In the middle of Lake Erie’s harmful algal bloom season, The University of Toledo Water Task Force will update local, state and federal officials on its water quality and human health research at a special meeting from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 30, in Nitschke Hall Room 1027.

UToledo’s Water Task Force, which was formed in response to the city of Toledo’s “Do Not Drink” water advisory in 2014, is made up of more than 30 faculty members from across the University working to protect water quality and the health of Lake Erie.

“Clean water is a critical resource and in need of our dedicated focus as we learn how climate change impacts harmful algal bloom formation and toxicity,” said Dr. Frank Calzonetti, vice president for research. “UToledo scientists, engineers, medical researchers, public health professors and legal experts collaborate closely to advance ways to improve water quality and inform stakeholders in our region about our latest research findings.”

Faculty from the UToledo Lake Erie Center have been monitoring algae in Lake Erie for nearly 20 years, and researchers are investigating every aspect of harmful algal blooms, from nutrient loading into waterways, conditions in the lake that support algal blooms, ways to treat water at municipal treatment plants, the health impacts from both recreational and ingestion exposure, and policies and laws to protect the lakes.

Water Task Force research is supported by federal agencies and Ohio’s Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative. Projects involve collaboration with national laboratories and other universities, using the world’s fastest supercomputers and most sophisticated scientific instrumentation.

More than 50 people will become U.S. citizens during a naturalization ceremony at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 17, in the Law Center McQuade Auditorium on The University of Toledo’s Main Campus.

Magistrate Judge Darrell A. Clay of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio will preside over the ceremony, which will celebrate Constitution Day at the University.

Dr. Sammy Spann, interim senior associate vice president of student affairs and dean of students, and D. Benjamin Barros, dean of the UToledo College of Law, will give welcome remarks at the event, which will feature guest speaker alumnus Yixing Chen, who was naturalized at a UToledo ceremony two years ago.

Chen moved from China to the U.S. 28 years ago and graduated from UToledo with a master’s degree in public health in 2012. He later worked at UToledo’s Jacobs Interprofessional Immersive Simulation Center.

In a 2019 op-ed for UToledo News, Chen wrote, “During my 25-year journey to citizenship, I never lost the dream of being able to hold my hand to my heart proudly when my classmates recited the Pledge of Allegiance; or when my friends sang ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ at the Toledo football games; or when I hang the stars and stripes in front of my home in Toledo; or when I tell my beautiful daughter, Lilian, that her ‘baba’ (Mandarin for daddy) is also an American like her.”

Constitution Day is annually observed in America to commemorate the formation and signing of the Constitution of the United States on Sept. 17, 1787.

The free, public event is sponsored by the Office of Government Relations.

The University of Toledo will honor Cindy McCain at its 18^th Annual International Human Trafficking and Social Justice Conference for her work in the fight against human trafficking.

McCain is a member of the Human Trafficking Council at the McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University and serves as chairwoman of the Hensley Beverage Company. She is a lifelong philanthropist and is the widow of U.S. Senator John McCain.

Cindy McCain

President Joe Biden nominated McCain to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture in June.

“Cindy McCain is a powerhouse and has been a force for good against human trafficking in Arizona, the U.S. and around the world,” said Dr. Celia Williamson, Distinguished University Professor and director of the UToledo Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute. “We are thankful to have her involved in the fight as an outspoken advocate against human trafficking.”

McCain is scheduled to accept the Champion for Human Rights and Social Justice Award 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 22, as well as deliver opening remarks to kick off the three-day conference 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 22.

The Sept. 22-24 conference featuring survivors, researchers and advocates around the world is virtual for the second year in a row and is the largest conference to date with more than 180 expert speakers and 100 breakout sessions. The deadline to register is Tuesday, Sept. 14.

“We are continuing to expand our reach since we are not confined by physical space and travel limitations,” said Williamson.

The event has welcomed people from 50 states and 40 countries since it began in 2004 to advance collaborative research, advocacy and program development.

Several presentations for the 2021 conference cover the topic of COVID-19’s impact on trafficking and survivors, as well as indigenous victims of trafficking and Missing and Murdered Indigenous People.

Williamson, a world-renown social worker and researcher who works directly with victims and has revolutionized global anti-trafficking efforts, will present 11:45 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 23, about effective case management with human trafficking survivors, with a focus on how to be successful working with survivors from beginning to end.

“This conference is a great opportunity to learn from and network with scholars and experts from all over the world and learn about human trafficking and human rights issues,” Williamson said.

For a full schedule of presentations or to register, visit the conference website.

UPDATE: The location of the event has moved to the Toledo Museum of Art’s Peristyle Theater. Attendees need to provide proof of vaccination or a negative PCR COVID-19 test administered within three days of the event.

Singer, songwriter, fiddler and banjo picker Rhiannon Giddens is coming to Toledo next month to give a free, public lecture as part of The University of Toledo’s Edward Shapiro Distinguished Lecture Series.

The Grammy winner and MacArthur “Genius” grant recipient will speak about U.S. music traditions and the roots of social justice 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 13, at the Toledo Museum of Art’s Peristyle Theater.

Free admission tickets are required and available at the event website. Following CDC guidance, face masks are required. Doors open at 6 p.m. with first-come, first-served seating.

At the request of Giddens, attendees need to provide, at the door, proof of vaccination or a negative PCR COVID-19 test administered within three days of the event.

UToledo is partnering with the Toledo Symphony to welcome Giddens to town.

Giddens’ lecture follows her performance with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 12, at the Peristyle Theater featuring a program of jazz, blues, country, Gospel and Celtic music from her critically acclaimed albums. The performance will follow the same COVID-19 vaccination or negative test requirements.

“The Shapiro Lecture series is one of the premier intellectual events offered by the College of Arts and Letters at The University of Toledo,” said Charlene Gilbert, dean of the UToledo College of Arts and Letters. “Each year we feature an individual who has achieved distinction in their profession, and this year we are honored to present musician, musicologist and historian Rhiannon Giddens.

“Ms. Giddens has made a name for herself both as a performer and an expert in music history, sharing the little-known but highly influential people and events that have shaped American music and society. Her work has earned her well-deserved awards, and we are thrilled to have her as our featured guest this year.”

The annual lecture is made possible by the Shapiro endowment left by Dr. Edward Shapiro, professor emeritus of economics who retired in 1989, to provide opportunities for the University to bring world-renowned speakers to Toledo.

Past Shapiro Distinguished Lecture speakers include Elie Wiesel, Toni Morrison, Audra McDonald and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Tickets for Giddens’ performance with the Toledo Symphony can be purchased by calling the box office at 419.246.8000 or visiting toledosymphony.com.

“Rhiannon Giddens is one of those artists who will go down in history for more than just their extraordinary talent,” said Zak Vassar, president and CEO of the Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts. “She is an all-around inspiring person, and her music reflects that. She fuses her operatic training with powerful, musical storytelling, giving a voice to some of the most important but forgotten people and events in history. We are proud to kick off our ‘21-22 season by bringing Rhiannon Giddens to our community. Her appearance is not to be missed.”

Giddens’ lifelong mission is to lift up people whose contributions to American musical history have previously been erased, and to work toward a more accurate understanding of the country’s musical origins.

Giddens has performed for the Obamas at the White House, served as a Carnegie Hall “Perspectives” curator and received an inaugural Legacy of Americana Award from Nashville’s National Museum of African American Music in partnership with the Americana Music Association.

Giddens began her musical studies at Oberlin Conservatory’s Opera Theater. In 2005, Giddens attended the Black Banjo Gathering in Boone, North Carolina, where she met the future members of her band, the Carolina Chocolate Drops, the first African American string band to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. In 2011, the band won a Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album for “Genuine Negro Jig.”

In 2015, Giddens launched her solo career with the critically acclaimed album “Tomorrow Is My Turn,” honoring the works of African American artists like Florence Quivar and Nina Simone.

Giddens made her acting debut with a recurring role on the hit television show “Nashville,” playing the character of Hanna Lee “Hallie” Jordan, a young social worker with “the voice of an angel.”

In 2018, Giddens became the host of the Metropolitan Opera’s podcast series “Aria Code,” which dives into some of the most legendary arias, exploring key moments in opera and how they affect the listener through emotions.

Giddens released a new album this year titled “They’re Calling Me Home,” which was recorded in Ireland during the COVID-19 lockdown and speaks of the longing for the comfort of home as well as the metaphorical “call home” of death, a tragic reality for so many during the pandemic.