Leading the Way

Thrilled to recognize excellence among its more than 26,000 alumni, the Wittenberg University Alumni Association with honor six individuals with special distinctions during a banquet from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 26, in the 1929 Fieldhouse, part of the Health, Wellness & Athletics (HWA) Complex. The annual event is one of the many special traditions during Homecoming, Reunion, and Family Weekend, Sept. 25-28.

The Alumni Association Achievement Awards program will be emceed by Chad Minnick, class of 1998 and president of the Alumni Association Board, who will also provide the welcome. President Christian M.M. Brady, DPhil (Oxon.), will also share remarks with those present, after which dinner will be served.

Alumni Association Award for Distinguished Teaching

First to be honored during the Alumni Achievement Awards banquet will be longtime educational leader D. Scot Hinson, Ph.D., associate professor of English and the 2025 recipient of the Alumni Association Award for Distinguished Teaching, the top faculty prize at Wittenberg. The award recognizes the superior classroom teaching that takes place at the University. Hinson learned that he was the recipient during Wittenberg's annual Honors Convocation last spring.

Hinson was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, until, through a series of accidents and unusual circumstances, he arrived at The Ohio State University in 1978, woefully unprepared for blizzard conditions. He completed his B.A. in English at Ohio State at the end of the summer of 1981, at which point he returned to his home state, gleeful and with a sense of accomplishment. Having completed one degree, he began another, an M.A. in English at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC), which he earned in June 1984. After teaching writing and ESL (English as a second language) at UNCC for two years, he returned to Ohio State to pursue his Ph.D. in English. He completed his degree in 1993, taught at Ohio Wesleyan University for two years, then began at Wittenberg in the fall of 1995, teaching courses in literature, poetry, film, and cinema studies and serving on the Faculty Executive Board, Educational Policy Committee, and Honor Council. Hinson has been at Wittenberg ever since, enjoying a rewarding professional career with the best students and colleagues imaginable. He is grateful for and overwhelmed by this award.

"Pass It On" Wittenberg Volunteer Service Award

The "Pass It On" Wittenberg Volunteer Service Award, given in recognition of exceptional demonstration of the University motto "Having Light We Pass It On To Others," will be presented to Haley Mucha Domenick, class of 2016.

Originally from Lewis Center, Ohio, Domenick currently lives in Columbus. She graduated with a B.S. in biology with minors in Spanish and health science. After graduation, she pursued a Second Degree Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She worked at Mount Carmel St. Ann's Hospital in the Intensive Care Unit, where she helped patients through their complex medical complications utilizing the holistic background obtained from her liberal arts education. She later followed her dream to pursue travel nursing, which was "a little more wild than expected" once the coronavirus pandemic started. She navigated working at new hospitals as new protocols were developed to treat COVID-19.

Interested in learning more about evidence-based practice and research, Domenick now works at The James Cancer Hospital at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center where she assists patients after surgery in the recovery room. She has also been teaching nursing students at Mount Carmel College of Nursing in their clinical rotations. Finding joy in helping others learn, she is pursuing a master's degree in nursing education so she can contribute to training new nurses.

When Domenick isn't working, she loves hiking at metro parks, taking yoga classes, and traveling. She has been married for two years to Gus Domenick '13. They renewed their vows at Homecoming, Reunion, and Family Weekend last year and would recommend it to any other #WittWed couple. Together, Haley and Gus serve as the leaders for the Columbus Wittenberg Alumni Chapter, planning events around the city and region to bring alumni together. From volunteering to remove invasive plants at a park, to cheering on the Blue Jackets and learning from a discussion with political science professors at brunch, Domenick notes that "it is always a good time when Tigers come together."

Servant Leader Award

This year's Servant Leader Award, bestowed upon alumni who have distinguished themselves through outstanding service, goes to Taylor Brown Pumroy, class of 2020.

While at Wittenberg, Pumroy earned a B.A. in mathematics and graduated with honors in three years. She has built a distinguished career in education and embodies the values and spirit of Wittenberg University, where she was a member of the Wittenberg women's basketball program and worked as a math teacher at Cliff Park High School. She also served as the state program coordinator on the Ohio Student Education Association Board for 2020.

After graduation, Pumroy continued teaching high school math. She quickly rose through ranks at Oakmont Education and is now the Southern Academic Coach for Ohio. In 2024, she won the Oakmont Committed Award for her dedication to her students and Oakmont's success. She currently oversees nine schools in the state and had the amazing opportunity to help open three new schools this year in Ohio, Iowa, and Michigan.

As a passionate advocate for educational equity and youth empowerment, Pumroy has dedicated her career to transforming lives through her work. In her role, Pumroy leads efforts to provide comprehensive wraparound services that support the academic, emotional, and social development of young people from under-resourced communities who face systemic barriers to success. Under her leadership, Oakmont has expanded its mission to educate, uplift, and equip students with the skills, support, and confidence needed to become responsible, contributing members of society. Pumroy's work is rooted in her deep belief of second chances and the potential of every student. Through her commitment, she is not only changing individual lives, but also driving positive, lasting impact in the communities Oakmont serves. Honored by this recognition, Pumroy continues to strive for excellence and service in all areas of life and remains passionate about inspiring future graduates of Wittenberg to pursue their own meaningful paths.

Outstanding Young Alumnus

This year's Outstanding Young Alumni Award, which recognizes alumni who have distinguished themselves through outstanding accomplishments in their professional careers, impressive volunteer service, and/or noteworthy involvement in professional and/or service organizations, all since graduating within the last 15 years, goes to Drew Sykes, class of 2011.

Sykes, who pursued a self-designed major at Wittenberg, is an independent film producer and the senior vice president of Low Spark Entertainment, a Cleveland, Ohio- and Los Angeles-based production and finance company that manages both Low Spark Films and the newly formed Low Spark Television.

For the last 10 years, Sykes has been instrumental in the production of acclaimed features that have played at A-list film festivals and been released by top distributors. Credits include John Patton Ford's Sundance-premiered Emily the Criminal; Dash Shaw's Independent Spirit Award-nominated animated fantasy Cryptozoo; Jeff Brown's horror-thriller The Beach House; Mélanie Laurent's Galveston, based on Nic Pizzolatto's novel and starring Ben Foster and Elle Fanning; William Eubank's The Signal; The Kings of Summer, written by Chris Galletta and directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts; Steven Caple Jr.'s The Land, and Sophie Goodhart's My Blind Brother.

Professional Achievement Award

This year's Professional Achievement Award, presented to Wittenberg University alumni who have achieved outstanding distinction in their chosen pursuit, goes to Clifford "Cliff" Pope, class of 1992.

After graduating from Cincinnati Purcell Marian High School, Clifford "Cliff" Pope arrived at Wittenberg in the fall of 1988 as a member of the late Head Football Coach Ron Murphy's final recruiting class. Pope intended to study art but quickly turned his focus to history, graduating in 1992 with a B.A. in the discipline.

Pope began his professional career teaching high school religion and coaching football and wrestling at his high school. He spent 16 years at Purcell Marian in several other roles, as well, including: summer school vice-principal, assistant athletic director, and dean of students. In recognition of his impact, Pope earned the Most Promising Teacher (1994), Faculty Pride and Spirit Award (1998), and Teacher of the Year twice in 2000 and 2004, respectively. He also was honored by the Society of Mary with the Marianist Sesquicentennial Award in 2000. For his accomplishments in athletics and coaching, he was named the Greater Catholic League-North Division Wrestling Coach of the Year in 2004, and later that year was inducted into the Purcell Marian High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

In 2007, Pope took a position at Elder High School, where he worked for 11 years, beginning as a religion teacher and assistant football coach. That winter, he graduated from Xavier University with a master's degree in secondary education. In 2012, he attained his Ohio Social Studies License and began teaching courses at Elder in both the religion and history departments. In 2013, with the blessing of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, he created and developed a new course, American Catholic History. In 2009, during his time at Elder, Purcell Marian awarded him the Praestans Inter Omnes Award, the highest award given to an alumnus.

In 2018, Pope assumed his current position as the Upper School assistant director at The Summit Country Day School, an independent Catholic High School sponsored by the Sisters of Notre Dame De Namur that opened in 1890. He has held several roles, including history teacher (2018-present), The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion director (2020-2024), and assistant football coach (2021-2022). His accomplishments at The Summit include working with medical professionals in 2018 to develop the school's first comprehensive concussion protocol plan; receiving a state award from the Ohio High School Athletic Association in 2023 for sportsmanship, values, and spirit; and receiving the Leaders of Character Award from Summit in 2025.

The 2025-2026 school year is Pope's 34th consecutive year in Cincinnati Catholic high school education. He lives with his wife, Erica, in the Springfield Township community in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Alumnus of the Year

The Alumnus of the Year is the most prestigious recognition bestowed upon alumni. The award celebrates alumni who have attained a significant level of achievement in their chosen field, impacted their local communities with integrity and character, and demonstrated a continued commitment to Wittenberg. This year's recipient is Johnny Pryor, Ph.D., class of 1999.

From day one, Pryor has embodied Wittenberg's motto, "Having Light We Pass It On To Others," through a distinguished record of leadership and service in government, higher education, and philanthropy that has touched numerous individuals, organizations, and communities.

A 1999 cum laude graduate with a B.A. in English and political science, Pryor currently serves as a program director in the education division for Lilly Endowment Inc., a private foundation in Indianapolis. Before joining Lilly Endowment, he enjoyed an extensive career in higher education during which he led multi-faceted programs designed to help students succeed and taught courses in law. Most recently, he served Indiana University Indianapolis (IUI) as its assistant vice chancellor in the Division of Student Affairs, directing efforts to promote leadership and engagement, and student wellness. Before joining IUI, he served for eight years as assistant dean for student affairs at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, where he led academic advising, wellness programs, and other initiatives to support student success. Prior to that, he served as senior assistant director of career services at Dartmouth College, and he also directed the Office of Postgraduate Studies at Butler University.

Pryor's community involvement and professional achievements are equally distinguished. He co-founded Advocates for Youth Education Indianapolis, holds leadership roles in his church, and has served on several committees (e.g., COVID-19 Taskforce, Head of School Search) for his son's school. In 2016, he co-founded the National Association of Law School Student Affairs Professionals (NALSAP). Since its founding, NALSAP has grown from four founding members to more than 850 members representing more than 140 law schools through the U.S. and Canada. Because of his service to legal education, he, along with the co-founders of NALSAP, received the American Association of Law Schools' Peter Kutulakis Award for service to law students.

Pryor's connections and service to Wittenberg span more than 25 years. After graduating from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in Bloomington, he returned to Springfield. Early in his career, while serving as an assistant county prosecuting attorney in Springfield, he was integral to the creation of the University's Mock Trial team and served as an adjunct professor for the Departments of English and Philosophy. His service to Wittenberg includes two terms on the Wittenberg Alumni Association Board, where he chaired the Student Engagement Committee and served as interim co-president. Over the years, he has also served on numerous career panels and mentored several Wittenberg students who have become lawyers in government and private practice.