CSB President Mary Dana Hinton’s inauguration set for Sept. 21

The College of Saint Benedict formally welcomes Mary Dana Hinton as the 15th president at her inauguration on Sunday, Sept. 21, in St. Joseph.

The events begin with an inauguration Eucharist at 10:30 a.m. in the Sacred Heart Chapel, Saint Benedict's Monastery.

The installation ceremony takes place at 2 p.m. in Escher Auditorium at the Benedicta Arts Center (BAC) on CSB's campus. This ceremony is the formal beginning of the new presidency and a celebration of the mission of the college. Hinton will give a presidential address entitled "Become Illuminated." The event will be live streamed.

Hinton's inauguration caps a series of events beginning Wednesday, Sept. 17.

The inaugural festivities begin with a lecture titled "Lighting the Darkness: Exploring Alternatives to Violence" by Erica Chenoweth at 7 p.m. Wednesday in room 204, Gorecki Center on the CSB campus. Chenoweth is associate professor and director of Program on Terrorism and Insurgency Research at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver. She is an international authority on political violence and its alternatives. The lecture is free and open to the public.

An Illuminated Run and After Party for students, faculty, staff and families will be held at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19 on the CSB campus. All registered runners will receive a free set of glow gear that includes glow jewelry and paint. The first 500 participants who register will also receive a free official Illuminated Run T-shirt.

On Saturday, Sept. 20, visitors can watch the Grammy Award winning Okee Dokee Brothers perform at 10 a.m. at the BAC. The Okee Dokee Brothers include Saint John's University graduate Joe Mailander '08. Guests are also invited to participate in games and a BBQ from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday on the Mall. These events are free and open to the public.

The day will continue with an SJU football game against Concordia-Moorhead at 1 p.m. at Clemens Stadium in Collegeville. Tickets are available at the door. There will be bus transportation available between CSB and SJU.

Visitors on Saturday night will have the opportunity to enjoy student musical performances and s'mores from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Darnall Amphitheater outside the BAC. Faculty scholarship will also be featured in Clemens Library at CSB.

Hinton became the 15th president of CSB on July 1. She received her Ph.D. in religion and religious education with honors from Fordham University, a master of arts degree in clinical child psychology from the University of Kansas and a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from Williams College. She recently served as the vice president for academic affairs at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, N.Y.

Hinton is the author of "The Commercial Church: Black Churches and the New Religious Marketplace in America." Her research is on African American religious history, religious education, strategic planning and leadership. She has served on several national higher education boards including the Association of General and Liberal Studies, the Religious Education Association and the Mid-Atlantic Religion of the American Academy of Religion.

Hinton and her husband, Robert Williams, have three children: Hallela, Hillel and Hosanna.