ARRUPE COLLEGE COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS

Jose R. Rodriguez

(MBA ’10) • Director, Community Capital Portfolio, Robert R. McCormick Foundation

Jose R. Rodriguez (MBA '10) has a 20-year record of cultivating partnerships in the business, education, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors to promote economic mobility for residents in Chicago communities.

As the Director of the Community Capital Portfolio for the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Rodriguez collaborates with community partners to identify and invest in projects that promote neighborhood revitalization on the South and West Side of Chicago, with particular focus on the Englewood and Little Village communities. His professional and civic engagement has led to investments in workforce and economic development, educational initiatives, post-secondary success, and public safety.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Rodriguez created a community impact and workforce initiative for a major healthcare system, developing a talent pipeline for high-growth and high-demand jobs. He also served as executive director of the Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund (DMSF), an organization providing educational and financial support to students attending academically rigorous high schools. Before joining DMSF, he served as vice president of the Corporate Work Program at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School and Christ the King Jesuit College Prep.

Rodriguez served on the Arrupe College Board of Directors from 2017 through 2023, on the Old St. Mary’s School Board and on the board of the Advocate Bethany Community Fund. He is a Leadership Greater Chicago 2013 Fellow, and serves as President of the Sheridan McGuane Youth Baseball and Softball League. He holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from DePaul University and a Master of Business Administration from Loyola University Chicago’s Quinlan School of Business.

College of Arts and Sciences Commencement Address, Morning

Mary Jane Theis

JD (BA ’71) • Chief Justice, Illinois Supreme Court

Mary Jane Theis, JD (BA ’71) is an Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice for the First Judicial District, Cook County. Chief Justice Theis earned a Bachelor of Arts from Loyola University Chicago in 1971 and a Juris Doctorate from the University of San Francisco in 1974. From 1974-1983, she was an assistant public defender in Cook County.

Chief Justice Theis has served at every level of the Judiciary in the State of Illinois. In 1983, she was appointed an Associate Judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County, where she served for five years. In 1988, Chief Justice Theis was elected to the Circuit Court, where she was assigned to both the Criminal and Chancery Divisions until 1993, when she was appointed to the Appellate Court, First District. She was elected to the Appellate Court in 1994. When Chief Justice Thomas R. Fitzgerald retired in 2010, the Supreme Court appointed Justice Theis to fill his vacancy on the Court.

In her 17 years on the Appellate Court, Chief Justice Theis served as a Presiding Judge. She was Chair of the Committee on Judicial Education and the Committee on Judicial Conduct of the Illinois Judicial Conference, and a member of the Supreme Court Rules Committee. Chief Justice Theis was President of the Appellate Lawyers Association and the Illinois Judges Association, as well as President and founding member of the Illinois Judges Foundation. She has been a member of the Board of Governors of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Board of Managers of the Chicago Bar Association and is a member of the Women's Bar Association of Illinois (WBAI).

Chief Justice Theis has taught at conferences and seminars for the ISBA and CBA, and at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Northwestern University School of Law, and the John Marshall Law School.

Chief Justice Theis’ honors include the American Constitution Society’s Legal Legend Award, the Illinois Judges Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the CBA’s Vanguard Award recognizing persons who have made the law and legal profession more accessible to and reflective of the community at large, the IJA’s Celebrating the Achievement of a Judicial Icon, the CBA’s John Paul Stevens Award, the Juvenile Justice Initiative’s Champion of Children’s Rights Award, the WBAI’s Ruth Bader Ginsburg Judicial Achievement Award, and the Illinois Bar Foundation’s Distinguished Service to Law and Society Award.

College of Arts and Sciences Commencement Address, Afternoon

Toussaint Kafarhire Murhula, S.J.

(MA ’10, PhD ’16) • Director, Arrupe Center for Research and Training; President, African Studies Association of Africa

Toussaint Kafarhire Murhula, S.J., (MA ’10, PhD ’16), is a Jesuit priest, theologian, poet, literary critic, social scientist, and executive coach.

Fr. Kafarhire has earned a Master of Arts in Political Science and a Doctor of Philosophy in International Relations from Loyola University Chicago. Before he studied at Loyola, he received a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Facultés Saint Pierre Canisius in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, a Bachelor of Arts in Theology from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa in Nairobi, Kenya, and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL) in Ethics and Social Theories from the University of Santa Clara.

Kafarhire’s research focuses on social justice, religion, democracy and peace, political violence and conflicts in Africa Great Lakes Region, and of course global public health politics. He has taught at Loyola University Chicago, Episcopal Theological College of Pecs in Hungary, Hekima University College in Kenya, and Université Loyola du Congo (ULC) in Kinshasa, DRC. He is currently a visiting professor at Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan. Murhula was involved in Pope Francis’ visit to the DRC in 2023, helping nearly 40 students from across the country meet the Pope.

Kafarhire is an alumnus of the Distinguished Humphrey Fellowship Program at the State Department and the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Program. He is the current president of African Studies Association of Africa (ASAA); a member of the Editorial Board of Global Africa Review; the Critical Investigations into Humanitarianism in Africa (CIHA) Blog; Reseau Elikya; the Pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network and the former Africa region coordinator of Catholic Theological Ethics in World Church (CTEWC). He works with African leaders through the Coach Africa program at the African Union.

College of Arts and Sciences Commencement Address, Evening

Matthew Kolinski

DO (BS ’06) · Founder/Chief Executive Officer, Staffing Management Group; Founder/Chief Executive Officer, USA Staffing Services; Co-Founder Lanefinder Workforce Solutions; Author

Matthew Kolinski, DO (BS ’06) is the founder and chief executive officer of Staffing Management Group, a speaker, entrepreneur, physician and author who has fostered health care innovation and business leadership.

While earning a Bachelor of Science in biology at Loyola University Chicago, he started his first business, Superior Business Staffing, to pay for medical school.

Dr. Kolinski completed his medical training at Midwestern University in 2010 and embarked on a double residency in Pediatrics and Internal Medicine. Following a residency in Milwaukee, he secured a pulmonary fellowship focusing on cystic fibrosis research at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. While on the path to becoming a pulmonary specialist, Dr. Kolinski's previous experience also led him to become founder and CEO of Staffing Management Group.

At the helm of Staffing Management Group, Dr. Kolinski oversees a portfolio of brands catering to clients including USA Staffing Services, a flagship operation founded in 2010, which leverages a large partner network to deliver staffing services in all 50 states. Dr. Kolinski has led innovative investments in blockchain technology that aim to streamline collaboration among recruiters and has also invested and co-founded Lanefinder which is an AI driven technology platform designed for the transportation industry.

He recently published his first book, “Work-Passion-Life Balance: Finding Fulfillment Through Zones of Efficiency” in 2020 and has been invited to give several keynote speeches for businesses and healthcare organizations throughout Florida and Europe. 

Quinlan School of Business Commencement Address

John G. Schreiber

MBA, (BBA ’68) • President of Centaur Capital Partners, Inc.; Chair, Board of Trustees, Loyola University Chicago.

John G. Schreiber, MBA (BBA ’68), is President of Centaur Capital Partners, Inc. and a retired Partner and Co-Founder of Blackstone Real Estate Advisors (BREA).]

Mr. Schreiber received his Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in marketing from Loyola University Chicago in 1968. He earned his Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School in 1970.

As Co-Chairman of the BREA Investment Committee, Mr. Schreiber oversaw all Blackstone real estate investments since its founding in 1992 until his retirement in late 2015. During that time, Blackstone invested over $75 billion in a wide variety of real estate transactions.

Mr. Schreiber is a former Chairman and CEO of JMB Urban Development Co. and Executive Vice President of JMB Realty Corp. In addition, he is a past board member of Urban Shopping Centers, Inc., Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc., The Rouse Company, AMLI Residential Properties Trust, General Growth Properties, Inc., Blackstone Mortgage Trust Inc., Invitation Homes Inc.,  Hudson Pacific Properties, Hilton Worldwide, Inc., Brixmor Property Group, and was a Director/Trustee of a number of mutual funds managed by T. Rowe Price Associates.

Mr. Schreiber currently serves on the board of JMB Realty Corp. and is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Loyola University of Chicago. He also serves on the boards of the Big Shoulders Fund and Start Early.

School of Education and School of Environmental Sustainability Commencement Address

Steve Bynum

Manager of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB), Chicago Public Media

Steve Bynum is the Manager of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) for Chicago Public Media, the parent company of WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times. He served as a Senior Producer at WBEZ for over 20 years for WBEZ’s “Worldview with Jerome McDonnell” and “Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons”.

For “Worldview”, Bynum created in-depth stories, features, series, film projects, and outreach events that connected listeners to global communities in Chicago and around the world. Sustainability and environmental justice were cornerstones of Worldview’s coverage like its live broadcast while walking with marchers during the 2019 Youth Climate Strike in downtown Chicago. Worldview regularly featured the work of the School of Environmental Sustainability (SES), including broadcasting live from SES’s annual Climate Change Conference.

Bynum believes global citizenship is the most powerful tool to deconstruct systemic injustices, especially environmental racism. He also believes his Christian Faith (Eastern Orthodox) compels him to nurture and protect all of creation. He has won numerous awards in broadcast excellence and lectures and moderates discussions on topics related to media’s role in democracy, culture, and communities. Bynum is also a consultant on issues of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) in media.

In 2019, Bynum, McDonnell, and former WBEZ producer, Julian Hayda, co-founded “Worldview Solutions”, an independent, nonprofit, media social enterprise inspired by the show. Through a global lens, Worldview Solutions endeavors to leverage solutions-oriented storytelling, audience engagement, and other justice-centered initiatives, which reflect the resilience, joy, and progress of communities across the Great Lakes region.

Bynum serves as Board President for Theatre Y, and Board Vice President for Fulcrum Point New Music Project. He is also a Board Member for CircEsteem (a youth social circus), and Artworks Projects for Human Rights.

A University of Notre Dame graduate, Steve has a master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern University. He is pursuing a master’s degree in Eastern Orthodox Theology from the University of Balamand.

Bynum is the proud father of Loyola alum, Joshua, who is a graduate of the School of Environmental Sustainability.

School of Communiction and School of Continuing and Professional Studies Commencement Addresses

Melody Spann Cooper

(BS ’88) • Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Midway Broadcasting Company; Member, Board of Trustees, Loyola University Chicago

Melody Spann Cooper (BS ’88) is the second-generation owner of Midway Broadcasting Corporation, an African-American and female-owned media company.

She was educated in Chicago Catholic institutions from elementary school through Loyola University of Chicago, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Spann Cooper also serves a member of the Board of Trustees for Loyola University Chicago.

Midway Broadcasting Corporation produces culturally relevant content for Chicago’s thriving Black and Latino populations. Midway broadcasting assets include WVON 1690AM, the oldest Black-oriented radio station in Chicago; WRLL 1450AM, Chicago’s Home for Hispanic Independent Broadcasters; and its digital streaming platform, VONtv.

Spann Cooper serves on numerous professional and civic boards including as Past Chair of the Illinois Broadcasters Association; as executive committee member of the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters; as co-chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Council for the Obama Presidential Center, and as commissioner of the Illinois Liquor Control Commission.

In her first book, The Girlfriend's Guide to Closing the Deal, Spann Cooper shares valuable insights for women in business on how to tap into your innate power and purpose to add value and get the deal done.

The Graduate School and Institute of Pastoral Studies Commencement Addresses

Danny Bernard Martin

PhD · Professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science, University of Illinois at Chicago

Danny Bernard Martin, PhD, is a professor of education and mathematics at University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Dr. Martin received a Bachelor of Science in Mathermatics and Physics from Caroll College. He then received a Master of Arts in Mathematics and Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics Education from University of California Berkley.

Dr. Martin teaches mathematics content and methods courses in the undergraduate elementary education program, as well as courses in the Doctor of Philosophy program in mathematics and science education. He served as Department Chair of Curriculum and Instruction from 2006 to 2011 and again from 2013 to 2016.

Prior to joining UIC, he was an instructor and professor in the Department of Mathematics at Contra Costa College for 14 years, serving as department chair for three years. He also served as principal investigator on two National Science Foundation grants in the Center for Science Excellence. In 2001, he was Teacher of the Year in the Contra Costa Community College District. He was a National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellow from 1998 to 2000. Dr. Martin is the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award winner of the Benjamin Banneker Association.

Martin’s research has focused primarily on understanding the salience of race and identity in Black learners’ mathematical experiences. His empirical research spans from early childhood to post-secondary contexts, and also focuses on Black parents and families. His work is situated at the intersection of mathematics education, identity, and racial justice. Martin is author of Mathematics Success and Failure Among African Youth, co-author of “The Impact of Identity in K–8 Mathematics Learning and Teaching," editor of “Mathematics Teaching, Learning, and Liberation in the Lives of Black Children," and co-editor of “The Brilliance of Black Children in Mathematics: Beyond the Numbers and Toward New Discourse."

Martin’s scholarship has helped moved mathematics education forward, particularly in terms of the research and understanding of Black learners and how they experience mathematics. His rigorous research and timely advocacy have extended the field beyond analyses that focus on failure, instead foregrounding the voices of Black learners and the mathematics educators committed to their success.

School of Law Commencement Address

Lauren M. Cherry

​​(​JD ’10​​​)​ • U.S. Navy Judge Advocate; White House Fellow; Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University Law Center

Lauren M. Cherry (JD ’10) is a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps, where she has served for the past 13 years. She is also an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center and a member of the 2023-2024 class of White House Fellows.

Cherry commissioned in the Navy during her final year of law school. She began her Navy career serving as a defense attorney and then a prosecutor. Later she advised U.S. and foreign forces on counter-piracy, maritime security, and counter-terrorism operations in the Middle East. Cherry has also advised senior Department of Defense officials on cyber, space, and other sensitive military operations, and has served as Flag Aide to the Chief of Naval Operations. In 2023, Cherry became the first active-duty Navy judge advocate to be selected as a White House Fellow. She is placed at the Central Intelligence Agency.

Passionate about promoting civic education as a national security imperative, Cherry teaches a course titled “Information Operations in the Cyber Age: Law and Policy” at Georgetown University Law Center and is a fellow at Georgetown’s Center on National Security. She also serves on the advisory committee to the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Law and National Security, where she supports the ​​​c​ommittee’s efforts to educate the Bar and the public on national security and the importance of the rule of law in preserving democracy.

A proud Rambler and former ChildLaw Fellow, Cherry earned a Juris Doctor and certificates in Child and Family Law and Trial and Appellate Advocacy from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 2010. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis, a Master of Laws in National Security Law from the Georgetown University Law Center, and a Master of Arts with a concentration in Homeland Security and Homeland Defense from the U.S. Naval War College.

Outside of work, Cherry serves on the Board of Homes Not Borders, a non-profit that supports refugees and other forced migrants in the Washington, D.C. area. She is an active volunteer for her alma mater, Washington University in St. Louis, where she mentors young alumni and co-chairs the Defense, Aerospace, and National Security network. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Cherry resides in Washington, D.C. and enjoys exploring local restaurants, traveling, and spending time with loved ones.

Stritch School of Medicine Commencement Address

Kamran Hamid

MD • Associate Professor, Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Stritch School of Medicine

Kamran Hamid, MD, is an Orthopaedic Surgeon and Chief Medical Officer at Loyola Medicine’s Gottlieb Memorial Hospital. Dr. Hamid has been an Associate Professor at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine since 2020. He is a Ted Talk speaker, recipient of eight teaching awards, and has over 100 peer-reviewed publications. He previously worked at Rush University Medical Center where he served as a team physician for the Chicago Bulls, Chicago White Sox, and Joffrey Ballet.

Dr. Hamid obtained his undergraduate and medical degrees from Texas A&M University. He then received a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in biostatistics and epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health. He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at Wake Forest Baptist University Medical Center and his fellowship at Duke University Medical Center where he provided coverage for Duke University Athletics. His clinical interests are ankle reconstruction and sports ankle surgery.

Dr. Hamid is a nationally recognized speaker in the business of healthcare and an advocate for physicians in leadership. He is passionate about helping doctors manage healthcare, so it doesn’t manage us. Additionally, Dr. Hamid has a background in comedy. He was formerly voted best college comedian in the nation and has over 100,000 social media followers.

Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing Commencement Address

Bridgette M. Rice

PhD, MDiv, APRN, FAAN • Associate Dean for Research and Innovation; Richard and Marianne Kreider Endowed Professor in Nursing for Vulnerable Populations, M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, Villanova University

Bridgette M. (Brawner) Rice, PhD, MDiv, APRN, FAAN, is a nurse scientist, behavioral health expert, and seasoned researcher with a focus on interventions to promote community health, health equity and reducing health disparities among vulnerable populations.

Rice has earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Villanova University, a Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Science from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Master of Divinity from the Palmer Theological Seminary of Eastern Kentucky.

Rice currently serves as Associate Dean for Research and Innovation and the Richard and Marianne Kreider Endowed Professor in Nursing for Vulnerable Populations at the Villanova University M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing. She previously held a variety of academic positions at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, including the position of tenured associate professor of nursing. She also served as a visiting research fellow at Yale University’s Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA) Research Education Institute for Diverse Scholars (REIDS) from 2011-2013. In addition, Rice is the Founder and CEO of two companies: Dr. Bridgette Executive Consulting, LLC, and Healing Inspired Ministries, LLC.

Rice is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including her recognition in 2022 as one of just 250 nurses inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, a society that recognizes nursing’s most accomplished leaders in policy, research, practice, administration, and academia. She has also received the Diversity and Equity Award from the International Society of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses for outstanding leadership in driving the development of culturally sensitive mental health services for diverse individuals, families, and groups.

Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health and School of Social Work Commencement Addresses

Lawrence Benjamin

(MPH ’16) • Founder and Managing Director, Capwell Partners; Senior Advisor, New Mountain Capital; Chairman, Diversified Foodservice Supply, Inc.

Lawrence Benjamin has more than 30 years of experience leading business turnarounds in the food industry. He has successfully led six companies through challenging transitions across the full spectrum of the food sectors: grocery, retail, consumer packaged goods, food ingredients, and restaurant services and supplies.In the last decade, Lawrence has dedicated his career to growing businesses through private equity and venture capital investments. He is the founder and managing director of Capwell Partners, a venture growth firm focused on consumer solutions that promote wellness and prevent chronic disease. He is also a senior advisor for New Mountain Capital, a growth-oriented private equity firm.

He has served on eight public and private company boards, numerous non-profit boards, and currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Diversified Foodservice Supply. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Brown University, a Master in Business Administration from Columbia University, a Master from Northwestern University, and an Master in Public Health from Loyola University Chicago.