BGSU Zoom News

Monday, May 13, 2019

Quadrangle named in honor of Thompsons/Commencement May 17, 18

The Thompson Scholars gathered with Robert and Ellen Thompson May 10 to celebrate the naming of the Bowen-Thompson Quadrangle.

BGSU names historic quadrangle in recognition of Thompsons’ generosity

Bowling Green State University has named the historic heart of its campus the Bowen-Thompson Quadrangle in honor of the University’s most generous philanthropists – Robert and Ellen (Bowen) Thompson.

More than 300 students and alumni, whose lives have been changed through the Thompsons’ generosity, joined the couple and University officials to dedicate the tree-lined quadrangle in front of University Hall on May 10.

“The generosity of Robert and Ellen Thompson has had a profound, immeasurable impact on Bowling Green State University,” said BGSU President Rodney K. Rogers. “Their commitment to their alma mater has influenced its physical appearance, enhanced the student experience, and has and will continue to transform the lives of thousands of students. There is not a more fitting name for the heart of our Bowling Green campus.”

Bullerjahn on algae blooms - Farm and Dairy
Bowen-Thompson Quadrangle named - 13abc

John Starcher Jr., Mizell Stewart III and Dean Pees

BGSU to honor achievement at commencement May 17, 18

Degree candidates at Bowling Green State University’s commencement ceremonies May 17 and May 18 will hear from alumni who have gone on to distinguished careers in business, journalism and athletics.

The Bowling Green campus will host three ceremonies, all in the Stroh Center. The 7 p.m. Friday event will comprise the Graduate College and the colleges of Business and Health and Human Services. Giving the commencement address will be John Starcher Jr., president and CEO of Bon Secours Mercy Health. As the leader of one of the largest health care systems in the country, he oversees the development of system strategies and operations for 43 Mercy Health and Bon Secours hospitals and more than 1,000 sites of care across Ohio, Kentucky, New York, Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina and Florida. He received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from BSGU in 1993 and a J.D. from the University of Toledo.

The 9 a.m. Saturday commencement for the colleges of Arts and Sciences and Musical Arts will feature an address by Mizell Stewart III, award-winning reporter, top newsroom editor in three states, radio and television broadcaster and corporate news executive. Stewart is a senior news executive for Gannett and the USA Today Network, as well as an adjunct faculty member at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies and the founder of Emerging Leaders LLC, a leadership development consulting firm focused on mid-career professionals. He earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from BGSU in 1994 and a master’s degree from Northern Kentucky University.

OBITUARIES
Wendell Mayo, 65, a professor emeritus of English, died May 6. He joined the Creative Writing faculty in 1996 and retired in 2018. Memorial services are being planned for the fall.

Sheffer honored for enhancing connection of humanities research with community needs

Dr. Jolie Sheffer, director of Bowling Green State University’s Institute for the Study of Culture and Society (ICS), has received the 2019 David Hoch Memorial Award for Excellence in Service. The annual award is designed to recognize and honor the outstanding work in service-learning and/or civic engagement of two faculty or staff members at Ohio Campus Compact member institutions. Also honored was Dr. Mary Ann Studer, dean of the McMaster School for Advancing Humanity at Defiance College.

The president of the college or university must nominate each candidate.

In his nomination of Sheffer, BGSU President Rodney Rogers said, “She does her own community-engaged teaching and research and works closely with our Center for Community and Civic Engagement, but in her role as the leader of a public humanities Institute, she is impacting our campus culture, creating powerful opportunities for students, faculty members and staff to engage with the community and develop their own skills and knowledge to create public good.”

As ICS director, Sheffer, who is also an associate professor of English and American culture studies, has taken the institute to a new level of public engagement, including requiring that its faculty fellows share their scholarship with the public.