San Diego DAAP Alum Credits First Published Book to UC Education

One DAAP alum just published his first book, Binding Light & Shadow to Architecture. Basing it on his master thesis completed at UC, Robert Goldyn wanted UC to be one of the first to hear his good news!

Currently living in San Diego, Goldyn is a designer with over 6 years of professional experience in a wide range and scale of highly competitive architectural offices across the country. After receiving his Bachelors of Science in Architecture from The University of Cincinnati, he continued his education at the Ecoles D’Art Americanes De Fontainebleau – Beaux-Arts Summer program (The American School of Fine Arts located in Fontainbleau, France). Robert graduated with a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Cincinnati.

The UC alum credits his professional success to his UC education. “To me UC was very important in providing me with opportunities to work in offices across the nation; from San Diego and San Francisco to Charleston in large, small, and medium firms in residential, government, and commercial projects,” says Goldyn. “This helped me to transition smoothly and easily into the professional world after graduation.”

Goldyn recently sent us the above video about his experience at UC and the impact it has had on his life. Check it out and tell us how UC has influenced your professional career by commenting below!

10 Local Alumni You Should Know in New York!

Spanning the arts world, corporate America and even the entertainment industry, UC alum have made their mark on the Big Apple. Did you realize the following notable New Yorkers were Bearcats?

Susan Alexander (BUS ’77), Executive Vice President – Human Resources, Sotheby’s, Inc.

Stephen Flaherty (CCM ’82), Composer. 

Marilyn Gaston (MED ’64), Former US Assistant Surgeon General.

Hendrik Hartong (A&S ’62), Co-founder and Chairman, Brynwood Partners.

Stan Herman (DAAP ’50 & HON ’08), leading uniform designer in the world, the leading loungewear designer, and the number one per-minute salesman on QVC.

Jerry Leamon (BUS ’73), Global Managing Partner, Global Mergers and Acquisitions Group, Deloitte LLP.

Kevin McCollum (CCM ’84), Chairman, The Producing Office.  Broadway Producer.

Fred Nazem (A&S ’67), Founder and Managing Partner, Nazem & Co.

John Riggi (A&S ’78), Producer, 30 Rock.

Richard Thornburgh (BUS ’74), Vice Chairman, Corsair Capital, LLC.

UCF Trustees and NY Residents Instrumental in New UC, EPA Water Initiative

Have you ever wondered where your water comes from? Do you know the steps of purification that happens before it comes out of your tap?

On January 18th, UC launched a joint partnership with the EPA and created the Water Technology Innovation Cluster (WTIC). The initiative is geared towards research and development of new water technologies for better availability and usage.

Right now, nearly 40% of the world’s population does not have a clean supply of water. And this percentage will grow, potentially leaving 50% of the world’s population with severe water shortages by 2050.


UC President Gregory H. Williams and EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson committed to work together to:

• Conduct joint research and collaborate on innovative technology development.
• Include undergraduate and graduate students in the discussion, and emphasize courses of study in the environmental sciences.
• Identify innovative practices to advance new water technologies at local and global levels.

Two members of the University of Cincinnati Foundation’s Board of Trustees, Jerry Leamon, Business ’73, and Jeff Williams, DAAP ’75, HON ’09, were major drivers in WTIC’s formation. Jerry and Jeff both reside in New York City.

UC and the EPA already have a longstanding relationship, which will be further strengthened by this new partnership. WTIC hopes to ultimately become the world’s leading source for practical solutions and sustainable practices in water usage.

Have you given much thought to environmental conservation?

What do you think about this new partnership? Let us know!

UC Where You Are Subscriber Contest Winners Announced!

Thank you to everyone who participated in our UC Where You Are Subscriber Contest!
Here are the three winners:

• Mike McMillan - Flemington, New Jersey
• Adam Thurn - Washington D.C.
• Maddie Barron - Chicago, Illinois

Each will receive 2 tickets to an upcoming University of Cincinnati basketball game in their city, a Bearcat t-shirt and a C-paw ball cap autographed by UC Football Head Coach Butch Jones. Congratulations to all of our winners!

And to all of our new followers, welcome to the UC Where You Are Blog! This blog features stories and posts on everything UC, from what is happening on campus to special events and awesome things our alumni are doing across the nation and around the world. Feel free to read previous blog posts and comment away!

UC Provost Gives First Community Update

Check this out! University of Cincinnati Provost Santa J. Ono gives his first community update about the current things happening at the university and how the Provost Office plays a role in key initiatives.

Hidden Secret on Clifton Ave. Corner

On any regular day, the semi-circle traffic island on Clifton Avenue, across from the College of DAAP would not seem like anything special. But there happens to be a very unique history behind this 1,414 square-foot property.

n 1964, a group of forty UC architecture students formed a corporation that purchased the land, laying claim to the “largest privately owned traffic island in the world!” The group explained that “This is our answer to stuffing phone booths or pushing bathtubs.” The corporation challenged any university student to one-up them, and to our knowledge, no one has yet!

Many thanks to Don Jacobs, UC Alum and President of JZMK Partners in Orange County, CA, who forwarded the newspaper article (.pdf) that details this purchase.

Know of any other unique, historically significant spots on UC’s campus? Comment below!

UC Alumni Nationwide Enjoyed Watching the Bearcats Destroy the Muskies

University of Cincinnati alumni, friends and fans watched the UC Bearcats crush the Xavier Musketeers at official UCAA Crosstown Shootout game-watch parties across the country! UC raffles and giveaways were provided by your UC Alumni Association at various locations. Everyone had a blast, as you can see!

Did you have a game-watch party in your city? Post a comment with the info below then send us your pics to proudlycincinnati@uc.edu!

Enjoying some Skyline in Miami!

Down with X in Tampa!

Bearcat Central in Indy

Sporting Bearcat pride in Virginia!

For even more fun photos of these game-watches and additional photos from other cities, please visit the UC Alumni Association Facebook page. Go Bearcats!

Co-op Brings UC Student Back to the Windy City

After spending the majority of her life in Chicago, Eleanor Sandford decided to attend school outside of Illinois to pursue a degree in Industrial Design at the University of Cincinnati. While the decision to attend school out-of-state required serious consideration, UC’s Industrial Design program spiked Sandford’s interest.

“UC was the perfect fit and there was no way I could disregard DAAP,” said Sandford. “At the time of my visit to UC, I think the Industrial Design program was ranked second.”

As an Industrial Design Student at UC, Sandford has had the ability to co-op at various companies nationwide. She has co-oped for Burton Snowboards in Vermont working on surf boards for the surf team and Hasbro Toys where she designed toys. This past summer she had the opportunity to return to Chicago to work for Wrigley.

“I really enjoyed working at Wrigley and had the opportunity to work on packaging design with different kinds of packaging design,” Sandford said. “Industrial Design is a really broad term that can deal with anything ranging from packaging to car design so it is an interesting field.”

Like many students, Sandford’s co-op provided her with an invaluable experience that will propel her into her future career. Sandford explained that co-op helped her develop a good breadth of understanding of the Industrial Design industry and gave her an understanding of how things worked and functioned in a corporate setting.

For many students, co-op gives students more than work experience. Sandford’s co-op opportunities enabled her to travel around the nation and meet and collaborate with people from different universities.

“When I look back on my experience, I have really grown up and not just from my experiences from co-op and at school. I’ve had to learn about how sublets work and live on my own,” Sandford explained. “All of these experiences have been beneficial to me.”

Sandford plans to graduate in June 2011 and will look for an Industrial Design job.

UC Professor Previews Healthy Living Event in Big Apple

With the dawn of 2011, weight loss seems to be a recurring theme this time of year and has researchers at UC asking some of the same questions as others: Why is our ability to lose weight with diet or drugs so limited? And why has the development of new weight-loss therapies been so slow?

A large research effort at UC is focused on just these questions. UC professor and Director of the Cincinnati Diabetes and Research Center, Randy Seeley, PhD, says that part of the answer lies in how our brains process the various signals associated with the food to control when we put our forks down. On February 16th, he’s inviting New Yorkers to the Princeton Club of New York to join the discussion and learn more about how our bodies and brains communicate about food. Randy gives a sneak peak of the discussion:

NBC's hit reality show, “Biggest Loser,” relies on the element of competition to give dieters an edge in the battle with their bodies. Contestants are pitted against one another with a large cash prize as an added inducement to lose the most weight. However, dangling monetary incentives won’t change the basic relationship between the body’s inherent bias to defend an established weight. Cash may stiffen our will, but it can also promote unhealthy short cuts.

The difficulty of losing large amounts of weight can’t be overstated. The notion that weight control is strictly a matter of self-control and will power flies in the face of strong evidence that body weight regulation has a genetic component that can present an enormous handicap to even the most disciplined. Indeed, there are many examples of thinned and trimmed celebrities who having tapped some inner strength to achieve striking weight reduction, and then gradually relent to other internal pressures and regain what was miraculously lost. 

The benefits to lifestyle modification and maximized fitness—at any weight—cannot be stressed enough. However there are limits to the amount of weight we can lose with diet and exercise alone. Few good options exist that assist with what can be accomplished with lifestyle changes. The reality is that while some benefits can be obtained from medications, on average, individuals lose only 5 to 10 lbs when compared to people receiving an inactive placebo.

Bring your insights and appetite to the Princeton Club at 6:30 PM on February 16th. For more details and to register for this event, contact Molly O’Connor – lindsay.deeter@uc.edu or 513-556-0435.

Hometown Rivals Square Off in Cincinnati: Don't Miss the Action in Your City!

North Carolina vs. Duke. UK vs. Louisville. There are some pretty fierce college rivalries out there… but we think none is more storied, exciting and Proudly Cincinnati than UC vs. Xavier. As ESPN's Jay Bilas once said, "Cincinnati and Xavier have created a rivalry that is unparalleled when it comes to outright passion and civic division.”

If we’re talking about UC vs. Xavier, then you know we must be talking about the annual Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout, the rivalry-ridden tradition that was recently ranked higher than the Fiesta Bowl, Winter X Games and NHL All Star Game by The Ultimate Sports List website. After more than 75 games, UC leads its crosstown rival in Ws, with 47 wins under its belt… but the competition is fierce, especially considering that Xavier has won the last three matchups between the schools. 

But no more! We’re encouraging our alumni both near and far to show their Bearcat pride during tomorrow’s game! There are official game-watch parties scheduled throughout the country, courtesy of the UC Alumni Association, or you can tune in on ESPN2. You can learn more about the players making moves on the hardwood and in the headlines by clicking here.

We also want to learn more about your memories of the infamous Crosstown Shootout. What are some of the memorable plays you witnessed during your time at UC? Did you and your friends have specific Crosstown Shootout traditions or superstitions? Tell us about them in the comments!

Go ‘Cats!

UC Grad Goes From Clifton to Capitol Hill

UC alum Tim Lolli recently accepted a position to join
John Boehner's leadership staff in our nation's capitol.

Since graduating in June, I’ve gone through quite a whirlwind of changes adjusting to life beyond UC. Aside from the natural adjustment to a 9am-6pm work day, I’ve also had to adjust to life in a new city, setting “norms” differing from that of a University of Cincinnati collegian. My dedication to cheering on Cincinnati athletics is no longer housed between Nippert Stadium and Fifth Third Arena, but now in local bars along Eastern Market and Dupont Circle. However I’m still searching to find a local watering hole as reliable as Uncle Woody’s to adopt as an official UC hangout where fellow alums can gather to cheer on our Bearcats in D.C. Any suggestions?



This past August, I moved from Cincinnati to Washington, D.C. for an internship on Capitol Hill. Over the past five months, I’ve had the privilege to work for Representative and House Minority Leader, John Boehner. I've worked closely with legislative and staff assistants serving his constituents in the 8th District of Ohio. Though my internship lasted a mere four months, the experiences I had were seemingly endless. Touring the entire capitol, including the underground tunnels, and standing on top of the dome was probably one of my most favorite experiences. While attending House Committee meetings and walking on the House floor, rubbing elbows with some of the most powerful politicians in the U.S. Government, I have honed in on some invaluable skills required to be a successful leader.



During my internship, another experience, which was quite possibly my favorite, brought me back to the great state of Ohio. For two weeks leading up to the general election, I traveled the entire state experiencing first hand the power of our country's republic. This assignment was not only fun and fulfilling but it brought me back to Cincinnati for the greatest weekend of the year, UC's Homecoming!



Needless to say, Washington, D.C. and my internship with John Boehner have provided experiences and opportunities that I will refer back to my entire life. Recently, John was selected by the Republican Party as Speaker-Designate; and on January 5^th, he will be inaugurated as the 53^rd Speaker of the House of Representatives. Along with this historic news, I'm very excited to report on a personal note, that though my internship has ended, my time in Washington and on Capitol Hill will not be coming to an end. I've accepted a position to become a member of John Boehner's leadership staff and will be working full time inside our nation’s capitol. The strong foundation I received while earning my bachelors degree at the University of Cincinnati, has led me to where I am today. And as a proud UC alum I’ve attached all I’ve learned to an even deeper appreciation for why I am Proudly Cincinnati!

Posted by: Tim Lolli, BBA, Marketing, '10

UC Student Body Past President