Alumnus Austin Warehime to deliver keynote address at OHIO Eastern Graduation Recognition Ceremony

Ohio University Eastern will welcome alumnus Austin Warehime back to campus as the keynote speaker for its 2026 Graduation Recognition Ceremony on Thursday, April 30, at 7 p.m. in the ECO Center.

Warehime, a 2016 graduate of Ohio University Eastern, earned his bachelor’s degree in history before going on to receive his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Belmont University College of Law in Nashville, Tennessee. During his time at Belmont, he served as executive submissions and transcripts editor of the Belmont Law Review, where his scholarship was published, and was recognized as the winner of the Tennessee Bar Association Environmental Law Section’s Hastings Writing Competition.

“Returning to OHIO Eastern as this year’s keynote speaker feels deeply personal to me,” Warehime said. “It was the place that gave me the confidence to believe a student from eastern Ohio could compete anywhere.”

That confidence, he said, carried him to law school in Nashville, years of legal practice in Nashville and Cincinnati, and ultimately back home to Guernsey County.

“Looking back, I appreciate even more how much OHIO Eastern shaped the way I think, write and approach the world,” Warehime said. “Returning now feels like a full-circle moment and a chance to honor a campus that helped change the direction of my life.”

Now practicing with EQUES Law Group, Warehime represents clients across eastern Ohio in complex litigation, business and corporate law, real estate, estate planning, and landowner representation in oil and gas matters. He served as lead counsel on one of Ohio’s first successful anti-SLAPP motions under the state’s new law and, earlier in his career, helped halt a major planned clear-cutting project in Tennessee through Endangered Species Act proceedings.

In addition to his legal work, Warehime is involved with The Brickhouse Social, a coffee shop in downtown Cambridge, reflecting his commitment to community reinvestment and economic development in Appalachia.

Ohio University Eastern’s Graduation Recognition Ceremony will celebrate the achievements of spring 2026, fall 2025, and summer 2025 graduates. Family, friends, faculty, staff and community members are invited to attend.

Dr. Richard W. Greenlee, interim dean of campus and external relations, will lead the ceremony and recognize each graduate for their academic accomplishments and contributions to the campus community.

“Austin’s story reflects the strength and potential of this region,” Greenlee said. “He is an example of how an OHIO Eastern education can prepare students to succeed anywhere while staying connected to their roots. We are honored to have him return to share his experience with our graduates.”

This annual event marks a significant milestone for graduates and their families and underscores Ohio University Eastern’s commitment to student success, academic excellence and regional impact.

For more information about the ceremony, please visit ohio.edu/eastern.