Contact:
Elizabeth Blevins, Director, Office of Communications
Office: (740) 351-3810; FAX: (740) 351-3179; Cell: (740) 464-4854
940 Second Street – Portsmouth, Ohio 45662
E-mail: eblevins@shawnee.edu 
Web site: www.shawnee.edu

            Gov. Ted Strickland has appointed Rita Roberts, D.O., of Lucasville, to the Shawnee State University Board of Trustees. Roberts is a family practice physician for the Community Action Committee of Pike County in Waverly.
            “I’m very excited about this opportunity,” Dr. Roberts said. “Shawnee State means a lot to me on many different levels. I attended Shawnee in the 70’s, and then again in the 90’s. All three of my children are Shawnee State graduates. I actually attended classes with two of them – and attended medical school with my son, Philip.”
            Roberts began her career as a registered nurse and decided to return to school to become a physician. She attended SSU for her pre-med studies and graduated from Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine.
            “I consider myself a perpetual student” Roberts said. “I’m a lifelong learner. Education is vital. Not only do we need specialized and educated people to help our economy, culturally, we need educated people with global knowledge. I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve in this capacity on the Board, and to potentially make an impact on higher education in our region.”