ODU Insider—May 2021

Greetings, Alumni!

I hope you and your family are doing well, and you’ve been able to enjoy some of the beautiful weather we’ve seen recently.

It has been a simply wonderful month at Ohio Dominican! We celebrated ODU’s 113^th Commencement on Saturday, May 8 – which also happened to be our first ceremony inside Panther Stadium. We were blessed with a beautiful day to celebrate more than 200 new alumni. ODU Professor of Political Science Dr. Ron Carstens delivered this year’s keynote address. His remarks, which focused on faith, hope and love, proved to be even more meaningful due to the challenges we’ve all faced over the past year.

With just over six weeks to go until the end of the 2020-2021 Fiscal Year (July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021), I hope and pray that you will join me and many others in supporting Ohio Dominican by making a secure gift online by clicking here. Our students need your support more than ever, and the Annual Fund is a great way to show it. No gift is too small. Together, we can make a great impact.

Read more about campus news and events in this month’s ODU Insider.

If you have time over the summer, please stop and visit campus. We would love to have an opportunity to catch up with you and meet your family. We have much to be proud of!

God Bless,

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

Ohio Dominican Hosts 113^th Commencement
Ohio Dominican held its 113^th Commencement ceremony at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 8, with both graduates and guests in attendance. To help ensure the health and safety of all participants due to the COVID-19 health crisis, the ceremony took place outside in Panther Stadium. ODU Professor of Political Science Ronald Carstens, Ph.D. delivered the keynote address to more than 200 graduates as well as faculty, staff, alumni, family and friends. Click here to view a complete list of Spring 2021 graduates, here to view photos from the ceremony, and here to view a recording of the ceremony and Baccalaureate Mass.

Ohio Dominican Names 335 Students to Spring Semester Dean’s List
ODU has named 335 students to its 2021 spring semester Dean’s List. In order to make the Dean’s List, full-time undergraduate students must have achieved a 3.5 GPA or better after taking a minimum of 12 credit hours. Click here to view a list of students who were named to the Dean’s List.

Students, Faculty and Staff Recognized at ODU’s Annual Celebrating Academic and Leadership Awards
Students, faculty and staff were recognized for their outstanding academic achievement and contributions during the university’s annual Celebrating Academic and Leadership Awards Ceremony, which took place in the Sr. Mary Andrew Matesich, OP Theatre on April 26. Click here to view a list of individuals and organizations that were recognized during the ceremony.

From the Halls of Wehrle: 2021 Senior Show
We hope you will stop by Wehrle Hall to see some of the creative works completed by our graduated Art, Art Education and Graphic Design students for this year’s 2021 Senior Show. The exhibit runs through June 22 in Wehrle Hall and features the work of new graduates Iula Anderson, Jonathan Dill, Allison Fathbruckner, Cori Ladanyi, Layla Leutweyler, Nayana Raymore and Andrew Wilson.

Support ODU’s New Pandemic Memorial Fund
We want to offer a sincere thank you to Tom Fitzpatrick, Class of 1969, for his generous gift of $25,000 recently to create the “Pandemic Memorial Fund” in memory of classmate, PJ Connor and wife, Lois, who passed away in January several hours apart from COVID-19. PJ was the 1969 class president. This special fund, which honors all who have been impacted by COVID-19 as well as frontline workers, will be used to support ODU students who have financial need. Tom hopes his classmates and other alumni and friends will make a gift to support the fund. To make a gift to the Pandemic Memorial Fund, click here and indicate that your gift is for the “Pandemic Memorial Fund.” Thank you for your support.

Five Highlights from the Career Development Center at ODU
Ohio Dominican’s Career Development Center has been busy this spring. Below are five major highlights, news items and upcoming events they would like to share with you. 

• Virtual Alumni Only Career Fair (June 9-10) – Click here to register.
• Summer 2021 LinkedIn Learning: Career-Ready Project – Join us for a special four-week program from July 12 to August 6. This customized LinkedIn Learning program includes weekly virtual career coaching, free LinkedIn learning modules and digital badges. Click here to register.
• Follow us on Social Media – Be sure to “like” us on Facebook @OhioDominicanCareer and “follow” us on Instagram @ODUCareer.
• Create a Handshake Account – If you graduated between fall 2019 to the present, you have a Handshake account. Simply email careercenter@ohiodominican.edu to get started. If you graduated before the fall 2019 semester, you can create an alumni account by clicking here. Handshake is the #1 online career community for college students and alumni, and has more than 6,000 jobs posted across the country. Alumni also can view recorded career workshops, make a virtual appointment with ODU’s Career Development Center staff, and search and apply for jobs.   
• Connect with Career Development Center Staff on LinkedIn – Staff in ODU’s Career Development Center regularly share career opportunities, professional tips and resources, so be sure to connect with either Jessica Hall or Paul Newell on LinkedIn.

The Career Development Center proudly serves all ODU students and alumni in every stage of their career development journey. We also value our partnership with alumni who are able to support current ODU students with 1) career coaching, 2) recruiting our students, 3) classroom information session, and 4) attending on-campus career events. If you would like to get more involved in supporting our current students, please email careercenter@ohiodominican.edu

ODU’s Drive-Thru Instant Admission Events were highlighted in an article published recently on April 29 on Higher Ed Dive. The article discusses the Office of Admission’s creative approach in finding new and creative ways to connect and engage with prospective students. Click here to read the article.

Janette Knowles, Ph.D., Art, was mentioned on WKYC in Cleveland on April 30 regarding her work using Neolithic methods to process nettles as part of the Rustbelt Fibershed “One Year One Outfit.”

Janette Knowles, Ph.D., Art, had a hand-dyed and woven linen piece, “Portable Svalbard Altarpiece,” accepted into the highly competitive 34th annual “Celebrating Women’s Work” exhibition at the Old Courthouse Art Center in Woodstock, Illinois.

Pat Tiberi, ODU Board of Trustees, wrote a guest column that was published in the May 4 edition of The Columbus Dispatch. The column, “Opinion: Ohio and its Economy better for ‘Impossible Decisions’ Mike DeWine Made During Pandemic,” can be accessed here.

ODU’s Spring Commencement was previewed on 10TV’s Wake Up CBUS on Friday, May 7. Video from commencement also was featured on 10TV’s 11 p.m. newscast on May 8 as well as its morning newscast on May 9.

Blake Mathys, Ph.D., Environmental Science, discussed his Central Ohio Owl Project at a Benjamin Logan Environmental Science Club meeting on May 5 at the Kirkmont Center in Zanesfield. The event was covered by WPKO 98.3 FM. Click here for more information.

The grand opening of Central Ohio Primary Care’s new Care Forward Center in Peace Hall was mentioned in the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio’s weekly newsletter on May 7.

Advancement Office Presents Free Estate Planning Webinar on June 9
In collaboration with Nancy Recchie, ’73, we have developed an “Introduction to Estate Planning Webinar” and Power Point presentation to share with you on Wednesday, June 9, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. This free virtual webinar provides a basic overview for estate planning and how you can help plan personally for your loved ones and any charitable organizations that you decide to include as part of your planning, including ODU. Nancy is a former ODU Trustee and she and her husband, Jeff, have endowed a scholarship at ODU and have already stated their intent for a bequest. Nancy is a testimony of why and how the current and future support of ODU is so important to her. Their son, James, also is a proud graduate of Ohio Dominican. If you have any questions or to register, please contact Christie Flood Weiner ’90 at weinerc@ohiodominican.edu or via text to 740-817-0218 with your name as well as the name of any guests, and which session you would like to attend. You are welcome to invite anyone you feel would be interested.

1216 Magazine Follow-Up
You should have recently received the new issue of 1216 Magazine in the mail. If you have not received a copy or would like to share feedback, please contact Christie Flood-Weiner by clicking here.

Panthers Helping Panthers
We wanted provide a quick reminder that ODU’s 2020-2021 Fiscal Year runs through June 30. Your gift, no matter the size, is more important today than ever before. The ODU Community is grateful to all who have made a statement already with their support. These have been difficult times for many and, as a result, many within our ODU family need your support. We hope you will please complete and return the pledge card you received in the most recent edition of 1216 Magazine, or you can make a gift online by clicking here. Thank you for your support.

Donate to the Campus Cupboard
In response to a rising concern of student hunger on college campuses across the country, Ohio Dominican created the Campus Cupboard to ensure no Panthers go hungry by giving them access to a wide range of food items. Please consider supporting this initiative by donating the following unexpired food items: Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice, Pasta Roni, cans of chicken, jars of peanut butter, jars of jelly, cans of tuna, jars of mayonnaise, Tuna Helper, boxes of bags of pasta, jars of pasta sauce, cans of parmesan cheese, and any variety of Knorr pasta and rice package. All donations can be dropped off at the Career Development Center, located in suite 101 in Erskine Hall, on Wednesdays and Thursdays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. You can support the cupboard with a monetary donation by sending a check to the university, made payable to “Ohio Dominican University” and adding “Campus Cupboard Program” to the memo line. Thank you for your support.

Make a Gift Tax-Free With An IRA: A Tax-Saving Way to Help Ohio Dominican!
Make a difference today and save on taxes. It’s possible when you support Ohio Dominican University through your IRA. This is a special opportunity for Those 70½ years old and older. You can give any amount (up to a maximum of $100,000) per year from your IRA directly to a qualified charity such as Ohio Dominican University without having to pay income taxes on the money. Gifts of any value $100,000 or less are eligible for this benefit and you can feel good knowing that you are making a difference at ODU. This popular gift option is commonly called the IRA charitable rollover, but you may also see it referred to as a qualified charitable distribution, or QCD for short.

Why Consider This Gift?

• Your gift will be put to use today, allowing you to see the difference your donation is making.
• Beginning in the year you turn 72, you can use your gift to satisfy all or part of your required minimum distribution (RMD).
• You pay no income taxes on the gift. The transfer generates neither taxable income nor a tax deduction, so you benefit even if you do not itemize your deductions.
• Since the gift doesn’t count as income, it can reduce your annual income level. This may help lower your Medicare premiums and decrease the amount of Social Security that is subject to tax.

In Memoriam

Julia Albers Brown ’56, May 12, 2021

Jacqueline (Jackie) Sweeney Gundling ’56, May 14, 2021

Sr. Janice McLaughlin, MM ’64, March 7, 2021

Carmen D. Dandridge ’93, April 14, 2021

Otto Beatty ’13 (Honorary Degree), May 14, 2021

Paul D. Hill, III ’20, April 12, 2021

More information will be coming soon about upcoming events. Due to COVID-19 and restrictions, we have had to reevaluate our programming and planning. Stay tuned for details. In the meantime, if you have any suggestions about possible events, please do not hesitate to reach out and share. Thank you for your patience!