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

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)

Four finalists for the position of executive vice president of finance and administration and chief financial officer will hold open forums in May to engage with The University of Toledo community.

Faculty, staff and students are invited to get to know the candidates at four open forums. Each will take place in Student Union Room 2582:

John Beaghan, vice president for finance and administration and treasurer to the Board of Trustees at Oakland University, Rochester, Mich.

• Monday, May 2, 2:15 to 3:15 p.m.

Dr. Gregg Lassen, vice president for business affairs at the University of New Orleans.

• Monday, May 9, 2:15 to 3:15 p.m.

Dr. David Ellis, associate vice president for budgeting and analysis at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

• Tuesday, May 10, 3:15 to 4:15 p.m.

Dr. Cornelius Wooten, vice president for administration and finance at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

• Friday, May 13, 2:15 to 3:15 p.m.

The executive vice president of finance and administration and CFO is responsible for the University’s overall financial leadership, strategic financial planning, and financial management. The role also oversees UT’s facilities and police and safety operations, the divisions of human resources and information technology, and other business services.

For more information about the CFO search and to see the candidates’ curriculum vitaes, visit utoledo.edu/depts/hr/cfo-search.

Media Coverage
The Blade (April 28, 2016)
Oakland Press (April 28, 2016)

The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation and the Business Engagement and Leadership Council will recognize both business and academic excellence during the 53rd annual Pacemaker Awards at 7 p.m. Friday, April 29, at the Inverness Country Club.

The 2016 recipients of the Business Pacemakers Award are Kathleen Hanley, recently retired from ProMedica, and Michael Hanley, recently retired from Ernst & Young. It is the first time in the history of the honor that the business Pacemaker Award will be presented to a married couple, as well as the first time the award has been presented to more than one person. 

Mrs. Hanley retired from ProMedica in 2015 after 35 years of service. She served as chief integration and development officer, president of ProMedica Indemnity Corp., and ProMedica’s chief financial officer. Previous to her long career with ProMedica, she was a senior auditor with Ernst & Young. Mrs. Hanley graduated from the UT College of Business with a BBA in accounting in 1978 and an MBA in finance. She has held many leadership positions with a variety of community organizations, including membership on the UT Foundation Board and the UT College of Business and Innovation Business Advisory Council, and she was named the 2014 UT College of Business and Innovation Most Distinguished Alumna.

Mr. Hanley retired from Ernst & Young in 2014 after 37 years with the firm, where he served many companies in the automotive industry in both an assurance and advisory role. He was the firm’s global automotive leader, was a frequent speaker at automotive conferences around the globe, and led conferences or executive discussions covering global and regional automotive megatrends, urban mobility, and doing business in developing markets. Mr. Hanley graduated from UT in 1977, completed Ernst & Young’s Executive Program at the Kellogg School at Northwestern University in 1996, and is a certified public accountant. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Shiloh Industries Inc., as well as a member of the Board of Trustees of the MVP Foundation.

The Hanleys have two children and reside in Scottsdale, Ariz.

“Recipients of the Pacemaker Award over the past five decades read as a who’s who of current and legendary business leaders in the Toledo region, and both Kathleen and Michael Hanley certainly belong in that impressive roster,” said Dr. Gary Insch, dean of the UT College of Business and Innovation. “The Pacemaker Award is the College of Business and Innovation’s highest honor, recognizing individuals for outstanding achievement in business as well as contributions to the community and the University. Kathleen and Michael’s highly successful careers, outstanding leadership, and tremendous generosity to our community make each of them an ideal business professional to receive this year’s award, as well as to historically be the first dual Pacemaker honorees.”

Student 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 2016 student Pacemakers are: Applied Organizational Technology — Donna Provolish; Accounting — Gianfranco Rolando and Rodrick Perkins; Finance — Martha Krause and Patrick Northcraft; Information Operations Technology Management — David Headley and Madeline Jarrett; Management — Kayla Cepo and Karee Kunkel; Marketing/International Business — Stephanie Elkins and Megan Gaysunas; Master of Business Administration — Gretchen Buskirk; Master of Science in Accountancy — Rachel Headley; and Dean’s Recipient — Jacob Pawelczyk.

To help professionals stay current and comply with evolving laws and regulations, The University of Toledo College of Law is offering a new graduate certificate program in compliance.

The part-time program, which can be completed in about 10 months, is offered through online and in-person classes held in the evenings to accommodate working adults.

“A foundation in compliance is applicable to many heavily-regulated career fields, including health care, education, and human resources,” said D. Benjamin Barros, dean of the College of Law. “Coursework in areas such as policy and procedure creation; ethics; privacy and data security; reporting; and investigations will allow graduates of the certificate program to be more competitive in the job market and better prepared to lead compliance programs.”

Interested students have three graduate certificate options: a specialized certificate in health care compliance, a specialized certificate in higher education compliance, and a general certificate in compliance that is applicable to a variety of fields and industries.

The health care compliance certificate is 18 credits and participants will learn the rules and regulations associated with the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medicaid, and HIPPA.

The 17-credit certificate in higher education compliance will provide a foundation for the regulations associated with the NCAA for athletics, Clery Act and Title IX for safety, and FERPA for student privacy.

The general-focus certificate is a 16-credit program that includes a faculty-supervised research project focused on the student’s unique compliance interests.

Each certificate program also can be incorporated into the College of Law’s master of studies in law (MLW) degree program and the juris doctor (JD) program.

The graduate certificates were recently approved by the American Bar Association and will be offered beginning this fall semester.

Media Coverage
The Blade (April 27, 2016)

The University of Toledo will celebrate today another successful academic year with a Student Appreciation Day.

The fifth annual event from 1 to 3 p.m. today (Wednesday, April 20) in Centennial Mall on the UT Main Campus will feature free food, music, prizes and dogs from the Toledo Area Humane Society as a fun stress relief event for students. The Doggypalooza component of the event will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The last day of classes for the 2015-16 academic year is Friday, April 29 followed by finals week and commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 7.

To help bring awareness to HIV as a serious, growing public health issue, especially among young minority populations, The University of Toledo Ryan White Program will show its short film, “The Downside,” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 20, in the Driscoll Alumni Center Auditorium.

“The Downside” explores how societal stigma around sexuality leads to the spread of HIV despite advanced research, prevention and treatment methods. The short film will be followed by a panel discussion featuring HIV experts.

“The goal is to get people to ask questions. The thing I’d like to see change with minority populations is with the stigma and fear. HIV is so stigmatized in these populations,” said Kennyetta White, minority outreach coordinator of the Ryan White Program, which offers comprehensive medical care for people living with HIV.

Each year, the Ryan White Program hosts several events to bring awareness to HIV, which include a fashion show in December and masquerade ball in November.

According to White, these events have led many more people to be tested for HIV and educated on the disease. Her hope is that this awareness continues to grow and the program can reach more people.

“The program is special to me because I can educate people about HIV. I love what I do. The goal is to save lives,” White said.

About 150 people are expected to attend the free, public event.

Students in Rocket Engineering Prep Program to receive full college scholarships

More homegrown engineers will solve problems right here in the Toledo community thanks to an innovative partnership between BP and The University of Toledo.

The new Rocket Engineering Prep Program will ensure full tuition and fee scholarships for four years for select Toledo Public School students to attend the UT College of Engineering in exchange for successfully completing three summers of enrichment and mentoring programs at UT during high school. The program supports an increase in both the number and success of students who represent the diversity of the Toledo community. 

The launch of the Rocket Engineering Prep Program will be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 19 in the SSOE Seminar Room of Nitschke Hall on the UT Main Campus. The first class of TPS students in the program will be recognized at the event.

“Thanks to the generosity of BP we will be able to increase the success of local high school students in engineering careers,” UT President Sharon L. Gaber said. “These students will not only receive a top-notch UT College of Engineering education, but also will be better prepared for success with an introduction to college life and engineering careers through the summer programs. This is an exciting program to encourage talented local students to stay in our community and to support their education and career achievements.”

“BP is excited to be a partner of the new Rocket Engineering Prep Program,” BP Refinery Manager Mark Dangler said. “In order to remain competitive, BP, like many other companies, will increasingly require a workforce that is proficient in advanced STEM subjects and prepared with critical thinking and problem solving skills. We believe this new bridge program will enhance our local talent pool of diverse engineering candidates and helps build upon our ongoing relationship with UT and supporting our community where we live and work.”

The Rocket Engineering Prep Program begins the summer after the student’s sophomore year of high school when they will visit the UT campus for assistance in preparing for 11th grade, the ACT and success in college. They also will be introduced to engineering disciplines and careers through activities and field trips. The students will participate in a similar program the following summer.

During the summer after high school graduation the participants will live on campus and enroll in UT courses for a head start on a successful college experience.

“BP is investing in our community by encouraging local high school students to explore the engineering sciences and providing the resources and support that will help them succeed here at UT and in their future careers,” UT College of Engineering Dean Nagi Naganathan said. “Our graduates are creative problem solvers and leaders in their fields. We look forward to having more TPS graduates succeed as UT engineering students and alumni.”

Media Coverage
The Blade (April 19, 2016)
13 ABC (April 19, 2016)
WTOL 11 (April 20, 2016)
NBC 24 (April 20, 2016)

The reality of women and children lugging jugs for miles every day to get clean water in many countries around the world will be simulated at The University of Toledo this weekend.

Walk for Water is an annual fundraising event to increase Toledo’s awareness for the worldwide lack of access to clean water and to raise funds to help Clean Water for the World, an organization working to build, ship, install and maintain water purification units for people without clean water around the world. The organization provides the units at no cost to local communities in developing countries.

Walk for Water will start at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 17 on the UT Centennial Mall. Participants can begin checking in at 1:15 p.m. for the 5K run or walk.

During the past three years, the campaign has raised $31,000, purchasing 10 water units that have been placed in Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Haiti.

“It is important to participate in Walk for Water because it promotes solidarity and awareness through experiential learning on The University of Toledo campus, allowing students, faculty and Toledo community members to advocate for clean water,” said Kristy Kagy, president of UT’s Catholic Student Association.

Participants are encouraged to carry jugs filled with water during the 5K to mimic the daily effort women and children in developing countries exert for clean water. A water carrying competition will be held during the event, in which the group that carries the greatest volume of water without backpacks or wheels wins. Pre-filled jugs will be available at the event.

Registration is $10 for students and $15 for adults and includes a Walk for Water button. T-shirts can be purchased for $8.

Register and donate online at firstgiving.com/cw4w/walk-for-water-toledo-2016.

Media Coverage
WTOL 11 (April 18, 2016)
13 ABC (April 18, 2016)

More than 1,300 people are expected to attend RockeTHON this weekend to raise thousands of dollars for Mercy Children’s Hospital in downtown Toledo.

The dance marathon, which is The University of Toledo’s largest student-run philanthropy event, will be from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, April 16 in Savage Arena.

“I attended my first dance marathon two years ago, and I fell in love with its success and potential, but most importantly who it was for,” said Sean Reck, a senior majoring in chemical engineering and overall director of RockeTHON. “Raising money for the kids and working hard to challenge other community members to do the same — that’s what I’m here for.”

The 13-hour event is the culmination of a yearlong fundraising effort in which participants dance, play games and learn about the families they are helping. Participants also can ride a mechanical bull, compete in basketball and dodge ball tournaments, get henna tattoos, and have a chance to win special giveaways.

In 2015, more than $106,000 was raised, and since its beginning, the UT dance marathon event has raised more than $700,000 for Mercy Children’s Hospital.

The RockeTHON committee set the bar even higher for 2016 with a goal of raising $130,000 throughout the year for Mercy Children’s Hospital.

For more information, visit rockethon.org.

Media Coverage
13 ABC (April 17, 2016)
WTOL 11 (April 18, 2016)
The Blade (April 18, 2016)