Alumni Association board recognizes four graduates
FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Huntington, Ind.-In Homecoming ceremonies Oct. 4, Margaret Roush, Huntington University's director of alumni relations, announced that Thomas Overmyer was named Alumnus of the Year while Christian Elden was recognized as the Young Alumnus of the Year. Roush also announced that Bradley and Vanessa Johnson were selected to receive the university's Distinguished Alumni Citation. Thomas Overmyer accepts the Alumnus of the Year Award from (left) Dr. G. Blair Dowden, president of Huntington University; Margaret Roush, director of alumni relations; and Constance Potter member-at-large on the Huntington University Alumni Association board of directors.
Thomas Overmyer, a 1971 graduate, is the founder and president of Prescience, Inc., a consulting business for the biotech/pharmaceutical industry in Barrington, Ill. He was lauded for his contribution to pharmaceutical breakthroughs and the positive way he has represented his alma mater.
Overmyer has worked with several significant pharmaceutical breakthroughs. At Upjohn Company, these included Orinase, Tolinase, Micronase, the leading drugs to treat diabetes at that time. At Glaxo Pharmaceuticals, he served as the product manager for Zantac, the first billion-dollar pharmaceutical product, and another blockbuster drug called Zofran used to treat nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy. While at Bristol-Myers Squibb, he trademarked Taxol, the leading anti-cancer agent in the world. In addition, during his time at Nycomed-Amersham, he worked with the first radioactive systemic pharmaceutical product called Metastron, used to treat the painful metastases resulting from prostate cancer.
Christian Elden accepts the Young Alumnus of the Year Award from (left) Dr. G. Blair Dowden, president of Huntington University; Margaret Roush, director of alumni relations; and Constance Potter member-at-large on the Huntington University Alumni Association board of directors.
A 2002 alumnus, Christian Elden is employed by Warner Press, a Christian resource publisher in Anderson, Ind. His responsibilities include creating and developing products and marketing materials such as catalogs, brochures, church bulletins, classroom resources and illustrations for children's materials. In part because of Elden's work, the company's revenue has steadily increased with more than 10,000 churches as customers in more than 20 countries.
Elden is also a strong advocate for Huntington University, having referred several prospective students to the institution. In 2008, he started an online networking group for Huntington University students and alumni through the popular LinkedIn networking platform, giving members a vehicle to communicate with each other and support one another's career advancement.
Bradley and Vanessa Johnson accept the Distinguished Alumni Citation from (left) Dr. G. Blair Dowden, president of Huntington University; Margaret Roush, director of alumni relations; Constance Potter member-at-large on the Huntington University Alumni Association board of directors.
The Johnsons were honored for their mission work and commitment to impact their world for Christ. Bradley Johnson, a native of Hope, Ind., earned a Bachelor of Science degree in educational ministries from Huntington University in 1993. Vanessa Johnson, a native of Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, graduated the following year with a Bachelor of Music degree in choral education. The Johnsons moved to Haiti to become full-time missionaries in 1998 and established Mission of Hope, an organization that employs 160 full-time Haitian staff members. Mission of Hope includes the School of Hope, Hope House Orphanage, Village of Hope, Church of Hope and Hospital of Hope. The U.S. office for the ministry is in Lee's Summit, Mo.
The evening ceremony was attended by approximately 100 alumni and was officiated by Constance Potter, member-at-large on the Huntington University Alumni Association board of directors.
