Conference Topics & Presenters

The Heartland-Delta V Conference offers an opportunity for participants to immerse themselves in a 3-day learning experience of talks, discussions, celebrations, and collegial reflection on three key topics:

Our Common Ground, Our Common Challenge
Paul Crowley, S.J. Chair of Religious Studies Santa Clara University Fr. Crowley will reflect on Jesuit higher education in the 21st century, its successes, its questions, and its room for growth. A fourth-generation Californian, Paul Crowley, S.J. is Professor and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at Santa Clara University. Fr. Crowley has spent a substantial part of his life in the classroom, both as student and teacher. After a B.A. with honors from Stanford University, he received his Masters degree in Philosophy of Religion from Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary. That was followed by a Ph.D. in Philosophical Theology from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley and post-graduate studies at the Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies in Toronto. He earned an S.T.L. from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley and studied the theological implication of AIDS in a fellowship at Boston College. A member of Santa Clara's Religious Studies faculty since 1989, Fr. Crowley was founding Director of the interdisciplinary Catholic Studies minor. He is the author of two books, In Ten Thousand Places: Dogma in a Pluralistic Church, and Unwanted Wisdom: Suffering, the Cross and Hope and has edited a third book on Carl Rahner. He is completing a term on the board of Directors of the Catholic Theological Society of America. His pastoral experience has included two assignments in the most marginalized neighborhoods of Los Angeles and in San Francisco, working in AIDS ministry. He was also a student chaplain at San Quentin State Prison.
Our Incomplete Endeavor, Our Inspired Resolve (3-member panel)
Joanie Weidner Resource Assistant for the Student Government Association Xavier University Joanie Weidner has a full life. As resource assistant for Xavier's Student Government Association (SGA) she has befriended and mentored many students over the past five years. For her vital role in their lives Weidner was awarded the cherished "Circle of Honor" award by SGA. Joanie is a graduate of the ENX Leadership Academy, a grassroots development program for community-conscious Xavier neighbors and staff. She participated in a two year process of education designed to help staff carry on their own work in a mission-conscious way. She sang with the Xavier women's choir and co-chaired a committee that explored additional rewards and recognition for staff. Outside of work Joanie oversees a clean-up program she created. It has received top honors from the city of Cincinnati, the state, and from the national level.
Richard E. Rossi Associate Vice President for Student Services/Residence Life Creighton University Richard Rossi knows a lot of students. It's a natural outgrowth of his 30 year career in student services, an experience he has described as "a grace." He has been at Creighton University for the last 13 years as Associate Vice President for Residence Life. A native of St. Louis, he earned undergraduate and masters degrees from the University of Missouri, Columbia. His Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration is from the University of Connecticut. His career has taken him to four universities, but it was the move to Fairfield University in 1985 that introduced Rossi to the Jesuit tradition. Rossi enjoys cooking and gardening, as well as reading, and genealogy. He and his brother, Forrest, live in Omaha and share an interest in art and film.
Suzette L. Speight Professor of Education Loyola University Chicago Social justice, multicultural competence, identity development, the psychological effects of racism, and mental health issues for African-American women are just a few of the professional topics that are Suzette Speight's driving interests. Speight is a psychologist who has been on the faculty at Loyola University Chicago since 1991. She is an Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology and the Program Director for the graduate programs in Counseling in the School of Education. She received her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from The Ohio State University in 1990 and is a 1983 graduate of Oberlin College. She teaches courses including Multicultural Counseling, Ethics and Legal Issues in Counseling Psychology, Identity and Pluralism, Psychology of Oppression and Liberation, and Professional Issues for Counselors.
Our Ignatian Roots: A Family Affair
Janine Geske Distinguished Professor of Law Marquette University Janine, an alumna of Marquette, will consider her perceptions of Jesuit higher education through the phases of her life, why she remains connected to its "family," and what demands it might make from all of us in the decade ahead. Being a "healer" is often connected with the world of medicine, but for Janine Geske it goes hand-in-hand with the law. A former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice, she is currently Distinguished Professor of Law at Marquette University Law School. She founded the Law School’s Restorative Justice Initiative, a program that was nationally highlighted last August on NBC's Dateline. While she was a state Supreme Court Justice, her legal skills and her life's work came together in an unusual place – a tiny village in the Dominican Republic. The trip was a retreat with a group of lawyers and other judges and the experience changed her life. After a year of discernment she resigned from the bench and began teaching at MU’s law school. Geske has had a long interest in mediation, reconciliation and conflict resolution. Those interests and her skills as a healer have made her a natural to turn to in a crisis. When the Milwaukee County government was plagued with scandal in 2002, Geske was asked to step in to lead the county government for two months. In 2004 the sudden death of the MU Law School dean led to Geske serving as interim dean for a year. She frequently teaches at judicial, legal and community conferences on mediation, sentencing, evidence, the courts, and spirituality and work. She also leads retreats and workshops on spirituality in everyday life.