Thank You for Attending Chicagoans for Cincy! Celebration
The University of Cincinnati Alumni Association was thrilled to welcome you to our May 9 Chicagoans for Cincy! Celebration as we recognized and celebrated the many contributions and overall excellence of UC alumni in the Chicagoland area. We were able to honor three outstanding Bearcats and raised funds to support the Chicagoans for Cincy! Alumni Scholarship. This annual event has raised over $180,000 to benefit incredible students from the region.
Chicagoans for Cincy! Celebration will be back in May 2025. Check back soon for more information.
Thank you to our 2024 Sponsors
Support the Scholarship
Through the generous support of donors, the Chicagoans for Cincy! Alumni Scholarship has helped 5 students receive a world-class education at one of the nation’s top urban research universities. Awarded annually to an incoming, first-year student from the Chicagoland area, the scholarship may be renewed up to eight semesters pending fund availability and student eligibility.
Show your support by donating directly to the Chicagoans for Cincy! Alumni Scholarship Fund.
2024 Award Recipients
This award is presented to Chicago-area UC alumni based on professional contributions and notable achievements in their fields.
David Jaberg is President & CEO of GX2 Systems and its wholly owned broker-dealer subsidiary, GX2 Spread Markets. After beginning in the financial industry as a runner in the treasury futures pits at the Chicago Board of Trade, he now has over 30 years of experience in proprietary trading focusing on relative value treasury yield curve trading, statistical arbitrage, and market making. Dave’s recent focus is on leading projects that integrate the vast possibilities of technology into the objective of increasing the profitability of trade.
Outside of the professional realm, Dave earned his PhD in Economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2015, beginning the program as a part-time night student in 2007 and continuing to completion while founding and building GX2 Systems. He is a proud Bearcat, graduating with a BA in Economics in 1990 and an MA in 1991. Dave, his wife Annette and their three children live in Glencoe, Ill.
This award is presented to a Chicago-area UC alumnus, who through their volunteerism elevate the University of Cincinnati.
Toledo native Savannah Bell graduated from UC with a double major in FInance & International Business after having been a Kolodzik Business Scholar and a leader in campus life. She completed co-ops at Chiquita Brands, KAO Brands, and Great American Insurance, as well as study abroad programs in France/Belgium and the UK. As an alumna, Savannah become a Teach for America elementary school teacher on the South Side of Chicago, an assignment that turned into a life-changing passion for working with children and trying to dismantle inequities in K-12 education. She worked with her principal on the Next Generation Learning Challenges Breakthrough Schools Competition, reimagining what school could look like. They developed a blueprint for school transformation, redesigning everything from the school’s physical space and curriculum to specials classes and after-school programs. Their school was one of six to win the national competition, securing over $300,000 in grant funding to execute their plan.
Savannah continued her education at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, focused on school innovation, then returned to Chicago equipped with new tools, resources, and renewed energy to create equal opportunities for Chicago’s children. She is now Manager of Competency Based Education supporting schools in the State of Illinois’s CBE Pilot, as well as Chicago schools transitioning to proficiency-based learning environments. She has co-chaired the Chicagoans for Cincy! Celebration several times and created Chicago’s annual BreweryWatch Fundraiser for the scholarship fund.
This award is presented to a Chicago-area UC alumnus based on early professional achievement, and/or recent service and involvement with the University of Cincinnati.
Antwone Cameron, a devoted advocate for student success, is Dean of Students at Chicago State University; previously he had held the same role at Thomas More University. As he nears the completion of his doctoral degree studies from Northern Kentucky University, Antwone is guided by a passionate support for higher education, envisioning himself a catalyst for transformative change. His dedication to fostering inclusivity and representation within academia reflects his deep-seated commitment to equity. He seeks to dismantle barriers and forge new pathways, ensuring that all students, regardless of their background, can thrive in the educational environment. He lives in Hyde Park with his wife, Vaylla.
Outstanding Achievement Award
- Shannon Finn Connell, PhD
- Eva Maddox
- Alan Channing
- Denny Reigle
- Wally Becky
- Brent Freese
- Susan King
- Tom Behringer
- Michael Schroeck
- Donald Nally
- Lawrence Damron
Distinguished Service Award
- Dr. Steven Edelstein
- Denny DeMoss
- David Watkins
- Chris and Spes Mekus
- Yetta Starr
- Matt Wagner
- Patty Klingbiel
- Sean Connell
- Paul Kingsley
- Neal Novak
Rising Star Award
- Bhavik Modi
- Paul Green
- Cindy Chiang
- Andrew Eloff
- John Lutz
- Ann Taylor
- Adjoa Anyane-Yeboa
- Kathleen Hurley
Get Involved
Interested in getting involved with the Chicagoans for Cincy! Committee? Contact Chicago Alumni Network Leader Jacki Adkins.
Victoria Kuhlman, A&S '15, '21
Senior Director, Alumni Engagement