Benedictine University (BenU) is pleased to announce that Maria Granic, PhD, Department of English Language and Literature, and Robert McCarthy, PhD, Department of Biological Sciences, have been accepted into the nationally recognized Lilly Faculty Fellows Program, a highly competitive professional development initiative that supports faculty at church-related institutions of higher education. There were 26 teams vying for only 6 spots.
Sponsored by Lilly Endowment Inc. and administered through the Lilly Network of Church-Related Colleges and Universities, the Lilly Faculty Fellows Program is designed to nurture faculty leadership, strengthen the integration of faith and learning, and support the development of mission-centered teaching and campus programming. Fellows participate in multi-year cohorts that provide structured mentoring, attendance at national Lilly conferences, collaborative seminars, and resources to design high-impact projects that advance institutional mission, faculty formation, and student learning.
As Lilly Faculty Fellows, Drs. Granic and McCarthy will lead a campus initiative titled “Serving Together: Benedictine Leadership Through Community Action.” The project brings together faculty from the humanities and the sciences on both the Lisle and Mesa campuses to model interdisciplinary leadership grounded in the Rule of St. Benedict and Catholic Social Teaching. Through a series of presentations, roundtable discussions, and collaborative workshops with academic mentors and community partners, the initiative will generate innovative curricular approaches that integrate ethical reflection, service learning, and evidence-based inquiry. Faculty participants will work across disciplines and across Benedictine University’s Lisle and Mesa campuses to develop assignments that encourage students to practice deep listening, hospitality, shared decision-making, and responsible action for the common good.
This recognition is especially meaningful for BenU as a Catholic institution rooted in the Benedictine tradition. The Lilly Faculty Fellows Program directly supports the University’s mission by fostering faculty leadership that integrates intellectual rigor, moral formation, and service to others. Drs. Granic and McCarthy’s project reflects core Benedictine values—Community, Ora et Labora, Respect for Persons, and Stewardship—while strengthening collaboration across disciplines and campuses. Their work will help form students not only as skilled professionals, but as ethically grounded leaders inspired by faith, reason, and a commitment to the common good.
Benedictine University congratulates Drs. Granic and McCarthy on this significant achievement and looks forward to the lasting impact their Lilly Faculty Fellowship will have on faculty, students, and the wider University community.
