Ohio University's College of Arts and Sciences Presents First Distinguished Alumni Awards
Contact: Diana Beeson, (740) 597-1633 or beeson@ohiou.edu
ATHENS, Ohio (October 13, 2000) -- Ohio University's College of Arts and Sciences will present the first Distinguished Alumni Awards to three university alumni at ceremonies Friday, Oct. 13, in the Baker University Center Ballroom. President Robert Glidden and College of Arts and Sciences Dean Leslie Flemming will present the awards to John Heller, Catherine Hall Roberts and David Wilhelm. Ohio University graduate and author Karen Kurtz Harper will deliver the keynote address at the awards dinner.
The first person to receive a doctorate in biochemistry from Ohio University, Heller is responsible for one of the first breakthroughs in detecting the virus that causes AIDS. Heller, who has coauthored some 26 publications, including articles that have appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association, led a team of researchers in developing the world's first commercially viable test for the presence and concentration of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Heller is the director of research and development at Abbott Laboratories Diagnostic Division in Abbott Park, Ill.
"He is an internationally recognized expert in the field," said Kenneth Brown, chair of Ohio University's Chemistry and Biochemistry Department. "He's received several awards for his work in AIDS research."
Becoming the first woman to serve as president of a public university in Ohio in 1989, Roberts, who received a master's degree and a doctorate in English from Ohio University, held dual positions at Shawnee State University as secretary to the Board of Trustees and assistant to the provost when she was appointed interim president of the university. After overseeing the successful search for a new president, she served as assistant to the president until she left for three months to serve with the International Executive Service Corps in Tapolca and Mezokovesd, Hungary. Spending seven years as a member of the Ohio Humanities Council, including two years as chair, she was one of 26 Ohioans appointed to the Ohio Joint Program in the Arts and Humanities. She worked with the joint program for four years, including three years as chair. Currently, she is a part-time faculty member in the English and management departments at the Ohio University Southern Campus, where she teaches business communications, English composition and literature.
"She has demonstrated and acknowledged how a liberal arts education has fostered her ability to be a valuable contributor to her local, state and even global communities," said Arthur Woolley, chair of Ohio University's English Department.
After President Bill Clinton's successful run for the presidency in 1992, Wilhelm became the youngest person in U.S. history to lead a major political party when the president named him chair of the Democratic National Committee. Previously, Wilhelm had managed victorious campaigns in 1989 and 1991 for Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and served as campaign director for Paul Simon's successful bid for the U.S. Senate in 1984. Earning his bachelor's degree in political science from Ohio University and a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, he is a senior policy fellow at Ohio University's George Voinovich Center for Leadership and Public Affairs. Currently, he is president of Wilhelm and Conlon Public Strategies, a Chicago based public affairs and economic development firm. His firm is responsible for establishing the Appalachian Ohio Development Fund, a fund administered through the Regional Enterpreneurship Initiative at the Voinovich Center.
"Throughout his career, David Wilhelm has been a strong advocate for the economic interests of middle and lower income families," said Michael Mumper, chair of Ohio University's Political Science Department. "He helps people by affecting public policy at all levels."
Delivering the keynote address at the alumni awards dinner, Harper will present "Plotting from a Rich Past: A Writer's Memories of 'Harvard on the Hocking'."
Southeastern Ohio and the Ohio University campus are the settings for Harper's forthcoming book, "Shaker Run," a mystery due in bookstores in May. Harper, a graduate of Ohio University, is the author of more than 30 historical novels and contemporary suspense and historical mysteries.
The three recipients of the first College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Alumni Awards were selected by the Dean's Advisory committee, a group made up of alumni, from nominations submitted by the chairs of the 19 academic departments in the college. The awards ceremony will become an annual event.
