New Emeriti Center Hires Interim Director, Looks Ahead to Annual Recognition Dinner

To further the valuable connections between the University of Cincinnati and its emeriti professors, Interim Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Peter E. Landgren recently supported the hiring of Professor Emerita Patricia Mezinskis as the first interim executive director of the new UC Emeriti Center. 

“It is so important that we bolster our relationship with the talented emeriti who continue to make contributions to further the success of our university and positively impact our city,” said Landgren. “Pat will continue to help us expand and grow existing partnerships ensuring our dedicated emeriti continue to be engaged across all facets of the university.”

Since a new Emeriti Board was elected more than three years ago, the

Emeriti Association

’s activity participation has significantly increased. These activities include an annual Recognition and Appreciation Dinner for new emeriti, an Undergraduate Mentorship Program where emeriti mentor undergraduates in research and scholarship projects, a Luncheon Speakers Series in collaboration with the Faculty Club, improving benefits for emeriti, and more.

This year the 4th-annual Emeriti Recognition and Appreciation Dinner will take place at

6 p.m., Tuesday, May 16

, at the Faculty Club Banquet Room in Varsity Village. Hosted by the provost in partnership with UC Foundation, the event will honor and welcome 35 new emeriti. Vice Provost Matt Serra will again lead this year’s celebration as Master of Ceremonies. 

Invitees to the dinner include new and existing emeriti with their spouses, the Emeriti Board, deans and President Neville Pinto. The president will join speakers, including Provost Landgren, UC Foundation Vice President Dee Robinson, Emeriti Board President Carl Huether, among others, in offering words of strong appreciation for new emeriti and retiring Emeriti Board members. As part of their entrepreneurial project, students from the Carl H. Lindner College of Business have produced small tokens of appreciation to give to the new emeriti.

It was at last year’s recognition dinner that host Beverly Davenport, past provost at UC, announced the formal creation of the new Emeriti Center at UC. The center will support the association’s mission of celebrating the role of retired UC faculty and extending their university affiliation by continuing, improving, and developing a variety of events to benefit the university, as well as emeriti. The center will provide retired faculty with continued intellectual stimulation and social interactions, while retaining a strong relationship with the university.

Carl Huether, president of the Emeriti Association, puts it this way: “Providing a place to which faculty can retire that includes increased opportunity for scholarly engagement, intellectual enrichment, camaraderie, and maintenance of professional identity, the Emeriti Center will help to promote a culture that values the emeriti’s contributions to the UC community”

For more information, contact

Patricia Mezinskis

or

Carl Huether

.