Ohio Northern University

05/28/2026

A resilient spirit carried Joy Khoury from war-torn Syria to the commencement stage at Ohio Northern University, where he was awarded his Doctor of Pharmacy this May.

“Coming from a fragile country and seeing war firsthand made me attach to this dream even more,” he says, “just grasping it with both hands and never letting go.”

Joy was midway through pharmacy school in his home country when a civil war broke out, prompting his family to immigrate to the U.S. While waiting in Syria for his visa approval, Joy perfected his English and volunteered with children displaced from the war.

A year after moving to California, Joy revived his dream. He completed prerequisite courses at a community college before earning acceptance into the four-year PharmD program in the Raabe College of Pharmacy.

“I fell in love with the campus and I felt like I fit here better than anywhere else,” he said.

Although he initially struggled with “imposter syndrome,” Joy utilized the counseling center and sought guidance from his professors. He refined his study habits, adapted to the rigors of the program, and proved he could excel.

Outside the classroom, Joy forged close connections with faculty and peers, played club volleyball, and served as a teaching assistant. During periods when the situation in Syria deteriorated and he worried about friends and family still living there, his professors provided the empathy and flexibility he needed to stay focused.

“The fact that they are willing to work with whatever circumstances a student is going through,” he says, “tells you a lot about who they are—not just as faculty members, but as human beings.”

After graduation, Joy plans to marry his partner and start a family. He is also eager to begin his PGY-1 residency at Mercy Health St. Rita’s Medical Center in Lima.

“I started pharmacy school in my home country in 2015, so I’ve been a student for quite a while,” he says. “Now, I can begin giving back. I truly believe that working in healthcare is one of the most humanitarian roles you can play in your life and lifetime.”

📲 Read more Graduate Profiles: https://bit.ly/3YItBlE

05/26/2026

Madison Arno aspires to design medical devices that improve the quality of life for people with mobility issues. At Ohio Northern University, the honors student from Cincinnati has gotten a running start.

Madison not only graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, but with extensive research experience in the biomedical field. In the fall, she’ll begin a master’s degree program in medical product engineering at the University of Pittsburgh.

“I wanted a career in the medical field helping people, but I’m a little bit squeamish,” she laughed.

Watching her 93-year-old grandmother struggle to transition from her wheelchair to her bed, made Madison realize that engineers could solve those everyday hurdles.

“I want to take products that already exist in the medical field and make them better,” she says.

Madison’s parents and a brother are ONU alumni, but she chose ONU not because of the family connection, but because “the engineering program is so good, and I wanted a smaller college for easier access to my professors and mentors.”

That access led to amazing opportunities. Last summer, she was a research intern at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center. There, she assisted with developing a sensor-based device that alerts people with spinal cord injuries about foot placement on their powered wheelchairs. The device aims to prevent injuries by ensuring a user’s feet remain securely positioned, even on uneven terrain.

On campus, she’s assisted Dr. Louis DiBerardino, associate professor of mechanical engineering, with an innovative marker less motion system to capture human movement data. For her honors capstone, she developed a partial weight-bearing assistive device for a shoe to measure weight distribution and assist lower-limb recovery.

Looking ahead, Madison hopes to work in research and development within the private sector.

“The best feeling would be to see a device I helped design help people, whether in a hospital or out in public,” she says. “That would be so great.”

📲 Read more Graduate Profiles: https://bit.ly/3YItBlE

05/25/2026

Today, we honor those who put service before self and gave all for their fellow man. We remain forever grateful. 🇺🇸

05/22/2026

Way to go, Avery!!! 🎉🎉🎉

NATIONAL CHAMPION 🏆

Avery Baker-Schlendering of wins the women’s High Jump with a leap of 1.79 meters!

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05/22/2026

Finishing off her career as an All-American! Senior Claire Schweller finished 8th in a tough women’s pole vault competition to kick off the 2026 outdoor national championships for the Polar Bears. This is Schweller’s sixth trip to the national meet and second first team All-American honor. Congratulations, Claire!

05/21/2026

Jordan Bassler arrived at Ohio Northern University with clear-cut ambitions to play football and earn a sport management degree. He built on that foundation, leveraging every opportunity, to create an impressive resume.

As a business student, he could recognize a smart investment. When he took an accounting class sophomore year, he discovered a passion for accounting, and decided to add a second major.

That decision led to internships with the Toledo Mud Hens, Libbey Glass Co., and with the tax firm, Sielschott, Walsh, Keifer, Regula & Sherer CPAs. These experiences, combined with his proven leadership in student organizations, enabled him to land an accounting position with GBQ Partners in Toledo, where he begins this summer.

Jordan credits an ONU alumnus with encouraging him to include ONU in his college visits. He had been looking for a school with a strong business program where he could also continue to play football.

“I felt comfortable the second I stepped foot on campus,” he said. “It was just a different atmosphere—a family-like, community aspect that was appealing.”

In addition to starting at right guard for the Polar Bear football team, Jordan immersed himself in campus life. He served as president of the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity, president of the Interfraternity Council, and vice president of the Sport Management Club, and was a member of two business honorary societies, to name a few.

He’s grateful to his ONU business professors who supported his growth and encouraged him to pursue all his interests. And though a sports-related career isn’t in Jordan’s immediate future, he plans to give back to the game by helping to coach high school football in his hometown of Monroe, Michigan.

“I’m going down the accounting path for now, but I hope to bring my two passions together in future,” he says.

📲 Read more Graduate Profiles: https://bit.ly/3YItBlE

05/20/2026

You’ll always remember your times on the Tundra. What are your favorite ONU memories?

05/20/2026

Just in time for summer cruising, 15 Ada Elementary third and fourth graders received brand-new bicycles, thanks to a collaborative after-school STEM program sponsored by Ohio Northern University.

In addition to new wheels, helmets, and accessories, the students also gained a foundational understanding of engineering principles, bike maintenance, and biking safety.

“Essentially, we want them thinking like an engineer,” said Dr. Todd France, associate professor of engineering education. “We connected the mechanics of the bike to core principles in science, technology, and math.”

The initiative was part of ONU’s Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS), a program that allows ONU engineering students to earn credit for high-impact community work. Funded in part by the Ohio Space Grant Consortium, the bike program was developed by Dr. France and four ONU engineering students.

📲 Read more: https://bit.ly/3RmyaRZ