The Spring/Summer 2019 issue of NKU Magazine is a savory treat, with a cover story that features food entrepreneurs spicing up the Greater Cincinnati area. From lunch at Covington spot The Gruff, dinner at Lucius Q, donuts from Moonrise and sweets at Maysville’s Sprinkles of Hope—not to mention The Rhined’s delicious cheeses and decadent brews from Higher Gravity—we tried it all and chatted with the folks behind the business names. These alums are changing the region one dish at a time, and we’ve got the scoop on their flavor-forward careers.
When Dr. Jessica Hindman was hired as a violinist with a travelling troupe of musicians, she thought her childhood dream of being a professional instrumentalist was coming true—until she realized the audience couldn’t hear her over the pre-recorded sounds blasting through the speakers at performances. Hers is a strange story, full of questions around identity and purpose, and, lucky for us, she worked much of it out in her debut memoir, “Sounds Like Titanic,” which picked up an Amazon Best Book of February 2019 nod, as well as attention from O, The Oprah Magazine; The New Yorker; NPR; and more. We chat with her about her experiences, the book and how she landed in NKU’s Department of English.
We report on the day that Umi, the Cincinnati Museum Center’s resident mummy, visited NKU to get a new set of scans, as well as break down details about the university’s recently launched campaign, Further, Faster; new strategic framework, Success by Design; and the hiring of men’s basketball coach, Darrin Horn.
And this issue features chats with some impressive alums, such as the talented and driven Ebony J (a/k/a Jeffonia Wynn), a radio host, entrepreneur and advocate for survivors of abuse. Harlen Wheatley, master distiller at Buffalo Trace, talks about the chemistry behind the brand’s award-winning bourbons. Singer-songwriter Annalyse McCoy tells us about making roots music in the city that never sleeps, while Jared Jolly shares some of his experiences in the plumbing and service industry.
Check out the Spring/Summer issue of NKU Magazine today!
Greater Cincinnati has become a Midwest mecca dor dining experiences, thanks in part to these alumni foodie entrepreneurs.
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Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman, a professor of creative writing at Northern Kentucky University, stands quietly behind the podium at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Cincinnati, Ohio. She’s there to read an excerpt from her new memoir, “Sounds Like Titanic,” but, for now, she’s enjoying the looks on the faces of those in attendance.
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Jeffonia Wynn (’12), known to radio station listeners across the Greater Cincinnati area as Ms. Ebony J, started her career in a Landrum Academic Center studio on Northern Kentucky University’s campus in 2008.With nothing more than a soundboard, microphone and computer, she launched “The Ebony J Show” within three weeks of joining Norse Code Radio, NKU’s student-operated radio station.
It’s true that Harlen Wheatley (’94) gets paid to taste bourbon, and, yes,he knows he has one of the best job sin the world. But it’s not day drinking that puts a smile on the face of Buffalo Trace’s master distiller—he’s just really into chemistry.
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Actress and musician Annalyse McCoy ('06) can say she’s been a lot of things in her time on earth, from rooftop landscaper in New York City to international performer. She’s appeared in national commercials and sang on the Opry City Stage. And the eastern Kentucky native’s lineage delivers another claim to fame, too—McCoy is, in fact, a “real” McCoy.
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When Brady Jolly (’14) was named CEO of Jolly Plumbing in 2014, most people expected the young executive to lead with an “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality.With an established reputation and solid customer base, all Jolly needed to do was support the plumbing services, respect clients and hire the best tradesman to keep the company on track. But Jolly had something else in mind—he wanted to turn the service industry upside down.
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