UC Alumni, Chicagoland Bearcats, to be recognized at annual Chicagoans for Cincy! Celebration
The 2024 Chicagoans for Cincy! Celebration recognizes the many contributions and overall excellence of UC alumni in the Chicagoland area, honors three outstanding Bearcats, and raises funds for student scholarships.
The University of Cincinnati Alumni Association and the Chicagoans for Cincy! Celebration committee, a group of dedicated alumni living in the Chicago area, will honor three outstanding Bearcats at this year’s annual Chicagoans for Cincy! Celebration. The event will take place Thursday, May 9 at 6 p.m. at Loft Lucia in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood.
2024 Chicagoans for Cincy! Honorees
David W. Jaberg, PhD, Bus '90, '92. Photo/provided.
Outstanding Achievement Award
David W. Jaberg, PhD, Bus ’90, ’92
David Jaberg is President & CEO of GX2 Systems and its wholly owned broker-dealer subsidiary, GX2 Spread Markets. After beginning in the financial industry as a runner in the treasury futures pits at the Chicago Board of Trade, he now has over 30 years of experience in proprietary trading, principally in relative value treasury yield curve trading, statistical arbitrage, and market making. Jaberg’s recent focus is leading projects that integrate the vast possibilities of technology into the objective of increasing the profitability of trade.
Savannah F. Bell, Bus '12. Photo/provided.
Distinguished Service Award
Savannah F. Bell, Bus ’12
Savannah Bell is Manager of Competency Based Education supporting schools in the State of Illinois’s CBE Pilot, as well as Chicago schools transitioning to proficiency-based learning environments. As an alumna, Savannah became a Teach for America elementary school teacher on the South Side of Chicago, an assignment that turned into a life-changing passion for working with children and trying to dismantle inequities in K-12 education. A leading alumni network volunteer, Bell co-chaired the Chicagoans for Cincy! Celebration several times and created Chicago’s annual BreweryWatch Fundraiser which benefits the scholarship fund.
Antwone D. Cameron, CAHS '14, CECH '15. Photo/provided.
Rising Star Award
Antwone D. Cameron, CAHS ’14, CECH ’15
Antwone Cameron is Dean of Students at Chicago State University; previously he held the same role at Thomas More University in northern Kentucky. An advocate for student success, he is nearing the completion of his doctoral degree studies, guided by a passionate support for higher education, envisioning himself a catalyst for transformative change. His dedication to fostering inclusivity and representation within academia reflects his deep-seated commitment to equity.
“The Chicagoans for Cincy! Celebration is a wonderful way for us to bring UC alumni together annually,” said Chicagoans for Cincy! Co-chair Bruce Hopple. “This event allows the opportunity for Chicagoland Bearcats to celebrate the accomplishments and success of their fellow alumni, raise funds for students, and re-connect with one another and their alma mater. The connection between Chicago and the University of Cincinnati has been an important one that continues to grow.”
The Chicagoans for Cincy! Celebration is the primary fundraiser benefiting the Chicagoans for Cincy! Alumni Scholarship Fund which annually supports an incoming, first-year student from Chicagoland attending the University of Cincinnati. The event has raised over $180,000 since its inception. There are more than 4,600 UC alumni living In the Chicago area. From attending an event to networking with fellow alumni, co-op students and prospective students, there are many ways to get involved with the UC Alumni Chicago Network. Learn more on the UC Alumni Association’s website.
Featured image at top of alumni at the 2023 Chicagoans for Cincy! Celebration. Photo/UC Alumni Association.
Victoria Kuhlman, A&S '15, '21
Senior Director, Alumni Engagement
Related Stories
UC Board of Trustees approves $12 million for building design phase for new welcome gateway
March 13, 2026
The UC Board of Trustees approved $12 million at its Feb. 24 meeting for the design phase of a new Welcome Gateway Building for Uptown campus.
John Kelly would like a word
March 10, 2026
A 2012 graduate of UC's Master of Education program, John Kelly's career journey has taken a very interesting path. A bookish kid growing up, the author of MashedRadish.com went on to study English in undergraduate school, then, with a plan to become an educator, he pursued and completed graduate work at UC's School of Education. Life had other plans for John though, and he eventually found himself in a VP role at Dictionary.com. Today, however, he's back in front of students and pursuing a full-time career as an English teacher.
Miniature marvels: A librarian’s lifelong passion finds a home at UC
March 9, 2026
In the mid-1950s Melinda C. Wells Brown moved to Cincinnati to live with her great aunt and became captivated by a collection of miniature Shakespeare plays her great aunt kept on display. Brown came to Cincinnati after the death of her father, and without her great aunt’s guidance and generosity, she would not have been able to continue her education. Her great aunt’s holistic support was instrumental during Brown’s undergraduate studies at the University of Cincinnati — where she worked in the University Library (now known as Blegen Library) and uncovered a deep passion for literature and libraries.