Periodically, Omicron Delta Kappa has the opportunity to share news and announcements about member achievements. Below are some of the accomplishments and passages reported since throughout the late summer and fall semester.
Collegiate Member News
- Grant Boyes (Hillsdale College, 2021) was recently commissioned into the U.S. Marine Corps and was named Outstanding Senior Man at Hillsdale in conjunction with his graduation.
- Jenna N. Carty (Wilson College, 2020) was named the Colonial States Athletic Conference 2022 Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
- Natalie A. Devlin (Eastern Connecticut State University, 2022) is the recipient of the 2022 Henry Barnard Distinguished Student Award at ECSU.
- Meaghan L. Forbes (Western Colorado University, 2019) was named the top graduate by her university in Spring 2022.
- Kayla M. Foster (University of Maryland, College Park, 2021) has been named a Youth Impact Fellow by the Aspen Institute.
- The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities selected Nina Giddens (Xavier University of Louisiana, 2021) as a 2022 HBCU Scholar.
- Aylon D. Gipson (Morehouse College, 2022) was also selected as a 2022 HBCU Scholars by the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
- Madison B. Holmes (Elon University, 2021) is the 2022 recipient of the school’s Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award.
- Emma R. Houston (Union College, 2021) was one of 2022’s co-valedictorians for the college.
- Christopher M. Hulburt (Virginia Military Institute, 2021) was the peer-elected valedictorian at his school in Spring 2022.
- Emily A. Katz (Elon University, 2021) is the 2022 recipient of the Ella Brunk Smith Award at Elon and the 2022 recipient of the John W. Barney Memorial Award.
- Amy A. Jones-Burdick (University of Mississippi, 2021) has been selected as a Mountain State Forest Festival Princess.
- Luke W. Jordan (Lycoming College, 2020) is the 2022 recipient of the school’s Chieftain Award winner. He also received an NCAA post-graduate scholarship.
- Caroline H. Morin (William & Mary, 2021) is this year’s recipient of W&M’s Carr Memorial Cup. This award is the highest honor given to a graduating student at the school.
- Elizabeth A. O’Hara (Rider University, 2019) received the President’s Award in conjunction with her graduation from Rider in Spring 2022.
- M Pease (University of Maryland, College Park, 2020) was the student commencement speaker at UMD’s graduation exercise in May 2022. M also received one of the school’s two Spirit of Maryland Awards.
- Carolina E. Penfield (Elon University, 2021) is the 2022 school’s William Moseley Brown Award recipient. Brown was one of Omicron Delta Kappa’s original 15 founders.
- Sydney E. Popsuj (Agnes Scott College, 2018) received a Mortar Board Fellowship for the 2022-23 academic year.
- Jaret S. Price (The Citadel – The Military College of South Carolina, 2021) received the school’s 2022 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award.
- Laura-Louise Rice (University of South Carolina – Columbia, 2020) is the 2022 recipient of the school’s Swanger Award. The Steven N. Swanger Award recognizes a senior student for significant contributions to UofSC as an Omicron Delta Kappa member.
- Emanuel J. Rodriguez (Rutgers University – Camden, 2020) has been selected for a research program at Harvard Business School.
- Javaughn Taylor (New England College, 2020) is the 2022 recipient of the President’s Leadership Award, selected by the presidents of the Campus Compact institutions in New Hampshire. This award honors a student or student organization that has made outstanding contributions to the community and/or civic engagement efforts on their campus.
- Maria G. Voss (Alfred University, 2022) was named a 2022 SUNY Chancellor’s Award winner.
- Tyrone D. Warren II (Bridgewater College, 2022) was the 2022 recipient of Bridgewater College’s Citizenship Award. This award is presented annually to a senior who has demonstrated citizenship and made contributions within the college community.
- Claire B. Windsor (University of South Carolina – Columbia, 2022) was the school’s 2022 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award winner.
- Karl J. Wold (Davidson College, 2015) received the Student Excellence Award from the Wake Forest University School of Medicine Alumni Association in Spring 2022.
- Mallory A. Yowell (University of Lynchburg, 2021) is the 2022 recipient of the school’s Robert L. Hill Distinguished Senior Award.
- Katherine G. Zimmerman (Elon University, 2021) is the 2022 recipient of the Truitt Center Reconciliation Award from her school.
Fulbright Awards
- Katie S. Cones (Washington and Lee University, 2020) was awarded a Fulbright to study in Bulgaria.
- Jack Corby (Elon University, 2021) has received a Fulbright to teach English as a Second Language in Bulgaria.
- Bridgit R. Lujan (Wilson College, 2020) is spending part of the 2022-23 academic year in Sevilla, Spain as a Fulbright research scholar at the Universidad de Pablo Olavide.
- Melanie “Mellie” G. Trager (Mercer University, 2021) has received a Fulbright to teach English as a Second Language in Spain in the 2022-23 academic year.
- Mansi Tripathi (Washington and Lee University, 2021) has been awarded a Fulbright to study in Columbia.
Aspen Index Impact Fellows
The Aspen Institute recently announced its inaugural class of Aspen Index Impact Fellows. These individuals have been selected to lead efforts to advance future youth leadership development efforts.
- Jacob E. Clemens (Ohio Northern University, 2003), Courtney Holder (University of Maryland, College Park, 2016), Ryan C. Holmes (University of Miami, 2018), Matthew R. Johnson (University of Maryland, College Park, 2010), Mark A. Kenyon (University of Maryland, College Park, 2006), Helen K. Lafferty (Villanova University, 1990), Julie E. Owen (University of North Carolina Wilmington, 1997), and Vernon A. Wall (University of Georgia, 1990) have been named Impact Fellows by the Aspen Institute.
- The following members have been named Senior Impact Fellows by the Aspen Institute: Willie L. Banks (University of Georgia, 2002), Patricia A. Perillo (SUNY Plattsburgh, 1989), James “Dusty” Porter (Emory University, 1988), Donna A. Lee (University of Tampa, 1988), Luoluo Jong (Louisiana State University, 1996), and Javuane M. Adams-Gaston (University of Maryland, College Park, 1997).
Higher Education News
- Angelo G. Araimo (Wagner College, 2000) has been named the college’s 20th president.
- Daniel “Dann” A. Brown (Pittsburg State University, 1981) was named provost at Lamar University.
- Alison J. Buckley (Randolph University, 1990) has been selected as the new president at SUNY Ulster.
- Olivier Charles (University of West Alabama, 2008) has been appointed president of Bishop State Community College in Alabama.
- Bradley J. Cook (Southern Utah University, 2012) is the new president of the American University of Bahrain (AUBH).
- Mark E. Emmert (Louisiana State University, 2002), the president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, will retire in 2023.
- Teresa M. Flannery (University of Maryland, College Park, 1981) is the new executive vice president and chief operating officer for the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).
- Pamela R. Fox (Mary Baldwin University, 2006), the long-serving president of MBU, has announced her retirement at the end of the 2022-23 academic year.
- Ashley B. Harzog (Berry College, 2011) has been appointed director of alumni relations and outreach for the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences at East Carolina University.
- Douglas A. Hicks (Davidson College, 1989) has been named president of Davidson, his undergraduate alma mater.
- Warren M. Hilton (Moravian College, 2008) has been named president of Onondaga Community College.
- Britton “Brit” Katz (Mississippi State University, 1980) is the 2022 recipient of the NASPA Region III John Jones Award for Outstanding Performance as a Senior Student Affairs Officer.
- Ethena L. Lighty (University of South Carolina – Columbia, 2021) is the 2022 recipient of the NASPA Region III Undergraduate Rising Star Award.
- Karla K. Murdock (Washington and Lee University, 2017) has been named that institution’s Jo M. and James M. Ballengee 250th Anniversary Professor. Murdock is the director of W&L’s Mudd Center for Ethics.
- Santa J. Ono (University of Cincinnati, 2012) has been selected as the president of the University of Michigan.
- H. Binford Peay III (Virginia Military Institute, 2010) received VMI’s New Market Medal in November 2022.
- Daniel Shipp (University of Nebraska – Omaha, 2013) is the new president at Pittsburg State University.
- Rodney A. Smolla (University of Richmond, 2006) is the new president of Vermont Law and Graduate School.
- Donald M. Stansberry (Old Dominion University, 2000) is the 2022 Region III NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program Champion Award.
- John M. Stein (Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009) is the 2022 recipient of the NASPA Region III AVP/Senior Level Student Affairs Professional Award.
- Ashley B. Tutzauer (Cabrini University, 2021) has joined the basketball coaching staff at Susquehanna University.
- Drew Van Horn (Elon University, 1981) is the president of Young Harris College in Georgia.
Lifetime Member News
- Sally K. Albrecht (Rollins College, 1975) received the 2021 Frost Distinguished Alumna Award from the School of Music at the University of Miami. Albrecht has also recently been appointed to the Board of Trustees at Rollins College, her undergraduate alma mater.
- Dorothy D. Alling (Ramapo College of New Jersey, 1998) has been active with local and state school boards and several nonprofits. She has also served as a coach for the Odyssey of the Mind competitions.
- Marcia P. Alstott (Purdue University, 1978) has been named to the Co-op Hall of Fame for the College of Engineering at Purdue.
- Charles B. Arendall, Jr. (University of Richmond, 1934) has been posthumously inducted into the Alabama Lawyers Hall of Fame.
- Carol Ann Benanti (Wagner College, 2003) received the Community Partner Award, presented by the Global Medical Relief Fund.
- Adam L. Bourne (University of South Carolina – Columbia, 2000) is a Mobile area lawyer and a city councilman in Chickasaw, Alabama. Bourne was recently elected vice president of the Alabama League of Municipalities, a statewide organization consisting of nearly 450 cities and towns throughout Alabama.
- David E. Bowers (Olivet College, 1975) received the Distinguished Alumni Award from his alma mater earlier this year.
- Michael A. Caves (Clemson University, 2019) recently won his election to be a California superior court judge shortly after completing his Ph.D. at Clemson University in rhetoric, communication, and information design in May 2022.
- Michelle Asha Cooper (College of Charleston, 1994) has recently joined the Lumina foundation as its vice president for public policy and executive director of Lumina’s Washington, D.C., office.
- John C. Ford (University of Maryland, College Park, 1964) gave the commencement address for the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies at Maryland in Spring 2022.
- Mortar Board has named L’Issa L. Gates (Loyola University New Orleans, 2019) as a 2022 Alumni Emerging Leader Award recipient.
- Lee Goble, Jr. (University of South Carolina – Columbia, 2016) has been named one of Columbia Business Monthly’s Best & Brightest 35 and Under for 2022.
- Barry P. Gossett (University of Maryland, College Park, 2008) was awarded an honorary doctorate during the Spring 2022 commencement ceremonies at Maryland.
- Theresa A. Hess (McDaniel College, 2007) was selected as her alma mater’s Young Alumna of the Year.
- Andrew W. Howard (Georgia Institute of Technology, 2003) was honored as one of the 40 Under 40 by the school’s alumni association.
- Chad A. Huckaby (Stephen F. Austin State University, 2013) was elected to the Nacogdoches City Council in Texas.
- Silas W. Kelly (Adelphi University, 2013) received the International Rhoda G. Sarnat Award. The Sarnat Award recognizes significant contributions to the public understanding of professional social work by an individual, a group, or an organization.
- Jeffrey P. Kinney (University of Maryland, College Park, 2021) was the main commencement speaker for the university during the Spring 2022 ceremonies. Kinney is the author of the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series.
- Benjamin P. Leader (Clemson University, 2008) has been appointed to the school’s alumni board of directors.
- Drew A. Maerz (Pennsylvania State University, 1989) has been appointed superintendent of the Highland County Public Schools in Virginia.
- Shawn C. McGuffey (Transylvania University, 1996) has been named to that institution’s alumni board and its fundraising and diversity and inclusion committees.
- Robert G. Melton (Wake Forest University, 1975) has been elected as a full member of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), an organization focused on global scientific cooperation across disciplines to advance human space exploration.
- Jacob A. Misenheimer (Wake Forest University, 2005) has been selected as a Top Doctor by Marquis Who’s Who.
- G. C. Murray II (Florida State University, 2011) is the 2022 recipient of the American Bar Association’s Rosner & Rosner Young Lawyer Professionalism Award.
- Walter J. “Wally” Pagan (Wagner College, 1960) is this 2022’s John “Bunny” Barbes ’39 and Lila T. Barbes ’40 Wagner Alumni Laureate, presented by the Wagner’s alumni association.
- Leigh S. Pollet (University of Maryland, College Park, 1978) has been elected as the chairman of the Reform Party of New York State. He also currently serves as the Reform Party’s national vice-chair.
- Stephen T. Powell (Clemson University, 2009) has been appointed to his alma mater’s alumni board of directors.
- Odessa H. Pride (Hampden-Sydney College, 2021) has been recognized as a Top Educator by Marquis Who’s Who.
- Sophia G. Rahming (Florida State University, 2018) has been presented with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who’s Who.
- Ansel Sanders (Washington and Lee University, 2004) will begin his tenure as the president of the Webb School of Knoxville in Summer 2023.
- James S. Strickland (University of Memphis, 1984) is the City of Memphis, Tennessee, mayor.
- Cynthia K. Todd (University of Montevallo, 1987) has been appointed to Montavello’s Board of Trustees. Todd is the first African American woman to serve on the board.
- Keith E. Wilson (University of Southern Mississippi, 2003) was named a Top Ten under 40 Business Leaders in the One Coast Awards Class of 2020.
- Jared C. Zwick (Youngstown State University, 1999) has been inducted into the Wayne County (Ohio) Sports Hall of Fame.
Books
- Lara O. Hodgson (Georgia Institute of Technology, 1990), along with former Atlanta Mayor Stacy Abrams and Heather Cabot, have released their new book, Level Up: Rise Above the Hidden Forces Holding Your Business Back. Hodgson was the 1993 National Leader of the Year for Omicron Delta Kappa.
- Estill C. Pennington (University of Kentucky, 1970) has had two books published: Lessons in Likeness: Portrait Painters in Kentucky and the Ohio River Valley, 1802-1920 and Matthew Harris Jouett (1788-1827): His Life & Work.
- Matthew S. Primous (SUNY Brockport, 2015) published a new collection of poetry entitled Kind Prayers.
- Ann M. Silverthorn (Gannon University, 1996) has published William E. Dimorier: Servant Leader. This biography discusses how throughout Dimorier’s early life and long career in education, he embodied the concept of servant leadership. He aimed to serve first and through that became a leader.
Obituaries
- Maurice L. Fowler (Albion University, 1952) died in May 2021. Fowler was one of the earliest African American initiates of Omicron Delta Kappa.
- Susan Wheeler Johnston (Rollins College, 1975) died in August 2022. Johnston served as president and CEO of the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) from 2018-22 and was its first female leader.
- David G. McCullough (Washington and Lee University, 2003), the award-winning historian and author, died in August 2022.
- Thomas Meixner (University of Maryland, College Park, 1990) died in early October. Meixner was a professor and head of the hydrology and atmospheric sciences at the University of Arizona.
- Adam E. Peck (Stephen F. Austin State University, 2014) died in late September. Peck was the assistant vice president for student affairs at Illinois State University. In addition, he was a long-time champion of the SFASU Circle and a mentor to many of its members.
