Author: Otterbein Editorial Staff

Faculty and Staff Earn State Grants for Otterbein Efforts

Otterbein faculty and administrators have recently received numerous grants from prominent foundations and federal programs to support research, academic studies and community education. Faculty and administrators pursue grants to support the mission of Otterbein, enhance faculty achievement and student learning, and strengthen social justice in the central Ohio community.

Cardinal Science Scholar Elizabeth Isaac ’19 (Chemistry) with Professor Dean Johnston.

Cardinal Science Scholars: Boosting Students’ Expectations for Success in STEM

Amount

$999,348
over five years

Seventy-two percent of the funds ($720,000) are reserved for student scholarships.

Awarded by

National Science Foundation, Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) Program

Recipients

Principal Investigator: Dr. Brigitte Ramos (Chemistry)
Dr. Elena Caruthers (Engineering)
Dr. Meredith Meyer (Psychology)
Dr. Joan Esson (Chemistry)
Dr. Uwe Trittman (Physics)
Dr. David Sheridan (Biology and Earth Science)

Sexual Violence Prevention in Central Ohio: Interrupting Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking on Campus

Amount

$298,658

Awarded by

U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women

Recipients

Project Supervisor: Dr. Kristy McCray (Health & Sports Sciences)
Dean of Students Julie Saker (Student Affairs)
OPD Chief Larry Banaszak
Professor Suzanne Ashworth (English and WGSS)
HR Director Scott Fitzgerald

OTHER NATIONAL, STATE, PRIVATE GRANTS RECEIVED INCLUDE

  • Association of American Colleges & Universities (Papa John’s and Newman’s Own), awarded $20,000 for “Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Campus Center.” Wendy Sherman-Heckler (Academic Affairs).
  • National Science Foundation, Division of Physics awarded “RUI: Neutrino Oscillations with DUNE and MicroBooNE” $195,623 through 2023. Nathaniel Tagg (Physics).
  • Ohio Department of Higher Education, Human Capital Strategies program, a total of $41,387.50 for “Pathways to Teaching.” Kristin Bourdage applied; Amy McGrath will be project director. Three districts will be involved: Canal Winchester Local Schools, Olentangy Local School District, and Westerville City Schools.
  • The Martha Holden Jennings Foundation awarded $35,000 for “Network of Excellent Teaching Hub (NExT Hub): Professional Development in Educational Justice and Equity.” Margaret Koehler (English) and Kristin Bourdage (Education).

Congratulations to the 2020 Alumni Award Honorees

Otterbein is pleased to recognize the 2020 Alumni Award recipients. These honorees made a remarkable impact within their professions and demonstrated a steadfast dedication to Otterbein. Their exceptional achievements in the arts, medicine, business and service to Otterbein make us proud to call them fellow Cardinals.

To learn more about each recipient, please visit: otterbein.edu/alumniawards

Conversation and Connecting about Social Justice

James Prysock ’09, MBA’19, director of Otterbein’s Office of Social Justice and Activism, connected with Otterbein graduate, Tony Bishop ’15, MSAH’18, the new executive director of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus, and Desmond Fernandez ’21, a senior BFA acting major who organized several Westerville-based Black Lives Matter protests this summer. During their conversation, Bishop and Fernandez shared their insights and hopes for how working together can enable change.

PRYSOCK: Part of advocacy is doing some things you don’t necessarily have to do, but it’s something that you really want to do. Why did you feel it was so important to be a part of the leadership of the Westerville protest, Desmond?

Desmond Fernandez ’21 said this is his time to be a part of bettering his community.

FERNANDEZ: I’ve been a part of this community for so long — it’s my lifeline for success and happiness. This is my time to be a part of this mission to better our community and make it even more diverse and more inclusive.

What I thought was going to be maybe 50 people was almost 1,000 people. It was inspiring. Not only was I protesting with my classmates, I was protesting with my teachers. Teachers who exposed me to morals and lessons from To Kill a Mockingbird; who helped mold my belief that black people do have a purpose in theatre; who were there photographing everything to make sure it leaves an imprint on our history — and one professor even brought her son. What this is about is deeply ingrained in my community … Westerville is going to be an example by the time we get done with this.

PRYSOCK: What specific changes would you like to see to be an inclusive community?

BISHOP: Community is the way through all of this. These protests are everybody — young, old, black, white and everybody in between. That’s the beautiful thing about it. This is our opportunity right now to redefine what it means to be an American and say that is an inclusive thing. The reason we are so strong as a country, historically, is because of our diversity. The only substantive pillar of American exceptionalism is the fact that we’re all in it together. We have the best minds from all over the world under one roof. I’d like to see people rally around that.

FERNANDEZ: For me, it’s unity. If we get stuck in these debates of each side saying, “I’m not going to budge,” we’re going to remain stagnant. We’ve got to be able to find that middle ground. We’ve got to come together. Then, as we begin to understand one another, what is the next action going to be? We’ve got to hold those that are in a higher position than us accountable. We’ve got to know who to contact — whether that’s in Congress or local legislators. Voting is a powerful thing. Voting is not the cure — it is simply a tool. We’ve got to do other things as well.

PRYSOCK: Tony, you passed on one opportunity in order to work for the Black Caucus. What compelled you? (Bishop was invited as the United States’ representative to the Foreign Service program at the University of Oxford, England.)

Tony Bishop ’15, MSAH’18 with U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown >

BISHOP: If something happens to this place and I was somewhere else and I wasn’t doing my part — protesting, helping out legislatively — I don’t think I could live with myself. This country is everything to me despite its flaws and warts … we believe so much in this place that we’re honestly willing to die for it. 

Also, when you do the right thing, good things normally come back to you. I got invited to speak in the U.K. about what I’m doing now. It all comes full circle when you do what you’re supposed to do. 

Otterbein instilled that in us — making those values basically a part of the core curriculum. Otterbein has a history of doing what’s right before it’s popular and not being afraid to stand out there as the first one. That level of sacrifice is necessary to change something.

PRYSOCK: What advice would you give to people who want to be advocates and are trying to figure out the way to best support their community?

FERNANDEZ: Alice Walker. Rosa Parks. Martin Luther King Jr. Malcolm X. Maya Angelou. John Lewis. Colin Kaepernick. These are absolutely profound people, and they made a huge impact on our American culture. But they’re just humans. You don’t need to give speeches in front of thousands of people or have all the press there to be an advocate. These people were advocates but they’re also activists. Like the first part of that word, you simply need to act. You’ve got to do it and you’ve got to act now.

BISHOP: The best way to formulate changes to a system is to learn how it works in the first place so you know you can rebuild it better. I’ll give you a quote from the movement: “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.” Everybody has a part to play. There’s a way to raise awareness about what’s happening and show where you stand. Whatever your strengths are — volunteering your time or baking cookies or whatever — there’s a place in this for everybody.

Finding Your Inner Peace During Difficult Times

Chaotic. Unprecedented. A very weird time. Dumpster fire. These are various ways I have described the year 2020. From the time the pandemic interrupted an otherwise normal year, to the overwhelming public outcry and protests following the murder of George Floyd, to an unusually tense and anxious election season, we are living in a truly challenging time. I know there have been other moments in history that have been just as fraught
(and more), but with 24/7 news coverage and social media it feels like we are stressed to a breaking point.

 

So, what can we do?

First, pay attention to the way you talk to yourself.

When I’m stressed, I am more self-critical, and that inner voice can be pretty mean. In fact, if others talked to me the way I talk to myself, I would be furious. Just noticing that I’m being selfcritical helps me to stop and reframe my thinking.

Second, breathe.

Meditation has become really important to me. Just a little time in the morning before I start the day, being still and focusing on my breath helps me feel grounded. I can find quiet through the day to stay grounded.

Third, focus on gratitude.

There is so much joy all around, and it’s easy to miss when we’re wrapped up in miserable. The way the sunlight touches the trees, the birds in flight, the small gestures of kindness from strangers and friends — all of these can make us feel happier if we notice them.

And finally, practice compassion.

For yourself (you don’t have to be perfect) and for others. We can’t tell by looking what kind of battles people are facing. Be kind and compassionate as a default when you are walking around in the world.

 None of these things will clear up a pandemic (please wear your mask and wash your hands), or end racism, or change a broken political system. But they can help us get through this (ahem) very weird time.

I invite you to follow the Otterbein Religious and Spiritual Life Instagram page @Otterbein_Spiritual_Life for reminders to pause for prayer and pause for peace.

Rev. Judy Guion-Utsler is the University chaplain and has a master of divinity degree from Boston University and doctorate degree from The Ohio State University. She focuses on social justice, anti-racism, and changing the world.

We Are More Resilient Than We Think

The coronavirus pandemic has brought into stark relief our individual and collective vulnerability. That we are vulnerable is indeed true. But it is not the whole truth. On the other side of our vulnerability is the truth of our deep resilience.

The concept of “psychological resilience” describes one’s success in going through adversity without suffering debilitating effects. For instance, at-risk children demonstrate resilience if they nevertheless achieve certain social competencies (for example, the ability to trust others) or developmental tasks (for example, school success).

Contrary to popular perception, resilience research with both children and adults has shown that human beings are robust in the face of adversity. We have evolved in a dangerous environment, and our faculties are therefore adapted to dealing. Human psychological functioning is a well-buffered process — that is, designed by evolution to succeed even under difficult conditions. Most individuals who experience collective or individual trauma end up adapting, recovering, and returning to normal health. Resilience is not a bug in our software but a feature of our hardware.

It is tempting to think of resilience as chiefly the property of individuals — something one has more or less of. And indeed, individual characteristics such as intelligence or sociable temperament have been shown to predict resilience. However, current research suggests that resilience is not so much a trait but a dynamic, reciprocal process, in which individual qualities interact with contextual conditions. A good driver is more likely to survive bad weather if the road they’re driving on is good.

One factor that matters greatly to resilience is social relationships, both past and present. For example, children who grow up under conditions of chronic adversity are much more likely to recover successfully if they had at least one positive relationship with a competent adult during their childhood. The past informs the present.

At the same time, current relations are at least as important. Human beings are social creatures. We are strong to the extent that we are connected. Social support aids resilience in various ways. For example, it may motivate people to adopt healthy behaviors, help them appraise stressful events as less threatening, and improve their self-esteem.

The take-home message from this rough summary is two-fold:

First, your own resilience in the face of adversity is not wholly up to you. Much of your success (or failure) will depend on the luck of the draw — whether the particular demands of the specific threat fit well with your particular skills, experiences, and tendencies. Moreover, past and present external conditions (both of which are significantly out of our control) factor heavily in our ability to develop and deploy effective coping skills. Thus, your success is never yours alone, and a failure to achieve a certain resilient outcome does not mean that there is something inherently wrong with you. At the same time, some aspects of your resilience are indeed up to you. For example, the decisions you make matter, and certain types of decisions tend to work better during stressful times.

Rather than…

Isolating —
nurture and invest in your social relationships (intimate, familial, communal). Be kind and useful to others.

Self-flagellation —
increase self-care and compassion; become intentional about incorporating into your routine those activities that give you a sense of meaning, joy, peace, and solace.

Freezing in rigidity —
open up to flexibility. Bend so as not to break; accept your feelings and consult your values and goals in making decisions; seek to adapt and learn; assess your situation fairly in a broad perspective.

Avoiding or worrying —
take problem-solving action. Focus on those aspects of your situation that are under your control; accept and face the challenge the world has placed before you. Instead of reacting from conditioned habit, respond from conscious choice.

Noam Shpancer is a professor of psychology at Otterbein and a licensed, practicing clinical psychologist in Columbus. He is also a published novelist and screenwriter, and an official blogger for the online magazine Psychology Today at Insight Therapy

An Invitation to Understand Racial Healing Circles

TRHT:
4 Letters,
3 Life-changing
Concepts

I have the honor of being a part of Otterbein’s Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation team and the work that we began in 2019 is proving to be needed now more than ever before.

Following the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, the nation’s attention became focused on the need for social justice and racial healing and reconciliation.

Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) is a process designed to bring about transformational change by addressing the effects of systemic racism through eradicating the conscious and unconscious belief in a “hierarchy of human value,” the reprehensible belief in the inferiority or superiority of persons based on physical characteristics such as race, skin color or place of origin.

The TRHT process begins by grounding our experience in TRUTH. Truth involves the inclusion of narratives and perspectives that have historically been neglected and/or ignored.

The process of racial healing is facilitated through participation in Racial Healing Circles (RHC). RHCs are facilitated group experiences where participants are guided through answering a series of questions that progressively go deeper and more personal. RHCs allow participants to share their personal experiences unfiltered and uninterrupted.

One of the greatest benefits of RHCs is the allowance for participants to engage in deep listening, hearing the stories of people they might not otherwise connect with and have a heart conversation.

RHCs offer ways for us to heal from the traumatic wounds of the past, to build mutually respectful relationships across racial lines and to transform ourselves into the beloved community.

If you are interested in an experience that leads to personal transformation and community engagement, then I invite you to join us and participate in a Racial Healing Circle.

Information about RHCs can be accessed online at otterbein.edu/TRHT. Let the transformation begin!

Passionate about education, Rev. Vaughn Bell serves as the vice president of the Westerville City Schools Board of Education and is the establishing pastor of the Triumphant Church of God in Westerville, OH.

Otterbein Named Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Campus Center

Front, L-R: Valerie Cumming, vice mayor, City of Westerville; Rev. Vaughn Bell, board member, Westerville City Schools; Elizabeth Brown, council member, City of Columbus; James Prysock ’09, director for the Office of Activism and Social Justice, Otterbein University; Cheryl Ward, director of emotional and student support services, Columbus City Schools. Back, L-R: John Comerford, president, Otterbein University; Wendy Sherman-Heckler, provost and executive vice president, Otterbein University; Margaret Koehler, professor and chair of the Department of English, Otterbein University; Kathryn Plank, director, Center for Teaching and Learning and interim associate vice president for academic affairs and dean of university programs, Otterbein University; and Tanya McClanahan, supervisor of higher education partnerships, Columbus City Schools.

Otterbein has been selected by the Association of American Colleges and Universities as one of 23 universities across the United States to host Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Campus Centers. Otterbein is the only institution in Ohio to receive this recognition. As a Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Campus Center (TRHT), Otterbein will work with its own campus community as well as the Columbus City and Westerville City school districts to create positive narrative change about race; promote racial healing activities; and erase structural barriers to equal treatment and opportunity. Otterbein leaders were joined by leaders from Westerville and Columbus for the announcement on Feb. 19.

VIDEO TIME CODES
    > 00:10 – Welcoming remarks, James Prysock, MBA
    > 01:30 – John Comerford, Ph.D.
    > 05:00 – Valerie Cumming
    > 12:20 – Cheryl Ward, LPCC-S
    > 19:21 – Rev. Vaughn Bell
    > 23:08 – Elizabeth Brown
    > 29:58 – Closing remarks, John Comerford, Ph.D.

Speaker Quotes

James Prysock, MBA

“We have learned a big secret at Otterbein, that I’ll fill you in on. When you gather the right people to do the right work, great things are possible.”

“As we start the conversation about the work we’ll be doing together as a Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Campus Center, I can assure you that the work will be intentional, innovative and inclusive.”

 

President John Comerford

“If you know anything about Otterbein, you know that we are not afraid of doing the right thing before it’s popular.”

“Today, we’re still not afraid to take on the big issues in society. We’re tackling access and affordability and workforce development. We are taking on success for traditionally underserved undergraduate populations. We’re integrating the liberal arts and have been a leader in that since the 1960s. And so today we get to add one more to that list, and I have got to say it has the most intimidating title of anything we’ve ever tried: Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation.”

“We all recognize from times in our lives where we learn a new perspective, where we see something from a new angle, where we meet someone who is different from us and understand the world and where they come from, and we see the world differently after that moment.”

“We hope and believe this will creates a real regional movement that will transform our communities for the better to and make sure that everyone has the opportunities that they deserve.”

“We are one of 23 campus centers in the country and the only one in Ohio.”

 

Valerie Cumming, Vice Mayor, Westerville City Council

“When a college accepts a designation as a Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Campus Center, that college takes an enormous step towards the brighter, better future Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed about.” by Rep. Mary Lightbody (D-Westerville)

“If you are a person of color [in Westerville] your median household income is closer to $65,000 than $90,000. Your son or daughter is less likely to graduate from high school or receive a bachelor’s degree. The poverty rate for people of color in our community isn’t 5%, it’s 18%.”

“…Diversity is not something we celebrate one day or festival or month out of the year but recognize and respect every single moment.”

“…At the end of the day we are all one community. And this designation from TRHT Enterprise shows that we are a community that is willing to have these difficult conversations, to admit to these uncomfortable truths and to do the work to build the best possible city for all of us.”

 

Cheryl Ward, LPCC-S, Director of Social-Emotional and Student Support Services Columbus City Schools

“…through this transformation process, our collective selves will transcend and give space to a stronger world. Where we value human life because it is human life.”

“Otterbein has been an authentic and intentional partner with Columbus City Schools, providing opportunities for our students, staff and community. Their commitment to ensure our students have a sense of belonging on this campus and are essential to the fabric of this institution, speaks to their belief in the value of their human life, their narrative, and the power of their contribution to humanity.”

 

Rev. Vaughn Bell, Board Member, Board of Education Westerville City School District

“It is truly our hope that this new TRHT partnership will be beneficial in helping us to create welcoming, diverse and inclusive learning communities…”

“…As we move forward, in truly, transforming our community, from not just a community but to becoming the beloved community.”

 

Elizabeth Brown, President Pro Tempore, Columbus City Council

“We know the statistics that the zip code where someone is born is often predictive of how long they’ll live, whether to one-year-old, 65-years-old or 95-years-old. We know it’s predicative of whether you’ll graduate college or perhaps serve time in prison. We know it’s predictive of what kind of life-time earnings you have…zip code is almost a nice way to say it; we are talking about racism that manifests every day in our communities.”

“I’d like to set a new standard for what a good education is. I have a four-year-old and a one year old, and by the time they go to college, I want them to be looking at measuring institutions not based on some statistics in the US News and World Report, but whether a campus is reckoning with big issues like racial healing.”

“…Otterbein looks at its students as its best resource, that they can really come together and lead in tough conversations because the university supports it. So, Otterbein is right for this ambitious work, because your students are your guide. I know that when I step foot on this campus and I am grateful to be a part of it.”

“Most of us in this room acknowledge that racism exists today, but to embark on a project of racial healing is not to say that racism exists but to look inward at how it exists. Not the legacy of racism, but the presence of racism. The present day racism that continues to divide communities, lead to disproportionate access depending on what zip code and skin color you are born into and saying we are not willing to accept that fate anymore.”

 

Related Link:

Otterbein SRNA Volunteers in NYC ICU for COVID-19

A Life-Changing Perspective

In April, Monica Arce ’21, a senior nurse anesthesia student in the Graduate Nursing program at Otterbein, volunteered to work in the fight against COVID-19 as a frontline ICU nurse in New York City. This is a brief reflection, in her own words, of her experience.

I am a senior SRNA at Otterbein who has been out of clinicals for the past couple months due to COVID-19 response.

I have always been someone who needs to serve and to use my skills to the best of my ability. In April, I volunteered to go to New York City to work as a frontline ICU nurse in the fight against COVID-19. It was very challenging mentally, physically and emotionally, working 21 long 12-hour shifts, with no days off.

The patients were the sickest people I have ever seen in the most chaotic and overwhelmed care. We were short-staffed, low on supplies and had minimal working equipment. We worked together to overcome challenges that healthcare workers should never have to face. I was honored to work alongside some of the bravest, most knowledgeable and inventive nurses I have ever met. We came from all over the country with one mission: to keep people alive and let no one die alone. Most nights that was all that we were capable of doing.

These were some of the worst nights of my life, but the generosity and gratefulness of the community kept us coming back shift after shift. My perspective of humanity has forever been changed. I have been humbled beyond words. I have cried more in the past month than I have in my entire life. I have held more hands and said more final goodbyes than most people do in a lifetime.

I am a different nurse and human because of this experience. I know that every day for the rest of my life I will be caring for someone. And I know that when I am needed, I will be there. Because that is what nurses do, we respond to the call.

We asked Arce if there was anything in her Otterbein experience that helped prepare her for what she experienced.

Aside from my classes and education, I have always been encouraged by my professors to seek out opportunities, to be a leader and to have grit. We are encouraged to live above the line, to strive to be all that we can be and to take ownership of what we do. Not only do they encourage us to be outgoing, to be leaders and to care for others, but they also teach us to care for ourselves.

The staff of my CRNA program has supported me through many things over the past couple of years. They have encouraged me and treated me like family. I feel blessed to be a part of Otterbein.

Alumni on the Frontlines

Cardinals are offering essential services to their communities during the pandemic.

When Otterbein alumni graduate, they go into their communities inspired to make a difference. Today, alumni across the country are contributing to the fight against the coronavirus in many ways. From the healthcare providers, researchers or first responders who are working to overcome the virus to the teachers who are educating our children during the most difficult circumstances — and everything in between. Their service to the greater good is needed and appreciated now more than ever.

Drawing with Mr. J

When Jonathan Juravich ’05 was named Ohio Teacher of the Year in 2018, his passion for art education found a wider audience. Now his online series, “Drawing with Mr. J” is reaching out to students wherever they are during this health crisis, engaging them in short, themed drawing challenges to promote social and emotional skills.
“A year ago, we started work on a concept that would invite children to explore and discuss their feelings through silly drawing prompts. When the series was rolled out this winter, we had no idea that it would be so timely,” Juravich said. “There are currently only six episodes, but those episodes have hopefully prompted some important conversations between parents and their kids, and ome great drawing fun. We are all experiencing a vast array of emotions right now, and how we feel changes constantly. But, how do we begin to have a conversation unless we know how to identify and describe our feelings? That is what I hope we are doing, playing a small part in this moment.”

Check out his videos at www.wosu.org/mrj.

Covering the Crisis

A new program hit TVs in Ohio in March, and quickly became so popular it is the subject of international news articles, memes, t-shirts and even a song or two. That program is Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s daily coronavirus briefings, live every weekday at 2 p.m. Three Otterbein alumni have been actively involved in the program — Statehouse News Bureau Chief Karen Kasler ’89 and Statehouse News Reporter Andy Chow ’08 are on Ohio’s PBS and NPR stations every day with live coverage of the briefings; and Megan Wycuff ’11 is deputy director for The Ohio Channel, the broadcasting arm of Statehouse News, which airs the daily briefing.

“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most important tools people can have is information,” Chow said. “We believe that the coverage we’re providing for Ohio’s NPR and PBS stations has played a vital role in bringing that information to people around the state. Although covering the coronavirus can be somber and turbulent, it’s been a privilege to sit alongside Karen and carry out this important work.”

Find more information at The Ohio Channel.

Pictured (left to right) is Andy Chow, Megan Wycuff, and Karen Kasler in the studio of The Ohio Channel at the Ohio Statehouse.

Saluting Our Healthcare Professionals and First Responders

From nurses like Sophie Allen Wei ’19, who is caring for COVID-19 patients at Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca, NY, to researchers like Sophie’s husband, Derek Wei ’19, a grad student at Cornell testing antiviral drugs against the virus, Otterbein alumni are making a difference in the lives of people directly impacted by the virus.

“Amidst the fear and uncertainty of these times, I have found purpose in knowing that my ability to care for COVID-19 positive patients in my community goes far beyond providing medical care,” said Sophie. “These patients, among thousands of others across our nation, are separated from their families for multiple weeks and, in some cases, months. In my position, I have the opportunity and responsibility to update my patients’ loved ones as they fight this virus and communicate messages of hope and love.”

“Spending the last two months working in a lab focused on SARS-CoV-2 has shown me the enormous efforts many people are making during this time. Researchers across the nation and world are coming together to share knowledge to combat this pandemic. While there is still much work to be done, it is encouraging to see the strides that have been made in understanding this virus and disease. I am blessed to have had the privilege of working among such great minds,” said Derek.

Mary. B. Thomas ’28 Commitment to Otterbein Award

OTTERBEIN UNIVERSITY HAS SELECTED JAMES A. AND KATHLEEN C. RUTHERFORD P’99 AS THE 2020 RECIPIENTS OF THE MARY B. THOMAS COMMITMENT TO OTTERBEIN AWARD.

For more than two decades, Otterbein Trustee Emeritus Jim Rutherford and his spouse, Kathy, have been true leadership and service ambassadors for Otterbein. Jim is a first-generation graduate of Denison University where he received a bachelor’s degree in Economics. He co-founded Goal Systems International, a computer systems software and information technology services company in Columbus in 1976 and has served on the boards of a number of public and privately-owned companies. He has also been a trustee of Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Case Western Reserve University. “Going to college changed the trajectory of my life,” he said.

Jim and Kathy raised two sons: Mark, a 1995 CWRU engineering graduate, and Keith, a 1999 business graduate of Otterbein. It was Keith’s experience at Otterbein that showed Jim and Kathy the impact of the Otterbein community and inspired them to begin creating opportunities for other students.

Jim’s tenure as a trustee (2012-2018) saw the launch and successful completion of the Where We STAND Matters campaign, which raised more than $52 million for the University. Jim and Kathy were also key personal investors in that campaign.

In 1997, Jim and Kathy established the James A. and Kathleen C. Rutherford Endowed Scholarship, and they have continued to bolster the endowment so that more first-generation students with financial need can meet their academic and leadership potential. “Kathy and I want these students to use their education to go out and do good things,” said Jim. “It doesn’t matter if they make a lot of money — we want them to be competent and leave the world a better place.”

To launch and help support the Where We STAND Matters Campaign, the Rutherfords made a $500,000 commitment: a multi-year $250,000 grant to “raise awareness of the University both locally and nationally to ensure the University’s viability and competitiveness in a challenging market environment” plus a $250,000 bequest. Their longtime annual support for the University’s Otterbein FUND shows they realize the impact of unrestricted annual gifts. They are among the founding members of Otterbein’s Joanne Van Sant Society, which honors donors who make annual gifts of $1,000 or more each fiscal year.

“We’re helping deserving students lead successful lives,” Jim said. “When they become successful, they can help others become successful. To Kathy and me, that’s how philanthropy works.”

The Rutherfords will be honored at an alumni awards ceremony during Homecoming celebrations in September.

 

Past Recipients:

2019: Annie Upper Ames ’86
2018: Thomas C. ’63 and Sarah K. Morrison
2017: Wendell Foote ’60
2017: Dr. Thomas R. ’51 and Jean Hostetler ’54 Bromeley
2015: John ’68 and Susie King
2014: Dr. William E. ’48 and Helen Hilt ’47 LeMay
2012: Vernon L. Pack ’50
2011: Vida S. Clements Foundation
2011: Ernest ‘38 and Neva Fritsche
2011: Dr. Edwin ’47 and Marilou Harold ’45 Roush