WELCOME SAINT ANSELM COLLEGE’S 12th PRESIDENT
The college officially welcomed Dr. Michael Lewis as the 12th president on July 1. Dr. Lewis most recently served as provost and chief academic officer at Saint Louis University in Saint Louis. He succeeded President Joseph A. Favazza, Ph.D., who retired on June 30.
Saint Anselm Board of Trustees Chair Jeb Lavelle ’82 praised Dr. Favazza for his many accomplishments and welcomed Dr. Lewis after a nine-month nationwide search.
“Over the past seven years, Dr. Favazza has guided Saint Anselm into the future with steadfast leadership and a vision that has generated significant momentum for the college,” Lavelle said. “As he passes the baton, we are very excited for the experience and perspective Dr. Lewis will bring to Saint A’s.”
Dr. Lewis received his B.Sc. in chemistry from Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1996, and his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2001. He was a postdoctoral research associate at Harvard University from 2001 to 2004.
Dr. Lewis joined Saint Louis University’s Department of Chemistry in 2004. As a faculty member, he received multiple teaching awards and authored numerous scholarly publications.
Appointed provost in 2020, he was responsible for supporting major initiatives advancing the university’s strategic plan and has been responsible for the development and implementation of all academic strategic priorities, as well as the academic affairs budget. He also has been overseeing 11 schools and deans, plus the university’s campus in Madrid, Spain.
“Among his many impressive attributes, Dr. Lewis is a strong listener who builds deep relationships with others, he has made difficult decisions with the mission as the guide, and he and his wife view serving in Catholic higher education as their vocation and life calling,” Lavelle said.
Saint Louis University is a Catholic, Jesuit liberal arts institution and the fifth-largest Catholic university in the United States with more than 13,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Like Saint Anselm, it integrates the liberal arts, humanities, and sciences into its core mission and curriculum.
Dr. Lewis was born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He and his wife Heather have two children; Jack is a junior in college and Grace a senior in high school. Heather Lewis, M.S.W., Ed.S., B.C.B.A., is an associate clinical professor of social work.
Following Dr. Favazza’s announcement, the college received a large and highly qualified pool of applicants. Dr. Lewis was the unanimous choice of the Presidential Search Committee and received a unanimous vote of approval from the board of trustees.
“A passionate believer in a liberal arts education, Dr. Lewis cares deeply for the welfare and success of students, and understands how today’s students and parents want to see the college bring together excellent liberal arts education with thorough career preparation,” said Mike Riegel ’92, chair of the presidential search committee. “He also has strong experience shaping and growing schools, increasing in-person undergraduate enrollment, and creating and expanding online graduate programs.”
Dr. Lewis thanked the Saint Anselm community for its warm welcome during the formal announcement on March 9. He is looking forward to helping “steward this remarkable institution with fidelity to its Catholic and Benedictine identity.” “
The mission of Saint Anselm College is not simply a heritage to preserve—it is a responsibility to carry forward. In a world searching for truth, stability, community, and hope, this college has an indispensable role to play,” he said.
Photos by Kim Casey
CLASS OF 2026 ENCOURAGED TO “CHARGE ON!”
Saint Anselm College’s 133rd Commencement was held on Saturday, May 16, celebrating 523 students who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
In his final commencement as president of Saint Anselm College, Joseph A. Favazza, Ph.D., used his address to reflect on the legacy of Harvey C. “Barney” Barnum, Jr. ’62, H.D. ’04, U.S.M.C. (Ret.), a Medal of Honor recipient who was recently honored at the commissioning of the USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr., and how one day changed the course of Barnum’s life.
“But the question I keep asking myself is simply this: What will be my response to an unexpected day that will change my life? But even if we have not yet experienced it ourselves, all we need to do is look around and see that a single day can change everything,” said President Favazza.
He spoke about how days like that may not change who you are, but can show your essence, and how their time at the Hilltop can shape your response. He spoke more about a conversation with Barnum who told him, “St. A’s gave me the walls. All I had to do was put on the roof.”
“What a wonderful expression of our mission,” said President Favazza. “The college does not change who you are; we simply give you the bricks and mortar of critical thinking, problem- solving, collaboration, communication, and empathy so you can build strong walls on the foundation that you already had when you first came to the Hilltop. Now, as you depart, all you have to do is put on the roof.”
President Favazza ended his address reflecting on the next steps that both graduates and he would be taking, and challenged them to consider Barnum’s daily motto: “Charge on!”
After he finished, the college presented President Favazza with an honorary degree in recognition of his service to the college over the past seven years. Three additional individuals who have distinguished themselves in the field of education, healthcare, and business received honorary degrees during the ceremonies.
Rev. Edwin D. Leahy, O.S.B., a Benedictine monk and headmaster of Saint Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark, N.J., delivered the commencement address and received a Doctor of Humane Letters. Other honorary degree recipients included Jeffery T. Burke ’69 and Lisa Kennedy Sheldon, Ph.D., A.N.P.-B.C., A.O.C.N.P., F.A.A.N. ’78.
The student speaker, Caraline Stewart ’26, a mathematics and music major from Brimfield, Mass., spoke about how the liberal arts at the center of Saint Anselm College impacted her life and created a much richer experience than she ever expected. She ended her speech by pulling out her guitar and playing Bob Dylan’s Forever Young.
Abbot Isaac Murphy, O.S.B., the chancellor of the college, then presented Kristen Coleman ’26, a theology major from Watertown, Mass., with the Chancellor’s Award, given to the graduating senior with the highest overall grade point average.
During the ceremonies, Professor Kimberly Kersey-Asbury presented the 2026 Distinguished Faculty Award to Economics and Business Professor Dina Frutos-Bencze, Ph.D., on behalf of the college’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors (A.A.U.P.).
Hooding ceremonies for the college’s Master of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice and Master of Education in Special Education programs took place on the morning of commencement, with 18 criminal justice and six education students conferred degrees. The inaugural hooding ceremony for the college’s Master of Public Policy took place for eight students on May 6 at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics.
On the day prior to commencement, the Senior Honors Convocation celebrated the class of 2026, with 32 awards going to individuals, along with the recognition of seniors inducted into 16 honor societies. The Convocation was followed by the Baccalaureate Mass, with Fr. Stephen Lawson, O.S.B. ’08 delivering the Homily.
Commencement Weekend ended with the sun shining and bells ringing, and the parting words of President Favazza.
“I love you, class of 2026. Don’t worry about the surprising days ahead. Find your purpose. Build yourself a roof and ‘Charge on!’”
To read the full remarks of the commencement speakers, view photos and the simulcast of the event, visit anselm.edu/commencement.
Photos by Gil Talbot and Leah LaRiccia
NHIOP HOSTS STAND UP NEW HAMPSHIRE SERIES
As eyes turn toward the 2026 midterm election and 2028 presidential race, the New Hampshire Institute of Politics (NHIOP) is once again a hot spot for rising politicians focused on winning the approval of Granite State voters, and NHIOP Student Ambassadors have had a front-row seat.
Since fall 2025, the NHIOP has hosted four Stand Up New Hampshire town hall events featuring prominent Democratic politicians. The event series, organized by the New Hampshire Democratic Party, is aimed at rallying the state’s Democratic voters as crucial elections lie on the horizon.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), Rep. Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) each visited the institute and participated in individual town hall-style events moderated by Politico reporter Kelly Garrity.
Kevin B. Harrington Student Ambassadors had a front-row seat for all of these events. From managing the check-in desk to serving as ushers, greeting politicians as they arrived, and staffing the green room, students were at the center of the action.
Michael Hanna ’26, chair of the Student Ambassador Program, was given the opportunity to work in the green room for several of these events. He says he felt the importance of the state’s first-in-the-nation status. “New Hampshire’s students and voters take our civic responsibility seriously.”
This spring, in order to bring in a younger perspective and highlight skills being developed on campus, students played a more prominent role in the event. Conor Beswick ’26, a politics and finance major, was tapped to serve as the program’s moderator.
In the fourth installment, which took place in March, Rahm Emanuel, the former ambassador to Japan and White House chief of staff, took the stage to explain his vision for the country. In addition to Beswick as moderator, Meagan Lee ’28, a politics major, gave introductory remarks and led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Beswick remarked that his mentorship by Neil Levesque, NHIOP executive director, prepared him for this unique opportunity. “I was humbled to be able to help facilitate classic New Hampshire democracy between voters and a leader in a town hall setting,” Beswick said.
Abby O’Connell ’28 shared how working behind the scenes gave her the opportunity to “see first-hand all of effort and people it takes to make an event like this happen.” Beyond her responsibilities, she also had the opportunity to meet Sen. Cory Booker, and take a selfie with him alongside fellow student representatives. “He was extremely personable and friendly, as well as an inspiring speaker,” she said.
Erin Robbins ’28, who joined O’Connell for the selfie, staffed the event. She points out the rarity of such an experience, one that she would not have had without Saint Anselm.
“I was able to spend time listening to and understanding every politician that came in and really grasp who they were,” Robbins said. “That would not have been possible without the ambassador program.”
Photos by Kim Casey
CENTER FOR ETHICS IN SOCIETY HOLDS 8th ANNUAL ETHICS OF BUSINESS, TRADE, AND GLOBAL GOVERNANCE CONFERENCE
Saint Anselm College’s Center for Ethics in Society hosted its 8th Annual Ethics of Business, Trade, and Global Governance Conference this semester at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics (NHIOP), featuring prominent speakers who discussed the future of globalization, international trade, and emerging ethical issues in the global economy.
The conference opened with remarks from Dani Rodrik, Ph.D., the Ford Foundation Professor of International Political Economy at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Professor Marc Rugani, director of the Center for Ethics, introduced Rodrik and emphasized the importance of his research in today’s rapidly changing global economy.
“Dani Rodrik’s intellectual acumen and prudential incisiveness on the need for shared vision and compromise to serve the shrinking middle class in the United States, while paying attention to global inequality, is so needed in our community conversations which often devolve into partisan mudslinging or deafening echo chambers,” said Rugani.
In his speech, Rodrik highlighted three critical challenges facing the world economy drawing from his newly published book, Shared Prosperity in a Fractured World (Princeton University Press, 2025). These three challenges are climate change, an erosion of the middle class for social and political existence, and global poverty reduction.
“These are all significant challenges,” Rodrik said. “What makes it worse is that many of our established ways of thinking about these challenges pose significant conflicts among these objectives.”
Throughout Rodrik’s speech he used these three challenges and applied them to his discussions on international trade, emerging ethical issues, globalization, and foreign policy.
John Murphy ’27, a finance and economics major who attended the conference reflected on his experience hearing Rodrik discuss his approach on the issues of global economic policies.
“Dr. Rodrik’s speech is important for students to learn because it sheds light [on] how government incentives, subsidies, trade relations, etc. could be adopted domestically and beneficially influence GDP per capita,” Murphy said.
On the second night of the conference, a closed discussion was held for academics and conference attendees. Guest speakers discussed specific economic sectors including globalization, trade, governance, ethical issues, and case studies of Ghana, China, Ukraine, and Poland.
Photo by Kim Casey
SENATOR JEANNE SHAHEEN VISITS JEAN SCHOOL OF NURSING AND HEALTH SCIENCES
This spring, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) visited the Jean School of Nursing and Health Sciences as part of her Affordability Action Tour.
Shaheen was given a tour of the state-of-the-art simulation labs alongside President Joseph A. Favazza, Ph.D. Many from the nursing faculty then joined for a roundtable discussion, which focused on the topic of insulin affordability. Also in attendance at the roundtable were healthcare leaders from Manchester area hospitals, as well as members of the surrounding community who have experienced the effects of type 1 diabetes firsthand.
As co-chair of the Senate Diabetes Caucus, Shaheen has been working toward making her bipartisan Insulin Act a reality for Americans struggling with type 1. This legislation would help make insulin more accessible by capping the monthly out-of-pocket cost of insulin at $35 for Americans with insurance. The bill would also create a pilot program to provide insulin at the same price to the uninsured.
“As most of you here know, this is a disease that is increasing,” said Shaheen. “It is the most expensive chronic illness that we have, and it is expected to affect about one in three individuals by 2050 if we aren’t able to change the trajectory.”
The discussion concluded with a call to action from Shaheen, as she thanked everyone in attendance for their time and input, and asked for their continued advocacy to help pass the Insulin Act.
BR. JOSEPH PROFESSES SIMPLE VOWS
Br. Joseph Nicholas Wencis, O.S.B., professed temporary vows as a monk of Saint Anselm Abbey on March 21, 2026, the Solemnity of the Transitus of Saint Benedict. Abbot Isaac Murphy, O.S.B., presented Br. Joseph with the full monastic habit and a copy of the Rule of Saint Benedict.
Through his temporary profession of vows, Br. Joseph embraces the vows of the Order of St. Benedict: obedience, stability, and conversatio morum (fidelity to monastic life) as cited in Chapter 58 of the Rule of Saint Benedict. Upon completing three years as a junior monk, and after careful prayer and deliberation, he may petition the monastic community to profess solemn vows and become a permanent member of the monastic community.
Br. Joseph is a native of Atkinson, N.H. He graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2010 and earned his M.B.A. from Boston University in 2016. He currently works in the finance office at Saint Anselm College.
Saint Anselm Abbey is grateful for the prayers and support of our alumni, friends, and benefactors. Please continue to pray that we may be blessed with more vocations to our community.
Photo by Kevin Harkins
BR. AMADEUS CUNDIFF, O.S.B., ORDAINED TO DIACONATE
Br. Amadeus Daniel Cundiff, O.S.B., a member of the Saint Anselm monastic community, was ordained to the Diaconate on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, the Solemnity of Saint Anselm of Canterbury, patron of our Abbey and College. He was ordained by the Most Reverend Peter A. Libasci, Bishop of Manchester. Following his ordination and according to house custom, he will be known as Fr. Amadeus.
As a deacon, Fr. Amadeus is now a minister of service for Saint Anselm Abbey and the wider Church. Among his many duties, he will assist priests with the administration of the Sacraments.
After the laying on of hands and prayer of ordination by Bishop Libasci, Fr. Amadeus was vested with the stole and dalmatic, signs of his office within the Church.
During the Rite of Ordination, Bishop Libasci instructed Fr. Amadeus regarding his new ministry: “As a deacon, you will serve Jesus Christ, who was known among his disciples as the one who served others. Do the will of God generously. Serve God and mankind in love and joy.”
Brother Amadeus is a native of Denton, Texas. He received a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Dallas. He took vows as a Benedictine monk in 2014 and joined our community in 2020.
Photo by Fr. Francis McCarty, O.S.B. ’10
WELCOME NEW WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY HEAD COACH
Director of Athletics Phil Rowe announced Jessica Salisbury, who served as the lead assistant coach for the past two seasons, has been named the fifth head coach in the program’s 22-year history.
Through her time as an assistant, she played an integral role in the Hawks’ success through film analysis, on-ice instruction, recruiting efforts, and in-game strategy, helping shape the program’s development as the Hawks reached the New England Women’s Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) championship game this past season.
“I am incredibly honored and excited to accept the position of head coach of the Women’s Ice Hockey program at Saint Anselm College,” said Salisbury. Before her time on the Hilltop, she served as head coach at Assumption University in Worcester, Mass., where she led student-athlete recruitment, designed practice plans, and coordinated team travel.
Under Salisbury’s guidance, Assumption was the champion of the Independent Women’s Club Hockey League (IWCHL) in 2023 before making a transition to the New England Women’s Hockey Alliance (NEWHA), assisting with the program in its first season as an NCAA-sponsored program.
Salisbury previously served as an assistant coach at Becker College during the 2020-21 season. Before that, she was the head coach for one season at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., in 2019-20. With the Wildcats, she led the team to its best season in program history, finishing third in the New England Hockey Conference (NEHC).
She is a 2015 graduate of the University of Massachusetts Boston, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies. She was a four-year member of the Beacons women’s ice hockey program.
Salisbury is currently pursuing her Master of Science degree in sports management from the University of Phoenix.
“I look forward to working with our student-athletes, alumni, recruits, and the entire Hawk community as we continue to grow the program and compete at a high level,” Salisbury said. “I am excited for what lies ahead and proud to begin this next chapter at Saint Anselm College.”
TREY WITTER ANNOUNCED AS NEW MEN’S BASKETBALL COACH
Trey Witter has assumed leadership of the Saint Anselm College men’s basketball program, bringing continuity, energy, and a deep understanding of the program’s values and direction.
“First and foremost, I want to congratulate Coach Santo and thank him for the profound impact he has had on me and on this program,” said Witter. “He has been an exceptional mentor and a true friend, and his leadership has set a standard that I will carry forward every day. I am incredibly grateful for everything he has poured into Saint Anselm basketball.”
Director of Athletics Phil Rowe was pleased to announce Witter as the next head coach. “Coach Witter has played a vital role in recruiting, developing, and supporting the student-athletes who delivered a championship season and a deep NCAA tournament run,” he said. “He understands the expectations of this program and the importance of aligning athletic excellence with the values of Saint Anselm College. His leadership ensures strong continuity and an exciting future for our program.”
Witter has been instrumental in the program’s recent success, contributing to a 40-win stretch over the past two seasons, including the Hawks’ 11th NE10 Championship.
“I want to thank Coach Rowe and all of the administration at Saint Anselm for their belief in me,” said Witter. “I am grateful every day for the opportunity to be a part of this community. I will uphold the standards of our athletic department and its commitment to excellence.”
Before Saint Anselm, Witter spent four seasons at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., where he contributed to one of the most successful stretches in program history, including a 30-2 season and a trip to the NCAA Division III Final Four in 2023-24. He also previously coached at Springfield College, his alma mater.
"I believe in Saint Anselm College and our athletic department," said Witter. "I believe in the current members of our team, as well as the student-athletes that we will recruit. Let’s work.”
Photos courtesy Saint Anselm College Athletics