In the News

Marquette University’s 143rd Commencement was held Saturday, May 11, with 1,586 undergraduates, 758 master’s degree recipients, 437 professional studies graduates and 71 Ph.D. recipients celebrating at Fiserv Forum., featuring Global Brigades Co-Founder and CEO, Dr. Shital Vora as the commencement speaker.

Dear alumni and friends of the College of Health Sciences,

Welcome to the first digital issue of Marquette Health Sciences. This new way of storytelling will deliver outstanding, personal stories of the work students, faculty and staff perform in the college and be sent right to your email inbox multiple times each year. We hope you enjoy the new format!

Maddy Burke stood in an elementary school classroom in rural Guatemala, assisting a doctor with two patients, a mother and daughter. The mother said that her daughter hadn’t eaten properly in two years, and the mother was suffering from abdominal pain.

“The only thing the doctor could do was prescribe vitamins for the girl. Vitamins weren’t really going to help her, but it was the best he could do,” said Burke, a senior in biological sciences. “And for the mother, the doctor realized she had cholecystitis, which is an inflammation of the gallbladder. So, she needed to go to the hospital to get her gallbladder removed, but the nearest hospital was an hour away, and the mother might not have the money or means to travel there. I really saw the differences between what they had compared to the medicine we have in the United States.”

MILWAUKEE —Marquette University will recognize the 2,852 members of its 143rd graduating class with Commencement ceremonies to be held Saturday, May 11, at Fiserv Forum.

Undergraduates will be recognized in a ceremony at 1 p.m., and graduates of the Graduate School and Graduate School of Management will be recognized in a ceremony at 5 p.m.

Students form relationships, make impact on local businesses in Panama

The tilapia swam in a large tub that looked like an above ground swimming pool, gliding past the group of onlookers. A pump made of PVC piping deposited fresh water into the tank, providing the fish with a regular supply of fresh oxygen. Leonardo, the man who earned his livelihood from the tank’s temporary residents, stood beside a group of Marquette students, walking them through his operation.

Congratulations to the nearly 100 Milwaukee School of Engineering students who were nominated for leadership awards this year. The following awards were announced at a Student Awards Celebration on April 30, 2024.

Outstanding Student Award: Christian Garcia was chosen as the 2024 recipient of the Fred F. Loock Outstanding Student Award. This award is presented annually to the MSOE senior student, who, in the opinion of the faculty, most notably combines an excellent academic record and has at the same time demonstrated leadership and professional bearing in extracurricular or community service activities.

With a holistic model grounded in giving people the tools to help themselves, Global Brigades can be life-changing for communities — and students.

There are organizations around the country that take students to developing countries to provide basic medical care to residents. They offer free clinics and perform basic, crucial procedures to improve the lives of those without access to health care. Global Brigades is one of these organizations — but it is also much more.

Founded at Marquette in 2003 by alumna Dr. Shital Vora, H Sci ’04, PT ’06, Global Brigades is the largest student-run humanitarian organization in the world. Chief among the organization’s priorities is giving people the tools to build and sustain healthy and thriving communities themselves.

The Southern Illinois University System board of trustees and the student advisory committee for the SIU System (SACSS) are honoring some outstanding students with the 2024 SIU System Distinguished Student Service Award.

Eight students from the SIU campuses in Carbondale, Edwardsville and Springfield were recently honored at the SIU board meeting that was held in Carbondale on April 11.

Children’s Wisconsin CEO Peggy Troy to speak at Graduate School and Graduate School of Management ceremony

Shital Vora, M.D., CEO and co-founder of Global Brigades, will serve as Marquette University’s 2024 undergraduate Commencement speaker, and Peggy Troy, Children’s Wisconsin CEO, will speak at the Graduate School and Graduate School of Management ceremony. Both are Marquette alumnae. As part of the university’s Commencement ceremonies, Vora and Troy will be presented honorary doctor of humane letters degrees.

Marquette’s 143rd Commencement ceremony will be held Saturday, May 11, or Sunday, May 12, at Fiserv Forum, located at 1111 Vel R. Phillips Ave., Milwaukee. With the first round of the NBA playoffs starting April 20, it is our understanding that the Milwaukee Bucks organization will not be able to notify the university of the exact date for Commencement until April 28 (game 4) at the soonest or May 4 (game 7) at the latest, depending on first round playoff results.

Marquette leaders share in our students’ and their families’ frustrations and continue to ask for patience and understanding while the university awaits the Bucks’ schedule.

Global Brigades CEO and co-founder Dr. Shital Vora to serve as undergraduate Commencement speaker; Children’s Wisconsin CEO Peggy Troy will deliver graduate ceremony speech