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When Otterbein was selected by the American Association for Independent Colleges and Universities in 2020 as the first university in Ohio to host a Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Center, it challenged its community to begin the difficult work ahead.

Since then, the TRHT program has trained facilitators, hosted Racial Healing Circles and other programs, and completed an oral history project. Four student fellows, working with faculty mentors, recorded interviews with alumni of color about their Otterbein experiences. The Otterbein University Alumni of Color Oral History Project embodies the “Truth” component of TRHT in seeking to look honestly at the ways educational institutions have embodied racial hierarchy. The goal of the project was to assemble the fullest, most honest account of Otterbein’s history, because understanding its history is necessary in order to dismantle racial hierarchy and transform the culture of its campus and community.

Last summer, Otterbein’s co-founding partner in the Coalition for the Common Good, Antioch University, was named a TRHT Campus Center. With that addition, Otterbein’s TRHT team saw an opportunity to serve even more people through collaboration. On Jan. 16, 2024, the joint team held a day of coordinated conversations online, reaching 100 participants in Ohio and at Antioch’s campuses in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Seattle, and Keene, New Hampshire.

“We held an all-day TRHT event in honor of the seventh National Day of Racial Healing that incorporated a number of faculty, staff and students participating in Racial Healing Circles from both Otterbein and Antioch,” said Otterbein’s Chief Diversity Officer Frank Dobson Jr., Ph.D. “That was a great 2024 starting point for more TRHT-related programming in collaboration with Antioch.”

Racial Healing Circles are discussions that allow participants to work toward equity and inclusion. The Coalition held Racial Healing Circles from morning to evening, scheduled to accommodate everyone who wished to participate regardless of their location.

“This experience allows community members to listen for understanding. In addition, healing circles­ — a form of restorative practice­ — serve as a safe space where individuals can freely express their emotions, fostering connection, empathy, and understanding among participants,” said Dobson.

“Racial Healing Circles serve as the foundational work to build upon Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging,” added Lemuel Watson, Ed.D., Antioch’s senior associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and vice provost for community engagement.

Selethia Benn, Ed.S., director of Otterbein’s Office of Social Justice and Activism, has worked extensively to plan programming around issues of TRHT,  including Otterbein’s annual Martin Luther King  Jr. Convocation.

This year’s convocation featured Shawn Harper, a former NFL offensive lineman and motivational speaker. Harper invites individuals to find their own purpose as they fulfill a calling to serve others.

“My encouragement for you today is to pick up the baton … and lead this community with courage,” Harper told the campus community, holding up a baton to emphasize the importance of his sentiment. “I will not go with the flow. I will fight injustices and be a superhero. The darker the night, the brighter the light.”

Harper’s passion for helping others is a reflection of King’s legacy.

The 2024 Pack Scholar-in-Residence, Brian Smedley, also has connections to upcoming TRHT programming. April is National Minority Health Month, which coincides with the visit of Smedley, an equity scholar and senior fellow at the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C. He has studied unconscious bias and stereotyping among healthcare providers in the U.S., which lead to lower quality of care for patients of color.

Otterbein is continuing to explore these and  other issues of social injustice independently and collaboratively with Antioch University through Otterbein’s TRHT programs and initiatives, continuing the University’s rich history of confronting issues of equity dating back to its earliest days.

Watson said he is encouraged by Otterbein and Antioch University’s shared commitment to education for a more just society — including building and preserving democracy. “College campuses serve as the ideal setting for students to develop skills and connect with others from diverse backgrounds. Through active listening and understanding, students can create meaningful relationships and foster a sense of community that promotes healing and growth.”

TEACHING AWARDS

Each year, Otterbein honors outstanding teachers for their impact on their students, colleagues, and the University. These dynamic and dedicated full- and part-time faculty contribute so much to the Otterbein community both in and outside the classroom. They help students find their calling and grow as young professionals; celebrate their colleagues’ achievements; and show their support for the staff who are often working behind-the-scenes.

Teacher of the Year – David Sheridan

New Teacher of the Year – Bennett Grooms

Excellence in Part-Time Teaching – Amy Karns

Exemplary Teaching Award, United Methodist Church General Board of Higher Education – Cynthia Laurie-Rose

​Dear Alumni and Friends,
I’ve discovered the spot where the first shoots of green appear on campus. It always gives me hope that we’re almost through another long, gray Ohio winter. It’s also a reminder of renewal. The flowers grow back every year in this spot. They may grow a little differently, but they come back every year.

This is a reminder to me about life at Otterbein. Some things are constant, like Towers Hall. It’s always standing there. But like flowers that grow differently, the things that happen around Towers are also changing and evolving. Much like the news you’ll read about in this issue of Towers — some things are constant, and some things are evolving.

Faculty excellence.

• I know you’ll enjoy reading about some of our newest award winning professors who have been recognized by their peers and students. I often hear stories from you about how one of your professors made all the difference. These faculty members are creative and impressive in how they are challenging and guiding our students.
• The tradition of sabbaticals is an idea rooted in renewal. Sabbaticals give faculty members time to focus their expertise and curiosity to test an idea, to create something new, to travel, or to enrich knowledge for their discipline or in new learning experiences for their students. News of this kind of work will remind you why learning is different at Otterbein.

Student opportunity.

• Another Otterbein constant: our students. We’re always proud to recognize a small group of our graduating seniors. The Class of 2024 started here amidst a global pandemic, but they leave resilient and ready to do big things. Not only are they accomplished, they’ve benefitted from the scholarship support made possible by you. I know I’m biased, but if you want to invest in doing something good for the future — you’ll never go wrong by investing in Otterbein students.

A more just society.

• Otterbein’s commitment to opportunity and equity was celebrated alongside the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. at our annual convocation. Shawn Harper, a former NFL athlete and our keynote speaker, challenged students to show leadership and courage in building the kind of community we all want. As you’ll also read, Antioch University has joined Otterbein in the national work of serving as a Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Campus. I’m proud that Otterbein was the first school in Ohio to earn this designation in 2020. You’ll also read about ways things are growing and changing that may look different than the past but are no less rooted in Otterbein values and traditions.

Renovations for the Campus Center.

• Plans for more renovations to the Campus Center are underway as Phase Two shifts our attention to the student dining experience on the second floor. While that means the space you remember will look different — the vision driving this work is to create a refreshed space that still brings students together. It’s a new dining program, a new flow, a new kitchen, and a new layout — but memories of students around the table laughing with friends or studying for class are still on the menu.

The Coalition for the Common Good.

• Finally, we’re answering questions we know you have about Otterbein’s co-founding of the Coalition for the Common Good. I’m eager to continue sharing more with you about why Otterbein is doing this, why Antioch University (not Antioch College) is the right partner, and how this allows us to focus on what Otterbein does best. We’ll keep on changing lives through a meaningful, residential undergraduate experience while our partner takes Otterbein graduate programs to a bigger audience of adult learners and professionals.

Spring is coming and I look forward to renewal and working together to grow all the possibilities that Otterbein inspires.

Sincerely,

John L. Comerford, Ph.D.

On Aug. 15, 2023, a little more than a year after first announcing their intentions, Otterbein President John Comerford, Ph.D., and Antioch University Chancellor William Groves, J.D., stood before an audience of faculty and administrators to reveal the formation of the Coalition for the Common Good, a first-of-its-kind national, private, non-profit system of higher education.

With affiliated universities convened around a shared mission rather than geography, the Coalition for the Common Good focuses on educating students not only to advance their careers, but also to promote our pluralistic democracy, and social, racial, economic, and environmental justice.

At a time when divisive politics drives our nation and higher education is under attack for its work in building diverse, equitable, inclusive communities, the Coalition is standing up for the common good — something its founding institutions have long histories of doing.

“The histories of our institutions are deeply rooted in providing equal access to all learners,” said Comerford, the newly appointed president of the Coalition for the Common Good. “Otterbein and Antioch were among the first colleges in pre-Civil War America to enroll Black students and women to learn side-by-side with White, male students and today Antioch and Otterbein continue that same focus of equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging.”

Comerford has frequently expressed his disdain for some aspects of American higher education, especially the pursuit of prestige and rankings by a narrow subset of exclusive universities who have an outsized impact on the American public’s view of higher education. “Otterbein University provides opportunity to low-income, first-generation, and Otterbein President John Comerford and Antioch University Chancellor William Groves during the coalition signing. Otterbein University and Antioch University representatives. marginalized students — as we have done from our founding — unlike these universities that chase prestige by denying as many students as possible to create an air of exclusivity. Higher education should be a common good, not a private good.”

Comerford’s remarks are echoed by Lynn Pasquerella, president of the American Association of Colleges and Universities, who said, “The Coalition for the Common Good offers an exciting, innovative model of excellence for revolutionizing and reimagining higher education in ways that position all students for success in work, citizenship, and life in the 21st century.”

Pasquerella was so impressed with the Coalition for the Common Good that she accepted an offer to become the Coalition’s ninth, independent member of its Board of Directors.

Built on the faculty expertise of both institutions, the Coalition combines members’ graduate programs to form a graduate division with a national scope, operated by Antioch University.

“Our universities have moved from being competitors to collaborators for the betterment of our students and communities,” said Comerford.

“We will leverage what each institution does best by bringing Otterbein programs to Antioch’s markets and Antioch’s programs to Otterbein’s central Ohio market. We will also collaborate on building or acquiring new programs that will benefit our students,” added Groves, the newly named vice president of the Coalition for the Common Good.

The Coalition for the Common Good also provides some immediate benefits for Otterbein undergraduate students. Those students now have access to Graduate Early Admission Pathways in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Art Therapy, and Business Administration (MBA), which allow students to apply during their junior year at Otterbein and then take three graduate courses during their senior year that count toward both their undergraduate and graduate degrees, accelerating time to graduation and reducing cost for the graduate degree.

There are immediate benefits for alumni, too. Otterbein alumni are eligible for a 15% tuition discount when enrolling in Antioch University degree programs.

Commission (HLC) and the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) came earlier this summer. The Coalition for the Common Good will expand to include other colleges and universities that share the universities’ long-standing commitments to preserving democracy; furthering social, racial, economic, and environmental justice; and providing access to those seeking to advance their lives and communities through education.

For more information about plans for this new national university system, visit www.otterbein.edu/system/.

Christopher’s Promise celebrates 12 years of helping kiddos get on bikes and JUST BE KIDS.

As an Otterbein junior Life Science and Education major, Lauren Lichtenauer ’11 felt she had her future mapped out: she was going to be a biology teacher. After careful introspection, however, Lichtenauer decided she wanted to change the lives of children, but not in the classroom.

More than a decade later, scores of kids with life-threatening illnesses and their families are glad she did. That’s because Lichtenauer founded the non-profit Christopher’s Promise, with a mission to “allow all kids, despite physical limitations, the ability to experience the same hallmark childhood memories as their peers. Helping kids, Be kids.”

Christopher’s Promise is now celebrating its 12th year of granting children such memories. The organization has facilitated the funding of and matched 157 kids with adaptive bikes in that time.

Always humble, Lichtenauer describes herself as “simply a matchmaker for Christopher’s Promise. I find a kid who needs a bike and then identify the best organization to fund it.”

Lichtenauer is a recipient of this year’s Otterbein alumni Rising Star Award, honoring those who have contributed excellence in their post-graduate careers. In addition to running Christopher’s Promise, she is vice president, clinical sales for Curonix. It’s all a great ride for Lichtenauer, who loves cycling.

Christopher’s Promise has its roots in the summer of Lichtenauer’s junior year at Otterbein, when she interned as a summer counselor at Camp Sunshine in Maine for nine weeks. Children facing a multitude of life-threatening illnesses and their families attend Camp Sunshine to connect with other families experiencing similar challenges.

“I heard about Camp Sunshine and resonated with its cause,” Lichtenauer said. “I was a one-on-one counselor with the children at the camp who faced cancer.”

One child she worked with was Christopher Buzinski, an 8-year-old with cerebral palsy, optic glioma, and neurofibromatosis, a rare genetic disorder that causes tumors of the nerves.

“He was a super happy and cute kid. He melted my heart,” Lichtenauer said. “I had a feeling he was going to be my life-changer.”

At the end of the Buzinski family’s week at camp, Lichtenauer returned to Westerville and wrote her senior thesis: The Effects of Therapeutic Camps on Children Facing Life-Threatening Illnesses.

While attending Otterbein, Lichtenauer worked in bike shops and continued to do so throughout her senior year. However, she missed the work she did at Camp Sunshine. She decided to volunteer at Flying Horse Farms — a camp for children with serious illnesses located in central Ohio.

“One day I got a call from my friend while she was at Flying Horse Farms,” Lichtenauer said. “I picked up the phone and heard Christopher’s voice for the first time in several years.”

Lichtenauer’s friend recognized Buzinski from Lichtenauer’s stories and photos. A week after their phone call Lichtenauer and Christopher reconnected at the Buzinski home in Parma, Ohio.

“I still remember that day. Chris, his family and I spent the day at the park,” Lichtenauer said. “After the kids went to bed I caught up with his parents and asked them if there was anything I could do to help out their family.”

The family knew of Lichtenauer’s background in cycling and work in bicycle stores throughout college. The Buzinskis asked for one thing: a bicycle for Christopher. Cerebral palsy restricted him from pedaling on the typical two-wheeled bicycles sold in stores and his disability left him unable to join his siblings as they rode their own bicycles. But the cost was prohibitive.

After conducting research Lichtenauer found an organization, Athletes Helping Athletes (AHA), that would fund an adaptive bicycle for Christopher. The cost was more than $2,000 but Lichtenauer completed the application and was surprised that Christopher and his brother, who also has a neurofibromatosis, would receive new bikes.

With an established relationship with AHA, Lichtenauer realized she could help give other disabled children the quintessential childhood experience of riding a bicycle.

Although Lichtenauer had fine-tuned the process, she had no network to find children who needed bikes. Recalling her Otterbein connections, she asked Shelley Payne, her former Health and Sports Sciences (HSS) professor, to put her in contact with any physical-therapist colleagues who worked with disabled children. Payne referred her to physical therapist Catie Christensen.

Christopher’s Promise was established and began the ride it is still on today.

“It was in 2012 that Catie began referring kids to me,” Lichtenauer said. “We worked together to get the first 20 Christopher’s Promise kids their specialized bikes.”

One of the more recent gifts again reconnected Lichtenauer with her Otterbein past.

Lichtenauer joined another HSS former professor, Joe Wilkins, during a fall HSS professional development day. After speaking with Lichtenauer, Wilkins had the idea that the department would donate money to gift a bicycle instead of buying each other holiday gifts.

“It was a natural fit for our department since we deal with health disparities and access issues,” Payne said. “Our department embodies health in a productive way.”

The HSS bicycle recipient was a miracle boy from Mansfield, Malachi Parsons-Anderson. When he was born, he was given less than a year to live due to his spinal muscular atrophy, but he recently celebrated his eighth birthday.

His mother, Tina Parsons, heard of Christopher’s Promise through a friend whose daughter received a bicycle. Because of his disease, Parsons-Anderson is unable to stand and has little muscle tone, which meant he needed an atypical bicycle with a backed chair and three wheels.

“It makes my heart happy to see him be able to do something that he can participate in with other kids,” Parsons said.

The Parsons-Anderson family was able to visit Otterbein’s campus along with Christopher’s Promise volunteers to meet Wilkins and to celebrate Malachi’s new ride and taste of freedom.

“Bikes really enrich these kids’ lives,” Parsons said. “The bikes give them a sense of independence where they feel they have no limitations.”

In addition to managing Christopher’s Promise, Lichtenauer enjoys a successful career in medical device sales. She takes no money from her countless hours heading Christopher’s Promise. “I believe all the funding given to the organization should go to the bikes so we can get as many kids on bikes as possible.”

The Columbus Firefighters Association and other community groups are involved now too. Two Otterbein alumnae, Catherine Mueller Eisenbrown ’10 and Ashley Gregg Taylor ’10, have also funded bikes. There’s an infinite need.

“Even in 2023 there are access difficulties for kids with disparities,” Payne said. “The adaptive bikes give the kids something to do with their families after dinner. They can be life-changing.”

That’s something Lichtenauer hopes to roll with for years to come.

Watch a news story about Malachi receiving his bicycle >

Find out more at christopherspromise.org/.

Greg Lott, Ph.D.

New Director of Athletics

Lott was an All-American sprinter at the NCAA Division III level for Dickinson College before competing professionally on the European Circuit and with Team USA. He then obtained a plethora of coaching experience through stops at West Point, the National Training Center, Valparaiso University, Buffalo State, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

The scholar-practitioner hopes to continue blending (and relaying) that knowledge along with many other administrative skill sets, including his most recent six-year stint as associate athletic director and a professor of health, exercise, and sport studies at nearby Denison University.

“The tradition in this department is special,” Lott said. “I noticed so much passion in our exceptional group of coaches and administrators — pride for where they have been and excitement about where we can go. I’m humbled to join the team as we strive to enhance the culture, student-athlete experience, and competitive results.”

Tommy Zagorski

Football Head Coach

Coach Zagorski began generating buzz simply with the announcement of his hire back in January. The wellrespected coach launched his career with a stellar rise at fellow Ohio Athletic Conference school John Carroll, helping elevate the Blue Streaks to national prominence as a coordinator.

A former standout offensive lineman at Case Western Reserve, he then dabbled in the Division I ranks before returning to Ohio and starting a family. His journey has now led him back into the Division III landscape with his first college head coaching job, tasked with rebuilding the Cardinals.

“I’ve seen a gritty group of guys. many that have been counted out before,” Zagorski said. “But we are just focused on who we are — between the lines, in the classroom, in meetings, and across campus. Challenges always emerge, but this is a growth-oriented team that is going to make the University proud.”

Matt Sutton

Cross Country Coach

Matt Sutton also arrived over winter and began learning the ropes as a first-time head coach. He previously spent three years as a cross country distance specialist at Adrian College, growing the roster from 12 to 32. Under his guidance, the Bulldogs recorded their highest finish at the MIAA Championships in over a decade. A graduate of Georgia College, Sutton was a four-year runner and two-time member of the Peach Belt Conference All-Sportsmanship Team.

“The goals have been to make an immediate impact on recruiting and just add natural energy,” Sutton said. “We want to keep providing an environment where student-athletes grow and ultimately thrive.”

When you are on campus this school year, stop by to say hello or drop a note to these new faces as they begin putting their stamp on Otterbein Athletics.