YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – They have a combined 66 years of service to Youngstown State University, and Thursday Betty Jo Licata and Ronald Shaklee each received one of the university’s highest honors.
University trustees honored Licata, retired dean of the Williamson College of Business Administration, and Shaklee, professor emeritus of geography and former director of the University of Scholars and Honors program, with YSU’s 2026 Heritage Award. It’s the university’s highest honor for retired faculty and staff.
“The Heritage Award was established in 1981 as a means of recognizing former faculty and professional and administrative staff who have made significant contributions to the university during their years of service,” YSU President Bill Johnson said at Thursday’s trustees meeting. “The Heritage Award is the most prestigious honor at YSU. Nominees are reviewed by a 16-person Heritage Award committee [composed] of representatives from each college, the administration, alumni and the YSU Retirees Association.”
Licata retired in 2021 after 26 years as WCBA dean. She returned in 2024 as interim dean, serving in the role for about a year.
She said she is honored and grateful.
“As I look back over the 26 and a half – plus one – years that I was here, it really was the students and the people that make all of this worth some of that aggravation that you tend to forget down the road,” she said.
As dean, Licata led the college’s effort to become accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International and the planning of Williamson Hall, the 110,000-square-foot building that houses the college.
“I always felt my role as dean was to support the faculty and staff in achieving their goals, so all of what has been developed in the College of Business, and continues to be developed, really is through the support, the vision and the hard work of our faculty,” Licata said. “I’m proud of what we accomplished together, and I hope what we achieved has set a strong foundation for future success.”
Shaklee served 39 years at YSU. He was an assistant professor, associate professor, professor, department chairperson of geography and director of the University Scholars and Honors program, Johnson said.
“Shak brought creativity, innovation and humor to the classroom, and his educational programs, including his annual trip to the Bahamas with students,” he said.
Shaklee called the award an honor.
“It’s not something I came to YSU and said, ‘I’m going to get this someday,’” he said. “I sometimes feel like I just did my job, and that’s all anybody can ask – show up.”
Both he and Licata thanked others at the university and pointed to students as what drove them.
“One of the things that I think I’m most proud of is that the honors program was excellent when I came in,” Shaklee said. I did not come as a caretaker, but we had seven Goldwater Scholars. We ended up with a Truman Scholar and with a Rhodes Scholar. Now, these were the first Rhodes Scholar and Truman Scholar, and there are a lot of stories with that too.”
He served as the director of the program from 2000 to 2015. He’s a three-time recipient of YSU’s Distinguished Professorship for Teaching.
Pictured at top: YSU President Bill Johnson presents the university’s Heritage Award to Betty Jo Licata, retired dean of the Williamson College of Business Administration.