Alpha Epsilon Phi - The Ohio State University

Thank You, Rho Chapter Partners with Simply Told! hen Ellen Rippner Cohen '61 left her home city of Cleveland, Ohio, for The Ohio State University, a campus with a population of 30,000 then and nearly 60,000 now, she was confident she would be an accomplished woman and was seeking the right women to share in her traits and ideals. She found Alphi Epsilon Phi and it couldn't have been a better match. During recruitment, Ellen met the women of Rho and connected with them immediately. "I'm a straightforward person and the women at AEPhi were straightforward, but they were also smart and interesting to converse with. From the beginning, I felt like these were people that I wanted to be surrounded by while in college." As an undergraduate, Rho provided Ellen the opportunity to become a leader and a risk taker. "There were learning experiences I had while in the Rho house that surely influenced the direction I went after college. I felt like the fundamental skills I gained and the relationships I made have allowed me to be a strong female candidate and a strong female leader." Ellen did not serve as a chapter officer, but was responsible for assigning rooms, which meant there was plenty of reason to be on her good side. Since then, she has served in many offices. Early in her career, Ellen served as the executive director of the American Jewish Committee and the president and CEO of the Houston Area Women's Center. Following 28 years of advocacy in those roles and after becoming a nationally recognized expert on domestic and sexual violence issues, Ellen was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2005. During her two terms, she worked persistently to return integrity to the state. She is widely respected by her colleagues in both major political parties for her ability to be reasoned and balanced. She has dedicated her life and time to serving on boards that impact the Houston community. When Ellen moved from Montreal to Houston, she did not know many people. One day she was reading in the local Jewish paper about an AEPhi meeting. Ellen decide to attend. When she arrived, it was none other than her Rho sister, Susie Silverman Askanase '60, that answered the door. "Susie really helped me get acquainted with meeting people and especially other AEPhis in Houston." Ellen greatly enjoyed her time in the Rho house and has enjoyed being an alumna member after all this time. Like most, when she gets the newsletters, she flips through the alumnae updates to find out what sisters from her member class are up to. Ellen always has and will continue to be extremely supportive of women in leadership roles. She encourages active and alumnae members alike to run for office. Using every connection she's made since being an undergraduate has helped her to achieve so much. "Stay connected. Contact the local or national office and be active in maintaining the connection." Ellen serves as Mayor Pro Tem for the city of Houston and is currently serving her third term on the city council. Ellen lost her husband, Lyon, in 2003, after 42 years of marriage. They have one son, Eric Cohen, and a daughter, Marcie Cohen Zlotnik, Omega '80, and four grandchildren. Ellen encourages and welcomes any sister coming to Houston to contact her at ellen@ellencohen.org. Loyal Alumnae e wish to extend our gratitude to the alumnae who have chosen to support Alpha Epsilon Phi. Your gifts make it possible for our undergraduates to reside in a safe and comfortable home while remaining competitive at The Ohio State University. The following is a list of alumnae who gave to our spring 2017 appeal. Thank you for your support! Betty Frank Schoenbaum '36 Beverly Reisman Bogen '55 Marilyn Dwin Mandel '55 Rita Green Wasserman '55 Donna Misrach Levi '57 Loramae Weiland Simkoff '57 Glenda Newman Blume '59 Andrea Cronig Mindell '79 Pamela Newman Weinberger '84 Terri Newman '85 In partnership with Simply Told Video, we are launching the AEPhi Oral History Project. We hope to capture stories about our Rho alumnae's time in the chapter. To record your story, download the SimplyTold app in the iTunes store. The username is "buckeyephi" and the password is "r.h.o.", then once you have finished recording, log in to www.buckeyephi.thedigitalmosaic.com to view your (and other sisters) stories! Video are approved and made available within 24-48 hours of your recording. It's really simple and fun to do, and we look forward to including your AEPhi story! AEPhi, the Right Fit for an Honored Alumna Ellen Rippner Cohen '61 Remembers Her Time in Rho ALPHA EPSILON PHI 3

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