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About
Fidelity & ExcellenceThomas Aquinas College is unique among American colleges and universities, offering a faithfully Catholic education comprised entirely of the Great Books and classroom discussions.
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A Liberating Education
Truth MattersTruth, and nothing less, sets men free; and because truth is both natural and supernatural, the College’s curriculum aims at both natural and divine wisdom.
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A Catholic Life
Under the Light of FaithThe intellectual tradition and moral teachings of the Catholic Church infuse the whole life of Thomas Aquinas College, illuminating the curriculum and the community alike.
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Admission & Aid
Is TAC Right for You?Do you enjoy grappling with complex questions? Are you willing to engage in discussions about difficult concepts, with the truth as your ultimate goal?
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Students & Parents
Mind, Body & SpiritThere is always something to do at TAC — something worthwhile, something fulfilling, and something geared toward ever-greater spiritual and intellectual growth.
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Alumni & Careers
What Can You Do with a Liberal Education?Nothing speaks more to the versatility of the College’s academic program than the good that our alumni are doing throughout the Church and the world.
Alumna MD-PhD Candidate on Neuroscience, Bioethics & TAC
An MD-PhD candidate at Creighton University, Maggie McCann (’13) recently completed a prestigious two-year fellowship with the Paul Ramsey Institute, which trains young leaders from a wide range of disciplines in a morally grounded approach to bioethics. She has also completed the first part of her dissertation in collaboration with Stanford University, focusing on spinal cord injury.
After graduating from Thomas Aquinas College in 2013, Miss McCann spent a year in veterinary school at Purdue University before deciding to pursue human medicine. As an NIH T35 fellow at Stanford, she then studied molecular and cancer biology before finding her true passion: neuroscience. She was the first student in Stanford’s newly minted Masters in Laboratory Animal Science program, where she studied spinal cord injury.
“The education I received from TAC prepared me well for a career in science,” she reflects. “The program teaches one to think analytically, which is what scientists spend most of their time doing. Additionally, the integrated nature of TAC’s curriculum enriched my education and helped me appreciate how philosophy and science reciprocate.”
During her time at the College, Miss McCann especially enjoyed freshman and sophomore science and philosophy, as well as “all of Junior Year.” She describes writing her Senior Thesis — which explored the philosophical definition of life — as one of the more challenging and fulfilling academic pursuits she has ever pursued. She is particularly grateful to her thesis adviser, Dr. Thomas Kaiser, for his wisdom and guidance on that project.
“The education I received at TAC has been invaluable to me in my own thinking,” Miss McCann observes, especially “as I dialogue with my peers about what constitutes ethical science and medicine.”
Next up, she looks forward to starting the second part of her dissertation this fall, studying molecular markers of peripheral nerve injury in collaboration with Barrow Neurological Institute.