“Is Our World Deglobalizing?And What Does It Mean for Racial and Religious Minorities?” is the topic of the annual Imam Khattab Lecture on Islamic Thought.

Dr. Ovamir Anjum, UToledo Imam Khattab Endowed Chair of Islamic Studies and associate professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, will give the free, public lecture 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17 on Webex.

Dr. Ovamir Anjum, UToledo Imam Khattab Endowed Chair of Islamic Studies and associate professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies

“Driven by technological changes such as automation, environment and cultural nativism, deglobalization has been accelerated by the current pandemic,” Anjum said. “We will examine the potential pros and cons of this development, focusing in particular on the perspectives of racial and religious minorities and how we might better prepare for it.”

The event is part of the UToledo Center for Religious Understanding’s annual lecture series, which has been active for more than a decade. The center promotes a deeper understanding of religion on campus and throughout greater Toledo.

Register to attend at the event’s website.

The University of Toledo’s annual event to recognize area veterans has been converted to a drive-thru in order to safely recognize those who have served our country.

The Veterans Appreciation Breakfast and Resource Fair for 2020 will be a “Breakfast in a Bag”-style event outside Savage Arena in lot 4 off of Douglas Road.

From 8:30 to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 11, the first 500 participants who drive through the parking lot will receive a challenge coin and a voucher for a free breakfast from participating locations of Tim Hortons.

The drive-thru event was created as a safe and meaningful way to honor local veterans and active military while taking necessary precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rocket Nation will gather together virtually on Sunday, Dec. 6 to celebrate the Class of 2020 during an online version of the traditional commencement ceremony.

While the COVID-19 pandemic is preventing a large crowd from gathering together in Savage Arena, Rockets in Toledo and beyond will fire up their computers and smartphones to follow along together remotely as University leaders recognize graduates, including a keynote address and messages from each dean to the graduates of their colleges.

Satcher

“We are proud to celebrate our graduates at every commencement ceremony, but the Class of 2020 is unique,” UToledo Interim President Gregory Postel said. “The resilience these students have shown to successfully achieve their educational goals despite the significant challenges caused by a global pandemic is incredible. We look forward to celebrating their achievements at our virtual commencement ceremony.”

Dr. David SatcherThe virtual commencement will go live at 9 a.m. online at utoledo.edu/commencement and will include the pomp and circumstance of a traditional in-person ceremony, with a processional, messages from campus leaders, presentations of degrees, and singing the alma mater.

A distinguished physician-scientist will serve as the keynote speaker. Dr. David Satcher, who served as the 16th Surgeon General of the United States from 1998 to 2002, and the 10th Assistant Secretary for Health in the Department of Health and Human Services from 1998 to 2001, will address the newest alumni of UToledo.

Dr. Satcher also served as the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

He spent his career working to improve public health policy for all Americans and has remained committed to eliminating health disparities for minorities, the poor and other disadvantaged groups. Currently, he is the founding director and senior advisor for the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta.

The digital format of the commencement also will allow for more participation from the campus community through video submissions of what it means to be a Rocket and from graduates about their plans after graduation.

Each graduate will be recognized with a scrolling of names on the screen during the ceremony, an online graphic display with the opportunity for additional personalization on the commencement website, and in a printed formal commencement event program.

Water-related cases of international, national, regional and local import are the focus of the 20th annual Great Lakes Water Conference.

The conference titled “Water in the Courts” will be conducted as a live webinar from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6.

The conference is sponsored by The University of Toledo College of Law and its Legal Institute of the Great Lakes.

“While the format of the conference this year will be virtual for the first time, the conference promises to be as timely and informative as always,” said Ken Kilbert, UToledo professor of law and director of the Legal Institute of the Great Lakes.

The conference will feature six legal experts addressing topics such as litigation about the Enbridge oil pipeline underlying the Straits of Mackinac; a pending U.S. Supreme Court case regarding interstate groundwater allocation; the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent County of Maui decision affecting permitting under the Clean Water Act; challenges to the new federal ‘Waters of the United States’ rule; high water levels and flooding in and around Lake Ontario; and the Lake Erie Bill of Rights.

Registration for the half-day conference is free for the public and $50 for attorneys seeking 3.0 hours of Ohio Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit.

For more information about the Great Lakes Water Conference and to register by Nov. 4, visit the event’s website.