Beat the Zags: At a newsmaking and title-winning game against Gonzaga in February, Saint Mary’s students cheered the Gaels on to victory. / Photo by Francis Tatem
Saint Mary’s in the News: Highlights from 2025
From Aquatics to Nursing, basketball to Swan Lake, baseball to movies, Yosemite to being a first-generation college student—media coverage helped tell the story about the Gael community.
2025 was a year of big headlines for Saint Mary’s—on campus, across California, and even internationally. From new academic programs to athletic triumphs, from cultural performances to stories of student achievement, the Gael community captured attention in ways that reflect the breadth and vitality of life at SMC.
Two examples stand out. Saint Mary’s launch of new programs made the news throughout the Bay Area and across the country: a new Bachelor of Science in Nursing and, particularly at a time when other colleges are scaling back on programs, the announcement of a new program in Aquatics, featuring Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Water Polo.
It was part of a year in which, when basketball season began to heat up, Saint Mary’s made national and international headlines—with broadcasters taking a look at the Australian pipeline of talent the Gaels have tapped for years. To put a bow on it, SMC basketball great Patty Mills became the first Australian to play in 1,000 NBA games. With a victory over Gonzaga in the Kennel, Saint Mary’s earned the West Coast Conference season title and went on to best Vanderbilt in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Meanwhile, Saint Mary’s President Roger Thompson expressed concern in the opinion pages that new NCAA rule changes would actually limit student opportunities—which, he argued, very much goes against the grain of what college athletics should provide. As if to underscore that point, SMC Baseball and Softball both seized opportunities—and won the WCC title. As reporters noted, the Gaels were then the only Bay Area baseball team to make the NCAA Tournament.
On the literary front, the Bay Area Litquake festival showcased a number of Saint Mary’s writers, including Matthew Zapruder and Ingrid Rojas Contreras. Chris Feliciano Arnold and Lauren Markham made the case for true storytelling that speaks truth to power. In the arts, Gael alumni made national news in ballet, with the final performance by inimitable dancer Gillian Murphy ’18. In film, Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali ’96 earned props as a trailblazer, and filmmaker Ryan Coogler took the world by storm with his film Sinners. Exhibits at the Saint Mary’s College Museum of Art drew visitors and write-ups alike.
Bay Area media covered the exciting news of a new partnership between SMC’s Kalmanovitz School of Education and San Ramon Valley Unified School District to create a residency program and bring more teachers to the East Bay. SFGate shared the exciting announcement that SMC’s Barbara McGraw had received a $1 million grant to study religious freedom in prisons.
And, once again, Gael voices and thought leaders shaped conversations far and wide, from The New York Times to NPR, The Atlantic to The Athletic, KCBS Radio to KTVU TV, The Grio to The Baffler, The San Francisco Chronicle and The Mercury News to KQED and Rolling Stone Australia.
Below and beginning with January 2025, dive into more highlights from the past year and explore a full list of SMC in the News. Plus, be sure to check out SMC’s own top stories from 2025.
January
Five Questions for Roger Thompson, President of Saint Mary’s College
Diablo Magazine
Getting to know Saint Mary’s new president: his vision for the College, what makes SMC such a special place, and the richness of the student experience.
The debut of new pandas in DC marks the latest chapter in China’s ‘panda diplomacy.’
NPR
Reporters turn to SMC historian E. Elena Songster to understand the history and significance of this moment.
Honoring Brother Ronald Gallagher for a distinguished life of service to Lasallian education: Remarks to the US House of Representatives by Congressman Mark DeSaulnier
The Congressional Record
Brother Ron taught at Saint Mary's and went on to serve as President of the College 2005–13. “Brother Ron will be remembered for his vocation, for his sense of humor, love of sports, and passion for literature,” the Congressman said, and “for a life of
unwavering commitment to service, education, his faith, and his community.”
WATCH: Saint Mary's College Australian pipeline continues to expand after more than two decades
KTVU TV
Here in the Bay Area, KTVU highlighted the remarkable talent from Australia that has shaped Gaels Basketball. And FOX Sports Australia took note of the fact that former Gael Patty Mills had become the first Australian to play 1,000 NBA games.
LISTEN: San Ramon Valley Unified School District and Saint Mary's College are teaming up on a new teacher residency program aimed at bringing more educators to the East Bay
KCBS Radio
February
Saint Mary's stuns Gonzaga to clinch West Coast Conference title
Sports Illustrated
When the Gaels defeated the Zags at home in Spokane, the Spokesman-Review took note with this headline: “‘Answered the call and then some.’ Saint Mary’s freshman Mikey Lewis burns Gonzaga again, scores 18 points in 74-67 win.”
Meet Saint Mary’s, the would-be March Madness Cinderella no contender wants to face
The Athletic / The New York Times
The Athletic also served up a personal profile, while The Mercury News zoomed in on Paulius Murauskas factor to Saint Mary’s pursuit of second straight WCC regular season title.” And USA Today College Sportswire listed Randy Bennett among “the 10 best men's college basketball coaches in the 2024–25 season” and noted that he has won three straight West Coast Conference championships.
House Committee on Financial Services Looks at Cryptocurrency
US House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services
In testimony before the committee, Saint Mary’s alum Shayna Olesiuk ’99 was there to represent Main Street Americans and spoke to the importance of financial stability. It was a big week for Olesiuk; she also spoke to “On Point” from NPR in the story “Big banks are suing the Fed over stress tests.”
March
Mahershala Ali ’96: Oscar-winning actor and Hollywood trailblazer
The Grio
“If you’ve caught any of Mahershala Ali’s performances…we probably don’t have to convince you that he’s one of the greatest actors of his generation,” notes this profile of the Academy Award-winning actor. What many might not know: “While at Saint Mary’s, Ali played basketball (and even won a basketball scholarship), wrote poetry, hosted a radio show and made his own music. But it was onstage where he would find his most important outlet.”
Opinion from SMC President Roger Thompson: New NCAA rules changes are going to quietly hurt thousands of student-athletes
San Francisco Chronicle
In an op-ed, Roger Thompson raised warnings about how New NCAA rules would actually limit opportunity for many student athletes—which goes against the grain of what Saint Mary’s believes college athletics should be. KTVU FOX 2 invited President Thompson into the television studio to talk about the ideas in his piece, and KCBS Radio hosted him on the air to discuss concerns about proposed roster limits.
WATCH: Saint Mary's College basketball team, the Gaels, are headed to Cleveland for the 2025 NCAA Tournament and the town of Moraga turned out to send them off
KTVU FOX 2
The Gaels headed for the NCAA Tournament with the cameras there to capture the sendoff. And the broadcast carried the action around the world as the Gaels came from behind to best Vanderbilt in the first round.
Holly Joshi MA '16, EdD '22, City of Oakland Department of Violence Prevention Chief, Recognized as Woman of the Year
City of Oakland
Assemblymember Mia Bonta and Senator Jesse Arreguin nominated Joshi, who leads Oakland’s Department of Violence Prevention.
Truth, Power, Art: A Critical Manifesto on Creative Nonfiction
LitHub
Visiting Writer Lauren Markham and Director of the MFA in Writing Program Chris Feliciano Arnold on the urgency of writing truth to power.
This living room on Woolsey Street is the beating heart of Berkeley’s poetry scene
Berkeleyside
The two roommates who organize the readings met while getting MFAs in creative writing from Saint Mary’s College, where they studied poetry with Brenda Hillman.
April
Mathematicians’ Favorite Shapes Hold the Key to Big Mathematical Mysteries
Scientific American
SMC’s Anastasia Chavez discusses what intrigues her in complex mathematical shapes, specifically polytopes. In 2023, the Saint Mary's NewsCenter highlighted her fascination with the shapes in a wide-ranging conversation.
Ryan Coogler on “Sinners”: The director talks about his influences and mentors, and how he made a vampire story “uniquely personal.”
The New Yorker
As the conversation notes, it was a Saint Mary's professor—Rosemary Graham—who told Coogler he should write for the screen. Another delightful reveal, in a piece in The Detroit News: that Coogler structured the vampire movie like a Metallica song—music he also discovered working out in the gym in Moraga.
Warriors legend Tom Meschery ’61 debunks students’ conspiracy theories about Chamberlain’s 100-point game
The Mercury News
The Gaels basketball player who went onto the NBA and became a teacher later in life tells what it means to discuss reality when you were there.
May
Oregon State Baseball Stunned by Saint Mary’s in Corvallis Regional in Front of Largest Crowd in Stadium History
Oregonlive.com
As the San Francisco Chronicle put it, “Soaring Saint Mary’s Pummels Gonzaga in WCC Baseball Tournament”—a victory that helped ensure Saint Mary’s a place in the NCAA Baseball Tournament. The Gaels were the only Bay Area team to make the cut. And they stunned Oregon State and fans around the country with a round one victory over the Beavers. When it came time to recognizing top players, SMC first baseman Eddie Madrigal was voted by coaches around the country an NCAA Division I All-American—only the second time this has happened to a Gael in program history.
WATCH: Laura Garcia-Cannon ’91 Talks with Michael King ’83 About His New Memoir, ‘Be There When I Return: A Memoir of Epilepsy, Love, and Success’
NBC Bay Area TV
King studied at the Saint Mary’s School of Economics and Business Administration and has shaped a career as a recruiter of top executives in marketing. Here he tells a powerful story of overcoming epilepsy, navigating the highs and lows of love, and building a thriving career.
SMC's Sam Buckley Named West Coast Conference Softball Player of the Week, and Odhi Vasquez Shares Honors as WCC Pitcher of the Week
WCC Sports
The Gaels won the West Coast Conference Title for Softball for the second year in a row. Sam Buckley and Odhi Vasquez were standouts on an impressive crew, leading a group of eight Gaels honored as Softball All-West Coast Conference Selectees.
June
Top Tickets: Past Lives: Seonna Hong and 'Ellipsis' at Saint Mary's College Museum of Art
Diablo Magazine
Hong’s work illuminates discovery and destiny through memory-infused landscapes, ancestral Korean heritage, and shifting environmental concerns. The show is paired with the 2025 senior capstone show, Ellipsis.
Alex Ducas is the latest Australian to etch his name in the NBA history books as the Oklahoma City Thunder clinched the 2024–25 title. His road to pro basketball came through Saint Mary's
Rolling Stone Australia
Alex Ducas went from a stellar collegiate career to playing with the Oklahoma City Thunder—and now lays claim to an NBA Championship ring. And in 2024, July 8 was designated Alex Ducas Day.
Azerbaijan State Chamber Orchestra Thrills Audience with Spectacular Performance Under the Baton of Conductor Sixto F. Montesinos Jr. of Saint Mary's College of California
AZERNEWS
Montesinos directs the Music Program and Saint Mary's. For the program in Azerbaijan, he conducted works by Edward Elgar, Johann Sebastian Bach, Nicholas James, and Benjamin Britten.
Who is Augustas Marciulionis? LA Lakers set to bring in Saint Mary's point guard and son of NBA Hall of Famer
NBA Analysis
On the heels of winning the 2024 West Coast Conference player of the year, Marciulionis was given a shot at the NBA, signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the LA Lakers. CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated were among those sharing this big news.
July
The Ultimate Swan Song: The Thrilling Last Dance of Saint Mary's LEAP Alumna Gillian Murphy ’18
The New York Times
On the eve of Gillian Murphy’s final performance in Swan Lake, arts writers around the country shone a spotlight on her life and work. As Harper's Bazaar put it, “The inimitable dancer, who is retiring this year, reflects on her 29-year career with the American Ballet Theatre—and looks ahead to what’s next.”
Saint Mary’s Professor Barbara McGraw Awarded $1M Grant to Study Religious Freedom in Prisons
SFGate
The project, funded by the John Templeton Foundation, intends to generate scholarly insights and practical tools for correctional institutions, policymakers, and advocates for incarcerated individuals to use throughout the United States.
Naturalized Citizens Are Scared
The Atlantic
“To become Americans, we promised to defend the laws of the United States. What if defending them now puts our status at risk?” Chris Feliciano Arnold directs the MFA in Writing Program at Saint Mary’s. He writes about becoming a naturalized citizen at age 13—and how this idea of citizenship is being undone. Arnold also discussed the piece on WNYC’s “The Bryan Lehrer Show.”
For Third Year in a Row, Phi Theta Kappa Recognizes Saint Mary's as One of the Colleges for Exemplary Transfer Pathways
SMC earned a place on the 2025 Transfer Honor Roll in recognition of the dynamic pathways the College has created to support transfer students.
August
Australia edge out China in nerve-shredding FIBA Asia Cup final to win third straight title. Coached by former Gael Adam Caporn, Boomers win 90–89 after tense finish
The Guardian
Adam Caporn was the first Australian basketball player that Saint Mary’s Head Coach Randy Bennett recruited for the Gaels. Now Caporn is the first former Gael to coach Australia’s national team. On the roster for the team that defeated China: current Gaels center Harry Wessels.
Five Current and Former Gaels on the USA Eagles for the Pacific Nations Cup, which will double as the qualifiers for the 2027 Rugby World Cup
Goff Rugby Report
Saint Mary’s Men’s Rugby is always a force on the national stage. When it comes to going global, the Gaels are there, too. On the roster for the USA Eagles this summer were current Gael Dominic Besag ’26 and alumni Vili Helu ’19; Erich Storti ’23, MBA ’24; Tavite Lopeti ’21; and Payton Telea-Ilalio ’20. And joining the ranks of the pros in the Major League Rugby 2025 College Draft: SMC's King Matu ’24, MBA ’25.
Opinion: The persistence of wealth inequality across generations is ideologically inconsistent with the American dream
Davis Vanguard
“Reducing wealth inequality in the United States would help us live up to our cultural values of individualism, hard work, and meritocracy,” writes Professor of Sociology Robert C. Bulman.
September
Saint Mary’s Adds Swimming and Water Polo Despite Upheaval in College Sports
San Francisco Chronicle
Saint Mary’s made a splash in the Bay Area and across the country—and drew interest from prospective international students as well—with the news that in 2026–27 SMC would add Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Water Polo. “As Other NCAA Schools Cut Sports, Saint Mary’s College of California Adds Four New Teams,” was the headline for SFGate.com. SMC President Roger Thompson talked with KCBS Radio about the launch of the program, with big features in digital publications such as Swimming World, Swim Swam, and USA Water Polo.
2025-26 Fellows of HACU’s Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo Announced, including Saint Mary's María Louisa Ruiz
ABC 27
The recognition comes as Saint Mary’s celebrates a decade of earning distinction as a Hispanic-Serving Institution. Among her leadership roles on campus, Ruiz directs SMC’s Institute for Latino and Latin American Studies and serves as senior academic diversity officer in the College’s Office of Inclusion and Belonging.
KQED Forum Broadcast: SMC's Roger Thompson Joins Other Bay Area College and University Presidents Reflect on Mounting Challenges to Higher Education
KQED Forum
Alexis Madrigal hosts a conversation with President Thompson as well as the leaders of San Francisco State University and West Valley College about how their colleges are facing the larger challenges to higher ed—while staying true to their missions, including access and affordability.
LISTEN: Saint Mary's College welcomes a new generation of aspiring nurses
KCBS Radio
The first cohort of nursing students began studying at Saint Mary’s in 2025, with feature stories highlighting the airwaves and in local newspaper Lamorinda Weekly, quoting SMC President Roger Thompson: “The launch of this program reflects our College’s deep commitment to the well-being of our communities and the rising demand for skilled healthcare professionals nationwide.”
Visual Art: ‘Echoes of Yosemite’ and Gustavo Ramos Rivera at Saint Mary's College Museum of Art
Diablo Magazine
Fall exhibits at SMCMoA also drew the attention of San Marino Tribune and Fine Art Connoisseur, which enthused: “‘Echoes of Yosemite’ at the Saint Mary's College Museum of Art celebrates the majestic landscapes of Yosemite National Park and the Sierra Nevada mountains.”
Former Gael Christian Almanza and Oakland Ballers capture Pioneer Baseball League championship
The Appeal Democrat
The year 2025 saw the first Pioneer League championship match—and first baseman Almanza had a hand in winning it for Oakland. The city celebrated with a rally and parade on October 5.
October
California Colleges Fear Loss of Federal Funding for Hispanic-Serving Institutions. At Saint Mary's, Vanessa Perez Rojas Talks About the Importance of Support for First-Generation and Latino Students
KQED
“I’ve been able to meet great mentors who also fit that description of being first generation, and far beyond being able to see myself through them, they want to see people like myself succeed,” Perez Rojas told KQED producer Blanca Torres.
Youtube TV and NBC are teaming up with a new agreement—which allows them to avoid a blackout that could have interrupted programming
KCBS Radio
SMC’s Michal Strahilevitz offers analysis. She directs the Elfenworks Center for Responsible Business and is a professor of Marketing. KCBS also turned to Strahilevitz for her perspective as an Israeli-American on the two year marker of Hamas’ October 7 attacks.
Choreographing Chicana Stories for 30 Years
Stance on Dance
An interview with SMC's CatherineMarie Davalos, a choreographer and teacher and the director of Davalos Dance Company, celebrating its 30th anniversary.
Dear Ferocious Dreamer: A Festival Finale in Verse. SMC's Matthew Zapruder joins fellow poets at the Mission's historic Victoria Theater as part of Litquake on October 24.
Litquake.org
The landmark Litquake literary festival featured events with a number of Saint Mary’s writing faculty. Matthew Zapruder hosted US Poet Laureate Ada Limón in conversation. And Zapruder’s poem “Glass Octopus” appeared in The Baffler. For a ZYZZYVA Movie Night, Ingrid Rojas Contreras was joined by guest Robert Samuels for a showing of Blindspotting.
Meet the Bay Area Rappers Who Want You to Eat a Salad
KQED
Maybe the most outspoken member of this new wave is Saint Mary’s alum Jordan Gomes, aka Stunnaman02.
November
Share the Spirit: Hijas del Campo uplifts farmworkers in east Contra Costa County
The Mercury News
With their support, Mayra Jimenez Almaras enrolled at Saint Mary's and is graduating with a degree in Finance in December
Saint Mary's Names Ellie Monobe as Head Coach of New Swim Program
Swim Swam
Saint Mary’s made more waves in athletics news with the announcements of new coaches for the Aquatics program: Stephen Loomis — Head Coach of Women’s Water Polo; Ellie Monobe — Head Coach of Men’s and Women’s Swimming; and James Lathrop — Head Coach of Men's Water Polo.
December
Saint Mary's Theresa Romagnolo and Coaching Staff Named United Soccer Coaches West Region Staff of the Year
United Soccer Coaches
The accolades for Gaels Women’s Soccer continued to come in, on the heels of a magical season. In the West Coast Conference, Theresa Romagnolo was honored as Coach the Year, Kate Plachy was named Goalkeeper of the Year, and Sydney Middaugh and Plachy were both named All-WCC First Team.
Undiagnosed ADHD in Black Americans: Insights from Jessiah Jones ’27
Xpress Magazine
Although awareness and treatment options for ADHD have increased drastically, prevalent stigmas toward neurodevelopmental disorders still impact Black Americans’ access to treatment. Jones talks about his personal experience and finding his niche at Saint Mary’s, where he is majoring in Business Administration.
Greater Bay Area Journalism Awards: Saint Mary's Brings Home Top Awards for Tom Poundstone's Dispatch from Rome, and for Photography for 'The Goose is Airborne'
San Francisco Press Club
Saint Mary’s was honored with the first award of the evening at the annual gala—and along with a pair of first-place finishes, earned further accolades for writing and photography.
Story updated December 21, 2025 at 3:30 p.m. Pacific
