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Every Film is a Startup winning team of Benicio Calo, Andrew Cirincione, and Nathan Bauer p.11
Keeping Up With CL AS S pp. 2 & 3
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CL ASS Scholars pp. 4 & 5
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P h i l a n t h r o p y p p . 9 – 11
Cleveland State University College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Letter from the Dean We continue to face challenges, given the global pandemic, but most of us have adapted pretty well. While counting off the list of things we need to take as we go out the door, we’ve added “my mask.” I see very few people not wearing a mask and nearly everyone is wearing it correctly. This practice has helped to keep us all safe so it’s a valuable sacrifice we are making. Most of our classes are occurring live and I keep hearing how happy people are to be back in the classroom. The majority of our meetings are also happening face to face and this too has been a refreshing change. Happily, Zoom remains an excellent option and works exceptionally well in some quarters. For example, some faculty have been able to “bring” experts to their students via Zoom, mainly because some speakers become affordable when travel and accommodation expenses not needed. Zoom lectures/presentations have allowed us to afford some experts we might otherwise not have had access to. The work of CSU 2.0 continues apace and some really good work is being done by faculty and the administration of CLASS and the College of Sciences and Health Professions. July 1, 2022 is not so far off and we are making great strides in order to realize the college realignment as smoothly as possible. As with all major changes, more will need to be done in the years ahead but with good will and hard work, there is much to look forward to. This issue of “The Innerlink” highlights the generosity of some of our benefactors, generosity for which we are most grateful. Our students benefit greatly as a result of the financial assistance provided by people like Tony Weinert. There are also updates about CLASS as well as some bragging about our students and faculty. I wish everyone much success as we start another new year.
Allyson Robichaud
Interim Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents ....................... 1 Keeping Up With CLASS ................ 2 & 3 CLASS Scholars ............... 4 & 5
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CLASS Vikings ................ 6 – 8 CLASS Philanthropy .............. 9 – 11 Every Film is a StartUp ..................... 11 5
CLASS Alumni Updates ..................... 12 CSU Homecoming ..................... 13
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Visit us online at class.csuohio.edu Published by College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences (CLASS) 2121 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44115 216.687.3660 class.csuohio.edu
CLASS Deans Dr. Allyson Robichaud, Interim Dean Dr. Matt Jackson-McCabe, Interim Associate Dean Dr. Robert Shelton, Associate Dean
Staff Lesley Lang, Designer & Assistant Editor Jody Milkie, Editor
Contributors Brenda Driscoll Connie Karapelou Shelley Rose University Marketing
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Keeping Up With CLASS
Keeping Up With New Employees
CLASS
Faculty
Faculty Promotion, Tenure, and Reviews
Ebenezer Concepcion, Assistant Professor,
College Lecturer Reviews
Black Studies Program
Yuchen Liu, Visiting Assistant Professor,
School of Communication
Qiwei (Luna) Wu, Assistant Professor,
School of Communication
Melissa Clark, Visiting Assistant Professor,
Department of Criminology, Anthropology and Sociology
Rachel Lovell, Assistant Professor,
Department of Criminology, Anthropology and Sociology
Arijit Ray, Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Economics
Richard nova Milne, Visiting Assistant Lecturer,
6th Year Reviews Ahmad Hamo Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
Nicole Hanna Department of Criminology, Anthropology and Sociology
Promotion to Senior Lecturer Jeffrey Bolt School of Communication
Melanie Gagich Department of English
School of Film & Media Arts
Promotion-Tenure Recognitions
Trevor Marcho, Assistant College Lecturer,
Associate Professor with Tenure
Denise Sadler, Visiting Assistant College Lecturer,
Cyleste Collins
DeAndra Stone, Visiting Assistant College Lecturer,
Kuzey Yilmaz
Staff
Professor
Ashley Burks, Administrative Secretary 1,
Linda Francis
John Powell, Audio Engineer/Coordinator, Audio Services,
Stephen Gingerich
School of Music
School of Social Work
Department of Theatre and Dance
Department of English School of Music
School of Social Work Department of Economics
Department of Criminology, Anthropology and Sociology Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
Abed el-Rahman Tayyara Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
Congratulations! Dr. Miyuki Tedor, an associate professor in the Department of Criminology, Anthropology and Sociology has received official notification that she has been awarded $199,817 from the Establishing Linkage to Care fund from the Cuyahoga County Department of Health.
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Neda Zawahri Department of Political Science
Awards 2021-22 CLASS Engaged Service Award for Classified and Professional Staff Virginia Romero Department of Political Science and Department of Economics
Keeping Up With CLASS Celebrate the 2021
CSU SERVICE AWARDS Cleveland State University recognized career milestones of faculty and staff at the annual CSU Service Awards in the Glasscock Family Foundation Ballroom of the Student Center. Faculty and staff across nine colleges and schools and eight departments were recognized for their years of service to the university in increments of five years, beginning with their tenth year. Altogether, the 150 faculty honorees logged a combined total of 2,840 years of service to CSU. Congratulations to the CLASS faculty and staff for their service to CSU. This includes Joel Lieske, Ph.D., a political science professor who has been at CSU for over 40 years.
Congratulations Theatre Professor Emeritus
JOE GARRY on his Cleveland Arts Prize 2021 honor! “Dr. Joseph J. Garry, Jr.'s contributions to Cleveland theater and northeast Ohio are immeasurable. In the early 1970s, Garry’s production of the cabaret-style musical revue Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris was chosen to bring audiences back to Playhouse Square—which it did for two-anda-half years and 550 performances, the longest theatrical run in the state of Ohio. Along with his contributions to PlayhouseSquare theaters, Garry has created and directed numerous record-breaking productions, a travel and arts show on PBS with his late partner David Frazier, ‘Odysseys & Ovations,’ plus 30 original theater scripts which were presented around the world. Garry has staged concerts for legends that include Ray Charles and Rosemary Clooney and was honored to stage Audrey Hepburn’s final tour for UNICEF. He has lectured at international theater conferences from Bombay to Budapest.” – Cleveland Arts Prize
30 YEARS: Dr. Kathy Curnow; Dr. Peter Dunham; Richard Pitchford; Dr. Qingshan Tan 25 YEARS: Dr. Gregory Conerly 20 YEARS: L Dicello; Dr. Jennifer Jeffers; Dr. Annie Jouan-Westlund; Dr. Jeff Karem; Dr. Wendy Regoeczi; Dr. Karen Sotiropoulos 15 YEARS: Holly Holsinger; Dr. Meshack Owino; Dr. Adam Sonstegard 10 YEARS: Russell Borski, Dr. George Tsagaris
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CLASS Scholars | Spring 2021
Spring 2021 CLASS SCHOLARS LAUREN ADAMS
SONIA FONSECA
MARYMAR ALHOUSH
ASHLEY GALLAHER
Majors: Criminology and Sociology Majors: Arabic and Organizational Leadership Management
RENEE BETTERSON
Majors: English and Philosophy Minor: Political Science
SARA BONILLA
Major: Music Education
MARIAH BOONE
Major: Social Work
Majors: Journalism & Promotional Communication and Environmental Studies
SETH LYONS
Majors: History and Social Studies – Integrated Social Studies
HAKMAT MANAA
Major: Political Science Minor: Arabic
MATTHEW MANFREDI Major: History Minor: Psychology
JOSE MENDEZ
Major: Political Science
KAITLIN MERHOLZ Major: Communication
OLIVIA MORGAN Major: Black Studies Minor: History
RAVEN NAVARRO Major: Art
STEPHANIE BURK
AUDREY HOCHSTETLER
TRI NGUYEN
LIAM BYRNE
AMANDA HOUDESCHELL
MADISON NOREN
Major: Art – Design
Major: Criminology Minors: Political Science and Sociology
EMMA CHURCH
Majors: Anthropology and Psychology Minor: Sociology
To read Aurora's Q&A, please scan the QR code.
ALLISON ENDRULAS
Majors: Music Education and Music Performance
DANIELLE COOKE
Majors: Art and Spanish Minor: Anthropology Major: English – Creative Writing
ALICE D’ANDREA
Majors: Criminology and Sociology
KENNEDY ELLIS
Major: Music Education Majors: Criminology and Psychology Minor: Spanish
VICTORIA EPPLER
Majors: Political Science and Women’s Studies
GILLIAN FAVAZZO-CUTLER Major: Social Work
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NATALIE HALL
ERICA HENRICHSEN
EMMA CRIGHTON
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Major: Film, TV, and Interactive Media
GWENDOLYN BUECHE
Majors: International Relations and Nonprofit Administration Minors: Economics and Asian Studies
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MAGGIE GOLDEN
JESSICA HAYES
AURORA REARDANZ
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Major: Social Work
RACHEL BROWN
MACHALA COMENSCHEK
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JEFFREY GOAD
Major: Social Work
Major: Film & Media Arts – Acting and Directing Minor: International Film
CLASS VALEDICTORIAN
Majors: Criminology and Psychology
Major: Political Science Minors: Economics and English
Major: Music Therapy
Spring 2021
Major: Theatre Arts
Major: Social Work
Majors: Philosophy and Nonprofit Administration Minor: English
LAUREN KALL
Majors: Sociology and Psychology
JENNIFER KRSOLOVIC Major: Communication
EMILY KUNIKIS
Major: Social Work Minor: Women’s Studies
AUSTIN LAWRENCE Major: Philosophy Minor: English
REBECCA LEIBOLD
Majors: Anthropology and Biology Minor: Chemistry
ISABELLA LIKOS
Major: Criminology Minors: Women’s Studies and Psychology
THERESA LINCHECK
Major: Sociology Major: History
EVAN PAGANELLI
Major: Film and Media Arts Minor: Theatre Arts
HANNAH PARK
Major: Political Science
KENNEDY PRESTON
Majors: Anthropology and Art – Studio Art
JULIA RASTATTER Major: Social Work Minor: Psychology
JASMINE REED Major: Social Work
EMILY RISLEY
Major: English – Creative Writing
JENSY RIVERA
Majors: International Relations and Political Science Minors: Arabic and Spanish
Majors: Music Performance and Physics Minor: Mathematics
MORGAN ROBERTS
ABIGAIL LINDWAY
Major: Social Work Minors: Nonprofit Administration and Women’s Studies
Majors: Criminology and Psychology
Major: Theatre Arts
ALYSSA ROBERTS
Fall 2021 | CLASS Scholars Spring 2021 CLASS SCHOLARS continued LUZ RODRIGUEZ
PAUL TARTAGLIA
MADELINE SAINES
CLAUDIA VACCARO
Major: Social Work Minor: Spanish
Major: Journalism and Promotional Communication
KARA SCHIFANO Major: Music Therapy
ANGELA SCHILL
Major: English – Integrated Language Arts
ALICIA SIMON
Major: Film & Media Arts – Writing and Directing Major: Music Therapy
REANNA VERIAN Major: Criminology
OMAR WAHDAN
ISAIAH WILLIAMS
Major: Film & Media Arts – Writing and Directing Minor: Marketing
RACHEL WILLIAMS Major: Criminology Minor: Communication
MADISON WOODS
Major: Political Science
Major: Film & Media Arts – Writing and Directing
BRANDI WILLIAMS
LAUREN ZAWIE
Major: Social Work
Major: Communication
Majors: Art – Design and Theatre Arts – Technical
Fall 2021 CLASS SCHOLARS BRYNNA BAILER
NANAYAA FRIMPONG
JAMI BELL
SHAMUS GINLEY Major: English
Majors: Communication Studies and Organizational Leadership Communication Minor: Management
MARIO BILLINGSLEY
EMILY HIGLEY
JOSHUA OH
Major: Music Education Major: Social Work Major: Theatre Arts – Acting
COURTNEY BYRNES
Majors: Social Work and Psychology
Major: Social Work Minor: Psychology
STEVEN NAM
Majors: Sociology and Psychology
RACHEL OSHEROW
Major: Journalism & Promotional Communication Minor: Digital Content Production
KATHERINE INGLERIGHT
DESTINA CARUSO
MEGHAN KANE
Major: International Relations Minor: Marketing
Major: Political Science Minors: Asian Studies, Environmental Studies and Sustainable Urban Development
JAMES CHANCE
KAZIMIR KLEIN
KRISTIN RUBIN
Major: Social Work Minor: Psychology
Major: Music Therapy
NICOLE CLARKSON Major: English
IRIS DE JESUS Major: Social Work
HOPE EZELL
Major: Music Therapy
JAMES FLANIGAN
Major: Liberal Studies Minor: Psychology
Major: Dance Minor: Marketing
ELAINE KRUMLAUF Major: Communication
DAVID LANDIS
KATHERINE RUEBENSAAL Major: Liberal Studies
KARA SINGLETON
MEGAN LITTLE
JOSEPH SLUSARSKI
Major: Criminology
KEVIN FLORS
TOBY MOORING
Major: Music Therapy
Major: Social Work
Major: Film & Media Arts – Writing/ Directing
ROBERT MAXWELL
MADISON FRANK
MAGDALENE PHILLIPS
Major: Political Science
Major: Sociology Minor: History
Majors: English – Creative Writing and Marketing
Major: Music Therapy
Major: Music Therapy Major: Social Work
SAVANNAH MOSS Major: Anthropology Minor: Art
Fall 2021 CLASS VALEDICTORIAN
RACHEL JABLONSKI Majors: French and International Business Minor: Dance To read Rachel's Q&A, please scan the QR code.
Major: Music Performance
ALEXANDREA VARGO Major: English
DENISE VERBEKE Major: Social Work
MICAELA WILSON Major: Spanish Minor: Linguistics
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CLASS Vikings Dreamhood (Film) By Cigdem Slankard Dreamhood is a feature length documentary film, which examines life in the International Village neighborhood in Cleveland, Ohio and captures the transformation of a community as a neighborhood is revitalized and continues to grow in terms of size and diversity. The International Village project, rooted in the near West Side neighborhoods of Stockyard and Clark-Fulton is an ambitious initiative that intends to transform two neighborhoods still burdened by the aftermath of the foreclosure crisis. These neighborhoods are marked by blighted properties in disrepair and vacant homes with boarded up windows. The project objective is to revitalize and repopulate these once bustling neighborhoods by providing quality housing for immigrant and refugee families resettling in Cleveland. The project is a collaboration between public, private, faith-based, and nonprofit organizations that includes three resettlement agencies as well as Global Cleveland—the nonprofit formed to attract new residents to Cleveland. The film follows longtime residents as well as newcomers within the International Village. The overarching project objective is to provide a forum for the complex yet relatable story of the refugee communities in Cleveland. The film has been partially funded by the City of Cleveland's Cable Television Minority Arts and Education Fund. About the author: Cigdem Slankard is the Interim Director and Assistant Professor in the School of Film and Media Arts at Cleveland State University.
Introduction to Substance Use Disorders By Patricia Stoddard Dare and Audrey Begun Introduction to Substance Use Disorders (2020) is an Open Educational Resource book designed for use in an introductory substance misuse course. These materials were developed using a variety of published sources and online materials, including resources produced by U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Routledge Handbook of Social Work and Addictive Behavior (2020), edited by A.L. Begun and M.M. Murray, and most notably Theories and Biological Basis of Substance Misuse, Part I and Part 2 by A.L. Begun. Book Source This book is a cloned version of Theories and Biological Basis of Substance Misuse, Part 1 by Audrey Begun, published using Pressbooks by under a CC BY-NC (Attribution NonCommercial) license. It may differ from the original. About the author: Patricia Stoddard Dare is a professor of Social Work and serves as the Director of the Women's and Gender Studies Program at Cleveland State University.
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CLASS Vikings Davis Cameron Chu with Professor Qian Li
Department of Art and Design
Davis Cameron Chu
Emily Williams
AIGA STUDENTS AWARDS Two CSU design students, Davis Cameron Chu and Emily Williams, were recently recognized in the biennial American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) Cleveland Design 730 competition, which recognizes the best design work in Northeast Ohio and is independently judged by notable professionals in the field. Davis Cameron Chu, a senior Film major and Design minor and Honors student, was chosen as a Judge’s Choice selection by Maurice Cherry, host of the award-winning podcast Revision Path. Chu’s work, titled, “Stand Out” is an abstract animation about the challenge of fitting in. “Like many Asian Americans,” Chu said, “I grew up in relative ethnic isolation. I was the only Asian kid in my grade.” As this future video artist struggled to maintain his individuality, he felt societal pressure to conform. “In order to preserve your individuality, you need to find others who embrace it,” Chu said. “You can stand out alone, but it’s much easier to stand out together.”
Emily Williams, a Design major and 2021 graduate, was included in the Student Work category for her book cover design for “The Odyssey.” Williams’ cover includes a photo illustration constructed from cut paper and washi tape for the gold detail and quarters underneath the waves to create depth and shadows. The work was inspired by memories of scrapbooking with her mother when she was young. “I love Greek mythology,” Williams said, “and wanted to bring gold detail into my design.” Williams added, “I feel honored to be included in such a big event that includes so many talented designers.” Her book cover was created in ART 342, Advanced Typography, which is taught by Jenn Visocky O’Grady. The 2021 AIGA judging panel consisted of Lisa Babb, Maurice Cherry, and David Hisaya Asari. AIGA is the largest professional membership organization for design, with more than 70 chapters and over 15,000 members.
Chu’s animated short was created in ART 448, Motion Graphics and Effects, taught by Qian Li. Chu is the incoming President of the AIGA CSU student group.
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CLEVELAND TEACHING COLLABORATIVE In May 2020 the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences became one of the founding supporters of the Cleveland Teaching Collaborative (CTC). Dr. Shelley Rose (Associate Professor, History) and Dr. Molly Buckley-Marudas (Associate Professor, Teacher Education) were joined by Chris Rennison in 2021 to form the current leadership team. We were especially proud to receive support from the Dr. Gregory M. Sadlek CLASS Dean’s Opportunity Fund. The main goals of the Cleveland Teaching Collaborative are to curate, share, reflect on, and analyze educators’ experiences of remote and hybrid instruction to improve teaching, learning, and student success. The project was deliberately designed as a collaborative to foster a professional learning community centered in Northeast Ohio. Since 2020, the CTC has grown from an original group of 25 to a strong network of over 100 educational practitioners. In addition to 35 case studies, our team has built an expansive, open access database of over 1200 educational resources to support educators, and published articles in journals such as English Leadership Quarterly, The Journal of Interactive Technology & Pedagogy, and the Italian Journal of Educational Technology. The Collaborative was recognized by our peers in May 2021 when we received the Divergent Award for Excellence in Implementation of Literacy in a Digital Age. We encourage our colleagues and CLASS community to visit cleteaching.org for case studies of pandemic teaching and learning, calls for contributions, and upcoming events like our monthly Assignment Design Café. The CTC is currently accepting submissions for the Spring 2022 cohort, which will have a focus on teaching climate justice and climate change. The CTC is open to all instructors and staff – we hope you will join us!
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School of Music
JULIAN BRILL Congratulations, Julian! Julian Brill, a CSU music therapy graduate student and board-certified music therapist, was recently accepted to participate in the 2021 Oculus Launch Pad program as part of his work with integrating virtual reality (VR) and music therapy. The Oculus Launch Pad program was created by Facebook to support promising VR content creators from diverse backgrounds. As out of 100 projects chosen, Mr. Brill will participate in a 3-day VR developer boot camp, followed by a 3-month mentorship with Oculus and VR developers, culminating in a demo showcase and potential grant award in early 2022.
CLASS Philanthropy
Mark Lantz
ALUMNUS
CSU alumnus Mark Lantz knows firsthand the value of a CSU education. Mark has built a successful career in advertising, but it wasn’t without challenges in making ends meet to stay in college and earn his degrees. After learning about CSU’s 2-for-1 tuition promise, Mark decided to explore what he could do to incentivize students to stay in college and graduate. In December of 2020, Mark established his second immediate use scholarship at CSU, The Mark Lantz Next Step Scholarship Fund. Mark stated, “I know a lot of Cleveland State students are proud of putting themselves through college. I’m one of them. That doesn’t mean we can’t use a little help along the way. And that’s what this scholarship fund is trying to do.” Student retention from freshman to sophomore year is critical and an early indicator of academic success. Attrition rates trend less with each academic year once students stay in college during this important transition. The Mark Lantz Next Step Scholarship Fund provides tuition assistance to students entering their sophomore year who met the criteria for and received the 2-for-1 tuition promise the previous spring, have declared a major in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS), and have demonstrated financial need. The first of these scholarships were granted in the fall of 2021. One of the scholarship recipients, an Art and Design major, made the following statement of appreciation to Mark for his support: “I am so thankful for your generous donation. You have given me the opportunity to pursue a career that I am passionate about. You have helped me and many other young people in more ways than you can imagine, so I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” Mark earned his BA in English in 1987 and his MA in Applied Communication Theory and Methodology in 1990 from CSU. Mark co-founded Factory Detroit Inc., a creative agency, in 2013.
Just prior to co-founding Factory Detroit, Mark was Chief Strategy Officer with McCann Erickson in Detroit and one of the creators of the groundbreaking tourism campaign “Pure Michigan.” Mark also held positions at FCB San Francisco, Ogilvy & Mather Chicago, Rubin Postaer in LA and Wyse Advertising in Cleveland. Mark became reconnected with CSU when he joined the CLASS Visiting Committee in 2016. Before establishing the Next Step Scholarship Fund, Mark created his first immediate use scholarship fund in 2015 which provided scholarships to graduate students studying Applied Communication Theory and Methodology. Mark also donated professional services to create “The Story of Us” in 2018 for CLASS. “The Story of Us” is an advertising campaign consisting of videos of three signature class programs which were accessible online, through email blasts, social media posts, a dedicated web page and posters distributed to target audiences in Northeast Ohio including community leaders and prospective students. Dr. Allyson Robichaud, Interim Dean of CLASS, noted her enthusiasm for this scholarship: “We are grateful that Mark stepped up to share his expertise with CLASS as a Visiting Committee member, a donor and an alumnus who cares about the future of CSU and our students. His ongoing support and the Next Step Scholarship Fund are leading examples of philanthropy and pivotal to our students on so many levels. Thank you, Mark, for providing CLASS students with that important Next Step to success.”
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THE
Tony Weinert
AND CORNELIA SPRING THEATRE SCHOLARSHIP FUND Some of Tony Weinert’s fondest memories at Cleveland State University stem back to his time at the Factory Theatre. It was here, at CSU’s first dedicated theatre space, that Tony defined his skills and passion for theatre, and most recently, his desire to support future theatre artists by establishing the Tony Weinert and Cornelia Spring Theatre Scholarship Fund. Tony stated, “Studying theatre at CSU helped prepare me for my future. Through this scholarship I hope to be able to support young artists find their voice, and honor the legacy of my late wife, Cornelia Spring, and her love of the arts.”
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This is the second scholarship Tony launched at CSU, his first being an immediate use scholarship from 2016-2020. While Tony continues to provide financial support to undergraduate junior and senior theatre majors who demonstrate interest, ability, or talent in acting and directing through the endowed scholarship, he opened the criteria to students with an interest in set design to recognize one of Cornelia’s areas of interest. Tony’s story with CSU began over 50 years ago. In 1968, shortly after graduating from high school, Tony experienced the death of his father who was then just 45 years of age. His aunt provided this advice, “Don’t let his passing stop you from getting an education.” Tony was able to commute to CSU at night. Eventually he shifted to full-time days while keeping a part-time job at night and helping his mom and sisters whenever he could. Not yet knowing his major but having performed in theatre at John Marshall High School, Tony auditioned for Aristophanes' “The Birds” and received a part in the play. “The Birds” was a hit and the ensemble was invited to perform at the prestigious College Theater Festival at George Washington University Centre in Washington DC, where it won an award. Tony also worked on “Jacques Brel” at CSU before it moved to Playhouse Square and its historic revival. While at CSU, Tony created his own theatre group BITE, the Bezerko Improvisational Theatre Ensemble. After graduating in 1973, Tony led the improv company for eight years. He met his late wife Cornelia Spring, CFP, in an arts management course at CSU in 1977. Cornelia received a Fulbright after completing her Bachelor’s degree at Bryn Mawr and taught the English language in India. Cornelia was the first Director of NOVA (New Organization for the Visual Arts), a nonprofit organization in Cleveland that focused on development and business growth for visual artists. Cornelia admired the work of artist Christo and was part of the team that realized his renowned work at Pont Neuf, Paris, France. She was instrumental in introducing Tony to Christo’s work. Tony became inspired by Christo, and later
CLASS Alumni
EVERY FILM IS A STARTUP Led by the Weston Ideation Lab in partnership with the CSU School of Film & Media Arts and powered by the Burton D. Morgan Foundation grant, Every Film is a Startup is a handson learning opportunity that creates teams of CSU students learning about innovation, entrepreneurship, and culminating in a social justice documentary competition.
Photo: Cornelia & Tony Weinert; Photo by Abe Frajndlich
supported the development of his work, The Umbrellas, in Northern Los Angeles county. Christo remained an artistic inspiration to both Tony and Cornelia throughout their lifetimes. As a Certified Financial Planner, Cornelia introduced Tony to the business of financial investment advising. After many wonderful years in theatre, Tony became a Registered Investment Advisor and began a new career with Cetera Advisor Networks. Every time Tony gets in front of a group to speak, he is grateful for what he has learned about communications and his many theatre experiences. He is an active mentor to his scholarship recipients, attends their performances, and continues to provide support as they transition into their professions. CLASS Interim Dean Dr. Allyson Robichaud is grateful to Tony for his generosity, “Our students majoring in theatre will undoubtedly benefit through this scholarship fund, endowed to carry on the legacy of two very important people, and be provided with more opportunities to succeed in their future careers as theatre artists. Thank you, Tony!”
This fall, students across four teams learned about internship opportunities in the film industry; met dedicated mentors in the fields of film, entrepreneurship, and more; enhanced their personal “reel” or project portfolio; met like-minded students and alumni, transformed their entrepreneurial dreams into reality, and networked with students from all majors and degree programs. These students also had a hands-on learning experience culminating in a social justice documentary film competition. Each student team created a three-tofive-minute proof-of-concept video and then competed for cash prizes and scholarships. The winning team of Benicio Calo, Andrew Cirincione, and Nathan Bauer took top prize of $750.00 for their pitch, “La Colonia: A Story of Hispanic Presence in Lorain.”
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CLASS Alumni Updates Cathy Pennington ('82 BSW Social Work) was elected president of the National Leased Housing Association. Pennington is senior vice president and general manager of Phipps Housing Services Inc. in New York City. She has had a 30-year career dedicated to providing affordable housing to low-income households in cities including Cleveland, Chicago, Newark, and New York City. Lori Caterini ('85 BA Art), a registered art therapist and licensed professional counselor, was honored for her commitment to the profession in the Racine County Eye, a publication based in Racine, Wisconsin. Geoffrey Church ('85 BA Political Science) released Europa the Ocean Moon, a futuristic tale about how the former United States president executes his plan to build a presidential library on Europa, a recently discovered incredible ocean world hidden beneath the frozen surface of Jupiter's mysterious moon. Bill Haney ('86 BA Communication) was promoted by Plastipak Packaging, Inc. to west coast regional sales manager based in Las Vegas, NV. Leonard DiCosimo ('87 BMus Music) was elected treasurer of the North Shore AFLCIO Federation of Labor, serving in his sixth term as president of the Cleveland Federation of Musicians. Tammy Livers ('92 MA History) is president of World Electric Supply, an electrical distributor that serves customers in Florida and Georgia.
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Katherine Lammert ('93 BA History) was promoted to trust officer at Western Reserve Trust Company. Ginger McGee ('95 BA English) is the author of He's Not Broken: A Mother's Journey to Acceptance. It is the story of how she learns her son Jake, diagnosed with severe Tourette's at six and severe OCD at eight, wasn't broken and was exactly the child she needed in her life. Eric Swinderman ('05 BA Communication) has a new dramedy, The Enormity of Life, filmed in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio as an ode to days gone by. A middle-aged man, played by Breckin Meyer (Good Girls, Clueless, Franklin and Bash), teetering close to the brink of suicide, meets a young woman (Emily Kinney, The Walking Dead) and her eccentric daughter (Giselle Eisenberg, Life in Pieces). Together, they embark on a journey to discover joy anew. The Enormity of Life is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, YouTube, and Google Play. Jessica Berger ('06 MSW Social Work) was named vice president of university advancement at Cal State San Marcos in San Marcos, California. Marcia Moreno ('07 MA Communication) was named one of Crain's Cleveland Business 2021 Women of Note. Marcia is the president and founder of AmMore Consulting.
Bilal Akram ('14 BA Religious Studies, '16 MA Psychology) is the CEO of Code Media Group, which seeks to address the "emotional, financial, physical, psychological and spiritual wellness of men of color." Monique Hebert ('14 BA English) released a children's book, Mom and the Mythical Creatures, earlier this year. Juliana Petti ('18 BA Political Science, '18 BA Philosophy) and Nichole Davis ('20 Bioethics Certificate, '20 BS Health Sciences) were two of Crain's Cleveland Business class of 2021, 20 in their Twenties. Chris DeMarco ('16 BMus Music), a bassist, opened Bowed String Shop in Lakewood, Ohio, focusing on violin, viola, cello and bass rentals, repairs, and sales. Ryan Kelly ('18 BA Film, Television, and Interactive Media) is vice president of operations for Transition Film Studios, headquartered in Cleveland.
Homecoming October 4 – 9
The Viking Spirit is strong and resilient and the past 22 months sure have demonstrated that. With COVID still amongst us, our 2021 Homecoming festivities were a little different from years past, but the spirit was still the same. The week’s activities celebrated faculty, staff and alumni and featured the Viking spirit across campus. Homecoming Parade Celebrating being a Viking, the annual Homecoming Parade featured a wide variety of organizations, clubs, Athletic teams, alumni and more.
Golden Apple Awards Cleveland State University is made great by the dedicated faculty and staff who impact our students daily through Engaged Learning and leadership by example. Many were recognized on October 5 at the annual CSU Golden Apple Awards ceremony in the Student Center Atrium. Sponsored by the university’s Young Alumni Council (YAC), the Golden Apple Awards are given to faculty and staff who have made positive impressions on alumni who have graduated in recent years. The awards were presented as a part of the 2021 homecoming festivities. Anne-Marie Connors, associate vice president for Alumni Relations and executive director of the Alumni Association, thanked alumni for “taking the time to recognize the impact that special faculty and staff have had on their lives” and thanked the YAC for planning the event.
Congratulations to the CLASS faculty for being 2021 Golden Apple Honorees!!
2021
GOLDEN APPLE AWARDS
CSU Homecoming
Melanie Gagich
Lydia Grebenyova
Holly Holsinger
Dana Hubbard
Stephanie Kent
Irina Koukhanova
Jeffrey Lewis
Meghan Novisky
Richard Perloff
Patricia Stoddard Dare
Elizabeth Thomas
Phillip Wanyerka
English Department
Department of Theatre and Dance
Department of Criminology, Anthropology and Sociology
Political Science Department
School of Communication
School of Communication
Department of Criminology, Anthropology and Sociology
Department of Criminology, Anthropology and Sociology
Department of Art and Design
Department of Criminology, Anthropology and Sociology
School of Social Work
Department of Criminology, Anthropology and Sociology
Faculty and Staff Alumni Luncheon More than 60 alumni who work at CSU gathered together to enjoy breakfast and share camaraderie as part of the Homecoming activities.
Kuzey Yilmaz
Economics Department
13
Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage
PAID
Cleveland, OH Permit No. 500
College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences 2121 Euclid Avenue, RT 1822 Cleveland, OH 44115-2214
CSU'S ANNUAL GIVING DAY Wednesday, February 16, 2022 Save the date for the 9th annual Giving Day! This 24-hour virtual event celebrates our alumni and friend, and the collective impact of philanthropy on every area of Cleveland State. Participants can make a gift, share content and events on social media, and win prizes throughout the day. Last year, CLASS donors raised $6,670, which represents a 23% increase over the previous year’s dollars raised! Help us spread the word, sign up to be an Ambassador, and join us online February 16th. Learn more at csugivingday.com.
ANNUAL
DONATE TO CLASS: Contact Constance Karapelou, Director of Advancement, at 216-875-9838 or c.karapelou@csuohio.edu.
