The staff of the Saint Louis University Division of Mission and Identity work to further the understanding of SLU's mission as a Jesuit and Catholic University for its faculty and staff.
Fr. David Suwalsky, S.J.
Vice President for Mission and Identity
david.suwalsky@slu.edu
Ph.D., American Studies, Saint Louis University
Th.M., American Religious Experience, Harvard University
M.Div., Boston College
M.A., History, Saint Louis University
Fr. Suwalsky assumed the role of Vice President for Mission and Identity on July 1, 2020. He previously served at SLU as chair of the Department of Theological Studies. His research interests include the American religious experience; Jesuit history; antebellum U.S. history; slaveholding and racial segregation in the United States.
Judi Buncher
Executive Assistant
Senior Administrative Assistant
judi.buncher@slu.edu
314-977-7065
A.A, Communications, St. Louis Community College
B.A., Organizational Studies, Saint Louis University
Post Graduate Studies, Aquinas Institute
Certificate in Spiritual Direction, Archdiocese of St. Louis
I am a native of St. Louis and I have been working in the Division for Mission and Identity for 14 years. What I enjoy most about my work is planning events, connecting people, keeping things running, and most of all the people I work with and meet from all over campus. I can see the many ways the Mission is lived by our faculty, staff and students, and how SLU is making a difference in our community and the world. Learning about Ignatian Spirituality has been a gift of working in the Mission office. During the Covid year, I was blessed to receive the 19th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises from Vern Heinz, S.J., a retired Jesuit.
In my life away from SLU, I am a wife, mother of four, mother-in-law of four, and grandmother of 10. I enjoy babysitting grandchildren, gardening, quilting, my Bible study group, working on parish retreats, and preparing big Sunday dinners surrounded by family.
Sue Chawszczewski, Ph.D.
Director of Campus Ministry
Wuller Hall
314-977-1530
susanne.chawszczewski@slu.edu
B.A., English Literature and Anthropology, Knox College
M.A., Pastoral Studies, Saint Francis Seminary
M.S., College Student Personnel, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
Ph.D., Education, Saint Louis University
I am originally from Chicago and have worked in student development administration, as well as for a Catholic nonprofit in Milwaukee. My favorite retreat house is the Jesuit Retreat Center in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where I can keep attuned to God's desires through the silence. I live with my cat, Francis (named after St. Francis de Sales), and in my spare time, I love to read, listen to music and cook.
Patrick Cousins
Director of Pastoral Formation
patrick.cousins@slu.edu
(314) 977-1505
B.A., Religious Studies, Loyola University New Orleans
M.A., Theology, University of Notre Dame
M.A., Religion, Syracuse University
I have recently joined the Division for Mission and Identity after working in Campus Ministry for 15 years. What a privilege to accompany members of the SLU community as we share our deepest hopes and griefs and desires for a better future — I couldn’t ask for a better toolbox to draw from than the Ignatian spiritual tradition. When I am not wearing my Mission and Identity hat, I teach introductory courses in Theological Studies, make sawdust in my wood shop, and run around the city looking for adventures — and good food — with my spouse Cristina and our 7-year-old Colin. A proud Cajun, I spend a lot of time in the kitchen and am teaching Colin to do the same. I am also slowly chipping away at a doctorate in Higher Education Administration.
Virginia Herbers
Director of Mission Formation
virginia.herbers@slu.edu
(314) 977-5208
A.A., Theology, Mount Sacred Heart College
B.A., Mathematics, Southern Connecticut State University
M.A., Pastoral Studies, Aquinas Institute
Certificate in Spiritual Direction, Aquinas Institute
I firmly believe I have the best job in the world! The opportunity to work with SLU’s faculty, staff, Board of Trustees, and alumni is a gift beyond measure, and I treasure it every single day. I am a native St. Louisan who has spent most of my life as an educator (every grade level from kindergarten through university) and come from a long line of Billikens even though I myself am not one (yet!) In addition to creating programming for mission formation and Jesuit identity, I also have the joy of interacting daily with the SLU community as we delve into the meaning and relevance of our 500-year-old legacy. I thrive on those conversations and opportunities, and when they are accompanied with a good cup of coffee, all the better! In my free time, I am a retreat and spiritual director, and I love writing, hiking, biking, music, and binging Netflix.