More than 123,000 adults and children in the United States are waiting for organ transplants to save their lives, according to Donate Life America.

The University of Toledo Health is partnering with Life Connection of Ohio and Community Tissue Services for a series of outreach to spread awareness about organ and tissue donation during April.

UT Health will kick off Donate Life Month with a flag-raising ceremony Wednesday, April 1, at 10 a.m. outside the main entrance of UT Medical Center. A UTMC transplant recipient and a UTMC donor family will make some brief comments at the event. Students, staff and visitors are encouraged to attend.

Other events scheduled during the month include:

•  Tuesday and Wednesday, April 7 and 8 — The Green Chair, an awareness tool used by Life Connection of Ohio and Community Tissue Services, will move across Health Science Campus with an educational table display. The green chair represents someone who has received a second chance at life because someone else made the decision to be a donor.

•  Thursday, April 9 — An educational vehicle in Lot 44A on Health Science Campus will be open to the public and feature a raffle to win Mud Hens tickets and a prize basket.

•  Friday, April 17 — On Blue and Green Day, representatives from Life Connection of Ohio and Community Tissue Services will visit floors and units throughout the day and night with interactive educational games for prizes. Staff members are encouraged to dress in blue and green, decorate office doors, and take photos for the Life Connection of Ohio and UT Health Facebook pages.

To learn more about organ, tissue and eye donation, call 800.262.5443 or visit donatelifeohio.org.

Media Coverage
13 ABC and NBC 24 (April 2, 2015)

The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation and the Business Engagement and Leadership Council are recognizing both business and academic excellence during their 52nd annual Pacemaker Awards today.

The event is at 7 p.m. Friday, March 27 at the Inverness Country Club.

The 2015 recipient of the Business Pacemaker Award is Steven M. Cavanaugh, the executive vice president and chief operating officer of HCR ManorCare, Inc.

In his capacity as chief operating officer at HCR ManorCare, Cavanaugh has oversight responsibility for all of the company’s day-to-day operations as well as the company’s public policy and government relations activities. He also serves as a member of the company’s Board of Directors.

HCR ManorCare is a post-acute health care services company that operates skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, home health and hospice agencies and outpatient rehabilitation. It does business in over 500 locations nationwide and employs nearly 60,000 employees who provide care to over 200,000 patients annually.

A native of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Cavanaugh earned a bachelor’s degree in finance, magna cum laude, from The University of Toledo. He was appointed to UT Board of Trustees by Ohio Governor John Kasich in April, 2014 and is also former chairman of the Business Advisory Council for the College of Business and Innovation.

Cavanaugh and his wife Tiffany reside in Holland, Ohio, and are the parents of two children.

“Recipients of the Pacemaker Award over the past five decades read as a who’s who of current and legendary business leaders in the Toledo region and Steve certainly belongs in that impressive roster,” said Dr. Gary Insch, dean of the UT College of Business and Innovation. “The Pacemaker Award is the college’s highest honor, recognizing an individual for outstanding achievement in business as well as contributions to the community and the University. His highly successful career, outstanding leadership and tremendous generosity make him the ideal business professional to receive this year’s award.”

“Steven and Tiffany are generous supporters of the college, and have enabled the college to pursue new initiatives,” Insch added. “They also have recently established an endowed fund to provide scholarships, which are vital to attracting talented honor students to the college. It is a gift that will impact generations to come.”

Student Pacemaker Awards are presented to UT College of Business and Innovation graduate and undergraduate students for their outstanding academic achievement, University and community service, and leadership.

The 2015 student Pacemakers are: Applied Organizational Technology – Jessie Instone; Accounting – Lindsey Shepherd, Wenchao Li; Finance – James Spieth, James McSherry; Information Operations Technology Management – Amanda Bleasdale, Alexa Jarrett; Management – Jake Tullis, Christina Koepke; Marketing/International Business – Elizabeth Weiler, Alexandra Orr; MBA – Deanna Bobak, Katie Griggs; Ph.D. – Canchu Lin.

On Saturday, March 28, The University of Toledo will look a bit darker than usual.

That’s because this year, UT is participating in Earth Hour — a worldwide grassroots movement organized by World Wildlife Fund to unite people in protecting the planet. For one hour, beginning at 8:30 p.m., the lights on the tower of University Hall will be shut off as UT stands with the more than 50,000 other people participating in this year’s event.

“By making this iconic part of our university dark for an hour, we are bringing light to the importance of sustainability,” said Brooke Mason, UT sustainability specialist.

In addition to the tower blackout, an outdoor event is being held at Olander Park from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. There will be a speaker, fundraiser and candlelit walk — attendees are asked to bring a candle, lantern or flashlight.

“I feel like many people take advantage of everyday things like electricity and power without thinking of where it comes from or its effects on the environment,” said Alyssa Corbeil, a junior studying environmental sciences at UT with a concentration in geology. “I believe that this event will help some people to critically think and be more aware of the power they use.”

All Earth Hour events are hosted by the Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Society, for which Corbeil is the event coordinator. She originally brought the idea to Mason, who worked with her team to make it a reality.

Though this is the first time UT has participated in Earth Hour, the University focuses on sustainability practices year-round. This week will wrap up UT’s participation in RecycleMania, an eight-week international recycling competition that UT participates in every year.

To see other sustainability initiatives at UT or to get involved, visit utoledo.edu/sustainability.

Media Coverage
The Blade (March 28, 2015)

With prejudice and intolerance toward Muslims on the rise both in the United States and Europe, The University of Toledo’s Imam Khattab Lecture offers an opportunity to promote a better understanding of Islam and the Middle East. This year’s speaker is a candidate uniquely qualified for the job.

Dr. Reza Aslan, a New York Times best-selling author and scholar, will speak on “Youth Revolt: The Future of the New Middle East.”

This year’s free, public lecture will be held Wednesday, April 1, at 7 p.m. in Nitschke Hall Auditorium. A reception will follow in the Brady Engineering Innovation Center.

Aslan is the author of a number of books, including Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, No God But God: The Origins, Evolution and Future of Islam and How to Win a Cosmic War. Zealot recently was picked up by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. to be turned into a feature film.

He is a creative writing professor at the University of California in Riverside and serves on the board of trustees for the Chicago Theological Seminary. He is also the founder of AslanMedia, a social network focusing on news and entertainment about the Middle East, and the co-founder and chief creative officer of BoomGen Studios, an entertainment brand for creative content from and about the Middle East.

At the lecture, Aslan will focus on the growing number of young adults in the Middle East and their increasingly vocal campaign for greater rights and opportunities. This young generation vastly outnumbers its elders; 75 percent of the population is younger than 35, and 50 percent is younger than 25. In countries like Iran, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Syria, young people’s views are often in stark contrast to those of the ruling elite. Aslan will discuss what motivates these young people and how they will affect the future of the Middle East.

“This is a timely discussion,” said Dr. John Sarnecki, UT associate professor and chair of philosophy and religious studies. “With what’s happening with ISIS and what’s happening with the demographic change in the Middle East, the talk is topical, it’s political, and it’s also helping us understand the world from a perspective of people that do not often have a voice in our media.”

This talk is part of the Center for Religious Understanding’s annual lecture series, which has been active for more than a decade. Aslan will be available for questions and a book signing after the lecture.
For more information visit Aslan’s website at rezaaslan.com or the Imam Khattab Lecture Series web page at http://utole.do/imamhattab.

Media Coverage
The Blade (March 28, 2015)

Just one look — it’s an eyeful everywhere these days.

“We live in a visually saturated world,” said Dr. Brian Kennedy, president, director and CEO of the Toledo Museum of Art. “We take in up to 90 percent of our information with our eyes. Did anyone ever train you to use them?”

Kennedy

He will give a talk titled “Do You Speak Visual? Learning Visual Language” as the finale of the 2014-15 UT Jesup Scott Honors College Distinguished Lecture Series Tuesday, March 24, at 7 p.m. in Doermann Theater.

Tickets for the event are free and available here.

Kennedy oversees the Toledo Museum of Art’s 36-acre campus and its art collections in three architecturally significant buildings. He arrived in the Glass City in 2010, bringing extensive experience in senior leadership positions after working at art museums in Ireland, Australia and the United States.

He has led the development of a strategic plan for the Toledo Museum of Art that focuses on sustainability through alternative energy sources, building staff capacity, introducing new technologies, and establishing an initiative to promote visual literacy.

The art historian and curator has written seven books, including Sean Scully: The Art of the Stripe (2009) and Frank Stella: Irregular Polygons, 1965-66 (2010).

A native of Dublin, Ireland, Kennedy studied art history and history at University College in Dublin, where he received bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.

“We are excited to have such a respected figure in the art world share his thoughts with the UT and Toledo communities on how to enhance our visual language skills,” UT Interim Provost John Barrett said.

About 2,000 University of Toledo students are expected to participate in this year’s Big Event, the University’s largest student-run service project.

The Big Event is Saturday, March 21 when students give back to the community around campus with projects such as yard work, painting houses, washing windows and other tasks.

Students will begin gathering at the UT Student Recreation Center on Main Campus at 9:30 a.m. to receive their job site assignments. The service event is scheduled to run from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Interim President Dr. Nagi Naganathan will address the group at 11 a.m. And a Red Bull paper airplane competition will take place 10-11:30 a.m. with the three students with the farthest distance, longest airtime and most aerodynamic plane sent to Austria for an international competition.

Throughout the afternoon student groups will work in a number of areas in Toledo including the Cherry Street Mission, Nightingale Harvest, University Church, Toledo Grows Gardens, Ronald McDonald House and various Metroparks of the Toledo Area.

“This day is extremely important for our students at The University of Toledo,” said Ashley Citraro, a junior majoring in human resources and information systems and director of the Big Event. “The people we help for the day are alumni and residents that show support for UT year-round. This is a day for us to show our appreciation.”

For more information, contact Citraro at ashley.citraro@rockets.utoledo.edu or 216.789.9343.

At noon on Friday, March 20, 180 fourth-year medical students at The University of Toledo will open the highly anticipated envelopes revealing where they will serve their residencies.

The 2015 Residency Match Reception will be at Stranahan Theater’s Great Hall. The event will begin at 11 a.m. with the envelope-opening ceremony precisely at noon when all medical students across the country will participate in Match Day.

Students spend months interviewing at residency programs to find the ideal institutions that will best help them perfect their chosen specialties. The students then rank their top choices, and academic and community-based medical centers nationwide rank their top student choices. A computer algorithm administered by the National Resident Matching Program then puts the students and residency programs together.

Depending on the specialty, residencies last three to seven years and have a major impact on the training and lives of medical students. Residents are licensed physicians who care for patients under the supervision of attending physicians and represent the medical work force of tomorrow.

Media Coverage
13 ABC, WTOL 11 and NBC 24 (March 20, 2015)
NBC 24 (March 20, 2015)
The Blade (March 20, 2015)
The Blade (March 21, 2015)

The University of Toledo is renaming the Interprofessional Immersive Simulation Center (IISC), a state-of-the-art medical education facility, in honor of its sixteenth president.

A program and reception formally announcing the naming of the Lloyd A. Jacobs Interprofessional Immersive Simulation Center will be 4 p.m. Thursday, March 19. Jacobs’ presidential portrait also will be unveiled at the event.

Jacobs

“The University of Toledo continues to push boundaries to better serve our students and the greater Toledo community, and to ensure our graduates are distinctive. The IISC is a fine example of UT’s commitment to innovation,” said Dr. Nagi Naganathan, UT interim president. “Dr. Jacobs focused on making sure UT was relevant and on the forefront of innovation.”

The IISC opened in 2014 and is a three-story, 65,000-square-foot facility. The center includes the introduction of 3D and Virtual Immersive Environments to medical education. The IISC employs a “tri-center” concept, featuring a Virtual Immersive Reality Center on the first floor, an Advanced Clinical Simulation Center on the second floor and a Progressive Anatomy and Surgical Skills Center on the third floor.

“The IISC reflects today’s reality of medicine. Students in differing specialties are learning the importance of interdisciplinary teamwork and collaboration,” said Dr. Christopher Cooper, dean of the College of Medicine and Life Sciences and senior vice president for clinical affairs. “Our graduates leave UT better equipped for their careers, due to the elevated amount of experience they receive from the IISC. They are more confident in their abilities, which leads to higher patient confidence and safety.”

Jacobs served as UT’s president from 2006-2014 and oversaw the merger between the Medical College of Ohio and UT.

As president, he championed access to higher education with tuition freezes in 2007 and 2008, leading the state of Ohio’s public institutions to do the same.

His tenure also included a $200 million investment in campus facilities, including the renovation of the Memorial Field House, and the successful completion of “The Time is Now” Capital Campaign, which raised more than $100 million.

Jacobs served as the sixth president of the Medical College of Ohio before the merger with UT.

“These 10 years have been among the best of my entire professional life,” Jacobs said.

Prior to coming to Toledo, Jacobs served as chief operating officer of the University of Michigan Health System and senior associate dean for clinical affairs at the University of Michigan Medical School.
A native of Holland, Mich., Jacobs is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and an M.D. degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. A vascular surgeon, he completed surgery residency training at Johns Hopkins Hospital, University of California at San Diego Hospital and Wayne State University Hospital in Detroit.

Media Coverage
NBC 24 (March 16, 2015)
The Blade (March 17, 2015)
13 ABC (March 20, 2015)
The Blade (March 20, 2015)

The University of Toledo’s Muslim Students Association is hosting events in recognition of Islam Awareness Week Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 20.

This year’s theme is “From Darkness to Light: Understanding Islam from the Voice of Muslims.”

Events for the week, listed by date, include:

Monday, March 16

•  MSA Culture Day, noon-4 p.m., Student Union Ingman Room.
• Misconceptions of Religion Forum, 4-5 p.m., University Hall Room 4700.

Tuesday, March 17

• Converts in America, 4-6 p.m., Memorial Field House Room 1030.

Wednesday, March 18

• Ask-A-Muslim, noon-2 p.m., Student Union Table A; 3-4 p.m., Student Union Room 2591

Thursday, March 19

• How Do I Look in Hijab, noon-2 p.m., Student Union Table A.
Women in Islam, 4-6 p.m., Memorial Field House Room 1030.

Friday, March 20

• Jummah (prayer) on Campus, 1:30-2 p.m., Student Union Room 2592, followed by a potluck, 2-3 p.m.

The Muslim Student Association works to meet the needs of Muslim students on campus and provides information on Islam to the UT community. For more information, visit facebook.com/utoledomsa.

Media Coverage
The Independent Collegian (March 25, 2015)

The Ohio Sixth District Court of Appeals will hold oral argument at The University of Toledo College of Law Wednesday, March 18, at 9 a.m. in the Law Center McQuade Law Auditorium.

The sessions are open to the public.

The court will hear argument in six cases. Arguments set for the session include a challenge to jury instructions in a criminal case, a sentencing question in a juvenile case, and a case where an employee seeks damages beyond workers’ compensation from a co-employee, a third party, and her uninsured motorist carrier.

The opportunity for students to observe judges and lawyers in a real court session is an important part of the college’s oral advocacy curriculum. First-year law students are required to attend Wednesday’s session as part of their Lawyering Skills curriculum.

“We are very grateful to the judges of the Court of Appeals for holding sessions at the College of Law every year,” said Daniel J. Steinbock, dean of the College of Law. “Students not only get to witness the arguments, but can engage with the judges and advocates in a question period afterward.”

The first session will begin at 9 a.m., and the second session will start at 10:15 a.m.

After adjourning, the court and counsel will hold a brief question-and-answer period.

More information is available on the court’s calendar and docket.