Union Institute & University Receives Grant from Western & Southern

Grant to establish the Eugene P. Ruehlmann Public Service Fellowship Program

Virginia and Eugene Ruehlmann

Union Institute & University, a private, accredited university serving adults, announced the receipt of a grant from Western & Southern Financial Group to pay tribute to the memory and legacy of former Cincinnati Mayor Eugene P. Ruehlmann. The grant, $250,000 over the next five years, honors the former Cincinnati mayor (1967-1971), former Union Institute & University trustee and former Western & Southern board member who passed away in June 2013.

Union Institute & University faculty and administrators, with assistance from the Ruehlmann family, have established the Eugene P. Ruehlmann Public Service Fellowship Program in recognition of Ruehlmann’s distinguished visionary leadership and public service. The fellowship program will annually support a Ruehlmann Fellow and his/her doctoral dissertation project that embodies Ruehlmann’s guiding principles of cooperation, collaboration, compromise, communication, and community-building, and promises a significant contribution and community impact.

In awarding the grant, John F. Barrett, Western & Southern’s chairman, president, and chief executive officer, noted Ruehlmann’s long years of service as a member of Western & Southern’s board of directors. “Gene was elected to our board in 1968 and provided our company with sharp insight and counsel faithfully for over 45 years. He was known for his high ethical standards, hard work and bringing people together. The Urban League honored him in 1970 for his work on poverty, housing and improving race relations with a special award for Outstanding Achievement in Public Service. In 1998 he was named a Great Living Cincinnatian by the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber. We are proud to lend our support to create the Eugene P. Ruehlmann Public Service Fellowship Program at Union Institute & University, another institution that he cared about deeply.”

Union Institute & University President Roger H. Sublett, Ph.D., had a long friendship with Ruehlmann, beginning when they both began to serve the university in 2001. “All of us at Union are deeply touched by Western & Southern’s generosity in Gene’s name. Gene and his wife, Virginia, were quiet but formative leaders in Cincinnati for decades. Gene’s contributions, including his work with Riverfront Stadium, and the Reds and Bengals, are legendary. His most lasting legacy, however, may be his work to build community and heal a broken city after devastating riots in the late 1960s. It is Gene’s lifetime of public service and his service leadership that we encourage all our students at Union Institute & University to emulate. We are most grateful for John Barrett’s vision in funding this Fellowship and look forward to the community service and leadership the Ruehlmann Fellows will provide in the coming years.”

Ginny Ruehlmann Wiltse, Ph.D., and Mark Ruehlmann, J.D., two of Mayor Ruehlmann’s eight children, spoke on behalf of their family, “The Eugene P. Ruehlmann Public Service Fellowship Program pays tribute to Dad’s belief in the importance of higher education, as well as his lifetime commitment to public service. He would be so pleased to see this program inaugurated at Union Institute & University and so grateful for Western & Southern’s financial support.”

About Union Institute & University
Union Institute & University is a nonprofit, accredited, private university specializing in adult and distance education since 1964. Union strives to engage, enlighten, and empower students in a lifetime of learning and service. The university’s transformational and socially relevant programs promote creative and critical thinking, and connect scholarship with real-world practice. Flexible online classes, brief residencies, classroom experiences, and hybrid models of instruction lead to undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Union graduates, including 13 college presidents, leaders in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, members of the United States Congress, and the first female prime minister of Jamaica, promote Union’s legacy of utilizing education to transform lives and communities. For more information about Union Institute & University, visit www.myunion.edu or call: 888-828-8575.

About Western & Southern Financial Group
Beginning in Cincinnati in 1888 as The Western and Southern Life Insurance Company, Western & Southern Financial Group (Western & Southern) is celebrating its 125th anniversary in business. A Fortune 500 diversified family of financial services companies, its total assets owned ($40 billion) and managed ($20 billion) are in excess of $60 billion as of June 30, 2013. Western & Southern is one of the strongest life insurance groups in the world. Its six life insurance subsidiaries (The Western and Southern Life Insurance Company, Western-Southern Life Assurance Company, Columbus Life Insurance Company, Integrity Life Insurance Company, The Lafayette Life Insurance Company and National Integrity Life Insurance Company) maintain the following financial strength ratings: A.M. Best A+ Superior, Standard & Poor’s AA Very Strong, Fitch AA Very Strong and Moody’s* Aa3 Excellent. All of Western & Southern’s life insurance companies have a Comdex Ranking* of 96. Other member companies include Eagle Realty Group, LLC; Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc.;1 IFS Financial Services, Inc.; Peppertree Partners LLC;1 Touchstone Advisors, Inc.;1 Touchstone Securities, Inc.;2 W&S Brokerage Services, Inc.;2 and W&S Financial Group Distributors, Inc. For more information on the Western & Southern family of companies, visit www.westernsouthern.com. Western & Southern is the title sponsor of the Western & Southern Open (www.wsopen.com), a premier event in the U.S. Open Series played each August by the world’s top-ranked professional male and female tennis players.

* Lafayette Life is not rated by Moody’s and has a 97 Comdex Ranking.

1 A registered investment advisor.

2 A registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC.

For current ratings, please visit http://www.westernsouthern.com/industry.asp.

Union Institute & University Elects Four New Trustees

CINCINNATI – Union Institute & University (UI&U), a private, non-profit university headquartered in Cincinnati announced that Katherine Prince, M.A.; Edgar L. Smith Jr.; Dr. Lee Binder; and Dr. Dennis J. Tartakow have been elected to the Union Institute & University Board of Trustees.

“Adding these four stellar individuals to Union’s Board of Trustees allows the university to partake of varied and expert knowledge across a wide spectrum,” said Union President Roger H. Sublett. “Their contributions, and those of all our trustees, will be pivotal as we celebrate the university’s 50th anniversary in 2014.”

Katherine Prince, M.A.

Katherine Prince, M.A. is the senior director of strategic foresight at KnowledgeWorks, a social enterprise that strives to improve U.S. student readiness for college and careers. KnowledgeWorks incubates innovative schools, influences education policy, and engages in education research and development. Prince is also an author and an expert on the future of learning. She has helped a wide range of organizations translate KnowledgeWorks’ forecasts into visions and has developed strategies to bring those ideas to fruition.

Before joining KnowledgeWorks in 2006, Prince supported large-scale changes in working practice at The Open University by introducing an online portal and an online student feedback system for 7,500 tutors distributed across the UK. Prior to that, she managed customer satisfaction improvement projects and established a technical communications group at Pacific Consulting Group in California.

Prince earned a bachelor of arts in English from Ohio Wesleyan University, a master of arts in English from the University of Iowa, and a master’s degree in business administration from The Open University.



Edgar L. Smith, Jr.

Edgar L. Smith, Jr. is founder, chairman and CEO of Cincinnati, Ohio-based World Pac Paper, a privately held Inc. 500 and BE 100 company and award-winning national distributor of high quality printing and packaging papers and packaging solutions. World Pac Paper serves Fortune 500/1000 corporations, commercial printers, publishers, integrated and independent corrugated converters, folding carton/rigid box manufacturers, tube winders, laminators, paper converters, and the foodservice industry. In his role as chairman and CEO Smith leads and provides strategic direction, planning, and business development. In 2004 he founded World Pac Paper, which was named an Inc. 500 Top Black-Run Company in 2009.

Smith has extensive experience in sales. In his past positions, he served as vice president of national sales for Coca-Cola North America, national accounts manager for Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation, sales manager for the Georgia-Pacific Corporation, and as a senior packaging specialist for James River Corporation. Smith is a dedicated community volunteer, serving the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, ArtsWave, Cincinnati Arts Association, American Red Cross, Boy Scouts of America, and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

Smith holds a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. He has also completed the Advanced Management / Minority Business Executive Education Programs at, both, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and the Kellogg Scholl of Management at Northwestern University.

Dr. Lee Binder

Lee Binder, Ph.D. is the director of the Ben Gamla Charter School, a Broward County public school located in Hollywood, Florida. In her role, she oversees marketing, curriculum, and supervises the school’s staff and students. Before joining Ben Gamla, Dr. Binder served in a variety of positions at Greenfield Day School in Miami, Florida. She worked at Greenfield for 26 years, in roles including reading lab director, assistant principal, principal, and head of the school. Dr. Binder began her career as a fourth-grade teacher at Montgomery County Public Schools in Bethesda, Maryland and later at Libertyville Public Schools in Libertyville, Illinois.

Dr. Binder has also served as an adjunct professor for Union Institute & University, Barry University, and St. Thomas University. In addition to teaching in the classroom, she has also shared her knowledge and experience as a presenter at workshops and seminars, through community service, writing articles, and serving in professional associations.

She earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Northern Illinois University, a Master of Arts in Elementary Education from George Washington University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Union Institute & University.

Dr. Dennis J. Tartakow

Dr. Dennis J. Tartakow is currently a consultant in orthodontics, TMJ disorders, orofacial pain, practice management, and healthcare administration. Dr. Tartakow is also editor-in-chief and a frequent contributor to the US edition of dental newspaper Ortho Tribune. He previously practiced orthodontics and therapy for TMJ disorders and orofacial pain in Palm Beach, Florida.

Dr. Tartakow is an associate clinical professor at Nova Southeastern University’s College of Dental Medicine in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he previously served as the director of the TMD department of post-graduate orthodontics. He is an associate clinical professor in the graduate orthodontic department at the University of Southern California’s School of Dentistry in Los Angeles. He also serves as the senior attending orthodontist and former chairman of dental research at the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. At Union Institute & University’s Florida academic center he served as a primary adjunct professor in the master’s program from 2004 to 2008 and as a doctoral dissertation committee member from 2002 to 2008.

Dr. Tartakow holds two master’s degrees and three doctoral degrees. He earned a Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) from Tufts University, and his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) from Union Institute & University.  

Board chair Virginia R. Wiltse, Ph.D. added her congratulations to the newest members which brings the total of trustees to 16. “The Board is truly honored that these strong and effective professionals have joined our board,” she said. “Katherine brings insight into the future of education. Edgar’s commitment to Cincinnati has helped so many other organizations thrive. And, as alumni, both Lee and Dennis provide a history and also exemplify the impact Union alumni make in the world.”

Faculty Jennifer L. Scott Earns Ohio Psychological Association Award of Excellence

Ohio Psychological Association (OPA) recognizes Dr. Scott for exceptional accomplishments benefiting the profession of psychology.

Dr. Jennifer Scott, Board Certified Clinical Psychologist and Union Institute & University Core Faculty in the Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) Program in Clinical Psychology, has been selected to receive the Ohio Psychological Association’s (OPA) Award of Excellence on Friday, November 1, 2013, during the organization’s annual convention awards luncheon at Quest Conference Center, 8405 Pulsar Place, Columbus, Ohio. The award is given for exceptional accomplishments benefiting the profession of psychology or the psychological and mental health of consumers or citizens.

This honor means a lot to Dr. Scott because it brings recognition to the university and to her colleagues.

“This award is not just about my accomplishments. I am a part of a fantastic team of dedicated and talented faculty delivering the highest quality education and training to the next generation of clinical psychologists,” said Dr. Scott. “Consistent with Union’s mission, our program fosters an awareness of social injustices and inspires action among our students. We are empowering adults to advocate for underserved and marginalized populations in their own communities and beyond.”

“In addition to teaching a diverse body of students to be ethical and competent psychologists, we are building a foundation for a lifetime commitment to the service of others,” she added.

In his nomination of Dr. Scott, Union Institute & University’s Dr. Richard Sears noted her passion for teaching and learning.

“Dr. Scott’s dedication to teaching was evident from the very beginning. Her courses are exemplary and have been recognized for their quality by our university. Her experience and training gave her a thorough knowledge of her course content, but she also works very hard to facilitate the learning process in a medium that is new to the field of psychology.”

To conclude his nomination Dr. Sears wrote, “Dr. Scott doesn’t talk a lot about what she does for others. When she sees something that needs to be done, she simply steps up to help, often behind the scenes. Dr. Scott is an inspiring mentor to me and to the new generations of psychologists with whom she works.”

In addition to teaching at Union Institute & University, Dr. Scott maintains a psychology practice, providing psychological assessment and consultation services to rural communities. She also supervises graduate students, giving them the necessary education, training, and support to develop their professional skills, and mentors early career psychologists.

Dr. Scott joined the faculty at Union Institute & University in the summer of 2009. She received her Doctoral Degree in Clinical Psychology and Certificate in Organizational Concepts and Management from Xavier University. She previously taught at Xavier University, Chatfield College and Brown Mackie College, where she also served as academic dean. Among other honors, Dr. Scott received Ohio Magazine’s Award of Excellence in Education in 2011 and was recognized at the Greater Cincinnati Consortium of Colleges and Universities Celebration of Teaching luncheon in 2012. She serves on several university committees, is a leader in her community, and contributes to her profession through publications and presentations.

About Ohio Psychological Association
Located in Columbus, Ohio, The Ohio Psychological Association is a membership organization of approximately 1,600 Ohio psychologists. Its mission is to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting human welfare. For more information or for a psychologist referral, visit www.ohpsych.org.

About Union Institute & University
Union Institute & University is a nonprofit, accredited, private university specializing in adult and distance education since 1964. Union strives to engage, enlighten, and empower students in a lifetime of learning and service. The university’s transformational and socially relevant programs promote creative and critical thinking, and connect scholarship with real-world practice. Flexible online classes, brief residencies, classroom experiences, and hybrid models of instruction lead to undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Union graduates, including 13 college presidents, leaders in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, members of the United States Congress, and the first female prime minister of Jamaica, promote Union’s legacy of utilizing education to transform lives and communities.

The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) and the National Register of Health Service Psychologists Designation Committee recently voted to approve Union Institute & University’s Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) program with cohorts in Cincinnati and Brattleboro, Vermont for designation. This national recognition is a strong statement of support for Union Institute & University's model of education and its commitment to academic quality.

Learn more about Union Institute & University's Doctor of Psychology program.

Free Psychology Webinar: DSM-5 an Overview of Changes

Online

Thursday, November 21, 2013
12:15-12:45pm EST

This event is FREE and open to the public.

Please join us for a webinar presented by Union Institute & University’s graduate psychology programs. Jerry Fishman, Ph.D., associate dean and faculty in Union’s M.A. with a Concentration in Counseling Psychology will host the presentation.

Learn more about the features of the American Psychiatric Association’s Fifth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The DSM-5 is a highly useful and preferred guide to clinical practice. Through much research and discussion among academics and clinicians, the disorders in the DSM-5 have been reordered into a revised organizational structure and enhanced specificity of criteria for assessment and diagnosis of presenting symptoms has been developed. This webinar will discuss the changes to the DSM-5 and outline a strategic approach for practice.

For webinar visual: http://tui.adobeconnect.com/map
For webinar audio: 1-866-951-1151
Conference ID: 3425762
RSVP requested but not required: hanna.thurber@myunion.edu

Learn more about Union Institute & University’s M.A. with a Concentration in Counseling Psychology and Doctor of Psychology programs.

Union Alum nears goal for Thanksgiving Food Drive

In the true spirit of generosity, Ft. Lauderdale Police Officer and Union alum Edgar Cruz (B.S. Criminal Justice Management 2010) is organizing his third annual Thanksgiving Food Drive. His goal is to raise $10,000 to purchase fully-cooked meals for 200 disadvantaged Ft. Lauderdale families. Each holiday dinner will be delivered by uniformed police officers in their marked cruisers.

Edgar Cruz (B.S. Criminal Justice Management 2010)

Cruz has built a network of support in his city to help the food drive run smoothly. He led the project with the Black Police Officers Organization within his police department. The group, a non-profit established in 1980, generates support for the food drive by hosting fundraising events, collecting donations, and offering sponsorships. Cruz also works with grocery store chain Publix to purchase turkey dinners that include all of the trimmings. The local housing authority and social services organizations select the families who would most benefit from the meals.

“Knocking on doors and delivering meals to families who need a helping hand this Thanksgiving season is a way to say we care,” said Cruz. “Businesses and individuals care too. This outreach would not be successful without the financial support of the community. Publix is one of our largest supporters making the purchase of the dinners affordable.”

Cruz is just $2,000 shy of his goal, but Union alumni and friends can help. Each $50 raised provides one family with a complete Thanksgiving dinner, so every dollar counts. To contribute, send a check payable to the Ft. Lauderdale Black Police Officer’s Assn. (a non-profit), with “Food Drive” in the memo, to: Ft. Lauderdale Black Police Officer’s Assn., P.O. Box 65, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33302.