Published December 17, 2018
Wittenberg Alumni & Friends,
Since my arrival, I have discussed the need for all of us to become better storytellers so others can hear, and even feel, what is so special about Wittenberg. There is not a particular story that rises above another. I simply want to encourage the open sharing of elements of your Wittenberg experience that still resonate with you today. It might be a story from your time here, or one from the time since that shows the impact. Perhaps there was a professor that sparked your current career path. Or maybe there was a friendship that was formed on campus, which continues today. Maybe there was a sporting event, a special research project, or a service experience that changed you.
In essence, each story matters because it helps us tell our ongoing story in the most authentic, personal way so as to inspire future generations to choose Wittenberg. I hope you will take a moment to share a story or two with us via email just like Jeff Guyton '88 recently did with our Admission team. Jeff's great-grandmother, Elizabeth Berger Tavenner, class of 1875, was a member of the first Wittenberg College class to admit women and actually rode on horseback to attend classes. More than 140 years later, the Guyton family’s legacy might continue with the fifth generation as Jeff’s daughter, Helen, has applied for admission for the fall of 2019.
Such stories inspire us and remind each of us that Wittenberg has been a leader on so many levels – in opening doors, in teaching excellence, in service, in athletics, and the list goes on and on. Thank you for continuing to keep our story going.
Have a wonderful holiday.
Best Regards,
Michael Frandsen, Ph.D.
President
Wittenberg University
Campus Advocacy Grant
Wittenberg will receive $95,782 from Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine’s office to support the university’s Campus Advocacy and Support Service or CASS program, which assists victims of sexual assault or violence. The funds will support programming, crisis intervention, and support groups.
Major Milestones
Wittenberg’s Susan Hirt Hagen Center for Civic & Urban Engagement, established in 2008, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, at the same time the university’s longstanding Community Service Program turned 30. Since the Hagen Center opened, 186 interns have worked on 123 projects in partnership with 134 community organizations. At the national level, Wittenberg has been recognized on the President’s Community Service Honor Roll for nearly a decade.
Promise Program
Wittenberg recently joined several other Ohio colleges and universities in partnering with the Montgomery County Ohio College Promise program, which aims to support high-achieving students from lower socio-economic backgrounds in their path to higher education.
Marine Science Success
Skyler Klingshirn '19, an environmental science major from Lorain, Ohio, took advantage of Wittenberg’s connection to Duke University’s Marine Lab and spent a semester engaged in hands-on coursework, independent research, and international travel – all opportunities that are setting her up for career success in her chosen field.
Alumni In The News / #LifeAfterWitt
Karlos L. Marshall ’13 and Moses B. Mbeseha ’13, co-founders of The Conscious Connect Inc., have been named to Forbes' "30 Under 30 2019" for their work in education. Dedicated to ending urban book deserts, the pair has found creative ways to provide children in low-to-moderate income neighborhoods with access to free books.
Scott Voorhees ’78, a two-time Fulbright Scholar, is putting his uncommon double major in biology and East Asian Studies to work as a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) international team.
Faculty In The News
Associate Professor of Business Rachel Wilson presented “The Open Economy,” in which she discussed potential impacts of the trade disputes between the United States and China, at a Springfield Rotary Club meeting last month.