UC College of Arts and Sciences to celebrate alumni awards

Connell will receive the Philanthropist of the Year award, which is awarded to an alumnus who has been highly engaged in philanthropic activities at A&S, or made a significant impact on the college.

Connell is co-founder of Capo Initiative, A Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultancy. A former executive with P&G, SYSCO and Shell Oil, she is also a member of the Forbes Coaches Council, an invitation-only organization for business and career coaches. In addition, she has served as an adjunct professor of management at Rice University, North Central College, Aurora University and Benedictine University.

Having graduated from A&S in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, Connell reconnected with the college in 2019 as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board. With a passion for supporting students, she created The Shannon Finn Connell Family Endowed Scholarship. During the pandemic, she directed her support to funding that could become available to students who needed immediate support to help keep them enrolled, and on a path to graduation.

“Over the past two years, students have needed more support than ever," Connell said. "Our philanthropic focus was to make an impact on the students in greatest need, to mitigate economic hardships some students faced at a disproportionate level during the pandemic. Staying in school was not easy for everyone, and we are honored to know that our efforts made a difference in support of equity and inclusion.”

Victorian will receive the Outstanding Young Alumni award, which is designated for an alumnus under age 40 with significant achievements in their field, and who is actively involved with the university.

After starting her career in medical publishing, Victorian started over as a freelancer with MadameNoire, where she became lead editor. There, she told stories that intentionally celebrated Black women's achievements, and the diversity of the Black female voice and experiences.

After eight years, she moved to Essence Magazine, where she serves as senior entertainment editor. Victorian has been profiled by Pose magazine, and featured on Jezebel and on the talk show The Real. She also has been invited to share her thoughts on Black women and culture with ESPNW, Yahoo!, News Live, Pix 11, CBS Radio, The Cheddar Life, and the Root.

While in medical publishing, Victorian was the first woman and African-American editor-in-chief of The Hearing Journal. She was also honored by the American Society of Healthcare Publication Editors for her reporting.

Of her award, Victorian says: "Realizing I am a Black woman journalist who was chosen to be recognized by a predominantly white institution among so many worth alumni was a moment I never knew to dream about, and it only reinforced the pride I have in choosing to study at the University of Cincinnati."

The event also will recognize the impact donors make for A&S students each year by providing more than $1,258,000 in scholarships. 

A Night With A&S will be held April 6 at 6 p.m. at Tangeman University Center, Great Hall, 2600 Clifton Ave. The event is complimentary but registration is required by March 28, and guests may register here.

Featured image at top: Aerial view of UC's Uptown west campus.