Information and photos provided by University of Cincinnati Alumni Association
The UC Alumni Association annually celebrates the excellence throughout its alumni family by bestowing its top awards on a select group of Bearcats. For all they do to serve their university, their communities and their fields of endeavor, they aren’t just exceptional alumni — they are Boldly Defining Next! And in 2023, the alumni association honored them through a new community art project.
Honoree Shakila T. Ahmad, ’82, College of Arts and Sciences, poses by the mural with her husband Masood Ahmad, MD. Photo provided by University of Cincinnati Alumni Association. 
UC Alumni Association honoree Christie Bryant Kuhns, Esq., and her family pose for this photo at a reception for the 2023 honorees. Photo provided by University of Cincinnati Alumni Association. 
Honoree Dr. Clyde E. Henderson, MD, ’77, College of Medicine, at left, is shown with Dr. Chris Lewis, MD, Vice Provost for Academic Programs at the University of Cincinnati, at the UC Alumni Association Reception for the mural honorees. Photo provided by University of Cincinnati Alumni Association. 
Dr. Joseph King Jr. points to his image in the UC Alumni Association mural. Photo provided by University of Cincinnati Alumni Association. 
Honoree Eku Williams, ’00, Carl H. Lindner College of Business, poses by the portrait of him in the UC Alumni Association’s mural. Photo provided by University of Cincinnati Alumni Association. 
Annette N. Echikunwoke, a UC Alumni Association 2023 honoree, was a standout on UC’s Track and Field team, winning the weight throw at the 2017 NCAA Championships to become UC’s first NCAA champion in track and field. Photo provided by University of Cincinnati Alumni Association.
The mural artwork was unveiled during Alumni Week and will remain on display through March 2024. UCAA commissioned Jenny Roesel Ustick, an associate professor of practice in the School of Art within UC’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, and a 2005 DAAP graduate, to design and illustrate the project, which was painted on the side of a building at 1430 Vine Street in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.
The alumni honorees are:
Todd C. DeGarmo, DAAP ’82
William Howard Taft Medal for Notable Achievement
This award is given to an alumnus of the University of Cincinnati solely on the basis of notable achievement in his or her field. The award is in honor and memory of William Howard Taft, Law 1880, Hon ’25, twenty-seventh president of the United States and tenth chief justice. An unabashedly unconventional problem-solver, Todd DeGarmo, FAIA, is a 1982 graduate of UC’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning. DeGarmo believes in the transformative power of design and creativity to lift the trajectories of individual lives and entire communities. He has developed an impressive track record of bringing architectural solutions to complex projects, delivering success on both the practical and aesthetic levels.
Laurence F. Jones III, Bus ’00
Robert E. Dobbs Distinguished Service Award
This award recognizes alumni who have rendered outstanding, faithful and selfless service to their alma mater. Laurence Jones is Co-Founder and President of RiskVersity, a provider of risk management and insurance services, which started in 2015. He is also President and Co-Founder of CyberSure LLC and Co-Founder and Partner at Resurgent Collaborative.
Janice G. Hutchinson, MD, Med ’73
Marian A. Spencer Mosaic Award
This award is presented to an alumnus/alumna whose leadership enhances our shared community through cultivating collaboration, fostering inclusiveness, championing the cause of the underrepresented, and promoting opportunity for all. Dr. Janice Hutchinson is a Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Specialist in Washington, D.C. with nearly 50 years of experience in the medical field. She is board certified in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and currently practices at Howard University Hospital. The award is named after a Cincinnati Civil Rights icon.
Christie Bryant Kuhns, A&S ’01, Law ’06
Jeffrey Hurwitz Young Alumni Outstanding Achievement Award
This award is given to a UC graduate on the basis of significant professional achievement in his or her field of endeavor, and continued service and involvement with the university and community. Christie Bryant Kuhns was elected President/CEO of The Urban League of Southwestern Ohio in 2022. This award is in honor and memory of Jeffrey Hurwitz, BBA ’72, MBA ’73, former president of the UC Alumni Association’s Board of Governors.
Shakila T. Ahmad ’82
College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Alumni Award
Shakila Ahmad is Business Director of the Allergy and Asthma Center in West Chester, Ohio. Previously, she was with IBM for nearly a decade as a Regional Consultant. Shakila served as Board Chair and President of the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati — the first woman to serve in this capacity at such an institution in the United States.
Jason N. Asic ’07, College of Allied Health Science
Jason was named president of the Kings Mills Hospital of Mercy Health, Cincinnati in May. He most recently served as interim president and COO of Mercy West Hospital.
Dr. John C. Drach, PhD, Phar ’61, A&S ’63, ’66
James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy Outstanding Alumni Award
Dr. John Drach is professor emeritus at the University of Michigan, where he held faculty positions in the School of Dentistry and College of Pharmacy. Most notably, he played a central role in discovering maribavir, the drug that successfully treats multiple infections caused by cytomegalovirus in immunocompromised individuals.
Annette N. Echikunwoke, A&S ’18, Bus ’19
UC Athletics Outstanding Alumni Award
Annette Echikunwoke was a standout on UC’s Track and Field team, winning the weight throw at the 2017 NCAA Championships, becoming UC’s first NCAA champion in track and field. She set four successive Nigerian and African records in hammer and is one of the highest-ranked women’s hammer throwers in the world.
Dr. Clyde E. Henderson, MD ’77Â
College of Medicine Outstanding Alumni Award
Dr. Clyde Henderson retired from the TriHealth Orthopedic and Spine Institute in 2018 after 33 years in the private practice of orthopedic surgery. He was a member of the U.S. Army Reserve Medical Corps while in medical school and during his residency, and spent three years on active duty. He’s served as President of the Cincinnati Medical Association and President of the Tristate Orthopedic Treatment Center, until his retirement.
Chelsie Hornsby ’03
UC Clermont College
Chelsie Hornsby is Senior Director of Business Development for HealthSource of Ohio.
Joseph (Joe) King, Jr., PhD ’82
College of Education, Criminal Justice, & Human Services Outstanding Alumni Award
Dr. Joe King is Principal and CEO of the King Group Consulting LLC, and field instructor at the Brown School at Washington University, in St. Louis. He previously served as Chief Human Capital Officer for the U.S. Army Research Development and Engineering Command. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Army War College, Ohio State, Xavier and the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Policy.
Doloris F. Learmonth, Esq., A&S ’70, Law ’78, Hon ’19, College of Law
College of Law Outstanding Alumni Award
Doloris Learmonth, a leading figure in Cincinnati’s legal community, was the first woman to lead a large Cincinnati law firm when she served as Managing Partner of Peck Shaffer & Williams LLP from 2001 until 2008. She also previously served as President of the Cincinnati Bar Association.
Madeleine (Mimi) T. Martin, EdD, Nur ’68, ’74, CECH ’82
College of Nursing Outstanding Alumni Award
Dr. Mimi Martin retired as Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Professor for the UC College of Nursing. She taught for almost 40 years and generated more than $2 million in grants.
James (Jim) B. Semmelman ’76
College-Conservatory of Music
Jim has worked as a producer, lyricist and stage manager for both Broadway and live TV. He has spent the last 20+ years with NBC Universal, working on “The Today Show,” “Katie,” “The Dr. Oz Show” and “The View.” He has stage managed numerous Broadway productions.
Frederick (Fritz) R. Steiner, PhD ’72, ’75
College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning Outstanding Alumni Award
Fritz Steiner is Dean of the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design. Previously he had been Dean of the School of Architecture and Henry M. Rockwell Chair in Architecture at The University of Texas at Austin for 15 years.
Michael D. Valentine ’73
College of Engineering and Applied Science Outstanding Alumni Award
One of UC’s foremost exemplars of innovation and entrepreneurial spirit, Mike Valentine, with his wife, Peg, founded Valentine Research in 1983, a privately held company that designs, manufactures and markets consumer electronics, most notably radar systems and detection equipment.
Diane M. White, UCBA ’96, Bus ’97
UC Blue Ash College Outstanding Alumni Award
Diane White is the Business Officer for UC Blue Ash College. A certified public accountant, she had previously held a similar position at CCM during her 17-year career at UC.
Eku Williams ’00Â
Carl H. Lindner College of Business
Outstanding Alumni Award
Eku Williams is Partner/Practice Leader, IT Audit and Compliance at CyberSure LLC, which provides organizations with the security they need to grow with assurance. Eku is an outstanding volunteer, having served as Chair of the African American Alumni Affiliate (4A), on the board of the Cancer Support Community of Greater Cincinnati – Northern Kentucky, and as a former member of the Lindner Alumni Council.
Dr. Joseph King, of St. Louis, Mo., brought this article to the attention of The Herald.