Endowed and Named Fellowships

A Cincinnati civic and philanthropic leader, Nelson Schwab, Jr. (1919–2005) was a partner at the law firm of Graydon, Head & Ritchey. His public leadership included co-chairing the Review Committee of the Cincinnati 2000 Plan, chairing the Volunteer Lawyers for the Poor Foundation, and elected service on the Cincinnati school board. He was also engaged in the Community Chest Child Abuse and Neglect Services Task Force, Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Playhouse in the Park, and the Architectural Foundation.

Funded by Lee and Shannon Carter, this position honors Schwab’s civic leadership and contributions. 

The Portman family has been committed to public service and civic leadership in Cincinnati and around the country, and the family fellowship supports the next generation of leaders. This fellowship is generously funded by Senator Rob Portman, Ms. Ginna Portman Amis, and Mr. Wym Portman. Senator Rob Portman served in elected and appointed office for over three decades, and he and his siblings and their spouses have been actively involved in business, community, and nonprofit leadership. Wym Portman served as the Chair of the Board of Trustees at the University of Cincinnati, and Ginna Portman Amis has served on board of the Minnesota Land Trust and the Minneapolis Foundation.

Business and civic leaders in the greater Cincinnati Community, the Shepherd family founded The Shepherd Chemical Company in Norwood, Ohio in 1916. Over the past century, they have developed the company into a global business. Third- and fourth-generation leaders John and Tom Shepherd now steward The Shepherd Material Science Company and its subsidiaries, working with customers to provide innovative solutions in metal chemistry and durable color. Under the Shepherds’ leadership, the company provides philanthropic assistance to nonprofits, supports chemistry programs in local high schools, and provides robust internship and coop experiences for chemical engineers, accountants, and a few other disciplines.

The Shepherd family generously funds two Portman Center fellows each year, with particular emphasis on students making an impact in the fields of business and engineering in honor of UC graduates Amanda Shepherd Breit (MBA '21) and Matthew Shepherd (ChE '21), both of whom are working in the family business.