Â鶹¹û¶³

"Barbara Johnstone, '66, Grove City, OH, has recently published her debut novel ""Cemetery Ridge"" through Proving Press, an imprint of The Columbus Publishing Lab. The novel is a realistic fiction mystery targeted to upper middle grades but enjoyable for all ages. Centered around an old, eerie graveyard, the novel pulls the reader into the intrigue of a twisted thriller. The cover of ""Cemetery Ridge"" is an original watercolor by artist Robert L. Boyles.  

This debut novel allowed Barbara to combine her interest in creative writing with experiences she had gleaned from years as an educator.

""Cemetery Ridge"" is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kindle and local bookstores. "

Jack Bernhardt, '71, Hillsborough, NC, is a retired professor of anthropology and archaeology. He is also a journalist specializing in the culture and music of the American South. His enthnography, "Blue Grass: The Music Ministry of Jerry and Tammy Sullivan," is available from University Press of Mississippi. He wrote about bluegrass, gospel and country music for more than 30 years for Raleigh, North Carolina's The News and Observer. His work appears in the New Encyclopedia of Country Music, The Bluegrass Reader, North Carolina Folklore Journal, Pennsylvania Archaeologist, and Caves and Culture. He lives with his wife of 36 years, Lisa Napp, in Hillsborough, North Carolina. 

"Peter Jedick, '71, Rocky River, OH, has written his third novel,  ""The Westport Jets Meet the Beatles, A Baby Boomer Adventure."" His most recent book is an adventure in the style of Tom Sawyer in which four members of a Pony League baseball team are on a mission to meet the Beatles when they come to Cleveland, Ohio, for a concert in 1964. Can they overcome all the obstalces in their way to pull off the impossible dream? Join them on their Baby Boomer adventure and find out.

His previous novel, ""HIPPIES/A Kent State Love Story"" was based on his experiences as a student at Kent State during the May 4, 1970, tragedy. He credits his successful writing career to the skills he learned in the Honors College at Kent State.  

His books are available on Amazon.com. For more information, visit . "

"Lafayette (Lafe) Tolliver, '71, Toledo, OH, has recently published his first book ""Interviews from Hell.""

This debut novel allowed Barbara to combine her interest in creative writing with experiences she had gleaned from years as an educator.

""Cemetery Ridge"" is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kindle and local bookstores. "

"Thomas Dietz, '72, Grand Isle, VT, had ""Decisions for Sustainability"" published by Cambridge University Press, which won the Gerald R. Young Book Award from the Society for Human Ecology.Thomas was also inducted into the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 2024.

He will be giving the Kaplowitz Lecture at Michigan State University this fall. This annual event, named after Stan and Toba Kaplowitz, is meant to foster intellectual engagement and encourage collaboration on critical social issues among the university community. Lecturers are typically renowned scholars with research in democratic preservation, environmental protection or reduction of economic inequality.  "

"Michael Gunter, Ph.D. '72, Cookeville, TN, has been a professor of political science at Tennessee Tech University for more than 50 years. He has published more than 24 peer-reviewed books and 200+ peer-reviewed scholarly book chapters or journal articles on subjects including Kurds, Aemenians, Turkey, Syria, the United Nations and terrorism, among others. He is the recipient of Tennessee Tech University's Outstanding Research Award and Teaching Award. He has also taught for the U.S. government area studies program and foreign institute, at the International University in Vienna, Austria, during the summers, at the Shaanxi Normal University in Xian, China, and Fisk University, to name a few.

Fellow Golden Flash, the late Colonel Joseph Blair,'64, was Michael's closest friend.  

Michael lost his beloved wife Judy, whom he misses very much, in 2019. The couple was married for more than 50 years, and they had two children together."

"Linda Fifer, Hamilton, MT, '74, M.A. '75, recently released her newest book ""Winter's Turn,"" about a woman who is stalked and negogiates her life through the legal system.  This novel received the 2025 Readers' Favorite Silver 5-Star Book Award.

Another one of Linda's novels, ""Finding the Grain,"" is a Literary Titan Gold Book Award winner from 2024.

You can find Linda's novels at AtmospherePress.com or Amazon.com. "

Matt Riehl, '06, Stow, OH, was inducted into the Association of Ohio Commodores by the governor and the Board of Trustees. It is Ohio's most distinguished honor. The organization was founded by Governor Rhodes in 1966, and it exists to assist the governor and lieutenant governor in promoting economic development and job creation in Ohio. Matt is the vice president of Stow City Council, and this honor recognizes his business accomplishment, acumen and leadership.

Brandy (Ricketson) Anderson, '08, Palm Coast, FL, was named as one of the Top 5 State Finalists for Teacher of the Year for Florida in May. She was named Teacher of the Year for her school, Indian Trails Middle School, in October 2024 and for Flagler County in January 2025. 

Laura Henton, '11, Martinsburg, WV, graduated from Shepherd University with a Doctor of Nursing Practice in the family nurse practitioner track (2023) and, most recently, a post-doctoral PMHNP (psych/mental health nurse practitioner) certificate (2025).