Apex Insider Recap: College of St. Scholastica

On Wednesday, August 24, 2016, The College of St. Scholastica hosted Area Partnership for Economic Expansion (APEX) investor-members and guests at the latest “APEX Insider” event at the College’s new Health Science Center.

Guests were welcomed by Brian Hanson, APEX President and CEO, and Bruce Stender, former President of The College of St. Scholastica and an original founder of and former Chairman of APEX.  The College of St. Scholastica’s new President,
Dr. Colette McCarrick Geary, in her first community appearance, was the keynote speaker. She told the guests she looks forward to working with the business community in the future.

The College of St. Scholastica’s new 45,000 square foot Health and Science Center in the BlueStone development.

The Health Science Center is located within the BlueStone housing and retail development at 940 Woodland Avenue in Duluth, about a mile from the main St. Scholastica campus. APEX investor-member, McGough Construction, was the contractor on this project and is credited for the fine construction of this building. The $17 million, three-story facility houses both educational programs and the interdisciplinary maurices Community Clinic. The clinic allows the College to continue to provide high-level, experiential physical and occupational therapy education while serving patients who have little or no insurance.

Some of St. Scholastica’s graduate health science programs had outgrown their space on campus. Now, the new building creates room on the main campus for the College to expand its well-regarded nursing program, which feeds graduates into the expansive health care industry found in the Duluth region. Physical and occupational therapy graduate programs began classes at the new building in late July and, pending final accreditation, a new physician assistant program will begin in the fall of 2017.

Duluth Mayor Emily Larson with Dr. Collette McCarrick Geary, President of the College of St. Scholastica and Brian Hanson, President and CEO of APEX at the APEX Insider event hosted at the College’s new Health and Science Center.

“We are very proud of this facility,” Geary told the audience. “It has added 45,000 square feet of instructional and laboratory space for health care education. We are grateful to maurices, as well as to many private and individual donors who also contributed to this project.”

“The College of St. Scholastica’s Health Science Center is truly first-class,” said Brian Hanson from APEX. “The College continues to invest in our region by providing students the opportunity to learn in such a sophisticated and modern environment,” he said.

Geary took office as St. Scholastica’s 12th president on July 1. She said one of her goals is to keep the College responsive to the business community. She cited recent inquiries by the college to business leaders about what types of MBA programs the school might consider in response to the business climate.  One result is the new MBA in Leadership and Change program beginning this fall. It’s based on a curriculum designed by and for business professionals focused on developing leadership and change-management skills.

The new building also shows an investment in students, President Geary said, many who end up with leadership positions in the region.

President Geary also remarked that she wants to build on the partnerships with local business in order to benefit the community.

For information on the College of St. Scholastica or APEX, please visit their respective websites.