Note: An * before a name means the alumnus was a faculty or staff member, too. So they are also listed under Faculty/Staff with their dates of service at ϳԹ.
1940s
James Hudkins, BSE ’48, February 25, 2023
1950s
Priscilla Johnson, BA ’51, December 14, 2022
George Mallow, MA ’54, December 9, 2022
Margaret Rohde, BS ’54, January 7, 2023
1960s
Walter Yingling, BS ’65, MEd ’67, September 29, 2022
Sandy Shore, BFA ’67, May 1, 2022
1970s
7
Sharon Lower, BSN ’79, April 5, 2023
1980s
Wendy A. Steesy, BS ’88, April 20, 2023
Elgie M. Underwood, BBA ’89, August 5, 2022
1990s
Susan Kozlevcar, BSE ’91, June 14, 2021
2010s
2020s
Faculty/Staff
PhD, Professor Emeritus of Adult, Counseling, Health and Vocational Education (1964–1996), October 3, 2022
In the 1960s, in addition to teaching he was assistant track coach (1964–1967) and worked for US AID in Tanzania on a university contract for ϳԹ. In 1966, he was director of a 10-week Peace Corps training school at ϳԹ for programs in Venezuela and Bolivia. Upon the project’s completion, he functioned as the university’s representative to the Peace Corps.
After the tragedy of May 4, 1970, he became chair of the 52-member University Commission to Implement a Commitment to Non-Violence, later known as the Kegley Commission. According to interdepartmental correspondence dated May 21, 1970, ϳԹ President Robert I. White charged the commission to recommend methods and procedures for ensuring non-violence on campus, which was seen as crucial to the university’s ability to reopen.
In the 1970s, he was a coordinator, director and liaison for international education at ϳԹ. He went on to teach health education and later became the department chair, as well as chair of the allied health sciences department, which morphed into adult, counseling, health and vocational education (ACHVE) (1975–1994). Following his retirement, he served as interim special assistant to the provost (1996–1998) and special assistant to the dean of fine and professional arts (1998–2000). He also served on various boards, including the ϳԹ Alumni Association.
clerk in Admissions and Records (1966–unknown) and program coordinator for education, College of Continuing Studies (1985–1991), July 8, 2021
She was instrumental in founding the Virginia Hamilton Conference on Multicultural Literature for Youth at ϳԹ, which celebrated its 35th anniversary in April 2023.
DDS, served on the ϳԹ Board of Trustees (2006–2015), June 28, 2023
Skilled as an oral surgeon, he donated his time and talents to ϳԹ athletes who needed dental care. He also made custom mouthguards for the football team. He was a longtime mentor to ϳԹ head men’s golf coach Herb Page, BS ’74, MA ’76, and provided the lead gift for the $2.2 million . The center was dedicated in September 2007 and remains one of the top facilities in the nation. ϳԹ honored him with the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1999.
Memorial gifts may be made to the ϳԹ , which supports the ϳԹ men’s and women’s golf programs, assists with interscholastic support and enables competition on a national level. Donations to the Chip In Club may be made securely or by mail to ϳԹ Athletics, Attention Golf Program, 1025 Risman Dr., Kent, OH, 44240. Write checks payable to the ϳԹ Foundation, specify Fund #14882 in memory of Emilio Ferrara.
PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Physics (1967–1971), February 9, 2023
PhD, professor in the Department of History (1969–2004), July 13, 2023
“The foundations of today’s Department of History at ϳԹ were laid by Felix and his peers who began arriving at the university in the 1960s. He was among the vanguard of a new generation of scholars working in African history to tell the story of the peoples of Africa (the Igbo in Felix’s case) from their perspectives. His legacy can be traced not only in ϳԹ’s African Studies program and a thriving pipeline of graduate students from Africa studying in our department, but in a scholarship endowed by his children that will benefit generations of ϳԹ students. The scholarship, which honors his 35-year career at ϳԹ, provides tuition and other assistance to students who are in good academic standing, are sophomores or above and are minoring in African Studies.” —Kevin Adams, PhD, Chair and Associate Professor, Department of History
Memorial gifts may be made securely or by mail to the ϳԹ Foundation, P.O. Box 5190, Kent, OH, 44242; specify Fund #36441 for the Ekechi Scholarship.
Professor Emerita of Library and Information Science (1979–1998), February 27, 2023
She was a temporary instructor at ϳԹ in curriculum and instruction (1979–1982). After earning a doctorate, she directed the Instructional Resources Center (1981–1986). She accepted a faculty appointment in the School of Library and Information Science in 1986, earning tenure on the basis of teaching excellence (Distinguished Teaching Award, 1995), direction of student theses (over 400) and scholarly publishing record. Her scholarly interests included library management, academic libraries, social sciences information sources and services, and introducing ethnicity and multiculturalism in libraries. After retiring at the end of 1998, she taught part time for a few additional years.
served on the ϳԹ Board of Trustees (2000–2009), June 18, 2023
She was the president and CEO of a 60-year-old family business and one of the nation’s oldest and most respected public relations firms. As a trustee on ϳԹ’s board, she chaired the presidential search committee during her tenure (2006–2008). She gave the university’s commencement address in 2009. She received the Centennial Alumni Award from the College of Education, Health and Human Services in 2022.
coordinator of Information Services and instructor of journalism at ϳԹ Trumbull ( 1974-1977), May 5, 2023
While working at ϳԹ Trumbull, she was known as Valerie Ann Dueber.
part-time lecturer in the Department of English (1981-1985), January 18, 2023
worked at the Department of Residence Services (1982–2005), July 19, 2023
At the Department of Residence Services, she was business officer (1982-1986), business manager (1986–1999) and senior business manager (1999–2005).