students to see a direct connection between art/architecture and business, and hopefully gain a critical experiential learning component. Finally, most people, let alone students, are unaware that the highly skilled art of stone carving is practiced right here in the southwest suburbs,” Erschen said.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 51,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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USF News

Join USF for the 7th Annual Ambassador Day on November 12

Joliet, Ill. – The University of St. Francis (USF) invites community partners and area leaders to attend the seventh annual USF Ambassador Day on Thursday, November 12, at 8:30 a.m. This year’s event will be virtual and will be conducted through Zoom.

Ambassador Day at USF is a special opportunity for community partners and area leaders to become more engaged in the university’s mission and further understand the importance of the university within our community. Attendees will hear the annual State of the University Address given by USF President Arvid C. Johnson, Ph.D.

To RSVP, please visit www.stfrancis.edu/ambassador-day or call the USF Community and Government Relations Office at 815-740-3625.

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Currently celebrating 100 years of higher education rooted in Franciscan values, the University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 51,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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USF News

Community Partners, Area Leaders Invited to Annual Ambassador Day at USF

Joliet, Ill. – The University of St. Francis (USF) invites community partners and area leaders to attend the sixth annual USF Ambassador Day on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019, from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. in Turk Theater, which is located in the Moser Performing Arts Center at 500 Wilcox Street in Joliet (main USF campus).

Ambassador Day at the University of St. Francis is a special opportunity for leaders to become more engaged in the university’s mission and further understand the importance of the university within our community. The event will begin with breakfast at 7:30 a.m. and will be followed by the State of the University address given by USF President Arvid C. Johnson, Ph.D.

This year’s event will also include an idea-sharing session that will invite attendees to explore ways USF can strengthen its partnerships with Joliet-area businesses and organizations.

To RSVP, please visit www.stfrancis.edu/ambassador-day or call the USF Community and Government Relations Office at 815-740-3625.

The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves over 4,000 students nationwide, offering undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 50,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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