Alumni Awards 2022

Speaker 1:
I did not know that at the time.  But transferring at the  beginning of my junior year from  a small liberal arts college to  a major university was one of  the best decisions in my life.   I was at The Ohio State University,   where my chosen  profession was introduced,  practiced, and then confirmed.  It was there that I met my life  partner in an elementary school  education class. 

And of course,  it was at Mirror Lake, where I  proposed to her. It was there  where I saw Woody Hayes and the  football team win every home  game for two consecutive years.  And in the spring of 1970, just  before graduating, I was  throwing a Frisbee on the oval,  when tear gas was released by  Columbus city police as they  chase those who were protesting  America's incursion into  Cambodia. 

Because of those  experiences, and many more, I  have remained a loyal Buckeye.  And I'm deeply grateful and  honored to receive this  recognition from Ohio State's  College of Education and Human  Ecology. To the committee making  this possible. Thank you for  getting into the weeds and  recognizing this educational  practitioner who was honored to  serve our young people for over  50 years. 

Deserving of special  thanks are the members of my  family without whose love and  support none of my  accomplishments would have been  possible. I can't adequately  express the pride I have for  being able to hand diplomas to  all three of our daughters, and  more recently to do the same  with our oldest grandson. 

As for  my wife, Judy, who's another  Buckeye, all who know her would  agree with me that she has added  immeasurably to every part of my  life. I don't have to convince  anyone who is watching today  that ensuring educational  quality is a shared  responsibility. 

Any success that  I may have experienced was the  direct result of the care and  work and love of thousands of  women and men who I have been  privileged to call colleagues.  Please know that I pay tribute  to them. As this honor is  bestowed upon me. Yes, Go Bucks! 

Speaker 1:
Hi, I'm Kat Depizzo. So I'm President of Justice Design Lab and leading the Justice brand here in Columbus, Ohio Thank you so much for this award, I am truly honored that you would recognize me, thank you 
to the Alumni of Ohio State. 

And thank you to those  who nominated me, it means the world to me. I had  amazing professors at Ohio State that helped prepare  me for my career in retail, and I would not be here  without you. I also would be remiss in not thanking my  team, past, present and future. 

You know, team is  everything to me and I've been very fortunate to work  with incredible people who have helped me become who I  am today, not only as a leader, but as an individual.  And I would be remiss in not thanking my family and my  friends who have always supported me to my parents who  said I could do or be anything I put my mind to, I  truly appreciate you. And most of all, to my  incredible husband, Jerry, and my two beautiful 
daughters, Izzy and Sophia. 

You three always stand  beside me no matter what. And I know working in retail  is hard and it's not easy sometimes with me, but you  will always stand by my side and helped me believe in  myself. So thank you. Thank you all. You know,  empowering girls is what we do here at Justice, it's  actually quite magical to get to work on I find it's  just actually a gift. And a responsibility, when I  don't take lightly. Giving back with that, too, is  been a mission of mine, so I want to bring that to  life not only in the work that we do here at Justice,  but also in my personal life. 

I learned really early  on in the industry that it's tough. It's a tough  industry, and my goal was to create an environment  where people could just feel like they could be their  best self, they could support one another and they can  be authentic. And I've worked really hard to do that  here and will continue to in Columbus, Ohio. Also,  creating opportunity is a very big priority of mine.  And I love this town of Columbus, Ohio, at The Ohio  State University as well. 

You know, we're the number  three largest fashion retail cities in the nation. So  if you didn't know, now you do know. And I'm very  proud of that fact and I shout it all the time. I have  made a commitment to try and continue to support that.  And I will not stop creating jobs, whether it's  through my own means of company or through others and  connecting people giving back mentoring, volunteering  on boards at The Ohio State at the Columbus fashion  Alliance and more. 

My team volunteers we are always  looking for ways to give back and help support the  talent that we have here in this town because it is  truly so special. And I promise to continue to give  back support that foster that in every way that I  possibly can. 

You have my commitment, and I would not  be able to do any of that if I hadn't gotten the  experience and education that I did at Ohio State. 

So, thank you so much, this means the world to me I'm  truly grateful and honored and congrats to all my  constituents tonight and thank you so much and be  well.
 

Speaker 1:
Hello, I am Dr. Marcia Millet. And I want to thank The  Ohio State University, College of Education and Human Ecology  for recognizing me for the Career Achievement Award.  What makes this award even more special is that  I was nominated by my former student   Dr. Lauren Wilson. I had the privilege of serving as her major  professor during my early years as an assistant 
professor at Tennessee State University. 

My first job after graduating from Ohio State was a second grade  classroom teacher in Columbus, Ohio. Even though I was  new in the field, I felt that I was exceptionally well  prepared to provide my students with an outstanding  educational experience. A number of years later, I  transitioned to teaching and serving as an  administrator at the university level. 

The training I  received in the College of Education and Human Ecology  had equipped me to think critically, work passionately  and lead strategically. The very unique and positive  opportunities I had at The Ohio State University  placed me on a stellar educational journey, but which  I am forever grateful and thankful. A science and math  course that I took as a student at Ohio State helped  me establish and mold my STEM career. 

I adapted the  ways in which the courses were taught, the manner in  which the professor's captivated my attention, and the  ways in which the information was presented in an  exciting manner into a style that worked for me.  Throughout my life, the training I received at The  Ohio State University has been at the core of my  professional success. Over the years, my talents have  been recognized in numerous ways. 

I was voted Teacher  of the Year in Nashville, Tennessee, was awarded an $8  million grant and STEM and recognized by the National  Science Foundation, identified by Penn State  University as an impactful woman of color in STEM, and  most recently was selected to serve as a plenary  speaker at The Ohio State University. With the  unwavering support of my husband, Dr. Peter Millet,  and alum of The Ohio State University, and my daughter  Mackenzie, a graduate student at Oakland University,  along with many family, friends and mentors, I have  been able to reach my educational goals. 

I want to  thank the professors and administrators in the College  of Education and Human Ecology, for giving me the  tools I needed to have a meaningful career in  education for 32 years. Thank you once again, this  award will be proudly displayed and cherished. Today,  I can truly say, my steps have been ordered, and I am  forever thankful and grateful to The Ohio State  University
 

Speaker 1:
Hello, my name is Tracy Nájer, and I'm a 2017  graduate of the College of Education and Human Ecology.  And I want to thank the Alumni Society for  the Career Achievement recognition. I want to thank my  nominators, Yolanda Sabetha, Joel Diaz, Maria Sanchez,  and Jack Jackson. 

Thank you. Thank you so much for  nominating me for this honor. I'm just so humbled by  it. Well, I want to start off by saying that I am a  three time graduate of The Ohio State University. And  my career, I think, you know, it really starts with my  undergraduate career. So I have my bachelor's in  International Studies. But outside the classroom, I  think what I was doing was just as important. I was  very involved in student leadership, student advocacy,  Presidents of Epsilon lamda, a co-ed Latino interest  fraternity. I was involved with the workgroup that was  standing up a Latino Studies Certificate, I think,  which later became a program. So there were lots of  opportunities there for me to see that my voice had  power, and that I also could make a difference, which  led me to the College of Public Policy Management. 

So, while I was in my master's program earning my MPA, I  had the opportunity to take electives in a lot of  different fields. And I really fell in love with  Education Policy, I took all my electives in that  college and met some amazing adjuncts and professors  like Dr. Brad Mitchell and Mark Real, and through  those connections, I was able to get internships with  Columbus City Schools, the Eisenhower National  Clearinghouse for Science and Education. And then  also, most importantly, get my first job with the  Children's Defense Fund of Ohio as a Research Fellow.

This experience truly set the trajectory for me and my  career, I was able to work on issues like education  equity, especially around school facilities, creating  schools and centers of community. And the network that  I was able to build while I was there was just  invaluable. From CDF, I went to work for the Office of  Budget Management, which I have to be honest, I did  not want to do at first, but I knew it would be good  for me in terms of learning about state government,  learning about budget and policy decisions. And seeing  how all of these made a difference in people's lives.

These were not abstract concepts. It was probably the  best career decision that I had made. It was also the  most unexpected experience and that I didn't think  that I would like it as much as I did. And I worked  with some of the smartest people I've ever met, and  also had amazing support of individuals. So the  directors at OBM, who were really encouraging for me,  Tim Keane, and Perry Savety. And then my colleagues,  Rebecca Vasquez skillings and Susan Ackerman, without  them I don't think I wouldn't have had the opportunity  to make the decision to pursue a a doctorate in  education. And I'm so thankful for their encouragement 
and giving me the flexibility to do that. 

So during  this time, when I was working on issues of school  funding and need based financial aid, having that  opportunity to study more deeply was really, really  important. I wanted to be able to do the best job that  I could and the roles and responsibilities that I had,  and felt that the doctoral studies were the way to go.

You know, and I am so thankful that my dissertation  advisor, Dr. Scott Sweetland, that he took a real  chance with me and he encouraged me and supported me  along the way, even when I switched my dissertation  topics. So very thankful for his support and that of  my committee, Dr. Anne Allen and Dorinda Gallant. They  knew it was difficult for me. I had been out of  graduate school for some time out of academia, and  returning as a parent as a full time worker. You know,  it was challenging, but they absolutely made it so  doable, and also encouraged me, you know, that this is  the right path. So I'm very thankful for their  partnership and their leadership. And back to career  wise, I had the good fortune of working for Battelle  for Kids, which is a national nonprofit organization  focused on school improvements. And they had hired me  to manage a Teacher Incentive Fund project focused on  23 school districts and Ohio's Appalachian region with  a focus on college and career readiness using data  professional development, compensation accountability  systems, it was a tremendous experience. And one where  I was able to go from the 10,000 foot state policy  level, where things they do tend to get a little bit  abstract, to basically the two inches off the ground  level, right where the rubber truly hits the road. 

And  working with teachers working with principals, you  know, seeing how things were operating in classrooms.  It was truly an honor and a privilege to do this. And  also my colleagues, who I worked with Dr. Jim Mahoney,  Dr. Brad Mitchell, Dr. Barb Hansen, they were all  amazing people that I was so thankful to learn from  every single day, and, you know, really get a firmer  handle on, you know, where policy and practice meet.

Which leads me back to Children's Defense Fund, where  I've been the Executive Director now for four years.  Since my first professional experience with the  organization, I knew that public policy and advocacy  on behalf of Ohio's children was something that I  wanted to do, and I would always do in some way. And  it was an absolute honor, for me that Mrs. Marian  Wright Edelman hired me into this role, and also that  I had the support of my predecessor Renuka Mayadev  another individual who I just respect so deeply. And I  have the privilege of working on behalf of Ohio's  children every single day, and looking at whole child  well being. So education, equity, children's health,  child nutrition, child welfare, anti poverty issues,  you know, these are all things that our organization  works on. 

And through policy through collaboration,  through, you know, advocacy, our goal is that we're  going to make a difference, we're going to eliminate  poverty in our lifetime, and that every child in the  state of Ohio can thrive and flourish into adulthood,  with the support and care of loving adults in their  lives. So thank you College of Education and Human  Ecology, for helping me on this journey, and for  equipping me with the tools and the networks to be  successful, and to be effective. And I think I just  want to close by saying that my husband, Israel, who  I've been married to for 23 years, who I met as a  freshman at Ohio State and our children, Riley and  Tatiana. They are my purpose. 

They are my why, they  keep me grounded, they keep me inspired and laughing.  And also, I think without their love and  encouragement, you know, things would be very  different. And they really give me you know, that joy  every single day. So, thank you, College of Education,  Human Ecology for this Career recognition. And, you  know, I can't pay back all the mentorship and all the  support that I've received over the years from so  many, but I can pay it forward. And that is what I  intend to do.

Speaker 1:
Greetings. Good afternoon. Hello, and thank you.   Thank you Buckeye family for this prestigious honor. I  sincerely appreciate it. Thank you Dr. Eric Anderman,  and Dr. James L. Moore III for independently putting  my name forth for this honor, and nominating me. So  because this New Leader Award means so much to me  right now in my career as somebody who's now elevating  their research on belonging to a leadership philosophy  at the center of community engagement, motivation and  equity focus, quantitative methods, I just want to  share a few receipts to my Buckeye family around how  we got here. 

There are a few key lessons that I  learned from my mentors outside of the classroom at  OSU. And my team continues to be grateful for these  lessons, because it guides the way we think about  things. But I'm going to take it to the practicals  today. So let's go for Eric Anderman first. He taught  us that nobody cares about motivation. They care about  the thing that they want you to be motivated to do.

Dr. Lynley Anderman, she taught us what ground game  really looks like. What she would do is she would take  us or me to AERA, put me in a room with other  scholars, ask me who I wanted to meet, grabbed me by  the hand and walk me over to the scholars introduced  me and walked away. I can't tell you how much that  means to me. It really did a lot for my trajectory.

Dr. Anne O'Connell, you taught me the importance of  holding true to my values, but you really taught me  that it will require some gumption. People sometimes  will test you. But it's important to stand true to  your values. You taught me that if I let somebody  knock me off course, at the very beginning of my  career, they would be trying to do that for the rest  of my career and my time in the academy. And so I  sincerely appreciate you for reminding me to remain  planted and rooted in what I knew what was right. 

Dr.  Anita Wolfe McCoy, you told me that it's so important  to exist within a translational space, because people  on both sides need you. And so my language, the way I  speak about my research, how I bring new terminology  to bear and how I broker relationships across academia  and outside of academia is doing large part to you  elevating the importance of translation to me. 

And Dr.  James Moore, you told me that nothing could replace  the value of a black scholar and mentor in my career  trajectory. As a Bell Doctoral Fellow, you put me in  front of top notch scholars like Louis Castenell,   Fred Bonner, Lamont Flowers. And you know, you helped me  understand what modeling and ethos of excellence look  like in the flesh. For a black scholar, I can tell you  how much that meant to me. You showed me so many real  things, have real conversations with me and affirm me  by telling me not only would I have seen in academia,  but you know, I will be able to support my family in  the future. And I cannot tell you how much I  appreciate that. So, from the bottom of my heart, I  love you Buckeye family and thank you for continuing  to be pouring into me texting me and calling me in the  middle of the pandemic. Thank you for never letting me  go and I'll never let you go either.