Essay: Jane Neufeld reflects on a career serving Loyola students and alumni
June 23, 2026
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My 17th-floor office in Lewis Towers is full of memories. Bobbleheads of the late Sister Jean and former president Michael J. Garanzini, S.J.; photographs of parades; recovered bricks from the former Campion Hall; and a framed picture of Hail Loyola.
In a nearly 40-year career at Loyola University Chicago, I’ve seen a lot. I’ve served under the leadership of five presidents and one interim president. I’ve witnessed the University’s journey from financial strain to prosperity, from what was considered a commuter campus to an internationally recognized research institution. I was here for the Lake Shore Campus filming of the 1990 science fiction film Flatliners, starring Julia Roberts and Kevin Bacon. I experienced the thrill of the Final Four with my dear friend, colleague, and international celebrity, Sister Jean, as we cheered on the Ramblers men’s basketball team in their Cinderella run to the 2018 NCAA Final Four.
What I remember most vividly, though, are the lasting connections I’ve made with students. In 1988, I was hired as assistant director of admissions counseling, my first full-time, salaried role at Loyola. I was delighted to hit the road and speak with prospective students at regional college fairs and Catholic high schools stretching from Chicago’s northern suburbs to northern Wisconsin. If a student was a good fit and had the financial resources to afford what at the time was a fraction of today’s cost, I encouraged them to apply. Many did, and I watched the student body grow more diverse as Loyola expanded its residence hall offerings to house more than 5,000 students. Later, I went on to serve as dean of students, vice president of student development, and director of reunion engagement.
Time and discernment have taught me that relationships evolve in miraculous ways. You never know what a small comment or gesture will mean to someone’s life.
— Jane Neufeld, former dean of students, vice president of student development, and director of reunion engagement
Of my many roles at Loyola, serving as dean of students was the most personally meaningful. Accompanying students at such a significant point in their lives and sharing their successes and occasional missteps felt like a calling, a vocation that I was privileged to pursue.
Time and discernment have taught me that relationships evolve in miraculous ways. You never know what a small comment or gesture will mean to someone’s life. In the summer of 1997, I chaperoned a bus tour of Chicago for student orientation. After the tour I connected with Marian Adly (BS ’06), then a first-year student, outside the former Wolf & Kettle Coffeehouse at the foot of Lewis Towers. Many years later, she reminded me that we spoke during orientation.
“Was I nice to you?” I joked offhandedly.
“You really put me at ease,” she said. “It was my first time away from home.”
Marian was a bright student with a strong affinity for science and technology and a deep faith in God. During her time as a student, she developed cancer. Against her doctor’s advice, she decided to stay at Loyola and complete her degree. I was one of just two people at the University in whom she confided her diagnosis.
Today, her cancer is in remission—as it has been for 25 years— and she is married with two beautiful children. Beyond that, she is the director of artificial intelligence research at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, where she oversees efforts to integrate AI and machine learning into the department’s more than $1 billion research portfolio.
I don’t claim responsibility for Marian’s success, but I’m glad I was there when she needed me. We’ve kept in touch over the years, and our friendship has never waned. This past March, we met up for coffee. It was a different coffee shop, and the two of us were different people. But we picked up right where we left off.
Jane Neufeld has served Loyola students and alumni as assistant director of admissions counseling, associate dean of students, dean of students, vice president for student development, and director of reunion engagement. She retired in June after 37 years at Loyola.
