ODU Insider—August 2021

Greetings, Alumni!

The 2021-22 academic year is off to a wonderful start at Ohio Dominican University! With students back on campus attending in-person classes, there is a palpable energy at 1216 Sunbury Road. Our campus community is primed for an exciting year under the leadership of ODU’s 17^th President, Connie Gallaher.

Despite ongoing challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ODU community is rallying together to support one another and to help ensure we enjoy a safe and productive year. It is our hope that we will have a number of on-campus events this fall with our athletic teams back in full force, as well as other exciting events to bring us all together safely.

I want to personally thank you for being so supportive as we welcome students back to campus and help to prepare them to lead successful and rewarding lives. It truly does “take a village” to raise a child and our alumni and friends are a major part of making this happen.

Please continue to be safe. We will keep you in our prayers and we ask that you please do the same for the ODU community.

God Bless,

Christie Flood Weiner ’90
Associate Vice President for Advancement and Director of Alumni Relations

News

Dr. Tiffany McKillip Franks ’86 was appointed as a new board member for Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, VA in August 2021.

Nancy Collander ’93 was awarded first place in the Westerville Public Library “Celebrate the Arts Writing Contest” for her story, “Foul Watch” in May 2021.

Achea Redd ’02 was the Keynote Speaker for Ohio Dominican University’s Convocation on August 19, 2021.

Derek Longmeier ‘11 (MBA) was elected as an Affiliate Seat the National Council on Problem Gambling Board of Directors in May 2021.

In Memoriam

Ann DeCain Blackham ’49, July 25, 2021

Barbara Stark Herlihy ’52, July 10, 2021

Patricia Guenther Nold ’53, August 4, 2021

Ann Magers McGlinn ’54, August 8, 2021

Catherine Streb Rafalowski ’54, July 11, 2021

Marilyn Obermeyer Walsh ’54, August 13, 2021

Sr. Raymunda Brooks, OP ’56, August 12, 2021

Mary Mackin Bourke ’64, July 27, 2021

Janice Holtschulte ’69, July 29, 2021

Wilbert D. Neal ’81, May 10, 2021

Kathleen Durning ’82, July 10, 2021

Verlla Graham ‘85, August 2, 2021

Douglas H. Sebastian ’90, July 4, 2021

Dudley (Tri) Hadden, III ’12 (MED), July 11, 2021

Antwan L. Steward ‘14, August 2, 2021

Joseph L. Garland (Non-Grad), July 20, 2021

Joshua L. Laston (Non-Grad), June 21, 2021

Gloria Jean Jackson, Sister of Gilda Jackson ’75, August 1, 2021

Ohio Dominican Awards Honorary Degrees to Ohio’s Governor and First Lady
In recognition of their leadership throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, ODU awarded Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine with honorary degrees at a ceremony on Monday, Aug. 16. The ceremony, “A Celebration of Healthcare,” coincided with an event to celebrate and welcome ODU’s 10^th class of 50 Physician Assistant Studies master’s students, who have begun the 27-month program. During the event, ODU President Connie Gallaher presented the DeWine’s each with a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa. Click here to read more, view photos and watch the full event.

Achea Redd ’02 Returns to ODU to Deliver Convocation Keynote Address
Ohio Dominican held its annual Welcome Celebration on Thursday, Aug. 19 to help kick off a new academic year. The celebration started with Convocation, which featured a beautiful keynote address by author, mental health advocate and social justice activist Achea Redd ’02. Thank you to Achea and the entire Redd family for joining us for this special celebration. Click here to view photos from Convocation and to watch Achea’s address.

ODU to Host Preview Days on Sept. 18 & Nov. 13
Ohio Dominican will host Preview Days from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 18 and Saturday, Nov. 13 in the Bishop James A. Griffin Student Center. Attendees are invited to attend in person or virtually. During Preview Day, students can take a tour of campus, explore available majors, discuss financial aid options, learn about student clubs and honors programs, and meet with professors and current students. Interested high school students and their families can register for the free event by clicking here.

Center for Dominican Studies Announces 2021 Fall Lecture Series
ODU’s Center for Dominican Studies will present a series of lectures this fall that focuses on the university’s academic theme for the 2021-22 academic year: The Common Good. The series will feature five lectures, each presented by an ODU faculty or staff member. The presentations are open to the public and they will take place from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the Colonial Room. Click here to read more.

Wehrle Gallery Announces 2021-22 Art Exhibition Schedule
Ohio Dominican’s Wehrle Gallery has released its exhibition schedule for the 2021-22 academic year. This year’s schedule features work by Char Norman, Helen Hoffelt, Eliana Calle-Saari, ODU students, and more! Click here to view the full exhibition schedule. The Wehrle Gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free.

PR Students Win PRism Award from the Central Ohio PRSA Chapter
A team of four ODU Public Relations and Marketing Communications students / new alumni has received a PRism Award from the Central Ohio PRSA chapter for their “All Together Human Project.” PRism Awards are designed to honor exceptional public relations activities from a diverse mix of businesses, industries and backgrounds throughout Central Ohio. In February, the team took top honors in the McCain Institute for International Leadership and EdVenture Partners' (EVP) “Invent2Prevent” national competition.

ODU Announces New Certificate in Data Science
Ohio Dominican has launched a new professional certificate program in Data Science. ODU’s program will prepare students for careers in industries such as banking, insurance and retail, which use data to drive business intelligence and decision-making. The field of data science is currently experiencing a workforce shortage and talent gap due to significant growth. Students can complete the five-course, 15-credit program in under a year and may choose to take courses 100% online or in a hybrid format, giving them the ability to complete their certificate around their schedule. Traditional undergraduate students majoring in a business- or STEM-related field also can pursue the certificate to enhance their bachelor’s degree. Click here to read more.

Announcing The Sharon L. Reed Endowed Scholarship Fund
The Sharon L. Reed Endowed Scholarship Fund has been created to honor Sharon Reed, who recently retired after having served the university for 20 years, most recently as vice president for Student Develop and Dean of Student Life. Sharon will determine the criteria for the scholarship. We congratulate Sharon on her retirement and thank her for being a passionate advocate for students and campus life at ODU. If you would like to make a gift to support this scholarship fund, you may make a gift online by clicking here. Simply select “Other” under the “Direct my gift to” field and type “Reed Scholarship.” You also may make a gift via check to “Ohio Dominican University” and include “Reed Scholarship” in the memo field. Checks can be delivered to the Advancement Office, which is located in Erskine Hall, suite 105, or dropped off in mailbox 3 in the mailroom. Please contact Christie Flood Weiner ’90 with any questions at weinerc@ohiodominican.edu or 614-253-3502.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs is Now the Office of Diversity & Social Justice
Since 2007, the Office of Multicultural Affairs has proudly served as a resource to support and celebrate the many different cultures and backgrounds of those who make up ODU’s vibrant campus community. In an effort to help ensure the office continues to evolve to meet the needs of today’s students and to more appropriately describe its role on campus, the Leadership Team has approved renaming this valuable campus resource as the Office of Diversity & Social Justice. This new name utilizes language that is commonly used in current conversation, which is fundamental in maintaining an inclusive campus environment. It also better aligns with ODU’s mission statement and the Dominican tradition. If you haven’t visited the office lately, you are welcome to stop by the Griffin Student Center, suite 215B to learn more about some of the exciting things planned for the 2021-22 academic year through the Office of Diversity & Social Justice.

Your Support of ODU Makes an Impact!
A friendly reminder that ODU’s Fiscal Year runs from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022. We are so grateful for the generous support of our many donors. With ongoing challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic and its financial impact on our students, your support is more important now than ever before. We hope that you will consider making a gift (no gift is too small) to help support our students. Click here to make a gift now. If you have any questions about making a gift, or you are considering a bequest for ODU, please contact Christie Flood Weiner ’90 at weinerc@ohiodominican.edu or 614-253-3502. Thank you!

ODU received wide coverage on Aug. 16 following its ceremony to present honorary degrees to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine. The event was covered by NBC4, ABC6, Spectrum News, WTVN, and The Columbus Dispatch.

Connie Gallaher, President, was profiled in an article published in the Aug. 13 edition of Columbus Business First. Click here to view the article.

Evan Ernst ’20 was named a 2020-21 Academic All-America Team Member of the Year by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Click here to read more.

Monica Martin, Marketing and Public Relations, developed a design that is featured on Hopkins Printing's quarterly calendar and notepad, which are distributed to their various clients. Each quarter, Hopkins asks a local designer with whom they work to submit multiple designs for these pieces, and then employees select the design they like best. The concept they selected is based on the “Dog Days of Summer.”

Martin Brick, Ph.D., English, presented a paper, “Clarissa Dalloway: Performing Altruism or Altruism as Performance,” at the 30th Annual Conference of the International Virginia Woolf Society. The University of South Dakota hosted the virtual conference June 10-13. 

Amy Spencer, Academic Resource Center, presented “Online Reading Strategies - Not so Different After All” on June 17 at the Ohio College Learning Center Association’s annual conference.

Maj. Gen. Dennis Laich (Ret.), PATRIOTS Program, served as a feature speaker at the Ohio Democratic Party Veterans and Military Communities Caucus on Aug. 7.  Congressman Tim Ryan, who is running for the Senate, also spoke during the event.

Martin Brick, Ph.D., English, attended a seminar, “Deliberation and Debate: Advancing Civil Discourse through First-Year Courses,” from July 25-28 in Washington, D.C. The seminar was hosted by the Council of Independent Colleges and aimed to provide instructors of first-year college students with pedagogical training in fostering productive and non-divisive argumentation in the classroom.    

Valerie Matthews, Ph.D., Biopsychology, Anjel Stough-Hunter, Ph.D., Sociology, and John Marazita, Ph.D., Psychology, had a paper, “Attitudes Towards Social Distancing in Response to COVID-19,” published in a recent edition of the Public Health Nursing journal. Click here to read the article.

Julie Hart, Ph.D., Sociology and Peace & Justice, had an article, “My students can handle critical race theory,” published in the August edition of Anabaptist World. Click here to view the article.

October 16 – 1980s Reunion Gathering with Special Celebrations for 1981 & 1986
Details are under way to celebrate the Classes of 1980-1989 on Saturday, October 16, starting at 10 a.m. The Class of 1981 will celebrate their 40^th reunion and the Class of 1986 will celebrate their 35^th reunion! Plans are to have a pre-tailgate on campus before the noon football game against the University of Findlay; an on-campus picnic following the game; and an after party at Old Bag of Nails (formerly the Broad-Nel). Please contact Christie Flood Weiner ’90 with any questions at weinerc@ohiodominican.edu or 614-253-3502. For the Class of 1986, representatives are Julie Siler Prater (gigipr8r@gmail.com) and Jackie Zuber Jenkins (jacqueline012164@yahoo.com). Click here to register for the 1980s Reunion Gathering.

October 22-23 – Homecoming
Please save the date for the weekend of October 22 & 23 for Homecoming as the ODU football team takes on Walsh University at noon on Saturday, October 23! Keep an eye out for additional information that will be sent to you in the coming weeks. We look forward to welcoming you back home!

November 6 – Veterans Appreciation Day
ODU will celebrate its veterans with a free tailgate party and celebration on Saturday, November 6, prior to the ODU football team’s noon matchup against Lake Erie College. More details to follow!