2018 Quarterly – Issue 4

Contact Information:Delyssa Edwards, Director of Alumni Relations dedwards@rio.edu – Phone: 740-245-7431

Kara Willis, Executive Director of Institutional Advancement kwillis@rio.edu – Phone: 740-245-7221

Website: www.rio.edu/alumniFacebook: www.facebook.com/RioAlum

#RioGivingDay

Over $9,500 was raised in 24 hours to benefit projects directly impact-ing students at the University of Rio Grande on Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018. In association with the global move-ment, #GivingTuesday, the University of Rio Grande participated for the first time ever in #RioGivingDay. A total of 72 donors contributed to the 11 projects. #GivingTuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. Thank you to the following individu-als for supporting Rio students.

• Andrew Adelmann• Travis Adkins• Bonnie Allen Smith• Charles Althoff• Ian Blache• Darrell & Marilyn Boggs• Joshua Bowman• Vanessa Brisker• Elizabeth Brown• Petrea Brown• Elizabeth Bynum• Kay Cahall• Alan Carpenter• Larry Cheesebrew• Marlene Childers• Catherine Clark-Eich• Alice Dachowski• Tom & Vicki Davisson• Bethany Dixon-Wolfe• Deborah Donskov• Patrick Dowling• Amanda Ehman• Mary Kay & Greg Ervin• Clyde & Rosemary Evans• Robert Foster• Meghann Fraley• Ken French• Tara Gerlach• Michael Gilliland• Bonnie Gilliland• Kent Haley• Jennifer Henchey• Russell Henchey• Kenni Horton• Allen Hudson• Max Hudson

• Timothy Jackson• Mike Jenkins• Jeanne Jindra• Tamra Jolly• Karen Jones• Michelle Kennedy• Rebecca Long• Donna Martin• Raymond Matura• Wilbur & Carolyn McCormick• Kingsley Meyer• Laura Miller• Donna Mitchell• Bobbi Montgomery• Jim & M’Lou Morrison• Misty Napier• Teresa Oiler• Mary McCurdy Pierce• Paul Reed• Gary Roach• Richard Sax• Tamara Sheets• Joshua Smith• Michael Snider• Melissa Sowers• Tom Sutton• Steven Thomerson• Nicole Waldron• Jody Walker• Annette Ward• Dan & Edna Whiteley• Gary Williams• Kara Willis• Amy Wilson• Karen Wright• Beth Zinn

2018 Quarterly – Issue 4 ❖ 2

Our 2018 Alumni Chapter ‘Meet & Greet’ Events have concluded. This year, we were able to travel the entire state of Ohio, and even to Kentucky to host events for our alumni. We now have established active chapters in Cincinnati, OH (Southwest); Columbus, OH (Central); Cleveland, OH (Northeast); Sandusky, OH (Northwest); Marietta, OH (Southeast); and Ashland, KY. We also have plans for Chillicothe, OH (South Central) for 2019. Whatever region you are in, there is a chapter for you. Call us to find out which Chapter Event you may be inter-ested in for 2019. We hope to have a schedule available by February 2019.

Northwest OH Chapter Event

Thank you Sandusky alums for a great time at Quaker Steak & Lube on Oct. 9. Pictured is Terry & Marion Perkins ‘65 and ‘67, Leslie Millis ‘99, Beth Tischler ‘00, Mary Bond ‘67, Ralph Seward ‘67 and Andrew Betchsman ‘09.

Southeast OH Chapter Event

Mary Schramm Huck ‘15 & hus-band, Dustin Huck

John & Pam Bostic, Dr. Catherine Clark, Tom Tewksbary ‘70, Jay & Karen Pawloski ‘87 and ‘86, Amy French ‘84, Roger French ‘85

Kyle Edwards ‘11, Josh Fogle ‘03 and ‘09 and Zach Newell

Founders’ Day 2018The University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College has achieved several accomplishments since first opening in 1876. To commemorate the dedication put into building and opening the institution, and the people who have helped it thrive along the way, Rio hosted its annual Founders’ Day celebration. This year, Founders’ Day took place two days short of the 142nd anniversary of the first day of class at Rio Grande College (Wednesday, September 13, 1876). Director of Alumni Relations Delyssa Edwards said Founders’ Day recog-nizes Rio’s history and celebrates how successful the institution has been in the community.

For the event, Rio Alumnus Dr. Robert L. Lawson ’73 returned to his alma mater to share words of wisdom with our current students. Since graduating from Rio, Lawson has become a renowned speaker and author of twelve books in the field of self-development. He has also been an educator in high schools and universities for over 40 years, recently retiring from Chillicothe High School. Lawson said he believes the current students at Rio will continue the Rio Legacy by becoming great leaders in their academic and career fields. As part of the festivities, Rio recognized three Alumni Award Winners for 2018. They are Chad Lambert ‘94, Distinguished Alumnus Award; Jessica Wickline Lawhon ‘12, Atwood Achievement Award; and Ellen Brasel ‘93, University of Rio Grande Alumni Award. In addition two former professors, Linda Bauer and Dr. T. Michael Rhodes were inducted to the Educators’ Hall of Fame. Vicki Crabtree also received the University of Rio Grande Faculty Award. Crabtree will be the last recipient of this award, as the Rio Grande Alumni Association will be intro-ducing a new award for young alumni in 2019. Edwards said these individuals embody Rio Pride through contin-ued service to the institution and their communities.

Greek LifeUpcoming Greek Events• April 6 – CHIO 60th Anniversary• April 24 – AMB 54th Reunion• April 26 – ARCHON 62nd May Day• June 22 – ASIG DCM Garage Rules Open

Golf Tournament

2018 Quarterly – Issue 4 ❖ 3

ADE/TKE 50th – Members of Alpha Delta Epsilon/Tau Kappa Epsilon recently celebrated 50 years as a fraternity during a celebration held Oct. 20 in Gallipolis, OH. Interim President Dr. Catherine Clark was on hand to talk to those in atten-dance about the future of the University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College.

ARCHON - Archon President, and Rio student Chandler Dodson, is pictured with a recent donation made on behalf of the Archon Alumni Association. During this Spring, the Archons hosted a Antique Car Show on campus and it was a great success. Proceeds now benefit Rio Grande’s Golf Team, that Dodson is a member. The event will be held annually each April.

AMB – Each year, Alpha Mu Beta hosts the Annual Foxtrot 5k to raise money for the Lorie Neal Scholarship in memory of their sister and community champion. Pictured is the sorority sisters during the conclusion of this year’s event.

2018 Quarterly – Issue 4 ❖ 4

Society of 1876 Cup – 1960s Spirit of Rio – 1970s Pride of Rio – 1980s

1960’s

2018 Quarterly – Issue 4 ❖ 5

Darrell Boggs ‘80Stephen Wilson ‘81Tim Saunders ‘81Rusty Bookman ‘81Carol Sexton ‘82David Smalley ‘82Margaret Bookman ‘82Bradley Varney ‘82Dana Johnson ‘83Vicky Pettibone ‘83Amanda Clark ‘83Donna Johnson ‘83Brenda Evans ‘83Bret McCormick ‘83Lynn Hickman-Long ‘83Donna Dewitt ‘83Margaret Evans ‘84Karen Grey ‘84Michael Beaver ‘84Robert Foster ‘85Mindi Rorick ‘86Annie Roach ‘86Vicki Mackie ‘87Mary Deel ‘89Lisa Kendrick ‘89

Angelo Forte ‘90Christopher Boggs ‘90Tracey Cornely ‘90Christie Lampe ‘92Teresa Corcoran ‘92Shawn Haning ‘92Tracy Bitonte ‘92Lisa Wilson ‘93Theresa Northup ‘93Jeffrey Strawser ‘93Richard Corvin ‘93Richard Bitonte ‘94Chad Carroll ‘94Steve Nagy ‘94Chad Lambert ‘94Angela Lambert ‘94Stacie Hutton ‘94Kimberly Adkins ‘95Greg Hargett ‘95Jill Bohn ‘95Phyllis Mason ‘96Nian Yang ‘96Joel Wood ‘96Kristen Wright ‘96Jason Wright ‘97Jennifer Hargett ‘97Annette Ward ‘98Deborah Bagnall ‘98Lena DeLawder ‘99Leslie Millis ‘99

Kevin Anderson ‘00Robin Fowler ‘01Michael Gilgunn ‘01Walter Bagnall ‘02Meagan Wood ‘02Robin Lyles ‘02Stuart Lyles ‘02Glenn Arnold ‘03Rachel Strawser ‘03Jay Reese ‘03Stephanie Alexander ‘03Jonathan Leonard ‘03Kevin McCloskey ‘03Jeanne Jindra ‘03Randar Luts ‘03Jay Reese ‘03Ronald Wade ‘04Candice Luts ‘04Emily Sharpe ‘05Jason Harvey ‘05Mark Fahey ‘05Steven Kehoe ‘05Simon Carey ‘05Michael McManus ‘05Lynley Carey ‘06Megan Phillips ‘06David Hollis ‘06Celeste Guglielmi ‘07John Carroll ‘07Paul Fiddler ‘07Rick Callebs ‘08Derek Rhodes ‘08Tessa Pugh ‘08Robbie Pugh ‘09Jeremy Ward ‘09Chris Brown ‘09Scott Saunders ‘09

Delyssa Edwards ‘10Leslie Rhodes ‘10Kyle Edwards ‘11Codi Crippen ‘12Tamara Sheets ‘12David Massie ‘13Brenda Fitch ‘13Skylar Thompson ‘14James Wilson ‘17Caitlin Grey ‘18Cydnie Few ‘18

Mary VanMeter ‘51Marjorie Evans ‘53Donald Vyhnalek ‘53James Magaw ‘54Frank Capehart ‘54Richard Barr ‘54Louis Brushart ‘56Lorena Ritter ‘56Margaret Wothe ‘57Richard Myers ‘57Mary Bird ‘57George Ervin ‘59Hope Keller ‘59Donald Scott ‘59

Oliver SandersJudith McCorkle ‘60Charles Murray ‘60Charles Withee ‘61Mary Seidel ‘61Daniel Ralston ‘61Donald Filkins ‘61John Wevurski ‘61Alton Ison ‘61Mary Nutt ‘61H. Dean Mason ‘61Robert Powell ‘61Priscilla Rollyson ‘62Ruth Burton ‘62Leonard Longo ‘63John Boyer ‘63Doris Coy ‘63John Brown ‘63Harold Herron ‘63Mary Withee ‘63Robert Ervin ‘63Patsy Herron ‘64Nick Kostis ‘64C Lanier ‘64Patsy Herron ‘64Rosemary Evans ‘64William Large ‘64William Gorscak ‘65N. Michael Burcham ‘65William Young ‘65Stephen Gilmore ‘65Velma Feagans ‘65Melvin McDaniel ‘65Charles Leith ‘65Terry Perkins ‘65Kurt Williams ‘66Richard Evans ‘66Constance Cole ‘66Carolyn Gorscak ‘66Barbara Witzel ‘66Louis Foglesong ‘66Richard Evans ‘66Richard Cartwright ‘66Gary Williams ‘66Carl Austin ‘66Susan Stolzenbach ‘66Barbara Witzel ‘66Cinda Barton ‘67Mary Pierce ‘67Martha Poland ‘67Gerald Barker ‘67Marion Perkins ‘67Stephen Towler ‘67John Stolzenbach ‘67Raymond Zetts ‘67Richard Lusetti ‘67Don Trainer ‘68Kay Hineman ‘68Linda Booth ‘68Sharon Gregory ‘68Paul Dillon ‘68Joyce McFadden ‘68Vickie Powell ‘68Rita Miller ‘68Betty Colburn ‘69Patricia Schuldt ‘69James Bernbeck ‘69

1960’s

1970’s

1980’s

1990’s

2000’s

2010’s

Gregory Ervin ‘70Steven Thomerson ‘70Linda Morrow ‘70Michael Dworek ‘70Harvey Loucks ‘70Bonnie Magaw ‘70Charles Kunkel ‘70Jane Ann Slagle ‘70Susan Bernbeck ‘70Joann Niffenegger ‘70Richard Christian ‘70Christine Baxter ‘70Tom Ringer ‘70Diana Leith ‘70Gregory Ervin ‘70Steven Thomerson ‘70Mary Kay Ervin ‘71Raymond Matura ‘71Joseph Green ‘71Melissa Hannum McPherson ‘71Jane Johnson ‘71Robert Mabry ‘71Vicky Schlosser ‘72Karen Lindaman ‘72Emma Wiseman ‘72Donald Warehime ‘72Jeanne Ringer ‘72Vicky Schlosser ‘72Thomas Davisson ‘72Charles Baker ‘72Ealnor Grey ‘72Jane Ryan ‘72Fred Deel ‘72Charles Martin ‘72Jessie Barcus ‘73Clark Gregg ‘73Kathryn Hawkins ‘73Robert Lawson ‘73Larry Guglielmi ‘73Norm Persin ‘73Diana Struve ‘74Petrea Brown ‘74Jack Finch ‘74John Godinsky ‘74Paula Forshey ‘75Steve Bartram ‘75Amilda Noll-Thompson ‘75James Brokaw ‘75H. Frederick Childers ‘75Jake Bapst ‘75Joann Bapst ‘75Donald Cox ‘76Jill Burger ‘76Edward Lekan ‘77Jim Noe ‘77Marilyn Boggs ‘77Timothy Summers ‘78Sherri Jarvis ‘78Kyle Drew ‘78David Schlairet ‘78Timothy Forshey ‘78

1950’s

Battle of the

decades

Another special recognition went to Timothy Q. Murphy, a Class of 2005 Hall of Fame member who never officially received his award. Members of the Selection Committee traveled to Canal Winchester prior to the 2018 banquet to meet with Murphy and his family and to officially induct him into the Hall of Fame.

Pictured is Howard Blanchard (center) with all of the Hall of Fame members in attendance at this year’s banquet.

During this year’s Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet, not only were the 2018 inductees honored and recognized, but the University of Rio Grande had a very special guest. The Founder of the Athletic Hall of Fame – Howard Blanchard ’55 – was in attendance with his family and received the Founders’ Award from the Athletic Hall of Fame Selection Committee. Blanchard, who now lives in Maryland with his brother and sister-in-law, spent the entire weekend on campus.

This year’s Class of 2018 Rio Athletic Hall of Fame mem-bers are pictured. Tyler Schunk, John Lawhorn, and Jessica Ross Herron all were honored during the 2018 banquet held Homecoming weekend.

Banquet

2018 Quarterly – Issue 4 ❖ 6

Maki Karasawa

During his junior year of high school, Maki Karasawa had a hunch that communicative English abilities would be important in the future, even

in his country of Japan. So when it came time for college,

Maki found what he was looking for at Rio Grande.

After graduating from a high school in Japan, one that was not a school centered on preparing students to enter prestigious universities, Maki became one of the first students to ever enter an American university.

As an International Student at the Rio Grande Campus in Japan, Maki immersed himself in the native lan-guage. Learning English was the most important ele-ment for preparation for his career, since in Japan, English fluency was one of the key elements to have for a successful career.

Upon graduation from Rio in 1994 with his Communication degree in hand, Maki found some dif-ficulties in finding a job due to the deteriorated econ-omy in Japan at the time. The “bubble economy burst” and “everything turned bad”, according to Maki. Under the circumstance, most Japanese companies limited the number of new employment. However, Maki found employment in the trading division of a medical instru-ment company. During his time with this company, Maki traveled to over 20 countries in seven years.

Today, the proud Rio graduate works for the Nissan Motor Company – the second largest automobile man-ufacturer in Japan. He is married, and the couple has one son.

Maki enjoys listening to music, and also plays the guitar. His musical interests include Classical, British, American Hard Rock & Heavy Metal. He says music is one of the reasons he started studying English. Today, Maki’s son is practicing the piano, and he looks forward to the day he and his son can play music together.

1. What did Rio offer you besides an education?

Rio strengthened my spirit to overcome difficulties. I was obviously struggling the double-whammy of learn-ing lesson contents, complex one such as business eth-ics and English comprehension itself, especially in the first two years.

2. What are some of your favorite Rio memories?

I was one of the members of the newspaper Circle and could issue some editions, titled RIO RAP, with my articles mostly about music. I wrote about Eric Johnson – US famous guitar virtuoso. I also have a good memory about a speech class, which was the toughest one in my school days because I had to write and memorize a long script in English.

3. Was there any teacher, advisor, coach, etc. that made an impact on your life? How?

I admire people who have mastered things that I really cannot make myself master of them. A sim-ple example is “virtuosos.” In addition, I have been inspired by people who have outstanding imagina-tion, profound thoughts and breath-taking insights such as Peter Jennings, who is a legendary ABC News anchor; Charles M. Schulz; and Michael Crichton.

4. What did you learn about yourself during college?

I think I learned about knowing something new pro-actively is an important and wonderful attempt to go forward, which is enriching my life.

5. Tell us about life after Rio.

After my graduation in 1996, it was the most difficult time of my life. It was a nightmare period, so-called “employment ice age” in the wake of the infamous “bubble economy burst.” But, I could find an inter-esting job at the trading division of a medical instru-ment company, which was suitable as my first career because there were many chances to take business trip overseas. In total, I went to more than 20 coun-tries in seven years before I quit. After that, the most memorable event is my life in Vietnam. I have lived and worked in Ho Chi Minh City for six months and in Hanoi for four years. Since 2008, I have been work-ing for the Nissan Motor Company.

6. How did Rio prepare you for your career?

Since I am Japanese, learning English was the most important elements of the preparation for my career. The English ability allowed me to access to limitless opportunities. In Japan, English fluency is one of the key elements for your career.

7. Why are you proud to be a Rio Alumnus?

I am proud to be a graduate of the university that gave me opportunities to discover the pleasure of learning.

2018 Quarterly – Issue 4 ❖ 7

2018 Quarterly – Issue 4 ❖ 8

Storm the School ContestSo far, we have ‘STORMED’ several schools in Meigs, Vinton, Jackson, and Gallia Counties. Our contest will be focused on school districts in these areas for the remainder of the school year. After that, we plan to ‘STORM’ the rest of the world – so if you are a teacher and a graduate of the University of Rio Grande – we want to know where you are teaching now so we can send you a packet to ‘STORM’ your school! We will also have a con-test for you and your students.

Gallia County – L.J. Shepherd, Class of 2014

Gallia County – Tina Johnson, Class of 1995 & 2002

Gallia County – Stephanie Campbell, Class of 2015

Gallia County – Hillary Attar, Class of 2018 and Miranda Jenkins, Class of 2015

Vinton County – Nancy Harris, Class of 2011

Vinton County – Teresa Merckle, Class of 1997

Jackson City – Natalie Elliott, Class of 2016

Jackson City – Misty Williams, Class of 2004

Jackson City – Amy McGhee, Class of 2003

Jackson City – Jennifer Wolford, Class of 2001

Jackson City – Kim Riegel, Class of 1995