Tower & Times Spring 2010 - University of Rio Grande

A Publication for Alumni and Friends
SPRING ISSUE
2010

www.rio.edu/alumni
TM
UNIVERSITY OF
Contents � Tower & Times
Meet Rio Grande’s New President .......... 1
Adult Degree Program Offered ............... 2
2009 Rio Alumni Reunion ....................... 3
Class Notes.............................................. 4
Athletic Hall of Fame .............................. 6
New Master’s Degree Program ............... 7
‘Enroll Ohio’ Campaign Rolls Into
Rio Grande .............................................. 8
Three Rio Professors Honored in
Ohio Magazine ........................................ 9
Improvement on Rio’s Campus .............. 10
Students Tour a State-of-the-Art
Factory .................................................. 10
2009 Greek Leadership Conference .......11
Student Athlete Highlights .................... 12
Upcoming Events .................................. 14
New Car to be Used for
Student Services .................................... 14
Cover Photos by Mike Thompson
& RIO GRANDE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
In our ever-expanding mission to be
more conscious of our environment and
our budget, the University of Rio Grande
and Rio Grande Community College are
pleased to announce another effort in the
Rio Goes Green initiative.
Tower & Times, the Rio Grande
Alumni newsletter, will be produced as an
electronic document beginning with this
edition. Alumni and friends will receive it
via their email and will also have access
to it on Facebook at www.facebook.com/
rioalum and on the Rio Grande Alumni
website at www.rio.edu/alumni.
Each electronic edition saves thousands
of dollars for Rio Grande, protects our
natural resources and reduces the toll on
the environment while still keeping you
informed. Thank you for supporting us in
this mission. Please remember to update
your preferred email address with us to
assure that you receive the latest news
and information. Also, help us spread the
word by forwarding this edition to your
Rio friends and fellow alumni who would
be interested.
If you prefer to receive Tower & Times
in a printed non-color format, please
contact the Alumni Relations office at
alumni@rio.edu or 800-282-7201.
For more information on the Rio Goes
Green initiative, please visit www.rio.
edu/riogoesgreen
University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande
Community College does not discriminate
based on race, creed, color, gender, religion,
age, disability, or national origin. Rio Grande
believes in equal opportunity practices that
conform to both the spirit and the letter of all
laws against discrimination. University of Rio
Grande and Rio Grande Community College
prohibits discrimination against any qualified
person with a disability.

Dr. Barbara Gellman-Danley Named President
of University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande
Community College
Dr. Barbara Gellman-Danley has
been named the new President of the
University of Rio Grande and Rio
Grande Community College.
Ohio House Bill 1, which was
passed by the Ohio General Assembly
in July, 2009, provides the legislation
needed for one president to serve both
institutions. This legislation cements
the year-long “One Rio” collaborative
effort, and made it possible to name
the new president.
“This is the end to the beginning,”
said Don Wood, Chairman of the
Board of Trustees of the University
of Rio Grande, about the selection of
the new president. He explained that
members of both Boards, especially
Gary Roach,
Vice Chair of the
University of Rio
Grande Board
of Trustees,
and Tom Karr,
Chair of the Rio
Grande Community College Board of
Trustees, have worked together well
on the “One Rio” initiative.
Wood explained that he is very
pleased to have Dr. Gellman-Danley
now leading both the university and
community college.
“She can and will produce desired
results,” Wood said. “She can and
will inspire us all, the One Rio Team,
to do the right thing for the right
reasons. She is fair, she is flexible
and she is empathetic. She is creative,
she executes well and she will create,
develop and deliver on many, many
opportunities for One Rio. She is the
right person, this is the right course,
right now.”
Dr. Gellman-Danley served as the
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
and System Integration for the Ohio
Board of Regents. She also served as
the President of Antioch University
McGregor, an adult-learning private
university that offers bachelors degree
completion and graduate degrees in
Yellow Springs, Ohio. As President,
she worked closely with the local
region to raise the funds needed to
enable the building of a new campus
facility and to increase enrollment
through partnerships with local
community colleges and businesses.
Dr. Gellman-Danley also served
for 15 months as the Coordinating
Officer for the University of Rio
Grande and Rio Grande Community
College. Ohio Chancellor Eric
Fingerhut created that position in
“Dr. Gellman-Danley is a remarkable leader in higher education.
She has played a significant role in positioning the University System
of Ohio to drive the state’s economy.”
order to increase collaboration at Rio
Grande, and Dr. Gellman-Danley was
very successful in her work.
Fingerhut is pleased now to see
Dr. Gellman-Danley selected as the
next president at Rio Grande. “Dr.
Gellman-Danley is a remarkable
leader in higher education. She
has played a significant role in
positioning the University System of
Ohio to drive the state’s economy,”
Fingerhut said. “I look forward to
working with Dr. Gellman-Danley to
provide more affordable options for
higher education in Southeast Ohio.
The University of Rio Grande and
Rio Grande Community College are
truly fortunate to have a president
with her talent and vision.”
In addition to her work with
the Ohio Board of Regents and as
President of Antioch University
McGregor, Dr. Gellman-Danley
also has 15 years of experience in
community college leadership in New
York and Oklahoma. In Oklahoma,
she served as the Vice Chancellor
for Educational Outreach for the
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
Education.
At Monroe
Community
College in
Rochester,
New York,
she served as
the Vice President for Educational
Technology and as the Vice President
for Institutional Advancement.
Dr. Gellman-Danley also has
experience in distance learning
and educational technology,
and held leadership positions
with the Oklahoma Educational
Television Authority and Cox Cable
Communications in Oklahoma City.
She also served as a consultant for
more than 20 community colleges
on strategic planning, technology,
administrative structure and online
learning. She is proud now to
be taking over as President, and is
anxious to get started in her work
for Rio Grande, its students and the
region.
continued on page 2
1

Dr. Barbara Gellman-Danley continued from page 1
“This is a beautiful campus
in a very special place in Ohio,
and the opportunities are endless.
With a very strong faculty and
staff already in place, we can work
together with our county leaders to
meet the challenging needs of the
economic downturn and offer the
single best solution to improving the
financial well-being of the region
and the individual. That solution is
education”, Dr. Gellman-Danley said.
One main goal for Dr. Gellman-
Danley’s presidency will be to help
Rio Grande move toward an exciting
shared vision that includes providing
a variety of educational pathways for
the learners of today and the future.
“Rio is in an ideal position to
bring students into post-secondary
education through the community
college and move toward degree
completion and graduate programs
at the university level. I hope to
engage community leaders from all
four counties (and beyond) to build
relationships that will empower and
sustain Rio for many years,” Dr.
Gellman-Danley said. “Community
engagement is critical – for both
the leadership and ours students. It
is a beautiful part of the state and
country – we need to continue to
The Adult Degree Completion
programs at Rio Grande will allow
students to take courses online, earn
credit for life and work experience,
use computer labs at local schools
and take classes around their work
and family responsibilities.
Rio Grande is already offering
a Bachelor of Science in Public
Administration degree in the new
program, and it has proven to be
very popular. The institution is also
considering offering programs such
as a Bachelor of Science in Business
Management, a Bachelor of Arts in
2
build programs that attract individuals
from the region and those coming to
us from other parts of the state and
nation. We have to find new ways to
serve adult learners and those finding
themselves in need of continuous
re-tooling due to changes in the
economy and their jobs. Above all,
we have to do this with quality that
continues to cement our reputation
internationally.”
Dr. Gellman-Danley earned
a Bachelor’s degree in Speech-
English education from Syracuse
University, a Master’s in Library
Science from Simmons College,
an MBA in Marketing from
Oklahoma City University and a
Ph.D. in Communications from
the University of Oklahoma. She
also has completed extensive postdoctoral
work, including a graduate
certificate program in advanced
information technology from New
York University.
Dr. Gellman-Danley is married
to William E. Danley, who is a
teacher with a Master’s Degree in
Educational Leadership, and has
four children - three grown and one
who will graduate from Ohio State
University in June.
Adult Degree Programs Offered
Integrated Studies, a Bachelor of
Technical Studies and a Chemical
Dependency Certificate program as
part of the Adult Degree Completion
program.
“The Adult Degree Completion
programs are designed for adult
students who have some college
experience but have not yet
achieved their degrees,” explained
Mark Abell, registrar/director of
academic planning and development.
Thousands of individuals who live
within Rio Grande’s four-county
service area have some college
experience but no degree, while many
more people all around the region are
also facing the same situation.
Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and the
Ohio Board of Regents are calling on
colleges and universities in Ohio to
reach out to students in order to help
more earn their degrees, and this is
one way Rio Grande is taking part in
this effort.
Many people in the region have
college experience but no degrees,
and are employed in jobs where they
cannot be promoted without earning
a college degree. This program is
designed to help them earn their
promotions or become qualified for
other positions. Some of the courses
are offered in eight-week sessions,
and the tuition rates are affordable.
In addition, students are able to do
the schoolwork around their own
schedules.
“The idea is that students will be
able to complete this in an 18 to 24
month period; however, they can
select how aggressive they want to
be,” Abell explained. Students can
take one or two courses during each
eight-week period, and the schedules
are flexible for the students.
The classes will all be hybrid
courses, which means that they will
meet online but there will also be
opportunities to meet face-to-face
with the professors and other students.
Several local school districts have also
offered to allow the students in the
program to use their computer labs one
night a week if needed, and there will
even be a computer technician there to
provide assistance.
“This program is very affordable,”
added Greg Miller, director of
the graduate program. The tuition
is separate from the Rio Grande
tuition structure, and it is equal to
or less than the tuition costs for
online courses at most colleges or
universities. Tuition costs are the
same for students who live in state
and out-of-state, and students will be
eligible to apply for financial aid and
student loans.
continued on page 7

2009 Rio Alumni Reunion
A large crowd of alumni returned
to campus in August for the Annual
Alumni Reunion.
Graduates traveled from all across
the country to attend, and take part in
the numerous events on campus and
in the community for the alumni. The
events included lunch on the Green,
the annual Alumni Awards Ceremony,
tours of the campus and community
in Model A Fords, a family scavenger
hunt and the opportunity to visit with
current Rio Grande students and their
family members.
“The friends I made at Rio Grande
are still friends today,” said Jane
Ingram O’Neil, a 1970 graduate who
lives in Columbus. She has remained
close with her sorority sisters and
other Rio Grande
alumni over the
years, and even
planned a cruise
with several of
them a few years ago.
As a result, O’Neil got involved
in planning other activities for
Rio Grande alumni. This year, for
example, the graduates from the Rio
Grande classes between the years
of 1960-1975 held special events
in Gallipolis and at Bob Evans
restaurant in Rio Grande on the
days before and after the Alumni
Reunion.
Sandy Capizzi Swantek ’70,
Becky Miller Rutherford 67-68,
Paula Shilling Thomerson,
Steve Thomerson ’70, Susan Burnside
Hagar ’70, Kaye MacKin Spillman ‘71
“I love Rio Grande.”
“People at home in
Columbus can’t believe how
the Rio Grande graduates stay
together,” O’Neil said. She had
friends that traveled from as far
away as South Dakota, Oregon
and Chicago for the Alumni
Reunion, and O’Neil said the
whole event was great fun.
The campus looked
beautiful, and it was a
wonderful opportunity to visit
with friends, she said. O’Neil
added that she advised her
children to attend a small university
like Rio Grande, because of all that it
can offer.
“I love Rio Grande,” O’Neil said.
Mike Harrington, a 1975 graduate
who lives in
Gallipolis,
attended the
Alumni Reunion
to catch up with
old friends and drive his Model A
Ford. Harrington is a member of
the Gallia County Model A Ford
Club, and the members of the group
brought 12 Model A Fords from
between the years of 1928 - 1931 to
campus for the day.
Harrington explained that when
he was a student at Rio Grande, he
left college in order to work. After 10
years, though, he decided to go back
to school and earn his degree.
“It helped me to get
promoted,” Harrington
said about his degree. His
time at Rio Grande helped
him a great deal in life, and
Harrington was happy to
be back on campus for the
Alumni Reunion.
Troy Tripp, a 1993
graduate, and his wife,
Kelley Montgomery Tripp, a
1994 graduate, also traveled
to campus for the Alumni
Reunion. The couple met
Left to Right: John Flath ’72, Charles Withee ’61,
Mary Duffy Withee ’63, Jack Hagar ‘77
during their time at Rio Grande, and
explained that their time at Rio Grande
was very important to them.
“We studied hard here, but we also
played hard and enjoyed our time
here,” Troy Tripp said. He and his
wife and were happy to visit with
other alumni, and the couple helped
to arrange the family scavenger hunt
for all of the alumni.
Ray Matura, a 1971 graduate
who today serves as a professor of
sociology at Rio Grande, also took
part in the Alumni Reunion so that he
could visit with friends and former
students while giving tours of campus
and answering questions about the
university.
He enjoys teaching at his alma
mater and being a part of the Rio
Grande Family.
continued on page 7
Back: Lowell Poland, Martha Menendian Poland ’67
Front: Mary Slem Bond ’67, Don Mink
3

1939
Deceased: Lilian Kyser of
Kalamazoo, Michigan.
1940
Deceased: Edna
Carey Deeds
Langdon of Winter
Haven, Florida.
Edna Langdon
1947
Deceased: Reba Kisor of Wellston,
Ohio.
1949
Deceased: Donald Plymale of
Elkhart, Indiana.
1951
Deceased: Carl Shamhart of South
Webster, Ohio.
1954
Frank Capehart was inducted to the
Point Pleasant, West Virginia High
School Athletic Hall of Fame.
1959
Deceased: John P. Porter of
Nokomis, Florida.
Deceased: Jerry Barton of St.
Petersburg, Florida.
1969
Deceased: Allen B. Strait of
Gallipolis, Ohio.
1970
Jim Leckrone was inducted into the
New Lexington, Ohio High School
Athletic Hall of Fame.
4
Deceased: Christy
Nye Solis of
Bellville, Ohio.
Deceased: Lois
Leonard Forshey
of Jackson, Ohio.
Christy Nye Solis
1971
Deceased: Dr. Manlius Fults of
Clearwater, Florida.
1972
Roger D. Williams has been added
to the Board of Directors for Lecere
Corporation, a software start-up.
1974
Cassie Stull spent the past 35 years
working as an adaptive physical
education teacher at Pioneer Center,
a school for children and adults
with mental and developmental
disabilities, in Chillicothe. Recently,
the school thanked Stull for her
service by naming its renovated track
and new T-ball field “Cass Stull Track
and Field.”
1994
Nikita Justice Hasseman, RN, of
Holzer Medical Center Ambulatory
Surgery Unit, was named the August
2009 Employee of the Month.
Pamela Dian Callahan recently
graduated from California Clown
School at Circus Circus, Reno, NV.
She was awarded Top Banana of the
2009 class. Her clown name is Ruby
the Clown.
www.rio.edu/alumni
Will Whicker & Joshua
Birth: Son Joshua to Stacey “Will”
and Cindy Whicker. Will and Cindy
were married in May, 2008. The
family resides in Dublin, Ohio.
1995
Captain Kevin
Teaford was
recently appointed
to serve as interim
Ohio State Patrol
Superintendent.
Kevin Teaford
1996
Birth: Son Jase to Aaron and Erica
Hanning Hoover ’97. Jase joins
big sisters Elizabeth (8) and Hannah
(6). Erica is employed as a Network
Administrator 3
at State of Ohio
department of
Developmental
Disabilities
and Aaron is stayat-home
dad and
caretaker for Camp
Francis Asbury The Hoover Family
Retreat Center.
Shelly Whitaker has been named the
head coach of women’s softball and
the new senior women’s administrator
for the Athletics Department for
Whittier College.
Birth: Son Raiden Paul to Mary
Meyer Levino. The family resides in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1998
Birth: Daughter
Kathryn Rose to
Mark and Annette
Brown Ward.
Kathryn joins big
sister Jessica (16).
The family resides
in Gallipolis, Ohio.
Jessica & Kathryn
1999
Kristal Wion Eckhardt was recently
chosen by the Martin County, Florida
Library System to assist in the
National Endowment for the Arts
grant for “Read America.” Kristal is
the Drama Director at Martin County
High School.
Birth: Daughter Lillian to Stephen
and Janet Sims’01 Wastier.
Birth: Daughter Addalin Masen
to Don and Kim Reames Briggs.
Addalin joins big brother Kaden
(3). The family resides in
Springfield, Ohio.
Birth: Son Weston to Sean and Julie
Harris Hoover. Weston joins big
brother Maxwell (5). The family
resides in Berlin Heights, Ohio.
Birth: Son Noah to Ryan and
Michelle Tabor Finch. The family
resides in Flatwoods, Kentucky.
2000
Birth: Son Will to Daniel and
Melody Layford Dragoo. Will joins
big sister Mahayla (4). The family
resides in Ripley, Ohio.
2002
Birth: Son Jackson Robert to Jill
Thomas Mitchell. Jackson joins big
sister Raeann (2). The family resides
in New London, Ohio.
2003
Birth: Daughter Emma to Josh and
Miranda Davis. Emma joins big
brother Eli (2). Miranda is employed
by Jackson-Vinton, Ohio Head Start.
Josh is a Physical Education teacher
at Oak Hill Elementary School and
also serves as assistant JV/Varsity
Boys Basketball coach for Oak Hill
High School.
Craig Wright has been named the
Athletic Director for 2010-2011 at
Gallia Academy High School in
Gallipolis, Ohio.
2004
Patrick and Mary Beach ’05
McGuire have two children,
Courtney and William. Mary is
currently attending Law School at
Ohio Northern University and plans
to graduate this year. Patrick is
employed with Schreiber Foods. The
family plans to reside in Stephenville,
Texas after Mary’s graduation.
Tambla Deoring Birkheimer was
married on September 13, 2009.
Birth: Daughter Maisy Elizabeth to Jeff
and Sarah McClain Ward. The family
resides in New Straitsville, Ohio.
2005
Amanda M. Stickel finished 5th in
the World’s Trophy 50K Race held
in Gibraltar on October 31. She was
one of 3 American Women chosen to
represent the USA.
Brandi Young is working as a
registered nurse with Holzer Clinic.
Matt Boyles
accepted a position
as head coach for the
men’s and women’s
cross country teams
at Waldorf College
in Forest City, Iowa.
Matt Boyles
2006
Meggan
Lloyd Prys
was awarded
the prestigious
Welsh Learner Meggan Lloyd Prys
of the Year for 2009 title by judges
at the National Eisteddfod in Bala,
Gwynedd, Wales.
Jennifer Everett is currently
employed with Adena Health Center
in Jackson, Ohio.
2007
Married: Kelly McKillip to Josh
Tomlinson.
Birth: Twin
Boys Hunter
and Isaac, born
to Scott and
Deanna Bryan
’05 Gilliland. Hunter & Isaac
The family resides in Pataskala, Ohio.
2008
Married:
Gretchen
Howell to
Thomas
Magoto.
Gretchen & Thomas
Audry Tomblin is currently employed
as an RN Case Manager with Abbott
Home Care in Jackson, Ohio.
Deceased: John P. “Jack” Roderus
of Gallipolis, Ohio. Jack was a brother
of the Fraternal Order of Archon.
2009
Britney Walker,
former University
of Rio Grande
basketball player,
will represent the
United States in the
2010 Vienna Cup, Britney Walker
May 20-29, in Vienna, Austria.
5

The Hall of Fame induction ceremony is held
annually, as part of the Bevo Francis Weekend at Rio
Grande. The 2009 inductees were Meghan (Kolcun)
Miller of Gallipolis and Donald Vyhnalek of Fairmount,
Indiana.
Miller led the nation in three-point shooting percentage
as a senior, scored 1,029 career points and pulled down 599
career rebounds. Perhaps most importantly, she also led Rio
Grande to the National Tournament three times during her
storied career. She graduated from Rio Grande in 2000.
Vyhnalek played for the 1953-1954 Rio Grande
Men’s Basketball team, which received national acclaim
and defeated several of the top programs in the country
at the time.
“It was unbelievable,” Vyhnalek said. He was able to
play with great teammates from Rio Grande and travel
around the country playing the top college programs.
When Rio Grande played against Providence at the Boston
Garden as part of a doubleheader, he recalled, half of the
crowd left after the Rio Grande game ended and before the
NBA’s Boston Celtics game began.
“It’s quite an honor,” Vyhnalek said about being inducted into
the Rio Grande Athletic Hall of Fame. He will join the other
members of the history-making team in the Hall of Fame.
After his time at Rio Grande, Vyhnalek went on to
Doane College in Nebraska, where he also excelled on the
basketball team. He then served in the U.S. Army and then
had a successful career with the Ford Motor Company.
Now that he is retired, he spends time with family, stays
in touch with his friends from Rio Grande and travels to
the campus at least twice a year. He wished that his close
friend and teammate Roy Moses were still alive to be at
the ceremony, but was looking forward to seeing many old
friends at the event.
6
Athletic Hall of Fame Inductions
“It’s something that you never think would
happen to you…It’s a great honor.”
Left to right: Bevo Francis, Donald Vyhnalek, Dick Myers
and Coach Newt Oliver
Miller played
for Rio Grande for
five years, as she
spent one year as a
medical red shirt,
and graduated with a
degree in biology in
2000.
She helped lead a
very successful Rio
Grande team whose Meghan Kolcun Miller & Donald Vyhnalek
accomplishments included three national tournament
appearances, one Great Lakes Region Championship,
one AMC Tournament Championship and countless
outstanding wins. She was named the team captain in
the 1998-99 season and the 1999-2000 season, and was
named First Team All-AMC in 1999-2000.
During her time at Rio Grande, she suffered a serious
injury and had to take a medical red shirt year during her
senior year. She worked hard to rehabilitate from her injury.
And led the nation in three-point shooting as a fifth-year
senior by shooting an astounding 49.7 percent from behind
the three-point line.
Miller said that she looks back proudly at her career,
especially at the three national tournament appearances.
After her time at Rio Grande, Miller went on to
continue her education and eventually earned a Nuclear
Pharmacist/Doctor of Pharmacy degree. She works today
as a pharmacist for the Cardinal Health Nuclear Pharmacy
Services.
“Academically, Rio Grande definitely prepared me for
my career path,” Miller said. The basketball program also
prepared her for numerous challenges in life.
Miller stays in touch with many of her former teammates,
and stays in touch with the basketball program, as her
husband, Todd Miller, is an assistant coach at Rio Grande.
She is very proud now to be inducted into the Rio Grande
Athletic Hall of Fame. “It’s something that you never think
would happen to you,” Miller said. “It’s a great honor.”
Meghan Kolcun Miller with Women’s Basketball
Coach David Smalley

Rio Grande is now offering a new
master’s degree program to prepare
teachers to work in educational
leadership positions such as principals.
The program has received full
approval from the Ohio Board of
Regents, and has received national
approval from organizations
such as the National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher Education.
The new program was created to
meet a demand from educators in the
region, and it is receiving a great deal
of interest from individuals interested
in working as principals.
The program is designed for
teachers who are currently working in
schools, as the classes are scheduled
to fit around their work and family
responsibilities.
The program
was also designed
in a way to allow
students to transfer
credits easily from
other master’s
degree programs. For example, if
a student has earned a degree from
Rio Grande’s master’s of education
in classroom teaching program, the
core credits from that program could
transfer into the master’s of education
in educational leadership program in
order to reduce the amount of time
and number of credits needed to
complete the program.
The new program is a hybrid
program, meaning that students will
do much of their coursework online,
but they will also meet in face-to-face
New Master’s Degree Program
sessions. When students do meet in
face-to-face classes, it will be once
a week for some courses or once a
month for others.
“It’s a flexible schedule,”
explained Dr. Phyllis McQueen,
head of teacher education. “We’re
trying to meet their needs.” Classes
meet during the fall, spring and
summer semesters at Rio Grande and
students will be able to complete the
program in two years or less.
The program also includes
internship opportunities for students,
and gives the students a great deal of
knowledge and experience.
One unique component is that it
also prepares principals to lead joint
vocational schools or career technical
schools. Many programs do not offer
“It’s a flexible schedule…we’re trying to
meet their needs.”
this component, but the Rio Grande
program allows students to focus in
this area if they are interested.
Dr. Greg Miller, director of
graduate programs, said that there has
been strong demand in the region for
this type of program for many years.
Rio Grande has received numerous
calls from teachers interested
in earning a master’s degree in
educational leadership so that they
can work as principals, and he is
proud that Rio Grande is now able to
offer this program.
This gala black tie – optional event
will celebrate the inauguration of
President Barbara Gellman-Danley, Ph.D.
and serve as a fundraiser for the institution through
silent and live auction events. Entertainment for the
evening will feature R & B Station Band with Sharell
Andrews, an American Idol finalist, and Mark Pender
of The Late Show with Conan O’Brien.
Tickets will be $50.00 per person. Please watch for
more information to come via the web, email,
Facebook and mail.
Adult Degree Programs Offered
continued from page 2
Rio Grande officials will assist
students as they transfer college
credits from other institutions, and
will also help them as they prepare to
take the online courses.
“They will be able to take an
introductory course in online
learning,” Miller added. All of the
courses in the program are designed
to be interesting and challenging to
the adult-degree students, and they
are scheduled based on the idea that
the students will likely be working
while taking the classes.
2009 Rio Alumni Reunion
continued from page 3
“I like interacting with the students
and seeing them develop in their
academic fields,” Matura said. At a
small college like Rio Grande, he is
able to give the students individual
attention and then watch them
succeed in college and in life. “I find
it very rewarding,” Matura said.
Charles Withee, a 1961 graduate
who recently retired as a Rio Grande
professor, and his wife, Mary Duffy
Withee, a 1963 graduate, also enjoyed
meeting up with old friends and former
students at the Alumni Reunion.
Charles Withee challenged himself
when he retired to reconnect with
as many of his former students as
possible, and he has been talking
by e-mail and over the phone with
many of them. The Alumni Reunion
gave him a chance to see his former
students “eyeball to eyeball,” and he
and his wife visited with many former
students, such as Irene Hall.
Hall, who lives in Dayton, attended
Rio Grande from 1970-1973, and
fondly remembered the classes taught
by Professor Withee and the other
faculty members. She reminisced
about the old theater building and the
good times she had there, and talked
with Professor Withee and others
about how the campus has grown and
changed over the years.
“I love this campus,” Hall said.
7

Rio Grande became a mini-think
tank of sorts as the Ohio Board of Regents
staged one of its “Enroll Ohio”
workshops on the campus.
Board of Regents Chancellor Eric
D. Fingerhut said the purpose of “Enroll
Ohio” is to gather information
from educational leaders in Ohio’s
public college and university system
about the Regents’ strategic plan and
learn what is and isn’t working for
individual campuses around the state.
“We’re really looking to get people’s
best ideas on how we can reach Ohio
citizens and make sure they know about
the opportunities in higher education
that exist in Ohio and take advantage
of them,” he said. “I have a 120-page
strategic plan. What parts of it are
working? What can we be sharper
about? What are the key elements of
accessibility and affordability that they
need us to emphasize?
“It’s feedback for me,” Fingerhut
added. “We develop these plans for
the whole state. I don’t want to assume
sitting there in Columbus that
all the strategies we’re employing
are working for people. I want to get
out and hear from people about what
works and how to improve it.”
Fingerhut said one of the major
challenges Ohio’s colleges and
universities are facing is convincing
Buckeye State residents to take
advantage of the higher education
resources available in the state. According
to data from the National
Center for Higher Education Management
Systems, Ohio’s college-going
rate for high school students in 2006
was 60 percent, slightly lower than
the national average of 61.6 percent.
During the previous decade, the state
college-going rate has fluctuated from
a low of 52.8 percent in 2004 to the
current high water mark.
8
‘Enroll Ohio’ Campaign Rolls into Rio Grande Courtesy of the Gallipolis Daily Tribune
Ohio has made higher education
affordable and is making it accessible.
“We’re at about the national average
in terms of the number of high
school students who go on to college,
but we need to do better than that,”
he said. “We have a lot of adults who
didn’t go right out of high school and
we want them to come back. We want
them to know that opportunities are
there for them, too.”
Fingerhut said that
the state is reaching out
to adults through certificate-based
programs
and other types of training offered
through adult career centers at public
colleges and universities throughout
Ohio.
“Those certificates can transfer into
credits at community colleges and
universities,” he said. “We want it to
be a seamless system.”
Fingerhut also addressed financial
concerns that people have
about the cost of higher education,
saying that recent changes in
policy will have a positive effect
on the process for people.
“People assume at this time that
they can’t afford to go to school,”
he said. “Part of our message is,
‘Yes you can.’ Ohio has made higher
education affordable and is making
it accessible. You can transfer from
a community college to a university.
You can start at a regional campus
and get your whole bachelor’s degree
there unlike in the past. These are
types of things we’ve been doing to
make it more accessible and affordable
to people.”
Fingerhut said the Board of Regents
chancellor’s position is now a
part of the governor’s cabinet, which
he believes is a positive move for
higher education in Ohio.

Jacob White, Ph.D. from the Kidd
School of Math and Science, Debbie
Greene, Ph.D. from the Holzer
School of Nursing and Darlene
Ringhand, Ph.D., from the Emerson
E. Evans School of Business were
recently honored in Ohio Magazine’s
Excellence in Education issue.
White, who is in his fifth year of
teaching at Rio Grande, serves as an
associate professor of Chemistry and
said he is pleased with the excellent
educational environment at the
institution.
He is proud to be working with Rio
Grande students, and said his students
are doing excellent academic work.
For the last 2 ½ years, White has been
testing his students against national
standards in order to see how they
match up against college students
from around the country. The results
have been extremely positive.
“All of my classes have been at or
above the national averages,” White
said. “I think the small class sizes attribute
to that, as well as the fact that
we have motivated students.”
White’s students are actively
learning on campus, but they are also
learning in the community through
a variety of internship programs that
have been established. Students are
able to work with local businesses, as
well as with research laboratories in
the region, and it’s a great benefit for
Three Rio Professors Honored in Ohio Magazine
the students, White said. He added
that he is pleased with the support in
the community for these internship
experiences.
“I sincerely feel like this is an
exciting time to be teaching on
campus,” White said. “I feel like the
entire institution is moving in a positive
direction.”
Greene, assistant professor of
Nursing, said she feels proud to be
recognized in this way, and is happy
that the piece in the magazine also
reflects well on Rio Grande.
“I strive for excellence in academics
for myself personally, and I expect
the same from my students,” Greene
said. She has taught at Rio Grande
since 2002 and said that she enjoys
teaching on the scenic campus.
“The classes are small enough
that I can be tuned into how each of
my students are doing,” Greene said.
She is able to adjust her teaching and
her assignments to best reach her
students, and said she would not be
able to do this if she was working at a
much larger school.
As a Rio Grande alumnus, Greene
said she is able to relate well to many
of the challenges facing the students
in the Holzer School of Nursing. In
addition, the fact that she was working
while she earned her doctoral
degree helps her relate to many of the
Rio Grande students who are juggling
work and family responsibilities in
addition to their academic work.
Ringhand is an assistant professor
of business and information technology,
and also serves as the Chair of the
School of Business. She has taught at
Rio Grande since 2005 and has built
strong ties to Rio Grande in that time.
In addition, she already had strong
family ties to southern Ohio, as her
family lived in Gallia County as far
back as the 1850s.
“I relocated so I could teach at Rio
because the institution’s philosophy
is student centered, “Ringhand said.
“My belief is that students are at the
heart of what I enjoy doing- - teaching.
Being able to work with students
eager to learn and faculty who care
about their students are the two reasons
I enjoy teaching at Rio Grande.”
Ringhand brings years of experience
to the classroom, so she is able
to enhance the academic materials
with her practical experience. She is
also able to give her students different
perspectives on the business topics
they are studying.
“For me, the most exciting part
of this process is watching students
learn and take what they have learned
and apply that knowledge to other
courses and life experiences—maybe
not today or tomorrow, but sometime
in the future,” Ringhand said.
Jacob White, Ph.D. Debbie Greene, Ph.D. Darlene Ringhand, Ph.D.
9

When students returned for
classes this year, they were greeted
with numerous improvements all
across campus.
New computer labs, improvements
to campus buildings and even a new
look to the outdoor basketball court
were all part of the changes.
Kingsley Meyer, director of
campus networking and computing,
explained that Rio Grande added
more than 115 new computers to its
facilities for the new academic year.
Most of the computers were spread
out to the different computer labs
across campus in buildings such as
Wood Hall, Bob Evans Farms Hall,
the Kidd Math and Science Center
and the Davis Career Center.
“It was very important that we
put the computers in the places that
would most affect the students,”
Meyer said. “We placed them in the
facilities where they will have the
biggest impact on our students and
our academic programs.”
In addition, placing new computers
into these labs also allows Rio Grande
to move some of the computers that
were previously kept in the labs into
other facilities across campus.
The new computers on campus
included several donated by the
10
Improvements on Rio’s Campus
Students had the chance to tour a
state-of-the-art factory recently and talk
with an alumnus who leads the facility.
The graduate is Bozidar
Kurtovic, who currently works for
Rolls-Royce Energy Systems as a
Plant Leader.
The students taking power plant
operations courses had a chance
to tour the plant where Kurtovic
works, and talk to the alumnus
about his career.
Kurtovic earned an associate’s
degree in manufacturing technology
from Rio Grande in 1996 and his
Kidd Foundation
specifically for
improvements in
the Kidd Math and
Science Center.
Rio Grande
also made several
other technological
improvements,
including a new back-up data system
for scanned documents. Meyer
explained that the new back-up
document storage system is key for
protecting needed information, and
is an integral part of the campus
technological system.
Another big technological
improvement that might not be
noticed by most students, but is
very important to the campus, is the
investment in new servers. The new
servers are more efficient, take up
less space and have greater capability
than the older items. In addition, they
are also more energy efficient, which
falls in line with the other energy
efficiency programs at Rio Grande.
One improvement that is very
noticeable on campus is the new
paint on the outdoor basketball court
near the Rhodes Student Center. The
court has been painted red and has the
letters for Rio on it.
Students Tour a State-of-the-Art Factory
bachelor’s of science in industrial
technology in 1997. He is currently
working toward earning his MBA
“The Industrial Technology program
offers a unique blend of courses that
prepared me well for the challenges I’ve
encountered in the workplace.”
from Ball State University, and
will graduate from that institution
in December. He and his wife,
Kelli (Potter) Kurtovic, have two
Aaron Quinn, dean of students at
Rio Grande, explained that he and
student Jerry Waters painted the court
over the summer. The job took 12
gallons of paint, and Waters painted
the letters, Quinn said.
Waters also painted several murals
on the walls in rooms inside the
Davis University Center.
“He made them look very nice,”
Quinn said. The murals add to the
feel of the newly renovated and
expanded building, and will be in
place for students and area residents
to enjoy for years to come.
Another improvement on campus
is the new HVAC system for the
Kidd Math and Science Center. The
new system will do a better job of
climate control for the math and
science building, and is also more
energy efficient.
One other major improvement is in
Boyd Hall, where new floors have been
put in as part of a renovation project.
daughters, Adrianna, who is 7 and
Mariah, who is 5.
“I was born and raised in Croatia,
and came to the U.S. (and to
Rio Grande) in 1993,” Kurtovic
said. He came to America right
after high school, and said he
had no problem adapting to the
educational programs at Rio
Grande.
“I think that Rio Grande’s
College of Technology programs
offer a unique blend of academic and
continued on page 11

State-of-the-Art Factory Tour
continued from page 10
hands-on experience that prepared
me, as closely as possible, for realworld
situations and problems,”
Kurtovic said. The majority of
his instructors also had industry
experience, and they were able to
bring a real-world perspective to the
classes.
“During my four years at Rio, I
also had an opportunity to work on
a number of practical projects such
as an automated railroad tie press
machine that was designed and
built in the manufacturing lab at
Rio Grande and installed in Sutton,
W. Va., where it is still operating
today,” Kurtovic said. “The
Industrial Technology program
offers a unique blend of courses that
prepared me well for the challenges
I’ve encountered in the workplace.”
Kurtovic has great respect for
Keith Saunders and other members
of the Rio Grande faculty, and
said he stays grateful for all that
the Rio Grande faculty members
taught him. He stays in touch
with Saunders and others at Rio
Grande because he enjoys hearing
about what is new on campus, and
because he feels it is important for
alumni to share their insight about
changing industry demands with
faculty and students.
“I am absolutely thrilled to have
Rio Grande students come and visit
me at Rolls-Royce,” Kurtovic said.
“As a student at Rio, I’ve always
enjoyed going to various plant
tours. It is a great way to give more
meaning to materials covered in
classes and to see them applied in
real-world situations.”
Saunders said he is thankful that
Kurtovic takes time out of his busy
schedule to talk with Rio Grande
students and give them a tour, and
added that he is very proud of how
successful Kurtovic has become.
2009 Greek Leadership Conference
Fraternity and sorority students spent the day learning about leadership and
community service during the 2009 Greek Leadership Conference.
The day was an opportunity for students to talk with faculty and staff about
campus issues, discuss numerous aspects of being in a Greek organization
on campus and discuss community service projects for the academic year.
One such project is to renovate and maintain the park on Lake Drive at the
Reservoir. This three year project, in coordination with the Village of Rio
Grande, includes grounds keeping, placement of new playground equipment
and benches, replacement of the walking path and the addition of a boat dock.
The fraternities and sororities can work together on new
community service projects and take on new challenges.
The conference was sponsored by Jack Hagar, a 1977 graduate and a member
of Alpha Sigma Phi, and Susan Burnside Hagar, a 1970 graduate and member
of Chi Omega Alpha, who gave a gift to the Greek organizations to cover the
cost of the event. They did this as a way to give back to the Greek organizations
that they were a part of during their time at Rio Grande, and as a way to help the
current students learn about leadership and community service. The Hagars are
residents of Upper Arlington, Ohio.
The leadership conference also served as a way to bring the students from
the various Greek organizations on campus together in order to form a unified
group. The fraternities and sororities can work together on new community
service projects and take on new challenges.
The conference featured sessions on several other topics, such as how
organizations can work together, how the students can work on fundraising
and alumni relations, the work that officers do in Greek organizations, alcohol
awareness and the benefits of being in Greek organizations.
The students also received a resource guide and directory that will help them
in their work throughout the year.
11

RedStorm Softball
Rio Grande senior outfielder Leah
Hamman of Lexington, Ohio was
selected as the Mid-South Conference
Softball Player of the Week.
Hamman recorded a .485 (16-for-
33) batting average with three home
runs and six runs batted in. She
safely in eight of 10 games last week,
including six multiple-hit games.
Hamman scored seven times for
the RedStorm with three doubles and
three stolen bases while helping Rio
Grande to a 7-3 record last week.
This season, Hamman ranks in
the conference’s top-five in five
statistical categories. She is second
in the MSC in runs (32) and stolen
bases (27), third in home runs (9),
fourth in batting average (.381) and
fifth in hits (48).
Rio Grande improved to 22-18
overall and 11-11 in the Mid-South
Conference.
12
Student Athlete Highlights
RedStorm Baseball
Desmond Sullivan fired his second
career no-hitter against West Virginia
Tech in a 13-0 victory in the first game
of a doubleheader.
Sullivan, a native of Scarborough,
Ontario, improved to 3-0 on the
season with the victory. Sullivan
struck out eight batters and walked
only two in the five-inning run-rule
game. His first no-hitter came on April
5th of last year when he blanked Notre
Dame College on the road.
Sullivan is 3-0 with a 3.86 earned
run average on the season and
opponents are batting a paltry .179
against him.
Rio Grande is currently 23-4 overall
and 7-1 in Mid-South Conference play
one game behind St. Catherine for the
top spot.
RedStorm Women’s
Basketball
Leah Kendro, a 5’9” forward from
Strongsville, OH, has come into her own
this season as a player. She has always
been a very good free throw shooter, but
this year she leads the entire NAIA at
91.9 percent (114-for-124).
Until just recently Kendro was
the team’s leading scorer, that honor
right now belongs to fellow classmate
Jenna Smith. Kendro’s 14.7 points
per game are in large part to her
prowess at the charity stripe. Kendro
is currently sixth in Mid-South
Conference in scoring.
She was an all-conference player last
year in the American Mideast and it is
anticipated that she will achieve this in
the Mid-South Conference this year.
Kendro is closing in on 1,000 career
points and if Rio can make a run in the
post-season, she will eclipse the mark
before her senior season next year.

RedStorm Basketball
Senior guard P. J. Rase, a
Wheelersburg, Ohio native, made
10-of-15 shots from long range
totaling 34 points in the Mid-South
Conference Thanksgiving Challenge
at the Frankfort Civic Center. The
10 three-pointers are a new school
record. What’s even more eyepopping
about the accomplishment is
that Rase played only 24 minutes in
the game.
For the season Rase is shooting an
impressive 45.7 percent (32-of-70)
from beyond the three-point arc. He
is leading Rio Grande in scoring at
17.8 points per game.
We Want To Hear About You!
If you recently found a job, were promoted, were married, moved,
had a baby or did anything else of interest, please let your Rio
Grande family know about it. Fill out the form below and send it
to the Office of Alumni Relations, University of Rio Grande, PO
Box 500, Rio Grande, Ohio 45674. Update information and digital
pictures may also be submitted by email to alumni@rio.edu.
Name ____________________________________________________
Phone________________________________ Grad. Yr. ____________
Street ________________________________ City ________________
State _______________________Zip _______ County _____________
Email Address _________________________
■ Check if this is a new address.
News: ___________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
RedStorm Cross Country
Four members of the RedStorm Cross Country program earned NAIA Scholar
Athlete honors for the fall season. Senior Kyle Hively (Vinton, OH) was the lone
RedStorm men’s representative while three members of the women’s team earned
the prestigious academic honor. The RedStorm women to earn the honor were
Stacey Arnett (Laurelville, OH), juniors Cassie Mattia (West Chester, OH) and Tracy
Newcomer (Findlay, OH).
NAIA Scholar-Athletes are nominated by each institution’s head coach. A
student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0
scale and have achieved junior academic status to qualify.
Nomination Form Request
The University of Rio Grande accepts nominations for the following
awards on a continuous basis. The deadline for nominations
within a given year is February 1 of that year. Nomination forms
are kept on file and reviewed yearly. Nomination forms may also
be requested by email at alumni@rio.edu and are available on the
alumni website at www.rio.edu/alumni.
■ Alumni Awards (Distinguished Alumnus, URG Alumni, Atwood
Achievement, Faculty Citation, Citation of Appreciation)
■ Athletic Hall of Fame
■ Educators’ Hall of Fame
From left to right: Stacey Arnett,
Cassie Mattia, Tracy Newcomer
and Kyle Hively
Please send the nomination form indicated above to:
Name ____________________________________________________
Address __________________________________________________
Mail this request to: Office of Alumni Relations, University of Rio
Grande, PO Box 500, Rio Grande, OH 45674
13

From left to right: Scott Bibby, Ederson Lopes
and Nick Hewison.
RedStorm Soccer
Freshman forward Scott Bibby (Doncaster,
England), the Mid-South Conference Player
and Freshman of the Year, along with junior
mid-fielder/forward Ederson Lopes (Sao Paulo,
Brazil) were named 1st Team All-American.
Bibby led the RedStorm in scoring with 24
goals and eight assists (56 points).
Lopes, a 2nd Team All-American last year,
earned 1st Team honors this season despite
missing three weeks with an injury. Lopes still
managed 12 goals and 10 assists (34 points).
Junior Nick Hewison (Accrington, England)
earned NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors for his
work in the classroom. Hewison is majoring in
Physical Education.
Rio Grande finished the season 18-3-3 and
advanced to the national semifinals for the
fourth-time in school history.
Thanks to the donations of a local
automobile dealer and group of proud
alumni, Rio Grande has a new vehicle
that will be used for student services.
The new vehicle also has been
decorated with images of students
and logos for the institution, and will
be used in parades and special events
in the region. It will be easily recog-
14
We would like to build our Alumni Chapters by hosting events in a few
specific regions: Huntington/Ashland/Ironton, Cincinnati, Dayton, Gallia/
Jackson/Meigs/Vinton, and Northern Ohio. If you live in one of these areas
and would like to assist us in the planning, please give us a call.
Upcoming Events:
May 8, 2010 — Commencement
President Barbara Gellman-Danley, Ph.D., Speaker.
June 5, 2010 — Alumni Association, Central Ohio Chapter Annual Dinner
Schmidt’s Restaurant and Sausage Haus
Time: 6:00 p.m. • Cost: $20.00 per person.
RSVP accepted upon payment, checks payable to University of Rio Grande
Due by Monday May 31, 2010
University of Rio Grande • Alumni Relations Office
PO Box 500 • Rio Grande, OH 45674 • Facilities are handicap accessible
July 15, 2010 — Young Alumni (1980’s 1990’s, 2000’s)
Brazenhead Pub, Dublin, Ohio
For more information, please contact Annette Brown Ward at award@rio.edu
or 800-282-7201 ext. 7431.
September 18, 2010 — Varney House Reunion
Please watch for your invitation to arrive in the mail or contact Annette
Brown Ward at award@rio.edu or 800-282-7201 ext. 7431.
October 23, 2010 — Bell Tower Ball
Tickets will be $50.00 per person. Please watch for more information to come
via the web, email, Facebook and mail.
A Summer Reunion Picnic will not be held in 2010. Instead we will
celebrate reunions during Homecoming Weekend.
November 12 & 13 — Homecoming Weekend
Join us on campus for Homecoming Weekend and the Bevo Francis
Tournament. More details will follow but mark your calendars now because
you won’t want to miss this weekend!
New Car to be Used for Student Services
nizable on campus and in the community,
and will benefit Rio Grande
students in numerous ways.
Sardis Auto Parts, Inc., of Oak
Hill, and the Archon Alumni Association
both made significant donations
toward the project to purchase the
new vehicle, and Rio Grande officials
are very thankful.
Aaron Quinn, Dean of Students,
explained that Sardis Auto Parts
worked to find the right vehicle to
meet the needs of students, and then
sold the vehicle to Rio Grande for a
discounted price.
The Archon Alumni Association
then helped pay for the images and
logos to be placed on a wrap that covers
much of the outside of the vehicle.
One important use for the vehicle
will be to transport students to different
events. The many international
students on campus, for example,
often need taken to the airport or
picked up from the airport, and the
new vehicle will be perfect for this.
Students often need to be taken to different
locations for events and special
projects, and the new vehicle can also
help with this. In addition, the vehicle
can carry supplies that will be used
for student activities.
The new vehicle will also be taken
to special events where Rio Grande
is recruiting students and will also
likely be used for parades in the community,
alumni activities and for a
wide range of programs.