SUMMER
2016
ALUM NI
J OU RNAL
THE SHOW MUST GO ON…
THE ROAD
President Daniel A. DiBiasio
Dear ONU alumni and friends,
Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs David C. Crago
As we begin a new academic year and welcome our new and returning students to campus, I am excited to report that the number of new students represents a nearly 8 percent increase compared to last year. The high-quality academic profile of our new student class is similar to previous years and ahead of past years regarding student diversity. Finally, and impressively, 15 percent of the new students are legacies, meaning at least one of their relatives graduated from ONU. We’re grateful to our alumni for relaying their love of Northern to next-generation family members.
Vice President for Financial Affairs William H. Ballard Vice President for Enrollment Management William Eilola Vice President for University Advancement Shannon Spencer Vice President for Student Affairs Adriane Thompson-Bradshaw Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Juliet (Harvey) Hurtig, BSEE ’91 Executive Assistant to the President Ann Donnelly Hamilton, BA ’99, ACIT ’13 Executive Director of Communications and Marketing Amy Prigge, BSBA ’94 Alumni Journal Editors Josh Alkire, Associate Director of Communications Annmarie Baumgartner, Director of Alumni Relations Sheila Baumgartner, Associate Director of Communications and Marketing Brian Paris, Associate Director of Communications and Marketing Art and Design Toma (Grothous) Bomser, BFA ’96 Photography: Trevor Jones 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, student-centered 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 Cover photo credits: Kevin Kulp, Chris Bennion Photography and Trevor Jones.
Getting the campus ready for the new academic year was more challenging this summer due to a series of construction projects designed to enhance student life. It was a welcome challenge, however, because these projects are transforming our campus. Last year, a number of renovations on the first floor of McIntosh Center created Klondike’s, the Bear Cave, and upgrades to the Activities Room and the Lounge area, including a coffee shop the students have named Polar Espresso. This summer, the White Bear Inn was transformed into the WOW Café and Wingery, which will offer students more fresh dining options in the late-night hours, and next summer, the main dining hall in McIntosh will be significantly renovated. In addition, this summer, Northern On Main became Così at Northern. Così, a national franchise, gives a new look to an old space and offers ONU students, faculty and staff – and area residents – a quality dining option with expanded hours. Another transformation occurred this summer in Heterick Memorial Library. Thanks to the generosity of a lead gift from ONU alumni Oscar and Judy Mifsud, we were able to completely renovate Heterick’s first floor into an open, comfortable, well-lit, media-rich collaborative-learning space. Named for Oscar, who serves as chair of the University’s Board of Trustees, and Judy, The Mifsud Collaborative Learning Center (MCLC) is a true step into the future of how libraries will support collaborative learning in the 21st century. The newly renovated space includes huddle rooms, an upgraded computer lab, an innovation center with white boards on the walls, plenty of group-study space, and a food and beverage area akin to Polar Espresso in McIntosh. So now, on the first floor of our library, students today can do what many of us were never allowed to do in a library in our day – talk above a whisper, enjoy food and drink, and write on the walls. We expect that students will use the MCLC space extensively and that faculty will encourage its use as an incredible resource for working on group projects and capstone-course presentations. Collaborative-learning activities include many types of hands-on, high-impact practices, and student engagement in high-impact practices is a hallmark of an ONU education. We now have a new space to give ONU distinction in promoting high-impact learning. Although not a summer project, ONU will soon break ground to build a 2-megawatt solar array on approximately 11 acres of our land south of Lima Avenue and along Klingler Road. In partnership with GEM Energy of Walbridge, Ohio, the new solar array will be one of the largest campus-based solar fields in Ohio and will provide the University with both financial and social benefits. Once it is fully operational in December 2016, it will generate about 10 percent of our energy consumption and reduce our carbon footprint by 1,908 tons. I hope you will visit campus soon to see some of these exciting new changes and how they are truly enhancing the student experience at Northern. Warm regards and best wishes,
Dan DiBiasio | President
CONTENTS /2
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
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LOUD AND CLEAR
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CAMPUS NEWS
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STEPPING UP
CLASS NOTES
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ALUMNI WEEKEND RECAP
THE CRAFT OF BREWING
FEAR AND LEARNING AT ONU
We want to keep your connection to Northern strong, but we also want to do more. We want to inspire you. We want to wow you. We want you to share in the breakthroughs and triumphs to come.
The last issue of the Alumni Journal contained a reader survey, and we are pleased to report that the results are in. It warmed our hearts to learn that so many of you value the Alumni Journal as a vital connection to
your alma mater. The Journal makes me feel young again. It brings back memories of the good old days. I have health issues so I will probably never go back to ONU, but the Journal keeps me informed.
You told us that you love catching up with fellow alumni in the Class Notes. We’re going to make them better. While Facebook steals our thunder with babies and weddings, we’re going to focus more on professional accomplishments that illustrate the mark Ohio Northern graduates leave on the
REMEMBERING THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE
world. Our articles will dive deeper and reach further to bring you stories of Polar Bears doing great things. We’ll take you down memory lane and then rocket you into the future. We might even catch up with some old friends. A whopping 765 of you took the time to share your thoughts, and we are so grateful to have such loyal and thoughtful readers. We asked you. You told us. We listened. This is just the beginning. This magazine is going to roar. ◆
CAMPUS NEWS
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STUDENTS HAVE FRONT ROW SEATS FOR THE RACE TO THE WHITE HOUSE
Photo credit Seth Ferguson
Nine ONU students experienced presidential politics at the highest level this summer at the republican and democratic national conventions. Dakotah Gray, a junior political science student from Chillicothe, Ohio; Troy Brinkman, a sophomore political science student from Lima, Ohio; Jeff Alexander, a sophomore political science student from Monroeville, Penn.; Scott Gerdes, a junior pharmacy student from Conneaut,
Ohio; Jocelyn Reinhart, a sophomore political science student from Fostoria, Ohio; Ryan Hetrick, a senior history student from Frazeysburg, Ohio; and Seth Ferguson, a sophomore political science student from Mansfield, Ohio; attended the RNC in Cleveland, while Robert Putman, a junior political science student from Delaware, Ohio; and Derek Price, a sophomore political science student from Howell, N.J.; traveled to Philadelphia for the DNC.
INTRODUCING THE NEW DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Ohio Northern University President Daniel A. DiBiasio has announced that Dr. John C. Navin, dean of the School of Business at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), has been named dean of ONU’s Dicke College of Business Administration. Navin replaces Dr. Jim Fenton, who served as dean from 2005-16. “Ohio Northern University is pleased to welcome Dr. Navin
to our campus and leadership team,” said DiBiasio. “We are excited to have attracted John to the dean’s position. His success in external relations, fundraising, corporate partnerships and professional activities will be a true asset to the University.” A native of Bowling Green, Ohio, Navin earned his BSBA in economics from Bowling Green State University and his MA and
ALUMNI JOURNAL SUMMER 2016
Ph.D. in economics from Michigan State University. He joined SIUE in 1991, where he rose through the faculty ranks and served in several leadership positions, including the undergraduate program director in economics and finance as well as chair of the Department of Economics and Finance. He became interim dean of the SIUE School of Business in 2013 and then dean in 2015.
GIFT CONTINUES PIONEERING LEGACY AT ONU Family members of former Ohio Northern University professor and women’s athletics pioneer Dr. Helen Spar Ludwig, BSed ’44, H of F ’89, Hon. D. ’89, have made a $508,000 gift to support the scholarship fund that bears her name. James “Jim” Ludwig, Helen’s son, passed away in April 2015 and requested that the remaining value from the 2010 sale of his farm in Dola, Ohio, be directed to ONU. Jim Ludwig’s brother Gary Ludwig, BSEd ’69, sister Jacqueline Sperling, BA ’71 and sister-in-law Charolette Ludwig presented the gift to ONU President Daniel A. DiBiasio in June 2016 after the estate was finalized. “The Ludwig name is held in the highest regard at Ohio Northern, and this gift is further evidence of the family’s devotion to education,” said DiBiasio. “It is fitting that the Helen Ludwig Scholarship will now be able to help even more students, because she helped so many throughout her illustrious career at Northern.”
INTERIM DEANS ANNOUNCED 5
Dr. Tena Roepke has begun her new duties as interim dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. An associate professor of mathematics, Roepke joined ONU in 1984. Her most recent administrative success was leading the NCATE teacher education accreditation review a few years ago, a review that granted ONU’s teacher education program full accreditation for the maximum time period permitted. Steve Veltri is the new interim dean of the College of Law. He brings a wealth of experience to his new position having previously served as interim dean from 2012-13 and as associate dean from 2008-12. He will also continue as professor of law while a national search for a new dean is underway.
BORN TO BE A POLAR BEAR This year, 95 members of the incoming class already have an ONU connection thanks to a family member who attended ONU. Legacy students are eligible for the University’s Legacy Award, a
S U M M E R / FA L L 2 0 1 6 C A M P U S N E W S
$3,000 scholarship awarded to legally dependent (defined by IRS) sons or daughters of ONU graduates or to a prospective student who already has a sibling enrolled full-time at ONU. ◆
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THE CRAFT OF BREWING Quintin Jessee, BSPh ’95, is a pharmacist. He does consulting for Specialty Pharmacy and pharmacy accreditations. He also serves on an advisory board for an infusion pharmacy in Dublin, Ohio. Earlier in his career, he worked for a startup company called BioScrip, which has grown to become a leading national provider of infusion and home care management solutions. And, oh yeah, he also co-owns a brewery. “Land Grant is approximately 12,000 square feet. It is located in Franklinton, which is part of downtown Columbus, Ohio,” Jessee says. “We have about 10,000 square feet dedicated to production brewing. We also have a taproom that is approximately 2,000 square feet where people can come in and enjoy our craft beer.”
Pharmacist and brewery-owner in the same lifetime? It’s not as crazy as it seems. In fact, Jessee explains, there are several similarities between brewing and pharmacy, the first being the makeup of the product itself. “The first thing is the chemistry aspect. There are several things that are similar to compounding that I learned from Dr. Joe Theodore. Biology also plays a part in the life cycle of the yeast.” The experiences in running a pharmacy correlate closely to running a production brewery, it turns out. Working for that startup pharmacy company gave Jessee some much-needed insight into working for a new business and growing that company into a successful one. “I had a mentor that taught me to use proven successful business practices and adapt them to different business settings. This can be a great way to improve and run a business without recreating the wheel,” he says.
ALUMNI JOURNAL SUMMER 2016
Jessee and his wife visited several breweries, some as far away as San Diego, Calif., to interview their owners and operators. “We spoke to several breweries to figure out what mistakes they made so we could avoid them,” Jessee says. “This helped us get the process started. We learned that you need to work hard and not let the roadblocks get you down.”
Co-owners Quintin Jessee, BSPh ’95, and Cristen (Briner) Jessee, BSPh ’97 A second way to improve a business is the creation of a “power team,” as Jessee calls it. For him, it’s certainly a family affair, Northern family included. Jessee’s wife, Cristen (Briner) Jessee, BSPh ’97, is an investor, as is the brother-sister duo of David Suchanek, BSPh ’97, and Karen (Suchanek) Hudmon, BSPh ’86. Suchanek owns a pharmacy consulting firm, and Hudmon is a professor of pharmacy practice at the Purdue University College of Pharmacy. Jessee also credits some of Land Grant’s success to his experiences at Ohio Northern in the early ’90s. “I was involved in several leadership roles at ONU that helped prepare me.” He was president of Sigma Phi Epsilon and a member of the Interfraternity Council, the Student Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists and Order of Omega.
The largest roadblock involved finding just the right physical space for the business. And by large roadblock, we’re talking one that took two years to conquer. “There were not a lot of old buildings available that fit our vision,” Jessee says. “We had to stay positive and keep searching until we found the right building. We even brewed in my garage for quite some time before we found the building.”
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Today, he spends most of his time working with Land Grant’s pres“We spoke to ident, Adam Benner, in the manseveral breweries agement of team members. He to figure out what works on policy and procedures mistakes they made and focuses the team on quality. When things get busy, Jessee has so we could avoid been known to jump in and help them…. We learned bartend and wash glasses. Occasionally, he helps brew with Land that you need to work hard and not Grant’s team of brewers. “My favorite thing to do is sensory testlet the roadblocks ing. On Fridays, we get to sample get you down.” small portions and perform sensory analysis on our beer and some other guest beers to help ensure we are making a great product.”
The group finally settled on an old elevator factory that was built in the 1920s. With the support of family and friends, the factory was painted and renovated before officially opening in 2014. “We asked, and everyone lent a helping hand,” Jessee says.
But there’s more to founding a brewery than sensory testing and beer-tasting. There’s work involved, too. And research. Lots of research.
“Life has many ups and downs, and starting a business is very similar. You have to stay positive throughout the process and help keep the team focused on the dreams and goals.” ◆
The current plan for Land Grant Brewing Company is to continue to grow the business in Columbus this year. The company will likely expand into some other Ohio cities in the near future. No matter what happens, the success of the brewery will surely depend on the lessons Jessee and his partners have learned up to this point.
THE CRAFT OF BREWING
THE SHOW MUST GO ON…
THE ROAD 8
production of 42nd Street, and he understudies the character Bert. Saori Yokoo, BFA ’13, also tours with 42nd Street as stage manager and assistant company manager. In many respects, their tours began in Ada. Brady came here from Findlay, Ohio; Mary Beth from Lakewood, Ohio; and Saori all the way from Tokyo, Japan.
Brooke Quintana as Belle and the cast of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Photo by Matthew Murphy.
EVERY ENTERTAINER’S JOURNEY IS SPECIFIC AND UNIQUE. THERE IS NO MAGIC FORMULA THAT CAN TRANSFORM YOU INTO A SINGING/DANCING/ACTING TRIPLE-THREAT SUPERSTAR.
It takes talent, training and a bit of toughness. Especially when the journey takes you out on the road. Mary Beth Donahoe, BFA ’14, is touring with Disney’s Beauty and the Beast as part of the ensemble and covering the role of Belle. Brady Miller, BFA ’15, is a member of the dancing ensemble for the national touring
ALUMNI JOURNAL SUMMER 2016
They came to ONU with talents and skills to perfect. Interests to pursue. For Brady and Mary Beth, performance was in their blood, and it was all they ever wanted to do with their lives. “I started out in dance. I started tapping in second grade and then added jazz and ballet from there,” says Mary Beth. “I was always involved in choir in school; I was always in music. I was on the dance team and part of a theatre troupe that put on three different shows throughout the year.”
Brady sings a similar tune. “Theatre’s all I’ve been doing my entire life,” he says. “I started doing shows back when I was 10, actually. So it’s what I grew up doing at home, and then in high school, and next in community theatre. It’s just what I always knew I wanted to do.” At the conclusion of high school, both Brady and Mary Beth debated whether or not musical theatre could be a viable career option. Mary Beth, in particular, felt the weight of being the oldest of five children and wondered if she shouldn’t pursue a more “financially responsible” major in college.
Brady auditioned for Northern knowing that it was close to home and offered “a great program for what I needed for myself.” Saori came to ONU because of the abundant opportunities to practice her craft(s). Although at first, she did not know which specific craft to focus on; she spent a year as an undecided major.
Saori Yokoo, BFA ’13 (right)
Before applying, she knew about ONU’s programs in theatre, musical theatre and international theatre production. “For me, it was hard to find a school with these three programs, and I wanted to go to a small college with all three,” she says. By the end of her sophomore year, Saori had decided on international theatre production as a major because she had been working on more and more productions at the Freed Center – and loved it. “It also made sense for me to be in international theatre production with an arts administration minor so that I could learn not only the artistic theatrical side of things but also the business side, too,” she says. And so all three honed their skills at Northern. Brady and Mary Beth performed in dozens of Freed Center productions. Saori worked as production stage manager for many of the
T H E S H O W M U S T G O O N … T H E R OA D
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“But the more I kept looking at schools, and the more I kept looking at majors, nothing else was as appealing to me as musical theatre,” Mary Beth says. “So I figured, well, I’ll give it a shot, and if all else fails, I’ll just start from square one again. Who knows?”
Brady Miller, BFA ’15
Mary Beth Donahoe, BFA ’14 Photo credit: Matt Simpkins
same shows. “It was a lot of work and pressure, but because ONU gave me this experience, I wasn’t afraid to jump into the real world,” Saori says. For Saori, the real world was wide open. After graduating from Northern, she toured the U.S. as a stage manager for Bring It On: The Musical and was a stage manager for Oliver in New York City. She also worked with Disney Theatrical’s Aladdin in Tokyo, Japan.
“I work with all of them as one of the managers, so lots of good communication is required. But communication is my favorite, because I love people,”
— Saori Yokoo
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Live on stage, life on the road While Saori has a handful of show runs under her belt, Beauty and the Beast is Mary Beth’s first national tour. The same goes for Brady’s tour with 42nd Street. Brady spent a chunk of July in Dallas, Texas, during a 16-show run at the city’s Music Hall. So many cities have been a part of this tour, Brady has just about lost count. “It’s been somewhere between 60 and 70 cities, it’s safe to say. It’s hard to keep track,” he laughs. Mary Beth was in San Francisco, where her company was set to spend two weeks performing at the Orpheum Theatre. Everyone agrees that being part of a national tour is sort of like a vacation. Just a very long one with many, many stops along the way.
“I love traveling, so its definitely been an awesome excuse to see some really cool places,” says Mary Beth. “When we’re somewhere for a week or more, we have a lot of free time – enough that you can go to the Golden Gate Bridge, you can go to Mount Rushmore, you can go ‘adventure,’ so to speak.”
be quite a drag. “Living out of a suitcase is definitely a difficult thing to get used to. You’re limited to what an airplane allows you, so we have one duffel bag, one backpack and one suitcase. And that’s our entire life on the road,” says Brady. Never mind the packing hassles. There’s the physical toll to consider as well.
Brady loves the sight-seeing advantages, too. “We’re definitely lucky in the sense that we get paid to travel around the country for a year. I’ve seen waterfalls in Portland, Ore., and then I saw Mount Rushmore, I’ve seen so many canyons in Arizona, and I saw the Atlantic Ocean in Maine. It’s amazing to see what the country has to offer while doing what I want to do for my career.”
“It can be really demanding,” Mary Beth comments. “If you’re traveling a lot, then you’re scrunched up in a plane seat or a bus seat or on the floor of the bus. On top of that when you have shows, especially two a day or three a day, it can be physically exhausting. But it’s still fun to know I’m doing what I love each night.”
Then again, being on the road for 11 or 12 months straight is not all song and dance. It can
For members of the crew, like Saori, life on the road is busy and tiring yet fun – all at the same
ALUMNI JOURNAL SUMMER 2016
time. The 42nd Street company (which includes cast, crew, musicians and management) is like one big, happy 60-person family. “I work with all of them as one of the managers, so lots of good communication is required. But communication is my favorite, because I love people,” she says. And while the cast members may not have to arrive at the theatre until 60 or even 30 minutes before show time, it’s different for the stage managers. “When we go to different venues, we
11 © Chris Bennion Photography
have to figure out the ‘backstage blocking’ before the cast arrives. This is a very ‘tour’ thing. We get new local stage hands in every city we go to, so we have to teach our show to them, too.” During load-in day in a new city, the entire process can run from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. So for Saori, down time means catch-up-onsleep time. But that doesn’t mean down time is plentiful, either. “Sometimes we are in a city for just
a single day,” Brady says. “We wake up at 6 a.m., get on a bus, drive to a city, hang out at the hotel for an hour or two to recuperate from the bus drive, go to the theatre, do a show, go to sleep, wake up and do the same thing the next day.”
Friendly faces and celebrity sightings Sometimes doing the same thing every day can lead to extraordinary performances. Because after 200 or 300 performances,
some of them do, in fact, stand out. And a lot of it has to do with who’s in the audience watching. “We were in Toledo at the Stranahan Theater back in February for a long weekend,” Brady remembers. “That’s close to ONU, and that’s close to home for me, so that was a treat because I just had so many people come support me. It was so wonderful to show everyone what I’ve been doing for the past year.” “We had a three-show day in Cincinnati, so I had advance notice
T H E S H O W M U S T G O O N … T H E R OA D
that I was going to be going on for Belle,” says Mary Beth. “Of course, I told my family and a couple of close friends that live in Cincinnati or Columbus. And through word of mouth, there ended up being more than 80 people there specifically because they knew I was going on for Belle. So that was crazy for me!” And now that these graduates are in show business, they should expect to rub elbows with celebrity entertainers, right?
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Brooke Quintana as Belle and the cast of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Photo by Matthew Murphy.
ALUMNI JOURNAL SUMMER 2016
there’s no contract-renewal option available for Mary Beth. She’s OK with this, and plans to spend a month or so recovering at home in Lakewood. “I’m just going to let my body relax; I need to re-strengthen it. The show is repetitive choreography every day, so I’m using the same muscles every day. I plan to just decompress my body for a little bit.” After this short break, Mary Beth, too, will be back in New York City for auditions.
Saori worked on a show in New York City with Bernadette Peters, Jeremy Jordan and Norm Lewis.
Mary Beth performed for George H. W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, in Texas. When asked about meeting any celebrities, she uncertainly replies, “I’m going to say his name wrong. I think it’s Paul Stanley from KISS?”
ONU theatre students like Brady, Saori and Mary Beth leave campus with the doors to the future kicked wide open. Every once in awhile, those doors open up to the entire world. This trio proves that no matter where you are – from Maine to Texas to California, from the oceans in the east to the desert in the west – if you’re doing what you love, it’s always a good place to be. ◆
Despite – or maybe because of – 200 performances with 42nd Street, Brady has already signed on for this particular production’s second national tour. The current run sees its final shows at the end of July, and the next tour begins in December after a month of rehearsals. “I’ll have a few months off between these contracts,” Brady says. “So, I’m going to New York City to audition for things during those few months off. I’ll see what happens, and then go back on the road if that’s what’s meant to be.” July marks the end of the road for Beauty and the Beast; the tour’s not going out again, so
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Brady’s 42nd Street tour did a three week-stint at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles. Opening night featured red carpet arrivals at this century-old historic venue. “Mario Lopez was there. Corbin Bleu was there. So many celebrities,” Brady says. “People from the movie Mean Girls were there. It was really an awesome experience to be a part of.”
Sleep. Travel. Perform. Repeat?
“Once you’re done with a tour, you come back to New York and you audition again. If you’re lucky, you’ll get another show pretty soon, and if not you’ll be in the
city for a while. You can do some shows, you can take some dance classes, you can do some workshops. That’s not bad either. It’s a good place to be.”
Photo credit left to right: Kevin Paul Clark Kevin Kulp Matt DaSilva
ALUMNI WEEKEND RECAP
Members of the Ohio Northern University class of 1966 were honored during the 50th Reunion Dinner during Alumni Weekend.
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Ohio Northern’s golden graduates returned to campus for Alumni Weekend from June 3-5, 2016, to celebrate with classmates and reminisce about their college days. This year, we honored the 50-year reunion of the class of 1966, and presented Distinguished Alumni Awards to Carla (Bender) Kim, BS '97, Robert C. Smith, BSBA '75, Michael C. Kaufmann, BSBA '85, Douglas F. Mock, BSBA '78, Phillip D. Caris, BSBA '82, and Thomas J. Vukovich, BSEd '65.
Emory Hall, BSPh ’56, speaks with senior biology student Habib Mohammad in McIntosh Center.
Marilyn Reid, JD ’66, and David Reid take part in a tour of campus.
Pharmacy breakout session.
ALUMNI JOURNAL SUMMER 2016
WHAT’S
NEW
Alumni Weekend activities included: Historian Presentation, 1966 Trivia Game, DJ Bingo (Song Bingo) and Creative-i-Tea and Coffee (Painting Class).
UPCOMING AT ONU ‘WHAT’S NEW AT ONU’ ALUMNI AND FRIENDS RECEPTIONS There is so much good news coming out of Ohio
Northern University, we can’t keep it all to ourselves! Join fellow Polar Bears at an alumni and friends reception and learn “What’s New at ONU.” These new, interactive receptions will be hosted by President Dan DiBiasio and Chris Burns-DiBiasio and will feature a special presentation from Eric Baumgartner, dean of the College of Engineering. MARCH 5, 2017 Winter Park/Orlando, Fla. Alfond Inn
NOV. 6, 2016 Lima/Findlay/Ada Alumni Reception Ohio Northern University
MARCH 11, 2017 Atlanta, Ga. St. Ives Country Club
FEB. 19, 2017 Dayton, Ohio Dayton Country Club MARCH 4, 2017 Venice, Fla. The Venice Yacht Club
APRIL 23, 2017 Cleveland, Ohio The Ritz Carlton APRIL 28, 2017 Columbus, Ohio The Athletic Club of Columbus
For more information or to register for these events, please visit the ONU Alumni Connect website at alumni.onu.edu. Sandy (Eberman) Nihiser, BSEd ’57, is escorted by student Cody Lovejoy as she is recognized as the Willis Pitcher alumna.
Online registration for events will open approximately eight weeks prior to the events. Questions? Contact the Office of Alumni Relations at alumni@onu.edu or 419-772-2727.
ALUMNI WEEKEND RECAP
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Ohio Northern University hosted Alumni Weekend and celebrated the Golden Years.
SEPT. 25, 2016 Pittsburgh, Pa. Le Mont
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PART OF THE GREATER The hours he spent on his bicycle taking his turns riding the grueling 40-mile legs of the cross-country trek gave way to hours behind the wheel of the RV support vehicle, which in turn gave way to hours reserved for sleep. But sleep wouldn’t come for Bob Roberts, BSEd ’70. Too much adrenalin coursing through his body. Too much concern for the cyclists out on the road riding their 40 miles. Too much focus. The natural beauty of America passed by them all. Not exactly unnoticed, but certainly not relished. In short, it was a hard 10 days and 3,113 miles. But it was beautiful all the same. Beautifully American.
Bob Roberts, BSEd ’70, has been riding his bicycle for a cause for nearly 20 years. His first ride was a local Ride MS event for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society of Charlotte, N.C., that a friend from church invited him to join. The 150-mile trip to Raleigh, N.C., introduced Roberts to a world of philanthropy unlike any he’d ever known and began a passion that would eventually take him from sea to shining sea. After 12 years of riding for multiple sclerosis, Roberts found another cause to support: the Adaptive Sports and Adventures Program (ASAP) of the Carolina Medical Center. It wasn’t an in-
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vitation from a friend this time, but a pair of tiny miracles that transformed Roberts’ commitment into a calling. Roberts’ twin grandsons Aaron and Hobson were born three months premature. They weighed a combined four pounds and have faced many medical challenges as a result, particularly Aaron, who has endured many surgeries and subsequent stays in rehabilitation facilities. Roberts was fortunate to be able to take Aaron to one such rehab session. His normally busy work schedule, which frequently includes domestic and even inter-
At ONU, Roberts was a member of the founding class of the Theta Chi fraternity. He remains an active alumnus of the University to this day, and serves on the Department of Technological Studies Industrial Advisory Board.
national travel in his role as director of business development for Axus Technology, cleared so that his life could change. Upon entering the rehabilitation facility, he was awestruck by enormous color photographs that adorned the lobby walls. They were of disabled men, women and children participating in sports. Kids, just a few years older than Aaron, were doing things Roberts didn’t know were possible: water- and snow-skiing; playing wheelchair rugby, tennis and basketball; even his beloved cycling. They were doing them all. “I looked at those photos on the wall and my heart was struck by
It was the cycling photo that had the biggest effect on him. He had never seen anything like it. A cyclist on an upright bicycle held onto a pole that extended up from the back of the hand-cycle riding next to him. He would later learn that this rider was called a support rider, and that this pairing was common on long rides. With his will to help already strong, seeing that photo gave him a way. It turns out that ASAP had a ride similar to the MS rides that Roberts had done for years. They called their three-day, 180-mile ride from Charlotte to Myrtle Beach, S.C., “Cycle to the Sea.” It wasn’t long before Roberts was a regular.
About 18 months ago, Robert’s friend Aaron Harper suggested organizing a cross-county ride. It was one of those “you-know-whatwe-should-do” conversations that close friends have, but rarely act upon. There were plenty of reasons why it wouldn’t work, but would you believe that the more they talked, the more they talked themselves into trying?
“When people go into the military, they are taught the idea of teamwork. They are taught that nobody is left behind. And they are taught that they need to work together to accomplish the mission. But if they are injured and sent home, many times they lose that sense of teamwork. They lose their identity as a part of the greater,” Roberts says.
Harper is a medically retired Marine. He wanted to do something dramatic to raise awareness for military veterans in need of physical or emotional rehabilitation. He also wanted to do something directly for the veterans in the ASAP program to fill the void left in their lives from military service. Roberts, himself a veteran who served in the United States Army Medical Optical Mobile Activity during Vietnam, understood Harper’s aim.
It’s not a new phenomenon. Certainly not to Roberts, who trained for his military service at Fitzsimons Army Hospital in Aurora, Colo., where he met soldiers his age and younger who were wounded in Vietnam. Most had lost mobility or dexterity. Many lost their determination. Some lost their will to live. Without some kind of positive intervention –some way to fill that void that came with their injuries – wounded veterans face a tough road. Roberts and Harper planned to fill it one mile at a time.
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the incredible determination I could see on their faces – their drive to become active again, to take part in life again. I thought, ‘I’ve got to get involved with this,’” says Roberts.
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short rests and people would come up to us wanting to know what we were all about,” says Roberts. “There was one man in Florida that I’ll never forget. He was a huge man. He could have been a defensive tackle in the NFL. He was speaking to one of our hand-cyclists and he was crying. I went over and asked him why.
Riding a bicycle is an individual activity, but it is a team sport. Cycling at the competitive level is seldom done alone. Three, four or even five cyclists work together to go faster. They draft off one another, riding in a single file, wheels just inches apart. When the lead rider tires, he or she falls to the rear and the next rider takes on the burden of cutting through the air. It took some considerable planning and logistical maneuvering, but Sea to Shining Sea 2016 became a reality on April 10, 2016, at the Wounded Warrior Battalion West at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, in Oceanside, Calif. Five disabled, paralyzed, wounded or injured hand-cyclists and five support riders set out to complete a mission. Together.
The Sea to Shining Sea team rode the entire 3,000 miles nonstop, save for a pair of overnight rests in Waco, Texas, and Charlotte, N.C. A hand-cyclist and a support cyclist, tethered together by a pole and mutual admiration and trust, raced across America’s back roads and forgotten highways. Each pairing rode for 40 miles like the links of a chain. An RV support vehicle drove behind them with the rest of the team. “We’d stop in these small towns – Ada-sized, and even smaller – for
“He told me that his former girlfriend, with whom he had a son, got involved with a man who beat the boy while he was still an infant. His son can’t walk now because of it. I told him about all the programs that exist for children just like his son, and through my own tears, I made him promise me he would become the most important thing in his son’s life and seek out these opportunities. Through his tears, he said, ‘I will.’” Sea to Shining Sea 2016 rode to Charlotte, N.C., where they met up with the ASAP “Cycle to the
“I’ve found that with these ladies and gentlemen that I ride with, these hand-cyclists, is that all you have to do is tell them they can’t do something,” says Roberts. “The next thing you know, they are doing it. And, they are poking you in the ribs, saying, ‘Come on, let’s go. You can do it, too.’”
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Sea” ride for the last 180 miles to the Atlantic Ocean. Their manifest destiny complete, the team got back on their bikes and rode to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, N.C., to officially finish their ride on April 24. In just 10 days, they did what some believed to be impossible. It’s a remarkable thing to do something this grand, to accomplish such a feat. Deep down, Roberts knows this, but he is reluctant to dwell too much on the finish line. He has been blessed in this life. Aaron and Hobson are doing well. His career is all he ever hoped and dreamed it would become. He has friends that mean the world to him. Roberts rides his bike for others. He gives them all he can, and graciously accepts what they give in return – the chance to be part of something far greater than himself. ◆
STEPPING UP The ONU Child Development Center has grown into a leading child-care facility and secret weapon in attracting faculty.
The ONU Child Development Center educates and cares for the preschool-aged children of ONU families. Its convenient, on-campus location makes it a desirable childcare option for parents with busy schedules. On the outside, little has changed over the years. In 2013, then-senior Emily Kennedy, BSEd ’13, painted a mural on the detached
Through a program called “Step Up To Quality,” the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and the Ohio Department of Education recognize early childhood learning and development programs that exceed the state’s health and safety licensing standards. It is a voluntary five-star rating system for program standards that lead to improved outcomes for children, including low child-to-staff ratios, smaller group sizes, higher staff education, ongoing specialized training, and improved workplace characteristics and learning standards. In only four years, the Child Development Center, has gone from unaffiliated to earning Step Up To Quality’s highest rating. Upon initial enrollment into the program in 2012, it was rated a two-star facility. In spring 2013, it applied for, and was awarded, a three-star rating. The CDC con-
education for 25 children between the ages of 3 and 5. Split scheduling allows Zimmerman and her team to help more families, but every fall the waiting list gets longer and longer.
“It is important to us to be a fivestar program here at ONU, because we strive to be a model of quality in early childhood education and child care,” says June Zimmerman, director of the Child Development Center. “We also want to make it convenient for the University’s faculty and staff to place their children in a quality program here in Ada.”
“The only thing that is holding us back from serving additional families is our current structure. We hope to someday be able to accomplish this five-star rating while serving children from infant through school age,” says Zimmerman.
ONU’s quaint rural locale has decided advantages, but an abundance of childcare options is not one of them. There is only one other five-star childcare program within a 25-mile radius of campus, and as a result, there is greater demand for its services than the Center can accommodate. In fact, its reputation is so good that 86 community families indicated in a recent survey that they would use a high-quality facility for childcare between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. for children age infant to 5 years. A similar number said they would be interested in a facility that also offered before- and after-school programs for older children. Zimmerman would like nothing more than to be able to offer quality early-childhood education experiences and care to more children. ONU’s center can currently only support preschool
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The Step Up To Quality program has given the Child Development Center a goal to strive for, and the results of its efforts go far beyond state recognition. The Center is also a laboratory for early childhood education majors at ONU, and the hands-on learning they experience on a daily basis is invaluable. Currently these students must accrue a minimum of 180 hours of field experience. Having an on-campus facility like the Child Development Center is beneficial to the ONU Department of Education and academic mission of the University. It’s quite amazing, really, that so much good and goodwill has come out of such an unassuming place. At ONU, there are mighty halls that have stood for more than 100 years, cutting-edge laboratories and research facilities, and venues to showcase human performance. And standing shoulder-to-shoulder with them all is the small grey house beneath the pines. ◆
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Tucked into the northeast corner of Ohio Northern University’s campus, under a stand of pines, sits a small grey house. It is an unremarkable-looking structure, but what it lacks on the outside, it more than makes up for on the inside. In fact, for the University faculty and staff who begin each day there, this house is the most important building on campus.
two-car garage, and the playground equipment was replaced a year later. But inside those walls is a different story.
tinued to be a three-star facility until spring 2015, when the system changed from three stars to five. In spring 2015, it achieved a five-star rating, and the honor was reaffirmed this past spring.
T • LAR G AN
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UNDED YF R LL
T FEDERA ES
ONU’s Department of Psychology is the recipient of the largest federally funded research grant in University history.
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Flashbulb memories can trigger the onset of post-traumatic stress disorder
EARCH G R ES
FEAR AND LEARNING AT ONU Have you ever wondered why you do more than just remember certain events from the past, you relive them? You remember where you were, who you were with, what you were doing. Scientists call them flashbulb memories because it’s as if your brain takes a picture of the event. The assassination of President John F. Kennedy is the quintessential “where-were-you-when” event, but there are other common flashbulb memories. For children of the 1980s, the space shuttle Challenger explosion is one. For many, 9/11 is too. But these memories don’t just form around historically significant events. Individuals may ex-
perience their own private flashbulb memories. The most extreme types of these memories can trigger the onset of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is characterized by debilitating, intrusive memories of a traumatic event. Currently, no one knows for sure how to stop these memories. Researchers at Ohio Northern University are trying to. Dr. Phillip Zoladz, associate professor of psychology, is studying the root causes for why some memories are more unforgettable than others. He hopes to unlock genetic or physiological factors that may predispose a person to make them. Assisting him is an interdisciplinary team of student researchers that comprise his two research laboratories at ONU. Last year, Alison
F E A R A N D L E A R N I N G AT O N U
Daley, a sixth-year pharmacy student from Cleveland, Ohio, was one of Zoladz’s two head research assistants. She oversaw the human lab where she and 14 other students ran a National Institutes of Health-funded study that looks at the relationship between physiological stress and learning among ONU student participants. A second lab that studied emotional stress and learning in rats was led by fellow sixth-year pharmacy major Eric Eisenmann. “We are using a clinical application of stress while participants learn in order to measure the physiological response,” says Daley. “We are also looking at the genetics of participants who exhibit enhanced learning due to stress to see if there is a correlation.”
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The University’s largest-ever federally funded research grant is funding groundbreaking research into post-traumatic stress disorder.
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There is an interesting relationship between stress and learning. Data show that a person can actually learn better, to an extent, when his or her body experiences physical stress. Since creating a memory is essentially learning, if this research can help explain exactly how stress affects memory creation, it might be possible to predict if an individual is likely to develop PTSD. The experiment works like this: Participants are first asked to fill out a series of questionnaires to provide Daley and the other researchers with important demographic information. Participants are also asked to provide a saliva sample for genetic analysis and undergo a basic cardiovascular exam to ascertain a baseline for comparison. Now, the experimental sessions, which are administered over a span of two or three days, and for which the participants are financially compensated, begin. At this point, it is important to differentiate between the types and severity of stress that can affect memory creation and learning, particularly the stress often associated with PTSD. There are essentially two kinds of stress that ONU researchers are examining: physical and psychological. In both instances, the most severe of each is commonly associated with PTSD – things like combat, motor-vehicle accidents or being the victim of a violent crime. However, in a laboratory setting, skilled scientists with the proper tools can draw conclusions from far lesser forms
of psychological and physical stress. For instance, the psychological stress used in the rat lab is the mere sight of the lab’s pet cat. Even though the rats are protected from the cat and no harm comes to them, the presence of a predator is an effective psychological stressor. In the human lab, a common physical stressor is for a participant to place his or her hand in an ice-water bath. Anyone who took the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge can tell you that ice water on your body isn’t exactly fun, but it is far from PTSD-inducing. In research looking at the relationship between stress and learning, stress is only part of the equation. To satisfy the other, rats are taught how to navigate a maze. Human participants are taught a series of words. But it is the presence or absence of stress before doing these simple tasks that makes a difference. The results indicate that some people do indeed form better memories under stress. The real question is why? Zoladz’s team is hoping to answer that question by looking at changes in physiological responses brought on by the experiments. Heart rate, blood pressure and hormonal responses are all measured and compared with baseline levels. Genetic testing lets them know if a participant has certain polymorphisms that are known to interact with stress. In the fall, new equipment will give the researchers the ability to study fear learning.
Though the research is based on a basic model, the implications are far-reaching. If they are successful, someday predicting PTSD is not out of the question. Zoladz and his team are working with two of the foremost PTSD authorities in the world, Drs. Tanja Jovanovic and Seth Norrholm from Emory University. This collaboration helped Zoladz’s grant proposal to the National Institutes of Health, titled “Time-Dependent Effects of Stress on Learning: Physiological and Genetic Associations,” score in the top 4 percent of all proposals and result in ONU receiving its largest-ever federal research grant, an R15 grant totaling $423,776. Jovanovic and Norrholm are experts in the field of stress and memory, and have had success in an area that may prove crucial to developing an eventual PTSD cure – fear conditioning and extinction. Their previous research indicates that impaired fear inhibition is a biomarker of PTSD. That is to say, sufferers of PTSD are less able to suppress fear under safe conditions than nonsufferers. Jovanovic and Norrholm visited ONU in April to present their research and to train student researchers on how to use new equipment that will allow them to run experiments on human participants that involve emotional stress or fear. “Fear learning is at the heart of PTSD, because that’s what these patients have. They have this fear memory that they can’t escape,”
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says Zoladz. “So one of the things we are testing is, when we have the participants form this fear memory, we’re also going to see how well they can get rid of it. The extinction of a fear memory is predictive of recovery.” Severe trauma nearly always results in acute stress symptoms in humans, but not everyone develops PTSD. Over time, most people are able to recover from the trauma, and the memory fades from reliving the experience to simply remembering it. But it is not known how and why some are able to do this and others are not. According to Zoladz, PTSD is a very complicated and contradictory malady. Its biological characteristics are completely unique. Take the stress hormone cortisol, for example. The human body releases cortisol when it encounters stress, be it physiological or psychological in nature. Everything from clinical depression and fear to temperature changes or physical exertion has been shown to increase cortisol levels in humans. One would think that someone with PTSD would have high cortisol levels, but they don’t. They actually have abnormally low levels of cortisol. This is just one of the many reasons finding a cure for PTSD has been so difficult. “I think a lot of people are drawn to PTSD research because we can’t figure it out,” says Zoladz. “I mean, the treatments out there for it are really not very good. There are only two FDA-approved drugs. Everything else is off-label use, and those only work, maybe, half of the time.”
In light of these scientific realities, being able to predict if an individual has a higher likelihood of developing PTSD just might be the best bet for reducing the number of sufferers. If in the future, a simple genetic test could tell the U.S. military that a recruit is more susceptible to PTSD, perhaps that recruit would be prevented from being deployed to a combat situation.
Daley, who plans to specialize in psychiatric pharmacy after she graduates in 2017, is hopeful. As an intern at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, she witnessed the effects of PTSD on military veterans. In fact, her experience at Louis Stokes was so profound, she plans to dedicate her professional career to serving military veterans at a VA medical facility. “The VA is just a different atmosphere from other clinical set-
Dr. Phillip Zoladz and a team of undergraduate researchers are studying the root causes of traumatic memories, a possible precursor of post-traumatic stress disorder.
tings I’ve experienced. The patriotism involved, and the friendliness of the staff and the interaction between the staff and the patients, is a lot different from what I’ve ever noticed before,” she says. “I don’t ever want to go anywhere else.” Working at a VA facility will also give Daley a tool not all pharmacists get: the ability to prescribe medication. She believes that her three years of research experience at ONU will help her in that regard, since she knows how to analyze new research as it becomes available and she has confidence in her ability to assess whether the results are something that she might want to apply to the treatment of her patients. “Things are always changing in the field of psychology. There are always new studies coming out. You really have to stay up to date on everything. It’s a really good skill for a practitioner because you don’t want to be adhering to old guidelines. I understand how quickly new ideas are coming out and will know new discoveries are made,” she says.
The VA also utilizes a team-based approach to providing care in which a doctor, a psychiatrist, a pharmacist, a nurse practitioner and a social worker work together to devise a patient treatment plan. Working in the lab has given her experience in not only being part of a team, but also leading one. Couple her research and leadership experience with the particular area of study she has researched, and her commitment to veterans, and it is hard to imagine someone better prepared to care for the mental health of our military veterans. If the National Institutes of Health only ever looked at Daley to gauge the return on their investment, they would be pleased. After all, R15 grants are awarded to colleges and universities that don’t typically receive large grants and, more importantly, those that encourage undergraduates to get involved in research. As much as these grants are direct research support, they are also catalysts for enhancing the research atmosphere of a university through hands-on learning.
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“When I came to ONU, I was interested in doing big research,” says Zoladz. “But I still wanted to interact with students and be a mentor. Between my two labs, I have more than 20 students who are heavily involved in research, and the area that we’re researching has relevance at the national level.” Recent reports indicate that the emotional strain on veterans is immense. The Department of Veterans Affairs’ most-recent study of 2014 data showed that 20 veterans committed suicide every day that year. It is clear that Zoladz’s research is not only relevant, but also vitally important – and in terms of ONU research, never bigger. ◆ Research reported in this article is supported by the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health under award number 1R15MH104836-01A1. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
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The specific genes that Zoladz and his team are targeting in this research have been linked to PTSD and emotional memory in existing research, but no one has examined the predictive nature of these genes as they relate to an individual’s ability to learn under stress. This is the connection they are making at ONU. Do a disproportional number of those who learn better under stress possess these genes? If so, perhaps the genes themselves play a role in the formation of traumatic memories. And if that is indeed the case, pharmacological researchers might have a new area to explore for a potential cure.
Dr. Phillip Zoladz
CLASS NOTES This July, 110 sisters of Alpha Omicron Pi returned to ONU to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their colonization. Alpha Omicron Pi was active on campus from 1966-95, and the sisters have faithfully held reunions every two years at The Inn at Ohio Northern University to reconnect.
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Daniel Fuccella, BSME ’67
1960 Beverly (Barr) White, JD, retired after 52 years of private practice in Norwalk, Ohio. She resides in Coconut Creek, Fla.
Brenda (Bailey) Lewis, BA, retired from Green Bay Area Public School District (Wisconsin) in June 2015 and now resides in Tennessee.
1967 Daniel Fuccella, BSME, is currently a member and secretary of the Society of Plastics Engineers, treasurer of Engineers Without Borders, and vice president of the Triangle Chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America. Daniel and his wife, Jean, reside in Cary, N.C.
1975 Timothy Piper, BSCE, retired from the Allen County Engineer’s Office (Ohio) on July 31, 2015. He spent his entire career there and was appointed Allen County engineer in September 2005. Piper served as president of the County Engineer’s Association of Ohio.
1972 Harry Flannery, JD, published the book Are you PREDESTINED? The Words of John Calvin and Martin Luther Compared...Including an Extensive Bibliography. In July 2015, he was named “of counsel” in the law firm of Nicolls Flannery & Palmer P.C. in New Castle, Pa.
He is past president of the Lima Society of Professional Engineers and the Treaty Lands Chapter of the Professional Land Surveyors of Ohio Inc. Timothy resides in Elida, Ohio. 1976 David Devier, BA, received an award for career achievement from the College of Education and Human Ecology at Ohio State University. David currently serves as president of Glen Oaks Community College in Centreville, Mich. Diana Jones, BA, retired from Conotton Valley Union Local Schools. She resides in Salineville, Ohio.
1977 David Peraza, BSCE, was named the 2014 Forensic Engineer of the Year by the American Society of Civil Engineers. David and his wife, Maureen, reside in Port Washington, N.Y. 1978 Patricia Hofstra, JD, was featured in Leading Lawyers magazine as one of the top female lawyers in Illinois in March 2015. She resides in Gary, Ind. 1979 Andrew Lamont Eanes, BA, the nominee for deputy commissioner of Social Security, received Senate Finance Committee vote of approval and was sent to the Senate on Feb. 4, 2016. 1980 Stephanie (Saunders) Peshek, BSPh, recently published a book with Jones Bartlett titled Professional Skills for the Pharmacy Technician. Stephanie and her husband, Clifford, BSEE ’79, reside in Bradenton, Fla.
Timothy Piper, BSCE ’75
Andrew Lamont Eanes, BA ’79
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Aaron Scheiderer, BSCE, is a civil engineer reviewer at the Delaware County Engineer’s Office in Delaware, Ohio.
Stacia Wake, BSBA ’86
A. Robert Thayer, JD ’91
Kelly (Snyder) Ragucci, BSPh ’95
1984 Laird A. Lile, JD, was appointed by Chief Justice Jorge Labarga of the Florida Supreme Court to a four-year term on the Judicial Management Council. He resides in Naples, Fla.
1987 Michael Farr, BS, had an article published in the January/February 2016 SBCA Magazine (Structural Building Components Association). He resides in Swisher, Iowa, with his family.
1994 Cassandra (Hicks) Mott, BA, an attorney for Thompson & Knight LLP, was selected for membership in the Greater Houston Partnership’s Executive Women’s Partnership on Feb. 23, 2016. She and her husband, James, BSME ’93, reside in Bellaire, Texas, along with their family.
1986 Daniel Huston, BA, JD ’89, serves as the assistant attorney general and director of the homicide unit at the United States Virgin Islands Department of Justice, Attorney General’s Office. He currently resides in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. Douglas Spiker, JD, a partner in the Cleveland, Ohio, office of Roetzel & Andress LPA, has been named a 2016 Ohio Super Lawyer in the field of workers’ comp by Ohio Super Lawyers magazine. Stacia Wake, BSBA, after 12 years in corporate partnership development and marketing, joined Disney Corporate Citizenship in July 2015. She resides in Orlando, Fla.
1991 Jennifer (Minich) Clodfelter, BSBA, was promoted to vice president of accounting at Hills Developers Inc. in Cincinnati, Ohio. A. Robert Thayer, JD, retired from his law practice, Thayer Legal Services, and is traveling the world with his wife, Claudia. They reside in West Lafayette, Ind. 1993 Robert Cobb, BSBA, and his wife, Holly, welcomed a son, River Storm, on May 8, 2015. River joins brother Forest. The Cobb family resides in Wheat Ridge, Colo. Jennifer (Lahman) Seifert, BSPh, was hired as the executive director for The Charitable Pharmacy of Central Ohio on Feb. 10, 2016. She and her husband, Jeff, BS ’90, reside with their family in Galena, Ohio.
1995 Stacey (Ward) Beckner, BSBA, and her husband, Christopher, were married Nov. 10, 2015. Stacey works at Bowling Green State University as a senior financial reporting lead. The couple resides in Ada, Ohio. Kelly (Snyder) Ragucci, BSPh, is a professor and chair at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, S.C., where she also resides.
Chris Butz, JD ’98
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1997 Melissa (Byrd) Schneeman, BA, and her husband, John, were married May 22, 2015. Melissa is a senior registered client associate at Wells Fargo Advisors in Cincinnati, Ohio. The couple resides in Mason, Ohio. 1998 Chris Butz, JD, and his wife, Angela, welcomed a son, Valor. Valor joins siblings Mcguire, 14, Skylar, 11, Phoebee, 9, and Asher, 3. The Butz family resides in Cedar, Mich.
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1985 Marc S. Wise, JD, an attorney with Maddin, Hauser, Roth & Heller PC, is ranked by Chambers USA in the category of Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation. He resides in Farmington Hills, Mich.
Mindi Wells, BSBA, JD ’98, recently earned Certified Court Manager credentials from the National Center for State Courts’ Institute for Court Management. Mindi is the deputy administrative director/chief operating officer for the Supreme Court of Ohio and serves on the Executive Council of the Florida Bar Out of State Division. She resides in Columbus, Ohio.
Christopher Sprague, BA ’98
William Ryman, BSPh, is a chief pharmacist at Indian Health Service Pharmacy in Lame Deer, Mont.
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Christopher Sprague, BA, was promoted to senior theatre consultant at Schuler Shook. He resides in Prospect Heights, Ill. 2001 Aaron Carns, BSEE, and his wife, Jamie (Walaszczyk), PharmD ‘02, welcomed a son, Isaac Jacob, on Nov. 14, 2015. Isaac joins sister Lauren. The Carns family resides in Hilliard, Ohio. Shawn Eaton, PharmD, is a region manager at CVS Pharmacy in Twinsberg, Ohio. Lucas Haugh, BSEE, was promoted to partner at Ulmer & Berne LLP in Cincinnati, Ohio, effective Jan. 1, 2016.
Thomas Archdeacon, BS ’02
Craig Leshock, BSBA, is a controller at Cupps Capital Management in Chicago, Ill. Heather (Moore) Slagle, BA, and husband, Michael, BS ’03, welcomed a daughter, Anneliesa Hope, on April 23, 2014. Anneliesa joins siblings Jackson and Kenzie. The Slagle family resides in Marysville, Ohio. Casey Stansbury, JD, was named a Kentucky Super Lawyer in 2015 and 2016 by the Super Lawyers rating service. He is a partner at Mazanec, Raskin & Ryder Co. LPA and resides in Lexington, Ky. 2002 Thomas Archdeacon, BS, was promoted to a permanent fish biologist (biostatistician) position at the United States
Mary (Kanet) McVica, BSBA ’02
Lucas Haugh, BSEE ’01
Fish & Wildlife Service, where he is the lead fish biologist working to recover the endangered Rio Grande Silvery Minnow. He resides in Albuquerque, N.M. Jamie (Walazczyk) Carns, PharmD, and her husband, Aaron, BSEE ’01, welcomed a son, Isaac Jacob, on Nov. 14, 2015. Isaac joins sister Lauren. The Carns family resides in Hilliard, Ohio. Erich Ipe, BS and his wife, Kellee (Schreiber), BSBA ’03, welcomed a daughter, Natalie Patricia, on Oct. 17, 2015. Natalie joins brother Owen. The Ipe family resides in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Mary (Kanet) McVicar, BSBA, joined GBQ Partners LLC as a senior manager in tax practice on Jan. 21, 2016. She resides in Tallahassee, Fla.
Casey Stansbury, JD ’01 Stephanie Scannell-Vessella, BA, is a staff attorney at Metropolitan Correctional Center New York in New York, N.Y. 2003 Charles Brosemer, BA, is an accountant in the investment reporting department of Progressive Insurance. Charles and his wife, Jennifer (Szajnowsky), BA ’04, reside in Parma, Ohio, with their two children. Stacy (Walker) Doyle, PharmD, is a pharmacy sales manager at Kroger Company in Indianapolis, Ind., where she also resides.
Heather (Moore), BA ’01, and Michael Slagle, BS ’03
Kellee (Schreiber) Ipe, BSBA ’03, and Erich Ipe, BS ’02
Jamie (Walazczyk), PharmD ’02, and Aaron Carns, BSEE ’01
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Nathaniel Lowe, BSME ’04
Bree (Gronneberg) Langemo, JD ’03 Michael Slagle, BS, and his wife, Heather (Moore), BA ’01, welcomed a daughter, Anneliesa Hope, on April 23, 2014. Anneliesa joins siblings Jackson and Kenzie. The Slagle family resides in Marysville, Ohio.
Bree (Gronneberg) Langemo, JD, is president of the Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative (ELI). In March, she moderated a session on entrepreneurialism at the SXSWedu expo in Austin, Texas.
Kylie (Roach) Study, BS, and husband, Eric, BS ’04, were married in Napa Valley, Calif., on Feb. 29, 2016. Kylie is an acupuncturist at Beaumont Health System in Troy, Mich. The couple resides in Toledo, Ohio.
2004 Mark Donnelly, BSCE, and his wife, Stacey, welcomed a son, Henry Isaac, on Oct. 16, 2015. The Donnelly family resides in Granville, Ohio. Erica Gordon, JD, was selected as one of 24 lawyers from Ohio to take part in the Ohio State Bar Association’s leadership academy. Erica resides in Tiffin, Ohio.
Andrew Howley, BSEE, and his wife, Jessica (Scott), BSCE ’06, welcomed a daughter, Ruth Elizabeth, on March 22, 2016. Ruth joins brother Owen. The Howley family resides in Columbus, Ohio. Nathaniel Lowe, BSME, is an engineer at Robinson Fin Machines in Kenton, Ohio. He and his family reside in Bellefontaine, Ohio. Kathleen McMurray, BA, assumed the position of director of major gifts for the Smeal College of Business at Pennsylvania State University in October 2015. Eric Study, BS, and his wife, Kylie (Roach), BS ’03, were married in Napa Valley, Calif., on Feb. 29, 2016. The couple resides in Toledo, Ohio. Julie (Herendeen) Travis, BA, and her husband James, welcomed a daughter, Annie Joy, on Jan. 18, 2016. Annie joins sister Ada Rose. The family resides in Nashville, Tenn.
Mark Donnelly, BSCE '04
Julie (Herendeen) Travis, BA ’04
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Kellee (Schreiber) Ipe, BSBA, and her husband, Erich, BS ’02, welcomed a daughter, Natalie Patricia, on Oct. 17, 2015. Natalie joins brother Owen. The Ipe family resides in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.
2005 Ellen Landers, BM, welcomed a son, Leon David, on Jan. 19, 2016. The Landers family resides in Sharonville, Ohio.
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Simon Patry, JD, was awarded the 2015 Tipp City Chamber of Commerce Young Professional of the Year Award. He was named the Miami County Bar Association’s Secretary/ Treasurer and serves on the Ethics and Grievance Committee. He also is a member of the Dayton Bar Association’s Corporate Counsel Committee, the Tipp City Area United Way’s Board of Directors, and the Miami Valley March of Dimes Executive Leadership Team for the 2016 March for Babies.
Jessica (Scott), BSCE ’06, and Andrew Howley, BSEE ’04
Breanne (Anderson) Settlemire, BA, is a career consultant at Capabilities Inc. in Findlay, Ohio. Josh Suffel, BSME, and his wife, Sarah (Buzard), PharmD ’09, welcomed a son, Aiden Cole, on Oct. 30, 2015. The family resides in Avon Lake, Ohio. 2006 Amanda Dittmar, BSME, moved from private practice to in-house counsel for Viavi Solutions Inc. She resides in Arlington, Va. Jessica (Scott) Howley, BSCE, works at American Electric Power as an engineer IV, transmission line project engineer in Gahanna, Ohio. She and her husband, Andrew, BSEE ’04, reside in Columbus, Ohio, with their two children: Ruth Elizabeth, born on March 22, 2016, and Owen Scott. Erin (Chandler) Simon, BA, and her husband, James, welcomed a daughter, Quinn Harper, on May 22, 2015. The family resides in Jeffersonville, Ind.
Simon Patry, JD ’05
Matthew Skeens, JD, had a law review article, “The Right to be Parented: Recognizing a Child’s Substantive Due Process Right to Permanency,” published online at dartmouthlawjournal.org. Zach Walton, BA, and his wife, Amy (Endres), PharmD ’11, welcomed a daughter, Claire Elise, on March 4, 2016. The Walton family resides in West Chester, Ohio.
Ellen Landers, BM ’05
Alicia (Holtzman) Lancaster, BA ’07
ALUMNI JOURNAL SUMMER 2016
2007 Tracy (Munafo) Blanchard, PharmD, and her husband, Adam, welcomed a daughter, Avery Ann, on Dec. 8, 2015. Avery joins brother Evan. The Blanchard family resides in Centerville, Ohio. Richard Ernsberger, JD, is the co-chair of the Pittsburgh Symphony’s “Moonlight Masquerade Soiree” on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016.
Erin (Chandler) Simon, BA ’06
Courtney (Crawshaw) Nign, BSBA ’08
Sarah (Buzard), PharmD ’09, and Josh Suffel, BSME ’05
Zachary Koehler, BM, and his wife, Courtney, welcomed a son, Elliot Anders, on Oct. 31, 2015. The Koehler family resides in Columbus, Ohio.
2008 Colette (Kramer) Chung, JD, was promoted to staff specialist for post-market regulatory compliance at Stryker Instruments. She resides in Portage, Mich., with her husband, Alex, and 18-month-old son, Asher. Jessica (Virzi) Gasser, BA, works for the United States Government as a clinical psychologist at Iowa Federal Bureau of Prisons. She married Bryan Gasser on July 3, 2016, and the couple resides in Ames, Iowa.
Jamie (Trombley) Kaltz, JD, is an attorney at Fuerst Lttleman Dave & Joseph PL. in Miami, Fla., where he also resides. Zachary Koehler, BM, works as a music educator in the SouthWestern City School District in Grove City, Ohio. Courtney (Crawshaw) Nign, BSBA, and her husband, Chad, welcomed a daughter, Lola Ann, on June 22, 2015. The family resides in St. Clairsville, Ohio. William Reisinger, JD, joined the energy law practice of GreeneHurlocker PLC on Jan. 4, 2016. He resides in Richmond, Va. Adam Schroeder, BSME, and his wife, Michelle (Mangan), PharmD ’11, welcomed a son, Linus Gerhard, on July 10, 2015. The Schroeder family resides in Toledo, Ohio. Anthony Stanovich, BA, works at Choices in Lima, Ohio, as a case manager.
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Alicia (Holtzman) Lancaster, BA, and her husband, Rory, welcomed a daughter, Laina Reagan, on Aug. 23, 2015. The Lancaster family resides in Waynesville, Ohio.
Bryan Mulvany, BA ’09
Tracy (Munafo) Blanchar, PharmD ’07
2009 Erin (Millar) Barber, BA, and her husband, Alan, were married Aug. 22, 2015. The couple resides in Powell, Ohio. Catherine (Leugers) Collins, JD, is an assistant corporate counsel and corporate compliance officer at Franklin Electric Co. Inc. in Fort Wayne, Ind., where she also resides. Helen Davis, BA, published her debut novel, Cleopatra Unconquered, in November 2015. She resides in Casper, Wyo.
C L AS S N OT E S
Kayce Kasten, BA, JD ’12, is a staff attorney at SP Plus Corporation in Chicago, Ill. Bryan Mulvany, BA, has joined The Barker Team – HER Realtors in Grove City, Ohio. Autumn Steiner, BA, is a communications coordinator at the Humane Society of Sarasota County in Sarasota, Fla., where she also resides. Sarah (Buzard) Suffel, PharmD, and her husband, Josh, BSME ’05, welcomed a son, Aiden Cole, on Oct. 30, 2015. The family resides in Avon Lake, Ohio.
Alison (Huet), PharmD ’12, and Brandon Haas, PharmD ’10, JD ’12
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Catherine (Taylor), PharmD ’10, and Benjamin Miller, PharmD ’10
2010 Alan Bowsher, BS, is a postdoctoral research assistant at the University of Michigan in East Lansing, Mich. Jonathan Digby, BS, is completing a teaching fellowship at Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic in Osteopathic Manual Medicine in Harrogate, Tenn. Catherine (Taylor) Miller, PharmD, and her husband, Benjamin, PharmD, were married in fall 2015. Catherine works at Ariad Pharmaceuticals Inc. as a medical information specialist. The couple resides in Cambridge, Mass. Eric Rich, BSCS, and his wife, Rebecca, welcomed a daughter, Eleanor Elizabeth, on June 6, 2015. Eleanor joins siblings Rebecca, 4, and Reagan, 2. The Rich family resides in Raleigh, N.C.
Caitlin Rowland, BM, is a camp and outdoor experience manager for Girl Scouts in East Troy, Wis. Kenton Sneed, BA, is a corporate relations manager at Truman National Security Project in Washington, D.C. Katie (Heckerd) Wells, BSBA, was promoted to senior manager at Ruffalo Noel Levitz. Katie provides fundraising services to universities in Boston, Nashville, North Dakota, Indiana and Ohio. She resides in Columbus, Ohio. 2011 Brandon Haas, PharmD, JD ‘12, and his wife, Alison (Huet), PharmD ’12, were married Sept. 26, 2015. The couple resides in New Bremen, Ohio. Gregory Peltz II, JD, is an assistant prosecuting attorney at Lorain County Prosecutor in Elyria, Ohio.
Amy (Endres), PharmD ’11, and Zach Walton, BA ’06
Michelle (Mangan) Schroeder, PharmD, and her husband, Adam, BSME ’08, welcomed a son, Linus Gerhard, on July 10, 2015. The Schroeder family resides in Toledo, Ohio. Todd Sega, PharmD, and his wife, Katherine, were married Dec. 31, 2015. The couple resides in Raleigh, N.C. Jeff Sommers, BS, and his wife, Nikki (Carlo), BS ’12, were married August 29, 2015 in Cleveland Ohio. Amy (Endres) Walton, PharmD, and her husband, Zach, BA ’06, welcomed a daughter, Claire Elise, on March 4, 2016. The Walton family resides in West Chester, Ohio. Christopher Westrick, PharmD, is an ambulatory care pharmacist/Total Health and Wellness Center at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.
ALUMNI JOURNAL SUMMER 2016
2012 Erica (Trimbach) Bardon, BA, and her husband, Gerard, welcomed a son, Oren, on Sept. 25, 2015. Oren joins brother Oliver. The Bardon family resides in Columbus, Ohio. Alison (Huet) Haas, PharmD, and her husband, Brandon, PharmD ’10, JD, were married Sept. 26, 2015. The couple resides in New Bremen, Ohio. Lindsey Hallman, PharmD, is a pharmacist at UH Parma Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Kristine (Marquart) Henkener, BSBA, and her husband, Brian, were married Nov. 14, 2015. The couple resides in Hamilton, Ohio. Megan Kindred, BS, received a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine on May 7, 2016. Stacey (Tedrick) Locke, PharmD, and her husband Matthew, welcomed a daughter, Sadie Jean, on Sept. 21, 2015. The Locke family resides in South Charleston, Ohio.
Christopher Nawa, BSBA, is a registered associate with Morgan Stanley in Chicago, Ill.
Stephanie Makos, PharmD, is a pharmacist at CVS Pharmacy in Hilliard, Ohio.
Nikki (Carlo) Sommers, BS, and her husband, Jeff, BS ’11, were married Aug. 29, 2015, in Cleveland Ohio.
Onoriode Ominiabohs, BSBA, is a staff accountant at The Carlyle Group in Arlington, Va.
Savannah (Christopher) Willmore, PharmD, and her husband, Brandon, were married May 30, 2015. The couple resides in Halethorpe, Md. 2013 Brittni (Hill) Drake, PharmD, and her husband, Jonathan, welcomed a daughter, Kennedi, on June 11, 2015. The Drake family resides in Lesage, W.Va.
Melissa (Florio) Weickert, BSBA, and her husband, Phillip, were married Nov. 21, 2015. The couple resides in Cincinnati, Ohio.
2014 Joshua Cox, BS, is a thirdshift production manager at Schaeffler Group USA Inc. in Joplin, Mo., where he also resides. Bridget Davis, BSEE, was promoted to engineer at AEP. She also took a new position in AEP with the Standards, Policies and Procedures group in Abilene, Texas. Michael Walton, JD, was selected as one of 24 lawyers from Ohio to take part in the Ohio State Bar Association’s leadership academy.
Nikki (Carlo), BS ’12, and Jeff Sommers, BS ’11 2015 Chelsea Bellew, JD, recently accepted a position as an associate with Scott Wagner & Associates and relocated to West Palm Beach, Fla. She also has been appointed to the Judicial Administration and Evaluation Committee for the Florida Bar by the president of the Florida Bar. Jessica (Dunham) Brinkman, BA, and her husband, Jordan, were married Dec. 26, 2015. The couple resides in Fort Bragg, N.C. Brittany (Brock) Long, PharmD, and her husband, Daric, BS, were married May 23, 2015. The couple resides in Lima, Ohio.
Sara (Scheerer) Smith, PharmD, and her husband, Kyle, were married April 9, 2016. The couple resides in North Fairfield, Ohio. Abigail Thayer, BS, is a research assistant at University of Colorado Boulder in Boulder, Colo. Rebecca Wilson, PharmD, is a pharmacy manager at Rite Aid Corporation in Wadsworth, Ohio. 2016 Jordan Kimes, BFA, is working on a film titled A Spy Not Like Us, which tells the story of the first African-American secret service agent, John Scobell. The Civil War-era story is being filmed in locations near Ada and LaFayette, Ohio. Sabrina Newstead, BS, was accepted into the Royal College of Surgeons for medical school in Dublin, Ireland.
Megan (Walker), BSBA ’15, MPPA ’16, and Ryne Rich, BSBA ’16
Bridget Davis, BSEE ’14
C L AS S N OT E S
Ryne Rich, BSBA, and his wife, Megan (Walker), BSBA ’15, MPPA ’16, were married May 21, 2016, in Clayton, Ohio. ◆
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Matthew Pallay, JD, graduated with distinction from Tulane Law School’s Admiralty LLM Program in May 2015, and as of November 2015, he was hired as an associate at Freehill, Hogan and Mahar in New York City, N.Y.
Melissa (Florio) Weickert, BSBA ’13
Megan (Walker) Rich, BSBA, MPPA ’16, and her husband, Ryne, BSBA ’16, were married May 21, 2016, in Clayton, Ohio. The couple resides in Findlay, Ohio.
REMEMBERING THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE
1955
Donald A. Cope, BSPh, Fairlawn, Ohio, April 14, 2016.
Carol Ann (Miller) Anderson, BSEd, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., May 1, 2016.
Richard E. Johnson, BSPh, Portland, Ore., April 21, 2016. 1953 Everett S. Kirk Jr., BSCE, Lima, Ohio, Feb. 15, 2016.
1936
1947
Ruby Lillian (Carman) Heckathorn, AA, Lima, Ohio, Feb. 15, 2016.
Mildred (Williams) Kristoffersen, BA, Columbus, Ohio, Jan. 19, 2016.
James W. Steil, BSPh, Zanesville, Ohio, Nov. 28, 2015.
1939
1948
Ronald L. Trauger, BSME, North Canton, Ohio, April 9, 2016.
Ludwell L. Binkley, BA, Lebanon, Ohio, Nov. 19, 2014.
Lowell Raymond Butler, BSPh, Westerville, Ohio, Nov. 30, 2015.
1954
1941
Ralph G. Rees, BSPh, Geneva, Ohio, Dec. 17, 2015.
Joseph G. Hohman, BSPh, Vermilion, Ohio, Dec. 28, 2015.
Karl F. Wellman, BSPh, Vandalia, Ohio, May 5, 2015.
William R. Hughes, BSEd, JD ’59, Spring, Texas, April 15, 2016.
1949
Hazel F. McGinnis, BSEd, Belle Center, Ohio, April 23, 2016.
Earl W. Bosse, BSME, Boca Raton, Fla., April 26, 2016. 1943 32
1952
Virginia E. Bovenizer, BSPh, Bluefield, W. Va., Nov. 16, 2015. Doris T. Richardson, BSEd, Sloatsburg, N.Y., Oct. 1, 2015. Veldine (Vaughn) Welty, BA, Summerfield, Fla., Nov. 4, 2015. 1944 Norman K. Blair, BA, Bend, Ore., April 20, 2016. Ruth L. Clark, BA, Mansfield, Ohio, May 28, 2015. Kenneth L. Crawford, BA, Sebastian, Fla., March 20, 2016. 1946 Virginia (St. Louis) Shafer, BA, Rushsylvania, Ohio, Nov. 25, 2015. Wendy (Focht) King Koops, BA, ACIT ’95, Pittsburgh, Pa., Dec. 6, 2015.
Richard W. Malcolm, BA, Gilbert, Ariz., Dec. 22, 2014. Barbara Ann (Bowers) Ward, BSPh, Eastlake, Ohio, Jan. 7, 2016. 1956 Marilyn L. Fetter, BSEd, Maple Grove, Minn., Nov. 21, 2015. Charles E. Marker, JD, Greensburg, Pa., March 11, 2016. William L. Phipps, BSME, Cincinnati, Ohio, Nov. 22, 2015. Carl Richard Roose Jr., BSPh, Middlefield, Ohio, Dec. 23, 2015. Gene E. Willeke, BA, BSCE ’57, Oxford, Ohio, Jan. 31, 2016.
Donald E. Ammon, BSBA, Cridersville, Ohio, May 7, 2016. Pinckney J. Brewer Jr., BSCE, Miamiville, Ohio, Aug. 22, 2015. Lester L. Johnston, BSME, Newark, Ohio, Feb. 8, 2016. Wilbur D. Klutch, BSME, New Carlisle, Ohio, April 13, 2016. Melvin L. Smith, BSCE, Norton, Ohio, Jan. 12, 2016. 1951 David Richard Cryder, BA, Chalfont, Pa., March 11, 2016. William H. Hammel, BSPh, Massillon, Ohio, Dec. 4, 2015. William C. Miller, BA, Huber Heights, Ohio, Nov. 28, 2015.
Nellie M. Hoghe, BSBA ’39, passed away Feb. 9, 2016, at Vancrest of Van Wert in Van Wert, Ohio. Hoghe graduated from Ohio Northern with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1939. She applied her education for more than 37 years in the accounting department of the Continental Can Co. in Van Wert. At ONU, she was a member of the Association of University Women, a lifetime member of the Lehr Society and a member of the Heritage Society. Following her passing, her estate, which included 480 acres of land, set a record for farmland in Van Wert County at auction. In total, Hoghe’s bequest to Ohio Northern totaled nearly $5 million and will impact generations of students. In addition to her love of Northern, Hoghe was active in the Van Wert VFW and American Legion auxiliaries, and she was a life member of Van Wert Daughters of the American Revolution. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Van Wert.
ALUMNI JOURNAL SUMMER 2016
1957 Vincent Leo Kavanaugh, BSPh, Beech Grove, Ind., Dec. 25, 2015. Robert G. Miller, BSCE, Overland Park, Kan., April 1, 2016. Nina (Reynolds) Sherman, JD, Toledo, Ohio, Jan. 21, 2016. Phyllis Jean (Shaffer) Weibel, AA, Shiloh, Ohio, Jan. 21, 2016. Gene E. Willeke, BA’56, BSCE, Oxford, Ohio, Jan. 31, 2016. 1959
Dr. Ervin “Erv” W. Pierstorf, Hon. D. ’78, passed away Aug. 12, 2016, at the age of 100 at his home in Rocky River, Ohio. A Cleveland native, Pierstorf earned his pharmacy degree from Western Reserve University in 1940. When Western Reserve closed its pharmacy school, Pierstorf “wanted and needed a pharmacy home,” so he selected ONU’s College of Pharmacy for this honor. Pierstorf became a member of ONU’s Board of Trustees in 1981 and remained a life trustee until his passing. He received an honorary degree from Ohio Northern University in 1978 and was made an honorary member of the class of 1953. He and his wife, Florence, established the Dr. and Mrs. Ervin W. Pierstorf Scholarship Fund in 1989. Pierstorf, his family, and his dear friend, Vern Hakes, PH C ’33, Hon. D. ’76, are responsible for the Hakes-Pierstorf Family Pharmacy Education Center, dedicated in 2006. The center is home to the Pierstorf Museum, which offers a historical view of the pharmaceutical profession. Pierstorf served as a charter member of the West Shore Pharmacy Association, president of the Cleveland Academy of Pharmacy, and member of the Board of Directors of the Ohio State Pharmaceutical Association.
William R. Hughes, BSEd ’54, JD, Spring, Texas, April 15, 2016. Herman E. Hunt, BSPh, JD ’69, Columbus, Ohio, April 14, 2016. Victor D. LaMarco, BSPh, Campbell, Ohio, March 12, 2016.
John H. Day, BSEE, Humble, Texas, March 12, 2016. Richard L. Lhamon, BSEd, Elida, Ohio, May 5, 2016. Eugene Nedilsky, BA, Lima, Ohio, Dec. 7, 2014. 1961 John R. Boger, BSEd, Caledonia, Ohio, May 10, 2016. John D. Butcher, BSEd, Montpelier, Ohio, May 2, 2016. Charles Melvin Shoff, BSPh, Fort Walton Beach, Fla., Dec. 11, 2015. Roger Jay Stauffer Jr., BSEd, New Bremen, Ohio, May 9, 2016. John J. Foldery, BA, Clinton, Ohio, Jan. 21, 2016.
1967
Thomas H. Shields, BSPh, Richwood, Ohio, April 18, 2016.
Carolyn Arlene (Snook) Jenkinson, BSEd, Springfield, Va., March 4, 2016.
1964 James C. King, BSEd, JD ’67, Lima, Ohio, April 19, 2016. 1965 Jerry L. Franz, BS, Burleson, Texas, Dec. 10, 2015. Richard L. Senff, BSPh, Wooster, Ohio, March 28, 2016. Thomas L. Thomas, BSEd, Coldwater, Ohio, March 5, 2016. Susan Kay (Martin) Vogt, BA, Seminole, Fla., May 5, 2016.
James F. Leonard, BA, Springfield, Ohio, May 1, 2016.
James C. King, BSEd ’64, JD, Lima, Ohio, April 19, 2016.
Robert Brian Wallot, BSPh, Bellville, Ohio, Dec. 22, 2015.
1968
1972
Gerald E. Huffman, BA, Lebanon, Ohio, June 15, 2015.
M. Daniel Berry, JD, Lima, Ohio, Dec. 25, 2015.
Geraldine C. Krieger, BSEd, Cleveland, Ohio, May 7, 2016.
1973
Alma Mae (Schwieterman) Makley, BSEd, Saint Marys, Ohio, March 28, 2016. 1969
1966
Charlene E. Brogan, JD, Edgewater, Md., Dec. 3, 2015.
Vincent N. DePascale, JD, Upper Arlington, Ohio, April 21, 2016.
Herman E. Hunt, BSPh ’59, JD, Columbus, Ohio, April 14, 2016.
Joseph W. Ostafi III, BSEd, Jacksonville, Fla., April 25, 2016.
1971
Paul R. Pack, BSEd, New Castle, Pa., Dec. 30, 2015.
Jon William Ferrall, BSEE, Lompoc, Calif., Jan. 23, 2016.
Mary E. Evilsizor, BSEd, Bellefontaine, Ohio, May 17, 2016.
IN MEMORIAM
June W. Brown, BA, Savannah, Ga., June 4, 2011. Frederick L. Scheck, JD, Upper Sandusky, Ohio, May 15, 2016. 1975 Craig Miller Cluxton, BSPh, Manchester, Ohio, Jan. 18, 2016. Robert Rusk Morgan, BA, Newcomerstown, Ohio, May 2, 2015. 1976 Michael Ray Lingo, BA, East Lansing, Mich., Dec. 9, 2015.
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1960
1963
34
Dr. John Richard Grunder, BSPh ’59, passed away May 6, 2016, in Norman, Okla. Grunder graduated with a Bachelor of Science in pharmacy from Ohio Northern in 1959 and earned his Ph.D. from Purdue University in 1964. In 1966, he became an assistant professor of medicinal chemistry at Oklahoma University College of Pharmacy, where he taught for more than 25 years. For the last 10 years of his tenure at Oklahoma University, Grunder also served the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy as director of student services. As a student at ONU, he was active in the Rho Chi Society and Kappa Psi, and as an alumnus, he became a member of the Lehr Society and Heritage Society. Grunder left a substantial legacy to Ohio Northern to be used to further the career of deserving students in the Raabe College of Pharmacy.
1977
1990
Glen Curtis Montgomery, BA, Newark, Ohio, Feb. 3, 2016.
Lisa Ann (Detmon) Recker, BA, Antwerp, Ohio, Jan. 31, 2016.
Barry Philip Smith, BSME, Gonzales, La., March 17, 2016.
1993
1978
William Marshall Gardner, JD, Florence, Ala., May 13, 2016.
Robert Scott McCunn, BSPh, New Bern, N.C., Dec. 28, 2015.
Kelly Ann (Welsh) Greene, BSPh, Island Falls, M.E., Jan. 24, 2016.
1980
2001
Regina L. Blair-Yeakley, BSPh, Greenfield, Ohio, May 5, 2016.
J. Erik Anstrom, JD, Boardman, Ohio, Feb. 5, 2016.
1985
2009
Susan Marie (George) Garee, BSBA, Elida, Ohio, Jan. 3, 2016.
Gabriel William Poland, JD, Findlay, Ohio, Jan. 27, 2016.
1987
FRIENDS
Michele Lynn (Mauri) Stigliano, BSPh, Hermitage, Pa., Jan. 23, 2016.
Richard Lasko, Ada, Ohio, Dec. 24, 2015.
1989
Lova Ann Brown, Cairo, Ohio, Dec. 25, 2015.
Gregory A. Mizerik, BSME, Akron, Ohio, Jan. 17, 2016.
Marilyn K. (Karer) Maier, Ada, Ohio, Dec. 25, 2015.
Betty Jane Plummer, Ada, Ohio, Jan. 19, 2016.
Ronald J. Coleman, Cincinnati, Ohio, March 16, 2016.
Steven B. Swick, Lima, Ohio, Jan. 21, 2016.
Betty L. (Patrick) Smith, Jamestown, Ohio, March 19, 2016.
Leo R. Maier Jr., Arlington, Ohio, Feb. 3, 2016. Sarah M. Defenderfer, Brighton, Mich., Feb. 6, 2016. Marian L. (Jurllard) Randels, Greenville, Mich., Feb. 22, 2016. Norma Jean (Perers) Wellman, Vandalia, Ohio, Feb. 24, 2016. Della Thompson, Ada, Ohio, March 5, 2016.
Leona L. Floyd, Cincinnati, Ohio, April 4, 2016. John H. Willey, Des Moines, Iowa, April 7, 2016. Dale LeRoy Wilhelm, Columbus, Ohio, April 8, 2016. Grace A. (Craw) Woofter, Hartford, Ohio, April 29, 2016. ◆
Delbert L. Latta, LLB ’44, AB ’50, Hon. D. ’83, passed away May 12, 2016, at Wood Haven Nursing Home in Bowling Green, Ohio, after an extended illness. Latta graduated from Ohio Northern with both bachelor’s and law degrees and later taught at the University. He served in the Ohio National Guard and the U.S. Army from 1938-41, and the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve from 194243. In 1952, Latta successfully ran for the Ohio Senate, where he served three two-year terms before seeking and winning Ohio’s Fifth District Congressional primary from a crowded field of candidates, ultimately winning the seat that he held successfully for 15 terms. During his 30 years of congressional service, he served on the agriculture, export controls, judiciary, budget and rules committees. By special appointment, he was selected to serve on the House Judiciary Committee for the Watergate hearings. His position as ranking member of the budget committee, from its inception in 1975, earned him one of the eight leadership slots of the Republican Leadership Committee, allowing him to meet weekly with President Ronald Reagan. In 1981, he co-authored the Gramm-Latta Bill, which became the impetus for President Reagan’s economic plan. A staunch conservative, Latta worked diligently to protect the taxpayers from increased taxes. This philosophy, coupled with his hard work, resulted in numerous awards, among them 16 Golden Bulldog Awards from the Watchdogs of the Treasury.
ALUMNI JOURNAL SUMMER 2016
THE NORTHERN FUND NOT ONLY SUPPORTS AND CREATES OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS, BUT ALSO PROVIDES A LASTING IMPACT ON THEIR LIVES.
WHEN YOU GIVE: o You fund scholarships and financial aid to reward achievement and meet economic needs
o You enable campus improvements for personalized, powerful learning and living environments The Northern Fund will see that your gift is used to meet the University’s emerging opportunities and greatest need. Make your gift today. Make it for the students so that their thoughts and dreams are unclouded by financial barriers. Make it now so that this year can be their best year.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF
OHIO NORTHERN UNIVERSITY
THE NORTHERN FUND
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o You support faculty who ensure the best in teaching and research
ALUMNI
J OU R NAL Ohio Northern University Office of Alumni Relations 525 South Main Street Ada, OH 45810
Polar Bear
STATE OF MIND
HOMECOMING 2016 Register online at alumni.onu.edu/2016Homecoming by Friday, Oct. 14, or contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 419-772-2727.