What's Happening

May 19, 2026, Adrian, Michigan – During the weekend of Siena Heights University’s final Commencement, 11 Adrian Dominican Sisters, Associates, and Co-workers were among more than 60 people recognized for their dedicated service to the University.

Founded and sponsored by the Adrian Dominican Sisters in 1919, Siena Heights closed its doors at the end of the 2025-2026 academic year. The announcement was made by University administrators and the Adrian Dominican Sisters General Council in June 2025 to allow the university to come to an honorable close.

“You have not simply followed a path – you have forged one,” Dr. Cheri Betz ’07, President, said at the beginning of the Honors and Awards Ceremony, May 8, 2026, in the University’s Performing Arts Center. “You’re a torchbearer to the world. You allow us to weave your legacy into the very fabric of Siena Heights University.”

Among the 10 recipients of Dr. Betz’s President’s Distinguished Service Awards were two Adrian Dominican Co-workers: Jennifer Hunter, Chief Operating Officer, and Sara Stoddard, Chief Financial Officer. The two worked closely with Siena Heights University administrators during the final academic year. 

Harry “Dusty” Steele, Chairman of Siena Heights University’s Board of Trustees, presented the Chairman’s Distinguished Services Award to members of the Board, including Sisters Mariane Fahlman, OP, Frances Nadolny, OP, Corinne Sanders, OP, and Mary Soher, OP. 

Tim Fortescue ’01, Chair of the Academic and Student Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees, bestowed the Catherine of Siena Medal – the highest honor of the University – on nine individuals, including Sister Peg Albert, OP, President of Siena Heights from 2006 to 2023; Trudy McSorley, and Adrian Dominican Associate and long-time faculty member and administrator; and Sister Sharon Weber, OP, who ministered for more than 40 years at Siena Heights, most recently as Vice President of Academic Affairs. The final Siena Heights Medal was presented to the Adrian Dominican Congregation and accepted by Sister Elise D. García, OP, Prioress of the Congregation.   

Two surprise Honorary Degrees were bestowed during the closing Commencement Ceremony on May 9, 2026: Sister Nancy Murray, OP, who travels throughout the world with her one-woman portrayal of St. Catherine of Siena and other notable Sisters and saints, and her brother, comedian Bill Murray. The commencement celebrated the graduation of 440 students who crossed the stage to receive their degrees, bringing the desired honorable closure to a beloved institution.  

“President Cheri Betz, Provost Julie Barst, Board Chair Harry Steele, and the other outstanding members of the President’s Cabinet and Board of Trustees, as well as incredibly dedicated faculty and staff rightly celebrated the awesome achievement of bringing the University to honorable closure through this most challenging year,” Sister Elise said later.

 

 

 

 

Caption for above feature photo: From left, Sisters Mary Soher, OP, Corinne Sanders, OP, and Frances Nadolny, OP, wait to receive the Chairman’s Distinguished Service Award from Harry “Dusty” Steele, Chair of the Board of Trustees of Siena Heights University. Sister Mariane Fahlman, OP, also received the award but was unable to attend the event.

By Mary Grace Wagner, Social Responsibility Operations Coordinator
and Mary Minette, Senior Director of Shareholder Advocacy, 
Mercy Investment Services

Faith-based investors gathered in New York City in late March 2026 for the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility’s (ICCR) biannual conference. Panels covered topics impacting shareholder advocacy and the changing federal policy landscape for shareholder proposals. 

A panel on chemical risk management included a discussion of the Portfolio Advisory Board’s (PAB) ongoing engagement with Target Corporation on pesticide use and its impact on biodiversity in Target Corporation’s supply chain.

A panel about engagement with the critical minerals sector included panelists who spoke about engagements with mining companies about the critical minerals needed to build electric vehicles. Panelists also spoke of the plans to engage automakers, including General Motors and Ford, about the human rights implications of their battery supply chains.

Member-led panels included a presentation from Ben Cohen, founder of the Ben and Jerry’s ice cream brand, about his battle to retain the brand’s social activist profile after its former parent company, Unilever, spun its ice cream business off to a new company, Magnum. The session also included an opportunity to enjoy ice cream!

Shareholders also discussed the rapidly growing gap between CEO and worker pay. In recent years, the average CEO of large U.S. companies has made 300 times the wage of their median workers. 

In a panel discussion, the ICCR Advancing Worker Justice Working Group on Excessive Executive Compensation previewed their new executive pay guidelines. The guidelines were released, together with an investor statement signed by the PAB, calling on investors to strengthen their oversight of executive pay by reviewing their proxy voting practices and guidelines on excessive compensation and engaging with companies.

And finally, industry experts gave an overview of the various federal policy changes that have created obstacles for investor proposals and actions. This included changes by the SEC in how shareholder proposal challenges by companies are treated, actions to block small shareholders from accessing the public SEC database to promote their shareholder proposals, and a number of state laws that could impact how investors can vote their proxies when they disagree with management’s recommended vote.  

A panel of experts also discussed how ICCR members and others have responded to these new restrictions, including by filing successful lawsuits against companies to get their proposals on the proxy ballot. Panelists also discussed the potential for further legal restrictions by the SEC to shareholder rights and pledged continued diligence in reporting to ICCR members about opportunities to respond.