College of Education to Honor Distinguished Alumni April 15

Akron, Ohio, April 1, 2008 — The University of Akron College of Education will honor outstanding alumni at its annual Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 15 at the Martin University Center.

The honorees were chosen for their achievements in the education field and significant contributions to their community.

The 2008 Distinguished Alumni Award honorees are: Virginia Sabo Boyer ('43) of Akron, retired teacher, Akron Public Schools; Dan T. Hayes ('50, '56) of Akron, retired education administrator, Akron Public Schools; Judi Hill ('79) of Copley, community and adult partnerships advocate, Akron Public Schools; and Cazzell M. Smith Sr. ('71) of Akron, executive director, East Akron Community House.

Virginia Sabo Boyer earned her bachelor's degree in education from UA in 1943. She began her career at Barberton High School teaching business from 1943-45. From 1945-48 she taught evening business classes at UA and from 1945-57 sponsored all assemblies, YWCA Girl Reserves, National Honor Society as well as all business subjects at Hudson High School. She then began teaching business at Garfield High School in Akron, where she was active with the senior classes and supported many student teachers from the university. In the late 1960s, Vocational Education was introduced at Garfield and she was elected to teach intensive office education, which included both clerical and stenography enrichment.

Boyer's commitment to the field of education has spanned well beyond the classroom. She served as the secretary for both the Akron Business Teachers Association and Northeastern Ohio Business Teachers Association, and was a representative and member of the curriculum committee for the Akron Board of Education.

She established the Virginia Sabo Boyer Honors Scholarship at the university to benefit undergraduate honors students majoring in education. She is a senior member of the Junior Women's Civic Club and enjoys bridge, canasta, antiquing, golf and dancing. She has served as a life member of the Summit County Retired Teachers Association and volunteer for Summit County Children Services, East Akron Community House and the YWCA.

Dan T. Hayes earned a bachelor's degree in 1950 and a master's degree in 1956 from UA, where he was a member of the track and field team and was voted most valuable player and captain. Prior to attending UA, he served in the U.S. Air Force from 1942-45.

Hayes has worked for the Akron Public Schools for more than 50 years, serving in many capacities, including as a teacher at Glover Elementary School, counselor at Goodyear Middle School, and principal at Goodyear Middle School and Ellet High School. He also served as director at Child Guidance, and currently serves as a child advocate in the Akron district.

His commitment to Akron Public Schools goes well beyond the classroom. He has donated books to struggling readers over the years in several local elementary schools and has been an active track meet official for more than 50 years. For his dedication to the field of education, he has been recognized over the years with countless awards from PTA groups and professional organizations.

After retiring in 1979, Hayes worked almost 20 years for Bally Total Fitness as their morning manager before retiring in 1998. He is a charter member of Akron Silver League for softball and currently serves as league president and team manager. He has been a part of the Senior Olympics since 2000 and is a trustee for the Tri-County Senior Olympics and Ohio Senior Olympics. He also is serving as the first vice president for the Summit County Sports Hall of Fame.

Hayes' community involvement continues to run strong. He volunteers for the Akron Children's Hospital Tree Festival and is a precinct chairman for Summit County. Dan has supported his alma mater by establishing the Dorothy Hayes Memorial Scholarship at UA. The scholarship is awarded to a student teacher who exhibits creativity, enthusiasm, and a commitment to youth and teaching. Additionally, he is a member of the Track & Field Alumni Board.

Judi Bevly Hill received her bachelor's degree in elementary education from UA in 1979. She has served as a teacher and administrator with Akron Public Schools throughout her career. From 1979-90 she was employed as an elementary teacher at Voris, Robinson and Reimer Elementary Schools, where she taught students from grades K-6.

From 1990-95 Hill served as a drug prevention specialist and in 1995 became the curriculum specialist for Akron Public Schools, a position she held until 2001, where she developed and facilitated workshops for teachers to understand cultural and behavioral differences between students. Since 2001, she has served as the director of community partnership and customer service for Akron Public Schools. In this role, she has worked with local universities to increase the number of minority educators in the district and developed a customer service training workshop aimed at teaching student retention.

Hill's time and talents have not gone unrecognized, as she received the Women of Achievement Award in 2007, Akron Urban League Volunteer of the Year and Education Honoree from the African Americans of Summit County in 2006, and Mother of the Year in 2004, among many others.

Hill also is an avid volunteer and has served on the board of trustees for the Towpath Credit Union, Character Counts!, Coming Together Project, Summit County Historical Society, and more. She is a member of Leadership Akron and Phi Delta Kappa and is the second vice president for the NAACP's Akron Chapter.

Cazzell M. Smith Sr. received a bachelor's degree in secondary education from UA in 1971. He served as an elementary school teacher for Akron Public Schools in 1971 and in 1972 began his career at East Akron Community House, which has spanned more than 35 years. Since 1979, he has been the organization's executive director.

Smith has received numerous awards in his career, including the Akron City Club Palmer Award for contributing to the growth and vitality of the community; Ohio Chapter NASW Region Two Social Worker of the Year; Kiwanis Club of Akron Community Service Award; and St. Paul AME Church Harold K. Stubbs Humanitarian Award for Distinguished Service in the Field of Social Work.

Smith is a founding member of the African-American Leadership Committee and has served as president of the NAACP's Akron Chapter from 1979-82 and as the chairperson of its education committee from 1987 to present. He has been a member of the South Arlington Street Corridor Committee since 1993, and he was appointed in 1990 to Summit County Council and has been reelected for four terms. He also serves on UA's President's Committee on Minority Affairs. From 1980 to 2001 he served as a part-time instructor for the University's College of Fine and Applied Arts' Department of Social Work.

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