Mount News Spring 2018

MOUNT NEWS MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY SPRING 2018

SOCIAL LEARNING SOCIAL IMPACT

Faculty, students, and alumni continue to change lives.

ONCE UPON AN OFFICE

MSJ faculty open their doors and spill their office secrets.

CHANGE IN THE AIR Explore the Mount’s history from 1965 to 1980.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Dear Mount Alumni, Big changes are on the horizon.

We are making great strides with Transformation 2025. As a strategic vision for leading Mount St. Joseph University into a bold new future, it was created with the goal of invigorating the campus with state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure that today’s—and tomorrow’s—college students need to prepare for thriving and impactful 21st-century careers.

I am happy to announce that the first building project of Transformation 2025 will be the Recreation and Fitness Center to be unveiled in the 2019-20 academic year. In addition to providing indoor space for a wide range of sports and a fitness center for all students, this new facility will support one of our most important goals—a work/ life balance for MSJ students, faculty, and staff that guides them toward achieving healthier lifestyles.

One of the largest features of the Recreation and Fitness Center will be freespanning interior space to accommodate several Lions sports, such as track & field, softball, baseball, lacrosse, and soccer, as well as the dance teams. A secondary level will include exercise equipment such as treadmills, stair climbers, stationary bicycles, and elliptical and rowing machines. As the first rollout of Transformation 2025, perhaps this renovated facility is the best symbol of the Mount’s own goal to “get in shape” for the 21st century.

It is our turn and our time to go beyond borders and boundaries and to do our part for the global and common good—all while ensuring we don’t forget what makes the Mount unique. As we approach our centennial in 2020, Transformation 2025 will reinvigorate our legacy with a renewed purpose to advance core values and accelerate the student experience with innovative, relevant academic programs and a vibrant campus experience.

I would also like to pay tribute to a couple of longstanding members of the Mount community who recently retired: Chief Compliance and Risk Officer Linda Panzeca ’82 and CFO Anne Marie Wagner ’84. Both alumnae served in critical leadership roles at the Mount throughout the decades. Linda provided leadership across the entire University as it related to governance, risk management, and compliance. Anne Marie managed the Mount’s finances during several growth projects and through the terms of five presidents (some of what you can read about in this issue).

Indeed, the formulation of Transformation 2025 would not have been possible without the incredible work and support of Linda and Anne Marie, but also all of the Sisters of Charity, faculty, staff, students, and alumni who helped make the Mount what it is today. It will ensure that our University is ready to help students meet the demands and challenges of a new generation.

Best regards, H. James Williams, Ph.D.

CONTENTS Around the Quad

2

Faculty & Staff Updates

22

Lions’ Corner

24

SOCIAL LEARNING, SOCIAL IMPACT 6

Students and faculty of the sociology and social work programs mirror the Mount’s values.

Alumni Updates 26 Making an Impact 27 Classnotes 30 Passages 31

PUBLISHED BY

Division of Institutional Advancement Mount St. Joseph University 5701 Delhi Road Cincinnati, OH 45233-1670 msj.edu

EDITORIAL TEAM

Raye Allen Tara Byrd Kathleen Scanlan Cardwell ’87 Greg Goldschmidt ’07 Trevor Griffith Emily Joyce Michelle Olmsted Mark Osborne Zach Silka Blake Watson

CHANGE IN THE AIR 10

From 1965 to 1980, the Mount embraced nontraditional students, expanded its offerings, and adapted to reflect the rapidly changing needs of society.

DESIGNERS

Tricia Sarvak ’96 Nicholas Sjulin (student)

CONTRIBUTERS

Anya Rao Kara Gebhart Uhl Sasha Feldmann (student) James Vinson (student)

MANAGING EDITOR Michael Schiavetta

CONTRIBUTING COPY EDITOR

ONCE UPON AN OFFICE 16

You can tell a lot about people by their office, especially when it comes to MSJ faculty whose scholarship, travel, and research are reflected in their work environments.

Arlene Werts

All photos by Don Denney unless otherwise noted. Historical photos are courtesy of the Sisters of Charity and Mount St. Joseph University Archives.

If you would like to contact a member of the editorial team, call 513-244-4330 or 800-654-9314. If you would like to submit a letter to the editor, please email alumni@msj.edu.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Mount St. Joseph University (“the University”) is committed to providing an educational and employment environment free from discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, or other minority or protected status. This commitment extends to the University’s administration of its admission, financial aid, employment, and academic policies, as well as the University’s athletic programs and other University-administered programs, services, and activities.

The University has designated the chief compliance and risk officer, 513-244-4393, Office of the President, as the individual responsible for responding to inquiries, addressing complaints and coordinating compliance with its responsibilities under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and other applicable federal and state civil rights laws.

The University has designated the director of Learning Center & Disabilities Services, 513-244-4524, as the individual responsible for responding to inquiries, addressing complaints and coordinating compliance with its responsibilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

SPRING 2018 1

AROUND THE QUAD NEWS THE MOUNT WELCOMES NEW CFO

Jeffrey Briggs has joined Mount St. Joseph University as chief financial officer.

No stranger to the Mount, he served as controller for the Mount from 2004 to 2010 under former (and now retired) CFO Anne Marie Wagner ’84, who held that position for nearly two decades.

Briggs holds a Bachelor of Science in Business, Accountancy, and Management Information Systems from Miami University, an M.B.A. from The Ohio State University, and is a Certified Public Accountant. After initially leaving the Mount, he served as controller for Xavier University. From 2015 to 2017, he served as CFO of Thomas More College.

Under Wagner, Brigg notes that he learned the value of patience. “She took a longer view of the finances,” he says.

FROM RISK TO RETIREMENT

After nearly four decades of service, Linda Panzeca ’82 will retire from Mount St. Joseph University as chief compliance and risk officer. She has served the Mount in various capacities during her tenure with the University, such as helping to establish the University’s first integrated human resources office and related services.

During her 20 years as director of human resources, Panzeca was recognized with the regional College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) Individual Award of Excellence in Human Resource Administration, the CUPA-HR Ohio Chapter Distinguished Service Award, and the College of Mount St. Joseph’s Elizabeth Seton Mission Award. In 2010, she left her role as human resources director to serve on the President’s Cabinet as

2 MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

“She planned for us to take advantage of opportunities that come our way and was willing to make the tough decisions for those opportunities.”

Briggs attributes the Mount’s financial resiliency to a stable stock market, the recent growth of the undergraduate class, and the success of its graduate programs. The biggest change he has noticed since returning to the University is a reinvigorated sense of pride and optimism. He feels people are particularly excited to be stakeholders in the Mount’s future success and growth.

“This place means a lot to many people,” says Briggs, who looks forward to continuing the great work of his predecessor. “To have the Mount’s financial stability entrusted to me is a great honor.”

chief compliance and risk officer. In this role, she provided institutionwide leadership and direction in the integration of governance, risk management, and compliance activities for the University, while also overseeing public safety and campus police.

“During her many years as a leader, Linda’s expertise and reliable, steady guidance significantly helped advance the Mount’s strategies for governance, risk management, and compliance,” says President H. James Williams, Ph.D. “Her invaluable contributions to how the Mount’s leadership team views engagement are truly appreciated.”

“I will be forever grateful for the professional growth and development opportunities that I experienced at the Mount,” Panzeca says, “as well as the good fortune to work in partnership with incredible administrators, staff, and faculty colleagues.”

NEW VP OF COMPLIANCE, RISK, AND LEGAL AFFAIRS/ GENERAL COUNSEL

Paige Ellerman has joined the Mount as vice president of compliance, risk, and legal affairs/general counsel. She will serve as the University’s chief legal officer as well as provide legal expertise services to MSJ administrators, faculty, staff, and other institutional representatives. In addition, Ellerman will serve as a member of the President’s Cabinet, corporate secretary, and liaison to the Governance Committee of the Board of Trustees.

She received her Juris Doctorate, magna cum laude, from the Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University, after graduating from the University of Kentucky with her Bachelor of Arts. She has been recognized by Chambers USA as a leading lawyer for business, has been named to the “Best Lawyers in America” since 2013, and received the “Forty Under 40” award in 2011 from the Cincinnati Business Courier.

Ellerman’s most recent role was with Cincinnati law firm Frost Brown Todd, where she has served as partner for seven years. Prior to 2011, Ellerman was a partner at Cincinnati law firm Taft, Stettinius & Hollister. Currently, she serves as a member of the Board of Visitors for the Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University, the Women’s Leadership Roundtable Steering Committee of ArtsWave, and the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber Alumni Network Executive Board, among other positions.

AROUND THE QUAD NEWS THE PIG FLIES ON

DESIGNING STUDENTS

This past spring, students in Assistant Professor Kurt Grannan’s Brand Identity Design class partnered with nonprofit organization Healthy Moms and Babes to assist with market research and branding materials, all while building their professional networks. This marks the fifth consecutive year that students in this course have worked with local community groups.

Previously, the class has worked with organizations such as Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio, Green Umbrella, St. Elizabeth Healthcare, and Theresa’s Research Foundation. Healthy Moms and Babes, led by President and CEO Sister Tricia Cruise, SC, is an outreach ministry dedicated to providing health services to mothers and infants in need through mobile units and home visits.

Grannan began the project five years ago as a way to incorporate service learning—one of the Mount’s core principles—into teaching brand strategy.

Decisions are made based on the

company’s analytics and data, as well as markets and target audiences.

“The experience is unfamiliar to the students at first,” he says, “but it is a basic, yet solid process. The hardest part is figuring out how data plays a role in design choices. The designs must supply a feeling of intuition and trust based on the information collected.”

The class looks at several aspects of the company’s brand, including its mission statement, logo, brochures, vehicle wraps, and website. The students also give a few presentations to the client in which they break down the rebranding process.

“The students learn to organize their thoughts and present changes based on the company’s best interests.” says Grannan. “It is one more way to use their skills to give back to the community.”

Mount St. Joseph University continued its partnership with the Cincinnati Flying Pig as the marathon celebrated its 20th anniversary on May 6. This year, nearly 80 MSJ students (called “ambassaBOARS”) served as hosts for participants in the relay marathon. More than 39,000 people from all 50 states and nearly 20 countries participate in the Flying Pig events. In addition, nearly 20 students from the athletic training and health and wellness programs volunteered to be part of the medical staff for the Flying Pig. Some students who could not attend the race got involved in other ways.

Graphic design student Nick Sjulin, for example, designed the ambassaBOARS T-shirts, which representatives sported at the marathon.

“It was a good opportunity to use the design skills I learned at the Mount for a purpose,” says Sjulin, “and to work with a brand as prominent as Cincinnati’s Flying Pig Marathon.”

WRAPPED UP AND READY TO GO

If you’re on the road in Greater Cincinnati and beyond, keep an eye out for the newly branded University bus transporting the NCAA Division III Lions and other student groups to their next destination. One side features MSJ Athletics artwork; the other side features the University logo elements. The bus also features the full University logo on both the hood and back exit.

SPRING 2018 3

AROUND THE QUAD NEWS A DISTINCTIVE SHOWING

STUDENTS LEND A HELPING HAND TO APPALACHIAN COMMUNITIES

During spring break, 10 students, staff, and faculty participated in the Christian Appalachian Project’s Spring Break WorkFest to fix and repair homes in Jackson and Rockcastle counties of Eastern Kentucky, which rank among the poorest areas in the United States.

For students, the project fulfills the field experience component of JCG 390 Appalachian Culture and Spirituality, taught by Associate Professor John Trokan. The course examines the interplay between religion and culture, as well as how these impact personal religious development, lifestyle, and behavior, as well as family, social, ecological, economic, and political systems throughout the Appalachian area.

The 2018 WorkFest marked the 26th consecutive year that the Mount has participated in this event, making it one of only three colleges to have partnered with the project since 1992.

“The Mount has some awesome servant leaders among our students, who leave their comfort zones to help improve the quality of life for families in Appalachia,” adds Trokan.

4 MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

For its continued dedication to high-impact educational practices, Mount St. Joseph University has been named as one of the nation’s Colleges of Distinction. The Mount also received this recognition on the Catholic Colleges of Distinction List as well as the Colleges of Distinction in Ohio.

Specifically, the University was recognized for its efforts to keep its curriculum relevant and forward thinking, offering a college experience enriched with high-impact educational practices, and ensuring that students receive an education that exceeds what is typically required for today’s college graduates.

The annual process of selecting the nation’s Colleges of Distinction requires that institutions adhere to the Four Distinctions—Engaged Students, Great Teaching, Vibrant Community, and Successful Outcomes. This process also includes a review of each institution’s freshman experience, general education program, and strategic plan, as well as alumni success, satisfaction measures, and more.

2017

2018

ART FOR THE COMMON GOOD

Mount St. Joseph University hosted the “Art for Peace & Justice” exhibit in the Studio San Giuseppe Art Gallery, located in the Dorothy Meyer Ziv Art Building. The exhibition featured original works from the 2016 and 2017 “For a Better World” annual publication of poems and drawings on Peace and Justice by Greater Cincinnati Artists (including artist and activist

CAREER OUTCOMES RATE REACHES 98.5 PERCENT

Nearly 99 percent of 2017 bachelor’s degree graduates from Mount St. Joseph University are successfully employed, pursuing graduate studies, or volunteering within six months of graduation, according to a survey from the Mount’s Career and Experiential Education Center. The career outcomes rate–98.5 percent–for the Class of 2017 is the highest since the annual survey began in 1988 and is three percentage points higher than the previous year.

The Graduate Employment Survey is conducted in accordance with the National Association of Colleges and Employers and captures initial postgraduation plans across a spectrum of full- and part-time employment, graduate studies, volunteer service, or military service. In addition, Class of 2017 graduates from the School of Behavioral and Natural Sciences and the School of Education scored a perfect 100 percent career outcomes rate.

“These outcomes for our graduates are very impressive in today’s marketplace, in Greater Cincinnati, and across the nation,” says President H. James Williams, Ph.D. “This achievement is indicative of the tremendous talents of our alumni as well as the career certainty that comes from an education at the Mount.” Among the impressive employers that hired Class of 2017 graduates from the Mount are Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Great American Financial Services, Western & Southern Financial Group, Hamilton County Jobs and Family Services, and TriHealth.

Saad Ghosn), as well as submissions from the Mount community.

Approximately 200 pieces were submitted, including 30 written works.

Mediums included paint, digital design, mixed-media, prose, and poetry. The exhibition was open from March 5 through April 11, with a March 22 reception where poets had the opportunity to read their works aloud.

AROUND THE QUAD NEWS BUSINESS DEGREE GOES ONLINE

THE PA WILL SEE YOU SOON

The Mount’s Physician Assistant (PA) program (provisionally accredited by the ARC-PA) completed its first semester in spring 2018, with an inaugural class of 32 future health care professionals.

It is the only such program in Greater Cincinnati, and includes classroom training in anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, clinical medicine, genetics, diagnostic lab, EKG, physical exam, and clinical skills. Clinical rotations for students will cover family medicine, internal medicine, general

HEALTH CARE PROGRAMS EARN TOP RANKINGS

For the second consecutive year, the Mount’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) graduates have achieved a 100 percent pass rate on the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT).

The Mount’s DPT program is one of only 19 programs in the nation to see its 2017 graduates achieve a 100 percent pass rate.

In addition, two of the Mount’s graduate programs in nursing—the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)— were ranked in the U.S. News and World Report’s Best Grad Schools List.

surgery, women’s health, pediatrics, emergency medicine, orthopedics, behavioral health, and two elective rotations. The program also includes a Simulation Lab and an Advanced Anatomy Lab that features Anatomage virtual anatomy technology (see page 2 of the fall 2017 issue of Mount News for more). At the completion of their studies, PA students will receive a master’s degree in physician assistant studies and be eligible to take a Physician Assistant National Certification Exam.

Not to be outdone, 96.67 percent of 2017 graduates from the Mount’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing passed the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses), on their first attempt. This pass rate surpasses both the national average rate of 87.85 percent and the Ohio average rate of 84.96 percent. This places MSJ nursing graduates at the top of the list of undergraduate nursing programs in Cincinnati.

Also worth noting, 2017 graduates of the Master of Science in Nursing also scored among the top schools with a 91.53 percent pass rate.

To give students more flexibility in completing their academic and professional goals, the School of Business has introduced a new online option for its undergraduate business management degree.

“The Mount’s online bachelor’s degree in management offers the flexibility that adults, working professionals, and veterans need to earn a degree,” says Anna Goldhahn, Ph.D., M.B.A., assistant dean of the School of Business and director of graduate programs. “The degree can be completed entirely online.

The accelerated courses are only seven weeks long, so students can progress through the program quickly. And if coursework has been done at another school, those courses may count toward a degree at the Mount.”

The Mount also offers a Saturday M.B.A. program for students who wish to take their careers further while maintaining a flexible schedule.

NEWS BRIEF: MSOL AND MBA TAKE FLIGHT

The Master of Science in Organizational Leadership and the Master of Business Administration degree programs will now be offered offsite at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.

This will enable professionals living and working in Northern Kentucky to more easily complete their business education. Both programs can be completed in two years with classes held one day a week (with no GMAT required). The deadline to apply is June 11, with classes beginning in August.

SPRING 2018 5

SOCIAL

L E A R N I N G

+

I M P A C T

Students, faculty, and alumni of the sociology and social work programs mirror the Mount’s commitment to building better communities.

By Anya Rao

SOCIAL LEARNING, SOCIAL IMPACT Alyssa Bryant ’14 (left) knew sociology was her calling thanks to a homework assignment.

In Bryant’s freshman year, Associate Professor Nazneen Kane, Ph.D., (below right) tasked her students with an unusual social experiment: go to a public place (in her case, a local shopping mall), behave in a way that deviates from the social norm, and watch how people react. Bryant was fascinated by how people thought and behaved as she walked around stores with one of her friends who was dressed in a very elaborate outfit.

“The patrons in the mall gave us looks of confusion and disgust along with whispers and pointing,” she says. “I collected data by recording positive and negative reactions in a notebook.”

The experience gave her an opportunity to witness social intolerance up close. “I liked being able to see how people react to different circumstances or scenarios and how a slight change of a daily activity can disrupt someone so significantly,” Bryant adds.

It was that moment when she realized that she loved sociology. Today, the Class of 2014 graduate works at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital as a clinical researcher in a psychology lab performing similar work.

The Mount’s sociology and social work programs are one of many Mount St. Joseph University academic programs clearly tethered to the values of the Sisters of Charity and their devotion to serving the common good.

“The Sisters of Charity were always

so focused on service and inclusion of disadvantaged groups, and that’s what our students do,” says Dr. Kane, who serves as chair of the department of sociology and social work. “They are doing the mission of the Mount. The whole goal of social work is to be in service to the community and clients. That is what the Sisters of Charity are all about.”

Sociology and social work are distinct yet complementary fields of study. They both focus on human society, although sociology is focused on the scientific study of human social behavior while social workers help improve the wellbeing and lives of people in a society, particularly vulnerable populations.

“The social work program in particular is one way we really address the mission of the University and one way our students are contributing to the quality of life here in southwest Ohio,” says Gene Kritsky, Ph.D., dean of the School of Behavioral and Natural Sciences.

It takes a certain type of person to dedicate themselves to the betterment of others’ lives in a sociology or social work career path, adds Beverly Massey, assistant professor of social work and fieldwork coordinator.

“Social work takes commitment and passion married with skill and knowledge,” she says. “There are lots of jobs that help people. With social work, you are working for populations without a voice.”

Social work in particular is a growing career sector. Overall employment is projected to grow by 16 percent from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The students and faculty that form

the heart of the Mount’s sociology and social work department all have their own unique stories that brought them to these vocations. These two fields focused on the human condition tend to attract people who have a goal to understand and help others.

Dr. Kane notes that the social work program is unique throughout Cincinnati because it’s one of the only majors where students gain field experience before graduating, graduate with the opportunity to earn licensure, and then go directly into the field and do jobs that improve city communities.

“What separates social work from many other programs at the Mount is that it’s a professional, applied program,” she says. “You can’t graduate without taking the knowledge and applying it in a practicum.”

A CITY IN NEED

Cincinnati has a high poverty rate, which includes nearly 45 percent of children living under such circumstances. It is an imperative of the Mount to work with local organizations to improve these conditions, as demonstrated in how students and alumni of the social work and sociology programs continue to make an impact.

For sociology students, The Mount empowers students to conduct two semesters of field work as part of their curriculum. It can be a demanding schedule, Dr. Kane says.

“Giving students the chance to do that work while being able to return to class and talk about their experience

SOCIAL HEALTH “Mount students are improving the social health of people in the communities of Cincinnati.”

-Associate Professor Nazneen Kane, Ph.D.

SPRING 2018 7

SOCIAL LEARNING, SOCIAL IMPACT

BETTERMENT OF ALL “At the Mount, I learned that social work and sociology are different than most other fields of study.

It combines Catholic principles with a professional education for the betterment of all.”

-Mount student Jonathan Beard

ultimately helps them to have a support system in place,” she says. “Social work students are taught how to manage their emotions in often intense situations, how to take care of their own needs, and how to separate their work and personal lives.”

Because the issues that social workers deal with are often emotional—child abuse or neglect, for example—a code of ethics is key, says Massey. “Following those professional guidelines helps social workers separate their work from their personal views and beliefs,” she says.

Core classes for the Mount’s social work and sociology curricula are offered in the evenings and on weekends.

“We aren’t hindered by traditional hours, and the Mount always ensures that people get the education they need,” says Massey, who also works at a mental health clinic.

For Kane, her own students’ experiences are an inspiration in their commitment to reframe their future and the futures of Cincinnati’s most marginalized groups.

“A lot of those students take those experiences and use them for good,” she says. “They are able to be on the ground addressing issues and making a difference in people’s everyday lives. Mount students are improving the social health of people in the communities of Cincinnati.”

WEEKEND WARRIOR

Danielle Amrine ’07 (left) enrolled in the Mount’s evening and weekend social work program while working for the Red Cross.

“I grew up in a poor family and my parents were in prison off and on,” she says. “I was an only child, I experienced homelessness myself, and I always felt I was put on this Earth to make the world a better place. It was important for me to give back.”

Amrine connected with the Mount through one of its professors, Judy Singleton. “She was the first adult that ever said she believed in me and that I had the potential to do great things,” she says. “She was so influential in my life.”

Her experiences at the Mount have greatly influenced the social worker she has become. “Small class sizes and the ability to connect with peers and professors made the experience much more meaningful,” Amrine adds.

After Amrine earned her Mount undergraduate degree in 2007, she earned a master’s degree in social work at the University of Kentucky and worked as a supervisor at the Red Cross.

She later moved up from case worker to vice president of Medicaid at the Council on Aging.

Today, Amrine is the executive director of Welcome House in Northern Kentucky, which provides services for homeless people. She was named Young Professional of the Year in 2017 by the Clermont County Chamber of Commerce and received the Alumni Impact Award from the Mount earlier this spring.

A NATURAL CALLING

For Alyssa Bryant, the choice to attend the Mount was a no brainer. Her mother, Lauren Theuerling ‘91, encouraged her to follow in her footsteps to the Mount.

“At the Mount, the teachers know you,” she says. “A professor I had as a freshman knew my name at graduation.

I really liked that.”

Bryant wrote her senior thesis on how the media in westernized society impacts women’s self-esteem. She interned at Hamilton County Jobs and Family Services at a crisis hotline and at a home for disabled people.

Following graduation, she spent a few years in social work case management positions, trying to find her niche.

“Once people get sociology jobs, they stay, so there are a lot more social work

APPLIED KNOWLEDGE “What separates social work from many other programs at the Mount is that it’s a professional, applied program. You can’t graduate without taking the knowledge and applying it in a practicum.”

-Associate Professor Nazneen Kane, Ph.D.

8 MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

L

E

SOCIAL LEARNING, SOCIAL IMPACT positions out there,” Bryant says.

She landed a sociology-based position in early 2018 at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital as a clinical research coordinator in a psychology lab. Since then, Bryant has worked on several projects, including one that focuses on encouraging positive parenting skills.

“This is definitely what I want to do for the rest of my life,” she says. “I don’t see myself going anywhere else. I love sociology and I love working with families.”

HAPPY HELPER

Rachel Stone ’96 had initially planned to work in health care, but a Mount sociology course changed everything.

Growing up in a working-class family with parents that advocated for workers and women’s rights, she always felt compelled to pursue a “helping profession.”

Though she started out as a prephysical therapy major at another school, Stone transferred to the Mount because of its small class sizes and attentiveness of its faculty and staff.

Her favorite professor, the late Bing Litonjua, Ph.D., taught a course on how sociology relates to religion. “I still remember many of his teachings, including when he said ‘where you stand depends where you sit,’” Stone says. The Bing Litonjua Award for Excellence in International Understanding, named in his honor, continues to be awarded to a junior or senior who has demonstrated excellence in international understanding, especially with respect to issues of social justice.

Stone, who also has a masters in sociology and criminal justice, was greatly influenced by her Mount field work experience. “I completed an internship at Women Helping Women, an agency serving women who are survivors of abuse, and that informed my social work career,” she says. “I had never considered helping victims of domestic violence, and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done. I ended up being hired by the agency as a full-time staff member, where I remained for seven years.”

Stone later worked as a clinician for Hamilton County Juvenile Court at its detention center, and clinical research coordinator at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, as well as conducted grant work at North Key Community Care for a juvenile drug treatment program. Today, she works as a clinical supervisor for the Family Nurturing Center.

“We provide supervised visitation for non-custodial parents as they work towards reunification with their children,” she says. “I supervise 10 staff members while maintaining a small caseload of families.”

A PROFESSIONAL CALLING

Mount student Jonathan Beard (left) always knew he wanted to help people.

As a teenager, he had a close friend dealing with a mental illness and offered his support and friendship. “It feels really good when someone is happy and can go through their day in a positive light,” he says.

Though he originally thought about pursuing a career in law enforcement, Beard became fascinated with the concept of how people behave and why they make certain choices. He decided to choose a double major in sociology and social work following conversations with MSJ professors, as well as his own uncle who was getting his Ph.D. in social work and public policy at the time.

Beard plans to use his Mount degree to work with children in foster care. He also has an interest in working as a social worker in a hospital environment–a desire that stems from a volunteer position at Good Samaritan Hospital, which was part of the Mount’s required service learning program.

“At the Mount, I learned that social work and sociology are different than most other fields of study,” Beard says. “It combines Catholic principles with a professional education for the betterment of all.”

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Like many people who pursue a career in social work, Mount junior Aaron Carter (left) was aided by social workers when he was younger and spent time in foster care. “I know the feeling of being lost or not feeling wanted,” he says.

In addition, as a gay African American male, Carter wants to help people experiencing discrimination. “I love helping people and I thought social work was an opportunity to live a life of giving back,” he adds.

Carter grew up in downtown Cincinnati’s Overthe-Rhine neighborhood and attended DePaul Cristo Rey High School (which is operated by the Sisters of Charity). During his senior year in high school, his workstudy job was at the Mount working on projects for the financial aid and registrar offices. When it came time to choose a college, there was no question where he was going.

As a social work major, Carter has observed that many of his classmates are also studying this field because of their own life experiences.

“Everyone has a personal story that drew them to the field, whether it’s addiction or abuse,” he says. “Social workers help people get over hardships and I want to give back in the same capacity that others did for me.”

SPRING 2018 9

Even the Mount was not immune to the seismic shifts taking place in American culture during the 1960s and into the 1970s.

But through all of these rapid societal changes, Mount St. Joseph University never lost sight of its commitment to students, the Cincinnati community, and the common good.

CHANGE IN THE AIR From 1965 to 1980, the Mount embraced nontraditional students, expanded its offerings, and adapted to reflect the rapidly changing needs of society.

By Kara Gebhart Uhl

The 1960s and 1970s were ripe with change. American society was in the middle of a counterculture movement as long-held traditions and behaviors were being questioned. Political activism was on the rise, as were antiwar, civil rights, and feminist movements (among many other issues). Even the Mount was not immune to these seismic shifts in the cultural landscape. But through all of these rapid societal changes, Mount

1965

United States begins air attacks on North Vietnam.

10 MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

St. Joseph University never lost sight of its commitment to students, the Cincinnati community, and the common good.

In 1967, however, one big change marked the end of an era–the university’s first president, Sister Maria Corona, SC, had retired and Sister Adele Clifford, SC, ’33 became her successor.

By the 1964-65 academic year, enrollment had climbed to 1,047 for the Mount, whose new campus located

1967

Sister Maria Corona, SC, retires; Sister Adele Clifford, SC, ’33 named Mount’s second president.

on Delhi Road was formally dedicated in 1963. The move to the new location, Annette Muckerheide, SC, Ph.D., ’63 says, “was the catalyst, along with cultural and political influences in the U.S. and in the world, that initiated dramatic changes in the traditions of the college. The struggle was to maintain the essence of a Mount education while letting the externals, traditions, and rules change.”

1968

Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated.

Who was the Mount woman of the 1960s? “An enigma,” answered the Seton Journal in 1966. As American culture shifted during this decade, so, too, did the perception of women as “helpmates.” They were more encouraged to break tradition and express themselves in new ways.

Fiesta, and Sunday night mixers.

Meanwhile, the United States began air attacks on North Vietnam in February 1965. The following month, The First March From Selma became known as “Bloody Sunday.” In June, the Supreme Court legalized the use of contraception by married couples. In August, Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act. In December, Gemini 6 and Gemini 7 became the first manned spacecraft to rendezvous in space.

The times they were a changin’.

This balance was evident during the 1965 freshmen orientation, which included a picnic supper at the “Old Mount,” a square dance, an upperclassman skit about campus life, and tea with faculty. Although the campus was new, many beloved traditions remained: the annual water show, the Sophomore Revue, the annual faculty-student volleyball game, the student fashion parade, prom, the Spring

1969

Department of Continuing Education is formed and enrolls 474 students.

THE EDUCATED WOMAN

“Who is she?” asked the April 28, 1966, issue of Seton Journal. “An enigma.

Those who idealize the century-old concept of woman as ‘helpmate’ … may well be justified in charging that today’s woman, searching for new means of expression, is sacrificing part of her traditional role. Although she pays a price for her new-found pursuits, the educated woman is confident that her contributions more than compensate,

1970

Golden Anniversary. Religious education and fine arts programs introduced.

Enrollment passes 1,200.

that in seeking new horizons she is achieving unheard-of goals.”

Who was she? Answers in the article included India’s Prime Minister Indira Ghandi, army nurses stationed in Vietnam, civil rights activist Viola Liuzzo, “the housewife who socializes with neighbors of a different race or creed,” U.S. Senator Margaret Chase Smith, lay volunteers, and Jacqueline Kennedy.

During the late 1960s, a new column in Seton Journal called “Collegiate Consensus” covered controversial subjects on campus and around the globe. Kickball was introduced as a sport. Apathy was criticized. This, from the April 20, 1967, issue of Seton Journal: “Is ‘apathetic’ like ‘poised’ and ‘well-rounded’ becoming an adjective to describe the Mount student?’” The article commended students on their volunteerism while questioning low attendance at meetings and lectures.

“Involvement means mature acceptance of a difficult obligation,” wrote the unnamed writer. “It is an obligation to

1970

Seton Journal ceased publication.

SPRING 2018 11

CHANGE IN THE AIR ourselves as persons striving toward perfection, and it is an obligation to society as Christian-educated women.”

In the same issue were articles on spring fashion and spring engagements: “Eleven recent ‘ayes’ increase the number of senior engagees to 42.” This, followed by an article on how Buddhists offered a possibility for peace in Vietnam, next to an ad for Pepsi: “Come alive! You’re in the Pepsi generation!”

One year later, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. “I remember faculty struggling to help students engage with events like this, to understand and to accept their responsibilities to society,” Muckerheide says. “Faculty, of course, were devastated by these tragedies and sometimes interpreted student confusion as apathy. It was difficult.”

Staffed by journalism students under the direction of Professor Sister Margaret Agnes ’24, who ran the journalism department from 1937 to 1970, Seton Journal stayed in print through the 1969-70 school year. Between 1969 to 1974, new student publications, some underground, emerged. In Parentheses, which debuted Oct. 29, 1969, was bold with its content—one issue included a survey of 200 students asking who had experience with premarital sex, interracial dating, campus demonstrations, protests, and drugs.

“The editor was my classmate Lois O’Brien, who unfortunately is no longer with us,” says Elaine Busch Billmire ’72.

“The paper would not be considered radical by today’s standards, but it did offer criticism of the administration and college, something the official Seton Journal never did.”

Additional publications included Vis-a-Vis (promising to “confront, be confronted, and cause confrontation”), Mount News & Views, Et. Cetera, 2ibid, and, later in 1976, The MSJ Report.

1971

Henry Kissinger and Mother Teresa participate in the Mount’s Futurology Institutes and Religious Studies Institutes. First “Rub-A-Dub” Tub Toss for charity tradition takes place at the intersection of Delhi andJOSEPH Neeb.

12 MOUNT ST. UNIVERSITY

1972

Dr. Robert Wolverton named the Mount’s third president.

A DECADE OF CHANGE

In 1970, the Mount celebrated its Golden Jubilee. An informal open house was held in April; 3,000 invitations were mailed and 100 posters were placed around the city, all with an emphasis on community over student recruitment.

In 1972, the Sisters of Charity, in part due to sweeping reforms of Vatican II, incorporated the Mount under a new Board of Trustees consisting of two-thirds lay membership and one-third Sisters.

This new Board, under the chairmanship of Charles Carroll, an advertising manager for the food products division of the Procter and Gamble Co., would become the college’s policy-making body and would be fiscally responsible for the annual operating expenses, while the Sisters retained ownership and sponsorship of the Mount. The Board hired the Mount’s first lay (and third overall) president, Robert E. Wolverton, Ph.D. In 1976, the Mount introduced a liberal studies program for adult women returning to college. In June of the same year, the State of Ohio Board of Education granted the Mount’s Early Learning Center an elementary school classification. The Mount began offering summer “courses” for children, later dubbed Kids College.

In 1977, Weekend College was established, offering bachelor’s and associate degrees to older students.

Mary Ann Haubner, Ph.D., ’57, a math professor at the Mount for more than 30 years, learned about Weekend College while attending a year-long American Council of Education internship to become an administrator. “I was immediately convinced Weekend College would work at the Mount,” she says.

Haubner created a faculty committee, designed a business major in consultation with business professionals, advertised the program, got employers to tell their employees about it, and worked hard to

1973

The Mount becomes a founding member of the Greater Cincinnati Consortium of Colleges and Universities.

CHANGE IN THE AIR make the Weekend College experience mimic the traditional Mount experience as much as it could. To this end, she championed complete integration between student services and all the academic departments. “It was a big success,” Dr. Haubner says. And although the Mount wouldn’t become fully coeducational until 1986, Weekend College was open to women and men.

In addition to meeting community needs, these new opportunities also helped combat the Mount’s building debt, a byproduct of rapid inflation. A task force was developed, a new lease arrangement was made with the Sisters and in July 1977, Sister Jean Patrice Harrington, SC, became the Mount’s fourth president.

“The Sisters believe in this institution and believe in higher education,” Sister Jean Patrice said in the Winter 1978 issue of Mountings. “We continue our faith in the philosophy of education governing this institution and believe that colleges like this–promoting Catholic education–have a place in today’s society.”

Longtime supporter Mike Schueler, CEO and president of The Schueler Group, met Sister Jean Patrice through a friend. “I got very enthused with Sister Jean and what she was trying to do,” says Schueler. “She was an extremely capable business executive and had iron-fisted determination not to let the school fail.”

By the late 1970s, smoking was banned from classrooms, a picture of Larry Flynt along with the headline “Is There a Need for Censorship” appeared on the front page of The MSJ Report, the visitation policy was broadened to include Friday night, a women’s studies minor was created, tuition increased from $69 a credit hour to $74, and a ham-and-cheese sandwich in the Bacchus Room cost 50 cents.

“By 1978, the dress codes were essentially gone,” Muckerheide says.

1974

President Richard M. Nixon resigns.

“I remember being surprised when someone would come to my 8:30 class in their pajamas.” She adds that the student body was also becoming more ecumenical–not all were Roman Catholic.

In 1979, the College Bookstore began to sell college rings for men, initiated by Weekend College student Ted Bowling ’79. A graduate program in education was introduced. A sexuality series was offered. Syndicated newspaper columnist and bestselling author Erma Bombeck was the commencement guest speaker.

Traditional enrollment increased 8.5 percent, and Weekend College enrollment increased 13 percent.

Sister Mary Bookser ’67, Sister of Charity’s executive councilor, spent 20 years of her ministry at the Mount, in part as director of the liberal studies program. “I developed good relationships with students, faculty, and staff at the Mount,” she says “The earlier restrictions about talking or being with them no longer applied—a major shift in our SC focus on our charism which concludes with the phrase ‘ ... and we dare to risk a caring response.’”

The Mount celebrated its 60th birthday on Fountain Square in 1980. There was a mayor’s proclamation, blimp, balloon release, and volleyball game with current and former members of the Mount’s volleyball team challenging Cincinnati sports media and radio personalities.

Ahead? A co-educational, computerized campus and more change.

As a new decade beckoned, the faculty and staff of the Mount continued to work hard to keep its mission and vision alive while poised to embrace the future, Muckerheide—now a member of the Board of Trustees—adds: “We’ve always looked creatively and realistically to the future, knowing that we stood on long traditions and values, but always rewarding adaptation and change.”

1976

Liberal Studies Program for adult women introduced with majors in marketing, communication, music therapy, and paralegal studies.

1977

Sister Jean Patrice Harrington, SC, named college’s fourth president.

Weekend College established.

SPRING 2018 13

CHANGE IN THE AIR

LIFE AT THE MOUNT

All Elaine Busch Billmire ’72 wanted in 1968 was to attend a local, Catholic college with a pre-med program.

She found it at the Mount, which offered her a four-year, full-tuition scholarship, allowing her to live on campus. The dorm rooms were basic, she recalls. “Most were doubles with matching single beds and closets, and a desk along the entire back wall, one corner of which housed a sink. We decorated our bulletin boards and doors to express our individuality.”

Phones were stationed in student lounges, and each floor had communal bathrooms. Quiet hours were observed on weekdays and resident advisors were strict with a “lights out at 11” rule for freshmen.

“On campus, we hung out in lounges, in each other’s rooms and downstairs though that was mainly used by smokers,” Billmire says. “The ‘Hos House’ in the front lobby operated as a sandwich shop in the evenings; later it was transformed into the morehip ‘Bacchus Room’ with mood lighting. In nice weather, we’d hike over to the Old Mount, or up Delhi to the shopping center. When it snowed, we went sledding at the Old Mount on ‘borrowed’ cafeteria trays. We had to sign out when we left campus, and various curfews were imposed.”

Billmire says wardrobe restrictions (skirts to class and in public areas) ended in her sophomore year. Jeans and sweatshirts became the norm. “I had a pair of very, very wide bell-bottom, hip-hugging black trousers that I wore to class at least several times a week,” she says.

Students were able to ride a shuttle bus that ran regularly to various locations in Clifton. LaRosa’s Pizzeria was a favorite. Billmire says the Mount’s cafeteria served steak on Saturday nights and offered make-your-own ice-cream sundaes on, naturally, Sundays.

Billmire belonged to Glee Club and was active in student government. “There were a lot of on and off-campus activities that students participated in: academic, volunteer, athletic, religious, and social,” she says.

Billmire was one of only about a dozen science majors—and the only pre-med graduate—in the Class of 1972. “Others majored in biology, chemistry, medical technology, and dietetics,” she says. “Nursing and elementary education were still the most common majors, but there were quite a few students who majored in sociology.

Art and physical education were also fairly popular. Many of my classmates became pharmacists, entrepreneurs, sales managers, researchers, athletes, and social workers, as well as nurses and teachers.”

After graduation, Billmire attended Ohio State Medical School, did her pediatric residency at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and has been practicing pediatrics ever since.

In retrospect, Billmire says she and her classmates were sheltered from much of the tumult of the late 1960s and early 1970s. “Martin Luther King was assassinated in the spring of my senior year in high school,” she says. “That, followed by Bobby Kennedy’s assassination and then Nixon’s election the following fall was a real blow to the idealism that many of my generation had previously felt. So, in one sense, we didn’t mind withdrawing from the confusing world for a while. However, I do remember one morning coming down to breakfast and seeing a banner that students had hung up overnight. It read: ‘Cambodia: From the People who brought you Vietnam.’”

1978

Graduate degree program introduced with Masters of Arts in reading and elementary education.

14 MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

1979

College bookstore begins to sell college rings for men enrolled in Weekend College.

Elaine Busch Billmire’ 72 shares her memories (from top): she (left) and a friend in her dorm room during sophomore year; Billmore (right) and a friend when Mount students were still required to wear skirts; and a photo of friends “goofing off and sled riding at the Old Mount on borrowed cafeteria trays.”

Learn more about the Mount’s history through exclusive web content at msj.edu/mountnews.

1980

Evening College opens to offer courses leading to associate degrees.

Enrollment grows to 1,576.

CHANGE IN THE AIR

EIGHT DECADES AND COUNTING When Sam Barth ’17 was a freshman, his grandparents and mother came to the Mount to pick him up for dinner.

“They’d arrived by the door under the sheltered walkway to the Harrington Center,” Barth says. “My grandma told me that’s where she’d sneak out to go on dates with my grandpa.”

Barth’s grandmother, Charleen Ann Scherrer ’81, first enrolled at the Mount in 1965. “I wanted to be a teacher and the Mount had a great program for teachers,” she says. It was also her mother’s alma mater–Ruth Lonneman Scherrer ’43 attended Mount St. Joseph Academy from 1936 to 1939, and then from 1940 to 1943. She graduated early because of World War II. Scherrer remembers the limited phones around the Mount in the mid1960s, playing bridge, the Sophomore Revue, and Sunday night mixers. Slacks were not permitted, hose were required, and visiting boys was only allowed in parlors off the main hall. After Thursday nights sit-down dinners, nuns would call students into their offices to discuss any poor manners they had observed.

Scherrer left the Mount in 1968 to get married. (For many years the Mount had a rule that students could not be married.) She had two children and

taught school part time before returning to her alma mater to finish her degree in 1980.

When she did return, Scherrer noticed that many of the Mount’s rules had changed. But one of its core purposes, empowering women through education, remained. “At the Mount, I had these leaders who were all women, and that impressed me a lot,” Scherrer recalls.

Years later, Barth chose the Mount because of its excellent health science programs. “No one could’ve been prouder that I went to the Mount than my great grandma,” he says.

Barth considers himself lucky to have toured the Motherhouse with his great grandmother before she died at the age of 95 in 2016.

“Her favorite story was how she ended up at the Mount” Barth says. “She returned from her summer vacation a week after school had started. When her dad asked her what she wanted to do now, she told him that she wanted to go back to school, but it was too late. Her father, a Cincinnati businessman who just had a way of talking to people, said he’d see what he could do.

He went to the head of the college and my great grandmother was enrolled at the Mount the next day. He was a distinguished gentleman—I guess he had some charm about him.”

Barth says his Mount experience was exactly what he wanted. “I’m a smallschool student,” Barth says. “As an athletic training major, an athlete, and a student worker at the help desk, I felt like I knew everybody at the University.

The amount of care and effort the Mount’s staff puts into their students is incomparable.” Today, Barth is pursuing a master’s degree in physiotherapy at the University of Brighton in England.

“My Great Grandma Scherrer was so proud of our family history at the Mount,” he says.

Does your family’s connection to the Mount span generations?

Let us know at alumni@msj.edu.

Left: Sam Bartha ‘17 with great grandmother Ruth Lonneman Scherrer ‘43 in the Mater Dei Chapel. Right: Joining Sam Bartha ’17 (center) at his graduation were grandmother Charleen Scherrer Roberts ’81 and grandfather Joseph Roberts.

SPRING 2018 15

16 MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

ONCE UPON AN OFFICE You can tell a lot about people by their office, especially when it comes to MSJ faculty whose scholarship, travel, and research are reflected in their work environments.

By Jessica Baltzersen ’14

DREW SHANNON

“Wow, you have a lot of books.”

That’s what most students say when entering the office of Drew Shannon, Ph.D. His compact office, tucked away in the basement of the Classroom Building, resembles that of an historic library. Collaged on his exterior door is a colorful collection of vintage Penguin House Publishing postcards of notable book covers.

Upon entering, one can easily infer that Dr. Shannon is a lover of literature and theater. From floor to ceiling, his bookshelf-lined walls are filled with well-worn books, and any remaining wall space is covered with posters of Broadway plays and Mount productions.

As the historian and bibliographer of the International Virginia Woolf Society and editorial board member of Woolf Studies Annual, it’s no surprise that Woolf ’s work inundates his shelf collection. Adjacent are works of famous authors, including: Doris Lessing, Margaret Atwood, D. H. Lawrence, Christopher Isherwood, William Shakespeare, and Frank Herbert. His panoply of literature, though, is only a fraction of his 10,000+ books in his personal collection.

MSJ faculty members Drew Shannon, Ph.D. (top) and (bottom from left) Cindy Shibinski, Gene Kritsky, Ph.D., Cindy Needham, and Charles Kroncke, Ph.D. Above: Shannon’s collection of vintage Penguin House Publishing postcards of notable book covers and Virginia Woolf books.

SPRING 2018 17

ONCE UPON AN OFFICE CINDY SHIBINSKI

Traveling down the narrow hall in the School of Education space, one can hear the muffled noises of talking and laughter from the office of Cindy Shibinski, M.A., who taught in the public school system for 33 years, working with students with disabilities from Pre-K through 12th grade before the Mount. The instructor of education always has a lively element populating in her office—namely, MSJ students. Her office, with walls covered in buttercream yellow decorated with inspirational quotes, is a hang-out spot for education majors. “It’s a safe space,” she says.

With an inviting environment where students can relax and study, talk about their hardships, or share their joy, her open door policy aligns with her belief that “all students need a person.”

Students flock to Shibinski’s “purple bag,” a large tote filled with candy, snacks, and other treats. A current student even used the bag to hide a “bridesmaid proposal” to ask her friend to be a part of her wedding.

18 MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

Left and bottom: Cindy Shibinski’s office as a regular hangout for MSJ students is in keeping with her policy that “all students need a person.” Students have reached into Shibinski’s famous “purple bag” for a variety of treats—one student even used it to hide an invitation for a friend to be her bridesmaid (below.)

ONCE UPON AN OFFICE

GENE KRITSKY

There is probably no such thing as a “Frito-saurus Rex” but Gene Kritsky, Ph.D., still keeps the toy dinosaur (above) he found in a bag of Fritos when he was seven.

Also in his office is a 110 million-year-old insect encased in amber.

Underneath a Wild M5 dissecting microscope, Gene Kritsky, Ph.D., biology professor and dean of the School of Behavioral and Natural Sciences, examines a 110 million-year-old insect encased in amber. It is one of the oldest representatives of unique-headed bugs found to date.

Opening a set of drawers in his office, one will find a collection of cicadas and tiger beetles gathered from all over the country—totaling a number of 10,000 to 15,000 specimens. His collection of dinosaur fossils includes the distal end of a stegosaur humerus (elbow); Camarasaurus toes; Triceratops teeth; hadrosaur toes; eggshells; reproductions of teeth, toes, Triceratops horn cores, stegosaur plates and tail spikes; and a theropod footprint from Dinosaur Valley State Park in Texas.

At age seven, Dr. Kritsky opened a box of lunch bags of Fritos corn chips that contained a small plastic dinosaur.

After inquiring what the object was from his mother, he began immediately researching dinosaurs and after that, as he states, “It’s been all things fossils.”

SPRING 2018 19

ONCE UPON AN OFFICE CINDY NEEDHAM

Venture into the Health Sciences Learning Labs, located in Aquinas Hall, and you’ll stumble across plastic arms, legs, and other miscellaneous body parts protruding out of bins and piled on shelves. Not to be mistaken with a horror movie set, the manikin parts coincide with the job of Cindy Needham, R.N., who creates realistic patient scenarios for nursing students. Her office is a mixture of everything the Mount’s future nurses need in preparation for their careers.

Needham also keeps a collection of wigs, glasses, and MSJ spirit wear to use as props to dress the manikins for simulated clinical days before students start clinical rotations at a real hospital. Because she teaches courses in Foundation Lab, Health Assessment Lab, and Pharmacology, Cindy’s office is also equipped with stethoscopes, wound-dressing supplies, catheters, and other kits. Across from her office is a lab that simulates a true hospital. As lab coordinator, she prepares and sets up hospital beds for students to practice head-to-toe health assessment.

20 MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

Cindy Needham’s office is home to all things a nursing student needs, including medical supplies (left) and (below) costumes and props for simulated clinical days. Needham herself (bottom) uses all of these and more to create realistic patient scenarios for nursing students.

ONCE UPON AN OFFICE

CHARLES KRONCKE

Amidst copies of The Wall Street Journal and Cincinnati Business Courier, one can find hidden treasures and subtle, yet meaningful objects reflective of the international business and economic research accolades of Business Department Chair Charles Kroncke, Ph.D. Among these is a bank note from Zimbabwe worth 10 trillion dollars— after the 80 billion percent inflation rate took place in 2008—that he uses to teach about global economics. Placed on the windowsill are numerous crystal trophies that highlight the achievements of MSJ student entrepreneurs involved in ENACTUS (a national student entrepreneurial competition).

Notable is a painting by a Latvian artist, given as a gift for leading teams of international experts accrediting business schools for the Ministry of Education of Latvia. Other gifts include wood and amber handcrafts from his four-year stay in Estonia during the late nineties when he taught public finance. In 2016, he returned to Estonia as a Fulbright Scholar teaching international trade-related courses at the John Skytte Institute of Political Studies at University of Tartu.

Notable items in the office of Charles Kroncke, Ph.D. (top) include a painting by a Latvian artist (above) as well as wood and amber handcrafts (right) from Estonia, where he once taught public finance.

SPRING 2018 21

FACULTY & STAFF UPDATES ACCOMPLISHMENTS ANSWERING THE CALL FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

It all began with the classifieds section.

After Elizabeth Mason, Ph.D., answered a newspaper ad in a fall 2004 edition of the Cincinnati Enquirer for a teaching position at the Mount, the first thing she did was attend an adjunct appreciation dinner despite not yet having taught a course at the University. At the event, she found herself surrounded and reassured by amazing women who were part of the Sisters of Charity. Dr. Mason knew then that the Mount was the place for her.

Though she already held a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and a master’s degree from Bowling Green State University when Dr. Mason joined the Mount, she was in the process of earning a Ph.D. in English Literature from Case Western Reserve University.

She was able to balance her new teaching position while finishing her dissertation on post-colonial Indian and African literature. A post-modern literature course opened her eyes to post-9/11 works, which she now teaches to her students alongside creative writing and poetry.

“I’m grateful that at the Mount I get to teach different types of literature and writing that students might not normally choose,” says Dr. Mason. “It pushes me as a teacher, and the results I see in students are very rewarding.”

In addition to teaching, Dr. Mason serves as the faculty advisor to the Mount’s literary magazine, Lions-onLine (bit.ly/lions-on-line), and her poems have been published in several literary journals.

She is a firm believer in the importance of a liberal arts education.

“We are living in a time where we need to be flexible in our careers,” Mason says. “Liberal arts teaches you critical thinking, empathy, and good writing, things you can’t learn on the job.”

22 MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

NATURAL SELECTION STAFF SPOTLIGHT

“The Mount feels like family,” says Andrew Hoelmer ’10. “It’s like I know everybody.” Though he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology, Hoelmer always finds a reason to come back to his alma mater. He is currently working toward a master’s degree in organizational leadership after serving as a graduate teaching assistant at Ohio State University. He returned in 2016 to the Mount to serve as an adjunct professor in the Mount’s Department of Biology at the request of Gene Kritsky, Ph.D., dean of the School of Behavioral and Natural Sciences.

It was Dr. Kritsky who, during Hoelmer’s undergraduate days, introduced the biology major to what is now one of his passions: entomology (the study of insects). “Insects possess fascinating evolutionary adaptations,” says Hoelmer, who also completed a summer research internship on entomology in Dublin. “Entomology has many practical applications, such as protecting crops from insect pests and preventing the spread of human disease.”

In addition, he co-published a paper with Dr. Kritsky on periodical cicadas in the scientific journal, Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science, before receiving his master’s degree in entomology from Ohio State University.

His experiences with the Mount have encouraged him to stay and help guide other students on their career journeys.

After serving as an adjunct professor, Hoelmer became a graduate admissions counselor and now serves as assistant director of financial aid within the Office of Student Administrative Services. As he helps students minimize the costs of their college education and learn the value of applying for grants and loans on their own, Hoelmer is delighted to be working in a place where he feels at home.

“It’s good to be back,” he says. “I look forward to introducing new students to everything the Mount has to offer.”

FACULTY & STAFF ACCOMPLISHMENTS Rudy Argueta, head men’s soccer coach, has won the U13 Girls Youth Futsal National Championship for the third time with the School of Ginga, a youth soccer organization. Futsal is a small, fast-paced, 5v5 form of soccer played on hard surfaces, officially recognized by FIFA and UEFA. B.C. Charles-Liscombe, Ph.D., director of athletic training program, Tom Gooding, instructor of athletic training and trainer, and Amanda Goodale, Ph.D., Tri-Health team physician, will present “Neurological Deficits in the Upper Quarter Screening Reveals Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma in a Collegiate Baseball Player: A Case Report” at the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Annual Meeting and Clinical Symposia in June. Gooding was awarded a Faculty Development Summer Grant in 2017 to support the research and development of the case report.

R. A. Davis, B.A., M.S., Ph.D., professor emeritus of biology and geology, was an invited presenter at “Meteorite Night” at the Cincinnati Observatory. His topic was “Meteorites and ‘Meteor-Wrongs’ and How to Tell Them Apart”. He was also the keynote speaker at the Veterans Day commemoration at the Hamilton County Memorial in November at which he discussed the Grand Army of the Republic.

Daniel Mader, M.A., professor of art, discussed being an artist and teaching art at Career Day at Finneytown Middle School, as well as the culture and artifacts of French Polynesia at Marjorie P. Lee Retirement Community.

Tracy McDonough, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology and Linda Crane, Ph.D., professor emeritus of psychology, were recognized in the February edition of the American Psychological Association’s Monitor on Psychology for their work on The

FACULTY & STAFF UPDATES NEW HIRES Schizophrenia Oral History Project, which records the histories of people with schizophrenia.

Keith Lanser, M.A., manager of service learning and civic engagement, was named board president of the English Language Learning Foundation in January.

Craig Lloyd, M.F.A., associate professor of art, presented a paper, “Visual Arts Studio Assessment: Research Sharing,” at the 2017 Assessment Institute in October. He also judged several high school art competitions between January and March. His work will also be displayed in the Ohio Watercolor Society’s traveling exhibition from August through October 2018.

Colleen McSwiggin, chemistry lab manager, presented, “20 Easy Things You Can Do to Help Save the World,” at the monthly meeting of Oxbow Inc. Elizabeth Murray, Ph.D., ’86 a forensic anthropologist and a professor in the Department of Biology, helped lead efforts to identify the body of Marcia L. King of Arkansas, a homicide victim found in Troy in 1981. The 37-yearold cold case was solved using genetic genealogy, which uses the DNA profile of the victim to find a relative of the victim via public genealogy records (the relative’s DNA confirmed the match). Dr. Murray is one of only approximately 60 board-certified forensic anthropologists in North America.

Kathy Ray, B.A., M.Ed., a tutor in Project EXCEL, presented, “Let Them Make Cookies! Creating Alternative Assessments” at the 2018 National Catholic Education Association Conference in April at the Duke Energy Convention Center.

Steven Randall Ward, M.M.S., M.H.S., PA-C, principal faculty of the physician assistant program, was awarded the 2017 Rodney A. Kreuter UC Emergency Medicine Advanced Practice Provider Award for Excellence for quality patient centered care in emergency medicine.

Karl Zuelke, Ph.D., M.F.A., director of the writing and math and science centers, wrote a chapter titled, “Essentialist Tropes in ‘At Play in the Fields of the Lord,’” in the book, Literature and Ecofeminism, which was published by Routledge.

GOODBYE TO A LEGEND FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

Professor Dan Mader, M.A., retired after 46 years at the Mount, during 40 of which he was a fulltime faculty member in the Department of Art and Design.

He served as head of the art history program, coordinator of the Core Curriculum, director of Study Abroad, and advisor to the College’s London Program. Mader earned his M.A. degree in Art History from the University of Cincinnati and has had his artwork displayed in more than 40 juried and invitational exhibits. In addition, he has published articles in Grove’s Dictionary of Art, been faculty consultant to ETS (Educational Testing Service), and is a field reader for the U.S. Department of Education.

He is interested in nautical archaeology, and has made multiple research dives with a colleague in the Aegean Sea, and in Egypt’s ancient harbor at Alexandria. Recently, he has been working with a colleague in biology, researching the presence of insects in the drawing and paintings of Renaissance painter/printmaker Albrecht Durer. “I will miss the Mount,” says Mader, “but I know it will continue evolving and making the Sisters of Charity mission statement relevant and real.”

NEW HIRES

Welcome to the following new faculty and staff members at the Mount: Elizabeth Marie Gruber, admission Laurie Stober, arts and humanities Jed Diekfuss, athletic training William Reed and Gregory Wandstrat, buildings and grounds Daniel Friedland and Joseph Raspanti, business Markus Eilers and Shih Jui Hsu, chemistry/physics Lisa Tinsley, Office of the Chief Financial Officer Brea Lange, dean of students Carolyn Condren, division of education Austin Breiner and Linda Kelley, facilities Nancy Hartman and Tina Morgan, fiscal operations Joseph Riordan, football Michael Mason, general studies and philosophies Christina Brown, Leanne Buschmeier, Joyce Keegan, Jenna Quisno, Megan Smith, and Teresa Wood, graduate nursing Ashley Barnett, human resources Martha Mayfield, institutional advancement Diane Spitznagel, legal studies/paralegal Jeannette George, math Jason Susshine, men’s lacrosse Christopher Wilke, music Melinda Ferguson, Mollie Fischer, Mary Foreman, Amber Hoffman, Hannah Jasurda, Alexa Martinez, Jenna Smith and Daniel Tyson, physical therapy Kevin Adkins, Jeff Caldwell, Zachary Koopman, and Thomas Schneider, public safety Paige Ellerman, Office of the President Samantha Groh, prior learning assessment Erin Schulte and Michael Weil, project EXCEL Christina May, Office of the Provost Tanya Davis and Barbara James, reading undergraduate education Kara Warden, religious studies Emily Merz, social work and sociology Stevie Barnes, Debbie Bernges, Cody Byrd, Stephanie Connor, Natalie Postell, Amberly Schmaltz, Sue Stone, and Rebecca Wilson, undergraduate nursing Paige Apel, Erica Walsh, women’s lacrosse Casey Bell, women’s track and field Charles Mason, wrestling

SPRING 2018 23

LIONS’ CORNER ATHLETICS RALLYING TO WIN

On Feb. 22, 2018, Mount pitcher Wyatt Myers took the mound against Grove City at UC Health Stadium in Florence, Ky., proudly wearing #24 across his uniform. A 2014 graduate of Waynesville High School and four-year varsity baseball player, he’d joined the Lions and wasted no time becoming the ace of their pitching rotation.

Taking the mound and dominating his opponents should have felt like an almost routine affair.

But for Myers, this game meant something more.

“As I looked up into the stands, I saw my parents with tears in their eyes,” he recalled. “I could not help but think about how far I had come to get back to this spot.”

That’s because just 14 months earlier, in late 2016, the star pitcher had been diagnosed with stage four papillary follicular thyroid cancer.

Myers was no stranger to health setbacks. In 2014, as a pitcher for Tiffin University’s NCAA Division II baseball program, he’d faced the first serious health issue of his young life when his gall bladder had to be removed. The operation forced him to miss his entire freshman season. Looking to be closer to home, Myers met with Joe Renner, Lions’ former pitching coach, and soon found a new home at the Mount.

It didn’t take him long to find his stride again on the mound. In his first year with the Lions, Myers led the team in strikeouts, innings pitched, and wins. Going into the 2016 season, expectations for the southpaw from Waynesville could not have been higher. Along with a seasoned roster of veterans about to return to the baseball diamond, the Lions were ready to establish themselves as a force in the HCAC (Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference).

During an offseason training regimen in late 2016 to help Myers strengthen his pitching arm, things began to change. His velocity had dropped dramatically, and a pitcher who was once topping out around 88 MPH was now barely hitting 60 MPH. Myers felt

24 MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

pain in places there were not consistent with the “Dead Arm Syndrome” that many pitchers encounter during their careers. Something was wrong.

At the advisement of the Lions’ training staff, he underwent an MRI for what some had thought to be a pinched nerve in his neck. The results, doctors told him, would be ready in a few days.

They called Myers immediately.

The MRI had detected a mass on the right side of his neck. Surgeons soon performed a biopsy of the mass. That’s when Myers and his family found out he had stage four papillary follicular thyroid cancer. He underwent further surgery in December 2016 to remove the thyroid gland from the right side of his neck, along with multiple lymph nodes from his chest and jaw.

“The recovery almost felt easy,” Myers says. Everything, in fact, seemed to go perfectly and soon the young pitcher had regained all of his strength. Within two months, he was ready to take the mound again.

A follow up scan, however, showed that the cancer was not gone. Doctors had found a malignant mass in the thyroid on the left side of his neck.

Myers underwent surgery again in March 2017 to remove the remaining cancer. In the end, doctors had to remove 187 lymph nodes in his chest, neck, and back, in addition to his thyroid and parathyroid glands.

Recovery this time proved much more

difficult as Myers spent several hours in the pediatric cancer ward at Kettering Medical Center watching kids of all ages fight this horrifying disease.

“Watching these young children experience childhood in a hospital gown was truly heartbreaking,” he says. “They had not yet experienced life. I kept thinking to myself, ‘I’ve lived 21 years, maybe that’s enough.’”

That was when he crossed paths with a four-year-old girl who would change his life. The scar that stretched across her head told him she had been struggling with brain cancer. But that never dampened her spirit.

“This little girl, all she ever talked about was how much she loved soft serve ice cream,” says Myers. One morning while still recovering from his second surgery, he decided to buy her an ice cream, only to discover that the little girl had passed away.

He was devastated, but it was that girl’s spirited love of life that motivated Myers to keep fighting until he was finally able to return to his teammates.

Months later, as he stood on that pitching mound with tears in his eyes, Myers promised himself never to forget his struggle with thyroid cancer or that little girl.

“I hope my story can help people realize how precious life is,” he says today. “That little girl passed away, but that’s why I continue to fight, because she cannot anymore.”

LIONS’ CORNER ATHLETICS CARRIGAN LEADS LIONS TO 100 WINS

After six seasons, multiple coach of the year honors, and two Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference championships for the Mount, Head Coach Toby Carrigan of the men’s basketball team added another achievement to his career.

On Jan. 10, he scored his 100th win at the Mount when the Lions defeated the Transylvania Pioneers 73-64.

LET THE SUSSHINE IN

Jason Susshine has been appointed head coach of the Mount’s men’s lacrosse team. His previous coaching experience includes Turpin High School where he coached from 20102015, as well as launching the men’s lacrosse program at Milford High School. In 2012, he was named Southern Ohio Boy’s Lacrosse Coach of the Year.

Get in the

FRONT ROW

JUNIOR GRUBER NAMED ALL-AMERICAN

Download the MSJ Sports app and catch up on your favorite team anywhere!

Kaylan Gruber of the women’s soccer team was awarded first-team All-HCAC (Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference), first-team AllRegion, and third-team All-American.

These honors cap an outstanding season for Gruber. She finished second this season in the HCAC in goals scored with 13, helping the Lions to a second place finish in both the regular season and conference tournament.

BASKETBALL PLAYERS NET 1,000 POINTS

Seniors Erik Edwards ’18 (right) and Andrew Finley ’18 (left) of the men’s basketball team eclipsed 1,000 career points this past season. Finley scored his 1,000th point at the Mount’s home court against Rose-Hulman on Jan. 24, while Edwards reached the same milestone just three days later on Jan. 27 at Manchester University. They are the sixth and seventh players in MSJ history to reach this benchmark. Edwards also recorded his 500th career rebound during his senior year, making him only the second person to earn both 1,000 career points and 500 career rebounds with the Lions.

SPRING 2018 25

ALUMNI UPDATES NEWS A MESSAGE FROM RAYE ALLEN, VICE PRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT

We continue to keep alumni informed of the latest University developments through monthly newsletters, webcasts with President Williams, social media channels such as facebook.com/ msjalumni, and, of course, Mount News. I encourage all graduates to connect with us through these outlets.

Contact me at raye.allen@msj.edu or 513-244-4611 if you would like to learn more.

As we move toward 2020 and the centennial celebration of Mount St. Joseph University, we want you— Mount alumni—to join our planning committee so we can best coordinate ways to honor the several decades of

alumni successes that have helped define the Mount’s reputation as a leading institute of higher education.

In addition, our next webcast with President Williams is scheduled for Oct. 3. These online presentations are designed to keep you informed of the latest news, including the Transformation 2025 Strategic Plan.

In fact, the first major campus planning effort connected to this initiative has already been announced—the new Recreation and Fitness Center as part of a larger goal to invigorate campus life while saluting the Mount’s rich athletic heritage.

We welcome all Mount alumni to submit their own questions and topics for future webcasts with President Williams. I invite you join us for these and many more conversations where you can share your ideas on how to best position Mount St. Joseph University for growth during the next decade and beyond.

GIVING BEGETS GIVING

To paraphrase Luke 12:48, “to whom much is given, much will be required.”

The Mount community has always embraced this concept, especially its dedicated employees who continue to give generously to the University. At the end of our fiscal year on June 30, 2017, 73 percent of our faculty and staff had donated more than $70,000 to the annual fund—a participation increase of 32 percent as well as $24,365 more than the prior year.

This fiscal year’s giving rate is ready to outpace last year’s totals with a 75 percent participation rate and $64,496 raised to date. We are extremely proud that MSJ employees are so committed to supporting our students, who will in turn “give back” by using their education to improve lives and dedicate themselves to serving others.

We welcome all alumni to join us to ensure a thriving and prosperous Mount experience for students. These gifts allow them to have more immersive experiences in and out of the classroom and best prepare them for real careers.

If you’d like to make a donation, please visit msj.edu/annualfund. A vibrant and continuous culture of giving not only strengthens enrollment but also attracts investors who believe in our mission and want to build better communities through higher education.

100%

A new social media campaign was recently launched to recognize alumni who exemplify the values of the Mount and the Sisters of Charity. Check out #LegacyofaLion to read about MSJ graduates committed to the values of integrity, social responsibility, serving the common good, and making a meaningful impact on the world.

Among the alumni honored through #LegacyofaLion are Lisa Gick ’87 (left),

26 MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

20 20 1

#LegacyofaLion TO SHOWCASE ALUMNI IMPACT

18

owner of [curious] leadership +change agency, and Andy Brunsman ’10 (right), president of the MSJ Alumni Board and executive director at Be Concerned Inc., a nonprofit food pantry in Northern Kentucky that serves the underprivileged.

If you know a Mount graduate who meets this criteria, feel free to email us at alumni@msj.edu or submit their Class Notes accomplishments at msj.edu/alumni.

7

One Mount.

One Mission.

75%

Participation in the Employee Campaign

ALUMNI UPDATES MAKING AN IMPACT

CHARLIE CERINO LEGACY AND LEADERSHIP

Charlie Cerino, who served as a member of the Mount’s Board of Trustees from 1988 to 1996, first came to know the University in 1985 through fundraising efforts. However, he credits this association to his sisters, Phyllis Cerino Schuler ’56 (deceased) and Rosalie Cerino Schweinefuss ’60, who attended the “old” Mount before the campus relocated in 1962 to the corner of Delhi and Neeb Roads.

“Our father was an Italian immigrant, and he and our mother had little formal education,” says Charlie. “They were very proud that my sisters graduated from the Mount. The reason I was originally involved in the fundraising was because of my familiarity with the school and it was a way to pay back the value the school was to my sisters.”

The Cerino family’s connection to the Mount spans generations. Rosalie and her husband, Ed, are parents of seven and grandparents of 25. Three of their daughters graduated from the Mount: Michelle Schweinefuss Mignery ’91; Kristine Schweinefuss Welsh ’94; and Maribeth Schweinefuss Jensen ’01.

Kristine’s husband, Steve Welsh ‘95, is also a graduate and their daughter, Megan, is currently a freshman at the University.

Charlie’s sister Rosalie taught for 25 years in the parochial school system in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and spent seven years as an administrative assistant at a small electronics firm.

(From left) Rosalie Cerino Schweinefuss ‘60 and Charlie Cerino; Michele Cerino Cawley’ 91, Michelle Schweinefuss Mignery’ 91, Megan Welsh, Kristine Schweinefuss Welsh ‘94, and Maribeth Schweinefuss Jensen ‘01.

“Rosalie is a doer,” says Charlie. “She’s very intelligent, caring, organized, and a multi-tasker. She should have been the business executive in the family.”

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Charlie earned his bachelor’s degree and M.B.A. from Xavier University. He worked at the Cincinnati Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland for 38 years, retiring in 1999 after 14 years as senior vice president and branch manager.

Charlie’s daughter, Michele Cerino Cawley ’91 graduated from the Mount with a bachelor’s degree in art and music. Charlie and his wife, Joan, have two more daughters, Pamela Cheyne and Jennifer Malone, as well as two grandchildren.

While fundraising for the Mount in 1985, he was asked to join the President’s Council of Sister Jean Patrice Harrington, SC, serving for two years before becoming a trustee at the beginning of Sister Francis Marie Thrailkill’s tenure in 1988.

During that time, Charlie’s leadership and dedication were instrumental as the Mount implemented its Vision 2020 Campaign that included renovations to the Science Building and the Recital Hall. His responsibilities included serving on the finance committee, chairing the building committee that renovated the chemistry lab and the library, and helping to coordinate more space for athletics, renovate the

technological infrastructure of the campus, and jumpstart the Mount’s football program.

After his time as a trustee, Charlie continued to be involved with other Sisters of Charity organizations. He served as chairman of the Board of Trustees of Good Samaritan College of Nursing as well as a trustee, board member, and committee member of other Sisters of Charity organizations, including Purcell Marian High School, Good Samaritan Hospital, and Sisters of Charity Health Care System. He was later awarded the Sister Grace Marie Hiltz Sisters of Charity Health System Achievement Award for Exemplary Leadership in Catholic Health Ministry.

Charlie’s family ties have fueled his passion to help lead the Mount toward future growth. His sisters, daughter, nieces, and great-nieces’ experiences at the University are now a rich family tradition.

“The Mount to me is truly student centered,” says Charlie. “The faculty and administration focus on the whole person, and the students are prepared as future leaders. The small class sizes, highly energized and caring professors, and wonderful campus make for an ideal learning environment.”

He is also a strong supporter of President H. James Williams, Ph.D. “The new Mount president will lead the University into prosperity and meet the challenges of the future,” he adds.

SPRING 2018 27

ALUMNI UPDATES MOUNT JUBILEE GALA

A JOYOUS JUBILEE

Faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the University gathered on April 6 at Cincinnati Music Hall for the University’s annual scholarship benefit, the Mount Jubilee Gala. The event also honored individuals and organizations that have made a significant impact on the Mount.

Awards winners included: • Ann Rasche Alumni Award – Lawrence H. Klosterkemper ’91 • Trustee Award – Robert P. Niehaus • Corporate Award – Western & Southern Financial Group (accepted by Chairman, President, and CEO John F. Barrett) • Alumni Impact Awards (previously the Future Five Awards) – Jesse Minter ’05 Danielle Harris Amrine ’07 Michelle Duennes, Ph.D., ’08 All proceeds from the evening’s festivities help provide scholarships to students. For more information, visit msj.edu/jubilee.

Save the date for the next Mount Jubilee Gala, Friday, April 5, 2019!

28 MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

Alumni Impact Award Winner: Jesse Minter ’05 A native of Yorktown, Ind., Jesse Minter ’05 played football at the Mount and helped achieve a school record of 30-10 during his four years, including back-to-back conference titles and Division III playoff appearances. After graduation, he worked as a football intern at the University of Notre Dame and later as a graduate assistant at the University of Cincinnati.

Minter joined the defensive staff at Indiana State in 2009 and became coordinator for the 2011 season. Minter played a key role in the Sycamores’ remarkable turnaround in 2010 that saw the team post a winning season for the first time since 1996. He went on to Georgia State in 2013, where he served as the youngest defensive coordinator in Division I college football at the time.

In 2015, the Panthers earned their first bowl berth in just their sixth season of existence. That year, Minter was nominated for the 2015 Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach.

He currently works as an NFL defensive assistant for the Baltimore Ravens. Minter is married to fellow graduate Rachelle Wittich ’05. They have one daughter, Millie, with another child on the way.

Alumni Impact Award Winner: Danielle Harris Amrine ’07 Danielle Harris Amrine ’07 is passionate about helping others and making the world a better place. She uses her degree in psychology and social work, as well as her master’s degree in social work from the University of Kentucky, as the executive director of Welcome House in Northern Kentucky.

Amrine’s previous positions included vice president of operations for Medicaid Services for the Council on Aging, a PASSPORT care manager, and Care Transitions coach. She also uses her skills to help victims of domestic violence at the YMCA House of Peace Domestic Violence Shelter in Cincinnati.

In addition, Amrine has coordinated mental health services for military personnel and their families, and serves on the Disaster Team as a supervisor for the Cincinnati chapter of the American Red Cross. For her incredible devotion to helping others, she has earned several awards, including the Clermont Chamber Young Professional of the Year in 2017.

ALUMNI UPDATES MOUNT JUBILEE GALA SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS PRESIDENTIAL SPONSOR Don Doyle BLUE AND GOLD SPONSOR SC Ministry Foundation TRUSTEE SPONSOR Cincinnati Financial Corporation UNIVERSITY SPONSORS AVI Foodsystems Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc. Messer Construction Co. Modern Office Methods, Inc. Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati The Kroger Company U.S. Bank William & Mary (Cashman) Ivers ’71 David & Elaine (Busch) Billmire ’72 Vince & Robyn (Ruede) Caponi ’72

Alumni Impact Award Winner: Michelle Duennes, Ph.D., ’08 Michelle Duennes, Ph.D., ’08 graduated magna cum laude and with honors from Mount St. Joseph University. It was during her time at the Mount that she fell in love with science and biology. She served as a student co-op at Wood Hudson Cancer Research Laboratory and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center where she developed an interest in genetics. Classes and projects helped her decide to pursue a career in entomology and evolutionary biology. Duennes also developed a passion for travel and community outreach when she visited Egypt and the Galapagos Islands as part of her course work at the Mount and through her involvement with the Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society Xi Gamma Chapter.

She pursued her master’s and doctoral degrees in entomology from the University of Illinois in UrbanaChampaign. Duennes was awarded a U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture Postdoctoral Fellowship to launch the Sierra Nevada Bumble Bee Health Project. This August, she began her new position as assistant professor of biology at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa.

CAMPUS SPONSOR Bahl & Gaynor Investment Council BDHP Architecture C.T.I. Clinical Trials Services, Inc. Education at Work Netherland Rubber Company TriHealth CENTENNIAL SPONSORS 1919 Investment Counsel George and Jeane Elliott Fifth Third Bank Follett Higher Education Group Frost Brown Todd Bernadette ’67 and Norman Plair Mark and Lisa Weadick President H. James Williams, Ph.D., and Mrs. Carole C. Williams, First Lady

Smiles and songs were plentiful at the 2018 Mount Jubilee Gala. Left page (from left, clockwise): Attendees enjoy dinner at the Cincinnati Music Hall; 2018 Mount Jubilee Gala Co-Chairs Elaine (Busch) Billmire ‘72 (left) and Robyn (Ruede) Caponi ‘72; and members of the Mount community dance the night away.

Right page (from top): Alumni Impact Award winners Jesse Minter ‘05, Danielle Harris Amrine ‘07, and Michelle Duenes, Ph.D., ‘08 with President Williams; Trustee Award winner Robert P. Niehaus (center) with son Jason Niehaus ‘98 and President Williams; and Ann Rasche Alumni Award winner Lawrence H. Klosterkemper ‘91 (left) and John F. Barrett, chairman, president, and CEO of Western & Southern Financial Group, winner of the Corporate Award.

PATRONS Cincinnati Coin Laundry Company George S. Elliott Carrie Hayden McGill Smith & Punshon Sara K. and David P. Osborn Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation Eric and Marty Thiemann USI Insurance Company PREMIER MEDIA SPONSOR Business Courier PREMIER PRINT SPONSOR Multi-Craft PRINT SPONSOR Deerfield Digital Printing AV & STAGING SPONSOR Prestige AV & Creative Services CATERING SPONSOR Chef ’s Choice Catering VIDEO SPONSOR Big Media

SPRING 2018 29

ALUMNI UPDATES CLASS NOTES Sue Gentile Baldwin-O’Dea ’81 of Dillsboro, Ind., is retired and living in Indiana to be close to her daughter and her sister. She has an interest in genealogy that she shared with her late husband.

1960s

Louise Dougherty Hartz ’63 of Richmond, Va., was appointed to District III Section 1 of the Disciplinary Process for the Virginia State Bar for 2017 through 2020.

Retired Jeanne Hodapp Schmidt ’63 of Cincinnati is keeping busy as a member of West Hills Music Club and Westwood Woman’s Club. She is an accompanist for the choral group at Dunham Recreation Center Seniors Club.

Barbara Davis, SC, ’65 of Cincinnati retired on July 1, 2017, and is currently engaged in volunteer ministry. She is also a board member at DePaul Christo Rey High School.

Rosemary Bagby Burger ’67 of Cincinnati was married to Ken Burger in Mater Dei Chapel on October 14, 2017.

Gail Vilardo Frommeyer ’67 of Fort Mitchell, Ky., is a part-time supervisor for the Kentucky Teacher Internship Program for the Northern Kentucky University Education Department. She also does all the baking at her son’s restaurant, Buona Vita Pizzeria, in Crescent Springs, Ky.

1970s

Linda Steinke Rock ’71 of Hillard, Ohio, welcomed a new grandson in October.

30 MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

Nancy Fisher ’85 of Millersport, Ohio, just celebrated 22 years as grants manager at The Columbus Foundation.

Janice Kenney ’75 of Laveen, Ariz., is retiring after 38 years as a nurse practitioner. She plans to volunteer in other countries to provide services to those in need.

Jan Schwartz Fulton ’75, Ph.D., R.N., ACNS-BC, ANEF, FAAN, of Carmel, Ind., is a professor and associate dean for Graduate Programs at Indiana University School of Nursing. She received the prestigious President’s Award and Educator of the Year Award from the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists.

Kathy Jilek ’77 of Cincinnati is substitute teaching in the Ohio school districts of Madeira, Indian Hill, Sycamore Community Schools, and Mariemont. She volunteers at ProKids in Cincinnati and is a member of St. Gertrude’s Ladies of Charity as well as New Visions, a group at Good Shepherd Catholic Community.

Kay Humbert ’79 of Fort Wayne, Ind., taught music education for 28 years and is now retired from St. Vincent Catholic School. She is now the director of Christian education at Resurrection Lutheran, her home church, and also provides private music lessons.

1980s

Jean Kallmeyer McKiernan ’80 of Cincinnati retired as the associate registrar at the Union Institute & University where she held several positions since 1986. She was awarded the President’s Medal of Exemplary Service and received a Citation of Appreciation from the Board of Trustees during an award ceremony held on Dec. 12, 2017.

Anne Cushing-Reid ’85, ’94 of Cincinnati retired from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra after 25 years to become the director of engagement, special programs, and partnerships, as well as an adjunct instructor of arts administration, at the University of Cincinnati’s CollegeConservatory of Music. In addition, she is a consultant with the Ohio Arts Assessment Collaborative where she co-presents professional development workshops for arts educators. In her spare time, Anne volunteers with the new Price Hill Arts Council and plays viola in the Price Hill Harmonic.

Libbey Spiess ’88 of Cincinnati received the Above & Beyond Doctor of the Year Award at the Let’s Dance for the Heart of it! event on Nov. 17, 2017 at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, which also included her being named a Doctor of the Year. She was nominated by Mount alumna Betsy Owens Jones ’02.

1990s

Tracy Sarvak Rawlings ’93 of Fairfield, Ohio, continues to practice social work by working for Council on Aging of Southwest Ohio as a Care Manager.

Tracy’s oldest daughter now attends the Mount as a chemistry major.

Kathleen Deyer Bolduc ’97 of Oxford, Ohio, owns and operates Cloudland, a contemplative retreat center, with her husband and offers spiritual direction to retreatants. Kathleen and her husband work with Miami University students, as well as pastors and missionaries to provide a quiet sanctuary for revival.

Rich Kuhn ’97 of Bryn Mawr, Pa., is now the vice president and wealth advisor at Bryn Mawr Trust Wealth Management.

ALUMNI UPDATES PASSAGES 2000s

Mary Alice Peters ’01 of Sandusky, Ohio, is completing the Doctor of Nursing Practice through the University of Toledo and Wright State University consortium. She is also beginning the Cincinnati Online Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Post-Master’s Certificate Program through the University of Cincinnati.

Todd Richardson ’02 of Cincinnati was named corporate partnerships manager for the Cincinnati Reds.

Erin del Castillo ’04 of Sarasota, Fla., will serve as principal of Riverview High School. She was previously vice principal at Riverview High School from 2010 to 2015, and was then promoted to the position of principal at Venice Elementary School, where she also managed the teen parent program and Head Start initiatives.

Ashely Wisecup Matho ’07 of Lakewood, Ohio, has been promoted to nurse manager of two outpatient clinics of the Cleveland VA, located in Sheffield Village and Sandusky, Ohio.

Trisha A. Weeks ’07 of West Chester, Ohio, is a certified nurse practitioner at TriHealth.

2010s

Michelle Siefke ’11 of Cincinnati is an intervention specialist for Cincinnati Public Schools and at the School for Creative & Performing Arts.

Nathan Frock ’16 of Cincinnati has accepted a position at Wright Patterson Air Force Base as a program manager and is also enrolled in the Saturday M.B.A. program at the Mount.

Samuel Barth ’17 of Fort Thomas, Ky., is pursuing a Master of Science in Physiotherapy at the University of Brighton in England.

Lauren Dichtl ’17 of Fairfield, Ohio, is an infant teacher at St. John’s Westminster Learning Center.

REMEMBERING MOUNT COLLEAGUE JEANNETTE BRYSON

The Mount community will remember the life of writer, editor, and special events coordinator Jeannette Bryson with a scholarship in her name. Jeannette, age 60, died April 6 during heart surgery, and leaves her husband, Dave, sons Jakob and Conner, numerous relatives, and friends, and her Mount colleagues. She served the Mount for 31 years in public relations, marketing, and development. At the time of her death, Jeannette was manager of advancement communications and prospect development in the Division of Institutional Advancement. She received the Mount’s 2001 Elizabeth Seton Mission Award for her dedication to the mission of the University, and was also named Communicator of the Year Award in 1994 by the Association of Women in Communications.

Jeannette will also be remembered for her kindness and goodness, shared with the people she met and worked with at the Mount, including Elizabeth Barkley, Ph.D., professor of English and chair of Liberal Arts. “From her days at Seton High School where I first met her until her death, one word captured Jeannette: brightness,” says Dr. Barkley. “She was ‘bright’ as a student and professional communicator, of course. But there was an internal joy that always radiated from her on campus and in social settings where we mingled. She touched so many of us at the Mount, including the students she mentored over the years, giving them the skills and confidence to grow into competent professional communicators. She was a gift to all of us.”

The Jeannette Bryson Memorial Scholarship will support students with financial need from Seton High School or Stephen T. Badin High School.

Contributions can be made to Jeannette Bryson Memorial Scholarship, Mount St. Joseph University, 5701 Delhi Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45233, or online at www.msj.edu/give.

ALUMNI PASSAGES

Charlotte Pytlinski Collins ’41 Mary Feily Guisinger ’42* Mary Joan Johnley Summer ’44 Rosalie Russo George ’46 Jane Sacksteder Austing ’47* Phyllis Villari Williams ’48 Dorothy Cooney Murray ’49 Dorothy Durkin Egan ’51 Joanne (Jo) O’Connor Welch ’51* Mary Klipstine ’51 Beverly Laut Tranter ’51* Sally Williams Pruden-Morris ’51* Patricia Sherman Begley ’51* Patricia Reilly Barnes ’53 Marie Patricia (Pat) Maclnnis Lee ’53 Mary Louise (Mary Lou) Babeaux Tenbush ’54 Mary Rose Burkhart Hart ’54 Edith (Edie) Rosselot Hester Opozda ’54 Marcella Lavey Wagner ’56 Edith Louise Merhar, SC, ’57 Mary Jane Doepker Miller ’58 Jerrilyn (Jerri) Bensman ’59 Mary Egan, SC, ’61 Mary Kathleen (Kathy) Rabe Kirchmier ’61 Ilona Makauskis Wilk ’61 Judith Ann Robinson Ramsey ’61 Sheila Roach Wiedemer ’63 Joan Crocker, SC, ’64 Jean Katherine Dettenwanger ’64 Louise Akers, SC, ’65 Ann Mary Clifford Weiland ’68* Mary Catherine “Mary Kay” Fischer Deckebach ’68 Phyllis Marie Hebert Gravitt ’68 Marie McManus Kuhlman ’68 Diane Schaik-Schneider ’68 Jane Clifford Klerotic ’70 Catherine (Cathy) McCalley Barney ’72 Susan Griswold Healy ’75 Mary Alice Rohling Calme ’80 Mary Jo Jacober ’82 Mary Lou (Lou) Robey Burhans ’83 Mary Elizabeth Peters ’87 Rose Mary Steele ’87 Madonna Tubesing Rehling ’88 Ray Carrara ’94 Mary Ann Vennemeyer ’05 Shalonda Smith ’12

Passages listed are current as of press time. *Non-grad alumni or social class year.

SPRING 2018 31

ALUMNI UPDATES NEWS & EVENTS LICENSE TO SHOW OFF YOUR MOUNT PRIDE

Official Ohio license plates of Mount St. Joseph University are now available!

They may be purchased in person at your local Deputy Registrar License Agency, by mail through the address listed on your license plate renewal notice, or online at oplates.com.

The costs of these specialty plates is $35 (in addition to the standard BMV license/registration fees), with $25 going directly to the Mount to support its students through the annual fund.

YES, WE’RE GOING TO DISNEY!

For many, a trip to Disney World is a vacation or a favorite childhood memory. For a few select others, like MSJ graduates Hannah Nartker ’18 (left) and Cheyenne Burress ’18 (right), it’s a dream-come-true job in the Disney College Program. It’s also exactly what they planned to do after graduating.

Nartker and Burress couldn’t be more excited. Both will report to Disney World in Orlando, Fla., in early June for a sixmonth assignment, which could lead to even more opportunities in Disney’s Internship Program.

Their families and their champion, Kathy Grant in the Mount’s Career and Experiential Education Center, couldn’t be more proud. As it turns out, both were selected for the Disney College Program from a candidate pool of more than 25,000 applicants around the world, including peers from institutions such as Arizona State, Kent State, University of Alabama, and University of Florida.

CORRECTION

The fall 2017 issue of Mount News included a profile of Annette Muckerheide, SC, Ph.D., ’63 as a new member of the Mount’s Board of Trustees.

The news brief incorrectly stated that she

32 MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY

Nartker, a biochemistry major, researched the entire application process and worked with Grant to sharpen her phone interview skills. She can hardly wait to find out what her assignment will be, and she hopes to gain some experience working in Disney’s Animal Kingdom or Epcot.

Burress has her sights set on working as many different Disney positions as she can. A business management major, she hopes to work her way through Disney and eventually be hired as an events manager. She’s excited about how many doors this incredible opportunity will open for her.

The Disney College Program not only offers job experience in Disney’s parks and resorts. It also offers companysponsored housing and the option to take college courses. These new alumni are on their way!

spent 27 years of her career teaching at the Mount. Muckerheide actually spent 34 years as a faculty member. Mount News apologizes for the error and any confusion this caused.

GET A KICK OUT OF THIS

On May 19, the MSJ Alumni Association will celebrate a night at FC Cincinnati when the futból club takes on North Carolina FC. FC Cincinnati is the new soccer club in Cincinnati and is bidding to be a part of the Major League Soccer franchise expansion. This is an alumni event you will not want to miss!

Tickets are $20 and can be bought by contacting Emily Joyce, coordinator of alumni programs, at 513-244-4298 in the Office of Alumni Relations.

SOCIAL MEDIA @MountStJosephU

Tweets Tweets & Replies Media Mount St. Joseph University @MountStJosephU From standout pitcher to Stage 4 Thyroid Cancer and back again, this is the remarkable story of Wyatt Myers.

You’ve got to see this. #HeartOfALion fox19.com/clip/14275667/...

Trending

@MountStJosephU It has long been said that journalism is “a first rough draft of history,” but in recent years social media has taken up that mantle. Many of the stories you are reading in Mount News first appeared on our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram accounts. The following represent a few of the most engaging posts from social media, some of which are expanded upon elsewhere in the magazine.

MSJ Baseball, MSJ Athletics, Jeremy Rauch and 6 others

Mount St. Joseph University shared a post April 12 at 2:01pm

Known for 37 years as “Buckskin Girl,” a 1981 homocide victim has finally been indentified as Marcia L. King, thanks to the hard work of a team including MSJ professor Dr. Elizabeth Murray, Forensic Anthropologist. Please Join us in congradulating Dr. Murray on this breakthrough and praying for the King family.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA @MountStJosephU @MountStJosephU @MountStJosephU linkedin.com/edu/mount-st.joseph-university-19101 @msj1920 Miami County Sheriff’s Office Troy, Ohio April 11 at 4:18pm NEWS RELEASE MIAMI COUNY JANE DOE HOMICIDE VICTIM IDENTIFIED AFTER NEARLY 37 YEARS On April 24, 1981, the body of a female homicide victim was discovered on G...

See More Like

Comment

Share

MountStJoseph

SPRING 2018 33

IMPORTANT DATES JUNE

1-3 22-23 25-29 26

JULY

20-21 23-27 27

AUGUST 17 20 27

Reunion Weekend New Student Orientation Summer Art Camp Graduate Programs Information Session: PA, Education, MAT, Business, and Nursing New Student Orientation Theatreworks Graduate Programs Information Session: PA and DPT Summer Semester Ends Adult Transfer Orientation Fall Semester Classes Begin

SEPTEMBER 3

OCTOBER

3 5 6 9

12 23

Labor Day (University Closed) Presidential Webcast Athletic Hall of Fame Homecoming Graduate Programs Information Session: Business, PA, and DPT Mid-Semester Holiday (University Closed) Graduate Programs Information Session: MAT, Education, Religious Studies, and Nursing

NOVEMBER 21-25

Thanksgiving Recess (University Closed)

For complete calendar listings, visit msj.edu/calendar.

For MSJ Lions schedule, visit msjsports.com.

MISSION STATEMENT

Mount St. Joseph University is a Catholic academic community grounded in the spiritual values and vision of its founders, the Sisters of Charity. The University educates its students through interdisciplinary liberal arts and professional curricula emphasizing values, integrity, and social responsibility. Members of the Mount community embrace: excellence in academic endeavors; the integration of life and learning; respect and concern for all persons; diversity of cultures and beliefs; and service to others.

If you have received Mount News in error or wish to update your mailing preferences, please contact us at alumni@msj.edu or call 513-244-4871.