Published June 10, 2023
Alumni and Friends,
Summer has arrived on campus, and while we miss the energy that comes with our students actively pursuing their passions, we also know the importance of this time as we prepare to welcome our newest students into our dynamic community in August. Exciting efforts designed to help our students belong and thrive, engage and excel, and compete and win across all sectors of the Wittenberg experience will greet our new and returning students this fall, thanks to the far-reaching, collaborative work underway. I look forward to sharing more in the months ahead about what our work will mean, especially as it pertains to strategic planning, career development, academic advising, student engagement, and the overall business of being a student at Wittenberg.
This season, we are also excited to be planning for a campus-wide celebration of our highly successful Having Light Campaign during Homecoming, Family, and Reunion Weekend, October 5-8, 2023. We have a few weeks left before the fiscal year ends, so I encourage all our alumni and friends to make a gift by June 30. In doing so, we can continue to exceed everyone’s expectations before the campaign concludes.
We talk regularly about what makes our University so special – the relationships that form between students, faculty, staff, and coaches, the experiential learning opportunities we offer, our high-level athletics, service beyond self, the arts, and our fun, genuine, welcoming, and driven culture. We also know that the support of our alumni and friends makes all this possible. Thank you for putting Wittenberg first. Have a great summer.
Best regards,
Michael L. Frandsen, Ph.D.
President
Student Excellence
Recognized for their leadership, commitment to service, and future potential, three members of the class of 2024 have received prestigious awards. Daniel Bean (left), from Fort Wayne, Indiana, was named a Campus Compact 2023 Newman Civic Fellow. Amanda Kot (center right), from Mogadore, Ohio, received the 2023 Charles J. Ping Student Service Award sponsored by Ohio Campus Compact. From Weirton, West Virginia, Jonathan Golden (right) received the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship through the U.S. Department of the State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Distinguished Teacher
This year’s top faculty prize, the 2023 Alumni Association Award for Distinguished Teaching, was awarded to Matt Collier ’94, professor of biology and department chair, at the annual Honors Convocation this spring. “Receiving this award is the biggest honor of my professional life and is something that I will always cherish,” Collier said.
DEI Leader
Casey Gill, dean of students and vice president for Student Development, recently announced that Joi Garrett Scales, current associate director of career operations and student employment, will now serve as the assistant dean for diversity, inclusion and belonging, and as director of the William A. McClain Center for Diversity, effective immediately.
Remembering a Legacy
The family of Thomas Bruce Birch, Ph.D., who served on the Wittenberg faculty from 1908-1937 as a philosophy professor, recently donated rare books, two of which were published in 1551 and 1607, along with other items that belonged to Birch, to the University’s Special Collections archives in Thomas Library.
#LifeAtWitt & #LifeAfterWitt
A regular performer in student theatre productions at Wittenberg, Abby Moore, class of 2025 (left), had the stage to herself when she starred in the one-woman show Grounded this past semester. #LifeAtWitt
Read more #LifeAtWitt stories here.
John Strait ’91, professor of geography at Sam Houston State University (right), has been awarded the 2023 Distinguished Teacher Honors Award by the American Association of Geographers. #LifeAfterWitt
Read more #LifeAfterWitt stories here.
Connect with Your Alumni Association
The Wittenberg University Alumni Association Board is here to serve the alumni community by supporting programming and welcoming suggestions that will help alumni feel more connected to and involved with the University. Do you have something you want to share with the Alumni Association Board? Submit this form to voice ideas, feedback, and suggestions to an Alumni Association Board member.
The smartest way to support academic excellence
Community learning is part of the vision that guides our campus. And if you are age 70.5 or older, you can help us ensure that more opportunities for distinctive, life-changing education are possible – while saving on taxes! Join our most tax-savvy supporters by using this new, online tool to donate to Wittenberg directly from your IRA, so that you can make a powerful impact on our students and reduce your future tax burdens at the same time. Give Smarter Today