This is the point in the academic year when life is quieter, when things slow down and we can all catch our breath. The semester is over and summer session is in full swing.  The view from my office window is greener and will soon be filled with young children as our pre-college programs get underway with game time held out on the Quad.  What I miss this year are the geese (how did we get rid of them?) and the alligators in the moat (where's Rocky?).  Life is filled with simple pleasures such as a full candy dish on Susan's desk and Rick's ready smile.  And we are still glowing from another very successful graduation where we joined family and friends in honoring and congratulating our fantastic students and launching them into the world. They are prepared and the world needs their bright, excited, questioning, problem solving, communicating, engaged presence.  We will be in good hands.

Kristin Sobolik

Dean, College of Liberal Arts 

We are pleased to announce that Judy Wyatt is CoLA's Outstanding Alumna for this year!  Judy received her BA Degree in Organizational Communications from Wright State University in 1988. She utilized her education throughout her 23 year career with the Dayton Power and Light Company, where she retired as Group Vice President in 2011. She then launched Whispers Home, a fine linen and lingerie boutique in Oakwood's retail district. She has previously served on the boards of the Dayton Art Institute, DP&L Foundation, Sinclair Community College Foundation, and Victoria Theatre Association. Judy currently serves on the Alzheimer's Association, Miami Valley Chapter Board and the Community Advisory Board for the Wright State University, Person-Centered Medical Home for People Living with Dementia which was initially funded by the Wyatt Family Fund. This innovative program is receiving national and international attention and is currently providing care to 80 families in the Dayton area.  

Read more about Judy Wyatt and previous WSU Outstanding CoLA Alumni. 

Joel Huxley earned a B.F.A. in painting at Wright State in 1998. The skills and knowledge he gained through his liberal arts education and fine arts degree ultimately led him on a path to a very successful career at Wright-Patt Credit Union where he has worked in many different capacities. Joel's co-workers have a lot of respect for his painting degree, saying that because he's an artist, he has a perspective and critical eye that they don't. Joel received scholarships while at WSU that helped him greatly, and he is now paying that forward through the Elaine Davis Scholarship that he and his partner, Ryan King, recently established in honor of Joel's mother. "I had a great experience at Wright State and realized that sometimes you just don't appreciate what you have until you actually get in there and experience it," Huxley said. "Wright State actually means a lot to me. There is so much going on."