Rockhurst News

Rockhurst University earned the highest ranking among institutions in the Kansas City region and the second highest ranking in the state of Missouri on Money magazine’s 2022 Best Colleges in America list.

The list, which focuses on college value, looks at 2,400 four-year colleges “with sufficient data and above-average graduation rates,” scoring each institution on 24 different measures in three areas — quality, affordability and outcomes — that are important to families making a choice about what college might be the best fit for them. In other words, it’s all about value.

There is a lot of buzz around soccer in the United States with the recent news that North America will host the 2026 World Cup, and for Tom Heinemann, ’09, even moreso.

He’s not just a lifelong soccer fan (who played for the Hawks during his time here), he’s also starting a new job at this moment in the sun for the sport he loves — in February he was named head coach of the of the U-15 Boys’ National Team, where he will be guiding the next generation of U.S. National Team stars. It’s a new challenge, but one Heinemann said he is very excited about.

Ashley Neybert was taught at a young age that she could accomplish anything she set her mind to. This critical lesson followed her as she faced unimaginable challenges during her college career.

Rockhurst business students are getting a head start as data scientists by doing everything from assisting sports and entertainment businesses with fan engagement to attempting to measure trust in order to reduce crime in Kansas City.

The projects are all through partnerships between RU’s Master of Science in Data Analytics program and organizations in the local community. Students use the partnerships to open doors for internships and career development.

Two friends who met while theatre students at Rockhurst are now bakers in St. Louis, specializing in pretzels, pies, brownies, cheesecakes, cookies, bagels, coffee, etc.

That “etcetera” will be key to their story later. 

Rockhurst University and Hawks soccer has gone international as five former men’s soccer players created a school in their native Italy, providing educational and athletic training for international college athletes.

Dominique Washington is a 2016 graduate of Rockhurst University, where he also played basketball for the Hawks. He is the new director of the MAC and intramural coordinator.

What’s it been like to be back on campus? Talk to us about your experience as a student here.

If the walls of Conway Hall could talk, they’d probably be laughing.

Richard “Dick” Shaw is one of the most beloved and entertaining professors to ever teach at Rockhurst. You don’t meet Dick Shaw and walk away without a story and a smile, and now the retired teacher of 43 years is sharing those with a wider audience.

Shaw released his first book, "Tales from the Professor: Life is a Hoot!," in March through Amazon.

Sometimes there are obvious clues left behind at a crime scene.

Broken glass can indicate a point of entry. Missing items point to a robbery, etc.

But there are less obvious clues, too — things left behind at the molecular level.

The transition from high school to college can be difficult, but for first-generation, high financial need, and historically underrepresented students, it can be a steeper uphill climb that can lead to persisting in college at lower rates than their non-marginalized peers.