b'Leave it in Gods hands devout Catholic, like her husband,Erevelles path to becoming the first St. Marys who instilled the familys faith inpresident of Asian descent is deeply rooted in faith her children. and engineering, a dual legacy passed down by his After Franks death in 1966,parents, who met in Mumbai after World War II. Jaya ensured that Winston and hisHis father, Frank Joseph Erevelles, was an engineer sister, Gianni, were raised with awho served in the Royal Indian Navy and later worked foundation in education and faithfor a tractor company in the United Kingdom. His by sending them to Catholicfathers technical expertise and passion for engineering schools.inspired him to return to India and help start another Reflecting on his childhood,tractor company, laying the groundwork for his sons Winston Erevelles acknowledgedfuture in engineering. the profound impact of hisErevelles mother, Jaya Erevelles, was not only a mothers resilience and faith.professor of English and American Literature at what When you lose a parent verywas then called the University of Bombay but also a early, you grow up a little bitfaster and get the sense of responsibility very early,he said. This sense of responsibility, coupled with a deeptrust in God, helped guide the familya lesson hismother emphasized as she navigated economic hard-ships. Her philosophy was clear: accept the hand youare dealt, trust in God and work hard. Youve got to give 100 percent and then leave itin Gods hands, said Erevelles of the belief that hasguided him through many challenges.Erevelles traced his early fascination with engineer-ing to his fathers toolbox, a symbol of the practical,hands-on approach to problem-solving that has cometo define his career. As a child, he spent Sundays tinker-ing with scrap wood and metal, balancing these creative pursuits with his obligations to Church.A common thread ran through his bachelors degreein electrical engineering at Bangalore University,subsequent work at Mykron Engineers and catchingthe research bug that ultimately drew him towardacademia. That thread is his desire to understandhow things work, a search that led him to pursue amasters and doctorate in engineering management,focusing on manufacturing engineering, at what wasthen the University of Missouri-Rolla.Top right photo: WinstonWHEN YOU LOSE A PARENT At the same time, his intellectual curiosity alsoErevelles was a boy scout as a youth in India. VERY EARLY, YOU GROW UP fed his pursuit of understanding the Catholic faith.Im glad that I had that early formation in faithAbove photo: Winston Erevelles A LITTLE BIT FASTER AND GET because that gave me a basis to build upon, but Im(right) plays violin with his sister,Gianni, playing guitar. THE SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY also glad that I had periods in my life where I ques-tioned things, Erevelles said. That questioning ledVERY EARLY. me to additional reading, thinking, more conversations,Winston Erevelles listening to speakers, and talking to my grad schoolroommates.These experiences set the stage for a distinguishedcareer in higher education, including 12 years as theDean of the School of Science, Engineering and Tech-nology at St. Marys before becoming its 14th presidentin June.18 Call 1.800.348.4732'