UA Highlights '5Under35' Alumni Leaders

As a new generation of Akron leaders populates the city’s landscape, several learned how to set a course as members of The University of Akron Ambassadors program.

Five young alumni leaders returned to campus recently as participants in “5 Under 35,” a panel discussion sponsored by the Ambassadors and the UA Alumni Association. The leaders shared their insights and newfound wisdom on professional life after graduation and success with current students. “This is the third year for this event and it’s been quite a success,” said Willy Kollman, assistant vice president, Alumni Relations and executive director, The UA Alumni Association. “It’s the kind of alumni-to-student interaction that strengthens the bond between UA and its alumni.”

This year’s panelists included:

Dioswal Cook

Dioswal Cook, a ’14 UA graduate and Akron native. After graduation, she worked for College Now of Greater Cleveland as an Advisor and Site Coordinator in northeast Ohio area high schools. Now a recruiter and retention coordinator with UA’s Choose Ohio First STEMM Program, she focuses on recruiting students and aiding them through academic advising, life coaching and other resources.

Elliot Georgiadis

Elliot Georgiadis holds both UA bachelor’s and master’s degrees (’15, ’19, respectively), and currently works as an Advanced Placement Psychology educator at Jackson High School, where she also serves as Student Council Adviser. Also, an accomplished journalist, she has interned with both Good Karma Brand's ESPN Cleveland station and FOX 11 in Los Angeles, where she interviewed athletes at the 2019 ESPYs as well as the LA Rams summer training camp.

Jillian Roth

Jillian Roth, a ’16 graduate with a degree in mechanical engineering, is a Project Coordinator for The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. Jillian began her career as a development engineer, before becoming project coordinator. As a development engineer, she was part of the Tread & Cavity design work, responsible for designing new and innovative tread patterns. Jillian has submitted four design patents for various tread patterns she’s worked on, and recently traveled to Goodyear's San Angelo, Texas, proving grounds as a subject matter expert.

Alex Shannon

Alex Shannon, a ’15 graduate, a financial advisor for Legacy Strategic Asset Management, where he is responsible for business development and client support. Alex, who also holds a master’s degree in business from Malone University, is active in his Stow community and serves in several organizations including Akron Children's Hospital Foundation Marketing Committee and the United Way of Summit County’s New Business Development Committee.

Josh Thomas

Josh Thomas, holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UA in civil engineering (’17, ’19). Active in several organizations as a student, Josh also served as a student trustee on the UA Board of Trustees from 2017-2019. He is currently a bridge engineer for WSP, a consulting firm in the Building, Transportation and environmental sectors across the world. Josh is involved in both the design and inspection for bridges, ensuring the stability and longevity of the future infrastructure.

Fall 2022 (PDF) | Previous issue

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