Wright State’s Donna Schlagheck honored at Ohio House of Representatives

Donna Schlagheck, chair and political science professor, with Ohio Speaker and Wright State graduate Cliff Rosenberger ’12 earlier this spring during an event at the university.

Donna Schlagheck, professor and chair of Wright State’s Department of Political Science, was honored at the Ohio House of Representatives for her decades of work with the university’s Model United Nations teams.

House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger read a commendation of Schlagheck in the House chamber May 20, adding that she was instrumental in him being where he is today.

Rosenberger, a 2012 Wright State graduate and the youngest ever speaker of the House, participated in the Model UN program when he was a student at the university.

Earlier, Rosenberger met in his office with Schlagheck and a delegation from Wright State and presented her with an American flag and other mementoes of appreciation.

The delegation included Schlagheck and members of her family; Wright State President David R. Hopkins; Robert J. Sweeney, executive vice president for planning; Kristin Sobolik, dean of the College of Liberal Arts; and Michael Wiehe, director of the Center for Urban and Public Affairs.

From left: Wright State President David R. Hopkins, Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, Donna Schlagheck, her mother, Hazel, and her brother David at the Ohio House of Representatives May 20.

Schlagheck, who will retire this year, led the Model UN to top honors at the annual national Model UN conference in New York City for more than 20 years. This year, the team returned from the conference with a delegation award for the 36th year in a row.

The Model UN is a conference similar to that of the United Nations in which students participate as delegates to various UN committees. The participants research and formulate political positions based on the actual policies of the countries they represent.

At Wright State, preparation for the conference involves more than just writing papers and learning a country’s national policy. Delegates are taught how to implement a country’s policy, how to dress, how to act in committee and what to expect from other countries they will be working with in committee.