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Maryville University’s Spirit of Maryville annual dinner will be held on May 21. During the event, distinguished alumni and friends will be recognized for their generosity of time and talents to Maryville University and to the greater St. Louis community, and because their professional pursuits shine a light of distinction on their work and their alma mater. Maryville’s 2016 recipients include James A. Eberlin Jr., ’02; Charles “Michael” Roth, ’78; Nikki LaBruyere Mamuric, ’00; Patrick C. McPartland, ’14; Rosemary O’Neil, ’46; Minyu Cao, ’13; Lynn Britton; and Paul Kravitz.

Dean’s Awards
Dean’s Awards recognize graduates who bring distinction to their professions, their communities, and to Maryville. An award is given in each academic unit.

John E. Simon School of Business
James A. Eberlin Jr., ’02

This past September, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon awarded Jim Eberlin the Governor’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award, in recognition of his success in founding not one, but three start-up companies, beginning with Host Analytics in 2001 and followed by Gainsight (formerly JBara Software) in 2011 and TopOPPs in 2014.  Since its founding, TopOPPS has raised more than $4 million and now employs more than 20 tech and sales-savvy professionals in St. Louis. This success has made Jim one of the highest-grossing single entrepreneurs for venture capital currently active in the state. Jim earned his bachelor’s degree in business and accounting in the Simon School of Business.

Myrtle E. and Earl E. Walker College of Health Professions
Charles “Michael” Roth, ’78

Mike Roth is both a skilled administrator and a compassionate advocate for seniors. These combined qualities have contributed to his successful career with Alexian Brothers Sherbrooke Village for 25 years—including 16 years as president and CEO. Mike has advocated for seniors through published articles and videos about issues and concerns affecting the elderly, as well as through his many volunteer activities on community boards. He was appointed to the Missouri Board of Nursing Home Administrators in 1990, and currently serves as president. He has also served more than 10 years on the Dean’s Advisory Council for Health Professions at Maryville.

College of Arts and Sciences
Nikki LaBruyere Mamuric, ’00

Nikki LaBruyere Mamuric, ’00, has been on a fast-track since receiving her BA from Maryville in 2000. After earning an MBA from Washington University, she moved into key marketing positions with Proctor & Gamble, Church & Dwight, and L’Oréal. Along the way she earned a reputation as a strategic thinker with expertise in building a variety of brands. A self-proclaimed “innovation addict,” Nikki was named to Brand Innovators’ “40 Under 40 East” Class of 2014. Most recently, Nikki is founder and president of a new management consulting firm in Chicago: Sprout Innovation Co., specializing in brand strategy, new product development and more.

School of Education
Patrick C. McPartland, ’14

Patrick McPartland, ’14,  earned his master’s in education at Maryville. For the past 25 years, he has served as a social studies educator at Parkway South High School. In addition, he has been an advocate and partner for Maryville’s Master of Arts in Education/Secondary Teaching and Inquiry program for the past 16 years. In this capacity he has supervised pre-service teachers, conducted classroom observations, and worked as colleague alongside Maryville faculty to ensure the professional growth of our teacher candidates. McPartland was elected to serve as the Parkway National Education Association President for 2015-16 by the teachers.

Centennial Award

The Centennial Award recognizes a lifestyle best exemplifying the values of the Sacred Heart tradition.

Rosemary O’Neil, ’46

Rosemary O’Neil, ’46, first discovered Maryville through the network of Sacred Heart schools when she attended a Sacred Heart high school in her native Chicago. She later described her four years at Maryville College with her Sacred Heart educators as giving her a “moral and spiritual” compass for life. Following college, she remained connected with the Sacred Heart through volunteer service in Chicago, and by serving as Maryville’s representative to AASH, the Associated Alumnae of the Sacred Heart. She was honored by AASH in 2013 with their Cor Unum award for embracing the philosophy of the Sacred Heart in her everyday life. Rosemary was also instrumental in helping to raise $100,000 for an endowed scholarship at Maryville in memory of Mother Marie Odéïde Mouton.

Young Alumni Award
The Young Alumni Award recognizes young alumni who bring distinction to their profession, their community and their alma mater.

Minyu Cao, ’13

As an undergraduate in actuarial science, Minyu Cao, ’13, was a multicultural scholar and co-president of the Maryville Cultures Connect program. In 2012, she was the only student in the nation to receive the Actuary of Tomorrow-Stuart A. Robertson Memorial Scholarship—a prestigious award from the Actuarial Foundation. Upon graduation, she began her career with RGA, where she had also worked as an intern. She is currently an assistant actuary on the predictive analytics team in the Global Research and Development department at RGA. She also became a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, the highest designation, in December 2015. Minyu continues her involvement at Maryville by serving on the Young Alumni Board, and most recently by working on the Trivia Night committee.

Myrtle E. and Earl E. Walker Medal
The Walker Medal recognizes outstanding contributions or achievement in the field of Health and Wellness.

Lynn Britton

Lynn Britton joined Mercy in 1992, and was named president and chief executive officer in 2009. Through his innovative leadership, vision and knowledge of the organization, he has presided over Mercy’s growth and the significant role it plays in the health and welfare of our community. The Maryville and Mercy partnership has been marked by great relationships between great leaders, beginning some 30 years ago when Maryville’s president, Harriet Switzer, teamed up with Sr. Mary Roch Rocklage to save Maryville College. Most recently, Lynn personally directed the discussions that led to the creation and naming of our school of nursing: The Catherine McAuley School of Nursing. This relationship encompasses not only financial support, but also educational opportunities for Mercy employees, clinical rotations for Maryville students and more.

Volunteer of the Year
Paul Kravitz

It is rare for someone who is not an alumnus of Maryville to be recognized as “Volunteer of the Year.” But Paul Kravitz is one of those rare people. Paul first joined Maryville in 2008 as adjunct faculty in the John E. Simon School of Business. He became an active member of the Duchesne Society, chaired a new Jewish Advisory Council, and worked within the University to help establish a Hillel for Jewish students. Paul has facilitated new community partnerships and, most significantly, connected Maryville with the international Maccabi games, which will be hosted on campus this summer for more than 1,100 Jewish student-athletes. Paul has also introduced partnerships for the School of Business—beginning with a new student internship program with Energizer, for which he will serve as faculty lead this summer.