1990s
Wendy (Tronge) Holliday, BBA ’90, MEd ’93, Wellington, Ohio, was announced as the first-ever CEO of The Women’s Network in Electronic Transactions (Wnet). Wnet is the premier professional organization for women in payments and the men who advocate for them, providing personal enrichment no matter what stage members are in their careers. While at Kent State, Holliday also served as an adjunct faculty member to teach “Introduction to Professional Development” in the College of Business Administration.
Marci (Adams) Craig, BS ’91, MPA ’99, Salem, Ohio, accepted the role of director of human resources for the University of Mount Union, Alliance, Ohio. Prior to this position, she worked as the director of human resources for almost 14 years at Windsor House Inc., a group of 17 long-term care facilities in the Mahoning Valley, Youngstown. She was also previously employed by Little Tikes, Hudson, as manager of human resources.
Tammy Jessen Andreyko, BSE ’91, Sewickley, Pa., Quaker Valley School District superintendent, received the 2020 Empowered Superintendent of the Year Award from the Pennsylvania Association for Educational Communications and Technology. The award is given to a superintendent who serves as a true empowered leader, leveraging and championing technologies in the classroom and throughout the district to transform their school district.
Mulatu Lemma, MA ’93, PhD ’94, Savannah, Ga., professor of mathematics at Savannah State University, is one of 12 individuals nationwide to receive a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, with the National Science Foundation (NSF). This award recognizes outstanding efforts of mentors in encouraging the next generation of innovators and developing a science and engineering workforce that reflects the diverse talent of America. Awardees receive a certificate signed by the President, a trip to Washington, DC to attend a series of recognition events and professional development opportunities, and they join a cadre of over 300 PAESMEM alumni. They also receive a $10,000 award from the NSF.
Dr. Lemma also has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators for dedication, achievements and leadership in the field of mathematics teaching, research and mentoring. For his excellence as a professional educator, he has been recognized with myriad awards and honors, including the 2012 University System of Georgia Board of Regents’ Teaching Excellence Award for faculty in regional and state universities. He was additionally named a distinguished professor of Savannah State University in 2010, Georgia Professor of the Year in 2013, and was one of the most awarded professors in the state of Georgia in 2015.
In preparation for his career, Dr. Lemma began his higher education in Ethiopia, earning a Bachelor of Arts in 1977 and a Master of Arts in applied mathematics in 1982. After coming to the United States, he continued his academic pursuits at Kent State University, where he cites Professor John Friday among the numerous professors and individuals who have inspired his research. Since his graduation, Dr. Lemma has held the position of a mathematics professor at Savannah State University and has published more than 100 research papers. In 2011, after three years of investigation and more than 13 theorems, he introduced the Mulatu Numbers (named after him) to the mathematical community and to the world. The Mulatu Numbers are an integral sequence of numbers with distinct mathematical properties and patterns comparable to Fibonacci and Lucas series.
John Yehl, BBA ’93, Louisville, Ky., published his first book, Can You Sell It?, available on Amazon. He says his book is relevant to anyone, whether they are just starting out in sales or have been doing it for years. It also applies well to any type of relationship, including marriage.
Pamela R. Anderson-Bartholet, AA ’89, MA ’94, MFA ’12, Munroe Falls, Ohio, wrote, “My new poetry chapbook—Just the Girls: A Kaleidoscope of Butterflies; A Drift of Honeybees—was published by The Poetry Box Press. These poems celebrate women and what it means to be connected to the female whole. The book cover image was co-created by my niece, Meredith Balogh, BFA ’09, Evanston, Ill., and daughter, Rachel (Lysa) Anderson, BA ’19, Kent, Ohio. It took second place out of more than 500 submissions in the international All Author Cover of the Month contest in October!”
Marla Mondora, BS ’94, Raleigh, NC, has been appointed principal of Martin Gifted and Talented Middle School, where she is proud to lead the Mustang school community and to re-invigorate the school's magnet theme. Previously, she served as assistant principal at Moore Square Magnet Middle School.
Richard Sweeney, BA ’94, MA ’97, MBA ’11, Ottawa Hills, Ohio, has been appointed to the Board of Trustees of Lourdes University, Sylvania, Ohio. Sweeney is the regional president of Toledo Edison, a FirstEnergy electric utility, which provides electricity to more than 300,000 customers in northwest Ohio. Sweeney joined the company’s Information Technology Department in 1999 as a programmer analyst. He advanced in IT before being named senior technical analyst in 2004. The same year, Sweeney moved to the Supply Chain Department—Corporate Services where he was named manager. After serving in various management positions, he moved to Ohio Edison’s Operations Support department when he was named director in 2011.
Julie Manteria, BA ’95, Rockville Centre, NY, has been promoted to principal at UHY Advisors and UHY LLP, Albany, NY, which provide tax and business consulting services.
Troy Robinson, BA ’95, Pittsburgh, Pa., was appointed chief development officer of international hunger relief nonprofit Rise Against Hunger. With over 25 years of senior-level experience in development within the nonprofit sector, he joined Rise Against Hunger to support the organization’s mission of ending hunger. He previously served in fundraising roles for Camp Fire, Habitat for Humanity, United Way, Holy Family Foundation, Youth Villages Inc. and Playworks Inc.
Kathleen S. Pero, BSE ’97, MEd ’03, Elyria, Ohio, wrote, “I recently became a first-time author of the children’s book Miss Molly Learns Responsibility, where the main character, Molly, has two moms. This diverse children’s book focuses on Molly learning how to take care of her pet kitten.”
Zulfiya Tursunova, MEd ’98, Greensboro, NC, assistant professor for peace and conflict studies at Guilford College, was recently awarded the 2020 Bruce B. Stewart ’61 Teaching Award. Her colleagues say, “Since her arrival at Guilford College in fall 2017, she has demonstrated teaching excellence and rendered invaluable service to student learning and the Guilford Community.”
Ryan Edwards, BA ’99, Lynchburg, Va., was elected president of the Chesapeake chapter (Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Washington, DC) of the National School Public Relations Association on May 14, 2020. He worked in broadcast journalism while pursuing his major of mass communications at Kent State. Subsequently, he garnered two awards from the Ohio Associated Press: one for Best Reporter (2004) and another for Best Feature Reporting (2004). As a social media manager for a school division in Virginia, he won Best in Social Media for any member division in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Washington, DC, in 2018.
Scott Michael Haws, BBA ’99, Canton, Ohio, joined Crum & Forster Pet Insurance Group in the capacity of developing and leading their project management organization in May 2019. Crum & Forster Pet Insurance is a part of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited. In January 2020, he was elected president of the Plain Township Board of Trustees, responsible for overseeing and leading Ohio's 5th largest township.
Robert Schultz, MEd ’99, PhD ’99, Waterville, Ohio, is one of 39 people named a Fellow of the American Council on Education (ACE) for 2019-20. Established in 1965, the distinguished ACE Fellows Program is designed to strengthen institutions and leadership in American higher education by identifying and preparing faculty and staff for senior positions in college and university administration through its distinctive and intensive nominator-driven, cohort-based mentorship model.
Schultz has been a faculty member at The University of Toledo since 2001, where he is currently professor of gifted education and curriculum studies and chair of early childhood, higher education and special education in the Judith Herb College of Education. In addition, he serves as director of the Honors Program in the college and is the assessment liaison for the university-wide Visual Literacy Consortium. He is also a member of The University of Toledo Leadership Institute class of 2018.