Fall 2025 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

Jump to:

• 1950s & ’60s
• 1970s
• 1980s
• 1990s
• 2000s
• 2010s
• 2020s
• Alumni Authors

1950

This March, analytical chemist Jenny (Gecsy) Grasselli Brown, BS ’50, HDS ’78*, received the Pittcon Heritage Award, presented jointly by the Science History Institute and Pittsburgh Conference and Exposition on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy (Pittcon), which took place this year in Boston. Along with the award, which recognizes her contributions to the development of spectroscopy and her 35-plus-year career advocating for women in STEM, she joined the Pittcon Hall of Fame. Sadly, Grasselli Brown passed away just months later, in July. Learn more about her legacy in OHIO Today News.

1965

The Ohio chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association inducted Donald “Skip” Hoovler, BA ’65*, as the 51st member of the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame in January. Hoovler became involved in harness racing in 1968; while he is a longtime owner known for his dedication to the sport, he also has contributed as a district chair for the U.S. Trotting Association, board member and former president of the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association, and Little Brown Jug Society member.

1969

Nick DiCello, BBA ’69*, was recently inducted into the Westlake Alumni Association Hall of Fame as a distinguished alumnus. DiCello was a member of the first varsity wrestling team at Westlake High School and became a prominent businessman in Northeast Ohio as founder of Ohio State Waterproofing, which continues to serve the area almost 50 years later.

Haywood Handmade Gallery in Waynesville, North Carolina, hosted a curated solo exhibition by Ann Miller Woodford, BFA ’69, this spring. Woodford is a celebrated artist and author making work about emergence and empowerment in a variety of mediums.

1971

The Society of Experiential Education (SEE) honored Roseanna G. Ross, BSED ’71, PHD ’82, with the John S. Duley Lifetime Achievement Award at the organization’s annual conference last fall. Ross was recognized for her contributions to the field of experiential education, dedication to advancing its principles, and for her contributions to developing SEE programs over the past four decades.

1972

Author and U.S. Army veteran Patrick McLaughlin, BGS ’72, was elected as chair of the Ohio Board of Professional Conduct. He has been a board member since 2017, previously serving on its Rules and Advisory Opinion committees and as vice chair from 2023 to 2024.

1973

The documentary photography of Ken Light, BGS ’73, was on display at the Bronx Documentary Center last fall in an exhibition titled American Stories: 1969-1995. For more than 50 years, Light’s black-and-white photography has aimed to shed light on social justice issues in the U.S.

Joseph Pilotta, MA ’73, PHD ’77*, received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award in honor of his many years of professional accomplishments as a college professor, author of more than 30 titles, and managing partner at In-Nova.1 and China Alliance Partners.

1978

Michael Catheline, AB ’78, MA ’82, retired after 46 years as an educator. He’s spent the last four decades working for the State of Ohio, teaching in juvenile and adult correctional institutions.

Former Dairy Queen exec John P. Gainor, BSC ’78*, delivered the keynote address for OHIO’s Spring 2025 Undergraduate Commencement Ceremonies on May 3. Gainor served as the president and chief executive officer of the restaurant chain until his 2017 retirement; he described the opportunity to impart wisdom upon this year’s graduating class as a “true honor.”

Detroit Lions assistant athletic trainer Joe Recknagel, BS ’78, retired this spring after 45 years with the team. He started his career with the Lions as a summer intern in 1977 and was hired full-time in 1980, becoming one of the longest-tenured athletic trainers in the NFL.

1979

Vanessa Bell Calloway, BFA ’79*, starred in the BET+ original movie “Queens of Christmas.” A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, she has been featured in many movies and TV shows throughout her 40-year career.

John D. Elliott, BFA ’79, retired from a career as a U.S. Foreign Service officer. He now lives in Ocala, Florida, with his family and directs several nonprofit groups that he founded. His photography has been exhibited in galleries across four continents, including this year’s solo exhibition The Human Pulse at the College of Central Appleton Museum of Art.

1980

From January to June, William “Clark” Kent, AB ’80*, served as a National Trustee on the Ohio University Board of Trustees. The BTL Technologies CEO retired as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force in 2003 and is a member of Phi Beta Sigma and Sigma Pi Phi fraternities.

1981

The American Dance Festival accepted a documentary created by OHIO faculty and staff exploring the legacy of Gladys Bailin Stern, retired director emerita and distinguished professor in the School of Dance, for its Movies by Movers event. The documentary, titled “An Interview with Gladys Bailin,” originated as an interdisciplinary oral history project by faculty and staff, including Kate Mason, BFA ’81*, Lorraine Wochna, MA ’04, and Andie Walla, BSC ’07, MED ’12.

1982

The College Football Playoff Selection Committee appointed Mark Dantonio, MED ’82*, as a member for a three-year term beginning last spring. Dantonio began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at OHIO and went on to become a head coach at the University of Cincinnati and Michigan State University before retiring in 2020.

1984

The Ohio University Center for Sports Administration named Jon Steinbrecher, MSA ’84*, as the 2025 Charles R. Higgins Distinguished Alumnus. Steinbrecher is commissioner of the Mid-American Conference and is the only person to have served as commissioner in all three NCAA Division I subdivisions.

1986

Ed Stofcheck Jr., BFA ’86*, was hired as a full-time finance manager for the Marion Community Foundation to oversee funds management and business operations. Stofcheck will work with the foundation’s board, president, CEO, staff and volunteers to develop and implement the foundation’s strategies and goals.

1987

In March, Linda Bailiff, BBA ’87, MPA ’90, of Granville, Ohio, was reappointed as director of the Ohio Public Works Commission for a term ending March 18, 2029.

1989

John F. Madden II, BS ’89*, recently became the 63rd member of the Middle Atlantic PGA Hall of Fame. Madden began his golf career in 1989 after graduating from OHIO, where he played on the men’s varsity golf team. He was named the 2016 MAPGA Golf Professional of the Year, served as the 46th MAPGA president from 2014 to 2015, and was a district director on the national PGA Board of Directors from 2019 to 2021.

1990

OhioHealth Grant Medical Center in Columbus named Dr. Le-Ann M. Harris, BSH ’90, MHSA ’92, BSN ’08, its new chief operating officer in March. Most recently, she had served as chief nursing officer and vice president of patient care at the center, with previous positions as its director of nursing and chief nursing officer and as vice president of patient care at OhioHealth Morrow County Hospital. In September, she transitioned into another new role, as regional chief nursing officer for Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic.

1992

Cathleen “Cathee” Mang, MAIA ’92, recently signed with Adler and Associates Entertainment, Inc. for the second film she wrote, produced and directed about Balinese masked dance drama, “Dancing Faces of Bali 2.” Her first feature documentary, “Dancing Faces of Bali,” is available on Amazon Prime Video in the U.S. and the U.K.

1994

Last fall, Margaret “Peggy” Dillon, MSJ ’94, PHD ’97, taught undergraduate and graduate journalism and writing courses as a visiting professor at Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland. She is a professor emerita of media and communication at Salem State University in Massachusetts, from which she retired in May 2024.

Law firm Flannery Georgalis, LLC, announced its hire of former U.S. Attorney William “Bill” Ihlenfeld, BSJ ’94, as partner-in-charge. Ihlenfeld resigned from the Department of Justice in January and will lead the firm’s expansion into West Virginia with the opening of three new offices.

1996

A prosecution team that included Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian S. Deckert, AB ’96, was honored with the John Marshall Award for Excellence in Litigation for its work on United States v. Aimenn Penny, regarding the 2023 firebombing of a church in Chesterland, Ohio. The award, one of the Department of Justice’s highest recognitions, was presented at the 72nd Annual Attorney General’s Awards in Washington, D.C., early this year.

Raymond “Mike” Massie, BBA ’96*, retired from the FBI in March after more than two decades of major investigations into public corruption, including the 2007-08 corruption investigation—the largest in Cuyahoga County history—which resulted in felony convictions for politicians Jimmy Dimora, Frank Russo and around 70 others. Massie now serves as a sheriff's inspector leading a public corruption unit in nearby Lorain County, Ohio.

The Western States Communication Association presented Alena (Amato) Ruggerio, BSC ’96, MA ’97, with the 2025 Distinguished Teaching Award for her work at Southern Oregon University and scholarly contributions to communication pedagogy.

1999

The Athens-Hocking-Vinton Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (317) Board awarded Dan Brozak, BA ’99, the Behavioral Health Advocate Award for Athens County. The award recognizes his extraordinary work as a hospital liaison at Hopewell Health Centers.

Julie (Boeke) Howard, BA ’99*, is the new president overseeing gypsum manufacturing for Georgia-Pacific. During her nearly 20 years with the company, she’s served in leadership roles for the brand’s paper towel products, most recently serving as vice president of its towels and napkins division.

Last December, Bill Peters, BBA ’99*, was appointed president and chief executive officer of On Target Laboratories, a biotechnology company that specializes in specialized imaging to target and illuminate cancer during surgery. He brings over 20 years of service in medical technology to the role.

2000

Early this year, the Nelsonville-York City Board of Education appointed Michael Elliott, AAS ’00 BCJ ’01 MED ’05*, serve out the unexpired term of a member who resigned. Elliott cited both his children, who attend school in the district, and his interest in giving back to the community as reasons for pursuing the opportunity. His term ends Dec. 31, 2027.

2002

Beaver Local High School in Northeast Ohio inducted James Crawford, PHD ’02*, into its Beaver Local Alumni Hall of Fame. An accomplished businessman, Crawford is also the author of two novels and the former director of both the Center for Development and the Center for Innovation and Leadership at Ohio University Southern.

Jacob Zink, BSED ’02*, is the new assistant superintendent at Lynchburg-Clay Local School District near Cincinnati. Zink has an extensive career in teaching and education administration, having most recently served as principal of Lynchburg-Clay High School; he will continue in both roles through the 2025-26 academic year.

2003

Jeffrey Allen, BBA ’03*, made history this year when he took home a $10 million prize, the largest in entertainment history, as winner of reality competition show Beast Games. Shortly after, he completed “Ruck 4 Rare,” a 365-mile expedition to raise money and awareness for creatine transporter deficiency, an ultra-rare genetic disorder that affects his son.

The Miami Valley Better Business Bureau’s Women in Business Networking program recognized Jessica (Baker) Holderman, BA ’03*, as a 2025 Women to Watch honoree. Holderman is an independent licensed social worker who is currently serving as an executive assistant at the Dayton VA Medical Center.

The Boston Theater Critics Association nominated Sharath Patel, BFA ’03, in the “Outstanding Sound Design, Large” category of the 42nd annual Elliot Norton Awards for his work on “Diary of a Tap Dancer” at the American Repertory Theater.

2005

In February, the Puget Sound chapter of the American Marketing Association elected Holly Prouty, BSC ’05, MED ’08, to serve as a volunteer board member and vice president of communications. Professionally, she is a system communication manager of CRM communication and strategy at Washington State University.

Matt Westerhold, BSC ’05*, retired from a 30-plus-year career in local journalism and community news in early August. Shortly after graduating from OHIO in his late 40s, Westerhold became editor of the Sandusky Register in northwestern Ohio before going on to take the helm as executive editor of the Register and sister publications the Advertiser-Tribune (Tiffin), the Review Times (Fostoria), the Norwalk Reflector and The Courier (Findlay) in 2020.

2006

Cleveland Magazine named Stephanie Haney, BA ’06*, one of its Most Interesting People of 2025. A licensed attorney in both Ohio and California, Haney serves as a digital anchor, reporter and legal analyst for WKYC Studios’ 3News.

2008

This year, Mary (Sray) Flenner, BA ’08, launched Tween Magazine, a quarterly print publication with empowering educational and lifestyle content for preteen girls. In the magazine’s first six months, it grew to 350 subscribers from across the country.

Goldman Sachs named 95 individuals to its Partner Class of 2024 last fall, including Alyson Shupe, BA, BBA ’08, who was selected based on commercial effectiveness, leadership and impact on firm culture.

2009

This spring, Michaela (Hahn-Lawson) Burriss, BA ’09, was named policy director of the Ohio Justice and Policy Center, where she will support the organization’s goal of advocating for and providing free resources to individuals who are or have been incarcerated.

The officers of the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Zanesville post named Scott Leach, BSME ’09*, their 2024 Trooper of the Year. After graduating from the Russ College of Engineering in 2009, Leach joined the State Highway Patrol in 2018 as a member of the 165^th academy class.

2010

Cuyahoga County hired Emily Bacha, BS ’10*, as program director of its Fresh Water Institute. Bacha will steer the institute’s goals relating to local water resource management, following its mission of educating the community about water-related economic opportunities, advancing necessary policy and ensuring clean water access for all.

Rick Mahon, DO ’10*, is the new chair of Akron Children’s Hospital’s anesthesiology department. Since he joined the Akron Children’s team in 2018, he has led the burn anesthesia unit and served as the department of anesthesiology’s director of quality and safety.

Mansour Gavin LPA elected Kathryn “Katie” Weber, BFA ’10, as a shareholder with the firm early this year. Weber also serves as assistant law director for Mayfield Village in Northeast Ohio and was recognized in the 2025 class of “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.”

2011

The New York Times included “The Unmothers” by Leslie J. Anderson, MA ’11, on its Best 10 Horror Books of 2024 list. Reviewers praised the “chilling atmosphere” in Anderson’s novel, calling it “one you won’t want to miss.”

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey selected Crescent Gallagher, BA ’11, MPA ’13*, to serve as his administration’s press secretary. Gallagher brings more than a decade of experience in communications, policy development and legislative experience, having previously served in leadership roles in state government and grassroots advocacy organization Americans for Prosperity – West Virginia.

2012

Early this year, Thomas Cassity, AAB ’12*, was promoted to the rank of lieutenant at the Ohio Highway Patrol. He joined the OHP in 2012 as a member of the 152^nd academy class and was recognized as Chillicothe Post Trooper of the Year and District Trooper of the Year in 2014.

Scripps graduate Adam Wagner, BSJ ’12, was hired as editor and reporter for the new Capitol Bureau of WUNC’s North Carolina Newsroom initiative, where he coordinates state legislative coverage with WUNC and four other public radio partners.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Keith Washburn, AAS ’12, BCJ ’14*, as Chillicothe Municipal Court Judge in February. He will serve the remaining term of retired Judge Tony Eddy through the November 2025 election cycle.

2013

The Bronx Documentary Center hosted a screening of “Swift Justice” and Q&A with its creator, Victor J. Blue, MA ’13, last fall. Blue co-directed and produced the film, a rare look inside a Sharia courtroom in the heartland of the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

In December 2024, author and public speaker Lyle C. May, AA ’13*, participated in an online panel of incarcerated journalists about the impact of the carceral system both on those in prison and outside of it. He is currently finishing his bachelor’s degree in law and sociology through Adams State University.

Spencer Plassman, BSC ’13, has joined Massachusetts-based wealth management firm Bulfinch Group as a financial representative. There he will provide financial planning services for clients with a mission to empower them to focus on what matters most in life.

2014

Ruling Our eXperiences (ROX) named Lauren Hancock, MPA ’14, as its chief operating officer. As one of ROX’s two founding employees, Hancock helped drive the expansion of ROX’s research, education and programming for girls into 40-plus states.

In March, Everett Woodel, MBA ’14, was appointed as the Great Lakes regional administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration, where he oversees day-to-day operations for Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio.

2017

The Northeast Georgia Health System selected Kevin Matson, MHA ’17*, as its vice president of overseeing the southern market. He will lead daily operations for Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton and provide oversight of Northeast Georgia Medical Center Barrow. Mattson joined NGHS in 2000 and is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

2018

The History Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication honored Ken Ward, PHD ’18*, with its best journalism and mass communication history book award. His book, titled “Last Paper Standing: A Century of Competition Between the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News,” was based on his dissertation at OHIO and was a finalist for the annual book award sponsored by the American Journalism Historians Association.

2019

Faith Voinovich, BSCHE ’19, was included in Venture Capital Journal’s 2025 Rising Stars list, which recognizes 40 individuals under the age of 40 for their impact and leadership within their firm or the broader VC community.. She is a principal with the Ohio Innovation Fund, a role she ascended to in 2020 after joining the fund as an intern in 2018.

2020

Adonis Durado, MFA ’20*, received a prestigious Philippines National Book Award for his fifth poetry collection, titled “Ang Nakayatak kay Nayatakan (Who Steps Upon is Stepped Upon).” The visual communication assistant professor in Scripps College of Communication won in the Best Book of Poetry in Binsaya (Cebuano) category.

2021

Directed by Collin Black, BSC ’21*, a team of Bobcats became one of 25 finalists for the Doritos “Crash the Super Bowl” ad campaign, gaining national exposure when their commercial found a spot on the company’s website in early 2025. The 30-second, Trojan horse-themed ad was created by Black and several fellow OHIO alumni.

The town of Clayton, North Carolina, hired Andrew Lyons, BS ’21*, as a stormwater engineer. Lyons’ meteorology degree from OHIO and master’s degree in engineering from North Carolina State University help him to oversee the maintenance and improvement of the town’s stormwater systems and infrastructure, as well as projects to restore natural waterways.

2022

In January, Sarah Parker, EDD ’22*, was inaugurated as the eighth president of Washington State College of Ohio, where she also served as interim president. Previously, she was the college’s vice president of academic affairs and was involved in the development and expansion of academic and workforce pathways. She also is the former academic dean of Hocking College.

2023

Former OHIO quarterback Kurtis Rourke, BSC ’23*, has a decision to make after being drafted by both the San Francisco 49ers and the Canadian Football League’s Saskatchewan Roughriders this spring. The Ontario native is the first Bobcat to be drafted to the NFL since 2018 and the first Canadian quarterback to be drafted since 2001. Rourke was selected as a potential backup in the seventh round of the NFL draft and 25^th overall for the CFL draft; he played for OHIO for five seasons before transferring to Indiana University last year.

OHIO alumni publish books across subjects and genres. Here are releases within the last year.

• The Texas Murders: A Texas Ranger Thriller, western (Little, Brown and Co.), by James Patterson and Andrew Bourelle, BSJ ’97, and Shot Clock, sports/thriller (Severn House), by Andrew Bourelle, BSJ ’97
• Royal Roots: Reimagining a Life through Humor, a Castle, and the US Navy, memoir (self-published), by Patricia Wynn Brown, BSHSS ’73
• Such Great Heights: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion, pop culture (St. Martin’s Press), by Chris DeVille, BSJ ’06
• The Couch in the Yard, children’s picture book (Penguin Random House), by Kate Hoefler, BA ’01
• The Endless Sphere of Time, poetry and photography (True North Editions), edited by Kate (O’Grady) Jordahl, MFA ’82, photos by Geir Jordahl, MFA ’83
• How to LOVE Sales: A Framework to Build Confidence and Success, business/self-help (Kesig Enterprise Solutions), by Paul Kesig, BBA ’05
• Power of the Pony, children’s book (self-published), by Heidi Nyland Melocco, MS ’02, and Savannah Melocco
• Everyday Ecofascism: Crisis and Consumption in American Literature, climate change and political science (University of Minnesota Press), by Alexander Menrisky, BSJ ’12
• Womb Witch: Herbal Magick for Reproductive Health, herbalism and self-care (Microcosm Publishing), by Angelica Merritt, BSJ ’12
• Where We Love, fiction (self-published), by Mary Bell Meyer, AB ’72
• Hannibal Lokumbe: Spiritual Soundscapes of Music, Life, and Liberation, biography (Columbia University Press), by Lauren Coyle Rosen, BSJ, BA ’05, and Hannibal Lokumbe
• Draven’s Run, science fiction (self-published), by Glenn Somodi, BSJ ’92
• Edison Goes to Washington, children’s book (self-published), by Kristin Strobel, BA ’07, MA ’08
• Unseen Scars, poetry (self-published), by Martin Terrell, AA ’79, BA ’86, MS ’91
• GURPS Monster Hunters Adventure: The Face of Fire, RPG adventure guide (Steve Jackson Games), by J. Edward Tremlett, AB ’93, BSC ’96, and Christopher R. Rice ·
• Jurita’s Song: From Dust to Destiny, historical fiction (self-published), by Vern Turner, BS ’66

Send your published work updates to ohiotoday@ohio.edu or to OHIO Today Magazine, Ohio University, P.O. Box 869, Athens, OH 45701-0869. And don’t forget to add your achievement to the Ohio University Alumni Association’s Bobcat Authors database at ohio.edu/alumni/bobcat-authors.

Feature photo: “When students move out, the deer move in.” This was the caption on an OHIO Instagram post that received thousands of “likes” in early May, shortly after Commencement weekend. Followers joined in the fun, noting that the deer “got [their] summer resort back” and “we are fawning over our newest unDEERgrads.” Other campus critters weren’t left out; one person asked those still on campus to “tell the Treudley groundhogs we said hi!” Photo by Taylor (Bowling) Burris, BSED ’17, MED ’18