Emeriti Connection

Issue No. 21 - September 2022

The UC Digital Futures building Grand Opening is on Sep 23, 2022.

View this email as a Webpage >

Labor Day has come and gone, and summer 2022 is almost over!  This is the time of year when most of us would have been working on our research and teaching responsibilities and experiencing the new energy on campus. Having been on campus a few times recently, I must confess that I miss that “new semester” energy that permeates the campus.   

This season also brings new energy to the Emeriti Association and its Board.  With Antoinette Larken now appointed as our Executive Director, some of that energy is personified by her.  She comes with a host of great ideas for the Association and the Board.  We will be working hard to keep up with her! 

In this issue of our newsletter, you will read about some of the many events the Emeriti Association & Center has planned for this year. Our goal is to offer an ever-increasing variety of activities that will be of interest to our members and will increase member engagement.  We will likely test some new ideas this year and evaluate based on the response.  While not every event will be universally appealing, we hope to find something for everyone!

Your Board had a productive planning retreat in June that will be discussed at the September Board meeting.  Two of the high priority areas from our retreat are well underway: Improved Communication – the Communications Team is already making many improvements about how we communicate; and Office Space – Dean Marianne Lewis has provided office space in Lindner Hall (2412) for the year with likely continuation. Antoinette and I will share this space for meeting with people and conducting Association business.

Other priorities to be worked on are expanded mentoring for senior faculty on the transition to retirement; proactive recruiting of new emeriti into the Association; technical (software and hardware) training and support for emeriti faculty; and moving UC toward becoming an “Age Friendly University”. The Board will determine the next steps required to make progress on these.

I cannot close without a comment on the loss of one of our dear colleagues, Bert Huether.  I have known Bert for many years through Faculty Senate, committees, and work groups.  More recently, he contacted me on my last year on the faculty and asked me to consider applying for the Emeriti Association’s then newly created Executive Director position.  I knew nothing about the Emeriti Association at that time but was certainly impressed by Bert’s passion for the organization.  I told Bert that I really wanted to fully retire with no official responsibilities so I would pass on this opportunity.  If I had not had that discussion with Bert, I probably would not have gotten involved in the Association. Now here I am!  We miss Bert deeply and will work to keep his vision for the Emeriti Association alive.

Best Regards,

Ralph Katerberg

Professor Emeritus, Lindner College of Business

President, UC Emeriti Association

katerbrj@ucmail.uc.edu

Contributed by Pat Mezinskis

I first met Bert Huether when we both served on UC’s Faculty Senate, but I came to know him much better in the last 7 years. In 2015, I was asked to serve on the Emeriti Association Board.  

Bert had singlehandedly resurrected the Emeriti Association. He put together a Board, and though he initially performed all the duties of president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer, he soon had Board members taking on tasks, chairing committees, and becoming officers!

Bert was certainly a man with a vision.  He wanted to empower UC emeriti – to make them feel that though they were retired, they were still important and could continue to be connected to the university.  He knew that emeriti had a great deal of knowledge and experience and if they wanted to teach, do research, become mentors, or serve on committees, he promoted that.  And he wanted the University to recognize what emeriti had to offer.

Bert had researched retirement organizations on university campuses across the country, and found the Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education (AROHE) to be a valuable resource. Soon he was on the national board of AROHE.  He served two terms in this capacity.  He encouraged Board members to attend AROHE’s national conventions and give presentations.  And we did.

Bert began many initiatives, such as the Oral History Project, which he launched along with Gene Lewis.  He spearheaded the creation of emeriti funded scholarships, mentoring of faculty getting ready to retire, and our Luncheon Speaker Series.  He worked early on with the provost to co-sponsor an annual dinner to welcome newly appointed emeriti.

Bert learned that several universities have Emeriti Centers and brought the idea of creating an Emeriti Center at UC to the Board. Board members were given assignments and eventually wrote a proposal that was presented to the provost.  The provost granted the name, but no funding or space!  Was Bert deterred?  Not in the least.  We came back, regrouped, rewrote, and eventually we did get funding for an Executive Director.  We also became involved in the planning of the Faculty Enrichment Center, which has now become our space for meetings and presentations.

As I took on different roles within the Emeriti Association, encouraged by Bert’s leadership, he was there to support me, instill confidence, and send me emails, emails, and more emails – on new ideas, what we might do next, and how to accomplish these goals.  He was constantly thinking of how to grow, reach more emeriti, and get them involved.  And Bert also wanted to promote a sense of camaraderie among emeriti.  So, we had parties, board picnics, and various social gatherings including  pre-parties at CCM concerts.  Bert was a lot of fun. 

Bert had a vision for the Emeriti Center and was an incredible leader.  I learned many things from Bert, but probably the most important was the value of persistence.   Bert simply did not give up.  He was quite a remarkable man and among his many accomplishments in his professional career, he left an invaluable and enduring legacy in our organization.

I am grateful to Bert for the opportunity to serve in the Emeriti Association, for his encouragement, mentoring, role modeling, and most of all, his friendship.  He will be missed.

Pat Mezinskis

Professor Emerita, UCBA Nursing

Former President, UC Emeriti Association

Ratified at UC Board of Trustees meetings, June 28 & August 23, 2022

News & Announcements

UC Clermont Marks 5 Decades

Opened in 1972, UC's Clermont College commemorates its 50th Anniversary Celebration on Thursday, September 22, with dinner and dancing on the college green.

Clermont alumni, retired faculty and community members are encouraged to join faculty and staff at the event.

For information and registration, visit https://ucclermont.edu/50.html. 

Emeriti Scholarship Fund

SUPPORTING GEN-1

The twenty-one members of the Board of the Emeriti Association have pledged gifts to help establish an endowed fund for the Emeriti Scholarship for underrepresented, first-generation undergraduate students at UC.

We, the Board, ask you to partner with us to create the endowment for this scholarship. We need your help to make this a reality!



Make a Gift at: foundation.uc.edu/give

Select the “Search Funds by Name” field and

Enter “Emeriti Scholarship”

Digital Futures Building

Grand Opening

There and Beyond to the Here and Now

Next Lives Here



Last month, Patrick Limbach, Vice-President for Research, gave emeriti a glimpse into updated strategic plans for Next Lives Here.  One aspect of that plan is being realized in the new Digital Futures Building located near the Martin Luther King interchange at I-71 and adjacent to the 1819 Innovation Hub on Reading Road.  All emeriti are invited to the Grand Opening on September 23, 11:30 am – 4:00 pm.  For more information, see the excitement being generated by the opening of this state-of-the-art complex at this blog about next week’s event. 

The 189,000-square-foot facility is home to 17 innovative research labs that are and will be used by interdisciplinary teams of researchers and students focused on creative problem solving to tackle issues encountered across a broad spectrum of society and industry today. For example, Learning by Design is one of several transdisciplinary cooperatives working out of the research laboratories in the new facility. The three co-leaders of Learning by Design (Professors Renée Seward, Allison Breit-Smith, and Dr. Ying Guo) collaborate with researchers and designers in Communication Design, Education, Communication Sciences and Disorders, and Education Psychology and partner with stakeholders external to UC.

Photos: Dr. Michael Jones and a mining rig in the Kautz-Uible Cryptoeconomics Lab. Two of the other 15+ Advanced-tech labs on the first floor are also pictured.

For emeriti who attended Matthew Mezinskis’s talk, “Demystifying Bitcoin & Blockchain” in March, the Kautz-Uible Cryptoeconomics Lab, led by Professor Michael Jones, is a must see. For Michael, having a physical space where he can simply “walk down the hall and consult with researchers at the cybersecurity lab, the artificial intelligence (AI) lab, the eXtended Reality lab, and many other labs” whenever he needs answers to his questions, is a breakthrough in the speed of his transdisciplinary work. Such close access to researchers also provides valuable insights into and potential solutions to his research focus which includes “the relationship between measures of trust and cryptocurrency adoption, and the effects of cryptocurrency mining on energy markets.”  

The Kautz-Uible Cryptoeconomics Lab also manages a portfolio of cryptocurrencies that will provide income for research activities. Cryptocurrency-mining in the lab (featured above) creates cryptocurrency income for research. Walking in Michael’s footsteps through the Lab and seeing cryptocurrency-mining in action provides a unique window into what students are learning and how research is both “Use-Inspired” and “Applied Research.” A tour of the Digital Futures building certainly reveals a space where “moonshot thinking, and high risk-high reward applied research” is being conducted as President Pinto envisioned. 

To register for the Grand Opening: https://ucdigitalfutures.com

Pet Therapy Teams

Support First Responders

Contributed by Joanna Mitro

Emeritus Professor Larry Bennett, Program Chair of the Fire Science & Emergency Management Program at UC and now recently retired from full-time teaching, has a side gig.

He is co-coordinator of a Pet Therapy Support Team for 911 dispatchers, firefighters, emergency medical services workers, police, and other emergency responders that includes 13 therapy dogs (including Larry’s 8-year-old black Labrador retriever Frye) and one “bad ass” giant Flemish therapy rabbit named George.  This team schedules monthly 30-minute “stress relief” visits to area Fire Departments (in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky) as well as local 911 Communications Centers. Team members with additional training in Animal Assisted Crisis Response (AACR) respond if requested when a trauma event occurs.  

The Pet Therapy Support Team is affiliated with Pet Partners of Greater Cincinnati (https://www.tpgcpets.org/), the local branch of the Pet Partners national organization. Pet Partners trains (human) pet-therapy handlers and screens/evaluates their therapy animals to ensure that the human-animal teams are prepared for successful therapy visits.  Larry has been active with Pet Partners for 16 years.  His first Pet Partners therapy teammate was a large Chesapeake Bay Retriever named Bruce. After Bruce’s death six years ago, Larry adopted Frye from a Labrador Retriever Rescue group, and trained him to follow in Bruce’s paw-steps. You can read more about the Pet Therapy Support Team’s members and activities at the website Larry created for the Team.

On Thursday, September 29, 2022, three members of the Pet Therapy Support Team will present a program on their work in pet therapy as part of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI).  The event will be 12:45 – 2 pm at Adath Israel Congregation, 3201 Galbraith Road (near the intersection with Ridge Road).  Three therapy pets will be there with their handlers:  Frye accompanying Larry,  Pet Partners of Greater Cincinnati President Jen Garrett and her dog Mabel, and Heather Hauser with her popular giant rabbit George. You can register for this program at OLLI's registration website.  It’s class #4004 (under the category “Hobbies, Sports, and Other”).

On August 17, 2022, six members of the Team visited the West Chester Fire Department.  They have numerous visits scheduled through the end of 2023.

Do you share your life with a well-behaved dog, cat, bird, rabbit, or guinea pig? Pet Partners welcomes teams that include these animals (as well as horses, rats, pigs, llamas and alpacas). There are a multitude of organizations that welcome/invite pet therapy teams to spend time with their employees, clients, students, residents, or patients.  These visits provide clients an occasion to de-stress and unwind, a respite from pain, sorrow, or anxiety, and an opportunity to experience unconditional affection. What a great way to make a positive difference in our community!

Interested in getting involved? Pet Partners needs more volunteers. They offer in-person and online training for handlers, and advanced AACR training.  After you complete the basic handlers’ course, you and your animal will be evaluated on how you (as a team) perform basic obedience tasks, react to a “neutral” dog in the room, and accept the presence and attention of role-playing adults who may touch your animal, “argue” loudly nearby, or cross your path with a cane, walker, or wheelchair.  Preparing for this evaluation can be an enjoyable project for you and your animal family member.  

Luncheon Speaker Series

The Luncheon Speaker Series has some great speakers lined up for this year, including Cincinnati mayor Aftab Pureval on September 22, and Cincinnati Pops conductor John Morris Russell in February.

Lectures will be in person on campus with a Zoom option for those who cannot join us in person.



Here is this year's line-up:

• Aftab Pureval, Mayor of Cincinnati, "Asian American Identity in American Politics," September 22

• John Kachuba, author of Ghosthunting in Ohio and Ghosthunting in Ohio: On the Road Again, "Supernatural Creatures Near and Far," October 27

• Faculty of UC's School of Public and International Affairs (A&S), "Post Election Analysis of the 2022 Mid-Term Election in the United States," November 17

• John Hancock, Professor Emeritus of Architecture and Interior Design (DAAP), "Ohio's Ancient Native American Earthworks and World Heritage," January 26, 2023

• John Morris Russell, Conductor, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, title TBD, February 23

• Terry Milligan, Professor Emeritus of Ensembles and Conducting (CCM) and Howard Jackson, Professor Emeritus of Physics (A&S), "The Music and Physics of the Clarinet," March 23

• April's speaker and topic TBD, April 20, 2023

All lectures noon to 1 pm.

Light luncheon provided at 11:30 am.

Watch for more details as these dates approach

and plan to join us!

In Case You Missed It

Our August Speaker:

• Patrick Limbach, UC's Vice-President of Research, "The Role and Importance of Research at the University of Cincinnati," August 25, 2022

Dr. Limbach shared the goals of the University's research enterprise with us and described some of the steps being taken to move the University toward those objectives.

Let's Get Social!

The Social Activities Committee

[Sally Moomaw, Howard Jackson, George Babcock, Terry Milligan, chair]

sponsors ongoing events for socializing and enjoying each other’s company. Events involve beverages, of course!

Bring a Colleague! Bring a Spouse! Bring a Neighbor!

P.O.E.T.S. Club Gatherings

The P.O.E.T.S. Club (Phooey On Everything! Tomorrow’s Saturday!) gets together on the final Friday of each month at 5 pm.

This summer we met at the Moerlein Lager House in the Smale Riverfront Park in June, followed by the August gathering at the HighGrain Brewing Company in Silverton.

Upcoming Dates:

September 30 at the Northern Row Brewery and Distillery,

111 West McMicken Ave 45202

October 28, location TBD

    We hope to see you then!

COFFEE & CONVERSATION

Meets 3rd Monday of the month at 10 am

at the Faculty Enrichment Center Lounge on the second level of Langsam Library, UC West campus.

Come hang out with good company! Bring a friend!

Coffee & Tea provided by the FEC

(or visit the Library's first-level Starbucks)

Bakery and/or home-made treats often available for sharing!

Upcoming Dates: September 19, October 17, November 21

The first of what we hope will be an annual event:

The Emeriti Association Picnic

Saturday, October 1, from 3 to 7 pm

on the Bearcat Commons area of UC's campus

Open Bar (Beer & Wine)

3:30 - 5:30 pm

Sandwich Buffet

4:00 - 6:00 pm 

(Ham/Swiss, Turkey/Swiss,

Grilled Veg/Hummus/Feta,

Potato Salad, Fruit Salad,

Chips, Cookies, Tea, Water)

Hosted by the Emeriti Association & Center

Watch for more details and an RSVP request.

Health and Wellness Committee

The Health and Wellness committee is developing information for emeriti and faculty about Senior Housing Options. 

The first item is a video we made addressing comprehensive long and short-term housing with skilled nursing care option (represented by Maple Knoll Village) and also aging in place (represented by Kendal At Home). You can find the video currently titled "Everything You Need to Know about Retirement Homes" on the Emeriti You Tube Channel.

On December 1 the committee will sponsor with our partners a "Lunch and Learn" session at Maple Knoll Village to explore all these housing options. More about this event will be forthcoming.

Health and Wellness

VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB

The Health & Wellness Book Club explores non-fiction and fiction books on topics supporting physical, emotional, spiritual and intellectual well-being, and hosts virtual discussions of selected books.

We are looking forward to virtually meeting this fall to discuss the novel

Three Things About Elsie

by Joanna Cannon

Three Things About Elsie provides a glimpse into the life of 84-year-old Florence. It paints a realistic view of aging, memory loss and the rhythm of life in an assisted living facility. As Florence grapples with a mystery that challenges her memory,  "Florence wonders if a terrible secret from her past is about to come to light; and, if the charming new resident is who he claims to be, why does he look exactly like a man who died sixty years ago?"

The first thing about Elsie is that she is Florence’s best friend; the second thing about Elsie is that she always knows what to say to make Florence feel better; and the third thing will be discovered as you read the book!

Joanna Cannon, psychiatrist and author, was recognized and long-listed for the 2018 Women’s Prize for Fiction for this book. To learn more about her approach to writing, check out the interview “A Q&A with Joanna Cannon” at the Women's Prize for Fiction website.

Please read the book and join us for an interesting discussion regarding Three Things About Elsie.

WALKING for FITNESS Program

Join this Program, sponsored by the Health & Wellness Committee, to enhance a healthy lifestyle for improving or maintaining health and wellness.

Wednesdays at 9 am

We walk at one of the area's Great Parks from April thru October. This autumn we walk in Glenwood Gardens (September) and Sharon Woods (October).

SEPTEMBER 14, 21, 28:

Wednesdays @ 9:00 am at

Glenwood Gardens

(10397 Springfield Pike, Woodlawn OH)

Meet at the Cotswold Visitors Centre and Nature's Niche.

We will walk either the Garden Loop Trail or the Wetland Loop Trail.

Dogs are welcome.

Walks will be cancelled for inclement weather (rain or excessive heat).

Walks continue in October

OCTOBER 5, 12, 19, 26

Sharon Woods Park

NOTE: Although it is free to be a Walking for Fitness Program member, visitors to the Hamilton County Parks are required to have a motor vehicle permit. The cost of an annual (2022) Motor Vehicle Permit for Hamilton County residents/ visitors is $10.00 and $16.00 for all other park visitors.

For more information, contact Jennifer Pearce

The class Victoria Morgan envisioned fits into a framework many of us in the UC Emeriti Association support and are interested in promoting on UC’s campus: the age-friendly community. For the UC Emeriti Association, an organization populated by Morgan’s target demographic, her project to develop a course for baby boomers presented an opportunity: would Morgan be interested in working with some of us as she developed ideas for her class? A Board member contacted her, and she responded that such exploration would be useful to her. Eventually, a group of six emeriti and two active faculty members (of a “certain age”) joined a small group of volunteers who met with Victoria for two pilot sessions over the summer. Victoria led us through a series of movements and exercises accompanied by music, and after each session collected our feedback on the elements of the workout.

The resulting class, now being offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:00 AM at Cincinnati Ballet's new Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance (1801 Gilbert Avenue) through the Ballet’s Adult Dance and Fitness division, is The VM Workout. It is a 50-minute movement-based fitness class incorporating a blend of yoga, ballet and contemporary movement with exercises designed to support core, extend flexibility, fine-tune balance, build camaraderie, and lift your heart-rate! Propelled by favorite tunes from the 60s, 70s, and 80s (with a little Frank Sinatra thrown in), the VM Workout encourages participants to "get down" as they move through structured and improvised movement.

Interested in trying the class? The Cincinnati Ballet offers “your first class free” for a no-risk experience. You can sign up at their website: https://cballet.org/adult-dance-classes/

New UC faculty and their families enjoyed a tour exploring Cincinnati arts and culture in August.  

The bus tour was organized by the Emeriti Association's Arts & Culture Committee and inspired by Bert Huether's efforts to revive this memorable UC tradition.  Many of you may remember the renowned Cincinnati historian and UC professor Daniel J. Ransohoff, who led these tours for many years before his passing in 1993. 

What do YOU recall about the new faculty tour you took decades ago?

Tell us of your experience: joanna.mitro@uc.edu

Act One

In her long career as a professor of French, Kathryn Lorenz has shared her passion for France, its culture and history by offering immersive experiences to her students—one of the best parts of being a professor. In 2000 and 2001, Kathryn teamed up with her colleague Carlos Gutiérrez (Romance and Arabic Languages and Literatures) to expand their French tour to include tracing one of the most famous routes on the Camino de Santiago or the Way of St. James—the Camino Frances. The Camino is a large network of ancient pilgrim routes across Europe that culminate at the tomb of St. James in Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain. It has been popularized by Emilio Estevez’s 2010 movie, The Way, which captures the metaphysical journey that the Camino evokes.

The faculty-led tours in 2000 and 2001 took Kathryn, Carlos, and their students through the Camino Frances which starts in Paris and winds its way through Toulouse, past Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, through Ronceval and cities like Burgos and Leon.  

UC Honors, DAAP, and French students explored chapels and cathedrals, libraries, and monasteries through the eyes of local librarians, archivists, and priests.  Crossing over the Pyrenees and winding through the medieval cities of Spain, students and professors alike experienced the Camino by bus, not by walking the route as pilgrims did and continue to do today.  Nonetheless, those tours whetted Kathryn’s appetite for more Camino experiences.

So, when her friend Greg Hawk invited Kathryn to join a small group of 20 planning to walk part of the Portuguese Camino, Kathryn decided it was time to become a modern-day pilgrim. Organized by One Foot Abroad, their pilgrimage began in the town of Tui at the 11th century Romanesque Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption. Here “pilgrim” is used to mean “one who journeys in foreign lands,” not necessarily “one who travels to a shrine or holy place as a devotee.”  Camino pilgrims are issued with passports stamped at ports of call on the routes. The passport is necessary to receive a Compostela (certificate of accomplishment) from the cathedral in Santiago. The coveted Compostela is only awarded to pilgrims who have walked more than 100 kilometres or approximately 75 miles.

Act Two

To ensure receipt of the Compostela, Kathryn accepted the challenge of walking 120 kilometers in six days—an impressive “second act” feat.  She and partner Paul Elliott trained by walking the Loveland bike trail—some days for as many as 7 miles.  The preparation was longer than expected because of the pandemic, but in June 2022, the intrepid pilgrims made it to Portugal.

While physical endurance is important for tackling the challenges of the Camino’s often rough terrain and inhospitable temperatures, mental strength is a large part of the Camino journey.  Kathryn discovered that an essential aspect of pilgrimage is traveling with a mindset of intention and offering “intentions”—positive thoughts, aspirations, prayers, or expressions of gratitude.  Stones are placed on the Camino route markers, often with names, as evidence that intentions were offered.  Larger stones are often dated to highlight a significant intention.  

The scalloped shell featured on the Camino markers represents the fisherman St. James. The lines on the shell symbolize the different routes pilgrims travel to Santiago. The bright colors offer encouragement to travelers on the Way. Many on the Camino wear the logo or a scallop shell to strengthen camaraderie along the trail. The symbol is instantly recognizable even when greetings in different languages are not.

On a later August journey along the Way, a friend left an "intention" stone with Kathryn's name.

Kathryn prepared “daily meditations to fortify her spirit” because at its heart “the Camino is a way of meditation. It is a way of experience. It is a beautiful, sometimes difficult pathway.” Kathryn and Paul leaned heavily on the meditation: “Blessed are you, pilgrim, if in the Camino you meet yourself and make yourself a gift of time without hurry so that you may not neglect the images of your heart,” as they often walked silently enjoying the solitude that is a hallmark of parts of the route. The vistas on the Camino are often breath-taking as the route dips into southern Galicia and winds through ancient paths that include farmland, villages, and historic architecture.

The unfolding landscape reminds the traveler of Alphonse de Lamartine’s popular maxim: Le monde est un livre dont chaque pas nous ouvre une page/ the world is a book such that with each step we open a page [unto new experiences]. And, when the physical journey became arduous, especially on Day 2 when Kathryn and Paul walked 15 miles, those “pages” of architecture, meditations, and nature eased mind and body. 

On their most demanding days, they focused on counting the kilometers completed, or concentrated solely on the simple act of putting one foot, very slowly, in front of the other on the more arduous part of the Camino. On less difficult days, when silence took over, Kathryn was struck by the truth of the popular Camino meditation: “Blessed are you, pilgrim, if you find that the Camino opens your eyes to the unseen.” 

Often energetic Portuguese pilgrims greeted them with shouts of “Bom Caminho” and Kathyrn also detected Spanish, French, and English greetings. Kathryn and Paul still happily recall these expressions of camaraderie.

Kathryn will be forever grateful that she followed the path taken by thousands of pilgrims who walked before her. Nonetheless, Kathryn does not plan to walk the Camino Frances or any of the other routes in the future.  They are no longer beckoning. At the age of 71, Kathryn quips that wine, good food, and comfortable beds at the wonderful hotels that were part of the “luxury” experience of the Camino were necessary to keep both mind and spirit strong. During moments of introspection, however, she now suspects that another popular Camino meditation may apply to her: “You are blessed if you find that the true Camino begins at the end of your journey.” 

Photos courtesy of FollowtheCamino.com, Unsplash.com, Kathryn Lorenz and Fiona Murray.

Professor Emerita Kathryn Lorenz is Secretary of the Emeriti Association Board.

Gary H. Westhausen was born March 14, 1932 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He died on May 15, 2021. 

Gary attended public schools in St. Paul, MN, graduating from the University of Minnesota with a degree in history, and earned graduate degrees from Notre Dame University (MA in History), and the University of Cincinnati (MEd). He joined the Air Force in 1956, retiring as a Lt. Colonel in 1976. 

While in the Air Force, Gary served as Professor of Aerospace Studies at UC. After retiring from the Air Force, he taught American History, Western Civilization, Russian History and Political Science at Clermont College. Following his retirement from UC in 1993, he  moved to North Carolina, where he pursued his love of music, playing the trumpet in several churches and serving as a Praise Team Leader throughout North Carolina.

His funeral was held in May 2021 in North Carolina, with burial later at Arlington National Cemetery.

Carl (Bert) Albert Huether Jr., 84, of Cincinnati, OH, passed away on July 17, 2022.

Both Bert and his wife of 63 years, Carol Huether (nee Haeckl), were students at Hughes High School. They married after Bert graduated from The Ohio State University in 1959.  After graduation, Bert served in the U.S. Navy on Kodiak Island, Alaska, before completing his graduate studies with an MS (NC State) and a PhD in Genetics (UC Davis, 1965). Bert returned to Cincinnati, where he spent the next 40 years at UC as a professor of biology.

A popular teacher, Bert taught Human Genetics and Biology in a Human Context to thousands of students, and ran summer institutes for secondary teachers.  Bert also excelled as a leader.  He helped develop the UC greenhouse and worked to build the Preparing Future Faculty program. He was instrumental in creating the Academy of Fellows for Teaching and Learning (AFTL), helping the Honors Program become a university-wide system and establishing the Genetic Counseling program, now housed at Children’s Hospital. In 2005, Bert was honored as one of the inaugural winners of the Faculty Award for Exemplary Contributions in Service to the University. 

Beyond the University, Bert was the founding director at Zero Population Growth (ZPG) of Cincinnati, and served as president of Vasectomy Services, Inc., which operated in Cincinnati from 1971-1984. More recently, Bert’s leadership skills were directed to revitalizing the Emeriti Faculty Association, serving as its president and creating numerous programs to enhance the lives of retired faculty while utilizing their expertise in service to the community. (See Pat Mezinskis’s "Reflections" in this newsletter.)

A memorial service was held August 28, 2022.

Bruce E. Goetzman (91) died quietly at his Clifton home on August 2, 2022.

Born in Rochester, New York in 1931, Bruce studied Architecture at Carnegie Mellon University, and earned a Master of Fine Arts in Architecture from Columbia University (1956) and a Master’s in Community Planning (1965) while on the faculty at UC. He began his professional career at UC in the School of Design Art Architecture and Planning after his service in the United States Army in Korea (1956-57).

Bruce maintained a private architectural practice throughout his academic career. He practiced his belief in the positive influence of the built environment on society through his work and his involvement with the Mt. Auburn Fair Housing Association, the Better Housing League of Cincinnati, the Ohio Historical Society, and the Miami Purchase Historic Preservation Society, where he received awards for outstanding achievement and lifetime recognition. Bruce was instrumental in establishing the Historic Preservation Certificate program at the University. He was awarded the Oscar Schmidt Public Service Award from the University of Cincinnati for service to the community.  

Bruce served on the Board of the Emeriti Association from 2014 - 2017, and participated in the Association's Oral History project. See his interview at The Bearcat Memory Project: http://uchistorylab.com/emeriti/uc-main/bruce-goetzman/

A remembrance celebration is being planned for October.

Help us pay tribute to our deceased emeriti colleagues. If you know of any emeriti who have passed since our last issue, please send names and basic information to:  Pat Mezinskis mezinspm@ucmail.uc.edu

Jezebel is a 20-foot tall, galvanized steel sculpture by artist Bret Price, installed in 2014 on the DAAP lawn.  Though cars and pedestrians pass by her on Clifton Ave or Clifton Court Drive, her position atop a hill and her slim profile makes Jezebel easy to overlook.  Price created the corkscrew-like structure in 2003 and chose the name because “the sculpture seemed almost flirty to me.”  

The sculpture, valued at $90,000, was donated by Dianne Komminsk of New Bremen, Ohio, where Price creates his monumental works.  See an exhibit of these works at Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park in Hamilton OH, through the end of  September 2022.

Photo by Joanna Mitro.

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Contact the Editorial & Communications Team: Joanna.Mitro@uc.edu

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Emeriti Association & Center | Who We Are

President | Ralph Katerberg |  katerbrj@ucmail.uc.edu

Vice President| Sally Moomaw | moomawsc@ucmail.uc.edu

Secretary | Kathryn Lorenz | lorenzkm@ucmail.uc.edu

Treasurer | Patrick Kumpf | kumpfpc@ucmail.uc.edu

Executive Director | Antoinette Larkin | larkinae@ucmail.uc.edu

Editorial & Communications Team

Chair | Joanna Mitro | mitroj@ucmail.uc.edu

Pat Mezinskis | mezinspm@ucmail.uc.edu

Lynn Davis | davislk@ucmail.uc.edu

Emeriti Connection is produced by the Office of the Executive Director of the Emeriti Association & Center assisted by the Editorial & Communications Team.

 Contact us at emeriti@uc.edu

Issue No. 21 - September 2022