Ohio University Foundation report

OHIO Champions

OHIO Museum Complex

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Kennedy Museum of Art. Photo by Ben Wirtz Siegel, BSVC ’02

The Ohio University experience inspired Wilfred Konneker (BS ’43, MS ’47, HON ’80)—to act, to give back and, ultimately, to impact all who share that experience. His belief in the promising future that an OHIO education affords students, faculty, community and society is the guiding force behind the Konneker Fund for Learning and Discovery.

Today, the Konneker Fund is breathing new life into The Ridges, fueling the start of a long dreamed-of OHIO Museum Complex.

Developed in partnership with the Kennedy Museum of Art, the OHIO Museum Complex is transforming a storied piece of Athens history into an indoor-outdoor learning laboratory to foster interdisciplinary connection, collaboration and education that highlights Ohio University’s natural history, creative activity and innovation.

“We’re creating a place for exploration and reflection—a place to learn, connect, imagine and be inspired,” says Nancy Stevens, professor in the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine who is spearheading University-wide efforts to develop the OHIO Museum Complex. “The Konneker Fund gave us our start.”

With an award from the Konneker Fund, renovations on Lin Hall 210 have resulted in a dynamic gallery and learning laboratory space where individuals can present and engage with research, collections and ideas. The gallery’s first exhibit is being planned, blending art, natural history collections and environmental and education. The space has already hosted a student theater performance, award-winning authors, researchers from the International Geoscience Programme, and hundreds of elementary school pupils.

Planning is underway for further development. University funding has resulted in mAppAthens, offering interactive online maps for exploration of the area’s sustainability efforts, art, geology and opportunities for kid-friendly adventure around The Ridges. Efforts are underway to develop directional and interpretative signage along The Ridges trail system—creating a museum without walls, with boundless opportunities for learning.

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Performing Arts in Education Fund

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Third Coast Percussion with OHIO faculty Roger Braun (CENTER). Photo by Max Catalano, BSVC ’20

A finite moment can create infinite possibilities.

As director of bands at Alexander Local Schools, Lindsay Van Winkle (BMED ’08) encourages her students to expand their musical horizons and try new instruments. But it was one performance—by Grammy Award-winning Third Coast Percussion—that finally struck a note with her students, prompting one young percussionist to say, “I want to be able to do that.”

That performance—held at the school, free of charge—was made possible by OHIO’s Performing Arts in Education Fund. Established by an anonymous $1 million donation and supported by fellow donors, the fund brings arts, culture and infinite moments of inspiration to Ohio University and Southeastern Ohio.

Supporting a residency program that brings visiting artists to campus and community, the fund allows individuals to experience the sights, sounds and very essence of creative expression and expands the reach of OHIO’s Performing Arts Series, created 60 years ago to address the community’s need for more cultural programming.

During academic year 2017-18, the Performing Arts in Education Fund supported 47 outreach activities, impacting the lives of 7,100 students. Students and faculty in OHIO’s College of Fine Arts engaged in master classes and workshops, learning from and collaborating with world-class artists. Students in local K-12 schools were treated to classroom visits from these artists and trips to campus to experience their performances.

“Many of my students are on free and reduced lunch, below poverty level, and would never have the opportunity to experience these things,” Van Winkle says. “For me to be able to have them learn from professional musicians and even experience a performance just means so much.”

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Baker University Center Food Pantry

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Day of Service with Board of Trustees at Baker University Center. Photo by Ben Wirtz Siegel, BSVC ’02
Day of Service with Board of Trustees at Baker University Center. Photo by Ben Wirtz Siegel, BSVC ’02

College is supposed to be challenging. For many students, the struggle goes beyond the rigors of academics.

Twenty-nine percent of OHIO undergraduates on the Athens Campus who participated in a 2017 national basic needs study reported having low or very low food security. They were skipping meals, reducing portion sizes and, sometimes, going without food altogether.

“When students don’t have enough to eat, they are more likely to miss class, drop out of school, have a harder time paying attention, and experience other challenges, including mental health issues,” explains Kathy Fahl, assistant dean of students.

In April 2017, Ohio University launched the Baker University Center Food Pantry, open to members of the OHIO and local communities and fully stocked thanks to the generosity of University employees, students, alumni, parents and donors.

During the 2018 fall semester, approximately 8,700 pounds of food was donated through personal giving and student and office food drives. In November, OHIO’s first-ever Giving Tuesday campaign encouraged donors to support the food pantry, and more than 260 donors gave over $15,000 to help Bobcats in need.

According to Fahl, those who have used the pantry and completed an anonymous survey about their experience have shared how the pantry is helping to fill a real need in their lives, with one user saying it makes them feel “taken care of by their community.”

“Student success is the No. 1 priority for our entire community,” Fahl says. “In helping to provide lifelines to students struggling to secure the basic necessities of life, we, in partnership with those who support our efforts, are paving the way for student success every day.”

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