Alumni Class Notes

1950s

Emil J. Sarpa, '52 education, of Los Altos, Calif., spent 23 years at Sun Microsystems and five years at Intel creating university research relationships in computer science and engineering.
Ruth Little Strader, '51 home economics, and her husband, Jack D. Strader, '49 horticulture, of Columbus, Ohio, has been selected to receive the Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences 2010 Distinguished Alumni Award. They are being recognized for their 55 years as owners and operators of Strader Garden Centers in Columbus.
Joan Wilson, '58 human ecology, of Cincinnati, Ohio, received the Home and Community Award from the Ohio Association Family and Consumer Sciences for her service as a volunteer in the Cincinnati community.

1960s

Wayne Urban, '68 PhD education, of Atlanta, Ga., was granted the 2009-2010 Paul W. Bryant Endowed Professorship in the College of Education, University of Alabama. He is author of American Education: A History, now in its fourth edition, and the new More than Science and Sputnik: The National Defense Education Act of 1958.

1970s

Kathleen Beebe-Balogh, '74 human ecology, of Weaverville, N.C., is president of the North Carolina State League of Women Voters. She is also member of Oxfam's Sister on the Planet, which draws attention to the disproportionate effect of global climate change on women in third world countries.
Donald G. Dawson, '74 MA education, of Hot Springs Village, Ark., has retired after 19 years of teaching and administration in Ohio and Oregon. The author of Sales 101: Principles in Action, he sells pleasure boats.
Violeta P. Hughes, '79 MA education, of Cavite, Philippines, has retired after advising international students at Ohio State for 20 years. She now is editing the autobiographies of Philippine national artist Carlos Quirino and his wife, novelist Liesel Quirino. Her articles have been published in various publications, including Filipinas Magazine.
Frank F. Matthews, '74 PhD education, of Houston, Texas, is associate professor of mathematics at the University of Houston's Clear Lake campus.
Patricia Prather, '72 human ecology, of Columbus, Ohio, received her associate's degree in registered nursing from Central Ohio Technical College, and is implementing Epic electronic medical records in large hospitals around the United States, including Ohio State.
Judith Burgett Robinson, '71 human ecology, of Lancaster, Ohio, received the Directory of Traditional American Crafts' highest award for a traditional artisan in 2009 for her historical hand-woven textiles. Her pieces were showcased in the June 2009 issue of Early American Life.

1980s

Tim Flanagan, '80 MA education, of St. Petersburg, Fla., directs custom programs at the Leadership Development Institute at Eckerd College. He is also a senior fellow at the Center for Conflict Dynamics. His third book, Developing Your Conflict Competence, is set to be published by Jossey-Bass in February 2010.
Paul LaRue, '81 education, of Washington Court House, Ohio, received a 2009 Time Warner Cable National Teacher Award for a Washington Senior High School 12th-grade class project, "Archaeological Technology Preserves a Story of Freedom," which preserved a historic African American site, the Gist Settlement.
Kelly Seeberg Wolfe, '86 human ecology, of Urbana, Ohio, is an executive representative with Merck & Company, which discovers, develops, manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products.

1990s

Leslie T. Fenwick, '93 PhD education, of Bowie, Md., is dean and professor of educational policy and leadership at Howard University. An essay she wrote for Education Week was selected for a book celebrating the publication's 25th anniversary, The Last Word: The Best Commentary and Controversy in American Education (June 2009). Also, she serves on the national advisory council for the George Lucas Education Foundation and the board of directors for the Teacher Education Accreditation Council.
Leonard L. Haynes III, '90 PhD education, of Silver Spring, Md., the executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, is credited with substantially improving the initiative's performance since his appointment in 2007.

2000s

William Bauer, '02 MA education, of Marietta, Ohio, was honored with the 2009 McCoy Professor Award by Marietta College for his scholarly accomplishments, as well as for helping people with disabilities by volunteering and serving on statewide boards.
Joni Barnard, '05 PhD education, of Columbus, Ohio, is a director of the Institutional Review Board for social science research at the Ohio State University Research Foundation.
Craig Brown, '07 MA education, of Wapakoneta, Ohio, was recognized by the University of Findlay's College of Business for his contribution to the advancement and support of its students and community, April 2009.
Kathryn Carmichael, '00 human ecology, of Marysville, Ohio, is owner of Sure Color Painting, an interior and exterior decorating company serving central Ohio.
Peter De Witt Jr., '07 MA education, of Columbus, Ohio, married Megan Balog, also an Ohio State alumnus, on July 18, 2009, in a garden wedding in Youngstown, Ohio. A biology and chemistry teacher at Metro High School in Columbus, he recently worked with the Educational Testing Service to update the PRAXIS test for biology.
Katherine McCartan, '06 of Centerville, Ohio, Julia Seitz,'07 of Dublin, Ohio, and Betty Van, '08 of Columbus, Ohio, all human ecology, are volunteering with "I Know I Can," helping Columbus Public Schools students and their families fill out FAFSA forms for financial assistance with college costs.
Kevin J. Meyer, '07 PhD human ecology, of Louisville, Ohio, has joined the faculty at Mount Union College as an assistant professor of psychology.
Brian Pitzer, '02 human ecology, of Marysville, Ohio, is CEO of Avitae, which distributes caffeinated bottled water. He also works on the board of the Boys and Girls Club of Central Ohio.

Send us your news!

Awards, recognitions, retirements, new jobs, new spouses -- we love to hear it all. Send your updates to Sean Thompson, Director of Alumni Relations, (614) 688-5392. Please make sure to list your degrees and class years.

The Ohio State University

www.osu.edu