Class Notes
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Spring/Summer 2020: 1960s
60
Raymond Borom, BA ’63, MEd ’66, Akron, Ohio, former director of affirmative action at Kent State from 1983 to 1997, and his son, R. Todd Borom, BA ’83, Glen Cove, NY, collaborated in writing Don’t Die Broke: Easy Steps on How to Save, Invest and Build Your Wealth, was released on Amazon and in bookstores early February 2020. The 100-page book is designed to help anyone—teen, millennial or baby boomer—quickly learn how the stock market works and why it’s essential to begin investing.
George Palovich, MFA ’64, and Janet Trisler, (who attended KSU from 1960-62 and received a BFA from The University of Akron in 1972), Sun City, Ariz., were given a
50-year retrospective of their artwork at West Valley Art Museum and Peoria City Hall Art Gallery in Peoria, Ariz., from Nov. 25, 2019 to Jan. 17, 2020. The exhibition, An Artistic Life Together, included works in ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, fine printmaking and dolls produced over their 58-year art career and marriage. To view more of their work see .
Charles “Chuck” Miley, BS ’65, Maplewood, NJ, wrote: “The 9/11 Memorial Museum located at ground zero in the footprint of the World Trade Towers in New York City, has acquired my woodblock print diptych for their permanent collection. The woodblock print has pochoir, relief and collage elements and is titled ‘T’was Rangda Set the Birds Afire I & II.’ The image of Rangda is of Balinese Hinduism and is one manifestation of Durga the killer witch.”
Gary Featheringham, BS ’66, North Potomac, Md., wrote, “My memoir, Three Months of Socialism: Living in USSR During the 1970s, was published through Amazon (August 2019). It captures the first three months of our daily life while I was working at the Joint Institute of Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia, from 1972 to 1977, assigned to the East European Operations of Control Data Corporation, a supercomputer manufacturer. It is not political, but rather documents our struggles living under the Soviet system and trying to raise an infant daughter.”
Patricia Arredondo,
BSE ’67, Phoenix, was elected chair of The American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education, Inc. for the 2019-2020 academic year. Dr. Arredondo, a first-generation college student, is a scholar-practitioner, organizational consultant, licensed psychologist and the author of seven books and other scholarly publications. Her latest book is Latinx Immigrants: Transcending Acculturation and Xenophobia (2018). She is president of the Arredondo Advisory Group and faculty fellow with Fielding Graduate University. For her leadership and scholarship in psychology she was recognized as a Changemaker: Top 25 Psychologists of Color by the American Psychological Association in 2018.
Richard Margolis, BS ’69, Rochester, NY, exhibited Upheaval: Photographs of Anti-War Events at Kent State & Ohio Ku Klux Klan Rallies during the Cleveland Photo Fest at Images Photographic Arts Gallery in Lakewood, Ohio, from Sept. 15 to Oct. 12, 2019. The images were printed in 2018 and 2019 from existing negatives of photos taken between 1965 and 1970 at and around Kent State—many never printed until recently. Margolis was a photojournalism major, edited the 1968 Chestnut Burr and lived in Kent until 1972. He photographed Sunday night, May 3, 1970, and was processing film on Monday when the sirens began going by. He photographed on campus later that afternoon and at several memorial events following the shootings. He is now printing that and other film from back then, exhibiting prints in his studio/gallery in Rochester. For more information see . Pictured: Viewing “Gretchen and I on a Date—1965,” included in Upheaval.
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Spring/Summer 2020: 1970s
70
50th Reunion: 1970
Paula Stone Tucker, BA ’70, MA ’74, EdS ’81, Tallmadge, Ohio, is author of Surviving: A Kent State Memoir, available on Amazon, about her years at Kent State, when she was a witness to the May 4, 1970 shootings. She won the Silver Award for Memoir and Autobiography from the Florida Writers Association. Tucker splits her time between Northeast Ohio and The Villages, Fla.
Margaret (Shoaf) Tracey, BS ’70, Warren, Ohio; Cheryl (Youngmann) Russo,
BS ’71, Medina, Ohio; and Margaret (Hoyer) Akbar, BS ’72, Chippewa Lake, Ohio, met fall quarter 1967 and became friends and roommates in Terrace Hall, Koontz Hall and Tonkin Court (off-campus apartments). All became teachers. Tracey is a member of the American Association of University Women, Warren-Trumbull branch. Russo earned a MEd in reading and literacy from the University of Akron. Akbar earned a MEd ’80 in administration and a MEd ’82 in psychology from the University of Akron; she went on to become a school psychologist in the Medina, Ohio, school district. The former “roomies” frequently visit the Kent Campus for their get-togethers. Pictured, (left to right): Margaret Akbar, Cheryl Russo, Margaret Tracey.Greg Long, BBA ’71, Wooster, Ohio, a retired lieutenant colonel, participated in a panel with other former members of the Kent State ROTC, “Honoring Those Who Served in ROTC in 1970,” in November 2019 at the Kent State Student Center, as part of the university’s 50th Commemoration of May 4, 1970, events. President and managing partner of Long, Cook & Samsa, Inc., an accounting firm in Wooster, Ohio, he serves as treasurer and chair for the Committee on Finance of the Kent State University Foundation, is a member of the College of Business Administration’s National Advisory Board and chair of the college’s Accounting Advisory Council.
Todd Raskin, BS ’72, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, founding partner of Mazanec, Raskin & Ryder Co., LPA, which has offices in Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio, has been named Cleveland’s 2020 “Lawyer of the Year” in civil rights law by Best Lawyers. It’s his third time receiving the designation, which he also received in 2013 and 2017. Raskin has a diverse legal practice with an emphasis on civil rights and government liability defense, as well as the defense of employers, both public and private.
Dixie Benshoff Ludick, MEd ’73, PhD ’77, Aurora, Ohio, was awarded the Hiram College Lifetime Achievement Award by President Lori Varlotta in a ceremony at Hiram College on June 15, 2019. Dr. Ludick is a nationally recognized psychologist who has provided consultation and training for professionals in industry, education, medicine and nonprofit agencies, and clinical services to college students, couples, groups, seniors and families. She is currently adjunct assistant professor of community and family medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University. Her book, Increasing Your Personal and Professional Effectiveness: A Manual for Women Who Want to Accomplish More without Changing Who They Are, was published in 2016.
Carter Strang, BS ’73, MEd ’79, Shaker Heights, Ohio, wrote: “I organized and spoke at ‘The Kent State Shootings, May 4, 1970—The Day the War Came Home and Its Legal Aftermath,’ a CLE [Continuing Legal Education] seminar at a Cleveland-Marshall Law Alumni event in October 2019. Other speakers included attorneys for the Ohio National Guard and students involved in the criminal and civil litigation. The CLE was the subject of a Record-Courier article on Oct. 27, 2019.”
Daryl Hall, BS ’74, Scottsdale, Ariz., wrote: “My book, Flashback: A Young Man’s Search for Truth èƵ the Kent State Shootings, was released on Amazon in October 2019. Written in memory of the four slain students who died on May 4, 1970, the book begins when I learn about the shootings as a senior in high school only a forty-five-minute drive from Kent State; I’d signed a letter of intent to play football for the Flashes in the fall. While the shooting aftermath is the main theme of the book, I also share stories during my four years at Kent State, which include the Vietnam War, the impeachment of President Nixon, college life, music of the time and KSU football. During my time on campus, the football team won the first conference championship in school history (1972); teammates on the squad included Gary Pinkel, Gerald Tinker, Jack Lambert, Nick Saban and Larry Poole.”
John Matsis, BFA ’74, Las Vegas, was one of ten former Farrell High School (Farrell, Pa.) graduates inducted into the Farrell Alumni Hall of Fame at its 15th annual banquet on Oct. 12 at the Park Inn by Radisson. He was honored for carving out a multi-faceted career through varied professional endeavors, which included acting, teaching at bartender school, city government, culinary school, school accreditation and evaluation, real estate and the teaching of social media strategies from Kent, Ohio, to Atlanta, to the Shenango Valley and, for the last 20 years, Las Vegas.
Michael Cajero, MFA ’76, Tucson, Ariz., wrote: “I graduated from the KSU Art Department with a MFA in studio art; emphasis on sculpture, painting and art history. My advisor was Leroy Flint. From 1971 to 1975, the main influence at the time came from process art [which emphasizes the “process” of making art and the concepts of change and transience]. Artists like Lynda Benglis, Joseph Beuys, Arte Povera, Robert Smithson, Vito Acconci, Robert Morris, etc. provided a strong direction for our work.
Another strong influence was the industrial sensibility provided by Akron and Cleveland, which encouraged artists to use common building materials such as tar, paper, plastic, paint, rubber, etc. I built an environment out of common masking tape. Ephemerality was a key element in the creation of my figured sculpture.
I’ve continued along the same line of thinking up to the present day, and I’m still producing work. All my sculpture, drawings and ceramics are in the collection of the Process Museum in Tucson, Ariz.” The museum is open by appointment for tours. Reservations can be made on the website, , or processmuseum@gmail.com.Tom Sudow, BA ’76, Shaker Heights, Ohio, was elected International President of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs (FJMC) in July 2019. He will serve a two-year term as the 44th president of the global organization, which is celebrating its 90th year, and he says destigmatizing addiction and mental illness will be among top agenda items in Conservative synagogues across the globe in the coming years. As a KSU student, Sudow was active at the university’s Hillel, where he met his wife, Michele. Currently, he is director of the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship at Ashland University and the director of business development for Cleveland Clinic Innovations in Cleveland.
Robert Trifiletti, MA ’76, Boston, was a graduate student working in Tri-Towers in 1970. The events surrounding May 4 were traumatic for him, and he only returned to campus in 1976 to finish his master’s degree. During his career, he worked for the US Department of Education and The Washington Post.
As a program officer in the Office of English Language Acquisition, for many years he volunteered to teach Italian and Spanish to government employees and donated the tuition to My Sister’s Place, a shelter for survivors of domestic violence. He and the employees of the Office of Language Acquisition received a President’s Award from President George W. Bush in 2005 for extraordinary support of voluntarism through the Combined Federal Campaign National Capital Area.
Since 2008, he has been the director of the Italian Center of New York City, Boston Office, where he initiates conferences on Italian culture and the Holocaust. Trifiletti appeared briefly in and wrote his part of the documentary “God is the Bigger Elvis,” which was nominated for an Academy Award: Documentary Short Subject in 2012.
As part of the Prisoner Visitation Service, he volunteers at the Federal Medical Center, Devens, Mass., and he helps feed the homeless at the Pine Street Inn: Shattuck Men’s Shelter, Boston. He also teaches Italian and donates the tuition to women’s shelters in Boston.Gary Zwick, BBA ’76, Bainbridge Twp., Ohio, wrote: “I am a partner in the Cleveland law firm of Walter Haverfield, LLP, where I practice in the areas of tax, estates and trusts and ERISA [Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974] law. Recently, the legal treatise I coauthored with James John Jurinski of the University of Portland, Tax and Financial Planning for the Loosely Held Family Business—originally published by ALI-ABA in 1999 and updated thereafter, but out of print for almost 10 years—was picked up by Edward Elgar Publishers in the UK. We updated it, and it is now back in print. The book is generally found in law libraries around the country and used as a textbook. I am married to Linda Hollander Zwick, BA ’77.”
Michele (Makros) Weitzel, BFA ’77, Copley, Ohio, is a local beekeeper and first-time author. She was dedicated to her career as a graphic designer before choosing early retirement to take care of her aging mother. While liquidating her mother's estate, she came across WWII memorabilia and a large collection of love letters between her mother and father, inspiring her to write Love Letters from the Marine Wolf: A US Hospital and Transport Ship, an Army Medic Afloat, and a War Bride in World War II, available on Amazon. The book qualified as an art exhibit at the grand opening reception of the 50 Years of VCD at the Kent State University Alumni Show in August 2019.
Michael Batchelor, BS ’78, MA ’82, Fairview, Pa., was appointed to the board of directors of Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania, a philanthropy network now comprising 100 grant-making organizations of all types. Batchelor was selected as the first executive director of The Erie Community Foundation (ECF) in 1990, and was named its president in 1996. Under his leadership, assets grew from $20 million to $448 million, placing ECF within the top 10 percent of community foundations nationwide.
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Spring/Summer 2020: 1980s
80
Kevin Schwartzhoff, BS ’80, Kent, Ohio, has been named Kent’s new Parks and Recreation Department director. He most recently served as public services director for Colerain Township near Cincinnati.
Kenneth Durgans, MA ’81, Kansas City, Mo., was named associate provost for diversity and inclusion at Kansas City University. Previously, he was with the University of Colorado, School of Dental Medicine, in Aurora, Colo., where he served as a key member of the dean’s senior administrative team with oversight for all diversity and inclusion activities that support students, faculty and staff. He has held similar positions at several institutions.
Richard Kibler, BS ’81, Hartville, Ohio, a Hugh A. Glauser School of Music alumnus, has been named Stark County’s 2020 Music Educator of the Year, and he was presented with the award during a recent Canton Symphony Orchestra concert. Kibler currently teaches band in the Lake Local Schools. Another Kent State alumnus, Brian Kieffer, MM ’14, Canton, Ohio, who has taught vocal music in the Plain Local Schools for more than 30 years, received the annual award in 2018. Several other Kent State alumni have also been finalists for the distinction since its inception in 2017.
Anna Halberstam Rubin, PhD ’82, Palo Alto, Calif., was the only member of her immediate family to survive the Holocaust. She gave a talk about her experiences at Temple Beth-El in Eureka, Calif., in September 2019, with readings from her recently published memoir, Just a Little Girl: Despair and Deliverance (April 2019). She is also the author of Sholom Aleichem: The Writer as Social Historian (1989).
Margaret Giller, BS ’83, Petersburg, Va., worked as a GS-07 to 13 safety and occupational health professional for the DoD/Army at major training areas in Germany; at a five-state Army Reserve Region headquartered in Pittsburgh; and at Fort Lee, Va. (25 years). She is currently with the Area Support Group, Kuwait (a major US Army base/deployment camp), functioning as area radiation safety officer. She was awarded Army Safety & Health/Explosive Safety professional certification in December 2019.
Robin Alford, BS ’84, Crestview, Fla., wrote: “I have retired from the Department of Defense as a civil servant in the acquisitions career field, with 34 years of service to our country. I am also a licensed nail technician and certified medical nail technician, and am now operating my own nail services business, TALONted, with an emphasis on providing safe services to persons who are classified as “at risk” because of chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.”
Benjamin Holbert, III, BA ’84, Beachwood, Ohio, has been accepted into the Cleveland Leadership Center’s Class of 2020, a premiere senior leadership think tank. The ten-month program—which aims to give members a better understanding of the role of diversity within the community and to cultivate relationships with leaders across a wide range of sectors, industries and backgrounds—began in September 2019. Holbert is a business owner and has served as mayor of Woodmere Village, Ohio, since January 2018, after serving as councilman for six years. He also has many years of experience as a local TV news anchor.
Michael Armstrong, BBA ’86, MBA ’90, Cleveland, has published his debut children’s book, Best Day Ever (Sterling Publishing, spring 2020). It’s the last day of summer vacation and William has one thing left to accomplish: have the best day ever. Unfortunately, his meticulous efforts keep getting sidetracked by Anna’s outlandish interruptions. After dismissing each one, William is finally ready to have the best day ever—if only he could figure out how. Described as “hilarious” and “infused with fun,” the book is available on Amazon, BN.com, BAM.com and bookstores everywhere. Learn more at .
Stephanie Donofe Meeks, BS ’87, MEd ’97, K-12 School Library Media Licensure 2003, Columbus, Ohio, library media specialist at Columbus Public Schools and former director for integrated technology at the Ohio Department of Education, was recognized as the 2019 Presidential Award recipient in October 2019, at the OELMA [Ohio Educational Library Media Association] conference in Dublin, Ohio. The award is presented to an individual or group who has provided notable service and significant contributions to OELMA and school librarians.
Beth (Snode) Zbasnik, BA ’87, MA ’96, Minerva, Ohio, wrote: “I recently self-published a children’s book titled, Cooper: a fish, a flower shop, a funeral home and a happy ending. The concept was swirling around in my mind for about 15 years, then pen finally met paper. Based on a true story, it is available at the major booksellers. I am the assistant clinical coordinator in the Physician Assistant Studies Program at the University of Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio.”
Tony Trigilio, BA ’88, Chicago, wrote: “I was selected for Newcity magazine’s “Lit 50: Who Really Rocks Books in Chicago, 2019,” honoring the year’s top 50 literary figures in Chicago. Also, my latest book, Ghosts of the Upper Floor: The Complete Dark Shadows (of My Childhood), Book 3, was published this year by BlazeVOX Books.”
Todd Washburn, BS ’88, Dripping Springs, Texas, in November 2019 became the superintendent of schools in Dripping Springs Independent School District (ISD), a district with more than 7,200 students west of Austin, Texas. Previously, he had been the associate superintendent of curriculum and instruction at Eanes ISD since 2016. He received a master’s degree in educational administration and superintendent certificate from Southwest Texas State University in 2003. Over his 29 years in education, he also served as a teacher/coach, assistant principal and principal at both the middle school and high school levels, and the executive director of secondary curriculum in Leander ISD.
Jennifer (Loudiana) Hollinger, BGS ’89, MEd ’94, Massillon, Ohio, is the director of user support and classroom technology in Information Technology Services at Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio. She is also an adjunct instructor at Walsh in the DeVille School of Business, and she is on the planning team for and teaches the freshman orientation required course. Previously, she was the education and training specialist in Information Technology Services at Case Western Reserve University and a senior web coordinator in Information Technology at The University of Utah. She is married to Brian Hollinger, BA ’90.
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Spring/Summer 2020: 1990s
90
Lisa (Hicks) Dael, BA ’90, MLS ’91, Athens, Ohio, wrote: “In October 2019 I was promoted to assistant director of online and outreach programs for the Patton College of Education at Ohio University.”
Erica Maxwell, BSE ’93, MEd ’96, Chandler, Ariz., was hired as the Arizona Department of Education’s first-ever associate superintendent of equity, diversity and inclusion. In addition to her more than 25 years as a certified educator, she has supported at-risk youth and diverse student populations by cofounding the Arizona Multicultural Education Conference in 2011 and founding Club READ (Reading Experiences Appreciating Diversity), a free summer reading club for Chandler students in 2013. She received the East Valley NAACP Education Advocacy Award in 2015.
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Don Decker, BS ’94, Weston, Fla., was recently appointed city manager, chief executive officer of the City of Weston, Fla. He was previously the director of parks and recreation for the city and has worked for Weston since 2001.
Ryan Keating, BBA ’97, Westlake, Ohio, was named chief financial officer of Sea-Land Chemical Company.
Brandi Hephner LaBanc, MEd ’97, Hadley, Mass., was named the vice chancellor for student affairs and campus life at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She began her new duties in January 2020. Hephner LaBanc, who has more than two decades of experience in higher education, previously served as vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of Mississippi, since 2012—the first woman to hold that position in the university’s history. She has also been a professor of higher education since July 2019 and was associate professor of higher education from 2012-19.
Among her honors and special recognitions, Hephner LaBanc was inducted into the 2013 Hall of Fame by the College of Education, Health and Human Services at Kent State and has been recognized by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators as a Pillar of the Profession for 2020. At Ole Miss, she received the Lift Every Voice award, a highly regarded diversity and inclusion honor bestowed by colleague and student nominations.Kellea Tibbs, BA ’97, Frankfort, Ky., in February 2019 accepted a new position as the director for alumni relations at Kentucky State University in Frankfort, Ky. Previously, she was an assistant director for the OHIO Alumni Association at Ohio University for seven years.
Joseph Connell, MA ’98, Brooklyn, NY, has been promoted to deputy director of neighborhood contracts for the New York City Department of Housing Preservation
and Development.Mark Fink, AA ’97, BGS ’98, Ithaca, NY, director of teaching and learning with technology for Ithaca College, has joined ShapingEDU: Dreamers, Doers, and Drivers Shaping the Future of Learning in the Digital Age, hosted by Arizona State University’s Skysong Innovation Campus. The vision is for change-making individuals from a wide variety of learning-focused organizations across the world to collaborate on big ideas for transforming education. By deliberate design, ShapingEDU is action-oriented and believes the future is what we invent it to be. Dr. Fink leads one of the 10 actions and was appointed “mayor” to the neighborhood that is working to bolster intergenerational leadership for learning futures. While at Kent State, he was a counselor with the Academic Success Center, where cognitive and metacognitive strategies enabled student success.
Rebecca Lewis, BA ’98, Bryn Mawr, Penn., in summer 2019 studied lowland rain forest and montane cloud forests while investigating the biotic, physical and cultural forces that affect tropical biodiversity in Costa Rica. A lower school science teacher at Baldwin School, she is a graduate student in Miami University’s Global Field Program.
Micah Kraus, BA ’99, MA ’01, Akron, Ohio, gave an artist talk on Oct. 12, 2019, about the creative process and subject matter of the artwork in his exhibition A Reasonable Decline hosted by Akron Soul Train, an artist residency program fostering a more vibrant downtown Akron. The exhibition ran from Sept. 16 to Oct. 17, 2019. In his laser etchings on display, Kraus used local Akron imagery of decaying buildings, flaking signs and other general urban crustiness, burned through layers of ink and into paper, reducing beloved memories into abstracted representations.
Kelly Groomes-O’Donnell, BS ’99, Medina, Ohio, in summer 2019 studied lowland rain forest and montane cloud forests while investigating the biotic, physical and cultural forces that affect tropical biodiversity in Costa Rica. An 8th grade science teacher at Midview Local School District, she is a graduate student in Miami University’s Earth Expeditions.
Lisa Roberts, BS ’99, Mount Juliet, Tenn., is a comedy talent buyer at National Shows 2 (a concert promotion company, ) based in Nashville, Tenn. She programs comedy for a few exclusively booked NS2 venues and also books nationally touring comedians in theaters nationwide. She has been featured in Pollstar magazine with various comedians she has presented.
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Spring/Summer 2020: 2000s
2000
Robert Baldwin, BA ’00, DeLand, Fla., recently joined Shuffield Lowman law firm, working in the DeLand office as senior counsel in the area of estate planning. He has more than 15 years of experience at large, national law firms and received his JD from Ohio Northern University, where he completed a legal sabbatical at Oxford University. He is a licensed member of the Bar in Florida, Michigan and Washington, DC. Active in his community, Baldwin is a member of two local bands, and he and his wife regularly perform at the Athens Theatre in DeLand.
Jonathan Katz, BS ’00, Shaker Heights, Ohio, was named managing editor of Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary magazines by GIE Media, Valley View, Ohio, a marketing and communications business-to-business media company serving 17 industries. Most recently, Katz worked as a freelance writer and editor through his own firm, JSK Communications, LLC, providing business-to-business writing, editing and project management services for publishing and content marketing firms, as well as individual businesses.
Benjamin Lybarger, BA ’00, Brooklyn, Ohio, in summer 2019 studied avian and tropical ecology in the Amazon. A general manager at K9 Cleveland, he is a graduate student in Miami University’s Advanced Inquiry Program.
Matt Windt, BBA ’01, Front Royal, Va., was recently hired as the program manager of membership by the National Defense Information Sharing and Analysis Center, located in Washington, DC, where he will be working on national defense cyber security issues. While at Kent State, he participated in the Washington Program in National Issues (WPNI) from January to April 2000. He cofounded the Kent State Backpacking Club through KSU’s Department of Recreational Services in 1998.
Scott Maidman, BBA ’02, Mt. Lebanon, Pa., has been recognized on the 2019 Forbes “Top 250 Next-Generation Wealth Advisors” list. This is the second year that Maidman, senior vice president, wealth management advisor for Merrill Lynch, has made the list. He’s worked for Merrill Lynch since 2007, but his fascination with investing began as a teenager, when he became an avid reader of financially focused websites and created “mock” portfolios. He majored in finance at Kent State, where he also played hockey, and earned an MBA in corporate finance from Robert Morris University. Today he is a member of the Parents Athletic Council in Mt. Lebanon, Pa., where he lives with his wife and two children.
D’Andra Mull, BA ’02, Gainesville, Fla., was appointed vice president for student affairs at the University of Florida, starting in January 2020. Previously, she was associate vice president for student life and dean of students at The Ohio State University since 2017, and before that was assistant vice president for student life from 2012 to 2017. Dr. Mull says she draws inspiration for her long service in student life from her undergraduate mentors at Kent State, who showed her how educators can be agents of change in students’ lives and helped her bring what she learned in her classes into daily practice.
Kevin Necessary, (who attended KSU from 1997 to 2002), Cincinnati, illustrated the poster (left) for the 2019 Books by the Banks Cincinnati Regional Book Festival, an annual event that features national, regional and local authors and illustrators, held in downtown Cincinnati on Oct. 26, 2019. In August 2019, he was part of a team from WCPO-TV in Cincinnati that won an Ohio Valley Emmy for best Human Interest Program: “Living in the Shadows,” a comic-journalism immigration piece. He also is a syndicated editorial cartoonist through GoComics.com and the illustrator of a children’s book, My Best Friend Fiona (WCPO, 2017), written by Lucy May, about the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s spunky baby hippo, Fiona. Necessary resigned his full-time cartoonist position with WCPO in October 2019, in order to freelance. For more information, see .
N. Scott Robinson, MA ’02, PhD ’13, El Cajon, Calif., received his doctorate in musicology-ethnomusicology in 2013 and is now associate professor of music and chair of the music department at San Diego Mesa College in Calif.
Adam Kern, BFA ’03, Seattle, in summer 2019 co-created and directed Shadow of the Run, Chapter 1: Wanderlust, an immersive theatre production, based on the Cleveland Torso Murders, believed to have been committed by an unidentified serial killer active in Cleveland between 1935 and 1938. The audience followed the characters in and around historic buildings of downtown Bedford, Ohio, interacting with them and watching the action unfold up close and personal. Kern has been doing theatre professionally for the past 15 years, after earning an MFA from the then American Repertory Theatre/Moscow Art Theatre School Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University. For more information see .
Paul Marnecheck, BA ’03, North Royalton, Ohio, wrote: “In November 2019 I was elected to serve as council president for the City of North Royalton. I previously served for 10 years as the Ward 4 member of council.”
Liz Opsitnik, BS ’03, Arlington, Va., has been promoted to executive editor, consumer advice, at US News and World Report, where she oversees consumer-focused money, real estate, health and education content. With the company since 2011, she previously was managing editor, advice products, and deputy managing editor, autos.
Jennifer Ling Datchuk, BFA ’04, San Antonio, was one of 50 visionary artists awarded a prestigious 2020 United States Artist Fellowship of $50,000 of unrestricted funds. The annual awards recognize the most compelling artists working and living in the United States, in all disciplines, at every stage of their career. Datchuk, an assistant professor of ceramics at Texas State University, received the Emerging Voices award from the American Craft Council in 2017. She lives and maintains a studio practice in San Antonio, Texas. Learn more at .
Kristy (O’Hara) Glaspie, BS ’04, Kent, Wash., married Reggie Glaspie on April 14, 2018, in Sumner, Wash., and in true Pacific Northwest fashion, it rained the entire day. She is an editor and writer for World Vision’s magazine and digital stories site. Her husband works in recruiting for Weyerhaeuser. She once again lives in a city named Kent, although this time it’s in the state of Washington.
Joseph DiLullo, BA ’04, Shelby, Ohio, was inducted into InfoCision Management Corporation’s Hall of Fame, class of 2019.
John Pippin Jr., BBA ’04, Cleveland, and his wife, Shelley, are co-winners of the HomeGrown Heroes award in the Food and Beverage category, and were recognized with 11 additional winners at the second annual cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer HomeGrown Heroes Award Reception on Nov. 13, 2019, at SmARTspace at 78th in Cleveland. The couple started Brewnuts with a unique concept: donuts made with craft beers from local breweries.
Their Gordon Square shop—which is part donut shop, part bar with 16 beers on tap—opened in 2017 and has become wildly popular. HomeGrown Heroes celebrates the unsung heroes of the community who are working tirelessly on their start-ups, businesses, innovations and social organizations to fuel the economic development of the region.
Danielle Wiggins, BS ’04, MA ’09, Bedford, Ohio, multimedia journalist and speaker, served as chief of ceremonies at the inauguration of President Todd Diacon at KSU’s MAC Center on Nov. 1, 2019. In addition to her daily TV responsibilities as 3News morning traffic reporter at WKYC Studios in Cleveland, Wiggins also previously anchored the 4 a.m. half hour of the Go! morning show and was the co-creator, host and producer of the station’s “Rising” initiative, which told the stories of people in Northeast Ohio who have overcome obstacles to achieve success and are inspiring others to do the same.
In 2018, she won a regional Emmy Award and a Salute to Excellence Award from the National Association of Black Journalists for a “Rising” episode. Before joining 3News in 2013, she managed the production of “The Regina Brett Show” on 89.7 WKSU, an award-winning weekly, hour-long interview radio talk show. She also is executive producer of Vision Ideal Media, a company she started in 2006 to assist small business owners and/or nonprofit organizations in developing multimedia materials to connect with their target audience.
Amanda (Holzen) Horgan, BA ’05, Hawthorne, Calif., was crowned the 2019 Ms. Woman United States in Las Vegas on Aug. 2, 2019. She will be spending 2020 promoting her platform, “Fit With a Purpose,” which aims to create a dynamic community that encourages and inspires others to set their own health, fitness and service goals.
Dalia Colón, MAT ’05, Riverview, Fla., returned to WUSF [National Public Radio member station in the Tampa Bay area, owned by the University of South Florida] as producer of the Zest podcast. From 2010 to 2014, she covered health and features for WUSF. Before that, she was a staff reporter for the Tampa Bay Times and Cleveland Magazine. Her work has been recognized by the Suncoast Regional Emmys, Telly Awards, Florida Associated Press Broadcasters, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists and others. When she isn’t sipping mojitos in the name of podcast research, you can find her in one of her other roles—producer/cohost of WEDU Arts Plus and mom to Norah and Benji, who always have an appetite for fun.
Brian Michael Smith, BS ’05, New York, in June 2019 joined the cast of Showtime’s The L Word: Generation Q, a sequel to the acclaimed series that aired from 2004-2009. He will portray Pierce Williams, “a buttoned-up, fastidious, expert political strategist and a veteran of LA politics.” In September 2019 he joined the cast of Fox’s 9-1-1: Lone Star alongside Rob Lowe and Liv Tyler. As a series regular in 9-1-1’s Texas-set spinoff, Smith will portray a “transgender male firefighter with a gift for observation worthy of Sherlock Holmes”—making him the first black, transgender man to be featured as a series regular on a broadcast network television series. In February 2019, Smith appeared in Portland Center Stage at the Armory’s production of Cheryl Strayed’s Tiny Beautiful Things. In 2017 he debuted as Antoine “Toine” Wilkins in Ava Duvernay’s series Queen Sugar on OWN [Oprah Winfrey Network]. In addition to performance, Smith works in youth media literacy and community organizing at the LGBT Community Center in Manhattan, The Tribeca Film Institute and Wingspan Arts Program.
Erin Maroon, BS ’06, North Canton, Ohio, founded a nonprofit organization with her husband after the sudden, full-term stillbirth of their daughter, Ashlie, in October 2015. Ashlie’s Embrace provides comfort to grieving parents after stillbirth or early infant loss by increasing awareness of CuddleCots and making them available to parents through medical facilities. The cooling devices allow grieving parents the gift of time to hold, bathe or take photos with their baby. As of August 2019, the organization has placed 49 CuddleCots at hospitals in nine states with placements pending in five additional states. For more information see .
Jennifer McGlincy, BA ’06, Centennial, Colo., wrote: “I’ve published my first children’s picture book, Bubbles Can’t Hold Rain. Winner of the 2018 University of Denver Daniels College of Business Social Capital Award, the book is a transformative tale that explores isolation and the necessity that Wheezie Stevens feels to seek support beyond her comfort zone. Inspired by children diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, the story encourages all children to reach out for help when their bubbles feel too full. It was fully funded through a GoFundMe campaign that raised over $7,000 to produce 700 books for newly admitted patients at Children’s Hospital Colorado and Children’s Hospital Pittsburgh. We will continue to donate one copy of the book for every copy purchased. I am grateful for my education at Kent State where communication, creativity and business savvy were fostered and prepared me to produce something of which I am truly proud.” For more information see .
Katie Miller, BSE ’06, MEd ’08, London, Ohio, in July 2019 assumed high school counselor duties at London City Schools after a seven-year stint in the same position at Urbana City Schools.
Bradley Proudfoot, BA ’06, Wadsworth, Ohio, has been named the Reader’s Choice “Best of the Best” attorney in Medina County by the Medina Gazette. Based in the Medina office of Critchfield, Critchfield & Johnston, Ltd., Proudfoot is an associate in the Litigation Department, as well as a member of the labor and employment and construction law practice groups. He serves on a number of community boards, including the Wadsworth Public Library Foundation and the Wadsworth Lions Club, and also sits on the City of Wadsworth’s Board of Nuisance Abatement and is a member of the Wadsworth Area Chamber of Commerce. As a member of the Medina County Bar Association, he currently holds the positions of president-elect, chair of the Law Day Scholarship committee, and is also a member of the character and fitness review committee.
Russell Toomey, MA ’06, Tucson, Ariz., received a “40 under 40” award from the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in recognition for his leadership and commitment to southern Arizona. He is an associate professor at the University of Arizona, and his research focuses on positive youth development and identity development of Latinx and LGBTQ youth. Toomey’s research has been cited nearly 3,500 times, and is widely mentioned in the media, in policy decisions and in legal cases. He also volunteers for several LGBTQ youth-focused organizations both locally and nationally. He is the chair of the Society for Research on Adolescence’s inclusion, equity and social justice committee. According to his nominator, Toomey is “an exceptional mentor to his students,” and “creates a learning environment and a research environment where students feel supported, challenged and capable of accomplishing their goals.”
Amber Walden, BS ’06, BS ’11, Mentor, Ohio, in summer 2019 studied the forces of evolutionary, geologic and social change and contributed to sustainable solutions for an archipelago in Galápagos. An interpretive naturalist at Lake Metroparks-Penitentiary Glen Nature Center, she is a graduate student in Miami University’s Advanced Inquiry Program.
April Bleakney, BFA ’08, Cleveland, a printmaker, was one of 16 artists (out of a pool of 78 applicants) who received a 2020 Artist-in-Residence award from Akron Soul Train (AST). AST is an artist-in-residence program connecting and empowering the community and artists by granting fellowships that provide resources for all creative disciplines and include a community engagement component.
Kimberly Miller, BA ’09, Akron, Ohio, joined Richardson Design as senior interior designer. Previously, she worked as a senior interior designer at Louis & Partners. Richardson Design, based in Cleveland, serves a global client base in the hospitality, retail, entertainment and leisure markets. Miller also is an advocacy coordinator for the IIDA (International Interior Design Association), Cleveland/Akron chapter.
Andrew Rihn, BA ’09, Canton, Ohio, released his first full-length collection of poetry, Revelation: An Apocalypse in Fifty-Eight Fights (Press 53, 2019). The book responds to the professional fights of Mike Tyson in 100-word prose poems. The voice of an Old Testament prophet shines through the fight commentary and relates Tyson to a modern-day Elijah—climbing the mountain to do battle, and climbing back down to a world of depression, anxiety and alienating silence.
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Spring/Summer 2020: 2010s
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Zachery Fry, BA ’10, Huntsville, Ala., published A Republic in the Ranks: Loyalty and Dissent in the Army of the Potomac (University of North Carolina Press, April 2020). The book—a comprehensive reassessment of the army’s politics during the Civil War, showing how enlisted men developed political awareness that went beyond personal loyalties and laid the groundwork for Lincoln’s victory in 1864—was awarded the 2018 Edward M. Coffman First Manuscript Prize by the Society for Military History. He also received the 2019 John T. Hubbell Prize for the best article published during 2018 in Civil War History, a quarterly publication of The Kent State University Press. Fry is an assistant professor of military history at US Army Command and General Staff College, Huntsville, Ala.
Ashleigh Nugent, PhD ’10, Steinhausen, Canton of Zug, Switzerland, has been appointed the director of global medical communications for PTC Therapeutics, Inc. in Zug, Switzerland.
Edward Nakhle, MArc ’11, Detroit, has joined the Detroit office of Quinn Evans as a senior designer. Nakhle holds a master of architecture and urban design from Kent State (2011), a master of architecture and a bachelor of science in architecture from Lawrence Technological University (2011, 2009), and a bachelor of applied science with a concentration in civil and structural engineering from the University of Windsor (2005).
Nathan Yaussy, MA ’13, Burton, Ohio, [pictured above, right] won a $25,000 National Milken Educator Award from the Milken Family Foundation on Nov. 8, 2019. The nation’s preeminent teacher recognition program, the Milken Educator Awards are hailed as the “Oscars of Teaching” by Teacher magazine. Yaussy is a ninth and tenth grade biology and life science teacher at Fairport Harding Early College High School in Fairport Harbor, Ohio. One of 40 educators across the country selected to receive the award, he is the sole Ohio recipient this season and the first from the district.
“Nathan makes learning tangible and exciting, both in and out of the classroom,” said National Institute for Excellence in Teaching CEO Candice McQueen, who presented the award. “With every lesson, students develop critical skills to think deeply and make the world a better place. As part of the National Milken Educator Network of Excellence, [he] will have a platform to broaden his impact and influence.”
When Troy Aleman, BBA ’12, married Tracy Arenson, BA ’07, Lakewood, Ohio, on Nov. 16, 2019, in Cleveland at Windows on the River, their wedding party was very “blue & gold.” “Out of 23 people total in our wedding party (including Troy and me), 11 of us were KSU grads. Pretty neat!,” notes Tracy. The couple met at WRL, a Canton advertising/marketing agency where Tracy is senior art director; Troy interned there during his senior year at Kent State and was hired as an account executive after graduation. Pictured (left to right): Oliver Harper, BS ’12, MS ’13; Lisa (Vavrik) Rowan, BS ’07; Holly Mueller, BS ’07; Gabe Bregon, BBA ’12; Troy Aleman; Tracy Arenson; Jake Gregory, BBA ’12; Michelle (Lallo) Elrod, BS ’07; Pat Tanski, BS ’13; Barb (Ditzel) Ginley, BSN ’07; Hunter Aleman, BBA ’12
Rob Young, BA ’12, BA ’14, and Ana Young, BS ’14, Fairview Park, Ohio, own and manage Big Bear Remodeling in Rocky River, Ohio, which was recognized as one of the top 50 remodeling companies in the United States by Remodeling Magazine in September 2019 at the Remodelers Summit and Awards Gala in Orlando, Fla. The small design/build firm specializes in kitchens, bathrooms and additions in Northeast Ohio, and has doubled in size twice in the last four years, with an employee-based business model. In addition to remodeling, Big Bear is state licensed in electric and plumbing, and it has an inhouse architect and designer. The remodeling company also has won multiple awards from Houzz and Home Advisor for service.
Matt Lilley, BA ’13, Kent, Ohio, has been hired as regional sales manager by Lippert Components Inc. in Elkhart, Ind. In his new role, he will work within the West Coast region to establish aftermarket partnerships and to support the company’s aftermarket growth efforts for RV products.
Michael Daugherty, BS ’14, Frederick, Md., has spent the last six years sharpening his skills as a logistics and supply chain expert. After working as an operations manager and robotics SME [Small and Medium-sized Enterprises] for Amazon.com, he has since moved to Washington, DC, to serve as a naval operations management analyst, consulting for the US Navy, specializing in unmanned submarine technology development and implementation. He is currently employed at Booz Allen Hamilton, one of the nation’s top defense consulting firms, and has offices in Washington, DC, and the Washington Navy Yard.
Scott Goss, MFA ’14, Shaker Heights, Ohio, an interactive installation artist, was one of 16 artists (out of a pool of 78 applicants) who received a 2020 Artist-in-Residence award from Akron Soul Train (AST). AST is an artist-in-residence program connecting and empowering the community and artists by granting fellowships that provide resources for all creative disciplines and include a community engagement component.
Hannah Summerville-Miller, BA ’15, married Max Miller, BSE ’15, Avon Lake, Ohio, on Aug. 17, 2019, in Vermilion, Ohio. They met their senior year at Kent State, and many other Golden Flashes were in attendance, as well.
Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine (formerly Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine) graduates reunited at FASMA (Foot & Ankle Specialists of the Mid-Atlantic) physicians weekend in Wintergreen, Va. Andrew Liss, DPM ’76, serves Columbia and Kensington, Md.; Maryellen Waltz, DPM ’11, provides podiatric care to Culpeper, Fishersville and Orange, Va.; Jennifer Bell, DPM ’07, serves the community of Frederick and Mt. Airy, Md.; Casey Friske, DPM ’10, provides complete podiatric care in Clarksville, Md.; Mitchell Waskin, DPM ’83, serves the Richmond, Va. area; Eric Masternick, DPM ’02, works in Reston, Va., providing the community with podiatric services. FASMA, one of the largest groups of podiatrists in the United States, has recently partnered with NMS Capital of New York to fund growth. Pictured left to right: Dr. Andrew Liss, Dr. Maryellen Waltz, Dr. Jennifer Bell, Dr. Casey Friske, Dr. Mitchell Waskin; Dr. Eric Masternick. Not pictured: Devin Grant, DPM ’12.
Jenelle (“Jen”) Alverson, BFA ’15, Cincinnati, joined the Taft Museum of Art in Cincinnati as assistant preparator and collections technician on Sept. 12, 2019. Previously, she was a senior exhibition technician at the Akron Museum of Art and, earlier, exhibition technician at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Cleveland.
Adam Hazy, BA ’15, Ashtabula, Ohio, is the new marketing coordinator of the Ashtabula County District Library, as of Sept. 4, 2019. Previously, he was marketing coordinator at Andover Bank in Andover.
Chelsea Kennedy, BS ’16, MPH ’18, and Andrew Grega, BS ’15, Norton, Ohio, were married in Cleveland on Sept. 1, 2019, with 11 KSU alumni in the wedding party, in addition to the couple. “We made lifelong friends at KSU,” notes Chelsea. “We participated in fraternity and sorority life; Andrew is a Kappa Sigma and I am a Chi Omega. We met when Andrew was the “House Boy” (dishwasher) in my sorority house. Andrew used his training from the College of Aeronautics and Engineering to become a commercial airline pilot. I work as a project coordinator at Kent State University in the College of Public Health. We took our parents to New York City in November 2018 to see the Christmas festivities. While ice skating around the Rockefeller Christmas Tree, Andrew cleared the ice and proposed in front of not only our parents but thousands of strangers. It was like a scene out of a movie! We will never forget that moment.” Pictured (left to right): Kata Bjelopera, BS ’16, Wickliffe, Ohio; Chelsea (Natcher) Reaser, BBA ’16, Ravenna, Ohio; Molly Phelps, BS ’16, Stow, Ohio; Amanda Bevington, BA ’16, Logan, Utah; Melissa Boswell, University of Akron, ’15; Lindsey Mace, BA ’15, North Canton, Ohio; Chelsea Kennedy; Andrew Grega; DJ Ehrmantrout, BS ’16, Wooster, Ohio; Joe Spinhirny, BS ’15, Aurora, Ohio; Domenic Cicchinelli, BA ’16, Glenshaw, Pa.; Weston Sisson, BBA ’17, Warren, Ohio; TJ Ewing, BS ’16, Chagrin Falls, Ohio; and Collin Czehut, BA ’16, MEd ’18, Chesterland, Ohio
Eric Snitil, BS ’16, Rochester, NY, was named new chief meteorologist at WROC-TV Channel 8 in Rochester, NY, in August 2019. Previously, he was a meteorologist at NBS affiliate WSFA 12 News, Montgomery, Ala., for 8 years. (He completed his degree at Kent State by taking the one class he had left online.) At KSU, he served as weather director for TV2 and was recognized as “Best Student Weathercaster” by the Broadcast Education Association.
Betsy Brannen, MLIS ’17, Walkersville, Md., was recently promoted to children’s services supervisor of the Urbana Regional Library with the Frederick County Public Library System located in Frederick, Md. Previously, she was a children’s services supervisor at the Walkersville Branch (2018-2010) and a library specialist at the Middletown Branch (2016-2018).
Damien McClendon, BA ’16, Cleveland, was one of 16 artists (out of a pool of 78 applicants) who received a 2020 Artist-in-Residence award from Akron Soul Train (AST). AST is an artist-in-residence program connecting and empowering the community and artists by granting fellowships that provide resources for all creative disciplines and include a community engagement component. McClendon was featured at an Open Mic event at the Akron Soul Train gallery in Akron, Ohio, on Feb. 22, 2020.
In 2020 he is writing and revising poems that examine racism, poverty, masculinity and fatherhood and is teaming up with Vibe Collective to offer a professional development writing workshop with prompts such as: childhood, parenthood, family or chosen family.
McClendon, who majored in Pan-African studies at Kent State, was a semi-finalist in three consecutive National Poetry Slams and placed 7th in the World Slam.
He was Cleveland Heights Poet Laureate from 2018 to 2020.
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