Miss your Bobcat learning days? Ohio University is still here for you! Sign up for live, virtual sessions with OHIO faculty and alumni as part of the new Alumni Association "Alumni Academy." You'll get exclusive access to faculty expertise, live Q&A, and a private chat group to build your network with other Bobcats -- all with convenient, online access no matter where you are!

As a member of the inaugural Spring 2021 class, you’ll access:

• Seven LIVE virtual sessions, including time for a Q&A

• Exclusive video recordings of the entire series

• An Alumni "back to school" bag mailed in advance to make sure you’re ready for the beginning of class

• Opportunity to chat and continue conversation with other Alumni Academy participants throughout the class via a closed Alumni Academy group

Seats are limited - register now! Registration will close March 29.  Cost is $99 per person .

If you have any questions, please email John Rogers at  rogersj1@ohio.edu .

Session 1 - Keynote: Eyewitness to History
Pete Souza,  Professor Emeritus of Visual Communication
Tuesday | April 6, 2021 | 7 p.m.

As the Chief Official White House Photographer for President Barack Obama and Official White House Photographer for President Reagan from 1983-1989, Pete was in a unique position to spend rare and intimate moments in the Oval Office observing two transformative Presidents of the United States. In this session, he shares some of his iconic behind-the-scenes photographs, along with his poignant detailed stories, all leading to a bold and dynamic depiction of true leadership.

Session 2 - Fleshing out the past! Bringing dinosaurs back to life at OHIO.
Dr. Larry Witmer, Ph.D., Professor of Anatomy  &  Chang Ying-Chien Professor of Paleontology
Wednesday | April 14, 2021 | 7 p.m.

The latest advances in high-tech imaging and 3D computer modeling, combined with old-school anatomy, allow us to “flesh out” dinosaurs in unprecedented ways, shedding new light on dinosaur biology. Professor Lawrence Witmer will lead a virtual tour of his research lab and show how his team rebuilds and restores the dinosaur anatomy that time has stripped away. Not only does this work reveal details of dinosaur function, physiology, and behavior, it also provides an effective vehicle to engage the public about science.

Session 3 - Finding the HERO in you!
Dr. Christine Bhat, Ph.D., '03, Professor, Counseling and Higher Education & Dr. Pete Mather, Ph.D., Professor and Department Chair, Counseling and Higher Education
Tuesday | April 20, 2021 | 12 p.m.

In her famous song "Hero," Mariah Carey sings:

So when you feel like hope is gone
Look inside you and be strongAnd you'll finally see the truth
That a hero lies in you!

Yes, there is a hero in each one of us! And it is made up of the positive psychological assets of Hope, Efficacy, Resilience, and Optimism. Christine Bhat and Pete Mather, Professors of Counseling and Higher Education will explore Psychological Capital as an approach to improve organizational climate and individual performance, and will teach participants how to recognize, nurture, and grow their inner hero in this session!

Session 4 - Disney, Tolkien, and a Hidden History of Trauma in the 20th Century
Dr. Tony Vinci, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English, College of Arts and Sciences
Tuesday | April 20, 2021 | 7 p.m.

What does fantasy literature have to do with trauma? In this session, Tony Vinci, an Associate Professor of English and film and literature expert will invite participants to explore and contemplate the intertwined histories of trauma and fantasy through the 20th century. Special attention will be paid to the styles popularized by both J.R.R. Tolkien and Walt Disney.

Session 5 - (Un)expected Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Dr. Berkeley Franz, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Community-based Health  &  Dr. Lindsay Dhanani, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology
Tuesday | May 4, 2021 | 12 p.m.

The COVID-19 pandemic has markedly reshaped the lives of most Americans, causing long-standing physical, social, and economic damage. In this session, Berkeley Franz, a medical sociologist and Lindsay Dhanani, an industrial/organizational psychologist, will lead an interactive discussion about the intersection of prejudice, inequality, and other sociocultural factors about beliefs and responses to COVID-19.

Session 6 - Climate Change: What’s National Security Got to Do with It?
Dr. Geoff Dabelko, Ph.D.,  Professor and Associate Dean at the George V. Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs
Wednesday | May 12, 2021 | 7 p.m.

Climate change and national security have not historically connected in terms of the challenges they pose or the responses they demand. Yet impacts of climate change and various responses to it are garnering increased attention by a wide range of security actors in the United States and overseas. In this session, Geoff Dabelko, Professor and Associate Dean of Environmental Studies, will detail the evolution of these two seemingly disparate topics coming together more and more over time including renewed attention in 2021.

Session 7 - Giving Voice to Japanese War Brides: Aftermath of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Dr. Miki Crawford, Ph.D., Professor Emerita of Communication Studies
Tuesday | May 18, 2021 | 7 p.m.

In the years following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, an estimated 50,000 Japanese war brides married American soldiers stationed in Japan after World War II. These women came to the United States between 1947 and 1965. Their assimilation into American culture forever influenced future generations, depicting love, strength, and perseverance in the face of incredible odds. In this session, Miki Crawford, Emeritus Professor of Communication Studies, will share stories of Japanese women, social tension, cross-cultural integrations and her own experience as a bi-racial child of the 1950s and her evolution from ‘passing’ to celebrating her ancestry.