UC Alumni Association to honor outstanding alums
Honorees received awards at UC Day Celebration on June 9, 2011
Six University of Cincinnati alumni have been selected to receive awards from the UC Alumni Association in recognition of their unique contributions to their university and community.
Dr. J. Richard Wuest, Phar ’58, ’68, ‘71
“Consult your pharmacist.” Those words, and that action, have become second-nature in a world where prescription and over-the-counter drugs play a central role. Thanks largely to J. Richard Wuest, there is tremendous consistency and credibility behind “the pharmacist ask” — as well as a more accomplished and respected pharmacy college at the University of Cincinnati.
A Cincinnati native, Dr. Wuest served as a UC faculty member from 1967 to 2001, and is currently Professor Emeritus of Pharmacy Practice. His former students and colleagues still speak of his teaching skills and ability to make all the components of the pharmacy curriculum come together. His influence continues through his work in developing the college’s board of advisors, which advises the dean on all matters of education, fundraising and professional interaction.
Yet, Dr. Wuest’s contributions to society reverberate far beyond the immediate UC community. Winkle College of Pharmacy Dean Daniel Acosta calls him “Mr. Ohio Pharmacist” for his leadership on the Ohio Board of Pharmacy and many other professional organizations. Still, his impact on pharmacy and, by extension, to all those who rely on the work of pharmacists is enormous, largely due to his work in standardizing many aspects of the pharmacy profession, enabling pharmacists to become true healthcare resources instead of simple merchants.
In addition, Dr. Wuest was a leader in the effort to develop a series of warning labels for prescription containers as alerts and reminders to patients. This labeling system, now used on more than 4 billion prescriptions in the U.S., along with his co-authored consumer guide “The Family Guide to Prescription Drugs,” have provided valuable information to help ensure the safe use of prescription drugs.
Dr. Wuest has received the Keys Award by the Ohio Pharmacists Association for "Outstanding Contributions to the Progress of the Association" and the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy for his leadership in the development and implementation of the NABP National Pharmacy Licensure Exam.
“Dick has dedicated his life to the education of pharmacists and to the development of the practice of pharmacy,” said Dean Acosta in his nomination. “His awards and recognitions are too numerous to list. Suffice it to say that Dick is an unselfish and very caring individual who has helped many people to establish successful careers in pharmacy.”
The William Howard Taft Medal for Notable Achievement, named for the UC alumnus who became the only person to hold the offices of U.S. president and Supreme Court Chief Justice, honors an individual for lifelong excellence in his or her chosen field.
As a child, Rich Foley – raised on a small Ohio farm - had limited financial opportunities to attend college. With the help of a local engineer for whom he worked during summers, Rich was able to enroll at UC. This started his engineering career eventually leading him to become a business leader and major alumni award winner. His life of achievement is marked by creativity, perseverance, selflessness, and loyalty to his profession and the university that provided him a successful career.
Foley turned his UC co-op assignment at Dayton’s Harris-Seybold Printing Co. into a 37-year career there. Along the way, he never lost his fire for being a Bearcat and, more importantly, for fanning the flames in his fellow alumni. He and his wife of 50 years, Marlene, established and continue to fund a scholarship for first-year students in the College of Engineering & Applied Science; he sees this as “paying it forward” to help others realize the same college opportunity he had. Meanwhile, Foley has led the Class of ’61 Golden Reunion efforts, including developing and executing innovative ways to rekindle his classmates’ interests and cultivate their active involvement. He has also been a volunteer leader of UCAA’s Dayton Alumni Network.
“There are alumni who give their time and talent, and that’s so critical when you’re in a relationship-driven, experiential field such as ours,” said CEAS Dean Carlo Montemagno in his nomination of Foley. “There are alumni who give their treasure, and that’s also crucial in order for us to do our work and impact lives. And some alumni give all of those things — and then some. That’s Rich. He defines ‘involved’ among our CEAS alums. He actively supports the university, the college, the UC Alumni Association and the fundraising efforts of the UC Foundation, and he looks for ways to make the UC experience more compelling for his fellow alumni.”
More than half of UC’s alumni live outside of the Cincinnati area, so it’s a university priority to provide opportunities for their meaningful engagement. The model for doing that has become what Dave Watkins has done in Chicago. David worked in the sales and marketing division of Ford Motor Company for ten years and for the last 8 years he has been a residential real estate agent with Coldwell Banker in Chicago.
Watkins was a mentor and “connector” with his fellow Bearcats as a student, so it was natural to continue as an alum after his 1992 graduation from the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences. His love for UC found a tremendous outlet through the UC Alumni Association, building and coordinating the Chicago alumni network. For 18 years, he has essentially been “Mr. UC” in ChicagoLand — organizing and hosting countless game-watches, cultural and networking opportunities, senior sendoffs and other events; recruiting students to UC from Chicago; assisting in the development and implementation of the UCAA Network Committee structure and mentoring other network leaders in the process; creating partnerships with Chicago businesses on behalf of UC (including establishing the official home for UC-related events in Chicago); and serving on the UCAA Board of Governors, Phi Delta Theta Housing Corporation and Proudly Cincinnati Campaign Committee (which has included blogging about UC activities in the Chicago area).
Through it all, Watkins has been a diligent, passionate and generous representative of the university while leading the fifth-largest contingent of Bearcat alumni outside of Cincinnati.
The Alumni Distinguished Service Award recognizes alumni who have rendered outstanding, faithful and selfless service to their alma mater.
Universities know that engaged students typically become lifelong engaged alumni. They also know that students who participate in the Greek system tend to have a stronger affinity with their school as alumni. Based on these facts, UC is fortunate to have Drew McKenzie as a passionate and active young alumnus.
In his senior year on campus, McKenzie served as president of the Class of ’05, which found him leading a successful fundraising effort for that year’s Senior Gift. He also was a leader in UC’s Greek community, which has carried over as an alumnus. McKenzie has been a dedicated volunteer leader with the Greek Affairs Alumni Council, including current service as the organization’s co-chair.
Professionally, McKenzie has risen rapidly in the digital communications field, developing and executing interactive marketing strategies, cultivating new business, and leveraging emerging technology to his clients’ benefit. He also spent four years as a volunteer advance representative for The White House, helping to coordinate presidential visits. He has augmented his professional work with varied community service, always in leadership positions. And his devotion to UC is constant and boundless, from serving as a docent for the Art and Architecture programs, to connecting his fellow alumni through the Greek system and Alumni Association.
The Jeffrey Hurwitz Young Alumni Outstanding Achievement Award is bestowed upon a UC graduate 35 years or younger based upon significant professional achievement and ongoing service and involvement with UC and the community. It is given in honor of a former president of the UC Alumni Association Board of Governors.
Dr. P. Eric Abercrumbie, A&S ’87
The University of Cincinnati is known for being a leader in the field of diversity — both in visionary and practical terms — and Eric Abercrumbie is one of the people most responsible. His work over the years as a faculty and staff leader at UC, and likewise as a leader in the community, has affected the lives of countless students, colleagues and citizens.
Throughout his career, Abercrumbie has been driven to help create greater equity of opportunity for the underrepresented, and his efforts have earned him many distinctions. He is an accomplished educator, administrator, innovator, collaborator, advocate, ambassador and mentor. And through his efforts in those roles at UC, his determination and compassion have altered the institutional landscape.
“He is a consummate humanitarian at heart who has a genuine love for people,” said UC’s One Stop Student Services Director Cecily Goode in nominating Abercrumbie. “As someone who matured during the Civil Rights movement, he has a special affinity for the African American experience and has taken special note as his life’s passion to educate others about the extraordinary impact African Americans have had, and continue to have, on the American experience from which we all have benefited. Without question, the University of Cincinnati has become a more sensitive, race-conscious, diverse institution due to the efforts of Dr. Abercrumbie.”
Dr. Marilyn A. Edmondson, Nur ’62, CECH ’76
The world is unfortunately full of people for whom basic services, opportunities and rights are unavailable due to social structures, cultural barriers, ignorance and prejudice. Fortunately, there are people such as Marilyn Edmondson who devote their lives to breaking through these obstacles and bringing greater hope and better health to those who desperately need it.
Over decades of such service, Dr. Edmondson has served in higher education, in the traditional healthcare field, and in the public sector, yet she has made perhaps her greatest impact working — hands-on and as a tireless advocate — with organizations bringing health-related opportunities to African nations. Currently, her efforts are expended on behalf of the humanitarian organization CARE International, which provides an array of emergency relief, post-disaster rehabilitation, and community-based projects to address countries’ most threatening problems. Said CARE Senior Advocacy Field Coordinator Derreck Kayongo, “[She has] the ability to take the voice of an American empowered woman to lend her experience of local poverty issues and synchronize them to carry weight on a global scale.”
Said Joanne Simmons, former CEO of Murphy-Harpst Children’s Centers (where Dr. Edmondson volunteered from 2004-2010) in her nomination, “The more I have learned about her life, her years of service in Africa and various places around the world, and her huge heart to benefit children and adults in need of medical, psychological, educational and spiritual care, the more I have come to respect and admire this woman of great caring, courage and competence.”
The Mosaic Award is presented to an alumnus/alumna whose leadership enhances our shared community through cultivating collaboration, fostering inclusiveness, championing the cause of the underrepresented, and promoting equity and opportunity for all.
The University of Cincinnati Alumni Association
alumni.association@uc.edu
Toll Free 877-4-UC-ALUM | Main Line 513-556-4344
