SPRING 2015
Journal
THE GREATEST GIFT | HOPE AND SORROW IN SOUTHEAST ASIA | FREED CENTER 2015-16 SEASON PREVIEW
President Daniel A. DiBiasio Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs David C. Crago Vice President for Financial Affairs William H. Ballard Vice President for University Advancement Kenneth C. Block Executive Assistant to the President Ann Donnelly Hamilton, BA ’99, ACIT ’13 Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Juliet (Harvey) Hurtig, BSEE ’91
SPRING 2015
Journal
DEAR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS! One of the ways that Ohio Northern University supports and sustains a strong sense of community on campus is to make the most of opportunities to celebrate traditions and milestones. Last semester, we proudly celebrated three important milestones:
Vice President for Enrollment Management William Eilola
• The 25th anniversary of the Metzger Nature Center • The 10th anniversary of the Mathile Scholars Program • The 20th anniversary of the ONU Holiday Spectacular
Vice President for Student Affairs Adriane Thompson-Bradshaw Alumni Journal Editors Josh Alkire, Associate Director of Communications
The Metzger Nature Center is located 160 miles east of Ada on a 70-acre farm in the hills of Ohio’s Amish country near Stone Creek in Tuscarawas County. In 1994, it was given to Northern by the Hillier Family Foundation through a charitable trust of the late Henry L. Metzger, BSEd ’41, Hon. D. ’94, who graduated from ONU with a Bachelor of Science in education in 1941, and Geraldine Metzger, who owned the farm property where the center is located.
Annmarie Baumgartner, Director of Alumni Relations Amy Prigge, BSBA ’94, Executive Director of University Communications and Marketing Writing Miranda Buschur, Cynthia Drake, Julianne Jardine, Matt Markey, Laurie Wurth Pressel Art and Design Jeni Bible University Photographers Kenneth Colwell, Trevor Jones, Jose Nogueras Class Notes Editor Danielle (Verone) Murray, BA ’01 Send Class Notes via email to: alumni@onu.edu POSTMASTER Send address changes to: OHIO NORTHERN ALUMNI JOURNAL 525 S. Main St., Ada, OH 45810-1599 OHIO NORTHERN ALUMNI JOURNAL is published by Ohio Northern University, 525 S. Main St., Ada, Ohio 45810-1599. Phone: 419-772-2000 Fax: 419-772-2932 OHIO NORTHERN UNIVERSITY was founded in 1871 and is a private, co-educational, studentcentered institution of higher learning that offers quality, nationally ranked sciences, arts and professional programs in its five colleges: Arts & Sciences, Business Administration, Engineering, Pharmacy and Law. onu.edu
The center serves as a field station for the biological sciences, offering opportunities for long-term research, classes and field studies. Classes in natural history, ichthyology, ornithology, animal behavior, entomology and science education have regularly used the facilities. In addition, co-curricular groups with interests in conservation, nature, natural resources and related objects use the center on a regular basis. A celebratory program on a bright sunny day in September was fitting way to underscore its natural beauty. The Mathile Scholars Program is ONU’s premier scholarship award and has been since its inception in 2004. To date, the program has supported 21 scholars due to the generosity of Clay Mathile, BA ’62, Hon. D. ’91, ACIT ’09; his wife, MaryAnn, Hon. D. ’11; and the Mathile Family Foundation. The standards for the award are extremely high, requiring that selected students have a minimum ACT score of 30 or SAT score of 1330, have a minimum high school GPA of 3.5, and participate in a rigorous interview process. The program supports two full-tuition renewable scholarships for each class, and, every fall semester, Clay and Mary come to campus to meet with the Mathile Scholars. This year, we invited past recipients back to celebrate the 10th anniversary and were thrilled that 17 of the 21 scholars gathered on campus for a reunion. It was amazing to learn about how the past Mathile Scholars are making significant contributions to their professions and to their communities. Last December, the ONU Holiday Spectacular marked two decades of performances, during which it has become a beloved holiday tradition on campus and in Lima. Often referred to simply as “Holiday,” the event is supported in part by the DeBow and Catherine Freed Endowment for the Arts and significantly underwritten by Harry and Myrna Shutt, the owners of Kewpee Hamburgers. Harry and Myrna have underwritten the show since its inception in 1994. They also have funded the expense of moving the performance from the Freed Center to Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center in Lima. The Shutts have always believed that the holiday show should be affordable for all families and have kept the price at $5 for the Lima performances. It was an honor to recognize them for their vision and support at a special celebration dinner before one of the performances in Lima. These three milestones are just a few of the most recent reasons for celebrating what is good about ONU. By preserving nature, making education affordable, and ushering in the holiday season, our University strengthens the sense of community on campus and serves the broader community as well.
President
ON THE COVER HELLO ALUMNI AND FRIENDS! I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and our new alumni office staff members, as we have a few new faces! My name is Annmarie Baumgartner, and after five years serving Ohio Northern alumni as both an associate director and coordinator of alumni clubs, I am honored to be appointed as the director of alumni relations as of March 1, 2015. I feel very blessed for the opportunity to serve Ohio Northern alumni the past five years, and I look forward to more opportunities to build relationships with many more Polar Bears. I am pleased to introduce the two newest members of our staff who were hired this past fall and winter: Marsha McMunn, BA ’12, assistant director, and Rebecca (Risner) Hibbard, BA ’12, assistant director of alumni relations. Marsha and Rebecca bring with them many skills and much enthusiasm, which will aid the office to better serve our alumni in the years to come. Another couple of exciting changes that I would like to announce are online services and opportunities for our alumni. Alumni now have the opportunity to keep or use an ONU email address for life! If you had an ONU email address as a student, you are able to keep this address for life. If you graduated before email, you have the option to use an ONU email address for your own email. Another new service that the office is providing our alumni is a new, more user-friendly website that will help our alumni better connect with each other with an online directory, stay informed on all things Northern, and register for events online! This new website is called ONU Alumni Connect and can be found at alumni.onu.edu. Please look for an email soon with more information, including how to acquire a username and password for both the email option and the ONU Alumni Connect website. Lastly, I would like to thank the entire Polar Bear community of students, faculty and staff, administrators, alumni and parents for their continued support of Ohio Northern. Please check out all our upcoming events; we would love for you to come tell us your alumni stories, mix and mingle with fellow Polar Bears, learn more about what is happening at ONU, and meet our new staff! I hope to meet you all, one alumnus at a time! All my best,
Read the full story on page 4.
CONTENTS
4 The Greatest Gift 6 Fishing for Knowledge 8 Hope and Sorrow 12 Campus News 16 Athletics 18 Alumni News 22 Development News 24 Freed Center Season Preview 25 Class Notes 33 Northern’s Cubs 35 In Memoriam
Annmarie Baumgartner Director of Alumni Relations Follow us online!
On Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONUAlumni On Twitter at twitter.com/onualumni On Instagram @ONUALUMNI
To comment on anything you’ve seen or read in this magazine, please send an email to alumni@onu.edu. We may print your comments in a future issue, or contact you about further story ideas.
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Three of the greatest gifts in R. Doug Cowan’s life – his wife of 52 years, his best friend, and the man who saved his life – all have connections to Ohio Northern University. Doug’s incredible story of love, friendship and generosity spans several decades and culminates with a lifesaving liver transplant and a $200,000 donation to ONU for student scholarships. Doug attended ONU for two years in the early 1960s and fell in love with Linda Nicoletti. They eloped, and Doug eventually completed his college degree at Kent State University.
The pair raised a family together while Doug built a successful career with The Davey Tree Expert Company in Kent, Ohio. He played a key role in brokering an employee purchase of the company (today it’s the largest employee-owned company in Ohio), and he served as the company’s CEO and chairman of the board. Early in his career, Doug met Robert “Bob” Kerscher, BSBA ’70, and they established a close friendship. Their wives, Linda and Barbara, also became friends. “We shared a similarity in personality, career goals and family values,” explains Doug. “And our friendship formed from there.”
Bob asked Doug to serve on the board of his company, Lexi-Comp. And over the course of 40 years, the two friends supported each other in their careers, shared family milestones, competed in friendly golf matches, and took family vacations together. They even purchased condominiums just a few miles apart in Sanibel, Fla., to continue their camaraderie in retirement.
R. Doug Cowan
J. Ted Engle, BSME ’94
But before Doug could enjoy retired life in sunny Florida, his health took a turn for the worse. What he thought was the stomach flu turned out to be a serious liver disease. His doctors told him he would eventually need a liver transplant. With regular monitoring and lifestyle changes, Doug managed his disease for several years. But in June 2013, his situation turned grave. As the toxins increased in his blood, Doug could no longer function normally. He spent the summer in and out of the hospital being treated for severe symptoms. Despite his rapid deterioration, Doug wasn’t sick enough to be placed at the top of the liver transplant list. Each year in the U.S., about 18,000 patients await new livers, but only 6,000 liver transplants are performed. Approximately 1,700 patients die each year waiting. “My good friend was very close to not surviving,” says Bob. “He would not have lived to see the New Year.” Then, Doug’s doctors at Cleveland Clinic told him about an alternative option – a livingdonor transplant. In the U.S., 95 percent of liver transplants are cadaveric (from deceased donors). But in other countries, like Japan, living-donor transplants are much more common. In a living-donor transplant, surgeons take a portion of a liver from a live person. Both the donor and recipient liver portions grow back to normal size in a short time.
Doug spread the word to his family and friends, and several people stepped forward as possible donors. Bob and Barbara’s son-in-law, J. Ted Engle, BSME ’94, who is married to their daughter Kelley (Kerscher), BSPh ’96, heard about Doug’s situation while visiting. Without hesitation, he offered to help. Many people cautioned Ted or outright told him he was crazy to consider being a donor. After all, he wasn’t related to Doug and had zero experience with major surgery. But Ted told them, “If Doug dies, and I could have done something to prevent it but didn’t, I would have a hard time living with myself.” In the next few weeks, Ted underwent comprehensive psychological and physical evaluations at Cleveland Clinic. He had the option of backing out, no questions asked, at any time. A liver donation is a major abdominal surgery that requires a weeklong stay in the hospital and several months of recovery. “To show just how remarkable a young man Ted is, he offered to be a liver donor for a pediatric patient if he wasn’t compatible with me,” says Doug. On Sept. 17, 2013, Doug received 35 percent of Ted’s liver during a 12-hour surgery. Surgeons at Cleveland Clinic described it as a textbook surgical case. Immediately upon waking, Doug felt like a new person. Within a few months, he felt better than he had felt in 20 years. Ted also made an excellent recovery, and his liver grew back to normal size within a few weeks. Doug’s remarkable return to health exceeded everyone’s expectations. This January, Doug and Ted met up in Texas to watch the Ohio State University Buckeyes win the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship. “It was one of those ‘bucket list’ moments,” says Doug. “And I got to enjoy it with Ted and his son. What a great time.” Organ-transplant recipients are strictly prohibited by law from providing monetary compensation to their organ donors. Ted wanted nothing in return, but Doug wanted to show his gratitude for Ted’s lifesaving gift. He knew that Ted and Kelley held ONU near and dear to their hearts, so he donated $100,000 in their names to an endowed scholarship fund. He and Linda then donated an additional $100,000 for scholarships. The donations made the Engles and the Cowans lifetime members of ONU’s Lehr Society. “It was my way of saying, ‘Thank you, I’m grateful for what you’ve done,’” says Doug.
Doug’s donations will enable graduates from Breakthrough Schools, a network of public charter schools in Cleveland geared toward inner-city youth, to attend ONU on fulltuition scholarships. Bob, who has served on ONU’s Board of Trustees for 12 years and is a supporter of Breakthrough Schools, suggested the funds be allocated to help these students. “Doug received the greatest gift of all – the gift of life,” says Bob. “But there are a lot of winners in this story.” Doug also donated $1 million to Cleveland Clinic, and he’s committed to raising an additional $1 million in the next five years. The funds will be used to establish an endowed chair and will support research and raise awareness about living-donor liver transplants in the U.S. For information on how to donate to this Cleveland Clinic fund, visit ccf.convio.net/ goto/cowanfamilyfund.
As the primary founder of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, George Washington Crile Sr., AB 1885, M 1889, is a legend in the medical field. Originally from Chili, Ohio, Crile graduated from Ohio Northern with his bachelor’s degree in 1885. His education from ONU was just the first step in his medical career, as the University helped Crile prepare for Wooster Medical School, from which he earned his MD in 1887. Crile went on to be a founding member of the American College of Surgeons; he was the second president of the organization from 1906-07. As a surgeon in the military during both the Spanish American War and World War I, Crile rose to the rank of general. During his time in the military, he met three other surgeons with whom he formed the Cleveland Clinic Foundation: Frank E. Bunts, William E. Lower and John Phillips. Crile is credited with being the Clinic’s primary founder. Crile also contributed greatly to the science of direct blood transfusions, blood pressure, and dealing with shock.
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FISHING FOR
KNOWLEDGE He’s been called a “gar star” by the Chicago Sun-Times and a “fish nerd” by his friends. Dr. Solomon David, BS ’00, embraces both monikers. “I live and breathe fish,” he says enthusiastically. “I don’t even think of what I do as work.”
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One day, he’s slogging through a remote marsh in northern Wisconsin observing the migratory patterns of Great Lakes fish. The next, he’s giving a presentation on a primitive fish species while gazing out a window at the Willis Tower. Being a fish biologist at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago is a childhood dream come true, says David. David’s fascination with fish started in elementary school when a neighborhood boy loaned him a Ranger Rick magazine. The magazine’s center spread featured an alligator gar. The prehistoric-looking fish virtually jumped off the page and into David’s imagination. “It looked like an alligator with fins,” he recalled. David learned that gars had been around since the time of the dinosaurs and that some were even older than his favorite dinosaur, the T-Rex. “I was hooked,” he says.
In high school, however, David figured it would be more feasible to become a doctor than a fish biologist. He entered ONU as a pre-med major, but it didn’t take long for his ONU professors to uncover his true passion. “I was plodding through pre-med, and my professors knew my heart just wasn’t into it. They gave me the courage to tell my parents and change my major,” says David.
Professor Terry Keiser, BSEd ’64, ACIT ’98, recognized that David had a knack for field research and memorizing fish species. A gar enthusiast, Keiser re-ignited David’s interest in this ancient species of ray-finned fish. He encouraged David to attend graduate school at the University of Michigan, where David received both his master’s and doctorate degrees, studying aquatic conservation ecology and sustainable aquaculture. After the University of Michigan, David landed a position as a postdoctoral research associate at Shedd Aquarium and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He splits his time between the two institutions, focusing on field research and public outreach.
His research centers on fish that live in the Great Lakes. As the largest source of surface fresh water in the world, the Great Lakes are a critical natural resource, says David. “Fish serve as good indicators of the environmental health of the lakes,” he explains. “Healthy fish populations often reflect healthy ecosystems. This hits home when you consider the recent drinking water crisis that impacted Lake Erie and the residents of Toledo.” David studies the migratory patterns of the lake whitefish – the most commercially valuable fish in the Great Lakes. He also explores the impact that removing dams and restoring wetland habitats has on fish populations. From early spring through the summer, David can be found in chest waders trudging through the agricultural ditches and wetlands where northern pike migrate and spawn. It’s not exactly a tropical beach, but he enjoys the quiet beauty of his surroundings and what he calls “the x factor.” “You never know what you are going to find,” he says. “I’ve come across snapping turtles, whooping cranes and many kinds of fish in the field.” The Windy City serves as David’s home base. At Shedd Aquarium – one of the largest indoor aquariums in the world – he compiles his field notes, works in the lab and reaches out to the public. “The fish here (at Shedd) serve as conservation ambassadors,” he says. “They connect people face-to-face with the underwater world.” David also is a conservation ambassador – a role he thrives on. His enthusiasm for his subject matter is contagious. He defies the stereotypical image of a boring scientist. Audiences both young and old enjoy his presentations and follow his postings on Twitter, blogs and YouTube. “It’s possible to share a story that will resonate with a lot of people – from Chicago, to Cleveland, to Duluth – because these fish and the Great Lakes are right in their backyards,” he says. One of David’s stories that hit the mark was a remarkable fish discovery in the north branch of the Chicago River. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources captured the strange-looking fish while looking for the invasive Asian Carp. They contacted Shedd Aquarium, and David’s colleague showed him pictures of the fish. David could barely contain his excitement when he realized it was a spotted gar – one of his favorite fish species and a fish that had never before been found in the Chicago River. “It’s what I call a pickier fish, because it’s very particular about its environment,” says David. “Finding the spotted gar was potentially good news. It signaled that the Chicago River may be getting cleaner.” The discovery of the spotted gar made headlines in the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times, and both papers quoted David as a “gar expert.” David also wrote a post about the finding for National Geographic’s blog. And, much to David’s delight, the media attention resulted in the Ranger Rick editors sending him an archival copy of the 1983 issue that first got him interested in gars. “I had been looking for a copy of this magazine for years,” he says. “So it was quite a thrill to see it again.” Reflecting on the path that led him to ONU, the University of Michigan and Shedd Aquarium, David feels gratitude to many people. He’s especially appreciative of Keiser and his other ONU professors who wouldn’t let him give up on his interest in fish. “I consider myself lucky,” he says. “I’m doing what I love and sharing it with others.”
25th Anniversary of the Metzger Center The Metzger Nature Center celebrated its 25th anniversary in September with an open house for ONU alumni and guests. The Metzger Nature Center and Bolon Hall, which is located at the center, were given to Ohio Northern University by the Hillier Family Foundation as a result of the charitable trust of the late Henry L. Metzger, BS ’41, who graduated from ONU with a Bachelor of Science in education in 1941, and Geraldine Metzger, who owned the farm property where the center is located. The nature center is located 160 miles east of Ada on a 70-acre farm in the hills of Ohio’s Amish country near Ragersville and Stone Creek in Tuscarawas County. The ONU Archeology Field School course allows students to study the natural springs and streams, dissected sandstone gulleys, mixed mesophytic forests, and fields.
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HOPE AND SORROW I N
S O U T H E A S T
A S I A
ONU law students explore Cambodia’s ‘Law, Culture and Genocide’ Most people have heard of Cambodia, and most people could find this Asian country on a map. 8
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But not many people know about the atrocities set upon the Cambodian people during the ’70s. Known as the Cambodian Genocide, this dark time in the country’s history saw the deaths of millions of people. The event has had farreaching effects up until the present day, and its perpetrators are just now being brought to justice. For whatever reason, some blame Vietnam War fatigue, the Cambodian Genocide has escaped widespread attention from a lot of Americans, especially those born after the fact. By taking groups of ONU law students to Cambodia as part of a January Term course, law professor Kevin Hill is trying to change that.
HORROR IN CAMBODIA
Shortly after the Vietnam War, from 1975 to 1979, the Khmer Rouge regime (led by Pol Pot) carried out genocide in Cambodia. It is estimated that up to 3 million people were killed due to forced labor, torture, mass execution and malnutrition. Up to 20,000 mass graves, known as the Killing Fields, have been uncovered.
Third-year law student Jamie Lutz made the trip this past January. “We didn’t really realize it until professor Hill pointed it out, but there’s not a lot of older people there. You realize that they’re missing a big segment of their population. Grandfathers, aunts and uncles, that whole portion of the population isn’t even there anymore.”
TOURING 1,200 YEARS OF HISTORY
In Cambodia, Lutz and her fellow ONU law students learned about the Cambodian Genocide, the subsequent human rights tribunals, and the country’s attempts to recover from the tragedy. Students explored local schools, ruins, torture prisons and the Killing Fields.
The Genocide ended when Vietnam invaded Cambodia and removed the Khmer Rouge from power. Political unrest and civil war followed for decades. A sort of peace began in February 1992 after United Nations intervention, and the country began five-year election cycles in 1993. The first trials of senior Khmer Rouge leaders did not start until 2007; many were already dead or deemed unfit to stand trial. Hill first traveled to Cambodia during the second General Election in 1998. He acted as an observer on behalf of the United Nations, tasked with reporting whether anyone was turned away from the polls, whether everyone was freely allowed to vote, and whether the ballots were properly guarded and delivered.
If it sounds heavy, well, it is. But Hill scheduled the tour in such a way so as to gradually immerse his students into the Cambodian culture. “I like to start with Siem Reap, because it gives the students an impression of the history of the country,” he says. “That’s where the spectacular Angkor Wat ruins are. So we spent two days going to various temples, ruins and just acclimating ourselves to the country.” From there, the students visited a silk farm, discussed with Buddhist monks the role of law in a Buddhist country, and experienced a few touristy things such as Battambang’s famed bamboo railway.
But after that, things got much more serious. “Up until then, you could say, ‘Oh, we’re having a nice vacation,’” Hill says. “But then we went to the S-21 prison, which is the place where 14,000 inmates walked in, and only 12 walked out.” The students even had the opportunity to meet with one of the 12 S-21 survivors to hear his story. “S-21 still makes me cry when you see what happened there,” Hills says. “I mean, it’s like visiting Auschwitz.” From S-21, the group visited the Killing Fields; one field, in particular, was the scene of 100,000 deaths. The visiting ONU students found it difficult to find words to describe the experience there. “Learning about what happened here and seeing it all, it was overwhelming,” says second-year law student Logan Clark. “Looking at the pictures, seeing all the skulls on display, learning about what happened – it just shocks you,” agrees Lutz. Next, the ONU group visited the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), also known the Khmer Rouge Tribunal. Located in Phnom Penh, this is where the senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge are currently being prosecuted.
In total, Hill has traveled to Cambodia six times, entranced by the pace of life and the inherent friendliness of its citizens. “I just fell in love with the country, and then I followed the Genocide trials with great interest as they went along,” he says. “I thought it was the perfect vehicle to expose American students to a different way of looking at the world, a different legal structure, a different legal order, and mostly a different society and how law is treated in that society.” So Hill developed his “Law, Culture, and Genocide in Southeast Asia” class. For the past two years, rather than sitting in the classroom to learn about the Cambodian Genocide, ONU law students have traveled to the source, visiting the places where it happened, talking to the people it still affects to this day.
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“If we’re lucky, we get to meet some of the attorneys or maybe a judge,” Hill says. “For the most part, we’re happy if we get to visit the site and have somebody with knowledge explain what’s going on.”
DESPITE EVERYTHING, HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
Still, there’s much joy to be found in Cambodia amongst the lingering sorrow. During the first trip in January 2014, Hill and his group, completely by chance, encountered a circus performance near the city of Siem Reap. But it wasn’t a circus performance in the American sense of the word. “We were sort of skeptical, because what’s a circus going to be in Cambodia? And in fact, it was stunning,” remembers Hill. “It was not clowns and tigers and lions. It was acrobats and dancers telling a traditional Cambodian story.” It turns out that this particular circus performance was a fundraising effort on the part of Phare Ponleu Selpak, a school in Battambang that educates Cambodian street children with an emphasis on the arts. “It was started by four teachers in a refugee camp during the civil war,” Hill explains. “And because they were art teachers, all they taught was art. But then they got other people interested, and it started growing.”
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Phare Ponleu Selpak eventually adopted a general education curriculum, but artistic practice and development is at the heart of the school’s formal education process. The Circus Department, in particular, has become
internationally renowned; acrobats from across Europe come to Cambodia to train the students. “After the circus, it turned out we were going to be in Battambang, where the school is located, so we planned to drop by,” Hill continues. “We were supposed to spend one hour there, but we ended up spending five. The ONU students played with the kids, and we got together a donation of about $400 just on the spur of the moment.” Something about this chance encounter captured the hearts of the visiting ONU contingent, because this year, the group returned with $1,600 raised before the trip even began. In fact, visiting the school became a much-anticipated part of the itinerary. “Before we left, I knew that going to the Phare school would be one of my favorite things that we were going to do on this trip,” says third-year law student Renee Drollette. “But I suppose I didn’t expect to get the feeling that I got from the kids. I know the kids were one of the things that touched me the most.” In addition to the Phare Ponleu Selpak site visit, Hill arranges everything else himself. “You’ve got to plan places for the kids to stay, hotels, transportation, and visas to get into the country. A native-speaking guide had to be arranged as well as transportation within the country by bus. And all the places we visited, I had to set that up ahead of time.”
So Hill was a travel agent before the trip began, but once in Cambodia, he became chaperone, tour guide and Cambodian historian for the 26 ONU law students who went with him. “Since there were 26 of us, there were a lot of us,” says Clark. “We all couldn’t stay within range of the tour guide to hear what he was saying; professor Hill would fill us in on what he knew, and it seemed like he knew a lot.” The trip affected the ONU students in different ways. Many returned to Ada with altered career plans. Others learned not to take their western lifestyles for granted.
“I got to go somewhere and see people walking around without shoes on,” says Lutz. “And then we came back to the States, and I have an appreciation for the fact that everyone wears shoes here. There’s no garbage on the streets. It gives you a much greater appreciation for where we live and where we were brought up.” “I think that after seeing this with your own eyes, you can do nothing but give back,” Drollette says. So, one of the first things the group did upon returning to campus was to arrange another fundraiser for Phare Ponleu Selpak. This time, a wine-tasting gathering raised $1,000.
THE FUTURE OF ONU LAW IN CAMBODIA
The next step is more of the same. Hill plans to teach this class, and make this trip, every year until he retires. It’s an amazing endeavor, one that his students hope will be appreciated by people outside the law school. “I don’t know what words I can use to do justice for the things that professor Hill has done for all of his students,” says Drollette. “I think he’s the type of professor they make movies about. He’s extremely brilliant; he could have been our tour guide. That is how informed he was about this country and its laws.”
As informed as he is, Hill still cannot seem to reconcile what allowed the Genocide to happen in the first place. “I love Cambodia. I like the people, the pace, the friendliness. In Cambodia, they’re very laid back,” he says. “That’s why I don’t understand the Genocide. You meet the people, and you don’t understand how these people could have done that.” “It’s really a country that functions more on customary law than outright law,” he continues. “I mean, people know what they’re supposed to do, and they behave themselves. Until it all falls apart.”
THE JANUARY TERM
There are nine law schools in Ohio; Ohio Northern’s Pettit College of Law is the second oldest. Only the University of Cincinnati College of Law has been around longer. As the years go by, the College of Law has remained ahead of the curve and on the leading edge by developing new ways of thinking about law education. An example of this ingenuity is the interactive January Term, which earned the College of Law a “Most Innovative Law Schools in the Nation” designation from The National Jurist in 2012. The January Term is an abbreviated three-week “bonus” semester that allows students to intensively study a subject that may exist outside the traditional scope of the College of Law’s curriculum. The January Term is offered before the spring semester begins, allowing for “high-impact” learning opportunities for networking, hands-on experiences, and travel to far-off places. Places like Cambodia, for example.
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CAMPUS NEWS
LECTURES MAKE IMPACT ON CAMPUS Part of Ohio Northern University’s stated mission is to provide a high-quality learning environment that prepares students for a lifetime of personal growth. This “personal growth” is nurtured via specialty academic programs and student support services. As such, guest speakers and lecturers provide industry insights and help to inform students of the probable professional conditions and challenges that they might face in the future. Each college offers a varied array of professional speakers indigenous to their fields of study. Recent highlights include: Fred L. Carhart Memorial Program in Legal Ethics Steven L. Schwarcz Stanley A. Star professor of law and business, Duke University “Risk Taking and Governance: The Duty to the Public” Eyvindur G. Gunnarson Professor and dean of law, University of Iceland “The Dangers of Modern Banking”
Dr. Reed Noss Robert Gronlund
Keiser Distinguished Lectureship in Life Sciences Dr. Reed Noss Provost’s distinguished research professor, University of Central Florida “Wilderness, Wildness and Biodiversity: Realized Through Natural History” Kormendy Lecture Joseph William Singer Bussey professor of law, Harvard Law School “Justifying Regulatory Takings” Carroll V. Lovett Distinguished Lecture Series Robert Gronlund, BA ’64, Hon. D. ’09 Chief executive officer, Wood-Mode Inc. “Evolution of a Family Business”
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Sebok Pharmacy Lecture Peggy Piascik, BSPh ’74 Immediate past president, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy “Pharmacy Education: Preparing Pharmacists for a Lifetime of Patient Care”
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Carey (Wurgler) Smith
Peggy Piascik
Spotts Lecture Carey (Wurgler) Smith, BSEE ’85 President, Honeywell Technology Solutions Inc. “Protecting our Homeland – Past, Present and Future”
Janisse Ray, nonfiction author and sustainability activist, was on campus in February speaking with ONU classes, making public presentations and reading of her work as a Council of Independent Colleges’ (ICI) Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow. Ray’s visit was sponsored by the Office of the President, the College of Arts & Sciences, the Office of Academic Affairs, the Department of Philosophy and Religion, and the Department of English. Ray is author of five books of literary nonfiction and a collection of nature poetry. She holds an MFA from the University of Montana and, in 2007, was awarded an honorary doctorate from Unity College in Maine. She has been visiting professor at Coastal Carolina University, scholar-in-residence at Florida Gulf Coast University, and writerin-residence at Keene State College and Green Mountain College. She was the 2003-04 John & Renee Grisham writer-inresidence at the University of Mississippi. Ray attempts to live a simple, sustainable life on a farm in southern Georgia with her husband, Raven Waters. Ray is an organic gardener, seedsaver, tender of farm animals, and slow-food cook. She lectures widely on nature, community, agriculture, wildness, sustainability and the politics of wholeness. The Council of Independent Colleges’ (ICI) Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellows program brings prominent artists, diplomats, journalists, creative writers, business leaders, environmentalists, former government officials and other nonacademic professionals to campuses across the United States for weeklong residential program of classes, seminars, workshops, lectures and informal discussions. Each year, fellows visit 50 to 80 different campuses.
CAMPUS NEWS
Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow 2015 speaks on campus
The Ada First United Methodist Church reopened its doors in February after suffering a devastating fire in March 2012. Visit the church’s website at www.adaumc.org to see photos of the new facility. Look for a story about the special relationship between the church, ONU and community in the summer issue.
Ohio Northern University announces record placement rate for 2014 graduates The Office of Polar Careers at Ohio Northern University has announced a record 95 percent placement rate for students who graduated in 2014, according to its six-month assessment report. The new mark is up 1 percent from last year for those students who reported placement. Ninety-seven percent of the class of 2014 participated in the placement report; this number is up 1 percent from last year and sets a new standard for ONU. A record 15 academic areas had a 100 percent placement rate: chemistry and biochemistry, communication arts and media studies, education, mathematics, philosophy and religion, technological studies, accounting, finance, international business/economics, management, pharmaceutical business, computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, and engineering education.
“Our placement rates are among the best in the country,” said Daniel A. DiBiasio, president of Ohio Northern University. “We are committed to continuing and improving upon them as part of The Ohio Northern Promise, which provides a more affordable college education while maintaining the excellent programs and services that have always attracted students to Ohio Northern University.” With a 7 percent increase from last year, the Dicke College of Business Administration experienced the most growth of any ONU college, just missing a 100 percent placement rate by two students. Overall, the College of Business Administration had the highest placement rate at 98 percent. The Smull College of Engineering had a 97 percent placement rate, followed by the Raabe College of Pharmacy with a 96 percent placement rate and the Getty College of Arts & Sciences with a 92 percent placement rate. Other academic areas that saw significant increases in their placement rates this year were English, music, nursing, psychology/sociology, marketing, and civil engineering.
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CAMPUS NEWS
William Eilola announced as new vice president of enrollment management Ohio Northern University President Daniel A. DiBiasio has announced the hiring of William Eilola as vice president for enrollment management at Ohio Northern University, effective April 1. Eilola, who has served as vice president for enrollment services and marketing at Lake Superior State University in Sault Sainte Marie, Mich., since 2006, replaces Lawrence Lesick, who will be stepping down from his position after more than four years at ONU. DiBiasio said, “Bill’s demonstrated strengths in all facets of enrollment and financial aid management and his leadership, marketing and communications experience will be assets to his new role at Ohio Northern.” Eilola served as dean of enrollment services at Gannon University in Erie, Pa., from 2002-06 and held several admissions positions at Grand Valley State University earlier in his career.
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“We are excited to join the Ohio Northern community and look forward to contributing to the University’s vision of excellence and distinction,” Eilola said. “Commitment to that vision has been very evident in all of our interactions with faculty, staff and students at ONU.”
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Eilola holds a Master of Business Administration from Grand Valley State University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Michigan Technological University. He and his wife, Colleen, have three sons, triplets who are seniors in high school.
$1.21 million grant to instill the entrepreneurial mindset in engineering undergraduates The Kern Family Foundation has awarded a grant of $1.21 million to the T.J. Smull College of Engineering at Ohio Northern University to encourage further work in instilling the entrepreneurial mindset in engineering undergraduates from 2015 through 2018. The grant is to be the largest programmatic grant Ohio Northern has received from a private foundation. Ohio Northern is part of The Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN), a group of approximately 20 private engineering colleges working to produce graduates with the entrepreneurial mindset, learning to nurture curiosity, make connections and create value. ONU has been part of KEEN since 2005. Dr. John-David Yoder, chair of ONU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, will serve as the principal investigator (PI) for this effort; he was recognized in January as an outstanding KEEN faculty member. The grant will support the following educational initiatives: • A strategically designed curriculum in the mechanical engineering department with the intent of instilling the entrepreneurial mindset • Immersive experiences such as courses and internships focused on the entrepreneurial mindset • Continuing on-campus competitions such as the KEEN Innovation Challenges • Continued support for pedagogical innovation in the College of Engineering
Community Service Honor Roll Ohio Northern University has been named to the 2014 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement. Daniel A. DiBiasio, ONU president, said, “Assisting the community has always been a tradition and part of our mission at ONU, and the University takes great pride in serving the village of Ada and beyond. We want our students to understand that responsible citizenship and service to one’s community are critical.”
Since Ohio Northern was established, the University has worked with Ada through numerous community programs such as aiding with community health fairs, free income tax preparation, Artists Against Hunger, heartburn-awareness events, Habitat For Humanity, Relay For Life, and free music and art lessons. ONU students participate in highway cleanups, provide tutoring to school children, support senior citizens centers and organize community events on campus. ONU has recently introduced new programs, such as “Get Connected ONU” and the Ada Civic Engagement Day, in which students volunteer to help with projects to improve the community. ONU’s campus is home to more than 200 student groups, most of which have some sort of public service component. More than 1,500 ONU students have engaged in some form of community service and have logged in more than 52,000 volunteer and service hours.
In addition to Mifsud being elected chair, Pamela S. Hershberger, BSBA ’87, was named to the board. Hershberger has been managing partner of the Toledo office of Ernst & Young LLP since July 2008.
CAMPUS NEWS
Oscar J. Mifsud elected chair of the ONU Board of Trustees The Ohio Northern University Board of Trustees has elected Oscar J. Mifsud, BSBA ’70, ACIT ’09, Hon. D. ’13. as chair of the ONU Board of Trustees for a two-year term, and Daniel Walker was retained as vice chair of the board for a two-year term at its October meeting. ONU President Daniel DiBiasio said, “Oscar Mifsud is the perfect fit to lead the Ohio Northern Board of Trustees. He and his wife, Judy, have made lifelong commitments to the University and have shown this with their leadership, numerous contributions and endless support for ONU.” Mifsud, who replaces John Bishop, BA ’72, as chair, graduated from ONU with a Bachelor of Science in business administration in 1972 and is the president and CEO of the Mifsud Group LLC, a private investment and management company, and the former president, CEO and owner of SMR Aerospace. He has served on the ONU Board of Trustees since 2000 and, in 2007, was named vice chair of the board and a member of its executive committee. He also is a member of the board’s finance, investment and trusteeship committee. Mifsud established the Oscar J. Mifsud Leadership Scholarship Fund for the Dicke College of Business Administration. Mifsud received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2009, the Dicke College of Business Administration’s Outstanding Service Award in 2012, and the college’s Pinnacle Award in 2013. In 2013, he was given an honorary degree from ONU. Mifsud served as national campaign chair in the University’s latest highly successful capital campaign in 2012, which raised more than $110 million.
ONU named training site for The Cadets Ohio Northern University has been selected as the primary spring training site for The Cadets, one of the oldest and most honored continuously operating drum and bugle corps in the country. A program of Youth Education in the Arts, the group has members from all over the world. The Cadets will practice on campus from May 14 to June 15. Rehearsals at Dial-Roberson Stadium will be open to the public. The corps was founded in Garfield, N.J., as the Holy Name Cadets in 1934 and has won 10 American Legion National Championships and 10 Drum Corps International World Championships. The Cadets will travel more than 14,000 miles this summer entertaining hundreds of thousands of drum corps fans throughout the nation.
333 donors $503,185 raised
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ATHLETICS NEWS
THE SCOOP ON ONU LACROSSE It took almost two decades for the women, and 40 years for the men, but the University has added a new sport to its varsity programs: lacrosse. This represents the first new varsity sport since women’s golf was added in 199697. And it’s the first new men’s sport since soccer started in 1975. In the OAC, Ohio Northern is the eighth school to add lacrosse to its athletic offerings for student-athletes. The lacrosse teams will play their games on the new turf fields inside both DialRoberson Stadium and the ONU Track and Field Complex. Set to begin their inaugural programs in spring 2016, both men’s and women’s lacrosse have hired coaches who have already recruited students to campus. The men’s coach is Nat St. Laurent, who previously served as an assistant lacrosse coach at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va., where he was offensive coordinator.
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“There is a tremendous amount of excitement to build this program from scratch,” St. Laurent says. “I am able to have a say in everything that happens with the program and recruit my own players. The thought of building something with my own stamp on it from the get-go is an awesome feeling.”
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The women’s coach is Beth Hemminger, who was the head coach at Wittenberg for the past three seasons and guided her teams to a 38-12 record and a perfect 22-0 league record during that time.
“ONU has tremendous resources academically, athletically and geographically, in terms of both the University and the sport,” she says. “I look forward to building this program with the intention of becoming a conference tournament contender in the next couple of years.” For an assistant, Hemminger hired Kaitlyn Liccion, a four-year letter-winner at Limestone College in Gaffney, S.C., who made four NCAA Final Four appearances and a second-place finish in the NCAA finals. Liccion came to ONU after serving as the head girl’s lacrosse coach at Beachwood (Ohio) High School in 2013-14. To fill out his coaching staff, St. Laurent drew upon the connections he’s made after spending 10 years in the sport. His two assistants, Zach Wilfong and Scott Miller, are both former players and excellent recruiters, according to St. Laurent. “Great recruiting is a necessity for building a program from scratch,” he says. So far, the three men’s coaches have put these recruiting skills to good work. Men’s lacrosse currently has 32 studentathletes from 11 different states (as far away as Washington, Colorado and New York) committed to attend ONU next fall. “Our goal in year one was 35, and I am confident we will meet that and perhaps exceed our goal,” says St. Laurent. The women’s team has more modest goals. “As for numbers, we don’t have a definite yet,” says Hemminger. “We’d like to have 10 incoming. Recruiting is going as well as can be expected for a
new program. The hardest part is selling something that hasn’t been established yet.” To overcome this “it’s a new program” hurdle, Hemminger is selling the opportunity for her recruits to create their own legacies. The first recruiting class to come to Ohio Northern will have the unique opportunity to be part of something not many others will be able to experience. “The journey through four years at ONU, and the legacy this first class leaves, is up to them, depending on how committed they are to demonstrate a consistent standard of excellence,” Hemminger says. “Are they willing to work extra? Do they spend time cultivating meaningful relationships with teammates? Do they show up every day to compete and exhaust their potential?” Part of this potential applies to what takes place off the field, too. As is so often stated at ONU, the “student” in “studentathlete” comes first, and the lacrosse recruits are no exception. “In the recruiting process, we look not only for exceptional talent, but also for student-athletes who buy in to our overall philosophy of excellence in all areas (academic, athletic and service),” says Hemminger. “Competitive mentality, work ethic and passion for the game will allow you to be successful both on and off the field.” St. Laurent explains that the University’s educational reputation has been a huge help in recruiting. The colleges of Engineering and Business Administration have generated the most interest from potential male students. Five of these business recruits recently interviewed
ATHLETICS NEWS
for the prestigious (and full-tuition) Dicke Scholarship in the College of Business Administration. “We also have a large amount of our committed recruits planning on participating in the University’s Honors Program,” adds St. Laurent. If it seems effortless, it’s a testament to the coaches’ recruiting abilities. But like the women’s team, there have been obstacles for the men. “Our biggest challenge here is our location, but I remind all recruits and their families that, regardless of where you attend school, your experience will be what the recruit makes of it,” St. Laurent says.
First night game held at Dial-Roberson Stadium
Challenges aside, St. Laurent is confident that he’ll meet his 35-player goal for the upcoming season. “We are still recruiting and hope to bring more students to campus from all over the country and Canada to help us meet our goal for year one.”
View photographs from that historic night at www.onu.edu/photo/football_under_the_lights
St. Laurent also wants to shift part of his focus to an internal audience. “The next challenge is trying to educate those on campus that are not familiar with lacrosse.” Hemminger feels that this campus lacrosse education has already started to happen. “There is an atmosphere of excitement for adding men and women’s lacrosse that recruits can sense when visiting campus. Feeling supported by the University helps!”
The Polar Bears’ Oct. 25 football game against Muskingum University was not only the first night game in Dial-Roberson Stadium history, but also the first night football game ever to be played on Ohio Northern’s campus.
Ohio Northern University inducts six into ONU Athletic Hall of Fame Six members of the Ohio Northern University athletic family were inducted into the University’s Athletic Hall of Fame as part of ONU’s Homecoming weekend. The six inductees were Jacquelyn (Kaup) Briscoe, PharmD ’04, a 2004 pharmacy graduate and volleyball, swimming and diving, and track athlete from Fort Recovery, Ohio; Hannah (Kanuckel) Creager, BSBA ’05, a 2005 business management major and volleyball athlete from Warsaw, Ohio; Erin Hipp-Hester, BSPh ’99, a 1999 pharmacy major and track and field and soccer athlete from Fairfield, Ohio; James Conrad, BSBA ’04, a 2004 accounting major and basketball athlete from Lima, Ohio; Kristopher Oberdick, BA ’02, a 2002 sport management major and basketball athlete from Toledo, Ohio; and Jamal Robertson, a 1997-2000 football and track and field athlete from Dayton, Ohio.
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ALUMNI NEWS
STROMAN IS ROBINSON YOUNG ALUMNI OF THE YEAR
2014
Amy Stroman, PharmD ’08, has been named the 2014 recipient of the William L. Robinson Young Alumni of the Year Award. The award is given each year to an individual who is committed to Ohio Northern University, his/ her profession and the community. The award is named in honor of Bill Robinson, BSEd ’61, ACIT ’71, ACIT ’89, Hon. D. ’05, H of F ’05, who served the University for more than 50 years in numerous capacities and has been a positive influence on countless students and alumni.
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As a missionary and humanitarian at the Janna Christian Journal Community School in the Ndeke community of Ndola, Zambia, Stroman is the first point of contact for the school’s sick children. Depending on the nature and severity of the child’s illness, she either directly initiates treatment at Janna or consults the medical professionals with whom she’s networked in the greater Ndeke and Ndola communities.
Before she spent a single moment on ONU’s campus, Stroman had already spent large parts of her life in Zambia. At age 4, and then later at age 9, she joined her parents when they served as missionaries in Macha, a village in Zambia’s southern province. At 15, she returned to Africa as part of a summer missions project, spending five weeks working with schoolchildren in Kampala, Uganda.
degree that would allow her to return to Africa. As a pharmacy student at ONU, Stroman was a member of the Academy of Student Pharmacists, Northern Christian Fellowship, Society of Success & Leadership, and Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International.
Stroman then spent the remainder of her high school and college years with one goal: earning a
Beginning with her fourth year at Ohio Northern, Stroman spent summer after summer in Zambia,
WILLIAM L. ROBINSON YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD The William L. Robinson Young Alumni Award, established in 2004, was created to honor and recognize his 50 years of influencing Ohio Northern University students and to ensure that this legacy continues throughout the next 50 years. The Alumni Association of Ohio Northern University awards an ONU alumna/alumnus who graduated within the last 15 years and who demonstrates passion and loyalty toward their profession, community and alma mater. Nominate an ONU alumna or alumnus today at onu.edu/alumni
ALUMNI NEWS
developing relationships with her current ministry partners. At the conclusion of the summer 2010 trip, Stroman remained in Zambia when the rest of the team returned home. She has remained in Zambia ever since. Because of her tender, loving heart, and her selfless embrace of underprivileged children in thirdworld countries, Stroman was certainly deserving of this honor.
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ALUMNI WEEKEND
Log on to ONU Alumni Connect The Ohio Northern University Office of Alumni Relations proudly announces two new services for our alumni. Ohio Northern has a new online community, ONU Alumni Connect, to serve our Ohio Northern alumni with information, networking with fellow Polar Bears, and online registration for events. This online community replaces the previous site, ONU Alumni Community. The second new service is the option to continue to use an ONU email address for life.
MAY 29-31, 2015
2015 Alumni weekend May 29-31 The Office of Alumni Relations invites Polar Bears back to campus to honor the 50-year reunion of the Class of 1965 and all our Golden Years alumni. To register, visit alumni.onu.edu or call the office at 866-ONU-ALUM by May 15, 2015. Activities will include: • Polar Bear Bling • 1965 Trivia Game • 50-Year Reunion Celebration for the Class of 1965 and a Golden Years Reception • Meet the Deans and College Tours • Creative-i-Tea
Visit ONU Alumni Connect at alumni.onu.edu to: • Find out what’s happening at Northern • Search for classmates and friends • Register for alumni and campus events • Update your information • Volunteer • Give a gift to the University Usernames and passwords are not necessary for event registration, updating your information or giving an online gift; however, they are necessary if you would like full access to all of the site’s benefits, including the online alumni directory. To receive your username and password for both the ONU Alumni Connect site and the ONU lifetime email address, please contact the ONU IT Help Desk at 419-772-1111 or help-desk@onu.edu.
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DEVELOPMENT NEWS CINCINNATI CLUB SERVICE EVENT AT MATTHEW 25 MINISTRIES FRONT ROW, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: JEANNINE PERKINS, BSBA ’92, REBECCA HIBBARD, BA ’12, MELISSA FLORIO, BSBA ’13, LISA KRASS, PHARMD ’07, MELINDA HILEMAN, BA ’87 BACK ROW: RYAN GARRY, BA ’08, KATIE GARRY, BA ’07, CAROLYN POMEROY, BS ’82, DAVID HILEMAN, BSBA ’86, LINDSEY HASSENAUER, BSCE ’09, ROSEMARIE MORRIS, BSBA ’82, AND DICK CARPENTER
THE ALUMNI CLUBS The Alumni Clubs encourage alumni to celebrate their Ohio Northern pride with fellow alumni and friends in their geographic regions. ONU currently has eight Alumni Clubs located in the Carolinas, Cincinnati, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Indianapolis and Washington, D.C. If you live in one these regions, come out and attend an event. We would love to see you! If you don’t live in one of these regions and are interested in forming an Alumni Club in your area, reach out to the alumni office at alumni@onu.edu and we will see what we can do!
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May 13, 2015 – Washington, D.C., Club: Happy Hour at Compass Rose May 16, 2015 – Indianapolis Club: Service Event at Ronald McDonald House June 22, 2015 – Columbus Club: Clippers Game Event June 28, 2015 – Cincinnati Club: BB Riverboat Cruise Event July 12, 2015 – Washington, D.C., Club: Orioles vs. Nationals Game July 18, 2015 – Columbus Club: Student Send-Off July 22, 2015 – Dayton Club: Dayton Dragons Game Event July 23, 2015 – Cincinnati Club: Student Send-Off To register for these events, please visit alumni.onu.edu. Usernames and passwords are not required to register for events, but they are preferred. To obtain your username and password, please contact ONU IT at 419-772-1111.
DEVELOPMENT NEWS
COLUMBUS CLUB: ALUMNI CLUB MEMBERS TOUR LAND GRANT BREWERY CO. IN DUBLIN, OHIO
COLUMBUS CLUB HAPPY HOUR FRONT ROW, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: KELLY HUMMELL, BS ’92, ANDREA MAKSIM, BSPH ’99, TARA GROVE, BSBA ’09, REBECCA HIBBARD, BA ’12 BACK ROW: ANNMARIE BAUMGARTNER, CHAD HUMMELL, BSBA ’91, BRYAN PICCIRILLO, PHARMD ’04
DELICIOUS TASTING PLATTERS SERVED TO ONU ALUMNI
ALUMNI VOLUNTEERS SORT DONATED CLOTHES AT MATTHEW 25 MINISTRIES
CLEVELAND ALUMNI CLUB MEMBERS TASTING WINE AND CHOCOLATE AT FANTASY CANDIES IN CLEVELAND, OHIO
REGIONAL ALUMNI EVENTS
THE ALUMNI DINNER AT NCAA HEADQUARTERS IN INDIANAPOLIS. FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: CASEY SPROUSE, KATE KLYCZEK, PHARMD ’11, CASSIE RICHARDSON, PHARMD ’13, KYLE RICHARDSON, NATALIE YANOS, PHARMD ’11
THE ALUMNI DINNER IN LIMA, OHIO. FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: GREG PHILLIPS, BSME ’92, DANICE PHILLIPS, BSPH ’93, JOE SMITH, LIZ SMITH, BA ’04, MATTHEW GALLASPIE, BS ’07, JAMIE GALLASPIE, PHARMD ’09 21
CONSIDER MAKING A GIFT TODAY
The vision for Ohio Northern is clear: We are a leading, innovative, student-centered institution of increasing regional and national prominence. Our learning communities offer rigorous professional programs in partnership with the sciences and the arts to prepare individuals for lifelong challenges. The Office of University Development advances the mission of Ohio Northern University by raising private support from alumni and friends to support students, programs and facilities. Our Ohio Northern family has watched — and participated — as we have transformed our University through the decades. ONU’s reputation for excellence continues to grow through the support received from the University community. Please join us in creating a place of prominence where students fulfill their dreams by supporting ONU today!
COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
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The Dr. Charles (Chuck) L. Johnson Endowed Scholarship Fund was established through generous gifts from alumni and friends to honor his life and legacy. Every gift, large or small, will help to provide an annual scholarship to a deserving ONU student who is majoring, minoring or directly involved with the Department of Communication and Media Studies and/ or the Department of Theatre Arts, with preference given to students who demonstrate exceptional oral and written communication skills – something Johnson demanded from all of his students. Johnson joined the ONU faculty in 1977 as an instructor in communication arts, holding numerous professor rankings during his tenure at Ohio Northern. He was coach of the University speech team from 1977-95, winning several honors. Johnson retired in 2001 and was later honored with the status of professor emeritus.
To support these established ONU funds or to learn more about giving opportunities at Ohio Northern, visit onu.edu/give
DICKE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
The Michele and Paul Govekar Award in Management is an endowed scholarship for incoming freshmen students in the Dicke College of Business Administration who are management majors. The Govekars are longtime, beloved faculty members in management, and this newly created scholarship honors their service, commitment and dedication to students.
DICKE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
The Roger D. Young Endowed Professorship in Accounting honors teaching excellence. Young is described as a “master teacher,” and he touched the lives of countless students. It’s been a year since Ohio Northern made this campaign public, and we are very proud to report that we are halfway to our goal of $1.5 million. Gifts and pledges have been made in all sizes, from $25 to a $250,000 life insurance policy with this campaign named the beneficiary. More than 90 alumni and friends have made gifts to support Young’s campaign.
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Dean Lawrence “Larry” Archer, BSCE ’47, ACIT ’82, H of F ’88, holds a special place of honor in the Smull College of Engineering. He served as the engineering dean for 34 years, 1951-85. Thanks to generous contributions from alumni, faculty and friends, the Archer Fund, which has reached $1 million, has provided critical support to the college for the past 27 years. High-impact initiatives, including senior capstone and freshman cornerstone projects, student research, field trips and conference attendance, have all been funded through the Archer Memorial Fund.
COLLEGE OF LAW
The Bruce Comly French Distinguished Practitioner Series is an endowed annual lecture series in which a distinguished practitioner will spend a day on campus, working with our students on practice/skills topics and giving a presentation at an evening Inns of Court meeting. The goal of this campaign is to raise $75,000.
COLLEGE OF PHARMACY
The McCurdy Fund was established by alumni and friends of ONU to honor Dr. Bob McCurdy, BSPh ’65, Hon. D. ’96. Each spring on Honors Day, a student from a diverse cultural background, finishing their fifth year, receives the McCurdy Diversity Scholarship. Additionally, monies from the endowment earnings are used to provide cultural awareness programming in the College of Pharmacy – particularly focused on providing cultural education to our students, faculty and staff. McCurdy served as a member of the ONU Board of Trustees prior to returning to his alma mater as the assistant vice president for development in 1996. He then was named assistant dean and instructor in the Raabe College of Pharmacy in 1997.
THE ROBBY FUND
The William L. Robinson Fund was established in 2000 by alumni, friends and colleagues to honor Bill Robinson, BSEd ’61, ACIT ’71, ACIT ’89, Hon. D. ’05, H of F ’05, who served his alma mater for more than 50 years. Robinson served the University as assistant football coach, sports information director, dean of men, director of McIntosh Center, director of admissions, director of alumni affairs, executive assistant to the president, and interim vicepresident for development. Students, alumni, faculty and friends of Ohio Northern know him simply as “Robby: Mr. ONU.” The Robby Fund, as it is commonly known, has grown to more than $1 million and has benefited hundreds of students.
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OHIO NORTHERN UNIVERSITY 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
CELEBRATES 20TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR
The 25th Season of the Freed Center for the Performing Arts promises to be sensational!
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES INCLUDE: SECOND CITY SEPT. 26, 2015 PAUL TAYLOR OCT. 3, 2015 DRACULA OCT. 17, 2015 COMEDY OF ETTA MAY AND JON REEP FEB. 13, 2016
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WILD KINGDOM MARCH 12, 2016
Ohio Northern University shared its 20th annual ONU Holiday Spectacular with audiences at the Freed Center for the Performing Arts and Lima’s Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center. The ONU Holiday Spectacular centered on the misadventures of Trixel, a trouble-making elf who steals Santa’s magic compass prior to Christmas Eve. This sends Mrs. Claus and Pixel the elf on a journey to find the invaluable tool so that Santa can deliver his gifts. There was plenty of song, dance and humor along the way. This year, the cast consisted of more than 40 students and 16 area children. The show was underwritten in part by the DeBow and Catherine Freed Endowment for the Arts and Kewpee Hamburgers. Marking two decades of sponsorship, Harry and Myrna Shutt, the owners of Kewpee Hamburgers, have underwritten the ONU Holiday Spectacular since its inception in 1994. They also have funded the expense of moving the performance from Ada to Lima. The Shutts have always believed that the holiday show should be affordable for all families and have kept the price at $5 for the Lima performances.
CLASS NOTES
1958
Edward Tutelian, BSEd, a retired teacher, is active in educational organizations and enjoys cultural events and world traveling. His wife, Astrig, has penned a memoire, My Life’s Journey, that is available on www.amazon.com.
1966
Philip “Phil” Oleson, BSPh, has authored a romance/mystery novel, Junkanoo, which is currently available on www.amazon.com. Phil and his wife, Mary, reside in Ponce Inlet, Fla.
1967
John Gunder, BA, was inducted into the Delphos St. John’s Hall of Fame on Nov. 30, 2014. John, a member of the 11th class of inductees, was recognized for his service to St. John’s. He resides in Delphos, Ohio. Steve Staley, BSPh, has been married to his childhood sweetheart, Ruthie, for almost 50 years. They have two daughters and nine grandchildren. Steve has enjoyed a career in pharmacy for 47 years and counting. For the past 50 years, Steve has been either the founder, originator, CEO, CFO, franchiser or significant stock holder in the following businesses: Chaley Enterprises Inc., Bestway Pharmacy Inc., The Denim Depot Inc., The Great Outdoors, Denim Depot Warehouse, Puck’s Sporting Goods, Uncle Sam’s Old Fashioned Lemonade and Ice Cream, Kick In The Pants Inc., Kick In The Sand, Kicker Factory Outlet, Staley Realty Inc. and Western New York Energy. He has been employed by Kroger Foods (Super X Drug), Lanes Pharmacy, Go-Drug, Occidental Petroleum Inc., Eckerd Drug, JC Penney’s and CVS/ Caremark. The Staleys reside in Indiatlantic, Fla.
1968
Dr. Joel Weaver, BSPh, was awarded the 2014 Distinguished Alumni Award from the Ohio State University Dental Alumni Society. He resides in Westerville, Ohio, with his wife, Barbara.
1971
Lawrence C. Barrett, BA, was recognized as a member of the President’s Cabinet of Lincoln Financial Advisors Corporation/ Sagemark Consulting. The achievement is held only by an elite group of top-performing representatives who have consistently demonstrated superior results, and members are carefully chosen from a national network of advisors because of their notable accomplishments, which epitomize the company’s philosophy of “Serve First, Last, Always.” Lawrence resides in Solon, Ohio, with his wife, Toni.
1972
Dr. R. Mike DeWine, JD, LLD ’95, Ohio attorney general, and Ranjiv “Jiv” Subramaniam, BA ’00, celebrated Mike’s re-election at the Returns/Victory Party at the Columbus Renaissance in Columbus, Ohio, on Nov. 4, 2014.
“The Star-Spangled Banner” on national television at the Tulane Football Game in the newly built Yulman Stadium on Band Day. In November, the choir performed in the Smoothie-King Arena at the Pelicans vs. Lakers Game and later traveled to Atlanta, Ga., to compete at Heritage Festivals. Karl resides in New Orleans, La. Philip Fink, JD, professor of business and leadership at Lourdes University in Sylvania, Ohio, was named the Larry and Kathy Ulrich endowed professor in accounting in August 2014. He resides in Toledo, Ohio, with his wife, Tina Baker-Fink. Dr. Allen Nichol, BSPh, was the 2014 recipient of the APhA Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management Daniel B. Smith Practice Excellence Award. Allen was selected in recognition of his dedication to the advancement of pharmacy practice. He resides in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife, Barbara. Stanley Hammerman, JD, and his partner, Jon Hultgren, at Hammerman & Hultgren P.C., were selected for inclusion in the 2014 Southwest Super Lawyers publication. Stanley resides in Scottsdale, Ariz., with his wife, Cheryl.
1975
Dr. R. Michael DeWine, JD ’72, Hon. D. ’94, and Ranjiv “Jiv” Subramaniam, BA ’00, celebrated Mike’s re-election at the Returns_ Victory Party at the Columbus Renaissance in Columbus, Ohio, on Nov. 4, 2014
1974
Karl Harrod, BA, starred in the production of Shrek The Musical at Rivertown Rep in September 2014. For the past 10 years, he has taught at Harry Hurst Middle School in St. Charles Parish. His choir performed
Phillip J. Binotto, JD, has joined the firm of Steptoe & Johnson PLLC, in Canonsburg, Pa. His legal practice focuses on labor and employment law as well as general litigation, complex construction contract litigation and corporate law. He is a member of the board of directors for the Pathways Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania Inc., as well as the Southpointe CEO Association. He resides in Canonsburg, Pa.
1976
Diana (Low) Jones, BA, is a retired elementary teacher. She resides in Salineville, Ohio, with her husband, Craig.
1977
Robert T. Corcoran, JD, a family law attorney whose firm is based in Hackensack, N.J., was a guest moderator and speaker at the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education Seminar, titled “Modifications of Alimony and Support: Establishing Changed Circumstances in New Jersey Family Law Proceedings.” The seminar featured the Hon. Daniel D. D’Alessandro JSC and the Hon. Margaret Foti JSC. Bob is a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers; has achieved an “A” legal ability rating from Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory; and is a member of the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, the Association of Trial Lawyers of New Jersey, and the American, New Jersey and Bergen County Bar Associations’ Family Law Sections. Bob has made numerous guest appearances on television and radio, published many articles, and lectured extensively on family law-related issues. He resides in Hackensack, N.J., with his wife, Susan. Richard Phillips, BSPh, and his wife, Patricia “Patty” (Ream), BSPh ’78, gave special polar bear stuffed animals to their grandchildren Vivienne, Harper and Collin to hug when they miss Grandma and Grandpa “Tootsie.” The children’s parents are Michael Phillips, PharmD ’06, and Christa (Miller), PharmD ’06. The couple resides in Olmsted Falls, Ohio.
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MECHANICAL ENGINEERING GRAD LOOKS BACK ON THREE DECADES WITH MARATHON
’06, and Christa (Miller), PharmD ’06. The couple resides in Olmsted Falls, Ohio.
1979
Janet (Ryan) Bell, BSPh, and her husband, Steve, relocated to Durango, Colo. Janet is retired from Walgreens, and Steve provides tech support at Morningstar Corporation. A. LaMont Eanes, BA, vice president of Agile Government Services Incorporated, was nominated by President Obama as deputy commissioner of social security, social security administration in July 2014. He resides in Overland Park, Kan., with his wife, Linda.
During his senior year at Ohio Northern, mechanical engineering major Barry Smith, BSME ’77, interviewed with his dream company, Marathon Petroleum Co., but unfortunately didn’t get a second interview. Undeterred, he worked as an engineer for one chemical company and two different oil companies after graduation, the last of which was Rock Island Refining in Indianapolis. When the company was acquired by Marathon in 1989, the dream company of his college years became a reality, and Smith has now worked for Marathon for nearly three decades. “It has been a great career,” says Smith, now a maintenance supervisor for Marathon’s Louisiana Refining Division. When asked about his greatest accomplishments, Smith recalls two. The first was working on the Albian Sands expansion project in Alberta, Canada, a joint venture between Shell, Marathon and Chevron to expand oil sands production. The second was making his way to his current 26
Journal
1978
Douglas F. Mock, BA, and his wife, Joan, proudly attended the wedding of their daughter, Marie, to John David Miley IV at the Swasey Chapel. The Mocks reside in Zanesville, Ohio. Dr. Greg M. Allenby, BSME, Helen C. Kurtz chair in marketing at Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business, was elected to serve as an INFORMS Society for Marketing Science (ISMS) fellow at the recent INFORMS Marketing Science
location, the Garyville Refinery, which is Marathon’s flagship refinery and the third largest in the continental U.S. based on crude throughput. “In Alberta, I got to meet and work with people from all over the world,” he says. “And throughout my career, I heard over and over, ‘You need to go to Garyville.’ Well, I finally got to Garyville, and during the last four years, I’ve learned why people said that. Garyville is the flagship because of the people – they work together during the good times and difficult times. I am happy to be part of the team.” Smith says that during his time at ONU, his coursework prepared him for his career path. “The problem-solving techniques I learned at ONU continue to help me every day in my job and in life,” he says. While there, he also met his wife, Gail Allen, BA ’77. He fondly remembers nightly walks with her on campus. The couple celebrates 35 years of marriage this July.
Conference in Atlanta. Fellows are selected based on contributions to the mission of ISMS: fostering the development, dissemination and implementation of knowledge in the field of marketing science through research, education, practice and service. Greg was one of two fellows elected this year. He resides in Worthington, Ohio, with his wife, Dr. Patricia (Ahlers), BA. Steven Culver, BA, has been named assistant provost for assessment and evaluation at Virginia Tech, where he has served as interim director of
the office since September 2013. He resides in Blacksburg, Va. Anita Cook, BA, is a publication designer for F+W Media in Sudbury, Mass. She resides in Framingham, Mass. Patricia “Patty” (Ream) Phillips, BSPh, and her husband, Richard, BSPh ’77, gave special polar bear stuffed animals to their grandchildren Vivienne, Harper and Collin to hug when they miss Grandma and Grandpa “Tootsie.” The children’s parents are Michael Phillips, PharmD
John A. Armitstead, BSPh, was recently named president-elect of the American Society of Health System Pharmacists. He will become president in June 2015 in Denver, Colo. He resides in Fort Myers, Fla., with his wife, Ima (Darling), BSPh ’80. Marsha Monroe Pippenger, BFA, was selected by the Dayton Metro Library to have her artwork installed in the newly remodeled Northwest Branch Library. She will create two paper collage-on-canvas triptychs representing the three library branches, joined to form the new Northwest Branch. Marsha resides in Dayton, Ohio with her husband, Alan, BA. Jan Klaiss, BSCE, is a senior planning analyst in energy efficiency and demand management for Con Edison. The company received one of three Utility Analytics Innovation Awards in October 2014. Jan resides in Dallas, Pa. with his wife, Michele.
1980
Jacqueline (Netherwood) Kennedy, BA, is a property manager for General Services Administration in Dallas, Texas. She resides in Plano, Texas, with her husband, Brad.
1981
Jan P. Shorts, BFA, Ohio Northern University trustee, was selected out of 1,600 Citizens employees to “ring the bell” on Sept. 24, 2014. Citizens held a contest and Jan won by writing a song.
1983
Ben Stahler, BSPh, was named mayor of Bellefontaine, Ohio, in October 2013. He and his wife, Sara, reside in Bellefontaine, Ohio.
Dena (Mangas) Wulber, BSBA, is a vice president and chief financial officer at Brethren Retirement Community. She and her husband, Dwight, reside in Versailles, Ohio.
1984
Ned Hark, JD, member of the Law Firm of Howard M. Goldsmith P.C., was a co-course planner and presenter for the ninth annual Family Law Institute presented by the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. He resides in Lafayette Hill, Pa., with his wife, Lise. Michael Uveges, BSEE, is a chief operating officer for Next Phase Solutions and Systems. He resides in Flower Mound, Texas, with his wife, Nancy. Dave Smittle, BSBA, director of advancement services at Ohio Northern University and member of Phi Mu Delta Fraternity, was recently elected to the NorthAmerican Interfraternity Conference Foundation board of directors at the organization’s annual meeting in Indianapolis, Ind. Dave resides in Ada, Ohio, with his wife, Kim (Parsons), BA ’85, and his family.
1986
Curtis Ross, BS, is a manager, consulting services, for CGI. He resides in Fairfax, Va. with his wife, Sherri, and son, Shane (15).
1988
Joseph Susi, BA, athletic training professor at Lake Superior State University (LSSU), received the fifth annual LSSU Excellence in Academic Advising Award. Award credentials state that “the committee considered interpersonal skills; a caring, helpful attitude toward advisees, faculty and staff; availability; frequency of contact
with advisees; ability to build strong relationships with advisees; monitoring of student progress toward academic and career goals; and availability for reference/recommendation letters for students.” Joe resides in Sault Saint Marie, Mich., with his wife, Jody.
1990
Brice Recker, JD, is an attorney at Taft, Stettinius & Hollister LLP in Columbus, Ohio. He resides in Gahanna, Ohio, with his wife, Linda.
1992
Hugh “Teddy” Edward Black III, JD, formed a new partnership, Black & James P.C., in Chesapeake, Va., which specializes in all forms of criminal and traffic defense. He resides in Chesapeake, Va., with his wife, Cheryl.
Joel Peller, JD, of Block, Colucci, Spellman & Peller LLP, received the New York State Bar Association’s 2014 Pro Bono Attorney of the Year award for the 4th Judicial District in New York. He completed pro se divorce clinics for qualifying individuals in Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties in New York, which resulted in 34 divorce filings. Joel is a member of the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York’s Private Attorney Involvement Committee, which coordinates attorneys to offer pro bono services through upstate New York. He resides in Lake Placid, N.Y., with his wife, Debra.
1994
Kristen McKinley, JD, and Michael G. Hall, Jr., were married April 26, 2014. The couple resides in Columbus, Ohio. Cassandra Hicks-Mott, BA, was selected for inclusion in the Texas Super Lawyers 2014 by Thomson Reuters, which was published in the October issue of Texas Monthly. The list reflects only the top 5 percent of lawyers in Texas. She resides in Bellaire, Texas, with her husband, James, BSME ’93, and children Alexandra (10) and Gavin (10).
1996
Marvin Hudson, BA, is a real estate investor with iiVolve Enterprises. He resides in Sunrise, Fla.
1993
Derek W. DeVine, JD, Seneca County prosecutor, was appointed to the Ohio Criminal Sentencing Commission by Gov. John Kasich through Aug. 21, 2017. The 31-member commission consisting of judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, victim representatives, prison officials, law enforcement, and other state and local government officials reviews state sentencing laws and advises the General Assembly on potential changes. Derek resides in Tiffin, Ohio, with his wife, Anne. Julie (Francis) Glavicic, BSBA, is a senior compensation accountant at Stonegate Mortgage in Indianapolis, Ind., where she also resides with her husband, Michael.
Douglas Mock, BSBA ’78, and his wife, Joan, proudly attended their daughter Marie’s wedding
Jan Sweress Shorts, BFA ’81, “ringing the bell” on Sept. 24, 2014. She was selected during a Citizens contest by writing a song
Jan Klaiss, BSCE ’79, senior planning analyst for Con Edison, is pictured receiving the Utility Analytics Innovation Award in October 2014
Dave Smittle, BSBA ’84, was recently elected to the North-American Interfraternity Conference Foundation board of directors Ben Stahler, BSPh ’83, was named mayor of Bellefontaine, Ohio, in October 2013
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G. Irene Hall, Sarah (Prasher) Hayes, BSME ’05, and Alice Kay Hilderbrand at Willow Ridge in Bluffton, Ohio Nikhil Patel, BS, is a patent attorney for Solvay. He and his wife, Lily, reside in Atlanta, Ga. Michael Frommer, BSCE, vice president and operations manager for the Columbus office of URS Corporation, was named the 89th president of the Ohio Water Environment Association in June 2014. He and his wife, Jennifer (Ingram), BSCE ’95, reside in Powell, Ohio, with their family.
1997
Daniel Freyberg, JD, is the owner of Daniel Freyberg P.A. in Merritt Island, Fla., where he also resides with his wife, Marsha. Troy Weirauch, BSME, is a controls engineer for Ford Motor Company in Lima, Ohio, where he also resides.
1998
Christopher Sprague, BA, a project theatre consultant with Schuler Shook in Chicago, Ill., was promoted to full membership with the American Society of Theatre Consultants at the organization’s annual business meeting on March 29, 2014, in Fort Worth, Texas. 28 He is active in designing production lighting, and he designed the lighting for the 20th anniversary Celebration Dance Concert at Ohio Northern University. Christopher resides in Prospect Heights, Ill. with his wife, Heidi, and their children Trentin and Lucas.
Journal
Barbara Johnson-Stern, JD, is one of seven partners at the 150-attorney firm Cordell & Cordell, the nation’s largest domestic litigation firm focusing on representing men in family law cases. She resides in Denver, Colo.
Addie J. King, BA, is the author of The Wonderland Woes, a story that explores fairy tales and beloved children’s stories in the modern world and whose characters are law students at the University of Dayton School of Law. This book is the third in a series and follows her previous works, The Grimm Legacy and The Andersen Ancestry. More information about Addie’s books is available at www.addiejking.com. She resides in Urbana, Ohio.
1999
Ami Terwilliger, BS, BSMT ’00, is a manager of the cellular manipulation lab at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. She resides in Cincinnati, Ohio.
2000
Ranjiv “Jiv” Subramaniam, BA, and Dr. R. Michael DeWine, JD ’72, LLD ’95, Ohio attorney general, celebrated Mike’s re-election at the Returns/ Victory Party at the Columbus Renaissance in Columbus, Ohio, on Nov. 4, 2014. John McWilliams, BSCE, is the vice president of Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc. in Plantation, Fla. He and his family reside in Weston, Fla.
2001
Jennifer Cudney, BS, is a fish biologist for National Marine Fisheries Service in St. Petersburg, Fla., where she also resides. Dr. Natalie DiPietro Mager, PharmD, and John “Jay” were married July 12, 2014. They both serve on the faculty at Ohio Northern University, where they met. Natalie is an associate professor of pharmacy practice, and Jay is an associate professor of biological and allied health sciences. The couple resides in Ada, Ohio. Erin (Doone) Biehl, BA, is a public information specialist for Ohio School for the Deaf – Center for Outreach
Services in Columbus, Ohio. She and her family reside in Westerville, Ohio. Christopher Meyer, BS, is a physician with West Ohio Pediatrics in Wauseon, Ohio. He and his wife, Kelly (Creager), BA, reside in Hamler, Ohio, with their five children.
2002
Michelle (Dyer) LaTorre, BFA, was featured in the article, “6 Do’s and Don’ts of Actor Survival Jobs,” on www.backstage.com on July 8, 2014. The piece highlights her company, Survival Jobs for Actors, an employment resource for actors. She and her family reside in Smithtown, N.Y. Jon C. Marshall, BA, was promoted to supervising attorney of the intake/grand jury division of the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office. He resides in Dayton, Ohio. Taryn (Milburn) Stua, BSBA, is a corporate sourcing manager for Voestalpine Nortrak Inc. She and her husband, Anthony, reside in Crete, Ill. Scott Zink, BS, is the director of new store construction for Susser Holdings Corporation. His wife, Heather (Hudson), BS, BSMT ’03, is a hybrid classroom manager at Rasmussen College. The Zinks reside in Corpus Christi, Texas, with their children Logan (9), Meredith (7) and Caroline (6).
2003
Heather (Hudson) Zink, BSMT, BS ’02, is a hybrid classroom manager at Rasmussen College. Her husband, Scott, BS ’02, is the director, new store construction, for Susser Holdings Corporation. The Zinks reside in Corpus Christi, Texas, with their children Logan (9), Meredith (7) and Caroline (6).
Courtney (Shambram-Beach) Howard, BA ’06, and her husband, KC, with ONU wedding guests
Ian Good, BS, is a senior project manager for MentorMate. He and his wife, Leah, reside in Minneapolis, Minn.
2004
Leighanne (Rapp) Young, BSPh, sent in a photo of her children Andrew (8) and Alexandria (5). They spotted a polar bear at the Pittsburgh Zoo in August 2014, and thought of ONU. Kavish Choudhary, PharmD, and his wife, Amanda, were married in May 2012. The couple resides in Salt Lake City, Utah.
2005
Tiffany (Clark) Crawford, BSBA, JD ’08, was promoted to supervisor in the Lima, Ohio, office of Rea & Associates Inc. She and her family reside in Cridersville, Ohio. Sarah (Prasher) Hayes, BSME, associate development director, visited with G. Irene Hall and Alice Kay Hilderbrand, former vice president for student affairs, on Nov. 10, 2014, at Willow Ridge in Bluffton, Ohio.
2006
Courtney (Shabram-Beach) Howard, BA, and KC married on Sept. 13, 2014. The couple resides in Sidney, Neb. Mark Niehus, BSME, is an engineer for the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. He and his family reside in West Richland, Wash. Erin (Chandler) Simon, BA, and James married on June 7, 2014, in Hanover, Ind. Several polar bears were members of the wedding party: Erik Meininger, BSCE ’04, Lindsay (Gillen) Johnson, PharmD ‘08, Kristine (Gaither) Valenti, PharmD ’08, Courtney (Crawshaw) Nign, BSBA ’08, and Jill (Faulkner) Hudgel, BA ’05. The couple resides in Jeffersonville, Ind.
Erin (Chandler) Simon, BA ’06, and her husband, James, were married on June 7, 2014, in Hanover, Ind.
Nichole (Pheifer) Smith, BS, is a dentist in Danville, Ky. Her husband, Ryan, BS, is an emergency medicine physician at the University of Kentucky. The Smiths reside in Lexington, Ky.
Kevin Saghy, BA ’07, was inducted into the Public Relations Student Society of America’s Hall of Fame
Erik Lange, BSCE ’07, joined the Bloomfield Hills office of Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP
2007
Erik Lange, BSCE, joined the Bloomfield Hills office of Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP. He resides in Troy, Mich. Natalie (Catalanotto) Manoogian, BA, and David married on Aug. 13, 2014, in Chiesa Madre, a church in Castelvetrano, Sicily, Italy. Natalie’s grandparents wed there on March 19, 1950, the same place that David proposed on Aug. 12, 2013. The Manoogians’ wedding pictures and story were published in Giornale di Sicilia, the newspaper for all of Sicily, and shared on the Castelvetrano website. The couple resides in Perrysburg, Ohio. Kevin Saghy, BA, was inducted into the Public Relations Student Society of America’s Hall of Fame. He and his wife, Stephanie (Bell), BSBA ’08, reside in Chicago, Ill. Curtis Fifner, JD, and Sophia Monique Davis were married June 7, 2014. The couple resides in Hilliard, Ohio. Melanie Reda, BSBA, is the owner and president of Delegate in Chesterland, Ohio. She resides in Cleveland, Ohio. Sean Shumaker, BSBA, and Jessica Lanman were married on Oct. 5, 2013, and had their first child, Cooper Michael, on Aug. 8, 2014. The Shumaker family resides in Middletown, Ohio.
2008
Ashley (Smith) Mantica, PharmD, is a lead pharmacist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Liberty Township, Ohio. She and her husband, Christopher, JD ’09, and son Tallon (3) reside in Dayton, Ohio.
Matt Zimmerman, BA, & Kara (Dombrowski), BFA ’10, were married on Oct. 4, 2014.
Megan (Imka) Cisler, BA ’09, and Adam were married on June 21, 2014
Natalie (Damron) McCormick, JD, and Sean were married on April 26, 2014, on her parent’s farm in Mount Sterling, Ky. The couple resides in Lexington, Ky.
Jessica (Steele) Hogan, BSBA, is a teacher for Hilliard City Schools. She resides in Dublin, Ohio with her husband, Dan. Erica (Lepore) Susa, PharmD, is a pharmacist at Northside Medical Center in Youngstown, Ohio. She and her husband, Eric, PharmD ’09, reside in Cortland, Ohio.
2010
Sarah (Risner) Lonsinger, BA, and Hans, were married June 28, 2014. The couple resides in Springfield, Ohio.
Adam Schroeder, BSME, and Michelle (Mangan), PharmD ’11, were married Dec. 14, 2014, in Findlay, Ohio. The couple resides in Findlay, Ohio. Nathaniel Arida, BA, is an English instructor at Wichita State University. He resides in Wichita, Kan. Alison J. Brauchler, BSCLS, received a PharmD from the University of Missouri in May 2014. She recently accepted a position with PI ARM, a professional drug information and advanced response management company. Alison resides in Shawnee, Kan.
Michelle (Mangan) Schroeder, PharmD ’11, and Adam, BSME ’08, were married on Sept. 13, 2014
Martha Claypool, BSBA, is a forecast analyst for Kroger. She resides in Cincinnati, Ohio. Carrie Giverson, BA, is an account director for one7 communications. She resides in Las Vegas, Nev. Scott Miller, BSBA, is a manager, loss and fraud prevention, for 2Checkout in Grandview, Ohio. He resides in Lancaster, Ohio. Stephanie (Brown) Mullett, BSBA, and Michael were married May 5, 2012. The couple resides in Canton, Ohio. Andrea (Moenter) Snyder, BSBA, is the assistant treasurer for Allen East Local Schools. She and her family reside in Harrod, Ohio.
2009
Megan (Imka) Cisler, BA, and Adam, were married June 21, 2014. The couple resides in Cleveland, Ohio. Andromeda (McGregor) Morrison, JD, and Jacob, were married July 12, 2014. The couple resides in Canal Winchester, Ohio.
Matt Zimmerman, BA ’09, and Kara (Dombrowski), BFA ’10, were married on Oct. 4, 2014 Courtney Andre, BSBA, is a business service representative for Efficiency Smart in Columbus, Ohio, where she also resides. Jason Martinez, PharmD, is a staff pharmacist for CVS in Marysville, Ohio, where he and his wife, Bobbi Jo (Stark), PharmD ’09, reside with their family. Kate (Turkaly) Ratermann, PharmD, is a pharmacist at Humana. She resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband, Craig, PharmD ’09. Nathan Schutz, BSBA, is a senior accountant for Eagle Golf in Dallas, Texas. He resides in Crossroads, Texas.
Jennifer (Dexter) Masters, BSBA, was promoted to senior accountant in the Millersburg, Ohio, office of Rea & Associates Inc. She and her husband, Joshua, BSME ’11, reside in Dalton, Ohio. Jordan Miller, BSBA, was promoted to supervisor in the Millersburg, Ohio, office of Rea & Associates Inc. He resides in Berlin, Ohio, with his family. Jennifer (Evans) Vaughan, BS, and Josh Vaughan were married Dec. 14, 2013, in Burlington, N.C. The couple resides in Charlotte, N.C.
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Ashley (Baumer) Smith, BS ’12, and husband, Jeremiah, with ONU wedding guests on Oct. 19, 2013
Rebecca (Risner) Hibbard, BA ’12, and Kyle, BS ’12, were married on Aug. 16, 2014 Hillary (Pletcher) Turner, BA, is a pre-doctoral school psychology intern for the Westerville City School District. Her husband, Scott, BSBA, is a customer contracts operations administration coordinator for Cardinal Health. The Turners reside in Columbus, Ohio. Kara (Dombrowski) Zimmerman, BFA, and Matt, BA ’09, were married on Oct. 4, 2014. Abraham Jacob, BA, is a legislative aide for the Ohio House of Representatives. He resides in Columbus, 30 Ohio.
Journal
John Brown, BSCE, is a refining engineer for Marathon Petroleum Company. He and his wife, Laura, reside in Baton Rouge, La. Joshua Hinojosa, BS, is an EKG technician for Promedica. He and his wife, Jacqueline, reside in Ottawa Lake, Mich. Courtney Johnson, BS, is engineering staff at Honda of America Manufacturing. She resides in Fremont, Ohio.
Max Crow, PharmD ’14, and Maureen (Pecklar), PharmD ’14, were married on Oct. 25, 2014
Heather Kroutel, BA, is a middleschool reading teacher at Columbus Collegiate Academy. She resides in Westerville, Ohio.
Kevin Cramer, BSCPE, is a user acquisition and retention specialist for Imgur Inc. He resides in San Francisco, Calif.
Rachael Prokop, BA, is an online campaigner for Greenpeace. She resides in Arlington, Va.
Benjamin Wibberley, BSME, and Erica (Schoenberger), PharmD ’13, were married Oct. 6, 2012. The couple resides in Delaware, Ohio.
Brittany (Cowgill) Spitnale, BA, and Scott, PharmD ’13, were married June 7, 2014. The couple resides in Dayton, Ohio.
2011
Caitlin (Nungester) Zimmerman, BA, and Eric, were married on May 25, 2014. The couple resides in Dublin, Ohio.
Karen (Jenkins) Hagans, PharmD, is a clinical pharmacist for Gordon Hospital in Calhoun, Ga. She and her husband, Stephen, reside in Kennesaw, Ga.
2012
Michelle (Mangan) Schroeder, PharmD, and Adam, BSME ’08, were married Sept. 13, 2014, in Findlay, Ohio. The couple resides in Findlay, Ohio.
Katie Cretin, BA, is an admissions counselor for Marietta College. She resides in Marietta, Ohio.
Emily Dicke Miran, JD, and David were married on June 14, 2014, at St. Joseph Cathedral in Columbus, Ohio, where they also reside. Emily is employed by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Jordan (Bliss) Talbert, PharmD, and Anthony were married Oct. 11, 2014, in Bowling Green, Ohio. The couple resides in Fremont, Ohio. Lori (Sutherly) Webb, BSN, is a stroke and neuroscience clinical data abstraction specialist registered nurse at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, Ga. She and her husband, Mike, BSBA ’12, reside in Marietta, Ga. Ryan Lowry, BSBA, and Gayle Zimmerman were married Oct. 5, 2013, in Lima, Ohio. The couple resides in Bluffton, Ohio.
John Paul Bratcher, JD, is an estateplanning associate for Garlick, Hilfiker and Swift LLP. He and his wife, Sarah, reside in Naples, Fla.
Rebecca (Risner) Hibbard, BA, and Kyle, BS, were married Aug. 16, 2014. Rebecca recently joined the Office of Alumni Relations at Ohio Northern University as assistant director. The couple resides in Ada, Ohio. Elizabeth (Hamilton) Mosser, JD, is an attorney to Schulze, Howard and Cox in Marysville, Ohio, where she resides with her husband, Jesse, JD ’11, and four children. Ashley (Baumer) Smith, BS, and Jeremiah were married Oct. 19, 2013. The couple resides in Coldwater, Ohio. Steven Hunter, BSBA, is a regulatory liaison for State Farm Bank. He resides in Bloomington, Ill. Ashley Overy, PharmD, is a pharmacy manager at Children’s Mercy Hospital. She resides in Overland Park, Kan.
2013
Casey Adamcik, BSBA, is a key account coordinator for Mother Parkers. She resides in Streetsboro, Ohio. Kenneth Henault, BSBA, is a budget analyst 2 for the state of Ohio. He resides in Columbus, Ohio. Alexandra Jackson, PharmD, is employed by Eglin Air Force Base. She resides in Niceville, Fla. Benjamin King, PharmD, is a pharmacy manager for Marc’s in Middleburg Heights, Ohio. He resides in Akron, Ohio. Jennifer Kuhlman, JD, and Kurt Chiarelott were married Oct. 5, 2013. Jennifer is an attorney with Kuhlman & Beck in Pemberville, Ohio, where she and Kurt reside. Dana Pikovnik, BSBA, MPPA, is a staff accountant for Skoda Minotti. She resides in Willoughby, Ohio. Scott Spitnale, PharmD, and Brittany (Cowgill), BA ’10, were married June 7, 2014. The couple resides in Dayton, Ohio. Erica (Schoenberger) Wibberley, PharmD, and Benjamin, BSME ’11, were married Oct. 6, 2012. The couple resides in Delaware, Ohio. Andrew Woodward, PharmD, is a pharmacist for ExactCare Pharmacy. He resides in Seven Hills, Ohio. Arthur Wade, BA, is a probation officer in Marion, Ohio, where he also resides.
2014
Max Crow, PharmD, and Maureen (Peklar), PharmD, were married on Oct. 25, 2014. The couple resides in Cleveland, Ohio.
Emily Barbee, BS, is a data analyst at Nationwide Energy Partners in Columbus, Ohio. She resides in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. Emerson Babington, BSBA, is a national account executive for Total Quality Logistics in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he also resides. Tara Bailey, BSN, is a registered nurse for University Hospital Seidman Cancer Center in Cleveland, Ohio. She resides in Rocky River, Ohio. Chelsea (Ellis) Bone, JD, is an attorney with Jennifer Garrison LLC in Marietta, Ohio. She and her family reside in Troy, Ohio. Duane Cehelnik, BSBA, is an internal auditor for MetLife Investors LLC. He resides in Charlotte, N.C. Elizabeth Coulston, BA, is a care coordinator for AIDS Ministries/AIDS Assist in South Bend, Ind. She resides in Niles, Mich. Maria Daley, BA, is a scribe for EPNO iScribe MD in Toledo, Ohio. She resides in Celina, Ohio. Andrea Hertzler, BA, is employed by North Union Local School District. She resides in Worthington, Ohio. Anna House, BSN, is a registered nurse in ICU for Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. She resides in Cincinnati, Ohio. Rebecca Krofcheck, BFA, is employed by Bob Evans in Westerville, Ohio, where she also resides. Kevin Ledden, BS, is a research associate II at Brewer Science Inc. in Rolla, Mo., where he also resides. Alyssa Leonard, BSN, is a staff registered nurse for Fairview Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. She resides in Parma, Ohio. Jessica Liska, BA, is a teacher for Defiance City Schools in Defiance, Ohio, where she also resides. Laura Millar, BM, is a band/music teacher for Fayette Local Schools in Fayette, Ohio, where she also resides. Sarah (Meyer) Miller, BSN, and Jordan, BSME, were married Oct. 11, 2014. Sarah is a registered nurse with Independence House (Blanchard Valley Health System) in Fostoria, Ohio. Jordan is a mechanical engineer for Nissan Brake Ohio Inc. in Findlay, Ohio, where the couple resides.
ONU ALUMNUS LEADS MLB ALUMNI By Matt Markey
Education and athletics are proven dooropeners, and on the other side of one of those portals, Ohio Northern graduate Dan Foster, BA ’69, found a truly unexpected and immensely rewarding career. ONU’s previous all-time leading scorer in basketball, Foster was armed with a BA in accounting and mathematics and a graduate degree in finance and banking when he was approached nearly 30 years ago about joining a baseball-based venture. “I had the sports and finance background they were looking for, and like a lot of things in life, it just kind of happened,” Foster says about the opportunity to work for the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA), a nonprofit that promotes the game while raising money for charity, encouraging youth involvement in baseball, and looking out for the interests of former players. “There’s a fraternal aspect with athletes that carries over – it doesn’t matter what sport you were in,” says Foster, who now leads the MLBPAA. The organization has experienced significant growth with Foster as its CEO, raising more than $38 million for charity, landing pensions for a group of former players who had lacked that security, and developing a program through which former big-leaguers conduct youth instructional clinics. “Our mission is to involve these former players in activities that promote the game and protect the Rebecca (Dirksen) Miller, BSN, and Adam were married Oct. 11, 2014, and they reside in Maria Stein, Ohio. Rebecca is a registered nurse at St. Rita’s Medical Center.
dignity of the game,” Foster says. “We want to inspire and educate our youth through positive sports images.” Another critical role that Foster’s organization fills is assisting baseball players with the adjustment from living in the spotlight to life after the games end, utilizing a career-transition program. “Whether you have money or you don’t have money, your life changes immediately. Some guys handle it really well, and some guys not so much,” Foster says. The MLBPAA has more than 7,000 members, and during his long tenure Foster has had the opportunity to meet with baseball legends Ted Williams, Al Kaline, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle. “We want to find out who the person is behind the name, whether they are a former star or not, and we want to improve the situation of every player we serve,” he says. The organization Foster leads also conducts programs around the world, helping to spread the sport of baseball. England, Germany, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Australia and Hawaii are all on the list of sites where the MLBPAA’s free baseball clinics for kids take place. “Baseball wants to care for its own, and it is very rewarding to be involved in that mission,” he says. “There are many components of the baseball family, and the MLBPAA is proud to be an integral part of it.”
Andrew Neiheisel, BSN, is a registered nurse for Bethesda North Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he also resides.
Mary Schulze, BSN, is a registered nurse at Oakwood Village in Madison, Wis. She resides in Fitchburg, Wisc.
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Morgan Sperry, BSME, is employed by Biomet in Warsaw, Ind. She resides in Pataskala, Ohio. Lucas Rice, BA, is a construction crew lead at AmeriCorps National for Habitat for Humanity – Mid Ohio. He resides in Lewis Center, Ohio.
EXTENDING COMPASSION THROUGH PSYCHOLOGY
Linda Whittington-Clark, BA ’75, is the type of high school friend you could go to with your problems. You know she will hold your conversations in confidence and listen without judgment. Whittington-Clark enriched that natural talent with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Ohio Northern and, in 1988, a doctorate in psychology from the University of Toledo. Today, she is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Toledo, where she specializes in counseling women and children. When the South Jersey native chose Ohio Northern for her undergraduate education, Whittington-Clark had no idea how fortuitous that choice would be – and what a lasting impression it would make. “I picked Ohio Northern for its size and the faculty-student ratio,” explains Whittington-Clark. “I had easy access to professors, and the living accommodations were very comfortable and enjoyable. The benefits were enormous.” 32
During the winter break of Whittington-Clark’s sophomore year, her father died in an industrial accident.
Journal
“The following quarter was the most difficult time of my life. I knew my dad would want me to return to school, so I did.” “The school revamped my financial aid, and everyone – professors, friends and administrations – were so understanding and
Michelle Vargo, BA, is a public records specialist for Employee Screen IQ in Cleveland, Ohio. She resides in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Katelyn Yinger, BA, is a teacher aide for the Hardin Northern School District in Dola, Ohio. She resides in Bellefontaine, Ohio.
helpful,” she says. “I happened to take a couple of religion courses, and one of the ministers was very helpful and guided me through my grief.” “I always felt the professors at Ohio Northern were very invested not only in the students, but also in making sure they graduate,” WhittingtonClark continues. “It is a very caring environment for students.” “Professor Al Cohoe and Dr. Norman Hunt provided me with incredible encouragement and demonstrated such a passion for education,” she says. “When I graduated, it felt like the entire faculty, especially the psychology department, was invested in my accomplishment.” Whittington-Clark extends that same compassion and commitment to clients in her practice. The counseling part, she says, still comes naturally. “Operating a business is the challenging part of my career,” says Whittington-Clark, who purchased an office building on Bancroft Street in Toledo in 1992 and now oversees a staff of four. “It’s not something I had planned on doing, but I had mentors who guided me along the way.” Whittington-Clark, who co-authored a book, Images of Me: a Guide to Group Work with African-American Women, with Sherlon PackBrown and Woodrow Parker, finds her diverse client population keeps her commitment level high. “Every day is different, with never a dull moment, and that’s exactly how I like it.”
To submit information updates, class notes or Northern’s Cubs, visit www.onualumni.com
NORTHERN’S CUBS
Amy (Shoup) Leigh, BFA ’02, and Steve Leigh, BM ’02
Mark Blohm, BSME ’03
2000
2004
2001
Amy (Benjamin) Esaleh, BA, and her husband, Yousef, a son, Yakob Yousef, July 30, 2014. The Esaleh family resides in Grand Island, N.Y.
Elizabeth (Krause) Ward, BFA, and her husband, Nathaniel, BSPh ’01, a son, Nolan, Dec. 26, 2012. Nolan joined sister Sophie, 5. The Ward family resides in Orlando, Fla. Christopher Meyer, BS, and his wife, Kelly (Creager), BA, a daughter, Addison, on Nov. 12, 2012, and a daughter, Avery, on Jan. 19, 2014. The girls joined siblings Chase, 10, Emily, 9, and Linnea, 6. The Meyer family resides in Hamler, Ohio. Nathaniel Ward, BSPh, and his wife, Elizabeth (Krause), BFA ’00, a son, Nolan, Dec. 26, 2012. Nolan joined sister Sophie, 5. The Ward family resides in Orlando, Fla.
2002
Amy (Shoup) Leigh, BFA, and her husband, Steve, BM, a daughter, Graceyn Mae Reid Leigh, April 17, 2014. The Leigh family resides in Dayton, Ohio.
2003
Sonja (Huseman) Crouch, BSBA, and her husband, Joey, a son, Elliot, Jan. 22, 2014. The Crouch family resides in Cleveland, Ohio. Shawn Woodruff, BS, and his wife, Shelah (Sterling), BA ’04, a son, Luke, June 5, 2014. Luke joins sister Amelie, 2. The Woodruff family resides in Prospect, Ky. Marc Blohm, BSME, and his wife, Gina, a daughter, Mallory Elise, March 16, 2014. The Blohm family resides in Greenville, S.C. David Webb, BA, and his wife, Krysta (Charlton), BS, a son, Levi, Nov. 6, 2013. Levi joins brothers Logan, 7, and Joshua, 4. The Webb family resides in Washington, Pa.
Kristin (Stoner) Marchman, BA ’05
Karen (Lee) Budd, BS ’05
Trish (Sunkle) Brown, BSCE, and her husband, Nick, BS, a son, Owen Alexander, May 8, 2014. Owen joins brother Eli, 4. The Brown family resides in Lewis Center, Ohio.
Shelah (Sterling) Woodruff, BA, and her husband, Shawn, BS ’03, a son, Luke, June 5, 2014. Luke joins sister Amelie, 2. The Woodruff family resides in Prospect, Ky.
2005
Karen (Lee) Budd, BS, and her husband, Jeremy, a son, Isaac Alan, April 18, 2014. The Budd family resides in Columbus, Ohio.
Jenea (Bossley), BSBA ’06, and Derek Garrod, BSBA ’06
Kristin (Stoner) Marchman, BA, and her husband, Tyler, a son, Brody Tyler, March 11, 2014. Brody joins brother Tanner, 3. The Marchman family resides in Cumming, Ga.
2006
Erin (Gloden), BA ’06, and Erik Lange, BSCE ’07
Erin (Gloden) Lange, BA, and her husband, Erik, BSCE ’07, a son, Elijah “Eli” Erik, May 5, 2014. The Lange family resides in Troy, Mich.
2006
Mark Niehus, BSME, and his wife, Sara, a daughter, Aria, March 9, 2014. The Niehus family resides in West Richland, Wash. Jenea (Bossley) Garrod, BSBA, and husband, Derek, BSBA, a son, Jamin. The Garrod family resides in Dublin, Ohio.
Andrea (Moenter) Snyder, BSBA ’08
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2009
Andrew Taylor, PharmD, and his wife, Rachel, a son, Benjamin, Nov. 16, 2013. The Taylor family resides in Galion, Ohio. Katie (Rumbaugh) White, BSBA, and her husband, Tim, BSBA, a son, Jack, Dec. 31, 2013. The White family resides in Towson, Md. Jason Martinez, PharmD, and his wife, Bobbi, a son, Maxton Dean, Jan. 14, 2013. The Martinez family resides in Marysville, Ohio. Tim White, BSBA, and his wife, Katie (Rumbaugh), BSBA, a son, Jack, Dec. 31, 2013. The White family resides in Towson, Md. Alexandra (Nippert), BS ’08, and Robert Miller, BSCE ’08
Tim, BSBA ’09, and Katie (Rumbaugh) White, BSBA ’09
2007
Sean Shumaker, BSBA, and wife, Jessica, a son, Cooper Michael, Aug. 8, 2014. The family resides in Middletown, Ohio. Erik Lange, BSCE, and his wife, Erin (Gloden), BA ’06, a son, Elijah “Eli” Erik, May 5, 2014. The Lange family resides in Troy, Mich.
2008 Julie (Glover) Best, PharmD ’11
Andrea (Moenter) Snyder, BSBA, and her husband, Brian, a daughter, Josie Anne. Josie joins sister Jenna. The Snyder family resides in Harrod, Ohio. Alexandra (Nippert) Miller, BS, and husband, Robert, BSCE, a son, Smith Robert, Dec. 31, 2013. The Millers reside in Millersburg, Ohio.
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Journal
2011
Julie (Glover) Best, PharmD, and her husband, Tyler, a son, Logan Eli, July 25, 2014. The Best family resides in Aurora, Ohio. Jesse Mosser, JD, and his wife, Elizabeth (Hamilton), JD ’12, a daughter, Katie Ruth, April 2014. Katie joins siblings Carson, 8, Annalise, 6, and Quinn, 1. The Mosser family resides in Marysville, Ohio.
2012
Elizabeth (Hamilton) Mosser, JD, and her husband, Jesse, JD ’11, a daughter Katie Ruth, April 2014. Katie joins siblings Carson, 8, Annalise, 6, and Quinn, 1. The Mosser family resides in Marysville, Ohio.
IN
MEMORIAM
1927
Carrie (Neuenschwander) Assmann, AA, Louisville, Ky., May 28, 2014.
1934
Nedra (Grubaugh) Altier, AA, Girard, Ohio, Nov. 10, 2014.
1936
C. Austin Sprang, BSEd, ’73 ACIT, Cincinnati, Ohio, Sept. 27, 2014.
1939
Gerald Leatherman, BA, Bartlesville, Okla., Aug. 26, 2014. Margaret (Minick) Nemec, BA, Kent, Ohio, Sept. 23, 2014.
1943
Martha (Garwick) Healey, BA, Saint Petersburg, Fla., Aug. 14, 2013. Joel Kimmel, BSME, Pandora, Ohio, May 10, 2014. Donald Motter, BSEE, Noblesville, Ind., July 13, 2014. Fred Sprang, BA, Baxter Springs, Kan., Nov. 11, 2014.
1944
Lynn Rainsberger, BA, Wilmington, Ohio, Nov. 11, 2014.
1946
Robert Cowan, BSEd, Columbus, Ohio, Sept. 29, 2014.
1947
Marian (Crawford) Robinson, BSEd, Lexington, Ky., April 16, 2014.
1948
Charles Fisher, BSCE, Dewitt, Mich., Sept. 30, 2014.
1949
Marilyn (Metzger) Hursh, BSEd, Toledo, Ohio, Feb. 23, 2014.
Fred Marlo, BSEd, Tucson, Ariz., April 5, 2013.
Robert Heiser, BSPh, Morris Plains, N.J., Sept. 18, 2014.
Robert Noble, BSCE, Rittman, Ohio, May 27, 2014.
James Mowles, BSME, Milpitas, Calif., March 9, 2013.
J. Timothy Hyma, BA, Sylvania, Ohio, July 20, 2014.
1961
Robert Sisler, BSME, Louisville, Ky., Oct. 19, 2014.
1957
Betty (Latimer) Arena, BSEd, Powell, Ohio, Sept. 27, 2014.
Richard Clark, BA, Melissa, Texas, Dec. 28, 2013.
Flora (Huff) Poad, BSEd, Oregon, Ohio, Aug. 18, 2014.
Melvyn Arthur, BSEd, Gilboa, Ohio, June 12, 2014.
Robert Fowler, BSPh, Powell, Ohio, Sept. 14, 2014.
Linda (Rogers) Webb, BSEd, Saint Petersburg, Fla., June 22, 2014.
Mary (Zimmerman) Arthur, BSEd, Gilboa, Ohio, June 20, 2014.
Jerry Motl, BSPh, Beverly Hills, Mich., Sept. 30, 2014.
1962
Thomas Hundertmark, BSPh, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, Aug. 24, 2014.
Garnet Peck, BSPh, West Lafayette, Ind., Sept. 16, 2014.
1951
Cyrus Samrad, BSCE, Hon. D. ’79, Glen Cove, N.Y., Nov. 3, 2014.
1950
Barbara (Lyons) Dennis, BA, ACIT ’89, Broadview Heights, Ohio, May 12, 2014. Ralph Johns, JD, North Richland Hills, Texas, Dec. 7, 2012. Elton Kaminski, BSME, Sidney, Ohio, Nov. 1, 2014. Mary (McMahon) Taylor, JD, Dayton, Ohio, Aug. 12, 2014. Robert Walker, JD, Findlay, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2014.
1958
Fred Grismore, BSEE, Ada, Ohio, May 13, 2014.
1959
Joseph Carpino, JD, Columbus, Ohio, Aug. 9, 2014. James Repp, BSPh, Tiffin, Ohio, Nov. 10, 2014. Donald Smith, BSPh, Greenwood, S.C., Aug. 23, 2014.
1963
Jerry Crist, BS, Troy, Mich., Sept. 7, 2014.
Virginia (Roux) Greenwood, BSBA, New Bloomington, Ohio, July 13, 2014.
William Hawley, BSEd, Port Saint Lucie, Fla., March 25, 2014.
Robert Kilgore, BSPh, Westerville, Ohio, May 27, 2014.
David Hansbarger, BSEd, Swanton, Ohio, Nov. 18, 2014.
1964
Kermit McGinnis, BA, Galion, Ohio, Sept. 21, 2014.
Charles Jameson, JD, Adrian, Mich., April 30, 2014.
Robert Marshall, BSPh, Springfield, Ohio, Feb. 3, 2014.
John Stewart, BSPh, Beech Grove, Ind., June 20, 2014.
Roberta (Wilkins) Rabe, BSEd, Dayton, Ohio, Nov. 7, 2014.
1953
1960
Thelma (Means) Thompson, BSEd, Saint Marys, Ohio, May 4, 2014.
John Weyrauch, BSPh, Kettering, Ohio, May 8, 2014.
Richard Degli, BSPh, North Ridgeville, Ohio, Nov. 4, 2014.
Georgia (O’Brien) Zurz, BSEd, Uniontown, Ohio, Oct. 3, 2014.
John Fenwick, BSPh, Centerville, Ohio, Oct. 14, 2014.
1954
Ross Leedy, BSPh, Lady Lake, Fla., June 30, 2014.
1952
Lavern Banford, BSPh, Dayton, Ohio, July 7, 2014.
Edwin Childs, BSPh, Youngstown, Ohio, June 13, 2014.
1955
Richard Arn, BSPh, Lakeside Marblehead, Ohio, March 23, 2014.
1965
Gregory Cleaves, BA, Chicago, Ill., June 29, 2014. Rose (Olin) Herl, BSPh, Ashtabula, Ohio, June 22, 2014.
Charles Lockie, BA, Bryan, Texas, Jan. 23, 2012.
James Catalano, BSPh, Lorain, Ohio, June 11, 2014.
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1966
1975
1988
Dorothea (Hays) Hartong, BA, Massillon, Ohio, Sept. 16, 2014.
Richard Meyer, BSPh, Sandusky, Ohio, July 29, 2014.
1989
John Kaiser, BSPh, Norwalk, Ohio, April 29, 2014.
1976
Jonathan (Lipman) Hallmark, BA, Bayside, N.Y., Sept. 19, 2014.
Carmine Salierno, BSEd, Princeton Junction, N.J., Sept. 28, 2014. Carl Wright, BSEd, Schenectady, N.Y., Sept. 20, 2013.
1967
James Nowicki, BA, Spencerport, N.Y., April 6, 2014.
Dennis Long, BSCE, Cleveland, Ohio, April 25, 2014.
Dawn Barnes, BSPh, Fredericktown, Ohio, Jan. 26, 2014. James Mayer, JD, Mansfield, Ohio, Sept. 26, 2014.
1977
Thomas Booth, BSME, Richfield, Ohio, March 13, 2014.
1978
Francis Wellmann, BSBA, Lima, Ohio, Aug. 22, 2014.
Keith Kochheiser, JD, Marion, Ohio, May 20, 2014.
Maurice Witmer, BSPh, Massillon, Ohio, July 7, 2014.
Ralph Russo, JD, Findlay, Ohio, July 9, 2014.
1970
1980
Jeanette (Kremer) Brunswick, BSEd, Celina, Ohio, Aug. 22, 2014.
Jack Lowe, JD, Altamonte Springs, Fla., June 17, 2014.
Austin Wildman, JD, South Charleston, Ohio, May 12, 2014.
1981
1971
Robert Melnick, JD, Salem, Ohio, Oct. 19, 2014.
Benjamin Green, BSEd, Fenton, Mich., Nov. 4, 2014.
Gregory Naseman, BSPh, Crestwood, Ky., Nov. 16, 2014.
1972
1982
Minerva Shumate, BSBA, Hudson, Ohio, June 23, 2014.
Joseph Kratzer, BSBA, Xenia, Ohio, Aug. 5, 2014.
1973
1983
Mary Ginn, BA, Sidney, Ohio, Aug. 5, 2014.
Bruce Bohrer, JD, Ottawa, Ohio, Nov. 14, 2014.
1974
Dortha (Sanchez) Shartzer, BA, JD ’86, Ottawa, Ohio, Oct. 23, 2014.
Samuel Calig, JD, Gahanna, Ohio, Aug. 7, 2014.
1984
Jeffrey Scott, BSBA, JD ’87, Monroe Township, N.J., Aug. 13, 2014.
1985 36
Journal
Noel Hickman, BSME, was mistakenly reported as deceased in the summer 2014 edition of ONU’s Alumni Journal. Noel is alive and resides in Mount Juliet, Tenn.
1986
Dortha (Sanchez) Shartzer, JD, BA ’83, Ottawa, Ohio, Oct. 23, 2014.
1987
Jeffrey Scott, JD, BSBA ’84, Monroe Township, N.J., Aug. 13, 2014.
Thomas Norton, JD, Enfield, Conn., July 28, 2012. David Robinson, BA, Sherwood, Ohio, Sept. 29, 2014.
1990
Shelly (Cantleberry) Everett, BSPh, Garrettsville, Ohio, July 15, 2014. Lavina Sprankel, BSBA, Sandusky, Ohio, Aug. 9, 2014.
1991
Tony Graber, JD, Phoenix, Ariz., April 3, 2014.
1997
Erin O’Brien, JD, Lima, Ohio, Nov. 6, 2014.
2009/2010
Kristine (Caldwell) Mullen, BSN, Findlay, Ohio, July 24, 2014.
FRIENDS
Linda (Keneipp) Hawk, Lakeside Marblehead, Ohio, July 18, 2014. John Ogilvie, Perrysburg, Ohio, Aug. 28, 2014. Eilleen Dicke, 93, beloved wife of James F. Dicke Sr., Hon. D. ’00, died at home on Jan. 14, 2015, following a lengthy struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. Born July 1, 1921, to Warren and Mary Webster, Eilleen was the oldest of four children. On Feb. 14, 1942, Eilleen and James were married. Eilleen was Jim’s partner and advisor as they enjoyed an almost 73-year marriage. She is survived by her husband; her son James II, Hon. D. ’06, and his wife, Janet; and her son Dane and his wife, Cindy. James II and Janet have a son, James III, and a daughter, Jennifer. A long-time New Bremen, Ohio, resident, Eilleen was a member of St. Paul United Church of Christ. In August 2001, James, who attended ONU in the 1930s, and Eilleen contributed a major gift to ONU to construct the new facility for the business college. Construction began in fall 2001, and James F. Dicke
Hall was formerly dedicated on Sept. 13, 2004. After an additional major gift, ONU’s business college was officially renamed The James F. Dicke College of Business Administration on April 2, 2007, recognizing the Dicke family’s past and continuing support of Ohio Northern University, which has included the full-tuition James F. Dicke Scholarship and the construction of the president’s home, the Dicke House. Dr. George Miller Jr. passed away on Sunday, March 1, 2015. Miller joined the faculty and staff at Ohio Northern University in 1960 as an associate professor of psychology and dean of students. He was promoted to professor in 1963. In 1968, Miller became professor of education; he was chair of the Department of Education from 1977-80. He served for two years as assistant to the vice president for Academic Affairs, and he was the University marshal for many commencements. Miller retired from Ohio Northern University in 2001 and became professor of education emeritus in 2003. Outside the classroom, Miller played a variety of roles, such as announcing home football games and refereeing softball and volleyball games. A Navy veteran, Miller earned a Bachelor of Science in aeronautical engineering, studying at Georgia Tech and Duke. He earned advanced degrees from Emory and the University of Georgia. Miller is survived by his wife of 66 years, Louise, and their children Cecily Crider McCluer, BA ’73, Terry Miller, Lee Ellen Coffey, and Michele Mosley. He was proud of his seven grandchildren as well.
The Rev. William E. Croy Jr., BA ’71, ACIT ’99, H of F ’02, of Powell, Ohio, passed away on Jan. 29, 2015, at Kobacker House after a four-year battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). He was born on Dec. 22, 1948, in Lima, Ohio, to William and Mary (Now) Croy. He graduated from Ottawa-Glandorf High School, Ohio Northern University and United Theological School. He was an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church and served at Miamisburg Parkview UMC, Urbana UMC, Lima Trinity UMC, Worthington UMC and Maple Grove UMC. During his ministry, he was involved with the Camping and Retreat Ministry, Board of Ordained Ministry and various community organizations. Croy was instrumental in developing a Retreat on Wheels ministry called the Circuit Rider and in teaching youth ministry courses at Ohio Northern University. He received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1999 and was inducted into the ONU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002. He served on the Board of Trustees at ONU for 18 years. After the diagnosis of ALS, Croy raised awareness and money for ALS through his team “Bill’s Backers.” He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Dorothy Machunas Croy, BA ’71, son Jeremy Croy, BA ’97, daughter Megan Croy, and three grandchildren, Evan, Corinne and William. C. Austin Sprang, BSEd ’36, ACIT ’73, Cincinnati, Ohio, Sept. 27, 2014. A native of Hardin County, Ohio, Sprang graduated from Kenton High School and went on to pursue a Bachelor of Science at Ohio Northern University with his childhood sweetheart, Mary Bess (Hauman), BA ’33, ACIT ’73. Sprang’s brother Fred G Sprang II, BA ’43, and brother-in-law Vance Leonard, BA ’31, ACIT ’68, also attended ONU. While at Northern, Sprang studied chemistry and served as a graduate assistant. He later earned a master’s degree and Ph.D. in chemistry from Purdue University. Sprang worked in research at Emery Industries in Cincinnati, Ohio, then at U.S. Industrial Chemicals, and later at Cincinnati Milacron. Sprang held several patents in the field of fiberglass-reinforced plastics and served as chairman of the Cincinnati Chapter of American Chemical Society from 1954-57. After Mary Bess died in 1982, Sprang married longtime friend Sue Thurman, who passed away in 1994. At Clifton United Methodist Church, he met Margaret, who became his companion for 17 years. Sprang, a life member the Ohio Northern University Lehr Society, lived to 102 years old. He is survived by family and friends
Monsignor James Le’Roy Tonkinson Ruef, BA ’61, JD ’67, Hon. D. ’09, passed away on Jan. 12, 2015. Ruef earned a BA in theatre from Ohio Northern in 1961 and an MA in theatre from Indiana University in 1963. While teaching in ONU’s theatre department, Ruef attended law school, earning his JD from the Pettit College of Law in 1967. He practiced law in Mansfield, Ohio, and in 1971 became the personal assistant of Ohio Attorney General William J. Brown. In 1975, Ruef left to study theology at the Franciscan Centre in Canterbury, England, and the Pontifical College Josephinum. Ruef was ordained to the priesthood on June 3, 1978. Ruef was assigned to the Diocesan Tribunal and served for 37 years as defender of the bond, diocesan judge, and judicial vicar. In 1982, Ruef began studying canon law in Rome, and he graduated from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas
Aquinas (the Angelicum) in 1985. Pope John Paul II named Ruef a Chaplain of His Holiness (Monsignor) in 1992. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by Ohio Northern University in 2009. In retirement, Ruef remained active as a priest at Saint Catharine of Siena and Our Lady of Peace parishes.
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LAUNCH
OHIO NORTHERN BRANDING INITIATIVE LAUNCHES WE ARE POLAR BEARS Ohio Northern officially partnered with nationally recognized branding agency 160over90 last winter. As a brand consultant, 160over90 assessed ONU from an external perspective and helped determine our brand promise, creative approach and marketing strategy. 38
Journal
To develop the Ohio Northern brand, we talked to hundreds of people throughout the University – students, faculty, staff, trustees, alumni, parents – and uncovered ONU’s fundamental truth, which led to ONU’s brand promise: “Ohio Northern University is the best place to launch me to the next phase of my life.” ONU has been focused on outcomes since 1871. Since our inception, we’ve been devoted to developing students who are ready to immerse themselves and move on to the next level in everything they do. And while the world and our school have vastly evolved since our founding, the one thing that has remained unchanged is that ONU is rooted in the future. Showcased here is some of our new brand work.
39
Journal Ohio Northern University Office of Alumni Relations 525 South Main Street Ada, OH 45810
POLAR BEAR
Time is almost up! The Polar Bear Nation Regional Challenge will be over in the blink of an eye! But don’t worry, you still have time to make an impact in your region. By giving to The Northern Fund, or the college or program of your choice, you are a key component in the overall participation for the challenge. Our donors also help to enhance our rankings among other colleges and universities across the nation. After all, one of the most exciting parts about giving back to Ohio Northern is the collective difference that our donors are able to make together! Your gifts, both large and small, have gone a long way for the University so far this year, so why stop now? If you haven’t made a gift yet, you still can! Be sure to visit www.onugive.com to take part in the challenge by making a contribution. To make sure that your region finishes in the top spot, check out the current standings at www.onu.edu/onuregionalchallenge. Every gift counts! Spread the word to your fellow Polar Bears to get involved TODAY!
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