Barbara Stewart

Yellow Springs, OH—Antioch University is very pleased to announce that Barbara Stewart has been appointed to the position of Regional Chief Financial Officer (CFO).  She is a veteran higher education financial administrator who has served in senior capacities for many years in Ohio. She will begin serving in this position effective June 10, 2013.

Antioch University recently adopted a regional CFO model, with an eastern and a western CFO each having financial oversight responsibility for multiple campuses. Stewart’s responsibilities will include providing primary financial management support to the New England and Midwest campus presidents for all budgeting and planning purposes; providing financial analysis and management reports to enable data-based decisions required for operational growth at the campus and university level; building partnerships across campuses to collaboratively execute financial strategies; and developing financial practices and a performance culture that lead to ongoing excellence and effective growth of the university while maintaining the highest integrity.

“I am very pleased that Barbara is returning to Antioch University and filling this key position,” said Tim Jordan, Chief Financial Officer of Antioch University.  “Her expertise in finance, leadership and management will help to engage our campus leadership, faculty and staff in financial processes and systems which will also help strengthen our university’s fiscal and operational capabilities.”

Previously, Stewart was VP of Administrative Services and CFO for Urbana University.  She also served as Executive Director at the Springfield (Ohio) Metropolitan Housing Authority and was the Vice President of Finance and Administration at Antioch College for 11 years.

Stewart earned her BA in liberal arts from Wittenberg University and holds a MA in organization management from Antioch University.  Additionally, she is a graduate of the Executive Director Education Program through Rutgers University and PHADA, and completed the Performance Measurement for Effective Management of Nonprofit Organizations program at the J.F.K. School of Government at Harvard University.

About Antioch University

Antioch University is a bold and enduring source of innovation in higher education serving adult students around the world and across the country, online and from its five campuses in four states in addition to its University-wide international and doctoral programs. The University lives by its mission every day helping students realize their potential and succeed in their educational goals through an innovative learning environment that is rigorous and responsive to their needs. Antioch University has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools since 1927.

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Contact:

Matt Cookson, mcookson@antioch.edu

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Ms. Willett’s journey to the White House began when she took an independent study with Professor Jeremy Winston, a musician and teacher Ms. Willett describes as “phenomenal.” Mr. Winston spotted Ms. Willetts’ gifts soon and took her under his wing. As she put it, he began to “see how much he could pull out of me, here at Antioch as well as being part of the chorale.” By July of 2012, Mr. Winston had hand-selected 20 talented musicians to be in a new chorale, and they competed at the World Choir Games in Cincinnati that month. This fledgling chorale took the gold medal in the Gospel category! They also won two silver medals, and thus their adventure began.

The Jeremy Winston Chorale went on tour in December of 2012. This tour included a performance at the White House on December 18, during one of the many Christmas celebrations hosted there. After the Chorale performed their first set, they were taken to the lower level of the White House. The White House aide, assigned to accompany them for their day at the White House, said, “You need to come with me.” The Chorale members had not expected to meet the President—but when they were taken to a large room with the Presidential seal, they had a feeling they were about to do so! Since the shootings at the elementary school in Connecticut had occurred days prior Professor Winston decided they would perform an inspirational and haunting piece, “Set Me As A Seal.” Ms. Willett said she experienced the moment when the President and First Lady entered as “surreal.” As the Chorale members began to sing, the President did not move. He finally reached for his wife, she leaned into him, and they immersed themselves in the magic of this heavenly musical performance.

Afterwards, Ms. Willett shook the President’s hand. As Mrs. Obama reached to shake her hand, Ms. Willett said to her, “God bless you and your entire family.” The First Lady graciously took both of Ms. Willett’s hands in hers, leaned toward her and said, “God bless you.” The Chorale then returned to the East Wing corridor, to complete their day of providing entertainment for White House guests—a day that was nothing less than momentous for the members of the Jeremy Winston Chorale.

Ms. Willett credits the IMA program with setting events in motion that led to this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience. She is also grateful for the unique opportunities the IMA program affords its students. “Where else could I take music and literacy, two of my passions, and combine them to earn a master’s degree?” Now, in part thanks to her IMA program, Ms. Willett is a member of an award-winning musical ensemble that will compete again in the 2014 World Choir Games in Riga, Latvia. We at Antioch University Midwest wish them well!

The post Ms. Vernetta R. Willett at the White House appeared first on Antioch University Midwest.

Azuka embedded her IMA capstone in a professional project for COSI, engaging in a year-long planning process for a traveling exhibit called, “Race: Are We Really So Different?” Azuka led an effort to engage the community in a way that had never been done before. COSI staff collaborated with local leaders and organizations, businesses, universities, public and private school systems, and city and county governments. Every detail about how this exhibit would be presented—from marketing to programming to lectures—was a collaborative effort between COSI and the community. As Azuka puts it, “This changed the face of COSI. The central Ohio community saw our science center in a way they’d never seen us before. We also developed deep relationships with the corporate community because they saw COSI differently. The public response to this exhibit was extraordinary because everyone was invested in it.”

The success of this massive outreach inspired COSI to ensure that this would be their operating model in the future. “My role,” Azuka explains, “is to lead the science center in creating a diverse internal environment for our team and our embedded partners, which allows us to reach out and be inclusive of various communities.”

From the COSI webpage:

As Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion, and Partnerships Ms. MuMin now serves as an advisor, resource, and consultant in spearheading the development, implementation and reporting of institution‐wide diversity and inclusion strategies linked to optimal performance and business success. Through her work in outreach and engagement Ms. MuMin has facilitated meaningful partnerships with over 100 organizations and schools, based on her innovative community
relationship building concept of Invite (encouraging attendance), Welcome (creating an inclusive environment), and Engage (drawing favorable attention and interest from our diverse audiences). Ms. MuMin was also instrumental in forming and leading COSI’s first public engagement process for a temporary exhibit. The successful process was initiated for the RACE: Are We So Different? exhibition and was comprised of a steering committee of diverse community leaders from various Columbus organizations.

Prior to joining COSI in 2007, Ms. MuMin had over 10 years of professional leadership experience with nonprofit and government social service agencies focused on empowering low income families through education, employment, and mentoring. Additionally, she co‐founded a nonprofit agency transitioning women from public assistance to employment. Ms. MuMin received her Bachelor of Science from The Ohio State University with dual majors in Social Policy and African American & African Studies. She also has a Master of Arts degree in Cultural Community Development from Antioch University. Ms. MuMin is the recipient of diversity fellowships from both the Association of Science and Technology Centers and the American Association of Museums.

The post Azuka I. MuMin’s Story appeared first on Antioch University Midwest.

Photo by Andy Snow

YELLOW SPRINGS, OH ― Antioch University Midwest conferred undergraduate and graduate degrees to 118 graduates at its commencement ceremony at the Schuster Center in Dayton, Ohio Sunday afternoon.

University President Dr. Ellen Wood Hall welcomed the graduates and their families and stated that “Today, all eyes are upon our graduates. This is as it should be.”

Antioch University Midwest Board of Trustees Chair, Phil Parker said, “This is the day that our volunteer Board works for – this is about people getting great educations and going on to do greater things with their lives.”

Bruce Bedford, Board of Governors member of Antioch University, offered to the graduates, “You should be very proud of your accomplishments in earning this degree. This is a great achievement for you and your community,” he said. “But with accomplishment comes responsibility. More will be expected of you by your community, your family, and more importantly, of yourself.”

Photo by Andy Snow

“Know that as you go forward, you will bring who you are, you will bring the values of Antioch in your lives,” said Antioch University Chancellor Felice Nudelman. “You will help follow the mission and values of Antioch University that will bring about great change.”

Student Representatives shared their experiences and insights regarding their time at Antioch and how they expect it to affect them as they move forward.

Undergraduate Studies: Karn Singh “Whether our discipline is management, health and wellness, human services administration, early childhood education, creative writing, sustainability or the humanities, our education is not divided at Antioch. Our education weaves, builds a strong and diverse foundation that acts as a springboard for its students. Today we see a graduating class poised and ready to win victories for humanity and this is the genius of Antioch University. We stand here today as better versions of ourselves and we thank you deeply for what we have achieved.”

Individualized Master of Arts: Rebecca Holihan “Our achievements come from our private victories that make room for our public ones.”

Conflict Analysis and Engagement: Darshana Patel, “We have learned that the distance between us is only as large as our desire to see our differences from another. Go forth and do not be disillusioned but rather seek to disillusion. And as we move forward, remember these words from Socrates, ‘the secret of change is to focus all your energy, not on fighting the old but on building the new.’”

Management and Leading Change: Deborah Moore “Our degree is a symbol of adversity, stress, accomplishment, pride and dedication. There may have been times that we stumbled but we were never alone. To all who contributed to the brilliance of each graduate, thank you.”

Teacher Education: Janice Smith, “Overwhelming is how I would describe that first meeting at Antioch. I questioned my ability to keep my fulltime job and attend classes two nights per week. My classmates supported and encouraged each other throughout the journey. We graduate today well-prepared and highly qualified to enter the teaching profession. We leave today with bachelor’s and master’s degrees and also we leave with a sense of self, which for me, was completely unexpected.”

Educational Leadership: Adrienne Wiley “There’s more to a master’s degree than just a piece of paper. It’s not a matter of filling in the blanks to get a master’s degree. One of the things I’ve learned about being an educational leader is that the act of leadership is inspiring and motivating others to share your dream. Antioch has given us the necessary tools to educate, motivate and inspire the youth of 2013.”

Photo by Andy Snow

Vernetta Willett, a 2013 graduate of the Individualized Master of Arts program, sang “You Raise Me Up” to a standing ovation. Ms. Willett is part of the Jeremy Winston Chorale, the award-winning choir group that was invited to perform for President and Mrs. Obama at the White House in December 2012. Willett received her M.A. in social sciences where she focused on how music education enhances literacy development in middle school students.

Award-winning independent filmmaker Julia Reichert gave the commencement address. “As a storyteller, my job is to bear witness to intimate and to grand human events. I believe very much in listening. I believe in stories. The average age of this graduating class is 42, which means you know about reinvention – about reinventing yourself. You know about the sacrifice to you and to your families, who are here to support you. For the past year, my partner and I have been working on a project called “reinvention stories” about people in the Greater Dayton area. As part of the project, we have interviewed dozens of people and a few common lessons began to emerge.

Photo by Andy Snow

“First, have a dream that you hold dearly. A dream that withstands hard winds and cold rains. Second, review that dream on a daily basis. Work hard at it. Third, don’t go it alone. Don’t fall for the myth of the cowboy hero in America. Build your team of family and friends. And fourth, try and fail and try and fail and try again. Today is a day to honor your successes but also to remember the failures that got you here. I wish you many useful failures.”

Steven Brzezinski, Ph.D., Vice President for Academic Affairs, offered the University’s appreciation for the service of Richard McGuigan, Ph.D., Director of School of Integral Studies, and Diane Nelson, Ph.D., Chair of Early Childhood Education, as they are leaving Antioch Midwest at the end of the year.

Antioch University also awarded its highest honor – the conferral of an Honorary Doctorate of the University to Board of Governors member Bruce Bedford who was recognized for his 17 years of service and generous support to Antioch University and Antioch University Midwest.

The final activity of the ceremony was the awarding of Faculty Emeritus Status for Dr. Steven Brzezinski, Retiring Vice President for Academic Affairs and Chair, Management and Human Services Administration programs. Dr. Brzezinski served Antioch University Midwest for many years as both a teaching faculty member and an administrator in numerous capacities. During his remarks, Dr. Brzezinski shared, “I have done this for these years because of you (students) who are sitting here and have sat here and because of the faculty and administration who have supported me. Today, I also feel like a graduate of Antioch University Midwest.”

Photo by Andy Snow

President Hall concluded the ceremony with a tradition of Antioch University, a remembrance of Horace Mann, the first president of Antioch. In 1859, at the last commencement ceremony over which he presided before his death, Mann spoke these words: “Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity.” President Hall continued, “The legacy of Mann’s final exhortation finds life in Antioch’s commitment to socially-engaged citizenship. It means, in plain words, that we count on you to use what you have learned to make your home, your schools, your community and this world, more fair, more just. It is the responsibility of each of you to live up to Horace Mann’s ideal of the Antioch Graduate.”

The AntiochUniversityMidwest Graduating Class of 2013 BACHELOR OF ARTS

B.A. in Early Childhood Education
Suzanne Marie Baker, Dayton, Ohio
Kelly Ann Brophy, Brookville, Ohio
Sara Ann Buxton, Centerville, Ohio
Jessica Ann Gibson, Dayton, Ohio
Jennifer Nicol Jackson, Dayton, Ohio
Elizabeth M. Jerome, Englewood, Ohio
Melissa Dawn Ross, Piqua, Ohio
Stacey Ann Shook, Kettering, Ohio

The Antioch University Midwest Graduating Class of 2013 MASTER OF ARTS

Individualized Masters of Arts
Cory David Barker, Brainerd, Minnesota (Epistemology)
Robin Marie Burnam, Dayton, Ohio (Social Sciences)
Elisha G. Hall, Chicago, Illinois (Social Sciences)
Katherine Mary Hart, Jupiter, Florida (Creative Writing)
Rebecca Ann Holihan, Yellow Springs, Ohio (Philosophy)
Karen Renée Hunt, Dayton, Ohio (Social Sciences)
Brian Patrick Good, Carpenteria, California (Philosophy)
Angela Griffin Jones, Dayton, Ohio (Women, Spirituality and Community Change)
Miriam S. Karp, Cincinnati, Ohio (Creative Jewish Expression)
Catherine Nyssa Paige, Yellow Springs, Ohio (Whole Systems and Social Change)
Demitra Papadinis, Loudon, New Hampshire (Shakespearean Text and Performance)
Christopher Charles Parrish, Woodstock, Illinois (Screenwriting)
Michele Ranae Powell, Arlington, Ohio (Creative Writing)
Ranee Alison Spina, Studio City, CA (Holistic Health & Sexuality Education)
Maria Suzanne Wilder, Vandalia, Ohio (Social Sciences)
Vernetta Ruth Willett, Yellow Springs, Ohio (Social Sciences) 

About Antioch University Midwest: Antioch University Midwest is one of the five campuses of Antioch University, an institution proud of serving adult learners and their specific needs for twenty-five years. Antioch University is a not for profit 501c3 multi-campus university of more than 4,000 students who study at the Antioch Midwest campus in Yellow Springs, OH, and at campuses in Seattle, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Keene, New Hampshire, online and around the world!

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Media Contact:
Audrey Treasure
Antioch University Midwest
atreasure@antioch.edu
937.769.1839

The post Antioch University Midwest Celebrates 25th Commencement as 118 Students Graduate appeared first on Antioch University Midwest.

Students participating in AUM’s Educational Leadership/Ohio Principal Licensure program

YELLOW SPRINGS, Ohio—Commitment to higher education access and citing the state’s immediate need for educators, Antioch University Midwest has lowered its tuition rate by 7.25 percent for its School of Education graduate programs and kept tuition flat for its other academic programs for the 2013 – 14 academic year.

According to School of Education Director Dr. Marian Glancy, with the number of teachers who are expected to retire within the next 3-5 years and the limited number of students in K-12 teacher preparation programs, there will be a shortage of teachers. Experts are also projecting another wave of retirements by 2015, “It’s something we have to deal with over the next two to three years,” said David Varda, Executive Director of the Ohio Association for School Business Officials, in news stories published earlier this year.

The greatest need in Ohio for 2013-14, according to US Department of Education, is for teachers in English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and Special Education. Antioch University Midwest School of Education has masters and licensure programs in all of these high need fields.

“With the anticipated shortfall of teachers in the state and Antioch University Midwest’s commitment to make higher education more accessible to those who want to be teachers, lowering our program’s tuition was the right thing to do,” Glancy said.

Employment mobility and mid-career changes have increased the number of professionals looking to transfer their skills and experience into the classroom by teaching in the Dayton area and beyond.

Antioch University Midwest provides a unique high touch quality experience in preparing teachers to work in schools by emphasizing the importance of putting educational theory into practice. Our programs are accelerated and offer working adults the opportunity to earn a teaching license with M.Ed. by attending classes two evenings per week in a supportive cohort environment, finishing the program in two years.

Antioch University Midwest offers the following Ohio Teacher Licensure programs:

• B.A. Early Childhood Education (BA/ECE)
• M.Ed. Early Childhood Education (ECE) PK-3
• M.Ed. Middle Childhood Education (MCE) 4-9
• M.Ed. Adolescent & Young Adult Education (AYA) 7-12
• M.Ed. Special Education: Intervention Specialist – Mild to Moderate (EDS) K-12

Educational Leadership/Ohio Principal Licensure.

Education Endorsements are available to enhance educators’ qualifications and make them more marketable:

• Teacher Leader
• Reading K-12
• Middle Childhood Generalist 4-6
• Early Childhood Generalist 4-5

Discover Antioch Open Houses – School of Education
Learn more about our School of Education programs by attending one of the Discover Antioch sessions at the AUM campus on June 6 and June 26. You can talk with faculty and students and learn about how to pay for school. Register to attend at midwest.antioch.edu/discoverantioch!

Application deadline for Fall 2013 for School of Education programs is July 22

The School of Education at Antioch University Midwest is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), formerly the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

More information about School of Education programs is available at midwest.antioch.edu/education/

About Antioch University Midwest: Antioch University Midwest is one of the five campuses of Antioch University, an institution proud of serving adult learners and their specific needs for twenty five years. Antioch University is a not for profit 501c3 multi-campus university of more than 4,000 students who study at the Antioch Midwest campus in Yellow Springs, OH, and at campuses in Seattle, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Keene, New Hampshire, online and around the world!

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Media Contact:
Audrey Treasure
Antioch University Midwest
atreasure@antioch.edu
937.769.1839

The post Antioch University Midwest Lowers Tuition for Education Graduate Programs appeared first on Antioch University Midwest.

YELLOW SPRINGS, Ohio—Antioch University Midwest (AUM) is accepting applications for its new and unique low residency Individualized Bachelor of Arts (IBA) degree program. The Individualized Bachelor of Arts major in Liberal Studies is designed for students who have specific academic or personal goals and want to develop their own degree.

The IBA is modeled after AUM’s successful and popular Individualized Master of Arts program and enables students to combine their personal or professional experiences with their academic experiences for a unique and custom Bachelor of Arts degree. The IBA in Liberal Studies serves as a foundation for students’ specific interests for professional development, making a career change, or preparing themselves for future studies.

“The IBA is exciting in that no two degrees will look the same; the opportunities are limitless,” said Undergraduate Studies Chair Joe Cronin. “But the IBA isn’t for everyone. It’s designed for those students who have specific ideas about what they would like to study that may not be available in other places. The IBA degree empowers individuals to create their own course of study to help them achieve their personal or professional goals.”

Students will be able to focus on one of the seven existing BA majors at AUM or combine courses from multiple majors to create their own degree. The current areas of study are Creative Writing, Health and Wellness, Human Services Administration, Humanities, Literature, Management, and Sustainability. The IBA is a total of 54 credit hours.

AUM is a transfer intentional institution and in all of the BA degree completion majors including the IBA, students may transfer in credits from community colleges or other institutions of higher education.  Antioch University Midwest is also a military-friendly school and participates in the VA Post-9/11 GI Bill Yellow Ribbon Program.

For many adult learners going back to college is never convenient. The IBA program is a low-residency, hybrid model so students do not need to live in the MiamiValley or attend classes on campus. Students get to know their classmates through limited residencies on campus or through virtual residencies and will complete their coursework online.  Faculty and staff make a special commitment to continue to provide quality, one-on-one support to each of the students within the program.  The IBA places an emphasis on critical thinking, writing, reflection, and research in whichever concentration a student chooses.

More information about the Individualized Bachelor of Arts program is available at midwest.antioch.edu/academics/iba/

About Antioch University Midwest: Antioch University Midwest is one of the five campuses of AntiochUniversity, an institution proud of serving adult learners and their specific needs for twenty five years. Antioch University is a not for profit 501c3 multi-campus university of more than 4,000 students who study at the Antioch Midwest campus in Yellow Springs, OH, and at campuses in Seattle, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Keene, New Hampshire, online and around the world!

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Media Contact:
Audrey Treasure
Antioch University Midwest
atreasure@antioch.edu
937.769.1839

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Yellow Springs, OH—Antioch University invites you to play at the pre-launch party for the new customized game about the Village of Yellow Springs. On Sunday, June 2 from 2–4 p.m. Antioch University will host this event at the Antioch University Midwest campus, 900 Dayton Street, in Yellow Springs. Antioch University is a proud sponsor of the new YS-Opoly board game.

Through a collaborative and creative community effort involving over 200 business, organization, family and individual sponsors, Yellow Springs has created a customized Monopoly-themed game representing the true flavor of Yellow Springs, promoting the many wonderful aspects that make it “Everyone’s Favorite Place.” YS-Opoly maintains the classic feel of the original Monopoly game while representing the unique character of the Village. Ultimately, YS-Opoly provides a fun experience reflective of personal interactions that villagers and visitors have with Yellow Springs.

With a charitable giving goal of $5000, YS-Opoly has already generated proceeds to benefit more than 15 local nonprofit organizations, including the Yellow Springs Arts Council, YS Kids Playhouse, YS Schools, YS Senior Center, Tecumseh Land Trust, YS Skatepark, Soul Fire Tribe, YS Bicycle Enhancement Committee, Community Children’s Center, Yellow Springs Center Stage, Friends Care Community, John Bryan Community Pottery, Children’s Montessori Cooperative, Little Art Theatre and Home, Inc.

Don’t miss this opportunity to have fun with family and friends as well as learn more about all the great activities that the Yellow Springs community organizations are engaged in. Witness the unveiling of the YS-Opoly Box Top, created by Kathy Moulton and the Bing Design Team, and the Antioch University YS-Opoly game token!

YS-Opoly sponsors will be able to pick up their games during the pre-launch party, and Antioch University invites everyone to come see what the hottest new game is all about. Tables will be set up for people to play the game, and there will be food and festivity to celebrate the YS-Opoly game becoming a reality.

There are a limited number of first-edition YS-Opoly games available, so make sure to reserve your copy by contacting Brian Housh at ysopoly@gmail.com or 937-319-1116. More information can be found on the Antioch University website at www.antioch.edu.

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About Antioch University: Antioch University is a bold and enduring source of innovation in higher education serving adult students around the world and across the country, online and from its five campuses in four states in addition to its University-wide international and doctoral programs. The University lives by its mission every day helping students realize their potential and succeed in their educational goals through an innovative learning environment that is rigorous and responsive to their needs. Antioch University has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools since 1927.

Media Contact:
Audrey Treasure
Antioch University Midwest
atreasure@antioch.edu
937.769.1839

The post Antioch University to Host YS-Opoly Pre-Launch Party 6/2 appeared first on Antioch University Midwest.

Class of 2013 attendees of the Undergraduate Studies Graduation Celebration luncheon at Antioch University Midwest. Photo by Julie Walling.

YELLOW SPRINGS, OH—Antioch University Midwest (AUM) hosted its annual Undergraduate Celebration luncheon to informally celebrate the 2013 graduating class on Saturday. The University began hosting the lunches in 2005 so friends and families of the graduates could gather with faculty to share and compare stories about their Antioch University Midwest experiences.

The University’s Undergraduate and Graduate Commencement will be held on Sunday, May 19.

“The Undergraduate Celebration luncheon is the culmination of much hard work of the graduating students, many of whom have had to overcome tremendous obstacles in their lives while attending school,” said Undergraduate Studies Chair Joe Cronin. “Antioch Midwest students inspire the faculty and staff who work with them, and we are grateful to be a part of their lives.”

Graduating students Kane Thompson (Sustainability), Karn Singh (Humanities), Jessica Barry (Management), and Tina Hurd (Human Development). Photo by Julie Walling.

The stories shared by students were as diverse and heartfelt as the students are, but a single theme emerged from each one—transformation. Every single student who spoke acknowledged that their AUM experience was life changing, many sharing that they are not the same person now as the one who entered the school.

There are stories of perseverance and dreams fulfilled. Goals achieved and expectations surpassed.

“I need a ‘mouth as wide as the sky and is as large as longing’ to describe my time here,” said Karn Singh quoting The Fragile Vial. “So I don’t have any words. I didn’t know a place like this existed. I didn’t know this happened. I didn’t know this was out in the world. I didn’t know this was possible. The best analogy I can think of is my brain was melted like molten lava and it was reformed in the most fantastic way. Across the board there has been a significant improvement in my life.”

For Tina Hurd her Antioch Midwest experience was about pursuing her passion.

“Everyone here has treated me like a person, not a dollar amount,” she said. “They have pushed me in a way that you know that you are the best of who you are. My passion is animals and every chance I could do a paper on my passion I took it and I was encouraged to do so. I have learned skills that not only I can take into business; there are things I’ve learned about my life—things that I can pass on to my daughter. I would not change any of my time here and couldn’t dream of going to school anywhere else.”

Janet Fedrick, Human Services Administration. Photo by Julie Walling.

For Janet Fedrick her Antioch Midwest experience was a family affair.

“When I first came here my husband was in the masters program and he said ‘you should come over and get your bachelor’s’,” she said. “My journey here was less a chariot ride and more like a roller coaster. But I appreciate everything the faculty has done for me and helping me through.”

And for Management major Jessica Barry, her Antioch Midwest experience has prepared her to purchase and operate her own school.

“Four years ago I showed up here and I said ‘I just became president of the School of Advertising Art, I’m a graphic artist and I have a lot to learn and I would eventually like to purchase the college,’” Barry said. “’We need to get you a degree,’ was the response I got. That’s when I started the process and it’s been absolutely amazing. I’ve learned so much from both the faculty and students here. They have all enriched my experience here.”

Ron Maynard, Creative Writing, and Candace Greenwood, current student in Masters of Education program. Photo by Julie Walling.

For Creative Writing major Ron Maynard his Antioch Midwest experience was personal.

“This place has strengthened my ideals, ideals I never knew I had,” he said. “It’s not about where we come from, it’s about where we are now, and now I’m a force to be reckoned with.”

Antioch University Midwest will celebrate its Undergraduate and Graduate Commencement on Sunday, May 19 at the Schuster Center in Dayton, Ohio.

About Antioch University Midwest: Antioch University Midwest is one of the five campuses of Antioch University, an institution proud of serving adult learners and their specific needs. Antioch University is a not for profit 501c3 multi-campus university of more than 4,000 students who study at the Antioch Midwest campus in Yellow Springs, OH, and at campuses in Seattle, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Keene, New Hampshire, online and around the world!

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Media Contact:
Audrey Treasure
Antioch University Midwest
atreasure@antioch.edu

937.769.1839

The post Antioch University Midwest Luncheon Celebrates 2013 Graduating Class appeared first on Antioch University Midwest.

Julia Reichert

YELLOW SPRINGS, OH—Award-winning independent filmmaker, and Yellow Springs resident, Julia Reichert will be the commencement speaker for the Antioch University Midwest (AUM) graduating class of 2013.

Antioch University Midwest will celebrate its Undergraduate and Graduate Commencement on Sunday, May 19 at the Schuster Center in Dayton, Ohio.

Reichert has been called a godmother of the American independent film movement and is a three time Oscar nominee. Her film Growing Up Female (with Jim Klein) was the first feature documentary of the modern Women’s Movement. It was recently chosen for inclusion on the National Film Registry.

Her films Union Maids and Seeing Red (also with Klein) were both nominated for Academy Awards for Best Feature Documentary, as was the short documentary The Last Truck, about the closing of the Dayton General Motors plant.

Her film A Lion in the House (with Steven Bognar) premiered at Sundance, screened nationally on PBS, was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award, and won the Primetime Emmy for “Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking”.

She co-wrote and directed the feature film Emma and Elvis, produced the feature The Dream Catcher. Her latest film, Sparkle (with Bognar) about the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company’s Sherri “Sparkle” Williams, won the Audience Award for Best Short at Silverdocs 2012. Her most recent project is an interactive nonfiction website, Reinvention Stories. Reichert is co-founder of New Day Films, the social issue film distribution co-op, which is now 40 years old. She is author of Doing It Yourself, the first book on self-distribution in independent film, is Professor of Motion Pictures at Wright State University in Ohio, a graduate of Antioch College, a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, and a grandma.

Vernetta Willett, a 2013 graduate of the Individualized Master of Arts program, will also sing as part of Antioch University Midwest’s commencement ceremony,. Ms. Willett is part of the Jeremy Winston Chorale, the recently-formed choir group which took the Gold Medal in Gospel and two silver medals at the 2012 World Choir Games held in Cincinnati, Ohio. Ms. Willett and the Chorale were invited to perform for President and Mrs. Obama at the White House in December 2012. Willett received her M.A. in social sciences where she focused on how music education enhances literacy development in middle school students.

About Antioch University Midwest: Antioch University Midwest is one of the five campuses of Antioch University, an institution proud of serving adult learners and their specific needs for twenty-five years. Antioch University is a not for profit 501c3 multi-campus university of more than 4,000 students who study at the Antioch Midwest campus in Yellow Springs, OH, and at campuses in Seattle, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Keene, New Hampshire, online and around the world!

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Media Contact:
Audrey Treasure
Antioch University Midwest
atreasure@antioch.edu

937.769.1839

The post Award-winning Filmmaker Julia Reichert to Address Antioch University Midwest Class of ’13 appeared first on Antioch University Midwest.

‘Drawers of Majesty’ by Margrit Tydings Petrie

YELLOW SPRINGS, OH—Antioch University Midwest (AUM)will host an unveiling of the art exhibit, Project Peace: Confronting Bullying through Art, on Sunday, March 24, 2 – 4pm. The unveiling is part of a larger reception celebrating the newly displayed Yellow Springs Arts Council Permanent Collection throughout the first floor hallways at AUM.

The exhibit is the result of the partnership among the Yellow Springs Village Schools and Yellow Springs Arts Council, with support from the Village Human Relations Commission and AUM.

The Project Peace collaboration utilizes art as a vehicle for exploring social inclusion with youth focusing on the idea of “social justice” and not just on bullying.

Project Peace: Confronting Bullying through Art
Mills Lawn Artist Residency 2013
Reception:  Sunday, March 24, 2013 (2-4pm)
Location: Antioch University Midwest, 900 Dayton St., Yellow Springs, Ohio
Contact: YellowSpringsartscouncil@gmail.com, 937-679-9722

The Project Peace works of art, along with project documentation, will continue to be displayed at Antioch University Midwest through their upcoming conference, Safe School Climate: Making the Invisible Visible on May 8 & 9. The conference will include sessions for both parents and educators and more information is available at midwest.antioch.edu/education-conference.

Information about arts educational offerings through the Yellow Springs Arts Council can be found at www.YellowSpringsartscouncil.org. The Project Peace; Confronting Bullying Through Art blog can be accessed through the Mills Lawn School website at projectpeacemillslawnschool.com.

About Antioch University Midwest: Antioch University Midwest is one of the five campuses of Antioch University, an institution proud of serving adult learners and their specific needs. Antioch University is a not for profit 501c3 multi-campus university of more than 4,000 students who study at the Antioch Midwest campus in Yellow Springs, OH, and at campuses in Seattle, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Keene, New Hampshire, online and around the world!

# # #

Media Contact:
Audrey Treasure
Antioch University Midwest
atreasure@antioch.edu
937.769.1839

The post Antioch University Midwest to Exhibit ‘Project Peace: Confronting Bullying through Art’ appeared first on Antioch University Midwest.