A global business and engineering leader, a Supreme Court Justice from Iceland, and a nationally-renowned family physician, are Ohio Northern University’s spring 2025 commencement speakers.
Justice Benedikt Bogason will be featured at the Pettit College of Law ceremony scheduled for Saturday, May 17 at 10 a.m.; Dr. Ada D. Stewart, BSPh ’85, will participate in the Raabe College of Pharmacy ceremony to be held on Sunday, May 18 at 9 a.m.; and Brenda Reichelderfer, BSEE ’80, will address undergraduate/MSA ceremony guests and graduates on May 18 at 2 p.m.
The ceremonies will be held at King Horn Sports Center’s field house.
All three commencement speakers will receive honorary doctoral degrees.
Justice Benedikt Bogason – Law Commencement
Benedikt Bogason is a Supreme Court Justice and President of the Court in Iceland, where he serves his country with unwavering integrity and honor.
He earned his Candidate Juris degree from the University of Iceland in 1990 and embarked on a distinguished career in public service. He served as Director of Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Justice, Chief Judge of the District Court of West Iceland, and District Court Judge, before his appointment to the Icelandic Supreme Court in 2012. He was elected President of the Court in 2020.
In addition to his judicial responsibilities, Justice Bogason is a professor of law at the University of Iceland, where he has been a part-time faculty member since 1993. He has authored books and articles on the general principles of the law of obligations, civil procedure, and other topics, enriching legal discourse.
Dr. Ada D. Stewart, BSPh ’85 – Pharmacy Commencement
Dr. Ada Stewart is a servant leader who has devoted her life’s work to healing and uplifting others—particularly the underserved and marginalized— as a pharmacist, family physician, mentor, and advocate.
She earned a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from Ohio Northern University in 1985 and began her career as a pharmacist in Cleveland. Hearing about the compassionate care of a local family physician who treated the whole person, and enduring the loss of loved ones to breast cancer, heart disease, and other illnesses, inspired her to further her commitment to medicine and pursue at medical degree from the University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences.
Since 2012, Dr. Stewart has been a family physician with Cooperative Health, in Columbia, S.C., where she is a lead provider and HIV specialist. She has advocated for patients and communities at the highest levels. As the first African American female to serve as the president of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), she broke barriers while elevating the voice of family medicine.
In the wake of the devasting terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Dr. Stewart enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves. Achieving the rank of Colonel, she continues to serve the country with distinction.
Brenda Reichelderfer, BSEE ’80 – Undergraduate/MSA Commencement
For more than 40 years, Brenda Reichelderfer has been a global leader in business and engineering, driving success at businesses in 17 countries while paving the way for women in STEM.
Reichelderfer earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Ohio Northern University in 1980. In the course of her career, she furthered her expertise with executive leadership programs at Duke University and MIT’s Sloan School of Management, as well as a Six Sigma Green Belt certification from the University of Michigan.
Her engineering, management, and operations acumen propelled her to executive leadership at ITT, Inc., a three-billion-dollar manufacturer of critical engineering components. She served as group president, senior vice president, director of engineering, and chief technology officer, spearheading implementation of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and Integrated Product Development across the company. After retirement, she became the lead independent director of the board at TriVista Business Group— recognized by Forbes magazine as one of America’s best manufacturing consulting firms.
Reichelderfer also serves on ONU’s Board of Trustees, and has held board positions with a number of global defense and aerospace firms.