Anthony J. Alexander, BS ’72, JD ’75, former executive chairman, president and CEO of FirstEnergy Corp., was honored March 23 by the Greater Akron Chamber as the 12^th recipient of the H. Peter Burg Economic Development Leadership Award. The prestigious award recognizes those who have displayed paramount leadership for the advancement of Greater Akron’s economic and community development.

David M. Bass, BA ’77, MA ’83, PhD ’85, is senior vice president for research and education with the Cleveland-based Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging. He was honored April 30 with the 2016 Champion Award for his research on Alzheimer's disease and managed health care that incorporates the individual and their family members.

Joseph M. Gingo, JD ’71, was named by Gov. John Kasich to the UA Board of Trustees. Gingo has served as chairman of the board at Fairlawn, Ohio-based A. Schulman Inc. since February 2008. He had been president and chief executive officer of the company from 2008 through 2014. Prior to that, Gingo was employed with the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company for more than 40 years.

Lewis E. Jenkins, BA ’70, discussed his new book, “Diary of a Robot,” at The Learned Owl in Hudson, Ohio, on April 2. His book focuses on artificial intelligence and is in the sci-fi genre.

Ranndy A. Kellogg, BS ’75, was named president and chief executive officer of Omron Healthcare in March. Kellogg previously served the company as chief operating officer. Omron, based in Lake Forest, Ill., is a leading manufacturer and distributor of personal heart health and wellness products.

Carla D. Moore, BA ’74, a judge of the Ninth District Court of Appeals in Akron, received the 2016 Sir Thomas More Award on May 6. The award recognizes members of the legal community who demonstrate outstanding personal integrity, community service, and professional excellence.

William A. Scala, BS ’75, was named by Gov. John Kasich to the UA Board of Trustees. He is the president and chairman of Kenmore Construction and has served on several committee boards in the Akron area.

Marcy J. Steckman, BS ’79, was named chief financial officer for American Municipal Power, a Columbus-based electric utility company, in April. She previously served the company as vice president of accounting and chief accounting officer.

Bruce D. Taylor, BA ’76, was named president of the American University of Phnom Penh (AUPP) in Cambodia, effective in mid-May. Taylor joined AUPP from Emirates College of Technology in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where he had served as president since January 2014.

Joseph G. Ayoub, BA ’89, BA ’06, was recognized for his poetry and cultural leadership with an honorary doctorate from the Mawaheb International Cultural Union. Ayoub, who resides in North Olmsted, Ohio, recently published two books of poems in English and Arabic.

Kilwon Cho, PhD ’87, was recognized for his research with graphene, which was featured on the cover of the renowned international journal Nanoscale. He is developing new uses for the versatile material and making big strides in the polymer field. Cho is the J.Y. Lee Chair Professor of chemical engineering at Pohang University of Science and Technology in Korea.

Mark A. Crouse, BS ’87, was named finance director for the city of Canton, Ohio, effective April 4. Crouse previously worked as the chief financial officer and business manager of the Stark County Board of Developmental Disabilities and as the financial controller for the nonprofit Weaver Industries.

John Davide, BS ’88, was named vice president and senior business banking relationship manager for Huntington Bank. Davide, who has extensive experience in the banking industry, is responsible for fostering relationships with businesses in the Akron/Canton area.

Thomas J. Flynn, MS ’84, an engineer and technical consultant in the Barberton, Ohio, office of Babcock & Wilcox, was honored in April as the 37th recipient of the company’s annual Engineering Honors Award. Flynn joined B&W in 1980 and has held various research engineering roles of increasing responsibility. Since 2010, he has been technical consultant for the B&W Research Center.

Michael J. Landers, BS ’85, was awarded a posthumous Distinguished Alumni Award for 2016 from The University of Akron Wayne College. Landers served 29 years in the U.S. Army, which included nine deployments in three countries, before retiring in 2013.

Misty P. McCrary, BS ’89, under the pen name Mia Mae Lynne, released her second fiction/romance novel, “Atlanta’s Most Eligible Bachelor II,” in April. The book, part of her Southern Men Don’t Fall in Love series, can be purchased at local retailers and Amazon.com.

Steven J. Minosky, BS ’85, a partner with Davis & Associates, a CPA firm in Bonita Springs, Fla., was noted in a local story about the company’s regional expansion.

Mark D. Scatterday, BM ’81, professor of conducting and ensembles at the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music, was the subject of an article in the Democrat & Chronical. The April 10 story highlighted his career in the field of music.

Patrick J. Walsh, BA ’86, joined York Risk Services Group in April as executive vice president and was named president of its risk management practices business. In this position, he provides direction and expertise in servicing York’s self-insured and deductible clients and leads the division’s strategic growth initiatives. Walsh has 30 years of industry experience and has held executive positions with some of the country’s largest insurance and claims services companies. Most recently, he was senior vice president and chief claims officer for Accident Fund Holdings Inc.

Rita J. Weinberg, BA ’80, MA ’82, was named planning director and economic developer for the city of Tallmadge, Ohio, in March. Her responsibilities will include strategic planning and implementing the city's updated comprehensive plan. She previously served 21 years in the Office of Economic Development for the city of Akron.

Peter T. Zackaroff, JD ’80, a legal software entrepreneur, discussed his career and latest venture, The Amicus Group, with the Akron Legal News in a story published April 28.

Derrick R. Clay, BA ’94, who runs a government relations and lobbying organization, spoke April 28 in Toledo about “what is at stake for our community” at a meeting of the African American Legacy Project. His discussion included information about the creation of VOICES, a new group of young professional African-American men and women “whose goal it is to host refreshing discussions in a congenial environment on a range of topics important to the African-American community.”

George E. Dean, BM ’99, presented “Guitars and Classical Music” on March 14 for ConverZations, a free public lecture series of the Canton Symphony Orchestra. Dean is a music teacher with Canton City Schools at the Arts Academy at Summit.

Laurie A. Elish-Piper, PhD ’95, was named dean of the College of Education at Northern Illinois University. Her scholarship and teaching focus on literacy leadership, literacy coaching, teacher professional development, literacy assessment, and struggling readers. She has co-authored eight books and more than 80 articles and chapters and is a regular presenter at international, national, state, and local conferences. Before starting her career in higher education, she was an elementary teacher and a middle school language arts/reading teacher in Indiana. Elish-Piper has been on the faculty at NIU since 1995.

Robert P. Gainer, BA ’91, was named court executive officer, reporting to the judges of the Summit County Common Pleas Court. Gainer will handle the administrative operations of the court and serve as administrative liaison between the judges and other county offices, professionals, and the general public.

Paula C. Giulitto, JD ’92, a judge on the Portage County Court of Common Pleas in Ravenna, Ohio, launched a domestic relations clinic through the UA School of Law. Along with other attorneys, she mentors students and works on cases with them, aiding their experiential learning. Giulitto hopes to expand the clinic in the coming years.

James V. Guliano, MSN ’93, became a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives on March 13. The organization is the nation’s leading professional society for health-care leaders. Guliano is vice president of quality programs at the Ohio Hospital Association, which represents 220 hospitals and 13 health systems in the state.

Rodney E. Haven, MS ’95, JD ’06, joined Black McCuskey Souers & Arbaugh in March as an associate in the Intellectual Property practice group. Haven’s experience includes writing and prosecuting U.S. and foreign patent applications for electrical and mechanical inventions as well as patent applications in computer hardware and software technology fields. He also has experience with trademark prosecution, trade secret protection, and copyright law and has conducted trademark and trade dress infringement analysis.

Lisa S. Kelsay, BS ’95, of La Grange, Ill., was named a 2016 ambassador for Gildan Esprit de She, an organization dedicated to empowering women through their connection of physical activity, health, sisterhood, and fun.

Debra Priebe, BSN ’98, is the vascular composite allograft transplant coordinator at the Cleveland Clinic and was involved in the first face and uterus transplants in the United States. Her team hopes to start a hand transplant program.

Ronald E. Severtis Jr., AAS ’98, BA ’01, MA ’04, was named director of the Office of Institutional Effectiveness at Indiana University Southeast in January. Severtis has been with the office since 2010 and most recently served as interim director and assistant director.

Dru C. Thompson, BA ’99, was highlighted by the Collinwood Observer in March for her Cleveland-based business, Dru Christine Fabrics and Designs, which creates custom fashion designs, stocks an array of fabrics, teaches lessons to the community, makes clothing and accessories for men and women, carries numerous vintage pieces, and even has a line of home goods. Thompson’s career includes working in Los Angeles as a costume designer for movie and television productions and as a movie and television extra.

Richard A. Wiscott, MA ’98, whose career began in banking before a shift into higher education, was appointed president of Johnson & Wales University's Denver campus, effective June 1. Wiscott has been with the university since 2008, first as dean of academic affairs and later as vice president.

Martha A. Balash, BS ’02, of Norton, Ohio, received the Thomas J. Froelich Award from Kent State University’s School of Library and Information Science in March. The award is presented to a graduate in information architecture and knowledge management who has demonstrated academic excellence and promise for leadership in the field. Balash is a senior clinical systems analyst at Summa Health System.

Jennifer Bott, MA ’01, PhD ’04, was appointed dean of the Miller College of Business at Ball State University, after serving as interim dean since last June. Since arriving at Ball State in 2004 as an assistant professor of management, Bott has steadily risen through the academic and administrative ranks. She was associate provost for learning initiatives from 2013-15 and assistant provost for learning initiatives from 2011-13.

Amy K. Corrigall Jones, JD ’01, is the presiding judge over the Summit County Valor Court, a specialized docket serving the needs of those who have served the country. The St. Vincent-St. Mary High School graduate was elected to a full term in the Common Pleas Court in November 2012.

Andy J. Downing, BA ’01, was named editor of Columbus Alive in May after serving as interim director since January. Downing came to Alive nearly three years ago to cover music. Previously, he was a features writer for The Capital Times in Madison, Wis., and was a contributing writer to RollingStone.com, Tone Audio, Spin Magazine, and The Chicago Tribune.

Victoria L. Dugger, BA ’01, BA ’01, was hired as editor of the Sentinel-Tribune in Bowling Green, Ohio, and brings more than 15 years of experience to the position (including as the former editor of The Buchtelite). Dugger said her goal is to bring readers balanced and fair coverage of the news they need.

Jeffery C. Jalbrzikowski, AAS ’06, AAS ’08, BS ’08, was awarded a competitive Department of Defense SMART Scholarship to continue his education in land surveying. He has been admitted to the Civil Engineering Graduate Program at Ohio State University. Jalbrzikowski currently works for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh.

Gazi G. Murtoza, BS ’03, was elected chairman of Jamuna Bank in Bangladesh in April.

John D. Ridley, BS ’09, is the co-owner of DF Supply Inc. in Streetsboro, Ohio. Ridley started the company just six years after graduation and credits The University of Akron for fostering his entrepreneurial skills.

David A. Sam, JD ’01, is a finalist for the position of president at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Ill. A native of Ghana, West Africa, Sam currently is president of Elgin Community College.

Rokey W. Suleman, MPA ’05, who is based Manassas, Va., is the senior election advisor to the State Election Commission for the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) Mission in Montenegro. In this role, he advises on all aspects of electoral preparations. Suleman has worked on international election missions in Egypt, Russia, Nepal, Georgia, and Afghanistan.

Charles A. Vickrey, BSN ’00, earned his doctorate in nursing practice from the University of Texas at El Paso in 2015 and recently completed a year as chief of primary care medicine in the El Paso VA Health Care System.

Stefanie L. Deka, JD ’12, joined the Cleveland law office of McGlinchy Stafford in April. She is an associate who works in the field of commercial litigation.

Salvatore R. DeJulio, BS ’10, a native of Hubbard, Ohio, will be a contestant on the 12^th season of “The Bachelorette.” He works as an operations manager with GL Homes in Florida.

Garrett E. Dowd, BS ’15, has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to complete his MSc in technology entrepreneurship at London’s University College. The prestigious award is especially significant because the United Kingdom typically has the toughest competition of all countries in the Fulbright Program.

Julien Huntley, BA ’13, a Cleveland-based hip-hop artist who goes by Jul Big Green, recently performed on WJW-TV and is gaining popularity for his unique music style.

Steven L. Leposa, BS ’11, accepted an engineering position with Roll-Kraft in April and will focus on designing tooling for the company’s roll forming and tube and pipe divisions. His previous experience includes electro/mechanical design at Spang Power Electronics and mechanical engineering at the Cleveland Punch and Die Co. Roll-Kraft is an internationally known supplier of roll tooling to tube and pipe and roll forming manufacturers.

Gretchen E. Pleuss, BA ’13, was featured in the Akron Beacon Journal in March. She discussed her new album, “From Birth, to Breath, to Bone,” as well as the album release party, which was hosted in the local Rialto Theater.