Distinguished OHIO alumni, friends celebrated at Alumni Awards Gala

Ohio University Homecoming enticed Bobcats of all generations to return to Athens for a weekend of celebrations, laughter and, for several distinguished alumni, some well-deserved recognition.

On Friday, Oct. 19, the OHIO Alumni Association hosted the 78th annual Alumni Awards Gala to honor 14 of OHIO’s outstanding alumni and friends who have exhibited excellence in their professions and service to Ohio University and beyond.

Donned in elegant attire and beaming with Bobcat pride, attendees were welcomed to the event with a video highlighting the history of the Alumni Awards and greetings from Erin Essak Kopp, assistant vice president of alumni relations and executive director of the OHIO Alumni Association.

“The sights, sounds, energy and people on this campus and in this community echo in the memories of Bobcats long after they have left these bricks,” Essak Kopp said. “This is why each fall, floods of alumni and friends from around the state of Ohio, the country and the world gravitate toward this special place for Homecoming. Surrounded by this vibrant Bobcat spirit, this evening we will celebrate the achievements of 14 extraordinary individuals whose talent, service and love for alma mater are unmatched.”

ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR

President M. Duane Nellis presented the evening’s most esteemed award, Alumnus of the Year, to Glenn Corlett, BBA ’65. A special video highlighted Corlett and his accomplishments as a successful businessman and devoted alumnus.

“Our 2018 recipient is a 1965 graduate of the College of Business whose success in the field of business is only surpassed by his devotion for alma mater,” President Nellis said.

(From left) OHIO Alumni Association Board of Directors member Joe Becherer, BFA ’87, MFA ’89; Glenn Corlett, BBA ’65; and Ohio University President M. Duane Nellis pose for a photo after Corlett was presented the Alumnus of the Year Award at the 2018 Alumni Awards Gala. Photo by Jim Downard

In his acceptance speech, Corlett paid tribute to inspiring OHIO faculty and staff with whom he interacted, including former OHIO Presidents John Baker, Charles Ping and Robert Glidden.

“I owe the honor you have given me to the great leaders of Ohio University that have inspired me over my 57 years as a Bobcat,” Corlett said. “I can say unequivocally that Ohio University has given me far more than I will ever be able to repay.”

Corlett, who received the alumni association’s Medal of Merit in 1991, is the director and corporate consultant at Copernicus Therapeutics, Inc., a leading gene therapy company in Cleveland, Ohio. In addition to his impressive professional accomplishments, Corlett has displayed the upmost dedication to OHIO, serving on the National Alumni Board of Directors, as an Ohio University Foundation Trustee, and, beginning in 1997, a 10-year tenure as dean of OHIO’s College of Business.

MEDAL OF MERIT

The oldest of the alumni association’s awards, the Medal of Merit is awarded to alumni who have achieved success in their career fields. The following five individuals were recognized this year: Thomas “Thom” Brennaman, BSS ’12; Ronald Burns, BSH ’85, DO ’89; Luke Frazier, MM ’09; Qui Nguyen, MFA ’02; and Mark D. West, BSC ’78.

Brennaman, a well-known sportscaster, has called Fox Sports National Football League and Major League Baseball telecasts, as well as serving as the first television voice for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has also led the play-by-play for various bowl games and now works as an announcer with the Cincinnati Reds alongside his father.

As a board-certified and award-winning family physician, Burns has spent the past 26 years operating his private practice in Orlando, Florida. He was recently named president-elect of the American Osteopathic Association and has been involved in the political sphere as an osteopathic expert for government officials.

“This recognition is not for me, but rather a testament to the skills, knowledge and experience derived from my time here at Ohio University,” Burns said.

Frazier is the founder and music director of both the American Pops Orchestra and the National Broadway Chorus. In addition to co-creating the “Broadway at OHIO” project, a residency program for top musical artists to perform at Ohio University, Frazier guest conducts and performs at high-profile venues, universities and more.

Nguyen is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and co-founder and co-artistic director of Vampire Cowboys Theatre, based in New York City. He has also written for notable companies, such as AMC, Netflix and Marvel Studios.

West recently finished a 40-year career in film editing. His work is featured in notable sitcoms and variety specials, such as “Melissa & Joey,” and “Girl Meets World.” West is a recipient of three Emmy Awards, in addition to other recognitions, and recently was inducted into OHIO’s Communication Hall of Fame.

“I am proud of my resume and even prouder of Ohio University for what it has done for me and is still doing for students today,” West said. “My practical training, along with classroom education, were the best.”

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD

The Distinguished Service Award honors OHIO graduates who have provided outstanding service to the University through alumni chapters or clubs, constituent societies, the alumni association, or OHIO colleges, campuses and schools. This year’s recipients were William “Erv” Ball, BSED ’77, and Jennifer Jones Donatelli, BSJ ’98.

Ball is a member of the College of Health Sciences and Professions Dean’s Advisory Council, past president of the college’s Society of Alumni and Friends and chair of the Environmental Health and Sciences Advisory Committee. In addition to guest lecturing and mentoring students interested in community and environmental health, he and his wife LuAnne established the James Ball Scholarship in honor of their late son.

In accepting the award, Ball quoted Danny Thomas, “Success has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It’s what you do for others.” He added, “In giving time, financial support, talents and our passions to others behind us, we witness and experience wonderfully great positive life returns—returns from which we all benefit.”

Jones Donatelli is the managing editor at Freshwater Cleveland and author of more than 70 books for tween to teen girls. She contributes to a variety of publications, including Ohio University’s own Ohio Today. In addition to her impressive professional work, Jones Donatelli served as co-director of the OHIO-in-LA program for four years and co-president of OHIO’s Greater Los Angeles Alumni Chapter for more than 10 years.

“The four years spent here were undoubtedly among the best of my life,” Jones Donatelli said in accepting the award, crediting her alma mater for her professional achievements, lifelong friendships and her husband, a fellow Bobcat. “After graduation day in June 1998, I cried for two days straight, heartbroken about leaving the bricks behind. But what I didn’t know then was that OU would always be a huge part of my life.”

Ohio University President M. Duane Nellis (front center) is pictured with (front, from left) Mark D. West, Jennifer Jones Donatelli, Keith Hawkins, William “Erv” Ball and Tiffany Horvath, and (back row, from left) Marc Krauss, Ronald Burns, Peter Thompson, Glenn Corlett, Luke Frazier and Melissa Griffin. Photo by Jim Downard

CHARLES J. AND CLAIRE O. PING RECENT GRADUATE AWARD

Keith Hawkins, BS ’13, delivered a moving speech after accepting the Charles J. and Claire O. Ping Recent Graduate Award, which is presented to an OHIO graduate who has achieved incredible success within 15 years of earning his or her first bachelor’s degree.

“…Without the support of my professors and the staff at OU, I would never have been able to accomplish my dreams,” Hawkins said.

Keith Hawkins, BS ’13, addresses those at the Alumni Awards Gala after receiving the 2018 Charles J. and Claire O. Ping Recent Graduate Award. Photo by Jim Downard

As a newly appointed assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin, Hawkins is one of the youngest professors of astronomy and has been awarded numerous grants to fund his research. He continues to serve as a member of the Honors Tutorial College’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

HONORARY ALUMNUS AWARD

Peter Thompson, an attorney from Washington, D.C., accepted the Honorary Alumnus Award, which is given to an individual who is not an OHIO graduate, but has provided exemplary service to the University.

“His love for all things Ohio University stems directly from an even deeper love for his late wife, Barbara Strom Thompson, OHIO’s 2012 Alumna of the Year,” Essak Kopp said.

Together, the Thompsons worked to establish a Bobcat community in our nation’s capital, helping OHIO graduates find their way in a competitive job market.

Peter Thompson accepts this year’s Honorary Alumnus Award during the 78th annual Alumni Awards Gala. Photo by Jim Downard

“Barb always referred to me as an honorary Bobcat, and so I know she is smiling tonight as that title becomes official,” Thompson said. “I know that the fact that I am receiving this amazing, kind and generous honor tonight is, more than anything else, a reflection of her legacy.”

ATHLETICS AWARDS

Each year, the OHIO Alumni Association partners with Intercollegiate Athletics to honor athletes and leaders within the athletic department. Russ Eisenstein, “Voice of the Bobcats,” presented this year’s athletic awards.

Bill Dillingham, BBA ’71, accepted the Athletic Director’s Award of Excellence, which is given to an individual who has shown tremendous leadership, volunteerism and support for OHIO athletics. As a previous recipient of both the Distinguished Service Award and Medal of Merit and the current president of the Ohio Bobcat Club Advisory Board, Dillingham has shown consistent leadership across OHIO’s campus and been a generous donor to the athletic department and its facilities.

(From left) Bill Dillingham, BBA ’71, poses for a photo with Ohio University Athletic Director Jim Schaus after receiving the 2018 Athletic Director’s Award of Excellence at the Alumni Awards Gala. Photo by Jim Downard

Reflecting on his history of interaction and collaboration with OHIO athletics, Dillingham said, “What has been accomplished in the last 10 years is spectacular.”

Also honored at this year’s gala were four elite athletes who have been inducted into the Kermit Blosser OHIO Athletics Hall of Fame. This year’s inductees included: celebrated volleyball player Melissa Griffin, BSHSL ’08; award-winning soccer player Tiffany Horvath, BBA ’07; former Major League Baseball player Marc Krauss, BSJ ’17; and OHIO’s legendary 1968 football team.

The Singing Men of Ohio closed the evening with a performance that ended with the entire Baker University Center Ballroom joining in the signing of “Alma Mater, Ohio,” capping off a celebration of Bobcat pride and putting guests in an “Athens State of Mind.”

The OHIO Alumni Association is accepting nominations for the 2019 Alumni Awards. Click here to nominate a deserving Bobcat to be considered.