Christi Paul, anchor of CNN New Day Weekends and HLN’s Daily Share, will address graduates at The University of Toledo’s fall commencement 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 19 in Savage Arena.

The UT graduate and Bellevue-native, who also will receive an honorary degree during the ceremony, will address more than 2,000 candidates for degrees, including 138 doctoral candidates, 556 master’s candidates and 1,372 bachelor’s candidates.

This marks the first University of Toledo commencement for President Sharon L. Gaber.

Christi Paul

“From her time at UT to her successful career at CNN, Christi Paul has devoted her life to thoughtful curiosity, learning, and helping others with the power of information,” Gaber said. “She has been at the forefront of many major news stories of our time. The award-winning journalist and advocate for women and children is an inspiring voice who will offer a passionate message to our graduates and guests.”

The national journalist graduated from UT in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication degree with a focus on broadcast journalism.

“I’m humbled and honored to give the commencement speech and so grateful to UT, the professors who helped me grow, the staff who guided me to solid internships, and the friends I made along the way,” Paul said. “I will always credit UT for giving me my springboard into the journalism arena.”

Paul has covered many high-profile events throughout her distinguished career, including President Barack Obama’s second inauguration, Hurricane Sandy, and the Casey Anthony murder trial. She was in the anchor chair walking heartbroken viewers through the early hours of the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School and Virginia Tech.

Prior to joining CNN and HLN in 2003, Paul worked as an anchor and reporter in Phoenix, Ariz., and Boise, Idaho. The Idaho Press Club honored Paul for her series about a brave four-year-old girl who underwent a five-organ transplant. Paul began her career at WDTV in Clarksburg, W.Va.

The wife and mother of three also is passionate about helping children. Along with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Paul is co-founder of the “Find Our Children” series that airs on HLN. Viewers have helped bring home 35 missing kids as a result of the news profile segments. The center honored Paul in 2012 with its prestigious Hope Award for her efforts to make the world a safer place for children.

Paul serves on the National Advisory Council for the One Love Foundation, which works with teens to help end dating violence. Paul also serves on the Advisory Board for When Georgia Smiled that helps victims of domestic violence and sexual assault find healing, safety and joy.

UT recognized Paul in 2006 as an Outstanding Alumna of the former College of Arts and Sciences.

The fall commencement ceremony will recognize graduates from the Colleges of Adult and Lifelong Learning, Business and Innovation, Communication and the Arts, Judith Herb College of Education, Health Sciences, Languages, Literature and Social Sciences, Medicine and Life Sciences; Natural Sciences and Mathematics; Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences; and Social Justice and Human Service.

Other college specific commencement ceremonies taking place are:

• College of Engineering: graduate commencement 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17; undergraduate commencement 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19. Both ceremonies will be held in Nitschke Auditorium.

• College of Nursing: 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18 in Nitschke Auditorium.

For more information, visit utoledo.edu/commencement.

Media Coverage
The Blade (Dec. 19, 2015)
The Blade (Dec. 20, 2015)

The University of Toledo has earned recognition from Military Times and G.I. Jobs as a top school for supporting student veterans.

UT is among the top 175 schools, including 125 four-year colleges, listed in the Best for Vets: Colleges 2016 rankings announced yesterday by Military Times, and the University also was recently designated a 2016 Military Friendly School by Victory Media’s G.I. Jobs magazine. 

“These two recognitions are in addition to recently being named a Top Military-Friendly University by Military Advanced Education & Transition,” said Navy Reserve Lt. Haraz N. Ghanbari, UT’s director of military and veteran affairs. “This is UT’s first time achieving the trifecta, and it is an impressive testament to the support of our campus community.”

Best for Vets: Colleges 2016 is an editorially independent news project that evaluates the many factors that help make colleges and universities a good fit for service members, military veterans and their families. More than 600 colleges took part in this year’s detailed survey, and this is the first year UT earned the designation ranking in the top 100 of four-year schools across the country.

“We award the Best for Vets designation to the very best – the colleges that really are setting the example,” said Amanda Miller, editor of Military Times’ Best for Vets rankings and special editions.

The 2016 Military Friendly School designation by G.I. Jobs magazine is the seventh consecutive year UT has received the honor from Victory Media.

“Post-secondary institutions earning the 2016 Military Friendly School award have exceptionally strong programs for transitioning service members and spouses,” said Daniel Nichols, chief product officer of Victory Media and Navy Reserve veteran. “Our Military Friendly Schools are truly aligning their military programs and services with employers to help students translate military experience, skills and training into successful careers after graduation.”

For more information about UT’s commitment to student service members, veterans and their families, visit utoledo.edu/call/military or call 419.530.VETS.

Media Coverage
WTOL 11 (Nov. 11, 2015)

The College of Adult and Lifelong Learning (CALL) at The University of Toledo is celebrating five years of mentoring nontraditional students.

The fifth anniversary will be commemorated at CALL’s annual scholarship recognition dinner at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 2, at Inverness Club.

The college provides career and life coaching, degree completion and academic support to new, continuing and reentering adult learners in a respectful and nurturing environment.

Success Coaches help CALL students transition to college life and establish a foundation for educational attainment and career success.

“Each year we honor our scholarship recipients and the generosity of our donors that make it possible. This year is a very special one since we are also celebrating the five year anniversary of the College of Adult and Lifelong Learning,” said Dr. Dennis Lettman, dean of the college. “The success of our college is measured by the success of our students.”

CALL utilizes the Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) which allows students to receive up to 30 credit hours for relevant work, volunteer and life experiences.

The college offers class flexibility to work with a wide range of personal and professional schedules.

As part of CALL, the Military Service Center provides customized support for veterans and assists with the transition from military service to the classroom and beyond.

CALL is an evolution of University College, which served nontraditional students for 40 years, from 1970 to 2010.

A nationally renowned leader will address The University of Toledo graduates at the fall commencement ceremony Saturday, Dec. 20 in Savage Arena at 10 a.m.

Mike Thaman, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Owens Corning, will address the graduates from the colleges of Health Sciences, Adult and Lifelong Learning, Social Justice and Human Services, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Business and Innovation, Communication and the Arts, Languages, Literature and Social Sciences and the Judith Herb College of Education.

“Mike Thaman’s vision and leadership are truly aligned with the University’s commitment to best equip our students with the knowledge and guidance that will help them succeed,” said Dr. Nagi Naganathan, interim president.

There are 2,252 candidates for degrees including 113 doctoral candidates, 594 master’s candidates and 1,461 bachelor’s candidates. The remaining 84 candidates are for education specialist, graduate certificates or associate’s degrees. The ceremony will be broadcast live on video.utoledo.edu.

In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be rescheduled for Sunday, Dec. 21 at 10 a.m. in Savage Arena.

Thaman has held positions in manufacturing, corporate development and international business since joining Owens Corning, a world leader in building materials and composite systems, in 1992.

He has held numerous positions including vice president and president of the Engineered Pipe Systems business, headquartered in Brussels, Belgium; vice president and president of Owen’s Corning’s Exterior Systems Business; and senior vice president and chief financial officer.

A longtime corporate strategist and leader, Thaman emphasizes a human-emphasized approach in helping American businesses thrive.

When he accepted a company leadership award from the National Safety Council earlier this year, he focused on the human-rights aspect of company safety. “For more than 75 years, Owens Corning has understood the importance of having engaged, productive employees who arrive home to their families and friends, without incident, the same way they left.”

Prior to joining Owens Corning, Thaman spent six years as a strategy consultant at Mercer Management Consulting, where he was a vice president in the New York office. He serves as director of Florida Power & Light Co., Owens Corning Fabricating Solutions and Advanced Glassfiber Yarns LLC. For NextEra Energy Inc., Thaman served as an independent director for more than 10 years and as its lead director until this year. He served as a director of AGY Holding Corp., and as director of Florida Power & Light Group, Inc.

Thaman earned a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering and computer science from Princeton University.

Other commencement ceremonies taking place include:

• College of Engineering: graduate commencement 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18; undergraduate commencement 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20. Both ceremonies held in Nitschke Auditorium.
• College of Nursing: 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19 in Nitschke Auditorium.

For more information, visit utoledo.edu/commencement.

Media Coverage
The Blade (Dec. 13, 2014)
The Blade (Dec. 21, 2014)

The presidents of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland and Battelle Memorial Institute will speak at The University of Toledo’s commencement ceremonies Sunday, May 5.

Pianalto

In the morning ceremony Sandra Pianalto, who has been president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland since 2003, will speak to graduates from the colleges of Business and Innovation, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Visual and Performing Arts, and Languages, Literature and Social Sciences at 9:30 a.m. in Savage Arena on the University’s Main Campus.

At the afternoon ceremony Jeff Wadsworth, president and CEO of the Battelle Memorial Institute since 2009, will address graduates from the Judith Herb College of Education, Health Science and Human Service and the College of Adult and Lifelong Learning at 2 p.m.

There are 3,041 candidates for degrees, including 886 candidates for doctoral, education specialist and master’s degrees, and 2,155 for bachelor’s and associate’s degrees. Each ceremony will be webcast live on video.utoledo.edu.

“We are honored to have such accomplished professionals as Sandra Pianalto and Jeff Wadsworth at this celebration of academic achievement,” UT President Lloyd Jacobs said. “These individuals know well the value of higher education and have gone on to do incredible things within their professions and as productive members of their communities. They are both positive role models for our graduates as they move forward in the next chapter of their lives equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills taught by our wonderful faculty.”

Wadsworth

Pianalto will receive an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration and Wadsworth an Honorary Doctor of Engineering. Also receiving an Honorary Doctor of Commercial Science is Robert Savage, a distinguished UT alumnus and co-founder of the Savage & Associates insurance and financial management business in Toledo.

Pianalto began her career at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland in 1983 as an economist in the research department. In 20 years, she ascended to assistant vice president of public affairs, vice president and secretary to the board of directors, first vice president and chief operating officer and finally president and CEO — a position she’s held for 10 years.

Her professional success comes directly from her understanding of the importance of education. The daughter of Italian immigrants who came to America more than 50 years ago, Pianalto had helped them study for their United States citizenship examinations as a third-grader.

Pianalto went on to receive bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from Akron University and The George Washington University.

Wadsworth is president and CEO of Battelle Memorial Institute, which is the world’s largest nonprofit research and development organization. Formed in 1925 in Columbus, Battelle has developed the Xerox machine and a number of innovations in medical technology, telecommunications, environmental waste treatment, homeland security and transportation.

Savage

Before his current position, Wadsworth led Battelle’s Global Laboratory Operations business where he oversaw the management of six national laboratories of the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center.

Wadsworth earned a bachelor’s degree and doctorate in metallurgy from Sheffield University in England. The University also awarded him a Doctor of Metallurgy degree in 1991 for his published work and received an honorary Doctor of Engineering degree in 2004.

Savage, who will receive a UT Honorary Doctor of Commercial Science, received his bachelor’s in business in 1959 from the University and was awarded in 2003 the Gold T Award, the highest honor for UT alumni.

A generous alumnus, he gave in 2006 a $1 million donation that was the catalyst for a new, state-of-the-art center for students in the College of Business and Innovation: The Savage & Associates Complex for Business and Learning Engagement, which opened in 2010.

Savage was a member of the UT Board of Trustees for nine years and trustee for The University of Toledo Foundation for nine years.

The UT colleges that will hold individual commencement ceremonies are:

• College of Nursing, 1 p.m. Friday, May 3 in Savage Arena.
• College of Engineering, graduate commencement ceremony 5 p.m. Friday, May 3 and undergraduate commencement 3 p.m. Saturday, May 4, both in Nitschke Auditorium.
• College of Law, 10 a.m. Saturday, May 4 in Student Union Auditorium.
• College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2 p.m. Saturday, May 4 in Savage Arena.
• College of Medicine and Life Sciences, 2 p.m. Friday, June 7 in Stranahan Theater.

Media Coverage
The Blade (April 30, 2013)
The Blade (April 30, 2013)
The Blade (May 6, 2013)
The Blade (May 6, 2013)
The Blade (May 10, 2013)

Stepping off a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter during a peacekeeping mission in Bosnia, Toledo native Kevin Zimmerman relied on his faith as he carefully navigated the heavily mined fields to help stabilize and extract nine Swedish soldiers injured by anti-personnel mines.

Hosted by the UT Military Service Center in conjunction with the University’s Military Appreciation Day, Zimmerman is scheduled to share his story before a book signing 2-5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6 at the Barnes & Noble bookstore located in the Gateway at The University of Toledo.

The flight medic’s bravery on multiple occasions during his 1996 deployment, including the rescue of an injured Russian soldier from another mine field, would earn him two Soldier’s Medals and become the basis for his book, A Time For Everything; The Kevin Zimmerman Story. Originally published in 1998, Zimmerman released a second edition in January.

The highest award a soldier can receive for heroism, the Soldier’s Medal is presented for actions not directly related to combat. Zimmerman and other forces were part of a peacekeeping mission put in motion by the 1995 signed Dayton Peace Accords.

Retiring from the Army in 2000, Zimmerman now works with service members at Fort Sam Houston, while traveling around the country advocating on behalf of veterans and their families.

“Not every city and institution is as proactive as The University of Toledo when it comes to enhancing the veterans programs of the University,” Zimmerman said. “Everywhere you turn now, you hear the phrase ‘support our military,’ but the reality is in some cases, when you go to these cities or institutions, there is not really a big push to advocate for the educational advancement of the service members or their families.”

Zimmerman feels his service helps him identify with other veterans, while providing the opportunity to champion the advancement of education for his fellow service members, veterans and their families. Portions of the proceeds from Zimmerman’s book sales are donated to organizations supporting disabled American veterans, deployed soldiers and their families.

“If your community is not one that has a strong military presence, then that piece of it will fall by the way side,” Zimmerman said. “But still there are service members and families within that community who did make a sacrifice.”

For more information contact Haraz N. Ghanbari, UT Military and Media Liaison, at 419.530.4137 or haraz.ghanbari@utoledo.edu.

Adult students often juggle college courses with job and life responsibilities, and The University of Toledo is working to make it easier for nontraditional students to be successful balancing everything.

The College of Adult and Lifelong Learning has created a new Office of Adult Student Extended Services in Rocket Hall Room 1800 that can serve as a one-stop shop for prospective students looking to enroll at UT and current students who need additional assistance.

“The new Office of Adult Student Extended Services is a gateway for adults interested in a college degree but unsure of how to navigate the world of higher education,” said Beth Gerasimiak, senior director of educational services and college relations for the UT College of Adult and Lifelong Learning. “The office is open every business day with extended hours until 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday to make it easier for adult students to get the services they need.”

The community is invited to learn more about the office at an open house Monday, Nov. 5, from 3 to 6 p.m. with “Returning to Learning” presentations about the College of Adult and Lifelong Learning’s services at 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.

The Office of Adult Student Extended Services provides pre-admissions advising, career and life planning assistance, help with campus resources and services, and advising for prior learning assessment, which is a system that allows adult learners to earn college credit from life experiences through portfolios, standardized testing and industry certification.

Events will continue throughout the week as the UT College of Adult and Lifelong Learning recognizes Nontraditional Student Recognition Week Nov. 5-9. The week will include a book signing with veteran and author Kevin Zimmerman sponsored by the Military Service Center on Tuesday, lunch with the dean on Wednesday, a meet-and-greet with the Nontraditional Student Organization on Thursday, and more. Click here for a full schedule of events for Nontraditional Student Recognition Week.

Contact the UT College of Adult and Lifelong Learning for more information at 419.530.3311 or adults@utoledo.edu.

Media Coverage
The Blade (Nov. 23, 2012)