Bearcats Celebrate Golden Gate Bridge 75th Anniversary

University of Cincinnati alumni living in the San Francisco Bay area celebrated the 75th Anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge with a tour of the bridge.  Joseph Strauss, primary engineer and designer of the Golden Gate Bridge, was a graduate of the University of Cincinnati.

Approximately 25 alumni attended the 90 minute guided tour led by a tour group called San Francisco City Guides.

The San Francisco Alumni network hosts events for Bearcats living in the Bay area throughout the year.  Previous events include game watch parties, a Reds versus Giants game, all-Ohio networking event and more! On average, 75-100 UC alumni attend these red-and-black themed events.

For more information on how to get involved, please visit the alumni network website and Facebook page!

UC alumni at the Golden Gate Bridge

Joseph Strauss Memorial

Nominate an Outstanding UC Alum

UC Alumni Awards

Is there an alum you know who has made significant achievements in their professional career, has been extensively involved in the university and the community or has demonstrated remarkable leadership abilities? Now is your chance to nominate them for a University of Cincinnati Alumni Award! Nominations will close January 31, 2012. Awards will be presented at the 2012 UC Distinguished Alumni Celebration on June 14, 2012.

“The Distinguished Alumni Celebration gives UC the opportunity to formally recognize our most outstanding alumni for their professional accomplishments and exceptional commitment to the university and in many cases, to the world,” said UC Alumni Association Executive Director, Myron Hughes. “Since 1956, the UCAA has extended awards to more than 130 alumni.”

Please consider nominating a fellow alum for one of the following awards: 

The William Howard Taft Medal Award
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 Taft Medal differs from the Alumni Distinguished Service Award in that it is not restricted to service to the university. The award is in honor and memory of Dr. William Howard Taft, LLB 1925, twenty-seventh president of the United States.

2011 UC Alumni Award Recipients (from left) Drew E. McKenzie,
Dr. P. Eric Abercrumbie, Dr. Marilyn A. Edmondson,
Richard G. Foley,David Watkins, and Dr. J. Richard Wuest

The Jeffrey Hurwitz Young Alumni Outstanding Achievement Award
This award is given to a UC graduate, 35 years of age or younger, on the basis of significant professional achievement in his or her field of endeavor, and continued service and involvement with the university and community. This award is in honor and memory of Jeffrey Hurwitz, BBA '72, MBA '73, former president of the UC Alumni Association.

Alumni Distinguished Service Award
Dedicated alumni who, through their service, make an outstanding contribution to their university are usually over-modest, always unpaid, and unthinking of reward. Nonetheless, recognition is important, for an action that begins by aiding the advancement of a university ends in the improvements of the social structure in which we live. The UC Alumni Association issues the Alumni Distinguished Service Awards to provide that recognition for those who have faithfully rendered outstanding service to the University of Cincinnati.

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

What do the Star Wars LightSaber and Social Business practices have in common?

Ah, the Star Wars LightSaber. Obi-Wan Kenobi described it best when he said of the mythical formal weapon of Jedi knights, “More skill than simple sight was required for its use. Anyone can use a blaster or a fusioncutter—but to use a lightsaber well was a mark of someone a cut above the ordinary.”

One could say the same of Social Computing, an approach to business that combines social behavior theories and computational systems. According to Forrester Research, companies must be a cut above the ordinary in order to be successful.

“To thrive in an era of Social Computing, companies must abandon top-down management and communication tactics, weave communities into their products and services, use employees and partners as marketers, and become part of a living fabric of brand loyalists.”

That’s exactly what University of Cincinnati alum Tony Zingale CEO of Jive Software, is setting out to do. Not unlike his favorite science fiction gadget, this UC Foundation Trustee and supporter of UCAA’s William Howard Taft Society is taking Social Computing to the next level. He’s harnessing the innovation of social networking, collaboration software, community software and social media monitoring to add value the enterprise. (And no, we’re not going to mix metaphors by referencing that other little Enterprise…)

As a testament to Zingale’s status as a “cut above the ordinary,” Forbes Magazine recently interviewed the technology juggernaut as part of an ongoing series about the leaders behind social businesses. The interview covered the disruptive nature of social business (“It changes how we work to be more collaborative and puts us in touch with our community base.”) and how technology is evolving to improve business values and customer satisfaction.

“We believe that the future of work is personalized by delivering the right information to the right person at the right time,” he says in the article. “Our challenge is to take the systems of record in place, integrate them in the social ‘stream’ to bringing context, and liberate the content that matters to the worker to get the job done.”

Congratulations to Tony Zingale, University of Cincinnati alum, for being a Social Business Jedi and leading the charge in this exciting field! To read Zingale’s profile in Forbes, please click here.

UC Alum, Arnie Leff, shows his support for UC in California

A UC flag waves outside of Arnie's house in Boulder Creek, CA.

Arnie Leff, College of Medicine '67, is many things. An unapologetic patriot. An American hero. A veteran. And yes, a fervent supporter of his beloved University of Cincinnati. Arnie is also the topic of an intriguing biography; Paging Dr. Leff, penned by Gabriel Constans.

You may not agree with Dr. Leff’s stance on everything covered in this book, but there is no denying the astonishing life he has lived. Grab a copy of Paging Dr. Leff and let us know what you think!

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream!

Graeter's named one of nation's best ice cream companies

Graeter's has always been a staple dessert for the Cincinnati region. With a history stretching back to the 19th century, the family-owned chain still continues with its traditional recipes and famous French Pot processing of ice cream. Many of Graeter's flavors offer rich, creamy flavors with huge chocolate chunks, certain to satisfy any ice cream lover's sweet tooth. And this company's quality ice cream has not gone unnoticed.

Food writer Ellen Brown, author of Scoop, recently listed America's top 10 favorite ice cream parlors and creameries, naming Graeter's as one of the best ice cream shops in the country! Other famous ice cream companies that made the mark include: Bonnie Brae Ice Cream in Denver, Bassetts in Philadelphia, GS Gelato in Fort Walton Beach, Lappert's in San Diego, Mitchell's in San Francisco, and Sweet Republic in Scottsdale.

Missing the ice cream tradition of Cincinnati? Order your Graeter's online and have it shipped anywhere in the continental U.S.! Graeter's is a Proudly Cincinnati company, and a proud sponsor of the UC Alumni Association.

Have a favorite spot for ice cream or other sweet treats in your city? Be sure to share your comments below about how it stacks up to the Cincy competition!