Ohio Northern University

Throughout a career spanning more than 50 years, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and engineer Phil Wagner, BSME ’69, always chose the road less traveled. By embracing career pivots and saying “yes” to complex projects no one else would tackle, he was able to live in different countries and lead an unconventional life.

“Three prongs: love, adventure, and achievement,” he says. “That’s how you should live your life.”

In retirement, the Ohio Northern University alumnus is finding joy and fulfillment from a fourth prong: giving back. Not surprisingly, he takes an unorthodox approach to philanthropic giving.

At ONU, he established the Wagner Scholarship Fund for Engineering, which not only awards the largest scholarship annually in the T.J. Smull College of Engineering, but is based on a progressive scale of achievement.

“It’s easy to give money,” he says, “but effectively and beneficially giving money is another trick.”

📲 Read more about Phil and the scholarships: https://bit.ly/4ecOPk2

Becoming a better person may lead to a happier life. Now, an Ohio Northern University faculty member has published a “how to” guide on why that’s possible and how to accomplish it.

Robert Hartman’s new book, “Improving Character: Moral Virtues, Strategies, and Questions,” was published on June 2 by Wiley. Hartman, an associate professor of philosophy effective in fall 2026, is the editor of the book, which incorporates new essays from 45 leading character scholars.

The book grew out of Hartman’s experiences teaching his first-year seminar, “Becoming a Better Person,” which is part of the general education curriculum designed to help students transition to college and promote critical and creative thinking. The goal of the class is to encourage students to reflect on who they are, who they hope to become, and how to take steps in that direction, Hartman explained.

📲 Read more: https://bit.ly/3S2E76V

A 5-acre sanctuary for pollinators and purple martins is taking shape around the Nature Pond on Ohio Northern University’s campus. Although still in the beginning stages of its development, the area is already teeming with life, says Dr. Bob Verb, professor of biological sciences and director of the nature center areas.

This spring, Verb and ONU students seeded the prepared plot with nearly 100 different native plant species, ranging from Rattlesnake Master to Big Bluestem. While it will take three years of growth and future controlled burns to fully mature, the prairie will eventually produce a stunning floral display from June through October, explained Verb.

Verb’s long-term vision includes planting native woody shrubs, modifying the pond’s bank, and stocking the pond with fish to create a robust “habitat for all sorts of wildlife.”

The pond area also provides nesting homes for purple martins— large swallows known for the males’ stunning iridescent plumage, their melodic birdsong, and the aerial acrobatics they use to catch dragonflies and other insects.

📲 Read more about the project: https://bit.ly/4uZKiHF

We're so proud of everything you've achieved! Congratulations to our graduates and Polar Bears who made the Dean's List! Graduates and honorees are searchable by name, city, state and county.

🎓 Graduates List: https://bit.ly/4uWKyae
✏️ Dean's List: https://bit.ly/4htWj0y

A desire for human connection and creativity is what drew Jessica Sanders, BFA ’26, to musical theatre. This spring, the Ohio Northern University musical theatre major channeled both to write and stage her first musical: “The D8tes.”

Her delightful romcom about the quest for love—cleverly titled to reflect eight first dates—received resounding applause and praise at its inaugural performance at ONU this May.

Throughout her creative journey, Jessica has been gratified by the encouragement she received from her ONU theatre friends and professors.

“ONU has such a supportive theatre community,” she says. “I had full confidence that I could put this out there in front of my friends, and even if something goes wrong, they would support me regardless.”

Jessica began working on “The D8tes” 18 months ago. She was noodling a song on the piano when the idea to write a musical popped into her head. “I thought ‘let me just try this,’” she says. “I really didn’t think it would go anywhere, but the ideas kept flowing.”

A fan of traditional musicals, especially those starring Gene Kelly, she envisioned a light musical focused heavily on relationships and the shared human experience.

“People always say write what you know,” she says, “and of course, a typical conversation in college revolves around dating. That’s what my friends and I are always talking about.”

📲 Read more about the show and project: https://bit.ly/4obSouc

Overcoming a shoulder injury and surgery last season, Avery Baker-Schlendering displayed grit and perseverance at the 2026 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships to break her own school record twice and win the national title in the high jump.

“It was surreal and I was in disbelief,” Avery said. “I almost started crying, but told myself, ‘You’ve got to keep it together.’”

Avery trailed the leader at the meet before jumping 1.76 meters to tie, breaking a school record she set earlier in the season. She then broke her own record again to win the national title with a jump of 1.79 meters, becoming the fourth woman national champion in program history, and bringing home the program’s 12th national title.

📲 Read more about Avery's path to the title: https://bit.ly/4aqAgqq

A resilient spirit carried Joy Khoury from war-torn Syria to the commencement stage at Ohio Northern University, where he was awarded his Doctor of Pharmacy this May.

“Coming from a fragile country and seeing war firsthand made me attach to this dream even more,” he says, “just grasping it with both hands and never letting go.”

Joy was midway through pharmacy school in his home country when a civil war broke out, prompting his family to immigrate to the U.S. While waiting in Syria for his visa approval, Joy perfected his English and volunteered with children displaced from the war.

A year after moving to California, Joy revived his dream. He completed prerequisite courses at a community college before earning acceptance into the four-year PharmD program in the Raabe College of Pharmacy.

“I fell in love with the campus and I felt like I fit here better than anywhere else,” he said.

Although he initially struggled with “imposter syndrome,” Joy utilized the counseling center and sought guidance from his professors. He refined his study habits, adapted to the rigors of the program, and proved he could excel.

Outside the classroom, Joy forged close connections with faculty and peers, played club volleyball, and served as a teaching assistant. During periods when the situation in Syria deteriorated and he worried about friends and family still living there, his professors provided the empathy and flexibility he needed to stay focused.

“The fact that they are willing to work with whatever circumstances a student is going through,” he says, “tells you a lot about who they are—not just as faculty members, but as human beings.”

After graduation, Joy plans to marry his partner and start a family. He is also eager to begin his PGY-1 residency at Mercy Health St. Rita’s Medical Center in Lima.

“I started pharmacy school in my home country in 2015, so I’ve been a student for quite a while,” he says. “Now, I can begin giving back. I truly believe that working in healthcare is one of the most humanitarian roles you can play in your life and lifetime.”

📲 Read more Graduate Profiles: https://bit.ly/3YItBlE

Madison Arno aspires to design medical devices that improve the quality of life for people with mobility issues. At Ohio Northern University, the honors student from Cincinnati has gotten a running start.

Madison not only graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, but with extensive research experience in the biomedical field. In the fall, she’ll begin a master’s degree program in medical product engineering at the University of Pittsburgh.

“I wanted a career in the medical field helping people, but I’m a little bit squeamish,” she laughed.

Watching her 93-year-old grandmother struggle to transition from her wheelchair to her bed, made Madison realize that engineers could solve those everyday hurdles.

“I want to take products that already exist in the medical field and make them better,” she says.

Madison’s parents and a brother are ONU alumni, but she chose ONU not because of the family connection, but because “the engineering program is so good, and I wanted a smaller college for easier access to my professors and mentors.”

That access led to amazing opportunities. Last summer, she was a research intern at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center. There, she assisted with developing a sensor-based device that alerts people with spinal cord injuries about foot placement on their powered wheelchairs. The device aims to prevent injuries by ensuring a user’s feet remain securely positioned, even on uneven terrain.

On campus, she’s assisted Dr. Louis DiBerardino, associate professor of mechanical engineering, with an innovative marker less motion system to capture human movement data. For her honors capstone, she developed a partial weight-bearing assistive device for a shoe to measure weight distribution and assist lower-limb recovery.

Looking ahead, Madison hopes to work in research and development within the private sector.

“The best feeling would be to see a device I helped design help people, whether in a hospital or out in public,” she says. “That would be so great.”

📲 Read more Graduate Profiles: https://bit.ly/3YItBlE