Campus Happenings

Fall semester was a wonderful and beautiful time to be at Ohio Dominican. As the campus leaves turned from green to their vibrant reds, yellows and oranges, the campus community celebrated new events, initiatives, and gifts that have generated enthusiasm for an exciting 2020.

President Robert Gervasi with 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients (left to right) Theresa Holleran, Ph.D. ’75, Karen Days, MBA ’09 and Thomas Winters, JD ’72.

Alumni Celebrated at Homecoming 2019

Hundreds of alumni, students, faculty and staff celebrated the University’s annual Homecoming on Sept. 21. During the celebration, the University recognized its 2019 Black & Gold Athletic Hall of Fame inductees and Distinguished Alumni Award honorees. The Panthers’ football game versus the University of Findlay was televised to a national audience on ESPN3. During the game, President Robert Gervasi was presented with a check for $600,000 from the estate of Karl and Ellen ’50 Moroney Liewer, bringing the couple’s combined lifetime and estate giving total to nearly $1 million.

2019 Athletic Hall of Fame inductees (left to right) Cris Reisert ’09/’11, Katie Moloney ’06, Adam Arnett ’07/’08, and Joe Janusik ’08 at an awards banquet on Sept. 20.

ODU Partnership with CSCC Addresses Workforce Needs in Insurance Industry

Ohio Dominican and Columbus State Community College have partnered to create a pathway to help students achieve their goal of preparing for and securing employment in the rapidly growing insurance industry. Through the CSCC-to-ODU Risk Management Program, students who complete a two-year associate degree in Business Management at Columbus State, and who meet certain academic requirements, will be guaranteed admission to ODU to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Risk Management & Insurance.

2019 Fall Incoming Class ODU’s Largest in Six Years

This past fall’s incoming class was the University’s largest since 2012. In August, 358 students began their educational journey at ODU, 288 of whom were first-time freshmen, and 70 of whom were transfer students. Representing 46 Ohio counties, 11 states, and nine countries, the group achieved an average high school GPA of 3.4 and an average ACT of 22, and approximately 38% of students were ranked in the top 25% of their high school class.

Fall 2019 Athletic Highlights

Ohio Dominican’s fall athletic teams enjoyed another successful season. The football team went 7-3, finishing second in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference with a 6-1 record. The Panthers have won seven-plus games in nine consecutive seasons, and the 2019 campaign saw them qualify for the inaugural America’s Crossroads Bowl in Hobart, Indiana. Women’s soccer had five student-athletes earn all-conference recognition as they finished 11-7-2 and appeared in the GMAC Tournament Finals for the second time in three years. Men’s soccer head coach Willy Merrick won his 100 th career game, and the program had an all-GMAC selection in Cameron Christian. Men’s golf won its first tournament team championship in nearly five years, and Robert Holden won the GMAC Fall Invitational while setting ODU Division II-era records of 66 for a single round and 138 for 36 holes. The women’s golf team recorded three top-five finishes out of six fall events. The cross country program saw Caleb Belmont set the men’s freshman eight-kilometer record at the GMAC Championships, and 15 of the 16 men’s and women’s runners registered personal best times throughout the season. The volleyball team had its first all-GMAC selection in Emilee Fecht.

New EV Charging Stations Installed

AEP awarded the University a $27,600 grant to fund the installation of four permanent electric vehicle (EV) charging stations through its Electric Vehicle Charging Station Incentive Program. The stations were installed this fall adjacent to Panther Stadium and are available for use by members of the campus community as well as the general public. ODU is a member of the Smart Columbus “Accelerator Partner” program, which is made up of organizations and education institutions throughout Central Ohio that are collaborating to reduce carbon emissions and educate the workforce and the public about innovative ways to decrease reliance on fossil fuels.

Upcoming Exhibitions in the Wehrle Gallery

The Wehrle Gallery will host numerous exhibitions this winter and spring that celebrate its theme, “The Year of the Body.”

Have You Got a Pulse? A ceramic sculpture installation by Terri Maloney-Houston, Nov. 15, 2019 – Jan. 25, 2020

Just as Life Itself New work by Julie Abijanac, Feb. 14 – April 5, 2020

From the Halls of Wehrle: 2020 Senior Exhibition April 26 – June 28, 2020

More information about the Wehrle Gallery’s upcoming exhibitions can be found at ohiodominican.edu/Wehrle.