These University of Dayton alumni have kept serving the common good central to their lives as they’ve built careers and served their communities.
Nelda Janine Connors ’87
Nelda Janine Connors was always a driven problem-solver, but it was the opportunities she found at UD that helped shape her path to success in engineering and international business.
Connors stepped onto UD’s campus for the first time as a high schooler attending a women in engineering summer program. The following year, she was a freshman counselor for the same camp.
“As a native of Dayton and a Catholic, I found UD to be the perfect fit for my academic and personal growth, especially since it allowed me to pursue mechanical engineering — something not available at other institutions I considered,” Connors said.
She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from UD. Before graduating, she made a valuable connection in the automobile manufacturing industry at a UD-sponsored event, which motivated her adventurous spirit to move to Japan.
Connors went on to an international career, taking her to Europe, Asia and the Pacific. She held senior executive leadership roles for publicly traded companies and is now is the chair and CEO of Pine Grove Holdings, LLC, a boutique investment firm she founded in 2011.
She said this UD honor, also given to a great Dayton humorist, took her by surprise. “I feel a special pride to be recognized in such a high regard and that UD was equally proud of someone they helped create,” Connors said. “I called my mom and told her, ‘I’m in the same ranks as Erma Bombeck!’”
Natasha Hurt-Hayes ’02
Natasha Hurt-Hayes took the knowledge, skills and faith she formed at UD into the world through her career as an educator. Whether it is teaching in the classroom or taking in a student during a difficult time, she is committed to service.
Growing up, Hurt-Hayes was influenced by her grandmother’s Christian faith. At UD, she learned how she wanted to put faith into action through her career, taking note of the Marianist call to serve the common good.
Across Dayton and Cincinnati, she applied her education through teaching and consulting, shaping young people from marginalized groups. She has opened her house to students in her high school classrooms while working with their families to get them needed resources, and she’s taught job-readiness skills to young mothers transitioning out of public assistance programs.
“Not a lot of young people walk out of graduation and think, ‘Yep, I got this’ — but I did, and I’ve never missed a beat. I think it’s because I was able to form my community, and I had a quality education that prepared me,” she said. She noted some of her peers had failed the Praxis teacher certification exam many times. “That wasn’t my experience — I was very much set up for a different level of success and leadership.”
Her work was recognized by the Ohio Education Association and the National Education Association, which named her a 2023 OEA Champion.
“I wouldn’t trade the education I got from UD for anything in the world,” she said. “Because of that education, I’ve been able to touch so many lives, and I’ve created other teachers.”
Kristin Scheidt Dailey found her vocation, her community and her husband-to-be, Matt Dailey ’98, at UD. Now she’s giving back for all that she’s received.
“My story started at UD,” Dailey said. “Walking on campus the first day, I fell in love with it. And when it was time to graduate, I felt complete in my education, spirituality, friendships and all the things I wanted to check off as a college student.
“I felt prepared and ready to get out into the world. I was ready to start, as much as I hated to leave.”
She didn’t stay gone too long. When her kids decided to attend UD, a door opened for Dailey to get involved in a new way — as a parent. She joined as a volunteer on the Parent Leadership Council, which quickly led to other opportunities with committees and events.
“UD is easy to say ‘yes’ to,” she said. “To be able to help others leave UD with the same feeling I had, it was a no-brainer.”
Dailey has helped build engagement on One Day, One Dayton; fundraised for the We Soar campaign; and kept alumni connected and informed during the pandemic’s lockdowns. She believes building community throughout Flyer generations best serves students, especially in difficult times. She and her husband also established the Matthew C. Scheidt Endowed Scholarship in honor of her late brother.
“When we graduate, we leave UD, but UD never leaves us,” she said. “We walk away as better, stronger people and leave with an understanding of how to serve and give back to our communities.”
Jim Schlater ’83
Jim Schlater didn’t have to go out of his way to live a life of service — living by his faith was simply what he knew how to do. His time at UD helped him flourish and open his eyes to the needs of his neighbors.
“Being a Flyer means being part of a healthy community, one of faith and service,” Schlater said. “I think back to my time in Dayton. The people I met were strong and helped shape me.”
At UD, Schlater was involved with Christmas on Campus and attended Mass regularly with Karen Fridl ’82, who he would go on to marry. He also joined the Society for Advanced Management, where he developed Marianist ideals of servant-leadership that formed his entrepreneurial career in electrical contracting, waste disposal and fire safety businesses.
But there was more to his calling than business. Schlater has dedicated 28 years to Journey House, a social service nonprofit in Milwaukee focused on empowering people who are experiencing poverty.
Through a variety of leadership positions on the organization’s board of directors and charitable foundation board, he helped the organization grow its budget to $2.5 million and acquire more than $22 million in building projects to serve more than 9,000 children and families.
In reflecting on his dedication to serving his community, Schlater credits his time at UD.
“It was the whole four-year experience. Each year is different in college, but the one solid thing was always your faith. Mass and the Catholic, Marianist tradition was always there, good or bad,” he said. “My time at Dayton helped strengthen and solidify that resolve.”
Megan Bias ’19
Megan Bias, who works for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said her passion investigating infectious diseases and serving her community can be traced back to her time at the University of Dayton.
Bias graduated from UD with a bachelor’s degree in biology and notable roles on her résumé. Among those roles was an emergency medical technician and crew chief with the student-run UD Emergency Medical Services, where she served more than 1,500 hours.
“It gave me perspective on what it means to be there for your friends and community because they’re relying on us when they’re scared and not feeling well,” she said. “As a group, we were committed to doing the best for our community and fellow Flyers.”
She also worked with Yvonne Sun, associate professor of biology, in the microbiology lab, as well as with P. Kelly Williams, professor emeritus of biology, on a marine biology trip.
“I’ve been very lucky to have great mentors the whole way. That one-on-one mentorship at UD gave me the opportunity to know and be confident of what I want to do,” she said.
Currently Bias works as an epidemiologist and data scientist. The CDC recently awarded her team for their work to improve accessibility to and understanding of wastewater data and using it to detect infectious diseases.
Recently she connected with current UD students interested in public health to answer their questions and to network. As much as she’s serving the greater community of the nation, she’s still serving her UD community.
A version of this article appears in print in the Winter 2024-25 University of Dayton Magazine, Pages 50-51. EXPLORE THE ISSUE — MORE ONLINE