Faculty Promotions at St. Norbert College

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From St. Norbert College, May 21, 2019
by Mike Counter, mike.counter@snc.edu, 920-403-3089

The following faculty members were promoted at St. Norbert College:

Bridget Burke Ravizza to professor of theology and religious studies.
Deirdre Egan-Ryan to professor of English. Bridget Burke Ravizza

Bridget Burke Ravizza began teaching at St. Norbert College in 2001. She was tenured in 2005 and promoted to the rank of associate professor in 2011. She is a faculty member in theology and religious Studies. She teaches Theological Foundations, Marriage and Family as Vocation, Feminist Theory, and Christian Ethics. Burke Ravizza’s exemplary service to students, faculty colleagues and staff members personifies the mission of the college in both word and action.

Burke Ravizza teaches courses that focus on some of the most relevant issues and profound personal questions faced by college students transitioning to adulthood. Universally, revealed both in student teaching evaluations and observations by her faculty peers, she is seen as a master teacher – authentic, engaging, fair and rigorous. Students frequently comment on the profound ways that taking her courses have reshaped their religious understanding and faith. A colleague, who co-taught a course with her, wrote “from the outset I was impressed by her intelligence, her skill in presenting complex material, her courage in not hesitating to acknowledge difficult questions and issues, her authenticity, and her unique rapport with students. It is no exaggeration to say that I became a better teacher because of her. That class remains a highlight of my academic career.” Burke Ravizza received the Leonard Ledvina Outstanding Teacher Award in 2013.

Burke Ravizza’s application presents a sustained record of impactful professional and scholarly work. Especially noteworthy is her focus on making scholarship accessible and meaningful to those well beyond the academic walls of theology. She has written and presented on diverse topics such as Catholic ethics, sexual ethics, and motherhood and academic life. Her recent book, “Project Holiness: Marriage as a Workshop for Everyday Saints,” co-written with Julie Donovan Massey, is the culmination of a major scholarly project that was intentionally written as a melding of theological and pastoral perspectives. The Catholic Press Association recognized “Project Holiness” with a book award in 2016, further affirming the broad impact of her research.

Burke Ravizza’s colleagues note that she is a model collegial citizen. Since arriving at the college, she has served the college community in purposeful ways that reflect her personal and professional ethos of helping others. For example, she has been deeply involved on campus vocations efforts within the Emmaus Center. More recently, she has served as a member of the faculty personnel committee and the committee for equity, diversity and inclusion. She also served as interim director of the Cassandra Voss Center, during which she developed innovative and engaging programming that was well received by the St. Norbert College community.


Deirdre Egan-Ryan

Deirdre Egan-Ryan began teaching at St. Norbert College in 2005. She was awarded tenure in 2009 and was promoted to the rank of associate professor in 2012. She is a faculty member in the English discipline. She teaches a range of courses in English and American studies, most recently developing a course that is a critical part of the Gap Experience program at the college. Her work and student-centered approach embodies the essence and goals of the mission of the college.

Egan-Ryan demonstrates that she is an effective, rigorous, reflective and passionate instructor who cares deeply about her students in her courses. Students regularly note her enthusiasm, open classroom environment, organization, availability, and how she motivates them to want to learn. One of her colleagues noted, “in my estimation, Deirdre offers a prime example of what it means to teach literary studies at a Catholic liberal arts college, embodying the Norbertine ethos, disciplinary rigor and dedication to student growth.” Egan-Ryan received the Leonard Ledvina Outstanding Teacher Award in 2010.

In terms of scholarship, Egan-Ryan’s endeavors focus on the feminist recovery of marginalized American authors and the pedagogy of vocation. Over the course of her career, she has published several peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and demonstrated a robust conference presentation record. Her most recent work, an edited book, “Modernist Women Writers and American Social Engagement,” was published in early 2019. A colleague familiar with her work noted, “Dr. Egan-Ryan’s contributions to the fields of higher education and modernist American studies are impressive, wide-ranging, and perfectly exemplify that reach and connection of the engaged scholar to her students, her colleagues and the wider community.”

Egan-Ryan is an active collegial citizen. She has effectively mentored faculty, served as an external member for several search committees, and given several talks and workshops at the college and beyond. Her recent committee service included membership on the faculty personnel committee. Yet, her most significant work may be her leadership as the director of academic service learning, including pioneering the Faculty Fellows for Community Engagement program – program that has impacted many faculty and a significant number of St. Norbert College students. As one colleague notes, “Professor Egan-Ryan has become a change agent in her work in the area of academic service learning. Her vision, work, commitment and perseverance have made the high-impact practice of service learning a reality at St. Norbert College.” She was the 2015 recipient of the Bishop Robert F. Morneau Community Service Award in recognition of her work in this area.
About St. Norbert College:
The only Norbertine college in the world, St. Norbert is a four-year, Catholic liberal arts institution nestled beside the Fox River in De Pere, Wis., neighboring Green Bay. Founded in 1898, the college became coeducational in 1952. Today the residential campus serves approximately 2,200 undergraduate and graduate students, hailing from throughout the United States and nearly 20 countries.
Recent years have seen record enrollments and unprecedented investments in the St. Norbert campus. The academic excellence of the college is nationally recognized by U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, Princeton Review and others. www.snc.edu/about/.