Dec 18, 2013

UC vs. UNC in 2013 Belk Bowl

If you’re planning on watching the University of Cincinnati take on the University of North Carolina in the 2013 Belk Bowl on Dec. 28, consider cheering on the ‘cats with fellow alumni in your city! The University of Cincinnati Alumni Association has several game watches scheduled in cities across the country. Check the list below for information on your city’s game watch. If your city is not featured below and you’re interested in organizing a game watch, please contact Allison Hoehn at the UC Alumni Association.


  • Boston Network:  Dan Fonovic, The Baseball Tavern
    1270 Boylston St., Boston, MA
  • Columbus Network: Mark Hale, Gresso’s German Village
    961 S High Street Columbus, OH
  • Dayton Network: Dennis Hole, Dayton Beer Company
    912 East Dorthy Lane Kettering, OH
  • Dallas Network: Mark Schmitmeyer, The Nodding Donkey Kitchen & Sports Saloon
    5600 SMU Boulevard, Suite 120 Dallas, TX
  • Denver Network:  John Messiter, Stoney's Bar & Grill
    1111 Lincoln Street, Denver, CO 
  • Phoenix Network: Brian Moore, Spoke and Wheel Tavern and Eatery
    8525 N. Central Avenue Phoenix, AZ


Dec 9, 2013

Volunteer Network Leaders Help Alumni Nationally Stay Connected

The attendees of the 2013 Network Leaders
Conference took a backstage tour of CCM
during their Homecoming Weekend visit to campus.
Washington D.C. is 402 miles east of the University of Cincinnati’s Clifton campus. Jacksonville, Fla., is 628 miles south; San Francisco, Calif., 2,040 miles west.

Distance didn’t stop Adam Thurn, CEAS ’10; Kimberly Marshall, Bus ’83; and Chad Reid, A&S ’09, ’10, respectively, from returning to UC for Homecoming the middle weekend of October. They came for two reasons:  1) They share a strong desire to stay closely connected with their university;  2)  More importantly, they want to do the same for their fellow alumni who live with them in those distant cities.

Thurn, Marshall and Reid were three of 25 alumni who converged on the Myers Alumni Center for the UC Alumni Association’s annual Network Leaders Conference. They swapped stories, shared best practices, and collectively brainstormed about how to better engage the UC alumni in the 31 U.S. cities with UCAA regional alumni networks.

“Half of our nearly 270,000 alumni live outside Greater Cincinnati, whether it’s one state over, across the country or on the other side of the world,” said Sam Walston, CECH ’09, the UCAA program director who oversees national and international alumni outreach. “We rely on these volunteer network leaders to be our ambassadors and key resources for the thousands of alums who live in their areas.”

As the term “network” implies, the volunteers got involved with the UC Alumni Association because they either “knew somebody,” or they wanted to.

“I had gone to a UC-Northern Illinois football game with long-time network leader Dave Watkins on a visit to Chicago years ago,” recalled Markus Kremer, CEAS ’92. “When I later moved to Chicago, I got involved with the network. Then when I moved to Milwaukee, I began to coordinate that network on my own.”

Carmen Pescatrice, A&S ’11, recently moved to Cleveland. “I was looking to network with UC people in the Cleveland area to reignite the Bearcat bonds and develop my career,” he said. “When I learned there was a revitalized alumni network, I was eager to join and was appointed social chair.

“It’s a great way to make contacts and help others do the same while reminiscing about our collegiate experiences. The Bearcat network is powerful and has amazing opportunities.”

Cleveland’s alumni network was rejuvenated by a visit from UC President Santa Ono’s #HottestCollegeinAmerica Tour earlier this year. The turnout was tremendous, the message about today’s UC was exciting, and the alums in attendance wanted to keep the energy going. The network is the way to do that. Similar results are occurring wherever Ono’s tour makes a stop.

A key takeaway from each Network Leaders Conference is the need for diverse programming. While there will always be widespread interest in attending games when the Bearcats come to town or getting together for game-watches in local “Bearcat hangouts,” not everyone is into sports. Consequently, UC alums have come together this year for such events as a UC-themed picnic in Dallas, a concert featuring CCM alumna Kathleen Battle in Baltimore, a wine-tasting in Minneapolis, and a tour of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, just to name a few.

The bottom line: If you live in or near a city with a UCAA regional alumni network, there are hundreds or even thousands of Bearcats around you. Many of them get together for various kinds of activities while strengthening their UC connections. And a lot of it probably originated with your network volunteers and their Homecoming return to campus.

Click here to see what’s going on in your area, and to volunteer with your area network. If your city isn’t listed, or if you want to learn more about getting involved, contact Sam Walston at 513-556-4404, 877-4-UCALUM toll-free, or Sam.Walston@uc.edu.


Dec 4, 2013

Time is running out...

If you know an alum that you think deserves recognition, there are only a few weeks left to nominate them for a UC Distinguished Alumni Award! The deadline for the 2014 UC Distinguished Alumni Celebration nominations is December 18th. The celebration will be Thursday, June 12th at the Kingsgate Marriott on the UC Campus. The UC Alumni Association holds this annual event to recognize and celebrate the many contributions and overall excellence of UC alumni in countless fields of endeavor, throughout the world.


Each year, four awards are given to the top nominated alumni:

The William Howard Taft Medal Award is given to an alumnus of UC solely for notable achievement in his or her field. The award is in honor of Dr. William Howard Taft, 27th president of the United States.

 The Alumni Distinguished Service Award is given to a dedicated alumni who make an outstanding contribution to UC by aiding the advancement of the university through their service.

The UC Alumni Association Mosaic Award is presented to an alumnus who has demonstrated leadership while enhancing the community through cultivating collaborations, fostering inclusiveness, championing the cause of the underrepresented and promoting greater equity and opportunity for others.

The Jeffrey Hurwitz Young Alumni Outstanding Achievement Award is given to a UC graduate who is 35 years old or younger for their significant professional achievement in his or her field and continued service to the university and community. The award is in honor of Jeffrey Hurwitz, former president of the UC Alumni Association.

The Distinguished Alumni Celebration is an exciting time for alumni to get together and celebrate those who have truly made a difference. To see videos of 2013 award recipients, click here.


Remember, December 18th is fast approaching! Submit your nominations before it is too late! 

Dec 3, 2013

UC vs. Xavier Crosstown Classic Game Watches Scheduled Nationwide

If you're planning on watching the University of Cincinnati vs. Xavier Crosstown Classic basketball game on Dec. 14, consider cheering on the 'cats with fellow alumni in your city! The University of Cincinnati Alumni Association has several game watches scheduled in cities across the country. Click the links below for information on your city's game-watch.  If your city is not featured below and you're interested in organizing a game-watch, please contact Sam Walston at the UC Alumni Association.

Register for a game-watch near you:

Boston Network

Charlotte Network

Chicago Network

Columbus Network

Cleveland Network

Dallas Network


Dayton Network


Denver Network


Detroit Network


Grand Junction Network

Houston Network

Indianapolis Network

Los Angeles Network

Las Vegas Network

Miami Network

Memphis Network

Milwaukee Network


Nashville Network

New York Network

Phoenix Network

Philadelphia Network - TBD

San Diego Network

San Francisco Network

Sarasota Network

Seattle Network

St. Louis Network

Tampa Network

Twin Cities Network

Washington D.C. Network