Chandler moved to Los Angeles shortly after graduating in 2015 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance. In 2018, she officially joined the Dana Foglia Dance Company, a professional dance company that performs and teaches intensives across the world. Chandler performs with her company and has an agent that helps her book other jobs, like dancing for Billie Eilish at Coachella. Chandler has also worked on several different music videos and done work with the LA Follies, who perform at private events and functions.

Murri is the vice president and general manager of WXYZ and WMYD, and Scripps regional vice president. In June 2025, he was named a 2025 Michiganian of the Year by the Detroit News, and was also named as The Most Powerful Business Leaders in Metro Detroit from DBusiness Detroit 500 the previous year. Murri is a dedicated broadcast professional, devoting more than 40 years at WXYZ-TV (Channel 7).

Wilkie was awarded “Top 25 Women Chief Digital Officers of 2025” from Women We Admire, a professional network for women. As the chief digital officer of Rifle Paper, Wilkie was recognized at thewomenweadmire.com for being a senior leader BROADCAST AND BYLINES: A WXOU, OAKLAND POST AND CJPR REUNION Saturday, October 11 3-5 p.m. in the Oakland Center Habitat Reunite with fellow Communication, Journalism and Public Relation alumni alongside former Oakland Press and WXOU students. Learn more at oakland.edu/ alumni/reunion-weekend. with over 15 years of international e-commerce and transformative digital experience, specializing in marketing strategy for multimillion- dollar brands and Fortune 500 clients. According to the site, she has pioneered the development of comprehensive go-to-market strategies, ensuring a unified brand message across all global regions.

Kaniqua Welch has been named vice president of communications and marketing at the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan (CFSEM), effective February 25, 2025. A Detroit native with a journalism degree from Oakland University — where she previously served as an adjunct instructor — and an M.A. from Wayne State, she most recently served as communications officer at The Kresge Foundation. Currently earning a public leadership certificate from Harvard Kennedy School, she’s ready to advance CFSEM’s strategic vision.

Webster, Ph.D., retired in January 2025 after spending 35 years in the field of education. She had two mentors at OU, Drs. Toni S. Walters and Jane M. Bingham, who traveled with Webster to her rural Jamaican community in an effort to introduce Literacy Through Literature in schools. Through their literacy initiatives in collaboration with Jamaica’s Ministry of Education, She provided many Jamaican Teacher Educators opportunities to pursue graduate studies in reading education.

Beloved friend and educator, Vivian Gail Johnson, Ph.D., passed away December 19, 2024. Her passion for education began early and carried her across states and institutions. She was an educator at The Pentecostal Church of God Christian Academy in Detroit, with students who adored her and whom she loved deeply. For 27 years, Vivian also served as an associate professor at Marygrove College, leaving an indelible mark on the lives of countless students and colleagues. Her loved ones honored her life on December 23, 2024 at the Resthaven of Garden Memorial Cemetery in Decatur, Georgia.

Following graduation in 2004, Christy Maraone moved across the country to Denver, Colorado, where she earned a Master of Business Administration at the University of Colorado at Denver, as well as a Master of Science in marketing. Throughout the years, Christy’s career has progressed and advanced. She is currently the vice president of marketing and outreach at the Burn and Reconstructive Centers of America, the largest burn care system in the U.S., managing a team of 32+ individuals in marketing and outreach at their headquarters in Augusta, Georgia, and locations nationwide. Christy has landed stories on Good Morning America, Newsnation, People Magazine, NewsMax, Yahoo, WebMD and more.

Attending Oakland University in the early ’80s changed Gerald Kearns’ life forever. OU gave him a strong educational foundation and the skills to believe that he could compete in the job market. Upon graduation, he held several successful jobs, including his last career position as a professor in information technology for a college in North Carolina. Gerald truly enjoyed giving back to his community and paying it forward as a professor. He has been the only professor at this college who’s been nominated and won the college’s Excellence in Teaching Award three different times.

Toinette Gunn was named one of Crain’s Chicago Business’ 2021 Notable Black Leaders and Executives. She is the first Black executive director of Chicago Debates, an organization that bridges the opportunity gap for Chicago Public Schools students by providing them with an after-school program that supports their academic, career and leadership success. Toinette joined Chicago Debates in 2018, and previously served as the vice president of programs for Chicago Scholars, where she led vision, research and strategy for all programming for nearly 3,000 students annually.

Fernanda is currently a manager of Global EV Ecosystem and Charging Experience at General Motors. She was a graduate of the university’s Executive Master of Business program. This program highlights the importance of in-person/cohort concierge program design, and the quality of the faculty experience and research was instrumental in her success. Fernanda talks regularly with her cohort peers. She says that the network of professionals she has met from a diverse range of industries through the EMBA program has enhanced her personal and professional experience.

Rebecca is a New York Times and Indie bestselling author of “The Ones We Burn,” a young adult fantasy novel published by Simon & Schuster. Her middle grade fantasy debut “The Mossheart’s Promise” will be published September 5, 2023 from HarperCollins. When she isn’t writing, Rebecca is an account supervisor in pharmaceutical marketing with GCI Health where she blends her expertise in campaign strategy, corporate communications, client service and digital media strategy. Rebecca received the 2023 Oakland University Young Alumni 10 within 10 Award.

Kevin co-founded Motown Aquaponics in 2016, merging his OU Master of Business Administration with his MSU Zoology undergraduate degree. Motown Aquaponics produces sustainable and fresh produce and seafood. The company also seeks to engage the community of Detroit through educational outreach and public installations. Kevin is also the senior technical product owner of Thermo Fisher Scientific.

In 2022, Kristine became president for the downriver Beaumont Hospitals: Taylor, Trenton and Wayne. A lifelong Downriver native, Kristine is taking on the task of managing the three hospitals after a long career as a nurse, supervisor and pivotal component of the Beaumont medical team. Kristine is also the system administrative lead for the Trauma Clinical Care program. She plays a vital role in assessing coding and billing, developing a system trauma dashboard, creating standards of care for the geriatric population, and assessing the impact of no-fault auto law legislation changes and patient access to appropriate care.

Woodie is an attorney at his private practice, Woodie H. Thomas, III, P.A., in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. He has a Ph.D. in Education and is currently publishing a book entitled, "The Public School Education Curriculum Revolution." 

Christina is the associate dean for admissions and enrollment and associate professor for medical education at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She worked at Oakland University for more than 23 years her most recent role at OU was as the founding admissions dean for the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine.