Committed to serving as a liaison for the University by engaging and connecting the alumni body in support of Wittenberg’s mission and goals, Wittenberg’s Alumni Association Board represents more than 26,000 alumni across the United States and internationally. This summer, the board welcomed four new members: Nathan Mawhirter, class of 2014; Jennifer Peters, class of 1986; Cliff Pope, class of 1992; and Kevin Schalnat, class of 2007.

Nathan Mawhirter

With a B.A. in international studies and Spanish and a minor in religion, Mawhirter is an experienced recruiter with a background in higher education, corporate recruiting, and intern program development with Dallas-based Bain and Company, where he has served for more than five years, starting as a specialist in MBA recruiting in 2021 before moving into his current position as Texas consultant recruiting manager beginning in April 2023.

His goal as a recruiter is to build strong mutually beneficial relationships with candidates and clients alike. Mawhirter is skilled in project management, strategic planning, public speaking, client advocacy, and various virtual platforms. Before joining Bain and Company, he was an admission counselor at Southern Methodist University.

During his time at Wittenberg, Mawhirter was a member of the football team, a peer helper, an orientation assistant, a member of the Wittmen Crew a capella group, the Wittenberg Choir, the American International Association, Sigma Delta Pi, and a tour guide in the Office of Admission.

“I loved being on campus in the summer to grow in my friendships and to truly appreciate the magic on campus during the school year,” said Mawhirter, who initially chose Witt to play football. “It allowed me to explore more of Springfield, get to know my summer roommates, and really understand how campus comes to life when students come back. It's the time when I felt the relationships with my professors grew the most, and I knew it was a benefit to my Witt education to truly envelop myself on campus, both in campus activities and the city of Springfield.

“Wittenberg was far enough away from home for me to be homesick (initially) and for me to flex some independence muscles (laundry, cooking, schedules, etc.),” he added. “I STAYED at Witt because of the people I met and the ability to pursue all the passions and interests I had, such as being involved in music, exploring Latin American cultures, and serving alongside people authentically. These passions and interests continued to grow during my time at Witt and ultimately grew into a love for the campus and learning what it meant to 'have light' overall.”

Jennifer Peters

Peters graduated from Wittenberg with a degree in biology. During her time on campus, she served on the former Union Board (now Tiger Activities Council) and played percussion in the Wittenberg Symphonic Band. She also participated in intramural sports and enjoyed being a Lambda Chi Alpha Little Sis.

Upon earning a Master of Environmental Management degree from Duke University in 1988, Peters moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked as a consultant for 30-plus years supporting environmental and infrastructure protection programs for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). While in D.C., she was actively involved in her condo association, serving for multiple years on the Environmental Sustainability Committee, where she led efforts to implement and promote recycling programs for the community, and on the covenants committee, which was responsible for interpreting association bylaws and resolving resident disputes.

In 2021, Peters joined the federal government as a technology transfer specialist with the DHS Science and Technology directorate. In this capacity, she facilitates partnerships between DHS and private sector companies to develop technologies that support homeland security missions. In 2024, she decided to move back to Ohio and now lives in her childhood home outside Cleveland. An avid Duke basketball fan, Peters volunteers with the Community Life Collaborative, a NE Ohio-based non-profit focused on social and environmental justice issues.

“I visited several small liberal arts schools in Ohio during my senior year in high school, and I had no clear preference prior to these visits,” she said. “As soon as we arrived at Wittenberg, I was immediately taken by the beautiful campus with the library and Weaver Chapel dominating the hillside on Woodlawn Avenue. Students were out and about, playing Frisbee and just hanging out on the wall by the student union. It was a much more inviting and appealing environment than I encountered at other schools, and I knew it was the right fit for me.

“I am excited to join the Alumni Association Board at a pivotal time for Wittenberg and academia in general,” she added. “I embrace President Brady’s view that a good liberal arts education is more important now than ever before, and Wittenberg is an exceptional place for students to gain those skills.”

Cliff Pope

A 2025 recipient of Wittenberg’s Professional Achievement Award, given to alumni who have achieved outstanding distinction in their professional field, Pope began his professional career teaching high school religion and coaching football and wrestling at his alma mater, Cincinnati Purcell Marian High School. He entered Wittenberg in the fall of 1988 as a member of the late head football coach Ron Murphy’s final recruiting class and intended to study art but quickly turned his focus to history, graduating with a B.A. in history.

He spent 16 years at Purcell Marian in several other roles: summer school vice-principal, assistant athletic director, and dean of students, winning several awards, including Most Promising Teacher (1994), Faculty Pride and Spirit Award (1998), and Teacher of the Year twice (2000 and 2004). He also was honored by the Society of Mary with the Marianist Sesquicentennial Award in 2000. For his accomplishments in athletics and coaching, he was named the Greater Catholic League-North Division Wrestling Coach of the Year in 2004, and later that year was inducted into the Purcell Marian High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

In 2007, Pope took a position at Elder High School, where he worked for 11 years, beginning as a religion teacher and assistant football coach. That winter, he graduated from Xavier University with a master’s degree in secondary education. In 2012, he attained his Ohio Social Studies License and began teaching courses at Elder in both the religion and history departments. In 2013, with the blessing of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, he created and developed a new course, American Catholic History. In 2009, during his time at Elder, Purcell Marian awarded him the Praestans Inter Omnes Award, the highest award given to an alumnus.

In 2018, Pope assumed his current position as the Upper School assistant director at The Summit Country Day School, an independent Catholic High School sponsored by the Sisters of Notre Dame De Namur that opened in 1890. He has held several roles, including history teacher (2018-present), The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion director (2020-2024), and assistant football coach (2021-2022). His accomplishments at The Summit include working with medical professionals in 2018 to develop the school’s first comprehensive concussion protocol plan; receiving a state award from the Ohio High School Athletic Association in 2023 for sportsmanship, values, and spirit; and receiving the Leaders of Character Award from Summit in 2025.

The 2026-2027 school year is Pope’s 35th consecutive year in Cincinnati Catholic high school education. He lives with his wife, Erica, in the Springfield Township community in Cincinnati, Ohio.

“Most of my fondest memories of Wittenberg involve the relationships I made with teammates, classmates, and my professors,” Pope said. “I am still very close to my college roommates and a number of my teammates. Even in our late 50s now, we still get together with our families for social gatherings.  I had outstanding professors like Dr. Robert Cutler, Dr. Al Hayden, and Dr. Joseph Lewis. Dr. Cutler was my academic adviser, and without him, I don’t know that I would have survived my four years at Wittenberg. He was a great adviser. I was from a smaller high school, and something about Wittenberg and the energy on campus when I visited was just extremely impressive. I was the first member of my family to attend college, so it was really unlike anything I had ever experienced. In hindsight, I could not have made a better choice.”

Kevin Schalnat

Schalnat graduated with a B.A. in mathematics and a minor in education. During his time at Wittenberg, he was a member of the baseball team and Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, experiences that helped develop his leadership, teamwork, and commitment to service.

Following graduation, Schalnat began his career in education as a middle school mathematics teacher at Schaefer Middle School in the Springfield City School District. Over the course of nearly two decades, he taught a variety of subjects, including middle school mathematics, engineering/STEM courses, and high school mathematics. In May 2013, he earned a Master of Science in Education and Allied Professions from the University of Dayton, where he also obtained his principal licensure.

In 2015, he was named principal of Horace Mann Elementary School in the Springfield City School District, then later transitioned into district leadership and, in 2023, became the curriculum and instructional coordinator for mathematics and science (pre-K-12), a role he currently holds. In this position, he collaborates with teachers, administrators, and district leaders to support curriculum development, instructional improvement, assessment practices, and professional learning opportunities across the district.

Beyond the classroom and central office, Schalnat has remained actively involved in athletics, coaching middle school basketball and varsity football at Springfield City Schools, varsity football at Oakwood City Schools, and middle school basketball and varsity softball at Kenton Ridge High School in the Northeastern Local School District. He has also proudly supported his wife, Sarah Schalnat, in leading the Kenton Ridge High School softball program to back-to-back undefeated Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Division IV State Championships in 2025 and 2026.

He resides in Springfield, Ohio, with his wife, Sarah—a middle school mathematics teacher, two-time OHSAA Division IV State Championship softball coach, and a Class of 2024 inductee into the Ohio High School Softball Coaches Association Hall of Fame—and their dog, Pete.

“What excites me most about Wittenberg University today is its continued commitment to the values that made it meaningful during my time there: strong academics, close-knit relationships, and a community that genuinely invests in students,” he said. “I’m encouraged to see Wittenberg continuing to evolve while holding onto that small, connected campus experience that allows students to build real relationships with faculty, staff, and teammates. That combination is something that can’t be easily replicated, and it remains one of the University’s greatest strengths.

“I’m also excited about the direction of its academic and student experience offerings,” he added. “How the University continues to prepare students not just for careers, but for leadership and service in their communities. That alignment between learning and real-world impact feels increasingly important. On a personal level, I’m proud to see Wittenberg’s athletic tradition and campus spirit still thriving. The energy around Tiger athletics, student involvement, and alumni engagement continues to be a strong part of what makes the university feel like home for so many people. Overall, what excites me most is that Wittenberg continues to be Wittenberg, while also adapting and growing in ways that ensure it will continue to positively shape students for generations to come.”