African American Alumni Affiliate
February 17, 2024
Thank you to our sponsors for their generous support! Premier Sponsor Office of Enrollment Management
Red & Black Sponsors African American Cultural and Resource Center Black Faculty Association College of Arts and Sciences College of Education, Criminal Justice, Human Services, and Information Technology College of Law CyberSure LLC Darwin T. Turner Scholars Program Dr. Hardee Consulting Jerome Jackson ’89 Lindner College of Business Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Community Impact Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio SURE Mechanical Department of Public Safety UC Foundation UC Libraries
Fountain of Eternal Youth Sponsors All-In Cincinnati Jerry Fritz ’73 Jennifer L. Heisey ’97 Cheryl Stallworth-Lett ’88
Dear Bearcats and Friends, As the Chair of the African American Alumni Affiliate, I thank you for attending the 10th Onyx & Ruby Gala. Tonight, we gather to celebrate and honor alumni, students, faculty and staff who have positively affected the UC family and the broader community around them. As we stand on the shoulders of those who have preceded us, we salute six great Bearcats who are similarly building their own legacies. In learning their stories, we also are reminded to keep sowing seeds for those who will follow us, and to always be mindful to “lift as we climb.” Just as importantly, we unite to raise funds in support of the Shani Scholarship, which helps underrepresented students pursue life-changing international co-op and study abroad experiences. Helping today’s students in this way creates greater leaders for tomorrow, who likewise will sow their seeds — and the cycle continues. Moving the future forward,
Brian
Brian Hardy, Bus ’01 Chair, African American Alumni Affiliate
Program Emcee
Corinn Taylor, EdD, Nur ’99, ’01
Welcome
Mercedes Johnson, A&S ’15, ’16
Onyx & Ruby Proclamation
Invocation
Director, UC African American Cultural & Resource Center Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney
Vice Mayor, City of Cincinnati Justin Gibson, Bus ’05
Dinner & Awards Emerging Leader Award
Angelica M. Hardee, PhD, CECH ’13, ’14, ’17
Student Trailblazer Award
Corin Manning, CECH ’24
Dr. Lawrence C. Hawkins Tower of Strength Award
Dana Harley, PhD, MSW, LISW-S, CAHS ’03
Pillar of the Community Award
Tamika Vinson-Reid, A&S ’99
Shani Scholarship Presentation
Danielle Pierre Hixon, CECH ’26
Linda Bates Parker Legend Award
Hon. Mark Mallory, A&S ’93
Georgia E. Beasley Legacy Award
Cathy Bernardino Bailey, A&S ’91
Closing Acknowledgements
Brian Hardy, Bus ’01
Chair, African American Alumni Affiliate
Angelica M. Hardee, PhD, CECH ’13, ’14, ’17 Emerging Leader Award Dr. Angelica Hardee is dedicated to improving the health of her community. As Vice President of Community Impact at the American Heart Association, she leads initiatives to address hypertension, e-cigarette use, and healthy food access. She also serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Cincinnati and Tulane University, teaching courses on public health program planning, development, and evaluation. Committed to addressing health-related social needs and a champion of higher education, Dr. Hardee serves on the governing boards of several organizations, including the City of Cincinnati Primary Care, Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio, and the Cancer Justice Network Board. She also mentors students and young adults. Dr. Hardee’s leadership and advocacy have been recognized with numerous awards, including the YWCA Rising Star Leaders Award, the National Urban League Washington Bureau Certificate in Advocacy, and the Lead Tribune Media Group Healthcare Leadership Award. The Cleveland native received her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate in public health, health policy, and global health systems from the University of Cincinnati.
Corin Manning, CECH ’24 Student Trailblazer Award Corin Manning, a Cleveland native and Shaker Heights High School alumna, is a graduating senior earning her Bachelor of Science in Information Technology with a concentration in Software Development, and her Master of Business Administration through the IT Accelerated Program in the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, Human Services and Information Technology (CECH). Manning is a proud Darwin T. Turner Scholar and Cincinnatus Century Scholar in addition to being a recipient of the Nabila Hassan Honorary Scholarship. She has also earned Dean’s List recognition every semester. She is president of IT Proud, an executive board member for CECH Ambassadors, a Student Success Coach for the School of IT, and a member of the Senior 100. She is also a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society and the National Society for Leadership and Success. Previous leadership positions include copresident of Women in Technology, a mentor for Bearcat Coders, and ambassador and mentor for the Turner Scholars Program. She also often volunteers at Cincinnati’s Freestore Foodbank and the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. Manning has accepted an offer from Rockwell Automation, where she has interned since high school, to become a software engineer postgraduation.
Dana Harley, PhD, MSW, LISW-S, CAHS ’03 Dr. Lawrence C. Hawkins Tower of Strength Award A highly respected teacher, mentor and role model for young women, Dr. Dana Harley is the first tenure-track Black woman faculty under the new research, promotion, and tenure (RPT) guidelines in the UC School of Social Work to earn the academic rank of Full Professor. She has received numerous awards, including the 2013 SAGE/CSWE Innovative Teaching Award, the 2017 UC College of Allied Health Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award, and the 2018 UC Marian Spencer Equity Ambassador Award. She is also a faculty mentor for the McNair Scholars Program, the College of Allied Health Sciences (CAHS) Connections Mentoring Program, and the UC Association of Black Social Workers Student Organization. A passionate advocate for social justice and equity, Dr. Harley is the Principal Investigator of a $1.9 million Health and Human Services Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training grant. The grant funds the UC Bear-CAT Fellowship Program, which provides financial support and training to graduate-level behavioral health clinicians who are working with at-risk children, adolescents, and transitionalage youth in the Greater Cincinnati region. In addition to her teaching, research, and service, Dr. Harley is a licensed independent social worker with over a decade of clinical experience, and owner of Dr. Dana Harley, LLC, a private behavioral health practice in Cincinnati. Dr. Harley earned her Bachelor of Arts in Mental Health Rehabilitation from Wilberforce University in 2001, graduating summa cum laude. She earned her Master of Social Work degree from UC in 2003, and her PhD in Social Work from The Ohio State University in 2011.
Tamika Vinson-Reid, A&S ’99 Pillar of the Community Award A community mobilizer and consensus builder, Tamika Vinson-Reid is the Marketing and Development Director at HelpLine, which leads a coordinated, community effort to connect people with the right community resources and critical support across a multi-county area in North Central Ohio. She is responsible for the development and implementation of the organization’s marketing strategy, as well as cultivating and sustaining a robust donor base. She is also instrumental in the rebranding and launch of the organization’s first major giving program. Vinson-Reid had previously held various executive management roles in the public and private sectors, most recently as a Managing Consultant with Accenture and Executive Communications Manager with Alliance Data. Her extensive community involvement includes board appointments with Project DREAMS, the Delaware Morrow Mental Health Recovery Services Board, Andrews House, and Concerned Citizens Against Homelessness. She is a co-founding member of Family Promise of Delaware County, the Delaware African American Heritage Council, and Ujima Consortium based in Delaware, Ohio. Vinson-Reid graduated from UC’s College of Arts and Sciences in 1999 with a degree in Communications. She is a graduate of Leadership Columbus (Class of 2014) and Leadership Delaware (Class of 2010), as well as an Ohio Political Leaders Fellow through the Center for Progressive Leadership. She also participated in the Sen. Ray Miller Institute for Leadership & Change and is a former United Way of Delaware County Ambassador.
The Honorable Mark Mallory, A&S ’93 Linda Bates Parker Legend Award The Honorable Mark Mallory is the first directly elected Black mayor of Cincinnati, serving two terms from 2005 to 2013. He is now President and CEO of Mark Mallory & Associates Consulting. Mallory graduated from UC’s College of Arts and Sciences in 1993. Before serving as Cincinnati’s 68th mayor, he was an Ohio State Senator from 1999 to 2005, and a State Representative from 1995 to 1999, following in the footsteps of his father, William L. Mallory, Sr., who served in the Ohio House for 28 years. (The William L. Mallory Sr. Scholarship Fund was established at UC in 2011.) As Mayor of Cincinnati, Mallory focused on public safety by adding more police officers and street patrols. He partnered with private developers to redevelop downtown and Over-the-Rhine, worked to cut property tax rates, helped lead the development of the Cincinnati Streetcar, and guided the investment of over $500 million dollars in the city’s neighborhoods. Mallory worked to attract/retain over 24,000 jobs and launched a program called the “Young Professionals’ Kitchen Cabinet” to encourage younger people to stay in Cincinnati. In the wake of these initiatives, the city’s population grew for the first time in 50 years.
Cathy Bernardino Bailey, A&S ’91 Georgia E. Beasley Legacy Award
Cathy Bernardino Bailey is the first woman and African American to lead Greater Cincinnati Water Works since its founding over 200 years ago. After earning a degree in chemistry from the University of Cincinnati, she began her career in water research at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. She then transitioned to Greater Cincinnati Water Works, where she has worked for over 31 years, becoming Executive Director in 2015. Bailey’s organization provides drinking water and stormwater services to more than 1.1 million customers in the region. She is the leader behind Cincinnati’s nationally recognized lead service line replacement program. A respected leader in the water industry and frequent speaker at industry conferences, Bailey shares her expertise on strategic planning, employee engagement, workforce diversity, and continuous improvement. She is a board member for several water industry organizations, including the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) and the U.S. Water Alliance. She is a 2023 National Academy of Public Administration Fellow. Bailey’s work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the 2021 AMWA Individual Diversity and Inclusion Award and the 2021 STEMmys Applied Scientist of the Year Award. In 2018, she was recognized as one the Greater Cincinnati YWCA’s Career Women of Achievement, and one of Cincinnati Venue Magazine’s Women of Influence. Bailey is also active in her local community as a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and the Woman’s City Club, and a member of the board of Best Point (The Children’s Home). Outside of work, she enjoys baking, collage art, sewing, volunteering, and traveling with family and friends.
Congratulations to all the Onyx and Ruby Honorees and the Shani Scholars
Congratulations to the 2024 Shani Scholarship Recipients!
Judson (Dean) Haynes – Fourth-year Music Education major in the College-Conservatory of Music with a 3.9 GPA. He is a Darwin T. Turner Scholar, President of Saxophone Club, and member of the Student Alumni Council (SAC). Studying in Botswana.
Cassandra Mayers – Second-year Heath Sciences major and Chemistry minor in the College of Allied Health Sciences with a 3.9 GPA. She is a Darwin T. Turner Scholar and part of the University Honors Program. Studying in Costa Rica.
Caitlyn Morrow – Fourth-year Social Work major in the College of Allied Health Sciences with a 3.5 GPA. She is a Gen-1 Program Scholar & Mentor as well as an intern with Hamilton County Job and Family Services. Studying in Italy.
Consider giving directly to the Shani Scholarship to help support underrepresented students seeking study abroad or international co-op opportunities.
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SURE Mechanical is a minority-owned mechanical contracting firm in Southwest Ohio that offers a full range of commercial mechanical, design, fabrication, installation, design-build and engineering services. 3494 Beekman Street, Cincinnati, OH 45223 Ph: 513.898.1050 Fax: 513.898.1052
ONYX & RUBY HONOREE AND
PLANNED PARENTHOOD SOUTHWEST OHIO BOARD MEMBER
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SHANI SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS AND THE 2024 ONYX & RUBY HONOREES!
Jerome Jackson Class of 1989
Come see me at the Walgreens pharmacy! 9 W. Mitchell Avenue
Congratulations
to the 2024 Onyx & Ruby Honorees!
Cathy Bernardino Bailey A&S ’91
Dana Harley, PhD, MSW, LISW-S CAHS ’03
The Honorable Mark Mallory
Angelica M. Hardee, PhD
Tamika Vinson-Reid
Corin Manning
A&S ’93 A&S ’99
CECH ’13, ’14, ’17 CECH ’24