LIM faculty member Emily Jendzejec has contributed an article to the volume A Shared Praxis: Renewing Religious Education (Crossroad, 2026) honoring Catholic religious educator and theologian Thomas H. Groome and his legacy as he retires after 50 years at Boston College. In April 2026, she also had the opportunity to celebrate with him in person at the conference "A Shared Praxis: Renewing Religious Education” at Boston College marking his five decades of scholarship and ministry.
What began as a deeply personal act of faith has become a gift to the wider Church. Dr. Francisco Castillo, D.Min., a faculty member in the Institute for Ministry, recently celebrated a significant milestone: a liturgical song he co-created with composer Iván Díaz has been accepted for publication by GIA Publications.
A big congratulations to second-year counseling students Trent Andrews and Kentra Greene, who are presenting on their literature review, “Behind Bars, Beyond Trauma: Exploring How Trauma-Informed Care Lowers Recidivism,” at the Law and Society Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California in May 2026. We are so proud of you two!
On March 20, 2026, Francisco Castillo, D.Min., the Joe and Kelly George Visiting Professor of Pastoral Studies at the Loyola Institute for Ministry, served as the keynote speaker for the Archdiocese of Miami's regional professional development day for educators, which was held at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Congratulations to Chakayla Coulter for winning the 2026 Ignation Award! This award is Loyola’s highest honor given to one outstanding graduate student, annually. Ignatian Award winners have distinguished themselves by their holistic involvement in the life of the university — representing Loyola with honor and distinction, maintaining a distinguished grade point average, living a strong faith commitment, demonstrating examples of service for and with others, and showing high regard for Ignatian, Jesuit values. We are so proud of you!
Faculty member, Dr. Sarah Stillwell, and third-year internship student, Sophia Bologna, traveled to Atlanta for the Chronic Illness Therapist Conference on March 6-7, 2026. They both presented, "A Clinician’s Guide to Getting Kinky with Chronic Conditions + Pain." This presentation explores the intersection of sexuality and chronic conditions. Congratulations to Dr. Stillwell and Sophia, we are proud of you!
Dr. Ebrahim and three second-year students, Margaret Adams, Aboorva Sivasankaran, and Dominic Collara presented at the Law and Ethics in Counseling Conference hosted by Holy Cross University on January 28, 2026. Dominic and Dr. Ebrahim led a round-table discussion on the ethics regarding a case study he used in Ethics class. Margaret, Aboorva, and Dr. Ebrahim presented on "The Complex Ethics of Intimate Dual Relationships," and compared their case studies on intimate dual relationships. We are proud of you!
Dr. Tracey Lamont, Director of LIM and Associate Professor of Religious Education and Young Adult Ministry, continues to make a national impact through her scholarship and ministry. At the 2026 Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, she presented a compelling and timely lecture titled “Beyond Cancel Culture: A Theology of Reconciliation and Forgiveness in Ministry with Young Adults.”
Dr. Hunter and first year student, Blake Erskin, participated in a panel discussion hosted by Loyola's Career Center on "Pathways to a Career in Counseling". Joining them was Morgan Faust, PLPC, a school counselor at Holy Name of Jesus School, and Rebekah Cianci, LPC, BCBA, the director of Crescent City Bloom Consulting. Thank you to Dr. Hunter and Blake for representing the Department of Counseling!
Congratulations to second year counseling student Ellis Sather for authoring her article, "Persona-mediated dissociation: A new framework for understanding the work/self-split in sex workers", in Frontiers Public Health as a solo author. This theory paper explores the adaptive function of dissociation in sex workers. We are so proud of you, Ellis!