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Fall/Winter 2019-20: 1950s
50
Donovan Kline, BBA ’57, Hendersonville, NC, wrote, “As one of six diplomatic couriers during the Cold War years of the 1950s, I’m on a videotape of our experiences traveling behind the Iron Curtain, which will be available permanently for public viewing at the Diplomatic Center Museum at the State Department in Washington, DC.
Between 1957 and 1977, I traveled 1,813,357 official miles on 326 trips (from 1 to 59 days) to 140 countries, including 32 trips to Moscow by air and rail. Personal travel during 12 years of living overseas took my total mileage over two million miles.”
Harvey Dunn, BBA ’59, Encino, Calif., wrote: “My book, Attention Seniors: A Complete Guide to Wealth and Happiness in Your Retirement, contains four manuscripts: 1) “How to become a millionaire at the age of 80” (I just need 45,000 more copies of my book sold to become one!); 2) “The 12 things to do in retirement to make you a happier person”; 3) “How to still be happy after 55 years of marriage” (fact or fiction?); 4) “How a sense of humor will add years to your life: My 35 years as an MC at the world-famous Laugh Factory comedy club in Hollywood.” Available on Amazon or on my home page, harveydunnbooks.com.”
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Fall/Winter 2019-20: 1960s
60
Lance Buhl, BA ’61, Rockville, Md., is a retired business and nonprofit executive and consultant. He earned a PhD in American history from Harvard in 1969, taught history at New Bedford Institute of Technology (now the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth), Harvard and Cleveland State University (where he served as assistant dean of Arts and Sciences and founding director of the Center for Learning).
From 1981 to 1993 he served as program officer, manager and then director of British Petroleum’s corporate contributions program in the United States, where he created and managed the company’s programs in urban revitalization. Since leaving British Petroleum, he as provided consulting services to some 60 foundations, corporations and nonprofits.
From 2002-11 his work was based at Duke University and included being deputy director of the United States–Southern Africa Center for Leadership and Public Values, a partnership between the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University and the Graduate School of Business at the University of Cape Town.
He has written extensively in each career. Currently he is a busy retiree, living in a retirement community just north of the District of Columbia.
Roberta De Pompei, BS ’64, MA ’69, Stow, Ohio, (dean emerita, College of Health Professions, and part-time instructor at The University of Akron), and Jean (Prinzo) Blosser, MA ’74, South Pasadena, Fla., (president of educational consulting firm Creative Strategies for Special Education), coauthored Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury: Proactive Intervention (3rd Ed), released by Plural Publications, San Diego, Calif., in January 2019.
They both completed master’s degrees in speech-language pathology at Kent State University, and became colleagues at The University of Akron, where they researched the effects of brain injury on children and adolescents and how they could be reintegrated into home, school and community.
The book, which provides practical recommendations for assessing and treating children and adolescents who have sustained a head injury, can be found at www.pluralpublishing.com, with a 15 percent discount to Kent State University students and alumni using promo code AP2013. Pictured (l to r): Jean (Prinzo) Blosser and Roberta De Pompei.
Walter Swyrydenko, BS ’64, MA ’70, Broadview Heights, Ohio, was born in Slavyansk, Ukraine, received a Bachelor of Science in art education and a Master of Arts in painting from Kent State, and studied in Paris, France. A professor of art at Lakeland Community College, he was awarded rank of professor emeritus in 2002, and held a retrospective of his work, “A Look Back 1965-2001,” at the Gallery at Lakeland in 2003.
David Parkinson, BBA ’67, Belvedere Tiburon, Calif., received a Silver Rose Award, given by the Legion of the Silver Rose to Vietnam War veterans exposed to Agent Orange dioxins while serving in the war. One of the missions of the Legion of the Silver Rose is to inform Vietnam veterans of the importance of yearly medical exams to detect potential Agent Orange-related illnesses.
Barbara (Hille) Sposet, BA ’68, PhD ’97, Strongsville, Ohio, marked 50 years in teaching in May 2019. She taught in Brooklyn City Schools (Ohio) for 32 years and currently is a tenured professor of education at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio.
David Duda, BS ’68, Cooper City, Fla., received the G. Harold Martin Award, presented by the International Swimming Hall of Fame, Inc. (a nonprofit educational organization in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) for long and exceptional leadership, insight and dedication to the water safety of children and the cause of making Every Child A Swimmer.
Since 2010, he has been an adjunct college professor at Broward College, where he teaches sport, recreation and fitness curriculum. The founder and CEO of MDM Aquatics/Safety Training and Consulting, Duda’s focus is to teach aquatic skills to children and mentor instructors in diverse populations to help reduce child drownings.
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Fall/Winter 2019-20: 1970s
70
Anita Bixenstine, MA ’70, PhD ’89, and husband, Edwin Bixenstine, PhD, Kent, Ohio, celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary at a family event in March 2019. She was an Honors College advisor at Kent State from 1969 to 1990, and he is a professor of psychology (emeritus) at Kent State, who retired in 1984. They have 14 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
John Carden, BS ’70, MS ’72, Liberty Lake, Wash., a licensed professional geologist in the state of Washington, has over 35 years of experience in exploration management, teaching and research. He has been a director of Paramount Gold Nevada Corp. since February 2015 and a director of Paramount Gold and Silver Corp. from September 2006 through completion of a merger with Coeur Mining Inc. in April 2015.
He received his doctorate in geology from the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska in 1978. Since 2001, he has been a geologic consultant and a director of a number of junior resource companies. From 2010 to the present, he has been a consultant to Otis Gold Corp.
Stanley Harrold, MA ’70, PhD ’75, Orangeburg, SC, professor of history at South Carolina State University, recently published American Abolitionism: Its Direct Political Impact from Colonial Times into Reconstruction (University of Virginia Press, April 2019). It provides the only systematic examination of the American abolition movement’s direct impacts on antislavery politics from colonial times to the Civil War and after. He is also the author, recently, of Lincoln and the Abolitionists (Concise Lincoln Library, March 2018) and Border War: Fighting over Slavery before the Civil War (University of North Carolina Press, reprint edition, February 2013).
Donna Krause, BS ’70, Wausau, Wis., wrote, “I ran for and was elected the Marathon County Board Supervisor for District 10. Marathon County, known as the ginseng capital of the world, is the largest county in Wisconsin and includes many small rural towns, manufacturing businesses and dairy farms. The Marathon County Board is the largest county board in the United States with 38 county board supervisors. We now have nine women on the board. In addition to attending the monthly full board meetings, I serve on the seven-member Health and Human Services Committee for Marathon County.”
Bart Bixenstine, BA ’71, Cleveland, a partner at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP, and a former KSU board member, received the Distinguished Honors Alumni award from the Honors College in April 2019. He periodically teaches a course at Kent State on the First Amendment.
Michael Chanak, Jr., BS ’71, Cincinnati, Ohio, appears in the P&G-commissioned documentary, Out of the Shadows: Risking Their Careers in the Name of Equality, which debuted at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in June 2019.
The short film, created by P&G in partnership with Great Big Films, picks up where their award-winning 2018 documentary The Words Matter: One Voice Can Make a Difference, left off.
The Words Matter documents Chanak’s role in getting P&G to add “sexual orientation” to its diversity policy in 1992, and Out of the Shadows highlights the courageous employees who persevered for 10 more years to gain domestic partner benefits and turn the tide of prejudice in the company and community.
Chanak’s efforts were also listed in the Cincinnati Enquirer’s coverage in June 2019 of “Stonewall Riot 50th anniversary: The moment that changed gay life in Cincinnati”.
Norman Macklin, MA ’72, Rensselaer, NY, received a doctorate degree in ministry from Evangelical International College and Seminary in Tacoma, Wa., in June 2014. Macklin was consecrated a bishop in the Baptist denomination in October 2017.
Richard (Rico) Hawkes, BS ’73, Ellenton, Fla., wrote, “I am currently senior director of operations risk/safety for Field Entertainment, Inc., the world’s largest producer of live entertainment, based in Palmetto, Fla. Since 1992, I have produced all aspects of Supercross (motocross racing in major stadiums) and Monster Jam (monster truck performances in stadiums, arenas, fairgrounds, both domestic and international). I have been working on the production and safety side of these live events for more than 50 years.
“My time in Kent (1969-1976) was turbulent, but rich and rewarding. May 4, 1970 (my 19th birthday) was an eye-opening experience, one that is indelibly etched onto my heart.
“The times following these events were exciting as I watched a country deal with inevitable changes. Being with the on-campus television station, I was introduced to Dick Gregory, Julian Bond, Buckminster Fuller, Andrew Young, John Froines, attorney William Kunstler, and also had the advantage of producing live coverage of the many on-/off-campus activities that seemed to happen almost daily.
“Whenever I’m in Ohio, I always find time to visit the Tree City. Wow . . . all of the changes!”
Carter Strang, BS ’73, MEd ’79, Cleveland, a partner at Tucker Ellis, LLP, and president-elect of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Foundation, was inducted into the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (C|M|LAW) Hall of Fame on October 25, 2019, in recognition of his contributions to the success and reputation of C|M|LAW. He is a Cleveland-Marshall Leader-in-Residence and a member of its Visiting Committee.
Elizabeth (Sappenfield) Blakeslee, BA ’74, Washington, DC, was appointed by the mayor to the District of Columbia Real Estate Commission. The Commission regulates the licenses of professional real estate agents and protects consumers by upholding the District of Columbia real estate license law.
Mark Landers, BBA ’74, Dayton, Ohio, would like to connect with former friends and classmates. Please email mark.landers.esq@gmail.com to get in touch.
Larry Lapidus, BS ’74, Poland, Ohio, is celebrating his 42nd year of providing mental health counseling services. He was honored with a Distinguished Alumni Award through Youngstown State University Counseling Department’s 50th Anniversary Commemoration in April 2019.
James Vittek, AA ’75, BS ’75, MEd ’76, EdS ’78, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, enjoyed long careers as a writer and psychologist. During retirement, he earned a Doctor of Ministry from the Ashland Theological Seminary in Ashland, Ohio. Also during retirement, he renewed his love of animals; he has four Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.
Ivan “Tex” Gilmore, BA ’76, Washington, NC, retired on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2019. During his career he served on the North Carolina Board of Licensing of Geologists for six years, the North Carolina Mining and Energy Commission for four years and the Board of Directors of the Aurora Fossil Museum for 16 years. He was chief geologist and superintendent of mine planning at the world-famous Lee Creek Mine for over 30 years. During his 42-year career as a professional geologist, Gilmore was awarded the John T. Galey public service award in 2007 by the American Institute of Professional Geologists and the United States Congressional Achievement Award in 2006.
Paul Hedeen, BA ’76, Monroe, Mich., published his second novel, The Butterfly, on February 21, 2019. Hedeen is an award-winning professor and writer and a Fulbright scholar. His other publications include a poetry collection, Under a Night Sky (Final Thursday, 2016); a novel, The Knowledge Tree (Wide Water, 2013), another poetry collection, When I Think about Rain (Final Thursday, 2009); and a coedited collection of essays, Unrelenting Readers: The New Poet-critics (Story Line, 2004).
Richard Breedon, BS ’77, PhD ’88, Davis, Calif., wrote, “I retired as a research professor emeritus from the University of California, Davis, in 2016. I then spent two years teaching high energy particle physics at Yale-NUS College in Singapore. From there, I took my students to visit the CERN laboratory in Geneva, Switzerland, where I remain a member of the Compact Muon Solenoid experiment on the Large Hadron Collider.” [Check out a story from his freshman year at KSU.]
Mark Flash, BBA ’77, Bay Village, Ohio, was appointed executive director of the Lake Health Foundation, responsible for overseeing the fundraising and philanthropic activities of the foundation. Flash is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, a trustee for the Bay Village Foundation and philanthropic advisor for the Bay Village Food Project.
Cheryl Lewis, MA ’78, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, wrote, “I’m a proud and grateful graduate of Kent State University. I attended graduate school in the Department of History, where I was mentored by the best professors/scholars and fellow students. Best years of my life!”
Ruth Ava Lyons, BFA ’78, Charlotte, NC, has been selected for a 2019 residency with The Arctic Circle, thearticcircle.org, along with scientists, researchers and other artists who will participate in an expedition to the North Pole. Her work can be seen at Hidell Brooks Gallery in Charlotte and at www.ruthavalyons.com.
Robert Steffen, BS ’78, Spring Green, Wis., retired after a 40-year advertising career. Most recently, he was senior director–brand campaigns at Carter’s, Inc. in Atlanta and was previously at Lands’ End in Dodgeville, Wisconsin.
Virginia Schaefer Horvath, MA ’79, PhD ’84, Fredonia, NY, retired as president of SUNY Fredonia on July 1, 2019, after more than 40 years of service and leadership in public higher education. A first-generation student, she was the first female president of Fredonia when she officially stepped into the role as the university’s 13th president on July 1, 2012. Prior to coming to Fredonia as vice president of academic affairs, she taught in the English department at KSU for several years and served as dean of Academic and Student Services for Kent State’s regional campuses and assistant to the president for strategic planning.
Dennis O’Connell, MA ’79, and Janelle (Pohlman) O’Connell, MA ’79, Abilene, Texas—both professors of physical therapy at Hardin-Simmons University (HSU) in Abilene, Texas—were selected to receive the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Humanitarian Award, which honors “individuals who exemplify the compassionate nature of the physical therapy profession by actively expressing a commitment to humanity and exhibiting admirable degrees of selflessness in addressing key health concerns.”
The O’Connells started the HSU Physical Therapy ministries in 1999 and have led students on annual mission trips to serve citizens locally, state-wide and abroad. The award was presented by APTA’s Board of Trustees during the APTA NEXT conference and exposition in Chicago in June 2019.
Michael Tewell, MA ’79, Palm Harbor, Fla., wrote: “I received my Juris Doctor degree from The George Washington University National Law Center [now known as The George Washington University Law School] in 1982, and I have been a member of the Florida Bar since 1983. I retired in 2016 after 25 years as an assistant public defender in Florida’s Pinellas and Pasco Counties.
“In my recent self-published book, Immortality: The Science of Forbidden Fruit, I present a compelling theory that our memory-encoded personalities are preserved after our bodies die. The book is available in paperback and e-book through most major distributors, including Amazon and IngramSpark. Contact michaelatewell@gmail.com to inquire about my availability for lectures and speaking engagements.”
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Fall/Winter 2019-20: 1980s
80
David Malick, BA ’80, Birmingham, Ala., joined as partner in the Birmingham office of Weinberg Wheeler Hudgins Gunn & Dial, a national trial firm. He represents employers and companies in defense of various types of litigation. Prior to attending law school, Malick was a professional musician and played for Tony Bennett, Bob Hope, Dizzy Gillespie and President Ford, among others. He received a Master of Theology in Bible Exposition with honors from Dallas Theological Seminary and a law degree from Capital University Law.
Daniel Taliano, BS ’80, Sheffield Village, Ohio, retired in February 2018 from 25 years in the exhibit industry.
Steve DeBolt, BS ’81, Reynoldsburg, Ohio, was sworn in as the village administrator in Hebron, Ohio—known as the “historic crossroads” of Ohio—after serving similar roles in Shawnee Hills, Ohio, and Whispering Pines, NC, and as safety/service director in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. He received an MPA in 1988 from the University of Toledo, earned the designation of certified public manager at the Ohio Certified Public Management consortium and is a graduate of the Public Executive Leadership Academy at the University of North Carolina, School of Government in Chapel Hill.
Jeffrey Kurtz, BA ’81, MA ’89, Ravenna, Ohio, was inducted into the Northeast Ohio Athletic Director’s Associations Hall of Fame in April 2019.
Pamela Gent, MEd ’83, PhD ’96, Youngstown, Ohio, was named provost and academic vice president of Clarion University, beginning in December 2018. Gent, who came to Clarion in 1988 as an assistant professor in the
Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, had served as interim provost since summer. Gent will continue to oversee $42.9 million in budgets, academic planning and curriculum development, and recruitment, hiring and staffing.
Adele Green, PhD ’84, Washington, DC, was presented with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who’s Who as a leader in the fields of education and psychology. She specializes in assessing language, attention, executive functioning disorders, learning disabilities and emotional/social challenges in children (ages six and above), adolescents and adults.
Sherri Lewis, BS ’84, Columbus, Ohio, wrote: “After 32 years of teaching in Columbus City Schools, I retired in 2017. I am enjoying retirement and being a grammie to two little grandsons.”
Mark Stockman, BArc ’84, MArc ’86, Lakewood, Ohio, a partner in the Construction Practice Group at Frantz Ward LLP in Cleveland, was recognized in the 2019 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the practice area of Real Estate / Construction. His article, “Building on Blockchain: Considering potential applications in design & construction” was published in the February 2019 issue of Properties magazine.
Brian Wilson, BA ’84, North Canton, Ohio, of Brian Wilson Law Offices, was recognized with the Esther S. Weissman Optimist Award from the Ohio Association for Justice. The award, presented in May 2019 during their annual convention in Columbus, Ohio, honors a trial lawyer who demonstrates relentless resolve and undying enthusiasm in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Wilson, who has been named to the Ohio Super Lawyers list from 2008-2019, has litigated and tried personal injury cases throughout Ohio and has argued two cases before the Ohio Supreme Court.
Amy Butler, BS ’85, Elyria, Ohio, was named associate superintendent for secondary schools for the Diocese of Cleveland, Office of Catholic Education, where she will lead the system that encompasses 20 secondary schools in the diocese, including 15 that are independently owned or sponsored by religious orders.
Tim Fry, BS ’85, Summerton, SC, has published his first novel, The Truth and Nothing but the Truth: A Fictional Adventure of Finding the Truth in a Dark World (Christian Faith Publishing, June 2018). An engineering technology graduate, he currently works in manufacturing, developing products for original equipment and replacement tires.
Patrick Liverpool, DBA ’85, Henrico, Va., has been named interim provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs at North Carolina Central University. He began his tenure on June 1, 2019. Most recently, he served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
Earl Miller, BA ’85, Somerville, Mass., professor of neuroscience at MIT, was awarded the 2019 George A. Miller Prize in Cognitive Neuroscience for his innovative research.
Sandra (Halman) Ranck, BSN ’85, Ashtabula, Ohio, was reappointed to the Ohio Board of Nursing for four years, term 2019-2022.
John Hale, AAB ’86, East Liverpool, Ohio, wrote: “I was named publisher of Herald-Star (Steubenville, Ohio) and The Weirton Daily Times (Weirton, W.Va.) on November 7, 2018. I am employed by Ogden Newspapers and have over 33 years’ experience in the newspaper industry.”
Bradley Pees, BBA ’86, Alexandria, Va., was named lead–federal and state tax controversy at Nestlé in October 2018. He was recently elected as 2019/2020 Region 8 VP by the Tax Executives Institute.
Peter Zeidner, BBA ’86, Kent, Ohio, received the Cathleen Lyle Murray Foundation Award at the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine annual meeting in October 2018—selected for his impact on society through humanitarian efforts to enhance the lives of persons with severe multiple disabilities. Zeidner, significantly impacted by cerebral palsy, started the Pedal-with-Pete Foundation (PwP) in 1993 with the goal to raise $1,000,000 for cerebral palsy (CP) research, which he reached in 2015. Pedal-with-Pete is now at $1.2 million and counting for funding CP research projects nationally and internationally.
In 2016 Zeidner completed his autobiography, It Sucks to be a Gimp: Pedaling to Freedom (Lulu.com, July 2016), and turned over the publishing and profits to Pedal-with-Pete. [We recently learned that Peter Zeidner died on March 15, 2019.]
Carolyn Robinson, BA ’87, MA ’14, Wooster, Ohio, has been awarded an eight-month institutional journalism fellowship at the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism. Robinson, one of seven fellows chosen for the 2019-20 class, is the regional director of newsroom practice change for the Solutions Journalism Network, an organization that trains journalists to cover how and where people are effectively addressing important community problems
Lori Saidleman-Yoh, BA ’87, Milford, Ohio, has joined The Kenwood by Senior Star, Cincinnati, as assistant executive director and director of health services. She has more than 29 years of experience in the healthcare industry.
Andre Burton, BA ’89, Cleveland, has been appointed vice president for human resources and diversity at Northeast Ohio Medical University. He previously served in the role as interim vice president. Burton earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Kent State University and a JD from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University.
Mike Hermann, MA ’89, Salina, Kan., was honored by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics as one of 28 winners of the 2018-19 Under Armour AD [Athletics Directors] of the Year Award. As the vice president and director of athletics at Kansas Wesleyan University, he helped fundraise to build a football stadium, added sport programs and guided a department that has won 25 conference championships while maintaining a department GPA above 3.00. Hermann has served as athletics director for 18 years at Niagara, Towson and Kansas Wesleyan universities.
James Wrobel, DPM ’89, Grayslake, Ill., received the American Diabetes Association’s 2019 Roger Pecoraro Award in recognition and appreciation for outstanding contributions to the knowledge and treatment of the diabetic foot. He is the fifth podiatrist in 27 years to receive the award, which was presented at the ADA’s 79th Scientific Sessions, June 7-11, 2019, at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. Wrobel, a clinical associate professor in the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes at the University of Michigan, delivered the Roger Pecoraro Award Lecture, “Artificial Intelligence for Predicting Diabetes-Related Foot Ulcer Outcomes,” on June 8.
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Fall/Winter 2019-20: 1990s
90
Kevin Cordi, BSE ’90, Columbus, Ohio, released You Don’t Know Jack: A Storyteller Goes to School (University Press of Mississippi, February, 2019). The book examines storytelling and story making using Jack tales—“Jack and the Beanstalk,” “Little Jack Horner,” and “Jack the Giant Killer”—as a metaphor to talk about teaching and telling. With their roots traced back to England, Jack tales are an important oral tradition in Appalachian folklore; Cordi, a professional storyteller, was introduced to them through his Appalachian upbringing.
While working as a high school teacher, he began telling stories in the classroom, which enabled him to connect with students in new ways. In his book, he argues that engaging with the stories of others, valuing every person’s voice or identity, and listening (especially to stories of difference) are of utmost importance to education and growth.
Michael Lanstrum, BS ’91, AS ’88, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, wrote: “I presented ‘Historical Women in Mathematics’ for the Westlake Active Seniors at the Westlake Center for Community Services in Westlake, Ohio, on May 17, 2019.”
R. Charles Byers, PhD ’92, Dunbar, W.Va., was named interim provost and vice president for academic affairs at West Virginia State University (WVSU), effective July 1, 2019. Byers, a 1968 graduate of the university, had previously served at WVSU for nearly 41 years in professorial and administrative capacities, including professor of teacher education, vice president for planning and advancement, Title III director and executive director for the WVSU Research and Development Corporation. He retired as university provost and vice president for academic affairs in 2014.
Michael Austin, BBA ’93, Coral Springs, Fla., has been named director of strategic partnerships for ABB Optical Group, a leading provider of optical products and business services in the eyecare industry, based in Coral Springs, Fla. In his new position, Austin will be instrumental in identifying, developing and maximizing the relationships between ABB Optical and leading organizations in the optical industry.
Cheryle Snead-Greene, MEd ’93, Houston, has been promoted to assistant provost in the Office for Academic Affairs at Prairie View A&M University, a member of the Texas A&M University System.
John Staats, BFA ’93, Copley, Ohio, who was the World of Warcraft’s first 3D level designer, wrote The WoW Diary: A Journal of Computer Game Development (whenitsready, June 1, 2019). Written from notes he took during WoW’s creation, it offers a rare, unfiltered look inside the gaming industry—explaining why developers do things and debunking popular myths about the games industry. Available on Amazon.
Tony Alves, BA ’95, Bridgeport, Conn., was named director of alumni relations and parent engagement of Albertus Magnus College, New Haven, Conn., as of December 2018.
Melissa (Berger) Hoch, BBA ’95, Dover, Ohio, has been named the new chief financial officer at CommQuest Services, as of January 2019. She has more than 20 years of experience in financial leadership roles. Most recently she was director of oncology business operations for the Aultman Health Foundation.
Kathy Korcheck, MA ’95, MA ’97, Ottumwa, Iowa, was recently promoted to professor of Spanish at Central College in Pella, Iowa, where she also serves as honors and emerging scholars director.
Donald Sparks, BSE ’95, Brunswick, Ohio, was hired as athletic director by the North Ridgeville City Schools Board, beginning August 1, 2019. Previously, Sparks served as Parma’s Normandy High School athletic director for nine years.
Pam DeFino, MLS ’96, Berea, Ohio, Berea Branch Library manager, retired from her hometown library on February 28, 2019. While a student at Berea High School in the 1970s, she volunteered as a page at the Berea Branch and years later became its branch manager in 2012.
Carrie (Newtz) Wible, BA ’96, Wadsworth, Ohio, teaches ESL at Norton City Schools. She is a freelance writer and also serves the Wadsworth Community Band as secretary, soloist and music arranger.
Marsha Deem, BSE ’97, Canton, Ohio, an art teacher at Northwest Primary School, was named Teacher of the Month for Northwest Local Schools in April 2019.
Paul Santell, BBA ’97, Astoria, NY, received a CNN Hero award for his cat rescue efforts. He started out feeding neighborhood cats, but then realized that trapping, fixing and returning them could save generations of feral felines from danger and disease. After taking a course sponsored by the ASPCA, the New York City Feral Cat Initiative and Alley Cat Allies, Santell became a rescuer.
His nonprofit trap-neuter-return efforts have earned him the moniker “Paul the Cat Guy.” Since 2014 he has helped trap, fix and, in some cases adopt out more than 2,000 cats in Queens, New York, and the surrounding areas.
Marianne Senvisky, AS ’97, BA ’08, Kent, Ohio, is the CEO/Chief Navigator of Pathfinder Career Consulting, which she founded this past year. She also earned her SHRM-CP and CESP credentials.
Jaime Bowman, BS ’98, Spokane, Wash., recently joined Washington State University’s first community-based medical school, the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, as clerkship director of Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship. Bowman, MD, FAAFP, is designing the first-of-its-kind program, across a four-campus distributed model, that accounts for 25 percent of these future physicians’ education.
Cheree Davis, BSE ’98, Middle River, Md., began an adjunct faculty position at Johns Hopkins University School of Education in Baltimore, Md., in June 2019.
Aimee Hagerty Johnson, BA ’98, Northfield, Minn., author and illustrator, has had her debut picture book, The Fir and I, purchased by publisher Page Street Kids, slated for production in 2020.
Scott Maidman, BA ’98, Pittsburgh, was named to Forbes “Best in State Wealth Advisors” 2019 and Forbes “America’s Top Next Generation Wealth Advisors” list in 2018.
Matthew Bryant, BSE ’99, Bowling Green, Ky., a physics teacher at South Warren High School, is one of nine science, technology, engineering and math teachers from across the United States named a 2019-2020 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow by the US Department of Energy in June 2019. He will spend 11 months serving in a federal agency or US congressional office in Washington, DC.
Bryan Fowler, MBA ’99, Peoria, Ill., is vice president and chief information officer at RLI Insurance Company, where he is responsible for leading RLI’s IT strategy and initiatives to support company business goals. He previously served as VP and CIO of Oregon Mutual Insurance and in various IT leadership roles at Progressive Insurance.
Cynthia Wilkinson, BS ’99, Tampa, Fla., has a 17-year medical career as a registered diagnostic medical sonographer (RDMS) and a registered vascular technologist (RVT).
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Fall/Winter 2019-20: 2000s
00
David Basler, BS ’00, Centennial, Colo., was recently named vice president of membership and marketing at ARVC, an association representing 3,000 private RV parks and campgrounds in the US and Canada.
Megan (Nellis) Burnside, BS ’00, and Chris Burnside, BA ’01, Dayton, Ohio, members of the Dayton Writers Movement (known for their first audio drama Unwritten with fans across 60+ countries), launched a new fiction podcast through all major podcast outlets across the globe on February 14, 2019. The Hidden People podcast—a 22-episode audio drama series with murder, mystery and madness—is brought to life with full audio design, original music scoring and compositions, and performances by trained actors.
Megan Oakleaf, MLS ’00, Manlius, NY, associate professor and director of instructional quality at Syracuse University, is the winner of the 2019 Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Instruction Section’s Miriam Dudley Instruction Librarian Award, which recognizes a librarian who has made a significant contribution to the advancement of instruction in a college or research library environment.
Craig Whitaker, BSE ’00, Massillon, Ohio, a physical geology teacher at Perry High School, recently was awarded the 2019 Pipeline Award from the Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program (OOGEEP), given each year to an individual who has made a positive educational impact in the state—in his case, a teacher workbook he helped create that has lessons focusing on geology. The sixth recipient to receive the industry’s annual award, Whitaker was honored during the OOGEEP’s presentation at the Ohio Oil and Gas Association’s annual industry meeting.
Dana Jancik Eggers, MA ’01, Bay Village, Ohio, was hired for the new role of coordinator of pupil personnel by the North Ridgeville City Schools Board, beginning August 1, 2019. Eggers most recently was the autism program director for the Geauga County Educational Service Center, a position she had held since 2010. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in hearing and speech sciences from Ohio University, a Master of Arts degree in speech language pathology from Kent State University, and a pupil services personnel licensure from Cleveland State University.
Theresa Haskins, BA ’01, Hartville, Ohio, received a 2019 Dissertation of Distinction award from USC Rossier School of Education for her research on autism employment.
Lauren Worley, BA ’01, Cincinnati, chief communications and engagement officer for Cincinnati Public Schools, was named a Woman of Influence by LEAD Venue Magazine and Cincinnati Business Courier’s Forty Under 40.
Jason Dorfman, BGS ’02, Aliso Viejo, Calif., is the cofounder and president of Krisp Nutrition/Keto Krisp and serves as the vice president of pet products for Medterra. He is also the senior vice president of sales for bDirect Companies, LLC.
Carolyn Carvalho, AAB ’03, BTec ’05, MTec ’07, Ashtabula, Ohio, associate lecturer at Kent State University at Ashtabula, was named a finalist by the Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education (NOCHE) for The Expys 2019 Best College Advisor. The annual awards program “recognizes the best-of-the-best in Northeast Ohio’s internship and experiential learning ecosystem.” Carvalho teaches in the information technology program at Kent State University at Ashtabula and coordinates internships and practicums for students in the IT majors.
Westleigh Harper, BS ’03, BArc ’04, and Michael Horton, BS ’05, BArc ’06, Cleveland, are principals of Horton Harper Architects, an award-winning contemporary studio specializing in urban residential design, with an eclectic portfolio of custom residential, multifamily and mixed-use ventures. Headquartered in the Caxton Building downtown, the practice has six employees and a 30 percent year-over-year growth rate since its 2011 launch.
Claudia Kovach, BS ’03, MA ’09, Canfield, Ohio, vice president of City Machine Technologies, Inc., in June received the 2019 Small Business Champion award from NFIB, Ohio’s leading small business association. Each year, NFIB awards an individual, among its membership of 22,000 Ohio small businesses, who gives of his/her time and resources to promote small-business causes through involvement in NFIB activities and demonstrates a spirit of service toward the community and a commitment to advancing the concept of free enterprise. Her parents are former recipients of the award, and she has been with her family’s business since 2006.
Eric Meek, MFA ’03, Painted Post, NY, senior manager of the Hot Glass Programs at The Corning Museum of Glass, was featured in the Netflix series Blown Away, the first-ever glassblowing competition, which launched on July 12, 2019. He served as the guest judge for the finale and helped select the winner of the show. Pictured: Eric Meek, at far right, with contestants on the show.
Todd McLaughlin, BSE ’03, Salem, Ohio, was named the new principal of Salem High School, effective August 1, 2019, with the three-year contract expiring July 31, 2022. The 1997 Salem High School graduate joined the district as junior high dean of students and districtwide clerk of the works in August 2014 and most recently has been serving as assistant junior high principal.
Heather Trepal, PhD ’03, San Antonio, professor and clinical mental health counseling program coordinator at the University of Texas at San Antonio, was named the 68th president of the American Counseling Association, beginning July 1, 2019. A member of the American Counseling Association Professional Standards Committee, she has been an ACA member for more than 17 years. Her research and publications focus on professional advocacy, self-injurious behavior, body image, bilingual counselor supervision and training, integrated behavioral health care and relational-cultural theory.
Samuel “Blitz” Bazawule, BBA 04, New York, NY, hip-hop artist, filmmaker and visual artist, is known by the stage name Blitz the Ambassador. He wrote, directed and scored the independent movie, The Burial of Kojo, which was acquired by Ava DuVernay’s film distribution collective, ARRAY Releasing. The dramatic feature, streaming on Netflix as of March 31, 2019, played in select movie theaters in cities nationwide in spring 2019.
Set in Bazawule’s native country of Ghana, the film (which has elements of magical realism, but is rooted in truth) is about feuding brothers and the journey of one of their daughters to save more than their relationship. It caught the eye of DuVernay when it played at the 2018 Urbanworld Film Festival in New York, where it became the “Best Narrative Feature Winner (World Cinema)” at the festival.
The film recently won the Luxor African Film Festival grand prize for “Best Narrative Feature” in Egypt, and it was screened at the 2019 Whitney Biennial, an invitational exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Haraz Ghanbari, BS ’04, Perrysburg, Ohio, was sworn into the Ohio House on March 27, 2019, to fill the Wood County seat vacated by now Senator Theresa Gavarone. Fresh from Perrysburg City Council, he was selected by now fellow House Republicans to complete the 21 months left in Gavarone’s unexpired term. He is expected to run in 2020 for a two-year term of his own.
Elizabeth Mowers, BS ’04, Mogadore, Ohio, wrote, “In March, I celebrated the release of my first novel, A Promise Remembered (Harlequin Heartwarming, 2019). Years ago, when my first child wouldn’t nap without being held, I rocked her to sleep while typing a book idea on my smartphone. After three years (and another baby), I had written the entire novel on my phone. While that book was rejected, it connected me to the woman who is now my editor and kicked off my full-time writing career. Follow me on Facebook or check out my website at www.elizabethmowers.com.”
David Strukel, MEd ’04, Massillon, Ohio, an assistant professor in communication at Hiram College, was named an Apple Distinguished Educator for 2019.
Kaitlyn Black, BA ’05, Sherman Oaks, Calif., starred in the Off-Broadway premiere of Robyn Lynne Norris’ musical comedy improv show #DateMe: An OKCupid Experiment at the Westside Theatre from June 20 to September 15. The show follows a down-on-her-luck dater as she goes online and creates 38 fake dating profiles in hopes of better understanding the random nature of love and dating.
Earlier this year, the short film, Relationship Deli, written by and starring Black, was featured in the 2019 Cleveland International Film Festival and on the popular Funny or Die site in October 2018. The film depicts a desperate woman and a deli worker attempting to build the perfect relationship, sandwich-style.
Black appeared on the CW series Hart of Dixie, playing fan-favorite character Annabeth Nass from 2011-2015.
Susan Chylik, BBA ’05, Litchfield, Ohio, has been selected to participate in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity’s 2019 Fellows program, which aims to identify, train and advance the next generation of leaders in the legal profession. Chylik is a member in McGlinchey Stafford’s Cleveland office, providing regulatory compliance and risk management advice to consumer financial services companies, with a focus on data privacy and credit reporting issues. She was named a 2019 “Rising Star” in Banking by Ohio Super Lawyers and is active in local and national bar associations.
Russell Galeti, Jr., BA ’05, Washington, DC, has a new position as a strategic planner in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs within the US Department of State in Washington, DC. He is also a major and serves as operations officer for the 2nd Squadron, 107th Cavalry, Ohio Army National Guard. In addition, he serves on the Kent State University Alumni Association National Board of Directors.
Elizabeth Treiber, MSN ’05, Cleveland, Sara Dorris, AAS ’06, BSN ’11, Youngstown, Ohio, Austin Jeffers, AS ’17, BSN ’17, East Palestine, Ohio, and Michele Radovanic, AAA ’15, Madison, Ohio, were among 10 finalists for the “Nurse Hero” award honored on the court during a pregame ceremony when the Cleveland Cavaliers hosted Nurse Night 2019 on March 2, 2019. Pictured (l to r): Jessica Robinson, Dawn MacKay, Kristina Smith, Austin Jeffers, Antanette Gott, Elizabeth Treiber, Michele Radovanic, Sara Dorris
Justin Williams, BBA ’05, MBA ’07, Orlando, Fla., is the new chief operating officer for Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, a 158-bed pediatric hospital in Orlando, Fla. He has had more than 14 years of experience in finance, strategic planning and hospital operations. Prior to this, he was director of operations at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital.
Jeremy Martin, BGS ’07, Venice, Fla., was recently promoted to head coach of the girls’ varsity basketball team at Venice High School in Florida. He had previously coached the junior varsity boys’ basketball team at Venice High for seven years.
Erica (Hudkins) Cofojohn, BBA ’08, Stow, Ohio, was appointed senior vice president of human resources at Associated Materials in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.
Caitlin Faas, BA ’08, Gettysburg, Pa., wrote, “I earned tenure and promotion to associate professor of psychology and department chair at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Md.”
Patrick Snyder, BS ’08, Westerville, Ohio, member of the Kent State Bowling Club from 2003 to 2008, in May was designated Men’s Singles Champion (among 199 bowlers) at the 2019 Columbus [Ohio] City 10-Pin Bowling Championship ($640 prize) and earned a B(etter) than A(verage) D(awg) trophy and $120 at the TOP DAWG Tournament (among 60+ bowlers), where he was 161 pins over his league-based average. In July, his high 6-game handicap series at the Tony Black Doubles competition added $500 to this year’s earnings, which so far total $1260. Pictured: left, Patrick Snyder with his trophy.
William Yoder, DPM ’08, Oak Creek, Wis., was named a 2019 “Patient Preferred Foot & Ankle Surgeon” for the state of Wisconsin in June, in recognition of his dedication and excellence in patient care.
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Fall/Winter 2019-20: 2010s
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Carolyn Conway Novak, BA ’10, Cleveland, received a “25 under 35” award from her high school, Saint Joseph Academy, in recognition for compassionate leadership, service in a global society, overall achievements and spirituality. Novak, who majored in political science at KSU, is a social activist who fosters relationships with community leaders, citizens and those working for positive change.
Meghan Hennessey Shimmin, BSE ’10, Cleveland, received a “25 under 35” award from her high school, Saint Joseph Academy, in recognition for compassionate leadership, service in a global society, overall achievements and spirituality. Shimmin, who majored in early childhood education at KSU, has spent her career working in low-income school districts and works to create and implement enjoyable, school-wide activities that foster learning.
Josef Kotermanski, BSN ’10, Chesterfield, Mich., obtained a Master of Science in Nursing after working in a Detroit emergency room for six years. He currently works in trauma surgery in the Detroit area.
Stephanie (St. Jacques) Walker, MEd ’10, Whitmore Lake, Mich., is now associate director of the Science Learning Center at the University of Michigan. Prior to joining the SLC, she served as director of the Kent State University Academic Success Center
Carolyn Drummond, BS ’11, Durham, NC, has been promoted to program marketing manager, NA field marketing at Red Hat (which acquired Ansible Automation), focusing on event management, content marketing and project management.
Lauren Kotmel, BA ’11, Cleveland, was named to Crain’s Cleveland Business’s “Twenty in Their 20s” list (in their June issue) of upcoming community leaders to watch in Cleveland’s future.
Parva Markiw, BS ’12, MArc ’14, Greentree, Pa., joined the professional staff at WTW Architects of Pittsburgh, where she is currently assisting the WTW team designing a new residence hall at SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Utica, New York.
Jessica Stuck, BA ’12, BS ’12, MArc ’13, Washington, DC, has joined Quinn Evans Architects as a project architect in their Washington, DC, office.
Rachel Walter, MEd ’12, Cleveland, currently the main academic advisor to students majoring in special education and ASL/English interpreting at KSU’s College of Education, Health and Human Services, recently began a new position as an independent career coach at CareerArc, assisting outplaced employees searching for their next career move.
Sara Courie, BA ’13, MAT ’14, Tallmadge, Ohio, a 2nd grade teacher at Dunbar Elementary School in Tallmadge, and Matthew Claney, BS ’13, Greensburg, Pa., a graphic designer, became friends their first weeks on campus through the KSU Marching Golden Flashes—and collaborated after graduation. Courie’s 2nd grade class at Dunbar noticed a lot of trash on the school playground, so she challenged the students to do something to help keep it clean.
When Claney heard that the students had decided to create signs, he volunteered to assist and met with the class through video conferencing. Students came up with sign ideas and voted on the best designs to send him.
To raise funds for the signs, the students recycled plastic water bottles into glitter jars that they sold at school. Claney created a video for the students to illustrate the design process and reveal their final product (see http://bit.ly/CourieClass).Amelia (Chamberlain) Plunkett, BA ’13, Dayton, Ohio, who moved up the ranks from intern to sales development manager since joining LexisNexis in 2014, was named one of the 2018 Top 25 Women to Watch in Dayton by Women in Business Networking, a program of the Better Business Bureau of Dayton and Miami Valley. The women were honored at the 25 Women to Watch gala in February 2019. She and her husband, Max Plunkett II, BA ’13, family wealth advisor/financial advisor at The Plunkett Group at Morgan Stanley, are both involved in their community and met when they were freshmen at Kent State University.
Kathryn Clarkin, BA ’14, Los Angeles, started a new position as special assistant to the governor at Office of the Governor, State of California, in May 2019.
Corey Conners, BS ’14, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., who played golf for Kent State from 2010-2014, won the Valero Texas Open at the TPC San Antonio Oaks Course in San Antonio, Texas, in April 2019. He finished 20-under-par with a final round score of 66 to secure his first PGA Tour win, banking a winning purse of $1.35 million and earning a trip to the Masters.
Alexander Evans, BS ’14, BBA ’14, BSPH ’14, MBA ’15, MGISC ’19, Columbus, Ohio, joined Franklin County Public Health as an epidemiologist. His work will focus on understanding the public health impacts of climate change and implementing a GIS to enhance environmental health programs
Angela Jameson, BSE ’14, MLIS ’18, Kent, Ohio, library media specialist at Chagrin Falls Schools, was honored by Kent State University School of Information (iSchool) with its Dan MacLachlan Award in Library and Information Science on April 25, 2019. The award is given to a library media specialist who exhibits creativity, leadership and dedication in his/her school.
Meghan Marano, AA ’14, BA ’14, Willoughby, Ohio, associate banking advisor at PNC Bank, was nominated for the inaugural Young Nonprofit Professional of the Year Award in 2019 by the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Cleveland. Previously, she was awarded Volunteer of the Year from Youth Opportunities Unlimited in 2017 for her service to youth in communities across NE Ohio.
Sarah Roman, BA ’14, Lakewood, Ohio, received a “25 under 35” award from her high school, Saint Joseph Academy, in recognition for compassionate leadership, service in a global society, overall achievements and spirituality. Roman, who majored in art history at KSU, uses art to help others work through painful experiences and difficult times.
Hattie Tracy, MPA ’14, Medina, Ohio, was named senior vice president of clinical services for Coleman Professional Services. Most recently, Tracy was senior director of clinical strategy, community outreach and healthcare integration at Child Guidance and Family Solutions of Summit County. She is both a licensed independent social work supervisor and a licensed chemical dependency counselor III.
Jasmine Hoff, AAS ’16, BSN ’17, MSN ’19, Cleveland, was appointed by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine to a two-year term as a graduate student trustee of the Kent State University Board of Trustees. Hoff’s term began June 11 and ends May 16, 2021. She is pursuing a doctorate in nursing practice and an adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner graduate certificate. A registered nurse who has achieved board certification, she currently serves as assistant nurse manager at Cleveland Clinic’s Heart and Lung Transplant Unit in Cleveland and as adjunct faculty in Kent State’s College of Nursing.
Laura Roch, BS ’16, Youngstown, Ohio, accepted a position with Notre Dame Mission Volunteers AmeriCorps as the site director for Northeast Ohio (Cleveland/Youngstown). Among other duties, she will be recruiting potential AmeriCorps members and nonprofit educational sites in the Northeast Ohio area, doing member training, and assisting with leadership skills and professional development.’
Madison Viering, BS ’16, Carmel, Ind., received a master’s degree in school counseling from Butler University’s College of Education. Upon graduation, she accepted a position as school counselor at Suncrest Elementary School in Frankfort, Ind. Pictured (l to r): Holly Viering (mother), Maddie Viering, Chip Viering, BS ’86 (father), Patrick Viering (brother)
Torey Frame, BA ’17, Atwater, Ohio, is the first full-time female officer in Streetsboro in over 20 years. She graduated with a degree in criminology and psychology and decided to pursue law enforcement as a career.
Chad Kozan, BA ’17, CER1 ’18, Madison, Ohio, is a natural resources officer for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, specializing in marine and operating-while-under-the influence enforcement. He gives back to the community as a boating instructor on a volunteer basis and is attending Bowling Green State University for a master’s degree in criminal justice.
Diane Smith, MA ’17, Phoenix, public relations and communications manager at Pima Medical Institute, was awarded “Best Public Relations Pro (Female)” by Arizona Foothills Magazine.
Brandon Bounds, BS ’19, Columbus, Ohio, associate producer at 10TV.com, was part of a team of top journalism students from 19 universities who earned the 2019 Student Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Digital Reporting for their project “Hate in America.” Their package of multimedia stories focused on acts of intolerance, racism and hate crimes across the country, as part of the Carnegie-Knight News21 program, an in-depth journalism collaborative based at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Kent State’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication recognized Bounds earlier this year with the Robert G. McGruder Student Award for Diversity, for his work on the project, which also received a 2019 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award in the college category. The 2019 winners were recognized at the Edward R. Murrow Awards black tie event hosted by the Radio Television Digital News Association Oct. 24 in New York City.
Emma Buss, BBA ’19, New Philadelphia, Ohio, was hired as marketing services coordinator by Whitemeyer Advertising, where she interned in summer 2018. Her responsibilities include assisting account executives in digital and social media marketing strategies and media research and implementation, along with operations and client service responsibilities.
Julian Edelman, BIS ’19, Boston, former Golden Flash quarterback, current Patriots wide receiver, three-time Super Bowl champion, 2018 Super Bowl MVP, 2015 Homecoming Parade Grand Marshal and Varsity “K” Hall of Fame Inductee, finished the degree he started working toward in 2006. Prior to attending the Commencement ceremony in May 2019 to receive his diploma, he said he had completed a Bachelor of Integrative Studies degree to keep a promise he made to his parents more than 10 years ago and set an example for his daughter.