2010s
John Hickman, Cert. ’11, Cleveland, OH, who earned a post-baccalaureate certification in paralegal studies from Kent State, has worked with several Kent State paralegal interns over the last eight years at Gallagher Sharp LLP, in Cleveland. He recently supervised Kent State senior Chelsea Appling, XAA ’20, from August to December 2021.
At Gallagher Sharp, Appling, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in pre-law studies at Kent State, had the opportunity to apply what she’s learned during her studies. She looks forward to growing in the profession.
Hickman works in several areas of civil litigation at the firm and welcomes the opportunity to help future professionals step into the practice.
Above: The wedding party; Below: The Zips and Golden Flashes in the wedding party have a friendly face-off.
Photos by Marcee Maurer
Shaun Minko, BA ’11, and Danielle Novotny, BA ’11, MA ’14, Myrtle Beach, SC, were engaged on Dec. 25, 2018. Having their initial wedding plans postponed due to COVID-19, they finally were married on June 19, 2021, in Sandusky, Ohio.
They met at Brewhouse Pub in January 2009 and have been together for more than 12 years. Today, Minko is an area manager-large format sales for Better Brands Inc. and Novotny is the branch manager for the Horry County Legislative Delegation office, both in Myrtle Beach. They continue to cheer for Kent State and their other favorite Ohio sports teams from afar!
Members of their wedding party included four other KSU alumni: Johanna (Novotny) Wilson, BS ’06; Molly (DeMattio) Baker, BA ’10, MA ’12; Greg Sikora, BA ’12; and Devon Baker, BS ’15. They made sure to show their KSU pride in the wedding photos!
Eric Mansfield, MA ’12, Akron, OH, premiered his play, Love in Reserve, at Rubber City Theatre in November 2021. It was recently named Best New Play by a Local Playwright by the Cleveland Critics Circle.
His original crime drama, The Confession, ran Feb. 10-12 at convergence-continuum in Cleveland as part of the NEOMFA new plays festival. His full-length drama, Whitesville, which examines the struggles of a mixed-race police family in the immediate aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, ran March 31-April 2 at the Akron Civic Theatre via the Millennial Theatre Project.
Other works of note include a military-themed play, The Board, included in the Fringe Festival in Cleveland at the Mid-America Theatre Conference in February 2022, and a short piece, The Black Dress, which was picked up for a workshop at Millersville University in Pennsylvania.
Mansfield works as assistant vice president, content strategy and communications, at Kent State.
Charmae Cottom, PhD candidate since 2013, Columbia Station, OH, wrote, “I am the director of the Miss Greater Cleveland Scholarship Program, celebrating 100 years of competition. The Miss America Program is the oldest and largest single source of scholarship money for women in the US. We had our 100th competition on Feb. 12, 2022, at the Berea-Midpark High School Auditorium. I am also a high school English teacher at Pioneer Career and Technology Center in Shelby, Ohio, and an English adjunct at Lorain County Community College.
“I have been participating in the Miss Ohio America program since 1980, when I was a college coed. Thanks to the scholarship money that I earned, I completed two bachelor's degrees at Baldwin-Wallace College and, as a lifelong learner, I completed an MA in English literature at John Carroll University and now I am completing a PhD in literature at Kent State. The Miss America Scholarship Program is a wonderful program for talented, community focused women.”
Kyra Kelley, BA ’13, Akron, OH, was named a 2022 Artist-in-Residence in theater and performing arts by Akron Soul Train Gallery. Part of the residency includes an artist-led community engagement program. Learn more at www.akronsoultrain.org.
Jonathan Holland, BS ’14, MArc ’16, MBA ’16, Cleveland, OH, joined Bialosky Cleveland as an architect in 2021. He is an active member of the local chapters of the American Institute of Architects and the National Organization for Minority Architects. His projects include A Place for Me and the Beaumont School renovation.
Dayshawnda Shuelana Ash, AA ’15, BFA ’16, Cleveland, OH, played a character referred to as “The Journey” in a workshop production of India Nicole Burton’s play Panther Women: An Army for the Liberation, which was held outdoors at Cleveland Public Theatre in July 2021. Her character comes to a sacred place to ask her ancestors to show her the meaning of being a Black woman.
Ash has performed, taught and written at Western Reserve Playhouse in Bath Township and is a teaching artist and site coordinator at Cleveland Public Theatre.
Christopher Persons, BS ’15, MArc ’16, Cleveland, OH, has been promoted to associate at Bialosky Cleveland. He joined Bialosky in 2015 and earned a merit award in 2016 from AIA Cleveland for his student graduate project, Drydock No. 2. Other notable projects include Library Lofts, Progressive Insurance Alpha North Annex and the Physician Assistant Building at Ursuline College. He is registered as an architect with the American Institute of Architects.
Ethan Rothermel, BS ’15, MArc ’16, Canton, OH, joined Bialosky Cleveland as an architectural designer in 2021. During his studies at Kent State, he participated in a study-abroad program in Florence, Italy. He came to the firm with a strong interest in digital fabrication and parametric/computational design and a portfolio that included architectural projects, studio work and CNC furniture design. His current projects include Library Lofts, The Pearl, Cleveland Public Library’s Walz Branch and Karam Senior Housing.
Katelyn Walker, BA ’16, Cleveland, OH, was promoted to associate at Bialosky Cleveland in 2020. She is an accredited interior designer and WELL accredited professional with a specialty in healthy building and materials. She joined the firm in 2016. Her projects include Kent State University’s Visual Communication Design, The City Mission and Lorain County Public Health. She has participated in and led firm initiatives to support strategic planning; wellness; and equity, diversity and inclusion.
Kaitlyn Boniecki, BS ’19, MArc ’21, MUD ’21, Cleveland, OH, joined Bialosky Cleveland as an architectural designer in 2021. She was honored with a citation at the AIA Cleveland Design Awards for her thesis, “Designing for Dystopia,” in 2021, marking her second AIA award for student work. She is active in her design community, particularly in AIA Cleveland’s Women in Architecture Committee and The Architecture Lobby. Notable projects include the Lincoln Heights Townhomes, the Hawthorne School rehabilitation and renovation, and the Euclid Waterfront facility.
Kemet Floyd, BS ’19, Youngstown, OH, joined Bialosky Cleveland as an architectural designer in 2022. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in architecture and a minor in sustainability. He is pursuing a master’s degree in architecture at Kent State, after starting the program at Boston Architectural College. His work is exhibited through the national online catalogue, SAY IT LOUD, accompanied by a physical traveling exhibit of prominent diverse designers. He has designed brand identities for several small businesses during his emerging career. He is an active member of the local chapters of the American Institute of Architects and the National Organization for Minority Architects.