Falcon Proud

They’re healing patients. Making dreams come true. Reimagining technology. Protecting, informing or entertaining us. BGSU’s young alumni are making a difference, challenging their peers, and shaking up their industries. Remember the faces of these young Falcons. All are already earning accolades in the first 15 years of their careers. Despite diverse passions and professions, they have one thing in common: they haven’t forgotten how their BGSU education prepared them for excellence. Read about why these outstanding young professionals are Falcon Proud.

Brice Baars ’12

Quality OperationsTechnical Associate
Pfizer Inc.

As a quality operations technical associate, chemist Brice Baars ’12 tests the active ingredients used to make drugs at Pfizer Inc.’s manufacturing plant in Kalamazoo, Mich. He uses a method called gas chromatography to test ingredients to ensure the final product meets the highest quality and safety standards.

“It’s really fast paced,” said Baars, whose laboratory handles all the testing at the plant. “I’ll get something I need to test in two hours, or four hours or eight hours, depending on when we need to get results.”

Baars earned a bachelor of science in pharmaceutical sciences from the University of Toledo in 2008, but after working in the field for three years, he decided it wasn’t for him.

“I dealt a lot with insurance companies and spent a lot of time on the phone dealing with third parties, and I really wasn’t interested in that,” Baars said. “I was more interested in the chemistry side of it.”

So he applied to BGSU to obtain a master’s degree in chemistry, with a specialization in photochemical sciences. He worked with Dr. Thomas Kinstle, emeritus professor of chemistry, on research including finding ways to detect explosives using photochemistry. Baars recommended the science and pharmaceutical fields to students debating what career to pursue.

“The pharmaceutical industry is always going to be there,” Baars said. “You think of the baby boomers and they’ll all be retiring, and the older you get the more likely you will take prescriptions. So, it’s an important field to consider.”

Kevin Beebee ’06

Company Manager
‘Wicked’ National Tour

As company manager for the national tour of the hit Broadway musical “Wicked,” Kevin Beebee ’06 gets the Wizard of Oz mantra, “There’s no place like home.”

Simplifying life on the road for the 75-member cast and crew is an important aspect of Beebee’s role. Tasks that are simple from home — finding a doctor or a car — get tricky as a guest in a new city.

Beebee and his team help with such personal complications during days as long as 16 hours while also managing ticket sales, issuing paychecks, and hiring nearly 50 locals in each host city.

Beebee transferred to BGSU after summer work at the Huron Playhouse, run by BGSU students and faculty. Margaret McCubbin, associate professor in the Department of Theatre and Film and costumer, offered Beebee his first industry contacts. And after theater business manager Shaun Moorman ’95 was recruited to Broadway by Dean Greer ’85 in 2005, Moorman helped Beebee get there, too. Moorman and Beebee continue to recruit Falcons.

Beebee’s Broadway career began with a credit on “Curtains,” and then he took up with the “Legally Blonde” tour. He needed a break after 18 months on the road, and fortunately the risk of quitting without a gig paid off. He landed at the New York City production of “Wicked,” and has traveled with both U.S. tours and all of the show’s companies.

Stage life means collecting certain skills. Packing? Beebee keeps an out-of-season item at hand in case snow turns to sun. Choosing theater seats? Choose the balcony or middle for the best view. Job hunting? Your good name is everything: a truth Beebee knows will apply to any vocation.

Jessica Canter ’04

Surface Texture Artist
Hollywood

Jessica Canter ’04 grew up watching Disney movies. She adored the “Lion King,” “Aladdin” and “The Little Mermaid.” But she never imagined she’d one day be helping to make animated films herself.
Now Canter, who holds a bachelor’s degree in digital arts, is a professional surface texture artist. She recently completed six years of employment at DreamWorks Animation, working on major
movies such as “Kung Fu Panda,” “Monsters vs. Aliens,” “Shrek 4” and “The Croods.”

Canter paints objects, backgrounds and characters in movies, using digital tools on a computer. Her work includes the “Punch Monkey” and the canyon where the family lives in “The Croods,” the fireworks factory in “Kung Fu Panda 2,” Fiona’s clothes and armor in “Shrek 4,” and the taco truck and tomato plant in “Turbo.”

 “The first couple of movies I watched, no matter how many times I watched it … every time something that I worked on came up on screen I was like, that’s mine, that’s mine!” Canter said. “It’s really exciting.”

Canter credits her studies at Bowling Green with inspiring her to work in the animation industry, and getting her started with the skills and artistic training she needed to get there. She went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts in Digital Effects at Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia.
The alumna left DreamWorks in July to spend time with her new baby. She now works as a professor at the Gnomon School of Visual Effects in Hollywood.

Lamandren Derrick, Ph.D. ’09

Workplace Organization Specialist
Chrysler Group, LLC

It takes enormous behind-the-scenes effort to keep the wheels of a big company turning smoothly, especially when it’s an automotive giant like Chrysler Group, LLC.

Dr. Lamandren Derrick ’09, a workplace organization specialist at Chrysler, plays a key role in that effort. He oversees about 60 people a day helping them understand and adhere to company policies, making sure their skills are up-to-date, and advising them on how to get the most from their jobs or their team. He also formulates new procedures aimed at helping the company run more effectively.

Derrick got his start in organizational development in 1998, after he graduated from the University of Dayton with a master’s degree in counseling psychology and worked as an organizational development specialist. After seven years, he came to BGSU for a master’s degree in organizational change and a doctorate in education, specializing in leadership and policy studies.

“BGSU is world-renowned for their education program, and I wanted to be a part of that,” Derrick said. “I had great professors like Dr. Patrick Pauken and Dr. Judy Jackson May. They were a great support and very knowledgeable in what they do.”

Although he graduated in a difficult job market, he said persistence helped him succeed.

“I believe that knocking on every door is the key to success and growth,” Derrick said. “Every no you receive from a job interview puts you that much closer to a yes.”

Chelsea Dobbs ’11

Events and Campaign Coordinator
Make-A-Wish

It was a voicemail message Chelsea Dobbs ’11 knew she’d keep forever.

Five-year-old Destiny was on her way to Disney World when she dialed Dobbs, the Make-A-Wish employee who helped make her Disney dream a reality.

“She was so excited to see the Disney princesses, she was screaming,” said Dobbs. “I was actually kind of happy that I’d missed the call because I got it all on voicemail, and it meant so much to me.”

Even before graduating from BGSU’s tourism and event planning program, Dobbs was helping Make-A-Wish raise funds allowing children with life-threatening conditions to live out their dreams. She completed an internship at Make-A-Wish’s Toledo office, and has been with the organization ever since.

In 2013, Dobbs moved to the Sacramento, Calif., suburb of Folsom to be with her fiancé and Falcon Flame, Bryan Skinner ’11. She is an events and campaign coordinator for Make-A-Wish’s northeastern California and northern Nevada chapter. She organizes fundraising walks and helps plan silent auctions, galas and other fundraising events.

Dobbs aspires to one day open her own event planning business, but says Make-A-Wish will likely remain part of her life.

Eric Edelstein ’00

Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Reno Aces

It took Eric Edelstein ’00 just two years to achieve the goal he set for himself after graduating from BGSU with a bachelor’s degree in sport organization management: become general manager of a minor league baseball team.

Today, having managed not just one, but three, baseball teams — the Jamestown Jammers, the Wichita Wranglers and the Northwest Arkansas Naturals — Edelstein is currently executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Reno Aces, a Triple-A team in Reno, Nev., and an affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Edelstein took over leadership of the Aces in June after 13 years working for Rich Baseball Operations, a subdivision of food company Rich Products Corp., which owns several baseball teams. He oversaw a 300-percent boost in net profit for the Wichita Wranglers over his three years as general manager. Then, when the company moved the team to Springdale, Ark., Edelstein moved with them and grew the business into one of the top-earning Double-A baseball franchises.

 “Someone told me early on that if you really want to excel in the sports industry, if you want to move up, you’ve got to move around,” Edelstein said.  “I’ve taken all the jobs nobody wanted and eventually I got the job everybody wanted.”

Edelstein said his studies at BGSU, internships and a practicum with the Cleveland Indians were instrumental in getting him started on the career of his dreams. He advised other students hoping to enter the sports field to take advantage of networking opportunities and gain experience while still at school.

Katrina Ellis ’05

Biology Teacher
Olentangy Liberty High School

Teaching isn’t just a job for Katrina Ellis ’05. It’s a passion. The biology teacher at
Olentangy Liberty High School, in Powell, Ohio, makes up songs about nucleotides,
gets students to build DNA chains out of paper, and acts out being an enzyme in front of her class.

Ellis always knew she wanted to be a teacher. Her mother taught elementary school, and as a child Ellis would accompany her to class and watch her work. She loved science too, thanks to her grandfather, who spent time explaining to her how plants grow.

At BGSU, Ellis was thrilled not only with her teacher-preparation, but also with the science instruction, from geology to genetics to snake husbandry. And she was surprised at how quickly she landed the job of her dreams thanks to a spontaneous conversation with Olentangy’s principal at the BGSU Teacher Job Fair.

“I just stopped by to say ‘hi’ and ended up with a job in one of the best schools in Ohio,” Ellis said. “It was pretty fantastic.”

Ellis’ passion for teaching is evident in her students’ test scores, and in the awards she’s received. Her students consistently perform above average in state exams assessing college readiness. In 2012, she was recognized as Teacher of the Year at Olentangy. And in 2012 and 2013 she was named as a Celebrate Teaching’s Distinguished Educator by the national nonprofit organization Battelle for Kids.

Colette (Neirouz) Hanna ’04

Coordinating Producer
Kirk Documentary Group

Colette (Neirouz) Hanna ’04 has helped produce more than 25 films for “FRONTLINE,” the national news documentary series on PBS. She is the coordinating producer for Kirk Documentary Group based in Boston, a company that has made hundreds of films on behalf of the PBS series.

Neirouz Hanna influences a documentary film at every stage of the process — from negotiating project budgets and organizing production schedules to researching archival footage and photography to helping with final edits. Of the 25 films she’s worked on, six were recognized with Emmy awards and one with a Peabody award. The BGSU Department of Journalism & Public Relations honored Neirouz Hanna with the 2009 Currier Young Professionals Award.

Journalism appealed to her since high school, and during her early years as a BGSU student, she worked at the BG News and interned at a newspaper and TV station in her hometown of Cincinnati. But Neirouz Hanna’s vision of her journalism career changed as a student employee of WBGU-TV, the PBS affiliate on campus. She was a junior working on a live local news program when a “FRONTLINE” documentary called “The Taking of Logan Marr” happened to be airing on WBGU control room monitors. The detailed, thoughtful account of a child who died in foster care inspired her interest in long-form broadcast journalism.

Dr. Katherine Bradshaw, associate professor of journalism, encouraged her to apply for a “FRONTLINE” internship. Meanwhile, Dr. Tom Mascaro, associate professor of telecommunications, answered her frequent questions about documentary filmmaking. She keeps in touch with both who, she said, “keep in touch with me about our films they watch. It’s great to still be connected
with them.”

David A. Iannicca ’03, MSEd., ATC, CSCS, PES, CES

Certified Athletic Trainer
Omaha Storm Chasers

When players for the Triple-A baseball team Omaha Storm Chasers get injured on the field or during practice, certified athletic trainer David Iannicca ’03 is there to help. Iannicca, who holds a bachelor’s degree in athletic training and clinic management, is an athletic trainer for the Omaha team, an affiliate of major league club Kansas City Royals. He’s in charge of keeping 25 players in top shape.

During the baseball season, which runs April through September, Iannicca’s workdays often go from 11 a.m. until midnight, packed with rehabilitation sessions, training practice, and paperwork. He has worked with the Omaha Storm Chasers and other Kansas City Royals affiliates since 2007. During the off-season he returns to Virginia Beach, Va. and provides medical care for high school, middle school and physical therapy clinic athletes under a local hospital program. He holds a master’s degree in education with a focus in athletic training from Old Dominion University.

Iannicca credits his professors at Bowling Green with getting him started on his career path, particularly Chris Schommer, a senior lecturer in the School of Human Movement, Sport and Leisure Studies, whose introductory course on athletic training that sparked Iannicca’s interest in the field, the alumnus said.

Even with two degrees and multiple certifications under his belt, Iannicca emphasized that it’s important for anyone working in sports medicine to keep up-to-date with new research, training and rehabilitation techniques.

“Things are always changing,” Iannicca said. “You’ve got to be a student for life.”

Jim Liu ’00

Procurement Agent
Boeing

Whether delivering humanitarian aid after a natural disaster or supplies to American troops in combat, the Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter has proven to be one of the most reliable cargo aircrafts used by the U.S. military since the Vietnam War.  A BGSU alumnus is helping advance that legacy.

Jim Liu ’00 is a procurement agent for the aerospace giant Boeing. His job is to acquire components of the dual-rotor helicopter, which is known in the flight industry to be the “workhorse helicopter for the military.”

“Even if our country is not at war, this helicopter has quite a lot of uses,” Liu said, adding that the CH-47 model was used to deliver water to cool the Fukushima nuclear plant damaged during the 2011 tsunami in Japan.

Despite the growing public curiosity about unmanned aircrafts or drones, Liu remains confident in the staying power of the Chinook. In June 2013, the U.S. Army committed to spend $4 billion to acquire nearly 200 CH-47 Chinook helicopters from Boeing, which continues to modernize this classic aircraft style. That’s why Liu focuses on building long-term relationships with his suppliers, because his product promises to remain relevant for a long time.

Liu joined the Fortune 100 company six years ago and counts his proudest achievement as being hired by Boeing, which is known to be extremely selective in hiring as a global leader in aviation technology.

Sarah (Koch) Petrucci ’10

Watercraft Officer
Ohio Department of Natural Resources

“There’s no such thing as a typical day,” said Sarah (Koch) Petrucci ’10, a watercraft officer for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Watercraft. “You could be out on patrol for a week straight, and then the whole next week you could have boating education classes or safety days.”

After she graduated from BGSU with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, Petrucci became a juvenile correctional officer. While she managed to have a positive impact on some of the children, Petrucci was troubled by the number of repeat young offenders. She enrolled in the Sandusky Police Academy to prepare for a position that would allow her to work preventively with youth.

However, it was a different kind of policing job that caught Petrucci’s eye once she’d completed her academy training. The state was seeking watercraft officers, and Petrucci, a fan of watersports since she was a child, knew it would be something she’d enjoy. So she completed another round of training and graduated as a watercraft officer with the Ohio State Highway Patrol Training Academy in 2012.

“I’m very happy. Instead of driving around in a patrol car we’re on these really nice big patrol boats out on Lake Erie. There’s a lot of freedom out on the water.”

Petrucci said she still keeps in touch with her professors at BGSU, particularly Dr. Philip Stinson, assistant professor of criminal justice, whom she sometimes contacts for advice on law–related questions.

Lisa Pierson ’08

Information Technology
Cardinal Health

As an information technology professional in Cardinal Health’s strategic pricing unit, Lisa Pierson ’08 and her team design systems to transform ideas into new business practices.

Pierson doesn’t stay behind a desk writing code. As a project manager, she identifies inefficiencies, collaborates on solutions and critically evaluates results. In an early victory, Pierson built a better Web-based tool for sales staff to test new pricing strategies for customers, leading to higher customer satisfaction and increased profits for Cardinal Health.

“They let me fly out to the pilot group and present it,” Pierson said. “I literally got a standing ovation from the group. It was so cool, such a cool moment.”

As an undergraduate in computer science at BGSU, Pierson found a solid mentor in Dr. Julie Barnes, executive associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and a group of lifelong friends of varied interests in the honors program.

Pierson will soon complete her master’s degree in organizational development through the executive program at BGSU Levis Commons in Perrysburg, Ohio. With encouragement from her superiors at Cardinal Health, she was the youngest professional in the BGSU master’s cohort of rising executives.
“Having a great idea doesn’t necessarily mean things are going to change,” Pierson said, explaining the program. “You need to know how to approach that change in order to enact it into an organization.”

Kristin Ryan, M.D. ’00

Surgical Oncologist
OhioHealth, Grant Medical Center

Kristin Ryan ’00, a surgical oncologist at OhioHealth’s Grant Medical Center in central Ohio, begins patient relationships with a difficult conversation.

 She is often the first to confirm a cancer diagnosis, but doesn’t let her patients make treatment decisions without a frank discussion of the challenges and likelihood of recovery.

“Some patients are 75 years old, and say, ‘I want to do everything. I don’t care if I have feeding tubes.’ But some patients may make a very different decision based on our conversation,” Ryan said. “Probably what they appreciate the most is the honesty.”

The dream of becoming a physician took root early. Since age 8, Ryan has visited doctors frequently as an insulin-dependent diabetic. That experience as a patient informed her approach as a physician, whether she’s treating a terminally ill patient or performing routine surgery.

At BGSU Firelands. Todd Marshall ’85, a lecturer in biology, was a major influence, as was Dr. Tom Kinstle ’58, emeritus professor of chemistry, at the Bowling Green campus when she transferred. She also appreciates Dr. Lee Meserve, Distinguished Teaching Professor of biological sciences, who took special care in mentoring her as she prepared medical school applications.

In the future, Ryan hopes to expand her own role in educating the next generation of doctors and to help design “a more system-based cancer care” strategy, she said. Her focus never waivers: most important is the experience of her patients.

Bryan Skinner ’11

Scheduling Engineer
Kiewit Construction

For as long as Bryan Skinner ’11 can remember, he’s been asking, “How did they build that?”

That’s how Skinner knew BGSU’s construction management and technology program was for him.
After graduating, Skinner worked briefly for Miller Pipeline before Kiewit Construction hired him first as a field engineer for its extensive San Diego airport construction project, then as a scheduling engineer near Sacramento, Calif., where the company is constructing a new auxiliary spillway at the Folsom Dam, which will reduce flood risk for the region.

“Being with Kiewit has just been a dream because they’re one of the top construction companies to work for in the United States,” Skinner said. “It really doesn’t get any better.”

Skinner’s fiancee and Falcon Flame, Chelsea Dobbs ’11, (see page 19) has since moved to California, too. They plan to marry in 2015.  

 While his current role with Kiewit will end in 2016, Skinner said he hopes to continue with the company and is excited about where he might land next. Kiewit’s West Coast employees can end up being placed as far as Alaska, Canada or even Hawaii.

“Construction is a job where you have to be prepared to go where the work is, and also know that it’s not an easy business. It’s a lot of stress and a lot of hours,” Skinner said. “But there’s never been any doubt in my mind that this is what I wanted to do.”

Clayton Stewart ’07

Buyer
Ford Motor Company

As a buyer with Ford Motor Co. in Detroit, Clayton Stewart ’07 sources components of axels, automatic transmissions and rear-wheel drive units. Acquiring at the multimillion-dollar level means managing “quality, timing and cost,” Stewart said.

Since Stewart entered the workforce, the automotive industry has weathered public scrutiny and financial troubles. Stewart classifies such road bumps as evolution.

“The industry has been transforming itself since Henry Ford built the first Model T,” he said. “Its been trying to consistently find new ways of doing things quicker, faster, more cost effective. Some people see it as super stressful and they leave automotive, and others, that’s what they like about it.”

While a student, Stewart said he admired and took communication cues from Dr. Mary Ellen Benedict, Distinguished Teaching Professor in economics, and Sherideen Stoll, chief financial officer and vice president for finance and administration at BGSU, who “had a good way of breaking things down so I understood them.”

“The biggest thing that BG taught me was how to listen and how to communicate,” he said.
Stewart stays connected to his alma mater, and recently partnered with another young alumnus to become co-leaders of the Detroit Alumni Chapter.

Dr. Ginger Sturgeon ’00

Director of Animal Health
Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium

As director of Animal Health at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium, Dr. Ginger Sturgeon ’00 leads a team of five zoo veterinary staff who care for the 475 species in residence. Some days, Sturgeon’s job involves routine care such as giving vaccines to big cats like the Amur leopard and lions. Other days it is more of a challenge, like treating a sea anemone that swallowed a hamster ball twice its size.

“Every minute, every hour and every day is different and that is what keeps my job interesting,” said Sturgeon.

Her career has taken her to Africa to save three African elephants and to the coasts of the southeastern United States to rescue critically ill sea turtles during the 2010 BP oil spill. Her proudest moment is the birth of an endangered black rhino — the first calf born in more than 45 years at the zoo.

“The birth of a black rhino calf is so important,” said Sturgeon. “This calf is not only an ambassador for the species, which helps us to educate and promote conservation efforts, but she is also the first of her bloodline. This means that she is introducing new DNA to help to strengthen the population.”

Sturgeon said that her start to success came from her biology classes at BGSU and especially from her professors Dr. Paul Moore, professor of biological sciences, and Dr. Lee Meserve, Distinguished Teaching Professor of biological sciences, who constantly engaged their students and built excitement for their career choices. Her advice to other students is to study hard but still make time for relationships with friends, faculty and staff.

“I will always remember my time at BGSU,” said Sturgeon. “The professors really took the time to get to know each one of us and to help and guide everyone in the right direction.”

Editor’s note: With more than 170,000 living alumni, BGSU has more success stories than this magazine can hold. New stories are added every week to the University’s homepage banner, so visit www.bgsu.edu to see who else is Falcon Proud!