"A pile of rocks ceases to be a rock when somebody contemplates it with the idea of a cathedral in mind." – Antoine de Saint-Exupery (French aviator, writer)
The MAX, University of St. Thomas-Houston’s virtual innovation network, is the university’s incubator for bold new ideas to fulfill the vision of the “Call Toward Tomorrow.” The MAX is named for and draws inspiration from St. Maximilian Kolbe, often referred to as the patron saint of innovation, who used radio in early 20th century Poland to build the largest Catholic media apostolate in the world. UST’s strength is bringing the human element to innovation, testing and launching ways to use technology to foster human development, prepare our students for their future and meet the needs of our community.
In 2020, the Office of Innovation established and conferred its first MAX Innovator Awards honoring individuals who significantly impacted the University’s mission by coming up with and developing learner-centered, creative ideas. The 2020 and 2021 award recipients recently gathered to accept their awards and the university’s warm appreciation.
Recipients of UST MAX Innovator Awards
Four honorees received the 2021 UST MAX Innovator Awards. The recognition is named after St. Maximilian Kolbe, the patron saint of innovation, and was conferred by UST President Richard L. Ludwick on Oct. 25, 2021. Award recipients are Tera Torres, Ph.D.; Darnell Miller '10, MLA '15; Bridget Richardson MAFC '17; Conroe Mayor Jody Czajkoski, Jim Piccininni and Trisha Ruiz. Also present to receive their awards in person were last year's 2020 honorees, dean of libraries and professor Jim Piccininni, and director of UST's veteran services Trisha Ruiz. Each has significantly impacted the university's mission by imagining and developing innovative ideas.
Associate of Applied Science in pragmatic studies
Torres, program director with the Kolbe School of Innovation and Professional Studies, used "her creativity, energy, and drive to develop UST's new Associate of Applied Science in Pragmatic Studies degree program." The program offers an academic lifeline to students with learning differences which have created stumbling blocks in traditional college settings. Torres's goal was to develop a program that cultivates socially responsible citizens who will transform and sustain communities. The program's graduates will possess the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to meet post-secondary goals and increase employment outcomes – clear evidence that learning differences need not be an obstacle for success.
UST MAX Studios
Both members of the university's marketing and university relations team, Darnell Miller and Bridget Richardson are producers at MAX Studios. They each used their imaginative and creative energy to do pivotal work toward growing the UST MAX Studios. Miller's passion for the studio grew from his UST student experiences, allowing him to dig deeper into his faith. He hopes "through MAX Studios; we can provide that same encouragement and inspiration to others as they grow in their faith."
Richardson concurs, observing, "This studio has a wonderful opportunity to evangelize in a way that both speaks to the culture and covers topics through a Catholic lens." They choose content according to "what's going on in the world - culturally and in the news,' as well as liturgically." MAX Studios content launched Dec. 14, 2020, and its viewership has steadily increased since its inception.
UST micro campus in Conroe
Jody Czajkoski is the mayor of the city of Conroe and the founder of MHW Real Estate. The mayor received the award for his impactful "bold vision for educational opportunities in Conroe and support of the USTMAX micro campus" in his city. His passion for helping people succeed is a solid match with the USTMAX Center mission. Conroe and UST are already reaping the benefits of the collaborations Czajkoski has helped foster with the USTMAX. For example, the upcoming free Veteran Entrepreneur BootCamp program is an event inspired by Czajkoski, who wants to see Conroe veterans become a more integral part of the city's exponential growth.
A bold vision for the library of the future
Known as a future-forward thinker, Piccininni has reimagined and reinvigorated the university’s learning environments, planning innovative changes to the library space to meet the 21st century needs of UST's students and faculty. The future library will include collaborative study rooms, presentation rooms, and flexible meeting spaces for students, student groups, clubs, and campus events. Other features include comfortable informal lounge areas with access to technology, an internet cafe, north-south entrances, an outside patio, and a late-night study room. Piccininni has a particular knack for curating ideas and connecting the dots, observing, “The future of the Doherty Library will be based on our mission as a central academic and community space for our campus. It must be a place not only for study and research but also for fellowship and collaboration. It is a space that helps build and strengthen UST as an academic community.”
UST launches first stand-alone veteran services building at a Houston university
A veteran herself, Ruiz conceived and carried out multiple first and best-in-class initiatives within UST's Veteran Services programs. Under her leadership, UST has become the first college campus in Houston to have a stand-alone building dedicated to veterans services, complete with a veteran living and learning center. Her efforts have enabled UST to offer unlimited yellow ribbon program seats which help veterans pay for their schooling in non-competitive undergrad and grad programs. Within these programs, UST now has the lowest veteran student to counselor ratio in our region, thanks to Ruiz's tireless efforts and passion for the success of her fellow veterans.
Fearless change
Honorees are selected with three factors in mind: a focus on learner-centered services, creative thinking, and impactful results. Rohit Bhargava and Kathryn Haydon describe these traits in their 2019 book, “The Non-Obvious Guide to Being More Creative,” as "non-obvious thinking" and an essential to "win the future." UST’s Chief Innovation Officer Beena George, Ph.D., said, “The University looks forward to developing and accelerating more non-obvious thinking, exciting new initiatives, successful innovations, and fearless change.”
The University of St. Thomas is Houston’s Catholic University. For more than 75 years, UST has graduated students into successful careers in medicine, education, business, public administration and more. As Houston grows, UST will continue to provide the strong leaders and skilled workers needed to meet those demands.
