Follow Big Bird through the night sky, explore Mayan culture, learn about light pollution, and talk to astronomers about their research at the second annual Astronomy Day at The University of Toledo.

The free, public events will take place Saturday, April 20, in the Ritter Planetarium on UT’s Main Campus and allow guests to view the sun through special telescopes and watch planetarium shows with the world’s first Spitz SciDome XD projection system.

Throughout Astronomy Day, which starts at 1 p.m., visitors will be able to view the sun with the Toledo Astronomical Association’s advanced telescopes, weather permitting.

At 3 p.m., UT astronomers will share how they are using the Discovery Channel Telescope in Flagstaff, Ariz. to revolutionize their research in Toledo. The 4.3-meter telescope is the fifth largest telescope in the continental United States and one of the most technologically advanced.

A series of planetarium shows will be featured during Astronomy Day. The schedule is:

• “One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure” at 1 p.m. Children can follow Elmo and Big Bird as they explore the night sky with Hu Hu Zhu, a Muppet from China.
• “Tales of the Maya Skies” at 2 p.m. The audience will be immersed in Mayan astronomy, art and culture.
• “The City Dark” at 4 p.m. This full-length, award-winning film will educate viewers on the impact light pollution has on astronomers, wildlife, culture and health.

Astronomy Day is a great way for the public to get a glimpse of what the Department of Physics and Astronomy at UT does on a regular basis, said Alex Mak, associate director of Ritter Planetarium

“We’ve had a lot of students come to UT who later tell me that their first experience at UT was to see the planetarium,” he said. “They still remembered it and they loved it.”

For more information, visit rpbo.utoledo.edu.

Media Coverage
The Blade (April 18, 2013)

What began as the Catholic-Muslim Dialogue at The University of Toledo in 2000 has expanded to bring understanding of three of the world’s top religions to campus.

The annual Jewish-Christian-Muslim Dialogue will be held 7-9 p.m. Monday, April 15 in the Student Union Auditorium.

The theme of the 2013 lecture is “Prophetic Peacebuilding: Abrahamic Visions for Peace” and the keynote speaker is Dr. Najeeba Syeed-Miller, assistant professor of inter-religious education at Claremont School of Theology, Claremont, Calif.

Also speaking at the event will be Dr. James Waddell, the UT Markowicz Visiting Assistant Professor of Judaism and Jewish Biblical Studies, and Dr. Peter Feldmeier, the UT Thomas and Margaret Murray and James J. Bacik Professor of Catholic Studies.

The dialogue is the main event for UT’s Center for Religious Understanding lecture series this academic year.

“This is our biggest event of the year,” said Dr. Jeanine Diller, center director and assistant professor of philosophy. “We usually offer five or six lectures per year, including one on Catholic studies, Jewish studies, Islamic thought, Eastern religious thought, and this year lectures on Hinduism and Native-American spirituality as well.”

As the UT Religious Studies Program grew, Diller said Judaism was brought into the dialogue and Catholicism was expanded to Christianity in 2003. The current three religions included in the dialogues all find their origins in Abraham.

For more information on the free, public lecture, contact Diller at 419.530.6190 or jeanine.diller@utoledo.edu.

Duke Wheeler, Mark Peddicord and Haraz Ghanbari, the co-chairs for the long overdue Welcome Home Celebration for Vietnam Era veterans, are hosting a press conference at 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 17 at International Park to release details about the event and encourage area veterans to participate in the activities.

“We need to reach as many Vietnam Era Veterans as possible — those who served in Vietnam as well as those who served in other capacities,” said Ghanbari, The University of Toledo’s military and media liaison. “We want to recognize and honor the service of the men and women who answered their nation’s call.”

The five-day event will begin Wednesday, June 5, when the Traveling Vietnam Wall arrives in Toledo, followed by an opening ceremony at UT’s Savage Arena Wednesday evening. Other events will be announced on April 17.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs:

•  Approximately 2.7 million American men and women served in Vietnam.
•  America’s involvement in Vietnam lasted from 1957 until 1975.
•  Between 1965 and 1969, US troop strength rose from 60,000 to more than 543,000 in country.
•  The last US ground troops left Vietnam in March 1973.

For more information regarding the Vietnam Era Veterans Welcome Home Celebration, please visit www.toledoveteransevent.com.

Event designed to bolster enrollment in national cancer prevention study

There is an old adage that says the only things that are certain in this world are death and taxes. Well, The University of Toledo and the American Cancer Society are using tax day as a backdrop to inspire the community to participate in a study that may very well help millions avoid the latter.

UT will be joined by the American Cancer Society at 10 a.m. Monday, April 15, as a new name and signage are unveiled for its recently opened Eleanor N. Dana Cancer Center. The event precedes the first round of enrollment in Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3).

CPS-3 is the third phase of an ongoing effort to discover the causes of cancer. In phase one, the study officially linked cigarette smoking to lung cancer. In phase two, obesity and certain foods were identified as a cause. Now CPS-3 will work to increase understanding further.

“While there may be a great deal of truth to the adage that Benjamin Franklin made famous, it is our hope that this study will help to further our understanding of the causes of cancer and help to prevent people around the world suffering from it,” said Esther Fabian, UT associate vice president for branding and creative services, and one of the organizers of the drive for study volunteers.

The study is open to anyone between the ages of 30 and 65 who has never been diagnosed with cancer. The local goal is to enroll 625 adults from various racial and ethnic backgrounds here in northwest Ohio, and to collect data that may one day help eliminatecancer as a major health risk.

The first step is to register online at ToledoCPS3.org. Participants will then go to the UT enrollment sites in John F. Savage Arena on April 16-17 and at the Eleanor A. Dana Cancer Center on April 18 and 20. Participants will be asked to read and sign a consent form, complete a short written survey and provide a waist circumference and a small blood sample. Volunteers will be asked to complete surveys on an ongoing basis.

For more information on how to register to participate in the study, visit ToledoCPS3.org or contact Andrew Mariani at 888.227.6446 ext. 5103 or andrew.mariani@cancer.org.

What: The University of Toledo Police Department is hosting active shooter training all week to instruct officers from UTPD and area police departments how to enter a building by themselves when a shooter is inside. The training is known as RAIDER (Rapid Deployment, Awareness, Intervention, Decisiveness, EMS and Recovery).

When/Where: Officers will have their building entry and search training from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 11 in the old Veterans Affairs Building located at 3303 Glendale Ave. At 10 a.m. media are welcome to witness the training and speak with UT Police Chief Jeff Newton. They also will be learning techniques in classrooms at UT and at the Toledo Port Authority from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

Why: After the Columbine tragedy, the response of police officers to situations with shooters has evolved. Before, the first officer to arrive on the scene would call for backup and wait for SWAT. They then began using the quad method, where the first four officers on the scene would enter the building. Now, in order to get into a dangerous building faster and potentially save more lives, UTPD and Response Options are taking initiative and training officers how to enter the building alone and neutralize a shooter situation.

Media Coverage
The Blade (April 12, 2013)
FOX Toledo (April 15, 2013)

Army ROTC cadets representing several regional universities are scheduled to compete for the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge during a competition Friday and Saturday on The University of Toledo campus.

Officially known as “Das Abzeichen fur Leistungen im Truppendiest,” the award was established in 1980 by the Bundeswehr — the German Armed Forces — to recognize military proficiency. It is awarded to all German soldiers and is one of the few foreign awards U.S. service members are authorized to wear.

Cadets from The University of Toledo, Bowling Green State University, Eastern Michigan University, Central Michigan University, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan are scheduled to compete.

The events will begin 8 a.m. Friday, April 12 with a first-aid knowledge test at the Health Education Center located on Stadium Drive across from the Glass Bowl, followed by 5K run along the University Parks Trail and 200-meter swim at the Health Education Center.

Saturday’s track-and-field events will be conducted simultaneously beginning at 8 a.m. at Springfield High School located at 1470 South McCord Road, Holland, and shooting qualifications will occur at the Sylvania Township Police Department’s outdoor shooting range located near the intersection of Brent and Centennial Roads in Sylvania Township.

The final event is the rucksack-march beginning at 4:30 p.m. along the campus bicycle trail.

An awards ceremony to award gold, silver and bronze awards to qualifying participants will take place at 8 p.m. in the gymnasium of the Health Education Center.

The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation and the Business Engagement and Leadership Council will recognize business and academic excellence during the 50th anniversary Pacemaker Awards Friday, April 19, at the Inverness Country Club.

The 2013 recipient of the Business Pacemaker Award is Joseph D. Napoli, president/general manager of the Toledo Mud Hens Baseball Club and Toledo Walleye Hockey Club.

“Joseph Napoli’s highly successful career, community involvement and outstanding leadership make him the ideal business professional to receive this year’s Pacemaker Award,” said Dr. Thomas Sharkey, interim dean of the UT College of Business and Innovation. “The Toledo Mud Hens are recognized around the world, and Joe’s generosity and personal involvement in various projects, such as Great Lakes Center for Autism and the Boys Scouts of America, produces meaningful results in our own community.”

Sharkey added, “From Stephen Stranahan to Robert Savage, Harold McMaster to Richard P. Anderson, the recipients of the Pacemaker Award over the past five decades reads as a who’s who of current and legendary business leaders in the Toledo region. As the college’s highest honor, the Pacemaker Award recognizes an individual for outstanding achievement in business as well as contributions to the community and the University.”

MarianneBallas, winner of the 2011 Business Pacemaker Award, said, “Winning the Pacemaker Award is a great honor, and I am very proud to be a part of the history of this prestigious award. Previous awardees are some of the most successful and admired business people in our region.”

Born andraised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Napoli graduated from St. John’s University in New York City. Upon graduation, he joined Manufacturer’s Hanover Trust in New York City. After a brief career in banking, Joe’s 20-year career in sports began in Canton, Ohio, with the Canton Indians, the Double-A club of the Cleveland Indians. In the early 1990s, he moved to Toledo to work for the Mud Hens before spending several years working for the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Tigers.

Napoli returned to Toledo to develop Fifth Third Field in downtown Toledo, and later he became part of the development team for the Toledo Walleye and Huntington Center. The Hens and Walleye have been recognized and awarded for organizational excellence by Minor League Baseball and the ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League), respectively.

He serves the community on the boards of ProMedica Health System, Toledo Children’s Hospital and the Toledo Symphony. He and his wife, Annette, raise their five children in Toledo.

AcademicExcellence 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 2013 student Pacemakers are: Applied Organizational Technology — Stacie Novelli; Accounting — Cassandra Wenman and Tracy Lester; Finance — Zachary Buckland and Derrick Jones; Information Operations Technology Management — Timothy Schloz and Jeffrey Williams; Marketing and International Business — Kelsea Kiene and Sarah Hess; Management — Alvin Fletcher Jr. and Emily Henzler; MBA — Nicholas Fasciana; PhD — Prashanth Anekal; Dean’s Office — Paige Stiriz.

Media Coverage
The Blade (April 20, 2013)

At the fourth annual International Festival, guests will get a glimpse of the many diverse cultures around the world.

The event takes place from noon to 8 p.m. this Saturday, April 13, in the Student Union Auditorium on The University of Toledo’s Main Campus. Guests will celebrate the cultures of Toledo’s Sister Cities from countries including Spain, China, Hungary, Poland, Japan, Tanzania, Germany, Lebanon, Pakistan, India and more. 

“Toledo Sister Cities International is very excited to partner with The University of Toledo for this special event,” said Dr. Susan Miko, executive director of Toledo Sister Cities International. “The International Festival has grown each year and has been well attended by community members but this new venue provides an opportunity for college students to more easily participate.”

Throughout the day there will be performances featuring traditional music and dance from countries around the world. Ethnic restaurants in the Toledo area also will offer traditional cuisine. Beverages for purchase including beer, wine, soft drinks and coffee round out the menu selections.

The festival also features a language corner where attendees can try their hand at basic phrases in any of the 15 languages offered. There also will be informational booths and craft vendors selling homemade international items and souvenirs.

“The opportunity to share the food, music, entertainment and educational facets of many different cultures is what makes this festival so unique,” Miko said.

Throughout the day there will be 50/50 tickets for sale along with tickets for a bag raffle. Parking is free and available throughout Main Campus with volunteers to guide visitors to the event.

Admission is $5 in advance and can be purchased at Rocket Copy, located in the Student Union Room 2525 at The University of Toledo Main Campus. At the door, the price will remain $5 for UT students with Rocket IDs and seniors 65 and older but general admission will be $7.

Because this event coincides with Lil Sibs weekend at UT, students can bring their younger siblings for free with purchase of their own tickets. All children 10 and younger are free, but must be accompanied by an adult throughout the event.

For more information, visit toledosistercities.org or like them on Facebook at facebook.com/ToledoSisterCities.

Media Coverage
The Blade (April 11, 2013)
The Blade (April 11, 2013)

The University of Toledo’s scuba diving club, DiveUT, has broken the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest time under water by a group of divers in a confined area.

At 3:30 a.m. today the team broke the record exceeding seven days underwater, breaking the old record of 6 days and 21 hours.

** PHOTO OPPORTUNITY **
A “splash down” celebration of the accomplishment will take place at 1 p.m. today (Tuesday, April 9) in the Student Union Trimble Lounge with the UT mascot Rocky and university leadership.

The team of 25 divers has been switching out individiuals in the tank as needed since Monday with the goal to set a world record by keeping a scuba diver in the water of a 330 gallon tote for seven days.

For more information about the Dive UT student group, visit diveut.webs.com.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VZZm1C4Oy0

Media Coverage
The Independent Collegian (April 9, 2013)
13 ABC and WTOL 11 (April 9, 2013)
The Blade (April 10, 2013)

The University of Toledo has long been a leader in the digital world. Now, the Division of External Affairs will host a conferencefocused on the subject 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, May 10 in the Student Union.

The uHeart Digital Media event will feature emerging leaders, accomplished practitioners, innovators and experts in this field. Attendees will learn how to leverage social media and build their own digital brands, successfully develop and launch applications that will attract interest in a crowded marketplace, target niche markets to increase affinity and build communities around a brand and products.

“We have put together a line up of speakers that would rival any digital media conference around,” said Lawrence J. Burns, vice president for external affairs. “This will prove to be a major event for leaders in digital media and entrepreneurs across the region.”

“We hope the UT community turns out to participate in this major event,” added Burns.

Dave Hunke, former president and publisher of USA Today and now chief strategy officer at Digerati, will present the keynote address. His talk will focus on how he and his team at USA Today helped transform the brand of one of the nation’s most popular newspapers from a print publication to a digital giant.

Along with Hunke, speakers will include:

• Ben Bator, Texts from Last Night;
• Matt Burns, Tech Crunch;
• Hayley Call, Ohio Job and Family Services;
• Anthony Broad Crawford, GiveForward;
• Will Lucas, Classana;
• Joe Sharp, Thread;
• Dustin Hosteler; Digital Graphics;
• Mike Bott, The Brandery;
• Communica;
• Jim Connely, McGraw Hill.

The event will wrap up 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. with a uHeart Startups Pitch & PourAfter Party for conference attendees.

Registration is $50 and $20 for students. To register, visit uHeartDigitalMedia.com, or contact Amelia Acuna at 419.530.5874 or amelia.acuna@utoledo.edu. Follow the event on Twitter at @uhrtdgtl.

Media Coverage
The Independent Collegian (April 24, 2013)
The Blade (May 11, 2013)
WNWO and 13 ABC (May 13, 2013)