9/27/99

Editors: Macedonian businessman Risto Gusterov, U.S. Sen. George Voinovich and Ohio University President Robert Glidden will be available for interviews following a news conference announcing two new Cutler Scholars Awards at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 28, in the Lisagor Room at the National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.

Contact: Ohio University National Media Liaison Dwight Woodward is in Washington Monday and Tuesday prior to the news conference and can be reached at (202) 687-3200; or contact Todd Anderson at (740) 593-1885.

ATHENS, Ohio -- Ohio University's Manasseh Cutler Scholars Program has attracted a benefactor from an unexpected part of the world -- the Republic of Macedonia.

Risto Gusterov of Macedonia will contribute nearly $500,000 to an endowed scholarship program, providing two students from Macedonia with full scholarships for four years of study at Ohio University. The Risto Gusterov-Manasseh Cutler Scholars Awards are the first to be awarded to international students.

"The continuing role of the United States for peace in my part of the world along with education of our youth are key to the future of the Republic of Macedonia," said Gusterov. "As we continue to move to a free-enterprise society, our young people will play a vital role in the years to come. Educating them in the world's strongest economy is the best way to prepare them for their very important future role. I strongly believe in the idea behind the Cutler program."

Based on the Rhodes Scholars Program of Oxford University, the Cutler Scholars Program emphasizes the development of leadership potential and the reinforcement of civic responsibility for undergraduates.

The scholarships are renewable for four years and provide full tuition, room and board, and a stipend for structured summer internships and study abroad.

"I am pleased, and of course, grateful, to Risto Gusterov for providing Cutler Scholarship opportunities to students from Macedonia," Ohio University President Robert Glidden said. "The Cutler Scholars Program is designed to provide transformational leaders' for a global society, and it is especially gratifying that our first international Cutler Scholars will come from Macedonia, a region that represents the very beginnings of Western civilization."

U.S. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, is an Ohio University alumnus with ancestral ties to that region of Europe.

"I am extremely pleased that Mr. Gusterov has bestowed my alma mater with such a generous gift," Voinovich said. "I have often said that an investment in education is the strongest economic development tool there is, and the Gusterov-Cutler Scholars Award will help provide an excellent opportunity for young Macedonians to receive the education they will need to shape the future of their nation. I am certain that the students who utilize this scholarship will contribute greatly to the cultural and academic diversity of Ohio University."

Gusterov, an entrepreneur and businessman, decided to endow the scholarships following talks with Lou Vlasho, a 1959 graduate of Ohio University's College of Business and former president of the Institute of Management Accountants. Vlasho has been working with Macedonian businesses during the last decade.

"Risto was very impressed with the comprehensive nature of the Cutler Scholars Program," said Jack Ellis, vice president emeritus for development and associate director of the Cutler Scholars Program.

Named for Manasseh Cutler, one of the founders of Ohio University, the scholarship program began in 1996 with a pilot group of six scholars. There are 21 Cutler Scholars on the Athens campus this academic year.

"To be considered as a Cutler Scholar, one should be a serious academic student who demonstrates physical vigor and moral strength of character that is translated into scholastic pursuits and ultimately into community involvement," said Charles J. Ping, Ohio University president emeritus and executive director of the Manasseh Cutler Scholars Program.

Founded in 1804, Ohio University is in Athens, Ohio, about 75 miles southeast of Columbus and is the state's oldest university. About 19,200 undergraduate and graduate students are enrolled on the Athens campus with a total of 28,407 students enrolled on the main campus and five regional campuses.

Will Konneker of Ladue, Mo., is chairman of the Cutler Scholars Board of Governors.

For more information on the Cutler Scholars Program, contact Jack Ellis at (740) 593-4271 or e-mail him at ellis@ohio.edu.