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Notre Dame College continues its “From ME 2 WE” speaker series with a national health advocate and an Emmy Award winning news anchor in February 2020.

The theme of the series that started in the fall semester illustrates Notre Dame’s distinctive campus culture in which departments across the College work together to develop individual students, faculty and staff into a cohesive “Falcon Family.” Notre Dame also welcomes the extended Northeast Ohio community to join in that formation by opening these addresses to the public.

The College’s first sequence of lectures to span the entire academic year is expected to continue with:

  • Guest speaker Lori Stevic-Rust, Ph.D., will present on Tuesday, February 18, 2020, at 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. The clinical health psychologist and author of “Put on your Big-Girl Shoes: Stepping into Courage, Resilience and Gratitude” will discuss the subjects of her book, women’s empowerment and voice and authenticity.
  • Romona Robinson, television news anchor and author, will give two presentations on Wednesday, February 26, 2020, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. She also will host a book-signing at 11:15 a.m. in the Administration Building foyer. She is the author of “A Dirt Road to Somewhere: An Emmy Award-Winning Anchor ‘s Incredible Journey of Faith Over Fear” and “Your Voice is Your Power: Stop Believing Thoughts of Fear and Start Becoming Who God Says You Are.”

Both of these programs are free and open to the public.

The speaker series started during the fall semester with “From ME 2 WE” presentations on “You are Your Word” from Mike Jacobs, Notre Dame’s head football coach, in August and continued with Sarah Hurwitz, former White House speechwriter and Notre Dame’s 2019 Abrahamic Distinguished Lecturer, discussing “Here All Along” about finding meaning, spirituality and a deeper connection to life in November.

About Lori Stevic-Rust

Stevic-Rust is a board-certified clinical health psychologist who earned a doctorate in psychology and a Diplomate from the American Board of Professional Psychology. She completed an internship at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit with specialty training in geriatrics, cardiac care and integrative medicine. She consults nationally to hospitals, post-acute care facilities and assisted living facilities on clinical issues of senior care including anxiety/depression, caregiver stress and the creation of innovative programs for the care of those with dementia.

Over the past 20 years, she has been a regular on-air media consultant and regular contributor on psychological topics to Fox 8 news, WKYC channel 3, NewsChannel 5, Cleveland Magazine, Women’s World and Fitness Magazine and has hosted a cable talk show entitled “Best of Health TV.” She writes a monthly column for Cleveland Business Connects magazine.

She currently serves as the director for integrative medicine and senior services for Lake Health Hospital and is the national director of clinical and operational programming for Artower Advisory Services, LLC. She is the past director for assisted living & dementia care programs for University Hospitals in Cleveland where she developed innovative therapeutic programs for residents in the moderate to late stages of dementia including clinical use for a multi-sensory environment (snoezelen therapy).

Stevic-Rust has been involved in mentoring programs for young women and helping women who have been victims of violence regain their sense of self- esteem. In addition, her strong advocacy for seniors earned her the Outstanding Leadership Award in the field of Adult Abuse, Awareness & Prevention by the Western Reserve Area on Aging.

She has written four books on topics ranging from depression, heart disease and wellness and most recently completed a personal memoir on the art of aging with gratitude.

In addition, Stevic-Rust is the president of the board for the Lake County Council on Aging and serves on the professional advisory board for the Alzheimer’s Association, the United Way and the alumni board for Kent State University.

About Romona Robinson

Robinson worked for more than six years with WOIO Channel 19, the Cleveland CBS affiliate, as the station’s 4 and 6 p.m. co-anchor. In addition to becoming the first African American woman to anchor a nightly newscast in Cleveland, she was the first solo anchor of a weeknight newscast in the city.

She is the author of “A Dirt Road to Somewhere: An Emmy Award-Winning Anchor ‘s Incredible Journey of Faith Over Fear” (Halo Publishing International 2017).

Robinson was inducted into the Press Club of Cleveland’s Journalism Hall of Fame in 2016. She is also an inductee in Ohio’s Broadcast Hall of Fame and winner of the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award along with her former station, WOIO-TV 19.

Her work in the community with children, women and diversity issues also has earned her awards including the YWCA’s Women of Achievement, and The Diversity in Media Award. For 20 years, she has served as Honorary Chair of the Komen Race for the Cure. She founded Romona’s Kids in 1990, a program to highlight and encourage children to realize their full potential.

Robinson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in broadcast journalism from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo.

January 2020

About Notre Dame College

For almost a century, Notre Dame College has educated a diverse population in the liberal arts for personal, professional and global responsibility. Founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1922, the College has grown strategically to keep pace with the rapidly changing needs of students and the dramatic changes in higher education. But it has never lost sight of its emphasis on teaching students not only how to make a good living but also how to live a good life.

Today, the College offers bachelor’s degrees in 30 disciplines plus a variety of master’s degrees, certification programs and continuing and professional development programs for adult learners on campus and online. Notre Dame College offers NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletic programs for men and women and is located in a picturesque residential neighborhood just 25 minutes from the heart of Cleveland. Hallmarks of the Notre Dame experience include stimulating academics, personalized attention of dedicated faculty and staff, and small class sizes.

Notre Dame College is located at 4545 College Road in South Euclid. For further information contact Brian Johnston, chief communications officer, at 216.373.5252 or bjohnston@ndc.edu.