Opening Remarks
9:30-10:15 a.m.
Opening Remarks with President Ladany, Jordyn Billings ’22, & Brad Firchow ’19
Nicholas Ladany, PhD, Oglethorpe University President
Dr. Ladany was elected as the 17th President of Oglethorpe University, effective July 1, 2020. Dr. Ladany also serves on faculty as a Professor of Psychology. An administrator with a proven record of success, Ladany has decades of experience as a teacher and scholar who places a strong value on the liberal arts. Visit the President’s website to see Dr. Ladany’s full bio, list of publications, and recent statements.
Jordyn Billings, OU Class of 2022 and Current JEO Scholar
Jordyn Billings is a junior from Seattle, Washington and was awarded the JEO Scholarship in 2018. She is majoring in Sociology with a minor in Communication and stays busy being involved with a variety of campus organizations and offices. She serves as the President and Founder of Fashion Club, is a Resident Assistant for Jacobs Hall, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., and a Lead Ambassador with the Office of Admission. She cannot wait to share her love of Oglethorpe with our newest class of Petrels!
Brad Firchow, OU Class of 2019 and Former Civic Engagement Scholar
During his time at OU, Brad Firchow was awarded the Civic Engagement Scholarship and pursued Biopsychology major with a concentration in Public Health. He gained hands-on experience volunteering with Crossroads Hospice, American Red Cross, and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. He built on those experiences with scholarship, publishing novel pediatric mental health research during his internship at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He also served as Student Body President 2018-2019.
Upon graduating, Brad was the Zenas Fellow at Childspring International, a global pediatric surgery nonprofit based in Atlanta. He is currently an emergency risk communicator on the federal COVID-19 response. Drawing on lived experience in Appalachia and the rural South, Brad plans to practice rural family medicine. He is an avid art collector and enjoys hiking with his poodle Huxley.