’70s
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Bhanoji R. Yedavalli of Hoffman Estates, Ill., ’71 MS in mechanical engineering, was named an honorary member and super delegate of the Democratic National CommitBhanoji Yedavalli tee. Super delegates have voting rights and can influence a close presidential race. Yedavalli’s appointment is in effect through April 16, 2014. He is a registered professional engineer in the state of Illinois and a retired senior technical specialist/senior advisor for the Illinois Capital Development Board. Marie Schiffhauer Morrill of Boonville, Mo., ’76 AB in sociology, is a resident service coordinator for two housing complexes operated by Preservation Housing Management, working directly with disabled and elderly residents. She has 24 years experience working in the field of affordable housing management and compliance. Robert C. Jazwinski of Hermitage, Pa., ’77 MBA, was elected 2012-13 president of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Jazwinski is a CPA and the founder and president of JFS Robert Jazwinski Wealth Advisors LLC in Hermitage. He chairs the PICPA Foundation Board of Directors and the Sharon Regional Health System Board, and is executive vice president emeritus and chair of the Investment Committee for the Community Foundation of Western PA and Eastern OH. He earned his baccalaureate at Westminster College.
notes
Linda Lucarell Miller of Youngstown, ’78 BSEd, earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from St. Mary’s Seminary in Cleveland. A religion teacher and liturgy coordinator Linda Lucarell Miller at Ursuline High School in Youngstown, she was presented the Golden Apple Award in 2004 and participated in a project linking Jewish and Arab students with Ursuline High School students in 2008 and 2009. Miller also earned a master’s degree in religious education at Loyola University, New Orleans. Her doctoral ministry project, “The Charism of St. Angela Merici; Ursuline High School as Safe Harbor for Adolescents”, explored how the school’s Merician Charism influences teens. Meg Benke of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., ’79 BSBA, has been appointed acting president of Empire State College, effective Sept. 1, by the State University of New York Board of Trustees. She came to the college in 1991 and has served as its provost and vice president of academic affairs since December 2010. After completing her undergraduate degree at YSU, Benke earned masters and doctoral degrees in student personnel from Ohio University.
’80s Bob Rubenstahl of Hudson, Ohio, ’80 BSBA, was named general manager for Jergens Inc.’s tooling components division in Cleveland. Rubenstahl joined the company two years ago and previously served as manager of the workholding solutions group. He has more than 25 years experience in both international and domestic distribution and held several senior management positions before joining Jergens.
Timothy W. Womer of Edinburg, Pa., ’80 AAS, ’82 BS in applied science, was inducted into the Plastics Hall of Fame in April. Recognized as an authority on Timothy Womer plasticizing screws, he held leadership positions in engineering, research and development with several companies during his 38-year career before founding his own consultancy business, TWWomer & Assoc. He holds 15 patents and is a prolific author and lecturer. Ray Smesko of Ridgewood, N.J., ’81 BSBA in accounting, has joined Janney Montgomery Scott as a financial advisor in Upper Saddle River, N.J. Previously, he spent more than 22 years at Morgan Stanley in investment banking and wealth management and three years at UBS Financial Services managing its $170 billion managed accounts business in wealth management. Joseph Hamrock of Merrillville, Ind., ’85 BE in electrical engineering, joined NiSource Inc. as executive vice president and group chief executive officer for the company’s gas disJoseph Hamrock tribution segment. He has served in a variety of senior executive positions in the energy and regulated utility industry, most recently as president and COO of American Electric Power Ohio. A registered professional engineer, he earned an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Alumnus Earns Ph.D. at Age 69 Leon E. Stennis Sr. of Youngstown, ’73 BSBA, ’00 MS in English, graduated with a Ph.D. in English from Indiana University of Pennsylvania on May 12, one day before his 69th birthday. Stennis began working on his doctorate shortly after retiring from YSU in 2005 as coordinator of diversity initiatives. During his 43-year career, he served as news editor at YSU and as a reporter and religion editor at The Vindicator, Youngstown’s daily newspaper. A native of Little Rock, Ark., he was a student at one of the four high schools that the governor of Arkansas closed in 1958 in an attempt to thwart federal school desegregation efforts. “I was one of the casualties of the civil rights movement then,” he said, “but now I consider myself a success story from the movement.”
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