Spring 2024 Class Notes

Have an update to share? Send your recent achievements to ohiotoday@ohio.edu.

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

1958

Retired Navy veteran John Alter Jr., BFA ’58, was reappointed to the Northwest Florida Water Management District, which covers 220,000 acres of woodland, by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Alter is also a part of the Florida Forestry Association’s communications committee and the national public affairs committee of the American Forest Foundation/American Tree Farm System.

1962

Michael Pilat, BFA ’62, was awarded the Order of St. Romanos by the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America for his 57 years of service to the church as choir director, chanter, composer and church musical activities director. His wife, Lois Cline-Pilat, AB ’63, joined him for the honor.

1965

Paul Hubbard, BSED ’65, was elected as chairman of the board of Maritime Academy in Toledo, Ohio, where students in grades six through 12 learn skills to work on Great Lakes freighters. Hubbard, who received the Ohio University Alumni Association’s Medal of Merit Award in 2020, will serve as board chairman through 2025.

1968

After donating photographs from their private collection to the Busan Museum in South Korea in 2022, Gary Mintier, AB ’68, and Mary Ann (Llewellyn) Mintier, AB ’68, were invited to the opening of an exhibit featuring their work last year. In addition to the photos, which the couple took while teaching English as Peace Corps volunteers in South Korea, they donated to the National Library of Korea more than 150 scrolls and paintings they had collected while living in the country from 1969 to 1975.

1969

DePauw University honored Saundra Lawson Taylor, PHD ’69*, with an Alumni Citation in recognition of her outstanding professional achievement. Taylor completed her undergraduate degree at DePauw before going on to earn a master’s from Bowling Green State University and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology at OHIO. Taylor spent much of her career in higher education and in 2005 received the Phenomenal Woman Award by the University of Arizona Black Alumni for her lifelong commitment to public education and racial equality.

1970

Ohio University Libraries received more than 2,000 panoramic color prints from the personal collection of Thomas Schiff, BBA ’70*, to add to the Documentary Photography Archive in the Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections. Schiff shoots with a Hulcherma 360 panoramic camera and focuses on cityscapes and architecture, including his iconic 2009 piece, “Vernon R. Alden Library, Panoramic Photograph.” 

1971

Gary Wolf, BSEE ’71*, was selected to join the editorial board of Railway Track & Structures magazine in Atlanta, Georgia. He has worked for rail research and consulting firms since 1970, including his own consulting firm, Atlanta-based Wolf Railway Consulting, LLC, which he founded in 2013.

1972

Text- and LED-based artist Jenny Holzer, BFA ’72*, presented paintings and LED installations at Hauser & Wirth in West Hollywood in an exhibition titled READY FOR YOU WHEN YOU ARE. The exhibition is the first time Holzer has used artificial intelligence technology in her work, in the form of two robotic LEDs displaying AI-generated text.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper appointed William Rakatansky, BARCH ’72, to the state’s General Contractors Licensing Board in June as one of three general public members. Rakatansky is a principal architect at R&M Group Architects and is the founder of the Greater Charlotte Network of the Ohio University Alumni Association, where he served as president for five years.

Retired Centre College president and former OHIO football player John Roush, BSED ’72*, is now the chairman and president of the Economic Development Authority in Danville, Kentucky. Before his university presidency, Roush had been an assistant football coach and executive assistant to the president at Miami University (Ohio), among other roles.

1973

Louisiana State University’s Manship School of Mass Communication named Louis Day, PHD ’73*, to its Hall of Fame, which honors alumni and supporters who have achieved exceptional professional success. Day is an alumni professor emeritus at the school, where he taught and researched media law and ethics for 35 years.

1975

Bloom-Vernon Local Schools superintendent Marc Kreischer recognized Rodney Barnett, BSED ’75*, for his 50 years of service to South Webster High School athletics and academic activities. Barnett graduated from the same high school where he now works and became the longest-tenured employee of this district with the conclusion of the 2022-23 academic year.

Sage (formerly Sage Publishing) named a case writeup by James Slack, BA ’75, as an Editor’s Choice for 2023. His piece, “Concerned Chats About Whatever It Is,” explores the tensions between organizational policies and an employee’s appearance of skin cancer. Slack has written ethics cases for Sage’s International Business Project for the last decade.

1976

The Fort Loramie Education Foundation named Larry Ludlow, BMUS ’76*, among its 2023 Fort Loramie Wall of Honor inductees. Ludlow served as Fort Loramie Local Schools’ superintendent from 1992 until his retirement in 2009, with a brief pause from 1994-95. During his tenure, he led efforts to incorporate technology in the classroom, landing the district one of 23 nationwide spots in a “Laptops for Learning” pilot program in 1996 and twice receiving the Southwest Ohio Educational Technology Association Leadership Award, among other district-wide improvements.

1978

“FRACTURE,” a 15-foot steel sculpture by Harry “Eric” Stein, MFA ’78, was installed in Johnson City, Tennessee, as part of the Johnson City Public Art Committee’s biannual art exhibition. It will be displayed alongside 13 other sculptures until May 2025.

1979

OHIO celebrates Susan (Coffin) Fletcher, BSC ’79*, who retired on June 30, 2023, after nearly a decade of dedicated service. Most recently the curriculum coordinator for the Office of First-Year and Student Transitions, Fletcher has also been an e-Campus academic advisor, an adjunct English instructor and more. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in OHIO’s Department of English.

Dr. Joan (Buchanan) Hill, BSC ’79*, is one of six new board members of the Southwestern Medical Foundation in Dallas, Texas. As the Catherine M. Rose Head of School at the Lamplighter School in Dallas for more than a decade, Buchanan will bring her childhood education and student advocacy background to the table as the foundation works to advance progress in medicine in the area.

1980

Kyle Bowser, BSC ’80*, was inducted into the Ohio Communication Hall of Fame in recognition of a lifetime of professional achievement. The California-based entertainment industry executive’s career has spanned nearly 30 years and multiple industries, from film, TV, theater and radio to music and digital media, working with NBC, HBO, Showtime, Starz, PBS, Comedy Central and more. In addition to his work in the entertainment industry, Bowser serves as the senior vice president of the Hollywood Bureau of the NAACP and helped to establish the OHIO-in-LA program, a semester-long study-away program for students pursuing careers in the entertainment industry.

Cedar Lake, a nonprofit faith-based organization providing services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Louisville, Kentucky, announced Rick Davis, BBA ’80*, as its new president and CEO. Previously, Davis was the COO of the continuing care division of National Church Residences, a Central Ohio-based senior living and supportive housing services provider. 

After 42 years, Ron Greenbaum, BSJ ’80*, retired from the Cleveland Jewish Publication Company (CJPC), which publishes the Cleveland Jewish News, on his 65th birthday. Greenbaum, started in the advertising sales department at CJPC immediately after graduating college, earning him the nickname “The Kid,” and retired as a senior account executive. 

Paul Raab, BSJ ’80, managing partner at Denver-based Linhart Public Relations, received the Swede Johnson Lifetime Achievement Award from the Colorado chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) in August. Raab’s 30-year career in corporate PR led him to Linhart in 2006; previously, he was director of communications for global management consulting firm A.T. Kearney in Chicago and served as president of the PRSA chapter in that city.

The Ohio University Alumni Association named Perry Sook, BSC ’80*, as the 2023 Alumnus of the Year. The chairman and CEO of Nexstar Media Group has served on the Ohio University Foundation Board of Trustees for more than 20 years, including eight as its chair. Other honorees in the 2023 Alumni Awards include Medal of Merit Award winners Ariel Armony, MA ’92; Larry Small, PHD ’84; and Brian Stultz, BFA ’83; Distinguished Service Award winners Yvette Alexander Slate, AB ’92; R. Clark VanDervort, AB ’75; and Marty Wall, AB ’72; Kermit Blosser Ohio Athletics Hall of Fame inductees Savannah (Dorsey) Seigneur, BS ’17, DO ’21; Jack LeVeck, BSED ’72; and Matt Engleka, BBA ’95, MSA ’96; and Charles J. and Claire O. Ping Recent Graduate Award winner Michelle Connavino, BSED ’09.

1981

Mahoning County Clerk of Courts Anthony “Tony” Vivo, BSC ’81*, retired on Aug. 25 after nearly 30 years in that role and 40 years working in that office. He was elected in 1995 after his father, also Tony Vivo, passed away, having held the office since 1960. In his spare time, the younger Vivo is a sports historian and broadcaster (under the pseudonym Champ Summers) and performs in community theater productions.

1982

Former WOUB Newsroom and WOUB TV NewsWatch reporter and anchor Frank Graff, BSJ ’82, MA ’83*, earned a Midsouth Regional Emmy for his work on the climate change documentary series State of Change: Natural Solutions with PBS North Carolina.

Former The Columbus Dispatch editor Alan Miller, BSJ ’82, MS ’02*, was named a 2023 Outstanding Alumni by his alma mater, Orrville High School. Miller worked for the Dispatch for nearly 40 years before retiring in January 2022; he now teaches full-time at Denison University, where he’d taught part-time for more than 20 years. OHIO honored him with the Distinguished Service Award in 2005 and the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service Outstanding Service Award in 2022.

1983

Assistant dean for student affairs and academic advising in OHIO’s Patton College of Education Maureen Coon, BSED ’83, MED ’02*, retired on June 30 after 18 dedicated years to the University. Coon led many initiatives to increase student recruitment and student success, including establishing the college’s Office of Student Affairs. 

1984

Cancer immunotherapy developer Immodulon Therapeutics strengthened its leadership team last June with the appointment of Richard Couch, BS ’84*, as its chief technology officer. He brings 30 years of pharmaceutical experience from regulatory, drug development and commercialization to this position. Based in the UK, Immodulon is due to begin a pivotal pancreatic cancer study with its IMM-101 immunotherapy treatment.

1986

Reed Aeschliman, MAIA ’86*, became the mission director in Bangladesh for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in August. In his 20-plus-year career with USAID, Aeschliman has been a deputy assistant administrator for its Bureau for Asia Affairs and the mission director in Pakistan and in Sri Lanka and Maldives. 

Songwriter/musician Martin “Marty” Falle, BSC ’86*, released his second bluegrass album (and fifth album overall), Kentucky Blue Star, in January 2023. That April, the album reached No. 8 on the Top 50 AirPlay Director Bluegrass charts, and the following month, the single “Kentucky Blue Star” charted No. 5 nationally. The album’s success earned Falle a spot on the June cover of The Bluegrass Standard magazine.

Amazon Business has awarded a grant to QuickLoadz, a company that makes automated container trailers, which was founded by Sean Jones, BSEE ’86*. QuickLoadz is the only Ohio business to receive an Amazon Business grant, and other companies, including Walmart and Lowe’s, have also expressed interest in the self-loading trailers. Amazon is producing a documentary about the grant winners.

Visual artist Allyson McDuffie, BFA ’86, MFA ’88, recently had three solo exhibitions in Boulder, Colorado—Tomboy and Old Salty at the Bus Stop Gallery, Scrawl at the Dairy Arts Center, and Stitches at the Equality Center of the Rocky Mountains. She/they also recently have had work included in six juried exhibitions throughout the state of Colorado and two in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Cincinnati-based journalists Sheila (Slyh) Robinson, BSC ’86*, (known professionally as Sheila Gray) and Randi Rico, BSJ ’03, threw first pitches to Evan Millward, BSJ ’11, and WOUB alum Frank Marzullo at the Cincinnati Reds vs. Seattle Mariners game in September. The honor was part of the city’s Scripps Day honoring 100 years of journalism education at OHIO.

Dr. Neil Smith, DO ’86*, is helping shape the future of health care as the president of Cleveland Clinic’s West Submarket, one of four newly created submarkets that also include the main campus and south and east regions. These new roles are a part of the hospital’s plan to evolve its operating model to better support services, quality of care, safety and overall patient experience. 

Western Washington University named James “Jim” Sterk, MSA ’86*, as its new athletic director. After earning his bachelor’s degree at WWU, Sterk embarked on a 35-year career in athletic administration at Portland State University, Washington State University, San Diego State University, University of Missouri and others, as well as a brief stint as assistant director of finance at the University of Maine.

1987

Kim (King) Fox, BSC ’87, MA ’03*, became the second Black woman president of the Broadcast Education Association (BEA) in August. With experiences at WOUB during both her undergraduate and graduate studies, Fox has worked at several radio stations and earned a faculty fellowship with NPR. She is a professor of practice at the American University in Cairo (Egypt) in its Department of Journalism and Mass Communication.

After a successful campaign, Roeliff “Rollie” Harper, AB ’87*, was sworn in as Mansfield Law Director in December. The longtime local attorney mentioned his parents, former Mansfield Police Chief Lawrence “Bunk” Harper and Mary Harper, as inspiration behind his career path after he took the oath of office.

Tim Morgan, MSA ’87*, has joined the Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance as its director of business development. Morgan returns to New Mexico, where he previously worked with the New Mexico Partnership, after a brief role as an adjunct instructor in the hospitality and tourism management program at Highline College in Washington.

Todd Nuzum, BSPE ’87, Hollie Bonewit-Cron, BA ’00, and Jamie Sindelar, DO ’21*, are among the 2023 inductees to Athens High School’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Nuzum was a three-year letter winner in baseball, which he also played at OHIO, and now serves as the high school’s head baseball coach. Bonewit-Cron was a four-year letter-winner in swimming, which she continued with at OHIO. She now is the head coach of the men’s and women’s swimming teams at Miami University (Ohio). Sindelar played basketball, volleyball and tennis for Athens; she also threw discus, for which she placed first in state championships her senior year. She currently is in her third year of an internal medicine residency. 

1988

Signal Akron, a nonprofit news organization, has hired Susan Kirkman Zake, BSJ ’88, as its editor-in-chief. Its parent organization, Signal Ohio, is one of the nation’s largest local nonprofit news startups in the country. Previously, Zake has been a managing editor at the Akron Beacon Journal and a professor and newsroom advisor at Kent State University.

1989

Marymount University associate professor John Duggan, BSC ’89, received the Maryland Counseling Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023. For nearly three decades, he has collaborated with hospitals, clinics, schools, mission-based communities and professional organizations; he also has worked with the American Counseling Association. In 2022, the Association for Humanistic Counseling honored him with the Supervisor of the Year award.

The Ohio Department of Education named Mark Lowrie, BSC ’89*, the 2024 Ohio Teacher of the Year in September. After 12 years working in television news, Lowrie began teaching broadcast journalism to high school students in 2001. He developed programs for Marion L. Steele High School in Amherst and Gahanna Lincoln High School in Gahanna, both in Ohio. Over the years, his students have won 79 regional and seven national student Emmys.

1991

The Rochester Institute of Technology has hired Prabu David, MS ’88*, as its new provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs. Previously, he’s held leadership roles at Michigan State University, Washington State University and Ohio State University and hosted the Life, Meet Tech show on WKAR, Michigan State’s public radio station.

Kao Hourn, MA ’91, DPS ’07*, recently took office as the 15th secretary general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a political and economic partnership of 10 countries that represents more than 660 million people. His term will run through 2027.

SunOpta, a manufacturer of plant-based foods, has hired Brian Kocher, BBA ’91*, as its new CEO. He comes to the company from Calavo Growers Inc., an international produce and prepared foods distributer, where he served as president and CEO.

1992

Jeff Bucklew, BSC ’92*, is the new chief human resources officer at Copeland in St. Louis, Missouri. At Copeland—which provides sustainable climate solutions via compression, controls, software and monitoring—Bucklew will work to develop strategies around colleague engagement, talent development and diversity, equity and inclusion.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine named Stephanie (Burress) McCloud, BSJ ’92, MA ’93*, as his chief of staff in January 2023. McCloud earned her juris doctor from Capital University in 1996 and has previously served as the administrator of Ohio’s Bureau of Workers’ Compensation and acting director of the Ohio Department of Health.

Primary care physician at St. Cloud Veteran’s Affairs (VA) Medical Center, Dettleff Olson, DO ’92*, is now the primary and specialty medicine director for the St. Cloud VA Health Care System. Previously, Dr. Olson was a primary care physician at the Dayton VA Medical Center in Ohio.

The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care has named Kelly (Trott) Theodosopoulos, AAS ’92, BSN ’94, MBA ’07, as one of three new board directors. Theodosopoulos is the chief clinical officer for SurgNet Health Partners in Nashville, Tennessee.

Piedmont Park Conservancy in Atlanta, Georgia, has named Doug Widener, BBA ’92, MS’ 95*, as its new president and CEO. Formerly executive director of Chicago’s Lincoln Park Conservancy, Widener has also served in various roles with the U.S. Green Building Council.

1995

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Diana Welling, BSHCS ’95*, to be Ohio’s state historic preservation officer. In this role, she will oversee preservation offices and programs in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act. In addition, Ohio History Connection executive director and CEO Megan Wood promoted Welling to be the director of the State Historic Preservation Office.

1996

Eric Krupa, MSA ’96*, became the new chief operating officer of Ryan Sanders Baseball and RS3 Sports, which owns two Minor League Baseball teams: the Round Rock Express and the San Antonio Missions. In this role, Krupa also oversees operations for RS3 Turf and RS3 Strategic Hospitality. He has worked in Minor League, Major League and independent baseball for nearly 30 years. 

Russell Lowery-Hart, PHD ’96*, is the new chancellor of the Austin Community College District. Previously, he served as president of Amarillo College and vice president of Academic Affairs for that institution. He also serves on the board of directors for the Kody Hodge Foundation, which supports high school theater students.

Holly (Stebbins) Michael, BSJ ’96*, has joined marketing firm Ohlmann Group in Dayton, Ohio, as its PR director. Her 20-year career has included roles with LexisNexis, Dayton Children’s Hospital and, most recently, Medidata, a life sciences SaaS and analytics company based in New York.

1997

Nathan Greene, BSC ’97*, became an advisory board member for the Joe Burrow Foundation, which seeks to help children experiencing mental illness and/or food insecurity. The manager of business development for Ohio Bobcat Sports Properties, Greene has previous volunteer experience with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cleveland, A Kid Again Northern Ohio and VeloSano with the Cleveland Clinic. 

The University of Rio Grande named Matt Paxton, BSED ’97*, its new head coach for cross country and track & field. He joins the university after more than 20 years coaching at Unioto High School in Chillicothe, Ohio, where he earned the 2019 Fred Dafler Ohio State Coach of the Year for Ohio Boys Cross Country and 22 Southeast District Coach of the Year awards.

United Way of Fairfield County named Christine (Walls) Simmons, BSED ’97*, as its new CEO. As both the former president of the organization’s board of trustees and a former business account specialist at Fairfield Federal bank, Simmons will work to increase funding at the organization. 

Graysville, Ohio, resident and former OHIO faculty member Tina Ullman, MS ’97*, won her third Women’s World Championship with the World Powerlifting Alliance last July, taking home a total of seven first-place medals and the award for overall top drug-tested female. And in October, she won six first-place medals—and set six world records—at the International Powerlifting League Drug-Tested World Championship. In addition to these successes, Ullman has set 28 world, 27 American and 78 Ohio records across multiple powerlifting federations and, at press time, was ranked first in the world powerlifting rankings for her age group and weight class among drug-tested lifters since 1964. Next up: the World Powerlifting Union’s Pro Invitational World Cup in Cardiff, Wales.

1998

Barnes Wendling CPAs has promoted Michael Essenmacher, BBA ’98*, to be the director of its accounting and assurance services department. After nearly 25 years with the firm, Essenmacher also serves as the lead director for its construction industry group.

Ole Miss promoted Associate Athletic Director for Women’s Basketball Patrick Henry, BSC ’98*, to be one of its women’s basketball assistant coaches after the NCAA increased coaching limits. He adds on-court coaching responsibilities to associate athletic director duties in his second year with the team.

Last March, Megan Luck, BSH ’98, was named program director for the medical assisting program at the Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has been with the Christ Hospital Health Network since 2005 and recently transitioned to the college as an adjunct instructor in health sciences.

The Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera put on a production of “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812,” an electropop opera by David Malloy, BMUS ’98*, in August, earning a glowing review from Broadway World. In its original Broadway run, the show was nominated for 12 Tonys and took home two.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan appointed Terri (Lester) Weems, BBA ’98, MS ’99*, as group executive of workforce and Detroit at Work. Her new role will focus on creating a strategy to reduce poverty, increase employment and prepare the city for a changing economy. Previously, she was the president of the nonprofit Detroit Employment Solutions Corp.

Clean energy storage company Enervenue has appointed Robert Willy, BSISE ’98*, as its senior vice president of manufacturing. Willy will lead manufacturing operations and optimizations at EnerVenue’s new facility in Shelby County, Kentucky.

2001

James “JJ” Royer, MSA ’01*, became the new director of integrated marketing at communications agency Comprise in Boulder, Colorado. Royer’s nearly 25-year career in digital marketing has spanned a number of industries, including professional sports and outdoor apparel, leading the company to create the role for him.

2002

Last spring was a busy (and accomplished) one for Malia Dalesandry, BFA ’02. The associate operations director of Academic and Student Programs at George Mason University received a Schar School Student Research Grant and presented at the Association of Private Enterprise Education’s 47th annual meeting, the latter taking place just a month before earning her Ph.D. in public policy at GMU.

Robert “Bob” DeLong, BSC ’02*, a senior associate registrar at OHIO, retired from that role at the end of 2023 after nearly four decades of service to the University and its students, faculty and advisors.

RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, honored Sarah (Rothhaar) Ekis, BBA ’02, with the 2023 Hope Award for Service. Ekis, a senior compensation consultant in Charlotte, North Carolina, is also a volunteer at RESOLVE, where she has created support groups for women for their experiences before, during and after experiencing pregnancy.

Kevin Finnegan, BSC ’02, is one of nine recipients of the U.S. Department of Education’s 2023 Terrel H. Bell Award for Outstanding School Leadership. Finnegan has served as the principal of Prairie Hill Elementary School in Illinois for the last 12 years. He attended the awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., in November with his wife, Elizabeth (Swanson) Finnegan, BFA ’02.

Fairfield Medical Center in Ohio has hired Julie (Murray) Grow, BSH ’02*, as its chief financial officer. Previously, she served in the same role for 11 years at Hocking Valley Community Hospital.

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb appointed Tom McNair, BSHCS ’02*, as the city’s economic development director in September. There he will implement a number of initiatives funded by the American Rescue Plan Act and will support the city’s efforts to support small business, grow traded sector jobs and develop equitable neighborhoods.

The Epilepsy Foundation promoted Laura Weidner, BA ’02*, to the role of chief advocacy and government relations officer after serving as its vice president of government relations and advocacy for five years. Before that, Weidner led federal policy efforts at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Public Policy Office and worked in government affairs at the Child Welfare League of America.

2003

Cleantech Solar Group, a provider of renewable energy solutions to corporations in India and Southeast Asia, appointed Sachin Jain, MS ’03*, as its CEO. He will lead Cleantech Solar through its growth phase by leveraging placement, finances, top-tier clientele and his extensive and qualified team. 

Thomas Dyer, BS ’03, retired from the U.S. Army with the rank of lieutenant colonel after 25 years of service. He resides in Honolulu, Hawaii, with his wife, Theresa.

The American Heart Association’s Greater Cleveland chapter, led by Valerie Hillow Gates, BSJ ’03, was honored by the national organization with the Cass Wheeler Award of Excellence after three years of record-breaking success. Hillow Gates was also individually recognized with the organization’s Trailblazer Award.

2004

Marisa Long, BSJ ’04, became the senior vice president of climate and energy at climate communications agency Antenna Group. A PR News Top Woman in PR in 2016, Long’s background includes work in media relations, policy and advocacy communications, and more.

Seun Salami, MA ’04*, has been appointed to the board of directors for Terex Corp., a manufacturer of materials processing machinery and aerial work platforms. He currently services as the executive vice president and chief financial officer of global asset management firm Nuveen.

2005

Entering his eighth season as an NFL coach, Kevin Carberry, BBA ’05*, has joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the offensive line coach. Carberry was hired last year as an assistant line coach for the New Orleans Saints and has previously worked with the Los Angeles Rams, Stanford University, the Washington Commanders (then the Redskins) and the Dallas Cowboys. During his time at OHIO, Carberry was a four-year letterman and earned All-MAC honors as senior team captain.

Cleveland Forbes included Ashley (McCall) Keating, BBA ’05*, in its “30 under 30” list for her partnership at Cincinnati, Ohio-based CincyTech, a venture capital firm focused on tackling the world’s critical challenges. Keating joined CincyTech in April 2016 as the chief financial officer and made partner in November 2022.

2007

Lamar Hylton, MED ’07*, is the new vice provost for student life at Indiana University Bloomington. His previous work as the senior vice president for student affairs at Kent State led to the creation of the CARES Center (Crisis, Advocacy, Resources, Education and Support) and significantly expanded funding for mental health services.

Barbershop chorus Eastern Kentucky Harmonic Order elected Ryan Jarrell, BMUS ’07*, to serve as its director on the recommendation of its founder and former director of 30 years, Carl Taylor. Jarrell will lead and perform with the group’s 20 members and replaces Taylor as the baritone in the group’s Commonwealth quartet.

Fashion PR and consulting firm KCD has promoted Lauren Paris, BSHCS ’07, to be its senior vice president of guest experience. Paris, a 15-year veteran of the firm, most recently served as its vice president of the Guest Experience Group, a role she’d held since 2018.

2008

Delaware City Schools in Ohio has added Dr. Joseph Rieman, DO ’08*, to its Hall of Fame last fall. Rieman earned First Team all-conference honors in wrestling three times as a student at Delaware’s Hayes High School and is now the chief medical officer at NewPath Child & Family Solutions. In 2022, he received the Cincinnati Business Courier Healthcare Hero Award and the Medical Mutual Pillar Award for Community Service as a Nonprofit Executive Director of the Year.

2009

Athens native Gaelan Mullins, BA ’09*, has channeled his lifelong passion for table tennis into a community effort. After starting the Hot Shot Table Tennis club in Jersey City, New Jersey, Mullins moved back to Athens in 2023 and opened the club’s second location at the Market on State (formerly University Mall). Anyone can play table tennis at Hot Shot Athens for free or for a suggested donation of $2. 

2010

The national Delta Zeta sorority headquarters named Mary Davies, BSJ ’10, to its 2023 “35 Under 35” list. A news producer at NBC New York, Davies’ winner’s profile notes that her involvement with WOUB helped steer her career path from the anchor desk to the production side of broadcast news.

2011

Radford University in Virginia selected Susan T. Carroll, MHA ’11*, to be its winter commencement speaker. With more than 25 years of service at Inova Health System, Carroll currently serves as a senior vice president for the system and as the president of Inova Loudoun Hospital. 

2012

Athens has a new full-service bicycle retail and repair shop thanks to Paul Carter, BBA ’12. Located on Stimson Avenue, Bobcat Bikes sells bicycles, e-bikes, parts and accessories; offers repair services for all models; and is Southeast Ohio’s only Trek Authorized Retailer.

Pennsylvania-based reporter and podcast co-host Anthony Hennen, BSJ ’12, was named a 2023-2024 Robert Novak Journalism fellow through the Fund for American Studies. During the one-year fellowship, Hennen will research and report on his project, “An Appalachian Revival: The Government’s Failure to Save a Rural Region.”

Russell Morrow, BSC ’12, MED ’14*, became the new interim vice president for Diversity and Inclusion at OHIO’s Division of Diversity and Inclusion. Previously, he served as the assistant dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the College of Business. 

Nanfu Wang, MA ’12*, an award-winning filmmaker whose work includes the HBO series Mind over Murder, will join the faculty of New York University’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute as a Distinguished Journalist in Residence.

2013

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine named Giles Allen, BSS ’13*, as his director of Legislative Affairs in August. Allen previously served as the deputy director of Legislative Affairs for DeWine, though his career with the now-governor dates back to 2010, when he was DeWine’s assistant in his bid for Ohio Attorney General. 

Monica Gordy Polizzi, MSRSS ’13*, has joined Salisbury University as its new director of athletics and campus recreation. Previously, she made headlines as the first woman on the NCAA Division II National Football Committee and then the first woman to serve as its chair.

Former OHIO women’s golfer Megan Weaver, BS ’13*, was hired as the head women’s golf coach for Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. Weaver’s OHIO golf career lasted four seasons, during which she was named the MAC Sportswoman of the Year; she also served as team captain during her senior year. 

2014

Nick Barese, MSRSS ’14*, was promoted from his previous role as University of Massachusetts Lowell’s assistant baseball coach to head baseball coach. Before UMass Lowell, Barese held a head coaching position at Merrimack College for seven years. 

On Aug. 21, Diana Sabau, MSA ’14*, became the new vice president and director of Utah State University Athletics, where she oversees the university’s 16 Division I sports programs. She has previously served as the Big Ten Conference deputy commissioner and the senior deputy athletics director at Ohio State University.

2015

Artist, illustrator and animator Tracy Dawn Brewer, AA ’15, BSC ’16, MITS ’18*, worked with Akron-based artist Jessica Travis to turn discarded airplane wings into an art installation at the Akron-Canton airport. Brewer’s work features 23 native Ohio birds and information about them; it becomes an interactive, augmented reality experience through the Artivive app.

The Newark Advocate included Kevin Cox, MBA ’15*, on its 20 Under 40 list for 2023. Cox has been a financial advisor with Edward Jones for the last eight years, and for three consecutive years he qualified for the firm’s Financial Advisor Leaders Conference, which recognizes top offices across the country. Cox is also the vice president and president-elect of Young Leaders of Licking County.

Former WOUB reporter, producer and anchor Kaitor Kposowa, MS ’15*, known professionally as Kaitor Kay, joined Cleveland NBC affiliate WKYC as a reporter and Sunday morning anchor last May. Originally from Cincinnati, Kay previously worked for KFOR in Oklahoma City and WANE in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he won a Lower Great Lakes Regional Emmy in 2020.

Accounts receivable management company Revenue Group has hired Chris Taylor, MBA ’15*, to serve as its chief information officer. He joins the organization after nearly two decades in technology leadership roles at debt collection agency National Enterprise Systems.

2016

Josh Martin, BS ’16*, was named a 2023-2024 Science Policy Fellow at the Geological Society of America. Martin earned his Ph.D. from Ohio State University and has combined experiences in the field as a graduate research assistant at Los Alamos National Laboratory and as a professor at the University of Dayton.

Huron High School in northern Ohio added Lauren (Volz) Pavlechko, BSPE ’16*, to its Athletic Hall of Fame. While at Huron, she collected four varsity letters each in golf, basketball and softball and earned All-Ohio honors in golf. She also was named an OHSAA Scholar Athletic Award winner and won the Archie Griffin Sportsmanship and the Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete awards.

2017

Indiana University’s Columbus branch has announced that James M. Adams, MSRSS ’17*, will serve as its new men’s basketball coach. Adams is moving to Indiana from Madison, Wisconsin, where he has coached at high school, college and semipro levels and was named the 2018 Big Eight Conference Coach of the Year.

Fairview Park School District, near Cleveland, has hired Jon Adams, MSAA ’17*, as its new athletic director. There he will oversee athletic programs at both Lewis F. Mayer Middle School and Fairview High School. Previously, Adams has served as a coach, physical education teacher, sports information manager and assistant athletic director.

In July, the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists named former Athens NEWS editor Sydney Dawes, BSJ ’17*, Best Reporter in her circulation category for her work with the Springfield News-Sun. She also shared the honor of Best Deadline Reporting with two News-Sun colleagues and took second place in Best Public Service/Social Issues Reporting, both in the same circulation category. She now covers Montgomery County for the Dayton Daily News.

Hailey Hrynewich, BSJ ’17*, known professionally as Hailey Hunter, is the Pittsburgh Penguins’ new rinkside reporter and occasional pre- and post-game show host. She is the daughter of former NHL player Tim Hrynewich, who played for the Penguins from 1982-84. Previously, she has worked as a content producer for the LPGA Tour, a sports anchor at WJTV in Jackson, Mississippi, and a New York Islanders team reporter.

2018

AccuWeather journalist Adriana Navarro, BSJ ’18*, was named one of 13 fellows for the 2023-2024 cycle at the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the University of Maryland. Navarro’s work has covered hurricanes, including preparing for them and dealing with their aftermath. She plans to use the fellowship to work on pieces related to disaster recovery and climate solutions.

2019

Ohio University Southern honored Marty Conley II, BSAM ’19*, with its Outstanding Community Partner Award in September. As director of the Lawrence County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau in Ohio, Conley has worked with OHIO Southern and nearly 20 other regional partners to diversify cultural heritage tourism in the area.

Outdoor industry marketing firm Urge Media introduced Dillon Curtin, BBA ’19*, as its new digital marketing manager. Formerly a marketing specialist with Tarter Farm and Ranch Equipment, Curtin will now assist Urge Media in its mission to provide clients with dynamic marketing and media solutions.

Kristyn (Hawkins) Smith, MSA ’19*, is the new director of the Savannah Sports Council with Visit Savannah in Georgia. At the Savannah Sports Council, Smith will maintain the organization’s original events, such as the Savannah Hockey Classic, as well as creating new ones. 

2020

The newest evening news anchor for WMBD in Central Illinois is Charles Thomas Garverick, BSJ ’20*. Garverick, who goes by his middle name, has previously served as a weekend morning news anchor in Decatur, Illinois, and has dabbled in the nonprofit, insurance and high school education sectors as well.

After earning the title of Miss Portsmouth, Emily Lengenza, BMUS ’20*, was named first runner up at the 2023 Miss Ohio competition. The Alexander Local Schools teacher has participated in pageants since she was a junior in high school and plans to pursue Miss Ohio for the remaining two years she will be eligible. She impressed judges with her platform, “If You Can, Teach,” which focuses on addressing the teacher shortage and advocacy of educators. 

Former OHIO quarterback Nathan Rourke, BSPE ’20*, had a busy 2023. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars in January, but had foot surgery soon after and was cut in August. He re-signed to the practice squad and made it to the active roster that fall. He left for good in December, signing with the New England Patriots.

Peoples Bancorp Inc. named Tyler Wilcox, MBA ’20*, as its next president and CEO. Wilcox also joined the board of directors for Peoples and its subsidiary, Peoples Bank, effective April 1, following the retirement of Chuck Sulerzyski. Wilcox has been with the organization since 2008 and previously served as executive vice president of community banking.

2021

The multimedia ceramic work of Holly Barrett, BFA ’21*, was included in the New and Now: Ohio’s Emerging Artists 2023 exhibition at the Ohio Craft Museum in Columbus, which ran in August and September. Each of the 26 artists featured is noteworthy for having less than 10 years of working experience.

Ethan Sands, BSJ ’21*, is the new co-host of cleveland.com’s Wine and Gold podcast, which provides in-depth coverage of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs beat reporter was a WOUB reporter/producer and multimedia director of The Post while at OHIO and has also worked with the LA Times, USA Today Sports, Major League Baseball and ESPN since graduating.

2022

Kyle Balzer, PHD ’22*, joined the American Enterprise Institute as a Jeane Kirkpatrick Fellow. In that role, he will explore long-term strategic competition and U.S. grand strategy and will work on his forthcoming book, “The Revivalists: James Schlesinger, the Competitive Nuclear Strategists, and the Rebirth of Cold War American Deterrence.”

The Entomological Society of America approved “peppered cockroach,” suggested by Andrew Connolly, BS ’22*, as the official common name for Archimandrita tessellata. Connolly, an educator at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, told CT Insider that naming a species is “an honor” and “a dream for many biologists.”

2023

Recent graduate Trevor Brighton, BSVC ’23*, won a 2022 National Mark of Excellence Award from the Society of Professional Journalists for his cover illustration for OHIO’s student newspaper, The Post. The story, titled “Erasing Russia,” covered the loss of the University’s Russian-related courses.

Fresh out of undergrad, Ethan Moore, BSN ’23*, is already making waves—though not specifically in his field as an intensive care unit nurse. His business, Lake Erie Drone, offers a new type of pesticide and fungicide application for local farms that is delivered via drone. The delivery system allows for low-altitude application that reduces the risk of chemicals drifting into the atmosphere or neighboring homes.

Graduate student and OHIO quarterback Kurtis Rourke, BSC ’23*, has been added to a number of 2023 award watch lists, including the Davey O’Brien 2023 Preseason Watch List, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award 2023 Watch List, the 2023 Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List, and the 2023 Maxwell Award Watch List. As one of 35 top returning college quarterbacks in the nation, Rourke was selected based on his previous and expected successes on and off the field.

Abigail Scherer, AB ’23*, and Zachary Donaldson, AB ’25, each saw their research published in the first edition of The Undergraduate Politics and Law Journal at Fairleigh Dickinson University last spring. They submitted their articles as undergraduates in October 2022. 

Featured image by Ben Wirtz Siegel, BSVC '01