Saint Anselm College Celebrates Groundbreaking For Van Hoof Athletic Complex
Members of the Saint Anselm College community gathered to break ground on the Van Hoof Athletic Complex earlier this fall.
The facility will include an eight-lane track, a synthetic turf soccer field, sophisticated LED lighting, spectator seating, and a multipurpose building with locker rooms. Design and planning for the facility, which may be completed in phases, is underway. The Van Hoof Athletic Complex will be home to the Hawks men’s and women’s track & field program, and men’s and women’s soccer teams, as well as a wide array of other college programming.
The track & field programs participate in both the indoor and outdoor seasons within the Northeast 10 Conference. The Hawks soccer teams play NE10 seasons in the fall and exhibition games in the spring.
Trustee Jim Van Hoof ’85 and Tracey Van Hoof ’87 made the lead gift for the complex in honor of his parents, Carol and James Van Hoof.
“Tracey and I want it to stand as a testament to all the parents who make the enormous sacrifices necessary for athletes to compete at this level,” Jim Van Hoof said. “No student-athlete arrives at Saint Anselm without hundreds of hours of carpools, cleats, sideline cheering, and unyielding encouragement. This complex will be a tribute to all of the parents who provide that.”
Van Hoof also announced that a substantial portion of their commitment is being made as a challenge gift that when successfully matched will allow for the soccer field to be named for legendary men’s soccer coach Ed Cannon, “a man who positively impacted, not just me, but hundreds of athletes during his long coaching and leadership career at Saint Anselm. Someone whose coaching excellence, dedication to young athletes, humility, and character embody the Benedictine values we all hold dear.”
Saint Anselm President Joseph A. Favazza, Ph.D., thanked the Van Hoof family for their generous lead commitment, and also thanked the athletes who have waited for this moment while the college worked its way through the regulatory process with the communities of Bedford, Goffstown, and Manchester.
“The athletes are here, and they are anxious and deserving of the beautiful complex we are creating,” President Favazza said. “The addition of track & field to our varsity sports programs has been talked about for years. It was a strategic decision by the college leadership and trustees that has yielded an extraordinary number of participants, quickly exceeding our recruitment and enrollment expectations.”
In addition to Coach Cannon, longtime cross country coaches Professor Paul Finn and Professor Emeriti Dennis Sweetland were in attendance at the groundbreaking.
Following an extensive search in 2022, Peter Early was selected as the first director of track & field and cross country at Saint Anselm College. An experienced coach at the NCAA Division II level, Early arrived at Saint Anselm from Assumption University where he led the men’s and women’s cross country and track & field programs.
Brian Stankiewicz ’17, the longtime head coach of the men’s and women’s cross country programs, was named assistant coach for track & field when the program was launched in 2023.
Now in the program’s third season, Saint Anselm has 141 track & field athletes, with 32 percent cross-over with cross country.
“A special word of thanks to Peter Early, whose strategic vision and tireless recruiting have helped shape the success and growth of our soccer and track & field programs,” said Athletic Director Phil Rowe. “And I’d also like to recognize our outstanding coaches—Bruno Victal (men’s soccer) and Lee Moyce (women’s soccer)—who have built our soccer programs to represent the very best of Saint Anselm: teamwork, integrity, and excellence both on and off the field.”
The men’s soccer program has 35 members and the women’s program has 37.
The 18-month campaign goal for the Van Hoof Athletic Complex is $2.5M, with $1.5M raised to date. For more information, please contact Senior Vice President and Chief Advancement Officer Jim Flanagan at jflanagan@anselm.edu.
Four New Trustees Join Saint Anselm College Board
Saint Anselm College announced the appointment of four new members to the board of trustees on Friday, October 10, 2025. Each new member brings a wealth of professional expertise, leadership experience, and personal connection to the college’s Catholic, Benedictine mission.
“These four trustees bring diverse professional backgrounds to this role,” said President Joseph A. Favazza, Ph.D. “Together, they embody the values and spirit of our beloved Saint Anselm. We look forward to their guidance as we move the college forward with Ascent to the Hilltop, our five-year strategic plan.”
Eleanor Wm. Dahar
Eleanor Wm. Dahar is an accomplished attorney at Dahar Law Firm in Manchester, N.H., where she practices with her two brothers at the firm founded by their late father.
A graduate of Wheaton College (magna cum laude, 1984) and Boston College Law School (1987), she has built a distinguished career in personal injury, family, and bankruptcy law. A past president of the New Hampshire Bar Association and the first woman from the state appointed to the executive council of the National Conference of Bar Presidents, Dahar has been a leader in both legal and civic communities.
She has served on numerous nonprofit boards across healthcare, youth development, and the arts, and currently serves on the advisory board of the college’s Center for Ethics in Society.
Alison L. McCarthy ’98
Alison McCarthy ’98 is counsel at Troutman Pepper in Boston, where she represents clients in complex patent litigation and strategic intellectual property management.
Recognized among Boston Magazine’s Top Lawyers for Intellectual Property Rights, she has also served as an adjunct professor at New England Law.
McCarthy is married to Brendan E. McCarthy ’96, founding principal of McCarthy Financial, LLC. The couple live in Wellesley, Mass., with their two children.
Deeply engaged in her community, McCarthy serves as a representative for the Wellesley Special Education Parent Advisory Council, supporting inclusive educational initiatives.
John P. Morey ’85
John P. Morey ’85 brings decades of executive leadership in global investing, banking, and wealth management. Most recently, he served as chief client officer at Fiduciary Trust Company, retiring in 2022. His distinguished career also includes senior roles at GMO, LLC, Putnam Investments, and BankBoston.
A 2024 graduate fellow of the University of Notre Dame’s Inspired Leadership Initiative (ILI), Morey continues to exemplify his commitment to service through extensive board involvement. He currently serves on the board of advisors for the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies, University of Notre Dame, as well as the boards of Bethany Land Institute, Horizons for Homeless Children, and the Brockton Sports Foundation.
A dedicated Anselmian, he remains actively engaged with his alma mater and currently serves on the Alva de Mars Megan Chapel Art Center Advisory Board.
Br. Thomas Lacourse, O.S.B. ’15
Br. Thomas Lacourse, O.S.B. ’15, a monk of Saint Anselm Abbey, graduated from Saint Anselm College in 2015 with a degree in politics and later earned a Ph.D. in political science from Trinity College in Dublin.
After joining the monastery in 2021, he returned to serve the college community as assistant director for student support in the Academic Resource Center and as an adjunct professor in the first-year experience program, Conversatio.
His appointment to the board reflects the Abbey’s continued and integral role in guiding the mission and spiritual life of the college.
MEGAN BREWER ’26 AWARDED GRAPPONE FELLOWSHIP
Megan Brewer ’26 has been named the 2025-2026 Grappone Fellow at the Gregory J. Grappone Humanities Institute, the third student to serve in the ambassadorial role that awards the recipient with full tuition and fees.
Brewer is an honors classical archaeology and history double major from Orono, Maine, who credits both the humanities and the larger discipline of the liberal arts for pushing her to broaden her horizons. She was chosen by a selection committee led by philosophy professor, Robert Anderson, Ph.D., who shared that choosing Brewer was a “delight.”
“Megan lives and breathes the humanities,” Anderson said. “She is inspired by the field in ways that many of us know firsthand.”
A dedicated learner, she values social and cultural history and believes the best way to grasp a subject is through hands-on experience—a principle that has led her to spend the past two summers at the Orvieto Archaeological Field School, excavating at the Etrusco-Roman site, Coriglia, in Castel Viscardo, Italy.
Beyond academics, Brewer is a leader among her peers, working as a resident assistant, peer tutor at the Academic Resource Center, co-editor of the student journal Humanitas, and project assistant with the Lavalliere Franco-American Collection in the Geisel Library archives.
Brewer is excited about immersing herself in her research. One of her projects will explore the role of the Catholic Church in the formation of New England Franco-American communities, and her second will focus on the depiction of race in ancient artwork.
Alongside her academic and extracurricular involvements, Brewer will be representing the Grappone Humanities Institute in memory of Gregory J. Grappone ’04, after whom the Institute and fellowship are named. To honor their son’s love for the humanities, the Grappone family established the fellowship to support students with the same passion.
“I’m very grateful to the Grappone family and Professor Bouchard,” Brewer said. “The humanities have always played a very important role in my life, and I’m looking forward to taking part in promoting their wider importance and the mission of the Institute.”
AVA PETROSINO ’26 NAMED FR. BERNARD HOLMES SCHOLAR
Ava Petrosino ’26, a nursing major with a Spanish for health sciences minor, has been selected as the Fr. Bernard Holmes, O.S.B., Scholar for the 2025-2026 academic year for her advocacy and leadership on campus.
“[Petrosino] embodies academic excellence and humility through her leadership and service,” said Jenne Powers, assistant dean for academic support services.
When Petrosino first arrived at Saint Anselm, she said she immediately felt at home. The tight-knit feel of the campus community excited her, and she was compelled by an unwavering enthusiasm for academia. She felt like she fit right in at the college, apart from one thing—her need for an accessible campus.
As a student with limited mobility, Petrosino has a different perspective from many of her peers. At times, she has felt like her wheelchair made her stand out and prevented her from full campus involvement. Petrosino collaborated with a fellow classmate to speak with Saint Anselm staff at a panel to raise awareness about accessibility challenges she was facing. Her suggestions acknowledged creative and equitable solutions and inspired change to make the campus more accessible for current and future students. In May 2025, she volunteered to share her story at a national conference for nurse educators.
“When I introduce myself to my patients, I let them know that I will work with them instead of for them,” she said. “Having been the patient in similar situations, I know how lonely it is to feel powerless and unheard.” She aims to make the world a more accommodating place where everyone can thrive. “As a nurse, I never want my patients to feel they have no autonomy or voice in their own care,” she said. “I want to use my knowledge and skills to advocate on behalf of others.”
Academics aside, Petrosino’s dedication to the campus and local community speaks for itself. Since her sophomore year, she has worked in the Academic Resource Center (ARC), where she can be found empowering student success as a peer tutor. She serves as a leader for the Accessibility, Awareness, and Advocacy group (AAA) and as a head peer mentor for the Transitions Program. Through the Meelia Center, Petrosino participated in community engaged learning with Girls Inc. and The Arbors of Bedford, and volunteered at Foster and Adoptive Parents Night Out (FAPNO) and Hope for NH Recovery in Manchester. She also offers mentorship to students with and without disabilities through her involvement at the Diversity and Inclusion Innovation Fund (DIIF).
SENIORS NAMED 2025-2026 MELUCCI SCHOLARS
Anne LaBelle ’26 and John Beirne ’26 have been selected to receive the 2025- 2026 Thomas A. Melucci Jr. Memorial Scholarship, an award that annually provides full tuition to two seniors who have demonstrated significant spiritual and personal growth throughout their time at Saint Anselm College.
LaBelle is a forensic science major with a minor in biology, and hopes to analyze biological evidence as a criminalist. On campus, LaBelle works as an undergraduate research assistant in the biology department and serves as both community coordinator and student support manager at the Meelia Center. Her active leadership at Foster and Adoptive Parents Night Out (FAPNO) and participation in Road for Hope highlight LaBelle’s desire to get involved in any way she can. In addition, LaBelle will be serving as a B.R.E.A.K. leader with Campus Ministry, and is a regular volunteer at the Manchester School District and Manchester Animal Shelter.
Her favorite part of being Anselmian is the people she’s had the chance to learn from, work with, and grow alongside. “I’ve had the privilege of working with amazing leaders who have shown me what it truly means to serve others with compassion and dedication,” she said. “Through the generosity and vision of Mr. and Mrs. Melucci, I have been given not just financial support but also the inspiration and encouragement to pursue my dreams wholeheartedly.”
Beirne is a double major in American studies and legal studies. “I want to be a part of the decision to protect people from being harmed,” he says. “I want to use my skills and my love of the law to help people.”
Beirne’s commitment to involvement outside of academics also is notable. As early as his freshman year, Beirne found his place as a dedicated student athlete on the men’s club rugby team. By collaborating with campus administration and several teammates, he helped to transform the once-small team into a tournament contender. In addition to rugby, Beirne leads Athletes Bible Study through Campus Ministry, has assisted in community engagement with the Meelia Center, and is a member of the Irish Society, Campus Activities Board (CAB), and Student Engagement and Leadership (SEAL). He said he has thoroughly enjoyed his time at Saint Anselm and considers attending to be one of the best decisions he has ever made.
“This scholarship means the world to me,” he said. “It has allowed me to focus on my academics and has been a huge help to my family … I am unbelievably grateful for the peace of mind it has given me.”
The Thomas A. Melucci Jr. Memorial Endowed Scholarship was established by Thomas and Gail Melucci as a memorial for their son, Thomas, who graduated from Saint Anselm in 1988. The Meluccis remain closely involved with the scholarship, serving on the committee that selects recipients each year. Thomas Melucci is a former trustee of the college, who sadly passed away in December.
NORAH SMITH ’26 AWARDED 2025 WHIPPLE SCHOLARSHIP FOR 18TH CENTURY STUDIES
Norah Smith ’26 has been named the 2025 recipient of the John S. Whipple Scholarship for 18th Century Studies, winning over the scholarship committee with her proposal titled “Female Intimacy in Eighteenth-Century Literature–Friendship, Hatred, and Lesbianism.”
The competitive award is given to one student each year and comes with a research stipend.
After Smith’s proposal was chosen, Gary Bouchard, Ph.D., of the English and communication department, and executive director of the Gregory J. Grappone Humanities Institute, wrote, “This topic is certainly one worthy of research and writing.”
Smith is an English major with a minor in professional and creative writing. Her love for literature has led her to be a friendly face in the Geisel Library, where she holds a position as a student worker at the circulation desk. In her free time, she enjoys writing her own original works of poetry, some of which she presented at the Mind over Major conference in April 2025.
“Female intimacy in literature has always fascinated me, and most of the time, women in novels are relatively flat, static or only acknowledged in reference to men,” said Smith. “I am excited to take a deep dive into a novel about a solely female utopia.”
Smith’s interest in this era of history mirrors that of the scholarship’s namesake, John S. Whipple. His son was a former postulant at the Saint Anselm Abbey, and he established the John S. Whipple Scholarship to honor his father, who possessed a deep passion for the study of the 18th century.
The scholarship is hosted in partnership with the Gregory J. Grappone Humanities Institute, a place that was determined to be a fitting home for the scholarship, as well as the office of college advancement and the office of financial aid.
Anselmians Help Preserve New Hampshire History
Last summer, James Thibault ’28, a politics major and N.H. state representative (R-Merrimack 25), played a key role in bringing home a long-lost portrait of Daniel Webster, the 19th-century statesman and Franklin, N.H., native.
According to Thibault, the portrait was donated to the Navy for the commissioning of a submarine, the U.S.S. Daniel Webster, back in the 1960s. After the submarine was decommissioned, it was converted into a training vessel, but the painting remained on board. Efforts made by the Franklin Historical Society through U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s office to have the portrait returned in 2011 were unsuccessful, as the Navy believed it to be lost. Earlier this year, however, Thibault was contacted by the Navy saying that it had been found, and Thibault worked with them to bring the portrait home.
The return of the portrait was celebrated at the New Hampshire State House, where Thibault sat down with Franklin Middle School students to teach them about the history of the portrait and Webster’s career. The portrait was donated to the Franklin Historical Society where it will remain on permanent display.
“It was an immense honor to be able to bring this piece of history home, and I’m really glad we got to share it with the next generation of Granite Staters [to be] inspired by Webster’s legacy,” Thibault says.
With thanks to history professor, Hugh Dubrulle, Ph.D., the New Hampshire Historical Society in Concord, N.H., now houses an important collection of letters from Civil War private and New Hampshire-native, Charles M. Trask.
Trask (1836-1891), who received a degree from the University of Vermont in 1861, joined the 5th New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry during the Civil war in early 1862 as a private. He became a hospital steward for the regiment and was eventually promoted to 2nd assistant surgeon. He left the service in late 1864. The collection consists of 34 letters, 32 of which Trask wrote to various family members while serving in the 5th New Hampshire.
For Dubrulle, who won the letters at auction, the decision to donate them was an easy one. “I strongly believe that documents of this sort belong at an institution like the New Hampshire Historical Society where they can be properly cared for and remain available to the public for research purposes.”
BR. THOMAS LACOURSE, O.S.B. ’15 PROFESSES SOLEMN VOWS
On July 11, 2025, Br. Thomas Kevin Lacourse, O.S.B. ’15 professed solemn vows as a monk of Saint Anselm Abbey. Abbot Isaac Murphy, O.S.B., clothed Br. Thomas with the monastic cuculla, a pleated monastic choir robe, and a symbol of solemn profession.
Standing before the altar and before his brothers in the monastery, Br. Thomas pronounced vows of stability, obedience, and conversatio morum, making a permanent commitment of himself to the Lord and to his monastic community. As a solemnly professed monk, Br. Thomas becomes a member of the monastery’s Chapter, as well as a member of the Saint Anselm College and Woodside Priory School corporations.
Br. Thomas is a native of Chester, N.H., and a 2015 graduate of Saint Anselm College. Following graduation, he completed a master’s degree in political philosophy at the University of Sheffield in Sheffield, England. In 2021, he completed a Ph.D. in political theory at Trinity College, Dublin.
Br. Thomas currently serves as the assistant director for academic support in the Academic Resource Center at Saint Anselm College.
BR. DISMAS MANUEL ENTERS THE NOVITIATE
On August 14, 2025, Noah Manuel was received into the novitiate and clothed in the monastic habit. Abbot Isaac Murphy, O.S.B., gave him his religious name, Br. Dismas. Br. Dismas’ patron is Saint Dismas, the “good thief” described in the Passion narratives. Br. Dismas is a native of Newport, R.I. Fr. Bernard Disco, O.S.B., will serve as his Novice Master. Please pray for Br. Dismas as he begins this year of formation. Please continue to pray that our community will be blessed with new vocations.
NEW ATHLETICS LOGO UNVEILED
Saint Anselm College Athletics has unveiled a new visual identity that builds upon the proud history of the Hawks while reintroducing the image of a hawk for the first time in several years.
Developed in collaboration with Royal Rooster, the logo set retains the classic colors of navy, grey, and white, a palette that has long represented the Hilltop, ensuring continuity with the college’s visual tradition. The refreshed logo symbolizes the department’s strength, focus, determination, and ability to soar above the competition.
The new design also incorporates a subtle light blue accent in the hawk’s eye, a nod to the college’s color palette, which ties directly into the department’s new tagline, “Tradition with an eye to the future.” The addition of the light blue element serves as a symbolic bridge between past and future; a nod to the growth, renewal, and energy that define Saint Anselm’s evolving identity.
“This new set of logos captures who we are as a department and as a community. It honors the proud legacy of Saint Anselm Athletics while embracing innovation and progress,” said Interim Director of Athletics Phil Rowe. “The hawk sees all, strikes with a purpose, and leads with strength; just like us.”
The new logo will be gradually introduced across athletic uniforms, facilities, merchandise, and digital platforms throughout the 2025-26 academic year.