Dr. Clinton Longenecker, a leadership expert at The University of Toledo and one of three finalists for the prestigious Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching from Baylor University, is giving a free, public lecture titled “Career Success and Survival in the 21st Century: A Mandate for Lifelong Learning!”

The event, which is an essential component of the award process and sponsored by the UT student chapter of the Society of Human Resource Management, is 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5 in the Savage & Associates Business Complex Room 1200 on UT Main Campus.

The other Cherry Award finalists are Dr. Heidi Elmendorf, associate professor of biology at Georgetown University, and Dr. Neil Garg, professor of chemistry at UCLA.

In addition to delivering a lecture on his or her home campus, each finalist also presents a lecture at Baylor in Waco, Texas, this fall. Longenecker’s lecture is 4:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 23.

The eventual Cherry Award winner, which will be announced by Baylor in 2018, will receive $250,000 and an additional $25,000 for his or her home department and will teach in residence at Baylor during fall 2018 or spring 2019.

Longenecker, UT Distinguished University Professor and director of the Center for Leadership and Organizational Excellence in the UT College of Business and Innovation, has received more than 60 teaching, service and research awards and numerous industry awards. He was recognized by The Economist as one of the “Top Fifteen Business Professors in the World.”

The Cherry Award is the only national teaching award – with the single largest monetary reward – presented by a college or university to an individual for exceptional teaching.

“To be selected as one of three finalists for this prestigious award is an absolute honor, and I’m very proud to represent The University of Toledo on this national stage,” Longenecker said. “I’ve considered my entire career to be a privilege, an opportunity to make a difference, and a blessing to be able to teach adult learners how to improve their skills and career trajectory.”

Longenecker’s teaching, research and consulting interests are in high-performance leadership and creating great organizations. He has published more than 190 articles and papers in academic and professional journals, as well as several best-selling books. His latest book, “The Successful Career Survival Guide,” was published in March.