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EHE News

EHE's Light Shines Worldwide as Alumni Aid and Improve Lives

5-31-11

In recognition of their contributions to college athletics and higher education law, a former Ohio State administrator and an alumnus of the College of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University were inducted into the Hall of Fame spring quarter 2011.

In addition, seven alumni received awards for their achievements in disability advocacy, education administration and evaluation, social foundations of education, hospitality management, human resource development, literacy education and youth physical activity.

Hall of Fame

Phyllis Bailey

Phyllis Bailey, of Columbus,Ohio, professor emeritus of athletics and physical education, Ohio State Department of Athletics

A pioneer in women's sports, Bailey oversaw the transition of athletics for women from a handful of clubs to 18 varsity teams during her 39 years as coach and administrator at Ohio State.

Starting as the first women's basketball coach at Ohio State, she rose to being the first woman to serve as assistant athletic director. She was so dedicated, she even gave up an opportunity to earn a doctorate. Originally an instructor and enrolled at Ohio State in physical education, she was appointed in 1957 as coordinator of intramural sports, recreation and women's sports - along with a promotion to assistant professor. Ironically, university policy kept her from both accepting the promotion and completing her doctorate. She chose to continue without a Ph.D., and it never held her back.

In 1971, she became associate director of University Recreation and Intramural and Women's Intercollegiate Sports. Continuing tradition, men's and women's sports, and their facilities, were separate. When Bailey asked to use the Larkins Hall pool for a synchronized swimming demonstration, her request was denied. "The men would have to put bathing trunks on," she was told.

Mostly, she found the lack of institutional support for women's athletics was the result of indifference. As she said, no one really cared. Even when she proposed changing the women's sports clubs into intercollegiate teams, there was little reaction. She was told to "do what you want to do."

What she wanted to do in 1971 was help create the national Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, which organized and recognized female competition for the first time.

A sea change occurred nationwide with the enactment of the Education Act of 1972, and the Title IX mandate of equality in women's and men's athletics. The university reluctantly appointed Bailey as assistant director of athletics in 1975. She was not greeted with open arms. In fact, it took three months and a confrontation with the athletic director to get an office in St. John Arena.

With careful preparation, humor and patience, Bailey moved ahead with a five-year plan. Some men's coaches opened their superior facilities to female players, but many fought to the end. And some women coaches and players wanted to push for more rapid changes.

It wasn't just a matter of improving the athletes' physical environment. Bailey worked tirelessly for excellent athletic trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, academic counselors, improved facilities, travel and career counseling. As more women athletes received grants-in-aid, Bailey insisted they receive the same benefits as male students.

In addition, she mentored women who wished to become coaches and sports administrators, professions that for too long had been closed to them.

Bailey takes much pride in this, and also in her conviction that Ohio State developed the "best intercollegiate women's program in the Big Ten and one of the best in the United States."

As a mark of the changes she had wrought, in her last year at Ohio State, Bailey was responsible for both men's and women's basketball, the first time gender was not the basis of her assignments. She had brought the profession a long way from the era when women's basketball coaches carried benches for spectators to the Pomerene Hall gym on game days.

Michael A. Olivas

Michael A. Olivas, of Houston, Texas, MA '74 English; PhD '77 Higher Education and Organizational Theory

Olivas is a tireless fighter for improved opportunities for youth and adults. The William B. Bates Distinguished Chair of Law at the University of Houston recently said he reads and produces higher education literature for a living. But he does not stay in academe's ivory tower. From his time as a graduate student at Ohio State, he has demonstrated a wide range of concerns and dedication to numerous causes. But all of them center on doing what is right. On our moral obligation to allow people of color, poor people, immigrants, migrant workers to be full-fledged participants in the American Dream. On higher education's moral obligation to open gates for them, and the law's obligation to fight for them.

Colored Men and Hombres Aqui; Ask Not for Whom the School Bell Tolls: Pyler v Doe and the Education of Undocumented Children; and The Dilemma of Access, Latino College Students - these titles from some of his 13 books mirror his respect for human dignity. Like the Statue of Liberty, he too embraces "the tired, the poor... huddled masses... homeless and tempest-tossed."

He has tirelessly worked to improve the lives of students and adults through his scholarly contributions and influence on national policy. He is an expert on the impact of immigration law and litigation. He has studied student financial aid and its application to students of color, first-generation college students and the children of immigrants and migrant workers. His other scholarly interests include prepaid tuition programs, the education of Latino children and youth, as well as tribal colleges and opportunities for Native American students.

He stays true to the education of graduate and professional students by continuous updates of his casebook, The Law and Higher Education, now in its third edition. He also provides an unusual level of service to the University of Houston, its institutions and students. Nationally, he has served in an extraordinary number of ways. For instance, he is general counsel to the American Association of University Professors, and was a trustee of the College Board and the Access Group Inc., the major provider of law and graduate student loans in North America.

He is president of the Association of American Law Schools, the premier organization for law school faculty. He is the only person to have been elected to both the American Law Institute and the National Academy of Education honor academies. The list of his honors goes on.

But most telling is his continuing legal consulting practice for faculty and staff at the University of Houston and institutional and state clients. He serves as an expert witness in federal and state courts and joins litigation teams in cases involving educational, financial and immigration matters.

Even while studying at Ohio State, he worked tirelessly to gain Ohio residency status for migrant workers so they could enroll in state colleges and universities. The Ohio Board of Regents agreed to in-state status for them. One nominator said, "If it had not been for him, I would not have gone on to earn my Ph.D." The men and women who over the years have been able to graduate from Ohio's institutions, thanks to him, provide an immeasurable benefit to the world.

Award of Distinction

Edward H. Rensi

Edward H. Rensi, of Downers Grove, Ill., BS '90 Business Education

Ed Rensi developed many of the concepts taken for granted today by fast-food customers: Chicken McNuggets, drive-throughs and Extra Value Meals.

Rensi left Ohio State without his degree in the 1960s in order to support his family. He returned in the late 1980s to complete his academic program. In the years between, he rose from a part-time manager trainee of a McDonald's restaurant in Columbus to president and CEO of McDonald's USA. During his 13-year tenure as president, McDonald's sales in the United States doubled to more than $16 billion.

He not only improved the McDonald's menu and service, in the 1970s, he co-founded the first Ronald McDonald House, which provided temporary, affordable shelter for families with seriously ill children. He oversaw establishment of more than 300 and has been appointed "trustee for life" of Ronald McDonald House Charities.

One of his supporters noted, "Through his professional, community and personal contributions, Ed has touched the lives of countless individuals while always looking for ways to effectuate positive change on a larger scale."

He lobbied for the Americans with Disability Act and was instrumental in McDonald's policy of hiring persons with physical or mental challenges. In addition, he has been active in the National Hispanic Corporate Council Institute, the American National Red Cross and the League Against Child Abuse. He serves on numerous boards of directors.

President Reagan presented him with the President's Volunteer Award in 1988 and he was invited as the keynote speaker for the President's Council on Employing the Disabled. He also received an honorary degree from Norwich University, the Porvello Award from the University of Steubenville, the Prince Matchabelli National Hero Award, and the Italian-American Award.

Julianna Cochran Rogers

Julianna Cochran Rogers (posthumous award), formerly of Columbus, Ohio, BS '70 Education; MA '74 Speech Communications

Rogers made disability awareness a way of life for thousands of Ohio State students, administrators, faculty and staff. Ill with polio at age 15, she was placed in an iron lung to aid her breathing. She used a wheelchair after recovering. However, she refused to change her goals. "I am not handicapped," she reassured her friends, "I have an inconvenience."

An honors student, she wanted to attend Ohio State to become a speech pathologist. However, Derby Hall, where most of her classes met, was not accessible. An admissions officer wrote, "Physical limitations prohibit any possibility of your being a student at OSU."

Rogers enrolled anyway, and volunteers from Delta Chi fraternity carried her up and down the 97 steps of Derby Hall each day. Because of her experiences, she sought to make university buildings open to all. Her drive to increase awareness motivated the 1972 senior class to raise funds to help eliminate physical barriers on campus.

As a speech pathologist, Julie focused on the emerging field of dyslexia and other learning disabilities among university students. A Graduate School associate dean said, "Without Julie's persistence and professionalism, it may have been many years before we would have realized the necessity of accommodation to students with dyslexia and similar learning challenges."

Her leadership led to involvement with the Central Ohio Easter Seals, the Mayor's Handicapped Advisory Task Force, and the Governor's Council on People with Disabilities. She was also selected as the first Miss Wheelchair Ohio.

Julie Cochran Rogers died in 2000, but her legacy lives on. She is described as "a hero, an inspiration, and a real woman. She has mentored, she has created, and she has felt emotions at depths many can't even imagine."

Darrell K. Root

Darrell K. Root, of Miamisburg, Ohio, MEd '57 and PhD '71 Educational Administration and Educational Evaluation

Root is a major contributor to the technique and art of evaluating educational programs, ensuring the best courses of study for children and college students nationwide.

His career began as a high school mathematics instructor and coach in Ohio's public schools. Later he proved to be a talented high school principal, assistant superintendent for evaluation and curriculum development, and district superintendent.

But his desire to expand his knowledge led him to pursue his PhD in educational administration and educational evaluation. While a student, he combined his administrative talent with his keen interest in evaluation. As a member of the Ohio State Evaluation Center, it soon earned recognition as the top center of its kind in the country at that time.

Root returned to public school administration, then went on to join the faculty at the University of Dayton. He was recruited by Western Michigan University as a consultant for the National Center for Research on Teacher Evaluation and Educational Accountability. It is the top research center in the field of program and personnel evaluation. For his contributions to the center, Root is recognized on its Wall of Honor.

Throughout his career and subsequent retirement, Root has staunchly supported the College of Education and Human Ecology. He has not only served on the EHE Alumni Society's Board of Governors, but generously contributed to establish the Darrell K. Root Scholarship Fund.

One of Darrell's supporters wrote, "He exhibits a sense of humor, a warm smile, and a spirit of 'we can' when difficult situations arise. He is a professional who can move a group forward, and in the end, individuals within the group often say, 'we did it.' "

Career

Joetta Beaver

Joetta Beaver, of Worthington, Ohio, BS '66 and MA '73 Education

As one of the first Reading Recovery teacher leaders, Beaver was among the visionaries who brought the program to North America from New Zealand. Since the 1980s, the program of one-on-one intense tutoring has aided 2 million first graders who were struggling to read and write. Reading Recovery recently received $55 million in federal and private monies to expand, a recognition of its success.

Beaver is a teacher of teachers, creating leaders by presenting new concepts and methods for reading instruction worldwide. During her 30 years as an educator, she worked as an elementary teacher, a reading instructor and a language arts assessment coordinator as well as a Reading Recovery teacher leader. In those roles, she encouraged and developed teachers as well as students.

She is the primary author of the Developmental Reading Assessment, now in its second edition, and the co-author of the Development Writers Assessment. Even in retirement, she continues to revise and expand the DRA and share her years of experience and expertise with teachers as a nationally recognized consultant and speaker.

Beaver served as vice president, president elect and president of the Reading Recovery Council of North America. During her tenure, she linked educators across the United States, and together they dramatically reduced the number of first-grade students who had extreme difficulty learning to read and write.

"Her ability to make personal connections to educators and her attention to detail are gifts that she gives willingly and without hesitation," a nominator said. "Her passion is evident - to train teachers to use formative data to help each child become a critical reader and writer."

She is a dedicated leader, passionate teacher and lifelong learner.

AAhad Osman-Gani

AAhad Osman-Gani, of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, MA '87 Business Administration and PhD '93 Human Resource Development

Osman-Gani advanced the principles and concepts of human resource development throughout Asia at a time when globalization makes it imperative that businesses blend employees from varying backgrounds and languages. The question of what it means to be from one culture and to be working in another culture is a significant aspect of his work.

"Dr. AAhad Osman-Gani's greatest contributions have been his advancing, almost on his own, the field of human resource development in Asia," a nominator stated. Largely through his efforts, universities in Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, China and Bahrain established academic human resource development programs.

He brings together scholars for discussions and discovery, but his goal is to apply research to practice. He does so with unflagging energy.

His 150 articles, 100 professional presentations, service on editorial boards and consulting on international and cross-national management have had a major impact on global businesses as well as the field of human resource training and management.

Osman-Gani is a distinguished professor of human resource development and international management in the Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences, International Islamic University of Malaysia. Recently, he accepted a multiyear appointment as a distinguished guest professor at East China Normal University in Shanghai.

He has received many scholarly awards and recognitions. They include his selection as the Outstanding Human Resource Development Scholar for 2009, the highest recognition bestowed by the Academy of Human Resource Development. He is the first Asian and international recipient.

A nominator noted that Osman-Gani could have chosen a career in business, but "he preferred that his legacy would be that of a scholar, as a means to give back to society." Many countries, as well as international companies and their employees, have benefited from his decision.

Wayne J. Urban

Wayne J. Urban, of Tuscaloosa, Ala., MA '65 Higher Education and PhD '68 History of Education

Urban uses social foundations of education tenets, especially those of Ohio State's famous social foundations program of the 1960s, to address contemporary issues of social justice. He emphasizes the importance of social engagement to make a difference in issues of race, class and equity. He draws on historical and sociological perspectives to expand understanding of African American education, teacher unions and other policy matters.

"His intent was always to address contemporary issues," a nominator said.

He is the Paul W. Bryant Professor in the College of Education at the University of Alabama, a recognition granted only to the most accomplished among the faculty. In addition, he serves as associate director of the Education Policy Center, which analyzes the American high school and critical education policy issues.

His book, American Education: A History, is in its fourth edition and has been translated into Chinese. He is author or editor of a dozen other books and monographs.

As a nominator said, "Wayne Urban's work as a professor of education is notable for his equal blending of scholarship and service. His scholarship is directed to improve current educational practice. His service is designed to further the scholarly development of others for the same goal."

Urban has been elected president of three major professional organizations: the History of Education Society, the American Educational Studies Association, and the International Standing Conference for the History of Education.

He also has earned a number of national awards, including designation as an American Educational Research Association Fellow and the John Dewey Lecturer at Columbia University's Teachers College.

New Leader

Leah Robinson

Leah Robinson, of Opelika, Ala., MA '02 and PhD '07 Sport and Exercise Science

Robinson focuses on health disparities in young children, particularly those of African descent, with the goal of developing motor skills and physical activity to avert obesity and cardiovascular disease in later life.

As one of her nominators stated, "Leah has demonstrated that she is bright and has the confidence, organizational skills, and motivation to excel professionally. She is an excellent advocate and role model for the African American children in the state of Alabama, where childhood obesity is at an all-time high and obesity-related diseases are continuing to increase."

Robinson said, "I don't want my research to only contribute to knowledge in my discipline. I also want it to contribute to society through outreach scholarship." She designs physical play and activity programs for preschool and elementary school children. She also screens youngsters for mobility, activity, psychological wellness and growth. She trains early childcare educators and physical educators so they, too, can assess children and increase their activity.

"Having expertise and understanding of kinesiology, motor development and exercise science gives her a unique and important combination [for research]," a colleague said.

Even this early in her career, Robinson has written three book chapters, 15 manuscripts that are in press or published and an additional five manuscripts under review. She has presented her work in France, Costa Rica and South Africa.

Robinson is the recipient of many professional awards, including three in 2010 from the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAPHERD). They are the National Mabel Lee Award, the National Lolas Halverson Motor Development and Learning Young Investigator Award, and the National Young Professional Award. She was also recognized by Auburn University with its Early Career Award.

The Ohio State University

www.osu.edu