Class Notes
1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
’50S
In celebration of the 70th anniversary of the class of 1950, YSU Magazine is publishing this letter we received from Willie F. Sibley of Los Angeles, who earned a bachelor’s degree in 1950:
I am writing to pay tribute to the class of 1950 with an open letter to the YSU Magazine in response to a statement written by a letter- writer in the Fall 2017 issue, “…But also saw that there was nothing worth noting about the alumni from the ’50 or before…”
To the Class of 1950,
Congratulations as you celebrate your 70th Anniversary Year, as graduates of Youngstown College; and congratulations to the Track & Field Team as it also celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
The Class of 1950 included many outstanding and exceptional graduates. A class size of 717, many of these graduates were born before and during the Great Depression and in time when many sacrifices had to be made. Members of the Class of 1950 are among what many call “America’s Greatest Generation.”
The Class of 1950 lived through World War II; it was the largest class size, had the most military veterans, and the most diverse student body up to that time. This class played a part in the integration and diversification of its athletic program.
The class also participated in restarting the college’s intercollegiate football program in 1946 after being shut down during the World War II years; and it took part in the development of the college’s first Track & Field team.
Congratulations and Best Wishes for many more years.
With Gratitude and Thanks,
Willie F. Sibley, BA, 1950
’60S
The Youngstown Veterans Affairs Clinic is being renamed after Carl Nunziato, who graduated from Youngstown College’s ROTC program in 1961. Nunziato, who served two tours of combat in Vietnam, where he was severely injured and lost both of his legs, played a crucial role in bringing a VA outpatient clinic to Youngstown. He was also instrumental in helping establish the Veterans Resource Center at YSU, also named in his honor. Nunziato has been honored with the Bronze Star, Air Medal, Purple Heart, Vietnam Campaign Medal with three Battle Stars and other awards. He also is a member of the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame.
June Summers of Youngstown, bachelor’s in Education, 1962 summa cum laude, has published her fourth novel, Whatever It Takes. The book is a suspense thriller involving characters dealing with moral dilemmas. Summer’s other novels are Let Freedom Ring, Before We Fade Away, and A Conflict of Time, all available on amazon.com.
Lee and Carolyn Stoneburner pose with Rick Williams, associate director of the Carl A. Nunziato Veterans Resource Center at YSU, with three pictures they donated to the Center in honor of Carolyn’s late husband, Jerry L. Stoneburner, a 1963 YSU alum and Army veteran who died in 2019. The pictures of the Lincoln Memorial, the White House and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall are on display at the Center on Wick Avenue on campus. Stoneburner, who formerly owned Stony’s Trucking Co. and Better Management Corp. of Ohio, served in the Army in Okinawa, Japan.
An interview with Ronald R. Thomas, bachelor’s degree, 1963, is featured in the Atlanta History Center’s Veterans History Project. Thomas, a native of Youngstown now living in Atlanta, was a captain in the Air Force from 1964 to 1967 as an electronics officer at Cape Canaveral, Fla. He later worked as a telecommunications engineer for C&P Telephone Co. in Washington, D.C., Litton Industries in Beverly Hills, Calif.; AM International in Chicago, C&S National Bank in Atlanta, and the State of Georgia, retiring in 2007. He has written more than 100 articles and two books on telecommunications. Watch.
’70s
Alumni Suellen and Michael Weir donated $1 million to YSU to establish a half-tuition scholarship for full-time YSU undergraduate engineering or sciences majors. Suellen, bachelor’s in Education, 1973, and Michael, bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering, 1971, and master’s in Business Administration, 1977, met at YSU, where Suellen was named homecoming queen in 1970. After graduation, Mike went on to work for Youngstown Sheet & Tube, Babcock and Wilcox, and Ingersoll-Rand. In 1982, he founded Total Equipment Company, a supplier of pumps and air compressors for Pennsylvania and West Virginia, including sales and service.
Sharon Hrina of Canfield, bachelor of Nursing, 1973, retired as vice president of Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley. She was with the hospital since 2005, when she joined as the administrative director. She became vice president in 2009. A native of Youngstown, Hrina also holds a master’s degree in Nursing Administration from University of Pittsburgh. In 2010, she was named YSU Alumnus of the Year.
’80s
An article based on a webinar by Paul Shiller, master’s in Chemistry, 1987, and bachelor’s of Chemical Engineering, 1980, appeared in the journal Plant Engineering in October. The article is titled “Grease chemistry is governed by thickener structure: Know the kinds of grease and laws that govern their use.” Shiller received a doctorate in Physical Chemistry from Case Western Reserve University and also holds a master’s in Chemical Engineering from CWRU. He joined The Timken Co. as a product development specialist for lubricants and lubrication in 2004 and then became a tribological specialist with the Tribology Fundamentals Group at the Timken. In 2011, he moved to the University of Akron and is currently a research scientist in the Civil Engineering-Timken Engineered Surface Laboratory.
’90s
Michael Prelee of Hubbard, bachelor’s in History and Political Science, 1995, has published his fourth novel, Lost Little Sister. It is the second book in his Tim Abernathy mystery series, set in the small Northeast Ohio town of Hogan.
Eric Ruyle of Katy, Texas, master’s of Music Performance, 1995, authored the article “The Basics of Jazz” in Band Directors Talk Shop newsletter. Ruyle, who also holds a bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies from McNeese State University, is an adjunct faculty member at Lone Star College. He has performed in Mexico, Canada, Europe and throughout the United States and with a wide variety of internationally known artists. His articles have been in such national journals as Instrumentalist and Flute Talk.
James Willock of Salem, Ohio, master’s degree in Criminal Justice, 2004, and bachelor’s in Applied Science, 1997, has been named manager of the Public Safety and Police Academy program at Kent State University-Trumbull. Willock is former police chief of the Mill Creek MetroParks Police Department. He also serves as chair of the Education Committee in the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police, previously served as curriculum chair of the Certified Law Enforcement Executive Advisory Board and as the president of the Mahoning Valley Chiefs of Police Association.
’00s
Alton Merrell, a two-time alum of YSU’s Dana School of Music, helps bring authenticity to Netflix’s newest hit movie, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Merrell, who holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Education in 2000 and a master’s in Jazz Studies in 2002 from YSU, coached Emmy-winning actor Glynn Turman on how to be believable as a piano player in the movie. The movie stars Viola Davis and features Chadwick Boseman in his final film role. It is based on a play by Pittsburgh native August Wilson and was shot in the city in 2019. Merrell, who also holds a doctorate in Jazz Studies from the University of Pittsburgh, taught Turman the importance of the left hand in that stride-piano style and helped him learn the movement of the right hand by having Turman sing the melody and move his right hand up and down the keys to match his voice.
Jamie Marich of Warren, bachelor’s in History and American Studies, 2000, has published Trauma and the 12 Steps, Revised and Expanded: An Inclusive Guide to Enhancing Recovery. Marich travels internationally speaking on EMDR therapy, trauma, addiction, expressive arts and mindfulness while maintaining a private practice in Warren. She is the developer of the Dancing Mindfulness practice and co-creator of the Yoga Unchained approach to trauma-informed yoga. It is her seventh book.
Amy Dennis of Nathrop, Colo., bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, 2001, has been promoted to assistant dean of Student Affairs at Colorado Mountain College in Salida, Colo. Dennis worked in Student Affairs in higher education for 13 years in a variety of roles in Ohio, Colorado and West Virginia. She also taught Anthropology and Sociology at West Virginia University at Parkersburg.
Adrienne L. Donaldson-Steverson of Little Elm, Texas, executive master’s in Business, 2003, is listed in Marquis Who's Who. Donaldson-Steverson also holds a bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Ohio State University and is currently a professor of Nursing at Dallas College. She previously worked in nursing at a variety of locations, including locally at Forum Trumbull Memorial Hospital, Saint Elizabeth Humility of Mary Health Center, North Side Medical Center, Todd Children's Hospital and Beeghly Medical Park. She has earned several honors, including the Outstanding Young Women in America Award, Black Student Leadership Award for Outstanding Personal Achievement, the University of Michigan Grant from the Center for the Education of Women and the UM Professional Nurse Traineeship Award.
Rebecca Page of Bessemer, Pa., bachelor’s in Business Administration/Human Resource Management, 2005, is the new executive director of the Community Food Warehouse of Mercer County in Pennsylvania. She is responsible for fund-raising, overseeing food drives and volunteers, along with food buying. She previously worked at Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley.
Aliyah Sabree of Detroit, bachelor’s in Biology, 2006, and now a judge in the 36th District Court in Michigan, has been named a 40 Under 40 honoree by the Michigan Chronicle. The list celebrates professionals under the age of 40 who have inspired others through vision and leadership, exceptional achievements and community service. Sabree, who earned a law degree from Michigan State University, previously was associate general counsel for the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department and also worked for the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners and the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office.
Jennifer Phillips of Niles, bachelor’s in Computer Science, 2007, was named the 2020 Ohio Society Daughters of the American Revolution Outstanding Junior. She is currently the Regent of the Mahoning Chapter in Canfield.
Komar Anchor Plumbing, founded by Thaddeus Smith, master’s of Business Administration, 2009, was named to Inc. Magazine's Annual 5,000 list, which showcases the 5,000 fastest growing private companies in the United States. Komar Anchor placed 239th on the list.
’10s
Jessica L. Valsi of Columbus, Ohio, bachelor’s in Political Science, 2012, has received a master’s degree in Public Policy and Management from the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at Ohio State University. She is the academic program coordinator in the Department of Political Science at Ohio State and serves as the vice president of the Columbus-area Chapter of the YSU Alumni Association.
A scholarship fund in memory of Victoria Price, bachelor’s in Nursing, 2017, has been established at Penn State University. Price, who also held a bachelor’s degree from Penn State, died unexpectedly in June. Her parents, Robert and Terri Price, will fund the scholarship in the amount of $2,500 per year for five years. She was a nurse at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where she served on both the neurosurgery and critical care units. She suffered from Von Willebrand disease, a bleeding disorder, complications from which was related to her sudden passing.
Whitney Burd, bachelor’s in Fine Arts, 2017, and Adrienne Sabo, bachelor’s in Journalism, 2008, and former student Tony Marr are the founders of a new agency called Clever. “When founding Clever, we were keen to create something that valued creativity,” said Sabo, creative director. “And we believe that creativity isn’t limited to just the creatives on our team; creativity can be found in everything we do from how we approach strategic marketing plans and communications to the individual advertising tactics.”
Ryan Peplowski of Hubbard, Ohio, bachelor’s in General Studies with a minor in Marketing, 2019, has been promoted to digital marketing manager at 898 Marketing in Canfield, Ohio. Peplowski joined the firm in 2019 as an intern and was hired full-time as digital information specialist after graduating from YSU.
Grace Christopher of Poland, Ohio, bachelor’s in History and Political Science, 2019, wrote “The 2016 Presidential Election Compared to 2020” in The Burr, a student produced magazine at Kent State University. Christopher is a second-year graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication at Kent.
Anthony Angelilli of Poland, Ohio, bachelor’s in Fine Arts, 2019, was selected as one of only four recipients of the 2020 Civita Institute’s Astra Zarina Early Career Fellowship to travel and work as an artist fellow in Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy. Originally scheduled for this past summer, the one-month fellowship was deferred to summer 2021 and includes a cash stipend, travel and living accommodations. Angelilli has received numerous awards for his art work, one of which is included in the permanent collection of printmaking at the Glasgow Print Studio in Glasgow, Scotland. He works at the Akron Art Museum as an exhibition technician. “We are very proud of Anthony’s achievement, earning such a prestigious international fellowship,” said Dragana Crnjak, YSU professor of Art. “The application process was very competitive and shows the scope of his outstanding work.”
’20S
Renderings by Brandon L. DeJean, bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering, 2020, were featured in GM Authority, a blog for General Motors enthusiasts. DeJean provided the blog with renderings of what a new next-generation full-size Buick SUV might look like. DeJean calls the renderings the “Buick Estate.” GM Authority emphasizes that there is currently no indication General Motors will actually produce a new full-size Buick SUV. “Nevertheless, it’s a cool idea, and these renderings prove that such a model could look quite nice as well,” it says.
