N N IAL CEL O - Youngstown State University

Around Campus
Around Campus
Yulanda L. McCarty-Harris is the
new director of the YSU Office of Equal
Opportunity and Diversity.
McCarty-Harris previously served
as procurement administrator for Lucas
County Jobs and Family Services in
Toledo.
She graduated from Southern Methodist
University School of Law in Dallas
in 1998 and moved to Toledo two years
later. After a stint with a private law firm,
Yulanda L.
McCarty-Harris
she worked as a prosecutor and a labor and employment
attorney for the city of Toledo, among other positions with
the city.
Norma Stefanik of Youngstown, urban designer in
YSU’s Center for Urban and Regional Studies, received the
Mahoning Valley Historical Society Directors’ Award of
Achievement at the Society’s annual meeting in June.
Stefanik came to YSU in 1995 as a staff architect in the
facilities department and began working in the Center for
FACULTY HONORS
At YSU’s annual Honors Convocation in April, the
following faculty members were recognized as 2006-07
Distinguished Professors:
For Excellence in Teaching
Rangamohan V. Eunni, Management; Timothy
Francisco, English; Jean T. Hassell, Human Ecology;
Debbie Juruaz, Health Professions; G. Jay Kerns,
Mathematics and Statistics; and Zara Shah Rowlands,
Human Ecology.
For Excellence in Scholarship
Salvatore Attardo, English; James J. Carroll,
Physics and Astronomy; Kelli A. Connell, Art; Stephen
E. Rodabaugh, Mathematics and Statistics; and Mark F.
Toncar, Marketing.
For Excellence in Public Service
William R. Buckler, Geography; Iole Checcone,
Foreign Languages and Literatures; Patrick R. Durrell,
Physics and Astronomy; Cary Horvath, Communication
and Theater; Victoria E. Kress, Counseling and Special
Education; Anne M. McMahon, Management; Sharon
P. Shipton, Nursing; and Victor Wan-Tatah, Philosophy
and Religious Studies.
Urban and Regional Studies in 1997.
She developed the Sacred Landmarks
Program, which included a survey
of all the religious institutions in a threecounty
area and a web site with photos
of each church, synagogue or temple.
She also served as restoration
architect for two houses for the North
Side Citizens’ Coalition in Youngstown,
as well as project manager for the Cortland
Comprehensive Plan, in which she
Norma Stefanik
advocated that the city designate a National Register Historic
District for their many well-preserved houses along their
main streets.
Stefanik was also recipient of a Getty grant that produced
a five-speaker series composed of nationally known
figures in New Urbanism, neighborhood revitalization, and
commercial redevelopment.
She also facilitated the Historic American Buildings
Survey documentation of the Olive Arms home of the MVHS
and encouraged the adaptive reuse of the Peck and Sacherman
houses on the YSU campus. She was also architectural
For Excellence in University Service
Annette M. Burden, Mathematics and Statistics;
Gung-Hwa (Andy) Chang, Mathematics and Statistics;
William D. Jenkins Jr., History; Stephanie Smith, Art;
and William G. Vendemia, Management.
Watson Merit Awards
The Watson Merit Award is given to outstanding
department chairpersons for administrative performance.
This year’s recipients were Joseph J. Mistovich, Health
Professions, and Susan C. Russo, Art.
From left – Bege Bowers, associate provost, Victor Wan Ta-
Tah, professor, Philosophy and Religious Studies, and Tim
Francisco, assistant professor, English, donned academic
regalia for Honors Convocation in Stambaugh Auditorium.
consultant for the nomination of four Wick Avenue churches
to the National Register of Historic Places and formed a nonprofit
group to work on the Welsh Congregational Church
that was damaged by a fire.
Rick Shale, professor of English,
and co-author Carol Potter, were recently
honored in Cleveland by the Ohio Parks
& Recreation Association with an Award
of Excellence for their book, “Historic
Mill Creek Park.”
The book received a superior rating,
the highest award in the category for
print publications. Shale and Potter
received the award at the OPRA 2007
convention.
David Stout, the John S. & Doris M.
Andrews Chair of Accounting in the Williamson
College of Business Administration,
received two prestigious national
and state awards.
He was named the recipient of the
2007 R. Lee Brummet Award from the
Institute of Management of Accountants
(IMA) and the 2007 Outstanding Ohio Accounting
Educator Award sponsored by The
David Stout
Ohio Society of CPAs and the American Accounting Association
– Ohio Region.
Brenda Crouse, an academic advisor
in the Rayen School of Engineering and
Technology, has received an outstanding
advisor award from Sigma Alpha Lambda
National, a national leadership and honors
organization.
Crouse is the first chapter advisor.
In May, the students who founded the
Brenda Crouse
organization on campus graduated. More
information is available at http://sigmaalphalambda.org.
Student Success
Alaina-Marie Hershman, a student
in her final year of YSU’s physical
therapy program, received the $5,000
Mary McMillian Scholarship, the most
prestigious student award given by the
American Physical Therapy Association.
The national award, which is
presented to a student for academic excellence,
leadership and participation in the
profession, is named after the late Mary
McMillan, a dedicated pioneer of physi-
Rick Shale
Alaina-Marie
Hershman
In Memoriam
Robert D. Fitzer
Robert D. Fitzer, instructor
of clarinet at the Dana School of
Music, died May 16 of cancer.
Fitzer had a distinguished
25-year career as a clarinetist and
music educator. After making his
Carnegie Hall debut at the age of
19, he played for two years with
the Chicago Symphony Orchestra,
with whom he recorded the Robert D. Fitzer
Grammy-award winning Four
Symphonies by Johannes Brahms.
He played on various motion picture soundtracks
in Hollywood and played in many long-run Broadway
shows. Fitzer also performed on stage with jazz great
Dizzie Gillespie, rock bands Yes, Styx and many other
top entertainers.
He was also a member of Cleveland’s Lakewood
Band and served as soloist in 2004 with the YSU Symphonic
Wind Ensemble. He was a private school band
director for four years, and spent several years serving
as a first-call substitute teacher in all 31 Youngtown
city schools.
Aside from his work as a musician and teacher,
Fitzer was extremely active in Youngstown-area
community and civic affairs and is credited with saving
several historic Youngstown buildings from the
wrecking ball.
In support of Fitzer, the Dana School of Music
Clarinet Studio raised more than $3,000 for the American
Cancer Society in this year’s Youngstown Relay
for Life, in an effort called “Bob-ing for a Cure.”
cal therapy, the founding president of APTA and an esteemed
teacher. Hershman received a bachelor’s degree in biology from
YSU in 2004.
The YSU student chapter of the International Institute
for Electronics and Electrical Engineers won first prize in the
IEEE Region 2 Student Activity Conference at the University
of Cincinnati.
The YSU team placed first in the “Brown Bag Design
Competition.”
The team consisted of Aaron Schott of Harmony, Pa.,
Edward Sutphin of Cranberry Twp., Pa., Kevin Carney of
Poland, Ohio, and Carl Rossler of McDonald, Ohio.
14 Youngstown State University
Summer 2007 15