A Letter from Our Acting Executive Director
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It was a long time coming, but, maybe, spring is finally here! Or is it summer?
This will be my last letter to you as Acting Director of the Emeriti Center as we are in the process of interviewing candidates for the Executive Director position. As we have mentioned in previous newsletters, the Executive Director will serve a three year appointment as a Provost Fellow. We are grateful to Provost Nelson for creating this wonderful opportunity for the Emeriti Association. Our Emeriti Center has come a long way and we expect that it will continue to grow and offer many more opportunities to our UC emeriti.
In this issue, we highlight Bill Kramer in our
Second Act series. Bill, the former Director of the UC Fire Science program, remains very busy as a fire service consultant. Please continue to send us your suggestions for other emeriti who are doing interesting and unique things in retirement!
I want to take the opportunity to thank our student intern, Haley Fite, who has done an outstanding job this year. She has helped us launch the newsletter and her creativity and expertise has been greatly appreciated. Her writing and technical skills have also been invaluable to our continued expansion. Haley graduated this spring Cum Laude with a degree in Communication and plans to enter the marketing and communications industry, right here, in the city of Cincinnati.
We also want to welcome Madison Foery, who will be our student intern for the coming year. Madison is a sophomore in the Communications Department, and is originally from Washington, DC. She is a lacrosse player and was recently a nominee for
Tobler Time Award, which honors a student-athlete who “makes a difference behind the scenes and is always motivating, supportive and focused on the goals and vision of the team as a whole." Welcome to
our
team, Madison. We are happy to have you!
I want to thank Bert Huether for his unbelievable service to the Emeriti Association. Bert has served as president of the organization for five years and has moved us forward with his vision, dedication and unwavering persistence to get things accomplished. He leaves a truly wonderful legacy
It has been a pleasure serving as your Acting Executive Director and I know that the Emeriti Center has only good things to come. I encourage you all to get involved.
Pat Mezinskis
Acting Executive Director
Emeriti Center
Professor Emerita of Nursing
University of Cincinnati - Blue Ash
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A Letter from Our President
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This will be my last contribution to the Emeriti newsletter as your president, a position I have served in for the past five years. Wow, had I only known! However, I am very proud of what your Emeriti Board and I have accomplished during this time, and hope you are as well. Together, our Emeriti have become involved in significant ways with university activities, and many are now making substantial contributions to the betterment of the institution. At the same time, we have developed programs and activities which many emeriti appreciate and take advantage of to contribute to their own intellectual enrichment, sense of camaraderie, and professional identity. This along with finding activities that contribute to this win-win for the university and its emeriti, has been our guiding force.
Our Emeriti Board now has 21 members, most of whom are active in contributing to our work, including three living outside Greater Cincinnati scattered from coast to coast. We have over a dozen standing committees of the Emeriti Board, with their work resulting in the following successes:
- Significantly improved the transition to retirement process for retiring faculty
- Developed oral histories of emeriti through a course offered through the University Honors Program
- Offered five Annual Recognition and Appreciation Dinners for new emeriti
- Provided Undergraduate Mentorship Scholarships to two students which allowed them to carry out research or scholarly projects with emeriti mentors
- Collaborated with the Woman’s Club on an annual Bridge Tournament to raise funds for their Undergraduate Women’s Scholarships
- Recruited mentors and sourced financial donations for the PR1ZE program
- Coordinated emeriti mentorship opportunities for Graduate Student Fellows
- Offered monthly Luncheon Speakers Series event throughout the academic year
- Collaborated with OLLI to improve emeriti participation in various programs and initiatives
- Supported the Next Lives Here initiative to increase student enrollment from Cincinnati Public Schools and their success
- Collaborated with the International Activities Division to develop opportunities for teaching, research, and service for emeriti internationally
- Provided social gatherings for emeriti and spouses through partnerships with the College Conservatory of Music and other university organizations
- Obtained funds from the Provost to hire a half-time Executive Director of the Emeriti Center, and Provost Fellow
It has been an honor to serve you. Please contact me if you have any questions:
Carl.Huether@uc.edu.
Thank you for your continued support!
Carl Huether, President
Emeriti Association
Professor Emeritus of Biology
University of Cincinnati
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In This Issue
Recap of the Annual Meeting of the Emeriti Association
PR1ZE
UC Day of Service
Welcome to New Members
Recognition and Appreciation Dinner
Second Act
Emeriti Activities
In Memoriam
About Campus
This Month in UC History
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A Recap of the Annual Meeting of the Emeriti Association
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The Emeriti Association held their annual meeting on Thursday, May 10. The meeting included the election of new officers and board members as well as an address from outgoing president, Carl ‘Bert’ Huether, which highlighted emeriti activities and achievements as of May 2018. These achievements included the approval of the Emeriti Center in May 2016; the expansion of the Luncheon Speaker Series; a review and update of the association’s
mission, goals and values; the improvement of
retiree and
emeriti benefits; and
much more.
Find a complete list of the newly elected Emeriti Board below.
The following officers will serve one-year appointments in their corresponding positions:
Patricia ‘Pat’ Mezinskis,
President
Terence ‘Terry’ Milligan,
Vice President
Laura Kretschmer,
Secretary
Brenda Lemaster,
Treasurer
Sally Dunn,
Faculty Senate Representative
In addition to the aforementioned executive officers, the following individuals were elected to three-year appointments as Emeriti Association board members:
Sally Dunn, Librarian Emerita, College of Nursing
Mary Henderson-Stucky , Professor Emerita of Voice, College Conservatory of Music
Ralph Katerberg, Professor Emeritus of Business, Lindner College of Business
Michael Magazine, Professor Emeritus of Business, Lindner College of Business
Pat Mezinskis, Professor Emerita of Nursing, UC Blue Ash
Kenneth Skau, Professor Emeritus of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy
George Suckarieh, Professor Emeritus of Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences
George Vredeveld, Professor Emeritus of Economics, Lindner College of Business
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PR1ZE Presents at April Luncheon Speaker Series Event
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On April 19, as a part of our Luncheon Speaker Series, Carol Tonge Mack, Assistant Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences and Co-Director of “Putting Retention 1
st in the Zest of Excellence” (PR1ZE), spoke to a select group of emeriti about the university-wide mentoring programs offered through PR1ZE.
Developed by Mack alongside co-director Marilyn Kershaw, Director of Diversity and Access, in 2009, the program aims to help improve the retention and graduation rate of African-American students. Funded by the Diversity Council and with tremendous support from faculty mentors, PR1ZE has used the creative and innovative strategies championed by Mack and Kershaw to recruit and involve faculty and staff members to help improve the graduation rate of undergraduate African-American students. The PR1ZE Mentoring Program is a faculty and administration supported program for historically underrepresented minority student with an emphasis on supporting African-American students.
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The program launched within the College of Arts and Sciences with financial help from former dean, Valerie Hardcastle. From its outset in 2008, students in other colleges have requested involvement in the program and the mentoring it provides, to reach their graduation goals. In 2010, the Diversity Grant began funding the program and it expanded to include students university-wide.
In addition to Mack, one of the program’s mentees attended the luncheon and spoke about the positive impact the program had on her. Emeriti Bruce Ault and Howard Tolley are current PR1ZE mentors and encourage other emeriti to consider this life changing opportunity.
For more information, contact:
Ms.
Carol Tonge
Mack
Assistant Dean of Recruitment and Retention Initiatives, A&S Undergraduate Affairs
(513) 556-6541.
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UC Serves Day of Community Service
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UC will hold its 5th Annual UC Serves Day of Community Service on Friday, May 18. This year the university would like to invite emeriti to volunteer alongside current faculty and staff from throughout the university in giving back to Cincinnati through community service. Emeriti wishing to get involved with the event may select their service site. Service sites are available all around the region and include projects such as gardening, preparing donation materials and overseeing field day activities at a local elementary school. The sign-up also includes an option to have the service site chosen for you.
If you are interested in reading more about UC's day of community service, more information is
available here
. To review the complete list of service site opportunities, you can visit the
UC Community Engagement webpage
or click on the button below.
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Effective Apr. 1, 2018 through May 5, 2018
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Pamela Bach
Steven Boyce
Kenneth King
Jonathan Kushner
Kathryn Lorenz
Deborah Meem
Rodney Roseman
Vernon Scarborough
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Annual Recognition Dinner Honors New Emeriti
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The 5th annual Appreciation & Recognition Celebration for new Emeriti was held in the Nippert West Pavilion on May 1. Co-sponsored by the Provost’s Office and the UC Foundation, the event honored new emeriti with dinner and words of appreciation. University of Cincinnati Vice Provost for Academic Personnel, Matt Serra, who served as emcee for the event, congratulated and welcomed new members to the UC Emeriti Association. Other speakers included:
- Kristi Nelson, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
- Peter Landgren, President of the UC Foundation
- Xuemao Wang, Dean of the UC Libraries;
- Michael Magazine, Professor Emeritus of Operations, Business Analytics, and Information Systems in the Lindner College of Business
- Cate O’Hara, Director at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI)
- Pat Mezinskis, Acting Executive Director of the Emeriti Center
- Carl Huether, President of the Emeriti Association
The Emeriti Association is happy to add 56 new emeriti to their distinguished roster. Both the University and the Association look forward to a continued meaningful affiliation of the new emeriti with the university, maintaining their professional identity, intellectual enrichment and camaraderie through the many Emeriti Association activities available. Thank you to the members of the Celebration Committee: Bert Huether, Patrick Kumpf, and George Suckarieh.
Select pictures from the dinner will be available on
our website soon.
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Second Act
with William Kramer
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They have retired from a career, not life.
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William ‘Bill’ Kramer has always had two passions in life: academia and fire safety. And, in his second act, he’s bridging the two to serve communities across the nation.
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Bill Kramer (Front, middle-left) pictured with a number of fire chiefs presiding over Lima, Ohio and it's surrounding communities.
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Before teaching at the university and heading the Fire Safety Department in the, now, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, William ‘Bill’ Kramer was a long-time student. His educational background spanned across disciplines from business to engineering and included two bachelor’s degrees, two master’s and a doctorate. Woven into this endless pursuit of knowledge was also a storied career as a local volunteer firefighter.
Balancing his love for academia and for serving his community did not come without its costs. Even now, Bill still expresses his regret over not taking the Fire Chief position for the city of Cincinnati when the opportunity became available, but he has still managed to craft an extraordinary career which has continued well into retirement.
Bill may have, officially, opened the doors to his consultancy in 2006, but he had been in the business since 1977. That year he received his PhD in Administrative Management and alongside it, his first consultant position with the city of Kettering, Ohio. As one of only a few individuals who carry both a PhD and firsthand knowledge of firefighting and fire safety, Bill was uniquely qualified for the job. To this day, Bill remains one of the most qualified and experienced individuals in his field and anyone would be hard pressed to find a negative review of his work.
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Bill’s consultancy, Kramer & Associates Fire and EMS Consulting, works with communities throughout the country to assess and audit their current and future fire safety and emergency service needs. His team has worked to build these institutions and services from nothing in some communities while in others they work to boost the efficiency of existing services saving the taxpayer’s money and improving the safety for all in the community.
With the help of his daughter Cari, also a UC alum, as well as an elite team of specialists and fellow consultants, Bill’s consultancy has worked in a number of communities across the nation from Rhode Island to Michigan. One of Bill’s most notable projects, however, traveled far beyond anywhere he had been before taking him into the final frontier.
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Of the many projects Bill Kramer has worked on, his work with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (otherwise known as NASA) remains a point of pride. The work of Bill’s team at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland included an examination of every building on the base as well as a review of every piece of equipment including the launch facilities. Their work ensured the base was compliant with the current standards in fire safety for such a facility all while avoiding overspending and ensuring efficiency.
Bill still thinks he may someday slow down and take the time to enjoy a few rounds of golf, some travel and other, more traditional retirement activities, but, for now, he simply can’t pull himself away from the work he loves doing most.
As far as advice for other emeriti, Bill wishes to remind emeriti to remain thankful for the opportunities they have been given and connected to the university which may have once served as a home away from home. He also encourages them to exercise their brain just as much as they exercise their body to stay healthy and mentally sharp well into retirement.
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Do you happen to be in the middle of your own Second (or third) Act?
Email us
to let us know and you may find your story in a future newsletter.
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Gary Kelm
Dr. Gary R. Kelm, Professor Emeritus in the James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy, was recentl awarded the 2018 Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award for his continued involvement in the College of Pharmacy. Throughout his storied career as a researcher for Proctor & Gamble, Dr. Kelm remained connected to the university teaching graduate level courses on the College of Pharmacy, a passion he has continued in his retirement helping to develop additional graduate coursework in the college. In addition, Dr. Kelm has showed a continued dedication to student mentoring and furthering the advancement of health science and discovery through additional research in the College of Pharmacy. A bug congratulations to Dr. Kelm for this prestigious award.
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Allen Otte
On Thursday, April 26, Allen Otte, Professor Emeritus of Performance Studies in the College Conservatory of Music, performed with the CCM quartet-in-residence, the Ariel Quartet, as part of a CCM performance showcasing a selection of work from
Schumann,
Bartók
, Brahms and Cage. Otte, who began at the university in 1977, founded Percussion Group Cincinnati alongside fellow CCM faculty which has since toured and performed throughout North America, Asia and Europe. In addition, Otte was originally featured on Cage's
Five
and performed alongside the composer during Cage's time at CCM from 1966-67.
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Recently, at this year’s annual Emeriti Dinner, Provost Kristi Nelson spoke about President Pinto's new strategic direction and his Next Lives Here initiative. His plan includes three areas of emphasis: academic excellence, urban impact and innovation.
Academic excellence touches on making sure that every bearcat has a vision of what they want to do upon graduation and hiring faculty that will help cultivate a culture of excellence. Urban impact emphasizes the impact UC has on the greater Cincinnati-area through being a key contributor in urban health from making medical innovations to helping our city find ways to have affordable health coverage.
The President’s innovation agenda deals with his Next Lives Here mission, crafting a state of the art hub for forward thinking. It also deals with the COOP experience and how to further enrich the university community and how to be a leader in impactful inclusion.
Provost Nelson was extremely optimistic at the impact that Emeriti could have in this new Strategic Direction and President Pinto’s Next Lives Here agenda.
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Timothy Keener
Timothy C. Keener died on April 9, 2018 at the age of 69. Born June 21, 1948 in Sevierville, TN, he later earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees from The University of Tennessee. He joined UC as an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in 1982 and was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 1988. Timothy served 5 years as associate dean for research in the College of Engineering and Applied Science before retiring in May of 2015. He developed a strong research program focused on the reduction of air pollution and secured funding from agencies such as the EPA, the Department of Energy, and the Ohio Coal Development Office. Timothy is survived by his wife, Sumana, and their two children.
Julie Mitchell
Julie Mitchell died on April 28, 2018. Julie was a former Associate Professor of Fine Arts and Chairperson of the Art & Visual Communication Department at UC Blue Ash. A UC alum, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Fine Art and Art History from the College of Design, Art, Architecture and Planning, before attending East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina and earning her Master’s in Fine Arts. Above all else, Julie will be remembered by her friends and colleagues for her smart, generous and funny spirit as well as her insightful humor and wit which balanced well with her intelligence and dedication to the arts discipline.
Dorothy June Sciarra
Dorothy June Sciarra died on March 13, 2018 leaving behind a long career and legacy as a UC Professor, author and former director for the Arlitt Child Development Center. Dorothy served on the board of the UC Early Learning Center and Consortium for Resilient Young Children. She was an advisor to the Cincinnati Early Learning Centers and active in 4C for Children, which honored her with the June Sciarra Early Childhood Leadership Award, recognizing leaders exemplifying the principles she championed throughout her career. In 2010 she was the recipient of the United Way Impact Award. Dorothy is survived by her husband of 60 years, Ivo E. Sciarra, her two children and two grandchildren.
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Marian Spencer Hall, a high-rise/mixed use residence hall facility, was completed in March 2018 and will add roughly 328 beds to the current housing count on the uptown west campus. The facility, named after the famed civil rights activist and UC alum, Marian Spencer, will also hold dining facilities as well office space for the Department for Resident Education and Development, Campus Services and Housing and Food Services.
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The major overhaul and renovation at Fifth Third Arena is now considered more than two-thirds complete as project managers eye a November 2018 completion date. The renovations will modernize the building originally completed in 1989 and will include approximately 11,500 seats displayed in a modern 360 degree, seating-bowl style.
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This Month
throughout UC History
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Recently, a series of photographic relics were discovered in the UC Magazine office. The photo series, which seems to date back to the late '30s and early '40s, show day-to-day campus life and some of the activities enjoyed by former Bearcats during this time period. See the stunning transformation of the UC campus and the many exciting events setting campus abuzz from Co-op Day festivities to Pep Rally celebrations to celebrate the big game.
See them all for yourself!
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