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Top 3on2, 8-13-09

Posted on | August 13, 2009 | 2,318 views |

An endless palette of color

Gary Wenneker, who works in the Food Industries Center Pilot Plants, is a 15-year OSU employee

Why did you choose to work at Ohio State?

A friend named Joe T., working here at OSU, recommended me for the job of director of the Food Industries Center. I also needed a job that offered benefits, plus the job description looked interesting and unique. In the dairy pilot plant we can separate and pasteurize fluid milk and juice products and make cheese, yogurt and ice cream products. In the food processing pilot plant we can make cheese puffs, cheese curls, cereals and snack foods and process sauces, salsa and fruit products.

What do you like about your job?

Working and interacting with students and student groups. Interacting and working with clients within the food industry. Working with great staff members within the department and college everyday. I also help host several process-oriented short courses and training sessions throughout the year.

What would you improve at Ohio State?

More parking garages and spaces. Staff/faculty relations.

If you weren’t working at Ohio State, what would you be doing?

I think I would like to be a teacher or own a restaurant.

What is your favorite activity outside of work?

I like to cook, spend time with family and friends and participate in church activities.

What advice would you give a new employee?

I would recommend diversification in investment and retirement planning.

Of what honor or recognition are you most proud?

Being nominated to be TopSpot in onCampus! I also have received a few “thank you” notes and a couple of “good job” comments over the past few years. I do have some honors and recognitions that hang on my office walls.

Who is your hero?

I do not have a hero. I work with a lot of hard-working staff members within the College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences that have helped me do my job when I have asked for help. There are many who have gone out of their way and stopped what they were doing to assist me when needed.

What are you going to do when you retire?

Spend quality time with family and friends, do more volunteer work within the community and start that “honey do” list.

If you were the university president for a day, what would you do?

There would be too much to do in only one day. I would like to meet as many staff as possible to see what all they do to make the university work.

To nominate a staff member for an upcoming issue, e-mail oncampus@osu.edu.

Dentistry receives largest donation in its history

The College of Dentistry has received a gift of approximately $3 million to support scholarships for dentistry students. The largest single gift in the college’s history, the donation comes from the estate of the late Richard Veler and his wife, Betty Veler, both of whom were lifelong supporters of the university.

Veler, a 1946 College of Dentistry graduate whose practice was in Toledo, began his philanthropy to Ohio State with a gift of $10 in 1948. He and his wife later donated the funds that created the Richard C. Veler, DDS, and Betty G. Veler Scholarship endowment that provides financial support for dentistry students who demonstrate “merit, need and outstanding moral and ethical character.” The Velers’ recent estate gift of approximately $3 million will support and expand their existing scholarship endowment.

“Throughout their lives, the Velers were remarkably generous with the university,” said Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee.  “This latest gift from their estate provides additional resources that will enable future generations of talented young people to pursue their dreams and to earn their degrees at Ohio State. I can think of no more selfless action, and I am deeply grateful.”

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