After a beautiful Homecoming weekend, cheering the Hawks to victory, Saint Anselm College hosted its annual Alumni Awards Brunch on Sunday, November 2, 2025. Nine Anselmians from a variety of backgrounds and whose time on the Hilltop spanned more than 56 years were honored for their service to their communities, the College, and their country.
“Today, we are proud to recognize a handful of Anselmians whose sacrifices in the service of others represent so many of the people who have walked across the upper quad of this campus and, diploma in hand, gone on to live generous and creative lives throughout the world,” said Joseph Parodi-Brown ’06, president, Saint Anselm College Alumni Council.
Honorees highlighted the many ways Anselmians serve at a local, state, and national level and use the lessons and values taught on the Hilltop to inform their work on a daily basis.
“On behalf of our entire College community, I want to thank and commend all of our award recipients for the many ways they have served and inspired their communities,” said Joseph A. Favazza, Ph.D., president, Saint Anselm College. “You demonstrate every day what it means to be Anselmian.”
This year’s alumni award winners were:
JAMES P. MCDONNELL ’81
Joseph P. Collins ’34 Alumni Award of Merit
For his outstanding professional achievements, his dedication to the betterment of society, and his lifelong example of Anselmian values in action, Saint Anselm College proudly presented the Joseph P. Collins ’34 Alumni Award of Merit to James McDonnell ’81.
McDonnell currently serves as the chief of police for the Los Angeles Police Department where he managed the LAPD’s response to the Palisades fires in early 2025 and is responsible for much of the preparation for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Throughout a remarkable career, McDonnell has demonstrated professional excellence and visionary leadership within two of the nation’s premier law enforcement agencies—the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and theLos Angeles Police Department. His dedication to justice, community safety, and ethical policing has earned him widespread respect among peers and the public alike.
“In both his professional and personal life, Jim has embodied the Anselmian ideals of service, humility, and compassion, continually striving to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others and in the communities he serves,” shared Joseph Emmons ’04, assistant vice president of alumni relations and advancement programming.
Due to previous commitments, McDonnell was unable to attend the ceremony, but will be presented with his award when he returns to campus in spring 2026.
KRISTINE ADAMS ’16
Young Alumni Achievement Award
Less than a decade into her professional career, Adams has emerged as a trusted leader and policy innovator in the homeland security enterprise. As Air Cargo Branch Manager at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), she leads a team responsible for shaping aviation security policy across the global air cargo supply chain. Her vision and leadership are instrumental in the current effort to consolidate nine separate cargo security programs into a single, unified U.S. National Cargo Security Program, streamlining regulatory burden while strengthening national security.
“Serving one’s country can sometimes be seen as naïve or even suspect, rather than the calling it is for many,” said Adams. “That is why this recognition means more to me than I can say. It is a timely and deeply appreciated affirmation, not just of the counterterrorism and international coalition-building work I have been privileged to do on behalf of the American people, but of the belief that humble service, rooted in faith and community, still matters.”
JOYCE LATVIS AREL ’60
Career Achievement Award
“At Saint Anselm College, many professors added depth, structure and understanding to not only the subject matter, but to the value and connectedness of learning to life,” said Arel.
After graduation, Arel began a career that spanned more than 60 years, first as a hospital nurse and later rising to a place on the Board of Directors of St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua, N.H. She later returned to school for her Master of Education and spent 25 years as an educator. She served as president of both Nashua Board of Education and Board of Aldermen, the only person in Nashua’s history to hold both posts. She later served on the Board of the New Hampshire Community College System where she secured legislation enabling community college credits to transfer to New Hampshire universities.
DENIS LYNCH ’81
John F. Barry Spirit of Saint Anselm College Award
Since graduating, Lynch has continued to keep the College and its mission at the center of his life. A former Saint Anselm director of alumni relations, he has supported the College through the creation of the Mary Alice Lynch Nursing Scholarship Fund and the Ernie Thorne ’34 Scholarship Fund, while also connecting the College with other funding opportunities. His professional achievements in security, operations, and leadership—with organizations including the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), the Department of Defense, and Hewlett-Packard—reflect his integrity, discipline, and excellence, while also extending the reach of the Saint Anselm alumni network across the nation and the world.
“I was blessed to be in the great class of 1981. Our class is like the Olympic flag. Many rings of friendships tightly linked together in unison,” said Lynch.
MARY JO (O’DWYER) MAJORS ’69 HD’24
John A. Houghton ’46 Alumni Council Award
The Alumni Association proudly presented the John A. Houghton ’49 Alumni Council Award posthumously to Captain Mary Jo (O’Dwyer) Majors, NC, USNR ’69, HD’24. Throughout her years on the Alumni Council, Majors brought passion, purpose, and profound care to everything she did. As longtime co-chair of the Recognition Committee, the Alumni Awards was her favorite event of the year, and she worked tirelessly to honor the achievements of her fellow alumni, ensuring that their stories of faith, service, and excellence were celebrated with the dignity and joy they deserved. For Majors, this work was more than an obligation—it was an expression of gratitude and love for the Saint Anselm family that shaped her life.
“Let us honor Mary Jo by continuing to serve — in small acts and in large ones — with the same steady, generous spirit she gave to her country, her college, and her community,” said Robert Elliot ’95 while accepting the award on her behalf.
MICHAEL O’LOUGHLIN ’07
Catholic Leadership Award
“I think about Saint Anselm often, and there’s a lot of lessons I learned here as a student. Two come to mind as I think about my career as a journalist. One is the importance of being able to ask good questions… the other half is listening to those answers,” shared O’Loughlin. “Saint Anselm’s insights into the theology of faith seeking understanding has guided me since I was a student and continues to this day.”
In the 18 years since graduating from Saint Anselm College, O’Loughlin has worked to practice his Catholic faith and shed light on untold stories of faith, courage, and mercy. His book, “Hidden Mercy: Catholics, AIDS, and Untold Stories of Compassion in the Face of Fear” received professional acclaim but also a message from Pope Francis, praising his work for bearing witness to the Church’s call to compassion and care for the suffering. He has served as the executive director of outreach and was recently named the executive director of the National Catholic Reporter.
GEORGE and MAUREEN PARODI P’97, ’02, ’06
Parents Leadership and Service Award
The Parodis worked hard to provide their three children — Anna ’97, Julia ’02, and Joseph ’06 — with a Saint Anselm College education. Their belief that education is not merely preparation for life, but life itself, has guided generations of their family and inspired all who know them.
A respected member of the Saint Anselm faculty until his retirement in 2018, Professor George Parodi served the Chemistry Department and the College with distinction, integrity, and dedication to his students. Maureen Parodi, a proud Mount Saint Mary College alumna, shared in that calling—creating a home grounded in curiosity, compassion, and faith.
“[Saint Anselm College] is a place where many families send multiple children and even grandchildren, like we did,” said Maureen Parodi. “There is a reason for this. It is a place that fosters the ideals and morals that parents like us try to instill in our kids.”
KELLIE SPRAGUE ’86
Nursing and Health Sciences Award
Following her graduation from Saint Anselm College in 1986, Sprague earned her medical degree from the University of Vermont and has since built a distinguished career spanning more than three decades in the field of hematology and oncology.
Over the course of her career, Dr. Sprague has served as Director of the Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplant Program and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Tufts Medical Center, where she guided groundbreaking clinical research, co-authored peer-reviewed studies, and mentored the next generation of physicians. In 2021, she joined MaineHealth Cancer Care as Director of the Hematologic Malignancies Program, where she continues to lead with vision, skill, and deep humanity.
“While all of these accomplishments have brought me great meaning and purpose, it is still my time with patients that brings me the greatest joy,” shared Sprague. “I feel deeply blessed to do what I do every day.”