Union Alumni in the News 02/16/2015
Congratulations to Union Institute & University’s alumni in the news. Thousands of Union alumni have generously transformed lives and bettered communities across the country. Do you have a story to share? Tell us about your recent accomplishments.
President of Bethany College in West Virginia and Union alumnus Scott D. Miller (Ph.D. 1991) recently served on our panel “Changing the Face of American Higher Education” with four other alumni university presidents. He sums up his thoughts about the future of colleges and universities this recent Huffington Post article. Dr. Miller has dedicated his career to the opportunities available through education. He especially values small, classical, liberal arts colleges that offer students personalized pathways to life and career success.
Elizabeth Rowe (B.S. 2014) was featured in an article on Cincinnati ABC affiliate WCPO.com for her Union bachelor’s degree in maternal child health: lactation consulting. Rowe is a true believer in the cause of breastfeeding and plans to use her new degree to help spread the word at Butler County WIC, where she works with new moms as a peer helper. Rowe also earned a Women in Union scholarship while earning her degree.
Union alumnus Cecil Thomas (B.S. Criminal Justice Management 2012) won the Ohio 9th Senate District race! He defeated long-time Cincinnati City Council member Charlie Winburn with a large margin of victory. The district includes most of Cincinnati, Norwood, and St. Bernard as well as Elmwood Place, Golf Manor, Hollydale, Columbia Township, Silverton, and Springfield Township. Thomas will succeed Democrat Eric Kearney.
Union alumna and mental health counselor Terri Morse (MA with a Concentration in Clinical Mental Health Counseling 2008) works with populations that typically do not have access to private therapy. She also provides mental health services to the incarcerated and has expanded her credentials to include a certification in substance abuse counseling. She recently wrote a chapter in Gender in the Therapy Hour: Voices of Female Clinicians Working with Men, a book about female clinicians working with male clients.
Recent Union alumnus Reverend Gregory Bailey (Ph.D. 2013) is the first recipient of the Dr. Virgil Alexander Wood Dissertation Award for his dissertation King’s Pursuit of Economic Justice: Correcting Capitalism through a Beloved Economy. The award recognizes Reverend Bailey’s research of Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy in building a beloved community that confronts racism, war, and poverty. Reverend Bailey is the associate pastor at Union Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, where he serves as worship leader, adult educator and clergy support. He also practices law representing the poor and undeserved.
After 50 years of dedication to the multitude, Alumnus and Catholic Priest Father Dan Madigan (Ph.D. 1979), retired on June 30, 2014. In 1976 he founded the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBS), an organization dedicated to assisting the poor, alleviating their immediate pain and problems and moving them toward self-sufficiency and financial independence. SFBS is still in operation today providing food, clothing, education, and a variety of assistance to the people it serves. Over the course of his career he served as assistant pastor at two churches, pastor at two churches, and authored four books. In addition to starting the SFBS, he founded the Mobile Mall in 2005 which distributes household goods and clothing to sites in south Sacramento. In 2012 he launched the Mobile Food Locker, a food distribution center that dispenses food on a weekly basis to surrounding parishes. Read more about Father Madigan here.
Ori Z. Soltes (Ph.D. 2004) recently published the book Jews on Trial: Judges, Juries, Prosecutors and Defendants from the Era of Jesus to Our Own Time. Dr. Soltes teaches theology and art history at Georgetown University.
Pat Webster (Ph.D. 1992) of North Carolina co-authored Winning at Love, The Alpha Male’s Guide to Relationship Success. The book is an enlightening and humorous self-help approach to assist alpha personality types to unlock the mysteries of relationships and provide the key to a successful outcome.
Social worker, community activist, and author Alice Skirtz (Ph.D. 2006) delivered the keynote address at Union’s 10th MLK Legacy Lecture on July 10, 2014, in Erlanger, Kentucky. She recently received the 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the National Association of Social Workers Ohio Chapter, and the 2012 Charles P. Taft Civic Gumption Award presented by The Charter Committee of Greater Cincinnati. Learn more about Dr. Skirtz.
Linda W. Ostrander (Ph.D. 1994) of New Mexico released a new CD An Incredible Journey: Three Compositions for Piano that was recorded at Oberlin Conservatory.
Mitchell E. Simmons, Lt Col, USAF (Ph.D. 1999) accepted a faculty member position teaching graduate-level courses within the College of Science and Technology at the National Intelligence University in Washington D.C.
Union alumnus and the nation’s foremost numismatic advisor, Donald H. Kagin, (Ph.D.1978) was named the agent of record for the Saddle Ridge Hoard – $10 million worth of 19th-century gold coins discovered in 2013 by a Northern California couple while walking their dog. Dr. Kagin is the president of Kagin’s, Inc., the nation’s oldest family-owned numismatic firm, and Holabird-Kagin Americana, the largest Western Americana dealer and auctioneer. The companies consistently set records in purchasing and selling the rarest and finest numismatic material, including the 1907 St. Gauden’s Double Eagle Ultra High Relief, 1804 Dollar, and the Unique red seal Grand Watermelon note. He also serves as Chairman of the American Money and Gold Rush Museum.
Adele Ryan McDowell (Ph.D. 2000) released the provocative and compassionate book Making Peace with Suicide: A Book of Hope, Understanding, and Comfort. Dr. McDowell interviewed survivors of suicidal loss as well as the formerly suicidal for the book. It is designed for anyone who has lost a loved one to suicide; for anyone who is considering suicide as an option; and for anyone who works with, guides, or counsels those feeling suicidal and/or suffering profound grief from a suicidal loss. The book also provides a seven-step healing process.