Muskingum News

Muskingum University held its graduate and undergraduate commencement exercises on May 6 and May 8, respectively, granting both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Graduate commencement featured an address by Kim Gage Rothermel ’71, M.D. The Baccalaureate address was presented by Reverend Jane Power Mykrantz and the commencement address was delivered by Board of Trustees Chair Harold W. Burlingame ’62.

Kim Gage Rothermel ’71, M.D.

Dr. Rothermel is chief of general pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus and who has a private practice with the Ohio Center for Pediatrics in Dublin, Ohio.

Dr. Rothermel is a leading member of the medical staff at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, one of the largest and most comprehensive pediatric hospitals and research institutes in the United States. At the hospital, she is chief of general pediatrics and has also served as president of the medical staff. Board certified in pediatrics and pediatric hematology/oncology, she is in private practice with the Ohio Center for Pediatrics in Dublin, Ohio.

In addition to her demanding professional life, Dr. Rothermel shares her expertise with new generations of physicians as clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, one of the top medical schools in the country. She has been recognized by her peers as one of the “Best Doctors in America.”

A member of Muskingum’s Board of Trustees since 1997, Dr. Rothermel chairs the Academic Affairs Committee, which is responsible for the Board’s commitment to ensuring excellence in all academic program offerings.

In addition to her professional commitments, Dr. Rothermel gives her expertise and time to church and community organizations that serve the needs of children and youth, including the Physicians Free Clinic and the House of Hope Central Ohio.

Dr. Rothermel graduated summa cum laude from Muskingum with a bachelor of science in biology degree. She earned her M.D. from the Medical College of Rush University in Chicago, and trained in Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. She is a recipient of the Muskingum University Distinguished Service Award, its highest honor for alumni.

In recognition of her lifetime of achievement, the university bestowed upon Dr. Rothermel an honorary doctor of humane letters degree. It was presented by Muskingum University President Dr. Anne C. Steele and Muskingum University Trustee and alumnus Gordon E. Spillman.

Reverend Jane Power Mykrantz

Reverend Mykrantz has answered the call to meet the pastoral needs of many congregations, most recently the First Presbyterian Church in Granville, Ohio. She pioneered new roles for women in the ministry, becoming the first ordained woman to serve on the pastoral staff of the historic Worthington Presbyterian Church – one of Ohio’s oldest congregations, founded in 1805.

Reverend Mykrantz has guided the Presbytery of Scioto Valley in its partnerships with 110 congregations and 22,000 parishioners. Her leadership roles have included vice moderator, moderator, and interim executive presbyter of Scioto Valley. She has served with the Scioto Valley’s Support Commission of the Presbytery, Presbyterian Search Committee and Staff Services Committee.

Reverend Mykrantz has been a member of the Muskingum University Board of Trustees since 1987 and a member of its executive committee since 1988. She chairs the student affairs committee, which represents the Board’s commitment to provide students with exceptional opportunities in their co-curricular and campus lives.

An active and committed volunteer, Reverend Mykrantz has served on the boards of numerous civic organizations, including the Hospice of Riverside Hospital, Nationwide Children’s Hospital TWIG, the Greater Columbus Homelessness Prevention Program, the United Community Council, Neighborhood House, Columbus Arts Council, and the Columbus Association for Performing Arts. She has been President of the Board of Planned Parenthood of Columbus and of the Junior League of Columbus.

In recognition of her lifetime of achievement, the university bestowed up Reverend Mykrantz the degree of honorary doctor of humane letters.

Harold W. Burlingame ’62

Mr. Burlingame was named a Distinguished Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources in 2004. Only nine other individuals have been so honored, including two United States Secretaries of Labor. 

As executive vice president of AT&T, Mr. Burlingame played a major role in the historic transformation of the Bell Telephone System into a global telecommunications provider. He led AT&T’s corporate policy initiative, preparing senior executives for unprecedented structural change, and guided a nationwide communication process with more than one million employees. His ground-breaking programs created an innovative “workplace for the future” and furthered AT&T’s goal of attaining a world-class, diverse workforce.

Mr. Burlingame serves as chairman of the Board of Directors of ORC Worldwide, on the National Advisory Board of the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University, and on the Board of Directors of eCornell, the distance learning subsidiary of Cornell University.

He has been a member of the Muskingum University Board of Trustees since 1985, and has served as its chair since 1994. Mr. Burlingame has been recognized by Muskingum for his impact upon the lives of others with a Doctor of Humane Letters degree and an Alumni Distinguished Service Award, the university’s highest honor for its alumni.