The Ohio Board of Regents will hold a public meeting Thursday, May 12 at The University of Toledo.

The nine-member advisory board to Ohio Department of Higher Education Chancellor John Carey will meet from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Driscoll Alumni Center Schmakel Room. A Condition Report Subcommittee Meeting from 8 to 9 a.m. will precede the meeting.

“The University of Toledo is honored to welcome Chancellor Carey and the Ohio Board of Regents to campus and we look forward to sharing the accomplishments of our students and faculty with the leaders of our state higher education system,” UT President Sharon L. Gaber said.

Gaber will welcome the board members and help kick off the meeting with a presentation about UT’s strategy for success and commitment to answering the state’s call for efficiency while providing an outstanding quality of education and support services for students.

For more information and a meeting agenda visit ohiohighered.org/board/meetings.

More than 170 sophomore high school girls will visit The University of Toledo Thursday, May 12 when prominent female scientists and engineers across the region will introduce them to the exciting world of science and technology careers through hands-on experiments and demonstrations.

The seventh annual Women in STEMM Day of Meetings, which goes by the acronym WISDOM, will take place from 8 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. on UT’s Main Campus and Health Science Campus.

UT faculty and professionals at Dana Corporation and Marathon Petroleum Corporation will help inspire a passion for science careers by exploring the tools of the trade.

The girls will perform experiments in a number of areas, including physics and astronomy, chemistry, biology, engineering, pharmacy and medicine.

Activities for students include building solar cells, making liquid nitrogen ice cream, swabbing their cheeks for a DNA sample, constructing model airplanes, interacting with robots through computer programming and whipping up a sugar scrub for their feet and hands (see schedule below).

“Helping young women stay interested in STEMM and pursue a job in a field with low unemployment is one of the best things we can do for our region,” said Edith Kippenhan, senior lecturer in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and president of the Northwestern Ohio Chapter of the Association for Women in Science. “For every STEMM graduate there are four jobs waiting.  For every non-STEMM job opening, there are two applicants. It is our hope this fun visit to UT will help students discover there is a supportive network ready to receive them and help turn their dreams into reality.”

Students from Toledo Public, Washington Local and Oregon Schools, as well as from the Toledo Islamic Academy and Wildwood Environmental Academy, will participate in WISDOM at the University.

The event is hosted by the Northwestern Ohio Chapter of the Association for Women in Science.  Sponsors include Marathon Petroleum Corporation, Columbia Gas, Spartan Chemical Company, Dana Corporation, Toledo Chapter of the American Chemical Society, the Catharine S. Eberly Center for Women and the UT Colleges of Engineering, Medicine and Life Sciences, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Photo/video opportunities include:

• Building solar cells: 9 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. in Student Union Room 3016 on UT’s Main Campus;
• Making liquid nitrogen ice cream: 9 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. in Student Union Auditorium on UT’s Main Campus;
• Making model airplanes: 10:25 a.m. in Brady Engineering Innovation Center on UT’s Main Campus;
• DNA sampling: 9 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. in Student Union Room 3018 on UT’s Main Campus; and
• Making sugar scrub for hands and feet: 9:10 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. in Health Education Building Room 019 on UT’s Health Science Campus.

Media Coverage
13 ABC (May 10, 2016)

The planet Mercury transits the sun only about 13 times a century, and you can witness it next on Monday, May 9.

Mercury transits the Sun as seen from Earth in 2006. (Credit: ESA/NASA/SOHO)

The Ritter Planetarium at The University of Toledo is helping the community mark the occasion with programs at 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. The 15-minute programs will be followed by a live-streaming image projected on the full-dome screen.

The Toledo Astronomical Association also will have a telescope with a solar filter on hand outside the planetarium so that people can see the transit live, weather permitting.

The planet will take about seven and a half hours to cross the sun. The last such transit was Nov. 8, 2006.

Media Coverage
WTOL 11 (May 6, 2016)
13 ABC (May 6, 2016)

About 100 students from public schools in Ohio and Michigan will present their science research projects at the SATELLITES Student Conference today at Penta Career Center.

The students, who represent grades kindergarten through college, will share their research related to the Earth’s environment through poster presentations that will be judged by local scientists and teachers.

The conference begins at 4:30 p.m. today (Friday, May 6) with students presenting their research to the judges from 5 to 6:45 p.m. in the Auditorium and Multipurpose Room at Penta Career Center, 9301 Buck Rd. in Perrysburg.

Laura Schetter, a teacher at Wildwood Environmental Academy, will give the keynote address at 7 p.m. about her research trip to Antarctica, which will be followed by the presentation of awards.

“The students from districts such as Toledo, Akron and Detroit designed research projects around their own science questions first creating a hypotheses, then collecting data and analyzing their findings to draw conclusions that will be shared through poster displays at the conference,” said Dr. Kevin Czajkowski, UT professor of geography and planning who created the SATELLITES program, which stands for Students And Teachers Exploring Local Landscapes to Interpret The Earth from Space.

Through the SATELLITES program, students have access to GLOBE resources to help answer their research questions. GLOBE is the acronym for Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment, which is an international science and education program that connects students, teachers, scientists and citizens from different parts of the world to conduct real, hands-on science about their local environment and put in a global perspective.

Any questions may be directed to the University Communications Office by calling (419) 530-2410 or via email at meghan.cunningham@utoledo.edu.

The man who set the Guinness World Record for number of pizzas made in one hour is opening a Domino’s Pizza at the Gateway.

Brian Edler owns more than a dozen franchise stores in Ohio, including the Domino’s in Findlay where he baked and boxed 206 medium cheese pizzas in 60 minutes in December 2010 while raising $37,000 for charity.  Three years ago, he also created Domino’s parmesan bread bites that are now on menus nationwide.

Brian Edler

“The University of Toledo is likely the largest college campus in the United States that does not have a Domino’s,” Edler said. “Somebody had to do it.  I am happy to fix that. Plus, we’ve put enough ovens in the restaurant design to go for another world record.”

The restaurant at the Gateway is expected to open its doors in July next door to Jimmy John’s at the retail center on the corner of the UT Main Campus at Secor Road and Dorr Street.

Edler’s business partner is Brent Medders, another Domino’s franchise owner out of Arkansas.  They plan to open ten stores in the Toledo area in the next three years under their corporation Rocket Pizza.

“Domino’s restaurants across the country are doing well, especially in the online orders.  That bodes well when serving college students,” Edler said. “But we’re also eager for customers to dine-in. This location will feature our pizza-theater design. It’s an open kitchen where you can watch us make pizzas. Plus, we’ll have seating for up to 40 people and half a dozen TVs.”

Edler is now hiring for the Gateway Domino’s. To apply, go to jobs.dominos.com.

“Gateway continues to grow since breaking ground five years ago,” Brenda Lee, president of the UT Foundation, said.  “We are proud to welcome another business to enhance the Dorr Street corridor and our bustling campus.”

Gateway opened three years ago and features restaurants, stores and loft-style apartments. Businesses include Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Gradkowski’s, Starbucks, Rice Blvd., Verizon Wireless Zone, Huntington Bank, Great Clips, Jimmy John’s and Bubble Tea.

Media Coverage
The Blade (May 5, 2016)
NBC 24 (May 5, 2016)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded The University of Toledo nearly $500,000 to prevent invasive species from entering the Great Lakes through bait shops, outdoor outfitters, pond suppliers and pet stores.

The project funding is part of $12.5 million in 2016 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants announced Wednesday by the US EPA and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge.

Carol Stepien

“We want to block potential pathways for invasive fish and mollusk species that can cause billions of dollars in economic damage,” said Carol Stepien, director of the UT Lake Erie Center and leader of the two-year project. “Retailers, customers and even taxonomic experts are often unable to distinguish these non-native species from native species at early life stages – as eggs, larvae or fry. Many minnows in a bait store may appear alike, including invasive Asian carp. Plus, buyers sometimes release non-native pets, bait and other organisms into waterways, which can have unpredictable and widespread effects.”

Stepien is working with Kevin Czajkowski, professor and director of the UT Center for Geographic Information Sciences and Applied Geographics, and Andrew Solocha, UT associate professor of finance.

The team will use UT’s newly developed DNA diagnostic tests to analyze fish and mollusks purchased from retailers.

Researchers will detect invasive species, diagnose supply chain sources and pilot a voluntary “Invasive Free” certification program for retailers.

“We also will survey hundreds of fishermen and businesses to help close the ‘door’ to this avenue into the Great Lakes,” Stepien said. “Accurate detection within the marketplace is critical to maintaining long-term ecological health. Within two years we plan to launch a public education campaign.”

The EPA has awarded Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants to UT researchers for several projects over the last few years, including development of the early detection DNA technology for high risk invasive species, as well as wetland restoration that helps prevent bacteria from entering Maumee Bay.

“With support from a strong alliance of bipartisan senators, representatives, states, tribes, municipalities, conservation organizations and businesses, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative will keep making strong investments to resuscitate the Lakes,” said Cameron Davis, senior advisor to the U.S. EPA Administrator.

Media Coverage
The Blade (May 4, 2016)
The Blade (May 4, 2016)

In an emergency situation, nurses not only have to think about their own safety, but also the well-being of the patients in their care.

To be better prepared to survive a violent encounter, UT Health nurse leaders will participate in a simulation of an active shooter in a hospital setting at 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 4, in the Interprofessional Immersive Simulation Center on the UT Health Science Campus.

The University of Toledo Police Department will lead the exercise for the 25 members of the nursing leadership team at UT Medical Center who will participate in the realistic scenario involving UTPD officers and patients in need of assistance. The nurses previously have received ALICE training, which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate, from the police department.

“You really don’t know how you will act in a violent encounter until you are in that situation or you’ve had this type of training. We want our nurses to be able to respond, not only for their own personal safety, but also for the health and safety of their patients,” said UT Health Chief Nursing Officer Monecca Smith, who will be among the participants in the drill.

A UTPD officer will simulate an active shooter entering the building and moving into patient areas, which for this drill will be the second floor advanced clinical simulation center. The nursing staff will be caring for patients with varying levels of medical issues, such as a baby with a high fever and a middle-aged man in cardiac arrest, and will need to make split-second judgments on whether to hide, flee or fight back.

The drill will take about 30 minutes with a debrief session afterward in the simulation center’s theater on the first floor to discuss how the nurses responded.

Since 2011, the UT Police Department has been providing ALICE training to campus and the northwest Ohio community. This is the first active shooter exercise held for a clinical environment.

Media Coverage
13 ABC (May 3, 2016)