Ohio Northern University

As the calendar flips to summer, Ohio Northern University is inviting alumni, friends, and fans to “Step up to the Plate” in support of Polar Bear Baseball. The newly-launched fundraising campaign aims to transform the University’s baseball field into a premier facility within the Ohio Athletic Conference.

“Step up to the Plate: The Campaign for ONU Baseball” represents the next initiative in the University’s ongoing commitment to investing in the west campus athletics complex. Following game-changing renovations to the football, soccer, and softball facilities, ONU President Melissa Baumann says it is now baseball’s turn at bat.

Baseball has the distinction of being the first sport played at ONU in the late 1800s, with the first diamond carved out of a cow pasture donated by ONU founder Henry Solomon Lehr.

“Baseball is woven into the very fabric of ONU,” Dr. Baumann said. “Today, the program has an elite coaching staff, more than 50 dedicated student-athletes, and a culture of winning, in the classroom and on the field. Our players already have the talent and grit. We just need a facility that matches the excellence they bring to the field. That is our mission with this campaign.”

This spring, the University broke ground on a $2.4 million Phase I project, which is expected to be completed in time for next spring’s season. The vital upgrades include reorienting the field to minimize sun glare for batters; crucial irrigation and drainage upgrades; a new artificial turf infield, dugouts, professional-grade batting cages, and bullpens; and a state-of-the-art scoreboard.

📲 Read more about the project: https://bit.ly/4oKjh8v
⚾ Find out how you can be involved: https://bit.ly/4vmo5n3

Throughout a career spanning more than 50 years, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and engineer Phil Wagner, BSME ’69, always chose the road less traveled. By embracing career pivots and saying “yes” to complex projects no one else would tackle, he was able to live in different countries and lead an unconventional life.

“Three prongs: love, adventure, and achievement,” he says. “That’s how you should live your life.”

In retirement, the Ohio Northern University alumnus is finding joy and fulfillment from a fourth prong: giving back. Not surprisingly, he takes an unorthodox approach to philanthropic giving.

At ONU, he established the Wagner Scholarship Fund for Engineering, which not only awards the largest scholarship annually in the T.J. Smull College of Engineering, but is based on a progressive scale of achievement.

“It’s easy to give money,” he says, “but effectively and beneficially giving money is another trick.”

📲 Read more about Phil and the scholarships: https://bit.ly/4ecOPk2

Becoming a better person may lead to a happier life. Now, an Ohio Northern University faculty member has published a “how to” guide on why that’s possible and how to accomplish it.

Robert Hartman’s new book, “Improving Character: Moral Virtues, Strategies, and Questions,” was published on June 2 by Wiley. Hartman, an associate professor of philosophy effective in fall 2026, is the editor of the book, which incorporates new essays from 45 leading character scholars.

The book grew out of Hartman’s experiences teaching his first-year seminar, “Becoming a Better Person,” which is part of the general education curriculum designed to help students transition to college and promote critical and creative thinking. The goal of the class is to encourage students to reflect on who they are, who they hope to become, and how to take steps in that direction, Hartman explained.

📲 Read more: https://bit.ly/3S2E76V

A 5-acre sanctuary for pollinators and purple martins is taking shape around the Nature Pond on Ohio Northern University’s campus. Although still in the beginning stages of its development, the area is already teeming with life, says Dr. Bob Verb, professor of biological sciences and director of the nature center areas.

This spring, Verb and ONU students seeded the prepared plot with nearly 100 different native plant species, ranging from Rattlesnake Master to Big Bluestem. While it will take three years of growth and future controlled burns to fully mature, the prairie will eventually produce a stunning floral display from June through October, explained Verb.

Verb’s long-term vision includes planting native woody shrubs, modifying the pond’s bank, and stocking the pond with fish to create a robust “habitat for all sorts of wildlife.”

The pond area also provides nesting homes for purple martins— large swallows known for the males’ stunning iridescent plumage, their melodic birdsong, and the aerial acrobatics they use to catch dragonflies and other insects.

📲 Read more about the project: https://bit.ly/4uZKiHF

We're so proud of everything you've achieved! Congratulations to our graduates and Polar Bears who made the Dean's List! Graduates and honorees are searchable by name, city, state and county.

🎓 Graduates List: https://bit.ly/4uWKyae
✏️ Dean's List: https://bit.ly/4htWj0y

A desire for human connection and creativity is what drew Jessica Sanders, BFA ’26, to musical theatre. This spring, the Ohio Northern University musical theatre major channeled both to write and stage her first musical: “The D8tes.”

Her delightful romcom about the quest for love—cleverly titled to reflect eight first dates—received resounding applause and praise at its inaugural performance at ONU this May.

Throughout her creative journey, Jessica has been gratified by the encouragement she received from her ONU theatre friends and professors.

“ONU has such a supportive theatre community,” she says. “I had full confidence that I could put this out there in front of my friends, and even if something goes wrong, they would support me regardless.”

Jessica began working on “The D8tes” 18 months ago. She was noodling a song on the piano when the idea to write a musical popped into her head. “I thought ‘let me just try this,’” she says. “I really didn’t think it would go anywhere, but the ideas kept flowing.”

A fan of traditional musicals, especially those starring Gene Kelly, she envisioned a light musical focused heavily on relationships and the shared human experience.

“People always say write what you know,” she says, “and of course, a typical conversation in college revolves around dating. That’s what my friends and I are always talking about.”

📲 Read more about the show and project: https://bit.ly/4obSouc

Overcoming a shoulder injury and surgery last season, Avery Baker-Schlendering displayed grit and perseverance at the 2026 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships to break her own school record twice and win the national title in the high jump.

“It was surreal and I was in disbelief,” Avery said. “I almost started crying, but told myself, ‘You’ve got to keep it together.’”

Avery trailed the leader at the meet before jumping 1.76 meters to tie, breaking a school record she set earlier in the season. She then broke her own record again to win the national title with a jump of 1.79 meters, becoming the fourth woman national champion in program history, and bringing home the program’s 12th national title.

📲 Read more about Avery's path to the title: https://bit.ly/4aqAgqq