SUMMER 2018
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THE DARK NIGHT
ONU’S CRUSADERS AGAINST LIGHT POLLUTION
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REACHING FOR THE STARS ALUMNI FUEL THE NEW SPACE RACE
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ROLE REVERSAL FROM ADA TO HOLLYWOOD
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Photo courtesy of Jason Pinkney
Star light, star bright‌ This issue of ONU Magazine is full of them. And with all the talk of stars, both figurative and literal, we asked professor of physics and astronomy Dr. Jason Pinkney to share some photographs taken at the ONU Observatory. About the cover: Ohio Northern University’s Dr. Bryan Boulanger has become a folk hero to many in the dark sky movement due to his unrelenting passion for limiting the impact of development on natural places. As a professor and chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Boulanger has included ONU students in projects at many U.S. National Parks, especially Yellowstone, that aim to reduce light pollution and preserve the natural night sky.
SUMMER 2018
CONTENTS FEATURES
/10 FAMILY RESEMBLANCE THREE SIBLINGS AND ONE BEAR
/12 ’18
,
THE SEARCH FOR THE ULTIMATE ANSWER
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/14 THE DARK NIGHT ONU’S CRUSADERS AGAINST LIGHT POLLUTION
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n, so n De rk. h is a l Pa Jo na th atio i w n eN tio ton a s c lo w n ello O Y at
CE BS
EXTRATERRESTRIAL EXCLAMATION
/23 REACHING FOR THE STARS ALUMNI FUEL THE NEW SPACE RACE
/26 ROLE REVERSAL FROM ADA TO HOLLYWOOD, A BUSINESS DEGREE CAN REALLY TAKE YOU PLACES
COLLEGE NEWS
/31 ARTS & SCIENCES NEWS /32 BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION NEWS /33 ENGINEERING NEWS /34 LAW NEWS /35 PHARMACY NEWS
INBOX A-LISTER
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Rose Previte, BA ’03, is having a very good 2018. Her new restaurant, Maydan, is the beltway hotspot. How hot, you ask? Eater.com christened Previte and her team “The Fire Gods of Washington, D.C.,” for their searing take on North African and Middle Eastern cuisine. Washingtonian magazine lists Maydan at No. 17 in its ranking of the 100 very best restaurants, and it was featured in Food & Wine’s May 2018 “Restaurants of the Year” issue. Previte herself even graced the cover of The Washington Post’s spring dining guide, which placed Maydan No. 6 on its list of the top 30 capital eateries. Maydan is Previte’s follow-up to the acclaimed Compass Rose, which she opened in D.C. in 2014.◆
GREAT IDEA, JIM! Attention, amateur photographers. Send your favorite shots of the theme “ONU in nature” to magazine@onu.edu, and we’ll post our favorite in the next issue’s INBOX.◆
Say what? When our inbox overflows, some of it spills onto the pages of ONU Magazine. Send letters,
POLAR BEARS TRAINING DUCKS? Senior exercise physiology majors and longtime friends Corey Briggs and William Rankin both dream of becoming NCAA Division I strength and conditioning coaches. This summer, they got a sneak peek at that dream as strength and conditioning interns for the University of Oregon football team. Read all about it.◆
story tips and quirky news bits with an ONU connection to
magazine@onu.edu
BEACH BEARS Taylor Miller, BS ’16, and Kody Bellamy, BA ’16, fly the ONU flag in St. Kitts, where Miller studies at Ross University Veterinary School.◆
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OHIO NORTHERN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
Dear alumni and friends,
President Daniel A. DiBiasio
First of all, my heartfelt thanks are extended to the many of you who expressed kind words regarding the inaugural issue of the ONU Magazine. Everyone involved in its debut worked very hard to create a publication that speaks for all of ONU. We are delighted that you found the magazine so praiseworthy, and the staff is committed to exceeding the high bar set by the winter 2018 issue.
Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs Maria Cronley Vice President for Financial Affairs William H. Ballard Vice President for Enrollment Management William Eilola Vice President for University Advancement Shannon Spencer
Secondly, you may recall that, a year ago in this space, I referenced one of our outstanding student-athletes, Emily Richards, BS ’18, who was the subject of a story in the summer 2017 issue titled “The Athlete To Watch.” Those words were prophetic because Emily gave us an incredible final season to cap off an amazing athletic career.
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 Executive Director of Communications and Marketing Amy Prigge, BSBA ’94 Alumni Journal Editors Josh Alkire Senior Writer and Editor Barbara (Long) Meek, BA ’90 Director of Alumni Relations
Laura Germann Writer Brian Paris Associate Director of Communications and Marketing Art and Design Nancy Burnett Art Director Rebecca Carman, BFA ’17 Graphic and Digital Designer
Emily Richards is one of our brightest Polar Bear stars, and in this issue you will learn about other Polar Bear stars and ways that members of the Northern community are involved in reaching beyond the stars. You will also learn about how the University went back to the future this year to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic speech on campus with the dedication of a life-size bronze statue to honor King’s civil rights legacy. It was a day of pride and a day to remind us that there is more we can do to fulfill our University’s motto, Ex Diversitate Vires or “out of diversity strength.”
Photography Trevor Jones University Photographer
As we move closer to our sesquicentennial year celebration, we will have more opportunities to recognize the ONU innovators, dreamers and leaders who are responsible for many enduring legacies. They, too, reached for the stars, as do our students today, which is why we say to prospective students, only half-jokingly, that at ONU it’s easy to reach for the stars when you can actually see them.
Send Class Notes via email to: alumni@onu.edu
Let’s all keep reaching so that ONU can advance.
POSTMASTER Send address changes to: ONU MAGAZINE 525 S. Main St., Ada, OH 45810-1599 ONU MAGAZINE is published by Ohio Northern University, 525 S. Main St., Ada, Ohio 45810-1599. Phone: 419-772-2000 Fax: 419-772-2932
Best regards,
Dan DiBiasio President
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
FROM THE PRESIDENT
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Sheila Baumgartner Associate Director of Communications and Marketing
A two-time First-Team Academic All-American, Emily’s historic final season featured all-time Division III records in the 800-meter run in both indoor and outdoor track and field seasons. She won four national championships (in the indoor and outdoor 800, the indoor one-mile and outdoor 1,500) and was a five-time All-American. Emily ends her career as the most decorated student-athlete in ONU history, a nine-time NCAA champion and a 13-time All-American. She excelled in the classroom as well, graduating summa cum laude with a degree in chemistry.
CAMPUS NEWS DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS
During last June’s Alumni Weekend, ONU’s Alumni Association presented Distinguished Alumni Awards to Rick Keyes, BSPh ’92, Sheri Stoltenberg, BA ’81, and Randall Myers, BSPh ’82. These awards recognize alumni who have demonstrated excellence in their professions, service to their communities and loyalty to their alma mater.
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Keyes is currently president and CEO of Meijer Inc., a retailer that employs more than 70,000 individuals and operates 235 supercenters in six states. He was appointed president in 2015 and was named the first non-Meijer family member CEO in January 2017. Stoltenberg is founder and CEO of Stoltenberg Consulting Inc. in Pittsburgh, Pa. She has spent more than 30 years in the health care industry in both clinical support and information technology management.◆
FIRST ALUMNI SERVICE AWARDS
Myers is currently president, owner and director of pharmacy services of Harry’s Pharmacy Inc. in Carey, Ohio. He has worked with Harry’s Pharmacy since graduating from college and then purchased the business from his father in 1990.◆
ONU’s Alumni Weekend in June saw the introduction of the University’s Alumni Service Awards, which were presented to Rodney Thompson, BA ’69, and Mary Jo Bremyer-Krebs, BSPh ’45. These awards recognize alumni who serve the University in a volunteer capacity and whose dedication epitomizes the spirit of ONU. After earning a chemistry degree from ONU, Thompson embarked on a lengthy career as an educator and coach. He has assisted ONU with staffing college fairs, and he
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has served as chair of the Arts & Sciences Advisory Board, two-time president of the ONU Alumni Board, and an ad hoc member of the ONU Board of Trustees. Bremyer-Krebs earned a degree in pharmacy from ONU in 1945. She annually hosts the longest-running regional alumni event in Ohio Northern’s history at the Venice Yacht Club. She also has been a mentor to the leadership in the ONU College of Pharmacy, a member of the Heritage Club and an annual member of the Lehr Society.◆
THE BEST OF THE BEST
Rev. Bernard LaFayette Jr.
MLK STATUE UNVEILING Christopher E. Manning
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Ohio Northern has dedicated a statue The statue, which depicts King behind celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King the podium delivering his speech to Jr.’s speech on campus 50 years ago. campus, was created by sculptor Tad McKillop, who also created the The keynote speaker at the special sculpture of ONU founder Henry unveiling ceremony on April 17 Solomon Lehr located between Hill was the Rev. Bernard LaFayette Memorial and James F. Dicke Hall. Jr., who worked alongside King At 6 feet, 5 inches tall and weighing and has devoted his life to King’s more than 700 pounds, the King final instructions to him in 1968 to statue is located in the area between “institutionalize and internationalize Taft Hall and the Tilton Hall of Law nonviolence.” Also speaking was and was funded by donors. historian Christopher E. Manning, who provided national context of In one of his last appearances on a the time period when King spoke college or university campus, King at ONU. Manning is an associate spoke in ONU’s Taft Gymnasium on professor of history and assistant Jan. 11, 1968. He was assassinated in provost on academic diversity at April 1968.◆ Loyola University Chicago.
Tad McKillop
CAMPUS NEWS
Ohio Northern track and field athletes had a very successful 2018! At the NCAA Division III indoor track and field championships held in March, Emily Richards, BS '18, won national championships in the 800-meter run and the one-mile run, while Matt Molinaro, BS '18, won a national championship in the 800-meter run. At the NCAA Division III outdoor track and field championships in May, Richards won two more national titles (800-meter run, 1,500-meter run), and junior Maddy Reed won a national championship in the pole vault.◆
CAMPUS NEWS
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Sustained giving leads to Lehr Society for the Swagers Dr. Robert G. Swager, BA ’54, and his wife, Christine, have shown that it’s never too late to start giving. Swager earned his Bachelor of Arts in psychology and sociology from Northern in 1954. Yet it wasn’t until 1985 that he made his first gift to his alma mater. From that point on, the couple never stopped. After more than 30 years of annual giving, the Swagers became life members of the Lehr Society in fall 2017.
BUTLER FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP CONTINUES MULTI-GENERATIONAL CONNECTION WITH ONU
Although he didn’t immediately give back to Northern, Robert has always maintained a healthy spirit of generosity. Before enrolling at ONU, he served in the U.S. Army for four years. After ONU, he attended the Iliff School of Theology in Denver and received a master’s degree in 1957. He then returned to active duty in the Army as a chaplain. He retired from the Army in 1973 and became an instructor at Camden Military Academy until 1978. Placing a priority on education, he also received a diploma from the Command and General Staff College, a Master of Arts from Hampton University, and an Education Specialist degree (Ed.S.) from the University of South Carolina. He eventually retired from Coker College as director of military programs and assistant professor of psychology.
The Butler family has continued its multi-generational relationship with Ohio Northern University through the establishment of a scholarship endowment. In all, 11 members of the Butler family have attended ONU, a legacy that spans five generations and goes back to the 1890s.
A native of Canada, Christine is an expert on the American Revolutionary War. She’s written six books of her own and is often asked to contribute to the publications of others. Since his retirement from Coker College, Robert has worked full-time scheduling Christine’s numerous book signings, lectures and television appearances across the country. Christine has a number of advanced degrees, as well: a bachelor’s degree from Kent State University, a master’s degree from the University of Denver, and a Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina-Columbia.
On Founders Day, brothers Steve, Christopher and Col. Mark Butler, BSPh ’80, were on hand to officially sign the agreement for the Butler Family Endowed Pharmacy and Education Scholarship at ONU. The brothers are the great-grandsons of Dora Koontz Butler and Fred Luther Butler, BSPh 1892. Pharmacy College dean Steven Martin and ONU President Dan DiBiasio accepted the scholarship on behalf of the University.◆
The Swagers have three adult children and one granddaughter. They live in Moore, S.C. ONU vice president for advancement Shannon Spencer and University Trustee Cheryl Cotner presented the Swagers with their Lehr Society vase at their home.◆
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FOUNDERS DAY Thank you! Alumni from across the years, miles and programs celebrated Ohio Northern’s Founders Day on April 11. Founders Day is an annual day of community celebration and giving that recognizes one of Ohio Northern’s early educators. This year, we celebrated the contributions of professor John Gamble Park, who served the University from 1871 to 1913.
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On Founders Day this year, 661 donors contributed $160,645 to enhance the student experience. We are so thankful for this support.◆
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Polar Bears in the wild
SIGMA PI RETURNS TO ONU
Polar Bears are everywhere, and you never know where you might spot evidence of Ohio Northern University. Nestled among the leather and leopard print of the “Heavy Metal” exhibit inside downtown Cleveland’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, one can spot an original, unused ticket for the Kiss, James Gang and Rush concert at Ohio Northern in May 1975. As we’ve detailed in these very pages, Rush never showed up. But Kiss certainly did, leaving ringing ears, confused community members and scorched basketball nets in its wake. Have you recently spotted any Polar Bears in the wild? If so, please send any evidence to magazine@onu.edu.◆
In April, the Zeta Chapter and Zeta Alumni Association of Sigma Pi Fraternity International formally brought the fraternity back to campus after a five-year absence. The program, which included an Initiatory Ritual and Chartering Banquet, was attended by current and former members and emceed by Don Beal, BSEd ’63. Sigma Pi’s Zeta Chapter had 43 members last year.◆
CAMPUS NEWS
FAMILY RESEMBLANCE
to get out of. “What kind of magic powers does she have?” she would wonder. Something was definitely not adding up.
TO OHIO NORTHERN UNIVERSITY ALUMNI, UNIVERSITY MASCOT KLONDIKE /10
EMBODIES SCHOOL SPIRIT, TRADITION AND A BIT OF MYSTERY. TO THE BERRY FAMILY, HE MEANS ALL OF THESE THINGS – PLUS SO MUCH MORE. Siblings Joanne Berry, BS ’14, Nicole Berry, BS ’16, and Adam Berry, BSME ’18, have followed in each other’s footsteps their entire lives. Each born two years apart, they’ve made a name for the Berry family wherever they go and have upheld its positive reputation well. During their time at Ohio Northern University, they’ve also shared another very special identity. And that name is Klondike. No one on campus has more star power than ONU’s mascot, and posing as the face of Ohio Northern has become a rite of passage for the Berry family. Although each of them has chosen to pursue different paths after graduation – Joanne conducts clinical optical research in Boston, Nicole is working on her master’s in biology studying lakes, and Adam has stepped out into the
engineering industry – their time spent in the suit is a common thread that bonds them in a unique way and continues to keep them connected to this day. They enjoy reliving their memories when they’re together, and no Berry family get-together is complete without the telling of “Klondike stories.”
else in the family knew except for their parents, Bryan and Susan. That’s not to say there weren’t any “hints,” though. Second-oldest Nicole remembers many an occasion when her sister’s whereabouts were shrouded in mystery.
But it wasn’t always that way. Being Klondike is such a closely guarded secret that not even the portrayer’s closest friends can know the truth. There are no tryouts; only those noticed by current Klondikes are recruited for the job. Students are only allowed to reveal themselves upon graduating. There are, however, a few exceptions.
“I took pictures with Klondike once, and for a second, I thought she might be in the suit. I didn’t know she was Klondike at the time,” Nicole says. “I thought about it again afterwards when I saw her leaving, and I was like, ‘You’re Klondike!’ and she was like, ‘No, I’m just the helper at the Alumni House. It’s for a friend.’ It wasn’t a total lie, but it wasn’t really true either because she was definitely in the suit.”
When Joanne, the oldest Berry sibling, first became Klondike, nobody
Nicole was also astounded by how many parking tickets Joanne seemed
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Then, Nicole received an ominous mystery email requesting a meeting in a random classroom. She had no idea that she was about to enter into the family’s “secret circle.” It was during this meeting that Joanne finally revealed her secret identity, and suddenly, all of those suspicious incidents started to make more sense to Nicole. Their younger brother Adam was in the dark the whole time, making him the only person in the family who didn’t know – until his freshman year at ONU when he, too, received a mystery email. Comically, Nicole nearly blew her cover. “She sent the email but accidentally emailed me from her personal account, and I was like, ‘Wait a second…’” Adam says. Of course, when he was finally extended the invitation to be Klondike, it was a no-brainer decision. His sisters were thrilled. All three siblings’ experiences as
you give up all identity to get the rah-rah and the cheering going – to help the school.”
The Berrys: (From left) Joanne, Adam and Nicole.
“It helps that we are fortunately very charismatic people, so it’s easier because that’s a quality you look for in Klondike,” Joanne says. “That they’re not afraid to go out of their comfort zone, that they are friendly and genuine. Klondike needs to be embodied and involved.” Masquerading as the face of the University is definitely fun and unique, but it’s also an act of service unlike anything else. Mom Susan puts it best: “I think Klondike is just a cool concept because when they’re playing sports, they’re out there. Their faces are out there, their achievements are out there,” she says about her children. “But when you’re Klondike,
“We challenge the kids to always leave a positive mark, wherever they go,” he says. “When you think about it, what is more positive at this school than Klondike? And that’s what they’ve done in the years that they’ve been here. They’ve left a nameless positive mark.” In retrospect, the siblings have not taken this charge lightly. “Every school that we’ve gone to, we have literally left our name in the school, like on a plaque somewhere,” Nicole says. “I think ONU is the first school that we have not left our name somewhere, and I think that Klondike is really our culmination, our signature. It’s funny because it’s a nameless society. We relinquish our identities to take on Klondike’s and fill that character, and so I think, in a way, that is still keeping our tradition of leaving our mark, by not leaving it.”◆
FA M I LY R E S E M B L A N C E
Ohio Northern’s Polar Bear mascot was officially christened “Klondike” in 1998, making it 20 years since our mascot was introduced as we know him today. Prior to this, the mascot went by several different names – Pipey, Pippa and Malcolm, to name a few. This was before the days when those who portrayed Klondike were sworn to secrecy.
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Minus the name, however, the Polar Bear mascot goes all the way back to the early 20th century. In March 1923, the Polar Bear was officially chosen by an overwhelming vote of the student body to personify the spirit of ONU, replacing the goat. Through the years, Klondike has undergone many makeovers and changed with the passing eras, but one thing has always been the same – he’s always represented with great integrity the strength and the character that are so distinctive of Ohio Northern University. Klondike’s 100th birthday is quickly approaching, and the Office of Alumni Relations is in the process of gathering the names of alumni who have portrayed him over the years in preparation for a Klondike reunion celebration in 2023. If you’re a former Klondike or Polar Bear mascot, please connect with us at magazine@onu. edu to share your favorite stories from your time in the suit.◆
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Klondike have been similar, but different. Each Klondike adds his or her own spin to the mascot and decides where and when he appears. But there are several “Klondike struggles” that are universal, like how to safely handle babies, something Adam was faced with his very first time in the suit, or the number of high-fives that go unanswered by Klondike because there is no peripheral vision inside the suit. The stories go on and on, and they’ve become a part of the family’s overall culture.
Watching from an omniscient perspective, dad Bryan has experienced both great amusement and great pride as the father of three Klondikes. He watched with a chuckle as he saw a nervous Adam, who had no idea yet about his siblings’ moonlighting gig, loosen up during his freshman orientation as soon as his sister – er, Klondike – walked in. He watched from the bleachers during football games as his children brought school spirit through the roof, giving the team the boost in morale it needed. “That’s my kid representing the school,” he would think to himself.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
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Extraterrestrial Exclamation On Aug. 15, 1977, it is completely possible that something or even someone from beyond the stars reached out to Earth and said hello. On that day in Delaware, Ohio, for 72 seconds, Ohio State University’s Big Ear radio telescope detected an unusually strong narrowband radio signal from the constellation Sagittarius. The signal was noteworthy because the project that the Big Ear telescope was undertaking was focused on one thing, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Despite the Big Ear’s redundant system, the signal was only detected the one time and has not been detected since, even with the benefit of today’s superior technology. For the past 40 years, people have been trying to explain one of science’s most intriguing mysteries. Dubbed the Wow! signal, due to astronomer Jerry R. Ehman’s handwritten exclamation next to the series of numbers on the computer printout that recorded the signal data, it remains the strongest candidate for an alien radio transmission ever detected. A new documentary film with a strong Ohio Northern University connection is not only seeking answers to the Wow! signal, but also sheds light on the fascinating history of radio astronomy and the ongoing search for life beyond Earth. Next Future Films, a nonprofit production company started by ONU Trustee Dr. James Lehr Kennedy, teamed up with documentary filmmaker and former ONU videographer Bob Dawson and writer Michael Shaw to produce Wow Signal. With Aug. 15, 1977, as its fulcrum, the film tells the history of radio astronomy in the United States, particularly the origination of the famed Big Ear telescope, and then accounts for the next 40 years of scientific debate over the Wow! signal and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). The film’s sincere scientific approach was important to the filmmakers. In some circles, the Wow! signal is on par with the purported 1947 UFO crash in Roswell, N.M., and Bigfoot sightings. In other words, those who study it
“want to believe.” But that is not the case in Wow Signal. “It could’ve gone in that direction, and that’s the thing that neither Bob nor I wanted to do,” says Kennedy. “There’s no making fun of anybody in our film. These are sincere people who want to find an answer.” Experts from across the field of astronomy appear in the film, and their opinions on the signal differ significantly. The film presents the Photo courtesy of Ohio History Connection. evidence one needs to see the Wow! signal in its entirety, but even beyond that, the film speaks to much larger themes. It captures our desire to not be alone in the universe. It poignantly shows the life cycle of a tremendous discovery that leaves a lump in your throat at the end. It makes a strong case for the importance of funding scientific research. “I think that’s kind of an allegory to where we’re at today. I’m 70 years old, and when I grew up, we were all concerned about Sputnik, and science was a matter of patriotism. You learned science and math because that was how we were going to beat the Russians,” says Kennedy. “Basic research was really, really important. Answering the cosmic questions was really important.” Kennedy founded Next Future Films to produce scientific documentaries for museums and science centers that can help rekindle the public’s understanding and appreciation of science. In March, ONU’s Astronomy Club
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and Dr. Jason Pinkney, professor of physics, hosted a screening of Wow Signal on campus followed by a Q&A with Dawson and Shaw. The film was a finalist at the 2017 Raw Science Film Festival and an official selection at the Roswell Film Festival. All profits from it will be used to produce more Next Future Films that will continue Kennedy’s mission.
“The other reason we’re on this planet, other than being kind to each other, is to try and answer these questions,” he says. You can learn more about Wow Signal and watch the trailer at wowsignalmovie.com.◆
Shaw (left) and Dawson (right) speak with ONU students after an on-campus screening.
E X T R AT E R R E S T R I A L E XC L A M AT I O N
AN ONU ENGINEERING PROFESSOR SOUGHT TO ENGAGE STUDENTS IN MEANINGFUL WORK. IN DOING SO, HE HAS
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BECOME ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FIGURES IN A GROWING MOVEMENT TO COMBAT LIGHT POLLUTION.
requires a fundamental re-evaluation of our use of artificial light, and Boulanger is a significant leader in this emerging field.
Boulanger is professor and chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Ohio Northern University. He is also a kind of folk hero to the movement of scientists, activists and conservationists working to reclaim the dark. He realized on that cold October night in Guadalupe Mountains National Park that if poor design is the reason people can’t see the stars today, then engineers would be the reason future generations do. In the western United States, there are still pockets of true darkness, but most of the country, including virtually all of the territory east of the Mississippi River, is plagued by light pollution, the refracted and scattered artificial light shining out from modern development. Civil engineering is a field in which regulatory manuals and codebooks are sacrosanct. There are specifications for materials like steel and concrete. However, historically, there has been minimal design guidance for lighting that protects the natural night sky. As a result, light pollution is now a global problem. Combating this pollution
“From a really early age, I realized there was an impact of development on natural resources,” he says. “I remember going to the Great Smoky Mountains. To get there, we had to go through Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tenn., which are completely unnatural environments. That style of development has an impact on the natural systems that we are trying as a country to protect. Even then, I knew that all of our beautiful natural areas would look like that if we didn’t protect them.” /15
Dr. Bryan Boulanger was lying flat on his back in the mountains of west Texas when he had an epiphany. The night sky that spread out above him was like nothing he could remember seeing in a very long time. It was so full of stars that he found it hard to sleep. “Why can’t I see stars like this back home?” he thought. But he already knew the answer. It was because of light pollution from our modern civil engineering infrastructure. In short, because people like him built without considering the impact on the night sky.
The son of schoolteachers, Boulanger spent his childhood summers exploring America. His family would hop in their minivan and travel across the country for weeks at a time, often camping at national parks. He even wanted to be a park ranger when he was a kid. When he decided to pursue engineering instead, those formative experiences still guided him.
For some, the idea of protecting the natural world means leaving it alone. Boulanger has a slightly different view. While he agrees that protecting wilderness is extremely important, he also accepts the inevitability of development elsewhere. His idea of conservation isn’t limited to the beautiful places. He applies the same thought and care into all design. Before arriving at ONU, Boulanger’s work focused on wastewater treatment. He held a position with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a post-doctoral researcher and taught at Texas A&M University, a research-one institution where he studied surface-level reactions of chemicals in wastewater. When he came to ONU, he found himself in a different teaching environment. The focus was as much on providing students with high-impact learning experiences as it was on research. He had an opportunity to instill in young engineers the mentality that good design is important. He would teach them the science, but he would also engage them in real-world projects with real-world consequences that would force them to think critically. They would learn from experience the need to consider the consequences of engineering actions. He just needed a project.
T H E DA R K N I G H T
Boulanger’s move to Ada was more than just a new job. It was the beginning of the second phase of his career. His wastewater research comprised the bulk of his professional life to that point, but it was ending. He knew he needed a new path to follow, something that he could spend the next 15 years of his career working on. It was a big decision to make. Engineers tend to be deliberate, rational and prudent when it comes to decision-making. They look to data for answers. But when Boulanger set out to make one of the biggest decisions of his career, he asked himself a question that had nothing to do with science. What is going to make me happy?
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It was a broad question. There are vast areas of research within civil engineering. Did he want to look at ways engineering can effectively deal with rising sea levels? How about new approaches to rebuilding crumbling infrastructure? Maybe he could discover the secret to getting drivers to properly navigate a roundabout? “Over the course of about two weeks, I woke up every morning early in the summertime and sat there over coffee and asked myself that question,” he says. “And from that experience, the message I got was threefold. I knew that I would be happy working on cool projects in cool places with cool people.”
THE PRICE OF PRODUCTIVITY In a relatively brief period of time, only about 130 years, human beings have replaced the billions of natural lights in the sky – the stars, planets and even distant galaxies – with light sent into the atmosphere through a proliferation of artificial lighting on Earth. As human mass migration to cities has continued, so too, has the concentration of light being used to extend our days. Society has reveled in the convenience, productivity and safety that artificial light provides with little to no thought to the consequences.
The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) is a nonprofit organization that aims to protect what it considers humankind’s “universal heritage” by preserving dark places, promoting an understanding of why these places are valuable, and by educating people about the impacts of light pollution and what can be done about it. Formed in Tucson, Ariz., in 1988 in response to localized light pollution that was negatively impacting astronomy in the region, IDA has since expanded with initiatives based on establishing lighting guidelines and criteria: a certification process for manufacturers of outdoor lighting fixtures and the International Dark Sky Places program.
Armed with a roadmap for the next phase of his career, he needed that “cool project” to undertake. With all three parts of his axiom equal to each other, Boulanger cast the widest net and looked first to geography. His deeply rooted love of the National Park Service led him to reach out to the Yellowstone Center for Resources at Yellowstone National Park. His email was brief. He simply explained that he was a college professor with students who wanted to gain real-world engineering experience in Yellowstone. Somewhat to his surprise, they agreed to meet with him. What drove Boulanger to Yellowstone, in particular, in search of a project was his earlier childhood experiences in national parks and seeing the impact of development on natural systems. It’s why he wanted to become an environmental engineer. He wanted to see development done in a new way, one that didn’t destroy wilderness to provide for human beings. If he could somehow engage in work at Yellowstone, then that would be very cool, indeed. Boulanger flew to Yellowstone in September 2015 for his meeting with the Yellowstone Center for Resources. When he worked at the EPA, there were always side projects that he wasn’t able to do because there wasn’t the time or there weren’t enough people. He placed a bet on the National Park Service being in a similar position. His offer was this: If Yellowstone has a meaningful project that they hadn’t gotten around to doing, he could add value to the park by involving
“The International Dark Sky Places program recognizes the efforts that people are undertaking in their communities, in parks, in nature reserves and places like that to help preserve and protect the night sky,” says Dr. John Barentine, director of conservation at IDA. “It is our flagship program, and its success is vital to our mission.” That success does not always come easily. Becoming an International Dark Sky Place takes work. Any place that wants to enter the program – be it a national or state park, a community, or one of IDA’s other categories within the International Dark Sky Places program’s six designations
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– must make meaningful changes to its lighting infrastructure by way of retrofitting fixtures and crafting a lighting policy. The process is often difficult and the changes can be costly, but there are real advantages. As a recent Condé Nast Traveler magazine article put it, “Astro tourism is now a thing,” and “the night sky” is a searchable topic on the National Park Service’s website that helps visitors plan a trip. It’s all evidence that IDA’s work is taking hold. More and more people are rediscovering the beauty and wonder of a truly dark night. Yet there are still just 103 certified Dark Sky Places in the world.
students. Even as personal of a journey as it was for Boulanger to get to Yellowstone, ultimately, he was there to find ways to engage ONU students in meaningful work. A key connection between Ohio Northern and the National Park Service was process. ONU’s senior capstone project in engineering requires students to devise three alternatives at the early design stage and then, based upon the criteria and the constraints, choose one design to follow through. The National Park Service uses a very similar process for decision-making. Using real-world examples of civil engineering to reinforce what his students learn in the lab: Boulanger with a student in the ONU fluids lab and leading a tour of the Hoover Dam.
Another positive was Boulanger himself. In 2013, he underwent training from the National Association for Interpretation (NAI) to become a certified interpretive guide. NAI describes interpretive guiding as “a mission-based communication process that forges emotional and intellectual connections between the interests of the audience and the meanings inherent in the resource.” When combined with his engineering expertise, this skill set really helped facilitate student engagement on meaningful projects in Yellowstone.
“There is a curve defining the public-attention cycle to different social issues, and we are still on the rising side of that curve,” says Barentine.
“The public’s understanding of light pollution is pretty limited at this point in time, and that is because it has not yet achieved a position of prominence in the public dialogue. "It is buried below other sorts of environmental issues that get a lot more press, like wildlife or climate change. Some people don’t even agree with the characterization that it is a form of pollution.”
Science tells us this assertion is wrong. Light pollution is real. In fact, it’s even more serious than not being able to see stars. In 1987, researcher Dr. Richard G. Stevens put forth a hypothesis suggesting a link between electricity and breast cancer. Specifically, he believed that exposure to artificial light at night disrupts the circadian rhythm and impacts hormones known to be relevant to increased breast cancer risk. Breast cancer is more prevalent in industrialized societies where shift work continues around the clock. Stevens’ “melatonin hypothesis” is supported in the scientific community as a possible reason why.
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“I wanted our students to be able to work on projects that minimize impact or maybe prevent impact altogether. That fell in line with what the park’s resource folks wanted. But their maintenance folks still needed to make sure that the park infrastructure was sound. Their primary job is to keep people safe in the park. I speak both those languages, so they knew anything we worked on would consider both sides,” he says.
Based on these findings and other research, the American Medical Association published a statement in 2016 warning the public about existing proposals to convert street lighting nationwide to high-intensity, bright-white LEDs (light-emitting diodes), saying in part, “Recognizing the detrimental effects of poorly designed, high-intensity LED lighting, the AMA… recommends all LED lighting should be properly shielded to minimize glare and detrimental human health and environmental effects.” IDA stays current with research into the environmental effects of artificial light, as many of the find-
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ings support its mission. Barentine feels so strongly about what the data are telling us that he believes exposure to artificial light at night should be regulated as a workplace occupational hazard. He says that he has not read a single study in which someone studied a plant or animal species for susceptibility to problems created by exposure to light at night and then found nothing. There is always a negative biological result. “I think we will get to the point in some number of years where we will look back on this and say, ‘Wow, I wish we had taken this seriously sooner.’”◆
need of protecting. In Chan, Boulanger found the ally he would need to deliver on his desire to right the wrongs of poor design. “We are an enormous park with 100 years of badly designed outdoor lighting,” says Chan. “Years ago, we did several projects at Old Faithful, and there were several requests to do more projects, but I realized I didn’t really have a good idea of what was out there. So that’s when I attempted an inventory, but the park is just so big that I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it on my own.”
Boulanger speaking on the impact of light pollution on human health and the environment at an “Ada Chats” event in Feb. 2017.
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His bet paid off. Yellowstone did, in fact, have a project they thought his students could help with. In October 2015, a team of ONU engineering students went to Yellowstone to assess an irrigation network on Reese Creek (on Yellowstone’s northern border) that provided water to a private ranch adjacent to Yellowstone. The park wanted a way to accurately measure how much water was being diverted from the creek at any given time. The ranch just wanted to use the water it held historic rights to. When the students arrived, Boulanger was shocked to see many highlevel stakeholders present. In addition to his Yellowstone contacts, the ranch manager and the ranch business director were there, as were representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, Headwaters International, and Trout Unlimited. It was Boulanger’s first inkling that he might be on to something. His students would go on to devise a design to provide real-time water-flow monitoring for both the park and ranch by incorporating sensors and SMS text messaging at the diversion. With the first capstone a success, another group of ONU students, along with another ONU professor, Dr. David Johnstone, continued the project the following year. That capstone project assessed the feasibility of redesigning the existing infrastructure as an underground pipeline system. It was while working on the Reese Creek project that Boulanger first inquired about Yellowstone’s International Dark-Sky Association status. He was aware of an organization called the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), which certified state and national parks (along with other places) as being dark sky friendly. At the time, around seven national parks touted the designation to promote astro-tourism, but Yellowstone was not one of them. Lynn Chan is Yellowstone’s very cool landscape architect and a night sky advocate. In 2001, she co-authored “Yellowstone By Night,” a paper in which she claimed that the dark night sky was a natural resource in
The inventory Chan speaks of is the most daunting requirement for IDA certification and the most crucial. Without a detailed accounting of every single outdoor lighting fixture, working or not, there is simply no way to assess a park’s lighting situation. According to Dr. John Barentine, director of conservation at IDA, the parks that have received Dark Sky Place certification have invested considerable resources in this initial step. “Of all the places that have contacted me about certification, fully 50 percent drop out after learning what it takes. Many just don’t have the human resources needed to complete an inventory,” he says. “Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona became certified in our program in 2016. It took a full-time employee two years just to inventory the park.” Boulanger had human resources in the form of himself, ONU students, and fellow faculty member and wilderness enthusiast mechanical engineering professor David Sawyers, who he figured he could bring on trips to the park. He also had full support and funding from the Office of the Dean in the ONU College of Engineering to engage students on this adventure. He knew his students (from freshmen to seniors) could handle counting lights in Yellowstone. In return, they would get field experience working on a real project with real implications. The only issue was figuring out how to do it. Boulanger reached out to Barentine and learned that lighting inventories to that point had been done with clipboards and pens and paper. Someone had to walk through a park, find a light fixture, mark its location on a map and then record the fixture’s relevant characteristics – the type of bulb, how it was mounted, its height, its amount of shielding (meaning that it has some kind of shroud to direct the light downward), etc. Later, all that data was typed into a spreadsheet by hand. It is no wonder that all the parks that had received certification by this point were small. Boulanger might have found his cool project, but it was proving to be a daunting one as well. That summer, Boulanger compiled Google Earth printouts of Yellowstone to start planning his strategy for canvassing the park. Only after his
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initial visits did he learn that the park had far more information within its geographic information system (GIS) database. Boulanger knew GIS, and he knew its potential. It suddenly didn’t matter how others had done lighting inventories before. He wanted to try something else – something that just might prove to be a giant leap forward in night sky preservation. “We started experimenting with GIS-based maps, and this was when we started to look at what data collection would look like,” says Boulanger. “The first step was realizing what kinds of things we needed to understand and characterize. From there, we learned how to customize the ArcGIS software to record information directly into the program as a data layer. After that, we deployed the software onto smartphones and tablets and trained our students to use it.”
“If you look at the night sky as a natural resource, then you view it differently. That’s what the National Park Service wants to do. They look at it as a resource to conserve,” he says. “But the night sky isn’t something that my generation is accustomed to seeing at all, so we need to learn about it.” Denson and Walker Clark, BSCE ’18, worked together on a senior capstone project to redesign the parking lot at Yellowstone’s most popular attraction. More than 4 million people visit the Old Faithful
It took four separate trips to Yellowstone, but Boulanger and his students completed the inventory of Yellowstone’s 5,400 exterior lighting fixtures in a total of six weeks. Not only did they have the location and characteristics of each light for the Dark Sky Park application, but the data in ArcGIS also proved beneficial in other ways.
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“We were able to show how much energy their current lighting was using because we had the data about each light,” he says. “We knew the type of bulb and its wattage, and we knew how long each fixture was on each day. Now, they knew their energy costs from poor design for example, but the really cool thing is that our tool let us model what the energy costs would be with more efficient and night-skyprotective fixtures in the same locations.” This meant that Boulanger could make an economic argument for retrofitting polluting fixtures as well as a scientific one. They found significant cost savings. Even after factoring in the cost of retrofitting, becoming a Dark Sky Park would actually save Yellowstone $40,000 during the 10 years IDA gives parks to make all of their necessary changes. After 10 years, the savings would continue due to newer, more efficient and longer-lasting bulbs. Biologists used the data as well. Boulanger worked with students from Colorado State University who were in the park last summer to study moths. By utilizing inventory data, he was able to direct the students to two lighting fixtures that were identical in every way save the bulb. The students studied moths at both locations and were able to draw conclusions as to the impact of the different lighting types on the moths. But ONU students are benefiting most from the work. Josiah Denson, BSCE ’18, made four trips to Yellowstone with Boulanger during his time at ONU. Denson became interested in engineering solutions to light pollution after attending a talk Boulanger gave at an American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) regional meetup hosted at ONU. He ended up writing a research paper on the topic his freshman year.
Josiah Denson and Walker Clark
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RECON Photo courtesy of NASA This enhanced satellite image of the Earth at night illustrates the extent to which the world has developed natural places.
geyser each year, and Chan knows that the parking around the visitor center needs to be improved. There are currently issues with traffic congestion, accessibility and overall intuitiveness of the parking lot itself, due in part to the area’s poor lighting design. People often look for visual clues about where they are supposed to go, and lighting poles can provide a navigational clue (even during the day).
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“When we were there, we were surprised by the number of people who had no idea where the geyser was, even though it was right behind them,” says Denson. He and Clark proposed three designs. The first simply improved the lighting design of the parking lot by lowering the height of the lights, changing the bulbs to compliant color temperature and shielding the fixtures to prevent light from shining up into the sky. The second proposal added approximately 200 more parking spots and addressed accessibility issues. The third design was the most ambitious. It nearly doubled the number of spots to 1,000 by completely re-orienting the traffic flow. It reduced lighting by prioritizing people over automobiles. They switched out large, high-intensity parking lot fixtures that bled over into the pedestrian walkways with smaller, dimmer lighting specifically for the purpose of helping people find their way to Old Faithful.
Throughout history, the night sky has inspired countless works of art, literature and science. It has contributed to mythology and religion. It has been looked to for the answers to unknowable questions. The natural night sky is the one natural resource that all human beings have shared equally – until relatively recently. We are a handful of generations removed from the purity of darkness, a time before the proliferation of outdoor electric light. Industrialization has advanced cultures, built empires and ushered in an era of economic prosperity by changing the rules of work. But many are now realizing that there is a cost to this modern world, the disassociation with something deeply engrained within our species. “If you look at human society both current and past, and you look at the things that they valued, their religion, culture, art and material goods – the things that make us human – virtually every culture in history and even prehistory has had some kind of relationship with the night sky,” says Dr. John Barentine, director of conservation at the International Dark-Sky Association. “No
“In one of our proposals, we lit the primary parking lot, but we had a secondary parking lot that we didn’t light at all. We didn’t actually know if that was OK or not, because there is no code to look to, but Yellowstone told us from the beginning that they didn’t want to provide lighting they didn’t have to,” says Clark. Every graduating senior engineer presents his or her capstone research to the engineering faculty at the end of their final year. Denson and Clark also presented their capstone to Chan and her team in Yellowstone. After the success of the Reese Creek projects and the lighting inventory, Yellowstone trusts Ohio Northern engineers – including students – enough to hear what they have to say. More often than not, ONU involvement gets projects off the ground. And
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NNECT matter where you are on Earth, we all see the same night sky. It’s like a cultural commons, if you will. And we feel that light pollution is distancing us from something that really does matter.”
“We realized that before people can care about the impact of light pollution, before change can start to occur, people have to appreciate the value of dark skies around the world again because we really don’t anymore,” Carman says. “We needed to re-inspire people to care about the beauty of the night sky first.” In order to do this, they had to convey the value of dark skies in a compelling way. Using their Yellowstone experience as a template, they
Although Carman and Tremains’ project was design-focused, it ventured into other disciplines, too. The pair’s involvement actually began with a trip to Yellowstone alongside Boulanger, his engineering students and associate professor of art Melissa Eddings-Mancuso to observe the state of the park’s light pollution and add a creative take on the situation. The final project encapsulated an entire year of research, preparation and design, and Carman and Tremains’ efforts attained significant national recognition. Encouraged by their advisor, associate professor of art and design Brit Rowe, BFA
’93, they submitted their work to graphic design competitions. The project received not one, but two awards from esteemed professional design organizations. The first honor they received, the 2017 Graphic Design USA American Graphic Design Award, was awarded to only 10 percent of the nearly 10,000 entries submitted to the annual design competition. The project also received the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) (Re)Design Award 2017, winning the overall student category in a competition that only takes place every two years. AIGA is the largest organization of professional designers in the United States.
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Since their incredible capstone journey, Carman and Tremains have not stopped leaving their mark in the realm of higher education. Tremains, who currently works as a digital media specialist at Clark State Community College in Springfield, Ohio, has helped shape a new brand for the college’s performing arts center, having a hand in everything from print and digital graphic design to copywriting and videography. Carman remains with her alma mater as a graphic and digital designer for Ohio Northern’s Office of Communications and Marketing, where she crafts a wide variety of print and digital media for the University. In fact, you are looking at one right now.◆
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It was this troubling cultural digression that inspired two talented Ohio Northern University graphic design students to tackle the topic with an award-winning capstone project. Rebecca Carman, BFA ’17, and Beth Tremains, BFA ’17, were initially brought into Dr. Bryan Boulanger’s Yellowstone project to complement the physical lighting redesign with a visual media component detailing the story of how light pollution has affected the park through the years.
modeled their project around a fictitious company called “Reconnect,” which would encourage others to learn about light pollution and how important it is to preserve the night sky. The project generated all the design elements the new company would need – a website, logo, color palette, stationery design, brochures, signage and more. They then used Yellowstone National Park as an example of what their company’s initiatives would look like in a real setting – signage to alert park visitors that they were in a prime location for stargazing and an interactive exhibit bringing the effects of light pollution to life.
Boulanger and his students hike Yellowstone in summer 2017.
while not every proposal is adopted wholesale, elements of certain projects have been adopted, and the work done by ONU students is trusted as sound data.
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“They were awesome,” says Chan. “We sat down and went over the needs and the ideas that the park has for that area, and then they just went and did it. They didn’t keep asking questions or have a lot of needs from us. I think that they undertook what they had as a goal and created alternatives that really met our needs.” Ohio Northern prides itself on offering students high-impact, hands-on learning opportunities, but the students involved with Boulanger in Yellowstone have had experiences far beyond their own expectations. Based on precedent, Denson and Clark know that when the Old Faithful visitor center parking area is eventually improved, their ideas will be part of it. They will be able to visit the park and recognize that their ideas helped people have a more enjoyable experience seeing both what is on the ground and in the sky. “This is so far above what I expected,” says Denson. “Having any kind of small impact on the millions of people that visit Old Faithful each year is incredible.” The relationship between Ohio Northern University and Yellowstone National Park started with a college professor who strives to strike a balance between what exists and what needs to. It is incredible. Barentine calls it revolutionary for what it has meant to the Dark Sky Places program and for efforts to mitigate light pollution. “Grand Canyon National Park has more than 5,000 lights spread out over its million-and-a-half acres. It took a dedicated staff person two years to find them all. Bryan took students to a park twice the size armed with smartphones and found more lights in a matter of weeks,” he says. “His contribution has already been invaluable to us, and there is nothing I can say to overstate that, because at the end of the day, that
program supports our mission. And our mission is to preserve these dark places and to promote an understanding of why they are valuable.” Light pollution has robbed many around the world from a connection to what IDA calls humanity’s “universal heritage.” Every day, researchers are discovering new ways in which artificial light negatively affects ecology, including human health. But it is also the easiest environmental issue to fix. Unlike air or water pollution, which remains long after the source of the pollution is quelled, light pollution actually disappears the instant the lights are turned off. There is nothing left to remediate. It means that the work that Boulanger is doing with his students and other partners from across the nation can have a real lasting impact on this world. The tool he developed to do lighting inventory eliminated a huge barrier to entry into the Dark Sky Park program, which is the most powerful public relations tool in the fight against light pollution. As more people visit Dark Sky Parks and reconnect with our universal heritage, more people will take those lessons home and consider how they themselves contribute to the problem. Boulanger’s students are the designers of our future, and they have been trained to think about the impact their designs have on the natural world. They will design better and build smarter as a result of their involvement. “Bryan figured out how to do it. He got it organized and went and got it done,” says Chan. “It was one of the best partnerships I’ve ever had, quite honestly, because he was very independent and didn’t really need a lot of guidance. And that is important when you are under the constraints that we often are. If there are ever more projects he wants to help with, we’ll definitely be figuring out how to continue the partnership.” Light pollution may disappear at the speed of light, but the relationship between ONU and a better designed, more efficient and healthier future doesn’t appear to be going anywhere.◆
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REACHING FOR THE STARS
THE NEXT SPACE RACE IS ON, AND ONU ALUMNI ARE RIGHT IN THE THICK OF IT, WORKING IN BOTH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS OF THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY.
As space makes us remember, it also makes us dream. Even after more than 60 years of human exploration, outer space is still largely unknown. We’ve merely scratched the surface of what many believe is possible, and space exploration – once the bastion of superpowers – is now in the hands of those believers. We find ourselves at the beginning of a second space race, but this time, everyone – including many Ohio Northern University graduates – is working together. With the establishment of NASA in 1958, the United States ushered in a new era of scientific discovery and exploration. But NASA served another purpose as well. Throughout the Cold War, the U.S. and Soviet Union raced one another to complete every successive “great achievement” in space exploration. This scientific battle served as a proxy war between the two nations, and the Soviet Union took an early lead, launching the first satellite (Sputnik) and man
Today, we find ourselves in another exciting period of space exploration with the partnership of state-level space programs, like NASA, and private-sector companies, like SpaceX, Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic. But unlike the original space race, this one isn’t about beating the competition. It’s about pushing space exploration farther and faster than ever before. Ohio Northern graduates are employed on both sides of the modern aerospace industry, and, in general, ONU is rather well-represented in the field. So how does a school that doesn’t offer an aerospace engineering degree produce so many “rocket scientists”? The answer, says Dr. Jed Marquart, BSME ’80, professor of mechanical engineering, is pretty basic. “The intellectual gap between mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering is rather small, and there is a significant overlap in the knowledge and concepts used in both fields. But as a mechanical engineering student, you learn the basics really well, as well as other aspects of engineering that are crucial to the aerospace field, like communication and working in teams,” he says. Marquart knows of what he speaks. He himself graduated with a mechanical engineering degree from
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There is just something about space exploration that people remember. Just ask a 60-year-old where he or she was when Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, or someone in their 40s about the Challenger tragedy. You’ll get more than an answer. You’ll get a story about where they were and what they were doing. They’ll even tell you how they felt.
(Yuri Gagarin) into space. But NASA turned the tide, and by July 1969, the space race peaked when American astronaut Neil Armstrong walked on the moon and captured the imagination of a nation.
SPACE RACERS
Dr. Jed Marquart
ONU; earned master’s and doctoral degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Dayton; and began his career working for Arvin/Calspan, SofTech Inc. and, eventually, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. When he joined the faculty at ONU, he brought his aerospace engineering experience with him.
MEET A FEW OF THE ONU GRADUATES WORKING IN THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY TODAY.
Team SpaceX
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“I loved working in the aerospace industry. It’s what I’d always wanted to do before I discovered teaching,” he says. “And when I got to ONU, I saw everybody going into the automotive industry, and there’s nothing wrong with the automotive industry, but there’s other cool stuff out there.” Marquart’s passion led to the creation of ONU’s aerospace engineering concentration, which students can pursue alongside their major program. The courses required for the concentration help students learn a number of fundamental skills used in the aerospace industry. Students are introduced to aircraft design, advanced thermodynamics, computational fluid dynamics and finite element analysis. They participate in the ONU chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), compete in the annual SAE Aero Design Competition, and tackle a senior capstone project sponsored by the Air Force Research Labs at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base or NASA Glenn Research Center. Earning an aerospace concentration gives students who wish to enter the field upon graduation or apply to graduate programs an added layer of experience on top of a well-rounded, comprehensive engineering education. Years from now, it will be interesting to see if anyone remembers where they were when Elon Musk launched his Tesla roadster into space. But you can be sure that future societal flashbulb memories will be formed from the next “giant leap for mankind.” And who knows, maybe we’ll all have an ONU Polar Bear to thank for it.◆
Derick Endicott, BSME ’12 As a senior test development engineer at SpaceX, I am responsible for conducting the testing of rocket engines and components as well as for development testing of future hardware. It is my job to ensure that the engines and components we are designing and manufacturing can withstand the rigorous demands of space flight. The coolest part of the job, by far, is watching a launch and booster landing knowing that I had a hand in making that incredible feat happen.
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At SpaceX, our ultimate goal is to make human life multi-planetary by colonizing Mars, but it is going to take a lot of work to get there. We are developing the world’s first re-usable orbital-class rocket boosters, making access to space more economical than it ever has been. I want to help SpaceX send astronauts to the International Space Station on one of our rockets. I want to help make economical travel to Mars a reality. I look up at the night sky and see an endless frontier for us to explore. I never set out to be a “rocket scientist” from the get-go. Throughout most of my youth, I was nearly certain that I was going to be a veterinarian. It wasn’t until I reached high school that I gravitated toward engineering. But I do remember very distinctly seeing a video of the Challenger disaster on a news story on the anniversary of that day. I remember how heavy the story felt, and it left an impression of how difficult a task space flight is. That’s a story I always keep in the back of my mind, as it’s a lesson that none of us in the aerospace field should forget.
Team NASA
Justin Littell, BSME ’04
My particular area of expertise is in aircraft- and spacecraft-landing dynamics. There is an old adage: “What goes up, must come down.” I deal with the “must come down” part. For the past decade, I’ve worked at the Landing and Impact Research Facility, a one-of-a-kind, full-scale crash facility for both aircraft and spacecraft. Fun fact: It was originally built in 1965 to train the original Apollo astronauts to land on the moon and was converted to its current configuration in the 1970s. When I think about the future of
Team SpaceX
the primary mission of SpaceX is to enable humans to colonize Mars and other planets. When I was a child, I knew I wanted to be an engineer, as I always enjoyed the process of thinking of something new and then building it. I was always into LEGO and robotics. My earliest meaningful memory of manned space exploration was watching the space shuttle launches as a kid and learning about them in school. When I look to the future, I see the possibility for increased exploration and am excited for what lies ahead. I think the next big thing humans do in space will be to build a base of operations on the moon that we will use as a starting point for space exploration. By 2071, ONU’s 200th birthday, I think we will possess the capability to travel to several different planets very quickly; it will be an everyday occurrence to see rockets taking off all over the world.
Team NASA
Alex Strimbu, BSME ’17 I design, build and operate a test stand that enables us to test the components that go on the rocket and engines. I ensure that the components of the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets are safe for flight. I work with a team to screen these components for any possible failure modes and qualify them to ensure they can handle any situations they may see during flight. Currently, these rocket engines are used to transport satellites into orbit, but we eventually want to transport astronauts. After all,
S PA C E R A C E R S
Steven Oleson, BSME ’86 I lead the COMPASS Lab (Collaborative Modeling for Parametric Assessment of Space Systems) at NASA Glenn Research Center. In about two weeks' time, we design a complete spacecraft concept from beginning to end. We do about 15 concepts a year.
Some of the things we are asked to find solutions to are pretty wild. For instance, in 2012, our team came up with a viable plan to actually catch an asteroid out in space. We’ve designed a submarine to explore the liquid methane oceans of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, and a vehicle to sail across the surface of Venus. We are currently trying to figure out how to send a spacecraft to Jupiter’s moon Europa, drill through 20 kilometers of ice and search for life beneath. It’s proving to be quite the challenge. If somebody wanted to hide life somewhere, that’s where they'd hide it because it’s so hard to get to. I think I’m able to do my job because of what I learned at Ohio Northern. I learned the basics really, really well, and it means that I can lead a diverse team. We’ve got electrical engineers, thermal engineers and aerospace engineers. And it isn’t just engineering. Our cost engineer was a math major, the person who is working on solar cells was a chemistry major, and I didn’t get a degree in any of those fields. But I learned the basics at ONU that allow me to work with them. I learned how to learn at ONU, and that has served me well. In terms of the future of space exploration, I think it is imperative that we become a spacefaring nation. I’m a planet and moons guy. I’m not a theoretical physicist who is going to figure out how to travel to other solar systems, but I look up and see Jupiter with all those moons and I know we can figure out a way to get to them. It’s exciting to be able to go to work every day and do just that.◆
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I am in the Structural Dynamics Branch at NASA Langley Research Center, where I conduct research in the areas of structural dynamics, specifically aircraft crashworthiness and safety. It is a very broad field that involves everything from composite materials development and testing, to structures testing, to crash-test-dummy testing, all the way up to full-scale aircraft crash testing. Additionally, because NASA is currently trying to certify three spacecraft for astronaut use, NASA’s Orion, the SpaceX Dragon and Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner crew capsule, I have also been spending a considerable amount of time working on spacecraft certification and testing.
space exploration, I think of one word: opportunity. Space is very big, and we’ve got lots of smart people out there with great ideas on how to best utilize it. Once we figure out how to land two tons of mass and a spacecraft full of humans on the moon safely, there will be nothing stopping its colonization. From there, we’ll see commercial suborbital trips, space hotels and lunar getaways. I hope that we will be going into and out of space as easily as we fly commercial airlines today. I feel that the next generation of rockets, habitats and space stations will really be a sight to see.
ROLE Lessons learned at Ohio Northern help Kelli Hancock
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flip the script on Hollywood.
Kelli Dawn Hancock, BSBA ’91, is anxious. The first day of school can be like that. She remembers her first day of Catholic school in Cleveland and the moment she set foot on Ohio Northern University’s campus. But this first day is different. She feels her purpose more strongly than ever. She’s here at the Lesly Kahn & Co. acting school for a reason. She is about to take the next step on her journey to fulfill her life’s dream. It begins with a single chair. Someone tells her to sit in it. “No, don’t turn it around. Just sit down and don’t speak,” the voice commands. She sits in the chair, her back to the class. “Who is she?” the voice asks the room. Hancock wants to speak up and tell the voice that she doesn’t know anyone in the class yet. She wants to answer the question herself. “I’m Kelli. I’m from Cleveland. I’m an actor.” But before she can form the words, new voices call out.
“Strong!” “Invincible!” “Takes no prisoners!” “Badass!” And so goes the lesson. In Hollywood, as an actor, you are what they say you are.
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Hancock doesn’t know exactly when she knew she wanted to be an actor. She was born a performer long before she knew it was a job. As an 8-year-old in Cleveland, she and a neighbor friend would put on shows for their families on the patio. In elementary school, one of her teachers would write little skits for her to perform. At Regina High School, she was part of the drama club. That’s about the time that she decided that she wanted to pursue acting as a career. She enrolled at Bowling Green State University as a theatre major, partly out of passion and partly, admittedly, out of spite. Her dream of attending an internationally renowned theatre school like New York University or Carnegie Mellon was dashed due to the economic realities facing her family. Her acquiescence to that fact and subsequent decision to attend public, in-state Wright State University and its acclaimed theatre program were also thwarted, this time by maternal instincts. Hancock’s boyfriend at the time went to the University of Dayton. “Too close,” said Mom. At BGSU, she stayed true to her passion and studied acting, even though subtle hints from her family about choosing a “more practical” path were not very subtle at all. For two years, she took every theatre class she could. But even early on, she knew something was off. It wasn’t working the way it was supposed to. She wasn’t enjoying college the way she thought she should. The performer inside her was being stifled. Her light couldn’t shine.
Hancock decided to transfer to Ohio Northern University after her sophomore year. For the first time, her decision about where to go to college was not about acting; it was about being comfortable again – about finding her center. She was already familiar with ONU from her sister, Kristen Hancock, BSEE ’89, who had graduated the previous spring. Hancock knew Northern had that close-knit, family atmosphere where, if she didn’t know more of her classmates’ names than not, she would get pretty close. She knew she would love being there, even if it meant saying goodbye to the one dream she’d always had. In her mind, Bowling Green was her third swing at that dream. She’d wanted NYU, and it wasn’t possible. She’d said yes to Wright State, but her mother, Shirlee, had said no. She’d succeeded at BGSU only to choose to give it up. At Northern, she would find a new passion. “I switched my focus to marketing at ONU because marketing really spoke to me,” she says. “I guess it goes back to my performer background, but I’ve always been good at talking to people. Public relations and advertising seemed like things I’d be good at and want to learn, so I spent a lot of my time in Huber Hall with professor Randy Ewing and professor Rodney Rogers. It’s actually funny because the parallels between marketing and acting weren’t apparent to me until much later.”
After graduating with her degree in marketing in 1991, Hancock moved back to Cleveland to begin her career. She found that most of the jobs were in sales, the only aspect of marketing that didn’t really appeal to her and that she knew she wasn’t good at. As she continued her job search, she found herself thinking about acting. The thoughts turned to longing, so she turned away from the prospect of doing something she didn’t like back to the prospect of doing the one thing she loved most. She found opportunities in the Cleveland theatre scene. She performed at the Cleveland Public Theatre and the Karamu House, the oldest African-American theatre in the country. She carved out a niche in Cleveland and reached a point that every actor dreams of, where she no longer had to audition for roles.
“I got to a point where I was like, ‘Acting has always been my first love. I need to go do this,’” she says. “Everything else in my life I can sustain, but I am not happy if I’m not expressing an artistic side. And that was a long, hard, interesting lesson to learn, but it was the most important lesson for me to learn.” At the time, there were no clear paths to professional acting in Cleveland. The Greater Cleveland Film Commission was still more than a decade away from bringing productions like The Avengers, Fate of the Furious and Draft Day to the city. Professional actors worked elsewhere, and if she had to leave her beloved Cleveland, so be it. So in 1997, 10 years after graduating from high school, Hancock moved to Los Angeles to be an actor. It was a circuitous route to get to that point, and the final push to see it through would prove to be the most difficult challenge of her life. There is no cheat sheet for making it in Hollywood. There isn’t even a roadmap to show how everything works. For Hancock, the guidebook was a calendar. It took months to get settled. It took years to figure out the city and the industry. It took half a decade to catch a break. The old Hollywood adage it takes 11 years to become an overnight success was looking to be true. To make matters infinitely worse, Hancock’s mother, the woman who was so instrumental to her being where she was, was diagnosed with cancer soon after Hancock moved to L.A.
ROLE REVERSAL
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“I really didn’t like it,” she says. “All my life, I had gone to smaller schools. From a Catholic grade school to a Catholic high school, where I graduated with 108 girls and knew all of them by name, having Bowling Green be so enormous was a real disappointment for me.”
Hancock thrived at ONU. She played varsity basketball and was an academic all-OAC honorable mention her senior year. She also made many dear friends whom she’s remained close with to this day. The one thing she didn’t do was act. Even though she transferred with enough theatre credits to easily earn a minor with just a couple more classes, she didn’t. As far as her friends at ONU knew, Hancock was all business.
Hancock at Senior Day as a member of the ONU basketball team. “My mom was really big on the fact that it took me so long to move out there and follow this dream. So even though she was sick, she didn’t want me to move back. She wanted me to do this. But still, that first year was really trying for me,” she says.
Graduation day at ONU
Shirlee passed away in 1998, and it cemented Hancock’s resolve to stay in Los Angeles and make it as an actor. Her mother had written a note for her daughter with the instructions to give it to her after her death. In it, her mother wrote, “You shine like the stars. It is time you try to join them.” Hancock would lean on that message throughout her career. When she got discouraged or felt her dream slipping away, she remembered her mother and the unwavering confidence she had in her baby girl. It takes time and hard work to be an actor. So Hancock put in the time, and she put in the work. In a word, she hustled. She found a teacher who could help her take the skills she’d learned for the stage and translate them to the screen. She learned about the nuances of television programming, how a sitcom like “Modern Family” is different from “The Big Bang Theory,” and how they are both different from “Hannah Montana.” She got her SAG card. She auditioned over and over. In 2003, she got her first television credit, playing Ashley on an episode of “Cold Case” on CBS. More roles on television dramas followed. She was on episodes of “ER,” “Strong Medicine,” “CSI Miami,” “Pretty Little Liars,” “Ironside” and “Code Black.”
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“The beginning of my résumé is full of hard-luck people. I played single moms on welfare. I played prostitutes. I played all of these low-intelligence, low-income, very urban stereotypical characters,” she says.
On the set of “Cold Case” with Justin Chambers.
On the set of “Cold Case,” her first television credit. Hancock with Donald Glover, a.k.a Lando Calrissian, at the Solo: A Star Wars Story premiere.
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Hancock knows why she’s asked to play these kinds of roles. She is keenly aware that not only is she African-American, but she is also 6 feet, 1 inch tall in an industry where even the male actors are typically around 5 foot 8. So she doesn’t get the role of the plucky best friend or the reluctant hero; she gets the roles in which her stature fits the audience’s expectation of the character – strong, independent, proud women. In her acting class, she learned early that the industry needs characters more than it needs personalities. Not everyone gets to be a star by being herself. For Hancock, she had to become the opposite of who she is. But then, that’s acting. “It was shocking to all my friends because those characters are so far from who I am,” she says. “The industry thinks that I’m tough and I’m hard and I’m invincible, but I’m really this goofy person who just wants to make people laugh. I don’t get to play that a lot.” Hancock was not immune to the toll that being limited had on her. Growing up, when she saw herself as an actor, she saw herself on a soap opera. That was her dream within the dream. And even though she has appeared on two episodes of “The Young and the Restless,” being a soap-opera star was just not in the cards for her. As she puts it, she “literally grew out of that dream.” She then turned her attention to comedy, and that’s when she learned that the industry would tell her what she could play. But instead of getting discouraged, she put her ONU education to good use. She started to market herself based on how the industry perceived her, and that’s how she started landing roles. /29
Her marketing expertise also helped her deal with the emotional toll of being typecast. She could appreciate the business side of show business and resist the urge to take it personally. It wasn’t always easy, but she took pride in the challenge of playing these roles. They were so unlike her. “I grew up normal. I am a blue-collar Midwest girl. My dad was a mailman. My mom worked in a factory. I had an older brother who went into the Army and an older sister who was a basketball star. In my childhood, I had everything I ever needed and most of what I wanted. I didn’t have struggles that these characters would have had, so I had to really work at it to make them seem real,” she says. Since that first appearance on “Cold Case,” Hancock has had credited roles in more than 30 productions, including the recurring role of Lakisha in the Showtime series “Shameless.” She has even successfully branched into comedies after playing a security guard on multiple episodes of Nickelodeon’s “Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide.” “So that was interesting because I was playing the same kind of part that I always get – a strong authority figure – but it was a kids comedy, so I got to be funny. And then casting people were like, ‘Oh, you’re funny too? Then I’m going to bring you in for this part,’” she says. Hancock has since won comedic roles on “Raising Hope,” “Stitchers” and the Netflix hit “On My Block,” proving that it is possible to play parts that match the outside perception but also are truer to what’s on the inside.
ROLE REVERSAL
Playing a roller derby enforcer on “CSI: Miami” with Jonathan Togo.
“You have to accept the package of who you are and what you are. And then you can push through it. It’s only when you embrace it that you can then find the loopholes,” she says.
As officer Kit Karasic in The Beacon.
“You have to accept the package of who you are and what you are. And then you can push through it. It’s only when you embrace it that you can then find the loopholes,” she says.
Those loopholes are much easier to find and exploit when you have a plan. For Hancock, it came back to Ohio Northern. She had new headshots taken that reflected the version of her that she wanted casting directors to see. She puts effort into networking with the people working on the kinds of shows she wants to be on. She engages with them on social media and makes sure she always remembers where she knows someone from if they remember her. It’s that attention to detail in interpersonal relationships – learned at ONU – that helps her steer her career the way she wants. “It’s what I learned at Northern – networking, marketing your product, knowing your audience,” she says. “It might not be business in the traditional sense, but I have a product. It just happens to be my favorite product. It’s me!”
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After setting out to chase down a dream more than 20 years ago, Hancock has quite a career to show for herself. And while she still isn’t quite sure why anyone would be interested in her life, she understands that the job she gets to do is far from ordinary. Social media makes it easier than ever to stay connected with friends back in Ohio, some of whom seem to follow her career more closely than she does, always letting her know when a television episode she’s on is airing. Hancock will usually share her good news, but this past year she kept one of her biggest credits to date – playing an FBI agent on the smash hit “Scandal” – a secret. “I didn’t tell anyone that I was on ‘Scandal’ last year, and man did I get yelled at. All my friends absolutely love that show, so I wanted them to find it how they found it,” she says. “I didn’t want them to miss out on the story because they were distracted waiting for me to appear.”
Getting to be funny on “The Sarah Silverman Program.”
More than anything, Hancock is appreciative of the love and support she’s received from her family and her friends, especially those from Ohio Northern who were caught completely off guard when they saw “Kelli from marketing class” on their television for the first time. That support means a lot in a business where rejection occurs far more often than it doesn’t. Since moving to Los Angeles, there have been times when she’s thought of doing something else. She earned a master’s degree in sports management from California State University, Long Beach, to prepare for such a future, but for now, she doesn’t want to stop acting. She’s still in love with performing, and although it is hard at times, she keeps at it with the same drive and determination she used to first breathe life into her dream. She wouldn’t be Kelli if she didn’t. That much is plain for all to see.◆
Hancock played the recurring role of Lakisha on “Shameless.”
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ARTS & SCIENCES STUDENT-SELECTED FACULTY AWARDS The college’s Student Advisory Board distributed faculty awards for each academic department. Emily Jay Department of Art and Design Dr. Kat Krynak Department of Biological and Allied Health Sciences
A&S announces year-end faculty awards As the end of the 2017-18 academic year drew to a close, the College of Arts & Sciences named the recipients of its annual faculty achievement awards, which are selected by Holly L. Baumgartner, dean of the college.
FACULTY ENGAGEMENT AWARD
Dr. Tevye Celius Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Dr. Alisa Agozzino, BA ’01 Department of Communication and Media Studies Dr. Adrienne Goss Department of Education Dr. Jennifer Pullen Department of English Dr. Nusta Carranza Ko Department of History, Political Science and Geography
Dr. Ryan Rahrig Department of Mathematics and Statistics Sieglinde Poelzler-Kamatali Department of Modern Languages Dr. Sarah Waters Department of Music Jamie Hunsicker Department of Nursing
This year, Alisa Agozzino, BA ’01, was deeply involved with PRSSA on both the national and the local levels. She volunteered for one Dean’s Task Force and is leading another, and she sits on committees at every level. She has taken students to multiple conferences and events in the field. “Agozzino is a ‘yes’ person in the most positive sense of the word,” says Baumgartner. FACULTY RESEARCH AWARD
Dr. Patrick Croskery Department of Philosophy and Religion Dr. Terry Sheridan Department of Physics and Astronomy Dr. Kristie Payment Department of Psychology, Sociology and Criminal Justice Dr. David Rouch Department of Technological Studies Brenda Hoyt-Brackman Department of Theatre Arts
Dr. Mihai Caragiu, professor of mathematics and chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics Mihai Caragiu’s research monograph, Sequential Experiment with Primes, was published by the prestigious
Review sparked an important debate. “I have received more feedback on Doug for this article – from donors, alumni, board members – than I have received on any other topic,” says Baumgartner.
GETTY PROFESSORS OF THE YEAR Dr. Nusta Carranza Ko, assistant professor of comparative politics
Dr. Doug Dowland, assistant professor of English Doug Dowland is engaged with students. He serves as the advisor of the English department’s chapter of the International English Honor Society, Sigma Tau Delta, and sits on the convention committee of that national body. He developed and coordinates ONU’s interdisciplinary medical humanities minor, which connects issues in the humanities and medicine to better equip pre-professionals with the interpersonal and cultural literacies valued in contemporary health care. Dowland’s publication, “How Academe Breeds Resentment,” in The Chronicle
COLLEGE NEWS
Nusta Carranza Ko published two peer-reviewed articles and two book chapters this year and appeared in the op-eds in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Akron and Lima. Throughout the year, the media tapped into Ko’s expertise on Korea and Trump’s relationship with the Koreas. “She kept ONU in the news month after month,” says Baumgartner. She has been an invited speaker several times, including at Purdue, Duquesne, Dayton and the Latin American Studies Conference. She also served as an external reviewer, a manuscript reviewer, a thesis and capstone advisor, and a cited expert in public debate.” She took students to Model UN competitions in Chicago and New York City, winning awards along the way. She also served on the Dean’s Recruitment Task Force.◆
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Dr. Scott Swanson Department of Human Performance and Sports Sciences
Dr. Alisa Agozzino, associate professor of public relations
Springer Nature publishing company in fall 2017. His book presents a variety of elementary number theory insights involving sequences largely built from prime numbers and contingent number-theoretic functions. “What I especially enjoyed was that he incorporated research in number theory done at ONU that engaged undergraduates,” says Baumgartner.
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
MORE THAN A MENTOR, AN INSPIRATION
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When Judith (Monastra) Davis, BSBA ’81, delivered the Carroll V. Lovett Distinguished Lecture at Ohio Northern in 2013, she spoke about “Finding Your Voice: Leadership in the Workplace.” She encouraged everyone – but especially young women in business – to adopt a can-do attitude. “Just go for it!” she urged the audience. “Just hold your breath and jump in.” This spring, less than a year after her untimely passing at age 57, it was announced that Judy’s wisdom will continue at ONU, thanks to endowments funded by her husband, Gerald. Once established, these endowments will provide high-impact opportunities that will make it a bit easier for business students to reach out for opportunities and hone their leadership skills. The Judith M. and Gerald L. Davis Leadership Endowment will support an expansion of the business college’s Peer Mentorship Program, which matches first-year and transfer students with sophomores or juniors. The Leadership Endowment also will support the experiential learning component of the semester-long Executive Classroom course, which culminates in a high-impact learning experience in a large city, during which students meet with top executives.
The Judith M. Davis Women in Leadership Endowment will support the creation of a comprehensive mentorship program designed for female students in the College of Business Administration. This new program will prepare, educate and inspire these young women to become the next great generation of female leaders in the workplace, community and beyond. This program will take a small cohort of students each year and pair each of them with an alumna or business leader to form a mutually beneficial mentorship. This will allow each student to form a relationship with, job-shadow and learn from established leaders. An established leader is exactly what Judy became after graduating summa cum laude from ONU in 1981. She attended law school at Ohio State University, where she earned her Juris Doctor in 1984, the same year she began her corporate law career at Lincoln National Corporation in Fort Wayne, Ind. After a decade working in various positions, including strategic planning and mergers and acquisitions, she was recruited by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina in 1995 to become vice president and general counsel. She was promoted to the corporation’s senior leadership team in 2007 as executive vice president and chief legal officer. In her address at ONU, Davis left the audience with a final piece of advice: “Say an enthusiastic ‘yes’ to opportunities and use your leadership skills to improve the world around you.” With help like this from the Davises, the world stands to become a much better place.◆
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ENGINEERING
COMING BACK
AROUND AGAIN
Vincent
Klaiss
And when Mitch Vincent, BSCE ’08, a civil engineer at Corna Kokosing Construction Company, and Alex (Herman) Klaiss, BSME ’12, a mechanical engineer at Korda Engineering, learned that their respective companies were set to work on the new engineering building, they knew that they just had to be involved. “When I heard, I immediately went to my boss’s office to tell him I really wanted to work on this project,” says Klaiss. “It was definitely something I didn’t want to miss out on.” The same goes for civil engineering student Mallory Weininger, a senior from Upper Sandusky, Ohio, who is spending the summer working a summer co-op with Corna Kokosing Construction.
[ COLLABORATION SPACE ]
“I landed an interview with Kokosing at the winter career fair at ONU,” she says. “They mentioned the new building, and I must say, I may have pestered them a bit about it. They could see how intrigued I was and offered me a position for the summer. I was delighted to take it!” For Vincent, it was a chance to go back to where it all began. His career with Corna Kokosing started during his own co-op experience working on the construction of Stadium View Apartments, Affinity Village and the Lima Hall renovation. “At times, I feel like I have never left ONU,” he admits. Klaiss and Vincent agree that the preparation ONU engineering students receive is second to none. Both the technical and non-technical skills they learned helped them transition easily from college into their professional careers. Weininger sees this as an opportunity she probably wouldn’t have found
anywhere else. “I don’t believe I would have been given this chance at a larger institution. The opportunities ONU offers are vast and very rewarding. The amazing network here and the quality education we receive are truly paramount to all else.” Of course, when you’re working on a project that’s so important to you personally, you’re bound to set high expectations for yourself. “There is a certain amount of pressure that comes with building the future of the college that will educate several generations of engineers to come,” says Vincent. “But this is what ONU prepared us for – to have a passion for our craft and to focus on the needs of the public and not our own internal ambitions.” Vincent and Klaiss have worked on various projects of all sorts and sizes, but their newest assignment is proving to be one of the most meaningful to them.
COLLEGE NEWS
“It is truly an honor and the most exciting thing I’ve done in my career so far,” says Klaiss. “It feels like everything has come full circle – they provided me with my engineering education, and now I get to be part of the team that helps guide them through the process of designing and constructing the new building.” Although she’s still a year away from officially entering the professional engineering world, Weininger appreciates the magnitude of what she’s working on this summer. “Having a chance to work on a building at my University is an amazing experience, and being able to work on one that will house your major? It’s fantastic. Knowing I will have been a part of something that will stand at Ohio Northern University for years is quite a humbling thought.” See for yourself! Visit onu.edu/front/ under_construction to view current progress and to see time-lapse video of the construction process to date.◆
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As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a new engineering building, so it makes sense that several members of the ONU community would have a hand in the project.
Weininger
LAW
LAW ALUMNUS ENDOWS SCHOLARSHIP FOR WEST VIRGINIA STUDENTS ONU LAW’S PRACTICAL TRAINING LEADS TO GREAT SUCCESS
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Ohio Northern’s Pettit College of Law received an A- ranking for “Best Law Schools for Practical Training” in the spring edition of PreLaw magazine, placing the college in the top third of the nation’s law schools. To create these rankings, PreLaw examined experiential learning activities in five categories: legal clinics, externships, simulation courses, interschool competitions and “other.” The exceptional educational experience W. Kent Carper, JD ’79, received as an ONU Law student motivated him to establish the W. Kent Carper Law Scholarship, which will be awarded to law students during the second semester of their first year in law school. Preference will be given to students from West Virginia, those who work as first responders or in public safety, or those who have family members in those fields. “I was inspired to create this scholarship fund by my educational experience at Ohio Northern,” Carper says. “In my professional career, I owe everything I have been able to accomplish to ONU. I have competed against attorneys from every Ivy League school you can think of, and I have been able to match up against them, largely due to what I learned at ONU.” This professional career includes many distinguished years as an attorney and public servant. Carper is a founding partner in the Charleston, W.Va., law firm Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee & Deitzler PLLC. The firm was
recently recognized by “The Forum” as one of the top 25 civil plaintiff firms in the United States. It represented Mid-Ohio Valley residents who successfully sued DuPont Co. and the spin-off firm Chemours for more than $670 million for claims they were made ill by exposure to the chemical C8. Professionally, Carper is a member of the Kanawha County and West Virginia bar associations as well as the West Virginia Association for Justice. His area of legal concentration is personal injury litigation. His gift to ONU captures Carper’s spirit of service to others.
“The time seemed right to pay it forward and help a future ONU law student from this region,” Carper says. “This is something that is important to me.”
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The rankings place the most weight on clinical experience, at 38 percent. This score was based on the number of clinical seats available compared to the number of students enrolled in the school. At ONU Law, students are guaranteed a spot in one of two law clinics: the civil litigation clinic and the corporate transactional clinic. Externships were given the second highest weight, at 24 percent. The score was based on the number of positions filled compared to the number of students enrolled in the school. At ONU Law, students are guaranteed a spot in one of 10 different placements: litigation, bankruptcy, environmental, governmental, nonprofit litigation, municipal government, labor and employment, prosecution, public defender and judicial externships. With experiences such as these, it makes sense that ONU Law’s 2017 graduates are ranked third in Ohio for bar passage-required job placement, with 71 percent of them employed in such positions.◆
PHARMACY
ALUMNA LEADS THE WAY Mary Jo Bremyer-Krebs, BSPh ’45, was raised on pharmacy. It was a calling.
She denied this calling at first, spending a year at DePauw University studying nutrition. During the spring break of her freshman year at DePauw, she asked her father to take her to visit Ohio Northern. She was re-thinking her choices, curious about going into pharmacy. After that visit, she never looked back. She was a trailblazer at ONU. She was the only female pharmacy student in her class. She played basketball and joined the archery club. As a senior, she was elected Queen of May as well as queen of the Engi-
When Mary Jo earned her bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from ONU in 1945, a life of movement had truly begun. Her husband, Ed Krebs, enjoyed a stellar career in the Navy, which caused the couple to move nearly every two years. Wherever they resided, Mary Jo became engaged in the local community. She involved herself in several professional and civic organizations, too, such as the Navy Relief Society, American Society of Hospital Pharmacists, American Pharmaceutical Association and the A.A.U.W. Taxpayers League. It wasn’t always easy to be a female pharmacist in the ’50s and ’60s. She routinely earned less than her male counterparts. Many customers, particularly older women, didn’t want Mary Jo’s help behind the counter. Still, Mary Jo persevered, ultimately becoming the first female pharmacist at the National Orthopedic Hospital in Washington, D.C.
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An only child, Mary Jo pretty much grew up in the pharmacy owned and operated by her father, Vincent Bremyer, BSPh 1912, himself a Northern pharmacy graduate. In fact, you could say that her career in pharmacy began right around the age of 10. “As soon as I could reach the cash register, he put me to work, and I started waiting on people in the store,” she remembers.
neer’s Ball. “I don’t know why the engineers made me, a pharmacy person and clearly not an engineer, queen of their ball!”
She likens her education and career to journeying up a hill. And she uses this metaphor as she gives advice to aspiring pharmacists – especially young women.
without being asked, she plans and sponsors what has become the longest-running regional alumni event in Ohio Northern’s history in Venice, Fla.
“I would say it’s like hiking, maybe like going up a hill. You get up halfway, and you think, ‘I’ve got to go the rest of the way.’ On a hike, you just keep going until you get to the top. When you get to that point, it’s really easy. The downhill part just comes, and then there you are: in your profession.”
To acknowledge her many years of near-continuous dedication and service, the University recently bestowed upon Mary Jo one of two inaugural Alumni Service Awards. This award recognizes those alumni who serve the University in a volunteer capacity and whose dedication epitomizes the spirit of ONU.
After all this time, Mary Jo has not forgotten the first steps of that “hike.” Since graduating from ONU, she has served as a mentor to the leadership in the ONU College of Pharmacy, a member of the Heritage Club and an annual member of the Lehr Society. Perhaps most impressive, every year,
COLLEGE NEWS
When asked why she has done all of this, more than 70 years after she graduated, Mary Jo’s response is quite simple. “I just love ONU.”◆
AN
INCREDIBLE /36
RUN Emily Richards, BS ’18, has officially ended her stellar college running
800-meter run from 2015-18 and in the 1,500-meter from 2016-18.
career as a nine-time NCAA Division III national champion, 13-time
She’s also received a slew of individual awards and accolades at
All-American, and holder of 13 school records and the all-time Division
the conference, regional and national levels throughout her four
III record for the 800-meter run. She’s risen to heights never before
years at Northern.
seen in University circles and exceeded everyone’s expectations. Looking back now, it’s strange to think she started out as a perceived “underdog” with an iron will to succeed against all odds. Richards first burst onto the track and field scene at the 2016 Division III outdoor finals, where she won her first national championship in the 800-meter run. She quickly distinguished herself among the best runners in the United States when she began competing in postseason invitational races across the country, including the famous Mt. SAC Relays in southern California. Her junior year, she finished eighth in the 800-meter run at the USA Track and Field
Yet as high as Richards has already climbed, it’s only a starting point for what’s to come. She’s just launched her professional running career, having signed a contract with HOKA NY-NJ Track Club, which trains some of the top middle-distance runners in the world. Nevertheless, in spite of her astonishing accolades, Richards simply sees her success as a natural result of the relentless dedication, diligence and determination she’s put into her running. She sees herself as someone who can inspire others to do whatever they set their mind to, and to her, that is more valuable than any trophy or medal.
Championships as one of only two collegiate competitors in the race. To put it in context, her time of 2:01:07 would have qualified her for
“My ‘Cinderella story’ has become a platform
the U.S. Olympic Trials had it been an Olympic year.
on which to inspire others to believe that truly
Richards remained dominant in both the 800-meter run and the
there is no such phenomenon as an ‘underdog’ –
1,500-meter run, winning NCAA titles in 2016, 2017 and 2018 in
there is only the will to succeed against obstacles
both indoor and outdoor track and field. This was in addition to
and the intent to inspire those around you to
being the undefeated Ohio Athletic Conference champion in the
do the same.”◆
anything is possible,” she says. “In my experience,
O N U M AG A Z I N E S U M M E R 2 0 1 8
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C L AS S N OT E S
1960s
1 William Huber, BSEd ’65, JD ’68, has practiced law for 50 years and recently received the Marquis Who’s Who Lifetime Achievement Award. He resides in St. Marys, Ohio. Delbert Shinn, BSEd ’66, was inducted into the Elida Athletics Hall of Fame on Jan. 20, 2018. 2 Rodney Thompson, BA ’69, ACIT ’07, had a short article and pictures of the 2017 solar eclipse published in the Great Lakes Planetarium Association fall journal. He resides in Orrville, Ohio.
Keith Wiley, BSPh ’77, recently retired from the Rite Aid Corporation. He resides in Bellefontaine, Ohio. Krista (Hurley) Stump, BA ’78, retired from Ansonia Elementary as the principal after being there five years. She and her husband, Monty Stump, BA ’77, reside in Greenville, Ohio.
1980s J. Mark Hickman, BA ’81, was presented with a 30-Year Service Award at NASA Glenn Research Center. He resides in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.
3 Shirley (Kohler) Weyrauch, BSPh ‘81, has published a book, Following the Bread Crumbs, a compilation of her writing and photography. The 31 meditations began as prayer stations Ken Schnacke, BSME ’72, general at Christ UCC, where she served as manager of the Columbus Clippers, the Christian education coordinator for was elected into the International 22 years. Over time, church members League Hall of Fame in February encouraged her to “do something” 2018. The Clippers are the Triple-A with them, and the book came to life. minor league affiliate of Major League 4 Garold Kinninger, BA ’83, was Baseball’s Cleveland Indians. named to the Cypress-Fairbanks Stanley Hammerman, JD ’74, was Independent School District Wall of selected for inclusion in the 2018 Fame after being named the Secondary Southwest Super Lawyers publication. Administrator of the Year by the Texas School Counseling Association. He and Larry Niederkohr, BSPh ’74, retired as director of professional practice at his wife, Kathy, reside in Cypress, Texas.
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1970s
Walgreens. He resides in Pembroke Pines, Fla.
Jerry Veshio, BA ’74, director of athletics for Quaker Valley High School in Sewickly, Pa., coached the school’s football team to the 2017 class 3A Pennsylvania state championship. Jerry, the team’s public address announcer, stepped in to coach after Quaker Valley’s coach resigned one day before the start of the season. Thomas E. Hutson, BA ’75, was named regional vice-president/ group publisher for AIM Media Midwest based in Troy, Ohio, where he also resides. He supervises media operations in Troy, Sidney, Piqua, Greenville, Eaton, Vandalia, Huber Heights and Englewood. Walter Seeman, BSCE ’75, retired after 37 years as a volunteer firefighter with the Swanton Fire Department in Swanton, Ohio, where he resides.
5 Tim Buschur, BA ’87, was named Ohio Career Tech Administrator of the Year by the Ohio Association of Career Technical Educators. He was also selected as Region 1 Administrator of the Year covering 15 states. He was selected as one of the top five administrators in the country by the Association of Career and Technical Administrators. He resides in Coldwater, Ohio.
1990s 6 Scott Greene, BSBA ’90, and April Swartz welcomed a baby boy, Lokai Kaspian, on Jan. 21, 2018. Lokai joins brother Krae, 5. The family resides in Columbus, Ohio. Guy Mitchell, JD ’91, was elevated to the position of supreme court justice-criminal term in New York County, N.Y., on Oct. 1, 2017. He resides in New York City. Michael Murray, BSCE ’95, accepted a promotion to Ohio lead with IBI Group (formerly ME Companies), overseeing operations for four offices throughout the state. He and his wife, Amy (Widner) Murray, BS ’95, relocated to Westerville, Ohio, in June 2016.
Daniel Padden, BSBA ’84, JD ’87, was elected common pleas judge for Guernsey County. He and his wife, Lynn (McConnell) Padden, BSBA ’84, reside in Cambridge, Ohio.
Jesika (Silers) Lehner, BM ’97, accepted a position as education administrator at Columbus Children’s Theatre. She resides in Upper Arlington, Ohio.
Joseph Nesser, JD ’85, was re-elected to Monroe County Family Court. He is an acting New York State Supreme Court justice. He resides in Pittsford, N.Y.
Jennifer (Puckett) Hedge, BSBA ’99, was promoted to trial attorney at the Department of Veterans Affairs. She litigates contract disputes throughout the East Coast and much of the Midwest. She resides in Saxonburg, Pa.
Scott Rolle, JD ’86, was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve in May 2017. He currently serves in the 2nd Legal Operations Detachment headquartered in New Orleans. He was sworn in as a circuit court judge in Frederick County, Md., on Dec. 15, 2014. He resides in Frederick, Md. Glen Verhoff, BM ’86, received level 1 certification in the Wilson Reading System in June 2016. He also became a Wilson dyslexia therapist. He resides in Port Clinton, Ohio.
Tim Tannert, BSPh ’99, has been promoted to president of SoftWriters.
2000s 7 Eric J. Allen, JD ’00, and his wife, Jamie (Crisp) Allen, JD ’01, welcomed a baby boy, Ellis Holden, on Dec. 2, 2016. He joins big sisters Ila, 11, Areli, 10, and Everleigh, 5. The family resides in New Albany, Ohio.
O N U M AG A Z I N E S U M M E R 2 0 1 8
Lisa (Biery) Kelderhouse, BSBA ’00, was included in Greenhouse Product News’ Class of 2017 40 Under 40 Awards, which recognizes 40 industry professionals under the age of 40 who are helping to determine the future of the horticulture industry. She resides in Warrenville, Ill. Bernadette (Sowers) Weitz, PharmD ’01, recently received her board certification in pharmacotherapy. She resides in West Hartford, Conn. Sara (Westbrook) Radke, BS ’02, became a registered (RN) nurse in July 2008, when she left athletic training. She worked as an RN at St. Rita’s Medical Center until 2011, when she became a travel nurse, and she continues to travel for work today. She obtained her BSN in May 2015. She and her husband, Lorence, reside in Ada, Ohio. 8 Stacy (Walker) Doyle, PharmD ’03, was promoted to oversee the pharmacy department for Roundy’s Supermarkets, the newest acquisition for the Kroger Co. She resides in Kenosha, Wis. Maria Giannakos Whitacre, PharmD ’05, was promoted to director of pharmacy at Option Care in Cleveland, Ohio, in September 2017. She resides in Hinckley, Ohio. 9 Angela (McShane) Lee, JD ’06, and her husband, Adam, welcomed twins Andrew and Anna on Dec. 19, 2017. They join big brother Alexander, 4. She resides in Kasson, Minn. 10 Anthony Derrickson, BS ’07, and Natalie (Mittlesteadt) Derrickson, BA ’08, welcomed a daughter, Anna Caroline, on March 30, 2017. The family resides in Indianapolis, Ind. Kori (Frazier) Morgan, BA ’07, published a poetry chapbook, Bone China Girls, which tells the story of the 1965 murder of 16-year-old Sylvia Likens from the perspectives of the women involved with the crime. She resides in Alliance, Ohio. Adrienne (Bland) Candiotti, BS ’08, completed a doctorate in curriculum and teaching through Northcentral University in July 2018. She resides in Cortland, Ohio.
CLASS NOTES
17 20 15
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21 23 16 19 22
11 Jacob Grice, BSCE ’09, was recently promoted to division manager of Overhead Line at New River Electrical. He and his wife, Karen (Thatcher) Grice, PharmD ’12, welcomed their son Samuel in November 2017. The family resides in Columbus, Ohio. Ashley Hickle, BSBA ’08, and her husband, Scott Ammerman, welcomed a baby girl, Allison Grace, in April 2017. The family resides in Blacklick, Ohio. 12 Ashley (Streb) Watson, BSN ’09, and Rickie Watson, PharmD ’10, welcomed a baby boy, Christopher James, on Feb. 20, 2017. Christopher joins brothers Cooper, 5, and Cameron, 3. The family resides in New Philadelphia, Ohio. 13 Nora (Molter) Wolf, BSBA ’09, and her husband, Nicholas, welcomed a baby boy, Neal Gregory, on Feb. 28, 2017. The family resides in Lewis Center, Ohio.
14 Robert Hradek, BS ’09, and Sara (Lutz) Hradek, Pharm D ’10, welcomed daughter Lennon on May 18, 2017. The family resides in Tiffin, Ohio.
2010s 15 Stephanie (Hiser) Bowsher, BA ’10, and Alan Bowsher, BS ’10, welcomed a son, Caleb Louis, on Jan. 2, 2018. Caleb joins brother Lucas, 2. The family currently resides in Williamston, Mich. 16 Virginia (Harrod) Herrick, BM ’10, recently became the new director of children’s music at Davidson United Methodist Church after a nationwide search. She oversees a program of 150 students and teaches choir and handbells. She and her husband, Timothy Herrick, BM ’09, reside in Charlotte, N.C. 17 Robert Yoho, PharmD ’10, was appointed director of pharmacy at Hopewell Health Centers in Logan, Ohio. He resides in Pomeroy, Ohio. Amanda Fannon, BFA ’11, has been teaching young dancers at Logrea Dance Academy, was recently married and became eligible to join the Actors Equity Association.
18 Lydia (Baughman) Heimbrock, BFA ’11, and her husband, Kurt, welcomed a baby boy, Roland James, on Jan. 5, 2018. The family resides in Loveland, Ohio.
James Wirt, BA ’11, and his wife, Rachel, were sworn in as Peace Corps volunteers on June 2, 2017. They are currently serving in Kosovo’s Fourth Peace Corps Cohort.
Jordan McNamara, JD ’11, and his wife, Sarah, welcomed their first child, Gracie Elizabeth, on Nov. 18, 2017. Gracie weighed 8 pounds, 2 ounces. The family resides in Syracuse, N.Y.
21 Natalie (Clark) Yanos, PharmD ’11, and her husband, Bryan, welcomed a son, Benjamin Clark, on Dec. 11, 2017. Benjamin joins brother Evan, 2. The family resides in New Castle, Ind.
Ashleigh (Kaleugher) Musick, BA ’11, and her husband, Jeffery, welcomed a baby girl, Kalina, on Oct. 27, 2017. She joins brother Wyatt, 2. The family resides in Cortland, Ohio. 19 Nicolas Sasso, JD ’11, joined Rothman Gordon in November 2017, having previously practiced in Arkansas. He was recognized by Legal Aid of Arkansas with the 2017-18 Pro Bono Service Award “for selfless commitment to ‘the cause of the impoverished, the defenseless or the oppressed’ through volunteer service.” 20 Drew Swick, BSEE ’11, and Shea (Pennington) Swick, PharmD ’15, were married April 15, 2017, in Columbus, Ohio.
C L AS S N OT E S
22 Karen (Thatcher) Grice, PharmD ’12, and Jacob Grice, BSCE ’09, welcomed a baby boy, Samuel, in November 2017. The family resides in Columbus, Ohio. Rochelle Hall-Rollins, PharmD ’12, was re-appointed to the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council for terms beginning Feb. 12, 2018, and ending Dec. 31, 2020. 23 Rebecca (Risner) Hibbard, BA ’12, and Kyle Hibbard, BS ’12, welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Aubrey Renae, into the world on Sept. 5, 2017. The family resides in Ada, Ohio. Marsha (McMunn) Robinson, BA ’12, and David Robinson were married at Cass United Methodist Church in Detroit, Mich., on Sept. 2, 2017. The couple resides in Dearborn, Mich.
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Jennifer (Harris) Whitehead, BS ’08, finished her pediatric residency at the University of Toledo and is working as a pediatrician at Pediatrics of Lima. She resides in Lima, Ohio.
CLASS NOTES 26
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24 Chelsia Stack, BSN ’12, recently completed her Master of Science in nursing/family nurse practitioner, and she passed also passed her boards to become a certified nurse practitioner. She’s newly employed with Mercy Health System as a certified nurse practitioner in the walk-in clinic. She and her husband, Mike DeRenard, reside in Berea, Ohio. Scott Sutton, BSCE ’12, and Sarah (Diehm) Sutton, BA ’13, were married Nov. 25, 2017. The couple resides in Akron, Ohio. 25 Devon Malloy, JD ’13, recently joined the firm Robb Leonard Mulvihill in Pittsburgh. Devon resides in Mineral Point, Pa. 26 Dylan Montgomery, BA ’13, and Anabel (Gilbert) Montgomery, BS ’13, welcomed a baby boy, Quinton Michael, on Oct. 19, 2017. He weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces and was 20 inches long. The family resides in Tiffin, Ohio.
28
30
Julia Pisansky, BA ’13, and Jim Johnston married on May 26, 2018. She graduated with her MA in clinical mental health counseling in December 2017. 27 Marcella (Economos) Pope, PharmD ’13, and her husband, Jeffrey Pope, PharmD ’12, welcomed daughter Gianna Teresa on Aug. 16, 2017. Marcella was also named CVS Preceptor of the Year for District III, Region 93, Area 25. The family resides in Dayton, Ohio. Christin (Miller) Bryan, BS ’14, graduated from the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at the University of Pittsburgh in May 2017. She resides in Aliquippa, Pa., with her husband Joshua Bryan, BSCE ’14. 28 Sarah (Coffin) Catherman, JD ’14, joined the Law Office of W. William Robinson III as an attorney, practicing criminal defense, traffic and some civil law. Recently, she also performed legal disaster recovery
work in Fort Worth, Texas, for the victims of the recent natural disasters, working for the U.S. Small Business Administration. She and her husband, Andrew Catherman, JD ’14, reside in Midlothian, Va. 29 Chahdael (Smith) Foreman, BA ’14, and her husband, Tarik, welcomed daughter Arabia on Sept. 30, 2017. She joins brother Tahvi, 2. The family resides in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. 30 Ashlee (Anders) Leavers, PharmD ’15, and Christopher Leavers were married Sept. 22, 2017. The couple resides in Springfield, Ohio. Kellie (Evans) Musch, PharmD ’15, was recently promoted to pharmacy manager supporting the Free Standing Emergency Departments of OhioHealth in July 2017, and she was also appointed chair of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Career Development Advisory group in June 2017. She resides in Columbus, Ohio.
O N U M AG A Z I N E S U M M E R 2 0 1 8
31 Hannah (Peterson) Brown, BA ’16, and Steven Brown were married in an October 2017 ceremony at which Hannah’s father, Kirk Peterson, BSBA ’83, officiated. Hannah’s brother Luke Peterson, a current ONU student, was a groomsman, and three of the bridesmaids were ONU alumnae. Hannah and Steven were pleased to host several wedding guests with connections to ONU as well. Hannah was also recently promoted from account coordinator to account executive within her first three months at Pep Promotions. Hannah and Steven reside in Cincinnati, Ohio. 32 Eden (Adkins) Mays, JD ’16, and her husband, Daniel, welcomed a baby boy, Ellis McKinley, on Dec. 17, 2017. The family resides in Lebanon, Ohio. Correction: In our previous issue, a class note incorrectly stated that Mark Howard, BSBA ’09, works for Safe Auto Insurance. Howard is a claims vendor specialist for State Auto Insurance.
REMEMBERING THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE William E. Smyth, BSEd ’50, Farmington Hills, Mich., March 18, 2018.
Gerald J. Rone Jr., JD ’55, Lewis Center, Ohio, Jan. 25, 2018.
Kenneth A. Badertscher, BSEd ’61, Annapolis, Md., Oct. 29, 2017.
C. William Gray, BSCE ’51, Powell, Ohio, Nov. 10, 2017.
Ruby L. Brubaker, BSPh ’56, Columbiana, Ohio, Oct. 17, 2017.
Delores (Hanna) Moyer, BSEd ’61, Pandora, Ohio, Jan. 22, 2018.
James H. Harvey Jr., BSPh ’51, Houston, Texas, Oct. 8, 2017.
Donald Mack, BA ’56, Lima, Ohio, March 18, 2018.
William J. Wert, BSEd ’61, Glastonbury, Conn., Jan. 20, 2018.
Marion Milo Wellington, BSPh ’51, Wapakoneta, Ohio, Sept. 30, 2017.
Lawrence Gene Gatton, BSME ’57, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Feb. 19, 2018.
Wilbert W. Wolf, BA ’61, Geneseo, Ill., Dec. 8, 2017.
1940s
Carolyn (Ramsey) Kille, BSPh ’52, Fort Wayne, Ind., Oct. 8, 2017.
John A. Metzner, JD ’57, Delphos, Ohio, Nov. 25, 2017.
Nathan L. Lindabury, BSEd ’40, New Canaan, Conn., March 21, 2018.
William M. McOmber, BA ’52, St. Marys, Ohio, March 18, 2018.
Barbara J. (Cramer) Smith, BSEd ’58, Champion, Pa., Dec. 19, 2017.
Robert C. Cole Jr., BA ’53, Chapel Hill, N.C., Nov. 23, 2017.
Eddie James Dudley, BSPh ’59, Dayton, Ohio, Feb. 23, 2018.
Martin V. Lewis, BSEd ’53, Marion, Ohio, Jan. 10, 2018.
Richard H. Fisher, BA ’59, Oxford, Ohio, Jan. 23, 2018.
David Hunter Markle Jr., BSEd ’53, Maumee, Ohio, Oct. 20, 2017.
James A. Kistler, BA ’59, Elyria, Ohio, Jan. 28, 2018.
1930s Elfreda M. Rusher, BSEd ’38, Bowling Green, Ohio, April 15, 2018. Esther Lois (George) Preuninger, BSEd ’39, Greer, S.C., Sept. 30, 2017.
Florence L. (Cordero) Boase, BA ’45, Cocoa, Fla., July 25, 2017. Charles W. Thobaben, BSCE ’47, Wilmore, Ky., Feb. 3, 2018. George E. Killian, BSEd ’49, Glendale, Ariz., Dec. 6, 2017. Vincent A. Lally, BSEE ’49, Media, Pa., March 24, 2018. Charles J. O'Bryant, BSME ’49, Raleigh, N.C., Nov. 5, 2017.
1950s Frank Anast, BSPh ’50, Findlay, Ohio, Feb. 3, 2018. Jeanne (Clark) Hall, BSEd ’50, Lorain, Ohio, Nov. 9, 2017. Wallace R. Hall, BSPh ’50, Lorain, Ohio, Dec. 5, 2017.
Richard L. Powell, JD ’53, Pompano Beach, Fla., Nov. 10, 2017. Donald A. Sibbring, JD ’53, Dublin, Ohio, Feb. 15, 2018.
Merritt Dean Redick, BSEE ’59, Pleasanton, Calif., Dec. 1, 2017. Joseph P. Valore, BSEd ’59, JD ’62, Urbana, Ohio, Oct. 3, 2017.
Joan Maxson Crow, BSEd ’62, Bellevue, Wash., Oct. 2, 2017. Charles A. DelBene, LLB ’62, Laguna Niguel, Calif., Oct. 19, 2017. Richard Klauss, BA ’62, Belleville, Ill., Dec. 9, 2017. Norman H. Douglas, BSEd ’63, Chelmsford, Mass., Jan. 13, 2018. George R. Finnen, JD ’63, Lancaster, Ohio, March 1, 2018. Michael B. Karn, BSPh ’63, Brookville, Ohio, March 23, 2018.
George C. Snyder, BSEE ’53, Uniontown, Ohio, Jan. 21, 2018.
1960s
George P. Wolfe, BSPh ’53, Silver Lake, Ohio, Sept. 23, 2017.
Ralph G. Ellerbrock, BSEE ’60, Ottawa, Ohio, May 11, 2016.
Theodore J. Colton, BSPh ’54, Carthage, N.Y., Jan. 27, 2018.
John W. Hall, BSCE ’60, Holbrook, Ariz., Dec. 12, 2017.
Ronald G. Howe, BSPh ’54, Cape Coral, Fla., April 4, 2017.
Edward S. Jamison, BSCE ’60, Lima, Ohio, Oct. 20, 2017.
Lawrence P. Lask, BSPh ’54, Cleveland, Ohio, Feb. 19, 2018.
F. L. Remark, BA ’60, Melbourne Beach, Fla., March 24, 2018.
Melvin A. Rode, BSEE ’63, Delphos, Ohio, Nov. 7, 2017.
James R. Maxwell, BA ’55, Salvisa, Ky., June 27, 2017.
Mary M. (Williams) Howard, BSEd ’60, Findlay, Ohio, July 14, 2016.
Sara Jean (Burgess) Ruona, BSEd ’63, Penhook, Va., Nov. 4, 2017.
REMEMBERING THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE
Miriam Lou (Jones) Marshall, BSEd ’63, Ada, Ohio, Dec. 5, 2017. Janice Marie (Johnston) Quay, BSEd ’63, West Liberty, Ohio, March 11, 2018. F. Lee Rausch, BSEd ’63, Cambridge, Ohio, March 23, 2017.
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Helen L. (Richards) Clark, BA ’44, Fostoria, Ohio, Jan. 12, 2018.
Henry F. Cole, BSPh ’62, Indianapolis, Ind., Jan. 20, 2018.
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Dr. Francis "Frank" A. Gangemi passed away March 18 at The Heritage in Findlay, Ohio, with his wife, Charleen (Krofft), BA ’73, and daughter Maria by his side. He served as chair of the Department of Physics at Ohio Northern University from 1970 until his retirement in 1995. He often said he was fortunate to be able to earn a living doing something he really enjoyed. Although much of his life was spent studying and teaching physics, he was also intensely interested in reconciling the conclusions of science with the teachings of the major religions. During his retirement years in Findlay he often quipped that he had become a “recovering intellectual,” and insisted that he would make the real world his primary concern. His major regret was that he did not wise up sooner. A WWII veteran, Gangemi served in the U.S. Marine Corps, Fleet Marine Force, spending most of his enlistment aboard U.S. Navy ships. After honorable discharge, he attended Lemoyne College in Syracuse and graduated from the University of Notre Dame and the Catholic University of America, with major fields of study in philosophy and physics. He received his Ph.D. in physics and began a career of university teaching and research. He supported ONU as a member of the Lehr Society.
Dr. Robert “Bob” Hovis, professor of mathematics emeritus, passed away July 1. Hovis began his service to Ohio Northern University in 1975, teaching mathematics and computer science. In addition to teaching, he served as the chair of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science for 19 years. He was instrumental in the establishment of the computer science major on ONU’s campus in 1978. An outstanding professor to his students, a mentor to many of his fellow colleagues and friend to all who knew him, Hovis served ONU in any capacity needed. In 2003, he was asked and willingly agreed to serve as the interim dean of the Getty College of Arts & Sciences. He retired from ONU in 2009, enjoying nearly four decades in Ada, where he and his family were active members of the community. He supported ONU as a member of the Lehr Society.
Beverly J. (Subler) Sandmann, BSPh ’63, Pittsburg, Kan., Feb. 15, 2018. Garry H. Taft, BSPh ’63, Harrisonburg, Va., Feb. 7, 2018.
E. Jean Teach, BSEd ’71, Vancouver, Wash., March 3, 2018. Carol (Baughman) Holt, BA ’72, Pittsburgh, Pa., March 2, 2018.
Karen (Lakshmi) Adlaka, BA ’64, Canfield, Ohio, March 7, 2017.
Larry Dean Goodman, BSBA ’73, Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., Oct. 18, 2017.
John W. Flannery, JD ’65, New Castle, Pa., March 24, 2016.
Joseph R. Gosney, BSCE ’73, Newark, Ohio, Oct. 18, 2017.
Ronald Steven Markizon, BA ’65, Vineland, N.J., Aug. 31, 2016.
R. W. Wellbaum, JD ’73, Englewood, Fla., April 13, 2018.
William Patrick Murray, JD ’65, Huron, Ohio, Nov. 10, 2017.
Jeffrey Clair Chubb, BA ’74, South Portland, Maine, Dec. 3, 2017.
Gilbert L. Krone, JD ’66, Granville, Ohio, Dec. 3, 2017.
Mary Ellen (Martin) Sielicki, BA ’74, Toledo, Ohio, Dec. 27, 2017.
Jon H. Marshall, BA ’66, Canton, Ohio, Dec. 16, 2017.
Robert Grant Taylor, BA ’74, Green Bay, Wis., Oct. 6, 2017.
Roger C. Blake, BSPh ’67, Tipp City, Ohio, Nov. 20, 2017.
John Charles Bogdan, BA ’76, Canton, Ohio, Nov. 18, 2017.
Hubert T. Derivan, JD ’67, Middletown, Ohio, Nov.10, 2017.
Darlene K. Russell, BA ’76, Las Vegas, Nev., Oct. 2, 2017.
Patrick W. Robertson, BA ’67, Corvallis, Ore., Nov. 17, 2017.
Edward F. Zickafoose, BA ’77, Lima, Ohio, March 6, 2018.
Cheryl D. (Robinson) Williams, BA ’67, Lima, Ohio, Dec. 31, 2017.
Clifton E. Johnson, BA ’77, Indianapolis, Ind., April 25, 2018.
Clark K. Frazier, BSEd ’68, Rawson, Ohio, Dec. 28, 2017.
Richard P. Colosimo, BSPh ’78, Shadyside, Ohio, March 25, 2018.
Naomi Fern (Leffel) Johns, BSEd ’68, St. Marys, Ohio, Jan. 28, 2018.
Jan Alison (Nolan) Winkleman, BSBA ’79, Nicholasville, Ky., March 22, 2018.
Sharon Kay Pitts, BSEd ’68, Columbus, Ohio, Jan. 4, 2017. Eric J. Akers, BA ’69, JD ’73, Ashland, Ohio, March 8, 2018. Lanning James Bryant, BA ’69, Walnut Creek, Calif., Nov. 3, 2017. Anne L. Coon, BSEd ’69, Sidney, Ohio, Jan. 16, 2018. John Louis Klipstine, BA ’69, Ansonia, Ohio, Dec. 15, 2017. Barbara Lou Schott, BSEd ’69, Rockford, Ohio, March 25, 2018.
1970s Sara J. (Crawford) Connolly, BA ’70, Cincinnati, Ohio, Oct. 6, 2017. Wanda M. Dieringer, BSEd ’71, Lima, Ohio, Sept. 22, 2017.
1980s Mary Ann Patricia Haran, JD ’81, Guilford, Conn., Nov. 17, 2016. Gale Lynn (Jenkins) Fogg, BSPh ’82, Inlet Beach, Fla., Sept. 24, 2017. Randall Lee Jones, BSME ’82, Beavercreek, Ohio, Feb. 19, 2018. David L. Luechauer, BSBA ’85, Charleston, W.Va., Dec. 27, 2017. Gursaran S. Shoker, JD ’85, West College Corner, Ind., Jan. 24, 2018. Robert Edson Lewis, BS ’87, Westerville, Ohio, March 16, 2018. Mark Daniel Evans, BSBA ’88, Newark, Ohio, Jan. 13, 2018.
Paul D. Seifried, BSPh ’70, Orrville, Ohio, Jan. 24, 2018.
1990s
Paul W. Woodruff, BSPh ’70, Norton, Ohio, Sept. 29, 2017.
Victoria Lee Nelson, JD ’90, Las Vegas, Nev., Jan. 13, 2018.
O N U M AG A Z I N E S U M M E R 2 0 1 8
Brice Oscar Recker, JD ’90, Gahanna, Ohio, Nov. 3, 2017.
Betty (Hensley) Accountius, Northridge, Calif., Nov. 6, 2017.
Jean (Lutman) Hablitzel, Perrysburg, Ohio, April 19, 2017.
Jean (Hale) Mickens, Dunedin, Fla., May 9, 2017.
Michael James Brown, BS ’98, Findlay, Ohio, Nov. 4, 2017.
Doris (Walker) Atteberry, Cincinnati, Ohio, Jan. 4, 2017.
Karen (Obermiller) Hanzie, Tucson, Ariz., Dec. 20, 2017.
Richard Rapp, Lima, Ohio, Feb. 23, 2018.
Janet (Scott) Boltz, Cincinnati, Ohio, Oct. 19, 2017.
Mary Hubin, Alger, Ohio, Jan. 1, 2018.
Lena Schiavone, Elkhart, Ind., Dec. 9, 2017.
Charles Cowan, Fishers, Ind., April 8, 2018.
Joanne Hunt, Columbus, Ohio, Feb. 25, 2018.
Thomas Stewart, Eugene, Ore., Nov. 15, 2017.
David Deever, Kenton, Ohio, March 5, 2018.
Milo King, Alger, Ohio, Aug. 22, 2017.
Robert Wake, New Bern, N.C., Jan. 11, 2018.
Joseph Eachus, Van Wert, Ohio, May 12, 2017.
Elizabeth Krummrey, Ada, Ohio, June 5, 2017.
Wilbur Ward, Wellston, Ohio, Nov. 18, 2016.
Roy Farr, Elmria, N.Y., Sept. 24, 2016.
Denise (May) Laughery, Galion, Ohio, Nov. 15, 2017.
Paul Yessenow, Schererville, Ind., Feb. 9, 2018.
Marilyn Green, Ada, Ohio, Sept. 30, 2017.
Roger Leifheit, Pomeroy, Ohio, Aug. 1, 2017.
Joy Ann (Kline) Dahill, Wapakoneta, Ohio, Oct. 1, 2017.
Michael Greene, Jamestown, Ohio, Feb. 1, 2018.
William Leist, New Philadelphia, Ohio, July 24, 2017.
Ruth E. (Luoma) Holthe, Ashtabula, Ohio, Feb. 19, 2018.
FRIENDS
Irma Griggs Field, Marion, Ohio, Jan. 15, 2018.
Ronald Leonard, Ada, Ohio, Oct. 8, 2017.
Grace Eileen (McElheny) Ford, Maumee, Ohio, Nov. 8, 2017.
Andreya Grzegorzewski, Bryan, Ohio, Jan. 19, 2018.
Judith Lukes, Crown Point, Ind., Feb. 23, 2017.
2000s Jennifer Lyn Powell-Campbell, BS ’00, Wadsworth, Ohio, Dec. 18, 2017. Lisa J. Price, BSBA ’11, Forest, Ohio, Oct. 22, 2017.
COLLEAGUES Janet (Scott) Crawford, Ada, Ohio, Dec. 8, 2017. Dr. Terrence E. Sheridan, Ada, Ohio, Dec. 5, 2017
For the first seven decades of its existence, ONU did not offer on-campus housing in the traditional sense. The University’s founder, Henry Solomon Lehr, considered residence halls to be “breeders of mischief” and encouraged students to live with community families.
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Dr. Clyde A. Painter died May 31, 2018, at Promedica Flower Hospital in Sylvania, Ohio. Painter was the first dean of ONU’s College of Business Administration, serving in that role from 197884. He retired from Northern as a professor of management in 1991. Painter was born Sept. 20, 1929, in Level Green, Pa., and married Edith G. Pratt in December 1952. They were married 54 years before she preceded him in death in November 2006. During his life, Painter served as an MP in the U.S. Army and as a deputy sheriff in Naples, Fla. He was a member of the Ada First United Methodist Church, a 66-year member of the Masonic Lodge F&AM of Braintree, Mass., a member of the former Ada Masonic Lodge F&AM #344, and a current member of the Latham Lodge #154 F&AM of Kenton, Ohio.
The Board of Trustees continued to wrestle with the residence hall issue until Feb. 3, 1949, when fire destroyed Turner Hall, a house that had been converted into student housing for women. University President Robert McClure proposed a new women’s residence hall to the trustees and they finally agreed. The first phase of Clark Hall was dedicated during Homecoming 1950, and its second floor was added in 1951. ONU’s first purpose-built residence hall, the building was named for John H. Clark, LLB 1899, a graduate of the College of Law who served on the University’s Board of Trustees from 1907-60. As additional and improved housing became available, it was announced in 2006 that Clark Hall would no longer be used for residential purposes. Still, Clark Hall continued to serve Northern, offering a home to various activities and offices until its demolition in June 2018. To learn more about purchasing a brick or to share a Clark Hall memory, visit www.onu.edu/clarkhall. Special thanks to Paul Logsdon, archivist emeritus
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