$15 Million Gift, VP for Strategic Initiatives, and New Master’s Degree Highlight Trustees’ Fall Meeting

Transformation in the lives of students is at the heart of a Cedarville University education. Now, Cedarville is poised to continue enriching the Cedarville experience with a $15 million gift to the university from an anonymous donor and the creation of a new senior-level strategic initiatives position approved by the Board of Trustees at its October 2024 meeting. 

Dr. Thomas White, president, announced the anonymous $15 million gift to the One Thousand Days Transformed campaign on Friday during the university’s annual State of the University address as part of its homecoming activities. The One Thousand Days Transformed campaign is the most successful fundraising initiative in Cedarville’s 137-year history. 

The generous anonymous donors gave toward the final facility planned as part of the campaign — a new $35 million Academic Center. The grand domed, all-brick, three-story Center will provide classroom, collaboration, and office spaces for faculty and programs that make up Cedarville’s academic core, including history and government; English, literature, and modern languages; psychology; education; and social work.  

“We are grateful for God’s incredible blessing upon this institution, only He could have orchestrated this unexpected gift and laid this need on the hearts of the donors,” said White. “We give all glory to God.” 

With the $15 million — one of the largest gifts in Cedarville’s history — this final campaign facility is $5 million from reaching its goal and beginning the construction process. The building will be built along the eastern edge of campus off State Route 72.  

The $175 million One Thousand Days Transformed campaign is comprised of four key priorities. They include: 

-- Expanding capacity through the addition of new campus facilities 

-- Maximizing affordability and minimizing student debt through scholarships 

-- Enhancing the student experience 

-- Providing long-term sustainability for the university    

New Senior Level Strategic Initiative Position 

The Board of Trustees also approved the formation of a new senior-level position that will focus on strategic initiatives. In doing so, they also approved the hiring of Dr. Bob Lutz as the founding vice president for strategic initiatives.   

In this role, Lutz will lead efforts to advance Cedarville's strategic objectives, initially focusing on the development of online undergraduate programs. His leadership is expected to play a crucial role in maximizing the impact of the university’s flourishing dual enrollment program by extending the possibility of a Cedarville education to students who choose not to pursue a residential college experience. 

A 2001 Cedarville graduate, Dr. Lutz began his career in higher education at Cedarville University as a resident director and later as the associate dean for student leadership development. Before coming back to Cedarville, Lutz was vice president for student development and dean of students at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Florida. 

“Dr. Lutz returns to Cedarville with proven higher education leadership in strategic planning and execution and data-driven decision-making,” said White. “He is a perfect fit with Cedarville’s mission and values, and I look forward to his leadership in the area of our online undergraduate initiative and other strategic opportunities.” 

After graduating from Cedarville University, Lutz went on to earn a master’s degree in higher education student affairs from Ohio State University and a doctoral degree in educational leadership from the University of Dayton. 

New Academic Program 

A new Master of Arts in Communication and Organizational Leadership degree program was also approved by the trustees. This program, proposed by the Robert W. Plaster School of Business and the Department of Communication, is a 33-credit, online program. Specializations within the program include general leadership and management, social media and cybersecurity, healthcare management and digital communication and marketing.  

The program now moves to the Ohio Department of Higher Education and Higher Learning Commission for approval before the program will officially begin. 

New Faculty 

Finally, the trustees interviewed and approved the following new faculty: 

Abran Miller, assistant professor of communication. Miller earned a master’s degree in speech education and in Bible exposition from Pensacola Christian College. His bachelor’s degree is in music from Pensacola. Before joining the Cedarville faculty, Miller was a faculty member at Creekside Christian Academy in Hampton, Georgia.  

Abigail Baker-Hunt, assistant professor of communication. Baker-Hunt earned a master’s degree in strategic communication with an emphasis in education from Grand Canyon University and a bachelor’s degree in strategic communication from Cedarville University. Before becoming a full-time faculty member, she served as a dual enrollment advisor and adjunct professor in the communication department at Cedarville.  

Julia Kicinski, instructor of English. Kicinski earned her master’s degree in English with an emphasis in rhetoric and professional writing from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a bachelor’s degree in English from Cedarville University. Prior to joining the Cedarville faculty, she was an instructor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.  

Jiong Liu, Ph.D., assistant professor of physics. Dr. Liu earned her doctoral degree and master’s degree in physics from the University of Cincinnati. She also earned a master’s degree and bachelor’s degree in physics from Chongqing University. Before joining Cedarville’s faculty, Liu was a machine learning fellow with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and a teaching assistant at the University of Cincinnati.  

Joshua Paulick, M.D., assistant professor of PA studies. Dr. Paulick earned his M.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine after earning a bachelor’s degree in biology from Cedarville University. Since 2012, he has served as a medical missionary at Hospital of Hope in Togo with the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism. He also completed his general surgery residency from the Wright State University Associated General Surgery Program. 

Shannon Yarosz, Pharm.D., assistant professor of pharmacy practice. Dr. Yarosz earned her doctoral degree in pharmacy from The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy and a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from The Ohio State University. Since 2018, she served as a pharmacist at the Ohio State University Student Health Services.  

Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is a Baptist university with undergraduate programs in arts, sciences, and professional programs, and graduate programs. With a total enrollment of 6,384 students in more than 175 areas of study, Cedarville is one of the largest private universities in Ohio and is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, and high graduation and retention rates. For more information about the University, visit cedarville.edu.