2023 honorees

2022 honorees

2021 honorees

2020 honorees

2019 honorees

2018 honorees

Laurie Dowley
’77 BS Textiles and Clothing

“A calling is that thing that you can’t not do” (by Jeff Goins), and that is what describes Laurie Dowley’s connection to and passion for the highly competitive but intriguing world of Beauty and Fragrance. It was in this domain that she built an impressive career within the ranks of Estée Lauder and Elizabeth Arden, driving significant national and regional business success in the prestige retail distribution market.

For Dowley, a career in Beauty Sales was a natural fit. Her father was a national sales manager for Dana Perfume in New York, and her mother sold Clinique cosmetics. Dowley’s first job was selling shoes while in high school. and she quickly realized she had strong business instincts, a knack for selling and the ability to connect to people. Upon graduating from The Ohio State University, she stepped into the exciting world of beauty where she joined Aramis, a division of Estée Lauder.

Dowley was rapidly promoted from coordinator to account executive managing all retail distribution in Michigan, where she began to master the essential skills of building trusted relationships, creating high-performing sales teams and flawless, in-store promotional execution. She then realized her dream of working in New York City when she was promoted to national account manager with responsibility for Saks Fifth Avenue, Bonwit Teller and Lord and Taylor stores across the nation.

Recognizing Dowley’s talents in providing vision, leadership and motivation for the sales organization and for building key strategic retail partnerships, the company quickly elevated her to regional marketing director for all the northeast accounts, managing a team of account executives. From there, she departed the Fragrance world and entered the Beauty category, when asked to take on the Estée Lauder New York regional director role. She continued her responsibility for New York accounts with a substantial increase in sales volume and was recognized for creating staff development, retention and rewards programs that drove measurable business results.

Dowley was then selected to take on the field sales director role for Prescriptives, a
makeup and skincare brand, where she oversaw East Coast retail sales and a team of 15 account executives. In this role, she determined the distribution roll out and execution for opening Prescriptives with the department store model. Her success led to a promotion to vice president. 

She was next recruited by Elizabeth Arden to serve as vice president, national sales manager, with over 100 field members and 10 educators under her leadership. Dowley was responsible for translating business strategy into effective sales strategy for maximizing sales performance. With her success, she became senior vice president general manager, adding dotted line responsibility for United States marketing.

Dowley concluded her career as senior operating executive and general manager of retail and distribution for Prestige Beauty and Fragrance. She served as a board member of Cosmetic Executive Women and is currently a board member of the Father’s Day/Mother’s Day Council, Inc., which has contributed over $35 million to a range of family-related charities nationwide since its inception.

John M. Berry
’09, PhD, Higher Education and Student Affairs

John Berry became the second president of Central Ohio Technical College on January 1, 2019, bringing with him more than 25 years of experience in higher education. His extensive background includes roles in enrollment management, student affairs and college advancement, where he has consistently demonstrated a commitment to student development and success.

Now as president, he recognizes that the college resides in a revitalizing region, where industries and organizations are eager for skilled workers. He works to balance the immediacy of the present with the needs of the future. For instance, with Intel building a microchip manufacturing plant north of Columbus, he has led the college’s response. As a result, the college’s engineering program has tripled in enrollment.

Before his presidency, Berry served as vice president for Student Affairs and College Advancement at BridgeValley Community and Technical College in West Virginia. He has held similar positions at institutions such as Rhodes State College, Cape Fear Community College and The Ohio State University at Newark, as well as at Central Ohio Technical College.

While at Ohio State, Berry concentrated his doctoral studies on honing his expertise in educational administration. He also has a master’s degree in higher education administration from Southern Illinois University and a bachelor’s in political science from the University of North Carolina - Wilmington. His academic journey began as a first-generation college student at Coastal Carolina Community College, which he credits for his achievements. 

Despite his administrative responsibilities, Berry remains passionate about engaging with students, focusing on student-centered goals and initiatives. Outside of work, he enjoys outdoor activities, sports and spending time with his wife, Susan, their three sons, Ryland, J.K. and Grayson, and their dog, Koda.

Maame Dankwah-Quansah
’97 BS Human Nutrition

Dr. Dankwah is a distinguished neurologist and medical educator with extensive experience in both clinical practice and academia. Currently serving as a neuro-hospitalist at Saint Vincent Medical Center, she has held significant leadership roles, including Interim Division Chair of Neurology at Saint Vincent Medical Center and Assistant Professor at the Frank H. Netter, MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University. Her clinical expertise spans neuro-hospitalist services and patient management in complex neurological conditions. 

She is committed to teaching and empowering primary care physicians to handling basic neurology conditions through at least bi-annual primary care provider workshops, lectures and Grand Rounds. She also serves as an electronic consultant on neurology topics for primary care providers nationwide. As one of a small number of Black women neurologists and trained neuro-oncologists, she is an outstanding mentor for women of color in the United States and young women in Ghana interested in medical careers. She recently created a framework to support young women in West Africa interested in pursuing medicine, with tools, resources and mentoring services. 

As a first-generation college student, Dr. Dankwah’s educational journey began with her bachelor’s degree, followed by a Master of Public Health in Environmental Health Sciences and a Doctor of Medicine, both from Ohio State. Her medical training included prestigious residencies in internal medicine and neurology, along with a fellowship in neuro-oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. She has a great passion for cancer research and spent many years at the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, performing research in cancer prevention.

Her academic accomplishments are complemented by several honors, including multiple citations as one of America’s Top Physicians in Neurology. Dr. Dankwah’s commitment to public health and medical education is evident in her research and teaching roles, aiming to improve patient care and advance the field of neurology.

Darin M. L. Stewart
’98 MA, Higher Education and Student Affairs
’01 PhD, Educational Administration and Higher Education

Darin M. L. Stewart is professor and chair of the Higher Education Department at the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver. Over the course of his faculty career, he has focused most intently on the history and philosophy of higher education and the institutional systems and structures that affect the experiences, growth, development and success of racially minoritized and queer and trans students in historically white postsecondary institutions. 

Professor Stewart examines these topics through intersectional, critical and poststructural frameworks that interrogate the multiple manifestations of whiteness and settler colonialism in U.S. higher education. In addition to more than 150 invited and refereed presentations, he has more than 90 book chapters and publications in journals, including top-tier publications such as the Journal of Negro Education, American Educational Research Journal and Teachers College Record. Professor Stewart also is an author or editor of four books related to multicultural student services, contexts and opportunities for LGBTQ+ students, history of Black collegians in private liberal arts colleges and the use of critical frameworks in student development theorizing. 

Professor Stewart is known for providing guidance, advice and expertise to the next generation of graduate and professional students. Students from across the academy count on him to guide and support them in their academic work. Despite his dedication to responding to his mentees, he maintains an impressive level of career contributions.

Professor Stewart has also received numerous awards for teaching, research and service, including being named a 2022 Senior Scholar Diplomate and receiving the 2021 Contribution to Knowledge Award, both from ACPA-College Student Educators International. Professor Stewart was the 2021 President for the Association for the Study of Higher Education. In 2020, he founded Radical Insights Speaking, Consulting, and Training LLC, whose mission is to transform, initiate, generate, equip and reinvigorate (T.I.G.E.R.) leaders and organizations toward greater equity and justice.

Nathan M. Murata
’95 PhD, Health, Physical Education and Recreation

Nathan Murata’s career achievements have left an indelible mark on the field of adapted physical education and have significantly advanced the mission of the College of Education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and the state of Hawaii. He is currently  a full professor and dean of the college.

During Murata’s tenure in the Department of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science, he led the accreditation reports and served as assessment coordinator and program director for the K-12 teacher education program. As chair for many years, he led the dramatic growth of the BS in Exercise Science to be one of the most popular undergraduate majors on the Manoa campus. The department continues to enjoy enrollment growth. 

As dean, he oversees eight departments and two research units with  enrollments close to 1,900 undergraduate and graduate students. He promoted diversity and inclusion by advocating for a Native Hawaiian working group to serve as advisors to the college. This important component is part of the overall college and university strategic initiative to  be a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning. He works closely with Hawaii’s Department of Education and has support from state legislators, particularly surrounding neurotrauma injuries and education. The theme “Globally Prepared, Locally Committed” drives part of his work as dean.

Marata has published and presented widely, including co-authoring three adapted physical education textbooks. He secured over $3.5 million dollars in U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Programs training grants, and contracts worth over $1.5 million from Hawaii’s Department of Health for the Hawaii Concussion Awareness and Management Program, in collaboration with the Hawaii Department of Education. It is the only such program in the country funded by state legislation.

Currently, he is co-PI of a project to reduce head impacts for Hawaii high school football players. He recently received foundation support to continue it with the state and is working to endow a professorship in concussion research and education. With external partner support, he organized the first interscholastic high school basketball games for students with disabilities and those at-risk, called Friday Night Prime Time.

Brian D. Blakely
’98 BS, Hospitality Management

After graduating from Ohio State, Brian Blakely earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Florida. His professional experience spans over 30 years in hospitality and retail, with experience leading in Choice Hotels, Hyatt Hotels, Kings Island Amusement Park, Gap and for the past 28 years, at Disney Experiences.  

As the executive director of Disney’s Workforce Management, he currently manages all aspects of forecasting, staffing, planning, scheduling and time and pay for over 60,000 hourly Cast Members (employees) in Florida who lead 300 team members. Additionally, he oversees systems that interface with Disney’s global workforce of 130,000 employees.
 
Blakely received this award for playing a pivotal role in shaping the strategic direction of the college’s Hospitality Management Advisory Board. It directly supports the program in terms of enrollment, enhancing the student experience, advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging and other priorities.    

Currently as the board vice chair, Blakely brings innovative ideas and perspectives to the program drawn from his extensive experience at Disney. His creative input and strategic thinking have been instrumental in enhancing the board’s initiatives, its overall quality and its ability to support the program. 

He also connects directly with students, offering guidance during and after their academic journey. He provides career navigation and advice on building strategic networks that significantly benefit students. From him, they gain opportunities and insights that support heir professional growth.  

Blakely is an instrumental partner in connecting other colleagues and students with the Hospitality Management Program. Through speaking engagements in Ohio State economics classes and others within and outside of the college, Blakely illustrates how hospitality management plays a crucial role in global organizations like Disney and across a variety of industries and disciplines. 

Blakely resides in central Florida and visits Columbus often.