As 2021 comes to a close, we look back at the major stories and milestones from the past year at Holy Cross.
JANUARY
Holy Cross Announces Record $23.5 Million Estate Gift
Gift from the late Agnes Neill Williams, former member of the Board of Trustees, launched a $40M Hope + Access Campaign for Financial Aid. Read more.
Anthony Fauci, M.D., '62: COVID Crusader
After a career fighting outbreaks from AIDS to Ebola, Anthony Fauci '62, Hon. '87 became a household name and the medical face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Holy Cross Magazine got the full story behind America's doctor. Read more.
FEBRUARY
Holy Cross Welcomes Twelve Tenure-Track Faculty Members
(Left to right, top to bottom:) Devin Gouvêa, philosophy; Katherine Lu Hsu, classics; Muhammad Ali Qadri, psychology; Kyle C. Frisina, English; Jameliah Inga Shorter-Bourhanou, philosophy; Sarah Ihmoud, sociology and anthropology; Ana Irene Ugarte, Spanish; Yu-Jung Lin, world languages, literatures and cultures; Alexander S. Browman, psychology; Rebecca Winarski, mathematics and computer science; Ting Gu, mathematics and computer science; Stephanie Crofts, biology
The new faculty members represent nine academic disciplines. Read more.
College of the Holy Cross Announces 33rd President
Photo by Avanell Chang
The former dean of the Boston College Law School joined Holy Cross as its first Black and first Lay president. He succeeded Rev. Philip L. Boroughs, S.J. who announced in September 2020 that he would be leaving his post at the end of June 2021, after a successful presidency spanning almost a decade. Read more.
MARCH
Holy Cross Celebrates the Opening of the Joanne Chouinard-Luth Recreation and Wellness Center
The Joanne Chouinard-Luth Recreation and Wellness Center. Photo by Avanell Chang
The state-of-the-art facility -- known on campus as "The Jo" -- serves as the new center for recreation, club and intramural sports, fostering a new era of holistic wellness on The Hill. Read more.
Holy Cross Receives First-Gen Forward Designation
The national honor from the Center for First-Generation Student Success, an initiative of NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education) and The Suder Foundation, recognizes the College's commitment to first-generation student success. Read more.
APRIL
New Student Health Ambassadors Group Provides Peer-to-Peer Resources
Student Health Ambassadors set up in front of the Jo.
Striving to support students fully, in mind, body and spirit, the Student Health Ambassadors are a key resource for Holy Cross students in the age of COVID-19. Read more.
Holy Cross Student Receives National Award for Community Service and Leadership
Bryceida Valencia "23
Sophomore and health studies major Bryceida Valencia '23 was named to the 2021 Cohort of Newman Civic Fellows. Read more.
Billy Collins '63 (U.S. Poet Laureate, 2001-2003) Endows Classics Scholarship at Holy Cross
Photo by Bill Hayes
The gift enables two scholarships to be awarded annually to current students who have demonstrated a commitment to major in classics and also show financial need. Read more.
MAY
Holy Cross Celebrates 175th Commencement
Photo by Matt Wright
Commencement speaker Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, reminded graduates that their education has equipped them to make a positive difference in the world and to do everything in their power to keep hope alive. Read more.
Holy Cross Celebrates Class of 2020 in a Virtual Convocation
Graduates of the Class of 2020 address their classmates during the 2020 United broadcast.
The young alumni worldwide observed the traditional academic convocation one year post-graduation. Read more.
JUNE
Holy Cross Sociology Professor Awarded Fulbright Scholarship to Study City Climate Planning
Selina Gallo-Cruz, associate professor of sociology. Photo by Tom Rettig
The scholarship will allow Professor Selina Gallo-Cruz to examine how different cities engage with global models for facing the many challenges posed by climate change, drawing together observations from Worcester, Mass. and Tampere, Finland. Read more.
College Establishes Philip L. Boroughs, S.J., Scholarship to Honor Departing President
Fr. Boroughs at the Joyce Contemplative Center
The scholarship will provide financial aid support to Holy Cross students with significant financial need who are graduates of Jesuit and Catholic high schools. Read more.
JULY
Fr. Tim O'Brien '06 Named Incoming Director of Mission Initiatives
Rev. Timothy O’Brien, S.J., ’06
A political science major who once aspired to be a lawyer, O'Brien returns to The Hill to spread the mission he loves. Read more.
Prior Performing Arts Center on Track for 2022 Opening
President Rougeau tours the Prior Center for Performing Arts alongside Chief Facilities Officer Scott Merrill. Photo by Heather Hayes
The state-of-the-art facility is set to be completed fall 2022. Read more.
AUGUST
Holy Cross Names Heather Hayes Vice President and Chief of Staff
Heather Hayes, vice president and chief of staff. Photo by Avanell Chang
Former associate dean of strategic and student affairs at Boston College Law School, Hayes assumed her role in July. Read more.
Holy Cross Begins Fall Semester with Hope and Resilience
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmB9KUFgqsU[/embed]
The 2021-22 academic year kicked off with not one, but two move-in days. First-year students of the Class of 2025 moved in on Saturday, Aug. 28, and on Sunday, Aug. 29 the Class of 2024 took part in their long-awaited move-in day, which was postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more.
SEPTEMBER
Holy Cross Magazine Launches Podcast
The new podcast featured Billy Collins '63, former US Poet Laureate, as its first guest. Read more.
Holy Cross Students, Alumnus Receive Distinguished Scholarships
From left to right: Jeff Reppucci ‘14, Madeleine Fontenay ‘21, Helen Conroy ‘21 and Emily Cook ‘21
Jeff Reppucci '14 was selected for the newest cohort of the prestigious Knight-Hennessy Scholars program and, Madeleine Fontenay ‘21, Helen Conroy ‘21 and Emily Cook ‘21, were awarded Fulbright grants. Read more.
OCTOBER
The Kid LAROI headlines Holy Cross Fall Concert 2021
The Kid LAROI performs at the Fall Concert. Photo by Erika Sidor
This event was made possible thanks to Holy Cross students, who reached a 96% vaccination rate in the fall semester. Read more.
Holy Cross Celebrates Inauguration of 33rd President Vincent D. Rougeau
President Vincent Rougeau during his inaugural address. Photo by Matt Wright
Rougeau made history as the College's first lay and first Black president. Read more.
Holy Cross Rolls Past Colgate at First-Ever Football Game at Polar Park
Photo by Gil Talbot
Holy Cross Athletics and the Worcester Red Sox teamed up to bring college football to Polar Park. Read more.
Video: 45 Years of Designing Costumes for Student Actors: Meet Holy Cross' Kurt Hultgren
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH-b8bhRuJs[/embed]
The lecturer and costume designer has been creating characters on The Hill since 1977. Read more.
NOVEMBER
Holy Cross Once Again a Princeton Review 'Green College'
Greenhouse on the Holy Cross campus. Photo by Tom Rettig
The College was recognized for its sustainability-related policies, practices and programs for the 12th consecutive year. Read more.
Three-peat! Crusaders Clinch Third Straight Patriot League Title
Last-minute touchdown lifts Holy Cross over Sacred Heart. Photo by Mark Seliger
Holy Cross football went on to secure the first FCS playoff win in program history. Read more.
DECEMBER
Holy Cross Ties for National Lead in Graduation Success Rate
With a Graduation Success Rate of 99 percent, Holy Cross' athletic teams are tied for first in the nation out of 358 Division I schools, according to the NCAA. Read more.
Holy Cross Names Tomicka Wagstaff as New Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The former assistant vice president for student access and success at Rochester Institute of Technology will join the college in January. Read more.
Holy Cross Names Kit Hughes as New Athletics Director
The former deputy athletic director at Bowling Green State University will assume his new role in January 2022. Read more.
Video: Christmas at Holy Cross Featuring the 43rd Advent Festival of Lessons & Carols
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iwCXRFJWN4[/embed]
The College of the Holy Cross community was grateful to return this year to beloved campus traditions like the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony and the 43rd Advent Festival of Lessons & Carols. Watch the video on YouTube.
