Muskingum College Convocation features address by 1975 alumnus Jeffrey O. Evans

Muskingum College held its Convocation on August 26 in the Recreation Center on the campus. The annual event featured an address by 1975 Muskingum College alumnus Jeffrey O. Evans, who is president, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of the Will-Burt Company of Orrville, Ohio.

In his address, Mr. Evans encouraged the students to begin building their personal resumes now, with an eye toward becoming the person they would like to be. “You stand in the doorway to the rest of your life,” he said. "Swing away, and don’t be afraid to take chances and makes changes that will make you the best you can be.”

Will-Burt Company is the world’s leading manufacturer of telescoping communications masts and emergency lighting towers and systems. Serving the broadcast, fire and rescue, and military sectors worldwide, Will-Burt’s products support rapid and effective situation responses and information transmission. Mr. Evans has led the private, employee-owned company through significant growth, more than doubling its annual revenue to $60 million and quadrupling its stock value over the past five years.

A cum laude graduate of Muskingum, Mr. Evans majored in mathematics and economics. He lettered in varsity baseball, managed student concerts, tutored his fellow students as a teaching assistant in The Arts, and was an active member of the choir. He served as president of Kappa Sigma fraternity, and was recognized as Kappa Sigma’s National Man of the Year in 1975.

He earned his master of business administration degree at Bowling Green State University and has completed post-graduate studies at Harvard Business School, the Wharton School of Business, the Kellogg School of Business and the Center for Creative Leadership.

A certified public accountant, Mr. Evans began his career with Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Ernst. He served as an international auditor with Firestone Tire & Rubber Corp., and was responsible for Penn Racquet Sports Worldwide for GenCorp, Inc., before joining Will-Burt. He currently sits on four corporate boards of directors, providing his expertise and guidance to fellow business leaders.

Mr. Evans lives in Canton, Ohio, with his wife, Oleta. He gives his time and talents in his community by serving as an elder at Jackson Friends Church in Massillon, Ohio.

Awards for excellence in teaching, scholarship and faculty service granted at Annual Convocation

At Muskingum College's Annual Convocation, held August 26 on the campus, three faculty members were recognized for excellence in teaching, scholarship and service. The awards were presented by Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Paul F. Reichardt.

The William Oxley Thompson Award for Excellence in Teaching was awarded to Associate Professor History Dr. Laura J. Hilton. This award is named in honor of an alumnus whose career combined teaching, ministry and service as president of Miami University and The Ohio State University.

Dr. Reichardt said of Dr. Hilton, “Her commitment to rigorous standards and creative teaching is recognized by faculty colleagues and students alike. The measure of students’ respect for her teaching is reflected in their evaluations of her classes, which are always among the highest in the college.”

Dr. Hilton joined the faculty in 2001. She earned a bachelor’s degree summa cum laude from The College of New Rochelle, a master’s degree in early modern history from Fordham University and a doctorate in history from The Ohio State University.

The William Rainey Harper Award for Outstanding Scholarship was granted to Associate Professor of Art Yan Sun. This award is named for an alumnus who was a renowned scholar, educator and the founder and first president of the University of Chicago.

Dr. Reichardt noted that Professor Sun has been, “dedicated to exploring the creative potential of the artistic mediums of drawing, painting, and photography. Your creative works have been exhibited nationally and your art works have been presented in two book-length volumes.”

Professor Sun joined the faculty in 1997. He earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from Northwest Normal University in Lanzhou (Lon-Joe), China, a master of arts degree in art history from Xi’an University, and a master of fine arts in painting and drawing from Texas A &M University - Commerce.

The Cora I. Orr Faculty Service Award was bestowed upon Professor of Chemistry Dr. Raymond D. Rataiczak. It is named in honor of a Muskingum faculty member and administrator who served the college with devotion and distinction for four decades.

Of Dr. Rataiczak’s achievements at the college Dr. Reichardt said, “Your leadership has been instrumental in the formation of Muskingum College’s identity as a leading 21st century comprehensive liberal arts college.”

Dr. Rataiczak joined the faculty in 1980. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Waynesburg College and a doctorate in physical chemistry from Saint Louis University.

IN THE PHOTO: Pictured from left to right are Dr. Laura Hilton, Dr. Paul Reichardt, Dr. Ray Rataiczak and Yan Sun.

Muskingum College receives U.S. Department of Education grant to improve special education teacher training programs

Muskingum College is the only private college in Ohio to receive a major grant from the U.S. Department of Education to help train highly qualified teachers of students with disabilities such as learning disabilities, emotional disturbances and mental retardation.

The U.S. Department of Education has announced the award of $2.4 million in grants to 20 institutions in 15 states. Muskingum College was one of only two institutions in Ohio to receive the grant. Muskingum will receive more than $110,000 during the first year of this five-year grant.

Visiting campus on August 4 was Kristine Cohn who represented U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. Mrs. Cohn is the senior official for the U.S. Department of Education’s Region V, which encompasses Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

U.S. Congressman Zack Space was also on campus to celebrate the award with the Muskingum College community.

"Muskingum College’s commitment to training teachers has remained constant and consistent,” said Muskingum College’s President Dr. Anne C. Steele. “This grant affirms Muskingum’s important role in partnering with the region to produce highly qualified educators.”

Professor of Education Dr. Linda Morrow, who will direct and supervise Muskingum’s grant, was named the 2007 "Professor of the Year” for the state of Ohio by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). A Muskingum faculty member since 1988, Dr. Morrow is co-author of Building on Student Diversity (Sage Publications) and numerous scholarly articles. She adds this latest grant to the more than $2 million in external grant funding which she has secured during her tenure at Muskingum.

Andrew Whitis receives service award from the Ohio Private Academic Libraries group

Andrew Whitis, head of user services at the Muskingum College library, has received the 2008 service award from the Ohio Private Academic Libraries (OPAL) consortium.

Whitis received the award in recognition of his service to the 24-member consortium of private college and university libraries that make up the OPAL group, which includes Muskingum College’s library.

For the last four years, Whitis has been an active member of OPAL’s User Services Committee, as well as serving as its chairperson. Since 2005, he has been invited to present at each of OPAL’s annual conferences. In addition, he has represented OPAL as an elected member of the OhioLINK Cooperative Information Resource Committee for a three-year term.

Whitis, a resident of Zanesville, joined the library staff in 2004. He received his bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University and earned his master of library and information science degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Sheila Ellenberger, director of the library and media center at Muskingum, commented on Whitis’s recognition by saying, “All of us on the library staff are proud of Andrew for the way he integrates the newest technological advancements into academic library services, and the 24 OPAL-member institutions have shown their appreciation and respect for his outstanding accomplishments by giving him this award.”

This is the second time that the Muskingum College library staff has earned the recognition from its fellow academic libraries. In 2006, both Circulation Supervisor Zelda Patterson and the entire Muskingum College library staff were recognized to their service to the consortium.

Distinguished Service Awards granted at Alumni Weekend

A highlight of this year’s Muskingum College Alumni Weekend, held June 20-22 on the campus, was the presentation on June 20 of the Distinguished Service Award (DSA) to four alumni in recognition of their personal and professional achievements. The award is the college’s highest alumni honor.

Sponsored by the Muskingum College Alumni Council, the DSA recognizes and honors alumni who have distinguished themselves through their professional endeavors and exemplary services to society. Any living Muskingum graduate or former student is eligible to receive this award.

Receiving the award were Elizabeth Topping Mainiero ’57, a leader and innovator in the field of library science; Reverend Dr. W. Terry Schoener ’60, whose career as a pastor who impacted the nation’s civil rights movement; Robert Jennings Reveley ’65, an entrepreneur and civic leader; and Walter R. Young, Jr. ’66, a widely recognized leader and innovator in the manufactured housing industry. Read the whole story.

IN THE PHOTO: From left to right: Rev. Dr. W. Terry Schoener ’60; Muskingum College President Anne C. Steele, Elizabeth Topping Mainiero ’57; Muskingum College Trustee and Alumni Council President Gordon Litt, Robert Jennings Reveley ’65 and Walter R. Young ’66.

Muskingum College receives National Science Foundation grant

Muskingum College has received a grant from the National Science Foundation to fund a research project titled, Curricular Enhancement of the Sciences through the Vertical Integration and Interdisciplinary Applications of GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry).

The grant will assist with the purchase of GC-MS equipment and the training of Muskingum College faculty and students to use that equipment.

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry is a method to identify different substances within a test sample. Applications of GC-MS include drug detection, fire investigation, environmental analysis, explosives investigation and identification of unknown samples. It can also be used in airport security to detect substances in luggage or on human beings. Additionally, it can identify trace elements in materials that were previously thought to have disintegrated beyond identification.

At Muskingum, the technology will be used in a wide range of academic disciplines, including chemistry, biochemistry, environmental science, biology, molecular biology and neuroscience.

The effort to secure the funding was spearheaded by Associate Professor of Chemistry Dr. Lois Zook-Gerdau, who served as principal investigator for the application process. Working as co-principal investigators were Associate Professor of Chemistry Dr. Deepamali Perera, Assistant Professor of Chemistry Dr. Eric Schurter and Associate Professor of Chemistry Dr. Paul Szalay.

Dr. Zook-Gerdau credits the support of the college’s administration, including President Dr. Anne C. Steele and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Paul Reichardt, for providing additional funding support; and Professor of Chemistry Dr. Raymond Rataiczak, who is working toward the future purchase of additional GC-MS devices.

Assistant Professor of Education Dr. David Watkins will provide evaluation and assessment of how the machine is applied to a variety of uses in different academic disciplines.

Dale W. Dickson Scholarship awards support to Traci Alt of Salesville

A first-year Muskingum College student has been awarded financial support from the Dale W. Dickson Endowed Scholarship Fund.  Traci Alt, a Buckeye Trail High School graduate from Salesville, plans to pursue the pre-medicine program. She is the daughter of Kevin and Debbie Alt of Salesville.

As a student at Buckeye Trail, Traci was a member of the National Honor Society, Student Council, Students Helping Students and Students Against Drunk Driving.  She also participates in volleyball, basketball and softball, and was recently selected as a recipient of the John Wells Memorial Scholarship.

The Dale W. Dickson Endowed Scholarship Fund was established in 1998, following his death, by his family, friends and the Mace Club, a social club at Muskingum. Dickson, who graduated from Muskingum in 1965, was a member of the Mace Club and served on its advisory board after his graduation. The purpose of the fund is to make it financially possible for deserving and qualified students, preferably from Guernsey County, to attend Muskingum College.

Dickson was a teacher and coach at Meadowbrook High School, Cambridge High School, Cloverleaf High School near Cleveland, and Mt. Vernon High School. Beginning in 1986, he was employed by Cambridge Savings Bank, where he served as vice president and secretary and as a board member of Camco Mortgage. He also was the high school football coach of Cambridge native Dom Capers, who is defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins. Capers also won coach of the year honors in the NFL as head coach of the Carolina Panthers.

Dickson was a member and past president of the Kiwanis Club, the Cambridge Area Chamber of Commerce Board, the Guernsey County United Way campaign and the board of directors of the Southeastern Ohio Regional Medical Center. In tribute to his college athletic career, he was inducted into the Muskingum College Hall of Fame in 1993.

Two other Dickson Scholarship recipients, Jessica Miller and Alexe Monday, both of Cambridge, will continue their studies at Muskingum this year. Matthew Gilmore, another Dickson Scholar, recently completed his studies at Muskingum with a bachelor’s degree in History.

The Metallurg Vanadium Corporation/Muskingum College Engineering Scholarship awarded to John Glenn High School’s Emily Hollowniczky

The Metallurg Vanadium Corporation/Muskingum College Engineering Scholarship for the 2008-2009 academic year has been awarded to Emily Hollowniczky, a John Glenn High School senior. The daughter of Michael and Rhonda Hollowniczky of New Concord, Emily will enter Muskingum College this fall, where she plans to study engineering science.

Emily’s honors in high school include being in the top ten percent of her class at John Glenn, participation in the Orchestra and String Sounds, membership in the Fellowship of Christian Students, the Business Club and the Ambassador Club, and work as statistician for the boys' soccer and wrestling teams. She also works part-time at Animal Clinic of Cambridge, where she started as a volunteer.

The scholarship was created by Metallurg Vanadium Corporation (MVC) to help a student from an area high school study engineering science at Muskingum. Valued at $1,000 per year, it is available to students graduating from Buckeye Trail,Cambridge, John Glenn or Meadowbrook high schools. In addition to financial support, MVC will provide opportunities for the scholarship recipients to gain practical experience through internships with the company.

The engineering science program at Muskingum combines a broad foundation in engineering, mathematics, science and liberal arts with practical experience in designing, implementing and reporting on real-world projects. Students in the program typically take coursework in chemistry, computational science, electrical engineering, engineering design, material science, mathematics, mechanical engineering and physics.

MVC and the college believe that this scholarship supports the economic vitality of the region and addresses the need to develop future scientists and engineers. It is also hoped that this support will encourage talented local students to not only study at Muskingum, but remain in the region to consider their career opportunities after college.

IN THE PH0TO: (Front row, left to right), Vice President of Enrollment Jeff Zellers, scholarship winner Emily Hollowniczky, Senior Admission Counselor Joy Cronin and Chair of the Department of Physics and Engineering Dr. Richard Taylor. (Back row, left to right), Vice President for Academic Affairs Paul Riechardt. and Metallurg Vanadium Plant Manager Ed Forshey.

Muskingum College offers new professional options

Muskingum College has made available three new professional development options designed for people interested in the field of accounting. Built on one of the well-established strengths of the college, the new accounting certificate program provides students a choice of progressively more advanced options in accounting including a college certificate in basic accounting, a college certificate in office management accounting, and a college certificate in public accounting preparatory to the CPA examination.

"The Muskingum Economics, Accounting and Business faculty makes these options available to both current and prospective accounting professionals in our region,” stated Economics, Accounting and Business Department Chair, Gary Golden. “These college certificate options will appeal to a broad spectrum of candidates ranging from students with little or no college experience, who may want to explore higher education in a compact yet meaningful program, to college graduates interested in advancing already established careers.”

Muskingum has made the program user-friendly. Rolling admissions allow most students to begin their program at the beginning of any term during the 12-month calendar followed by the college. Students are able to choose between classes offered on the traditional daytime schedule or on the evening schedule when classes meet once a week. The college also plans to make courses which are part of the certificate options available in New Concord and at sites in Coshocton, Zanesville and Cambridge.

For additional information about this or any other program at the college, contact Kim Goosman in Graduate & Studies at 740-826-8038 or at kgoosman@muskingum.edu.

Students earn honors in annual Society for Collegiate Journalists competition

Student staff from Muskingum College’s newspaper, radio station and yearbook each have earned honors in this year’s Society for Collegiate Journalists national competition. Read the whole story.

Five seniors make presentations at research conference

Five Muskingum College seniors have presented their seminar research at Minds at Work: The Fifteenth Annual Student Research Conference, held at Heidelberg College in Tiffin. Read the whole story.

Nine students named to OPCICA Honors Band

Six members of the Muskingum College Wind and Percussion Ensemble and three members of its Jazz Ensemble were named to the honors concert band and the honors jazz ensemble at the 2008 Ohio Private College Instrumental Conductors Association (OPCICA) 21st Annual Honor Bands Festival. Read the whole story.

Principal’s license program at Muskingum College offered in new format

Muskingum College is now offering its highly successful principal’s licensure program in a convenient distance-learning format that combines face-to-face classes meetings with electronic learning (e-learning). The new format allows students to complete a 3-credit course required for the license in just four weeks.

This change reflects Muskingum’s ongoing mission of providing service to the region by making this license more accessible to a broader audience. Dr. Vicki Wilson, who has taken a leadership role in distance education at the College, points out that there continues to be a strong demand for school administrators in Ohio and that today, everyone has access to the technology needed to participate in e-learning opportunities, including telephone and internet.

The new delivery format allows students to complete a 3-credit course in a month by attending two Saturday, classroom-based meetings and participating electronically during intervening weeks. Students will be able to complete up to four courses per term and have the option of attending full or part-time. According to Dr. Ruthann Fagan, dean of Graduate and Continuing Studies, “We’re very excited about this new opportunity. The training of high-quality, administrative professionals is one of the well-established strengths of the College. Blended learning serves to make our program even more accessible for the many students who are already in the program and already working as administrators.” Fagan went on to say that the blended-learning format also facilitates others joining who want to explore advancing their careers in this high-demand area.

This change in format marks Muskingum College’s second blended-learning offering. The option was launched this fall with the introduction of the Master of Information Strategy, Systems and Technology program. For more information about any of the programs offered through Graduate and Continuing Studies, call 740-826-8038.

Graduate and Continuing Studies offers adult students an opportunity to earn credit for life experiences

The Office of Graduate and Continuing Studies at Muskingum College is offering adult students wishing to complete their bachelor’s degree an opportunity to earn academic credit for learning outside the classroom.

The college’s Experiential Learning Workshop takes students through a petitioning process that leads to an evaluation of their learning as it applies to the pursuit of an undergraduate degree.  The credits earned can be applied toward their degree in the Muskingum Adult Program (MAP), which offers bachelor’s degrees in accounting, public accounting, business, criminal justice, early childhood education and intervention specialist education.

The workshops, which take place in six sessions over 12 weeks, guide students through the process of completing a portfolio of their learning from life and work experiences, which is then evaluated by a faculty member who is an expert in the field.  The academic credit earned is applied toward the student’s degree requirements.

"The experiential learning workshops offer adult students a new way to receive academic credit for college-level learning that has taken place outside of the classroom,” said Kim Goosman, coordinator of the Muskingum Adult Program. “Earning academic credit in this way has the potential to reduce the amount of time required to earn a degree, plus it can reduce the cost.”

Goosman also said that the money saved from the workshop can be significant.  “A student who receives 15 credits from their experiential learning portfolio can save almost $3,000 over the cost of regular tuition.  We’re confident that our adult students will find that a very attractive way to move forward with their degree,” she said.

For specific information on the workshops, call Graduate and Continuing Studies at 740-826-8038 or click here.

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