Six graduates, three faculty/staff honored at Alumni Association Awards Ceremony
ASHLAND, Ohio – From leading developmental disability services and advancing pediatric cancer research to mentoring generations of students and building award-winning careers, six Ashland University graduates and three faculty and staff members were recognized at the 2026 AU Alumni Association Awards Ceremony.
Outstanding Alumnus Award
Steve Oster ’88 won the 2026 Outstanding Alumnus Award, recognizing an alumnus/alumna who has achieved distinction in his/her chosen field of employment and community and given of themselves in service to AU. It is the highest award given by the alumni association. Oster is the superintendent and CEO of Knox and Coshocton County Boards of Developmental Disabilities, leading services for more than 1,000 individuals and families and guiding both counties through transformative changes focused on choice, self-determination and person-centered supports. He contributes to statewide policy through numerous committees and serves as executive director of PAR-Ohio. Oster has served as president of many local boards, including the United Way, chambers of commerce and healthcare and nonprofit organizations.
Distinguished Service Award
Dwight L. McElfresh ’74, ’02 Ed.D., a dedicated educator, leader and community advocate, was awarded the the Distinguished Service Award, recognizing an alumna/alumnus who has donated both time and talent in service to AU. He was the dean of continuing education and executive director of professional development services for nearly a decade combined at AU, and prior to that, spent 31 years in public schools as an administrator and special educator. He currently serves as president of the AU Women’s Basketball Fastbreak Club and supports the Ashland Leadership Academy Seminars as an adjunct instructor.
Drushal Humanitarian Award
Jen Hempfield McConnell ’06, a real estate broker in South Carolina, won the Drushal Humanitarian Award, recognizing an alumna/alumnus who has dedicated their life to the service of humanity. A passionate advocate for pediatric cancer research, McConnell and her husband co-founded The McConnell Foundation, which was created in honor of their son Bodhi’s cancer survivorship and partners with a lab at the Medical University of South Carolina to advance life-saving treatments.
Dr. Lucille G. Ford Special Achievement Award
Maria Dehne ’06, who works at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, earned the Dr. Lucille G. Ford Special Achievement Award, given to an alumna/alumnus who has a record of excellence in his/her profession and proven leadership abilities, and has shown faithful service to AU. She has received a number of honors while working in marketing and communications for more than a decade there. She is also an active volunteer in the Cincinnati community.
Young Alumna Award/strong>
Abigail M. Ray ’15, a physician assistant at Pediatric Orthopedics of Southwest Florida, was the Young Alumna Award recipient. Ray, who was an exercise science major at AU, serves as the head PA at Peds Ortho, caring for children with complex orthopedic conditions, fractures and sports injuries. Dedicated to her profession, Ray teaches at Florida Gulf Coast University and encourages AU exercise science students to explore the PA profession. She also has fundraised for Hurricane Ian relief, volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and participate in other charity events.
Richard D. Leidy Award
Bill Waterman ’78, who enjoyed a 45-year radio broadcasting career in various small and large markets, was selected for the Richard D. Leidy Award, recognizing an alumnus/alumna for advancement in the field of communications. Waterman was an on-air personality and then advanced to several program director positions, including 20 years with Philadelphia’s WMMR rock station. The stations he managed were honored with Marconi Awards from the National Association of Broadcasters on six different occasions.
Honorary Alumna Award
Sheilah Gulas, who spent 21 years as the softball coach at AU, was the recipient of the Honorary Alumna Award, given to a friend of the university who has not attended Ashland, but demonstrated dedication to the university’s beliefs and values through volunteer service and philanthropy. Her teams finished with more than 700 wins (723-365-1) and reached the NCAA Div. II Championships field 12 times. She was Coach of the Year in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 1998, 2009, 2010 and 2017, and today, she serves as president of the Dugout Club, the booster program for AU softball.
Professor Raymond W. Bixler Award
Mason Posner, Ph.D., Trustees’ Distinguished Professor in Biology, won the Bixler Award, which recognizes exemplary faculty who has achieved distinction. Posner joined the AU faculty in 1999 and has secured a series of National Institutes of Health research grants to advance his research on human eye lens development and cataracts using zebrafish. He has mentored over 50 laboratory students with 28 contributing as co-authors on peer-reviewed papers.
Dr. Glenn L. Clayton Award
Duncan Jamieson, Ph.D., emeritus professor of history, won the Dr. Glenn L. Clayton Award, given to an employee/retiree who exhibited the mission of the university through his or her actions both inside and outside the campus environment and went above and beyond by representing the university in a positive manner in all aspects. He devoted more than four decades of service to AU, starting as an assistant professor and eventually becoming a full professor. He served in numerous leadership roles, including assistant to the president for academic affairs, dean of the School of Sciences, director of continuing education and director of the Honors Program.