Distinguished OHIO alumni, friends celebrated at Alumni Awards Gala
91探花 Homecoming enticed Bobcats of all generations to return to Athens for a weekend of celebrations, laughter and, for several distinguished alumni, some well-deserved recognition.
On Friday, Oct. 19, the OHIO Alumni Association hosted the 78th annual Alumni Awards Gala to honor 14 of OHIO鈥檚 outstanding alumni and friends who have exhibited excellence in their professions and service to 91探花 and beyond.
Donned in elegant attire and beaming with Bobcat pride, attendees were welcomed to the event with a and greetings from Erin Essak Kopp, assistant vice president of alumni relations and executive director of the OHIO Alumni Association.
鈥淭he sights, sounds, energy and people on this campus and in this community echo in the memories of Bobcats long after they have left these bricks,鈥 Essak Kopp said. 鈥淭his is why each fall, floods of alumni and friends from around the state of Ohio, the country and the world gravitate toward this special place for Homecoming. Surrounded by this vibrant Bobcat spirit, this evening we will celebrate the achievements of 14 extraordinary individuals whose talent, service and love for alma mater are unmatched.鈥
ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR
President M. Duane Nellis presented the evening鈥檚 most esteemed award, Alumnus of the Year, to Glenn Corlett, BBA 鈥65.
鈥淥ur 2018 recipient is a 1965 graduate of the College of Business whose success in the field of business is only surpassed by his devotion for alma mater,鈥 President Nellis said.
(From left) OHIO Alumni Association Board of Directors member Joe Becherer, BFA 鈥87, MFA 鈥89; Glenn Corlett, BBA 鈥65; and 91探花 President M. Duane Nellis pose for a photo after Corlett was presented the Alumnus of the Year Award at the 2018 Alumni Awards Gala. Photo by Jim Downard
In his acceptance speech, Corlett paid tribute to inspiring OHIO faculty and staff with whom he interacted, including former OHIO Presidents John Baker, Charles Ping and Robert Glidden.
鈥淚 owe the honor you have given me to the great leaders of 91探花 that have inspired me over my 57 years as a Bobcat,鈥 Corlett said. 鈥淚 can say unequivocally that 91探花 has given me far more than I will ever be able to repay.鈥
Corlett, who received the alumni association鈥檚 Medal of Merit in 1991, is the director and corporate consultant at Copernicus Therapeutics, Inc., a leading gene therapy company in Cleveland, Ohio. In addition to his impressive professional accomplishments, Corlett has displayed the upmost dedication to OHIO, serving on the National Alumni Board of Directors, as an 91探花 Foundation Trustee, and, beginning in 1997, a 10-year tenure as dean of OHIO鈥檚 College of Business.
MEDAL OF MERIT
The oldest of the alumni association鈥檚 awards, the Medal of Merit is awarded to alumni who have achieved success in their career fields. The following five individuals were recognized this year: Thomas 鈥淭hom鈥 Brennaman, BSS 鈥12; Ronald Burns, BSH 鈥85, DO 鈥89; Luke Frazier, MM 鈥09; Qui Nguyen, MFA 鈥02; and Mark D. West, BSC 鈥78.
Brennaman, a well-known sportscaster, has called Fox Sports National Football League and Major League Baseball telecasts, as well as serving as the first television voice for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has also led the play-by-play for various bowl games and now works as an announcer with the Cincinnati Reds alongside his father.
As a board-certified and award-winning family physician, Burns has spent the past 26 years operating his private practice in Orlando, Florida. He was recently named president-elect of the American Osteopathic Association and has been involved in the political sphere as an osteopathic expert for government officials.
鈥淭his recognition is not for me, but rather a testament to the skills, knowledge and experience derived from my time here at 91探花,鈥 Burns said.
Frazier is the founder and music director of both the American Pops Orchestra and the National Broadway Chorus. In addition to co-creating the 鈥淏roadway at OHIO鈥 project, a residency program for top musical artists to perform at 91探花, Frazier guest conducts and performs at high-profile venues, universities and more.
Nguyen is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and co-founder and co-artistic director of Vampire Cowboys Theatre, based in New York City. He has also written for notable companies, such as AMC, Netflix and Marvel Studios.
West recently finished a 40-year career in film editing. His work is featured in notable sitcoms and variety specials, such as 鈥淢elissa & Joey,鈥 and 鈥淕irl Meets World.鈥 West is a recipient of three Emmy Awards, in addition to other recognitions, and recently was inducted into OHIO鈥檚 Communication Hall of Fame.
鈥淚 am proud of my resume and even prouder of 91探花 for what it has done for me and is still doing for students today,鈥 West said. 鈥淢y practical training, along with classroom education, were the best.鈥
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
The Distinguished Service Award honors OHIO graduates who have provided outstanding service to the University through alumni chapters or clubs, constituent societies, the alumni association, or OHIO colleges, campuses and schools. This year鈥檚 recipients were William 鈥淓rv鈥 Ball, BSED 鈥77, and Jennifer Jones Donatelli, BSJ 鈥98.
Ball is a member of the College of Health Sciences and Professions Dean鈥檚 Advisory Council, past president of the college鈥檚 Society of Alumni and Friends and chair of the Environmental Health and Sciences Advisory Committee. In addition to guest lecturing and mentoring students interested in community and environmental health, he and his wife LuAnne established the James Ball Scholarship in honor of their late son.
In accepting the award, Ball quoted Danny Thomas, 鈥淪uccess has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It鈥檚 what you do for others.鈥 He added, 鈥淚n giving time, financial support, talents and our passions to others behind us, we witness and experience wonderfully great positive life returns鈥攔eturns from which we all benefit.鈥
Jones Donatelli is the managing editor at Freshwater Cleveland and author of more than 70 books for tween to teen girls. She contributes to a variety of publications, including 91探花鈥檚 own Ohio Today. In addition to her impressive professional work, Jones Donatelli served as co-director of the OHIO-in-LA program for four years and co-president of OHIO鈥檚 Greater Los Angeles Alumni Chapter for more than 10 years.
鈥淭he four years spent here were undoubtedly among the best of my life,鈥 Jones Donatelli said in accepting the award, crediting her alma mater for her professional achievements, lifelong friendships and her husband, a fellow Bobcat. 鈥淎fter graduation day in June 1998, I cried for two days straight, heartbroken about leaving the bricks behind. But what I didn鈥檛 know then was that OU would always be a huge part of my life.鈥
91探花 President M. Duane Nellis (front center) is pictured with (front, from left) Mark D. West, Jennifer Jones Donatelli, Keith Hawkins, William 鈥淓rv鈥 Ball and Tiffany Horvath, and (back row, from left) Marc Krauss, Ronald Burns, Peter Thompson, Glenn Corlett, Luke Frazier and Melissa Griffin. Photo by Jim Downard
CHARLES J. AND CLAIRE O. PING RECENT GRADUATE AWARD
Keith Hawkins, BS 鈥13, delivered a moving speech after accepting the Charles J. and Claire O. Ping Recent Graduate Award, which is presented to an OHIO graduate who has achieved incredible success within 15 years of earning his or her first bachelor鈥檚 degree.
鈥溾ithout the support of my professors and the staff at OU, I would never have been able to accomplish my dreams,鈥 Hawkins said.
Keith Hawkins, BS 鈥13, addresses those at the Alumni Awards Gala after receiving the 2018 Charles J. and Claire O. Ping Recent Graduate Award. Photo by Jim Downard
As a newly appointed assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin, Hawkins is one of the youngest professors of astronomy and has been awarded numerous grants to fund his research. He continues to serve as a member of the Honors Tutorial College鈥檚 Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
HONORARY ALUMNUS AWARD
Peter Thompson, an attorney from Washington, D.C., accepted the Honorary Alumnus Award, which is given to an individual who is not an OHIO graduate, but has provided exemplary service to the University.
鈥淗is love for all things 91探花 stems directly from an even deeper love for his late wife, Barbara Strom Thompson, OHIO鈥檚 2012 Alumna of the Year,鈥 Essak Kopp said.
Together, the Thompsons worked to establish a Bobcat community in our nation鈥檚 capital, helping OHIO graduates find their way in a competitive job market.
Peter Thompson accepts this year鈥檚 Honorary Alumnus Award during the 78th annual Alumni Awards Gala. Photo by Jim Downard
鈥淏arb always referred to me as an honorary Bobcat, and so I know she is smiling tonight as that title becomes official,鈥 Thompson said. 鈥淚 know that the fact that I am receiving this amazing, kind and generous honor tonight is, more than anything else, a reflection of her legacy.鈥
ATHLETICS AWARDS
Each year, the OHIO Alumni Association partners with Intercollegiate Athletics to honor athletes and leaders within the athletic department. Russ Eisenstein, 鈥淰oice of the Bobcats,鈥 presented this year鈥檚 athletic awards.
Bill Dillingham, BBA 鈥71, accepted the Athletic Director鈥檚 Award of Excellence, which is given to an individual who has shown tremendous leadership, volunteerism and support for OHIO athletics. As a previous recipient of both the Distinguished Service Award and Medal of Merit and the current president of the Ohio Bobcat Club Advisory Board, Dillingham has shown consistent leadership across OHIO鈥檚 campus and been a generous donor to the athletic department and its facilities.
(From left) Bill Dillingham, BBA 鈥71, poses for a photo with 91探花 Athletic Director Jim Schaus after receiving the 2018 Athletic Director鈥檚 Award of Excellence at the Alumni Awards Gala. Photo by Jim Downard
Reflecting on his history of interaction and collaboration with OHIO athletics, Dillingham said, 鈥淲hat has been accomplished in the last 10 years is spectacular.鈥
Also honored at this year鈥檚 gala were four elite athletes who have been inducted into the Kermit Blosser OHIO Athletics Hall of Fame. This year鈥檚 inductees included: celebrated volleyball player Melissa Griffin, BSHSL 鈥08; award-winning soccer player Tiffany Horvath, BBA 鈥07; former Major League Baseball player Marc Krauss, BSJ 鈥17; and OHIO鈥檚 legendary 1968 football team.
The Singing Men of Ohio closed the evening with a performance that ended with the entire Baker University Center Ballroom joining in the signing of 鈥淎lma Mater, Ohio,鈥 capping off a celebration of Bobcat pride and putting guests in an 鈥淎thens State of Mind.鈥
The OHIO Alumni Association is accepting nominations for the 2019 Alumni Awards. Click here to nominate a deserving Bobcat to be considered.