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

             Rita Graf, of Wheelersburg, Ohio was named the new director of Tech Prep in University Outreach at Shawnee State University.
             She is a graduate of Minford High School and has a master’s degree in teaching from Marygrove College in Detroit, Mich. and a bachelor’s degree in business education from Rio Grande University.
             Graf has been in education for more than 14 years. As a teacher, Graf taught at the high school level at both Clay and Minford high schools. She also taught as an adjunct instructor in business at SSU and worked on a committee for the Cyber Center as a high school coordinator.
             “I want to help students make the transition from high school to college easier,” Graf said.
             Part of Graf’s job is to serve as a liaison and coordinate Tech Prep programs among the schools and universities of the Consortium in adapting the Tech Prep concept to fit their individual needs and resources including planning, curriculum development and training.
             “In today’s economy our students need to be more prepared than ever to enter the workforce,” Graf said. “The college Tech Prep gives students a solid foundation in both technical skills and college-prep academics.”