Honored Alumni Give Credit to Liberal Arts Backgrounds for Career Successes

“What can you do with a Classics major?” asked University of Cincinnati Associate Professor Kathleen Lynch. “Well, you can become the official sculptor for Major League Baseball.”

Lynch referred to Tom Tsuchiya, who graduated from the UC College of Arts and Sciences in 1995 and has since gone on to international acclaim for his classically inspired art. His work can be found in coveted spaces near Cincinnati landmarks, including Great American Ball Park, the Reds Hall of Fame Museum and both UC’s and Xavier University’s campus areas.

Tsuchiya accepted the distinguished alumni award at a dinner that kicked off the college’s Homecoming festivities. Lynch, who nominated the classics alumnus, introduced him by showing a slideshow of his work. From Joe Morgan and Johnny Bench of the Cincinnati Reds’ Big Red Machine to the Bengals’ Anthony Munoz, who will be featured in a new sculpture for the National Football League, Tsuchiya’s monumental artwork is infused with both power and humanity. 

As he accepted his award, Tsuchiya explained that the classes he took as an undergraduate trained him to appreciate the human dimension of large-scale work. By studying Greek statues of gods and goddesses, he learned how to embody stone figures with energy and life.

He also learned valuable problem-solving skills in his liberal arts classes, he said. Experiencing classes in a wide range of disciplines expanded his views about the world as well as his exposure to people whose backgrounds and ideologies differed from his own. Tsuchiya used what he learned as he approached each new project, infusing each of his designs with subtle nods to his classical roots and environmental sensibilities.

Tsuchiya’s work, which includes the Bearcat sculpture that sits opposite campus on Calhoun Street, often encompasses environmental themes. His internationally acclaimed sculpture, Atlas Recycled, illustrates the Greek Titan holding up a globe made of recycled maps. Atlas himself is also constructed of recycled materials, and in his original incarnation served as a repository for public recycling. After constructing additional Atlas sculptures for various uses, Tsuchiya plans to loan the college his original. Plans are underway to display the piece in the lobby of Blegen, home to the Classics Department.

In addition to honoring a distinguished graduate, this year the college inaugurated a young alumni award to recognize an early-career stand-out. Winner Ciera Graham, who received her PhD in sociology in 2015, was recognized as both an accomplished scholar and an inspiring mentor. 

Graham now serves as the associate director of student services and Title IX coordinator at her undergraduate alma mater, Washington State University. Her nominator, Isatu Bah, is a current student whose academic experience as a first-generation college student was greatly impacted by Graham’s support.

“Ciera is the epitome of hard work and dedication,” Bah wrote in her nomination letter. She explained how Graham went far above and beyond when coaching the freshman on how to build a stronger resume, then remained a source of support and inspiration as Bah navigated the unfamiliar territory of higher education.

Even as she supported other students at all levels, Graham excelled in her own research. She focused on the sociology of education, higher education in particular, and called upon her own experiences as a first-generation college student as well as the experiences of those around her. Her drive to understand the experiences of African American students at predominantly white institutions, and in particular to study their perceptions of black campus organizations, drew high praise from faculty on her dissertation committee. It also won her a Taft Graduate Enrichment Award and a graduate research award.

The recipient of a prestigious Albert C. Yates Scholarship for graduate studies, Graham wasted no time getting involved on campus and in the Cincinnati community. As she climbed, she lifted up those around her — in student groups, in tutoring sessions and in volunteer work in Cincinnati schools. 

At the alumni awards dinner, she thanked those who had supported her journey as well as those who had challenged her. She acknowledged that the road to success wasn’t smooth, but even its bumps provided important lessons she can share with students she works with on a daily basis. For Graham, building bridges of understanding is a way of life.

Surrounded by her nominator, her mother and college faculty, staff and students, Graham ended her acceptance of her award with a motto for Homecoming and beyond: “Go Bearcats!”