BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETINGS

Monday, May 12, 2014

Driscoll Alumni Center, Board Room
2 p.m. Finance and Audit Committee Meeting
3 p.m. Trusteeship and Governance Committee Meeting

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Radisson Hotel, Faculty Club Room
7:30 a.m. Clinical Affairs Committee Meeting
9 a.m. Academic and Student Affairs Committee Meeting

Any questions may be directed to the University Communications Office by calling (419) 530-7832 or via email at jonathan.strunk@utoledo.edu.

Joan A. Stasa
Secretary, Board of Trustees

The Emergency Medicine Wall of Honor at The University of Toledo Health Science Campus will be adding plaques honoring fallen firefighters Private James A. “Jamie” Dickman and Private Stephen A. Machcinski in a private ceremony on Wednesday, April 30.

Pvt. Machcinski, 42, had been with TFD since 1998, for a total of 16 years of service. Pvt. Dickman, 31, had just been appointed to the department in September, for a total of six months of service. He previously served with the Sandusky Perkins Fire Department.

Pvts. Machcinski and Dickman died from injuries incurred while battling a structure fire on Sunday, January 26. Both men were assigned to Engine 3.

They were the 48th and 49th Toledo Firefighters to die in the line of duty in the 177 year history of the Toledo Fire and Rescue Department, and the first fatalities from an active blaze since 1981.

A plaque for each firefighter will be added to the wall, which is located in the Emergency Department of UTMC near the ambulance entrance.

“In addition to the plaques on the wall of honor, there will also be plaques displayed where our paramedic students are taught,” said Dr. Paul Rega, assistant professor in the Department of Public Health and Preventative Medicine and the Department of Emergency Medicine. “It’s a reminder of why they need to learn what they need to learn, who was there before them and whose shoulders they are standing on.”

Joe Zerbey, Mayor D. Michael Collins, Chief Louis Santiago and Dr. Lloyd Jacobs will be in attendance.

The Emergency Medicine Wall of Honor, made possible through funding from The Blade, was established in 2011 to recognize individual achievement and self-sacrifice in the EMS and Emergency Medicine community. Nominations are submitted by community stakeholders and then reviewed by a multi-disciplinary selection committee.

“It’s a great way to commemorate doctors, nurses and medics,” Rega said. “These excellent educators and practitioners deserve recognition.”

For more information, contact Rega at Paul.Rega@utoledo.edu.

Media Coverage
The Blade (April 30, 2014)
The Blade (May 1, 2014)
13 ABC, WTOL 11, WNWO and FOX Toledo (May 1, 2014)

Approximately 30 local high school students will visit The University of Toledo to learn about alternative energy as part of the Ohio Energy Project (OEP).

Students from Bettsville Schools and Penta Career Center will tour various energy and research facilities on UT’s campus on Tuesday, April 29.

**Photo Opportunity**
At 10 a.m. the students meet with Dr. Rick Irving, assistant research professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, and learn how to make solar cells in room 3022 of McMaster Hall (view map).

After lunch, the students will learn about UT’s wind, solar and algae energy initiatives from Michael Green, UT’s director of energy management, and will tour the Scott Park Campus of Energy and Innovation.

The OEP is a state affiliate of the National Energy Education Development Project.

For more information, contact Joe Perlaky at Joseph.Perlaky@utoledo.edu.

Advocates for innovation and education will address The University of Toledo graduates at the spring commencement ceremonies Saturday, May 3 in Savage Arena.

During the 9:30 a.m. ceremony Deborah L. Wince-Smith, president and CEO of the United States Council on Competitiveness, will speak to the graduates from the colleges of Health Sciences, Adult and Lifelong Learning, Social Justice and Human Service, and the Judith Herb College of Education.

G. Rangaswamy, chairman of the Chandra Group in India and managing trustee of the GRG Trust, will address graduates during the 2 p.m. ceremony for the colleges of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Business and Innovation, Communication and the Arts, and Languages, Literature and Social Sciences.

“We are honored to welcome two leaders in education and innovation, industries important to our ever-changing world,” said UT President Dr. Lloyd Jacobs. “These individuals will provide invaluable guidance to help prepare our graduates for the road ahead.”

There are 2,711 candidates for degrees including 124 doctoral candidates, 554 master’s candidates and 1,941 bachelor’s candidates. The remaining 92 candidates are for education specialist, certificates or associate’s degrees. Each ceremony will be broadcast live on video.utoledo.edu.

Deborah L. Wince-Smith

Wince-Smith will receive an honorary doctor of public administration.

She has been credited with recharging the national debate on competitiveness, innovation and resilience. She has been frequently called upon to testify in front of the U.S. Congress and appears regularly on global television news networks including Bloomberg, BBC, CNBC, CNN and Fox News.

Since 2009 Wince-Smith has served as president of the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils, the first international, public-private mechanism to promote global economic growth through collaboration in innovation.

During her 17-year tenure in the federal government, Wince-Smith held leading positions in the areas of science, technology policy and international economic affairs. She served as the nation’s first Senate-confirmed Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Technology Policy in the administration of George H.W. Bush. During the Reagan Administration Wince-Smith was appointed the first Assistant Director of International Affairs and Competitiveness in the White House Office of Science and Technology.

In 2004 she spearheaded the groundbreaking National Innovation Initiative, which played a pivotal role in creating a reinvigorated U.S. competitiveness movement. The initiative shaped the bipartisan America COMPETES Act, created state and regional innovation initiatives, and brought a global focus to innovation.

G. Rangaswamy

G. Rangaswamy oversees more than 35 organizations facilitating education, training and employment to empower the workforce of tomorrow. His work has opened the doors to educational opportunities in the fields of medicine, arts and sciences, industry and technology.

As managing trustee of the GRG Trust, Rangaswamy has significantly contributed to the emancipation of women through higher education and training. He manages five educational facilities exclusively for girls and young women in Coimbatore, India. His efforts to expand educational opportunities have directly impacted more than 30,000 students, from kindergarteners to those pursuing doctoral degrees.

Rangaswamy is a founding trustee of PSG and Sons Charities (PSG), which provides quality education funded by philanthropic contributions. PSG manages six colleges, including a medical school and hospital. Rangaswamy spearheaded the modernization of the hospital by collaborating with medical equipment manufacturers, securing funding for clinical trials and establishing policies to provide quality, affordable medical care.

Rangaswamy pioneered the first foreign partnership for PSG in collaboration with The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation. Under this joint degree program, students from Coimbatore travel each year to complete their MBA degrees on UT’s Main Campus.

In addition to his passion for education, Rangaswamy is an ardent environmental protection activist. He is the founder and secretary of the Coimbatore Zoological Park and Conservation Centre, focusing on ecological restoration, conservation, education and research.

Other commencement ceremonies taking place include:

• College of Engineering: graduate commencement 5 p.m. Thursday, May 1; undergraduate commencement 3 p.m. Saturday, May 3. Both ceremonies held in Nitschke Auditorium;
• College of Nursing: 1 p.m. Friday, May 2 in Savage Arena;
• College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences: 2 p.m. Sunday, May 4 in Savage Arena;
• College of Law: 1 p.m. Sunday, May 11 in the Student Union Auditorium;
• And College of Medicine and Life Sciences: 2 p.m. Friday, May 30 in the Stranahan Theater.

Media Coverage
The Blade (May 4, 2014)

Take Back the Night, an event that addresses and protests all forms of violence against women, has been raising awareness for 20 years in the Toledo area.

This year’s Take Back the Night will take place Saturday, April 26 on the Scott Park campus. Doors open at 6 p.m. with the main programs beginning at 7 p.m. The event is part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, sponsored by UT’s Sexual Assault Education and Prevention Program.

“We are celebrating 20 years of a collective of women fighting for the end of violence against women. Sadly, this also means after 20 years, Toledo still has a need for this event, meaning that violence against women is an issue that has not seen improvement,” said Alcy Barakat, a graduate student in the Department of Public Health and Preventative Medicine and a volunteer for Take Back the Night.

Displays include the Clothesline Project, where a shirt decorated by women affected by violence serves as a testimony to the problem, and the Silent Witness Project, a global activist movement commemorating women who had their lives ended violently by a partner or acquaintance.

“It’s a great opportunity for the campus community to raise awareness about violence against women and the resources available,” said Angela Spoerl, manager of the Sexual Assault Education and Prevention Program. “It’s also a way to extend support to survivors not only on UT’s campus, but in the Toledo community as a whole.”

A free shuttle will leave the UT Transportation Center at 5:30 p.m. and will return to main campus at approximately 11 p.m. Free child care will also be provided at the event.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month extends across campus. Dr. Charlene Gilbert, professor and chair of the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies teaches Feminist Approaches to Social Problems, where students design and implement social campaigns using feminist theory. One group is attempting to start a Wear Red for Intimate Partner Abuse Awareness campaign on the UT campus.

“This campaign is a great way to engage and educate college students on how to recognize healthy and unhealthy relationships,” said Gilbert.

For more information about Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Take Back the Night, visit utoledo.edu/studentaffairs/saepp, toledotakebackthenight.org or facebook.com/TBTNToledo.

Media Coverage
The Blade (April 24, 2014)

The University of Toledo Medical Center is among the drug drop-off locations participating in Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 26.

Drug Take Back Day is part of a national initiative of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and is administered locally by the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department.

The Health Department, located at 635 North Erie St. in downtown Toledo, will be accepting liquid medications, inhalers, ointments, lotions, narcotics, over-the-counter medications, medication samples and vitamins from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. It also will accept old mercury thermometers to be disposed of in environmentally friendly ways.

UTMC is working with the UT Police Department to participate in Drug Take Back Day also collecting medications from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Emergency Department Lobby.

The event at the local health department was planned by its intern Andrew Schneider, a second-year PharmD student at UT.

“By collecting the meds, we’re preventing children from accidental overdoses, and we’re taking dangerous drugs off the street,” Schneider said. “Improperly disposing of medications and mercury thermometers can contaminate water and land, so it’s important that people are aware that there is a proper way to dispose of them.”

The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department can’t take needles, syringes or lancets, according to Schneider, but those items can be put in a hard container labeled “sharps” and disposed of in regular trash. The Health Department also cannot take IV bags, hydrogen peroxide, aerosol cans or personal care products.

Each year the event is run by a second-year PharmD intern with guidance from the third-year intern who planned it the year before.

“I love working at the health department,” Schneider said. “It’s been a great way to take what I’ve learned in school and apply it.”

UT’s Carlson Library will reopen floors one through five beginning at 5 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.

The basement and services located there, including the Writing Center, the Learning Enhancement Center and Trio programs, will reopen Thursday morning for normal business hours.

Carlson Library closed late Tuesday night after failed sewage pumps on a part of UT’s Main Campus resulted in basement flooding. No academic materials were damaged and crews have disinfected the space and are finalizing the removal of carpet and other flooring damaged.

UT had designated rooms in the Student Union for students to study while the library was closed. Finals for students are next week.

With final exams and projects approaching, it’s a stressful time of year for students and faculty at The University of Toledo.

That’s why Commuter Student Services and Student Government have teamed up with the Toledo Area Humane Society to host an Adopt-A-Pet event 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, April 24 on Centennial Mall on the UT Main Campus.

The event will allow students, faculty and staff to take a break and play with some of the shelter’s animals.

“It’s a great opportunity for students to get their minds off of studying and also for the pets to have some interaction outside of the Humane Society,” said Matthew Williams, a graduate assistant for Commuter Student Services.

The day of the event, participants will have the chance to meet some of the Toledo Area Humane Society’s animals in an enclosed area on Centennial Mall. But more than that, everyone has the opportunity to take one of these animals home as an adoptive or foster pet.

Those who foster a pet do so only until the Humane Society has enough space in its facility or the pet is adopted.

Student organizations also can help pets by signing up as volunteers with Humane Society.

“It seems like our student population is excited for an event like this because you don’t have the opportunity to have pets when you live on campus,” Williams said. “And when you live off campus, you do have that available to you, but not all students take advantage of that.”

Media Coverage
The Blade (April 25, 2014)
13 ABC and WTOL 11 (April 25, 2014)

On Tuesday, April 22 at 11 a.m., The University of Toledo will cut the ribbon on its three-story, 65,000-square-foot Interprofessional Immersive Simulation Center on UT’s Health Science Campus.

In this center, health-care professionals will learn to care for patients by practicing skills and procedures using simulation, as well as learn to work as teams in a virtual hospital equipped with human patient simulators. In addition, the center includes the introduction of 3D and Virtual Immersive Environments to medical education.

“These resources will be available to all colleges on the UT campus, offering transformative opportunities for students in other disciplines — spanning the arts, humanities, natural sciences and engineering,” said Dr. Pamela Boyers, executive director of the Interprofessional Immersive Simulation Center. “All of this amazing technology is not limited to studying medicine; modeling and simulation are used extensively in other industries such as oil and gas, manufacturing and aviation.”

The Interprofessional Immersive Simulation Center on The University of Toledo Health Science Campus

“Academic medical centers are expected to be on the leading edge when it comes to integrating technology into curriculum,” UT President Lloyd Jacobs said. “Graduates in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, therapy and the other health professions will be far ahead of their peers as they start to treat patients. The result will be fewer medical errors and better patient outcomes.”

While individual technological components of the UT facility may exist at other simulation centers, UT is among the first to bring together this range of simulation technologies in what Boyers calls the “tri-center concept.”

The Virtual Immersive Reality Center features the first five-sided, seamless, LED iSpace in the world, as well as a large, curved interactive and 3D wall and two smaller 3D walls — all offering virtual immersive experiences and an unlimited range of images. For example, in these virtual immersive environments, health-care students and other users will be able to “fly through” HD images of the human body from cells to organs, work on an oil rig, or design a new kind of automobile.

The Advanced Clinical Simulation Center on the second floor includes simulated hospital rooms, an intensive care unit, trauma suite, operating room, and a labor and delivery room, as well as pediatric and ambulatory rooms. Debriefing rooms are a feature of this simulation to encourage team problem solving and discussions to improve patient care.

The third floor’s Progressive Anatomy and Surgical Skills Center will feature several surgical skills suites with numerous stations and advanced procedural skills training labs.

In addition to supporting faculty and students at the University, the Interprofessional Immersive Simulation Center also works closely with several global industry collaborators, the U.S. military and other health-care organizations.

“Working collaboratively with experts in fields other than health care helps us broaden our knowledge and skills as we expand our capabilities. Our goal is to provide the best possible education and training so that patients are the beneficiaries of the safest, highest quality and cost-effective care,” Boyers said.

Click here to download an exterior photo of the center.

Media Coverage
The Blade (April 21, 2014)
The Blade (April 22, 2014)
FOX Toledo and 13 ABC (April 23, 2014)
13 ABC and WTOL 11 (April 23, 2014)

The University of Toledo College of Engineering is hosting the inaugural Freshman Engineering Entrepreneurship Development (FEED) Angel Pitch Wednesday, April 16 at 5:30 p.m.

The event will be held at the Thomas and Elizabeth Brady Innovation Center located inside the Nitschke Technology Commercialization Complex.

The Angel Pitch will showcase the creativity, diligence and enthusiasm of freshman engineering students. Teams have eight minutes each to present plans in a structured pitch consisting of six key subject areas: problem identified; solution to problem; consumer/marketplace; competitive landscape; economic model; and investment proposition. Each team will be awarded prizes and support aimed at helping commercialize the inventions.

Judges and attendees will follow the pitches using a beta version of INsight, a new mobile judging app created by UT incubation client Phabriq Development. Part ownership of the app was granted to two Phabriq engineering interns for their contributions in programming and user experience design.

Dr. Nagi Naganathan, dean of the College of Engineering, recruited Scott McIntyre, managing director of Phabriq Development and former UT manager of business incubation, to mentor freshman engineering students through a hands-on introduction to entrepreneurship with the ultimate aim of helping them learn the potential rewards and realities of self-directed careers.

FEED was created to be a student-managed group charged with helping further develop innovations imagined by fellow classmates. FEED members can explore potential future careers in a physically and intellectually collaborative environment, including being invited to biweekly meetings with the Young Entrepreneurs Society, another UT student entrepreneurship organization, founded by Phabriq entrepreneur-in-residence and engineering graduate student Michael Koludrovich.

“The Angel Pitch is the culmination of a pilot program for freshman engineers that began with Drs. Patricia Relue [associate professor of bioengineering] and Matthew Franchetti [assistant professor of mechanical, industrial and manufacturing engineering] forming freshman design clubs. I carried forward that effort by introducing students to the finer points of entrepreneurship in a hands-on way. By asking me to mentor these students, Dr. Naganathan provided the ideal opportunity to adapt my company’s development process to student initiatives,” McIntyre said.

“This initiative is made possible by the founding patronage of Tom and Betsy Brady. We are grateful to their generous philanthropy and their personal engagement. I compliment Scott and Mike on their special efforts in engaging the young students,” said Naganathan.

“As a College of Engineering, we are committed to graduating not just outstanding engineers, but also entrepreneurial leaders of tomorrow in our society,” Naganathan said. “It is about seeding and nurturing a mindset and culture of success.”

For more information, contact McIntyre at mc@phabriq.com or visit feed.phabriq.com.