Findlay, Ohio, Sept. 27, 2004—The University of Findlay honored three graduates as Distinguished Alumni and named recipients of the Old Main Award, the Gold Medallion Award and the Arch Award during the All-Alumni Brunch on Saturday, Sept. 25, as part of Homecoming Weekend.

Named as Distinguished Alumni were: Betty Helwig Biswas of West Bengal, India, class of 1951; Barbara A. Meyers Binkley of Toledo, Ohio, class of 1964; and Dennis Zahler of Ft. Mitchell, Ky., class of 1970. Robert Verb of Bluffton, Ohio, class of 1996, received the Old Main Award, which recognizes the distinguished accomplishments of alumni age 35 or younger. The Gold Medallion Award was presented in memory of the late Stephen Loy of Canton, Ohio, class of 1974. The Arch Award, honoring service by a staff member of the university, was presented to Judith Butler.

Betty A. Helwig Biswas graduated from then Findlay College in 1951 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary and religious education. In 1963, she earned a master’s degree in elementary education from Penn State University.

The daughter of a Churches of God pastor, Biswas worked for a year and a half after high school to earn money to attend Findlay College. She chose to major in elementary and religious education in order to prepare herself for the mission field.

After graduating in 1951, she taught fourth grade in Mannheim, Pa. In 1953, she left to go to the Uluberia Town Mission School in West Bengal, India, southwest of Calcutta. Uluberia is a self-supporting school begun by the first Churches of God missionary to India in 1898.

During a furlough beginning in January 1960, Biswas earned a master’s degree in elementary education from Penn State University and taught third grade for two and a half years. She returned to her work in India in October 1963.

In 1966, she married Solomon Biswas, a native of India whose father had served with the mission beginning in 1908. Solomon was in charge of the general administration and evangelistic work of the mission, while Betty was in charge of the school, where she taught English to children in the elementary grades.

Making India her home, she has returned to the United States once in 1968. She relinquished daily oversight of the school only last year due to health problems. Under her leadership as a teacher and administrator, the school, which has 270 children, achieved a reputation for academic excellence and caring teachers that has resulted in a waiting list to enroll.

The Churches of God, General Conference, honored Biswas in 2003 for serving 50 years as a missionary to India. She and her husband retired in 2004. They continue to reside in India and serve as advisers to the mission staff.

Barbara A. Meyers Binkley graduated from Findlay College in 1964 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and music. She went on to earn a master’s degree in elementary education from Eastern Michigan University in 1968 and received her Ed.S. in educational administration from the University of Toledo in 1984.

An educator for 30 years, Barbara served as an elementary and secondary reading specialist at Wernert Elementary School, Whitmer High School and Washington Local Schools in Toledo, Ohio. She also served as head teacher at Wernert Elementary School and Washington Local Schools. In 1982, she was selected as Outstanding Classroom Educator at Washington Local Schools. She currently is solo and ensemble accompanist for the secondary music department and is active in the Retired Washington Local Teachers Association.

Binkley has served at the local, state and national levels of the Churches of God, General Conference. At Home Acres Community Church, she has served as a Sunday School teacher for 30 years. In addition, she has held positions as director of music, pianist, choir member, elder and president of the local Women’s Christian Service Council.

For the Ohio Conference, Binkley served as vice president, nominating committee chairperson, chairperson of the Discipling Life Council, and chairperson of the Administrator Retirement Committee. She also was a staff member and co-dean of Camp Otyokwah.

She founded the Ladies Day Away Retreat for the Ohio Women’s Service Council and was the chair of the State Spiritual Life Committee. In addition, she serves as an at-large member of the Administrative Council of the Great Lakes Conference.

Her service at the national level includes nine years as a member of the Administrative Council. She also has served as a member of the Administrative Search Committee, chair of the National Task Force Committee on Sexual Misconduct and president of the national Women’s Christian Service Council (WCSC).

Binkley also is involved as a music volunteer for the Wildwood Park Manor House in Toledo, and is a member of the Toledo-area Panhellenic Council. She has served as a board member for the Toledo-area Christian Business & Professional Women and as an officer with the Toledo Gideons Auxiliary.

She and her husband, Jonathan ‘63, reside in Toledo. They have two grown sons, Tregg and Trent, and two granddaughters.

Dennis A. Zahler graduated from Findlay College with a bachelor of science in education and business in 1970.

He is the owner of Zahler and Associates, an insurance agency in Ft. Mitchell, Ky. Established in 1979, the agency specializes in employee benefits, financial planning, executive compensation packages, individual life insurance and disability income insurance. Dennis is licensed for life and health in Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. He also is the owner of Concept Homes, LLC, which builds modular homes.

Previously, Zahler was vice president of sales at Rockwool Industries in Denver, Colo., from 1976-79, where he was responsible for sales management of residential and commercial insulation. He managed 20 salesmen and had marketing responsibility for direct national sales for three insulation factories. His marketing area included all states east of the Rocky Mountains.

He was vice president of sales and company director for Oren Corporation, Muncie, Ind., from 1974-76, where he was in charge of sales management for residential insulation. He had direct national account sales responsibility and managed four salesmen.

Zahler was terminal manager for Branch Motor Express, where he managed a motor freight terminal in Muncie, Ind., from 1971-74. He was assistant terminal manager for Roadway Express at the Findlay freight terminal from 1970-71.

He serves as a member of The University of Findlay Hospitality Management Advisory Board and is a past chairperson of The University of Findlay Parents Council. He is a member of the Fort Mitchell City Council and is the director of the Northern Kentucky chapter of the Christian Business Network. He is a member and a deacon of Lakeside Christian Church and a charter member and current board member of the Beechwood Educational Foundation. He is a current member and past board member of the Northern Kentucky Life Underwriters Association, and he also is a life member of the insurance industry’s Million Dollar Round Table.

Zahler is a past member of Beechwood High School Site Base Council, past president of the Northern Kentucky Youth Hockey Association, past member of the Kenton County Advisory Council for Recreation Facilities-Recreation Programs.

He resides in Ft. Mitchell, Ky., with his wife, Barbara. They have three adult children, Matthew, Scott ‘00 and Amanda Morehart, and three grandchildren.

Robert G. Verb graduated cum laude from The University of Findlay in 1996 with a bachelor of science degree in biology and environmental and hazardous materials management. He was named as an Honors Scholar in the Field of Science at commencement for his participation in the Honors Program and the completion of his senior thesis on “A Study of the Construction and Development of an Artificial Wetland at the Reick Center.”

Verb earned a doctorate in biological sciences/environmental and plant biology from Ohio University in 2001. His dissertation was “Comparisons of Algal Diversity Among Polluted, Restored, and Non-Polluted Streams in Southeastern Ohio.”

He serves as associate professor of biological and allied health sciences and greenhouse manager at Ohio Northern University, where he has taught since 2001. He also has experience in the environmental field identifying and enumerating algae for various companies and institutes throughout the region.

His research has been funded by a number of grants from sources such as the Psychological Society of America and The Ohio Biological Survey, where much of his research has involved work with algae as biological indicators of pollutants such as acid mine drainage in Ohio.

Dr. Verb has co-authored a number of articles that have been published in refereed journals such as Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, Northeastern Naturalist, Journal of Freshwater Ecology, International Journal of Plant Sciences, Aquatic Botany and Journal of Forensic Science. He also has given numerous presentations at professional meetings and seminars.

He is a member of the Association of Education and Research Greenhouse Curators, the International Carnivorous Plant Society, Natural Areas Association, Ohio Academy of Science, Ohio Biological Survey, Sigma Xi Scientific Society, Phycological Society of America and the Ada (Ohio) Tree Commission.

He resides in Bluffton, Ohio, with his wife, Melissa.

Stephen J. Loy graduated with a bachelor’s degree in art education from then Findlay College in 1974, where he played defensive back on the football team. He went on to earn a master’s degree in education and guidance from the University of Dayton.

Loy passed away on Feb. 2, 2004, at the age of 52 as the result of a rare liver disease. He was the men’s head basketball coach for Walsh University, a position he had held since 1992. Under his direction from 1992-2003, the Walsh team posted 11 consecutive winning seasons and four appearances in the NAIA National Championships. In his first year at Walsh, Steve earned Coach of the Year honors in the Mid-Ohio Conference as well as NAIA District 22. His record at Walsh was 253-131. His overall record coaching at high schools and colleges was 363-217.

Loy began his coaching career as assistant basketball and football coach at West Muskingum High School in Zanesville from 1974-77. From there he want to Sandy Valley High School in Magnolia from 1977-85, advancing to head coach in 1979. He was assistant coach at Walsh from 1985-87, assistant coach at the University of Akron from 1987-88, and head coach at Norwayne High School, Creston, Ohio, from 1989-92.

He was a member of Faith United Methodist Church in North Canton and the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

In 1997, he was diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis, which scars the bile ducts. Coincidentally, three area basketball coaches, Loy, Hal Smith of Malone College and Bruce Brown of Lake High School were all diagnosed with the same disease within one year. They became known as “The Liver Guys.” Together, they founded the Hoops for Healing Foundation to benefit the cause of liver disease research and organ donation. The Hoops for Healing Classic, a two-day series of basketball games involving Walsh, Malone and local high school teams, and a spring golf tournament helped raise funds and increase awareness of the need for liver research.

In September 2003, doctors discovered a cancerous mass on Loy’s liver. Despite undergoing chemotherapy, he kept coaching right up until Jan. 10, 2004, when he was hospitalized after a game with Shawnee State University.

A resident of the Canton area all of his life, Loy is survived by his wife, Karen and two children at home, a son, Alex, and a daughter, Meredith; and his parents, Jack and Oranna Martin Loy of East Canton.

Judith A. Butler is the first recipient of the Arch Award for Honorary Alumni. The award is presented to members of the faculty, staff or community who do not have a degree from The University of Findlay but have given 25 years or more of service and have by personal example demonstrated loyalty and support for the institution.

During her career at The University of Findlay, she served in administrative assistant positions for the Division of Math and Computer Science, the Division of Education, the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations and the Mazza Museum from 1977 until 2004, when she retired.

At The University of Findlay, she has been a member of the Findlay-area community chorus and served as adviser to Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. She also is a member of the Mazza Enthusiasts support group for the museum, and volunteers in the Mazza Gift Shop.

Prior to coming to Findlay, she worked at Ashland University from 1972-1977 and the Cleveland Museum of Art from 1958-61.

Butler graduated in 1958 with a bachelor of fine arts degree in art history from Ohio University, where she was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority and the Chimes, Mortar Board and Phi Kappa Phi honorary societies.

She is a member of Gateway Church and its Greeter’s Ministry, the Hancock County Agency on Aging, the Hancock County Humane Society and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Butler resides in Findlay. She and her late husband, William Butler, have three grown sons, all graduates of The University of Findlay: Scott, Chris and Rob.

The University of Findlay is a comprehensive university located in Findlay, Ohio, about 45 miles south of Toledo. With a total enrollment of 4,500 full-time and part-time students, The University of Findlay is noted for its innovative, career-oriented programs in more than 60 majors and eight master’s degrees. For more information, visit www.findlay.edu.