Ohio Today spring 2021 by OHIO Today magazine

ohiotoday For ALUMNI and FRIENDS of OHIO UNIVERSITY

SPRING 2021

First. Finest. Forever. OHIO brings its brand to life

A new era for The Ridges

PRE SI DEN T ’ S M E S S AG E

Forever moving forward. Forever OHIO. Dear OHIO Alumni, It’s often said that the more things change, the more

carried on Ohio University’s mission and advanced

they stay the same.

its legacy, and I could not be any prouder of our Ohio University family.

That’s certainly true at Ohio University, because no matter the changes in our society, we remain committed to our mission, our students and the

Inside this issue of Ohio Today, you are invited to read more about how the Ohio University community has

communities we serve.

worked together during the pandemic to overcome the many challenges in front of us.

Even as the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the world around us, our students, faculty and staff continue to excel in their studies and work,

Also in this issue, I hope you will take particular note of the fascinating feature on transformations

while our alumni remain steadfast in their extraordinary support.

occurring at The Ridges. Like many of you, I was in awe of the majestic scenery of this historic property

Perhaps most importantly, we have continued to learn, grow and achieve together. We have forged new friendships, learned new skills and made new memories that will last a lifetime. We have

the first time I visited it. We are proud of the improvements that have been made to The Ridges, and we remain committed to preserving its unique beauty in ways that best serve the campus and community.

SPRING 2021

Bobcat Beacons of Excellence FROM PRESIDENT M. DUANE NELLIS The Scripps College of Communication has unveiled a new undergraduate Podcasting Certificate, which will provide students with media and journalism training for one of the fastest-growing and most popular areas of audio storytelling in the modern media marketplace. [OPPOSITE PAGE] President M Nellis presides over OHIO’s first-ever virtual Commencement. The Dec. 12 ceremony celebrated the achievements of more than 4,400 summer and fall 2020 graduates. [ABOVE] Students work in the Schoonover Center’s Podcast Studio 1, which will serve as a significant resource for the Scripps College of Communication’s new Podcasting Certificate. Photos by Ben Wirtz Siegel, BSVC ’02

Whether their OHIO degrees were earned in their hometowns or oceans away from where they were born, our Bobcat alumni continue to change the world for the better. On page 36, for example, you are encouraged to read about Surinder Bedi, MSISE ’84, who grew up in India with a dream of achieving something meaningful in his life, came to Ohio University with a roadmap to that dream, and became a global leader in the field of renewable energy. Finally, don’t miss the feature on the Forever OHIO campaign, which highlights how the OHIO experience is with you always. The world has changed tremendously since Ohio University was founded in 1804, and change has become a constant in the last year. But no matter the day, Ohio University remains steadfast in its mission, and our Bobcat community remains together. We are Forever OHIO. Sincerely,

M. Duane Nellis President @OHIOPrezOffice

U.S. News & World Report has named Ohio University as the No. 1 Best Value School among public universities in the state. Our national rankings continue to increase as well. Our Online Master of Business Administration program has been ranked first in the state of Ohio and No. 36 in the nation by Poets&Quants in its 2021 ranking of best online MBA programs. Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry Tadeusz Malinski, who has been nationally and internationally recognized as a pioneer in the field of nanomedicine, was named a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the highest professional distinction accorded solely to academic inventors. Ohio University is welcoming longtime partners to its Dublin Campus in a move that will strengthen relationships and make possible oncampus clinical encounters for medical and health professions students. Our George Washington Forum on American Ideas, Politics, and Institutions will add a History of Capitalism focus thanks to a historic commitment of $1,687,500 from the Menard Family to The Ohio University Foundation. Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Jennifer Hines, along with graduate and undergraduate students in her lab, published the results of their research in the search for another way to stop COVID-19—by disrupting its RNA and its ability to reproduce.

features 06

First. Finest. Forever.

Far from normal

It’s a date

University’s new brand platform brings OHIO’s story—your story —to life

A snapshot of how COVID-19 has impacted campus life and the lives of Bobcats near and far

Alumni Experiences events draw Bobcats together to grow and connect

A new era for The Ridges

Little things, big returns

A look at how OHIO is preserving and making history at one of Athens’ most iconic properties

From India to OHIO to Silicon Valley: Alumnus’ road to becoming a global leader in renewable energy

Since assuming full ownership of The Ridges in 1993, Ohio University has taken strategic steps to integrate this healing and cherished landscape into the life of campus and community (page 26). Photo by Ben Wirtz Siegel, BSVC ’02

SPRING 2021

Soon-to-be graduate reflects on OHIO experience and moments that will fuel her forever

D E PA RTM E NTS

Green scenes

OHIO making headlines

Infographic

OHIO time machine

Bobcat tracks

Class notes, Bobcat sightings, Future Bobcats, Alumni authors

The Ridges Green: Past and present

Ohio University Press

In memoriam

Last word

Table of contents

ON THE COVER “You walked the bricks and through the arches of Alumni Gateway. You remember your professors—and the life lessons they taught you. You’re still connected to classmates. You are living proof that OHIO is forever.” Students, alumni, faculty and staff rally around “Forever OHIO” brand. Visit ohiotoday.org for multimedia stories that complement the stories inside this issue.

02 03

L E T T E R S TO T H E E D I TO R

Where it all began I just browsed through an email to alumni with previews of events planned for a Virtual Homecoming 2020. I found the articles very interesting, especially the archived photos and descriptions posted with them. The highlight for me, however, was the Ohio Today virtual tour of the College Green, which brought back so many treasured memories. In the fall of 1952, I began my college career at Ohio University, moving on campus at my father’s alma mater from my home in New Jersey. The student enrollment had grown by leaps and bounds, partially due to many veterans of the Korean War, returning to complete their education thanks to the GI Bill. The University was forced to house departments in Quonset hut-type structures on the College Green. Our “recreation center” was a wooden military barracks, equipped with jukebox, booths, snack bar and pinball machines, which made our leisure time between classes more enjoyable. East Green was a village of military barracks, adapted for use as dormitories for young incoming men, who had to deal with the flooding of the nearby Hocking River seasonally. I found myself attending classes with fellow students who were old enough to have been my parents, and ultimately as a “lab assistant” in the Chemistry Department. I supervised classes with these older people as students in my labs—quite a daunting experience at that young age!

In this photo from the 1952 Athena Yearbook, students stand in line to register for classes at the “Rec Hall” that was located on College Green. The temporary structure was a far cry from today’s five-story, 183,000-squarefoot Baker University Center. Photo courtesy of Mahn Center for Archives & Special Collections

I was fortunate enough to be assigned to a double room made into a triple in Bryan Hall, but as I recall my introduction to college life, I can’t help but compare it to the very different experiences of students today. Beautiful new buildings exist throughout campus, with some that were new when I graduated having been replaced by more updated facilities.

Countdown to the 1970 closing Reading “Countdown to the 1970 closing” brought back some memories I had all but forgotten. The whiffs of tear gas coming across the main green and into West Union and South Court Streets. The view of state troopers in formation on the College Green during the disturbances after Kent State. Protesters yelling and chanting.

None of the amenities expected by parents and students today were available to us (cars, computers, televisions, microwaves, cell phones, etc.), and yet memories of my college years will always be some of my most treasured. —Retha

I was a senior getting ready to graduate and a member of the Army ROTC Corps of Cadets about to be commissioned a Regular Army Infantry Second Lieutenant. With OU closing May 15, I took the grade option of what I had at the time, but I still had to come back to OU for a

Clark, BS ’56

SPRING 2021

Commissioning Ceremony on June 13 and report for active duty on June 15. I have always been fond of OU and the Athens community. I have not been back in over 25 years, but I keep in touch with some of my fraternity brothers. As a freshman, I pledged Pershing Rifles, Co F-1 on campus—one of only a few of the National Pershing Rifles companies that had a house, right around the corner from the BBF (Burger Boy Food-arama!) and near the “Graduate” Bar. 1966 through part of 1968 were pleasant and relaxing for us students and my PR brothers. Even with anti-war protests going on, we did not get really harassed, even on days we had to wear our Army ROTC uniforms.

But after the Tet Offensive, the protests became more earnest and at times a little violent. Most of the PR brothers I do not think felt any worry, and the only time we had incidents with other students was when we were practicing drill and ceremonies for drill meets at the Ohio National Guard Armory. OU was a great university to attend, good profs and the community was nice. OU did a good job preparing me to be a professional soldier. I was good at my job and got through Vietnam in 71-72 with 2nd Battalion 1st Infantry, 196th Light Infantry Brigade with losing only one trooper. War made its mark, and most were better for it. Thank you for the article. —Retired Lt. Col. John G. Woyansky, AB ’70

In “Countdown to the 1970 closing,” there was mention of the 1969 publication by The Cleveland Plain Dealer of the My Lai photos taken in May 1968 by OHIO alumnus Ronald Haeberle. There were two other Ohio University connections involved in getting the photos published: Joe Eszterhas (attended in the mid-1960s), a Plain Dealer reporter and a friend to whom Ron brought the photos, and myself, then the city editor of the PD. Joe brought Ron to me at the city desk, I took them to the managing editor, and the rest is history. —Bill Treon, BA ’60 WRITE TO US. Ohio Today welcomes comments from readers. We reserve the right to edit for grammar, space, clarity and civility. Send letters by email to ohiotoday@ohio.edu or by mail to Ohio University, Ohio Today, P.O. Box 869, Athens, OH 45701-0869 or join the conversation at ohiotoday. org. We regret that we cannot publish all messages received in print or online.

What’s new at OHIO U. 1

NEW VOINOVICH SCHOOL NAME

NEW REGIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION DEANS

NEW COLLEGE LEADERSHIP

Effective July 1, OHIO’s George V. Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs will be renamed the George V. Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service to more accurately reflect its mission and namesake’s career, and to highlight the importance of public service.

Four of OHIO’s regional campuses have welcomed new deans of campus and community relations. They are Roberta Milliken, Ph.D., Chillicothe Campus; David Rohall, Ph.D., Eastern Campus; Jarrod Tudor, Ph.D., Lancaster Campus; and Hannah Nissen, Ph.D., Zanesville Campus.

Dr. Jackie Rees Ulmer is the first woman to serve as the College of Business’ dean, succeeding Dr. Hugh Sherman. Dr. John McCarthy is interim dean of the College of Health Sciences and Professions after Dr. Randy Leite stepped down. Dr. Renée Middleton will step down as the Patton College dean in June.

What’s new

04 05

First. Finest. Forever. OHIO brings its story, your story, to life

Over the past year, in the midst of everything 2020 threw at us, Ohio University embarked on a journey to better articulate our University’s story—our brand. Many of you have told us it was a long-overdue endeavor. Still, at times, we found ourselves asking how we could tackle such a project with so many other unexpected priorities demanding attention. But every time we considered setting this work aside, along would come a moment of greatness—an alumni entrepreneur with a life-saving business, a faculty member recognized for research that advances science, health care students eagerly joining the pandemic front lines—to remind us that this story, your story, deserves to be told. In the midst of troubling times, burdened with the exhaustion of the moment, finding and telling your story, OHIO’s story, served as a reminder of all that we have and all that we are. It became a reminder of the impermanence of the moment and the certainty of better days ahead. For that, we thank you.

HIGHER EDUCATION’S PERFECT STORM The plan to elevate OHIO’s brand came long before COVID. But, like so many things, the pandemic further fueled the challenges that drove the idea in the first place. For decades, universities have enjoyed a growing market of prospective students, and higher education responded with an eagerness to meet our mission by educating more and more young people—work that fuels our democracy and builds our economy.

But, as the number of college-interested applicants contracts nationwide due to population changes and economic pressures, universities began facing decreases in incoming class sizes and increasingly aggressive competition. Then, 2020 brought a global pandemic that disrupted campus visits and admissions testing and left students questioning whether to attend college at all, leading to a more than 13 percent decline in first-year enrollment among U.S. universities, according to data from the National Student Clearinghouse. Ohio University finds itself right in the middle of this reality. After having been one of the nation’s fastestgrowing public institutions from 2012-2016, OHIO’s first-year undergraduate classes have seen decreases for the past three years, followed by a 2020 decline on trend with the concerning national average. That’s the bad news. The good news? For starters, OHIO has seen growth in online programs and earned recognition as the No. 1 public university in the state for online education. Plus, our entering student GPA has continued to climb as we attract quality students, and our graduation rates have been on a steady rise as we drive student success. Most importantly, Ohio University continues to offer the kind of unmatched educational experience that our alumni remember well. Our challenge now is to convince the rest of the world what we already know: that this community, this place, this experience, is one that builds futures and that will become an enduring part of every student who walks these bricks.

SPRING 2021

Students were welcomed back to the Athens Campus for spring semester with a Forever OHIO greeting painted on the beloved graffiti wall. Visit ohiotoday.org to see a time-lapse video of the wall being painted. Photo by Ben Wirtz Siegel, BSVC ’02

Green scenes

06 07

INTRODUCING FOREVER OHIO With communications, marketing, advancement and enrollment all working together and informed by the students, alumni, faculty and academic leadership that bring our mission to bear, Ohio University began work to develop a unifying brand messaging strategy in January. Informed by market research that was completed in 2019, we dove into the process through conversations with hundreds of stakeholders to better understand the University story. The global pandemic threw the project off its axis momentarily, but in its wake we realized that the truths discovered in those early 2020 conversations had not changed. A cross-divisional brand steering committee presented the brand strategy and resulting brand platform to focus groups of students and prospects and then to the Board of Trustees in June. It was clear from the response that we had not only landed on a true, authentic brand position for OHIO, but one that would connect particularly with postpandemic students: Ohio University doesn’t simply deliver a degree. It offers an experience that becomes a part of who you are and what you’ll be forever. In a world in which some schools approach higher education as a set of courses and costs that result in a few letters on your resume and, hopefully,

employment—Ohio University promises far more. We promise a supportive, challenging, entrepreneurial, adventurous, unforgettable university community experience. You will forever be a part of that community, and it will forever be a part of you. The concept comes together with the rally cry “Forever OHIO.” No one knows that better than you. You walked the bricks and through the arches of Alumni Gateway. You remember your professors—and the life lessons they taught you. You’re still connected to classmates. You are living proof that OHIO is forever. This is your brand, your story. In early November, when OHIO introduced the brand in a new broadcast, digital and social media campaign, we heard from many of you, through your shares, likes, comments and retweets, that this idea resonated. In turn, we began featuring your words on our University home page and our campaign page: ohio.edu/forever. Please, don’t stop now. We need your energy, your passion, your dedication and your love for OHIO every day. You are our greatest brand asset, our truest brand story. And we need you to tell it—today, tomorrow and forever. Forever OHIO. —Robin Oliver joined OHIO in July 2019 as vice president for University Communications and Marketing. She serves on President Nellis’ leadership team and is leading OHIO’s brand development efforts.

SPRING 2021

The Guaranteed path to student success Ohio University was the first institution in Ohio—and one of the first in the country—to introduce the idea of a four-year flat rate for tuition and fees. It was dubbed the OHIO Guarantee, and while most of OHIO’s peer institutions in the state have since followed suit, it remains the most comprehensive all-in pricing model in Ohio, providing students and parents with cost simplicity and transparency. This past fall, the University expanded the program, building on that commitment by partnering with students to develop a clear path to an on-time graduation through the OHIO Guarantee+ Graduation Plan. What’s more, OHIO is committing to support students beyond graduation with lifetime benefits through the Bobcat Network and alumni scholarship funds. Together, these efforts will ensure both student success and affordability from the OHIO Guarantee+. “Our commitment to students is that they will know how much their education will cost and how long it will take, so they can calculate their educational investment from day one,” says Jennifer Murphy, assistant vice provost for OHIO Guarantee+ Graduation Plans. “Beyond that, the OHIO Guarantee+ program is about supporting our students and ensuring their success on their journey to graduation.” The OHIO Guarantee+ Graduation Plan invites students to develop a curricular and co-curricular plan in their first semester that ensures they will graduate on time and on plan. OHIO is also committing to ensuring the courses in that plan will be available and meet degree requirements, or we will make it right, up to and including covering the cost of any additional courses needed. The program debuted in Fall 2020 for 19 undergraduate programs. An additional 60 programs will launch in Fall 2021, and the program will be fully available for all undergraduate programs by Fall 2022. The University is also guaranteeing lifetime support for students through select alumni scholarships for continuing or graduate education and initiatives like the newly launched Bobcat Mentorship

Photo by Ben Wirtz Siegel, BSVC ’02

“Our commitment to students is that they will know how much their education will cost and how long it will take, so they can calculate their educational investment from day one.”

Program. Find more information at ohio.edu/guarantee.

Green scenes

08 09

Members of the Marching 110 show a little love to the band members who were unable to be with them at the Nov. 10 OHIO Football game at Peden Stadium. Photo by Eli Burris, BSJ ’16

SPRING 2021

FAR FROM NORMAL The coffee still flowed at the Front Room, but, like all campus dining services, for carry-out only. Cardboard cutouts of fans stood in place of loyal Bobcats at games held at Peden Stadium and the Convocation Center. And the word “virtual” became a way of life. Over the course of its 217-year history, Ohio University has seen many firsts, but none like 2020—a year of continuous planning, monitoring of COVID-19 numbers and health directives, and adapting to new ways of teaching, learning, serving and connecting. OHIO’s 216th year was filled with history-making moments that, while unwanted, demonstrated in remarkable ways Bobcat Nation’s commitment to growth in knowledge, wisdom and love—and to staying the course.

The following is just a snapshot of how COVID-19 has impacted life on Ohio University’s campuses and the lives of Bobcats near and far—and how the OHIO community has managed to survive and thrive in a period far from normal. Visit ohiotoday.org to read the full versions of each of the following features.

Green scenes

10 11

Changing course—and courses When students left campus for spring break in March 2020, little did they know how drastically their academic experience was about to change. Two weeks later, faculty across all of OHIO’s campuses were delivering nearly all courses—3,300 courses with over 7,500 total sections—remotely or in a hybrid (virtual/in-person) format. Everyone had to adopt a digital smorgasbord of technology: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Blackboard, Turnitin, Proctortrack. Some classes met synchronously, where everyone logs on at the same time, while others were asynchronous and self-paced.

OHIO’s teaching and learning environment suddenly became fully rooted in learning—how to adapt, how to adjust and how to press on—together. Shawnee Meek, assistant professor of instruction in the College of Business, was one of hundreds of faculty members who took courses offered by the University on remote teaching fundamentals and how to make classes inclusive and sensitive to students’ needs during a difficult time. Now she begins her virtual classes by inviting students to share how they’re doing personally.

SPRING 2021

“I try to bring that encouragement and positivity to the students,” Meek says. “It can be a dark time for the whole world right now, so I try to be a light for them.” But not all teaching and learning can be done remotely. Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine students learn and practice clinical and osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) skills through hands-on learning activities and in-person labs. Among many safety measures, the college redistributed exam tables to create at least six feet between them in the OMM labs. Faculty and students who would have previously intermingled were assigned to small learning pods, and wearing a mask at all times became a must. Stevan Walkowski, DO ’89, chair of and associate professor in the Department of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, is proud of how quickly and effectively the college rose to the task. But he looks forward to when the pandemic is over. “Human contact is extremely important.” — Mary Reed, BSJ ’90, MA ’93

[LEFT PAGE] Stevan Walkowski, DO ’89, chair of and associate professor in the Department of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, instructs students during a lab at the Heritage College, Dublin. Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay, MA ’21 [ABOVE] Dr. Bradley Naylor, assistant professor and director of choral activities, teaches inside a tent set up behind McCracken Hall, allowing students to have face-to-face instruction. Photo by Ben Wirtz Siegel, BSVC ’02

Green scenes

CAMPUS, COMMUNITY HEALTH HEROES Weston Robbins, a senior nursing student at Ohio University Zanesville, shared this message with the campus’ Facebook followers in October: “I want to protect my community from this pandemic, and that’s why I wear my mask.” His video, along with others in the #WhyIWearMyMask series, was produced by students in this year’s Nursing Care of Populations: Family and Community course as a way to share relevant information about COVID-19 and connect with campus and community. In a typical year, the senior-level course provides students clinical experience and an opportunity to serve the community. In the wake of COVID-19, the course took on a whole new meaning and a greater sense of urgency. The Zanesville Campus’ 32 Bachelor of Science in Nursing students rose to the challenge, providing educational messaging and preventative care to all corners of the community, often in partnership with the Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department. “The students have been the heroes of this semester,” says Associate Professor of Nursing Christy Vickers, who teaches the community health nursing course. “They’ve learned firsthand how they can help and give hope to their communities.” —Kaitlyn Pacheco, BSJ ’17

12 13

A LOOK BACK AT OHIO’S 2020 COVID-19 RESPONSE JAN. 28: OHIO health alerts page for coronavirus launched. MARCH 10: Suspension of in-person instruction announced for all campuses through March 30. Telecommuting plans for staff start. In-person events postponed, canceled or reformatted. Universitysponsored travel suspended. MARCH 13: Suspension of in-person instruction extended through end of semester. Study abroad and travel experiences for summer canceled. MARCH 18: Spring Commencement postponed. MARCH 19: COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund launched as part of Bobcats Take Care campaign. MARCH 23: Remote and online classes begin following an extended spring break. APRIL 18: OHIO nursing and medical students graduate early. MAY 14: Preparations for fall reopening announced, with eight working groups developing plans. Visit ohiotoday.org to read

JUNE 19: President Nellis accepts Fall Planning Coordinating Council’s final report and recommendations, including for reduced density in residence halls and learning spaces, carryout dining, and an adjusted academic calendar, sending students home for remote learning after Thanksgiving. Over the next several weeks, staff assessed capacity in 245 classrooms and installed 9,100+ signs across campuses.

about how the Class of 2024 kicked off its OHIO experience in a way no other Bobcats ever have. Alden Library remained open during fall semester—with access limited to the second floor and then expanded to the fourth floor—but with face mask and social distance requirements. Photo by Rich-Joseph Facun, BSVC ’01

SPRING 2021

JULY 24: Interim face covering policy approved. OHIO Pledge social compact announced. “Be Safe Bobcats” website launched. JULY 31: Plans for a fall semester phased return to the Athens Campus and a hybrid approach for regional campuses announced. AUG. 8: Dr. Gillian Ice appointed special assistant to the president for public health operations. AUG. 13: Mandatory online coronavirus training announced for those returning to campus. AUG. 21: COVID-19 Symptom Assessment, COVID-19 Incident Report and, in partnership with OhioHealth, COVID-19 Response Hotline announced. SEPT. 4: OHIO COVID-19 Dashboard launched. SEPT. 8: Plans announced for fall semester Phase 2, beginning Sept. 28. About 7,200 undergraduates and all medical and graduate students invited back to the Athens Campus. SEPT. 17: Partnership with CVS Health for asymptomatic testing announced. OCT. 29: Spring 2021 reopening strategy announced with plans to accommodate all residential students who want to return to the Athens Campus and a continuation of the hybrid approach on regional campuses. Start of semester delayed one week. Spring break eliminated; three “mini-breaks” added. Weekly COVID testing mandated for students living on campus, bi-weekly for those off campus. NOV. 9: Housing Advisory System, using a colorcoded alert system to identify the risk of COVID19 outbreaks in residence halls, announced. DEC. 14: Mail-in COVID-19 testing mandated for students before returning to campus in January. —Jalyn Bolyard

Green scenes scenes Green

14 15

Trial by COVID-19 The transition to post-graduate life is daunting in the best of times, but during a pandemic? Nothing short of “overwhelming,” says Katie McClead, BSN ’20, one of nearly 100 OHIO College of Health Sciences and Professions students who graduated early last spring to join the ranks of health care workers ministering to COVID-19 patients across the country. The realities of COVID-19 have been startling to all, but for those graduating in 2020, startling is

an understatement. Those with jobs lined up found themselves starting their careers in the midst of unprecedented uncertainty and breakneck change. For McClead, now a nurse at Marietta Memorial Hospital, her first year on the job has meant caring for COVID-19 patients who can’t be with their families—and being on the other end of that experience when the coronavirus hit her family. For fellow spring 2020 graduate Matthew Kent, BSED ’20, it meant

moving across the country to embark on a teaching career complicated by fluctuating COVID-19 numbers. “I learned a lot of lessons this year I didn’t think I’d learn at this age, and I think I’m coming out of it as a better person,” Kent says. —Cat Hofacker, BSJ ’18 Visit ohiotoday.org to read about Matthew Kent and Katie McClead who started their careers in the midst of COVID-19—and in fields vastly affected by it.

Matthew Kent, BSED ’20, started his teaching career last fall. His first two months on the job found him transitioning from remote to hybrid learning and then back to remote learning. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon, BFA ’87

SPRING 2021

32 33

First-year nurse Katie McClead, BSN ’20, has experienced the full spectrum of COVID-19—as a health care provider and as a person who contracted the coronavirus. Photo by RichJoseph Facun, BSVC ’01

Green scenes

16 17

GROUNDS FOR CHANGE Whether your last visit to the Athens Campus was one year ago or decades ago, you’re bound to notice some changes. The past year has seen significant transformations—some quite prominent and others a little more behind the scenes. Visit ohiotoday.org for more images of the campus upgrades highlighted here. And stay tuned to future issues of Ohio Today for features on the new Chemistry Building and Heritage Hall that are opening to students this year. Photo by Rich-Joseph Facun, BSVC ’01. Illustrations by Kyle Lindner, BFA ’17

SPRING 2021

29 PARK PLACE After housing OHIO presidents for more than 60 years, 29 Park Place is now the University’s new Academic Engagement Center. The historic home underwent renovations and ADA improvements and will house the Center for Campus and Community Engagement, the OHIO Honors Program, and the Cutler Scholars and Ohio Fellows programs.

RICHLAND AVENUE PEDESTRIAN PASSAGEWAY The city of Athens, in collaboration with Ohio University, completed construction on the Richland Avenue Pedestrian Passageway. The project elevated Richland Avenue and created a wide and well-lit walkway beneath it, connecting OHIO’s West and South Greens, separating pedestrian and vehicular traffic, and eliminating a longstanding campus safety concern.

KONNEKER ALUMNI CENTER Alumni’s home on the Athens Campus has a new ADA-accessible entrance. Interior renovations include a new ADA-accessible restroom, lower level improvements, HVAC updates, new windows and paint. Thanks to a gift from Dr. Wilfred Konneker, BS ’43, MS ’47, HON ’80, and Ann Lee Hancock Konneker, HON ’80, the building was dedicated 40 years ago this October.

Green scenes

18 19

It’s a date EMPOWER HOURS BRING BOBCATS TO G E T HE R TO G R OW, CO N N ECT

Illustration by Maya Ish-Shalom

FALL SPRING 2019 R E2021 L ATIONSHIP S

Ohio University alumni have always largely been physically distanced—with Bobcats spanning the world. Months of social distancing have added a new dynamic to that physical separation and to personal connection. That’s why the Ohio University Alumni Association (OUAA) created an online experience to bring OHIO alumni together. Empower Hour is a virtual series for the OHIO community that explores timely topics to foster personal growth. With topics ranging from self-care to understanding the new sports gambling industry and even reclaiming mine waste products to create paint, Empower Hour uplifts the eclectic expertise of OHIO alumni, faculty and staff for a community experience rooted in growing in knowledge, wisdom and love—together. “Bobcats are family, and we are always here for one another,” says Erin Essak Kopp, assistant vice president of alumni relations and executive director of the OUAA. “This isn’t just another video call. When Bobcats get together, magic happens.” To nurture that togetherness, Empower Hour takes place monthly via Zoom. Registration is free. “My favorite part of Empower Hour is that it’s easily accessible,” says Chaleta Paige-Williams, BSH ’13, who attended the session “Baby, How You Feelin’? SelfLove, Self-Esteem and Self-Care.” “Empower Hour reminded me of the importance of caring for myself, especially during difficult times,” Paige-Williams says. Empower Hour organizer and Associate Director of Alumni Experiences Caleb Beasecker, MBA ’18, MSA ’19, works to keep the event open and inviting to personal —even transformational—conversations. The host kicks off the event with a welcome and introduction. From there, the presenter takes over while moderators from the Alumni Association guide the hour-long chat.

“It was really great to see the larger Bobcat community coming together to learn,” says Dr. Stephanie Tikkanen, who led the Empower Hour discussion on imposter syndrome. Interactive polls and Q&A bring an interactive element to the presentation. “People from all stages of life and all different backgrounds [are] brought together by one important shared characteristic” of being a Bobcat, says Tikkanen. “During this pandemic, it can be hard to feel connected to others, but Bobcats have a palpable sense of community, even through Zoom.” During Tikkanen’s session, some participants shared feelings of inferiority in areas such as parenting and work. Tikkanen addressed those feelings and presented tactics for overcoming worries. Empower Hour is an opportunity to “educate yourself on new topics and apply what you learn to your life, to help make you happier and more productive,” Beasecker says. Since the pandemic transitioned in-person events to virtual gatherings, online meetings are common, Beasecker notes. Empower Hour provides a rich experience by creating a sense of community. “Once people attend Empower Hour, the walls fall down because they see there really is personal engagement and involvement,” Beasecker says. “Most, if not all, of the conversations have ended up being transparent and very real.” While the Alumni Association looks forward to hosting in-person events again in the future, Empower Hour is more than a virtual substitute for those events, Essak Kopp says. Instead, “It’s personal. You’re connecting with another Bobcat.” —Sarah Filipiak, BSJ ’01

To view and register for upcoming Empower Hours, visit calendar.ohio.edu. To view recordings of past Empower Hour events, visit the Alumni Association’s Virtual Library.

Green scenes

20 21

OHIO making headlines Bobcats make the news—and the OHIO community proud—every day. Read about a few of the Ohio University alumni, students, faculty and staff who have made headlines in recent months.

OHIO research lands on the cover of the Nat Geo Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine Professor Lawrence Witmer’s research made the cover of the October issue of National Geographic Magazine. The behind-the-scenes look at how medical CT scanning is allowing scientists to better understand extinct animals also gave two OHIO students an opportunity to work with one of the publication’s renowned photographers. Bobcat takes the helm at Ohio Department of Health In early November, as cases of COVID-19 started hitting new records in Ohio, Stephanie McCloud, BSJ ’92, MA ’93, started making headlines statewide. Gov. Mike DeWine appointed McCloud, who previously ran the state’s Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, the director of the Ohio Department of Health, where she is overseeing operations and administration.

SPRING 2021

The Bobcats fell just short of a Nov. 27 win over No. 8 Illinois, but a little storytelling by the ESPN broadcasters thrust OHIO point guard Jason Preston into the sports spotlight and onto the airwaves. Preston’s journey to and performance at OHIO was featured by media outlets that include NBC News and the NCAA news site and inspired many to stand up and cheer. Photo by Abigail Dean, BSVC ’ 21

CNN features alumnus’ portraits, perspectives of region While the eyes of the world were fixated on the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration, CNN’s home page spotlighted RichJoseph Facun, BSVC ’01, and his new book, Black Diamonds, a visual narration of the “community and cultural identity” of southeastern Ohio. An Ohio University photographer, Facun’s work is regularly featured in Ohio Today. TIME highlights pollution-to-pigment project A collaboration between OHIO Professors John Sabraw and Guy Riefler and Rural Action to clean streams polluted by acid mine drainage while producing pigment continues to pick up steam. TIME Magazine highlighted the project, which is expected to create local jobs and revenue to treat some of Ohio’s worst acid mine drainage sites.

A game-changing Bobcat makes Forbes’ 30 Under 30 College of Business alumnus Matt Benson was one of 12 entrepreneurs named to Forbes’ Class of 2021 30 Under 30 in the gaming industry. The 23-year-old Benson is the founder and CEO of eFuse, a professional hub for esports and video games that has generated millions in funding. Videos earn student a following, a firing and a hiring Working at an Athens paint store, Tony Piloseno fell in love with the art of paint mixing, a craft he shared in videos on TikTok. The OHIO senior amassed 1.5 million followers—and a pink slip from the business’ parent company. Piloseno’s story went viral, landing him a job at a Florida paint company.

OHIO headlines

22 23

Waging war on hunger Roshelle Pate, BSC ’93, always knew her love for Ohio University would bring her back to the bricks. She never imagined it would be to help avert hunger during a global pandemic. Known as the “Food Soldier,” Pate has spent the past five years waging war on hunger—a battle that led her back to Athens in the closing months of 2020 to deliver thousands of food boxes to those in need. “I’ve always had a special place in my heart for Athens, so I’m happy to be back there in this capacity to give the food boxes and help,” says Pate, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communication systems management.

That help has gone a long way as the COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying economic crisis have left hunger-relief organizations nationwide grappling with a surge in demand, declines in donations and fewer volunteers. Athens County was the most food insecure county in Ohio even before COVID-19 with approximately 20 percent of its population experiencing hunger or food scarcity, according to Feeding America. At a typical food distribution in her home base of Columbus, Pate usually serves between 100 and 500 people, but she distributed as many as 5,000 boxes in a day at the nine distributions she hosted in Athens.

SPRING 2021

After serving her country, Roshelle Pate, BSC ’93, is now serving Ohio communities, founding the Food Soldier Hunger Coalition that provides fresh food at weekly distributions. Pictured is just one of the approximately 17,000 boxes of food Pate and volunteers delivered at five of the distributions held in Athens. Photos by RichJoseph Facun, BSVC ’01

“The thing that amazed me is that people were coming from as far as Parkersburg,” says Pate. “We’ve truly been able to make an impact.” That type of impact personifies Pate’s mission. She founded the Food Soldier Hunger Coalition in 2015 after connecting with a group of homeless Vietnam War veterans. An Air Force veteran herself, Pate felt compelled to help her military brethren find muchneeded sustenance. At the same time, her mom was recovering from surgery for a near-fatal pancreatic tumor that left her with an onset of diabetes, and Pate was seeking affordable fresh food options in light of her mom’s fixed income. “Going to Whole Foods to get organic stuff got expensive, so I started going to free fresh food distributions,” recalls Pate. “At one event, I went near the end and saw them throwing a lot of leftover food away; I couldn’t understand that knowing the hunger issues we have here in Columbus. It became an ongoing thing where I started to notice pounds and pounds of food going into the dumpster at every giveaway.” Pate began not only sharing provisions with her mom, but also arranging to take leftover food from local pantries to the group of veterans. Word spread quickly, and Pate created a Facebook page to let others know where and when she would be distributing food. “Initially, I just wanted to do this so that perfectly good food wouldn’t go to waste,” says Pate. “I never had any intentions of starting a movement.” That Facebook group has grown to nearly 13,700 members, and during COVID-19, the Food Soldier Hunger Coalition ramped up from two to four weekly distributions between Columbus and Athens. Pate partnered with the USDA’s Farmers to Families program, a COVID-19 assistance initiative that has

redirected $4.5 billion worth of food from commercial farmers and ranchers straight to families who need it, providing them with free boxes full of fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and dairy products. It was those boxes that brought Pate and her coalition to Athens—to the benefit of local food pantries, residents and Ohio University students, several of whom not only received food but also volunteered to help with the distributions. “We typically serve 400 students per semester at the Cats’ Cupboard,” Kathy Fahl, interim associate dean of students, says of the campus food pantry, which also received food from the distributions. “We’ve seen a big increase in international students during the pandemic. We know that when students don’t have enough to eat, it impacts their ability to stay in school and be productive. Being able to redistribute the [USDA boxes] to our students has lessened that burden.” For Pate, it all stems from her fervent belief that all humans have a right to fresh, healthy food, and that no food should go to waste. “Ever since I met those Vietnam vets, it feels like I’ve been strapping on my combat boots and putting on armor to fight the battle against hunger,” says Pate. “Hunger is not an issue of charity; it is an issue of justice.” —Jen Jones Donatelli, BSJ ’98

OHIO impact

24 25

A new era for The Ridges “We can begin to dream dreams. … And just maybe, years from now, we can look back up there and say that this was a great period of expanding opportunity in the life of Ohio University.” It was the spring of 1989. Martha Turnage, then vice president for University Relations, was talking about The Ridges—the more than 700 acres of land and historic buildings that have served as a healing and cherished landscape for more than 150 years and that have indeed yielded expanding opportunities for OHIO and the region.

SPRING 2021

From the outside, very little has changed since The Ridges’ Kirkbride complex, pictured [LEFT] in this circa 1912 postcard, opened in 1874. But one of the most well-known and largest historical sites in the region has undergone history-making and history-preserving transformations since OHIO took full ownership of the property in 1993. Photo left Courtesy of Mahn Center for Archives & Special Collections. Photo right by Ben Wirtz Siegel, BSVC ’02

OHIO impact

26 27

The previous spring, the state of Ohio began transferring ownership of what was originally known as the Athens Lunatic Asylum to Ohio University. After 120 years of evolving alongside one another, OHIO began taking strategic steps to make The Ridges a natural extension of the campus as well as a community resource—building on the legacies of both institutions to serve individuals in hopes of bettering society. The change in stewardship of the property, fully realized in 1993 when the last patients were relocated to a new state hospital constructed across the Hocking River, more than doubled the acreage of the Athens Campus. It also handed the University what Turnage described as a great burden and great potential. For the past nearly 30 years, the University has worked to preserve a storied piece of Athens, American medical and architectural history by investing in facets of The Ridges that balance OHIO’s programmatic needs and financial resources. Buildings that were intentionally designed to help heal those suffering from mental illness have been transformed into centers for the arts, scientific research and hands-on learning. The picturesque grounds of The Ridges remain open to campus and community with new opportunities for adventure and discovery launched over the past few years. Dreams have become reality.

A new chapter for the gem of The Ridges Shawna Wolfe’s first experience at The Ridges came just as the University was taking full ownership of the property. An OHIO undergraduate, Wolfe, BSHCS ’97, was hired to help clean and paint the interior spaces of the Kirkbride complex—the oldest and most iconic of the approximately 40 buildings that call The Ridges home. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, The Ridges’ Kirkbride complex is one of less than 20 remaining in the United States. “In between work and during downtimes, I walked the corridors and different areas of the buildings. I fell in love with the spaces and the way they were thoughtfully crafted to bring the natural environment in,” remembers

Wolfe, who now serves as associate vice president for University Planning and has been co-leading OHIO’s most-recent efforts to reimagine the property. “I had a vision for what these spaces could be in the future.” Within the first three years of taking ownership, the University began repurposing the Kirkbride complex’s central administration building, renaming it Lin Hall and opening the first floor as the Kennedy Museum of Art. It was the beginning of a new life for the Kirkbride complex that over the past two years has undergone a first-of-its-kind transformation. In March 2020, OHIO completed a more than $16 million renovation of The Ridges’ Buildings 13, 14 and 18, marking the first time a university has repurposed an entire wing of a Kirkbride facility for its academic mission. The eastern wing of the complex that once housed male patients is now home to the Ohio University Police Department and office and collaborative space for various OHIO offices and employees. Plans to renovate the space were approved in 2018 but were years in the making.

SPRING 2021

In 2014, the University embarked on a year-long planning process, engaging campus and community as it evaluated the condition of The Ridges land and buildings and charted guiding principles and a plan for future investment in the property. The resulting Ridges Framework Plan, approved in 2015, was a key component of OHIO’s 2016 Comprehensive Master Plan, a roadmap to the future of the Athens Campus, aligning the University’s use of space and resources to its programmatic needs. Among those needs were a new research facility for the Russ College of Engineering and Technology and a new home for the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. The University determined that the best and most efficient path forward was to repurpose two existing buildings on West Union Street—the West Union Street Office Center and the Human Resources Training Center—to serve the Russ and Heritage Colleges, respectively. Repurposing these existing buildings limited the expansion of OHIO’s physical

footprint—one of its largest expenses—while saving the University more than $60 million in constructing new facilities and deferred maintenance offsets. The administrators working inside those repurposed buildings would be relocated to the renovated space at The Ridges as well as Grosvenor Hall, the Heritage College’s former home. That move was just beginning when the COVID-19 pandemic shifted most of OHIO’s administrative staff to a remote work environment. When OHIO administrators return to campus, many of them will be a part of a new flexible work program in flex workspaces that include The Ridges. Since 2015, OHIO has invested more than $28 million into The Ridges. The past four years alone have seen not only the historic transformation of the eastern wing of the Kirkbride building, but also significant roadway and infrastructure improvements, the opening of the OHIO Observatory and the launch of the OHIO Museum Complex.

These before-and-after photos show what the hallways inside the wings of the Kirkbride complex look like before renovation and what the hallways inside Buildings 13, 14 and 18 look like today. [OPPOSITE PAGE] In November, Shawna Wolfe, BSHCS ’97, was named PreservationWorks’ first “Hero of Preservation” for her efforts to repurpose and redevelop The Ridges. Photos by Ben Wirtz Siegel, BSVC ’02

OHIO impact

28 29

Area residents celebrate Passion Works Studio’s 20th anniversary in October 2018 at The Ridges’ Kennedy Museum of Art, where 20 years earlier the collaborative arts center held its very first exhibition. Photo by Max Catalano, BSVC ’20

Developed in partnership with the Kennedy Museum of Art, the OHIO Museum Complex is an evolving indoor-outdoor learning laboratory offering immersive exploration of the arts, science and the landscape of The Ridges both on site and virtually through the mAppAthens app. The Museum Complex features two new donor-funded galleries on the second floor of Lin Hall, outdoor experiential learning on The Ridges trail systems where interpretive and directional signage will be installed this spring, and synergies with the OHIO Observatory and The Ridges Land Lab. “The monumental buildings and nurturing grounds at The Ridges are a testimony to the state of Ohio’s historical commitment to improving the lives of the people in our region,” says Dr. Joseph Shields, vice president for research and creative activity and co-lead with Wolfe for the Ridges Framework Plan. “The repurposing of this public asset as a center for

integrating culture, research, education and the natural environment ensures that residents of our extended community will continue to benefit from its unique qualities into the future.”

Connecting The Ridges’ past to the present The revitalization of The Ridges is a long-awaited dream for the Athens community and for those whose lives have been profoundly impacted by personal experiences there. Patty Mitchell, BFA ’87, MFA ’91, found her life’s passion as an OHIO student who participated in the mental health center’s Resident Volunteer Program, which provided students free room and board, on ward, in exchange for engaging in activities with clients. “What a gift we were given,” Mitchell says of the year she spent living in the geriatric wing, working

SPRING 2021

with residents on the locked men’s ward, taking groups into town, playing volleyball and doing other activities with residents. There, Mitchell discovered the power of creating and connecting through the arts, inspiring her to become an artist in residence who invites all community members to participate. In 1998, Passion Works Studio was founded as a collaborative arts center where a core group of artists with developmental differences aesthetically and creatively leads the collaborative making with community members. At Passion Works, Mitchell is providing some of the same life-changing experiences she had at The Ridges to area residents and countless OHIO students who have volunteered and visited the studio. “Connection, purpose and belonging are necessary for us to thrive—as individuals and as a community,” says Mitchell, who held Passion Works’ first three exhibitions, as well as its 20th anniversary celebration, at The Ridges’ Kennedy Museum of Art. “The Ridges is a jewel—historically and as a monument of possibility,” she says. “I benefited greatly from deep experiential learning at the Mental Health Center. I witnessed how beauty, purpose and the creative process helped people find happier lives. Those memories are vivid and with me every day.” George Eberts, MA ’80, has spent the past 40-plus years working for the mental health facility and nearly as many years teaching astronomy at OHIO. As a staff education specialist when Appalachian Behavioral Healthcare, as the state hospital is now known, was located at The Ridges, he schooled new employees about the facility’s history and mission as part of their orientation. “I know every hallway in that place, every building. I became a repository for a lot of anecdotes and historical information,” says Eberts, who conducts outdoor walking tours of the property, sharing its stories and its impact while raising funds for the Southeast Ohio History Center.

As the volunteer coordinator at Appalachian Behavioral Healthcare today, he continues to facilitate learning and community service opportunities for OHIO students. And, as a lab instructor and outreach specialist in OHIO’s physics and astronomy department, Eberts engages students and area residents in nighttime stargazing at The Ridges’ OHIO Observatory. “I think it’s wonderful that the University stepped in to save that property because mental health was going to leave it either way,” Eberts notes. “Over the last few years, it’s more and more of a relief that the Kirkbride is safe. We’re almost where we can say that the entire Kirkbride is safe.”

Laying the groundwork for the future Every investment made in The Ridges has not only advanced the academic mission of Ohio University and further integrated campus and community into the property but has paved the way for future development. The western wing of the Kirkbride complex has been designated for private investments, via donors, grants or developers, with the goal of creating a place where academia meets a vibrant center of the community bustling with housing, retail, recreation and other quality of life elements. In 2019, OHIO hosted a Developer Day that drew more than 40 interested parties to The Ridges to learn about investment opportunities. Site tours and discussions have been held for multiple developers, investors and potential tenants. And the University continues to partner with the community to identify immediate solutions to stabilize more of the historic buildings and solicit private developer interest for the long-term rehabilitation and reuse of those buildings. “What has occurred at The Ridges is nothing short of a dream come true—for Ohio University and for the Athens community—and a testament to the countless champions of The Ridges over the years,” says Wolfe, who, 27 years after falling in love with the Kirkbride complex, will be among the OHIO administrators working there. —Angela Woodward, BSJ ’98

OHIO impact

30 31

I DA

BUILDING 33 (1952) Then: Power plant. Now: The Ridges Heating Plant.

BUILDING 34 (1915) Then: Carpenter shop and activity and therapy space. Now: Houses Campus Recycling.

BUILDING 37 (1956) Then: Laundry facility. Now: Houses University Printing Services and Mail Services.

BUILDING 27 (1885) Then: Horse Barn. Now: Renovated and expanded in 2000 for the Child Development Center, the early childhood laboratory within the Patton College.

27 45

BUILDING 8 (1874) Then: Bake shop. Now: Part of OHIO Mail Services.

35 37

T OU

36 E DG

RIVE IDGE D EAST R

S DGE

9 BUILDING 9 (1874) Then: Main kitchen. Now: Houses OHIO Moving and Surplus.

E RCL

39 BUILDINGS 38, 39 (1948) Then: Physician residences. Now: OHIO-owned rental units, providing temporary living arrangements.

KIRKBRIDE COMPLEX

SITE OF BUILDING 20 (1935) Then: Geriatric ward and receiving hospital. Now: Razed in 2019; parking lot added for increased use of The Ridges.

1 R

BUILDINGS 13, 14, 18 (1868–73) Then: Housed male patients. Now: Renovated and reopened in 2020 to house office and collaborative space for OHIO employees, including the Ohio University Police Department.

BUILDING 19 (1973) Then: Geriatrics administration. Now: Renovated in 1998 and 2005 for the Voinovich School.

S BUILDING 21 (1903) Then: Cottage O, housed male patients. Now: Renovated and reopened in 2000 for the Voinovich School.

100

E IDG

IR S C

BUILDING 1 (1868–73) Then: Main Administration Building. Now: Partially renovated, named Lin Hall and reopened in 2001 to house the Kennedy Museum of Art; expanded in past two years to include exhibit galleries and curatorial space for the OHIO Museum Complex. 150

FEET

Infographic by John Grimwade, EMERT ’20 Online interactive version of this map developed by Akbar Sultanov and Neal Mohr, BSC ’14

Sources: Asylum on the Hill: History of a Healing Landscape (by Katherine Ziff, PHD ’04) and Mahn Center for Archives & Special Collections

STATE ROUTE 682

The Ridges Green: Past & present RK

How OHIO has repurposed elements of The Ridges, preserving its historic character while building a future that serves campus and community.

IV E

BUILDING 22 (1903) Then: Cottage R, housed male and female patients. Now: Renovated and reopened in 2000 for the Voinovich School.

Visit ohiotoday.org for an interactive version of this map that includes historic and current images of the repurposed buildings and 360-degree photos of renovated spaces inside the Kirkbride complex.

CIRCLE

BUILDING NUMBER

RIDGES

BUILDINGS 2, 3, 4 (1868–73) Then: Housed female patients. Now: OHIO is seeking external partners interested in investing in compatible uses, such as housing or office/lab space, of the western wing of the Kirkbride complex and other vacant buildings on The Ridges Green.

BUILDING 23 (1900) Then: Amusement Building, used for chapel services, meetings, movies, activity therapy and recreation. Now: The Ridges Auditorium, used for College of Fine Arts performances and event space for the University and community.

BUILDING 25 (1907) Then: Cottage L, served as the suicide ward. Now: Renovated and expanded in 1995 as the Konneker Research Center, home to OHIO’s Edison Biotechnology Institute.

THE RIDGES: THE FULL SITE Blackbu

COMPOST FACILITY Constructed in 2009 and expanded in 2012, it is the largest in-vessel composting system at any university in the U.S.

rn Rd.

DAIRY BARN ARTS CENTER Built in 1914 as a cow barn, the Hocking Valley Arts Council led local efforts in 1977 to save it from demolition and establish it as an arts center.

US RT 33/50

LAND LAB Once part of the asylum’s farmland and orchards, its 200+ acres are dedicated to research and academic use. Its trails are open for public recreation.

CONSERVATION LAND

Radar Hill Challenge course

LAND LAB

AREA OF DETAIL nd A ve.

KIRKBRIDE COMPLEX SR 68

y air

Cemeteries

OBSERVATORY Opened in 2017, it houses a 1950s-era Fecker telescope and sits near the site of Cottage B that served as Ri ch the tuberculosis ward. la

CONSERVATION LAND Designated nondevelopable land, its 163 acres are reserved for academic and recreational use.

ROTC Course

Cemetery Water tower HOCK

Peden Stadium

SR 682

OHIO UNIVERSITY Convocation Center

ER ING RIV

1500 FEET

Grounds for recreation, learning & research The Ridges land was just as fundamental to the mission of the Athens Lunatic Asylum as its buildings. The same holds true for Ohio University today. The Ridges’ Kirkbride complex was sculpted from bricks formed from the grounds, creating lakes that contributed to a healing landscape for the mental health facility’s patients. For generations of OHIO students and the community, it was a place for recreation.

While those lakes no longer exist—victims of frequent flooding and the subsequent re-routing of the Hocking River—the land at The Ridges continues to provide town and gown opportunities for recreation as well as learning and research. Roughly 580 of The Ridges’ more than 700 acres have and will remain undeveloped. Under the Ridges Framework Plan, 163 acres have been designated

Doctoral candidate Kelsey Bryant prepares to climb a tree at The Ridges Land Lab, which served as the primary field site for her research. Photo by Ben Wirtz Siegel, BSVC ’02

SPRING 2021

conservation land, reserved for academic and recreational activities. The approximately 205 acres of land northwest of The Ridges Green serves as The Ridges Land Lab—its wildlife, more than 500 plant species and historic usage making it one of OHIO’s most unique classrooms and research spaces. “The whole Ridges complex is an incredibly rich resource,” says Dr. Brian McCarthy, MS ’84, professor of forest ecology and senior associate dean of faculty research and graduate studies for the College of Arts and Sciences. “It’s juxtaposed to Ohio University, and the value of that is almost incalculable in terms of student, faculty and staff usage of the property, whether it be for recreational, personal or professional reasons.” McCarthy is one of three faculty members who serves on The Ridges Land Lab Committee, managing research conducted on the property—once home to the farmland and orchards that made the mental health facility largely self-sufficient and provided purposeful work as part of the patients’ treatment. “That area has such a long history of human use,” adds McCarthy. “These forests and fields are really an artifact of a hundred years ago. It gives us some insight into what was going on biologically back in that era that’s hard to come by otherwise.” Dr. Jared DeForest, associate professor of environmental and plant biology, has been fascinated by the Land Lab since joining the OHIO faculty in 2006. He’s uncovered mysteries—like why Radar Hill is grassland instead of forest, working with a geology professor to determine that millions of years ago the hill was part of a freshwater lake—and uses the Land Lab as a natural extension of his classroom. “It’s just a gem,” he says. “It has so much diversity and hits on so many key concepts in plant and forest ecology.”

The soil pits DeForest has dug at the Land Lab allow students to read the soil and determine the history of the area over millions of years. Students in his dendrology class are able to find nearly 40 species of trees on just one of the Land Lab’s trails. And the photographs he has taken there over the past 14 years illustrate changes in the forest. “Showing students these pictures creates an awareness of how dynamic a forest is, but it changes on timescales that make it difficult as humans to understand,” DeForest says. Over the past five years, doctoral candidate Kelsey Bryant has been doing field studies at the Land Lab. “You have literally four or five different ecosystems within walking distance at The Ridges Land Lab,” Bryant notes. “Within like half a mile, you have people doing biofuel research, American Chestnut research, insect research, wildlife research, forest research. I’ve made friends and work connections because of the Land Lab.” For her dissertation, Bryant studied how different trees respond to changes in water availability and annual weather, looking at six species of trees at the Land Lab. Using sensors powered by solar panels, Bryant was able to determine how water moves in the trees, each species with its own internal water movement structure. Using ropes, so as not to harm her subjects, Bryant would climb the trees to harvest leaves, taking measurements that indicate the amount of water stress the trees were experiencing, which affects the amount of carbon dioxide they sequester. “It’s really interesting how trees—that have the same access to water, the same environments but different vessels through which they move water—behave completely differently,” Bryant says. “Does that mean that in 50 years one of those species may not be as successful? That’s possible, and that’s really the broader significance.” —Angela Woodward, BSJ ’98

OHIO impact

34 35

Powered by lessons in innovation, excellence ALU MN U S’ CA RE E R M A RK E D BY PIONEERING WORK IN SILICON VA L L E Y, GLO BA L L E A D E RSH IP IN RENEWABLE ENERGY

Surinder Bedi, MSISE ’84, visits the rooftop solar system Sunpreme installed at Gurdwara Sahib in Fremont, California, when Bedi was an executive vice president at the company. Bedi resides in the San Francisco Bay area with wife Navneet and children GurRaj and Namrata. Photo by Peter McCollough, BSVC ’08

SPRING 2021

Surinder S. Bedi, MSISE ’84, remembers going to the Ohio University Airport at night, pondering design concepts that would pave the way for the next generation of aviation facilities. It was part of an assignment from Professor Emeritus Dr. Helmut Zwahlen, MS ’68, who challenged his students to translate their research into next-generation products and technologies. “He was a top-notch professor—one of several who taught me how to think like an innovator,” Bedi says. “I learned the art of engineering excellence. … And I took that with me wherever I went.” Bedi went far. For 30-plus years, he’s been a driving force of innovation and excellence in Silicon Valley, advancing the technology and business transformations that permeate our present-day lives and becoming a global leader in a field vital to how we power our future. “The world continues to change tremendously, and every step of the way, it’s all about innovation and excellence,” Bedi says, recalling the two years he spent studying industrial and systems engineering at the Russ College of Engineering and Technology—and the career he’s built since graduating. Originally from Bombay, India, Bedi arrived at OHIO as the computer age was meeting the consumer market. With a mechanical engineering degree from Bangalore University, he set his sights on integrating technical resourcefulness with the business acumen and leadership skills that would allow technology to better serve humanity. “I was eager to learn. I wanted to see the world, to experience different cultures and new perspectives,” he remembers. “I learned new approaches to solve complex problems, the value of discipline and hard work, and what it takes to drive product excellence

and innovations. It allowed me to be an out-of-the-box thinker. Ohio University was my gateway to the U.S.” After graduation, Bedi landed in California’s Silicon Valley, studying managing technology and strategic innovation at Stanford University and working for multinational corporations like National Semiconductor, DEC and Applied Materials, powerhouses in the semiconductor field that serves as the foundation of the computer industry. His work earned him 12 U.S. patents—many of which were approved in Asia and Europe—as well as international leadership awards and a career leap from principal engineer to global executive. His work also caught the eye of the region’s renewable technologies industry. In 2007, Bedi was recruited to serve as corporate vice president at solar energy company SunPower Corp. “Transition from semiconductors to renewables was not simple, but I really care about the environment and wanted to do something that makes the world better,” he explains. “Renewable energy is the future.” Motivated by climate change research and witnessing its effects in California and across the globe, Bedi spent the next 12 years on a quest to bring solar power to the world. As an executive at SunPower and later at Sunpreme Inc., he collaborated with colleagues to develop smarter system products, manufacturing improvements and integrations that have made solar energy affordable, reliable and more efficient. Bedi and engineers pioneered the first smart bifacial solar product—breakthrough technology that received the 2018 North American New Product Innovation Award from Frost & Sullivan, a global research firm.

OHIO impact

36 37

But it wasn’t enough just to create breakthrough solar products.

the Philippines’ highest award for performance excellence and best practices.

Bedi served as a director on the board of SolarTech, tackling and reducing barriers to wider adoption of solar renewables technology in the U.S. and establishing strong working relationships with manufacturers, systems integrators and utilities.

Today, Bedi is back in the semiconductor industry where his career began, serving as an executive leader while coaching students pursuing their MBAs. He advises students to develop an innovation mindset driven by energy, passion, integrity, continuous learning and a commitment to excellence—qualities that will inspire others and open the world to them like they have for him.

“I went around the world influencing industries and governments to use clean and renewable sources of energy, especially solar photovoltaic,” he says. Bedi’s business travels resulted in solar installations at large-scale energy users that include schools, utilities, shopping centers and hospitals. His advocacy, backed by innovative and smart technologies, earned him and his team at SunPower

“It all goes back to Ohio University, those professors and my early years working with pioneering companies,” he says. “Those experiences helped me to innovate, to bring people together and to solve complex problems—all to make this world better.” —Angela Woodward, BSJ ’98

SHINING A LIGHT ON SOLAR AT OHIO Ohio University is an EPA Top 30 College and University, with green power from Renewable Energy Certificates accounting for 100 percent of its electricity usage. OHIO owns and operates more than 100 kilowatts of grid-tied solar PV systems. Solar installations are located at The Ridges, the Innovation Center, the Ecohouse, a storage unit near the Lausche Heating Plant, and the Compost Facility. A 2020 Voinovich School study found that a high deployment of utility-scale solar energy in Ohio could support more than 54,000 construction jobs, generate up to $67.5 million in local tax revenues annually and power over 1.5 million homes. The study was led by Assistant Professor Dr. Gilbert Michaud, who received the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission’s 2020 Leadership in Sustainability Award. OHIO’s Compost Facility, the largest of its kind at any college or university in the nation, is home to 41.1 kilowatts of photovoltaic panels. Photo by Ben Wirtz Siegel, BSVC ’02

SPRING 2021

An enduring legacy When African American artist and MacArthur “Genius” Fellow Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson passed away in 2015, she bequeathed her entire estate—including countless works of art, the contents of her Columbus home and studio, even the house itself—to the Columbus Museum of Art (CMA). Here’s a glimpse into the long-awaited exhibition and catalog, which together reveal Robinson’s artistic range and generosity. Image courtesy of the Ohio University Press

Born in 1940 and raised in Poindexter Village, a historic and vibrant African American neighborhood not far from the CMA, Robinson began making art at age 3 and never stopped. Indeed, she coined the phrase raggin’ on to describe her conviction that her work would never come to an end because each new person who sees it adds a new perspective that they, in turn, pass on to another, and so on, in perpetuity. It’s fitting that co-curators Carole M. Genshaft and Deidre Hamlar chose the phrase Raggin’ On as the title of the retrospective exhibition, on display at the CMA through Oct. 3., and book, which encompasses Robinson’s sevendecade career and begins a new phase in which her legacy passes to new generations. Robinson examined her own life and researched the lives of her

ancestors to compose, through an astonishing range of artistic techniques and processes, a much larger account of Black American history and culture that transforms her specific experience into terms that can be understood universally. Above all, Robinson credited memory, which she called the “energy of the ancestors,” as her greatest inspiration. Thanks to that integrity, Robinson’s art resonates with broad audiences in its articulation of childhood memories, her authentic life as a single mother, and her struggles as a Black, female artist. Her intercontinental travels showed Robinson how different cultures have responded to their own histories. These experiences further enriched her work, which demonstrates both striking originality and a deep understanding of global art history.

Ohio University Press

While Robinson’s work graces public and private art collections throughout the country, visitors to Athens need look no further than Baker University Center. Embedded in the first floor is Robinson’s 2007 terrazzo installation Poindexter Village, which depicts the people and places of her childhood in Ohio’s first federally funded housing project. With this piece, Robinson hoped we would be moved to articulate our individual and communal histories, and to recognize them as gifts we’re obliged to pass on. —Laura M. André is the publicity coordinator at the Ohio University Press.

Ohio University Libraries virtually hosted Carole Genshaft and Deidre Hamlar to discuss Raggin’ On as part of the Authors @ Alden series. Visit ohiotoday.org to watch a recording of the event.

38 39

Little things, big returns SOON-TO-BE G R AD UATE REFLECTS ON MOMENTS THAT WI LL F UE L HE R FOR EVER It’s the little things. The classic grid of West Green. Finding your favorite professor in your favorite coffee shop. A smile from a stranger on Court Street. The little things are what convinced 17-year-old Bella Miller that Ohio University was for her. Four years later, the sum of these little things is what she’ll miss most when she graduates this spring. “There was more togetherness at OU,” says Miller, who’s studying management and strategic leadership. “It made it feel like more of a community and experience, rather than just living in a city and happening to go to school there. It’s a place you go to school and learn and are fully immersed.” Like many students, Miller has paid her own way through college, largely with the help of private student loans. And just like thousands of other Bobcats, her scholarships, although small, “made a really big impact.” “It’s like when we’re learning in business school about interest, and how small investments can make a difference in the long term,” Miller says. “Having that

extra $2,000 means I can pay my rent for a whole semester without having to take a loan out for that.” The impact of those scholarships has compounded beyond dollars and cents, too. They’ve enabled rich experiences like studying abroad in Australia, founding OHIO’s Yoga Club and interning at IGS Energy, where she’s accepted her “dream job” after graduation. These experiences have provided Miller more than memories. They’ve led her to discover who she is and the life she wants to lead, professionally and personally—no small thing, and one that will last forever. “Think of all the people who have helped you get to where you are today. Know you can make a huge difference, the way other people have made a difference for you,” Miller says. “If you are in a financial place to donate, know those dollars make an impact. Even a small amount makes a difference.” See page 51 for information on how you can make the OHIO experience possible—today and forever—by making a gift that will be matched by Ohio University. —Peter Shooner

Celebrate your OHIO experience and help lay the bricks for future Bobcats. Visit OHIO’s new giving site at give.ohio.edu.

SPRING 2021

This spring, Bella Miller will join the OHIO alumni community that has supported her throughout her college years, talking to her classes, meeting with her at recruitment and networking events, and contributing to scholarships she was awarded. Photo by Rich-Joseph Facun, BSVC ’01

OHIO giving

40 41

TI M E M ACH I N E

50 YEARS OF ACRN April 4, 1971, marked the first broadcast of Ohio University’s first and only student-run radio network—and the birth of a community of Bobcats bound to one another by a love of music and shared experiences that have enriched campus life and culture. Today, the All-Campus Radio Network (ACRN) continues to provide students a hands-on learning experience in all realms of broadcasting and an

opportunity to build on traditions trailblazed by “Rock Lobsters” over the past fifty years. “We were just sort of flying by the seat of our pants and learning the craft,” remembers Ron Raubenstraw, BSC ’75, who started deejaying under the moniker “The Thunder and Lightning Kid” for WGAM 580 and ACRN in 1972. “It was a blast … probably one of the best times I’ve had in my life.”

SPRING 2021

Operating out of Gamertsfelder Hall, WGAM was one of several independent residence hall-based radio stations on campus that networked together to form ACRN, a commercial radio station run entirely by students.

“What we’re doing is trying to develop as many projects as we can to give them real professional experience in that field. I’ve gotten experience booking a show. I didn’t think I was going to do that in college!”

Over the years, ACRN has evolved from a cable broadcast station to an internet broadcast and digital hub for written, visual and multimedia content, as well as live events.

While the music and the medium have changed, ACRN remains a place where students build their resumes, friendships and their OHIO legacies.

“Students can come in with whatever major, whatever goals they have, and find the department that best suits what they’re trying to do,” says Nate Finley, ACRN’s general manager and a senior majoring in business administration.

Visit ohiotoday.org to read more about the evolution of ACRN and to hear from more of OHIO’s “Rock Lobsters.” —Nick Henthorn, BSJ ’21 All images courtesy of the Mahn Center for Archives & Special Collections, except group photo courtesy of John Mark James, BSC ’84.

OHIO time machine

42 43

Class notes

* denotes accolades featured at ohio.edu/news or in the media

1949 The photography of the late Chuck Stewart, BFA ’49*, is on display for the first time at Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in an exhibit titled “It’s Been Said All Along: Voices of Rage, Hope and Empowerment.” His work has graced the covers of more than 2,000 albums and appeared in numerous documentaries and museums.

1965 John B. Holden Jr., AB ’65, has been recognized on the 2021 Best Lawyers in America list. He is a partner at Jackson Walker LLP in Dallas.

1970

The HistoryMakers, the largest collection

Kathleen Mercer Bond,

of African American first-person video oral history testimony in the world. His interview will be archived in the Library of Congress. Alan Rom, AB ’67, has been inducted into the Cleveland State University ClevelandMarshall College of Law Hall of Fame. He is the founder of Rom Law P.C., based in Chelmsford,

with the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Labor. He continues to do part-time consulting and resides in Springboro, Ohio, with his wife, Joy.

1967

reside in Shaker Heights,

Veterans Heritage Center (AVHC) in Dayton honored Walt Harrison, BFA ’68, who retired than 20 years of service of the Friends of the Soldiers Home, which later became the AVHC. Harrison is credited with saving from demolition the Protestant Chapel on the grounds of the Dayton Ohio Medical Harrison sold Englewood Insurance Agency, LLC, where he was corporate vice president and owner, and re-established

BSCE ’67, was

his Walter L. Harrison

selected to have his

Insurance Agency.

Ohio University Libraries is hosting a digital exhibit exploring the photography of Peter Goss, PHD ’73, and featuring

1971

Ohio from 1966 to 1970.

Rita Einstein Davis,

1976

AB ’71, MA ’73, is completing her second three-year term as

She teaches French and chairs the Modern Language Department at the Agnes Irwin School in Rosemont, Pennsylvania. She is also a consultant to the College Board,

Athens and Southeastern

Kenneth Dixon, BSJ ’76, won the top award for a humorous column in the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists’ 2019-20 Excellence in Journalism Awards. He was inducted into the Connecticut Journalism Hall of Fame in 2019.

presenting workshops for

1977

AP French teachers.

Joe Murphy, BFA ’77,

1972 In November, Jonathan Freeman, BFA ’72*, returned to OHIO for a weeklong virtual residency, sharing with students in the School of Theater

Center. Last May,

1973

photographs he took in

of Teachers of French.

In October, the American

production.

Ohio.

1968

E. Louis Overstreet,

career chronicled by

OHIO, advocate for those

American Association

and is a founding member

in Columbus, working

anniversary. They met at

vice president of the

Bernard Kokenge,

with a consulting firm

their 50 wedding th

Massachusetts.

1966 2020 after 29 years

Bond, BBA ’70, celebrated

affected by cancer, and

from its board after more

PHD ’66, retired in April

AA ’70, and James D.

in the Broadway stage

his more than 50 years of experience on the stage, in the recording studio and on television. Freeman is the voice of Jafar in Disney’s animated movie Aladdin and the actor who plays the role

SPRING 2021

began working in glass about 10 years ago and has created two 70-inch by 90-inch stained glass windows, constructed in three panels, for his church, Renaissance Unity of Northeast Ohio in Warrensville Heights. Terri Stagi, BSJ ’77, was one of 12 named to Washingtonian magazine’s 2020 Washingtonians of the Year. She is the cofounder

BOBCAT SIGHTINGS OHIO alumni go on adventures hither and yon!

Former Ohio University roommates Chuck Lipps, BSED ’76, Gary Simms, BSC ’75, and Bill Snook, BS ’75, reunited in Atlanta, Georgia, for the first time in many years, reminiscing about OHIO memories and making some new ones. Jerry Popelka, BBA ’63, sports one of his Ohio University shirts and eagerly awaits returning to campus in 2023 to celebrate 60 years of being an OHIO graduate.

[FROM LEFT] Bobcats Christine Flynn Thielman, BSC ’92, Shanna Cole Young, BSC ’92, BBA ’93, Audrey Kennedy Lohr, BSPT ’93, Julie Haymond Peterson, AB ’92, Michelle Lesch Groff, BSED ’92, Kelly Stokes Stone, BSC ’92, Tonya Graves Miller, BSED ’92, Andrea Varney Murray, BSC ’92, Melissa Shade Pierson, AB ’92, Ashley Rhodes, and Michelle Jackson, BSC ’93, celebrate their 50th birthdays in the Bahamas in February 2020.

Larry Simmons, BSIT ’74, and Karen Barr Simmons, AA ’83, took their Bobcat pride to Athens—Greece, that is—in 2019 and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to raise the Green and White. More than 25 OHIO graduates— from 1970 to 2012—attended the wedding of Emily Bacha, BS ’10, and Derek Vogel. Alumni included family, friends and even the photographer who captured this Bobcat moment, Kaitlyn Bernauer, BSVC ’12. Held in Cleveland during Homecoming Weekend 2019, Bobcats in attendance called it the “Homecoming of the North.”

Eric Brown, BA ’98, is all smiles as he visits Athens with his family and captures that iconic shot in front of Alumni Gateway.

Bobcat tracks

Send your photos with names, grad degrees and grad years to ohiotoday@ ohio.edu or to Ohio University, Ohio Today, P.O. Box 869, Athens, OH 45701-0869.

44 45

of Women Giving Back, a

resides near Charleston,

Sterling, Virginia-based

South Carolina, with

nonprofit that supports

his spouse.

women and children in crisis by providing free quality clothing and

Chillicothe alumnus’ debut novel adapted into Netflix movie

1983 was awarded the

1978

Association of Energy

Bobcat couples

II Energy Professional

Patty Londot Griffith,

Development Award.

BSJ ’78, and Mark

He spent many years in

Griffith, BSCOMS ’78;

the food manufacturing

Terri and Bruce Johnson;

and food retail business,

and Kyle Coles Schwarz,

was president/owner

BSC ’79, and Douglas

of Mench & Associates,

Schwarz, BBA ’78,

and taught in the

celebrated their 40th

construction manage-

anniversaries together

ment department at

in Nashville, Tennessee.

Southern Polytechnic

They all met while

State University,

attending OHIO and have

now Kennesaw State

remained friends since

University, in Marietta,

being in each other’s

Georgia.

Engineers’ 2020 Region

weddings in the summer

In November, Gov. Jim Justice appointed Arthur “Stan” Maynard, PHD ’78*, to the West Virginia State Board of Education. Maynard is

Before turning 45, Donald R. Pollock II, AB ’94, had never drafted a line of fiction—but he’d always loved books. In his 30s, Pollock supplemented his life as a laborer with literature, earning an English degree on the side at Ohio University Chillicothe.

John Mench, MBA ’83,

other essentials.

and fall of 1979.

BOBC AT SP O T L IGH T

“It struck me that that was going to be me not too long from now, just packing up the toolbox and heading home to sit on the couch,” Pollock recalls of watching his father retire from the paper mill where they worked. “I didn’t really know anything but factory work, but I did love reading, so I decided to try to learn to write.” Last fall, Netflix released the film adaptation of his debut novel, The Devil All the Time, a masterfully tangled yarn of depraved preachers, corrupt lawmen and serial killers. —Anita Martin, BSJ ’05 Read about Pollock and his advice for fellow Bobcats considering a creative second act at ohiotoday.org.

1987 Barbara Alden Wilson, BSJ ’87, won second place in the media relationshuman interest category of the New Jersey School Public Relations

Virginia Center for the

Design Association. She

Creative Arts in February

resides in Raleigh, North

2020. Her latest body of

Carolina.

work, Veronica’s Cloths, explores the impact of

Anita Kumar, MS ’89,

trauma and has been

PHD ’94*, was promoted

featured in solo and

to chief executive officer

juried exhibitions in

at Communications

New York, Illinois and

Systems Inc., an IoT

Virginia. More than 55

intelligent edge products

of the series’ works

and services company.

have been selected for

She was also named to

publication in 28 art and

the company’s board

Robert “Bob” Carl,

literary journals, including

of directors.

MFA ’81, has retired after

the American Journal

the executive director of the June Harless Center for Rural Educational Research and Development at Marshall University.

1981 more than 30 years as an art teacher. He continues to create art and display it around the country and

Association’s 2020 School Communication Awards for her work as the public information officer for Cherry Hill Public Schools. She won first place in the social media category at the 2019 awards.

1989 Kathy Johnson Bowles, MFA ’89, was awarded a fellowship by the

of Poetry, The William and Mary Review, Coffin

1990 Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine

Bell and in an online

appointed Scott

essay for the Surface

Borgemenke, AB ’90*,

SPRING 2021

to the Ohio University

by Douglas McKechnie,

Board of Trustees. A

BA ’98, titled

resident of Dublin, Ohio,

“Government Tweets,

Borgemenke is senior vice

Government Speech:

president of advocacy

The First Amendment

at the Ohio Hospital

Implications of

Association.

Government Trolling.”

1993

He is a professor of law at the United States

Since March 2020,

Air Force Academy and

Andrea Cipriani

resides in Colorado

Mecchi, BFA ’93, has

Springs, Colorado.

been working on “Family at a Distance,” an

1999

ongoing photo project,

Kirk Burkley, BSC ’99,

documenting families

was named to the Top

in Philadelphia during

50: 2020 Pittsburgh

the COVID-19 pandemic.

Super Lawyers List.

The project has been featured in Philadelphia Magazine and by the

2000 Kristyn Bailey Wilson,

New York University

BSJ ’00, was named

Arthur L. Carter

vice president of public

Journalism Institute’s

relations and communi-

“Pavement Pieces.”

cations at Upright, a new

1996 William Mench, BS ’96, earned his doctorate in physical

public relations agency in Columbus.

2001 Jeffrey Blevins,

therapy from the

PHD ’01, was promoted

University of Oklahoma

to full professor at the

Health Sciences Center

University of Cincinnati,

in 2019. He is a physical

where he is head of

therapist, practicing in

the Department of

Tucson, Arizona, where

Journalism.

he resides with his wife, April MacKay Mench,

Amy Hull, BS ’01, was

BS ’97, who is a retired

named the first manager

lieutenant colonel in the

of diversity, equity and

U.S. Air Force.

inclusion at Paycor.

1998

She is the founder and CEO of consulting firm

The Seattle University

Equity LDI, LLC, head-

Law Review published a

quartered in Cincinnati.

research article written

Bobcat tracks

Alumni Authors

Ohio University alumni publish books across subjects and genres. Here are releases within the last year. Inside Pitch: Insiders Reveal How the Ill-Fated Seattle Pilots Got Played into Bankruptcy in One Year, sports history (Persistence Press), by Ethan “Rick” Allen, MA ’73 • The House That Rock Built: How It Took Time, Money, Music Moguls, Corporate Types, Politicians, Media, Artists, and Fans to Bring the Rock Hall to Cleveland, music (Kent State University Press), by Norman “Norm N. Nite” Durma, BFA ’65 • A Pledge with Purpose: Black Sororities and Fraternities and the Fight for Equality, social sciences (NYU Press), by Matthew Hughey, MED ’02 • Life is Simple: It Just Comes with Challenges, selfhelp (Ignite Press), by Mark Jones, BSED ’73 • Black Jackknife: A Nick Montaigne Mystery, fiction (Longitudes Press), by Peter Kurtz, BSJ ’81 • What’s Left Untold, women’s fiction (Red Adept Publishing), by Sherri Gladwell Leimkuhler, BSJ ’94 • National Security Law, textbook (West Academic Publishing), by Douglas McKechnie, BA ’98 • Augustus: Julius Caesar— Cleopatra—the First Roman Emperor—Philo, historical fiction (LifeRich Publishing), by John Mench, MBA ’83 • Wild Abandon: American Literature and the Identity Politics of Ecology, American literature and culture (Cambridge University Press), by Alexander Menrisky, BSJ ’12 • The Adventures of Millsport: The Story of a Visionary Sports Marketing Agency, business (Outskirts Press), by Jim Millman, BSC ’72 • Tomorrow’s Jobs Today: Wisdom and Career Advice from Thought Leaders in AI, Big Data, Blockchain, the Internet of Things, Privacy, and More, job searching careers (John Hunt Publishing), by Abby Moscatel, BSC ’02 • Memories in the Drift: A Novel, fiction (Lake Union Publishing), by Melissa Payne, AB ’97, MPA ’99 • Road Out of Winter, fiction (MIRA Books/HarperCollins), by Alison Stine, PHD ’13 • The Journalism Breakdown: Writing Multimedia Journalism Content in an Era of Changing Media Systems & Economic Models, journalism (CFSC Publishing), by Shane Tilton, AAS ’98, MA ’04, PHD ’12 • Mountaintop Moments: Sixty Years of Music Education in Story and Practice, music (Independent), by Robert Trocchia, BSED ’61 • My Mother’s Poetry, Writings and Musings, poetry (AuthorHouse), by Shirley Williams-Kirksey, PHD ’91 • Lady Chevy: A Novel, fiction (Pegasus Books and Simon & Schuster), by John Woods, BA ’09 • Tortured Logic: Why Some Americans Support the Use of Torture in Counterterrorism, political and social sciences (Columbia University Press), by Joseph Young, MA ’03 Send your published work updates to ohiotoday@ohio.edu or Ohio University, Ohio Today, P.O. Box 869, Athens, OH 45701-0869.

46 47

Erin Carlson Mast,

Sunday edition of “CBS

AB ’01*, was named

Weekend News.” Based

president and CEO of

in New York City, she’s

the Abraham Lincoln

been a CBS News corre-

Presidential Library

spondent since 2013.

BOBC AT SP O T L IGH T

Remarkable career, year for board chair 2020 was a year none will forget, but for Janelle Coleman, BSJ ’95, it will be remembered for reaching new heights in her career and one of the highest levels of service to her alma mater.

Foundation, supporting the exhibits and programs

Kristen Jensen

of the Abraham Lincoln

Easterday, BSS ’05,

Presidential Library and

was named to Columbus

Museum in Springfield,

CEO magazine’s Future

Illinois. She previously

50 Class of 2021, rec-

served as the CEO and

ognizing leaders who

executive director of

embody the Future 50

President Lincoln’s

core values of achieve-

Cottage in Washington,

ment, altruism, boldness,

D.C.

creativity and inclusivity.

In May, Coleman was appointed chair of the Ohio University Board of Trustees. In November, she was hired into two executive positions with one of the nation’s largest electricity producers, serving as the first vice president of corporate philanthropy and community engagement at American Electric Power and as president of its foundation.

She is the director of Rosemary Pennington,

communications and

BSJ ’01, is one of three

public affairs for the

faculty members at

Columbus Regional

Miami University who

Airport Authority.

were awarded a 2021 national communications award from the

Coleman’s path to a career with some of Central Ohio’s most well-established businesses and organizations began at OHIO, where an internship requirement steered her from broadcast journalism to public relations. –Nick Henthorn, BSJ ’21

2006 BSED ’06, created and

Mathematics for their

is producing and hosting

podcast, Stats + Stories.

Invisible Ground, a

2004

podcast exploring the history of Southeast Ohio

Blair Cornell, BSS

communities, with the

’04, was named to the

first year of the podcast

2020 Forbes/SHOOK

focused on cemeteries.

Top Next-Gen Wealth

He resides in Athens.

Advisors list, ranking 29th nationally and first in the state of Ohio. He is

2007 In August, TJ Simonik, BBA ’07, created Core

of wealth management at

Books LLC, a virtual

the Miamisburg, Ohio-

bookkeeping business

based Cornell/Nicholson

serving small business

Team of USB Financial

owners. He resides in

Services.

Huntersville, North Carolina.

In December, Jericka

Ashley Stuart,

Duncan, BSC ’05*, was

BFA ’07, launched an

named anchor of the

online shop and new

art collection. Known

BA ’08*, to the Athens

for her travel-inspired

County Court of

artwork, Stuart seized

Common Pleas, Probate

the opportunity during

and Juvenile Division.

the COVID-19 pandemic

the senior vice president

2005

Visit ohio.edu/news/Janelle-Coleman to read about the keys to Coleman’s success and how tragedy at a young age continues to play a role in her professional and personal life.

Brian Koscho,

Joint Policy Board for

to look for inspiration

2009

closer to her home in

Maestro Luke Frazier,

Peterborough, UK. Her

MM ’09*, and the

new collection, Just

American Pops Orchestra

Beyond, features land-

he founded and serves

scapes from around

as music director of were

England.

featured in two PBS spe-

2008

cials in December. “Ella Fitzgerald Wishes You a

Ohio Gov. Mike

Swinging Christmas with

DeWine appointed

Vanessa Williams” pre-

Zachary Saunders,

miered Dec. 15. “United

SPRING 2021

FUTURE BOBCATS

Future Bobcat Liam Isenhart is the son of Sarah Christman Isenhart, BSPE ’13, DO ’18, and Zack Isenhart, BSED ’12, and the grandson of Brenda Nebinger Isenhart, BSHEC ’86, and Mark Isenhart, BSC ’86.

Scripps College alumna Brooke Sheppard Megenhardt, BSC ’07, and Russ College alumnus Jesse Megenhardt, BSIT ’07, celebrated Ohio University’s 2020 Homecoming virtually. Joining in on the Bobcat fun are their 3-year-old twins, Emersyn [LEFT] and Everly Megenhardt.

Can’t you just picture little Vera Catherine Herman cheering on the Bobcats? She is the daughter of OHIO graduates Leah Petrovich Herman, BSJ ’13, and Eric Herman, BSETM ’12. Six-month-old Weston Grewell’s face says it all: It’s good to be a Bobcat! He is the son of Sara Radich Grewell, BSN ’17, and Conor Grewell, BA ’16.

Send your photos with names, grad degrees and grad years to ohiotoday@ohio.edu or to Ohio Today, Ohio University, P.O. Box 869, Athens, OH 45701-0869.

Parents Morgan Staley Neal, BSJ, BSSPS ’07, MBA, MSA ’10, and Brooks Neal, MSA ’11, and grandparents Anne Clark Neal, AB ’79, and Timothy Neal, BSED ’79 welcomed Griffin Parker Neal into their Bobcat family in April 2020.

• Earn $10 per feedback session

• No web expertise is needed

• Participate in short online tasks and answer questions

• Help improve your alma mater’s websites and communications

Bobcat tracks

48 49

in Song: Celebrating the

Rebecca Watts,

Resilience of America”

PHD ’13, was appointed

debuted Dec. 31.

regional vice president of Western Governors

2016 Eli Hiller, BS, BSVC ’16*, received an Eyewitness Photojournalism Grant

Lady Chevy, a debut

University and is leading

novel from John Woods,

university operations

BA ’09, was named to The

across a 12-state area.

New York Times’ 10 Best

She resides in Jersey City,

Crime Novels of 2020 list.

New Jersey.

2012

2014

Reduction Ohio, a

Elizabeth Brink,

Caleigh Bourgeois,

BA ’12, was selected

BSJ ’14, joined

drug policies based on

as a 2021 Fellow of the

Washington, D.C.-based

Columbus chapter of the

communications firm

New Leaders Council,

kglobal as an account

a professional devel-

supervisor, tailoring

opment program for

media strategies and

emerging progressive

solutions for energy,

leaders. She is the chief

transportation, infra-

administrative officer for

structure and environ-

the Income Tax Division

mental companies and

of the Columbus City

organizations.

Auditor’s Office.

2013

from the Pulitzer Center and Diversify Photo for his work photographing support group meetings conducted by Harm nonprofit that supports science, health, compas-

founded Writers House Pittsburgh, a year-long residency offering hous-

2015

nity and mentorship in

This past fall, Gretchen

two renovated a historic

DO ’18, signed her first

first professional music

employment contract

video for Song Factory

with OhioHealth and

Budapest, a young adult

will be practicing at

choir that she is a member

Marion General Hospital.

of and that performs

Isenhart was the first

throughout the city. She

person in OHIO history

is the associate editor at

to graduate from both

WeLoveBudapest, an on-

the University’s Athens

line entertainment-news

and Dublin campuses.

magazine in Budapest, Hungary.

unpredictable times. The home and welcomed the first cohort of residents in the fall. Messitt teaches in the MFA program at Goucher College and is the first Mellon Fellow at Denison University’s Center for Narrative Journalism.

Ron Meyers, AAS ’15,

the co-executive producer

BCJ ’17*, was appointed

of Ratched, Netflix’s

the chief of police for

biggest debut series

the city of Chillicothe in

of 2020.

September.

ed for the Chautauqua Visual Arts residency program. In the fall, Hunter was named the first artist-in-residence at the James Pearson Art and Art History at in Detroit. Logan Marshall, BFAFT ’20*, was one of 50 individuals across the country selected for the Television Academy Foundation’s 2020 Summer Fellows Program. Rachel Martin, ABENVIR ’20*, was one of 10 individuals worldwide selected for a fellowship with Conservation X Lab, an innovation technology company that focuses on solutions to environmental challenges. Martin was named the

Cat Hofacker, BSJ ’18,

Fellow, tasked with

Young Journalist” in the

BSJ ’13*, created and is

artists worldwide select-

2018 was a finalist for “Best

Evan Romansky,

MFA ’20*, was one of 38

Wayne State University

ing stability, commu-

produced and edited the

Quinn Hunter,

2017 Kevin Haworth, have

Kessler, BA, BSC ’15,

2020

Duffy Department of

’17, and her partner,

Isenhart, BSPE ’13,

Reston, Virginia.

sion and human rights.

Maggie Messitt, PHD

Dr. Sarah Christman

Astronautics based in

2020 Aerospace Media Awards. She is a staff reporter for Aerospace America, the magazine of the American Institute of Aeronautics and

SPRING 2021

Extinction Drawdown analyzing existing interventions that are best poised to reverse mass extinction. —Compiled by Kirsten Thomas, BSJ ’23

BOBCAT SCHOLARSHIP INITIATIVE

Your gift helps a student afford all the lessons, the connections, the adventures, and the readiness of green and white of the OHIO experience—not just for four years, but for life.

Two ways to give even more. 1

NOW & FOR EVERYONE

SHARE WHERE YOU CARE

The Current-Use Scholarship Program helps you make the most significant impact for students. These gifts go immediately to students where they’re needed most.

Choose a scholarship that supports the experience you want to share with our undergrads—or we can help you establish your own.

(Your Gift x 2)

(Your Gift x 1.5)

GIVE.OHIO.EDU giving@ohio.edu • 740.593.1000

Remembering fellow alumni

1940s Helen K. (Kukkonen) Bjork,

BSED ’42

Alice E. (Mechem) Drach,

BSED ’42

Betty R. (Ames) Evans, BSS ’42 Walter F. Wisnieski, BSED ’42 Eleanor J. (Davis) Sweigart,

BSED ’43

Elizabeth D. (Ulichney) Clark,

ELED ’44, BSED ’45

Gene Miller (Kissner) Spaulding,

AB ’45

Zenovia (Pukay) Courtney,

BFA ’46

Robert R. Max, BSJ ’48 Betty J. (Woltz) Weiser, BSED ’48 Frank K. Wodarsky, BSCOM ’48 Dorothy (Adams) Fidler, BSJ ’49 Robert E. Gabler, BS ’49 Patrick J. Hackett, AB ’49 Paul F. Hoff, BSCOM ’49

Barbara L. (Lowe) Brown, BFA ’53

David W. Beamer, BSED ’65

Edward J. Scott, BSIE ’53

Terry A. Collins, BSED ’65

David H. Curl, BFA ’54

Fern Judith (Miller) Grimm,

William L. Haffner, BSCOM ’54

Arthur R. Sepeta, BSCOM ’54

Robert H. Schappe, MS ’65

Donald R. Andrews, AB ’55

Lenora L. (Northrup) Slicer,

Janice S. (Edwards) Bruner,

Roger S. Snavely, BSED ’65

AA ’55

Donald L. Wright, MA ’65

Roger A. Hadley, BSCE ’56,

Tom Joldersma, PHD ’66

Rebecca (Biggs) Uritus, BSED ’66

MBA ’84

Jerry L. Vandeveer, BSAGR ’56

Ron G. Wolfe, MA ’66

Paul Fusco, BFA ’57

Tommy P. Adkins, BS ’67

James K. Reinker, BS ’57

Bonnie J. (Boswell) Snyder,

Nancy (Minto) Dine, BFA ’58

Vergil G. Stover, BSCE ’58

Larry A. Armbruster, BBA ’68

Janice A. (Swiergos) Cattarin,

Donald A. Craig, AB ’68

Charles E. Woodfill, MED ’68

BSJ ’59

Norman F. Christopher, MSISE ’69

Paul R. Reibel, BSCOM ’59

Vincent H. Harman, BBA ’69

Alfred T. Ruston, BBA ’59

Charles B. Hooper, BBA ’69,

Donald B. Gardner, BSJ ’60 William E. Krupp, BS ’61

John H. Wolfe, BSCOM ’61 David M. Briggs, BSCE ’62 David W. Cole, MBA ’62

1950s Richard W. Baughman, BSED ’50 Norma J. (Dejoy) Curry, BFA ’50 Mary E. (Moroney) Gorman,

BSED ’50

David I. Shaw, BSED ’50 Robert C. Wagner, BSED ’50 Eugene R. Whitmer, AB ’50,

MED ’64

James M. Woods, AB ’50 C.J. Josten, BFA ’51, BSCOM ’55 Lloyd A. Lawson, BSIE ’51 Sharon J. (Rose) Pifer, BSED ’51 Benjamin F. Penn, BSCOM ’52 James F. Stewart, AB ’52 Norman A. Visich, BSJ ’52 Paul L. Winemiller, BSJ ’52

MBA ’82

Shaik Sulaiman Ismail, AA ’69,

Laroma D. (Gaver) Williams, Elinor A. (Bliss) Wormer, BSJ ’49

BSED ’67

Jack L. Kollister, BSCOM ’59

1960s

BSED ’49, MED ’57

BFA ’65

Stanley W. Streiner, BSCOM ’55

Geneva S. (Mallett) Powers, BSS ’49

BSED ’65

James Blakely Eblin, BS ’62 Nancy C. Essig, AB ’62

BSED ’70

Helen (Idell) Klingaman, MED ’69 Loren L. Logsdon, PHD ’69 William N. Mullane, BBA ’69 John M. Panagos, PHD ’69 Linda J. (Miller) Savory, AB ’69

Victor M. Exner, BSED ’62

1970s

Barbara J. (Rodda) Lewis, AB ’62

George F. Barnes, BSC ’70, BA ’81

Robert J. Parrish, BSCOM ’62

Richard A. Hagerty, MED ’70

John E. Pasko, BS ’62

Dennis L. Kortyka, BSED ’70

Frederick D. Petry, BS ’62

Don D. Leedy, BSED ’70

Hoy J. Seckinger, BSED ’62,

Chege Mbitiru, BSJ ’70

Robert G. Sabelhaus, BBA ’70

MED ’65

Judith A. Antle, AB ’63

William V. Sawyer, BBA ’70

Rebecca (Schott) Rocco, BSED ’63

Betty A. (Slager) Shaeffer,

Carl E. Trusty, BSED ’63

Ann Elizabeth (Breitenstein)

Don E. Hall, PHD ’71

Robert W. Stewart, BBA ’71

Wolfe, AB ’63

BSED ’70

Brent M. Bell, BSED ’64

William E. Duda, BGS ’73

Ed Fitzpatrick, AB ’64

Robert E. Morgan, BGS ’73

A. Gayle (Lehnert) Jones, BBA ’64

Donald M. Woodland, BSC ’73

Larry D. Newlon, BFA ’64

Rick L. Baker, BGS ’74

SPRING 2021

Stephen J. Ballance, MA ’74

James Howard Bruce, BBA ’94

Arthur A. Clements, Nelsonville,

Larry D. Poling, AB ’74

William Wallace Hill, AA ’94,

Ohio, retired electrician, May 21.

Delbert W. Waggoner, BSIT ’74

Roberta Alexander, MS ’75

Amy J. (Leake) Wilburn, BSED ’95

Arthur S. Clubok, Columbus,

Mark N. Humphrey, MFA ’75

Cheryl J. Williams, AB ’95

Ohio, professor emeritus of

Marcus G. Smythe, MFA ’75

Maxwell Henry Corbin, AB ’96

education, Sept. 22.

Benjamin J. Freedman, BFA ’76

Barbara L. Kelley, BSS ’96

Rudy L. Leatherman, AB ’76

Robert John Nowinski, DO ’96

Raymond A. Croxford, BSEE ’76,

James F. Brandt, BSED ’77

Gregory Neil Shaw, BS ’96

MS ’77, Athens, Ohio, former

Abby A. (Agranoff) Lavelle,

Michael D. Derr, BSED ’97, MED ’05

avionics employee, Sept. 11.

Mark Alan Larrison, BSH ’98

BFA ’77, MA ’85

BSS ’98

Lois (Mickey) Williamson, AAS ’78,

Pamela Jean Mathews, BSS ’98

Marc Cutright, Denton, Texas,

Michael Scott Fain, DO ’99

former associate professor of

BSED ’80

Douglas F. Job, BBA ’79

1980s

education, May 28.

2000s Munukutla S. Sastry, EMERT ’07

Cynthia (Ousley) Kaldis, MED ’80

Dustin Matthew Norris, BSS ’08

Ann Lee (Hancock) Konneker,

Elizabeth Deming Lowry, BSJ ’09

HON ’80

John M. Savey, BSJ ’81 Gary Lee Watson, AAS ’81 Goldie E. Collier, BSED ’82 Gary Franklin Greegor, BBA ’82 James L. Witmer, BFA ’82 Marjorie A. (Whiteford) Malcom,

MED ’83

David L. Dearth, BBA ’84 Jeffrey Cole Schneider, BBA ’84 Norma Jean (Collier) Smith,

BGS ’84

2010s

Ohio, former assistant cashier, July 25.

Richard D. Fossa, MSAA ’16 Emily Ann Nungester, AAS ’18

Sandra K. (McKibben)

Mandy J. Fooce, AA ’19

Fulton, Athens, Ohio, former environmental services worker,

2020s BSEH ’20

Rebecca D. (Rice) Davis Osborne,

MED ’92

Stuart Gayle Grimes, AB ’92 Bradley S. Markins, BS ’92, MS ’94 David Wayne Dupler, BSIT ’93 Mark Anthony Fabiano, MAIA ’93

Oct. 22. Kenneth E. Hayes, Pomeroy, Ohio, former building maintenance

Phyllis M. Heacock, BA ’86

BSHSS ’90

former custodial worker, July 3.

Christopher David Leyva, BSPE ’15

Clyde Ray Dicken, Athens, Ohio,

Nancy Eleanor Fuller, The Plains,

BA ’11

Ahmed Abdulsalam Alhussainan,

Sabrina Jean (Puckett) Huffman,

former resident director, July 19.

Melissa Ann Dowler, BSN ’14

Eric J. Amberge, BSEE ’86

1990s

CERT ’93, PHD ’96, Accra, Ghana,

Melissa Caroline (McGill) Church,

Timothy E. Malling, BSIT ’85

Todd P. Richissin, BSJ ’87, MS ’96

Doris Yaa Dartey, MAIA ’92,

superintendent, Oct. 14.

Faculty/Staff Mark D. Alicke, Vinton, Ohio, professor of psychology, Oct. 23. Carolyn J. Blackford, The Plains, Ohio, retired secretary, Sept. 27. Charles Edward Cadle, Albany, Ohio, retired stationary engineer, Aug. 5.

Ann B. Hill, Athens, Ohio, former professor of electrical and computer engineering, Aug. 26. Ralph S. Izard, Athens, Ohio, professor emeritus of journalism and former director of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Sept. 3.

Christopher Gadsden, MSA ’93

In memoriam

52 53

Mary Carter Keifer, Athens, Ohio,

Brian Manhire, Hobe Sound,

Charles W. Sheets, Nelsonville,

associate professor emerita of

Florida, professor emeritus of

Ohio, retired custodial services

business law, Aug. 4.

electrical engineering, Oct. 10.

manager, Oct. 3.

Dorothy Kennard, Trimble, Ohio,

Arline B. (Russell) McCarthy,

Marsha M. Stauffer, New

retired emergency personnel,

BGS ’84, Athens, Ohio, WOUB staff

Marshfield, Ohio, retired cook,

July 14.

emerita, May 21.

Sept. 22.

John W. Knable, Avon, Ohio,

Howard McLaughlin, Athens,

Dixie L. (Hunter) West, Hilliard,

professor emeritus of osteopathic

Ohio, retired machinist, Sept. 19.

Ohio, retired records maintenance

medicine, June 22.

clerk, Oct. 6. Louis J. Murvay, The Plains, Ohio,

Jill Lynn (Midkiff) Lallier,

retired custodial worker, Oct. 22.

BS ’99, MED ’00, Albany, Ohio,

Craig D. White, Athens, Ohio, retired mover, Oct. 12.

former senior associate director of

David A. Patriquin, MLS ’91,

Student Financial Aid, May 17.

West Dummerston, Vermont,

Kenneth Edwin Woodburn,

professor emeritus of family

Athens, Ohio, retired food service

medicine, Oct. 16.

manager, Oct. 28.

Vattel T. Rose, Athens, Ohio,

—Compiled by Jennifer Shutt Bowie, BSJ ’94, MS ’99. Includes individuals who passed away between May 1, 2020, and Oct. 31, 2020. Information provided by the University’s Office of Advancement Services.

Raymond O. Lane, Athens, Ohio, distinguished professor emeritus of physics, Oct. 2.

associate professor emeritus of Lillian Ruth Lanning, The Plains,

African American studies, May 12.

Ohio, retired building services manager, Sept. 17.

Beulah Sellers-Davis, BSHEC ’46, Cape Coral, Florida, professor

Ken L. Locke, Glouster, Ohio,

emerita of home economics,

retired custodial worker, July 30.

Sept. 3.

SIMPLE. FLEXIBLE.

FOREVER. Establishing a Donor Advised Fund through The Ohio University Foundation helps you manage and maximize your giving to make a lasting impact on the causes that matter most to you. Contact Kelli L. Kotowski, Executive Director of Gift Planning, at 740.597.1819 or kotowskk@ohio.edu today to learn more.

SPRING 2021

MISSION STATEMENT Ohio Today informs, celebrates, and engages alumni, faculty, staff, students, and friends of Ohio University. Publications Editor

Angela Woodward, BSJ ’98 Art Director

Sarah McDowell, BFA ’02 Contributors

Laura M. André Jalyn Bolyard Jennifer Shutt Bowie, BSJ ’94, MS ’99 Jeff Brown, BFA ’90 Eli Burris, BSJ ’16 Max Catalano, BSVC ’20 Srijita Chattopadhyay, MA ’21 Nick Claussen, BSJ ’92 Abigail Dean, BSVC ’21 Jen Jones Donatelli, BSJ ’98 Kristen Eads, BSED ’18 Rich-Joseph Facun, BSVC ’01 Sarah Filipiak, BSJ ’01 Andrea Gibson, BSJ ’94, MPA ’16 John Grimwade, EMERT ’20 Nick Henthorn, BSJ ’21 Cat Hofacker, BSJ ’18 Maya Ish-Shalom Carly Keeler Leatherwood, BSJ ’96 Kyle Lindner, BFA ’17 Anita Martin, BSJ ’05 Peter McCollough, BSVC ’08 Cyrus McCrimmon, BFA ’87 Neal Mohr, BSC ’14 Ohio University Mahn Center for Archives & Special Collections Ohio University Press Robin Oliver Kaitlyn Pacheco, BSJ ’17 Mary Reed, BSJ ’90, MA ’93 Jim Sabin, BSJ ’95 Peter Shooner Ben Wirtz Siegel, BSVC ’02 Akbar Sultanov Kirsten Thomas, BSJ ’23

Ohio University President

M. Duane Nellis

Assistant Vice President of Alumni Relations & Executive Director of the Alumni Association

Erin Essak Kopp

Senior Director, Advancement Marketing Services

Sarah Filipiak, BSJ ’01 Printer

The Watkins Printing Co.

Ohio Today is published two times a year. Its digital companion is ohiotoday.org. Both are produced by University Advancement, with funding from The Ohio University Foundation. Views expressed in them do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the staff or University policies. Editorial office address: Ohio Today, Ohio University, P.O. Box 869, Athens, OH 457010869. Send questions, comments, ideas and submissions (such as Class Notes, photos of future Bobcats and information about books by Bobcats) to the above address, via email to ohiotoday@ohio.edu, or call Ohio Today at 740.593.2684. Make address changes at ohio.edu/alumni or by mail via Ohio University, Advancement Services, P.O. Box 869, Athens, OH 457010869. Send details for the “In Memoriam” column to the latter or via email to advinfo@ohio.edu. The OHIO switchboard is 740.593.1000.

RELIVE

( BRICKS

Use code OHIOTODAY2021

to receive

20% off

your entire purchase!

@OHIOAlumni

Masthead

54 55

Last word An Asian Indian by birth, Dr. Christine Suniti Bhat, PHD ’03, came to OHIO as an international student, earned her doctorate, and joined the faculty in 2006, serving as a professor of counselor education in the Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education. Her research has focused on cyberbullying prevention and, most recently, the development of psychological capital—hope, efficacy, resilience and optimism— deemed essential to professional success and personal satisfaction.

struggling with life’s challenges. It is a beautiful thing to walk with clients through dark days and to help them reach a place of hope.

Ohio Today caught up with Bhat, who was recently named the first Dr. Tommie Radd Professor of School Counseling, to talk career, mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and what brings her professional and personal happiness. —Kirsten Thomas, BSJ ’23

How do you relax and/or recharge? Is there a particular place on campus or somewhere outdoors that provides that outlet for you? How fortunate we are to live in beautiful Athens! I love being outdoors when the weather permits. The Ridges and the bike path are my favorites. Nature is healing and restoring.

What made you want to study and teach counseling? I believe in the human capacity to heal and in the importance of providing support to those who are

If you could offer one piece of advice to individuals coping with mental health issues right now, what would it be? Don’t go it alone. Nurture connections with others. Engage in counseling and treatment. You wouldn’t ignore diabetes or a heart condition. Isn’t your mind worth taking care of?

Visit ohiotoday.org to read more about Bhat and how she wants to be remembered.

Dr. Christine Suniti Bhat, PHD ’03, is pictured along the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway, one of her favorite places on campus. Photo by Ben Wirtz Siegel, BSVC ’02

SPRING 2021

Brittany “Bert” Hawthorne, BFA ’20, takes to the water of the Ohio University Aquatic Center, illustrating The Chronicles of the Fish Diaries dance she choreographed and performed during the School of Dance’s 2020 Fall Dance Concert. Hawthorne was one of six May 2020 alumnae who performed at the concert that was livestreamed from the Shirley Wimmer Dance Theater. Aptly named “A COVID Experiment,” the event brought students and graduates together to explore the collaborative and performance capabilities of expressing art through movement virtually while providing a venue for alumni to deliver their first performances and have their first guest artist experiences as professionals. Photo by Rich-Joseph Facun, BSVC ’01, and Ben Wirtz Siegel, BSVC ’02

Still more

NONPROFIT ORG U . S . P O S TA G E

P A I D COLUMBUS, OHIO P E R M I T N O . 4 41 6

Advancement Services Ohio University P.O. Box 869 1 Ohio University Drive Athens, Ohio 45701-0869

Since 1987, the Bingham House has stood as a gateway to campus and community and a reminder of the rich history of both. Constructed around 1803 and first located on South College Street, it is believed to have been built by and served as the home of Silas Bingham, a Revolutionary War hero and Athens County’s first sheriff. The exterior of the building, which houses OHIO’s Office of Sustainability, underwent repairs in 2020. Photo by Rich-Joseph Facun, BSVC ’01

SPRING 2021