Issue No.13 - Summer-Fall 2020
Emeriti Connection
Letter from Our Executive Director
Dear Colleagues:

Community can be many things. It can be simply a group of people with a set of common interests; neighbors on one street who want something better for people on every street; colleagues from many disciplines who work toward a single mission; or, individuals with different viewpoints who express themselves with a unified call to action.

I would like to think that all communities want something good and are motivated by what is right. But history, recent and ancient, has examples of communities that run amok, that intentionally skew toward negativity, that value what is best for the few and not for the many. Still, we rise. And we celebrate the communities that march forward, rarely look back, and focus on what is best for the many. Ultimately, these are the triumphant communities.

I would like you, my colleagues and compatriots, to think of what I write less as a letter from an executive director and more as an introduction to the 13th (lucky 13!) issue of Emeriti Connection, because in this newsletter you will find community is a theme:

  • Community, when in May 2019 the Office of Provost and the UC Foundation joined with the Emeriti Association and Center to recognize new emeriti and celebrate all emeriti;
  • Community at Saint Vincent de Paul, whose outreach efforts to assist needy and disenfranchised persons are more necessary now, during the current pandemic, than ever before; and
  • Community at the University of Cincinnati, whose administrators, faculty, staff, and students came together during these challenging times with the common goal of educating safely.

These are triumphant communities, and I am fortunate to be part of them all. Enjoy this lucky issue. Be safe and be well.

Peter DePietro
Executive Director of the Emeriti Center           
Professor of New Media
University of Cincinnati
Letter from Our Board President
Dear Colleagues,

I do not recall a time when we have had to deal with four crises at the same time: a deadly pandemic, systemic racism, an economy tottering on the brink, and a severely threatened environment. However, the Emeriti Board has begun to deal with these problems as they affect our organization and those around us. And so...

Along with other organizations, we are changing many of our activities to virtual events due to COVID-19, particularly the Luncheon Speaker Series, presentations by our Arts and Culture committee, and any number of other virtual activities. In so doing, we hope to reach a much larger audience, now that attendees are not limited to those who reside in Greater Cincinnati. (NOTE: The first Arts and Culture presentation will be on October 11th by Cynthia Lockhart about textiles that reflect the pulse of African-American culture.)  

The Board has begun a dialog with the officers of the Black Faculty Association to determine how the Emeriti Association can support the African-American community on campus. Part of our efforts include a presentation at the first Luncheon Speaker Series regarding "Bridge," a program initiated by women at UC to deal with campus racism. (Be sure to tune in on Thursday, September 17th, at 12:00 noon. Details will follow.)

Our Pre-Retirement Mentoring program, a relatively new activity, was initiated during the past academic year. It is designed to be of benefit to faculty members who are considering retirement and who would like to talk with a retiree for advice in preparing for the next chapter of their lives. The program was temporarily interrupted due to the pandemic, but we expect to restart this service soon.

Each of us, you and I, must be vigilant in our efforts to do our part to protect our environment from further deterioration. This is an area where the membership of the Emeriti Association can take an active role in our own spheres of influence. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.

I am honored to serve as president of this organization, and I am grateful for the advice and help I receive from the members of the Board; from Peter DePietro, Executive Director; from Pat Mezinskis, immediate past president; from Matt Serra, Deborah Degroot-Osswald and Brad Hoffman in the Office of the Provost; and many others. We are going to have a good year, so stay tuned!

Terry Millligan
Board President
Professor Emeritus, CCM

In This Issue

Emeriti Recognition Event
Committee News
Emeriti Supporters and Friends
AARP Feature Article
Second Act
AROHE Idea Exchange
In Memoriam
University News

Scroll down for individual sections.

Emeriti Appreciation and Recognition Event
Sixth Annual
Office of the Provost
Appreciation and Recognition Celebration
Spring 2019
During the Spring 2019 semester, the Emeriti Association and Center, in collaboration with the Office of the Provost and the UC Foundation, hosted the sixth annual Emeriti Appreciation and Recognition Celebration. At this event, new emeriti faculty were introduced and all emeriti were acknowledged for their scholarly and creative accomplishments, as well as their community outreach successes.

The event has been documented on video in a two-part series, which runs approximately 45 minutes. The videos can be viewed on the official YouTube channel of the Emeriti Association and Center, by clicking the links below. Speakers and the times each one appears in Part One and Part Two of the series are listed below.

Appreciation and Recognition Event Speakers


  1. Matt Serra, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Academic Personnel (start time 00:15)
  2. Kristi A. Nelson, PhD, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost (start time 03:50)
  3. Robin Lightner, PhD, Dean, UC Blue Ash College (start time 09:30)


  1. Howard Jackson, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Physics (start time 00:25)
  2. Cate O'Hara, Program Director, OLLI (start time 07:10)
  3. Peter DePietro, Executive Director of the Emeriti Center; Professor of New Media (start time 10:45)
  4. Pat Mezinskis, Former President of the Board of Directors, Professor Emerita (start time 18:30)
Event Speaker
Matt Serra, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Academic Personnel
Event Speaker
Kristi A. Nelson, PhD, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
Event Speaker
Howard Jackson, PhD, Professor Emeritus, College of Arts and Science
Committee News
Arts and Culture Committee

The Legacy of African American Textile Art
A Virtual Presentation by
Cynthia Lockhart
Professor Emerita

Sunday, October 11, 2020 at 2:00 PM
This one- and one-half hour illustrated PowerPoint presentation with an audience question-and-answer session will be presented via WebEx. Please register to attend this event by contacting: Mary Stucky, Professor Emerita, mary.henderson-stucky@uc.edu.

Cynthia Lockhart’s fiber art is infused with a kaleidoscope of diverse influences such as nature, fashion, music, dance, travel, and African arts. Lockhart's artwork has been published in the New York Times, and is included in art collections of the Cincinnati Art Museum, University of Cincinnati, and Michigan State University.
Speaker Series Committee

Making Race Relations Relatable
A Virtual Panel Discussion Featuring
Karen Bankston, PhD

Thursday, September 17, 2020 at 12:00 Noon
This panel discussion, via video conference and led by Karen Bankston, PhD, will focus on a group of female faculty at UC who are working to challenge racist behaviors with an initiative called BRIDGE (Bringing Racial Awareness and Insight through DialouGe and Education). Please register to attend this event by contacting: Pat Mezinskis, Professor Emerita, mezinspm@ucmail.uc.edu.

Karen Bankston, PhD is President/CEO of KDB and Associates Consulting Services and an adjunct professor in UC's College of Nursing.
A Campaign Unlike Any Other
A Virtual Panel Discussion Featuring
David Niven, PhD
Professor of Politcal Science

Thursday, October 8, 2020 at 12:00 Noon
This panel discussion, via video conference and led by David Niven, PhD, will focus on the current political climate in the United States. Please register to attend this event by contacting: Pat Mezinskis, Professor Emerita, mezinspm@ucmail.uc.edu.

David Niven, PhD teaches American politics and conducts research on campaigns, political communication and death penalty policy. David is the author of several books, including The Politics of Injustice: The Kennedys and The Freedom Rides and the Electoral Consequences of a Moral Compromise.

Emeriti Supporters and Friends
Michael Dunn and Saint Vincent de Paul
Engaging Emeriti with Community Outreach
The Emeriti Association and Center has created a partnership with one of the largest charitable organizations in the country: Saint Vincent de Paul. Our partnership began with an initiative called Be The Change, which offered emeriti volunteer opportunities at Saint Vincent de Paul's Cincinnati location. The charity's executive director, Michael Dunn, was a key figure in creating the initiative.

Michael Dunn became Executive Director of Saint Vincent de Paul after 19 years working in higher education in Baltimore, Maryland at Towson University and, for most of those years, locally at Xavier University. During the 19 years, Michael's professional focus was marketing and fundraising. So, taking on the chief leadership role at Saint Vincent de Paul, was a logical, and, to Michael, an important career move. He does work that he is passionate about and work that helps people in need, work that the charity has done for over 150 years in Cincinnati and Hamilton County.
The mission of the organization is, in part, to "build a more just world through personal relationships with and service to people in need.” Michael and his team stress the importance of community outreach in that service. Their outreach is impressive. In 2019, the organization operated with a budget of almost 38 million dollars. They currently employ over 360 people, have over 1,200 volunteers Vincentians they are called and over 2,000 at-large volunteers annually. They assist over 120,000 neighbors in need each year.

Michael emphasizes the need for a variety of volunteers, especially emeriti: "We have volunteers come to us from all walks of life, and each and every one of them brings a unique skill set and life full of experiences. The emeriti are no different." Michael and his team try to match the volunteer with the experience that best fits their interests, abilities, time availability, etc.

The coronavirus pandemic is disproportionately affecting the neighbors the organization was already serving. The pandemic has also created needs for a remarkable number of people that have never before sought assistance from Saint Vincent de Paul or any other organizations.

Saint Vincent de Paul has a new facility, the Don & Phyllis Neyer Outreach Center, which opened in October 2019. The facility operated smoothly until mid-March of this year, and, although they have had to make significant changes to our assistance delivery systems as a result of COVID-19, they continue to serve the community with the same commitment to their mission.

In May 2019, Michael spoke to the Board of Directors of the Emeriti Association and presented a long list of volunteer opportunities right for emeriti. Following that meeting, the list appeared in the previous issue of Emeriti Connection. If you would like to assist your neighbors and volunteer safely, contact Michael Dunn, Executive Director at 513-562-8855 or mdunn@svdpcincinnati.org.

According to Michael: "No act of charity is foreign to the society of Saint Vincent de Paul, so we like to think there is something for everyone to contribute."
If you know someone who is an ardent supporter of the mission of the Emeriti Association and Center, and you would like to recommend him or her for this feature, please email us at emeriti@uc.edu.
AARP Feature Article
Keeping Your Job While Caregiving During COVID-19
by Amanda Singleton
 Caregiving While Employed

Over 60 percent of caregivers are employed while they tend to others. Of those caregivers, 60 percent are employed full time. Caregiving and working are not always compatible. Almost all caregivers have to make some work adjustments, but the number of them who will be forced to leave their jobs or suffer negatively at work is significant and expected to rise due to the inability to find or pay for home health care/respite care for care recipients and the need to limit COVID-19 exposure.

Today we stand in the early days of an unfolding recession. Complicating the already-complex world of caregiving is the coronavirus. The unemployment rate is around 11 percent, and furloughs and layoffs are common. Older workers (who are more likely to be caregivers), particularly, think that their jobs are in peril. Caregivers need the support and deliberate consideration of employers so that they can maintain their careers while balancing caregiving duties and enduring the uncertainty of a pandemic that may last for years.
 Understand the Law

As an employee, you must, first of all, know your rights. There are laws that protect the working caregiver. Among the federal laws that prohibit discrimination and offer benefits are the Family Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disability Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

You may wonder whether you [a caregiver] can ask for a workplace accommodation to avoid exposing your high-risk care partner to COVID-19. The simple answer is no. There is no law that entitles an employee without disabilities to an accommodation based on her care recipient's disability-related needs.

Businesses may provide flexible work arrangements, as long as they are not treating employees differently based on sex or other EEO-protected classes. For example, under Title VII, female employees cannot be given more favorable treatment than male workers because of a gender-based assumption about who may have caregiving responsibilities for children. Of course, a company is free to provide such options if it so chooses. But an employer opting to offer additional flexibilities beyond what the law requires should be careful not to engage in disparate treatment on a protected EEO basis.

While we figure out these times together, I encourage everyone to think of this as an opportunity to reframe how we all think, work, live and create a culture that supports the need to work and to care for the aging, ill, disabled and dying. If the people lead, the organizations will follow. Become educated on your rights and your employer's responsibilities, and ask for help when you need it. Advocate for caregiving-supportive workplaces and we will all get through this — together.
UC's Emeriti Association and Center continues its partnership with the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), for the publication of aarp.org articles. With permission, the article above was reprinted from AARP.org, July 2020. Copyright 2020 AARP. All rights reserved.
Second Act
John Hancock
Forty Years at DAAP, and More
John Hancock joined the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) in 1978 and had a wonderfully productive forty years there.

Fresh out of graduate school, John was hired to teach undergraduate architectural history and design. Within a few years, he was teaching mostly graduate theory courses. Then, he became a graduate program director, an associate dean, and finally, to end a storied career at UC, a mentor to students in DAAP's professional Master of Architecture program.

John is the founder of the Earthworks Project, a project which began when a graduate student said to John, “I want to do my master’s thesis on the ancient earthworks of Ohio.” Not knowing what these were at the time, John would come to learn that they were great earthen circles, squares, octagons, and hilltop enclosures, not in Greece or Italy, but right here in Ohio.

John says the most impressive earthworks are in Ross County around Chillicothe, and at Newark in Licking County, just a little east of Columbus. In southwestern Ohio, there is Fort Ancient. All of these were built by ancestors of indigenous Americans, who lived in the area 16 to 20 centuries ago, at the time of the Roman Empire. John provided a tip for anyone interested in visiting earthworks' sites: "The monuments look their best between October and May, early or late on a sunny day."

Anyone interested in learning more about Ohio's earthworks can visit an online resource John and the media lab at DAAP created with a grant from the National Endownment for the Humanities called The Ancient Ohio Trail, www.ancientohiotrail.org.

Since retiring, John has gotten more and more involved with a group in Ohio that is preparing eight of these sites for UNESCO World Heritage inscription. He is serving as the primary author of the Nomination Dossier, assembling and synthesizing all of the specialized work of archaeologists and other experts into the format required by UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee. Inscription can be a lengthy process, one that takes years. But when inscription happens, it could be a big win for the region: an opportunity to put southern Ohio “on the map” as a world-class cultural heritage destination. More information about the process can be found online at www.worldheritageohio.org.

John says, "One of the best things about retirement is the opportunity to continue using and developing one’s professional expertise and creativity, in meaningful contexts, but in roles that can be relatively insulated from the angst of administrative responsibility. I enjoy that combination!"
Pictured above, examples of ancient earthworks in Ohio.
AROHE Idea Exchange
AROHE Idea Exchange: Online Webinars

There are online resources produced by AROHE (Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education) that may be of interest to emeriti, including webinars. Here are some.



In Memoriam
George Benzing III, MD
College of Medecine

George Benzing III died in Cincinnati on May 29, 2020. He was born on November 18, 1926 to George Benzing Jr. and Esther (Rudder) Benzing in Dayton, Kentucky. 
Eula L. Bingham, MD
College of Medecine

Eula L. Bingham passed away June 13, 2020 at University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Eula was born July 9, 1929 in Covington, KY and grew up in Burlington, KY, the daughter of Arthur and Frieda Bingham.
Stanley L. Block, MD
College of Medecine

Stanley L. Block died in Los Angeles on April 9, 2020. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1923 to Julius Block, a life insurance manager, and Sylvia Davis Block, a homemaker. 
Janak G. Dave, PhD
College of Engineering and Applied Science

Janak G. Dave died in Cincinnati on April 5, 2020. He was born March 25, 1949 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat India, the son of Girjashanker A. Dave and Savitriben G. Dave.
Charles Heaton, MD
College of Medecine

Charles L. Heaton died in Cincinnati on June 29, 2020. He was born on May 8, 1935, in Bryan, Texas to Homer Lloyd Heaton and Bessie Blanton Heaton.
Frank A. Kafker, PhD
College of Arts and Sciences

Frank A. Kafker passed away April 1, 2020 in Dedham, Massachusetts. He was born on December 18, 1931 in New York City, the son of Robert and Ida (Schear) Kafker.
William Robert Meyers, PhD
College of Arts and Sciences

William Robert Meyers, PhD died in Cincinnati on August 22, 2020. He was born in South Orange, New Jersey on March 31, 1934, the son of Joseph Francis Meyers and Eleanor Adeline Meyers.
John J. Murphy
College of Law

John J. Murphy died in Cincinnati on August 5, 2020. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts on March 2, 1925 to John Murphy and Mary Murphy.
Solveiga Rush
College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning

Solveiga Rush passed away June 16, 2020 in Cincinnati. She was born on December 18, 1931 in Latvia, the daughter of Mirza and Ottomars Gulbis.
James E. Wade, PhD
College of Engineering and Applied Science

James E. Wade, PhD died in Cincinnati on April 9, 2020. He was born in 1936.
University News
Return to Campus Guide

The opening of Fall Semester will be unlike any in the history of the University of Cincinnati. Nearly every aspect of our campus community has been affected by the pandemic. But these changes, no matter the size or scope, must never keep us from being Bearcats. Our family is over 365,000 strong, and we will persevere by the wisdom ingrained in our university’s seal: strength in unity.
UC, UC Health Administer First Doses in COVID-19 Vaccine Trial

Clinicians at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and UC Health have administered the first doses in a groundbreaking clinical trial that will evaluate the effectiveness of a vaccine for COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. 
UC College of Law Lecture Examines Issues Surrounding U.S. Elections

Richard L. Hasen, Chancellor’s Professor of Law and Political Science at the University of California, Irvine School of Law, will discuss elections in the U.S., including topics such as voter suppression, foreign interference, and the resilience of our electoral system in his lecture “The Resilience of Our Electoral System.” This event, the 2020 Constitution Day lecture, will be held at 12:15 PM, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020 via WebEx. 
The articles featured above appeared in UC News, https://www.uc.edu/news.html.
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI)

OLLI at UC offers noncredit courses designed for people age 50 and over who want to rediscover the joy of learning in a friendly, fun, and engaging community. Classes are taught with the adult learner in mind, and there are no tests or grades. Please note that all classes are offered online via Webex until it is safe for us to gather again in the classroom.

Emeriti Connection is produced and distributed by the Office of the Executive Director of the Emeriti Center. If you have questions or comments, please email us at emeriti@uc.edu.
Issue No. 13 - Summer-Fall 2020